£1 million set aside to fund staff to reduce care packages
Massive cuts to health and adult services across Devon are being 'hidden in plain sight', claim opposition councillors
Last updated 24th Jan 2022
Around £1 million is being set aside to pay for staff to help reduce the amount of care people are getting in Devon.
Overall the net budget for Adult Care and Health for 2022/23 is set to increase by £29.6 million, or 10.5 per cent.
But Dawlish Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Wrigley, a member of the health and adult care scrutiny committee, warns: "The county council has been headlining a 10.5 per cent increase in the budget but hidden in plain sight are swingeing cuts to services for some of the oldest and most vulnerable people in Devon."
A report warns the council expects to continue to pay increased costs as a result of the pandemic - such as for PPE - and for increased staffing costs.
It adds: "The proposed budget for Adult Care and Health includes an increase of £47.9 million to fund current and forecast demand and inflationary pressures - including National Living Wage - on the budget in 2022/23.
"Budget savings totalling £18.2 million are also required, the implementation of which is likely to present a considerable operational challenge.
"Overall, the net budget for Adult Care and Health for 2022/23 is set to increase by £29.6 million; a 10.5% increase compared to the previous year."
Fellow Lib Dem councillor David Cox, from Teignmouth, said: “In addition to these cuts totalling over £16 million, Devon County Council plans to start charging people a new 'arrangement fee' if they are self-funding their care.
"This is said will bring in £350k a year. These cuts are likely to have a significant effect on care and support in Devon while the new charge is a further hidden tax for simply getting old and needing help”
In response a spokesperson for Devon County Council said: “Our budget currently calls for an extra £18.2 million to be spent on health and adult care.
"That’s an increase of 10.5 per cent. And scrutiny was told that we’re negotiating with the NHS for another £10 million of support from the extra Government money for social care. That isn’t included in these figures.
“But we’re required by law to set a balanced budget and – even with this big injection of extra cash – some savings may have to be made. Otherwise we would need a much bigger rise in council tax when people in Devon are already facing a cost of living crisis.”
Proposed changes include
£1 million chopped from mental health services
£7 million from services for older people
£6.5 million from Learning Disability support
£1.5 million from services to help people with physical disabilities
£1.4 million from support to help people live more independently
An impact assessment of the latest budget can be found here
The impact assessment points out: "When adult social care budgets are reduced it has a direct impact on people with protected characteristics, people who are so often described as vulnerable.
"This is very different to many other areas of public service where reduction of budgets to deliver universalservices or infrastructure will impact the whole population more equally and across populations where the impact is felt less acutely, or not at all.
"For Adult Care and Health to deliver a balanced budget, it will need to deliver less care and support, and to fewer vulnerable people. This is likely to be between 6-12% fewer, c11,000 across the year.
"This figure will depend on how quickly reductions can be made and the average level of savings made. This reduction will cross all groups that access adult social care, but the impact will be felt disproportionately due to the starting spend position within each group."
A briefing report from the Chief Officer for Adult Care and Health, Devon County Council
The briefing report includes: "Team Devon is leading a new strategic housing task force in partnership with Devon’s district, town and parish councils. The taskforce will include looking at care worker housing and has the potential to consider housing to support people with care needs."
"We estimate locally that 50% of all those receiving care in Devon are self-funders who we currently have none or little contact with beyond signposting and information and advice, although that is an incredibly valuable service itself.
"We currently serve around 11,000 people meaning that a further 11,000 people in Devon are making their own care arrangements. Even if a small percentage approach us, some of our care management functions will require further capacity or be further stretched."
The report includes detail of some cost increases, including: "Woodland Vale is a 20 bedded Devon County Council-owned and operated home for people with dementia. All the bedrooms have en-suites, however 5 of these have specialist baths that are now obsolete, and the parts required to maintain them are no longer available. It is the intention to refurbish the rooms into wet rooms which is more appropriate to the needs of the people in the home and is likely to be a more cost-effective alternative to a like for like replacement."
Click here to watch the full overview and scrutiny health discussion