Senior councillors in Leeds to consider local community services review report

Senior councillors in Leeds will consider an update report on ongoing work to enhance local community services and maximise the use of council buildings at a meeting later this month.

At the meeting of the council’s executive board at Civic Hall on Wednesday 23 April, councillors will discuss the report which forms part of the council’s ongoing commitment to continuously assess and review all services to ensure they are being delivered as effectively as possible in the face of ongoing significant financial challenges.

The report details the current positions regarding ongoing service reviews concerning mental health hubs for adults, Little Owls nurseries and children’s centres.

Leeds City Council currently manages three buildings delivering mental health day support and another three buildings for people with complex needs. Due to changes in how services are being delivered across the wider community, especially following the pandemic, there is less need for people to attend these buildings.

At the mental health hubs, nearly half of those receiving support do not access the building and as a result the hubs only open two or three days a week for groups or support sessions, although even on these days the capacity available is not being fully used.

At the complex needs centres attendance has also been gradually declining, with an average capacity use of 58 per cent since the pandemic.

To allow these services to be delivered more efficiently and to make better use of the buildings concerned, the council is proposing to move the three mental health hubs into the complex needs centres to become integrated community hubs for adults. There are no proposed changes to the level of support offered to people.

The complex needs centres offer greater accessibility and are of a good standard and this change would see the Stocks Hill Mental Health Support Hub move to join the Calverlands Complex Needs Centre in Horsforth, Lovell Park Mental Health Support Hub join the Wykebeck Complex Needs Centre, and Vale Circles Mental Health Support Hub join the Laurel Bank Complex Needs Centre in Middleton.

Consultation has been carried out with service users and stakeholders. Careful planning has also been undertaken to design individualised support to help people transition to the new sites or to other local community locations where services can be delivered.

The integration of services from six buildings to three would deliver savings of around £500,000 this year, while the vacated buildings at Lovell Park and Vales Circles would be made available for sale for a capital receipt to help the council meet its savings requirement of over £100million this year.

If executive board approves the proposed change, the mental health hub day services would relocate from next month with the integrated community hubs in full operation from June.

The report also gives an update regarding the review of Little Owls nurseries and children’s centres. Following a market-sounding exercise undertaken for 12 Little Owls nurseries, the potential delivery through schools or alternative providers is being progressed.  A procurement exercise is underway and interested parties will have the opportunity of expressing an interest in future operation of the Little Owls settings, as was included in the market-sounding exercise. This will include considering the need for, or use of, existing buildings. If alternative provision cannot be secured for any of the 12 nurseries, the council will retain and continue to deliver the service itself. This position will be clarified by the end of July.

On children’s centres, the report details the timeline for proposals to improve the range, effectiveness and integration of services at the 56 centres managed by Leeds City Council or partners. Consultation will be undertaken in the summer with all interested parties, and a report on future proposals is expected to be considered by the executive board in September.

The changing role of community centres is also explained in the report, broadening their remit to offer an increasingly wide range of services and support for all ages and becoming multi-use community spaces rather than just buildings, enabling them to be accessed more fully by the wider community.

Community asset transfers are also being considered as an option for some community buildings where it is considered appropriate and with viable interest in them being run and managed at a local level.

The council-managed Leeds libraries service continues to offer an increasing range of services, while the report also outlines the potential for leisure centres to also host additional services offering greater flexibility to their local communities.

Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for resources Councillor Debra Coupar said:

“The council is firmly committed to continuously reviewing all our services, and how and where they are delivered to ensure they are effective and meeting the needs of residents and the communities they serve.

“Where we can make changes to improve the quality, range and accessibility of our services and to make them more integrated it makes sense to do that, while also helping to make sure our buildings and estate are being well used, maintained and are welcoming environments for people of all ages to want to use and visit.

“Our proposed change to mental health day support provision will provide a transformative boost, with the integrated community hubs for adults bringing services and people together under one roof and all the associated benefits that synergy entails. We are committed to doing everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible, while also being able to dispose of underperforming buildings to help with the significant financial challenge we face this year.”

To see the report being considered by the executive board visit Council and democracy (item 9).

ENDS

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