Childrens services, adult health and social care and public health are to take the biggest hits in Salford City Council’s latest round of cuts.
City Mayor Ian Stewart announced to his dismay yesterday that 186 jobs would go under the latest proposals.
READ: 186 jobs to go as council announce £21.8m cuts
A £21.8m cut looks less than the £32m from previous years, but it’s the compound effect of cuts which is hurting so many people in Salford, said the City Mayor.
Salford City Council cuts in full: 2016/17 savings
Children’s Services
£150,000 from reviewing Connexions contract for young people’s employment and training
£1,140,000 from a fundamental review of the council’s provision for young people age 0-25
£189,000 from the closure of the Transforming Education Networks Centre on Hilton Lane, Worsley, sharing services with neighbouring authority, revised ICT contract with schools
£2,475,000 from major review of provision for children in care “to maximise high quality placements and minimise costs…The review will emphasise work to support families at and early stage to reduce the need for children to go into care in the first place and support young people in care to return safely home.”
£120,000 to reduce council’s transport for young people
£80,000 from reducing management costs in adoption
£35,000 from trips and visits for schools
£100,000 from “maximising the use of the Pupil Premium Grant”
£1,300,000 from “maximising elements of the Dedicated Schools Grant”
£400,000 from a review of the support for young people to stay in residential homes
£190,000 from encouraging people to use information, advice and support services from organisations other than the council. The council service will focus on “specific vulnerable groups”.
Total cuts: £6.179 million
“Our services will be maintained to make sure the most vulnerable are protected,” said Stewart yesterday.
“It may mean that we can’t deliver them to people who are in need, but not in danger.”
Community Health and Social Care
£2,272,000 from partnership working in the “integrated care programme alliance” between the council, Salford CCG, the hospital trust and Greater Manchester West NHS Foundation Trust. This is a service due to launch in spring 2016 and is, says Ian Stewart, “a classic example of how working with partners can actually provide a service better and cheaper than before.”
£327,000 cut in funding to Aspire, Salford’s mutual organisation established in 2015 for adult social care for people with complex needs. Its original business care is projecting a surplus, say the council.
£50,000 from reducing to a single team those who commission health, social care and housing support
£50,000 from a review of care and support for vulnerable people
£30,000 to “review and update” the charging policy for adult social care services
£1,500,000 from further integration of care for adults
Total cuts: £4.229 million
Public Health
£43,000 from the drugs and alcohol service – reducing the amount “spent on expensive substance misuse treatments”
£74,000 from cutting entirely the city’s Stop Smoking service which has seen a reduction in demand “largely due to the increased use of e-cigarettes”
£500,000 from a review of the sexual health budget
£172,000 from “further integration of management and staffing” of the Public Health teams
£2,000,000 one-off saving from using Public Health reserves
£977,000 saving from stopping or cutting funding to various services including £134,000 from Making Every Contact Count training, £138,000 from the Health Trainer Service, £120,000 from the online support for wellbeing, £200,000 from stopping funding to small-scale Health and Wellbeing projects, £63,000 cut from the Starting Life Well service, £100,000 cut to community committees devolved budgets, £50,000 by ending spending on local public health campaigns, £100,000 cut to Early Intervention programme, £20,000 by ending funding for drug testing kits for probation clients and a £52,000 cut to the Greater Manchester Public Health Network
Total cuts: £3.766 million
Environment & Community Safety
£47,000 cut to funding The Lowry theatre
£262,000 reduction in spending on council vehicles
£47,000 by cutting (voluntary) a senior management post
£140,000 from a one-off saving on street cleaning service “through a reduction in vehicle costs”
£16,000 from introducing new charges for bulky waste collection
£792,000 from reviewing current contracts and “improvements in value for money”
£51,000 from reducing spending on tree management
£150,000 from efficiencies in the private sector housing budget
£65,000 from issuing new three-year scrap metal dealer licences, due for renewal in 2016
£430,000 for moving the city’s bin collection to once every three weeks – more here on this
£69,000 from requiring housing developers rather than the council to fund the cost of recycling bins in new-build properties
£125,000 from a review of community safety intervention funding
£350,000 cut in Urban Vision’s budget
£73,000 from the closure of Chestnut Avenue depot in Walkden, home to the council’s Ranger Team, and moving services to Turnpike House on Eccles New Road.
£180,000 from creation of a new “integrated enforcement hub”
£100,000 cut to Salford Community Leisure budget
Total cuts: £2.897 million
Corporate Business
£60,000 from asking public and private business and volunteers to help maintain city events (such as the Salford Food Festival)
£400,000 from a review of IT and finance
£25,000 cut from Salford City Radio budget
£45,000 from using joint auditing with another local authority (including cutting vacant posts and sharing management)
£80,000 by doing claims handling work for another local council
£40,000 from a review of the joint Salford City Council and Manchester City Council legal services
£310,000 from reducing jobs (voluntary) in financial services management
£500,000 from stopping funding for new ICT equipment
£20,000 from reviewing legal support to schools
£30,000 from creating increased demand for weddings at the Civic Centre in Swinton and at Salford’s other wedding venues (Ordsall Hall etc)
Total cuts: £1.51 million
Regeneration
£120,000 from reducing running costs by moving services from Elmstead House in Swinton over to the Civic Centre. “Rationalising the estate” will mean looking if any other services can use Gateways or council buildings to cut costs.
£225,000 from cutting funding to the Metrolink and The Landing business offices at MediaCityUK
£92,000 from voluntary staff cuts on the Regeneration team
Total cuts: £437,000
Council-wide
£100,000 from sharing services with partner organisations
£548,000 from procurement and commissioning
£1,641,000 from introducing the ‘Digital Transformation Programme’ – moving things like complaints online.
£250,000 reduction in ‘discretionary spending’ on supplies
£253,000 cut to business travel from introducing a ‘green travel scheme’ for staff
Total cuts: £2.792 million
Overall cuts package: £21.805 million
Despite a 40 per cent cut in government funding for local authorities over the past four years, there are still positives to take away from this, said Stewart.
There’s a more generous settlement than expected from the part-ownership of the booming Manchester Airport.
Property sales in Salford jumped by 23 per cent this year, according to a survey by Halifax.
“We’ve been told that Salford is the fastest growing economy outside London,” he said.
And the population of the city is set to grow by 8% over the next 10 years, further increasing the council tax base.
