On Wednesday morning, 25th February, Salford City Council will vote on proposed cuts of £30.722million for 2015-16, and £14.557million for 2016-17, which will affect all services, particularly those for vulnerable people in the city.
Last night, outside the Civic Centre, over fifty Council staff and service users lobbied Labour Party Group councillors going into a meeting to discuss the budget, urging them to delay a decision on the cuts.
The Salford Star has seen a trade union petition that will be handed into the Council on Wednesday related to cuts with headline figures of £3.5million to Children's Services and £1.6million to Public Health.
It states that "detailed information regarding the budget has not been shared with staff and Unions", and adds "...We are particularly concerned about the cut of £1.5m from 0 to 25 Services and £2m from Looked after Children. UNISON has been told that the reason for this delay is because there is no plan as yet about how to make these savings...
"...We are further aware of proposals to take over £1.6m of public health funding out of Health Improvement services, but as of yet we don't have any sense of where that money will come from or where it will be diverted to."
Last night, Judy Shorrocks, a health improvement worker based in Little Hulton who attended the lobby, was absolutely dumbfounded after she spoke to Councillor Margaret Morris, Chair of the Council's Health and Adults Scrutiny Panel, about the cuts to Health Improvement...
"She's just told me that we should have come up with an alternative proposal but we don't know what the proposal is" Judy explained "We've not been told."
Judy works with some of the most vulnerable people in the city, people who are classed as `level zero'... "They're people who aren't motivated to even get changed and go out" she said "We work with their confidence, we get them back into work and build up their self esteem so they are able to manage their health a lot better. We do 101 different things. It's a vital service, given that in some areas Salford people's life expectancy is ten years less than anywhere else.
"I'd like to see the Council reconsider because all they're doing is moving money that is ringfenced for public health, moving it somewhere else and saying `It's health'" she added "You can spend £500,000 on a new park and it's health - but it's not going to help the people of Salford at this present moment is it?"
Judy's sentiments were echoed by a staff member who didn't want to be named but works with people in disaster situations via the Salford Discretionary Support Scheme (SDSS)....
"We don't know the details of the cut at this point in time but we know the funding for the service is due to finish at the end of March, and we don't know whether any of the service will continue after then" she said.
"We're a safety net for people" she explained "It's the basics. Maybe providing a bed or furniture items for people who are fleeing domestic abuse, or to help people who have come up against financial hardship unexpectedly...people who have been sanctioned or had a disaster that they are not able to cope with day-today.
"They might be in low paid work, they might be doing voluntary work so that they can find a job but haven't got enough for day-to-day living expenses, so we'd help with payments for gas and electricity, or contribute for food and travel" she added "It's a vital service for everybody who has found themselves in a disaster situation. We are the last safety net."
Addressing the lobby of Labour Group councillors, Steven North branch secretary of Salford City UNISON called again for Salford Council to hold off Wednesday's vote on the cuts...
"What we really need is a delay in the decision on Wednesday for this Council to work with us to do two things" he said "One, so that you are properly informed and consulted about the future of services you deliver or use, and, two, so that we can work together to put pressure on the Labour Party to do something different should they get into Government if they are genuinely sincere about doing something different for areas like Salford
"The Council is setting a budget on Wednesday, for next year but part of that is also for the twelve months following" he added "But we're going to have a new government in place and we think it's about time this Council said that if cuts and austerity are not right under the Tories then it's not right under Labour."
The Salford Star has consistently questioned the extent of the cuts which, by 2017, will total the £58million that the Council is currently putting in place. Even the huge Council budget report which lists Government revenue to Salford, states "Only the year 2015/16 is covered in this settlement. There is no indication of how local authorities will be affected in 2016/17 and beyond."
The cuts chaos isn't just engulfing Council staff. The SEARCH Salford Community Committee, set up as a pressure group and forum for families with disabled members, has also failed to find out which services are actually being axed. An email to John Merry, Assistant Mayor for Children and Young People, sent on 7th February requesting "a meeting with you to discuss the proposed cuts to transport and other services for special needs children" hasn't received a reply.
Now staff and service users are demanding a halt to the cuts decision "because there is no plan as yet about how to make these savings..."
* Tomorrow, Wednesday 25th February, there will be a protest outside the Civic Centre in Swinton from 8:30am, as councillors meet to vote on the cuts budget for Salford.
After the protest, members of the public will be allowed into the public gallery of the Council meeting. Following Mayor Ian Stewart's bizarre email to Labour Party members yesterday urging them to contact him for tickets "to reduce the protest...in the gallery", Salford Council has confirmed that no-one will get advance tickets – fifty people will be allowed entry on a first come, first served basis (see previous Salford Star article – click here)
Update: 25th February - the Salford Star will be attempting to livestream today's Council meeting from 9:30am - see the Star Bambuser Channel - click here
See also previous Salford Star articles...
Nine Groups Slam £1.6million Public Health Cuts – click here
Community Health Budget To Be Slashed - click here
Salford Council To Cut Safety Net For Most Vulnerable - click here
Salford Council £58million Cuts Questions – click here
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