STRUGGLING families could “fall through the gap” if thousands of pounds of cuts are made to children’s services.

Councillors sought assurances that families would not suffer as Brighton and Hove City Council prepared to reduce provision for youngsters.

The remarks were made at a scrutiny panel looking at the council’s 2015/16 budget which wants to make savings which particularly threaten children’s centres.

Four of the sites are at risk – City View Children’s Centre in Elm Grove, Cornerstone Children’s Centre in Church Road, Hollingbury, and centres in County Oak Avenue, Patcham, and Portland Road, West Hove. Health visits and staff could be cut back and play sessions could also be dropped.

Councillor Leo Littman said: “I want to know what is being done to stop families falling through the gap.”

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the overview and scrutiny committee which led the panel yesterday, was concerned the cuts were “almost clinical”.

She said: “Low-income households seem to be disproportionately affected by the proposals. Again, women and families are being affected.”

She feared severe reductions would mean childcare services in Moulsecoomb would be unable to run but Pinaki Ghoshal, the council’s executive director for children’s services, said figures show Whitehawk families now needed more help.

He said: “We have to be realistic. There is less money so there are some things we cannot do.

“The way we are working at the moment is not an efficient way of delivering services. We have not spoken to children about what they need.

“Now we will be talking to the children and see what we can do for the family.”

Single mother Claire Jacobs, of Durham Close, Brighton, attends free library sessions in Moulsecoomb with her two-year-old son Noah, which could be axed as part of the cuts.

After the meeting the 30-year-old freelance journalist, social worker and blogger, said: “These groups have been vital to us. It has helped us not feel so isolated.

“I’m self-employed and on very low funds. Lots of groups are so expensive I cannot afford them.”

The meeting also questioned the impact of savings on the school transport budget, on community projects and crime prevention.

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