Wolverhampton City Council is launching a consultation into proposals to modernise the service, which it says will enable it to provide youth services at more locations around the city.
The proposals also seek to save around £750,000 over the next two years as part of the city council's wider efforts to save £100 million between now and 2018.
Rob Willoughby, Wolverhampton City Council's Assistant Director for Safeguarding, Business Support and Community Services, said: "The city council, like many other authorities across the country, is facing unprecedented pressures on its finances. We have to find savings of around £100 million over the next 5 years and so we are rightly looking very closely at everything we do.
"As part of this, we are reviewing the Youth Service and have come up with a number of proposals which we believe will enable us to make these savings while continuing to provide a wide range of services to young people by focusing on key areas and delivering the maximum impact with the resources available.
"We're also determined to increase the number of young people who are able to access our services by making them more widely available across the city than is the case at present."
The proposals seek to increase the amount of time that youth workers spend with young people face to face, while steps will be taken to make youth projects more widely available across the city.
These include developing up to 40 community-based youth clubs which the council says would provide more cost-effective youth services, and piloting a mobile music service which would operate in youth clubs around Wolverhampton. Another pilot will enable young people to launch commercial and social enterprises at the Epic Youth Café.
At the same time, existing youth club provision will be reviewed, with poorly used services potentially being re-provided by the voluntary sector, while the number of weeks that youth clubs provide services will reduce from 48 to 44 per year, focusing on providing services during periods of higher demand. Management and back office functions will be reviewed and streamlined as required.
Rob added: "It's important that young people, and their families, have their say on the proposals so that we can ensure that they will meet the needs of local people."
Youth club members have been invited to have their say at meetings at their local club, though young people who aren't a youth club member can take part in a drop-in session which will be arranged at Epic Youth Café on Lichfield Street. Further details will be announced as soon as they are available.
People can also find out more about the proposals and share their opinions at the following Local Neighbourhood Partnership meetings:
- Heathfield LNP, New Trust Centre, Wednesday 8 May, 2013
- Ettingshall LNP, Bilston Pentecostal Church, Tuesday 14 May, 2013
- Tettenhall LNP, Kings School, Friday 17 May, 2013
- Penn/Merry Hill LNP, Highfields Science Specialist School (to be confirmed), Tuesday 21 May, 2013
- Wednesfield & Fallings Park LNP, New Testament Church of God, Thursday 23 May, 2013
- Whitmore Reans PACT, location to be confirmed, Tuesday 4 June, 2013
- Blakenhall LNP, Blakenhall Community and Healthy Living Centre, Wednesday 5 June, 2013
- East Park LNP, Brooklands Parade Church, Thursday 6 June, 2013
- Springvale LNP, Lanesfield Community Centre, Tuesday 11 June, 2013
- Bantock LNP, Tractor Shed, Bantock House, Wednesday 19 June, 2013
There will also be meetings at Oxley LNP, Low Hill LNP and Bilston North and Bilston East LNP on dates to be confirmed.
Anyone who cannot attend one of the meetings can find out more about the proposals by calling Robin Morris on 01902 555117 or emailing youth.service@wolverhampton.gov.uk.
The consultation is due to continue until Monday 15 July, 2013, and a final decision will subsequently be made by Cabinet this summer.
- released: Friday 3 May, 2013