Redcar & Cleveland Council is proposing to invest £18.7m into caring for vulnerable children and adults to meet an unprecedented demand for its services.
The ongoing huge demand means the additional funding is expected to be needed to cover steep increases in the cost of providing for children in care and supporting older residents.
The investment is included in the council’s budget proposals for next year.
The council has seen a significant increase in the number of children coming into care, particularly those with complex needs who require specialist care in residential accommodation.
The council has a legal duty to provide suitable accommodation, and a shortage of places nationally means the cost of this has risen significantly in recent years.
The average cost for residential and supported accommodation for young people who require specialist care and support is £330,000 each per year.
The cost driven by demand for residential placements for children in our care is currently forecast exceed the budget by £11.9 million in this financial year. Part of the proposed investment in next year’s budget is to offset the additional £11.9m.
Demographic and cost pressures are reflected in the number of vulnerable adults requiring care – and further provision is expected to be needed as Redcar and Cleveland has an older population in comparison with other areas of the North East.
The Council is also proposing to invest in waste disposal, where the cost of dealing with the borough’s waste is expected to rise significantly next year.
The Council is proposing a balanced budget, with proposed savings of £8.8m.
These include the sale of assets, such as lands and buildings, developing more in-house provision for children in care, a review of home to school transport funding and a review of fees and charges for council services.
We've put together answers to commonly asked questions about the budget and the list of budget savings for the next financial year. These are available in the 'related links' section of this page.