Hundreds of frontline staff go in Wirral job cuts

Feb 23 2011 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

HUNDREDS of frontline staff are among those leaving Wirral Council under its voluntary severance and early retirement scheme, it was revealed this week.

Labour leader Steve Foulkes said the ruling coalition of Tories and Lib Dems have been trying to hide the impact of the cuts – with many staff not leaving until early summer.

But council leader Jeff Green hit back claiming Labour had “no idea how to address the problems they left us with”.

As well as hundreds of care assistants, home carers and support workers the authority is losing fraud investigators, one stop shop advisors, community patrol and pest control officers, as well as almost 30 drivers, couriers and attendants from the transport department.

More than 100 cooks and catering staff are leaving and over 50 cleaners and domestics.

The cuts indicate how frontline services up to now provided by the council will either no longer exist or be transferred to outside organisations.

Also among those going in the job cuts – which are expected to total more than 1,100 in Wirral – are educational psychologists, six music teachers and at least four residential social workers from the Children and Young Person’s Department.