Local authorities are increasingly adopting cluster or so-called “hub and spoke” models, where management and services are shared among children’s centres, in a bid to keep facilities open despite funding cuts.
But Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, warned that the measures are leaving centres shut for several days at a time. ?“The model is sensible in principle, as a way of maximising services cost effectively and ensuring that local centres remain open,” she said.
“But we are getting reports of centres that are being closed for extensive periods of time and that is an immense shame for the local communities.”
She urged councils adopting such models to consult with local parents and voluntary groups to help them run activities and make sure children’s centre remain “busy places throughout the day”.
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