A recommendation for Kent County Council to axe its commissioning of services from Millmead Family Hub has been branded as “disregarding the overwhelming support from the community” by ward councillor Jack Packman and prompted a request for government intervention from East Thanet MP Polly Billington.
At a meeting next week County Councillors will discuss cutting the £222,127 contract with Millmead’s hub and a further £204,302 to a hub in Sheerness from the end of next March in a bid to save £426,429 per year.
The county council contract for Millmead represents about half of the centre’s annual funding.
The decision means families will need 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.
The Millmead centre has 27 staff and seven volunteers whose roles are likely to be under threat unless they are covered by TUPE.
KCC says last November a decision was made to implement a Family Hub model across the county with plans for 56 KCC operated Family Hub locations. KCC says Millmead and Seashells are the only two externally commissioned Family Hubs in Kent.
A consultation on the funding withdrawal ran from July 29 until 22 September with 433 responses regarding Millmead as well as more than 50 people attending a drop-in session and representations from partner organisations and residents.
A report to councillors says: “Almost all feedback received indicated a strong desire for the contracts to be renewed and the Family Hub services to remain at Seashells and Millmead.
“In relation to Millmead specifically, feedback focused on the accessibility of the site for local families, the importance of the centre for wellbeing and safety given the high levels of deprivation, the wider impact that Millmead has, and the inaccessibility of the proposed alternative locations.”
However, of the six proposals put forward in the report the recommendation is to end the contracts.
The six options considered:
- Option 1: Do not renew the two commissioned contracts and provide services within existing KCC locations (the decision proposal).
- Option 2: Reprocure significantly reduced contracts.
- Option 3: Reprocure comparable contracts and close other Family Hub locations in other areas (as this would save building costs).
- Option 4: Reprocure comparable contracts and reduce services in alternative Family Hub locations (as this would save service costs).
- Option 5: Do not renew the two commissioned contracts but find alternative standalone locations for alternative provision.
- Option 6: Do not renew the two commissioned contracts, but instead hire space for KCC Family Hub staff to deliver the services from within the two settings.
The report says current Family Hub service includes 9 hours of activity per week at Millmead that are directly commissioned under the contract. It says these hours can be accommodated at the three in-house Family Hubs in Margate.
A notice for the decision says: “The financial challenges facing all local authorities is critical. KCC needs to deliver £108.8m (2024-25 published Medium Term Financial Plan) of transformation and efficiency savings over the next two years. Our work to meet these challenges has already meant changes to services across the county.
“It is proposed that KCC will not re-procure these two contracts when they come to their end on 31 March 2025. The Family Hub service will be delivered from within existing Family Hubs in Margate as an alternative to the Millmead Centre. In relation to the Seashells Centre a Family Hub service will be offered from the Sheerness Gateway.”
The document notes that other options have been considered and discarded.
Ending funding for commissioned services will impact those that remain, says Chair of Millmead Children’s Centre Partnership Limited, (MCCPL) Jan Collins.
Jan, who has run the centre for some 23 years, said: “We are a commissioned service, so a provider for KCC, and if they remove that money we will close.
“We have two big contracts, KCC for community services such as child protection and family support, and the second from the Kent education people with central government funding for nurseries. That is not a KCC commissioned service but might be lost as a consequence (of the funding cut.
“If we can’t afford to run the building no-one will be able to use it.
“My concern is that if they take away contracted services it will put pressure on other services based here because we will not be able to afford to keep the building going on our own.”
Those services include Millmead youth club, 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, Youth Club and Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Drop In.
The report to county councillors responds to this, saying: “The decision for the Cabinet Member relates only to the Family Hub service commissioned under the contracts.
“The centres both run nursery provision that is separate from the commissioned contracts and have the ability to bid for additional funding streams.
“Public Health officers are investigating the options for a Healthy Living Centre at Millmead which does provide some funding, although not to the scale of the current commissioned contract.”
Thanet councillor Jack Packman has written to Cllr Sue Chandler, Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, to express his ‘ deep disappointment’.
He adds: “This decision comes as a shock, especially given the significant feedback provided during the consultation process. As you may recall, in the letter I submitted during the consultation stages, I highlighted the vital role the Family Hub plays in our community, a sentiment echoed by nearly 500 residents who participated in the consultation. It is disheartening to see that this feedback appears to have been disregarded in your recommendation.
