Council may cut adult care budget

A DECISION on whether to reduce Hampshire County Council’s budget for providing adults with care will be made next week.

The council announced earlier this year that its Supporting People programme would have its funding cut by £7.66 million by the end of March 2016.

The programme provides services to those who need lower levels of care than those provided by social services. These include things like single homeless people, teenage parents, domestic abuse victims and older people living in supported accommodation with alarm services and support workers.

The government removed the requirement of local authorities to provide this support and withdrew specific grant funding in 2009.

Although Hampshire continued to provide the services initially, growing financial pressures, including a target of making £102 million savings this year, has led to a review of all service budgets.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, executive member for adult social care and public health, is due to consider the budget cut proposals on Wednesday.

If approved, funding for community alarm services in supported accommodation will be ended in September, although meetings are taking place with residents about how else these could be funded.

Under-utilised services will be removed and alternative community-based support explored.

It is proposed that more than £17 million will continue to be invested in accommodation and preventative services.