Council chiefs have backed plans to change the way children’s centre services are delivered in Shropshire in a bid to save £1.5 million – despite admitting it could put jobs at risk.

Children’s centres help children under five and their families benefit from health, care and education support. Shropshire Council’s cabinet yesterday agreed to support a new approach which focuses on closer partnership working.

Councillor Ann Hartley, cabinet member for health and wellbeing ad- mitted there would be an impact on some job posts.

But she claimed the changes would lead to greater efficiencies and would also see the recruitment of more health visitors.

She said: “We anticipate that positions will be at risk but there are a myriad of opportunities for staff to be redeployed in different roles.

“We will be acutely aware of redeploying them in other roles where appropriate.”

Council leader Keith Barrow said the authority was keen to avoid compulsory redundancies, pointing to the fact that in the past 12 months the council had lost 400 job posts with only 30 due to redundancies.

Councillor Hartley said that the changes would not impact on the centres directly and were more concerned with the administration boundaries for the centres and creating a network.

“Part of the recommended approach is to consolidate administrative boundaries of children’s centre areas, to reduce bureaucratic burdens on staff, bring partners together and help to ensure money goes directly to the frontline.

“Looking at closer partnership working would include identifying opportunities with the voluntary and community sector, such as working with childcare providers to offer childcare places which enable adults to make the most of learning and training.”

Now the plans have been supported by cabinet, consultation will take place in the autumn.

Councillor Hartley said: “We have to take into account a reduction in the Government’s early intervention grant which funds children’s centres, and we believe that we can achieve £1.5 million efficiencies over the next three years through this approach, while maintaining the network of bases from which services are delivered.”

By Russell Roberts