Cheshire East Council

Re-purposing of children's centres consultation

Purpose of this consultation

Cheshire East Council, like councils across the country, have been experiencing unprecedented financial pressures and are required to put forward proposals showing how they could balance its budget over the next 4 years. The proposals form part of the Councils medium-term financial strategy (MTFS) for 2024 to 2028 which was approved at a meeting of Full Council in February 2024. The Early Years Team (Start for Life) are required to contribute towards the reduction of the financial pressures (a savings target of £250K) whilst having minimal impact on services.

Since our bid for family hubs transformation funding in 2022 we have repurposed five of our former children’s centres into family hubs expanding services at these sites from an offer for children and families under 5 to a 0-19 offer and up to 25 for our young people with SEND. We are opening our sixth and final Family Hub in Crewe Lifestyle by September 2024.

We are now looking to re-purpose up to seven of the remaining children's centre buildings and further develop our family hub outreach offer. Approval to start consultation was given during the 29^th April 2024 Children's and Families Committee.

We are proposing to repurpose up to seven of our children’s centres that we have not remodelled into family hubs and utilise these buildings for education delivery purposes including extending childcare for children from 2 years of age, extending wrap around provision for primary aged pupils and delivering additional special educational needs and disabilities provision within local communities.

The consultation opens for responses from Monday 8^th July 2024 and be available for completion until 13^th September 2024.

The consultation can be completed online: https://surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/ChildrensCentres2024/ or respondents can collect paper copies from their nearest library / Children’s Centre. The link is also available on the consultation webpage on the CE website (Consultations in Cheshire East).