15/03/11…..Thame’s MP challenges council over youth centres
LOCAL MP, John Howell, has expressed his disappointment that the County Council will not be setting up a hub for children and young people’s services in his constituency.
The MP had lobbied for there to be at least one ‘Early Intervention Hub’ in the constituency, but in a letter the County Council has said that it is not possible at the moment to stretch the funding to provide an eighth hub nor does it seem likely in the near future. The only hub in the whole of south Oxfordshire will now be in Didcot.
John explained: “Under the Council?s proposals, its children and young people provision will be concentrated in seven hubs, the principal role of which is to deal with improving outcomes for children who are disadvantaged or disengaged. Other children will have to fall back on local youth centres which will, therefore, by default have to play a much bigger role in providing services to local children and young people. These are also precisely the youth centres from which the Council is withdrawing funding.
“Many of these centres are at great distances from Didcot and there is no explanation of how useful links will be made in these circumstances.
John continued: “I am disappointed that my suggestion of an early intervention hub in the constituency has been rejected and that there will apparently be little help in providing the early preventative intervention to stop young people here becoming disengaged. There is also an issue here of fairness. The number of youth centres in this constituency from which funding is being withdrawn accounts for about a third of all those in a similar situation across the whole of the county. That is disproportionate.?
Where funding is being withdrawn communities will be able to bid for funds from the Council?s Big Society Fund to own and run the youth centres themselves.
On this, John commented: ?I am all for communities taking on the ownership and running of local services. Henley and Watlington, Chalgrove and Chinnor are good examples of local creativity in youth provision. Local communities anyway often make a much better job of running these services than local or central Government. I recognise too of course the need the council has to do things differently in order to save money.
?But this situation is very different from taking on an existing service and simply running it. First, the council is proposing major structural change in youth provision with the creation of the seven hubs. Secondly, it is asking local youth centres effectively to take on the Council?s aim to deliver good outcomes for all children and young people. Thirdly, it is doing that without first having made sure that those youth centres have a stable future ? whatever form that may take.?
John is urging all constituents to complete the council?s questionnaire April 4, and to ask for an eighth early intervention hub in the constituency.
SOURCE: Press release
