More than half of Liverpool children's centres under threat

Liverpool City Council is currently consulting on proposals to close ten of its 17 children’s centres in a bid to save £156 million by 2017. The consultation runs until 24 March.

The ten children’s centres under threat are: Anfield, Dingle Lane, Fazakerley and Croxteth, Fountains and Vauxhall, Garston Church and Mossley Hill, Kensington, Stoneycroft, Tuebrook and West Derby, Wavertree and Yew Tree.

The council envisages that the buildings would be taken over by other organisations such as schools, with some rooms continuing to be used for outreach services.

If the plans are given the go-ahead, 63 of the 157 full-time members of staff could face losing their jobs.

Liverpool City Council is expected to make a decision about the future of its children’s centres in June.

While the council has committed to keeping seven of its children’s centres ‘located in areas of greatest need’ open, it says that it will be unable to maintain the same level of provision as it currently provides.

The seven centres that would remain open are: Everton, Granby, Picton, Clubmoor, County, Belle Vale and Speke.

In a bid to keep all the children’s centres open, parents have launched a campaign calling for the Government to reconsider the ‘disproportionate’ funding cuts to Liverpool City Council, which is based within one of the most deprived communities in the country.

An e-petition started by the group ‘Save Liverpool Children’s Centres' has 4,288 signatures.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said, ‘Sure Start has been a great success since it began and reflects the need to support parents and children in their early years to give them the best start in life.

‘As a former children’s social worker, it is clearly inconceivable that I would choose to make these cuts, and in an ideal world we wouldn’t consider closing any of them – but the Government has given us no choice by withdrawing the money to pay for them.

‘We started this process at a point where we only had funding for four centres, but have managed to get it up to seven by securing additional cash from our partners. We will continue to hold discussions during the consultation and beyond in an effort to grow the service.

‘We have deliberately chosen to focus the budget that we do have on funding staff posts rather than buildings, so that we can reach as many people as possible, including through an outreach service.’

He added, ‘We are in discussions and we will keep working away right up until the last minute to see if we can secure more funding.’