Staff cuts to Vale of Glamorgan’s youth service have been described as a “betrayal of young people”.

Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet decided on Wednesday, June 6, to reduce the number of staff in its youth service from its current level of 53 to 25.

The changes, which also involve Llantwit Major Youth Centre and Western Vale Integrated Children’s Centre being declared surplus to requirements, have been planned as the council wants a more “mobile” youth service with more full-time staff.

But two trade unions have united in their condemnation against the youth service changes, as has Barry town councillor Helen Payne.

Cllr Payne, who collected 2,500 for signatures for a petition against the plan, said this was not the end of her campaign and she would find a way to continue fighting the plans.

She said: “It’s a betrayal of young people in the Vale.”

The council has previously said its changes will produce a more reliable youth service with fewer staff absences and would be able to reach more young people than it can now.

But Jo Galazka, regional officer for Unite, said trade unions had been ignored.

She said: “Youth workers have been left stunned at the behaviour of the council cabinet, railroading such severe cuts through and brushing aside the concerns of local people and the staff themselves.”

Cllr Bob Penrose, Vale cabinet member for learning and culture, said: “The youth cabinet and youth action groups, which make up the Vale Youth Forum, have been consulted as part of this process and many of the proposed changes have been inspired by their responses. That feedback and the minutes of the meetings have been shared with the Children’s Commissioner’s Office and they are content with our approach.

“We are proposing changes to staff contracts to reduce the number of part-time posts. Many youth workers have multiple contracts and others have work for as little as three hours a week. The changes would see fewer posts but the restructure will mean posts available for more permanent hours per week.

“Any staff affected by these changes will be offered the opportunity to apply for the new roles in the service and for redeployment within the council while redundancy would be approached on a case-by-case basis.”