Regional focus: Part 3: Birmingham

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Europe. About 85,000 children aged under five live within its boundaries – a number that is rising. Between 2001 and 2011, the birth rate increased by 17.5 per cent.
Birmingham’s children are among the most diverse in England. Only 58 per cent of the city’s population is classed as white-ethnic, compared to 86 per cent nationally. Early Years Foundation Stage results published last month show that 50 per cent of children achieved an overall good level of development for 2012 to 2013, just under the national 52 per cent.
The authority has been hit by spending cuts, with a planned reduction of £615m by 2016/17. As the third most deprived city behind Liverpool and Manchester, the authority targets early years support towards poorer quality settings in deprived areas, focusing on those judged by Ofsted as inadequate or satisfactory.  
Birmingham is set to have the country’s biggest increase in disadvantaged two-year-olds eligible for free childcare – from 4,657 this year to 10,500 by 2015. Birmingham City Council’s head of service, early years, safeguarding and family support, Karen Pearson, says all sectors have been involved in meeting targets. ‘We have worked with childminders to increase the number registered for nursery education funding with relative success,’ she says.
A total of 150 settings are now registered to deliver the free entitlement, compared to fewer than 50 last year. Two Birmingham schools selected by the Department for Education are piloting providing places for two-year-olds. The council is also working with headteachers to identify how more schools might support the programme.
The city has its own Centre for Research in Early Childhood, which works in partnership with the council by providing national and international evidence for best practice. Its director, professor Christine Pascal, was born and raised in the city.

CHILDREN’S CENTRES

In April 2012, Birmingham City Council re-grouped 75 children’s centres to form 73 centres in 16 localities. The move was part of the authority’s Right Services Right Time agenda, which seeks to create more integrated services across the city. Reduced funding for centres was a factor in the development of the new model.
Fox Hollies Children’s Centre leads six centres in the Fays locality. Managed by Barnardo’s, it includes a 50-place daycare centre run by the Pre-school Learning Alliance. It is alsothe locality’s safeguarding hub, hosting family support and safeguarding services. Strategic children’s services manager Michelle Dougan says the restructure has been positive. ‘We’re an integrated team now and work in a holistic way around families,’ she says.
The locality covers 40 square miles, which house 6,891 children aged under five. Ms Dougan says meeting the centre’s target of contacting all families of newborns within eight weeks is challenging – between 80 and 100 babies are born there every month. The localities agenda is targeted at birth to 18, so Fox Hollies has close connections to schools. Its family support team works with older children through the Think Family agenda, known as Troubled Families nationally.
It also links with childminders through three-weekly networking groups and supports private, voluntary and independent (PVI)
settings. ‘We offer curriculum, best practice and good-quality learning support to help
providers raise the quality of their practice to meet the two-year-olds offer criteria,’ explains Ms Dougan.
In the Edgbaston city region, the Lillian de Lissa Children’s Centre and Nursery School offers 78 places with 64 children accessing full-time funded care. Headteacher Mandy Cryan explains that children meeting certain criteria, such as being eligible for free school meals, can claim ten hours of council-funded care in addition to the national 15-hours entitlement. ‘The offer shows Birmingham really cares for its children,’ says Ms Cryan.
Some 2,300 took up the allocation last year, but Ms Pearson says the offer is under reviewhile the council tries to meet two-year-olds capacities.
A review is planned to ensure that the free entitlement for both twos and three- and four-year-olds offers a mix of part-time and extended days that meets the needs of all Birmingham’s under-fives and their families.
Lillian de Lissa has a history of delivering creative services. It receives funding from the Arts Council and recently ran pottery sessions for isolated families with a contemporary art gallery. ‘We brought in families from five local PVI settings and the children’s centre,’ explains Ms Cryan. ‘Everyone can work with clay to their own ability – it helped them feel successful and overcome language barriers.’