JOBS will be lost at Connexions – the local authority-owned company which provides advice, support and guidance to young people in the 13-19 age group in the Warrington and Cheshire areas – as a result of a 24 per cent cut in council funding.
Cost of redundancy payments would be about £1.2 million – enough for the company to become insolvent.
But Warrington and the two other authorities which control Connexions – Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester – have agreed to cover the redundancy costs, provided there is ongoing dialogue on the level of service the company provides.
Warrington’s share will be about £300,000.
Connexions will require a change of leadership to develop an alternative business model with a view to securing national contracts when a new career guidance service is introduced by the government next year, or possibly as early as September this year.
Town Hall chiefs at Warrington have been told the re-designed Connexions contract will ensure the varied needs of the most vulnerable young people will be met through a more targeted focus to the service.
Warrington currently owns 25 per cent of Connexions, which means the two Cheshire authorities own the majority holding.
All three councils funded the company through government grants which have been cut by 24 per cent and, due to the severity of the cut, agreed to pass it on to Connexions.
This means the value of the contract to Connexions will be £4,596,500, of which Warrington’s share will be £500,000.
Further talks are going on to ensure the downsizing of the company is “safe and transparent.”
Cllr Sheila Woodyatt, Warrington’s executive member for education and young people, says in a report to the executive board: “The service specification has been designed to ensure that our responsibilities are met.
“However, as we move forward it will be essential that we consult with young people about how the specification is to be delivered.
“Services to young people are going through a significant period of change and developments are unclear. However a range of key activities still need to take place.”
JOBS will be lost at Connexions - the local authority-owned company
which provides advice, support and guidance to young people in the 13-19
age group in the Warrington and Cheshire areas - as a result of a 24
per cent cut in council funding.
Jobs to go at youth advice service
1212 Comments
Share.
About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
12 Comments
So, in a period of rising unemployment, with the cost of higher education expected to at least double, and the disappearance of the EMA, the people who are dedicated to helping young people negotiate their way through the maze of education and employment get slaughtered.
Trebles all round!
Yes but look on the bright side, these savings and many others like it allow us to invest £10 million on solar farms! Our carbon footprint is reduced and we get to save the planet again.
If all that Connexions did was provide careers and employment advice, your comment might be reasonable. But they don’t, the bulk of their time and our money is spent on providing other forms of advice, and in effect acting as a social services department. As with all such organisations there is much duplication of what they offer.
http://www.connexions-direct.com/
I understand that no contracts have been signed, therefore no firm committment to spend £10 million on solar energy, just some ideas being bounced around and probably testing public opinion. I doubt if it will ever go ahead reading one of the other headlines in today’s section.
” and in effect acting as a social services department.”
Yes, maybe because social services are too stretched themselves?
Of course Connexions offer more than just advice and guidance around careers and education, I’d say that makes it more important to maintain levels of service, not less. Btw, this is the second round of cuts y’know, they’ve alreaady lost the equivalent of (I think) 13 staff in the last few months.
“I understand that no contracts have been signed, therefore no firm commitment to spend £10 million on solar energy, just some ideas being bounced around and probably testing public opinion.” If that was the case why was it explicitly in their budget paper? Ian Marks kept going on about how brilliant his consultation was…but there was no mention of the solar farm on there…surely that’s the time to “bounce ideas”? If there is no intention to build the solar farm then this is just a cheap political trick to grab headlines…you’d think lessons would have been learnt from the awful “Jo Crotty election campaign”
Some may say it’s testing the waters but I think this has more to do with a man with a job title trying to justify keeping it. Mike Biggin would no doubt argue he’s simply remaining focused on the task in hand while others would call it being blinkered and out of touch with reality.
A case can probably be made for every single idea and service, every one having some degree of merit and good intentions. But if you can’t afford them you have to learn to live without them. Printing or borrowing money to subsidize fringe items and services is the road to destruction.
Can’t argue with the theory, but the young are the future. So dumping them out with the rubbish is not really the way to go. WBC have failed the Youth for years. The Youth Service was a disaster and Connexions took ages getting to grips with what was needed.
I actully agree with Figtifino, Some of the service that Connexions provide is within schools eg for kids coming upto subject option choices time, school leaving age and on areas such as further education/apprenticeships/employment opportunities etc etc. They also offer similar services after kids have left school/college. This is NOT the same as the services offered by the likes Social Services and like already said Solial Services have enough areas to cover without taking on the responsibility of educational/employment help. With unemployment being at a record high again and funding for apprenticeships, training, colleges, universities and everything else being cut left right and centre youngsters will need the likes of Connexions more and more if the want to avoid the dole queue. Isn’t it about time that Shella Woodyatt put her hat and coat on and finally retired before she rattles too many more cages with her twaddle and lack of understanding !
I’m looking forward to the ‘consultation’, especially when I’ve been ranting about this since July last year…
Over 400 young people opposed this online, with 100 protesting in January this year, and over 20 young people lobbying at Monday’s Meeting.
But of course, the Council know best for young people 😉
“fringe items”, eh?
Way to motivate our young people, Eric.
Still, so long as our talented and successful bankers continue to get their well deserved bonuses at our expense, I’m sure we’ll all be fine.