The establishment of children's centres in the most disadvantaged wards is central to the delivery of the Government's ten-year childcare strategy.
The development contributes to improving child outcomes set out in Every Child Matters: being safe, healthy, enjoying and achieving, economic well-being and making a contribution.
The actual location of children's centres has been dictated by the socio-economic profile of wards. Proposals for all children's centre sites were set out in cabinet reports and members were informed through this process. It is envisaged that children's centres will provide a hub for community development in their locality, necessitating the multiple use of the venues.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has employed a strategy of sustainability of children's centres whereby daycare fees are set at the borough average. This provides a 'level playing field' across the childcare sector in any local area. This policy builds on the good practice developed through the Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative. Barnsley's stance on childcare fees is not evident in other local authorities in the region and reflects a commitment to working in true partnership with private, voluntary and statutory providers.
The Children's Act 2004 places a new responsibility on local authorities to manage the childcare market. Barnsley still falls short of the number of childcare places per 100 children compared not only nationally but with statistical neighbours. There are nine childcare places per 100 children in Barnsley compared with 11 per 100 in our statistical neighbours and 16 per 100 nationally.
All private childcare providers within the area of a children's centre are invited to participate in a children's centre planning group alongside other key stakeholders. A specific focus for these groups has been the mapping of existing services in an area to avoid over-capacity and share good practice.
The local authority is committed to genuine collaboration with voluntary and private providers in the delivery of high quality childcare, as is demonstrated by our commitment to not provide subsidised childcare places at children's centres and to involve local partners with the planning process detailed above.
We would welcome any readers who would like to visit our children's centres and neighbour-hood nurseries to learn more about this partnership working and would be happy to be contacted to this end.
Jill Webb, childcare services manager, Barnsley Choices
