JOBS could be lost and there is uncertainty over who will run some services as the major shake-up at Stroud district’s children’s centres begins next week.

Responsibility for services in the Five Valleys will transfer from Stroud-based charity Hill Valley and Vale North to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

This move is part of a county-wide project by Gloucestershire County Council to restructure services to provide a more targeted and outreach-based approach to care.

However, trustees at Hill Valley and Vale are worried some of its full and part-time staff could be made redundant as part of the transfer process.

John Thompson, chair of the charity, which has run services for the last four years, said: “We made a bid last year to take over the services in Stroud but unfortunately we were unsuccessful.

“Everyone here was bitterly disappointed we weren’t given the chance to continue the great work we’d started. We have now taken the decision to wind down the charity.

“Of course we are hoping that all of our staff will be transferred across to Barnardo’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some jobs losses.

“We are currently undergoing a staff consultation, and interviews with Barnardo’s are happening this week. There may well be redundancies, but unfortunately it’s all out of our hands.”

Barnardo’s, which takes over the contract from April 1, said that no changes would be made to staffing without “prior and confidential consultation” – but could not confirm that no jobs would be lost as part of the restructuring project.

This comes as the overall budget to run services in Stroud district will be cut almost in half by the savings-driven county council.

While Hill Valley and Vale’ contract for Stroud was £2,916,600 over three years, the new contract for Stroud and the Forest of Dean is £3,046,800 for that same time.

Assuming that money is divided up equally between providing services in the two regions, funding in Stroud would be around £1,523,400 – a reduction of 48 per cent.

Meanwhile, details about exactly who will run existing universal services at five of the district’s seven centres have still not been fully confirmed.

Barnardo’s will provide support and outreach work from two integrated children and family centres from The Park in Stonehouse and Treetops at Dursley Primary School.

But as money is redirected to invest in these services, it also means the district’s five other children’s centres in Cashes Green, Stroud, Painswick, Wotton-under-Edge and Nailsworth will all have the majority of their funding pulled by GCC.

The man in charge of the shake-up, Cllr Paul McClain, GCC cabinet member for children and families, said none of these buildings would close – and all seven would be used in some form by a “range of professional teams and voluntary and community groups”.

“We have spent a long time looking at how our services are used and talking to families and partners about what support they need,” he said.

“The targeted family support service, provided by Barnardo’s, will work with the most vulnerable families in their homes, community venues and in partnership with other organisations.

“In some cases teams will work from the same buildings to make it easier for families and professionals. No centres will close and we are working with local schools and libraries to run the other five centres.”

He added that GCC was “still finalising details” for the other five centres with schools and libraries across the district.

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GCC has arranged for Cashes Green Primary School to take on services at Five Ways and hopes Severn View Primary Academy will do the same at Parliament Children’s Centre.

The council is also in discussions with Nailsworth Primary and Nailsworth Library to take over responsibility of the service in the town.

Wotton Library and Painswick Primary School have both been approached to run some of the stripped-back services in their respective towns.

Meg Walker, head teacher at Cashes Green, said: “I can confirm that the school will be running all the universal services that are currently provided here.”

She added that the school had agreed a “transition fund” with GCC to help with the transfer, and that it has a business plan to make the centre self sufficient.

However, parents and staff at other centres have been left in the dark over how they’ll be affected.

James Beecher of Stroud Against the Cuts said: “There is no clear plan about who will provide the service at the Parliament centre.

"Posters say it will reopen on April 3, but neither parents nor staff know who will work there or which sessions will run. It is not right that they do not know arrangements just weeks before a new contract is due to start.”

Lesley Williams, Labour county councillor for Stonehouse, said: “I am truly concerned to see the figures highlighted in this report that a massive 48 per cent could be cut from our Children Centres across Stroud.

“I have been working hard over the last year to help Children Centres and their employees to have their concerns and fears heard at Gloucestershire County Council.

“I have been appalled at what is being done in our community right now, and I will not stop fighting to make sure that every child gets the services they need, and that every Children Centre employee is treated with respect.”