Proposed changes to funding for lunch clubs
Feedback updated 16 Jan 2019
We asked
The council consulted on a proposal to withdraw funding from the 14 lunch clubs in the city who receive grants from Adult Social Care. The council wants to see the clubs continue to run as it is recognised that they are valued by the people that attend them.
However, only certain groups receive funding, the amount they get varies widely, and the funding pattern has developed in an ad hoc way over time and is not based on evidence of need.
It is recognised that a wide range of other groups for older people (and others) run in the city that are not receiving adult social care funding, which has to now be prioritised for people with substantial needs to help them manage basic daily activities.
You said
We did
The council has decided to phase out funding for lunch clubs over a three-year period (starting in January 2019) rather than end funding in one go as was proposed in the consultation. The phased reductions will be:
From January 2019: 25% reduction
From January 2020: 50% reduction
From January 2021: 75% reduction
From Jauaryn 2022: end of funding.
The purpose of the phased approach is to give the clubs time to find alternative funding and/or less costly ways of supporting older people to avoid social isolation. During this process, the council will provide advice and support to help the clubs find these alternatives.
Overview
Adult Social Care (ASC) contributes funding to help 14 organisations to run lunch clubs for specific groups of older people in the city, at a total cost of £140,027 a year.
However, ASC is facing unprecedented financial challenges, and is reviewing the funding for lunch clubs as part of its work to reduce spending to services that are not statutory (not required by law).
As a result, it is proposed to phase out funding for lunch clubs over a period of 3 years and to support the 14 lunch clubs to become independent of council funding during that time. We would like to hear your views about this proposal.
Why your views matter
The council wants to do as much as it can to prevent people in Leicester from developing social care needs. This means trying to help people stay independent and in good health, both physically and mentally.
The council’s Adult Social Care department funds several prevention services that are provided by the voluntary sector. Many of these services are aimed at people who are not necessarily eligible for statutory social care services, but who could avoid or delay developing needs if provided with the right kind of support.
However, Adult Social Care now has to make some very difficult decisions about future funding. This is because of the rising cost of providing adult social care, caused by rising needs and the wider financial pressures on the council as a result of large reductions in funding from central government.
We cannot carry on spending at the same levels on these services because we have to find the resources to pay for rising needs and costs of people who have significant needs. We have to fulfil our legal obligations to ensure that those people get the statutory support they need.
As a result, Adult Social Care is undertaking a review of a number of services they purchase from the voluntary sector. This review is intended to focus our spend on those with the highest risk of developing social care needs and achieve the savings that are needed.
One of the services included in the review is lunch clubs.
What happens next
We will provide feedback on the findings here. It is intended that final decisions will be made in August 2018.
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- Older people
Interests
- Adult social care and safeguarding
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