Budget Consultation 09-10- Responses With Council Response

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Budget Consultation 2009/10 ___________________________________________________________________ 1.

Background The Cabinet Report (6th January 2009) on the Budget Headlines was published on Barnet Online and residents were invited comment on the headlines. As well as this over all consultation, consultation has also taken place at a service level.

2.

Summary of responses The online consultation was viewed 256 times. 5 comments were received in total. Four of the comments received were on the budget reductions being made within Adult Social Services (two were on the reduction of the service within the Horse Activity Stables, and two were on the reduction of services in Sheltered Housing). One comment was on the issue of the Council tax being too high. 3.

Process for considering responses/Next steps The comments were considered by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Freer and the Cabinet Member for Community Services, Councillor Hillan. They were also passed to the service leads for a direct response. The service responses can be found under point 4: Detailed responses of this report.

4.

Detailed Responses

4.1

Adult Social Services withdrawal of staff funding at the horse activity I have serious concerns about item 3 on page 5 of the Adult Social Services section, i.e. Withdrawal of Adult Social Services staff funding at the Horse Activity Stables Project. The proposal is that council involvement in the stables would cease although the project would continue through its independent management committee. The two staff currently employed by the Council currently support seven service users with alternative day opportunities secured for them. This statement is incorrect. The service users do not have alternative day opportunities secured for them. The proposed withdrawal of the two members of staff and funding was only communicated to the service users and their families in the middle of January. Likewise the management committee of the Stables Project were also informed of this in January. LBB has a duty of care to the service users and in making any changes to their care plans then a proper re-assessment of needs has to be carried out. The assessments have not yet been carried out and it obviously follows from this that alternative day opportunities cannot have been secured for them.

It is part of the Adult Social Services 3 year plan that the Stables Project should become a social firm; this is not the intention of the management committee of the Horse Activity Centre. The service users at the Stables Project do wish to continue their placements at the Project but placements i.e. day care is the operative word here, not the paid employment there that is being suggested by the Deputy Director, Adult Social Services. I think that there appears to be some very misleading information in this section of the Draft Budget and a decision to agree to this change would be very wrong until the situation has been clarified. I also think that this withdrawal of funding should be delayed for at least one year in order to allow the proper consultation and assessment procedures to be followed. Council response: The Council is working closely with the management committee of the Horse Activity Stables Project. The Management Committee has given it’s support to working with the Council to take over the running of the day opportunities which are currently provided by Adult Social Services from July 2009. We have made arrangements with the management committee to ensure that there is no loss of service for people attending the Stables during the weekdays whilst negotiations are concluded. All individuals attending the Stables project during the week are having their needs re-assessed to make sure that they are supported to access services and supports that best meet their needs. The Council believes that it is important that all day services work towards supporting people with learning disabilities into work. The role of day services is to support people to develop independence in their daily lives and this will form a part of the outcomes that the Stables, Horse Activity Project will be expected to achieve for the individuals attending the project funded by the Council. For the Stables, this could include directly employing people with learning disabilities and/or supporting people to develop social skills, vocational skills and confidence that will help them to live more independently. 4.2

Withdrawal of Adult Social Services staff funding at the Horse Activity Stables How exactly are adult social services caring for the vulnerable within the community when they withdraw funding from a project for adults with learning difficulties with only ten weeks notice?!!! Page 9 - "Withdrawal of Adult Social Services staff funding at the Horse Activity Stables project (70k) Council involvement in the stables project would cease although the project would continue through its independent management committee. The two staff currently employed by the Council currently support seven service users with alternative day opportunities secured for them" This headline statement is false and a misrepresentation of the situation. The service users do not have alternative day opportunities secured for them. Infact, the statement above was made to cabinet before the decision to withdraw funding had been communicated to either the project management committee or the users themselves. There are now a great deal of worries about what will happen to the users of the scheme and nothing has been decided about alternative day opportunities. The process being followed in relation to the proposal is absurd - the decision to withdraw

funding was made in December 2008 without any consultation with either the project itself or the users. The LBB has not yet even carried out the assessments on the users to establish their needs, abilities, etc or to ascertain the impact on them as individuals. This should have been done before any decision was made. Like the users, The Stables management committee have only been given ten weeks notice of the intention to withdraw the funding, after having been in existence for years and years. The decision has been made to save money, with no thought as to how a group of the most vulnerable adults within LBB are going to be affected. The proposal to withdraw funding is also being taken in order to help Adult Social Services reach a target set in 2007 of 100 adults with learning difficulties being moved into paid employment by 2010. Put simply - cut the funding to The Stables and the users will need to seek paid 'employment' within a social firm. This is putting the achievement of metrics set years ago, before the actual needs of the users - the adults with learning difficulties within the community which LBB are supposed to be caring for. Council response The Council is working closely with the management committee of the Horse Activity Stables Project. The Management Committee has given it’s support to working with the Council to take over the running of the day opportunities which are currently provided by Adult Social Services from July 2009. We have made arrangements with the management committee to ensure that there is no loss of service for people attending the Stables during the weekdays whilst negotiations are concluded. All individuals attending the Stables project during the week are having their needs re-assessed to make sure that they are supported to access services and supports that best meet their needs. The Council believes that it is important that all day services work towards supporting people with learning disabilities into work. The role of day services is to support people to develop independence in their daily lives and this will form a part of the outcomes that the Stables, Horse Activity Project will be expected to achieve for the individuals attending the project funded by the Council. For the Stables, this could include directly employing people with learning disabilities and/or supporting people to develop social skills, vocational skills and confidence that will help them to live more independently. 4.3 Sheltered Housing Accommodation I write with regard to the proposed budget reduction relating to Sheltered Accommodation. My mother resides at Harmony Close, Princes Park Avenue, Golders Green, which is jointly run by the council and the Jewish Community Housing Association. It is understood that under the council’s proposed cost savings you are planning to replace the position of Scheme Manager and alarm call system with a ‘roving’ system. Sheltered accommodation has been in existence for many years, both in the private and public sector of housing. It is a way for senior citizens to live and lead an independent life within their own home, yet be safe in the knowledge that in their advancing years, should they need some form of assistance help is always at hand. This ‘help’ is not necessarily medical assistance. Sheltered Accommodation was designed for those people who did not need nursing or residential care, however, as one grows old there is the occasional requirement for practical assistance, such as a fuse blowing; light bulb to be replaced; plumbing needs etc. Whilst the Scheme Manager, him/herself might not do these jobs themselves, they certainly are there to facilitate their

