The Cabinet Member for Communities, Leisure and Arts introduced the report, and stated that Kent County Council (KCC) were consulting on various delivery models for Family Hub Services and a reduction in youth services across Kent. The responses would be used to inform KCC’s decision making on which buildings would be used to provide children’s, young people’s and family services, which was the subject of the ‘Community Services Consultation’ which took place earlier in 2023.

The Cabinet Member stated that following a detailed assessment of the proposals, the impact to Maidstone’s residents had not been properly evaluated, with the Council’s concerns having been substantiated by the 2021 Census and health inequalities data that had not been provided with the proposals originally.

The main areas highlighted within the draft response at appendix A to the report were outlined, including the closure of youth support services, particularly in Shepway and Parkwood which were areas of high need, the wider impact to the public, community and voluntary sectors, digital exclusion and the high level of support needed in high need areas to support the delivery of online services as part of the Family Hub model. It was stated that insufficient detail on the Family Hub model, including the services possible locations alongside insufficient district level data, had hindered the ability to submit a meaningful response and inform a robust Equality Impact Assessment.

The Committee expressed support for the draft response attached at Appendix A to the report, and emphasised the points made by the Visiting Member, including: the detrimental impact of digital exclusion and the importance of in-person youth services in building social and educational skills, particularly within deprived areas such as Shepway and Parkwood that had a high number of children under 15 years of age; removing youth services could increase the pressure faced by other organisations, such as the Council, Kent Police and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services; the existing impact of Covid-19 on young individuals social skills and likelihood of increased anti-social behaviour from the proposal, and that the it had only been put forward due to KCCs ongoing financial difficulties. 

The Cabinet Member stated that the draft response at appendix 1 to the report would be amended to include the sentiments expressed by the Local Ward Member on residents’ behalf. 

The Officers were thanked for the work undertaken.

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the CABINET MEMBER: That the draft response to Kent County Council’s Kent Family Hub Services Consultation at Appendix A to the report, be submitted by the deadline of 13 September 2023.

Note: Councillor Fort arrived at 6.48 p.m. during the item’s consideration and had no interests or lobbying to declare.