Review of Four Villages Children’s Centre

Consultation Paper

December 2012

Commitment to consultation
Bristol City Council is committed to listening and responding to the views of everyone potentially affected by a proposal. When the Council consults it will provide clear and balanced background information to help you reach a view. The council will allow time for you to consider information and will make it clear how you can submit your views.
After the consultation has closed, the Council will publish feedback on the range of views expressed and on how these have been used to inform decisions that are made. In return, the Council asked that you keep your response short and to the point,that you make it clear whether you are responding individually or on behalf of an organisation or group, and that you respect other people’s views, even when they are different from your own.

This consultation will be undertaken in accordance with Bristol City Council’s Code of Good Practice on Consultation which is available at

You can get this document in large print, on computer disk, in

braille, on audiotape and in community languages. Please contact theEarly Years & Childcare Service to get your copy. Proposed Changes for Children’s Centre service delivery in Sea Mills, Avonmouth and Long Cross.

Vision

To provide a high quality, inclusive, integrated service in each area which is easily accessible to families. This service should include early education, parenting and family support with the appropriate leadership and management structures to reflect the full range of services.

Proposal

That Four Villages Children’s Centre should be disaggregated to become three separate centres:

  • Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre
  • Avonmouth & Shirehampton Children’s Centre
  • Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre

Background

Four Villages Children’s Centre is a cluster of three centres: Long Cross, Sea Mills and Avonmouth. A further virtual centre operates at Shirehampton thus completing the ‘Four Villages’. The amalgamation of the three into one establishment with one management team and a single locality manager took place in September 2011.The locality manager is managed by the early years service within the Local Authority. Prior to that, all of the centres had undergone a number of changes each in its own right, including moving to new premises. Long Cross Children’s Centre moved to a new building on the Primary School site last year; a move which also included the amalgamation of the on-site Nursery school and SEN resource base with the school. Avonmouth Children’s Centre is in new premises very close to its neighbourhood school whilst Sea Mills Primary School has re-located to new premises this September and is now some distance from the Children’s Centre. The needs and demographics of each area differ considerably with the greatest need being in Long Cross, an area of high deprivation.

The Centre provides the full core purpose across the three sites and its total reach is in excess of 1600 families. The Parent and Family Support team operates out of Avonmouth whilst Long Cross and Sea Mills provide day care. This term, the scope of day care has changed to include three and four year olds but there is no longer provision for babies.

All staff are employed by Four Villages Children’s Centre although have designated workplaces.

Sea Mills Children’s Centre was originally set up as the Kingsweston Sure Start Local Programme providing family support services across the area managed by Barnardo’s. In 2004 the setting was further developed as part of the Phase 1 Children’s Centre Programme becoming Sea Mills Children’s Centre and the management transferred to the Local Authority. It provides fee paying day care places, enhanced provision places and a range of universal and targeted family support services.

Avonmouth Children’s Centre was set up in the third phase of the development of Children’s Centres in Bristol. It serves an area in which 493children aged 0-5 live and is a Band B Children’s Centre. It provides universal and targeted family support services only and is a modular build on the site of Avonmouth Primary School.

Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre was part of the Phase 2 Children’s Centre development and was originally designated as part of Bluebell Valley Nursery School. Historically Freshways Resource Centre provided enhanced provision places and universal and targeted family support services in the Lawrence Weston area and it was envisaged that these services would transfer to Bluebell Valley Children’s Centre. In 2010 funding was secured from a government co-location bid and the Long Cross Campus was developed consisting of a Primary School, Specialist Resource Base and Specialist Children’s Centre. Long Cross Children’s Centre provides early education places, enhanced provision places, specialist provision for children with complex needs, a range of universal and targeted family support services and North Bristol Trust National Health Services providing a range of health services for children and families.

Rationale for the review

A recent external review of the Centre reported as follows …….

‘Four Villages Children’s Centre is a huge and complex organisation in a locality with diverse needs. In the face of much uncertainty and change in recent years, the quality of provision has been maintained due to the dedication of staff and their commitment to children and families in the communities. There is considerable will to tackle disadvantage and to reach vulnerable families but far too few are currently benefiting. The size and shape of the Four Villages is too unwieldy, making strategic management and planning as a whole problematic. ……..The present challenges faced in running the Centre as a cluster outweigh the benefits and economies of working together as one, and children and families would be better served by a more bespoke service provided discretely in each area.’