implementation and to ensure the security of the premises. It is this sort of assistance that complements the ‘peace of mind’ that living in sheltered accommodation is all about for the elderly who are not infirm enough to warrant permanent care. Living alone, as my mother and many other residents do, with her children not living close by, it is peace of mind for the whole family that she receives an early morning call to check she is OK. In addition, the alarm system installed throughout the flat means that help can be on hand very quickly in an emergency. The choice is made by the individual to live in sheltered accommodation so that they and their families can be assured that somebody is always on hand in an emergency when family might not be close by. It is peace of mind for everybody. It is also peace of mind that is paid for. The rent paid by my mother is at a level to include the services offered by sheltered accommodation. If you remove the Scheme Manager system she – and other residents – might as well move into other, cheaper, rented accommodation. To remove the Scheme Manager System is to remove the services of Sheltered Accommodation. This would be an appalling decision and leave elderly people unprotected and without the security of help being on hand. A roving system will not fulfil the needs of these residents and will negate what sheltered accommodation is all about. Council response: The Council is currently undertaking a detailed consultation on the proposals regarding Sheltered Housing and the results of this will be considered by Cabinet in June 2009. This consultation sets out in details the Council’s proposals and invites comments on options for the future. At this stage, no decision has been taken by the Cabinet regarding this proposal. For details of the Sheltered Housing Consultation can be found at www.barnet.gov.uk/index/council-democracy/consultations/sheltered-housingconsultation.html The consultation ends on the 31st March 2009. 4.4

“The reduction of sheltered housing services is scandalous. This is neglecting the most vulnerable people in Barnet.” The Council is currently undertaking a detailed consultation on the proposals regarding Sheltered Housing and the results of this will be considered by Cabinet in June 2009. This consultation sets out in details the Council’s proposals and invites comments on options for the future. At this stage, no decision has been taken by the Cabinet regarding this proposal. For details of the Sheltered Housing Consultation can be found at www.barnet.gov.uk/index/council-democracy/consultations/sheltered-housingconsultation.html The consultation ends on the 31st March 2009.

4.5

Council tax increase too high I have read the Hendon & Edgware Times, regarding the council tax charge from April, which I understand is increased by 2.8%. This is higher than most of the London Boroughs, apparently an average of 1.2%. I should like to know firstly why there is any increase at all? Westminster is decreasing theirs, and I do not see a great service for Barnet, certainly no better then Westminster! All I see is rubbish on the streets, graffiti etc.

etc. I do not understand why there is an increase – do you have any idea how hard it is to find the money to pay this tax? For 2008/09 my council tax was £2,520, or £48.46 per week, much too high. With the proposed increase of 2.8% this year, I would comment that this is also much too high. Quite honestly, I do not understand how you can charge based on what YOU think properties are worth? It’s a quite ridiculous idea, it should be based on what services we receive. I don’t have children, any aged parents etc, so I am paying an extremely disproportionate charge. Its costs like this that will be making me move not only out of this Borough, but also out of this country, as soon as I can, and I hope NEVER to return. You are quite literally bleeding me dry, along with the extortionate tax system charged by the government. I totally disagree with any increase, and would prefer a decrease, even if it means you have to make cuts. Perhaps you should start by making cuts to the highest paid council officials, and keep cutting until the council tax you want from me is a bit more realistic. Council response: Your comments are noted and I will respond to specific issues you raise. Westminster (and the City of London) is an extremely wealthy authority compared to other boroughs. For example, in 2009/10 the government will give Westminster £681 per person of general grant compared to £273 for Barnet. This is because Westminster is an inner London borough which, along with all other inner London boroughs, receives much higher grant income than Barnet. This is because the government deems inner London to have greater deprivation and so be entitled to more financial help than Barnet and outer London generally. For the same reason, Westminster also receives more grants for specific purposes like regeneration schemes than Barnet. In addition, Westminster parking charges generate a huge amount of income every year that is used to keep the council tax low. For example, in 2008/09, Westminster had over £41.5m to keep their council tax down compared to just under £5m for Barnet. The council tax system is run according to government regulations. The value of your house is set by the Government’s Valuation Office Agency which notifies the council of the property band for council tax charging. The council charges for services where it has the power to do so and is in line with council policy. These charges include social services to children and older adults thereby helping to reduce the council tax. The cost of children’s school services are met by government specific grant and are not a charge on your council tax. Over the last seven years the council has made reductions totalling around £81m which is more than £10m annually. There are various discounts, exemptions and benefits to reduce the council tax for those needing help with their payments.

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