Campaigners call for action as cuts ‘hit vulnerable families’

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on a Yorkshire council to reverse its cuts to children’s services, 
claiming the shake-up is affecting some of the most vulnerable families.

Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance has called on the city council to re-think cuts which activists claim are hitting families, single parents, disabled children and first-time mothers.

Outreach and early years engagement staff are based in Sheffield’s remaining Sure Start centres, which have already been hit hard by major funding cuts earlier this year.

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Activists say that workers are facing redundancy as a result of council cuts.

A spokesman for Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance said: “Prevention workers are based in Sheffield’s remaining Sure Start centres and provide vital support services to families, single parents, disabled children, first time mums - in fact the most vulnerable people in some of our most deprived communities.

“This often undervalued work really does help to bind hard pressed communities together, create and sustain essential support networks, and help to give young children a secure and loving start in life.”

Members of the Alliance will be gathering outside Sheffield Town Hall on Saturday to gather signatures for a petition.

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They are hoping to reach 5,000 signatures in time for a meeting of full council on November 5.

The petition calls on the council to save outreach/early years workers from redundancy.

It asks a series of questions of senior councillors, including:

* Why has funding ceased for Sure Start children’s centre prevention services?

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* Why has time been spent on putting out a tender to provide prevention services “which was bound to fail”?

* Why has the tendering process been abandoned, causing staff to lose their jobs?

* What consultation has taken been before the service was withdrawn?

Over 100 people have already signed the online petition.

A spokesman for the Alliance added: “With the country already scandalised by the failures of children’s services in other local authorities, surely it is madness to hastily reverse the tendering process for child prevention services in Sheffield and make these essential and important workers redundant.”

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Last night a spokeswoman for the city council said: “Prevention services have been contracted out for a number of years as these were coming to an end we reviewed and re-specified those contracts.

“The local authority ran its normal tender process for all contracts to ensure a fair and transparent process.

“The tender offered a seven month contract and an opportunity to become part of a framework which enabled them to apply for future contracts.

“As with all contracts run by any Local Authority the organisations who secure these contracts must ensure they have appropriate arrangements in place for all staff when those contracts end.”

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The spokeswoman said those who had been awarded contracts had refused them.

“Let’s be clear organisations were invited to bid and did bid for the contract however, those awarded the contracts refused them.

“This being the case the council had no option but to review the tender and ask officers to explain to parents and carers what had happened and ask them to help us find creative solutions.”

Last year campaigners protested when the city council reorganised 36 early years centres into 17 hub centres. The changes led to some job losses among staff.

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Staff and parents described the move as a “disgrace” and protested outside the town hall.

The city council said cuts meant that it had to reduce its overall spending. The cuts have forced the council to make savings of £200m over four years.

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