Disappointment has been expressed at a £27,000 contract offered to Millmead Family Hub for the coming financial year – some £206,000 less than its previous funding.
On March 13 Kent County Councillors agreed to grant a further year contract for Millmead and Seashells hub in Sheerness, reversing a decision to axe contracts with both centres after a huge outcry from the public and councillors across the political spectrum.
KCC Cabinet member for integrated children’s services, Cllr Sue Chandler, had approved the contract cuts – due to come in force from April 1- but the decision was then called in by Labour councillors Mel Dawkins and Jackie Meade backed by Independent Cllr Barry Lewis.
In November the decision on ending commissioned services at both Family Hubs was postponed following representations from Cllr Lewis who put forward a recommendation to delay the decision until new government funding was finalised.
Despite the postponement and a one-off £4.1m extra family hub funding award from government, the decision was not initially reversed and Millmead was instead awarded around £40k Healthy Living Centre funds for public health activities.
However, at a full county council meeting on March 13 Cllr Chandler revealed she had received confirmation from government of the strict spending controls for KCC’s allocation of the Year 4 Family Hub Grant and this meant she could explore options for directly funding Family Hub services to be delivered by Millmead and Seashells for the next financial year.
The meeting heard that in future years money could come from an annual £6.2m allocation from government for children’s services.
Although there were concerns over the details of the one-year agreement, and how much funding would actually be allocated, it was backed by the overwhelming majority of councillors.
At that time KCC said the amount of funding to be awarded would be decided after negotiations with both centres.
Funding confirmed
It has now been confirmed that the centres have both been offered £27,000 to deliver ‘Parenting Support and Home Learning Environment’ programmes.’
The funding for Millmead is for services:
- Triple P for babies aged 0-2
- Little Talkers for children aged 2-4
- Communication Tree for children aged 2-4
- Focused Intervention around parenting and school readiness for children aged 2-4
KCC says programmes for perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships, and infant feeding support “are outside the scope of use to fund Seashells and Millmead.”
Despite the very reduced KCC grant it is understood the management team of the Millmead Family Hub have secured external funding to make sure the doors stay open.
Dane Valley ward councillor Jack Packman says residents have been “let down again.”
He said: “I am extremely disappointed that Tory-run Kent County Council has once again let the people of Dane Valley and Margate down.
“The offer of just £27,000 represents a devastating cut of £206,000 to Millmead Family Hub, making it simply unviable to continue running the contract.
“After months of chaos and flip-flopping from KCC, this is yet another kick in the teeth for Millmead families. It is clear that Kent County Council does not want Millmead to remain as a Family Hub, which feels like punishment for a community that has stood up and fought for what it deserves.
“We always knew that securing the extension was not the time to celebrate but a moment to get to work and fight for the best possible deal.
“Instead, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, Cllr Sue Chandler, has once again built up our community’s hopes only to try and shut down these vital services.
“Residents in Dane Valley and Margate have been let down time and time again by this chaotic and incompetent Tory council. Enough is enough. I am calling for Cllr Sue Chandler to resign.”
Cllr Barry Lewis said he believed Cllr Chandler had been ‘economical’ with the truth during the March 13 meeting.
He added that he felt councillors had been ‘misled’ adding: “She will now have a massive fight on her hands, The people of Millmead will not allow this to happen.”
East Thanet MP Polly Billington said: “It seems like every month Sue Chandler and KCC find some new way to get the Millmead families’ hopes up before pulling the rug from beneath them a few weeks later.
“This chaotic decision-making is causing lasting damage to vulnerable people and the services they rely on. How can it be the case that one month the Millmead Children’s Centre is saved and the next it’s being forced to close* with an insulting 90% funding cut? This incompetence and dysfunction has gone on long enough, and the buck stops at the top.
“Sue Chandler must resign so that someone can lead KCC’s children’s services who can get a grip on this chaos and act to protect these vital services in one of the most deprived parts of Kent.”
(*Closure fears have not been confirmed as Millmead has sourced extra external funding to help it provide services)
A spokesperson for Kent County Council (KCC) said: “On March 13, Council did not require further review or reconsideration of the original decision not to recommission services under the current contracts with Millmead and Seashells Family Hubs.
“KCC remains committed to ensuring our children have the best start in life and continued support as they grow, and in recognition of residents’ concerns about travel to their alternative Family Hub, it was also agreed at council that as confirmation of government’s strict spending controls for KCC’s 4th year Family Hub grant had now been received both centres would have the opportunity to receive direct funding from this via the purchase of any qualifying services to supplement KCC’s in house Family Hub programme across Kent.
“The potential funding amount for each centre was not discussed or agreed as part of this decision.
“The Year 4 family Hubs fund must be distributed across 7 different Family Hub Programme streams of which Millmead and Seashells are able to support two, in line with some of the services they currently provide.
“KCC has offered to purchase the services Millmead and Seashells are equipped to deliver in line with the strict grant spending criteria.
“DfE and DHSC reserve the right to withhold or reduce the entire year 4 Family Hub grant funding if KCC does not meet all spending criteria, therefore the council can’t allocate more to Millmead and Seashells.”
