I would like to request the following information about the provision of children’s centres and family hubs, in Wokingham;

1. How many children’s centres and family hubs, operated or funded by your council or delivered in your local authority area, were open in 2023/2024. Please provide a break down by a) children’s centres b) family hubs c) centres by another name. If you have this information, please also provide the postcode for each of these centres or hubs.
No family hubs in the area. We have 6 children’s centres in the area of Wokingham borough:
• Brambles Children’s Centre- RG40 1PX
• Ambleside Children’s Centre- RG5 4JJ
• Finchampstead Children’s Centre – RG40 4ES
• The Red Kite Children’s Centre- RG2 9EJ
• Winnersh Children’s Centre- RG41 5SG
• Starlings Children Centre- RG10 0AX

2. Please complete the below providing your total budget and spend on children’s centres and/or family hubs in 2023/2024 and budget for 2024/25. If you have this information, please provide a break down by each centre or hub. Please also list the funding sources for your children’s centres and/or family hubs. Where there are partner contributions or co-commissioned services, please specify.
We can only break the budget down by CC clusters i.e., Ambleside (Ambleside, Starlings and Winnersh) & Brambles (Brambles, Finchampstead and Red Kite) not individual centres.
a) Total children’s centres and family hubs
i. Budget 2023/24: £ 793,250.00
ii. Spend 2023/24: £ 738,117.70
iii. Budget 2024/25: £ 799,850.00
b) Total children’s centres
i. Budget 2023/24: £793,250.00
ii. Spend 2023/24: £ 738,117.70
iii. Budget 2024/25: £799,850.00
c) Total family hubs
i. Budget 2023/24: £0
ii. Spend 2023/24: £0
iii. Budget 2024/25: £0
d) Family hub 1 [insert postcode]
i. Budget 2023/24: NA
ii. Spend 2023/24: NA
iii. Budget 2024/25: NA
e) Children’s centres – Ambleside group
i. Budget 2023/24: £401,980.00
ii. Spend 2023/24: £ 373,037.02
iii. Budget 2024/25: £ 380,340.00

f) Children’s centres- Brambles group
i. Budget 2023/24: £348,630.00
ii. Spend 2023/24: £346,266.86
iii. Budget 2024/25: £373,570.00
g) Children’s Centre Central
i. Budget 2023/24: £ 42,640.00
ii.Spend 2023/24: £18,813.82
iii. Budget 2024/25: £45,940.00
h) Total local authority funding
i. Budget 2023/24: £793,250.00
ii. Spend 2023/24: £738,117.70
iii. Budget 2024/25: £799,850.00
i) Total department for Education funding
i. Budget 2023/24: £0
ii. Spend 2023/24: £0
iii. Budget 2024/25: £0
j) Total statutory partner / agency funding (please specify)
i. Budget 2023/24: £0
ii. Spend 2023/24: £0
iii. Budget 2024/25: £0
k) Total trusts and Foundations funding
i. Budget 2023/24: £0
ii. Spend 2023/24: £0
iii. Budget 2024/25: £0
l) Other funding (please specify)
i. Budget 2023/24: £0
ii. Spend 2023/24: £0
iii. Budget 2024/25: £0

3. How many children’s centres or family hubs do you expect to be available in your local authority 2024/25.
6 Children’s Centres

4. If you have this information, please let us know how many children and families used these centres in the last financial year (2023/24). Please provide a breakdown by each centre, if you have this information. Please also provide a breakdown by the age of the children supported by these centres or hubs using the following categories, if you have this information: 0-4, 5-11, 11+
WBC do not currently record or report on access at Children’s Centres. This is under review as part of the work underway in regard to a revised early help/helping early strategy.

5. If you have this information, in the text box below, please list which of the following services are offered by children’s centres or family hubs in your local authority area in 2023/24. If the service is provided within the centre, but delivered by an external provider, please specify. Examples of services might include: health visiting sessions; childcare; parenting or family support; support for mental health, addition, or domestic abuse; pre-natal support; SEND support, support around engagement with school, including attendance; culturally specific support for racially minoritised children and families; activities for different age groups, including 0-4s; 5-11s; over 11s.
The following activities are delivered through the CS from the EH and health team 0-5:
• Baby Play Drop in
• Play and Learn drop in
• Wiggly worms (ASD play session)
• Midwifery appointments
• Health visiting team appointments
• Breastfeeding network
• Explorers Group- youth club for children with additional needs and disabilities aged between 14-25
• Duke of Edinburgh
• Parenting courses: Incredible Years, Tripple P Primary and Teens.

In addition to the above groups the following have been provided by external partners:
• Community run group- Childminders drop in (0-5)
• Portage services: Early Years Team
• Mum and baby Yoga for wellbeing: sport in mind
• SEND After school project

6.Please attach your council’s overarching plan or strategy for children’s centres and/or family hubs in your area.
WBC has no strategy that is specific to children’s centres. A Helping Early strategy is currently being devised which will incorporate the strategy around children’s centres and the development around community hubs.
I have attached the strategy which is under review.

7. Please also attach your Section 251 returns on Sure Start children’s centres and other spend on children under 5-years-old.
S251 is a public return and the requestor can locate this online.