Meacher hits out at Sure Start cutbacks

LABOUR claims axing £2.1 million from Oldham’s budget for Sure Start Children’s Centres will result in at least 22 job losses.

Oldham Council’s Lib-Dem/Tory coalition leaders have refused to reveal if there will be redundancies but insist cuts will have a minimal impact and no children’s centre will close.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher has called on the council to prioritise services for children, young people and their families.

The Labour MP said: “Oldham will see £2,109,480 cut from Sure Start budgets. This will mean 22 redundancies for staff providing health advice in Sure Start Centres as well as other job losses and major reductions in service.”

He is also concerned that Chancellor George Osborne has removed the ring-fencing of funds that prevented cash-strapped councils from taking money away from Sure Start and using it to plug gaps in other areas.

He says the Early Intervention Grant that funds Sure Start has been cut by £1.4 billion up to April, 2013, rather than being frozen as promised.

Mr Meacher added: “First the Education Maintenance Allowance was scrapped, then university fees were tripled and now Prime Minister David Cameron and deputy Nick Clegg have broken another election promise to protect Sure Start.

“I am concerned that this decision will make life harder for the next generation of children. Of course services need to be more efficient but cuts that go too far, too fast could mean poorer services, not more efficient services.

“Sure Start provides real help to thousands of children and their parents across Oldham and it is a tragedy that these services are being cut.

“Sure Start is one of the biggest success stories of the last decade. Across the country there are more than 3,500 centres providing support to 2.7 million children and their families, so it is devastating that the Government sees them as an ‘easy target’.”

Oldham was a pilot for Sure Start schemes when they were first introduced, with centres and satellite buildings now in most of Oldham’s wards. It received £16.4 million during 2010-11 but this will drop to £14.2 million during 2011-12— a cut of £70 per child.

Across the country, up to 250 centres — one in every 14 — are expected to close.

Councillor Jack Hulme, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said there were no plans to close centres in Oldham.

He said: “Over the next 12 months the council is looking at reconfiguring the services provided in Sure Start centres and making them more accessible to all families and groups in our communities.

“While the administration has agreed a number of financial savings within Children and Young People Services, they have been carefully considered and will have only a minimal impact upon those children and families who are most in need.”