Much-loved Caia Park nursery to remain open with reduced services

A Caia Park nursery facing closure is set to remain open with a reduced range of services.

In April Caia Park Partnership announced that a consultation has been launched over the future of Sparkles Day Nursery, on Prince Charles Road.

The charity provides a range of family and community support services across Caia Park and the wider County Borough – ranging from childcare, to youth mentoring, youth work, parenting, community development, volunteering, tenancy support, older people’s day services, meals on wheels, and luncheon clubs. It employs 71 people and manages 7 community buildings in Caia Park.

However, the charity’s childcare provision was facing a significant forecast budget deficit for the year ahead with costs outstripping income after several challenging years of high inflation, wage rises and the cost of living crisis.

In response the charity began a month-long consultation with staff, parents and stakeholders about the potential closure of Sparkles Day Nursery.

As a result the charity proposed the closure of Sparkles Day Nursery later this summer.

The month-long consultation with staff, parents and stakeholders came amid rising costs and the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposal would have seen the Partnership retaining and marginally growing its two smaller childcare settings near to Hafod Y Wern and Gwenfro primary schools, but risked up to 20 jobs at its Sparkles day nursery.

The 30-day formal consultation with staff, parents, Wrexham Council Officers, local politicians, stakeholders and other nurseries has generated a huge effort to re-shape the offer at Sparkles to put it on a sustainable footing.

Last week the Partnership’s Board of Trustees signed-off on a new way forward – where Sparkles will slightly reduce its range of services, increase its fees to parents, and operate with less staff.

Sparkles’ after-school club will stop at the end of the summer term, and from September Flying Start will continue at the Hafod Y Wern and Gwenfro settings only.

Sparkles will remain registered for the Government’s 30 hour ‘Childcare Offer’, and the following services will be kept and re-organised:

• Babies – for 6 babies at any one time.
• Todders – for 8 toddlers at any one time.
• Pre-school – for 8 pre-schoolers at any one time.
• Early entitlement – for up to 16 children at any one time.
• Holiday Club – for 8 children at any one time.
• Wrap around (for Flying Start and Early Entitlement) – for 8 children at any one time, with Sparkles being be able to transfer children to and from Flying Start sessions at the Hafod Y Wern and Gwenfro settings.

The Partnership’s lead Trustee for Childcare Nigel Hughes explained: “In these difficult times we have had to ensure that the charity can continue to deliver the widest and best range of services to support people facing disadvantage and challenges.

“Our model for running childcare services had aspects that this consultation process has allowed us to better understand and address, meaning we’ve been able to save most of the jobs and services at Sparkles.

“We’re hugely indebted to the staff and parents for their efforts and positivity over this last month, and look forward to a new and more secure future for our childcare and early education services.’

Chief officer, Gary Brown, added: ‘The response to the consultation was overwhelmingly positive, with parents contributing through an online survey, petition, evening meetings and direct discussions.

“Staff have responded brilliantly, with every aspect of the work examined and every idea considered. At the heart of their energy was the determination to keep the service going, knowing what it means to the children and parents they help.’

“Parents are now being invited to take up offers of new contracts with a revised fee structure that more than 70% of our parents support.’