East London News A Force for the community…
Cllr Oli Rahman talks to protestors.
East London News: On 14th March, at a Cabinet meeting, the Mayor took a formal decision to “bring the youth service back in house”. Currently, the Council sells contracts to various other organisations to provide a youth service in specified parts of the Borough. The Mayor’s decision ends that system. The youth service is to be managed directly by a Council team, working direct with the providers of youth services at local level. East London News spoke to Cllr Oli Rahman (“the people’s Oli”), Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, about this decision.
ELN: Why did the Mayor decide to bring the Youth Service back in house?
Cllr Rahman: We were worried about the cost of the middle tier of management that a contracted out service creates. If you parcel up the Youth Service and fund several organisations each to run a little bit of it, then each of those organisations has to have an overall manager and a middle tier of managers to give practical supervision to the workers who actually provide a service. We thought that wasn’t very efficient. We’d rather see the money go to frontline workers, actually into the service. When we looked closely at it, we realised that concentrating the managers in the Council will be more effective, as it will release money to be spent on the service. As well as avoiding duplication of management work, it also means that our central managers will be able to see good ideas developing in one part of the Borough and share that good practice very quickly with all our service providers. Most of our providers are third sector and voluntary organisations which have the expertise on the ground in their local areas. You must have good local knowledge to deliver a good youth service. Bringing the management in house but delivering the service through these local, expert organisations will, I am sure, give us the best service possible.
ELN: Five Councillors – Cllrs Helal Uddin Abbas (Spitalfields & Banglatown), Khales Ahmed (Bromley-by-Bow), Denise Jonese (St Katharine’s & Wapping), Anwar Khan (Bow West) and Bill Turner (Mile End & Globetown) – signed “call in” papers, which meant that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee had to look at this decision. Why were these councillors, and the members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, concerned about this decision?
Cllr Rahman: I listened to what councillors had to say at the meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. Most of the discussion was about individual organisations and whether certain specific contracts should be exempted from this policy and retain their full funding, including their management fees. I felt that the Committee did not look at the question of what is the best and most effective manner to deliver the service.
ELN: Cllr Ann Jackson (Bow West, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee) told the Cabinet this evening that the Committee was concerned that providers had not been consulted about the change.
Cllr Rahman: Council officers spoke to providers. I said this at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. Also, I spoke myself to those providers who had concerns – though these concerns seemed to have arisen because of what they had heard, on the grapevine, about what the changes were rather than what Council officers had explained to them. I have been very clear with providers: if a provider is delivering a good, effective service to our young people, then the Council will work with those providers. W
e are not looking to replace good, effective services.
ELN: There were two demonstrations outside the Town Hall before the Cabinet meeting. One was in support of the Mayor’s decision, and the other one opposed it. How did you respond?
Cllr Rahman: The demonstration which had come to congratulate the Mayor was full of young people. On the other side, it seemed to be mainly workers and some pensioners, with just a few young people – and I could not understand whose interests they were representing. They were chanting “keep services local”, which is exactly what we are doing, but they seemed to be opposed to the Mayor’s decision. I spoke to young people who were there, on both demonstrations, and thanked them for taking an interest because this service affects them. I reassured them that they will see no change in the services they use – except for any improvements we can make. I reminded them that the Mayor, and I as the responsible Cabinet Member, can always be approached if they have any concerns or good ideas about how to improve their services.
ELN: Some of the demonstrators who opposed the Mayor seemed to be chanting at the young people who supported it, criticising them because there were only boys and young men on their demonstration – no girls.
Cllr Rahman: The future of the youth service depends on having young women centrally involved – in the services, and in having a dialogue with the Mayor and myself. Young women play a very important role in society. They must be a part of the youth service and some providers do good work with young women. We need to make sure young women are not left out.
I organised the football competition for the Mayor’s Cup this year, and I could not find a single girls’ football group which would take part – after weeks of looking. I have already taken that as a personal challenge to make sure that there is much better representation of girls’ teams next year.
ELN: With the Government’s response to the economic crisis, families are facing tough times and real financial hardship. How can the Youth Service help?
Cllr Rahman: It is a difficult year ahead for the vast majority of Tower Hamlets residents. The Youth service is very important, especially for those young people living in overcrowded conditions. A Local Authority must provide a good Youth Service, or young people will resort to hanging around on street corners and it won’t be long before they get into trouble. The sort of Anti-Social Behaviour that results annoys other residents and it can be a catastrophe for young people, who can find themselves ruining their futures by picking up a criminal record. That is why, unlike other boroughs, we have not cut funding to our Youth Service and shall not do so.
The Youth Service helps create community harmony too. I visit schools and youth clubs and other youth provision week in, week out to see the work that goes on for myself. I listen to service users. I am convinced that the Youth Service can bring young people together, from all communities – and it does so. The young people who come together in this way learn – not by formal lessons, but just by being together – about each others’ cultures and religions. The pick up a basic knowledge and that helps to break down barriers and helps young people to realise that wherever we come from, we are all human beings and we must show respect to each other.
I am happy to speak to anyone with concerns about the Youth Service. I am also happy to visit Youth Clubs, schools and other places where Youth Services are provided.
To make an appointment, it is best if your readers ring me on 020-7364 4985 because they can get through to staff who deal with my diary. To speak to me direct, they should ring me on 07961-743 489 or email me on cllroliur.rahman@yahoo.co.uk. These contact details are on the Council website.
