BBC News report 5 February 2014.

"A petition of more than 1,100 names has been gathered in two days calling on Wiltshire Council to protect its youth service and about 150 staff from cuts. Twenty-four youth centres were under threat from proposals to save £500,000 from the County's budget".

All Youth Services were cut and there are now no Wiltshire Council Youth Services in the Wiltshire. The buildings they provided are now sitting empty, request by community organisations to use them rejected and they are being sold off for development (to make money for Wiltshire council's increasingly expensive Privatised Services),

Voluntary organisations have since tried to fill the gap. It was a big challenge, and we get little help from Wiltshire Council. in fact their 'Risk Avers' policies make Safeguarding conditions so challenging that it is almost impossible to work with young people in Wiltshire. I know, I have bee trying to support youth and community initiatives for years

Wiltshire Councils appointment of 'Community Support Workers# looked like an attempt to encourage and help voluntary efforts, but these staff were soon cut back also. The pressure is now on for Voluntary Agencies to employ Staff, but there is not the funding and support available to do this.

As a result these voluntary Youth Services are being forced to closed. Those who remain have the additional pressure of dealing with increasingly frustrated and angry youths and constant criticisms from Wiltshire Safeguarding Teams concerned for being blamed for the possibilities of Safeguarding Issues that always arise.

Judging by the lack of positive support, it would appear that Wiltshire Council does not want any organised Youth Support and is not interested in Voluntary Community Services providing help to young people, even when qualified to do so. Further more, they frown o Young People using wider Community Services, because of possible Safeguarding Risks.

It appears that they fear supporting organisations which may be identified (or simply accused or criticised) for having 'challenging' youths attending. This is typical of their 'Risk Avers' approach to any services it provide. If the service presents a risk because they have cut back staffing, then better to close and leave those risks to others.

Their fear is that support of any Community Initiatives will give rise to 'Safeguarding Risks' (as they always do), that they fear they could be identified with, having provided support to the voluntary organisation. Their response is to demolish any Community initiative that may bring them into disrepute if the organisation is dealing with challenging youths.

This then leaves young people to their own devices, but presents no immediate risk of criticism of Wiltshire Council. Young people then feel completely abandoned outside of School/College time and the do what young people have always done under these circumstances. They make their own 'unsupervised entertainment, often involving alcohol, drugs, horseplay and even Antisocial Behaviour and Crime.

Well done Wiltshire Council and a special mention of the depleted Safeguarding Teams, who are more concerned for protecting themselves from possible criticism than keeping young and vulnerable people safe. As a result it has become almost impossible for Voluntary Organisations to operate safely, with proper support from Councils.

That fully explains why your young people are on the streets; meeting up with the wrong kind; are risk of engaging in excess alcohol & drugs; sexual molestation; bullying abuse of all kinds; knife crime and all the other risks that arise from having no supervised entertainment and occupation for young people.

Well Done Wiltshire Council - A Classic example of 'CareLess'

Please Sign the Petition and Share with friends and family.

Terry Couchman - Tel/Text: 07910173336