Public to be consulted on budget refresh proposals
More money is to be invested in helping older people live independently in their own homes, supporting growing numbers of children in care and helping people with learning disabilities as part of a proposed refresh of Stoke-on-Trent’s budget strategy, launched today (Monday).
The refresh builds on an already agreed budget which will see £34m savings achieved between now and 2020. Altogether the city council has made £172m savings over the last seven years. The consultation takes into account updated information and revised forecasts since the budget was approved in February 2017 including additional pressures in both adults’ and children’s social care.
The proposals come at a time when there is a challenging national background of an overall shortfall in public sector budgets. This is as a result of both reductions in government grants to councils and an increase in demand for statutory services for children in care, older people and people with learning disabilities.
