THE organisation which runs four of the seven children’s centres set to close next year has moved to reassure parents it is business as usual until then.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, council leaders confirmed they were pushing forward with the plans in order to save £770,000, despite opposition from users.

On Monday, the proposals will go before the scrutiny committee to ensure the process involved in the decision was done correctly and if it passes that, the centres will close by March 31.

Details now need to be established on the number of staff who will be affected by the closures, as well as what shape the new ‘multi-generational’ centres which will replace Butterflies and the West Swindon Centre will take.

Four of the sites are run by The Children’s Society, who have said they will continue to provide services until the de-commissioning date, and will work with parents to keep them informed of changes to provision.

Gary Thomas, area director for The Children’s Society in the South West, said: “Croft, Eldene, Robert Le Kyng and Salt Way Children’s Centres are still open and The Children’s Society will be delivering services to children and families until their contracts come to an end on March 31.

“The centres are just as busy as ever and we’re particularly pleased about the success of our parent and volunteer-led stay and play groups. We are continuing our intensive one-to-one family support and are happy to consider any new referrals from health visitors, midwives, social workers, schools and pre-schools.

“We will be working with our professional partners, and volunteers over the coming months to ensure that all family support work is safely handed over and that as many services as possible are sustained after April 1.”

The multi-generational centres will operate on two thirds of the current budget but will be free to raise their own funds to provide services. Butterflies, based at Abbey Meads, has informed users that it will remain open in some capacity after April 1.

In a statement, it said: “The proposal is that Butterflies will become a multi-generational family centre. From this date the centre will be restructured; it will not be closing.

“As you will appreciate, we have not yet had the opportunity to clearly identify what the service will be able to offer, though we repeat it will not be closing. We will work with Swindon Borough Council and our local community to help develop a service which will match the funding we are able to secure.”

At this stage, council leaders have not been able to put a figure on the number of staff who will lose their jobs due to the cuts but have said they will try to find other positions where possible.

Coun Fionuala Foley (Con, Chiseldon and Lawn), the cabinet member for children’s services said: “I am looking forward to having discussions with Butterflies and West Swindon over the future provision. Until we know how these will operate we can’t say how this will affect staff but we will of course try to relocate staff.”