Union outrage over plan to close Liverpool children’s home

Jan 31 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

ANGRY union protesters chanted with banners outside a full council meeting last night against staff losing their jobs.

The Joint Trade Union Committee (JTUC) crowded outside Liverpool Town Hall blaming the cost of Capital of Culture activities for 67 staff at a children’s home facing compulsory redundancy.

The JTUC claims the difference between offering the staff voluntary severance and redundancy is around £230,000 – the same amount given as a pay-off to former Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow.

A JTUC spokesman said: “People are effectively being sacked because of the incompetence and wastage of this council.”

The redundancies follow the council’s decision to close Gladstone House, an 18-bed secure home in Fazakerley.

Officials blamed rising costs, empty beds and overspends of £1m a year for their decision.

Funded by the Youth Justice Board for England (YJB), the board refused to renew the funding contract and the council said it could therefore “not justify subsidising a centre for children from outside the area”.

Labour spokesperson for children’s services, Cllr Jane Corbett, said the council was “shortsighted” for closing an excellent facility with dedicated highly trained staff.

She said: “There have been no guarantees how many staff will be redeployed.

“They haven’t been offered voluntary severance like they should have been, as only a few are likely to be offered suitable positions elsewhere.

“It is shortsighted to close Gladstone House after the new chair of the YJB only recently said young offenders should be placed in local authority secure homes where the outcomes are better than other options.”

Cllr Corbett argues the YJB failed to sign a new funding contract because Live rpool council had included two welfare beds into the contract, pushing costs up from £597.50 per night per bed for 16 beds up to £708 per night, per bed for all 18 beds.

The YJB decided funding 18 beds instead of 16 would cost them an additional £1m.

Cllr Corbett said: “Liverpool City Council should have done more to attract neighbouring local authorities to use the welfare beds.

“Gladstone House is used by young males from Liverpool and Merseyside, and with such big problems of drug crime and gangs in north Liverpool I can’t believe we are planning to close one of the best homes in the country.”

Cllr Corbett submitted a list of questions surrounding the clos- ure at a meeting of the Children’s Services Select Committee.

In their response finance and legal services at Liverpool council blamed declining occupancy levels of the welfare beds from 89% in 2004/5 to 22% in 2007/8, with the council budget relying on the income they generate.

It says efforts were made to promote Gladstone’s facilities but the trend continued.

In response to the question “If the council were not facing such a grave financial crisis would Gladstone House be closing at this time?” the answer reads “There are other budget pressures in social care services for children and action is being taken to address all of these.”

laurasharpe