Start-up funding for 12 more community schemes to run open access services at children’s centres has been approved by Oxfordshire County Council.
The proposals, which will receive a total of £305,883, are among the latest to be considered as part of the transition from council-funded to community-led services at children’s centre locations.
Community services will complement the council’s new service for 0-19 year-olds, which will meet the needs and aspirations of children at risk of abuse and neglect in Oxfordshire, and ensure that families who need extra help are identified at an early stage.
Total adds up – and more to come
When added to previously considered applications, the approval of these 12 schemes means funded plans are now in place for services such as ‘stay and play’ to continue at 18 children’s centres, with business cases at a further six centres supported in principle but deferred to the final round of the Transition Fund for more work.
Added to this, open access sessions will also continue at the eight Children and Family Centres and two satellite centres at the heart of the council’s new Children’s Service.
In total, it means a combination of council-funded and community-led solutions for open access services are now confirmed or supported in principle at 34 buildings across the county – with more to come when applications for the final round of transition funding are considered.
Fantastic response
Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Family Services Melinda Tilley said: “The response of local communities has been fantastic, and we are well on the way to seeing solutions in place at the vast majority of children’s centre locations. It has never been the council’s intention to close children’s centres – quite the opposite in fact.
“I suspect many people didn’t think this was possible, but we now have the makings of a truly countywide distribution of locations where ‘drop-in’ children’s services will continue to operate. I look forward to these schemes getting up and running as soon as possible, as I’m sure do many families across Oxfordshire.”
List of applicants / children’s centres to receive second round transition funding:
Ace Centre Charity (Ace Centre, Chipping Norton): £29.983
Barton Community Association (Barton EI Satellite, Oxford): £14,000
Employment Action Group (Berinsfield Children’s Centre): £35,000
Friends of Britannia Road (Britannia Road Children’s Centre, Banbury): £10,000 (*interim award pending submission to final round)
Chalgrove Primary School (Chalgrove and Watlington Children’s Centres) £30,000
Faringdon Town Council (Faringdon Children’s Centre): £30,000
Grove PCC (Grove and Wantage Children’s Centres): £10,000 (*interim award pending submission to final round)
Kidlington with Hampton Poyle PCC (Kaleidoscope Children’s Centre, Kidlington): £35,000
Friends of Maple Tree (Maple Tree Children’s Centre, Wheatley): £30,000
Cutteslowe Community Association (North Oxford Children’s Centre): £30,000
D:two (Rainbow Children’s Centre, Henley): £21,900
Wallingford Town Council (Wallingford Children’s Centre): £30,000
List of proposals approved in first round:
Bloxham Primary School (Butterfly Meadows, Children’s Centre): £29,384
Carterton Town Council (Carterton Children’s Centre): £30,000
Botley Bridges (Elms Road Children’s Centre, Oxford): £30,000
Grandpont Nursery (Grandpont Children’s Centre, Oxford): £35,600
St Nicholas Primary School (Marston Northway Children’s Centre): £8,000
Sharing Life Trust (Red Kite Children’s Centre, Thame): £30,000
List of bids deferred to final round for more work but supported in principle:
Aflah Nursery (Florence Park Children’s Centre, Oxford)
The Nature Effect (Florence Park Children’s Centre, Oxford)
Mortimer Hall (Marston Northway Children’s Centre)
The Kings Church Didcot (South Didcot Children’s Centre)
Sunshine Centre (Sunshine Centre, Banbury)
Witney Methodist Church (Witney Children’s Centre)
List of Children and Family Centres and satellite centres providing council-funded open access services:
Banbury
Bicester
Witney
Abingdon
Didcot
Barton
Rose Hill
Blackbird Leys
East Oxford (satellite centre at the current Early Intervention Hub)
Banbury (satellite centre at the current East Street Children’s Centre.
Total locations set to continue open access services: 34
