Council cuts loom over teen pregnancy services - Neil Puffett, C&YPN 12/1/2010
Fears have been raised about the impact of council cuts on teenage pregnancy and sexual health services as local authorities set about finalising budgets for the next financial year.
Amid tough economic conditions, potential cuts have come to light at local authorities including Birmingham and Nottinghamshire, while politicians in Oxfordshire made a u-turn on proposed savings.
The latest potential cuts are in Swindon, where last week it emerged teenage pregnancy funding may be trimmed by £25,000 under new budget proposals.
It is feared cuts in other authorities will emerge as politicians set budgets in time for the new financial year in April.
Gill Frances, chair of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, said she is concerned that all the talk coming from the frontline is of cuts.
"Given the fact that in many areas teenage pregnancy and sexual health work is not actually effectively established, cuts would result in increased teenage pregnancy rates and worse sexual health.
"Cuts would be a false economy because they will cost more in the short and long term."
In Nottinghamshire the council is considering reducing spending on its teenage pregnancy team by £30,000.
Birmingham Council is also looking to make £1m of savings to its youth service, cuts that are expected to impact on teenage pregnancy services.
Oxfordshire County Council has opted against savings originally earmarked in the youth service of £2.3m over five years in favour of cuts of up to £350,000 from 2012.