Stoke-on-Trent City Council set to cut nearly 250 jobs

Stoke-on-Trent City Council are set to cut nearly 250 jobs, so it can spend millions of pounds on improving its ‘inadequate’ children’s services.

Council bosses have revealed plans to review staffing, including cutting 74 jobs in street care and green spaces, and 70 from social care integration and wellbeing.

The council say 259 jobs will be cut in total, with 11 created elsewhere, resulting in a net loss of 248 jobs.

In total, more than £5.5 million is being cut to pay for the investment in children's services.

This is in addition to the £17 million being cut in the 2019/20 budget.

Other proposed cuts include reducing on-site security at car parks in favour of a "floating" team to respond to incidents when they arise, and reducing the number of Christmas illuminations and decorations.

A public consultation on the proposals has been launched today (Monday 12 August).

The council says it is seeing "unprecedented demand for children’s social care services", and that the proposals will allow it to prioritise investment in children following an 'inadequate' rating from Ofsted earlier this year.

GMB, the union for council workers, has slammed the council's plans.

Unison have also criticised the announcement, saying it is "absolutely horrific" and "a ridiculous way of addressing the poor Ofsted report".