Staffordshire County Council social care budget facing cuts
Cuts to adult and children's social care are among a raft of savings proposed by council bosses in Staffordshire as they battle to balance the books.
Staffordshire County Council needs to save £30 million in the next financial year as funding from central government dries up.
Initial proposals include £1.25m to be saved through 'reshaping' support plans for children in care as they begin adult life.
A further £1m would be saved through reducing the number of children being taken into care and reducing the number of residential placements outside the county's borders.
Other proposals include taking £1m out of the council's reserves which are held to cover its insurance liabilities.
In total the council has proposed measures which would save £20.1 million in the next financial year – leaving £8.9m of savings yet to be identified.
Bosses are also planning for a 1.95 percent increase in its council tax bill from April – an increase for the average property, band d, of £20.42 up to £1,067.70.
A further two percent hike, the equivalent to another £20.95, has not being ruled out.
Ian Parry, Staffordshire County Council's Deputy Leader and cabinet member responsible for finance, said the care of the elderly, the disabled and children would continue to be priorities.
He said: "When you have already reduced costs by £150 m, then decisions do become harder and harder, and I think people realise councils can't spent the way they did even five years ago.
"In Staffordshire, our approach has been very much to work with partners to find affordable solutions rather than look to cut frontline services. Of course, we will continue to play our part by making every single pound of the public purse count, but we need people to play their part too and encourage more independence within communities.
"Supporting people to get a good education, a better job and be healthy and independent for longer, is not only more affordable, but it is absolutely the right thing to do."
Councils across the country are waiting to hear exactly how much government funding will be cut in the coming years.
Bosses in Staffordshire are working on the assumption the Revenue Support Grant – which this year amounted to £89m – will be cut entirely by 2020. Details of how quickly the funding will be withdrawn will be made later this month by Chancellor George Osborne.
Labour councillor George Adamson, who is also Leader of Cannock Chase council, said: "The £8.9m of savings yet to be identified is certainly of concern."
