Fiscal fears for Cheshire services

Social services in Cheshire could be damaged by the council’s
failure to meet their budgetary demands. Although the council is
spending £2.5m more this year on social services than last,
some councillors say the Conservative administration has not
allocated enough money to meet spiralling care costs.

The 3.5 per cent increase is one-third less than social services
said it needed, raising fears that services will be cut, especially
for older people.

Liberal Democrat councillor Susan Proctor said the council was
trying to restrict in-house provision and that the increased costs
of providing the services externally would have to be offset by
reduced usage.

But the council’s social services executive member Lin Hardwick
said services would be delivered in the most “cost effective” way.