AN EXTRA £18million investment into supporting Worcestershire’s most vulnerable people has been announced by the county council.
At Thursday’s full county council meeting, members approved the budget for 2018/19 which features an investment of £10.5million into children’s social care and a further £7.8million into adult social care.
These are two of the areas which residents living in the county consistently told the authority were most important to them.
Coun Andy Roberts, cabinet member with responsibility for children and families, said the county council was committed to improving the lives of Worcestershire’s children and young people.
“Children deserve the very best start in life that we can give them.
“There is a lot more that we have to do to support the ongoing work to improve children’s social care in Worcestershire.
“These additional funds will make a difference to children’s lives and help us to deliver the improvements that we need to deliver.”
Coun Adrian Hardman, deputy leader and cabinet member with responsibility for adult social care, said the county council, like others across the country, was facing difficult challenges to fund social care.
“People are living longer and often with more complex needs,” he said.
“We need to support the county’s most vulnerable adults and we want to enable people to live independently for as long as possible.
“The additional funds raised by ring fencing three per cent of this year’s council tax increase for adult social care will help us to help those adults who need are our support.”
Meanwhile, £37.5million will be invested into Worcestershire’s roads and pavements to ensure they continue to be among the best in the country.
Council tax will also increase by 4.94 per cent – with three per cent for adult social care and 1.94 per cent to provide investment into services prioritised in the plan for Shaping Worcestershire’s Future.
The increase is the equivalent to just over £1 per week extra on a Band D property.
