“Keep Supporting People”
Statement from the network champions of Birmingham’s Third Sector Assembly
4th November 2011
We wish to put on record our concerns that a further £3.8 million could be cut from the Supporting People budget. This option is currently being considered as part of Birmingham City Council’s budget consultation. It is our view that such a move would be extremely damaging to Birmingham’s social fabric, and furthermore would be in direct contradiction of the Council’s stated priority of protecting vulnerable people in this city.
We do not underestimate the challenge currently being faced by members and officers of the local authority, who must find an additional £65 million of savings following the recent outcome of the Judicial Review on proposed cuts to the Adults and Communities budget.
However, removing further resources from Supporting People as a result of this error will unfairly penalise vulnerable people, and will fail to solve our financial problems. In fact, we believe it is likely to make these a great deal worse in years to come.
The reasons are clear:
- Supporting People provides critical prevention services to vulnerable people, stopping them from becoming dependent on more expensive statutory services later on;
- Supporting People funds vital housing-related support without which supported accommodation for the most vulnerable people in the city would be impossible to deliver;
- We calculate that £3.8 million funds over 210,000 hours of direct support. This proposed cut would affect over 1000 vulnerable people at any given time, placing them at significantly increased risk of homelessness and loss of independence;
- Supporting People is a ‘prevention’ fund, and should be seen as an investment, not an expense. Homelessness is increasing nationally and this is the main funding stream which prevents this. Its success undoubtedly lessens the financial burden on other services, including Adults & Communities, Children, Young People & Families, Health & Social Care, and the Police;
- Supporting People is also an 'invest to save' fund. By supporting vulnerable people to become independent citizens, it significantly increases their ability to contribute to the growth of our economy.
It is pertinent to note that, in the initial round of savings consultations, we specifically acknowledged the Supporting People consultation as an example of excellent practice.
This consultation was a transparent and shared approach to making savings (without depressing hourly rates within the voluntary sector) and as such, significantly supported the Council in making robust decisions and avoiding future legal challenge.
The application of a further cut at this late stage would entirely negate much of the progress made during this process.
Birmingham City Council has pledged to protect vulnerable people and to support the city’s voluntary sector. The Supporting People budget is the largest single contributor to both aims.
We therefore call on the Council to reconsider this proposal and to opt to support the continuation of the Supporting People budget at its current level.
To do so will give us all the opportunity of working together to improve Birmingham’s social and financial future.
To achieve this aspiration, we must keep supporting our people.
The THIRD SECTOR ASSEMBLY Champions are:
Maureen Connolly, CEO of Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid – Community Safety Champion
Yvonne Davies, CEO of Birmingham CAB – Learning, Training & Employment Champion
Deirdre Figueiredo, CEO of Craftspace – Arts & Culture Champion
Cath Gilliver, CEO of SIFA Fireside – Health & Social Care Champion
Lisa Martinali, Director of Community Regeneration, CVCHA - Children & Young People Champion
Jean Templeton, CEO of St Basils – Housing Champion
For enquiries, please contact:
Brian Carr, Chief Executive of Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC)
0121 678 8801