Wakefield Council proposes to close 14 children's centres

The authority wants to close 14 of its 23 children’s centres and reorganise the remaining locations into six early help hubs and three linked centres.

A council report reveals that the hubs would provide a “whole family” approach from conception to 19-years-old and offer a range of support and activities, including health services and financial management advice.

It also suggests that some children’s centres services would be delivered at community centres and in family homes.

The council has said the new model would enable it to target services more efficiently to families most in need and make support more accessible.

The authority is also considering transferring the buildings of the 14 closed centres to schools for them to deliver community services from.

The proposal has been put forward as a way of reducing the council’s £5m children’s centres budget to £2.5m and is part of authority-wide plans to save £185m by 2020.

The proposals have drawn criticism from local people, but councillor Olivia Rowley, cabinet member for children and young people, defended them.

“We understand that cuts to budgets are unpopular, but we have no choice. We have to make £185m of cuts by 2020 and have delivered one-third of these to date," she said.

“No decision has yet been made on children’s centres and we have already seen the strength of feeling some people have for them.

“Although the proposal is to stop operating some children’s centres, it is not a proposal to stop offering the services they provide. We want to provide the services that families need in the most effective way.”

The council has launched a three-month public consultation on the plans.

The six early help hubs will be located in the Airedale, Oakhill, Pomfret, Cedars, Sunbeam and Castle areas, with three linked centres in Acorn, Pinmoor and Stanley.