CYP Now - Children's centres: Providers fear a 'control culture'

Local authorities must be flexible in their role as commissioners of children's services to avoid voluntary and independent providers being hit by costs they cannot afford, says the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

While the alliance welcomed last week's spending announcements for more children's centres in 2006 to 2008 (Children Now, 13-19 April), it said it was vital cash was channelled into new provision that did not clash with what was already there.

And chief executive Steve Alexander said local authorities must adopt a more collaborative approach to commissioning in order to meet the Government's target of 2,500 children's centres by 2008, and 3,500 by 2010. "There is a control culture that has been developed around commissioning, which, I have to say, does not really reflect collaborative working," he said.

He said the alliance, which will run 28 neighbourhood nurseries, 14 of which have been designated as children's centres, had been forced to pay out for delays on a contract after a building project hit unforeseen difficulties.

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