£2m overspend crisis
Bid to protect those most at risk
Councillors have agreed to plough over £2 million into social care budgets in a bid to support and protect Stirling’s most vulnerable people.
The Tory-Labour administration say rising demands for services have caused projected overspends of £1.56 million in the children and families budget and a £648,000 in adults social care.
While budget controls are being put in place, officials said these would not be enough to balance budgets without “serious risk” to Stirling’s ability to protect those who are vulnerable and at risk.
At a special meeting of the council’s finance and economy committee yesterday (Thursday), officers blamed the overspend on the inevitable level of unpredictability as a needsresponsive service plus the acknowledgement that people were living longer.
They also pointed the finger at changing government demands such as targets for delayed discharges and the need to respond to requirements from outside bodies such as the Children’s Panel and sheriffs regarding where some children should be accommodated. Sometimes increasingly expensive private residential home placements had to be found.
The meeting heard the results of an in-depth review of social care budgets and approved an investment of over £2million including £500,000 which came from contingency fund set up following the introduction integrated joint boards for health and social care .
The council is also to consider increasing social care budgets at next month’s budget-setting meeting, with committee members agreeing it should be in the context of looking at a longer term framework of how best to provide services and maintain quality.
Christine Simpson, convenor of the social work committee, insisted savings made by the council in social services last year did not effect frontline services but were designed to increase efficiency.
She added: “Although we have been challenged with cuts of £47 million over the past few years, hospital targets and legislation with cost implications from the SNP government in Holyrood, our staff deliver a good service for the people of Stirling.
“What this report tells us is that core funding has failed to keep up with unprecedented recent
Cllr Simpson demands on the service, much of which stems from the increasing pressure from the NHS which is nationally in crisis.”
Finance committee convener Neil Benny said: “Securing the service is of huge importance to us which is why we are about to inject substantial funding into social care. We are able to do this because of this administration’s prudent stewardship of Stirling Council’s finances unlike the situation in Clackmannanshire where a spendthrift SNP council was recently forced to resign.
“There are increasing demands on our front line services and we are determined to keep up the quality whilst delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”
SNP councillors said that in February last year, the Tory/ Labour coalition forced through a cut of £700,000 to the service, despite the SNP Group tabling a fully-costed amendment that completely protected the service, resulting in added pressures to a reduced staff force.
However, Labour councillors said they had rejected that at the time as they felt it should have been combined with longer term thinking as to how it could be used to best advantage rather than simply pouring money in.
Councillor Benny also said social services management had repeatedly indicated up to that point that the service could be managed around the existing budget.
SNP finance spokesperson, Councillor Gerry McLaughlan said: “People across the Stirling area will rightly question how, despite forcing through cuts to the service, Stirling Council now find themselves facing an overspend of more than £2 million.”
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The support of our most vulnerable people is our top priority. We are facing increasing challenges nationally as a result of changing demographic factors including an ageing population, population increase, poverty and national legislation. This investment will help us to meet these and enable us to continue to meet the needs of children, families and older people in our area.
“A transformation of the service is taking place. This will ensure resources are used more efficiently and are put into making sure children are cared for in their local environment, that they are safe and that they reach their full potential. It is also a priority to ensure vulnerable and elderly people are cared for at home where possible.”