Green Party

A last ditch effort will be mounted tomorrow (Mon) to halt crippling cuts to Norfolk’s youth careers service, Connexions.

The Conservative controlled County Council is planning a 50% cut to the service to save £2.8m. Sixty five jobs are expected to go. That’s because grants from the new coalition government to help cover the cost have been slashed.

At 0830 tomorrow (Mon Sept 6th) Green Party County Councillors will join a protest demonstration outside County Hall organised by the UNISON union with Connexions staff and young people who have been their clients.

At the council meeting which follows later in the morning, Green Party and Liberal Democrat councillors will table similar proposals to find more money to maintain the Connexions service, which helps thousands of youngsters every year.

Green County Councillor Andrew Boswell said:

“Neither of the opposition parties is saying we have the absolute answer, and there are different approaches available. But both feel that with the politics of the possible and more creative financial thinking that it is possible to find at least £1m to save the service. We have a willingness to look at the government cuts and to work towards the best possible deal for Norfolk youngsters. But the Conservative administration seems bent on passing on the cuts to the front line services in an ideologically driven way.”

Councillor Boswell will point out that a number of other local authorities, including Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesborough and Stockton councils, have found ways to save their Connexions service.

Last month an Eastern Daily Press editorial described the plan for Norfolk as “a cut that is too deep and wrongly targeted. It would hurt a group of people who need our help, not hindrance. And it could potentially be counterproductive for Norfolk’s economy.” Green councillors will remind the meeting of an Audit Commission report which found that the benefits of successful intervention with young people, as offered by the Connexions service, saved more expensive problems developing later on, a saving which amounted to £200,000 per individual. As well as offering careers advice, Connexions is also involved with drug, alcohol, homelessness and sexual health issues.

Write a comment

• Required fields are marked with *.

Name:
Email:
Website:
Subject:
Comment: *

Help prevent spam - enter security code above:
 

Banjo
Posts: 1

zrLuXthTAlhOoYkfLB
Reply #1 on : Sat June 25, 2011, 19:23:09

---

You ralely saved my skin with this information. Thanks!