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ITEM CH6

CHILDREN’S SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE –

25 SEPTEMBER 2007

 

Developing Phase 3 Children’s Centres in Oxfordshire

 

Briefing paper

 

September 2007

 

Purpose

 

The purpose of the briefing is to seek member approval for the strategy for development of Phase 3 Children’s Centres in Oxfordshire.

 

Background

 

Oxfordshire is part way through the development of 29 Children’s Centres, all of which are due for designation by March 2008. There are 14 full service centres, mainly located in the most disadvantaged areas, offering childcare, family support services, access to family health services, and advice and support to return to work or training.  The remaining are graduated centres that do not offer childcare (although they will be able to advise on how to find out about this).  There is also a mobile rural project. In Phase 3 (2008-2010) we will be asked to develop a further 17 centres, all of which will be graduated.  Geographical coverage of phase 3 centres was detailed in the Cabinet report of 18 October 2005 and broadly includes the following towns and large villages and their surrounding rural areas - Wantage, Grove, Stanford in the Vale, Wallingford, part of Didcot, part of Abingdon, Thame, Watlington, Wheatley, Chalgrove, part of Bicester, Bloxham, Henley, Sonning Common, Woodstock, Burford and part of Witney.  Oxford City is entirely covered in phase 1 and 2.

 

An outline funding announcement (Sure Start Unit, August 2007) confirms revenue funding for existing and Phase 3 centres for 2008-11.  A capital funding announcement is expected in the Autumn but it is likely to be a relatively small amount, with the majority of capital work being completed within phase 2.

 

Principles already established

 

Cabinet agreed the following principles for Children’s Centre development in Oxfordshire (see reports 18 Oct 2005, 7 March 2006)

• To build on existing good service provision including nursery schools and family centres
• To develop centres in line with local needs and in partnership with local providers, partner organisations and parents
• To provide outreach/make services accessible to the most disadvantaged recognising the rural nature of the community
• To align development arrangements for locality teams and extended schools

 

Additional guidance factors for developing Phase 3

 

Since the original Cabinet approval there has been further pertinent guidance and legislation (Childcare Act 2006 and subsequent Early Years Outcomes Duty, Children’s Centre Planning and Performance Management Guidance 2006). These include:

• The requirement to plan and deliver services in partnership with the Primary Care Trust and Jobcentre Plus
• The requirement to engage other key partners such as schools and to take account of the views of children and families
• A duty to consult with local providers both as potential providers and as organisations that may want to take overall responsibility for the centre
• A duty to ensure that centres operate efficiently, making economies of scale through sharing expert staff and by the LA procuring products and services on behalf of centres collectively
• To ensure that resources are targeted at the most needy.

 

Proposed strategy (timeline attached) at Annex 1 (download as .doc file)

 

Taking into account the county council’s procurement rules and all of the above we propose:

 

1.                  Consultation on Phase 3 centres

 

Consultation with parents, children and potential providers through a series of 11 open meetings, plus questionnaires and focus groups across relevant areas of the county during November/December 2007.  This will include the opportunity to express an interest in providing services. 

 

2.                  Tendering process

 

Delivery of Children’s Centre services will be tendered following Oxfordshire County Council’sprocedural rules except:

·        Where there is community support for an existing family support organisation providing services to under 5’s. 

·        That we explore the potential for some existing Children’s Centres to extend their catchment area where this enables us to make most efficient use of expertise and resources

·        Where maintained schools and health centres located in key locations express an interest in becoming service providers

In these circumstances and subject to Children, Young People & Families procedural rules not applying, we will request an exemption from tendering.

 

3.         Reaching the most needy

 

·        To deliver services in locations that are accessible to the most disadvantaged

·        To consider the future role of the Rural Children’s Centre project in delivering services to isolated communities

 

4.         Funding

 

·        To design and implement a formula funding model for centres that takes account of a range of factors, likely to include numbers of under 5’s in the reach area of the centre, and additional weighting for deprivation and rurality.

 

AMANDA SMITH

Assistant Head, Early Years and Family Support

(Children, Young People & Families)

 

7 September 2007

 

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