Young people bear brunt of Coventry council cuts

17/04/2008

Young people don't matter when it comes to Coventry city council and its £300,000 cuts to Youth Services says Unite. The UK's biggest union says this could result in the loss of 10 youth worker posts and the squeezing of front line service to Coventry's most vulnerable young people.

Coventry city council's £300,000 budget cuts were proposed in December 2007, and approved at council meeting on 19th February. Unite say that all this has been decided by the council without any meaningful consultation with young people, neighbourhood forums, youth workers, or Unions.

Unite says that the city council should look to invest in Youth Services, not cut them.

Doug Nicholls, Unite national secretary, added: "Coventry city council has a duty to safeguard our city's young people and invest in services for the future. How can this be achieved with the proposed cuts?

"We have seen well heeled consultancies plunder the public sector for years. PriceWaterhouse Coopers, whose services Coventry city council have paid expensively for, has long advocated the opening up of what it describes nationally as the 'children's and young people's market', worth £7 billion. We're in real danger of returning essential public services for children and young people back to the days of faith, hope and charity and the workhouse while a few make a fast buck."

Pat Seaman, Unite workplace representative, said: "We do not want the Youth Service to be used as a political football whilst lining the pockets of Coventry city council partner consultants PriceWaterhouse Coopers. The review being undertaken at present is not due to release its findings until the end of April. However, budget savings have already been offset against this review.

"We believe that any savings identified should be reinvested in the Youth Service. We are urging the council to invest in professionally qualified youth workers whose role is to work with the young people of Coventry, offering them comprehensive advice, guidance and counselling services."