Youth activities - interim service for 2014-15

Proposal

Budget pressures on the council have meant that a number of youth workers will leave from 1 April 2014 as part of the council's recent voluntary redundancy programme. As a result, the council will need to deliver a reduced service from 1 April 2014 and, as a consequence of this, will only be able to operate a maximum number of 28 youth club sessions each week, out of the current 47. The council is seeking people's views on three options and invite them to suggest a fourth, one of which will be in place from April 2014.

We are consulting on the longer term service provision but as the redesigned service will not be in place until next year, we are also running a second consultation for an interim youth service for young people aged 10 to 19 that will operate from April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

During April, while the service restructures, they will offer trips and visits for existing club members.

A list of all youth club sessions including those at risk of closure has been drafted, taking into consideration and retaining those which cater for the young people who need them most.

Councillor Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for culture, leisure and libraries, and leading on this, said: “Our proposal to reduce a number of youth club sessions is not one we make lightly. However, we need to ensure that the money and staff that we have are used well in local areas.

“We believe that youth club sessions that are held in the most deprived areas, and which currently have lots of young people attending, should be maintained. Financial support for sessions in the voluntary sector should and will continue as they are highly valued by us and the communities that they serve.

“We also believe that local people, especially young people, should have the opportunity to influence important decisions of this nature.”

The council is seeking people's views on three options and invite them to suggest a fourth, one of which will be in place from April 2014. These are:

Option one

• Reduce the number of sessions of youth work per week from 47 to 28; the remaining ones will be delivered in the areas of highest need and to disabled and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people.
• This will mean that the council will not be able to fund Local Area Youth Boards (see further information) from 1 April 2014.
• The service will continue to carry out countywide needs assessment exercises on an ongoing basis to ensure the sessions are delivered in the areas of greatest need. (With options two and three the work of the Local Area Youth Boards would include this.)

Option two

• Reduce the number of sessions of youth work per week from 47 to 25; the remaining ones will be delivered in the areas of highest need and to disabled and LGBT young people. 
• This will allow the team to develop three Local Area Youth Boards covering the north, central and south areas of the county from 1 April 2014.

Option three

• Reduce the number of sessions of youth work per week from 47 to 22; the remaining ones will be delivered in the areas of highest need and to disabled and LGBT young people.
• This will allow us to develop up to 12 Local Area Youth Boards which will cover the entire county from 1 April 2014.

Option four is any other suggestions and alternatives people may have, such as volunteers coming forward to take over the running of youth sessions, recognising that there is less money to spend on youth services.

Councillor Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for children's services, transformation and safeguarding, said: “We welcome your opinion on these options, each involving a reduction in youth club sessions. We know that the young people that use these sessions really value them. We are open to any other ideas you would like to put forward which take account of the budget pressures we face.”

At the end of the consultation the council will publish the results of this survey and will consider and take into account the responses. A decision-making session will be scheduled and the outcome will be announced publicly, shortly afterwards.

These changes, through staff leaving via voluntary redundancy, are expected to save the council around £140,000.

Further information

It is proposed that Local Area Youth Boards will be made up of young people (at least half), Shropshire, town and parish councillors, and adults from the community. These will assess the community's needs and have a small budget to buy services to fill gaps in youth provision.