Management Information Sheet
Update on Phase 3 Sure Start Children's Centres
Phase 3 Sure Start Children's Centres
9 July 2009
| 1. | Capital Programme | 1.1 | The first Update 1 information sheet issued in March 2009 outlined the proposals to develop 16 new Phase 3 Sure Start Children's Centres. All Phase 3 centres are situated outside the most disadvantaged areas and will therefore offer a less intense level of support than the Phase1 and 2 centres serving families in the 30% most disadvantaged areas. |
1.2 | The DCSF has provided a capital grant of £5,072,109 to cover the cost of Phase 3 Children's Centre provision, all of which must be completed by March 2011. However, all centres have to be delivering services to families and be designated by March 2010. |
1.3 | In view of the very tight capital constraints within this phase of the programme we initially sought to provide a hub facility where possible by the adaptation of existing premises in preference to new-build to enable the delivery of outreach services into rural areas. However, the nature of many of our sites has necessitated the development of extensions or small stand alone buildings. |
1.4 | The agreed generic brief for each Children's Centre hub to be developed is the provision of an office for up to 4 persons, the provision of a multi-purpose training room together with kitchenette facilities, a small consultation room for confidential meetings as appropriate and accessible toilet facilities. |
1.5 | The completion of the Phase 3 Children's Centre programme will mean an end to the development of the infrastructure. However, in terms of service delivery it can be said that we are at the start of the journey and moving towards providing a universal service to all families across the county. |
1.6 | Children's Centres need to become as much a part of the landscape as schools; making their unique contribution to narrowing the gap (Education and Skills Bill 2008). |
2. | Progress to date |
Methwold (reach 561), the old school house in Weeting has been developed as the Children's Centre hub and became the first designated and operational Phase 3 Children's Centre at the end of March 2009. A minor programme of refurbishment is planned to take place in the autumn. |
Downham Market (reach 962), it is proposed to develop a centre hub on the site of Clackclose Primary School by establishing a Children's Centre on the infant site. This will happen when the school has been consolidated as an all through primary on the junior site as part of the Primary Capital Programme (PCP). Clackclose Nursery, currently located on the infant school site will remain and, in addition, it is proposed to relocate the Clackclose pre-school group to the infant building as they occupy a mobile on the junior school site. The projected completion for the PCP work is summer term 2010 and it is anticipated that the Children's Centre will be established by December 2010 on completion of building adaptations to the infant building. However, it will be necessary for designation to take place before the end March 2010 on the basis of temporary facilities which have yet to be identified. |
King's Lynn (reach 1030), the existing Children's Centre areas are currently being redefined in consultation with strategic partners to re-align and maximise the use of existing Children's Centres buildings. If capital is required it will be funded through the Quality Access grant. |
Aylsham (reach 605), following consultation with the Aylsham cluster of schools it has been agreed to establish a Children's Centre in a new retail unit at Frazer's Yard, Aylsham, which is adjacent to the Ian Sears Medical Centre. This unit will require minor capital works and will be leased with costs being shared with Aylsham High School. |
Reepham (reach 676), it is proposed to develop a small stand alone centre hub on the Reepham Primary School site with additional access points across the remainder of the cluster. |
Attleborough (reach 1240), following consultation with Adult Education it has been agreed to establish a Children's Centre within the Attleborough Community and Enterprise Centre. This centre hub will support services within both the Attleborough and Old Buckenham clusters. The building will require some internal adaptations but it is hoped that these will be complete by the New Year. |
Wymondham (reach 977), a Children's Centre hub to cover the town and surrounding area is to be established at Ashleigh Infant School, Wymondham by a building extension. |
Hethersett (reach 650), this centre will cover Hethersett, the surrounding area and Cringleford. The hub is to be created on the Woodside Infant School site adjacent to the nursery by a building extension. |
Loddon (reach 666), a Children's Centre hub will be established by a building extension at Loddon Infant School to cover the town and surrounding area. Loddon Infant School's extended schools facilities which already deliver some Children's Centre functions will be expanded. |
Long Stratton (reach 774), a stand alone centre hub will be constructed on the Long Stratton school's campus playing field. The project proposal also includes the provision of a specialist primary and secondary resource base (the secondary unit is subject to agreement on funding) and the relocation of the pre-school group from a mobile on the school site to the new building supported by the Quality Access grant. |
