September 26, 2014 11.41 am This story is over 113 months old

Cuts lead to 39 Linkage charity job losses in Lincolnshire

Jobs lost: Almost 40 members of staff at the learning disability charity Linkage Community Trust will lose their jobs due to cuts and a fall in student numbers.

Almost 40 members of staff at the learning disability charity Linkage Community Trust have lost their jobs due to cuts and a fall in student numbers.

Some 39 members of staff from the education and care services directories areas were made redundant due to a fall in the number of students taking up residence at the charity’s further education college.

Changes in the number of students taking up residence in the college campuses at Grimsby and Toynton All Saints near Spilsby, have put financial strain on the charity.

However, the figure is an improvement on the 80 losses that were anticipated by the charity in May.

Savings made this year will ensure some of the lowest-paid employees will receive a salary increase.

Lincoln is a particular growth area for the charity, with a new Adult Skills service opening in October in the city.

It continues work at Boultham Park with the Lottery-backed regeneration project with the City of Lincoln Council, and the Skellingthorpe Road housing development.

Chief Executive Ges Roulstone said: “Linkage’s senior managers are working hard to refocus services in the face of continued public sector financial pressure, as we reduce our dependence in specialist further education on residential student numbers and increase the number of local learners.

“In partnership with different organisations, we have started work on a new-build developments worth nearly £5 million in total in Grimsby, Lincoln and at South Staffordshire, as Linkage looks to grow its business to meet demand and target new areas.

“As reported widely in the press, we have an impressive Ofsted rating for Linkage College: good with outstanding outcomes for students.

“Added to this, I can report that the number of anticipated job losses at Linkage was halved to 39 in the recent round of redundancies, helped in the main by redeployment.

“This whole exercise, which was announced in May, has been difficult for everyone and I pay tribute to the team for their understanding.

“In addition, through careful budget management, we have generated a surplus this year and some of the savings made have been ploughed back into the payroll to give the lowest-paid employees a salary increase.”