Council approves youth service budget cuts

The decision by Worcestershire County Council comes following a u-turn on its original proposal of scrapping the entire £1m delivery budget in the 2016/17 financial year.

It will now look to spend £600,000 on delivering youth services in 2016/17, decreasing to £500,000 in 2017/18, and £400,000 in 2018/19.

The proposals were reviewed after concerns were raised by local officers and the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

John Campion, cabinet member for children and families, wrote to the council’s cabinet recommending the continued investment in youth programme Positive Activities for Young People, but on a sliding scale to create capacity for providers to become sustainable.

Positive Activities for Young People was set up in November 2011 after the decommissioning of the council’s youth service with the aim of reaching young people at risk of becoming not in employment, education, or training, or involved in antisocial behaviour, with the target being vulnerable and disadvantaged young people aged eight to 19.  

Data shows 10,121 individual young people were reached by commissioned activities between 2014 and 2015.    

The council told CYP Now it would be inappropriate to comment on how the decrease in funding will impact on the youth service, with the implementation of funding decreases yet to be formalised.

A spokesperson said the youth service has moved away from universal provision towards targeted work over the last few years, which is delivered as part of its early help offer.

“We continue to fund more traditional forms of youth work delivered by the voluntary sector, and cabinet has decided to maintain some of this provision in the future, despite the very difficult financial circumstances,” the spokesperson said.
 
"The reduction in funding is tapered to give voluntary and community groups the chance to find alternative funding or to remodel services to maintain reach and contact levels in our more deprived neighbourhoods. 

“We have been happy to transfer assets where there are viable plans to support the continued delivery of community activities including services for young people."