Plans to close a day care in Risca and withdraw from Barnardo’s support service have provoked concern as £2.2 million looks to be cut from social services in Caerphilly County Borough.
Front line services will be protected in the local authority’s proposals to find savings of £15.6 million next year, though councillors were warned that could change in the coming years.
Demand for social services has increased while spending has been slashed, with more than £9m cut from care budgets in the last five years.
Dave Street, director of social services, told a recent meeting of the health, social care and wellbeing committee: “This isn’t the first year of austerity.
“The most straightforward savings have been done some time ago, so every year this gets harder.”
Continued reorganisation of the sector’s backroom staff is proposed, with several administrative posts set to be cut and the roles assumed by existing staff, saving £186,000.
But the assistant director of social services Gareth Jenkins said: “This is probably the last cut I can take out of this service.”
A further restructuring of staff working in adult services – saving £550,000 – could result in redundancies but attempts will be made to redeploy staff at risk of redundancy in similar roles elsewhere at the council
One controversial proposal is the review of the partnership with Barnardo’s which would see the council withdraw from the charity’s family support service, saving £189,000.
The meeting heard that council social workers could take on the responsibilities, which include parenting support and behaviour management.
Contact, young carers and domestic abuse services will be retained until the current contract expires in September 2019.
Co-opted committee member Michelle Jones suggested that voluntary organisations could help at an early intervention stage instead of putting extra pressure on social workers.
Another contentious issue was the proposed closure of the “underutilised” Twyncarn day centre in Risca, a move which would save £300,000.
Currently 18 adults, a mixture of older people and those with special needs, use the facility but the council say the latter group could be accommodated in the neighbouring Brookland Resource Centre.
But Councillor Bob Owen: “People will be put out and need to go elsewhere, so there’ll be an impact in terms of transport.”
Mr Street said the closure would be phased, meaning service users would be gradually introduced to new surroundings and could be kept together to maintain relationships.
“The people are more important than the building. We’re not moving cardboard and desks here, these are vulnerable people,” he added.
The council will also review its use of external day care providers (saving £205,000), its non-residential charging policy (£100,000), and external care contracts (£84,000).
Other money-saving proposals include a temporary reduction in growth provision (£300,000) and ‘nil-impact’ savings (£197,000).