Thirty jobs axed in Dudley youth centre cuts

Dudley Council has cut £200,000 from the youth service budget as part of wider plans for £27 million of savings.

Voluntary groups will be drafted in to help run some of the activities at the borough's seven youth centres.

The council today confirmed 27 youth workers had left through voluntary redundancy and six people were being redeployed to other roles within the authority.

The hours covered by the staff equate to six full-time equivalent roles, the council said.

It runs centres at Halesowen, Lye, Wordsley, Gornal, Dudley, Russells Hall and Coseley and activities for young people aged up to 25.

Although they have pledged not to close any centres at this stage, bosses want to reduce the amount of activity sessions run by the council and transfer them to voluntary and community groups.

But they have pledged that there would be no reduction in the amount of activities and services provided.

The youth service runs holiday clubs, sports and information advice and guidance.

Youth workers also help people to access to a variety of alternative accreditations including Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Council leader Pete Lowe said: "The required savings through redundancies have now been made after 5.3 full time equivalent posts left through voluntary redundancy.

"We are currently looking to redeploy the remaining 0.7 full time equivalent post elsewhere in the authority.

"Meanwhile, in terms of the continued delivery of good quality youth work throughout the borough, we are working with local voluntary organisations to support their capacity to develop universal youth work provision and we continue to deliver targeted early help youth work to more vulnerable young people in the borough."

The council is proposing savings of £22.9m for 2015/16, moving up to £25.3m by 2016/17 and £27.4m by 2017/18.

But the council has warned it faces a deficit of approaching £30m by 2017/18 if additional savings are not found.

In March, the the council made a U-turn on plans to scrap free transport to nurseries following a petition signed by more than 800 people.

Bosses had originally proposed the transport service for children attending specialist nurseries be cut as part of its budget proposals for 2015/16.

But the scheme was withdrawn following consultations with parents and the tabling of an amendment by the borough's Conservative group at a full council meeting. The controlling Labour group accepted the amendment and it was passed by councillors.

The authority currently pays for dozens of children with additional needs to travel to specialist nurseries in the borough but says it is not legally required to do so.