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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU that the Tories were mad to close sure start centres?

125 replies

Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:10

Has anyone else seen the report today about the impact of Sure Start Centres? It’s great that they had such an impact but why did the Tories close them? Did they just want something that had been a success under Labour gone?
Labour haven’t committed to reopening them by the way but there is currently nothing plugging the gap and it will be years until the impact of what the Tories say replaced them will be seen (not that I’m expecting this to have anywhere near the impact Sure Start had).

OP posts:
araiwa · 09/04/2024 18:30

But they needed the money to give to their mates

Overthebow · 09/04/2024 18:32

They haven’t closed them all, we still have them where I am. They do free baby and toddler group sessions and weighing baby clinics, as well as having health visitor drop ins and other services.

IfYouSawwhatISee · 09/04/2024 18:32

Definitely, very very bad idea.

We got our speech and language thru it.

BubziOwl · 09/04/2024 18:33

I have been thinking about/being angry about the closing of sure start centres for years now. I live in an area where it's just painfully obvious what an impact it would make if they were still here.

Very much hope labour will get it going again, but I won't hold my breath (there's certainly more hope of them doing something decent than the tories at least anyway!)

Original poster
Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:34

Overthebow · 09/04/2024 18:32

They haven’t closed them all, we still have them where I am. They do free baby and toddler group sessions and weighing baby clinics, as well as having health visitor drop ins and other services.

Yeah the report mentioned that there were still some but they closed so many of them. The life chances of vulnerable children squashed.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:34

araiwa · 09/04/2024 18:30

But they needed the money to give to their mates

Very true

OP posts:
dirtyblond · 09/04/2024 18:38

What did they do though? I am not clear about what they did, other than house services. So it is the services that matter, rather than where they are housed, isn't it? And they had managers, but do we need another layer of management on top of services? maybe I am wrong, but I am not clear at all about what their role was.

Original poster
Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:40

dirtyblond · 09/04/2024 18:38

What did they do though? I am not clear about what they did, other than house services. So it is the services that matter, rather than where they are housed, isn't it? And they had managers, but do we need another layer of management on top of services? maybe I am wrong, but I am not clear at all about what their role was.

I’ll try and find the report to link. The impact they had for the poorest in society is pretty astounding. I think that’s the point, all services in one place, easy for families to access, more likely to return and use as no going around the houses.

OP posts:
zurg123 · 09/04/2024 18:44

They're still around where I am and do lots of great things. Apart from standard parent and child sessions they offer 2 hour sessions per day in very small groups for children with special needs (age2/3/4). The spaces do need to be applied for and is based on need.

MeDaughterMerope · 09/04/2024 18:45

Partly I wonder if they closed due to popularity. We still have one that offers free booked on classes, playgroup etc. I used to go to a weekly playgroup with my first orn but they were so patronising and downright nosy and controlling. The people that run them were horrible compared to the volunteers running the other groups. One of them full on screamed at a friend who got out her mobile to check the time in a session. They made horrible comments about my child's name or the fact I dressed a girl in blue (the horror) and regularly and obviously asked leading questions thinking it was safeguarding but really without reason it just came across as incredibly judgemental. A lot of the middle class mums dropped it and I imagine anyone actually in need of that sort of advice would avoid like the plague due to their approach.

Obviously it could just be financial skinflint reasons but that's my experience. Always more middle class well off mums at the ones in our area too (the horrible people running them go across centres so there would be no escaping them)

Almahart · 09/04/2024 18:45

My DC caught the tail end of them. They would pick up on issues and refer you to services, who actually saw you. My first DC had appalling sleep as a toddler. A worker there referred us to a local service who actually helped put a strategy in place.

I know that there's a view that they were monopolised by the middle classes but that wasn't my experience, there were a few where we lived, some were very mixed and some very working class, depending on where they were.

MeDaughterMerope · 09/04/2024 18:48

I know that there's a view that they were monopolised by the middle classes but that wasn't my experience, there were a few where we lived, some were very mixed and some very working class, depending on where they were.

I'm rural so used to drive to two in a reasonable distance one in the affluent MC area and one not. Both were frequented by MC mums.

Favouritefruits · 09/04/2024 18:49

I worked in a Sure start many moons ago! The work we did was unbelievable I was so sad when they closed their doors! Lots of adults and children have missed out on so much!

HoHum24 · 09/04/2024 18:50

They have Family Hubs now.

