CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSON’S
COMMITTEE – 24 SEPTEMBER 2003
DRAFT CHILDREN’S CENTRE
PLAN FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF
CHILDREN’S SERVICES
To invite elected members to
consider the enclosed Draft Children’s Centre Plan and to comment on the plan
before submission to the DfES
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE
COMMITTEE
Consideration and comments or amendments that can be incorporated into the plan before submission.
Every Local Authority is required
to produce a Children’s |Centre Plan for submission by th13th October 2003.
There are a number of key features of the plans without which the plans will
not be approved. These are;
§
Children’s Centres must be located and services provided in
the 20% most deprived areas of the country. On the Island this applies to 15
wards.
§
Centre services must include a core offer for families of
child care, early education, primary health care and personal social services.
Additional services need also to feature in the plan. These include family
learning, family support, pre-and post natal care, training and support to help
parents return to work including links with Job Centre Plus
§
Each centre must have a qualified early years teacher
working alongside other qualified staff for at least half the time children are
receiving early education.
§
Services must be targeted at children from pr-birth to five
years and their families
§
The centres must build on existing provision i.e.
Neighbourhood nurseries, Early Excellence Centres
§
The Centres must make connections with other strategies and
policies
There are
clear targets laid down in the programme for each authority and these are
linked to the indicative allocation of grant.
Total
revenue funding from April 2004-March 2006 £438,890
Total
capital funding “ “ £685,332
Numbers of
children reached by the services in the plan by 2006 2,339
Number of
new day care places created in the plan by 2006 102
Public
service targets for young children and their families have been set as part of
a wider Government agenda to reduce health and education inequalities and to reduce
child poverty. They require all services and agencies to work together to
ensure that every child has a sure start.
The
Children’s Centre plans form an integral part of the strategic development of
integrated children’s services and, following the publication of the Green
Paper “Every Child Matters” it is clear that these developments are intended to
provide the first step in the
implementation of our preventative strategy and the reconfiguring of services for
children and their families .
The strategic
framework for early years and childcare for the next two years includes children’s centres as a key element in
planning integrated inclusive services for all children.
Other
linked developments will include:
§
Family and adult learning
§
Extended schools
§
Children’s Fund Programmes
§
Early Years provision
§
Sure Start local programmes
We are required to consult on the
Children’s Centre Plans. Currently the Plan is out for consultation with 120
different organisations and individuals for their comments. We have worked on
the plans with health, social services and education colleagues as well as
providers of early year’s services and school. Final Plans will go to the Early
Years Development and Child Care Partnership for approval before submission to
the Government by 13th October.
Although grant funding is
allocated to activities outlined in the plan, there is an expectation that
additional funding from other areas of the Councils work can be added to the
grant available e.g. regeneration funding, other capital grants, Parenting
fund, Children’s Fund
All activities in the plan must
comply with legislation particularly as it applies to children, employment law,
Equal Opportunities legislation and the Code of Practice for special needs.
Activities in the plan are
intended to impact on our crime prevention strategy.
Draft Children’s Centre Plan
Appendix A – Letter to consultees
Appendix B – Children’s Centre
proposals
Appendix C – Central Services
diagram
Appendix E – Children’s
Centre Core Offer
Strategic Guidance on Children’s
Centres
Contact Point : Marion
East, Early Years Unit 528645
JIMMY
DOYLE
Head of
Children’s Services