SureStart cut by Medway Conservatives

It is official - despite the spin from Medway Conservative candidates and the campaign rhetoric from the Tory camp - they are cutting Sure Start.

This blogger received confirmation of the cuts after a question was submitted to Council last Thursday.

The Tory portfolio holder, Les Wicks, clearly had zero clue of his brief and was not aware that the figures had been distributed in advance. He callously could not admit the simple numbers that he is cutting Sure Start.

It is a real and cash term cut. It is a cut that the Tories want to brush under the carpet by twisting words to justify it to themselves; that whilst no centres are closed, the budget for staff, facilities and funding for particular programmes will be brutally slashed.

You can not trust Medway Tories with Sure Start. Not then, not now, not ever.

The budget figures were revealed by the Medway Council finance officer highlighting a real terms cut of £281,000

The Medway Conservatives have totally cut to £0 this year the Disabled Children's Access to Childcare (DCATCH) fund and the Every Child a Talker (ECAT) funding.

The ECaT programme operated in 97 local authorities (LAs) and was designed to help children with language difficulties. The programme allowed parents and practionners to share understanding about how language develops from 0-5. It also allowed regular monitoring of how children's language is developing with support identification of children who might be falling behind. The Tories have cut this budget.

The Disabled Children's Access to Childcare (DCATCH) was specifically aimed at Disabled Children and childcare provision for this group of children and their families. The initiative was to address the lack of adequate provision to meet the childcare needs of disabled children and their families, and reduce barriers to access.

Tories should hang their heads in shame for cutting Sure Start.

Tories target Sure Start

Labour is joining forces with Medway Sure Start users in Rochester, Strood, Chatham and Gillingham and families across Medway in a campaign to Save Our Sure Start children's centres from any potential plans to cut their funding and prevent access to these valuable services for families on middle and modest incomes.

Whilst we have received re-assurances that no Sure Start will be closed Conservatives have not clarified whether the budget for Sure Start centres will rise with inflation or whether indeed intend to reduce or freeze the grant that is being received by the centres.

If the Tories keep the budget static or reduce the grants for the Sure Start centres they will be fundamentally undermining the principle of targeted early-years intervention. This will force the centres to cut services.

The concern in Medway follows the evidence that Conservatives elsewhere in the Country are targeting Sure Start for budget freezes and/or cuts.

Medway Conservative press statements have not confirmed the budget for the centres nor whether they will increase investment by inflation.

Labour is working with Sure Start users and families to ensure that Tories are well aware that any budget cuts to this services will be highlighted as a grave betrayal to the most disadvantaged families.

Conservatives friends of the current administration in Hammersmith and Fulham have made an ideological decision to cut Sure Start centres and other local authorities have introduced a real term freeze in budget.

Tories in Hammersmith and Fulham have withdrawn direct funding to nine out of its 15 Sure Start children's centres, which provide childcare and support for parents with children aged under six.

Prime Minister David Cameron said at his party's 2009 conference: "Sure Start will stay, and we'll improve it."

Another Tory promise broken? We will find out soon enough.

The Tories need to be clear about the size of the education budget in Medway and stop the smoke-and-mirrors budget re-allocations which are no more then cuts in name.