“The Millmead Family Hub is an essential part of our community, serving thousands of people each year. It is evident that the increasing needs of our growing population, particularly in Dane Valley, have not been considered. The construction of 40 new social homes in the ward will bring an estimated 60 additional children, all of whom deserve the best possible start in life – a start that the Millmead Family Hub could have effectively supported.
“I am concerned that my request, as well as that of the commissioners I met with, for a comprehensive financial impact assessment of closing the Family Hub has been ignored. The closure of this centre is likely to have significant financial repercussions on taxpayers, with increased demands on services such as the Police, NHS, and Social Care.
“The Family Hub currently provides a range of critical services, including a Food Pantry, Midwife appointments, youth clubs, educational courses, and regular social activities, all of which are invaluable to the community. Cutting £222,127.44 from the centre’s funding to contribute to a broader savings target of £108.8 million is not only short-sighted but could also lead to greater long-term costs for the taxpayer due to the preventative and transformative services provided by the hub.”
He has urged Cllr Chandler to reconsider the decision.
East Thanet MP Polly Billington has written to the Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby, asking the government to intervene.
She said: “Family hubs are crucial for giving children the best start in life, and Millmead serves one of Kent’s most deprived areas. The hub is a local asset with deep ties to the community and has been a lifeline for many families – it’s loss would be a disaster for people in East Thanet, and constituents have been raising their deep concerns to me.
“Family hubs are a legacy of the last Labour Government’s sure start programme – a programme designed to help all families, especially those from the very poorest backgrounds. We need more services that help children get the best start in life, not less.
“I applaud the Chancellor’s decision to allocate an additional £69 million to increase the capacity of family hubs and I am asking that you protect Millmead family hub from KCC’s unfair and disastrous funding cuts. The Department, and the Government as a whole, have been clear in their commitment to give every child the best start in life.
“It is beyond disappointing that Conservative run KCC do not share this commitment, and that is why I am having to reach out to you to step in.”
County Councillor for Margate, Barry Lewis, will speak at the meeting on Thursday. It is likely he will question why services from the three other Margate hubs – which are owned by KCC- cannot transfer to the Millmead building which is owned by Thanet council – making it possible for KCC to sell its properties and make a surplus. He will also question why there are no comparable user figures in the report.
The report notes that deprivation levels in Margate Central (Margate Family Hub) and Cliftonville West (Northdown Road and Cliftonville Family Hubs) are ranked higher than in Millmead. Out of 290 Kent wards Margate Central is ranked as the most deprived with Cliftonville West ranked as third and Millmead as fifth.
Despite the recommendation to axe the contracts, the report states: “It should be noted that the proposal not to renew the contracts when they end in March 2025 is in no way a reflection of the quality of service delivered by either of the commissioned providers.
“In the year 2023/24, 1869 families attended sessions at Seashells and 1449 attended sessions at Millmead.”
The contracts will be discussed at the Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee on November 21.
Why does margate have 3 family hubs within walking distances of each other (2 in the same road , northdown road) they combined have only about half the footfall of the iconic millmead children centre which is purpose built . My suggestion is to merge the
3 margate centres which will
cause little disruption .if they close the millmead it will cost thousands of pounds as families from millmead will need to use buses to get to margate which they can claim back from kcc
Economic madness as well as totally disastrous for children and their families
Can a link be added to the final results of the consultation as and when it becomes available please.
Some of the figures quoted in the article are significantly lower than I was expecting.
Total figures for millmead is actually 532 responses not as quoted
Barry. Please don’t be offended but you have been the main problem when it comes to numbers involved in this story. You have refused to answer direct questions and quoted figures with such a range that they have been unbelievable.
532 is better than the 433 quoted
but still a long way short from the number you yourself gave in an article on this site on 14th August.
“Cllr Lewis said: “I want to thank all the people who have signed petitions and filled out the consultation.
“If you come to the trade fair there will be a stand to help people fill out the paper forms. So far we have knocked on 1,500 doors, given out 300 posters and helped send off 1,400 paper consultation forms.”
You said 1,400 then, but now you say 532. You must understand the confusion you have caused throughout.
I would rather wait until I can read the official report.
