Handling of youth service cuts plan an 'insult'

The lack of public consultation into Croydon Council's handling of proposed youth service cuts is an "insult" to young people and their families, Labour MP Natasha Irons has said.

The Croydon East MP said the Conservative-led authority's approach shut out the very voices that should have been heard.

The council's Youth Engagement Team (YET) provides support and education services to young people living, working, or attending schools in Croydon, as well as their families.

A Croydon Council spokesperson said: "We are seeking to change the service to maximise help and support for the young people who need it most and in the most effective way."

The YET acts as a bridge between the council, voluntary organisations and young people to offer support including through a weekly youth hub in New Addington.

Charlene, a parent from New Addington, raised concerns about how the council's consultation was carried out and whether it genuinely captured young people's views.

"Two middle-aged white ladies came to the youth club. They didn't ask things in a way that gave [my son] the opportunity to express what he really felt," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Charlene described the New Addington youth club as essential to her children's development, adding: "The staff do such a good job at making everything seem conversational and natural. That's what makes the team so phenomenal at what it does and why it's so popular with the children."

The council - then run by Labour - began an internal consultation with staff in December following a decision to reduce core funding for the YET in March 2022.

Despite calls for a public consultation, no official announcement was made inviting families or residents to participate, according to the LDRS.

Ms Irons said she called for wider community involvement but was told the consultation had already closed.

"Croydon deserves a transparent public consultation process, not this backdoor approach, which leaves us with more questions than answers," she said in a statement.

"The report due to be published by the council this month must clearly outline how it plans to protect youth services in areas like New Addington and ensure that young people across Croydon have access to the support and resources they deserve."

A Croydon Council spokesperson told the LDRS it had consulted with staff, parents, schools, young people and voluntary sector partners throughout the review, adding that its wider investment in youth services, including £271,000 in Violence Reduction Unit funding, was distributed in 2023.

A further £200,000 has been committed for 2025-26 to support youth outreach and mentoring through local community organisations, the council said.

Its consultation report will be discussed at a scrutiny meeting on 13 May.

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