Original poster
Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:52

MeDaughterMerope · 09/04/2024 18:48

I know that there's a view that they were monopolised by the middle classes but that wasn't my experience, there were a few where we lived, some were very mixed and some very working class, depending on where they were.

I'm rural so used to drive to two in a reasonable distance one in the affluent MC area and one not. Both were frequented by MC mums.

I am aware that MC families used / use them but the impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children who acceded them is genuinely eye opening. They absolutely had/have an impact on less well off families.

OP posts:
OurChristmasMiracle · 09/04/2024 18:52

Children’s centres up until recently were solely funded by local councils. Central government are now bringing in “family hubs” which is essentially very similar to children’s centres and will deal with children 0-19

it was cut for money. The tories clearly didn’t see the value for money in it

Original poster
Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:53

HoHum24 · 09/04/2024 18:50

They have Family Hubs now.

But not as many and why reinvent something that was / is working?

OP posts:
Dacadactyl · 09/04/2024 18:56

Almahart · 09/04/2024 18:45

My DC caught the tail end of them. They would pick up on issues and refer you to services, who actually saw you. My first DC had appalling sleep as a toddler. A worker there referred us to a local service who actually helped put a strategy in place.

I know that there's a view that they were monopolised by the middle classes but that wasn't my experience, there were a few where we lived, some were very mixed and some very working class, depending on where they were.

I live in a deprived area (polar quintile 1) and surestart centres round here were full of mums who didn't need them, utilising the free groups.

It was great for me and my friends, but there were only 2 vulnerable mums with children who used them. And only one of those mums used them in a way I would consider to be useful. The other had to be taxi'd there and still didn't interact with her kids or anyone else.

ghostyslovesheets · 09/04/2024 18:58

Authorities are now opening ‘family hubs’ due to realising Sure Start had an impact on people’s lives!

Tories scraped the Every Child Matters’ agenda, book start, Connexions - lots of things designed to tackle inequality, prevent issues around youth crime, unemployment etc and support people in disadvantaged areas - not at all surprising

Almahart · 09/04/2024 18:59

I can only relate my experience across three sure start centres in zone 1 London. Two were very mixed, with both mc and wc, one was very working class. The one that was less mixed was in a very big estate, the others were on main roads.

MeDaughterMerope · 09/04/2024 19:03

Tristar15 · 09/04/2024 18:52

I am aware that MC families used / use them but the impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children who acceded them is genuinely eye opening. They absolutely had/have an impact on less well off families.

Show quote history

Well the way they are run here I can imagine them making things worse. They are so bad.

ghostyslovesheets · 09/04/2024 19:07

I used ours when youngest was born - I’m MC but was also isolated and struggling with PND so I needed it. They supported families. Their placement in more socially deprived areas was due to higher need in those areas but they where for everyone - I made 3 good friends there from different backgrounds- we still meet up nearly 16 years later!

queenofthewild · 09/04/2024 19:08

We had 12 in our town. Each one was open all day every day with support groups, classes, speech and language, health visiting, breastfeeding support. If you were having a tough day you could turn up and a friendly face would support you.

We now have 4. But only one team of staff that rotates around the 4 buildings. Most sessions are targeted and by invitation only. The buildings all sit unused aside from an hour or two a week here and there.

When the centres were open all the time so much early intervention took place and gentle support. Now instead children are turning up at school with unidentified SEN, poor health and poor speech and language. It's such a pity to see such a great thing wasted.

Dogball · 09/04/2024 19:11

Lifesaving for me as a clueless new mum without any family support locally.

I can’t describe the feeling of walking into one for the first time, not knowing what to expect at all to be greeted with tea and toast, people to help me with my baby and the most diverse group of people I’d ever mixed with. I felt myself relax for the first time since he was born.

Yes I was a middle class mum-I could drive to a different one every day if I wanted to (sometimes I did!) but the advice and support was so useful for me.

I also saw how good they were with more deprived and vulnerable mums.
I’m still in touch with some of the mums now 16 years on.
Such a massive loss.

Blackcats7 · 09/04/2024 19:16

The tories core belief is survival of the fittest and devil take the hindmost.
Obviously they and their rich cronies are the superior species. The fact that they have easy access to private education, healthcare and comfortable, safe housing is not relevant in the least. The rest of us can just sink or swim as best we can. Children included. The money is clearly better used to give tax cuts which benefit the richest far more than the poorest.