Community nurseries may be privatised by Newcastle City Council, after the local authority interpreted the Childcare Act as a duty to manage rather than provide even long-established childcare services.
Community nurseries may be privatised by Newcastle City Council, after the local authority interpreted the Childcare Act as a duty to manage rather than provide even long-established childcare services.
A routine sufficiency review, launched by the council to consult with parents and staff on childcare services, is scheduled to be completed on 31 March. The council is stating that it will be looking to other providers to take over services to comply with legislation.
The council estimates that around 350 children and 88 staff will be affected. Managers were sent around the nurseries to inform their staff last Tuesday.
A council spokesman confirmed, We are planning to see if there are other providers in the area that could take over these services, as it is expected that the council will no longer be a direct provider.
The trade union Unison is backing the nurseries and playgroups that may be under threat. Kenny Bell, Unisons Newcastle branch secretary, said, I think it is partly a failure of council officers to interpret legislation, and partly because local government wishes to become commissioners rather than providers.
He added, Its a marketisation of childcare, and that needs to be challenged. We need to challenge the council on this count and also use it as a rallying call across the region to stop this marketisation.
The five community nurseries which would be affected are Dunstanburgh Road in Walker; Rye Hill; Willow Avenue in Fenham; Shieldfield; and Montagu in Kenton. Two playgroups and a Sure Start nursery are also at risk.
The affected nurseries have developed to provide specialist care for children in partnership with social services. Many of the children come from deprived backgrounds and around 80 of the 350 childcare places are funded by the council.
Councillor Nick Cott, Liberal Democrat executive member on the council for children and young people, said, The Childcare Act puts a duty on the local authority to be the strategic commissioner of childcare services. Passing the nurseries on to other providers is the expectation, because thats what the legislation suggests, but we would not want to withdraw from the projects without assuring the places.
Its not about cutting cost, although there will be a budget saving, obviously. Thats not our impetus. There will be a full consultation with the union and staff they are the professionals on the ground and we want their opinions.
Helen Finkill, nursery officer at Willow Avenue Community Nursery and presently seconded to the Unison office, said, The councils interpretation of the legislation is so extreme. Savings will be made, so you have to question their motivation.
Traditionally, staff in community centres are paid more. Therefore, if these are privatised there will be more fees and lower wages and I think they will lose the high-quality trained staff. Some are running on a deficit, so its quite unlikely that a private or voluntary provider would want to take these over anyway.
Staff and one of the parents were due to lobby for support at the TUC conference this week.
A routine sufficiency review, launched by the council to consult with parents and staff on childcare services, is scheduled to be completed on 31 March. The council is stating that it will be looking to other providers to take over services to comply with legislation.
The council estimates that around 350 children and 88 staff will be affected. Managers were sent around the nurseries to inform their staff last Tuesday.
A council spokesman confirmed, We are planning to see if there are other providers in the area that could take over these services, as it is expected that the council will no longer be a direct provider.
The trade union Unison is backing the nurseries and playgroups that may be under threat. Kenny Bell, Unisons Newcastle branch secretary, said, I think it is partly a failure of council officers to interpret legislation, and partly because local government wishes to become commissioners rather than providers.
He added, Its a marketisation of childcare, and that needs to be challenged. We need to challenge the council on this count and also use it as a rallying call across the region to stop this marketisation.
The five community nurseries which would be affected are Dunstanburgh Road in Walker; Rye Hill; Willow Avenue in Fenham; Shieldfield; and Montagu in Kenton. Two playgroups and a Sure Start nursery are also at risk.
The affected nurseries have developed to provide specialist care for children in partnership with social services. Many of the children come from deprived backgrounds and around 80 of the 350 childcare places are funded by the council.
Councillor Nick Cott, Liberal Democrat executive member on the council for children and young people, said, The Childcare Act puts a duty on the local authority to be the strategic commissioner of childcare services. Passing the nurseries on to other providers is the expectation, because thats what the legislation suggests, but we would not want to withdraw from the projects without assuring the places.
Its not about cutting cost, although there will be a budget saving, obviously. Thats not our impetus. There will be a full consultation with the union and staff they are the professionals on the ground and we want their opinions.
Helen Finkill, nursery officer at Willow Avenue Community Nursery and presently seconded to the Unison office, said, The councils interpretation of the legislation is so extreme. Savings will be made, so you have to question their motivation.
Traditionally, staff in community centres are paid more. Therefore, if these are privatised there will be more fees and lower wages and I think they will lose the high-quality trained staff. Some are running on a deficit, so its quite unlikely that a private or voluntary provider would want to take these over anyway.
Staff and one of the parents were due to lobby for support at the TUC conference this week.
