Cllr Roodhouse challenges Labour activist's views on children's centres

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group on Warwickshire County Council, has written to the local papers in response to Labour activist's views on children's centres.

Dear Editor,

It was with great interest that I read in last week press the story concerning children's centres. The story was about the presenting of a petition by Jim Ellis who organised it. He is a Labour activist and former council candidate and been involved in various campaigns all I presume in order to become a local community leader / Councillor.

But his quotes in last week's papers are deeply concerning especially if he is trying to become a community leader. He said "the current arrangement is liable to lead to a Victoria Climbie or Daniel Pelka" and then continues to say "slip through a well meaning but badly performing patch up of a service". I would like to know what evidence Jim Ellis is using in relation to this statement?

The County Council has at this point in time made no changes to any of its children centres and is consulting, so is Jim Ellis and Labour really suggesting that the hard working staff, Family Support workers, and Outreach teams are all I quote "performing badly in a patch up service". Again, I have to ask what evidence is he using to base this statement on?

I am left concluding if Jim Ellis has conducted any research on this subject how much time has he spent in various children centres talking to staff and the families that use them? I wonder if he has ever looked at the publicly available performance data for children centres. I wonder if he has ever read the report entitled Re-Imagining our Children Centres - this report was developed jointly and written by Barnardo's Parenting Project plus others and was supported by families along with many other individuals from across Warwickshire? I wonder if he has ever sat down and talked with families that do not use children centres?

It is very easy to shoot from the hip and evoke emotions all in the aim of scoring political points. I wonder if he has ever asked Labour County Councillors why they chose to vote with the Conservatives back in February and by so doing set in motion the cuts to children centres?

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, Leader Liberal Democrat Group