Forty youth worker posts to go at Bournemouth Council

A council report reveals that 14 full-time equivalent posts will go as the authority seeks to save £500,000 from the department’s £2.8m budget by 2016/17.

Between 35 and 40 staff members will be affected by the cuts, with central and middle management, youth worker and youth adviser posts set to go.

The report states that the council will seek voluntary redundancies and to redeploy staff “as far as possible”.

The cuts come as the authority works towards providing targeted support to the borough’s most vulnerable young people.

As part of this, the council wants to work more collaboratively with groups from the private and voluntary sectors, allowing them greater influence over the design and delivery of services.

In addition, the authority wants to put a greater focus on the use of IT and social media as part of efforts to provide young people with easier access to information about services, as well as advice and guidance.

Commenting on the decision, councillor Nicola Greene said: “We are committed to providing the highest quality provision of youth services and to continue to support the most vulnerable of our young people.

“Using modern information technology and working with our experienced partners in the voluntary sector we will provide Bournemouth’s young people with easier access to high-quality advice and guidance, increase their involvement in influencing their own lives and enable them to make a successful transition into work and adulthood.”