Decision details

Adult Social Care is proposing to significantly reduce the funding for the Floating Support Service. The service supports people aged 16+ years with housing related needs to engage with support, preventing escalation and increased risks of homelessness or the failure to continue living independently. The proposal is one of a number that the department has been consulting on to help close the Council’s funding gap. The results of the consultation for the Floating Support Service will be shared and Cabinet will make a decision on whether the proposal goes ahead or not.  

62.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health.

62.2     Mr David Chaffey, a petition representative and Mr Paul Goddard, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to protect and retain the East Sussex Floating Support Service, spoke to highlight the changing political landscape in terms of responsibilities at different local government levels, the impact of the proposals on vulnerable residents in East Sussex and proposed an alternative option to reduce the contract value by £2m instead of £3.8m.

62.3     It was RESOLVED to:

1) Agree to reduce the funding for the Housing-Related Floating Support Service from £4.3 million per year to £500,000 per year from October 2025;

2) Agree that the Council serve a contract variation notice on the service provider, BHT Sussex, to give effect to the reduction of funding set out in resolution 1; and

3) Delegate authority to the Director of Adult Social Care and Health to take all necessary actions to give effect to the above resolutions.

Reasons

62.4     The Council is required to set a balanced budget. The ‘State of the County’ report presented to Cabinet in June 2024 set out a projected £55m deficit on the 2025/26 budget. Savings proposals requiring public consultation that would help to close this gap were presented to Cabinet in September 2024.

62.5     The total savings proposals for the Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2025/26-2027/28 set out in November 2024 were £20.628m, across all Council departments. The Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) contribution to the savings total is £11.455m. In addition to these savings proposals, in order to achieve a balanced budget, the Council is also drawing on its financial reserves.

62.6     The Housing Related Floating Support service is a highly valued service that provides support for people with significant, housing related, support needs. The Council has noted the significant concerns raised through the consultation, the potential impacts for those with protected characteristics identified through the Equality Impact Assessment and the potentially significant additional costs and pressures that will be placed on other parts of the system if the proposed funding reduction for these services is agreed.

62.7     It has not been possible to identify any viable alternative proposals that would achieve the required savings from the ASCH budget. The reduction of funding for the Housing-Related Floating Support Service from £4.3 million per year to £500,000 per year with effect from October 2025 will help to address Council’s funding gap and the need to make savings.

62.8     Cabinet members have read and had regard to the Equalities Impact Assessment when making decisions related to this proposal.