Agenda item - Proposed changes and developments to the Council’s Youth Work Service

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Committee note the response to consultation on proposed changes to the service and notes the full Equalities Impact Assessment of those changes.

(2)  That the Committee notes the changes in the council’s Youth Work Service as set out in this report, given the decision of Budget Council to agree to a £400,000 saving in the budget.

(3)  That the Committee notes the proposal to continue to commission open access youth work from the Youth Collective as described in paragraph 3.15 of the report.

73.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Children’s Services on proposed changes to the Council’s Youth Work Service and the development of a new delivery model. The report was introduced by the Assistant Director Stronger Families Youth and Communities.

73.2    Councillor Philips felt that the Equalities Impact Assessment was not detailed enough, and said she would not be able to support the recommendations.

73.3    Councillor Daniel noted that that the report says that young people were consulted but not what decision was reached following that consultation. She referred to the transition arrangements and said that it would have been useful for the report to have set out why some interventions were good.

73.4    Mr Darvas said that if the cuts were implanted it would be additional pressure on the youth service workers and said he hoped that other bodies would be able to pick up the work which could no longer be undertaken. He referred to paragraph 3.25 of the report and suggested that it would be useful to have a young person on any Shadow Board.

73.5    The Chair reminded the Committee that Central Government had made cuts to funding and Budget Council had agreed to reduce the service funding by £400k, and therefore cuts had to be made. He said that the Council would be working with the community and voluntary sector to see what they could provide.

73.6    Councillor Brown said that no one wanted to cut the service, but accepted that it had to be done.

73.7    Councillor Wealls said that he felt that there was insufficient financial information in the report and he agreed with Councillor Phillips that the Equality Impact Assessment was not detailed enough and he would abstain from voting.

73.8    Mr Jones said that the equalities impact needed to be monitored. He said that young people had been involved in the consultation but not in the actual decisions.

73.9    Councillor Phillips was concerned that if the Equalities Impact Assessment did no have sufficient information that the Council could be open to a Judicial Review. The solicitor referred the Committee to the Legal Implications section in the report, and reminded members that they needed to be sure that they felt that they had sufficient information to make a decision. The Chair asked if a decision had to be made today, and the Executive Director Children’s Services said it should as Budget Council had already agreed to the cut in funding and so a decision should be made. Councillor Daniel said that if the youth services had not collected the data it could not be included in the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA). Mr Jones said that if Budget Council had agreed to the cuts the EIA must have been considered. The solicitor said that the Committee needed to be satisfied that the Council were meeting its statutory duty.

73.10  Councillor Brown proposed that Recommendation 2 be amended to say ‘The Committee noted the changes in the council’s Youth Work Service as set out in this report, given the decision of Budget Council to agree to a £400,000 saving in the budget’. Councillor Wealls seconded the amendment. The Committee voted and agreed the amendment.

73.11  The solicitor suggested that if the Committee were concerned about any potential legal challenge it would be useful to add a resolution that the Committee noted the proposal to continue to commission open access youth work from the Youth Collective. Councillor Barradell therefore proposed that a third recommendation be added to read ‘The Committee notes the proposal to continue to commission open access youth work from the Youth Collective as described in paragraph 3.15 of the report’. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Daniel. The Committee voted and agreed the proposal.

73.12  RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Committee note the response to consultation on proposed changes to the service and notes the full Equalities Impact Assessment of those changes.

(2)  That the Committee notes the changes in the council’s Youth Work Service as set out in this report, given the decision of Budget Council to agree to a £400,000 saving in the budget.

(3)  That the Committee notes the proposal to continue to commission open access youth work from the Youth Collective as described in paragraph 3.15 of the report.