Sheffield's children centres are to be "dismantled" after cuts to funding

[PoGa 10]

All 36 children’s centres in the city are being declassified as Ofsted-registered centres and instead reorganised into 17 children’s centre ‘areas’ as part of council efforts to save £3.5million.

 

Up to 50 people could lose their jobs and 20 childcare providers will lose funding.

 

http://postcodegazette.com/news/9002772211/%27heartbreaking%27-overhaul-of-sheffield-children%27s-centres-announced-AT-sheffield-sheffield-town-hall/

[taxman 12]

Amazing isn't it? All that upheaval, heartache and job losses just to save £3.5million when the government can afford to pi** money away on daft schemes like the £75million they wasted on Police Commissioner elections.

[Strix 11]

what do they envisage is going to be the impact of 'free early learning for disadvantaged two year olds?'

 

Do they actually mean 'poverty stricken' when they say 'disadvantaged'?

I can tell you now that we won't qualify as 'disadvantaged' even though it's a severe 'disadvantage' not to have the support of any family within a 50 mile radius

We currently make very good use of our children's centre

[alchresearch 214]

The key words in the leader of the article (in bold):

 

Sheffield’s children’s centres are to be ‘dismantled’ as a result of the ‘draconian tidal wave of cuts’, a leading councillor has warned.

 

Make me wonder if this is all speculation. Much like "The Tories will shut down Surestart if elected"

[mebeards 10]

Ok, people of sheffield and any others who are willing to support, where ever you are. I attended a meeting tonight to discuss the new council proposals to change the way children's centres are going to be run. The news is dire. My local Children's Centre Primrose Children's Centre is up for the axe along with many others, valuable services will be lost and any child who attends any children's centre WILL be affected. Sheffield Children's Centres and the care and support they provide in invaluable and they need your help. Staff who work in these centres have their hands tied, there are going to be massive job losses and they are unable to discuss the issues , report to the press or do anything at all to fight their case. It is going to be down to PEOPLE POWER. There will be a protest outside Sheffield town hall on Wednesday the 12th December at 1pm. PLEASE if you can make time, join us. Children are more than welcome and will help our case, we encourage you to make placards, t-shirts anything to get our point across. Keep an eye on the local news over the next few days for more information about the proposals and make time to look in to them yourselves. Please like this post and follow what's happening on our Friends or Primrose facebook page.

[andygardener 10]

Might be being thick but what is a "childrens centre"?

 

School, Scout troop, ATC Corps?

 

I've never heard of them.

[SevenRivers 10]

I was just wondering what a children's centre is and does that can't be provided or isn't being duplicated by other places.

 

Kids start nursery when they are just 3, so it must be for the pre-nursery kids. Can't groups of parents get together to run a playgroup? Lots of Churches run groups for pre-nursery children too.

[gazza c 10]

dont be fooled, this country is sat on more cash than we know, only its the politicians and the bankers sat on it.

 

like taxman posted on forum - £75m on police commisoner.

 

I have a 2yr old son, what chance have our children have for the future. it worries me

 

children are the future of this country

 

we need to do what the spanish/greeks and irish did and take to the streets in mast protest, im in

[Strix 11]

I was just wondering what a children's centre is and does that can't be provided or isn't being duplicated by other places.

 

Kids start nursery when they are just 3, so it must be for the pre-nursery kids. Can't groups of parents get together to run a playgroup? Lots of Churches run groups for pre-nursery children too.

one major thing that none of those places cater for is parents

 

The children's centres don't just provide a bit of play space for kids and for mums to drink coffee and gossip. The children's centres are active in promoting positive parenting experiences, which has a major impact on the children of those families (and we all know how important it is to target disadvantaged families, so they cost the whole system less in the long run)

[S10mainly 10]

dont be fooled, this country is sat on more cash than we know, only its the politicians and the bankers sat on it.

 

like taxman posted on forum - £75m on police commisoner.

 

I have a 2yr old son, what chance have our children have for the future. it worries me

 

children are the future of this country

 

we need to do what the spanish/greeks and irish did and take to the streets in mast protest, im in

 

Mast protest? Is that something to do with the price of dinghies these days?

[Rosemary 10]

Can anyone explain more clearly exactly what the proposal is? The link posted by the OP talks about the 36 centres all being declassified, and replaced with 17 'areas'. But then it talks about the fact that all the buildings may still deliver services, just not be Ofsted registered.

 

I might be being really dim here, but I would have thought that it was keeping and maintaining the buildings that would be the 'burden' on the budget, not the provision of nursery places. After all, there are plenty of private nurseries offering this provision with the aim of making themselves a profit, so how come it is the income generating aspect of the children's centre that are in for the axe? I looked at the local children's centre nursery for my kids, but in the end went with the private nursery down the road because it was significantly cheaper. Also more geared to working parents in terms of hours.

[Plain Talker 11]

Two of my friends work at two different centres across the needier "inner city" areas. Each centre is under threat, despite providing essential services that support children in what are generally regarded as "Sink Estates".

 

The changes will greatly affect the welfare of the children and young families who access the services of Surestarts and Children's Centres.

 

Deprived parents won't get the help and support they may need in caring for/ providing for their kiddies. The kiddies won't get the benefit of early years education, and the stimulus they need from play and socialising with other children, which, in turn, will disadvantage them when they move into general education.

 

It's iniquitous. It's just very very wrong. Any typical of the current system where the cuts are made in areas which will disadvantage the neediest, and least able to speak for themselves, be it children, be it disabled or be it the elderly.

 

Where are the cuts in spending in upper tier management? Why aren't they cutting the spending on the "chiefs" rather than the "Indians"? Why aren't the obscenely-overpaid fat cats taking the same sorts of cuts in salary, when the pay-cuts are being forced on the lower tiers?