Cutting the Grass According to Our Means

[mk1]

.. shrink the state and procure those services to make private profit, its not rocket science.

Indeed nor is it rocket science to note who has stepped into the breach and started making themselves a  pile of cash from the situation. Step forward your local Labour Councillor..................

[ARC86]

Well clav 73 im afraid you are a bit misguided if you think MRA are the only voluntary sector organisation in town.. if you wish to tar them all with the same brush carry on, you do yourself and the town and all the people who work and volunteer at these organisations a dis-service in doing so

MK1 there are numerous organisations who are council funded already, so your point is a bit redundant really

[mk1]

MK1 there are numerous organisations who are council funded already, so your point is a bit redundant really

Wait for the trial dear boy, wait for the trial.......................

[DRiddle]

i think it would be a smart move in future for youth provision to move across to the voluntary sector under current council guidelines kike we do now at various youth projects in town.. the reality is most council workers are moving over to the private sector where possible such as dinner ladies and cleaners, for me this was all part of the tory localism agenda from the start.. shrink the state and procure those services to make private profit, its not rocket science.

Absolute rubbish on various levels in my opinion ARC86. I'll also answer your "What are the alternatives/solutions?" at the same time.

In terms of youth provision moving across to the voluntary sector, why do we need to do that? Why do we need to finance and maintain centres like Rossmere, Throston etc and pay to have them stood empty for large proportions of the day?

The answer, in my opinion, is to transfer youth provision to schools and/or colleges. Schools are already resourced, insured, health and safety audited and equipped (sports facilities, wifi etc.) to support a multitude of activities for young people. Staff are already trained and experienced in working with children and could be paid overtime and/or specialist youth workers could be paid by the hour as required.

This would utilise the facilities during the hours in which schools and colleges are typically closed. (you don't need youth centres in the day time because the youths are at school right?) It used to happen many years ago in Hartlepool at various schools and worked very well at minimum cost.

As for services like dinner ladies and cleaners being privatised, you're right in that a lot of places do it. However, the really smart organisations have moved away from outsourcing things like their dinner ladies, cleaners and catering.

I know of one large educational provider in our region who were paying a 6 figure sum to private caterers. At the end of the contract they transferred their catering facilities to an 'in house' situation and turned a 6 figure cost into a small profit (improving the quality of the food and creating jobs at the same time).

Privatisation is the Tory way right? The large state is the Labour way. There is a middle ground where private sector initiatives can be utilised to do third sector good.

It is all about thinking smarter... and there's a lot more to that than how many times you cut your grass. 

[mk1]

Well clav 73 im afraid you are a bit misguided if you think MRA are the only voluntary sector organisation in town..

It is the only one with so many Labour councillors involved in it.

[ARC86]

Sorry David the key difference is school is mandatory, youth centres are voluntary, young people dont choose to go to school they have to, but they do choose to go to a youth centre.. basing Youth Centres in schools would be a disaster, young people these days go to youth centres for the exact opposite reason your suggesting, because it is not a school, it is an outlet set far away from the school as possible. It is imperative it stays this way, any youth worker worth their salt will tell you this.

[mk1]

Sorry David the key difference is school is mandatory, youth centres are voluntary, young people dont choose to go to school they have to, but they do choose to go to a youth centre.. basing Youth Centres in schools would be a disaster, young people these days go to youth centres for the exact opposite reason your suggesting, because it is not a school, it is an outlet set far away from the school as possible. It is imperative it stays this way, any youth worker worth their salt will tell you this.

Ah so 'Youth Centres' are there to cater for those kids who don't like schools............
Err where do the kids who do not hate school go or are they not a target group for you?

Many moons ago I was in a group which used to meet in the huts in Lister Street school playground and it was never a problem.
Taking your opinion to extremes perhaps you should hold your 'Youth Club' in Ward Jackson Park after dark?

[ARC86]

I am aware we had youth centres in schools in the 80s and 90s, but we now live in different times as i know your aware. How many of your pupils come and talk to you about their sex life or ask you for condoms, it happens every day in a youth work setting.. i would also add we need to maintain an outreach system to reach out to those disenfranchised young people.

[ARC86]

Would you care to point out where i have said that MK1, every young oerson is different, if you think as a youth worker we treat young people differently because of their background then you are just plain wrong. Each young person has there own needs and are catered for as such. are you a youth worker? Do you talk to young people every day? Do you help young people with issues that are disturbing them? Could you put young people in touch with services they require?

[mk1]

I am aware we had youth centres in schools in the 80s and 90s, but we now live in different times as i know your aware. How many of your pupils come and talk to you about their sex life or ask you for condoms, it happens every day in a youth work setting.. i would also add we need to maintain an outreach system to reach out to those disenfranchised young people.

I thought that was what the 'Rifty' bus was for?



I believed it has been scrapped now.

[mk1]

are you a youth worker? Do you talk to young people every day? Do you help young people with issues that are disturbing them? Could you put young people in touch with services they require?

I have a very close relative who does exactly that so  please try and impress someone else with your 'unique' understanding...................

[ARC86]

Well then dont try and pick my brain about something you know nothing about

[mk1]

Well then dont try and pick my brain about something you know nothing about

Now now boy. Remember how you came a cropper a while back when you tried to dazzle me with your(rather shallow) Union insider experience?

What could I know compared to  a self-proclaimed expert like you............

[ARC86]

Good final point, absolutely nowt!!

[DRiddle]

I wrote a long reply ARC but my computer froze...

school is mandatory

You're wrong on this point above and you're wrong in the bulk of your responses to me.