Acle (reach 995), it has been agreed by Cabinet that the Acle Branch Library can be extended to include the provision of a Children's Centre. The Acle centre will provide key community facilities for the wider rural areas including Brundall, Blofield, the Plumsteads' and the rural marshland area to the east. |
Sprowston (reach 1229), a Children's Centre is to be developed at Sprowston Infant School utilising surplus accommodation with some minor adaptation. A Specialist Resource Base is also proposed to be developed in this location enabling the projects to run side by side. The centre will link closely with cluster schools and will provide for the needs of future housing development planned for this area. Outreach services will be delivered across the cluster including the outlying areas in Frettenham, Hainford and Spixworth. |
Dussindale (reach 806), discussions with the NHS are currently on-going regarding the possibility of developing an Integrated Health and Children's Centre at the Dussindale Walk-In Centre when it relocates to central Norwich in summer 2009. In case this option is unavailable an alternative location has been agreed at Thorpe Hillside Primary School. |
Hellesdon/Drayton/Taverham (reach 1686), the CPG previously expressed concern at the extensive reach of this area. The Children's Centre Project Board has subsequently agreed that two locations be developed, one at Drayton and one at Hellesdon. A Children's Centre hub will be established at Drayton Infant School as a standalone building to serve Drayton and Taverham. A delivery point will be located at Arden Grove Infant School by extending a modular building to serve Hellesdon. The Arden Grove delivery point will be funded from the Quality Access grant. The Children's Centre and delivery point will serve the needs of the two high school cluster areas, under one governance and management. |
Broadland (reach 485), it has been agreed to develop a small new stand-alone centre at Hoveton St John's Community Primary School and Nursery. |
Harleston (reach 402), a Children's Centre hub is to be established at Harleston VA Primary School utilizing existing accommodation which will necessitate the replacement of a classroom. |
Dereham (reach 714), it is proposed to establish a Children's Centre hub at Toftwood Infant School to cover the town centre and rural areas to the south under the management of the existing Dereham Centre management.
The proposed programme of capital works as outlined above was approved by the Children's Centre Project Board in June 2009. Currently, detailed feasibility design work is being undertaken in consultation with schools and area teams in preparation for costing and submission for planning approval. |
3. | Monitoring of the Capital Programme |
3.1 | It is recognised that the Phase 3 Children's Centre capital programme must be delivered within very tight financial constraints and that it must not exceed the £5,072,109 DCSF capital grant allocation. Whilst some of the proposed capital schemes outlined above are at an early stage of feasibility development, preliminary site investigations appear to indicate that it should be possible to deliver the programme within budget. However, to mitigate against potential risks of projects exceeding their available budget, a contingency of £100,000 will be held back from the overall available Phase 3 budget allocation by Children's Services to support the programme, should circumstances, such as unanticipated planning conditions necessitate that an individual project require additional financial support. |
3.2 | The capital programme will be monitored closely by the Capital Priorities Group. In addition Norfolk's Phase 3 Children's Centre Capital programme is being regularly reviewed and monitored by W S Atkins and 'Together for Children' on behalf of the DCSF and Sure Start. It was most recently reviewed in June 2009 and judged to have made pleasing progress and was rated as amber. |
4. | Designation prior to build completion |
4.1 | Most of the Children's Centre building projects that are to be designated are due to complete in early 2010. Where this is the case we need to ensure that there is a clearly identifiable temporary main site and other 'delivery points' so that children and families know how and where to access services. |
5. | What happens next |
5.1 | It is priority over the next few months to identify locations of premises where temporary designation will take place. We need to ensure that the universal services reach the most isolated and disadvantaged. |
5.2 | We need to build on this opportunity to strengthen multi-agency delivery to deliver child and family focused services in local areas. Children's Centres need to be part of the local community fabric, operating in a commissioning and planning environment that will enable them to flourish and persist. |
5.3 | We need to be thinking about outcomes from the start and planning provision that lasts - to make a real difference to lives of children and families in Norfolk. |
5.3 | For further information please contact: Sarah Spall Senior Development Officer - Childcare Development Email: sarah.spall@norfolk.gov.uk Tel: 01603 638158 Simon Conner Pupil Place Planning Officer Email: simon.connor@norfolk.gov.uk Tel: 01603 222503 Stephen Edwards Capital Projects Planning Manager South, East and West Email: stephen.edwards@norfolk.gov.uk Tel: 01603 224456 |
5.5 | The next update sheet for all partners on development of Phase 3 Sure Start Children's Centres will be published in December 2009. |