'No concerns' over plans for Bedford's family hubs says council despite plea to think again

In March, the portfolio holder for valuing families: children’s services, councillor Jane Walker, presented a report to the Executive on the service delivery proposal 2025, which was approved.

However, six Lib Dem councillors called this decision in for the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s consideration (Thursday, April 10).

One of the signatories, Lib Dem group leader, councillor Henry Vann (De Parys), said: “This is a major change in delivery and it sees the loss of a number of children’s centre facilities.

“But it’s not clear that other options have been properly considered.

“And there is a lack of a formal consultation that was undertaken with these proposals, and that’s obviously a huge concern for me,” he said.

Councillor Hilde Hendrickx (Lib Dem, Riverfield) said she was “truly concerned” about the plans.

“Contrary to what report states, I do think this is a reduction in services,” she said

“The children centres that will cease to be used for the delivery of services to parents are facilities embedded in and accessible to the local community.

“Local families in Kingsbrook, Cauldwell, Clapham, Goldington will lose access to this foothold.

“Children’s centres have a set-up that is difficult to match by a pop-up or community outreach.

“Once the building is lost, permanency is gone as well,” she said.

Councillor Jane Walker (Conservative, Clapham and Oakley) said there is a “misconception” about what family hubs are.

“They’re not a building, they’re the services that are provided there,” she said.

“All parents will continue to have access to all Children’s Centres/Family Hubs across Bedford borough.

“Analysis of data shows that parents do not think about accessing services in their ward, instead they access the services that they need on any given day from across the children’s centre/family hub network.

“Data shows that parents travel to the services they want and need,” she said.

Addressing the claim about a lack of consultation, councillor Walker said the Department for Education gives “very clear guidance”.

“If all centres continue to deliver over 50 per cent early years activity, then this is not making a significant change,” she said.

“A formal consultation, as councillor Vann referred to, is not required if the services are not changing,” she said.

Councillor Walker added the service redesign considers parents’ feedback, it takes into account housing growth in Bedford Borough together with other demographic changes and it takes into account how parents want to access services and the support they need.

“This redesign will see an increase in services for parents and our youngest residents,” she said.

“I would like to reiterate that this proposal is not about closing any children’s centres. This is about joining up services, providing services how people want them.”

Councillor Hendrickx’s motion to send the decision back to the Executive for reconsideration was defeated. And instead the committee voted by a majority that it has no concerns about the decision.