Some children's centre staff in Northamptonshire to lose jobs if budget proposal voted through

Northamptonshire County Council leaders propose that domestic abuse and parenting programme services will be removed from centres across the county to save about £4.5 million.

Both services are already provided in some form by the council, and will be continued in a different setting. However children’s centre staff who specialise in those areas will be made redundant.

County council budget proposals says the changes will allow centres to focus on the one-to-one support of the youngest children and their parents - they deal with 531 such families currently.

“[Based on] feedback received as a result of the public consultation, the recommendation for the future integrated Targeted Early Help Children’s Centre programme will be to focus uniquely on delivering targeted one-to-onesupport within localities.

“This means that families will be able to access parenting provision and Domestic Abuse Support through existing NCC contracts with the unique element of the Children’s Centre programme for children and families at the age rangeof 0-5 being protected.

“It should be noted that this will require a reduced number of staff as the service will be sized to meet the current successful activity within each locality.”

It comes as deals with Action for Children and Spurgeons come to an end and children’s centre services are taken back in-house.

It is understood that no existing children’s centres will need to close as a result, although Daventry East Children’s Centre in Southbrook looks set to move to Daventry Library.

Some buildings will have more community services move in to make fuller use of the council’s estate.

The issue will be decided at a public meeting at County Hall at 2pm on Tuesday.