Brighton & Hove budget cuts 2015-16

• Adult services: £3.25 million cut

• Sport, culture, democratic involvement, community grants: £1.24 million cut

• Children’s services: £812,000 cut

• Environment, development & housing: £3.5 million cut

• Finance and benefits: £1.8 million cut

• Public health: £372,000 cut

Part A:Cuts to services for

vulnerable residents

Adult Social Care

£3.25 million cuts to services for older people, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health needs, including:

• Fewer beds in Older People’s Resource Centres

• Everyone’s care package to be reviewed

• Cuts to funding for voluntary sector providers

• Cuts and privatisation of homecare service

• Cut to Able & Willing subsidy

Changes to Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit

• No Council Tax Reduction for anyone with savings over £6,000 (down from £16,000)

• No Council Tax Reduction for people who share a house with others on low incomes

• Double contribution required of adult children still living at home

• Cuts to staff who help vulnerable people make claims

• Move to 100% online claim system

Environment, transport, planning & housing

• Closure of some public toilets and cuts to opening hours of others

• Cuts to bus services on routes 21, 21A, 21B, 38A, 84

• Removal of parking meters – pay by phone only

• Cut to support for energy efficiency improvements to homes in the city

• Cut to Supporting People funding for most vulnerable residents

Impact on vulnerable people

“Budget reductions across the organisation for services for vulnerable adults at a time of increased pressures on services (homelessness and rough sleeping in the city continue to rise), welfare reform changes and rising rents will lead to considerable negative cumulative impacts on vulnerable people in the city with housing and support needs.”Equality Impact Assessment (Appendix 8 of draft budget), page 74

Part B:Cuts to services for children and young

people

Youth work and play

• No funding at all for youth work in the city – youth centres will be forced to close

• Closure of the council’s Play Service

• Closure of four Children’s centres (West Hove, Cornerstone, City View, Hollingbury & Patcham)

• Cuts to open groups at other centres

• Funding cuts for Early Childhood Project & Brighton Unemployed Centre

Nurseries and childcare

• Review of council nurseries: Roundabout, Jump Start and Tarnerland – aim of review is to remove council subsidy

• Cut support to providers of out-of-school childcare

• Stop running Moulsecoombsummer playscheme

• No more cheaper playschemes and after school clubs for children on free school meals

• Cut support for childminders

Services for children in most need

• Cuts to social work posts in Fostering and Adoption service: reduced support for foster carers, more cuts to come after a review

• Cuts to respite care and speech therapy

• Cut to Sensory Need Service for deaf children under 2

• Cuts to home-school transport for disabled children

Part C:

Cuts to culture, sport, community life and democracy

Museums and libraries

• Entry charges to all museums for visitors from outside the city

• Charges for computer use at libraries, after first hour

• Charges for events and activities at libraries

Sports

• Cuts to Active for Life and Takepart programmes

• Summer Fun activities for children axed

• Cuts to support and funding for community sport groups

• Removal of subsidy to PortsladeSports Centre – management of the centre to be put out to tender

Support for community and voluntary sector• 17% cut to grants programme

• Loss of rate rebates for charities

• Cut to funding for Equalities projects

• Funding for community development and support to voluntary groups cut by £100k in 2015-16 and £200k from 2016.

Community Learning and Music Service

• Privatise management of the Community Learning Service (danger this will be cut altogether if external funding not found)

• Cut subsidy to music service by £66,000

Democracy and accountability

• No more elections to Older People’s Council

• Overview and Scrutiny team scrapped: no support for council tenants to hold their landlord to account, loss of opportunity for citizens to challenge the way the council works

• Staff cuts in complaints department