Council cuts 'will destroy provision' for disadvantaged children

The cuts will affect settings in both the PVI sector and the maintained sector that receive funding for subsidised childcare places and family support to disadvantaged families.

Two of Westminster's maintained early years settings, which admit a proportion of children designated as in need, face in-year cuts of around £90,000 to funding for these children, Nursery World has learned.

Westminster City Council confirmed that it is making in-year cuts of £1.5m to its children’s services budget and named the Portman Early Childhood Centre as one setting that faces the immediate loss of £100,000.

Councillor Nickie Aiken, the council’s cabinet member for children's services, said, ‘The centre has historically received a higher level of funding than other nurseries or children's centres. However, in the present financial climate the current levels of spending are simply unsustainable. As funding gets tighter we have to channel the money we have to priority areas.

‘We are working closely with the Portman as they work on restructuring their service and also to explore how their services could be delivered through greater collaboration with our partners. We will ensure that all those affected are kept fully informed.’