Proposed service cuts prompt special meeting

Among proposals is an end to the council's contribution to adult homelessness prevention

A special meeting is to be held to examine the consequences of multimillion-pound cuts to adult services being proposed by Devon County Council.

The council is consulting on scaling back and closing multiple services - including those for elderly, disabled and homeless people.

The health scrutiny committee has voted for a special meeting to be held in public before the cabinet makes a final decision in July.

Devon County Council said it had followed an "open and democratic consultation process".

It follows six public consultations, responses to which were being "analysed", a council meeting agenda said.

Papers for the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee cited the goal to improve the way people's care needs were met, in a "financially sustainable" way, while balancing the budget.

Views were sought from service users, families, carers and organisations, it said.

Public consultations around in-house day care, respite centres and carers services were halted when the council received notice that a judicial review would be sought over the proposed changes.

The council report said this demonstrated an "open and democratic consultation process".

The remaining proposals include:

• Ceasing an adult social care homelessness prevention contribution of £1.4m a year

• Closing the North Devon Link Service Drop-in centres and services in Barnstaple, Bideford and Ilfracombe, used by 130 people, and finding alternative support

• Ending £395,000-a-year funding to the Wellbeing Exeter programme in Exeter and Cranbrook

The document said a petition against the link service closure, signed by 4,000 people was handed into the council on 10 May.

Meanwhile, there were 990 responses to the consultation on the homelessness funding, which were "almost entirely against the proposal", the document said.

The "financial challenge facing DCC" and that homelessness was not a "statutory duty" for the council were also acknowledged, the document said.

There were 136 responses on the Wellbeing Exeter programme, including feedback that it had helped to reduce "visits to GP or emergency departments".

However, it was also noted that other providers delivered a similar service without council funding.

The paper said recommendations were being developed to present to cabinet on 12 July.

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