Council proposes youth service 'co-operative' to save £400,000

Brighton & Hove City Council said it is exploring the possibility of a "co-operative model of service delivery" through the establishment of a trust or foundation to deliver youth services.

It said such a move would allow the new entity to attract alternative revenue streams.

A report set to go before councillors on Monday (16 November) reveals that the youth service has been earmarked to make savings of £400,000 as part of the 2016/17 budget proposals.

"It will not be possible to provide the same level of services across the council with the reduction in funding to the youth service budget," the report states.

"This report supports plans to move to a co-operative model of service delivery, including exploration of new delivery arrangements to attract alternative sources of revenue, and ways of bringing council services closer to those who need them by forging stronger links with local people."

If Brighton goes ahead with the idea it would follow in the footsteps of a number of other local authorities to create standalone youth services.

In 2013 Kensington and Chelsea launched a youth service mutual. In April last year Knowsley became the second council youth service in the country to be spun off as a mutual.

Tom Bewick, chair of Brighton & Hove City Council's children, young people and skills committee, said: "We need to find different ways of working to ensure the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children continue to receive the council's support.

"Doing nothing is not an option. We have to plan for a significant reduction in our budget for youth work in the city and look very carefully at how we use our youth centre buildings in future.

"I believe a more co-operative approach with our partners across the city, possibly through a youth trust or foundation, is the best way of putting our youth services on a sustainable footing for the future."??

Brighton & Hove City Council has also announced plans to reduce the number of children's centres it runs in a bid to save more than £800,000.