SUPPORT services for children and families in need will no longer be delivered from a dozen buildings across Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council’s cabinet voted to approve a plan which will ultimately see the total number of centres reduced by 19.

That leaves seven other buildings to be identified out of a list of 14 which will now be subject to “further consideration” before a final decision is reached.   

Following a public consultation, some centres which were originally planned to stop offering the service have been given a temporary reprieve – but others which were intended to remain in use are now at risk. The changes are part of a £1.25m reduction in the county’s children’s services budget.

By the end of the process, there will be 57 sites from which services can accessed, compared to 76 at the moment. Four years ago, there were 133 buildings providing assistance to children, teenagers and their families.

Cabinet member for health and wellbeing on the Conservative-run authority, Shaun Turner, told councillors that 97 percent of the work done by the family wellbeing service was now delivered directly into residents’ homes.

“This isn’t about running services down, it’s about making them more effective,” County Cllr Turner said. “We were overstretched…and we have developed a more flexible service to get out to rural areas.”

Labour opposition group leader Azhar Ali welcomed the fact that over 50 centres will be retained, but decried the “government cuts” which he said had forced him to reduce similar services during the previous administration.

He also read out a letter from a woman who uses the Chai Centre in Burnley, which was due to cease offering the service, but is now on the list to be considered further.

“Becoming a mother opens a woman to vulnerability, anxiety and the pressure to be a perfect mum. So many will slip through the net if the Chai Centre closes, because they won’t have the confidence to go elsewhere,” it read.

Some of the buildings where the family wellbeing service will no longer be provided are used for other purposes and so will not close completely.

Where the service has been delivered via schools, county hall has committed to work with headteachers whose income may be reduced as a result of the changes.

Sites confirmed to stop delivering children and family wellbeing services include Fairfield Children’s Centre, Accrington, Great Harwood Young People’s Centre, Earby Community Centre, Colne Young People’s Centre.