Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)       believes early years are the most important in a child’s development and that children’s centres across Sheffield provide a vital service to the communities they serve;

(b)       thanks the Liberal Democrats’ initiative for this Government to expand the entitlement to free childcare to 1,900 disadvantaged two-year-olds in Sheffield;

(c)        notes the Review of Early Years agreed by the Council’s Cabinet on 21^st March 2012, which states ‘there will be a rationalisation of buildings and as a result children’s centres may reduce’;

(d)       notes with distress reports in The Sheffield Star on 29^th May 2012, that three local centres could face closure and regrets that the families and staff were informed through the media rather than by the Council;

(e)       believes that the Leader of the Council should apologise to affected families and live up to her pledge to be transparent by being open and honest with families and staff about her plan to close children’s centres; and

(f)         calls upon the Administration to release details to families and staff, of which children’s centres in Sheffield are earmarked for closure.

It was moved by Councillor Colin Ross, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sanger, that this Council:-

(a)       believes early years are the most important in a child’s development and that children’s centres across Sheffield provide a vital service to the communities they serve;

(b)       thanks the Liberal Democrats’ initiative for this Government to expand the entitlement to free childcare to 1,900 disadvantaged two-year-olds in Sheffield;

(c)        notes the Review of Early Years agreed by the Council’s Cabinet on 21^st March 2012, which states ‘there will be a rationalisation of buildings and as a result children’s centres may reduce’;

(d)       notes with distress reports in The Sheffield Star on 29^th May 2012, that three local centres could face closure and regrets that the families and staff were informed through the media rather than by the Council;

(e)       believes that the Leader of the Council should apologise to affected families and live up to her pledge to be transparent by being open and honest with families and staff about her plan to close children’s centres; and

(f)         calls upon the Administration to release details to families and staff, of which children’s centres in Sheffield are earmarked for closure.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Jackie Drayton, seconded by Councillor Julie Dore, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (b) to (f) and the addition of new paragraphs (b) to (i) as follows:-

(b)       therefore welcomes the previous Government’s transformation of early years services through numerous measures including the creation of Sure Start Children’s Centres, expanding childcare provision and increasing the number of health visitors; 

(c)        regrets the actions of the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government in supporting the abolition of the Area Based Grant (£18 million per year to Sheffield) and the Sure Start Grant (£21 million) and replacing them with the Early Intervention Grant (£24 million), leaving the Council with a £15 million funding gap;

(d)       welcomes the approach taken by the present Administration in commissioning a review of the early years service in full consultation with providers, to produce a long term view of the future of the service, especially given the considerable financial pressures on the service that have resulted from the Government’s cuts;

(e)       supports plans to help early years providers in the VCF and independent sectors to work together more innovatively to ensure their sustainability and a flexible, affordable and sufficient childcare service to meet local needs;

(f)         notes that the findings of the first stage of the review were announced in March and work is now ongoing to reshape services based on the needs of children and families;

(g)       confirms that the focus of the Early Years is to provide a core offer of early years services for all children and families, in the face of unprecedented Government cuts which means that the way these services are provided may have to change;

(h)        further confirms that no decision has been made on any centres and deplores the scaremongering of the major opposition group who have fully supported all Coalition Government cuts to the early years service; and

(i)         believes that the review has been an open and transparent process and the present Administration remains committed to delivering a high quality early years service in spite of the unfair cuts supported by the Liberal Democrats in Government.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

(Note: Councillors Jillian Creasy and Robert Murphy voted for paragraphs (b) (e) (f) and (g), against paragraph (i), and abstained on paragraphs (c), (d) and (h) of the amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       believes early years are the most important in a child’s development and that children’s centres across Sheffield provide a vital service to the communities they serve;

(b)       therefore welcomes the previous Government’s transformation of early years services through numerous measures including the creation of Sure Start Children’s Centres, expanding childcare provision and increasing the number of health visitors; 

(c)        regrets the actions of the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government in supporting the abolition of the Area Based Grant (£18 million per year to Sheffield) and the Sure Start Grant (£21 million) and replacing them with the Early Intervention Grant (£24 million), leaving the Council with a £15 million funding gap;

(d)       welcomes the approach taken by the present Administration in commissioning a review of the early years service in full consultation with providers, to produce a long term view of the future of the service, especially given the considerable financial pressures on the service that have resulted from the Government’s cuts;

(e)       supports plans to help early years providers in the VCF and independent sectors to work together more innovatively to ensure their sustainability and a flexible, affordable and sufficient childcare service to meet local needs;

(f)         notes that the findings of the first stage of the review were announced in March and work is now ongoing to reshape services based on the needs of children and families;

(g)       confirms that the focus of the Early Years is to provide a core offer of early years services for all children and families, in the face of unprecedented Government cuts which means that the way these services are provided may have to change;

(h)        further confirms that no decision has been made on any centres and deplores the scaremongering of the major opposition group who have fully supported all Coalition Government cuts to the early years service; and

(i)         believes that the review has been an open and transparent process and the present Administration remains committed to delivering a high quality early years service in spite of the unfair cuts supported by the Liberal Democrats in Government.

(Note: Councillors Jillian Creasy and Robert Murphy voted for paragraphs (a) (b) (e) (f) and (g), against paragraph (i), and abstained on paragraphs (c) (d) and (h) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)