Plans have been drawn-up to close 26 ‘family centres’ across Hertfordshire - including those in Watford, Bushey, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood, Kings Langley and Abbots Langley.
There are also plans to potentially charge for some of the family support services' group activities.
The county’s family centre service – which includes the family support service and public health nursing – aims to support children, young people, their parents, families and carers.
Its focus includes areas such as finding childcare, health visiting and antenatal classes – as well as universal group activity sessions such as ‘rhyme time’, baby massage and ‘stay and play’.
It currently operates from 71 family centres across the county.
Ten of these – one in each of Hertfordshire's 10 districts – are staffed between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. These would not be affected by the proposals.
The remaining sites are only open when they are ‘in use’ – with some said to be used only for office space for staff or storage.
It is the future of 26 of these premises that the council is considering, as part of a bid to reduce the cost of the service by around £750,000 a year.
The future of individual family centres is said to have been considered by looking at cost vs usage, as well as availability of other alternative venues locally.
"De-designation" of the proposed 26 family centre venues would save an estimated £251,195 a year.
Meanwhile, there are also plans to charge for some sessions offered by the family support service – which currently include activities such as ‘stay and play’ and ‘rhyme time’.
The council consultation on the proposed changes ran between July 10 and October 10 – with engagement events held at libraries, family centre and summer events.
On Thursday (November 9) the plans will be considered by the council’s children young people and families cabinet panel.
According to the officers’ report, as part of the consultation there were some concerns about the ‘de-designation’ of some buildings.
However, they say it was evident that parents and carers understood the reasons for considering a charge for some activities.
And, says the report, they were supportive of this ‘if the amount was
reasonable, flexible, and didn’t create a stigma’.
According to the report, those who responded suggested a reasonable charge would be between £1 and £4, including a drink and snack as well as the possibility of a discount or loyalty card.
This proposal does not impact on public health services offered through the family centres, such as antenatal or health visiting.
Currently the family support service has an annual budget of £9.7m – including £2.37m of public health funding.
The funding for public health services is expected to remain at £2.37m, according to the officers’ report.
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Council officers are planning to make a 10 per cent ‘saving’ – equivalent to around £730,000.
The venues proposed to be de-designated as family centres are:
- Barleyfields Family Centre
- Tenterfield Family Centre
- The Runway Family Centre
- Three Parks Family Centre
- Fleetville Family Centre
- Strawberry Fields Family Centre
- Bushey Mill Family Centre
- Batford Family Centre
- York Road Family Centre
- Rickmansworth Family Centre
- Chorleywood and Loudwater Family Centre
- Great Wood Family Centre
- Patk Street and St Stephens Family Centre
- The Lanes Family Centre
- Sunshine Family Centre
- Ebury Family Centre
- Ash Valley Family Centre
- Abbots Langley Family Centre
- Bluebell Family Centre
- Lime Tree Family Centre
- Lamer FieldsFamily Centre
- Arlesdene Family Centre
- Shenley Family Centre
- Galley Hill Family Centre
- Buttercups Family Centre
- Birchwood Family Centre.
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