Council praise for managing budget cuts

West Berkshire Council is among the top five for protecting disabled people against impact of budget cuts

WEST Berkshire Council has been praised for protecting disabled residents against the impact of budget cuts.

Research by political think-tank Demos has put the district authority in the top five councils where cuts are having the least frontline impact.

Funded by disability charity Scope, the report takes into account budget decisions made by the 152 councils in England and 22 councils in Wales with responsibility for social care.

It ranks them on the impact budget changes will have on the lives of disabled people – scoring councils on how well they are coping with their budgetary changes.

West Berkshire Council came under heavy criticism from residents and healthcare professionals following a decision last year to close five day centres in the district for vulnerable people, which resulted in protests.

The council refused to alter its stance as it attempted to reverse the significant overspends from the adult social care budget with a switch to personal budgets.

The deputy leader of West Berkshire Council, Pamela Bale (Con, Pangbourne) said the council was pleased by the recognition and urged other councils to follow its lead.

“Like all councils, we had to make savings across the board and that had to include looking at social care as this accounts for a significant amount of the council's budget.

“The result has been that we have been able to withdraw funding from five of our nine day centres in the district, but retain most of the services they provide. This has been either by working with the voluntary sector and local community to continue services from the same venues, or by identifying alternative services elsewhere which clients can buy into using their personal budgets.”