Potential cuts to Glasgow supported living packages loom

Concerns are mounting among some families in Glasgow as the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) considers significant cuts to supported living packages.

These reductions are aimed at addressing a substantial budget deficit of £42.5 million.

The proposed cuts include limiting social work support exclusively to individuals with 'critical need,' introducing waiting lists for self-directed support payments, and reducing funding for programmes designed to help people maintain independence at home.

The budget will be set out by Glasgow Integrated Joint Board (IJB) later today.

'She deserves this'

These measures are projected to save millions but families worry it could come with serious implications for service users.

For many, supported living packages are not merely beneficial but essential, enabling loved ones to live with dignity and some degree of independence and avoid residential care.

Arlene Russell's 89-year-old mother Maria lives with dementia and currently receives a supported living package after her husband died suddenly in hospital.

She is visited roughly four to five times per day by home carers who get her out of bed, wash her, help prepare her meals and switch on her heating.

Arlene visits her mother once everyday - but worries that the prospect of reduced support threatens to place additional burdens on her, potentially forcing her to assume caregiving roles without adequate resources or training.

She Clyde 1: "You take it for granted, it's not a big thing. It's someone coming in and taking care of your mum.

"She deserves this. She's paid her dues, why can't she have this?

"This is the only way she can live in her own home, because otherwise she couldn't cope. I go down everyday but I can't get there four or five times a day.

"She's adamant she won't go into a care home, but it might need to come to that.

"It's the cost - there's some money, but not enough to spread the thousands of pounds per month that it is for a care home. She also wouldn't thrive there. She's in her third year of dementia.

"These women aren't just doing their job, they go above and beyond and it's clear to see that."

'Profound consequences'

Trade unions have voiced strong opposition to the proposed cuts.

UNISON representatives warn that such reductions will lead to further rationing of care in the city, impacting health and wellbeing for generations.

GMB Scotland has also highlighted the 'profound consequences' these cuts could have on staff, service users, and Glasgow's communities, emphasizing that the Health and Social Care Partnership is already beyond sustainable delivery.

'Protect core services'

The Glasgow Integration Joint Board (IJB), responsible for overseeing health and social care services, faces the challenging task of balancing fiscal constraints with the needs of the community.

A report to the board describes the financial pressures as “unprecedented,” with funding allocations failing to keep pace with rising costs and demand.

A spokeswoman for the HSCP said: “These proposals, which will be presented to the IJB at its meeting on 19 March, aim to protect core services and minimise the impact of budget pressures on staff, patients and service users.

“It’s evident we need to change the way we operate in some services in order to manage demand and still deliver our core services.

"We are committed to supporting staff through this change.

"Staff will not be required to do more with less resources."

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