Plans to axe 22 child care jobs in Southend are expected to be rubberstamped tomorrow night.

Eleven full-time and 11 part-time posts are to be lost as part of a cost-cutting move.

Members of the social services committee will be asked to agree the redundancies which include nine assistant social workers, six nursery officers, a team manager and two social workers.

The cuts will save £205,000 in the 1999/2000 financial year. However, redundancy costs will amount to £300,000 in the same period.

Many parents were concerned about the Marigold Centre in Westcliff, the site of the majority of staff reductions. The council's child protection investigation team is also to go, which has also led to worries that youngsters would be more at risk of abuse.

However, social services boss Jane Held has reassured people that threats to children will not increase as a result of the cuts.

She said: "It is important to recognise that although services to the most vulnerable children must and will improve as a result of the restructure, there will be a loss of some services.

"Every effort to minimise the impact of this will take place, and no child or family currently using the service will have it withdrawn unless a reassessment demonstrates the need for that service is no longer present, or that the child and family can cope independently.

"This loss must be offset against the significant improvements that will take place in the statutory child care services to our most vulnerable children."

She added that every effort would be made to avoid compulsory redundancy.

The Marigold is to be renamed the Marigold Family Resource Centre as part of the restructuring.

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