Early intervention focus for council's children's centres

Northamptonshire County Council has approved plans to remodel existing children’s centres as early help hubs and use libraries to deliver advice universal services currently offered under the current model. It will also commission some new children’s centres.

Under the plan, libraries in the East Midlands authority will take on delivery of some children's centres services, including activities for children, recruitment of volunteers for children’s services, and information and advice.

The aim is to make support services easier for struggling families and children to access, ensuring that any difficulties are addressed quickly and avoid being escalated to a point where specialist services, including social care, are required.

Councillor Catherine Boardman, cabinet member for children and education, said the decision to remodel the county’s children’s centres follows an inadequate report from Ofsted.

She said: “We need to ensure we’re making children safer by getting the right help to the right families at the right time.

“Our libraries already do a great deal of work that impacts positively on children and young people, including homework clubs, rhyme-time sessions and reading initiatives.

“The proposals will see them build on those excellent services to further support children and families in their own communities.

“Meanwhile, our children’s centres would then be able to really focus on the early help and prevention services that will make all the difference to families experiencing the onset of challenges or problems.”

The approval for the proposals came as Northamptonshire County Council responds to a serious case review (SCR) into the death of a four-week-old baby in May 2012.

The baby, given the pseudonym Maisie Harrison to protect the identities of those involved, died of natural causes, with co-sleeping with her parents being a factor.