Council commits over £250 million to help our most vulnerable people live their best lives

Following budget approval at Full Council, the £268 million budget investment is once again the Council’s biggest investment for the next year.

It ensures care is provided for those who need it most, assisting them in living their best life and helping them to maintain the highest level of independence.

This is achieved by commissioning services that best meet the needs of residents, whether it’s in their own homes, at a day centre or from a residential care home.   

The investment also ensures the County Council can continue to offer support in a number of areas. These include those recently discharged from the hospital, the elderly, those with physical or mental health disabilities, and people who have learning disabilities, autism and dementia. 

The Council also supports those carers in the community who may be supporting a family member or friend.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care for Worcestershire County Council said: “Our budget this year reflects the current pressures that we face here in Worcestershire, and across the country. We have a duty to ensure that our residents receive the support they need to live as independent a life as possible. Our staff, work incredibly hard, whether it be in a residential home, or in a resident’s home, and it is vitally important we give them the financial support to be able to continue to make a difference.”

The budget has been set to help meet the current pressures and level of demand in this area, which increases by approximately 4 per cent each year and the care needs which are becoming increasingly complex.

The rising demand for health and social care post-COVID-19 is well-reported and exceeds previous forecasts.  

This coupled with increasing levels of inflation for businesses has also driven up the cost of care, resulting in a significant pressure on the Council’s financial position which will continue into 2023/24.