SUFFOLK County Council is pressing ahead with controversial changes to children's services despite concerns.

The authority's cabinet unanimously approved proposals for its Healthy Child programme at a meeting this afternoon (Tuesday, 10 November).

The programme provides services for children, young people and families and is set to be revamped with an extra £5.1 million investment each year.

Cllr June Mummery, the council's lead for public health, said the changes were needed due to 'significant financial pressures' in the current model left by the previous administration, with costs set to reach £18.6 million by 2029.

The Conservatives were briefed about the pressures in 2024 but denied kicking the can down the road.

Cllr Ash Lever, who spoke on behalf of the Greens after the meeting, said his group was 'deeply disappointed' and accused the administration of 'not prioritising the most vulnerable Suffolk residents as it should'.

Cllr Mummery said the changes would lead to a service that was both safe and sustainable and one 'that gives every Suffolk child the right start in life'.

These include consolidating programmes such as the Family Nurse Partnership and Young Parents Pathway, as well as moving school nursing to a more targeted model that would work during the school term.

The plans have received significant backlash since being announced, with a protest held outside the council's headquarters in Ipswich last Friday.

Protesters accused the council of being 'cowboys playing with people's lives' and warned the changes would lead to worse experiences for families.

Melanie McAteer, senior officer at the Royal College of Nursing, said on Friday: "Problems don't stop when the holidays begin – those children still have disabilities, they still have special educational needs."

The council's own report admitted the new arrangements would have an 'adverse impact' on some families despite mitigation efforts.

Cllr Mummery acknowledged the changes would have an impact but stressed they would lead to 'better outcomes for children and families' while keeping the service financially sustainable.

Opposition to the council's proposals was driven by initial plans to axe the community staff nurse role, who play an integral part in delivering the programme's services.

Although the authority later went back on this and claimed it had 'saved' staff nurses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last week they had been told by senior officers their jobs were not safe after all.

Cllr Mummery said today all staff nurses would be offered a job in the future service, with the caveat that some of those jobs may be for different roles.

The Conservatives said this still did not give staff nurses assurances for the future. Several opposition councillors asked for clarity on how many jobs would be lost with the new service, but were denied.

Details of what the changes – which are due to go live in July – mean for community staff nurses and other posts in practice are expected alongside staff consultation early next year.