'Derbyshire’s young people shouldn’t pay for council mistakes' - say campaigners fighting the closure of 10 children’s centres and the axing of 132 jobs

Following Derbyshire County Council’s announced closure of 10 children’s centres and the axing of 132 jobs, the trade union launched a campaign to fight the cuts and staged a protest on Low Pavement.

The authority’s children services chief has blamed financial pressures and rising costs for the proposed closure of the centres across the region to help the authority meet a £3.9m savings target.

The Conservative-led council’s Cabinet will decide upon the proposed changes and new service model for the authority’s Early Help and Children’s Centres at a meeting on Monday, April 29, at County Hall, in Matlock, despite the majority of responses from a recent public consultation voicing opposition to most of the plans.

The protest comes on the same day as Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins is set to debate the funding and governance of Derbyshire County Council in the House of Commons.

Jobs could be lost in the council’s early intervention team which aims to identify and address key problems at the earliest stage for children. Studies show that work in this area not only saves money in the longer term but also stops children falling into harm or abuse, says UNISON.

The union is also trying to get to the bottom of why the council paid £56m to terminate their contract for a waste treatment plant in Sinfin.

UNISON East Midlands regional organiser Dave Ratchford said: “It remains an absolute mystery to us why the council paid a rubbish company nearly twice the amount it is now trying to save by cutting children’s care services.

“They terminated the contract after the company couldn’t deliver what they promised and now Derbyshire’s children are set to pay the price.”

He added: “We need to protect children and their families. We are hoping the public will support the campaign because this is about public services and it is about the future of families and children in Derbyshire.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Councillor Julie Patten, said: “It is with much regret that we find ourselves in the position of having to put these proposals in front of my cabinet colleagues, which will consider on Monday. If they are agreed we will work closely with the recognised trade unions to minimise the job losses as much as we can.

“We are facing pressures like never before, demand for social care support and spiralling costs of private placements for children in our care, that we have no control over, is costing the council dearly.

“We need to be able to balance our books, and unfortunately we must refocus the early help service.

“We recognise that this means that many of our colleagues will lose their jobs, and we will not be able to provide the same level of service as we have done. We will do all we can to find alternative jobs for those at risk of losing their jobs.

“But we will still be able to keep 12 children’s centres open, and carry on delivering those services which we have to legally. We have also found some extra funding so we can deliver more services to more families who need them.”