MAJOR changes to children’s centres in the Stroud district – including those in Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge – could leave vulnerable families "at risk".

Gloucestershire County Council plans to overhaul family support services so that money can be focused on safeguarding children and social workers.

It has proposed reducing the number of children’s centres it runs in the Stroud district from seven to two.

Treetops Centre in Dursley and the children’s centre in Stonehouse would become hubs for family and children’s services, as the council says these areas are where people need help the most.

But the move will likely see services cut at Wotton Children’s Centre, as well as those in Stroud, Painswick and Nailsworth.

They provide a range of services, including early year’s education, health advice, fathers’ groups, courses for expectant parents and one-on-one counselling.

It is not yet clear which services would be lost.

John Thompson, chair of Hill Valley and Vale Children’s Centres, the charitable trust which runs all seven centres in the Stroud district on the council’s behalf, said the changes would put some families "at risk".

“These centres are absolutely vital in helping families with young children," he said. "Unfortunately the most vulnerable families are often those that don’t have proper access to transport.

“This area doesn’t have the best transport links, which means the council are putting real obstacles in the way of needy families.

“The five centres having their funding cut have been left in the cold with only vague notions of what is going to happen to them.”

The council said that charities and community groups would be given the option to take control of the five centres, but there is no guarantee this will happen.

Mr Thompson added: “The problem with the idea of the two hubs is that we already had concerns about the scattered locations of our centres and the way that effects people in, for example, Sharpness, which was a long way from a centre even before this news.

“The county say they want to focus on the most vulnerable families, but many vulnerable families will find it even harder to access the services we provide.”

Sarah Birch, centre Manager at Treetops in Dursley, said: “We are fully engaged in the consultation process with the county council and talking to them about the needs of children in this area.

“My priority now is to ensure that we respond fully and properly, including representing the views of families who use our children’s centres."

Stroud MP and chair of the House of Commons education select committee, Neil Carmichael, said he believed the district council was "best placed" to make a decision on children's centres.

The consultation on GCC's proposal is open until April 11 and residents can respond online or by attending drop in sessions.

Sessions have being organised at Stroud Subscription Rooms from 10am- 12pm on February 1, Dursley Vibe Youth Centre at 10am-12pm on February 16 and then Nailsworth Town Council from 2pm-4pm on February 16.

Approximately 10,000, or 11 per cent, of children in Gloucestershire currently live in poverty, with the majority of these living in the most disadvantaged communities.

The number of children in care in the county also increased by 5.3 per cent in the last year alone, and the number of children on a child protection plan has jumped up by 29 per cent.

To have your say visit gloucestershire.gov.uk/familyservices