Also. This article speaks of 9 hours of activity per week being included at Millmead under the contract, then continues to state that these hours can be accommodated at the other centers. Making it sound very much like these 9 hours are the total number of hours per week that the £222,127 contract pays for. If this is fact then the price per hour is excessive, surely that can’t be the total?
Mr Brown – your article is spot on. Mr Lewis and mathematics do sit together well. I admire him in many ways for his stout defence of certain matters but accuracy of facts/figures is of paramount importance to gain support. I note that he has been deselected by his party for next election and I wonder why?
We did send out 1,400
Forms
Out, obviously only a percentage were sent back.
1400
Forms
Were sent out to residents, over 500
Were
Returned
Because he has socialist values-not something the Labour Party now like, as they fill their party with greedy lobbyists & Tories-which is who they want in that position.
Why he, the suspended MP’s & anybody else in it with any interest in helping the poorest in society remains a member of it, rather than going independent is a mystery-they aren’t going to change their morals, Labour now have none & aren’t going back to socialism.
Well put Mr. Brown. As for Mr. Lewis taking offence , you’re too kind, he’s consistently conjured up figures or poorly ( intentionally or not) presented information in order to pursue his viewpoint it undermines the position he has, fortunately for him KCC are just as useless a request for proper details regarding the centre revealed that KCC clim not to have any, quite why an organisation spending taxpayers money is not keeping proper records of what that money is achieving i find incredible. Utter incompetence at central and local level.
Given the controls in place its hardly likely that best value is being achieved and as such i’d support the closure, too much money is thrown about , in this case the mere inconvenience for a few people having to put a bit of effortmin to access free services is hardly ( to my mind) good reason to continue throwing money away.
Cllr Lewis. Can you confirm if my assumption that 9 hours a week is the total number of hours per week that the contract pays for?
I see at the meeting on Thursday that you intend to question the lack of comparable user figures in the report. May I suggest that you should take your own advice when you have been asked about user numbers that use the “Hub” services (not the centre as a whole) at Millmead and, simply go to the other Hubs and ask prior to the meeting.
That way the will have all the relevant information you require to fight your case effectively.
I have asked kcc for those figures, they have refused my request, i have visited all 4 centres.
Mr . Lewis but to you previously asserted the centre had helped many tens of thousands. Surely you have the evidence to back this up.
Would it not have been sensible to have submitted an FOI request? That they could’nt reasonably refuse. When i asked i was told to contact the centre, which given they’d only released a figure of those that had entered the building seemed pointless.
Where is your professionalism in respect of such matters? Or is it lost with KCC’s.
Clle Lewis. I am surprised that KCC would not give you the figures. I do hope that you plan to find out why.
Could you tell us the numbers that you got from each centre please.
Is there anything left in the UK not called a Hub?
Let’s be realistic—if a facility isn’t being used enough to justify the spending, it’s understandable why it may not be a funding priority. Sharon, Barry, and others involved need to consider that if the broader community isn’t engaging with these spaces, continued investment becomes difficult to defend. This is particularly true given the financial challenges currently faced by Kent County Council.
With significant budget constraints, the council has to make tough decisions, and if there isn’t adequate budget allocated, projects like Millmead simply won’t be viable. The examples of underused spaces like the Social Lounge and Sweet Caroline’s illustrate how critical it is to focus on initiatives that genuinely reflect the needs of the community today. It’s important to align priorities with current demands, ensuring that any available funding is used effectively and has meaningful impact. Without this alignment, projects are unlikely to secure the support they need, especially in such a challenging financial climate.
Hi Sue
I agree, we should be realistic; KCC has spent less money on Thanet in the last 40 years than anywhere else in Kent, we have the worst Roads, The worst Bus service, The worst street lighting, and the worst child care. I am fed up with playing the poor relation to Maidstone and Tonbridge wells.
“Worst bus service”? I’m pretty sure (say) buses in places like Nonnington and Alkham have far worse.
The roads round here aren’t too bad, Clive. You wanna try driving round Elham, Garlinge Green, North Street, Bridge, Pett Bottom, Lydden, Lenham, Ashford, Sevington and the like. The worst bus service, not by a long shot. Loop is one every 10/20 minutes or so. Sattelite routes, least one an hour. Street lighting, more than adequate for a semiurban area. If its honestly that taxing for you round here, maybe look into moving somewhere else where you’d feel more at home?