UP TO 500 JOBS will go next year at Dorset County Council and there will be “significant impacts on services to individuals and communities.”
The council has to reduce spending by £45-50 million over the next three years – that’s £15 – 20 million more than first expected.
And that £15-20 million extra has to be cut next year.
Hence the job losses planned for 2011-12. Hence the huge list of other possible cuts laid out in an agenda paper published today on dorsetforyou.com at http://bit.ly/eT8F93
@realwestdorset on Twitter outlined the county council’s plans on Wednesday morning, and more details follow below, but there is no substitute for reading the full breakdown at http://bit.ly/eT8F93
The county council says that previous money-saving programmes have been “focused on efficiency and transformational changes, without major impact on service delivery”.
But now: “To achieve the level of saving now required it is inevitable that there will be significant impacts on services to individuals and communities.
“The Council will try to adopt the ‘Big Society’ approach and enable others to take over services rather than cut them altogether, but has had little success so far with similar initiatives.”
Libraries are a case in point.
The county council asserts that it can no longer afford to maintain a branch network of 34 libraries. It hopes that volunteers may run up to 20, following the model established in Burton Bradstock – but Burton Bradstock is unusual. The council admits that “experience to date” indicates that getting communities to run libraries will be “very difficult to achieve in any realistic timescale.”
So – despite West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin acclaiming his constituency as one of the main inspirations for “the ‘Big Society’ approach” – Dorset is entering uncharted teritory and lots still has to be worked out.
For example, it’s not yet been calculated exactly how substantial the “substantial expenditure for redundancy compensation payments” will be.
The council also expects that “Some additional temporary resource in HR may be needed to facilitate staff restructuring.”
@CoogarUK on Twitter found it “laughable”… “having to create some new jobs to help get rid of the existing ones.”
Few victims have yet been publicly identified, but 8 jobs will go in communications and customer services.
About 20 jobs will go in the ‘service support cost centre’ in Adult & Community Services.
The number of trading standards officers may be cut, and two of the 12 Registrars Offices may be shut.
Significant impacts on services to individuals and communities
Support to adults with physical, mental and learning disabilities is seen as the area with the “greatest scope for significant savings”.
In practice this means – for example – providing fewer “simple aids for daily living to support people in their homes.”
It means “rationalising the management structure that supports the Learning Disability Day Services, and withdrawing the subsidy for transport and hot meals to the Centres.”
Older people attending day centres may also have transport subsidies withdrawn.
The number of day centres may be cut.
Affecting younger people, there are plans to “reduce the coordination of after-school, holiday, homework and breakfast clubs”.
Foster carers will get lower loyalty payments.
Fewer support services will be provided to families with children experiencing difficulties.
The list goes on and on.
The county council is proposing to stop supporting district & borough councils on affordable housing issues.
Funding will be reduced for economic development, tourism, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Dorset Road Safety Partnership, Drug Action & Community Safety initiatives, museums, the Dorset History Centre, the careers advice service, and the school improvement service.
In line with “the ‘Big Society’ approach” it’s hoped that volunteers will come forward, not just to run libraries, but operate school crossing patrols and maintain footpaths.
Note: There are almost 3000 miles of public rights of way in Dorset, made up of roughly 4700 footpaths, 1700 bridleways and 37 byways open to all traffic…
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With DCC cuts to save money, now could be the time to implement the view expressed by David Cameron in his speech at the Tory 2010 Conference. He said “We are all in this together – that is not a cry for help, but a call to arms”.
I have no doubt that my proposal to meet this objective will not meet with approval by some but may be an alternative to people losing their jobs resulting in misery to those doing so, increasing the welfare benefits budget.
Nationally, many District and County Councils are proposing a reduction in the number of Councillors in order to save money. An alternative perhaps could be for Councillors to take a cut in their Allowances, Special Responsibility Allowances and Expenses.
In the year 2009-2010, 45 Dorset County Councillors were paid £994,893 made up from a Basic Allowance of £10,185, a Special Allowance ranging from £4,397 to £30,550 and a Mileage Allowance of 40p per mile.
Seventeen Councillors received between £20,000 to £50,000 in Allowances and Expenses, and the 56 West Dorset Councillors’ Allowances and Expenses amounted to £357,224. In North Dorset 33 Councillors and six members of the Standards Committee claimed £229,603. By adopting the policy of many District Councils, reducing the number of Councillors by ten percent, jobs could be saved. Alternatively, if Councillors would voluntarily accept a ten or even twenty percent cut in their Allowances and Expenses, the misery to those losing their jobs would be eradicated and the resulting benefit payments reduced. Either of these proposals would be in line with “we are all in this together” and “the big society”.
Any candidate offering themselves as Councillors in the May 2011 Council Elections who promises in their election address to Council Tax payers, to cut their Allowances and Expenses could possibly help their campaign for election. A reduction in job losses as a result would be a good campaign slogan.