Deregistering of children's centres - our response
North Yorkshire Council tell us that this will allow the buildings to be used for broader community purposes, like early years education and community hubs. The council aims to enhance local services while continuing children’s support within communities.
Why the change?
Over the years, the way children and families are supported has changed. Since 2015, there’s been a shift from face-to-face sessions to a mix of in-person and virtual support. Plus, the focus has expanded from just supporting kids up to five years old to helping young people up to 19 years old. This means children’s centres, now called children and families hubs, need to adapt too.
What’s happening?
North Yorkshire Council along with the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has decided to de-register these centres. This move will give them more flexibility in how they use these buildings, allowing them to work with other organisations and offer a wider range of activities that our communities need.
Listening to you
Earlier this year, North Yorkshire Council asked for thoughts from people on these changes. Over 100 people shared their feedback, and it’s clear that the needs of our children and young people are changing. By being flexible with their buildings, they feel they can better support our communities.
What’s next?
The changes will be rolled out over the next 12 months. This includes adjusting the hours some centres are open and how services are delivered. The goal is to make sure they are using resources in the best way possible to support families.
A word from
Councillor Janet Sanderson, Executive Member for Children and Families, said:
“We need to keep up with the changing needs of our children and young people. By being flexible with our buildings, we can work with key partners to deliver a range of activities that benefit everyone.”
Mel Hutchinson, Assistant Director for Children and Families, added:
“We’ve redesigned our services to better support families, combining face-to-face and virtual activities. This flexibility will help us meet the needs of our communities now and in the future.”
Healthwatch response
We acknowledge North Yorkshire Council’s decision to deregister 18 children’s centres for wider community use.
Whilst we understand the intent to better utilise public resources, and particularly in this challenging financial climate, we also recognise that these changes will impact many families and children who used these sites.
We are concerned about the potential effects on, for example vulnerable families, who have relied on these centres for in-person support.
We understand the council’s new dual approach of providing face to face and online services, but feel that having less face to face opportunities may not meet the needs of all families, as we found in our recent report into mothers’ experiences of postnatal community care, where mothers had asked for more face to face support. In-person access is particularly important for those families with limited access to technology and for these living rurally.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire encourages North Yorkshire Council to ensure the continuation of face-to-face support, especially for rural and disadvantaged families, and involve local people in decisions about how and where these services take place. It’s important that we monitor the impact on health outcomes and safeguard family well-being.
We will continue gathering feedback and advocating for services that support children and families across the county.
