Agenda item - Chair's Communications

28.1    The Chair gave the following communications:

Children’s Centre Review –

A Review Board chaired by the Director for Children’s Services, which included parents and voluntary sector representatives, was considering the future of Children’s Centres in the city.  As part of the Council budget for 2015/16 temporary funding for children’s centres of £670,000 was agreed to maintain the Children’s Centre service for this financial year only.  Further savings were being considered for 2016/17 and beyond.    A briefing would come to the November 2015 Committee with proposals for a public consultation on the future number of designated children’s centres and the services they would provide, and a full report would be provided for the February 2016 Committee meeting. Councillor Phillips asked if the report could come to the November 2015 meeting, but was advised by the Executive Director of Children’s Services that it couldn’t as a formal consultation process had to be undertaken and there would be insufficient time to conclude that before the next Committee meeting. The Chair said that as the Board were still looking at possible areas for savings any suggestions from Committee members on the best way to mitigate the changes would be welcomed.

New member of staff –

The Chair welcomed Mr Richard Barker to the meeting. Mr Barker had replaced Mr Michael Nix, Head of Education Planning & Contractswho had recently left the council.