Council announces children's centres review in bid to save £500,000
Emily Bright
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
A council has announced plans to conduct a full review of its children's centres provision in a bid to cut back on costs.
Knowsley Council, which currently has 11 children's centres, needs to save £17m across all its services by 2020.
A consultation document reveals that the council hopes to save £511,000 from the children's centres budget in the period up to 2020. It states that "a full review of the children's centre estates strategy will be undertaken to release savings".
The document also reveals that the council will consider making savings through sharing buildings with local health services.
The proposals leave nine jobs at risk.
The council also intends to save nearly £400,000 through recommissioning youth services to make them more targeted at vulnerable groups.
From April 2018, targeted services will include provision of a one-to-one service and group support for young people affected by sexual and criminal exploitation, substance misuse and domestic abuse.
Andy Moorhead, leader of Knowsley Council, said the council is doing all it can to protect services as it makes cutbacks.
"No decisions have yet been made, and I encourage everybody to view the options and let us have views before the [consultation] closing date of 20 January 2017."
