Consultation on Early Help service changes in West Sussex to go ahead

A ten-week public consultation into the redesign of West Sussex County Council’s Early Help services will start on March 8.
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The changes are aimed at making sure the services reach the most vulnerable children and families in the county – helping them as early as possible to make sure they don’t head down the social care route.

With demand for the services growing, the council aims to focus support where it is needed most, working more closely with schools to identify problems and provide help.

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While the idea of making sure the most vulnerable receive the help they need has been roundly supported, there has been less support for the way the council plans to proceed.

The current proposals would see the majority of West Sussex's children and family centres closeThe current proposals would see the majority of West Sussex's children and family centres close
The current proposals would see the majority of West Sussex's children and family centres close

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (February 23), Dr James Walsh (Lib Dem, Littlehampton East) said the process – which would save the council £950,000 over the next two years – had been ‘rushed’.

He described the plans to pull the services from all but 11 of the county’s 43 children & family centres as ‘misguided and foolish’.

Of the 11 centres, four will be in Adur and Worthing, two in Arun, two in Crawley, and one each in Chichester, Horsham and Mid Sussex.

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The plan is to move the 11 Find It Out youth help centres to these centres as well.

While some of the remaining 32 centres run from schools, libraries and the like, many don’t.

A report to the meeting said the centres could be used for other services or leased to community partners or on the open market to bring some money to the council’s coffers.

Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children & young people, told the meeting that informal discussions with 60 schools, health and community partners had been ‘strong and very positive’.

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She added: “Over the last year, the pandemic has forced us all to adapt to new ways of working, and our Early Help service is no exception to this change.

“Our children and family centres have remained closed to walk-ins since the first lock-down, yet requests for Early Help are now at record high levels.

“On the one hand that is concerning. In the current context of the pandemic it is not surprising but ultimately it is reassuring to know that, despite the lack of access to buildings, the families that need our help still continue to reach us.”

Asking why the buildings were deemed necessary in some areas and not other, Dr Walsh said: “We’ve been told several times that there is no alternative so I really do question whether this is really a consultation exercise or more of an information exercise to the public, telling them what’s already been decided and that there will be no changes as a result of the consultation.”

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Michael Jones (Lab, Southgate & Gossops Green) agreed, accusing the cabinet of ‘a level of arrogance which will alienate many West Sussex residents who don’t believe this is the way to go’.

While he had no problem with working to make sure the most hard to reach families received help, Mr Jones made it clear that he did not think this was the way to proceed.

He added: “You don’t increase that overall reach if you’re cutting back on existing ways to access it in such a drastic way.

“It’s a hollow promise to say no one will lose out. It defies common sense to say that.”

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The outcome of the consultation will be considered by the cabinet in July. The redesign is provisionally scheduled to come into effect in October.

More information on the proposals, including video explanations and details of how to take part in the consultation can be found at www.westsussex.gov.uk/earlyhelpredesign