A Cut Above.

JOBS look set to be in jeopardy across Lancashire children’s homes and young people’s services as part of a major cuts package.

Good start, but why can't we use the word "Children" anymore? What does "Young People" really mean?

Conservative leaders at County Hall claim they have tried to minimise the impact on frontline operations, following reductions in Government grants totalling £22million.
But opposition councillors insist the most vulnerable will be hit hardest by a raft of spending cuts announced today.

Of course they do. That's another word I don't quite understand anymore. Vulnerable. What makes these people vulnerable? Vulnerable to whom, or what?

Around £400,000 will be saved from staffing costs at Lancashire’s children’s homes, with another £150,000 reduction earmarked for the young people’s service.

According to the Young People's Service Website, Young People are, in fact, children. So what does the YPS do that is such a vital frontline service for the vulnerable?

What do we do?

The YPS provides young people aged 11-25* and living in Lancashire with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to – so that no matter where you live, what you are interested in or what issues you face, we hope we have something to offer you.
Whether you need practical help and support, information, advice or guidance or just want to join in something that’s fun, where you can make friends, the new YPS will have something for you.

So nothing important then. Nothing that couldn't be done by private business or even parents. Or even by children themselves, playing outside, jumpers for goalposts etc.

General job reviews across the children and young people’s and environment directorates will reduce spending by £961,000.
Labour leader Coun Jennifer Mein said the cuts were ‘unnecessary’ as Chancellor George Osborne did not need to reduce the area-based grant for councils this year.

Of course she did. £961,000 is a fair old chunk of cash. Cash that we would be better off saving in this economic climate regardless off her perceived "need" for reductions. The country has a huge deficit. Surely if we can save money then we should. Of course the "its not fair" lefties won't see it that way.

Coun Mohamed Iqbal, who represents Brierfield and Nelson North, said: “Clearly the Tory-controlled county council is following the lead of its coalition nationally.
“It would appear the most vulnerable, including young people and the elderly, will be hardest hit.”

There are those vulnerable again. How are the elderly going to be affected by cuts to children's homes and the YOUNG Peoples Service. Lefty whiners just seem to trot out the standard party line. And I ask again, who or what are the young and elderly vulnerable to, that Mr Iqbal feels a need to protect them from, at the expense of the tax payer. Lets look at that quote from the YPS again:

The YPS provides young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to

So are  children vulnerable because they have nothing to do? Does Mr Iqbal need our money to protect other peoples children from the hideous monster of boredom? I think not.

Cuts of £50,000 to the teenage pregnancy service and £300,000 for the Connexions careers service also alarmed Hyndburn county councillor Ciaran Wells.
Coun Wells, of Great Harwood, added: “Unfortunately it appears that they are making choices which affect those who are least able to stand up for themselves in society.”

So pregnant teenagers need our money to help them stand up for themselves. What bollocks. I have a support service for pregnant teenagers that won't cost the taxpayer a penny. Parents.

And Mr Wells, as to the careers service. There is school and the job centre for that. We don't need to spend £300,000 to tell a bunch of underachievers that they would be better off, well, pregnant.

Other spending cuts, including £500,000 saved on the Pennine Reach quality bus route and the closure of Padiham household waste centre, have been reported previously.

A quality bus service should pay for itself. Period.

Council leader Coun Geoff Driver said: “We have asked managers to find ways of protecting them by saving money from non-frontline activities.
“But there is no escaping the fact Lancashire has to contribute to relieving the huge burden on public finances nationally.

Well said Mr Driver

“I am very clear that I will do my absolute utmost to protect services for the most vulnerable in the county.”

Oh, and you started so well.

The cuts total £10.98million, with £10million worth of performance grant-related schemes, across a range of directorates, having already been shelved.

Once the bleating has stopped, I doubt we will even notice these "services" missing.

*OK. 11-25 covers more than just children. I still prefer the term, Children and young adults, though.