Council to close six children's centres from August

Coventry City Council is to close Cheylesmore Children’s Centre, Coundon Children’s Centre, Earlsdon Children’s Centre, Finham Children’s Centre, Whoberley Children’s Centre and Wkyen Children’s Centre at the end of August.

The announcement follows a six-month consultation by the council into the future of the centres, which included a review of its 20 maintained children’s centres.

According to the council, take-up of services and activities at the six children’s centres is very low and some of the settings are open for less than three hours a week. Therefore, it says they do not fit the proposed delivery model that focuses on need and targeting support to children and families.

The closure of the centres is expected to save Coventry City council around £194,000 a year, money which will be used to launch its new Children and Families First service that aims to identify families who need support as early as possible.

The service will be launched in October, and will see key workers work with families on a one-to-one basis, activities developed at children’s centres, specialist services targeted at fathers and support for early years providers.

Families living in the area will be able to access services at the council’s 17 remaining children’s centres.

Councillor Jim O'Boyle, cabinet member for children and young people, said, ‘The children centres identified for closure were the subject of massive underfunding from the current Government following their emergency budgets in 2010, resulting in a massive reduction in the early intervention grant. This meant that the children’s centres never really got off the ground or opened properly. Because of this they have been under used and under utilised.

‘We are committed to supporting families with children in Coventry, particularly vulnerable families living in the most disadvantaged circumstances.’