Statement on Council Budget Meeting, 3 March 2011
Statement on Council Budget Meeting, 3 March 2011
Following last night’s full council meeting at which the city’s budget for 2011/12 was set, CVSF remains concerned about the longer term impact of national cuts, but welcomes a number of decisions made at the meeting.
These include:
- Transitional funding for Connexions and the Youth Service to support changes to services. There are still shortfalls in the budget but this transitional support is helpful.
- Funding for community activities through the Communities and Equalities team will not now be cut (this is £232,000 more than expected).
- The third year of the Council’s Discretionary Grants Programme (next year) will include an increase to cover inflation.
- The ring fencing of local Supporting People, homelessness prevention and carer’s grants is welcomed.
- A £400,000 pot to develop a citywide financial inclusion strategy for the city’s advice and information services is welcomed.
- Extra funding will be made available in the Community Safety budget, which supports some of the city’s most vulnerable residents (including work around domestic violence, sexual violence, hate crime). While there is still a shortfall in funding, it is now less than anticipated.
- Increased funding into the Community Care budget which provides non-statutory service providers (including the community and voluntary sector), with funding to support 3,000 vulnerable older people, people with mental health issues, young disabled people and people with drug and alcohol issues.
- Extra funding will support the transition to personalised care so that service users have more choice and control. However, there will still be significant cuts to adult social care budget of £5.5 million.
- The Discretionary Rate Relief budget will be maintained.
Sally Polanski, Chief Executive of CVSF says: “CVSF has worked on behalf of its members to influence this budget, so its good news that their experiences and views have been taken into account.
“However, while there is much to be pleased about, we remain concerned about the longer term. During 2011/12 is saving £23.2 million; over the next four years they are looking to save £82.5 million. Multi-agency Equality Impact Assessments are essential so the impact on local communities is properly understood and planned for”.
A CVSF member was elected to sit on the Council’s Budget Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which allowed the views of members to directly feed into the scrutiny process and influence the views of local councillors.
