‘Not viable’ - South Tyneside Council’s Cabinet to consider saving £1.1million by closing Stanley’s nurseries
Report recommends that South Tyneside Council’s Cabinet make the decision to close Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries.
South Tyneside Council’s Cabinet is set to consider proposals to shut all ten of the borough’s Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries.
The report finds that the current service is not financially sustainable and needs significant funding, with the service currently requiring an annual Council subsidy of around £1.1million.
South Tyneside Council states that the proposals to close the nurseries follow a review of the service, a consultation with staff, consideration of the feedback received from service users and an assessment of childcare available across the borough.
The local authority has confirmed that it will continue to make sure there are enough good-quality childcare places for families in South Tyneside.
‘This is not viable over the coming years’
Councillor Michelle Fascione, Lead Member for Children, Families, Education and Skills has stated that the Cabinet will “carefully consider” the evidence but acknowledged that Stanley’s “is not viable over the coming years”.
She said: “We know how much the Stanley’s nurseries mean to families, staff and local communities. This is an incredibly difficult proposal, and we understand the worry it has caused.
“Our Stanley’s staff are dedicated and caring. They make a real difference to children and families every day and this proposal is not a judgement on them or the quality of care they provide.
“Unfortunately, the current service needs significant Council funding and this is not viable over the coming years.
“The Council’s statutory duty is to make sure that there are enough good-quality childcare places for local families in the Borough. The latest assessment says that the private sector can fulfil that demand.
“Cabinet will carefully consider the evidence, the feedback received through staff consultation, the views of families and the wider community, and the impact of the proposals on children, families and staff before reaching a decision.
“If Cabinet agrees the proposals, the nurseries would remain open until July 2027 and we would use that time to work closely with every family, with extra support for children with additional needs, and to support our staff.”
Other options found not to be viable long-term
The local authority states that responses from the staff consultation, representation from families and service users, along with the alternatives put forward during the consultation have been carefully considered and are reflected in the report.
While South Tyneside Council has a legal duty to ensure there are enough childcare places in the borough, it states that it does not have to run those services itself.
The Council believes that it is the only local authority in the country that is providing childcare directly on this scale.
Council bosses have stated that the latest assessment found that there are enough good-quality childcare places across the borough to meet the demand of residents.
The report states that a range of other options have been considered, including changes to staffing, fees and the way that the nurseries operate but it found that none of those would resolve the service’s long-term financial position.
South Tyneside Council has stressed that its Cabinet hasn’t made a final decision on Stanley’s and won’t do so ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, September 23.