Urgent radical change in store for social services

BRISTOL City Council has set out its vision on working with care agencies as it looks to make “urgent and radical change” to social services in the city.

Authorities across the UK are having to making sweeping changes to social services as they are hit by a surge in demand driven by an ageing population.

The ‘Market Position Statement’ is the first time the council has published a plan of this kind. It aims to show businesses and organisations the kinds of services the council wants to plan, design and buy.

In March the council officially adopted its ‘Better Lives’ programme, which looked to shave £20million off its budget over the next five years.

The council paid consultants £700,000 to help find ways to reduce demand on services, make the department more efficient and find areas where budgets could be cut.

However, it came after nearly a decade of public sector cuts, which has already decimated council budgets.

Cllr Helen Holland, cabinet mem- ber for Adult Social Care, said: “We spend a huge proportion of the council’s overall budget on adult social care, but that spend is not always where it needs to be. In order to invest more in some services, we must spend less on others and this new plan set how we will work with partners to deliver our vision of giving people the right support at the right time.

“We need urgent and radical change and we intend to bring everyone along with us on this journey to create a vibrant and sustainable provider marketplace which will benefit our citizens.”

Change has already started and last week the council’s cabinet approved plans to invest over £1million more into home care services, reducing the need for residential care.

The plan was launched at a citywide meeting of providers this week.

Dom Wood, Chief Executive Officer of homelessness charity 1625 Independent People, attended the event. He said: “With this new plan Bristol City Council has shown a commitment to clarity, openness and good planning for the market to be clear where and how they can contribute.”

The plan is available in full on the council’s website.