Huge overspends by Scottish councils spark fears that cuts “bite” is still to come

Scotland's social work departments are stretched to the limit with more than half already over budget, a survey by The Herald newspaper has revealed. The survey shows a combined overspend of more than £35 million, with 18 councils forecasting that they will breach their spending limit.

Fife Council predicts the biggest overspend of £10.7 million this financial year due to higher demand for child placements, nursing and residential placements, home care and adult care packages. The next largest is Glasgow City Council at £9.7 million.

The main reason councils gave was the cost of looking after elderly people, including rising care home fees. This was followed by caring for vulnerable children, including the price of fostering, and home care packages for people with disabilities.

NHS Highland, which has taken over adult social care as part of a pilot to integrate services, forecasts a £3.7 million overspend largely as a result of complex care packages. Scottish Borders is struggling to avoid a £2 million overspend. A recent report identified increasing numbers of children requiring specialist care as a major factor – contributing to a £1.1 million increase, although this has been halved by savings.

Trisha Hall, SASW Manager, said the survey confirmed the real “bite” would hit public spending in 2014. “Despite our best attempts to ‘do more for less’ and many dedicated professionals going the extra mile, we have a very serious problem that is not going to go away and which we as a society need to confront and address,” she said.

“Councils are working hard to identify where savings can be made but there is a tipping point where workers, managers and even directors become compromised in adhering to their professional code of practice and code of ethics.

“The savage cuts are also having an impact on how workers are protected and supported. We have evidence that people are leaving our profession as this pressure becomes unsustainable. SASW is keen to contribute to an informed debate on how we seek solutions across Scotland as we cannot ignore these stark figures.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said it contributed a block grant to local government each year to cover support for social work, amounting to £10.3 million in 2013/14. “It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities,” he said.