Southwark Labour Must Go Further to Protect Respite Care and Key Services
Southwark Labour have made a partial U-turn on their proposed £1.1m cut to ‘respite care’ and are now proposing a reduced cut of £600,000.
Respite care services, such as Southwark’s Orient Street Short Breaks Provision, offer specialist care to people with complex needs and allows carers a valuable break from caring.
Southwark Liberal Democrats welcomed Labour’s decision to reduce the proposed cut, but argued they must go further protect the service entirely.
Liberal Democrat councillors have implored Labour to find savings internally and implement innovative income generation policies to save vital services.
On Monday, the Labour cabinet agreed its final budget proposals that will be voted on at a full council meeting 22nd February.
The final budget proposals still contain a £4m reduction in spending on Children and Families services.
These cuts include reductions to the PAUSE service, the Keeping Families Together Team and the Family Early Help Service.
Equality analysis by Southwark Council has admitted that a number of these cuts will have definite negative impacts on the vulnerable groups that rely on these services.
Additionally, Labour ignored a recommendation from Southwark Lib Dem leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain, and endorsed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to invite the Equality and Human Rights Panel (EHRP) to the cabinet meeting.
The EHRP sent a letter to Southwark Council raising serious concerns about the proposed cuts to social care and the effects of those on vulnerable groups.
The committee formally agreed to recommend that the EHRP was invited to Monday’s cabinet meeting to discuss their concerns, but the cabinet refused to do so.
Commenting, leader of the Southwark Liberal Democrats Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:
“Southwark Liberal Democrats warned Labour that their harmful cuts to respite care are unacceptable and dangerous. We welcome Labour's partial U-Turn following feedback from carers, but they are still proposing to make massive cuts to this hugely valuable service and Labour must think again and go further.
It is deeply saddening that Labour didn’t even attempt to engage with the Equality and Human Rights, who have rightly raised grave concerns about cuts to social care.
Labour seem utterly committed slashing key social services, and completely blind to any savings they could make themselves or innovative policies that could generate revenue for the council.”