Removal of translation service in Lincolnshire could lead to isolation, say councillors
Councillors voice concerns about ending support for non-English speaking families
The removal of support for young families who don’t speak English could create pockets of isolation in Lincolnshire, councillors fear.
The Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service provides translation services to help the parents of young children get all of the help available.
Lincolnshire County Council is proposing cutting the service from August, saving £130,000 a year, as it says similar help is available elsewhere.
It also claims there is less need for the service than when it began in 2023.
Councillors spoke against the proposal at the Children’s and Culture Committee on Friday (March 6).
Conservative Councillor Stephen Roe said: “Integration is important, and I’m worried this is another step towards isolation, areas of Lincolnshire where people don’t feel a part of the county.
“Other local authorities don’t provide this service, but Lincolnshire’s children’s services are held in high esteem nationally because we innovate, not follow.”
Fellow Conservative Councillor Cawrey said: “It’s a very important, effective, well-loved and well-used service.
“What’s the real driver for removing it, as it’s clearly not financial?”
Officers insisted that the move was non-political, and they believed that other services could offer the same help to families.
Director of Children’s Services Heather Sandy said: “We’ve developed our Early Years work and Children’s Centres, and we’re at the stage where we don’t need a standalone service because we can meet that need through mainstream services.
“The speech and language hubs in children’s centres are incredible.”
Reform UK Councillor Jimmy Brookes backed the move, saying support should be allocated “based on need”, and added: “There are also families who struggle for other reasons.”
The council also said the number of ethnic minority children under five in the county had decreased significantly, and many more were already engaging with children’s centres.
The service currently offers translation in Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian – the most common languages spoken by ethnic minority families in Lincolnshire.
The final decision will be made by the Executive committee, and the current contract expires at the end of August 2026.