31st August 2003
ROUNDABOUT EXPANDS TO GOLDTHORPE


Following the success of Bolton’s Roundabout Dearne Childcare Centre, plans have just been revealed to open a similar centre at Goldthorpe to provide childcare for babies and children up to three years of age.

An opportunity has arisen to take on a new building at Goldthorpe, and it is anticipated that the new centre will open its doors mid October 2003.


Market research carried out in the area has indicated strongly that there is an increasing demand for high quality childcare facilities for babies and toddlers, that are both affordable and flexible. The new centre will address this issue and provide a facility for local people who live in Goldthorpe, Bolton on Dearne, Thurnscoe and Highgate Partnership Area.

Brian Roberts, vice chair of the Community Partnership added; “The success of Bolton’s Roundabout Dearne Childcare Centre was the deciding factor to launch this new childcare venture, which will create a number of new jobs and training opportunities in childcare and education.”

In April 2000 Barnsley Development Agency’s Community Economic Regeneration Team (CERT) started working alongside Barnsley Dearne Community Partnership to address the lack of appropriate and affordable childcare facilities in Barnsley. The initiatives led to the launch of the first community enterprise of its kind in Barnsley, which has provided much needed high quality childcare and also created long-term sustainable employment. “The launch of this new centre demonstrates how resourceful and enterprising local people are. Local people can deliver their own high quality local services to meet the needs of their own communities; all they need is professional support and advice from agencies like CERT,” said CERT’s full employment co-ordinator, Lynda Chapman. “Members of the Community Partnership and staff at the existing childcare centre in Bolton have all worked hard to make the name Roundabout a brand name that stands for quality childcare.”

Bolton’s Roundabout Dearne Childcare Centre offers year-round flexible childcare for children aged 2 – 12 years and includes pre-school, out-of-school and holiday club facilities. The centre is open weekdays from 7.30am until 6.00pm and registered to take up to 42 children per session. The centre employs five full time qualified nursery nurses, four ILM (Intermediate Labour Market) childcare assistants and one ILM administrative assistant, who were recruited from CERT’s ILM programme. The ILM programme offers local long-term unemployed residents the opportunity to re-skill and re-train, so they can get back into employment. All ILM employees that have started as carers at Roundabout have so far progressed to full time employment.

The Roundabout Childcare Centre is a community enterprise owned and managed by Barnsley Dearne Community Partnership, which is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Key Fund have provided the funding for the new centre as well as money from Barnsley Development Agency’s Community Economic Regeneration Team (CERT).

There will be opportunities in October for parents to visit the new facility and to meet members of staff. For further information on Roundabout contact Cheryl Cooper on tel: 01709 890500 or Lynda Chapman at BDA’s CERT Team on tel: 01226 784 444.

www.barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk

Press Contact: Sarah Hopwood
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Barnsley Development Agency
Telephone: 01226 640 086
Facsimile: 01226 286 606
Email: shopwood@barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk

Notes to editors

History of Roundabout
The CERT team at Barnsley Development Agency (BDA) worked together with a local Community Partnership to develop a successful ‘community childcare model’, which was launched In Bolton on Dearne in April 2000. The establishment of this Community Enterprise addressed the following issues in order to overcome the shortage of childcare places in the area.
• Lack of full day-care and out-of-school childcare provision
• Lack of respite care for parents in the area
• Barriers to accessing employment through lack of childcare facilities

Consultation with the community and the formation of a steering group made up of representatives of the community, partnership management group and statutory agencies played a pivotal role in the success of this community venture.

A building was identified, which belonged to the Local Authority that had previously been used as a library. Money was secured for professional fees to engage an architect to draw plans, which were then submitted for approval. At the same time, funding applications for the proposed refurbishment of the site were submitted to a number of funding bodies. Once money was secured, building works commenced and recruitment for staff began. Local people became involved, offering their services in a number of ways. A local artist agreed to design and paint a number of attractive murals on various walls, which not only enhanced the overall appearance but established various themes in specific areas. It became apparent in a short period of time that there was indeed a huge shortage of affordable childcare. Parents and carers of children attending the centre were asked to complete a survey, which concluded that 71% had been able to return to training or work because of the flexible service that was being provided.

An OFSTED Inspection was carried out in 2001 and the outcome of that was extremely positive, emphasising the excellent relationship between staff and parents and carers of children attending the centre. Each child has a key worker who will discuss on a daily basis an individual child’s achievements and progress with whoever collects that child. Information is shared though a newsletter and through parents forum meetings frequently organised during each term.

Staff feel that the development of each individual child is of vital importance, allowing them to reach their full potential. It is down to active commitment and participation of staff parents and carers together, which makes such achievement possible.

This success of this partnership approach is overcoming a barrier to employment has been received positively both locally and nationally, generating interest from a number of agencies throughout England. It has proved that communities can deliver their own services in a professional and proficient way, returning wealth to the community they serve by creating local jobs for local people.


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