Children’s centre cuts are not just austerity – they are the break-up of the public sector

When the Conservatives came to power in the 2010 coalition, they started a process of systematically reducing the funding to public services. This has continued unabated for more than seven years.

The results of this are being measured in lost jobs and services. There are around 84,000 fewer public sector jobs in the West Midlands alone. Across the country, the figure is around one million.

In terms of services, local government is a prime example. With real terms funding reductions of around 40 per cent since 2010, some 40 per cent of all councils have now confirmed they were looking to make “cuts in frontline services, which will be evident to the public”.

In Birmingham, the latest target is early years services. Early years services in Birmingham provide a significant range of vital help and support for around 100,000 parents and 80.000 children at any one time. Services, delivered through children’s centres, include play and stay, well baby clinics and parenting advice safeguarding referrals have already experienced drastic reductions in funding. Between 2010 and 2015, Birmingham spent around 42 per cent less on early years centres. This has already had an impact, but the council is now set to take this further.

Birmingham city council has awarded a contract for a new early years health and wellbeing service to Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS foundation trust. However, the actual running of children’s centres will be handed over to four external providers.

The council is currently consulting on proposals around the new service. There a number of elements that are unclear, like how many jobs will be lost as a result of the changes, but there are a few proposals that are extremely clear. The new service will be run with significantly less money and 26 children’s centres will close. This is the largest number of closures in any local authority.

The impact of this has the potential to hit the most vulnerable families. As an example, one of the centres earmarked for closure is Lakeside children’s centre. The centre is the only facility for pre-school children in Wyreley Birch, which is in itself an area of acute deprivation. The closure of this children’s centre has the potential to drastically affect a community where the most vulnerable will struggle to travel to other areas to access services.

The council’s proposals have, understandably, provoked a strong reaction.

The Conservative government has forced councils into an untenable situation. Funding has been deliberately cut to a level whereby front line services will be impacted. This is not austerity; it is the planned dismantling of the public sector.

There is a wide spread condemnation of the Tories’ approach to the public sector from unions and Labour MPs. Unfortunately, it appears there is a real reticence from councils in challenging the government’s actions. This is, to a certain extent, understandable. Birmingham’s former chief executive was a vocal critic of local government spending cuts and is no longer in post. Birmingham city council has been facing direct government intervention, specifically around the running of children’s services. However, the alternative to not challenging government cuts is to watch vital public services wither and die.

If we are going to support families and those most vulnerable in our society, we need decent public services and we need children’s centres. If we want these services to continue, then we will need to fight for them.

GMB are organising a demonstration in support of Birmingham’s children’s centres on Saturday. It will be held in Victoria Square, Birmingham and will run from 11 to 2. Speakers include Rehan Asam, GMB national secretary, Steve McCabe MP and Christine Mooney, GMB branch secretary.

Stuart Richards is a senior organiser for GMB and leads the public services team in the Birmingham-West Midlands region.