A campaigning `Fight The Closure of Our Sure Start Centres' Facebook site has already attracted over one thousand members in less than a week. Petitions have been launched, leaflets are being printed and meetings have been set up as horrified parents and carers plan to oppose Salford City Council's latest cut to Children's Services – slashing Sure Start Children's Centres in the city.
Children's centres provide everything from education classes for new parents to baby clinics, drop-ins and play sessions. Or, as Salford Council's website states, they "bring together a range of professionals to deliver holistic services to all families and in particular those who are in most in need.
"Children's centres enable families to access support from midwives, health visitors, early years practitioners and family support as well as providing opportunities for training and help into employment" it adds "There are centres all across the city based right in the heart of Salford's communities…" Er, not any more if the Council gets its way…
It intends to axe services currently offered within 15 buildings, leaving just four `hubs' based in six buildings in order to cut over £1million from the budget and lose17 posts including eleven children's centre workers.
Currently there are eight main children's centre sites, with a further seven linked sites. To be cut are the main sites of Fiddlers Lane in Irlam, St Paul's Heathside in Walkden and the Charlestown and Lower Kersal Sure Children's Centre. Also going are `satellite sites' operating at community venues in Boothstown, Ellenbrook and Worsley, Cadishead Primary School, Moorside in Swinton, Summerville Primary School in Duchy and Winton Library.
The Council is proposing to merge them all into four `clusters' of West (Little Hulton), Central (Higher Broughton Hub and Langworthy Cornerstone including Belvedere), South (Winton) and North (moving Mossfield into the new Swinton Gateway).
"I am horrified to hear about the plans to close the Surestart Centres in Irlam and Cadishead" says parent, Sue Campayne "These centres provide a lifeline to children and parents who would otherwise be isolated. Having a centre to go to regularly, with welcoming, knowledgeable and caring staff has made an enormous positive difference to my family. The centres provide high quality play and socialisation experiences for children.
"My family were able to access support which I believe saved us from more serious, and expensive, intervention" she explains "Feedback from the parenting course I recently attended showed measurable improvements in both my mental health and my children's behaviour. I fear that losing these centres will mean more families experiencing difficulties and having nowhere that they feel safe to turn to for help."
A Salford Council presentation to staff ignores the human costs of the cuts and states blankly that it intends to "move from a universal service to a more targeted support service for Early Years Childcare Providers…merging Children's Centre Clusters to create four main hubs", with "greater emphasis on outreach work to support the model".
There's a consultation currently running for ninety days, and during that time parents, carers and public sector trade union Salford City UNISON intends to campaign to change the Council's mind…
"All research shows that the best way to support vulnerable children and families is through children's centres" says UNISON's Ameen Hadi "The social cost of this cut will have a devastating impact on children and their families and will eventually cost the local authority far more in statutory services.
"As a trade union we urge the Council to reconsider" he adds "We would encourage parents and children to come together with workers to campaign to keep these centres open."
For further information see the Facebook page: Fight The Closure Of Our Sure Start Centres – Irlam and Cadishead – click here
Follow the campaign on Twitter @sossurestart
There is also an Irlam and Cadishead Parents Group Meeting at the Acorn Centre, Cutnook Lane, Irlam on Thursday April 3rd at 11:30am (see Facebook event page – click here).
Parents will also be speaking at the No More Cuts! Public Meeting at 7pm the same day, Thursday April 3rd at Swinton British Legion, Cheetham Road, Swinton M27 4UQ, alongside other families and workers affected by the cuts - full details on this meeting to follow on the Salford Star site or see the Facebook event page No More Cuts in Salford – Protect Services for the Most Vulnerable.
For further details on Salford Council's Sure Start Children's Centres see its website – click here
Update: 28th March 8pm
John Merry, Assistant Mayor for Children and Young People ,has now responded to our request for a comment…
"The Council is trying to save £1m from the children's centres budget as part of the £26 million cuts forced on us by the government this year" he says "We are trying to protect as many staff jobs as possible, so that services to families can continue, particularly in their own homes. That means we are having to look at the buildings, which are very expensive to run.
"This is about trying to protect a network of centres rather than destroying them" he adds "We are being forced to look at an outreach model that allows us to deliver a service. It's a straightforward and very difficult choice between cutting staff or cutting the buildings - unless other organisations will come in to fund their running costs.
"The proposal has gone to consultation now, and we are genuinely interested in what people have to say and if they have any other sustainable solutions for the centres."
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