Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on progress in relation to a request for Scrutiny of the Withdrawal of remaining Creche provision at Leisure Centres.

Referring to Minute 64 of the meeting held on 2^nd November 2010, the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report on progress in relation to a request for scrutiny of the withdrawal of remaining crèche provision at leisure centres.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

• A request for scrutiny received from Councillor M Lobley and Councillor J Matthews – Letter dated 18^th October 2010
• Delegated Decision Notification – Withdrawal of remaining crèche provision at leisure centres dated 11^th October 2010
• Report of the Chief Recreation Officer on progress made to explore alternative options for leisure centre crèches

The following representatives were in attendance who responded to Member’s queries and comments:-

Ms Zoe Walker, Spokesperson for the Crèche Users Parents Group

Mark Allman, Head of Sport and Active Recreation, City Development

Ian Waller, Sports Operations Manager, City Development

Julia Manning, Extended Development Services Manager, Children’s Services

The Chair invited Ms Zoe Walker to outline the main points of the Crèche Users Parents Group who were campaigning to prevent the withdrawal of the remaining crèche provision at leisure centres in Leeds.

The Chair then invited Mark Allman, Head of Sport and Active Recreation, Ian Waller, Sports Operations Manager and Julia Manning, Extended Development Services Manager to respond to the main points and to provide the Board with an update on the consultation process in relation to crèche provision at leisure centres.

Board Members, including Councillor Lobley then questioned the representatives on the main points and consultation process.

In summary, specific reference was made to a number of issues by the witnesses and Members including:-

• the view that this proposal goes against the Council’s strategic objectives to reduce obesity, increase physical activity and tackle health inequalities

• concern that the Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Leisure had stated that the department should not subsidise this service when many leisure and cultural services were subsidised by the department
• that the budget calculations which had determined that these facilities were not a viable concern take no account of the income generated elsewhere in the leisure centres by users of these crèche facilities
• concern that posters advertising the closure of the crèches are still on display in sports centres despite the decision to go out to consultation on this issue

(The Head of Sport and Active Recreation agreed to have these removed immediately)

• the need to circulate the proposed questionnaire as widely as possible to include users, carers and parents
• clarification as to whether the Crèche Users Parents Group had been involved with the development of the survey questionnaire

(The spokesperson for the Crèche Users Group confirmed that they had)

• receipt of a petition containing over 200 signatures in support of retaining crèche provision in the Council’s leisure centres
• that staff operating tills in the leisure centres would be manually recording income from crèche users

• clarification of the role of the Early Years Service with regards to crèche provision and the need for the Early Years Service to engage further with leisure services to identify other ways of providing and expanding this facility for users of leisure centres whether it was in-house of private creche provision, especially in wards where there was high deprivation

(The Extended Development Services Manager responded and agreed to encourage this as part of the review. She also commented that the ability to find a suitable room in some sports centres that met all the criteria for crèche provision was often a problem)

• a Member sought assurances from officers that the City Development department would continue to subsidise these crèche facilities until the consultation was concluded and a way forward identified to maintain this service either in-house, privately or via a social enterprise scheme

(The Head of Sport and Active Recreation confirmed that his department would continue to subsidise this service until alternative arrangements were identified)

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That this Board notes that Councillor A Ogilvie, Executive Member Leisure and the Acting Director of City Development had agreed to keep the crèches open until February 2010.

c)  That in the circumstances now reported, the Board would not undertake an inquiry on this issue.

d)  That the results of the survey be reported to the Scrutiny Board meeting on 8^th February 2011.

e)  That the Acting Director of City Development be asked not to take any action until the Scrutiny Board had considered the results of the survey and alternative arrangements identified to continue this service .