All of the Children’s Centres in Bristol except three (one of these three is a voluntary organisation) are managed directly by schools. The local authority has initiated a review of the management model for the two Children’s Centres that are currently managed by the Local Authority.

The Department for Education (DfE) states that the core purpose of Children’s Centres is to improve outcomes for children and their families with a particular focus on the most disadvantaged families in order to:

  • Reduce inequalities in child development and school readiness
  • Improve parenting aspirations, self-esteem and parenting skills
  • Improve child and family health and life chances

Bristol City Council is fully committed to the government’s intention that all centres should act as a hub for the local community and build social capital and cohesion and should work in partnership across professional and agency boundaries.

Future sustainability

As part of the ongoing process of review and evaluation of Children’s Centre reach areas and the impact of these areas on the sustainability of Centres, is recommended that:

(i)Shirehampton Centre Super Output Area is transferred out of the Sea Mills Children’s Centre reach area into the reach area for Avonmouth Children’s Centre.

(ii)What remains of the existing Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre reach area ( after the agreed adjustments to Clifton/Cotham reach area and Henleaze reach area ) is amalgamated with the Sea Mills reach area to create a new combined Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre reach area

Proposal

That Four Villages Children’s Centre should be disaggregated to become three separate centres:

  • Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre
  • Avonmouth & Shirehampton Children’s Centre
  • Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre
  1. Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre.

That the management of Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre services should be delivered by an existing Children’s Centre or a Private, Voluntary or Independent provider as identified through a full commissioning process.

Implications for children and families:

  • It is essential that any potential barriers to families accessing these services are overcome, particularly for those families who might potentially experience difficulties in accessing services. There would also be an expectation that some services would be taken out to families within their local community by using other local community space as appropriate.

Service implications:

  • As part of the process the Children’s Centre services would transfer to the provider successful through the commissioning process. The core offer of family support, day care, early education and enhanced provision places would continue although the details of the services provided would be determined by the provider.

Management and governance implications:

  • The new provider will manage the Children’s Centre and be expected to set up an Advisory Board to lead developments. Members of the existing advisory board at Sea Mills Children’s Centre could become part of this.
  • All of the staff delivering Children’s Centre services would undergo the TUPE process to be part of the new providers’ staff team and managed through their normal staffing structures and procedures.

Financial implications:

  • The revenue funding for the delivery of the Children’s Centre services would be allocated to the new Provider based on Bristol’s Children’s Centre formula. The management committee would then be asked to sign a Service Agreement which specifies the level of funding for the financial year and outlines the services that make up the Children’s Centre core offer to be delivered utilising this funding.
  • Currently the day care provision is heavily subsidised by the Local Authority and an income target is set for the fee paying day care. However once the provision had been commissioned there would be no subsidy included in the budget for the fee paying day care.

Staffing implications:

  • Through the Management of Change process staff would be identified who would be allocated to the Sea Mills Children’s Centre. These staff would then undergo the TUPE process to be employed by the new Provider.
  • The new Provider would then determine the proposed staffing structure for the delivery of the Children’s Centre services and would consult with staff throughout the implementation process.
  1. Avonmouth & Shirehampton Children’s Centre.

That the management of Avonmouth Children’s Centre services should be transferred to Avonmouth Primary School.

Implications for children and families:

  • By bringing the Children’s Centre services under the management of the school, the services would be provided in a seamless manner alongside the school provision in an integrated, inclusive setting.

Service implications:

  • As part of the process the Children’s Centre services would transfer to the management of the school. The core offer of family support would be continued although the details of the services provided would be determined by the school.

Management and governance implications:

  • The most common structure in primary schools that have Children’s Centre services, is for a sub committee of the Governing Body to lead on the Children’s Centre. Members of the existing advisory board at Avonmouth Children’s Centre could become part of this committee within the governance arrangements determining the composition of a sub committee of a governing body.
  • All of the staff delivering Children’s Centre services would be part of the school staff managed through the normal school structures.

Financial implications:

  • The revenue funding for the delivery of the Children’s Centre services would be allocated to Avonmouth Primary school according to Bristol’s Children’s Centre formula. The governing body would then be asked to sign a Service Agreement which specifies the level of funding for the financial year and outlines the services that make up the Children’s Centre core offer to be delivered utilising this funding.

