Children’s centre campaigners warn local politicians against “muddying the waters”

Parents worried by proposals to change children’s service provision in Sefton have appealed for a spirit of “cooperation not criticism” to resolve the issue.

The campaigners are concerned that local politics may overshadow their attempts to work with the local authority to find the best way forward. It comes after former Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh used a visit to the centre to criticise the council, which was described as “not very helpful” by the group “Sefton Childrens Centre Parents Forum”.

The proposals include merging Family Centres and Children’s Centres and reducing the overall number of sites, although none are earmarked for closure in Southport.

Sefton Council has acknowledged that budget restrictions are a prime mover behind the reorganisation but stressed it wants to provide the best service it can which is why it has launched a public consultation on the proposals.

The group say that while they have concerns about the process they do not want the consultation undermined by local politicians using their campaign for their own ends.

One of the main organisers, Kate Hannon, explained that the group want a constructive dialogue:

 “We have had representatives from each of the parties here at the Linaker and we welcome their interest but what we want most of all is a constructive consultation. When local politicians start making claims such as the Linaker is “at risk” it is not very helpful. Linaker is not a political football, the children’s centres are too important for that. To suggest it’s under threat of closure doesn’t help the situation, it isn’t although some of the services offered there could be reduced. To prevent that we need cooperation not criticism. We need to ensure that during the consultation with Sefton there is a clear open dialogue, we don’t want others muddying the waters.”

Sefton Council has insisted that the process is not about closures and the consultation is about listening to residents:

“While no decision have yet been made, we believe the proposals will make the most of the money that we have available, allowing us to support those most in need while offering families, children and young people the opportunity to enjoy many health and wellbeing activities. At the moment we really want to hear from people and would encourage communities to take part in the consultation, which is open until November 17.”

For mum Kate, the consultation itself can be daunting for some parents which is partly why they have reached out for help:

” We’ve just had a very productive meeting with Liz Savage and local Labour representatives as part of our discussions with all political groups. They’ve given us some great ideas about how to make the best of the consultation document and make our views known. We realise that due to cuts to Sefton’s budget some things will have to change but we want the council to fully understand just how vital the services offered at children’s centres are. We believe they save money in the long term as they prevent families falling into crisis.”