Unite Makes Stand In Coventry On £660,000 Cuts To Children And Youth Services

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 06 Feb 2009 - 1:00 PST

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A mass rally is being held in Coventry on Saturday, 14 February to prevent £660,000 of cuts to the children and youth services in the city.

Unite, the largest union in the country, is calling on the public to fight the plans of the Conservative-controlled Coventry City Council, which could mean the closure of the remaining 14 after-school clubs and 23 summer play schemes, possibly affecting 6,000 primary school children.

The Unite march and rally will be at the Coventry Council House in Earl Street at noon on 14 February.

Doug Nicholls, Unite National Secretary, Community and Youth Workers Industrial Sector, said: 'This will give the chance for the people of Coventry to show their opposition to the cuts which will hit some of the most vulnerable families and children in the community.'

The cuts to the Children's and Family Education Services, totaling £300,000 for the current financial year 2007/08, are coupled with the £360,000 being axed from the Youth Service over a two-year period, (2007/09). The Youth Service gives support and advice on sexual health, drug and alcohol misuse, community cohesion and employment training.

Unite is angry that the cash-strapped council spent £64,000 on management consultants, PWC, for a three-month review of the Youth Service, which Doug Nicholls described as 'a flagrant waste of public money which could have been better spent on front line projects for young people.'

Proposals to 'outsource' the work of children and youth services to other organisations would lead to 'a dumbing down' of the professionalism of youth and community workers; job cuts; and the erosion of the pay and conditions of those staff that remain.

It is understood that 22.6 whole-time equivalent (WTE) jobs are under threat, although, because many staff work part-time, this will translate into many more employees losing their jobs.

Unite said that no research had been done by the council on how it planned for local schools to take up the slack, if the after-school clubs close.

Unite is calling on the council's new Chief Executive, Martin Reeve, who takes up his post on 1 April, to maintain front line services for children and young people, and enter into 'a meaningful dialogue' with the trade unions.

Doug Nicholls said: 'Coventry is, unfortunately, leading the country in this systematic attack on these vital services for children and young people at a time of chronic recession, as well as undermining the professionalism and qualifications of our members.'

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