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CY/09/38 Children and Young People’s Overview/Scrutiny 25 March 2009

UPDATE ON DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN’S CENTRES

Report of the Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Services

Please note that the following recommendations are subject to approval by the Executive Committee and confirmation under the provisions of the Council’s Constitution before taking effect.

Recommendation: to note progress on phase 3 children’s centre development.

1. CONTEXT 1.1 As part of its Ten Year Childcare Strategy the Government, in December 2004, set a target of 3500 Children’s Centres by 2010, one for every community. Children’s Centres are at the heart of the government’s commitment to improving the life chances for all children and families, and are key to the delivery of early years services and the outcomes set out in Every Child Matters.

1.2 The Childcare Act 2006 placed a new duty on Local Authorities, working with Health, JobCentre Plus and other partners, to improve outcomes for all young children aged 0-5 in their area and to reduce inequalities through the delivery of integrated early childhood services. The Children’s Centre programme is the delivery mechanism for this aspiration

1.3 Children’s Centres have been developed in three phases:

• phase 1 (2004-2006): 6 Children’s Centres were developed, 4 of which were previously Sure Start local programmes. The Centres developed in this phase cover the 20% most deprived wards according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). • phase 2 (2006-2008): a further 25 Children’s Centres have been developed across , covering the 30% most deprived wards according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. • phase 3 (2008-2010): the development of a Children’s Centre accessible to every community, covering the remaining wards making a total of 43.

2. UPDATE OF PHASE 3 DEVELOPMENT SINCE OCTOBER 2.1 Tendering

We have completed a tendering process for the four new centres (, , Axe Valley and Clyst Vale) to be delivered from April 2009. The tender was awarded to Action for Children. The two new centres at Teign Valley and will be managed by Barnardos, the Responsible Body for the other centres in the area on a one year contract .

2.2 Capital Funding The capital funding for phase 3 is £4.8m which is considerably less than phase 2 and therefore we expect new buildings to be small scale additions, or refurbishments to existing premises. This is because phase 3 is for the 70% less disadvantaged areas.

2.3 Fourteen localities have been provisionally identified across Devon and projects will be co-located wherever possible with existing services such as community centres, or doctors’ surgeries. Areas for investment include , Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary, Axe Valley (Axmister and Seaton), Clyst Vale, Teign Valley (), Ivybridge, , , Exwick , and mobile provision to Northam and .

3. REVENUE FUNDING The Children’s Centre revenue funding formula has a number of elements which include:

• fixed costs (£20k per centre) • Qualified Teacher (in top 30% most deprived area) • rate per child • deprivation funding • rurality funding

3.1 The formula has been recognised and promoted to other Local Authorities as a good practice example by Together for Children. The model has also been widely accepted by Children’s Centre Mangers, Core Offer Monitoring Groups and wider stakeholders. This approach and level of funding in relation to the degree of deprivation is in line with Sure Start Guidance on allocation of funding, and reflects the models they suggest. Children’s Centres have received an increase in funding for 2009-10 and it will increase again in 2010- 11.

4. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT The Local Authority has a contract and service specification with each of the Centre Responsible Bodies outlining the services to be developed, performance indicators and expected outcomes. Each centre has a steering group (the Core Offer Monitoring Group – COMG) with representation from statutory agencies, voluntary groups, parent/carers and early years providers. The COMG is responsible for monitoring the local programme to ensure that the Responsible Body is meeting the agreed core offer requirement. In addition, quarterly reports are submitted to the CYPS Early Years and Childcare Service so we can monitor the services provided and the number of families accessing them.

4.1 Annual Reviews We have recently completed the second year of Annual Reviews with each of the Children’s Centres. The review is held with representation from the Early Years service, Advisory Service, Health, Social Care, Jobcentre Plus and parent representation (where possible) who meet with the Children’s Centre Managers and employing body to review the service delivery. This provides the opportunity to review in detail the services delivered, numbers being reached, outcomes being achieved and to identify any barriers which can then be addressed. The Annual Review process for the second year was revised following feedback from those involved. Children’s Centre Managers and other partner agencies have indicated that they considered the approach an improvement. The review includes a rating for each core area of activity of the Children’s Centre with one overall rating (Outstanding, Good, Satisfactory, Inadequate). Whilst a number of our centres have areas of outstanding practice, no centre has to date achieved Outstanding overall. We have no overall Inadequates.

5. FUTURE TENDERING ARRANGEMENTS We have approval to tender the 43 Children’s Centres in the future over a three year rolling programme from 2010.

