“Victims of domestic abuse will have nowhere to turn if council centers close”

UNISON says victims of domestic abuse will be “disappointed” if Kirklees Council closes its customer service centres.

In February, the Cabinet plans to close the two centers in Huddersfield and Dewsbury and integrate them into the borough’s library service as part of efforts to save some money.

But with Kirklees Council planning to switch some of its libraries to community-run models, UNISON fears the centers will no longer have the capacity to provide essential services such as those that help people in desperate situations.

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A UNISON spokesman said: “Kirklees Council’s proposed closure of community support centers risks disappointing victims of domestic violence and others who have nowhere to turn.”

The move will also affect 40 jobs and staff are currently being balloted for strike action by the union, but the council says many of the affected staff have found new roles within the council.

According to UNISON, a customer service officer in Kirklees, based in one of the centers targeted for closure, recently provided key face-to-face support to a resident seeking help to escape violence at home.

The union said the worker was able to break through the language barrier to help the customer and says the case highlights the “vital need” to keep such services in the centres.

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UNISON Kirklees branch secretary Mick Donoghue said: “Staff in customer service centers provide vital support to the most vulnerable members of the community.

“The level of care and help given by the member of staff to a frightened and desperate woman simply cannot be delivered in the way the council is proposing.

“It’s time to reconsider and explore other options.”

A Kirklees Council spokesman said people have changed the way they access services since the Covid pandemic and the community will be able to continue to receive the support they need, just in a different location.

They said: “Following the pandemic, we’ve seen a continued shift in how people choose to access services, with more and more people choosing to access advice and information online, so we want to make it easier for people to do that, while also making sure people can still talk to someone face-to-face if needed.

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“We currently have two customer service centers in Huddersfield and Dewsbury and 24 libraries in Kirklees, offering a range of digital and face-to-face customer support. Customer services and libraries have been co-located in Huddersfield and Dewsbury for some time and we would like to build on this approach by integrating both service offerings.

“The new offering will provide access to support via online or phone support from 10 of our library locations. It will also rely on the skills and experience of library staff to support and direct visitors to access the right information the first time.

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“The approach in each library will reflect the local community and we will look to explore what support can be provided in response to need. In addition, we will continue to work with a range of partners who provide a wide variety of support and social groups in our libraries.

“The new offering will mean that patrons will still be able to access the support they need – online or in person – but it will be from within the library’s staff team.”

The spokesman added that the council was working with unions and staff affected by the job losses. They said: “The council is going through the necessary HR processes, in consultation with unions and affected staff, with the intention of minimizing the impact on employees, where possible, by managing vacancies and supporting staff to move into other roles in within the council.

“We are pleased to report that many affected employees have already found alternative roles on the board.”

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