I met the head of Adult Learning Disabilities and mental health at Dudley Council for a briefing on services and current issues the other day.
With the economy in a state of near ruin it is especially important that we protect what the media call ‘front line services’ for such vulnerable groups of people. Sadly if we are not very careful, such groups will suffer a disproportionate share of the cuts that are now being discussed by all political parties.
In just over an hour with the excellent head of service, Mr Richard Carter, I identified four areas where we could make substantial savings without affecting either the quality or the extent of the service received by those with learning disabilities and mental health needs.
Firstly, Dudley Council employ 70 social services staff ‘seconded’ to the Walsall & Dudley Mental Health Trust. Such large scale secondments are always problematic. Who are such staff accountable to? We have three bodies, the Local Authority, the Walsall and Dudley Mental Health Trust and the Primary Care Trust all trying to manage parts of a service that clients and carers assume is coming from one source.
Try being the carer going between all these organisations – I’ve done it myself with older people and its almost a full time job! We should consider merging all three groups under one management structure and budget. Definite savings at no detriment to service – in fact in my view such a move would enhance service.
Secondly, out of a total budget of some £24m for learning disabilities within the Local Authority, some £10m is spent on residential care. The cost of caring for some of the clients with more complex needs can reach £3,000 per week. These are private homes charging the taxpayer a great deal of money and their books should be scrutinized. Local Authorities account for almost 100% of their income. The Councils should work together to drive down costs whilst maintaining standards.
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