A proposed withdrawal of Kent County Council (KCC) funding for Millmead Children’s Centre would “result in closure” and “be detrimental to many children,” says Margate county councillor Barry Lewis.
Cllr Lewis (Labour) says he and others in the Labour Party will fight to reverse the plans and is calling on past, present and future Centre users to voice their anger through the consultation launched by KCC today (July 30).
KCC wants to save save £426,000 by not renewing contracts for commissioned services at Millmead centre and Seashells in Sheerness, when they end in March 2025. It is understood around £250,000 of that is funding for the centre at Dane Valley Road in Margate.
This sum is around half of the centre’s annual funding. The centre is funded in two, separate ways – the nursery (65 places) and community development and support (1104 people in June 2024*).
Cllr Lewis said: “All the other smaller funding will not be enough to cover the costs of running the building. In effect it will mean closure of Millmead Children’s Centre.”
Staff were informed of the proposals on Thursday (July 25) and it is understood up to 30 staff may lose their jobs, although some may be found roles at KCC.
It was thought the centre would be part of the last government’s Family Hub scheme but this is no longer the case.
Launching public consultation today, KCC says Millmead and Seashells are the only two externally commissioned Family Hubs in Kent. The council directly runs the rest of Kent’s Family Hub provision.
A KCC spokesperson said the consultation only relates to the services provided under the commissioned contract for KCC’s Children’s Services and not the closure of the buildings themselves.
They added: “These centres can still provide lots of other activities and services not commissioned under these contracts which are not directly affected by this consultation.”
KCC needs to deliver £108.8m savings over the next two years by making changes to services that save money for the council whilst continuing to provide support for residents that need it. The authority says that not renewing these contracts would save £426,000 and “ensure a consistent approach to Family Hubs across all areas of Kent.”
Millmead centre manager Jan Collins’ said:”I understand why this is happening but I cannot and will not accept depleting these services in areas of high poverty and that is why I am encouraging as many people as possible to respond to the public consultation before it’s too late.”
If the proposals go ahead families will be expected to use Margate Family Hub (formerly Six Bells), Northdown Road Family Hub (formerly known as Quarterdeck) and Cliftonville Family Hub (formerly Children’s Centre) to access KCC funded services.
Millmead Children’s Centre provides everything from midwifery sessions to baby and children’s groups, sensory sessions, skills for parents, medical, financial and housing advice and more.
The Family Hub services on offer at Millmead under the commissioned contract which would no longer run at Millmead include Baby Massage • Breastfeeding Clinic • Breast Pump Hire • Cygnet • Healthy Baby Group • Introducing Solids, • Little Explorers • Little Talkers • Stay and Play • Triple P Parenting Course* • You and Your Baby • 1-2-1 Family Work.
Services not funded by KCC are Book Library, Cost of Living Advice, Citizens Advice Service, Food Bank/Community Pantry, Garden Club, Health Visiting (including Developmental Checks and Healthy Child clinics) Midwifery Clinics, Nursery, One You and Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Drop In.
Cllr Lewis said: “This is a safeguarding issue and it will be detrimental to many children.
“The Millmead area is the most deprived ward in Kent and many rely on Millmead Children’s Centre for necessities including midwifery, social skills and interaction, food bank, warm bank and kids’ groups. It is the heartbeat of the community.
“It is absolutely impractical to expect parents with prams to use a limited bus service from Millmead into Margate. Many families are on the breadline and can’t afford the bus fares every day and so will not be able to access vital information and help and expert advice for medical and social needs.
“I, along with others in the Labour Party, will fight to reverse this cut and we need people who have, are or will in the future, use the centre to get involved with the consultation to show the anger to this unnecessary cut.”
A Millmead centre employee added: “Our Outreach Team has supported Millmead and surrounding areas for 20+ years and have been a safe haven for families to turn to it time of need, such as Covid (of which we continued to operate throughout) and the cost of living crisis which is still on-going.
Sue Chandler, Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, said: “In light of the significant financial pressures KCC is facing, we are looking at how we deliver our services to ensure that they are efficient and cost effective.
“These are the only two centres run by external providers in the county. Under the current contracts for Millmead and Seashells Family Hubs, KCC is paying for both the delivery of the service and the local management of that service by the providers.
“Following the introduction of our new Family Hub model across Kent last year, the management cost for these two commissioned services creates a duplication as KCC is also paying for the management of the in-house services on offer at KCC Family Hubs across the Districts of Swale and Thanet.
“By not renewing these contracts when they naturally come to an end in March 2025, we can make a much-needed efficiency saving whilst continuing to provide essential services for families and young people in these areas.
“I urge everyone to read the consultation document for full details of our proposal and complete the questionnaire to share their views.”
If it is decided to put new contracts in place, KCC would be required to run a new process which would be open to the current providers and any new providers to bid for the contracts. There is no guarantee that the current providers would win a new contract.
Have your say
The consultation will run for 8 weeks from today (Tuesday 30 July) until 22 September 2024
For full details of the proposal and to have your say visit: www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubsconsultation
For queries or requests for hard copies, email [email protected]
For alternative formats, email [email protected] or call 03000 421553 (text relay service number 18001 03000 421553).
Additional reporting by Local democracy reporter Simon Finlay
*The monthly figure and nursery reference has been updated