Centres will be tendered by locality over these three years as follows:

• : ready for April 2010 • South and : ready for April 2011 • Exeter, East and : ready for April 2012

This means that South and West Devon will be given a one year contract extension and Exeter, East and Mid Devon a two year extension.

Anne Whiteley Director of Children and Young People’s Services

ELECTORAL DIVISION:

Local Government Act 1972

Background Papers:

Contact for enquiries: Claire Rockcliffe - 01392 385520

Executive Member for Children & Young People’s Services: Councillor John Smith

Appendix 1 Phase 3 2009

* Will be developed as two centres

Area Provider Name Hub Location Learning Community Reach 0-5 Nos of children living in 30% most disadvantaged area Northern Action for Children Victoria Park 1731 508 Bideford Devon * Bideford Second Centre 2009 mobile provision Action for Children 1 Victoria House Pilton 793 312 Barnstaple Action for Children Barnstaple 2 Primary School, Park 1421 391 Barnstaple Action for Children Braunton Caen Cottage, Braunton Braunton 645 0

Action for Children Pip Centre, South Molton South Molton 527 0

Action for Children Chulmleigh Chulmleigh Primary School Chulmleigh Minus 309 0 Bluecoat Nursery and Bluecoat Torrington Infant and Nursery Torrington and catchment 708 0 Infant School School of Winkleigh (116 children Governing Body Torrington ) Bluecoat Nursery and Holsworthy Primary School Holsworthy 579 0 Infant School Governing Body Action for Children Marlborough Road Ilfracombe 1050 361 Ilfracombe Mid Devon Barnardos Newcombes, Crediton Crediton 1135 0

Barnardos Culm Valley St Andrews School Culm Valley 1372 0 Barnardos Wilcombe School Tiverton 1583 515 Tiverton * Tiverton Second Centre 2009 Two Moors Primary School, Tiverton

East Devon Action for Children Sidmouth TBC Sidmouth 540 0

Action for Children Ottery St Mary TBC Ottery St Mary 577 0 Action for Children Axe Valley TBC Axe Valley 862 0 Action for Children Clyst Vale TBC Clyst Vale 557 0 Children’s Society Honiton Primary School Honiton 862 0

Children’s Society Marpool Primary School, 2041 192 Exmouth * Exmouth Second Centre developed by 2010 location to be confirmed Exeter Action for Children Beacon Heath Pendragon House Exeter 1092 418 Exeter Beacon Heath Cluster Action for Children Whipton Whipton Barton First School, Exeter 414 253 Exeter Beacon Heath Cluster Action for Children Heavitree & Ladysmith First School Exeter 623 0 Polsloe Exeter Beacon Heath Cluster

Chestnut Nursery Chestnut Centre Chestnut Nursery School Exeter 389 339 School Governing Body Exeter Central Pathway

Chestnut Nursery Countess Wear Countess Wear Combined Exeter 783 168

School Governing Body School Central Pathway Exeter

Exeter Community Flying Start Kingfisher House Exeter 881 265

Initiatives Exeter Central Pathway

Children’s Society West Exe Nursery School , Exeter 1799 144 West Exe * Exeter West Exe Cluster

Second Centre developed by 2010 in Exwick Action for Children Teignmouth Hospital Teignmouth 874 257

Action for Children Westcliffe Primary School, Dawlish 974 96 Dawlish Barnardos Highweek Primary School , Newton Abbot including 2343 477 Newton Abbot * Newton Abbot East and Second Centre to be developed West until April 09 by 2009 , location Buckland and Milber Barnardos Heathfield (Moors St Catherine’s Church of South 965 0 Edge) Primary School

Barnardos Teign Valley TBC Teign Valley 2009 177 0 2010 1047 This includes children currently accessing services through Newton Abbot and South Dartmoor. Full alignment to Learning Community 2010. DCC ABC Centre St Luke’s Church South Dartmoor 474 0 Barnardos Dartmouth Dartmouth Primary and Nursery Dartmouth 427 75 School Barnardos Kingsbridge Community Primary Kingsbridge 638 0 School Daisy Play Centre Daisy Play Centre Totnes 881 0 Committee Totnes Barnardos *Ivybridge Ivybridge Hall Ivybridge 1543 0 Ivybridge Satellite centre in South Brent

Second Centre no date yet West Devon Barnardos Okement Centre Okehampton 830 0 Okehampton DCC Hatherleigh Community Centre Okehampton 167 0 Hatherleigh Barnardos Tavistock Stannary Surgery Tavistock 1544 0 Tavistock Satellite Centre Community Centre TBC