Subject - NH Sure Start centre

ReplyPosted : (Friday 5th October 2007 ) By - The Activist (Unregistered User) Well I guess most people have had their flyer through their door about “Have your say on the future of East Manchester?”
Living as I do in Newton Heath, I was drawn to the section on NH on the back page, and the claims from NEML about their achievements, particularly the one entitled
“In Newton Heath we have: built a new Sure Start Children’s Centre.
Oh really!
This I find quite interesting, as the ‘world and his family’ are claiming this….NEML, the Labour Party, MCC and no doubt Uncle Tom Cobley and all.
So as the person who was the first Chair of the NH Steering Group for Sure Start, as well as the person who instigated the whole idea of NH applying to become Sure Start area, it is time the record was put firmly straight and a true account given!
Initiation and History of the scheme.
In February 2001, and as secretary of Newton Heath Partnership (NHP), I phoned the then officer in charge of Manchester Sure Starts and asked her whether Newton Heath could be added to the Manchester list for that year (Round 5) to become a Sure Start Scheme.
I was informed by her, the decision of what districts would be put forward to Sure Start Unit had already been decided.
She then informed me that we could make a declaration of interest for the following year (Round 6) 2002. However, for that declaration to be considered viable, we need to draw together a partnership of statutory, voluntary and community organisations.
This we did and it consisted of Early Years and Play, PCT, NHP Family Service Unit, Schools, NH library, Home-Start Manchester scheme and some NH Parents, via one of the schools.
Note NEML was NOT party to that steering group, and didn’t become involved in anyway shape or form until 2005, more of that later!
The NH Steering group then drew up a bid for the scheme, which would, and was put to MCC for them to endorse and in turn put to the National Sure Start Unit (NSSU).
On the first Friday in June, I was informed as chair of the steering group by the liaison officer of MCC that Newton Heath bid had not been endorsed by MCC and would not be put to the NSSU and the only bids they were endorsing were Gorton and Ardwick schemes.
This prompted me to inform her that from NHPs point of view, it was wholly unacceptable under the criteria set out by the NSSU that NH was not to be endorsed by MCC as a scheme to be put forward to the unit. I also informed her that NHP would be talking to Solicitors first thing Monday morning to see whether there was a case for Judicial Review through the courts against MCC decision not to put forward NH as a scheme.
Surprise, surprise first thing Monday morning, I got another phone call from the same officer saying she totally misunderstood the information given to her, and NH would be put forward as a scheme in its own right.
Only the people involved in that decision and that officer know which version was the true story.
The Sure Start Scheme
As we all know NH got its scheme and the Steering Group with some changes became the Newton Heath Sure Start Board. At this point I’d stepped down as chair, but remained as a board member as one of the four representatives of NHP.
Was NEML part of this? NO!
Within the acceptance of NH as a scheme from NSSU there was a pot of money to be spent on capital work; building(s) and the final total was 750K.
In late 2004 the board then put out a consultation to all the parents in NH with children under 5 as to where they wanted the centre to be built. The overwhelming view of those responding to the consultation wanted it to be on the plot of land next to the Heathfield Centre.
The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) was checked for the type of development that could be built on that plot of land. The UDP confirmed that such a development was not only acceptable, but designated for office and community buildings use. The site was then endorsed as the chosen preferred site by the board in early 2005.
It was also known that the NH scheme would have a shortfall in the amount of money available for a building, due to inflation in building costs. However, the government had announced that every area would have a Children’s Centre and each area would be allocated a sum of money to part fund the cost. The remainder would have to come from the local authority, i.e., the council, funds.
It was then raised at the board level that the NH scheme should amalgamate the two pots of money to finance the building of one centre. This was accepted as a workable solution to the shortfall of money on both parts.
Enter NEML
The Programme Manager of the scheme then progressed the move forward towards obtaining the site for the building by carrying out land searches, speaking to planning, etc. The plot by the way is owned by MCC.
At one of the board meetings in the first half of 2005 the programme manager informed the board that there was a problem with obtaining the site, and NEML were saying they wouldn’t accept a Sure Start building being built on that particular site.
NH by this time had just been included in NEML regeneration boundaries.
The right of NEML to stop the building of a facility designated under the UDP for that type of usage was heavily questioned and criticized by several members of the board over the next few monthly board meetings, as it was batted backwards and forwards.
The board was never furnished with any reason why NEML was blocking the preferred site chosen by the parents.
Further to this, the board was told the only site NEML would accept a Sure Start building on was the site it now stands. Due to time constraints place on capital funding to have a building built and up and running, the board was faced with a fait accopli and forced into acquiescing to NEML’s dictate.
Due to changes by the government in the way Sure Starts are now run; the loss of local accountability to locals people, loss of independence of board structures, and the way NEML usurped what was a purely planning system matter with its totally dictatorial manner, I resigned my position as a board member of Newton Heath Sure Start Scheme in absolute disgust towards the end of 2005.
Questions, Questions!
The account I have given above of the way NEML conducted itself over the NH Sure Start building in a way brings it back full circle to where I started about “having your say about the future of where we live…East Manchester.” It raises for me some fundamental questions.
Will they really engage with people and take onboard their wishes, delivering on them?
Or is it that the so-called consultation they are going through, is merely an exercise in getting people to endorse a predetermined plan, created by a non-elected, non-accountable, self-appointed, non-democratic body?
And finally given that this thread exposes the way NEML will use subdefuse, coercion and dammed right dictatorial ways to get its own way. I wonder how long this thread will last before it’s taken down by the NEML Sensors?