CAMPAIGNERS will be on City Hall’s steps in Bradford next week protesting against job losses and cuts in Children’s Services.

Unite the Union will be supporting Bradford People’s Assembly at the protest from noon until 2pm on December 12.

George Williamson from Bradford People’s Assembly is hoping as many people as possible will turn out to add their support to stop cut backs of hundreds of jobs and “a drastic reduction” in the prevention and early help services provided by Children’s Services.

The plans are out for public consultation until February and on Tuesday the Council’s Executive will hear a motion from Bolton and Undercliffe’s Independent councillor David Ward urging the Council to give more details about where the proposed job losses would be made.

Mr Williamson said the protest next week was also is against changes that would be made to the way Bradford’s Prevention and Early Help is delivered. He said if the plans are rolled out it would mean there would be just one worker helping a family with children aged 0-19 or 0-25 if a child has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Any changes would come into effect next October, before being fully implemented by 2020.

“This means that regardless as to how complex the needs are of the family, just one worker will be responsible for helping the family,” he said.

Andy Dye , regional organiser for Unite said the plans would also be to downgrade children’s centres even though they are used by more than 22,000 children aged 0 to 4 each year. He said there were also plans to reduce many teams.

“Unite have been very clearly opposed to these cuts from the very start and we have made it very clear that we will do all that we can to defend our members against job cuts.”

Councillor Val Slater, Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Central Government cuts mean we are having to take out £13.3 million by 2020/21, that is one third out of the Early Help budget - something none of us want to do. But we have to use the money we have left to the best advantage for the families who need it. The new arrangements are currently being consulted on, no decision will be made until April 2018. Naturally people have a right to protest but until Government starts to address our major concerns regarding funding for children’s social care, then we have to manage with the limited funding we have.”