Charities warn BANES that cuts will be 'catastrophic'

Bath & North East Somerset Council is proposing cuts of £802,000 to preventative support services

Charity bosses fear that council cuts could have a "catastrophic" effect on the most vulnerable in their community.

Bath and North East Somerset Council plan to cut £802,000 from its community support contracts as it aims to balance its budget for next year.

Charities have warned cutting services will be "utterly devastating" and cost more taxpayer money in the long run.

The council scrutiny panel wants to delay the cuts until 8 February so their impact can be better understood.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council is facing a £24.53m budget gap in the next financial year.

Founded in 1996, Developing Health & Independence (DHI), originally the Drugs & Homeless Initiative, is among the charities facing potential cuts.

'Utterly devastating'

DHI Chief Executive Rosie Phillips said she understands the council having to focus its spending on core statutory services, but warned the council's scrutiny panel that cutting the preventative work done by charities would place a greater burden on local government in the long run.

"If you look at the cost of somebody from prison not getting support, and their life not turning around and kids going into care, it's massive," she said, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"Four of our projects are on that list which, if they were all cut, would be utterly devastating."

Jeremy Palmer, who now works for the charity's housing support service, Reach, said DHI helped him battle through drugs and spells in prison.

"DHI opened a door to a whole new life," Mr Palmer said.

"Now I live in my own home. I have full custody of my two beautiful children and I have done for nine years," he added.

The decision on which services will continue to receive funding will be made by February 8

Alison Miller, chair of DHI and former Liberal Democrat councillor, said that Reach supported 900 cases per year and was the "go-to agency" for housing support and was used "extensively" by the council's own housing options team.

"The impact of cuts in this area would be disproportionate," Ms Miller warned councillors.

"Funding this service is genuinely a good use of council taxpayer money, and withdrawing it could result in significantly greater cost for the council and potentially catastrophic consequences for your most vulnerable residents."

'Extremely concerned'

Council cabinet member for children's services, Paul May, told the panel: "These cuts have actually come about as a result of the government reducing our funding and therefore they have come to us quite late.

"So the normal diligence we would be doing around having to do that exercise we have not been able to do as effectively as we would like," he added.

Members of the scrutiny panel unanimously voted to call on the council to delay the cuts until they can consult with the charity sector on how to manage the budget most effectively.