UNION bosses have urged Barnet Council to look again at their budget proposals in a bid to protect frontline services before tonight's crucial budget meeting.

The cabinet is expected to pass plans to slash £54 million over the next three years from council spending at the meeting tonight, following a cut in cash from central Government.

However, Unison has urged councillors to look again at some of their savings and cuts to services like adult and children's social services.

In a budget proposal document the union asks for the amount spent on consultants and agency staff, estimated to be nearly £50m combined, to be looked at again.

Major concerns are highlighted by plans to reduce children's services, with the council planning to cut the number of children with special educational needs attending special schools by 20.

The report says: “Behavioural and high incidence support and educational psychology is to be cut to the statutory minimum.

“Where are schools to get the support for integrating children who had previously been attending SEN residential schools?“

It argues cuts to other youth services, including child pregnancy and substance misuse centres, will see more people getting help later, instead of early intervention, which will not help with the council plans to cut the number of social workers in 2013-14.

The report also claims plans to cut sheltered housing wardens are more for “ideological reasons” than need, as it will save £150,000 while more people asked to keep them then get rid of them.

Despite recent restructuring and merging of departments the union argues there is also scope for more savings by cutting the number of senior managers operating them, with cash to be reinvested in frontline services.

There is also a call to cap the salary of directors of services at £100,000, which would represent a large pay cut for chief executive Nick Walkley, who earns more than £200,000 a year.