'Patchy' children's service for struggling families feared

Lynn Tolmon said her nearest Hampshire children's centre was now five miles away

Campaigners fear a new children's service will leave gaps in support for struggling young families.

Hampshire County Council has closed 43 out of 54 Sure Start centres, which help with issues such as postnatal depression and child behaviour.

The authority said its new Family Support Service, launching on 1 December, would continue to deal with those most in need.

However, parent Lynn Tolmon claimed many would be left unsupported.

Ms Tolmon, from Hayling Island, said she had chosen not to attend one of the remaining 11 Early Help Hubs because it was five miles from her home.

She said she had instead joined a local toddler group, which on one occasion "lost" her son, who was found wandering in a corridor.

Ms Tolmon said being forced to rely on a "patchy" network of informal creches and community groups was like "Dad's Army trying to run the military.

"They haven't got skills... [and] can't look after postnatal depression, let alone stop my baby from getting into the car park", she said.

Campaigners have abandoned plans for a legal challenge against the closures

Caroline Osborne, from Lee-on-the-Solent, said her Sure Start centre, which closed in October, had been an "absolute lifeline" and there were few alternatives nearby.

The group Save Our Children's Centres, which ran a five-year campaign against the Hampshire closures, said it had abandoned plans for a High Court challenge.

Hampshire County Council previously said it had made the changes in the light of "profound" government cuts.

It hoped to save £8.5m by combining family centres and youth support services into a single Family Support Service targeted at those most in need.

The authority said the new integrated service was being introduced at a time when the number of health visitors in Hampshire had "significantly increased" and working parents of three and four-year-olds were able to access 30 hours of free childcare.