Council plans social care cuts as it looks to make ‘significant’ spending reductions

With a potential shortfall of £70 million, Northamptonshire county council has proposed cuts to children’s and adults’ services

budget cuts
Photo: takasu/Fotolia

Northamptonshire county council is looking to cut social care services back to a ‘core offer’ as it attempts to reduce a potential spending shortfall of £70 million.

Proposals announced by the council in a report yesterday (2 August) indicated that both children’s and adults’ services could be affected by “radical” savings being made at the authority, despite public commitments earlier in the week to protect the most vulnerable citizens in the area.

The report also revealed plans for a “staff redundancy programme” that is likely to affect most departments.

Second notice

Spending on learning difficulties has been identified as one of the potential areas of cuts that could be made to adults’ services. Meanwhile, the number of referrals and numbers within the children’s care system will be scrutinised by the county council as it looks to strip services back to a “core offer”.

Plans to make “significant” spending reductions come after chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin issued the council’s second Section 114 notice in six months. In the notice, he warned there would be “serious operational implications” to the way the council was run, and it appears social care services have not escaped the cuts.

Ahead of a full council meeting next Thursday (9 August), council leader Cllr Matt Golby said compromises would have to be made.

“This action plan outlines the approach we are going to take, which includes rigorous controls on spending, recruitment and contracts. These decisions will be made based on the core spending priorities discussed by full council yesterday.”

“These are incredibly challenging times for the council, but I am committed to ensuring we deliver those core services within the money we have available.”

What is a 114 notice?

Found in the Local Government Finance Act 1988, this notice bans local authorities from making any new expenditures, with the exception of safeguarding vulnerable people and statutory services.

Spending that is nonessential or can be postponed should not take place. Money that is spent will be monitored. In the case of Northamptonshire county council, the notice will apply to the 2018/19 financial year.

Attempts made

Before its first 114 notice in February, the council brought adult social care services back in-house following concerns about the financial health of Olympus Care Services: the company it moved them into five years ago.

After auditors raised concerns about the council-owned company’s lack of reserves and ability to continue as a ‘going concern’ in 2018/19, 1,100 employees and services were transferred  to the council.

Other recent attempts to balance the books include raising council tax by 5.98% – the highest increase possible without a referendum and which includes the 3% adult social care precept.

Despite taking action to reduce costs, the council has, thus far, failed to find a solution to the growing shortfall that could reach £180 million by March 2021, according to Thursday’s report.

‘Rainy day’ reserve reliance 

In last week’s 114 notice, McLaughlin said the council’s approach to budget and financial management was “completely insupportable”, adding decisions about finances had been “factually wrong, ill-informed, out of step with other public-sector organisations”.

As well as criticising the council’s willingness to adopt unachievable savings as part of the budget, he highlighted concerns about the local authority’s use of reserve budgets.

Known as ‘rainy day’ funds, this money – saved by councils over time– has been traditionally used in the short term as a cushion to reduce the impact of unexpected events or emergencies.

In March this year, a National Audit Office (NAO) report warned that one in ten local authorities with social care responsibilities would have the equivalent of less than three years’ worth of reserves left if they continued to use them at the rate they did in 2016-17.

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4 Responses to Council plans social care cuts as it looks to make ‘significant’ spending reductions

  1. Sallylou August 4, 2018 at 7:49 am #

    Its only a matter of time, this is happening in other local authority’s.

    • Derek August 7, 2018 at 12:03 pm #

      Other local authorities are selling off the family silver in order to remain solvent; looks like N’shire has already used up that option. It won’t be the last

  2. Kennington August 8, 2018 at 7:53 pm #

    Voting for Tory austerity means savage cuts to social care. The only answer is to get rid of them and vote in a Labour government (and Council).

  3. peecue August 9, 2018 at 11:51 pm #

    It’s not just Northamptonshire, but every council. I have been improperly assessed in 2 years as my Council decide that certain task work wouldn’t be provided by them. They classed cleaning and shopping as a social need and to be paid for by the client. This and all other social needs from the 2014/5 Care Act have been ignored. I have been identified as needing to be washed, dressed and fed! I have appealed twice and been basically ignored until I finally got a meeting with a senior member of Social services, who understood my now mental health, self harming and inability to cope and had to explain it to the Manager of the area into which I have been assigned.

    Told to expect a new social worker assigned in 14 days doesn’t happen, shocked silence when I report it. Left without a named social worker for 3 months as I can’t receive my Personal Budget until I have one. Promised again one within 14 days and on day 13 I have to phone up and ask with 1 day left to go what is happening? Finally allocated, assessed, and feeling listened to, this social worker is now off sick and papers are missing. Finally reallocate a new Social worker and now to be re assessed as paperwork is lost.
    If that is happening to me, what about others in the same area?

    Finally I have been assessed to include these parts of the care act, but whether or not I get it depends on the brokerage team.

    Seriously! What has happened to the Social Worker? Isn’t that why they are degree trained to make decisions?