The budget report, which will go before the County Council’s Cabinet next week, points out that the Council has received just £1.6m more cash next year from Government, equivalent to just 0.6% more, to cover all the cost pressures outside schools amounting approximately £18m. Most of these cost pressures are for care for older people and people with learning disabilities. To ensure the council tax increase is less than 5% will require a minimum £8.5m of savings across the whole Council.
Even after receiving £7.7m more cash (an increase of 7%), largely from savings in other council services, a review is proposed to ensure Adult Social Care services are focussed on those most in need and allow the Council to plan for the future. Some of the areas being proposed for review are:
- Eligibility criteria for all adult social care services will be reviewed to ensure that they are clear and focus on people most in need. All service users will be individually reassessed to ensure they meet the new criteria.
- Existing partnerships with voluntary sector groups will be reviewed, including with carers groups – Crossroads and Care for the Carers; with physical disability groups – East Sussex Vision Care and East Sussex Disability Assocation (for holiday respite); with learning disabilities groups – Hastings and Bexhill Mencap and the East Sussex Advocacy Scheme; and with mental health groups – Rethink and Together (previously Mental Health Aftercare Association).
- Avis Way, Newhaven – a day centre for people with learning disabilities.
- Internal business processes.
If these reviews go ahead and savings are found, they would be re-invested in providing frontline services, providing care for the most vulnerable.
Cllr Keith Glazier, Lead Cabinet Member for Children’s and Adults’ Services, said "The Cabinet’s proposal would put an extra £7.7m into Adult Social Care. It shows the priority we place on this service but it is in the face of the poor grant from Government and can only be achieved by savings and efficiency within Adult Social Care and elsewhere in the Council. Even so, due to ever-increasing demand for services we are faced with some really tough decisions. We know that any cuts to services will be very painful for many of our residents and we are not taking this lightly. We will do our best to reduce the effects on those most in need. East Sussex is not alone on this issue. Many other councils are having to deal with the same problem and I just wish Government ministers could see what is going on.”
Notes to editors
Cabinet papers will be available on the website after 4pm today.
Reference:
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