Staffing implications:

  • The Headteacher and Governing Body would determine the proposed staffing structure for the delivery of the Children’s Centre services.
  • The staff of the school would be unaffected unless the school chose to review the support staff arrangements such as administrative support as part of the process of transfer.
  1. Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre.

That the management of Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre services should remain with the Local Authority with a view to this transferring to Long Cross Primary School at a future date when the capacity of the school has been strengthened.

Implications for children and families:

  • By bringing the Children’s Centre services under the management of a discrete manager for Long Cross, the services would be provided in an integrated, inclusive setting with the capacity to deliver the full range of services. It is essential that any potential barriers to families accessing these services are overcome, particularly for those families who might potentially experience difficulties in accessing services. There would also be an expectation that some services would be taken out to families within their local community by using other local community space as appropriate.

Service implications:

  • As part of the process the Children’s Centre services would remain with the Local Authority. The core offer of family support, early education and enhanced provision places would continue.

Management and governance implications:

  • The manager of Long Cross Specialist Children’s Centre would be managed by the early years service within the Local Authority.
  • A multi agency advisory board would be established to inform the planning of services in the Centre and across the reach area.

Financial implications:

  • The revenue funding for the delivery of the Children’s Centre services would be allocated to Long Cross Children’s Centre according to Bristol’s Children’s Centre formula. The Children’s Centre Manager would be asked to sign a Service Agreement which specifies the level of funding for the financial year and outlines the services that make up the Children’s Centre core offer to be delivered utilising this funding..

Staffing implications:

  • The Local Authority would determine an appropriate staffing structure required to deliver the full range of Children’s Centre services and existing staff would be eligible for consideration of posts in the new structure in accordance with Bristol City Council’s Management of Change policy.

Timescale and Support

The aim is for all changes to be implemented in September 2013.

Project management will be led by the Early Years Service to:

  • Establish and facilitate a Steering Group to support the Headteacher and Governing Body of Avonmouth Primary School through each stage.
  • Initiate and complete the commissioning process for Sea Mills & Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre.
  • Implement the Management of Change for the staff currently employed at Four Villages Children’s Centre

Colleagues from Human Resources and Finance will be involved throughout the process.

The proposals will be administered under the BCC Management of Change policies and procedures.

A detailed programme of consultation will be undertaken with staff and trade unions. The written proposals will be published to all staff as part of this consultation.

If transfers to other organisations are undertaken as part of the way forward then the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection pf Employment) regulations (2006) will apply.

An open selection and appointment process will be held for any new or significantly modified posts that are implemented. Any redeployment or consequent redundancy will be addressed under the Bristol City Council policies.

APPENDIX.

Reach areas.

Current / Proposed
Avonmouth / 493 / 586
Sea Mills / 442 / 859
Long Cross / 765 / 765
TOTAL / 1700 / 2210

Summary

Avonmouth

Shirehampton Centre Super Output Area to move out of Sea Mills Children’s Centre area into Avonmouth Children’s Centre reach area.

Sea Mills ( to become Sea Mills and Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre )

All of the following Super Output Areas currently in the reach area for Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre reach area to combine with Sea Mills to form Sea Mills and Stoke Bishop Children’s Centre reach area :

Stoke Bishop North

Stoke Bishop South

Old Sneed Park

University Halls

Rockleaze

Sneyd Park and the Downs

Elmlea.

Day care places.

Avonmouth / Current / Proposed
0-3s / 0 / 8 ( including up to 8 enhanced provision places )
3+ / 0 / 0
TOTAL / 0 / 8
Sea Mills / Current / Proposed
0-3s / 16 / 16 ( including up to 8 enhanced provision places )
3+ / 16 / 16
TOTAL / 32 / 32
Long Cross / Current / Proposed
0-3s / 16 / 16 ( including up to 16 enhanced provision places )
Specialist 0-3s / 3 / 3
3+ / 8 / 8
TOTAL / 27 / 27

Note : All the figures indicate the maximum number of children that can attend the day care at any one time.

Summary

The number of places at Sea Mills and Long Cross remain unchanged. Eight new places are proposed at Avonmouth Children’s Centre.

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