A decision to scrap a mobile toy-lending service used by over 500 families has been challenged by York’s Liberal Democrat Group.
Last week the Labour Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People decided to end the council-run Toy Bus. The decision was taken despite officers admitting that they had “no detail” on what will replace the service and fresh statistics which show that 512 families were using the Bus. The decision to scrap the provision, which will save the council just £14,000 a year, was originally due to come into effect in 2014/15, but last week’s judgment means it is now due to formally end immediately.
Liberal Democrat Councillors Carol Runciman, Keith Aspden and Nigel Ayre have called for the decision to be reversed and the issue will now be considered at a special meeting of the cross-party Corporate Scrutiny Management Committee next Monday.
Cllr Carol Runciman, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children’s Services, commented:
“The Toy Bus provides a valued service to over 500 families across York. It provides a toy-lending service in both urban and rural parts of the local area and is a dedicated space where children can borrow toys and parents can also be helped by the trained staff to learn the skills to play with their children and teach their children through play. Officers admit that they have ‘no detail’ on the plans to replace the specialised service with the general Mobile Library and are unsure when any replacement provision will begin.
“Last week the Lib Dem Group was pleased to back the council’s anti-poverty strategy, but the reality has to match the rhetoric. What is the point in Labour paying officers to devise poverty strategies when they can not find £14,000 to provide this valued service to some of the most vulnerable families in York. We know that investment in early-years provision is so important and money invested in this age-group brings long-term benefits for communities across York. This decision was taken before any proper public consultation and Labour should now be forced to reconsider this damaging cut.”
The special ‘call-in’ meeting will take place on Monday 22nd July at 5pm (at West Offices). The Cabinet Member’s decision has been called-in by Cllrs Runciman, Aspden and Ayre for review by the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee (CSMC) (Calling-In).
The following are the reasons given for the call-in:
• A lack of proper public consultation. The decision to cut the Toy Bus was taken at February’s Budget Council, but the public consultation did not take place until May. The consultation indicated that the most popular idea was to keep the Toy Bus. Therefore, it is misleading to claim that the option chosen “is supported by the consultation process”.
• The Toy Bus is still a popular service used by 513 families in York (as of December 2012).
• There is no detailed plan provided as to how the Mobile Library will incorporate a toy-lending service e.g. no layout plans and an admission from officers that “there is no detail at this stage”. There is no commitment that there will not be a break in service before the end of the Toy Bus and the start of the Mobile Library service.
• The Toy Bus provides a specialised and distinct space for children and parents to access toys. The trained staff on-hand are able to provide guidance to children, but also to provide advice to parents. The importance of helping parents to acquire the skills to play with their children and teach their children through play should not be underestimated. It is unclear if the new proposed arrangements would allow for this kind of interaction.
• The detail on the need to replace the Toy Bus “in the foreseeable future” remains vague.
• The yearly saving (excluding staff who will be redeployed) is just £14,589 – a relatively small price to deliver a popular service to some of the most vulnerable families in York and help to give our young children a good start in life. It is also clear that money invested in this age group brings long-term sustainable rewards for communities across the city.
• The decision to cut this service is not consistent with the poverty strategy recently tabled by Cabinet.
In light of the above, the Liberal Democrat Group continue to oppose the decision to end the Toy Bus provision and the decision to cease this provision in the current financial year.
Details of the meeting can be found here: