Employees working for Welsh Government-funded schemes in Caerphilly County Borough are being left in constant uncertainty around the future of their jobs due to annual funding arrangements, councillors have said.
A meeting of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet this week heard employees working for schemes such as Communities for Work Plus, which are funded on an annual basis by the Welsh Government, are being told each Christmas they are set to lose their jobs unless funding is renewed.
Deputy leader Cllr Sean Morgan said that the funding timetable is difficult on the employees.
He said: “Our community regeneration team does a lot of great work helping people who find it difficult to get on the job ladder.
“It’s fantastic work really, yet this team get given notice year-on-year because we don’t know if we’ve got funding.
“It’s a ridiculous state of affairs.”
Interim corporate director for communities Mark Williams said that there were no changes to this that he knew of.
Mr Williams said: “Just before Christmas we give people notice of termination of employment – a horrendous position to be in but that’s the circumstances by which Welsh Government funding is received.”
The council’s interim chief executive Christina Harrhy said it was a frustrating situation but the council had been lobbying constantly through the Welsh Local Government Association.
She said: “When we do have discussions with them (Welsh Government) I know they have problems because of the way the money comes through from central government, it’s not an easy one to resolve.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “As a consequence of the delay and uncertainty seen in the UK government’s budget setting process, this year the Welsh Government’s draft budget will be published on Tuesday, November 19.
“The Local Government settlement will be published on Tuesday, November 26.
“This should give local authorities time to plan ahead for the forthcoming year and to engage with their communities to ensure local priorities are met.”