Agenda item

Council supports the general principle that those in greatest need should have the highest priority. However, Council regrets that it has been compelled to abandon the concept of universal provision offered by our children’s Centres in Oxfordshire as a result of the Government’s cuts in Local Authority funding.  Council asserts that it intends to restore a universal service as soon as financial constraints allow.

In the meantime, Council is aware that, as a result of the focus on the most needy children and families in our County, there will be large areas– particularly in the West which now have no Children Centre buildings - the same areas likely to suffer most from rural isolation as the Council removes bus subsidies.

Ensuring that there was some compensation for these areas was a key statement agreed by Council in its February budget. Council therefore believes that it is now essential that the effects of  the loss of Children’s Centres, in these areas, is compensated for by:

1. Offering active support to the parents, volunteers and Parish Councils taking over or hoping to take over the vacated Centres.

2. Ensuring that rents to such bodies are kept to a minimum in order to allow them to produce realistic, and sustainable business plans.

3. Persuading District Councils to join us in giving as much support to these bodies as possible.

4. That the £1m Transition Fund agreed at the February budget should be committed to these areas to achieve the above.

With the consent of Council, Councillor Webber moved and Councillor Hudspeth seconded his motion as amended by Councillor Hudspeth below in bold italics/strikethrough:

Council continues to supports the general principle that those in greatest need should have the highest priority. However, Council regrets that it has been compelled to abandon the concept of universal provision offered by our children’s Centres in Oxfordshire as a result of the Government’s cuts in Local Authority funding.  Council asserts that it intends to restore a universal service as soon as financial constraints allow.

In the meantime, Council is aware that, as a result of the focus on the most needy children and families in our County, there will be large areas– particularly in the West which now have no Children Centre buildings - the same areas likely to suffer most from rural isolation as the Council removes bus subsidies.

Ensuring that there was some compensation for these areas was a key statement agreed by Council in its February budget. Council therefore believes that it is now essential that the effects of the loss of Children’s Centres, in these areas, is compensated for by:

1. Offering active support to the parents, volunteers and Parish Councils taking over or hoping to take over the vacated Centres.

2. Ensuring that rents to such bodies are kept to a minimum in order to allow them to produce realistic, and sustainable business plans.

3.2 Persuading District Councils to join us in giving as much support to these bodies as possible.

4.3 That the £1m Transition Fund agreed at the February budget should be committed to these areas to achieve the above.

Following debate, the motion as amended was put to the vote and was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: (unanimously)

Council continues to support the general principle that those in greatest need should have the highest priority. However, Council regrets that it has been compelled to abandon the concept of universal provision offered by our children’s Centres in Oxfordshire as a result of the Government’s cuts in Local Authority funding.

In the meantime, Council is aware that, as a result of the focus on the most needy children and families in our County, there will be large areas– particularly in the West which now have no Children Centre buildings - the same areas likely to suffer most from rural isolation as the Council removes bus subsidies.

Ensuring that there was some compensation for these areas was a key statement agreed by Council in its February budget. Council therefore believes that it is now essential that the effects of the loss of Children’s Centres, in these areas, is compensated for by:

1. Offering active support to the parents, volunteers and Parish Councils taking over or hoping to take over the vacated Centres;

2 Persuading District Councils to join us in giving as much support to these bodies as possible;

3 That the £1m Transition Fund agreed at the February budget should be committed to these areas to achieve the above.