Extra funding lets the council scale back planned cuts. Audio Active and mental health services are now protected.
Jacob Allen shared changes at a meeting. He is in charge of adult care and public health. Mental health support will see fewer cuts, and staffing and oral health services are also affected. The academic library service is included too.
Allen said they found £230,000 within the grant. They used it to stop cuts to the “ageing well” program. Allen said they quickly changed the budget plans and removed things they did not want to cut.
Ellen McLeay wants to protect essential services. She spoke about understanding the financial decisions’ impact and wants to safeguard vulnerable people’s safety. She’s concerned about their daily lives and well-being.
McLeay and Jacqui Simon asked about impact assessments at a scrutiny committee meeting. McLeay also mentioned Tristram Burden’s resignation, as he disagreed with adult care cuts.
Burden called staff cuts “rushed,” aiming to save £565,000 each year. Public health moved into a different council department last month. It was previously part of adult social care.
Burden agreed to some savings in early January, totaling about £863,000. He wanted more details on where money was going and could not support the £565,000 staff cuts.
Burden wanted a strong case for the cuts and also wanted an equalities impact assessment. He resigned the day before the meeting, where he was in charge of adult care and public health.
The cabinet then approved the budget changes. They reduced cuts to the Healthy Child program, and the YMCA Mental Health Champions kept their funding. Audio Active and Mental Health Support Services are safe.
The cabinet also removed cuts to Ageing Well and the Academic Library Service also avoided a funding reduction. The Act on Cancer Project kept its screening promotion money, Oral Health promotion avoided a cut, and staffing cuts were reduced slightly.