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'Don't decimate youth services' (From Oxford Mail)
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'Don't decimate youth services'
7:00am Friday 11th December 2009
YOUTH workers have attacked county council plans to slash millions of pounds from a budget will affect every youth centre in Oxfordshire.
Staff last night voted in favour of strike action as it emerged planned cuts could make the county the lowest spender on young people’s services in England.
The children’s services scrutiny committee has discussed proposals, which would see annual funding for youth support reduced from £3.7m to £1.4m by 2013.
It forms part of broader reductions in the Children and Young People and Families (CYPF) department budget which is set to be reduced by £18m as part of County Hall’s spending cuts.
Last night union bosses said the move would “decimate” youth services, while the council admitted every youth centre in the county would be affected.
One teenager said closing centres would lead to more teenagers getting into trouble with drink and drugs.
Garry Kingett, area youth worker at the Sweatbox, in Wantage, said: “The prospect of closing the youth centre has made the kids very angry. The centre means a huge amount to them and it has done so for generations.
“There are increasing problems with teenagers with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and they are turning to alcohol and drugs. We want to put resources into dealing with those problems, not take them away.”
It is not just the county’s 33 youth centres which would be affected by the move. Also affected would be a services providing advice on sexual health, drug and alcohol misuse, and employment, for thousands of teenagers.
Oxfordshire currently spends £59 per head on 13 to 19 year-olds, while the average spend across England is £84, according to the National Youth Agency (NYA).
The county ranked 104th out of 118 local authorities for net expenditure on youth services per head of population in 2007/08.
However, workers have suggested the planned cuts would make it likely there would be hardly any councils spending less.
One youth worker said: “People have been in tears over this. I work with some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, dealing with substance misuse, homelessness and poor mental health. What will they do?
“It seems the work is not valued. Ofsted has rated the service as very good, but stated that without further funding the work would not be sustainable. This will make the county the lowest spender on youth. It begs the question why make cuts to a service that is highly rated?”
Louise Chapman, the council’s cabinet member for CYPF, said: “Every youth club will be affected and it will mean some closures, but at this stage we cannot explain which ones.
“Obviously, I’m never happy about cutting spending to young people, but that is the position I have been placed in.
“We are in listening mode before we make the final decisions.”
The cabinet is looking at privatising services. The Government will continue to contribute £1m each year.
Fiona Blacke, NYA chief executive, said: “Youth work plays a vital role in the personal and social development of young people. Investment in preventative youth support services saves money in the long term.”
Debbie Watson, regional officer for Unite, said: “These cuts will absolutely decimate the services. It’s not just that workers will lose jobs; the kids who they work with will be badly affected. Members have taken the decision to strike and will discuss when that will be.”
Members of Unite, which represents most youth workers, yesterday voted to strike.
Teenagers say they are concerned about the cuts, which could threaten the future of their youth club.
The Sweatbox is based at King Alfred’s College’s East site, in Springfield Road, Wantage, and provides a place to meet for hundreds of youngsters.
It has been open since 1967, and each Friday evening up to 300 teenagers visit to socialise.
Young people from the Sweatbox have been taking to the streets to canvas support for their fight against cuts.
Ester Kincova, 16, from Charlton Road, Wantage, said: “The centre is like my second family. It’s opened up lots of opportunities, it teaches you for the future.
“If the Sweatbox closed there would be hundreds of teenagers on the streets every Friday night, and problems with alcohol and drugs would get worse.”
The centre offers a range of activities during the week, including a cinema and services for people with disabilities.
A team of 14 teenagers, called the Sweatbox union, run the centre and apply for grants. Users can also get help and advice from trained workers.
* Are you worried about the potential impact county council cuts could have on you? Call our newsdesk on 01865 425445 or email news@oxfordmail.co.uk
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Your Say YourOxford
wallingford1, wallingford says...
10:10am Fri 11 Dec 09
What a load of rubbish. "boredom" is always an excuse. Thousands of kids don't use the youth centres but dont take drugs or get lashed every night. They find other things to do. It shouldn't be down to youth workers to police these kids, advise of course, but the parents are the ones who are ulitmately responsible for the welfare of their kids. Start fining the parents that allow their kids to run riot and use these fines to keep the youth centres open. Best of both worlds. I'd rather my council and income tax money went on the NHS than providing a hang out for teenagers anyway.
The Youth are our future, Oxford says...
11:25am Fri 11 Dec 09
If anyone believes that the Youth Service merely provides a place to "hang out" then I suggest they visit www.spired.com and educate themselves. Maybe they could visit a youth project themselves and learn to be progressive instead of reactionary.
I listened to Keith Mitchell insult the people of Bicester the other day on Radio Oxford and he was talking about lack of ambition and motivation of our young yet here he is cutting an already poorly funded, yet highly rated, service that inspires young people. He is proposing cutting jobs of people from Bicester who worked hard to qualify as professional Youth Workers whilst telling those same people they have no ambition in life.
The man talks out of both sides of his face.
I'm not surprised that he waited until just after getting elected to inform us all of the massive public service cuts he had planned in a council that is financially sound. If only he could match the same level of honesty and integrity as many young people around the county. I wonder if he would have been so quick and incisive if those affected actually had a vote?
I await Mr Mitchell to come on the radio to denounce all those teenagers hanging around the streets with nothing to do after these vicious cuts have taken place (3.7 million down to 1.4 million!) and maybe we'll even see Mr Cameron out hugging all the 'hoodies' to keep the neighbours happy.
Nothing changes with the Tories.
Only people with vision will take us forward.
Sweatbox users Alice Beck, 15, Tom Myatt, 15, and Ester Kincova, 16.
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Gareth Keenan, Oxford says...
9:46am Fri 11 Dec 09
Why hasn't the 'reporter' here included anything about the dire national and global financial situation?
Does he or she not understand the very basic fact that everybody will have to feel the pain of the financial pinch because of the economic mess that the world is in?
Sure, it's unfortunate that services are under pressure, but if you fail to look at the bigger picture then you'll never understand why local authorities are forced into making tough decisions.
You'd be stupid not to take a long look at your own finances and see where money could be saved during these gloomy economic times.
If organisations didn't take stock then I'm sure that the media would be asking why.
The fact is that it's a global crisis, not a local one. The media have highlighted duck houses and bankers' bonuses as examples of excess but the fact is that millions of people taking on mortgages that they know they can't afford has hugely contributed to this situation.
We're all culpable - now it's time to take a look in the mirror and work out a way of getting on our feet again.