UNISON , the public services union, has condemned cuts in the services provided by Cheshire and Warrington ”Connexions” as madness.

Cheshire and Warrington Connexions service faces major cuts and redundancies over the next 4 weeks.   This follows a 24% cut in the Area Based Grant provided by the Coalition Government, and a decision by Cheshire councils to fully pass on these cuts.

 

Union leaders have pointed out that cutting the Careers Service with over a million young people out of work, and a shortage of university places, is just unbelievable. They also point out that extra spending on countering anti-social behaviour will be undone by a decision that will cut the number of youth workers and youth clubs.

 

Connexions, which provides careers guidance and youths services to young people aged 13 – 19 years old, faces 80 redundancies by the end of August – most of them compulsory. It is also asking all staff to agree a 10% reduction in hours until next April. On top of this there will have to be a major restructuring of the service, with a number of Youth Centre Hubs facing closure, and Connexions shops ceasing to open on Saturdays.  

 

In West Cheshire, where 25 jobs are to go, both Northwich and Ellesmere Port Hubs look set to close. In East Cheshire Knutsford Youth Centre and the Congleton Connexions Office face closure and 23 jobs will be cut. In Warrington the Integrated Youth Support Service (IYSS), which started only 3 years ago, will be dismantled, with the Borough Council taking over the running of the Youth Service. There will still be a loss of 15 posts. The remaining jobs will go from Connexions HQ at Gadbrook in Northwich.

 

The total cuts will be £1.7 million made up of £650,000 from West Cheshire Council, £600,000 fro East Cheshire Council and £530,000 from Warrington Borough. These

full-year savings have to be made in the remaining 7 months of the current financial year. The effect of this is to turn a 24% cut from the Government into 33% cuts on the ground.

 

Connexions have pressed both the Government and the Councils, who own the Cheshire and Warrington Connexions company, for a more reasonable timescale to be applied, to allow the cuts to be better managed.   At the moment the only response has been the offer, in principle, of a loan to help spread the costs.

 

While Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester Councils have managed staff redundancies over a period of nearly 18 months, to avoid compulsory redundancies, UNISON is appalled that staff working for a company owned by these councils should be treated so differently – forced out on compulsory redundancy in only 6 weeks.

 

“This is a clear example of a failure of joined-up Government” said Ray McHale (UNISON - Assistant Branch Secretary) “Cheshire West are spending £500,000 on introducing a new Community Warden Service to stop anti-social behaviour, and now that are cutting funding to the organisation that runs youth clubs and works with young people to try to prevent anti-social behaviour.   MPs and Councillors really need to look at what is happening here.”

 

The impact on Connexions is being felt all over the country, especially where the Connexions Service has been outsourced by Councils – like in Cheshire. Apart from the impact on school leavers looking for jobs, training or college places the biggest impact will be on the most vulnerable teenagers.

 

“Connexion’s Personal Advisers and Youth Workers work with young people who have a range of problems. Drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, parental abuse, homelessness, criminal convictions. They also work to reduce the number the number of teenage pregnancies” said Ray McHale. “Cutting the service will be more costly in the long run, and will impact on communities through an increased number of young people hanging around on the street and causing anti-social behaviour.”

 

 

9^th August 2010

 

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