SWINDON Council today insisted its £1.5 million-a-year youth service is dealing with the problems raised in a critical government report.

Community education manager Alan Bailey says his department has come a long way since it was subjected to a Government review a year ago.

Inspectors condemned a number of aspects of the way the service is run.

They said it lacks overall vision and purpose and appears to be reactive rather than strategically planned.

The report, presented to councillors this week, says the youth service has much work to do if it is to pass an Ofsted inspection which is expected some time in the next six to nine months.

The job of the youth service is to cater for the out of school needs of 13 to 19-year-olds particularly those who are vulnerable and disengaged.

The best value report states that special project work for vulnerable young is reasonably well planned in Swindon.

But it says general youth work is often carried out in inadequate and often poorly equipped youth centres.

Inspectors assessed Swindon youth service between May and December last year.

Mr Bailey said: "There were problems. Any service not fully staffed and which has not got a number of managers in post will not be able to be effective."

He said the youth service has had problems attracting qualified youth workers because, on a salary of £18,000 to £19,000, they can't afford to live in Swindon.

Out of a full time staff of 16, he said he was missing five personnel when the best value survey was carried out.

By recruiting new trainees he said staffing is now at full strength.

He said: "We are working now with a lot more specific groups of young people who perhaps are not being supported effectively by other organisations."

He used the example of a project in Parks which helps provide schooling for 15-16-year-olds who have been excluded from mainstream education.

Mr Bailey also used the example of the Wheels Project at Dorcan and Churchfields Schools which helps young people who are perhaps disillusioned with academic subjects to learn about mechanics.

He said he anticipated the service will have improved significantly by the time it is next inspected by the Government Ofsted department.

The critical report has put more pressure on Swindon Council, which is expected to be heavily criticised in an Audit Commission review in December.

The council's education and social services departments have already been branded as failing by Govern-ment inspectors.

The Audit Commission could well recommend that the borough council needs outside help to put it back on track.