Issue - meetings

This paper sets out proposed changes to Brent’s Children’s Centres which aim to increase the supply of childcare while maintaining the reach of our children’s centre provision. 

(i)         that approval be given to the re-designation of the children’s centre satellite delivery at Barham Park Children’s Centre (currently 1.5 days per week) as Nursery Education Grant-funded childcare provision for two, three and four year olds open five days per week, managed by a private, voluntary or independent early years provider, with children’s centre sessions being delivered in the evenings and at weekends and seeks permission for the proposed changes from the Barham Park Trust;

(ii)        that approval be given to the reorganisation of the Willesden Locality Children’s Centres so that Treetops Children’s Centre building becomes a satellite children’s centre providing evening and weekend sessions, with new satellite provision being established part-time in Willesden Health Centre;

(iii)       that approval be given to the use by the current private provider of on-site nursery provision at Treetops Children’s Centre of the space released during the working day to provide additional Nursery Education Grant-funded nursery for two, three and four year olds;

(iv)       that approval be given to the conversion of the large hall at St Raphael’s Intergenerational Centre using two year old capital funding to provide Nursery Education Grant-funded childcare for two, three and four year olds, open five days per week, such childcare to be managed by a private, voluntary or independent early years provider.

The report from the Strategic Director, Children and Young People set out proposed changes to Brent’s children’s centres which aimed to increase the supply of childcare while maintaining the reach of children’s centre provision.  The changes set out in the paper represented an adjustment to the current offer rather than a major re-organisation.  Councillor Moher (Lead Member for Children and Young People) in introducing the report assured Cabinet that the aim was to increase places and not decrease activity, at no additional costs to the council. The decision on the Barham Park Children’s Centre was subject to the trustees agreement. It was noted that officers aimed to implement the proposals in order to enable children to begin to take up places at the new provision from September 2014.

Councillor Harrison raised questions on consultation over the proposals and how the arrangements would work with the existing scheme at St Raphael’s. Councillor Collier questioned the need for changes to the provision at Treetops given the proximity to an existing health centre.

Sara Williams (Operational Director, Early Help and Education) advised that St Raphael’s had space not currently used which would be brought into use to make the overall centre more viable. She acknowledged that the communication could have been more extensive. It was also put that the new arrangements for Treetops would encourage closer working with the medical centre and also provide opportunities to engage other disadvantaged groups in line with OFSTED recommendations.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that approval be given to the re-designation of the children’s centre satellite delivery at Barham Park Children’s Centre (currently 1.5 days per week) as Nursery Education Grant-funded childcare provision for two, three and four year olds open five days per week, managed by a private, voluntary or independent early years provider, with children’s centre sessions being delivered in the evenings and at weekends and seeks permission for the proposed changes from the Barham Park Trust;

(ii)        that approval be given to the reorganisation of the Willesden Locality Children’s Centres so that Treetops Children’s Centre building becomes a satellite children’s centre providing evening and weekend sessions, with new satellite provision being established part-time in Willesden Health Centre;

(iii)       that approval be given to the use by the current private provider of on-site nursery provision at Treetops Children’s Centre of the space released during the working day to provide additional Nursery Education Grant-funded nursery for two, three and four year olds;

(iv)       that approval be given to the conversion of the large hall at St Raphael’s Intergenerational Centre using two year old capital funding to provide Nursery Education Grant-funded childcare for two, three and four year olds, open five days per week, such childcare to be managed by a private, voluntary or independent early years provider.