Budget cuts hit teams who help troubled youths
8:55am Tuesday 6th September 2011 in Your Town
BOLTON Council is slashing £160,000 off the budget of two crack teams who tackle troubled youths on the street.
The youth inclusion team and juvenile response team, both of which have been instrumental in dealing with youngsters at risk of offending, are now set to merge as part of the council’s wider cost cutting programme.
Children’s Services is axing four full-time posts but also creating four new part-time youth worker positions on the front-line as well as another two full time roles.
The new team will also have less to spend on tailored activities for troubled teens and will instead try to direct them towards already established mainstream projects, such as Bolton Lads and Girls Club.
Staff were told of the changes and job losses yesterday.
Cllr Nick Peel, executive member for Children’s Services said: “This is something we really want to continue doing as well as we can, so the changes have actually led to an increase in workers on the ground.”
The council previously received £275,000 from the government for the two teams.
That money has now gone, but Children’s Services has found funds from its mainstream budget to keep what it sees as a vital service running.
However the new Targeted Youth Supportteam’s budget for activities for youths in Bolton has been cut by £140,000 to just £80,000.
Cllr Peel added: “There will be challenges for the service now to better use the activities budget that remains.
“These teams in the past have dealt with the kids that are most disengaged and are going into anti-social behaviour.
“In light of the national situation and what we have seen in terms of the riots, this is not something that the council wants to pull away from.
“Our presence on the streets has not only been maintained here, but increased.”
The council is now undertaking a twomonth consultation period with staff affected by the changes.
Florence Hill, children’s services convener for Unison, said it was a blow that the money was no longer available but added: “There is recognition from the local authority about the important work that is done.
“And management are working with Unison to retain this service with the money they have to support vulnerable children.”
