Tough budget decisions – adult social care savings
Feedback updated 3 Mar 2016
We asked
We wanted your views on how we were proposing to make the savings in Adult Social Care.
You said
The vast majority of people who responded to the consultation were concerned about the long-term harm that would be caused to people and the services that support them.
We did
Following the consultation, the proposed savings were amended to take account of the additional money that would be raised by the social care precept for Council Tax and what people told us through the consultation. For some services this meant not going ahead with the saving or revising the amount we were planning to save.
Results updated 21 Jul 2020
Over 1800 people took part in the consultation, although some people submitted responses more than once. People took part in many different ways:
- 949 people and organisations completed an online or paper survey
- Over 400 people attended one of the drop-in events
- 77 organisations commented (40 via letter/email and 37 via the survey)
- 35 groups or coordinated client responses were received (many of these included multiple responses)
- 365 individuals commented by letter (93), email (84), comment form (189), video (11) and phone calls (6).
There were also a number of petitions.
The vast majority of people who responded to the consultation were concerned about the long-term harm that would be caused to people and the services that support them.
Survey responses showed that people generally disagreed with the three main areas of savings:
- Supporting People: 75% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- Voluntary sector services we fund: 71% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- Drug and alcohol prevention services: 52% disagreed or strongly disagreed
More information
You can download a feedback newsletter summary of the consultation results (5 pages) or the Cabinet consultation results (96 pages) below.
There is also a document summarising the savings proposal we consulted upon, the revised recommendations made to Cabinet, and the final savings agreed at Full Council (13 pages).
Files:
- Feedback newsletter - ASC savings consultation 2015, 201.1 KB (PDF document)
- Cabinet paper - ASC savings consultation 2015, 629.2 KB (PDF document)
- Table of recommendations and results - ASC savings consultation 2015, 68.8 KB (PDF document)
Overview
We will have £40 million less to spend on adult social care services by March 2019. This is in addition to the £28 million that we have already saved from these services since 2013. We wanted your views on how we were proposing to make the savings.
The consultation summary is available to download below if you want more information on what we were proposing. There was also a video people could watch (subtitles available).
The consultation ran for 8 weeks. People could share their views by completing the online or paper survey; coming to one of the consultation drop-in events; or sharing their comments by letter, email, phone or video.
Why your views matter
The savings we need to make mean making difficult decisions about which adult social care services we continue to invest in. The consultation explained how we proposed to make the savings, providing detailed information on the three main areas of saving in the first year (2016/17) and a summary of savings over the following two years.
What happens next
The Council’s Cabinet considered the final savings proposals for the whole Council at its meeting on 26 January 2016. The proposals were then considered by all elected councillors at the Full Council meeting on 9 February 2016.
Everything you told us in surveys, letters, emails and conversations was shared with decision makers. We provided a detailed summary of the consultation results and all your responses were available for Councillors to read or watch in the week before Cabinet.
The approved budget will see £369 million spent on services in the coming financial year. To help lessen the strain on adult social care, Councillors voted to go ahead with the proposed council tax rise by 3.99%.
See papers for Full Council meeting. For details on what was agreed for adult social care services please see the 'Results' section below.
We will now be working with providers to tell people who use the affected services in the most appropriate way and format. If you need the information provided here in another language or format, such as Easy Read, please contact us.
We will also work with partners and providers to support people through the changes. This might mean looking at alternative services and giving them time to prepare.
The Council has a statutory duty to safeguard all East Sussex residents. This duty will be particularly important when so much is changing. We will also continue to welcome complaints as this helps us to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.
Events
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Hastings drop-in event (12pm-2pm)
From 2 Nov 2015 at 12:00 to 2 Nov 2015 at 14:00Hastings Town Hall, Council Chamber, Queens Square, Hastings, TN34 1TL
(You can attend at any time during the two hours as it is a drop-in event.) -
Rother drop-in event (12.30pm-2.30pm)
From 3 Nov 2015 at 12:30 to 3 Nov 2015 at 14:30Battle Memorial Hall, Main Hall, 81 High Street, Battle, TN33 0AQ
(You can attend at any time during the two hours as it is a drop-in event.) -
Lewes drop-in event (12pm-2pm)
From 4 Nov 2015 at 12:00 to 4 Nov 2015 at 14:00Lewes Town Hall, Assembly Room, High Street, Lewes, BN7 2QS
(You can attend at any time during the two hours as it is a drop-in event.) -
Wealden drop-in event (12pm-2pm)
From 11 Nov 2015 at 12:00 to 11 Nov 2015 at 14:00Uckfield Civic Centre, Martlets Room, Bellfarm Lane, Uckfield, TN22 1AE
(You can attend at any time during the two hours as it is a drop-in event.) -
Eastbourne drop-in event (11am-1pm)
From 13 Nov 2015 at 11:00 to 13 Nov 2015 at 13:00Eastbourne Town Hall, Court Room, Grove Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4UG
(You can attend at any time during the two hours as it in a drop-in event.) -
Crowborough drop-in event (6pm-7.30pm) - BSL interpeting available
From 26 Nov 2015 at 18:00 to 26 Nov 2015 at 19:30Crowborough Community Centre, Pine Grove, Crowborough, TN6 1DH
(You can attend at any time during the event as it in a drop-in. BSL interpreting will be available at this event.) -
Seaford drop-in event (6pm-7.30pm) - BSL interpeting available
From 30 Nov 2015 at 18:00 to 30 Nov 2015 at 19:30Seaford Head School, 107 Steyne Rd, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 4LX
(You can attend at any time during the event as it in a drop-in. BSL interpreting will be available at this event.) -
Bexhill drop-in event (6pm-7.30pm) - BSL interpeting available
From 3 Dec 2015 at 18:00 to 3 Dec 2015 at 19:30The Studio Room, De La Warr Pavilion, Marina, Bexhill On Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1DP
(You can attend at any time during the event as it in a drop-in. BSL interpreting will be available at this event.) -
Robertsbridge drop-in event (5pm-6.30pm)
From 4 Dec 2015 at 17:00 to 4 Dec 2015 at 18:30Robertsbridge Village Hall, 11-23 Station Rd, Salehurst, Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5
(You can attend at any time during the event as it in a drop-in.)
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- Voluntary groups or organisations
- Public sector groups or organisations
- Staff
- Providers of services
- Residents of East Sussex
- Carers
- Working age adults
- Older people
- Disabled People
- People who use our services
Interests
- Older people
- Disability
- Mental health
- Learning disability or difficulty
- Finances and spending plans
- Care and support services (adults)
- Carers support
- Social care providers
- Housing
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