Ealing Council is inviting residents to share their views on how to improve 'Early Help' services across the borough.

Although a variety of support services are available, some families are not accessing the help they could benefit from. Barriers such as location, awareness, and accessibility may be preventing them from doing so. Without early intervention, minor challenges can escalate into bigger issues.

To address this, the council is reviewing how children’s centres are structured and working towards making services more accessible, flexible, and tailored to families' needs.

---

Expanding Access with Fewer, Better-Equipped Centres

Ealing currently operates 25 children’s centres—more than boroughs like Barnet or Croydon. However, not all families who could benefit from these resources are using them.

One proposal under consideration is to consolidate services into 12 key children’s centres, selected based on accessibility, usage, and suitability of facilities. These centres would offer an expanded range of services with longer opening hours, making them more convenient for families.

Additionally, the council is exploring ways to deliver support through community spaces like libraries and local centres, ensuring that assistance is available closer to home.

---

Your Input Matters

A public consultation is now open to gather feedback on how Early Help services, including children’s centres, can be improved. The consultation runs for 12 weeks, closing on Sunday, 27 April 2025.

All residents, whether they have used these services or not, are encouraged to participate. The consultation document is available online, along with a short survey for feedback. There will also be opportunities to speak with staff at upcoming consultation events.

Reaching Families Earlier’

Councillor Josh Blacker, Cabinet Member for a Fairer Start, emphasized the importance of community input: "We know that there are families who are underserved by the current offer, whether because of limited hours, or the number of services available at a centre."

---

"Our aim is to explore whether children’s centres could be strengthened with a wider range of services, longer opening hours, and better access for families who need them. But we also recognise that not every parent needs to visit a centre to get support. That’s why we’re also looking at how services could be brought into local communities – whether that’s by using libraries, community centres or health settings – to make sure help is available as close to home as possible."

The consultation closes on Sunday, 27 April 2025. To have your say and access more information, visit the Ealing Council website: Ealing Council Consultations.

---

How often have Ealing Council dubbed closures as improvements to services?

Two points raised by the Green Party are:

Is it possible to improve early help – by closing 12 children’s centres, introducing cost savings and reducing staff capacity?

There needs to be very strong evidence that closures are the right decision as once closed children’s centres are very unlikely to be reopened.

"Ealing Council are proposing to close Dormer's Wells, Greenfields & Windmill Park Children's Centres in Southall."

Please fill in the consultation by clicking this link, and encourage friends and family to do the same.