Council warns it won’t be able to fund prevention services for children and adults by 2022

Topics covered: Ridouts professional advice

East Sussex Council has warned that it will not be able to fund preventative services for adults’ and children’s social care by 2021/22 without more resources from the government.

In its budget proposals, submitted to cabinet in January, the council warned it would be left with a “minimum service offer” if more money wasn’t made available.

East Sussex’s Chief Executive Becky Shaw, warned tin her report that the council would be able to provide safeguarding, meet critical needs in adult’s social care and deal with the highest level of need and risk cases in children’s services. However, without extra funding from the government, it would be unable to fund early intervention or prevention services.

“Central services will be reduced to a democratic core with minimum support for departments and more self-service,” the report said.

This outlook has caused the council to ask its cabinet to endorse a renewed focus on “commercialisation and income generation” in adults’ social care, children’s early help and support services.

The council has already levied the adult social care precept by 6% over 2017/18 and 2018/19. The precept was subject to a maximum uplift of 6% in the three years to 2019/20, so East Sussex cannot apply the precept again.

A spokesperson for East Sussex council said the council would not comment on the proposals while the budget process is still ongoing.

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