PARENTS in Redditch are growing concerned for the future of the children’s centres in the town after it was announced they were all under review.
Worcestershire County Council is introducing a new 0-19 prevention service encompassing children, young people and families and is currently consulting with users over which of the current buildings will be required to run the new service.
Julie Rae used the centres when her son was a baby and said it would be an outrage if the county council was to close any of them.
“They offer so much to these young families – where else are they going to get this level of help and advice from?” she said.
“It just concerns me that with so many cutbacks, it is the most vulnerable who lose out.”
The county-wide funding for 0-19, which comes into operation in October 2016, is £9.54 million, a saving on the current cost of delivering health visiting, school nursing and early help services. It is intended it would target help at ‘those most in need of them’.
At the moment Redditch borough council delivers the early help service, with 83 staff employed and 11 seconded for the purpose and the borough has indicated it would be willing to continue to do so with 0-19, in a partnership or consortium with health professionals.
Options under consideration by the county include running the service through alternative premises like vacant shops, with those centres not required being used for other purposes.
Consultation closes on Friday, January 29 when the county will reaxch a decision on the buildings.
Councillor Marcus Hart, the county’s Cabinet member with Responsibility for Health and Well Being, said: “As well as providing for current service users, our hope is that children’s centre buildings will in future fulfil a wide range of functions that support and appeal to all members of the community.”
