THURROCK Council is aiming to slash almost £8 million from adults and children’s social services in a bid to save £18.2 million it has been revealed reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Savings proposals for 2025/26 budget include a saving of £5,784,000 from adults and health services and £2,149,000 from children’s services as the council continues to recover from its financial disasters.
Savings from adult services include charging for monitoring equipment, reviewing support to ensure it is not “over prescribed” and provided for longer than necessary and a reduction of staff within the Caring for Thurrock home care service after a reduction in hours provided to people using the service.
Reductions in Thurrock’s award-winning children’s services budget, include two year fixed rates for home to school transport contracts, supporting young people to stay at home to avoid costly foster placements and launching a council children’s home for youngsters with complex needs instead of funding sky high private placements.
Andrew Jefferies, leader of the Conservative Group, said he would seek assurances vital services were protected. He said: “I am concerned to see the amount of reductions in children’s services and adult social care and I will be looking for reassurance from the leader and the portfolio holder when we discuss the budget in more detail that frontline services will be protected and people won’t come to harm because of a lack of service being provided by the council.
“Under my administration frontline services were protected and I’ll be looking for the same from this administration.”
The council also intends to cut £100,000 from the highways maintenance budget which is used for such things at pot hole repairs.
Council rents will undergo a review, street lights are set to be dimmed at night and changes to the waste service are proposed. This could include a reuse shop, a pay-as-you-throw scheme and a paint reuse scheme set up at the Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
The council is also looking at extending the paid for garden waste collection service from 46 weeks to 52 weeks at no extra cost to residents. It is hoped more people will sign up to the more attractive service so increasing revenue.
Landlords could be targeted with a selective licensing scheme which would see them pay for a license which can be rescinded if properties are not kept up to standard.
All of the proposed budget savings will be debated at a budget scrutiny meeting on Wednesday.
The administration was asked to comment.
