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Youth worker numbers slashed by 20%
5 July 2010
Figures obtained by Nick have shown that Lib Dems have slashed the number of youth workers in the city by 20% in the last 4 years.
Concerned by the lack of provision of a Youth Service in Westgate Ward, Nick asked the City Council for the number of council-employed youth workers over each of the last 5 years. The figures reveal that, in 2006 the Council employed 19 Full Time Equivalent staff providing a total of 703 work hours per week. However, by March 2010 this number had been reduced to 15.11 FTE staff, providing 559 work hours per week – a reduction of 20% whole time equivalent staff, and a cut in working hours of 20%. Nick said: “This is a stealth cut that has been imposed by the Lib Dems over a number of years. They’ve run down the Youth Service to the point where its future viability is in question, despite the biggest priority for many areas of the city being the lack of activities for young people. It’s no wonder we can’t get a service in Westgate if the staff numbers have been slashed like this, and I know it’s a similar picture for other wards.” “The way the Lib Dems have introduced Single Status (the pay review mechanism for council staff) has also had a devastating effect – many youth workers have faced a pay cut of up to £10k a year, which has demoralised staff and left them reeling.”
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