Desperate plea for more social care funding in Stoke-on-Trent as demand soars

There's a warning from Stoke-on-Trent City Council that without an overhaul to social care funding it won't be able to sustain its services.

City council leaders say that there's a budget gap of £8.5m this year that will leave the authority at significant risk of not being able to set a balanced budget next year.

The authority is warning that without a reduction in demand for care services and a rapid decrease in inflation, or significant direct support from government, it will not be able to sustain services.

Councillor Alastair Watson, cabinet member for finance and corporate services, said: “As it stands, with record numbers of children in care, with high inflation that increases the unit cost of care for children and adults along with the cost of so many goods and services that we purchase for the benefit of residents, we are spending more money than we can afford – we cannot sustain services like this.

“Ten years ago, we had 655 children in the council’s care, we now have more than 1,100. The cost for us to care for the high number of vulnerable children and adults has very nearly doubled over this period. Yet over the same 10 years the council has been forced to make £250m in austerity savings.

The City Council says its main pressures on the budget position are:

• Continuing record numbers of children in care – currently at 1,121 children, and with high costs of placements. Forecast pressures to support children’s social care are currently £9.1m.

• Increased demand for adult social care, with high unit costs of placements particularly in working age adults, residential and nursing, and home care. Forecast pressures to support adult social care are currently £5.2m.

• At a national level, a proposed pay offer by National Employers that would result in an estimated £1.1m in-year budget pressure, if accepted by trade unions.

Councillor Watson added: “We’re not just calling for system change. We’re taking every practical step possible to audit, control and account for the way money gets spent. We are now instigating a number of thorough reviews with the government, Local Government Association, professional organisations and independent audit panels, including a focus on the use of resources in children’s services and adult social care.

“We’re calling on government to listen to our situation – we are not reckless with public money, we spend wisely for the benefit of local people. If we cannot afford to provide the services we deliver in these circumstances, then the system is broken, not local government. We’re lobbying government for immediate action to help stem this tide.”

Greatest Hits Radio approached the Department of Health and Social Care for a response.

A government spokesperson said:

“Councils in England will benefit from almost £60 billion to deliver vital frontline services with an average funding increase of 9.4% over this financial year.

“For adult social care, the government has made available up to £7.5 billion in additional funding over two years to support adult social care and discharge This has enabled local authorities to increase their adult social care budgets by 10% in real terms this year.”

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