CONTROVERSIAL plans to restructure the county's children's centres will help focus the services on those who need it the most, according to the Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) cabinet member for children and young people.

Cirencester will become the only professionally staffed centre in the Cotswolds as GCC looks to shave £3.2 million from the budget following government funding cuts with only '16 super centres' in the county to be council-run, but Cllr Paul McLain assured those concerned "these changes will improve the situation" in response to calls for "proper scrutiny of this policy change".

The centres can be a lifeline to cash-strapped families by offering classes, check-ups, health clinics and advice, while the plans will see sites at Northleach, Stow, Tetbury and Fairford having their operations scaled back, and run by non-professional volunteers, as the Springboard Children's Centre Cirencester becomes the area hub.

Cabinet members approved the controversial proposal at a meeting at Shire Hall on June 8 to much backlash.

Cllr Lesley Williams, speaking at Wednesday's (June 29) full council meeting, said: "As a policy, the administration has portrayed this as a shining light, a new way forward, when in reality it is a return to business as usual.

"Some of our children's centres need to be updated, and I have heard arguments suggesting in some areas we have low quality and poorly run children's centres. But the answer is not to cut them off from the support.

"We need a strong centrally organised service, one that can deliver for every child regardless of wealth or background. The creation of a two tier system will only exacerbate these inequalities."

She said she did not feel she could change cabinet members' minds but proposed "proper scrutiny of this policy change."

"It will keep it on the agenda for the forseeable future, and it won't be allowed to be a fleeting moment. As a council, let's ensure that the administration holds their side of the bargain and delivers a credible and meaningful service because if this fails, we fail our children forever," she added.

Cllr McLain, in response to Cllr Williams' calls, said: "80 per cent of our families across Gloucestershire simply do not use the children's centres, they do not engage. They don't need them."

He said "less than 50 per cent" of those children "we've identified who are most in need of support" are actually using the centres and the reshape will help support workers go out to them.

"When we look at the Cotswolds in particular, we know there are tiny pockets scattered around that aren't engaging. We need to be going out to them," he said.

"That is why there is a specific proposal to bring those services back in-house, to merge them with our nationally successful Families First team, where we've effectively doubled the amount of family support workers, going out there and doing their job."

He said there will also be "16 super centres" based in "areas where there is most need, where we know there is a large proportion of children and families that would most benefit from this support."

"All of those other children's centres I believe will have organisations coming forward who wish to run them. That's not just the 16, that's the rest of them," he added.

"I would say, in terms of universal services for all our children that is something very different to children's centres.

"There is no plan to reduce nursery education at those 22 children's centres. We spend £27 million a year on nursery education.

"£2.7m in our children's centres, our plans to expand and evolve that, in terms of health visiting, we spent £6.25 million; that will continue. Going into all those children's centres and elsewhere to give that universal service we all treasure."

The majority of councillors voted in favour of Cllr Williams' motion.