BOSSES at Barnado’s poised to lose three of their Cumbrian children’s services contracts are “extremely disappointed” by the county council decision.

The well-known children’s charity has lost all-but-one of its contracts following a controversial shake-up agreed by leading councillors last week.

It was previously responsible for Allerdale, Carlisle, South Lakes and Eden, but has been left only with Eden.

National charity Family Action is set to be parachuted in to take over the running of several children’s centres across the county, including those previously managed by Barnardo’s.

But the move has provoked a public outcry, particularly in Copeland where long-established local charity the Howgill Centre is – like Barnado’s – set to lose out.

However, the cabinet’s controversial decision is set to be “called in” by councillors amid fears over how the changes could affect the most vulnerable residents.

High-level political pressure is also growing for the county council to rethink the new contracts with Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, and the borough’s Independent elected mayor among those to raise concerns.

A Barnardo’s spokesman said: “We have been delivering family support services in Cumbria since 1997.

“For the past 12 years, Barnardo’s has run a large number of children’s centres across the county, with the charity embedded in local communities to successfully provide high quality early years help, intervention and targeted support to thousands of families and individuals each year.

“We are extremely disappointed we have not been awarded the contract to support vulnerable families in three of the areas we currently deliver, but we will continue to provide a quality service in the Eden area, where we have retained our service delivery.

“We remain committed to our work, to supporting children, families and our staff, and we will continue our close working relationship with the council to ensure as seamless a transition as possible for our staff and families we work with in the Carlisle, Allerdale and South Lakes areas.”

Politicians are particularly concerned that Cumbria’s most vulnerable residents will be the ones to suffer while the new contract-holders seek to embed into the community.

Leading councillors are concerned about possible job losses affecting long-serving employees with many years of valuable experience and passion for their role, though some of these roles will be protected under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations.

The council has said the contract is due to end on the December 31, and under procurement legislation it has to retender the contract.