Issue - meetings

A period of thirty minutes was allocated for members of the public present at the meeting to ask questions about the work or performance of the Council or Council services.         

Topic: Alternative Services Under 5’S

Question: What is the position regarding health service provisionif centres are not available to use?

Response: The Council is in dialogue with the health representatives to identify opportunities for co-delivery of services and sharing resources and how arrangements could be moved forward. The outcome of the discussions that had taken place had been positive.

Topic: Alternative Services Under 5’S

Question: Where has the funding come from for the two additional spoke provisions?

Response: The Council has been informed thatschools can convert and become a 2-11 year old school through a School Organisation proposal. The Council intends to make arrangements with the schools identified, in the report to be considered and spoke provisions to enable access to the sites. It is hoped that school governors will accept the proposed arrangements which will allow some Children’s Centre activities to take place at those locations. This arrangement with schools will allow the funding subsidy of £105,000 identified in the original report to be redirected for the two additional spoke provisions (£90,000) and an uplift for three senior Outreach Workers (£15,000) (total £105,000). The school sites identified are:

-      Daisyfield located at St Stephen’s CE Primary School – 20 places

-      High Meadow located at St John’s Radcliffe  Primary School – 12 places

-      Moorside located at St John with St Mark’s CE Primary School – 10 places

-      Ramsbottom – a standalone site – 10 places

-      Toodle Hill located at Heaton Park Primary School – 32 places

The Ramsbottom site is a standalone site and provision would go through a tendering process.

Topic: Alternative Services Under 5’S

Question: Will additional Outreach Workers be introduced to work with Under 5’s if funding becomes available?

Response: There has been no change in the number of Outreach Workers from the original proposal. The Index of Multiple Deprivation was used to identify area of greatest need and the Outreach Workers and spoke provision has been provided in those areas for that reason. Support will be provided if funding is available.