Tories should invest in Social Services, not hit it with cuts (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Tories should invest in Social Services, not hit it with cuts

December 20, 2004 12:00 AM

Tories should invest in Social Services

Liberal Democrats have called upon the Cabinet member for Social Services to speak up for Swindon's struggling Social Services department by investing money not satisfying the lust for cuts coming from maverick Conservatives.

Cllr Chris Shepherd, Liberal Democrat Leader (Freshbrook & Grange Park) said:

"Rumours of cuts up to £3million pounds need to be crossed off the Tory agenda now. In writing to Ian Dobie, the cabinet member for Social Services, I have asked him to stand up for his department and speak up for the most crucial service that this Council funds.

"This is not a time for the Tories to play with the lives of the most vulnerable people in society with wanton threats of cuts to satisfy blood thirsty backbench Tories wanting a low Council Tax.

don't pander to blood-thirsty backbench Tories

"We all want a low Council Tax, but only if that low tax delivers quality services and assists the Council in its ambitions of recovery from its position in the list of worst local authorities in the country."

Early in November the government downgraded Swindon's already zero-rated Social Services department by stating that it was 'serving no children well'. This is a worse report than last year when the department was judged as 'serving some children well'.

Cllr Shepherd's letter calls on the Cabinet to secure extra investment in Social Services not cuts.

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Chris Shepherd writes to Cllr Ian Dobie, Cabinet member for Social Services: Dear Ian,

As the Council has been awarded an extra £8m in the financial settlement announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown, I am calling on you to secure the extra investment needed in Social Services. Last week the Evening Advertiser listed £750,000 cuts to Social Services proposed by your group:

· Withdrawing transport funds for learning disability day services

· Reductions in support for voluntary organisations

· Tightening funding criteria for the elderly and disabled

· Reductions in emergency cash support

As you are well aware Social Services is trying hard to pull itself out of its poor 0* status; but it won't be able to do that if it is continually subjected to budget pressures that a 3* Social Services department would have trouble coping with.

I would ask you to apply whatever pressure you can to the Cabinet to secure the money Keith Skerman, Director of Social Services, needs to do his job properly and show the department that the Council is willing to put the resources where they are most needed.

The Social Services department has made great strides in the last year, something I know you accept, to sort out its problems and it does not need a kick in the teeth from the Administration now.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Chris Shepherd, Leader of Liberal Democrat Group.

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A couple of days after this story featured in the local press, the Tories pledged an extra £4.6million to the Social Services budget for 2005/06. But cuts are still on their agenda:

# £250,000 reduction in grant aid to voluntary sector

# £182,000 saved through toughened criteria for social services provision

# £30,000 cut from emergency grants offered to older people and disabled

# £30,000 saving through closure of the HomeStart initiative