This meeting of the Petition Hearing - Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education of Hillingdon Council heard nine petitions from residents concerned about proposed changes to children's centre services. While no decisions were made at this meeting, the concerns raised by petitioners regarding budget cuts, potential closures, and the proposed hub and spoke model were noted for consideration before the Council's final budget decision in February.

Proposed Changes to Children's Centre Services

The primary focus of the meeting was the presentation of nine petitions from residents and representatives of various children's centres across Hillingdon. The overarching concern expressed by all petitioners was opposition to the proposed budget cuts, which they believe will lead to a reduction in services and capacity, and the potential closure of some centres. Petitioners also voiced strong reservations about the proposed shift to a hub and spoke model, where services would be managed centrally by the Council rather than by individual schools.

Several petitioners highlighted the vital role children's centres play in supporting new parents, particularly those experiencing isolation, mental health challenges, or difficulties with breastfeeding. Leela Melhem, speaking on behalf of parents in Northwood Hills, shared her personal experience of receiving crucial support from Hillside Children's Centre after a difficult delivery. She emphasised that for many families in the area, particularly those reliant on benefits, the proposed changes would make accessing services significantly more difficult due to increased travel costs and the lack of public transport options. She also noted that Hillside Children's Centre hosts midwifery clinics for which there is no alternative in the Northwood area.

Arti Goyal, representing Macmillan Children's Centre, echoed these concerns, stressing the importance of consistent staff relationships for building trust and understanding families' needs. She also pointed out that the proposed budget cuts of £64,000 per centre over three years would make it difficult to run the centres effectively.

Christopher Waters, speaking on behalf of hundreds of signatories, stated that the proposed 41% cut to children's centre budgets, amounting to £1.253 million over three years, was the most severe cut facing any service. He argued that despite the Council's assertion that no services would be cut, these reductions would inevitably lead to staff reductions and a diminished capacity within centres. He also raised concerns that the findings of the review into children's centres, conducted between March and June 2016, had not been disclosed to the public or the centres themselves.

Sam Gemmell, an assistant headteacher at Charville Academy, expressed that the consultation process had not been transparent and that residents felt the changes were being imposed upon them. He questioned the Council's ability to develop and improve services given the significant proposed cuts.

Sandy Soames, a governor at Harefield Primary School, highlighted the strong relationships between schools and children's centres, arguing that headteachers are the best managers for these centres due to their understanding of local families and resources. She also questioned the Council's choice of hub centres, noting that some had Ofsted ratings of required improvement while other equally accessible centres had good ratings.

Joy Mason, chair of governors at Hillside Junior School and vice-chair of Hillside Infants School, stated that the closure of Hillside would be detrimental to the community, particularly given the high proportion of children entering school with below-average development and the significant number of single-parent families and benefit claimants in the area. She also noted that other centres might be overwhelmed if families from Hillside were forced to travel to them.

Matthew Coogan shared a deeply personal account of how COPE for Children's Centre and its manager, Marianne, had provided essential support to his family during a period of significant personal hardship. He questioned the practicalities of the proposed hub and spoke model, particularly regarding the protection of children within school buildings where children's centres are co-located and the potential for increased costs to schools for electricity and maintenance. He also raised concerns about the impact of potential job losses among experienced staff.

Roo, speaking on behalf of Columana Manor Children's Centre, echoed the sentiment that parents value the trust and relationships built with existing staff and expressed concern about the impact of rotating or unfamiliar staff. She challenged a statement attributed to Councillor David Simmonds CBE, Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services, suggesting that some programmes are a waste of money, arguing that no parent she had spoken to would agree with this assessment.

Councillor David Simmonds CBE, in his capacity as Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education, acknowledged the concerns raised, particularly regarding travel distances and the importance of consistent staffing. He explained that the Council's intention to reassume direct management of the centres was aimed at achieving greater efficiency and that this approach had been successful in other service areas. He also addressed the budget situation, stating that the Council is legally obliged to set a balanced budget and must review all services to find more efficient ways of operating. Regarding the review, he clarified that it was an internal management review and not conducted by external consultants. He also reassured petitioners about safeguarding, stating that vetting requirements for staff in children's centres are the same as for schools. He further explained that decisions about which programmes to fund would be based on evidence of proven effectiveness, citing research from Warwick University and the Early Intervention Foundation¹ as sources for identifying programmes that make a significant difference to children and families.