Plans to slash funding for youth services confirmed by Bexley Council

As of March this year, a further £220,000 of the staff budget - involving 27 members of youth service staff - will also be cut.

Although it’s not clear how many staff will lose their jobs, all are at risk of redundancy.

Photo from Bexley Public Cabinet meeting January 26

At a Bexley public cabinet meeting on Tuesday, director of children's services Jackie Tiotto confirmed a “staff consultation process” started a month ago.

She said: “We have not made a decision about who particularly and we want to have those decisions with our staff and all people who are brought to configure the service.”

A £49,000 grant for the Greater London South East Scout Council is also set to be lost by March.

Bexley Council is planning to strip the Danson Youth Trust of a £89,000 grant.

During the meeting the council claimed the restructure, which will target Bexley’s most vulnerable children - including those with special needs and those caught up in crime - is the right way forward.

In the build-up to the announced cuts, an online petition against changing the structure of youth services gained more than 2,000 signatures.

Kelly West in red puffer jacket and Dean West in black puffer jacket along with Charlie West to his left and Michael Cobb to the right of the frame

Bexleyheath dad Dean West, 43, of Woodside Lane, is worried that his 16-year-old son Charlie, who has autism, won’t be able to deal with the changes.

Mr West said: “The [youth] staff know what they need.

“Autistic children do not like change - it’s important things stay as it is because they know and like the carers.

“Taking that away from Charlie will be like cutting his right arm off.”

His wife Kelly West, 37, added: “It’s their own relaxation time and the parents talk to each other as well and there are probably more parents out there who think the same.”

Michael Cobb, 22, of Shakespeare Road, who is also autistic, told News Shopper: “I do not want any changes and I don’t want any cuts.”

An issue flagged at the meeting was the potential for youth services to become stigmatised.

Councillor Mabel Ogundayo said: “The message is being sent that Bexley is only willing to support them if they have needs or are vulnerable.”

Proposals that after-school activities could increase services for young people have been rejected by some of Bexley’s own teens.

Adam Thornborrow from Erith is worried about the future of youth services

Adam Thornborrow, 19, of Eastry Road, Erith, believes the support he received from youth services enabled him to overcome difficult issues as a teenager and gain employment as a marine engineer apprentice.

Mr Thornborrow first joined the youth service’s Kickstart Motor Project when he was 12-years-old.

The teen, who still volunteers at Kickstart, based at the Sidcup Youth Centre, said: "At the time I was being bullied at school and at the other clubs that I tried to attend.

“We are at school five days a week and the last place you want to be is at school.

“You do not feel as comfortable speaking to staff as you do to youth workers.

“You don’t have that confidence - if you have an issue at home they take the time to listen to you - youth workers are there to support you.”

The Bexley Kickstart team are worried about the future of all youth services - far left Trudy James - far right Adam Thornborrow

Parents are now questioning what children would do when schools close for the holidays.

Trudy James, 47, and her son Ryan, 16, from Lindon Close, are worried.

Ms James, who is also part of Kickstart, said: “You won’t get that family unit in a school and you’re not going to get it on school holidays.

“So where are young people going to go?

“What happens to children who have finished school?”

Following an independent review, Bexley Council believes the restructure, including £388,000 cuts, are a necessary step towards the estimated £56m required cuts by 2019/2020 - this figure on top of the £63m cuts made since 2011/2012.

Bexley Council meeting last night with Bexley teens in the background

Ms Tiotto added: “The review could not conclude that we were providing the best value for money we could get.”

Coun Philip Read said: “The money Bexley receives in grants from central government has been cut significantly and 55 per cent of our remaining income is spent on children and adult services - so we owe it to our residents to make sure we make the best decisions possible with their money.

Coun Philip Read, Northumberland Heath, Cabinet Member for Children's Services

“If that reduction in income means a change to services then we sometimes have to make those choices.”

A protest by the GMB Union - the body that represents Bexley’s full-time and part-time youth service workers - took place outside the civic offices.

They were demonstrating against the restructure expected to come into effect from July 1 of this year.

Bexley council believes the changes will streamline services 

If you have a story about Bexley's youth services and want to tell News Shopper, email james.parsons@london.newsquest.co.uk or tweet to @jame5parsons

Round-up: Everything you need to know about Bexley cuts to youth services

1. By March this year the £49,000 grant for the Greater London South East Scout Council will be taken away.

2. Bexley Council will be making a £89,000 reduction in its grant for the Danson Youth Trust - a new agreement is to be made.

3. As of March this year the £220,000 staff budget is to be cut - this will involve 27 members of staff involved with youth services - the equivalent of seven full-time positions. Although it’s not clear how many staff will be made redundant, the consultation process was started one month ago. The council has informed all staff that they are at risk. The decision about who will get the axe is to be decided after consultation.

4. In the public cabinet meeting’s agenda, £716,000 is expected to be “saved” in this restructuring.

5. The restructure is expected to come into effect July 1 of this year.

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