Agenda item - OPC budget update

OPC Budget Actions:

2016

6th December - OPC wrote to all three political parties outlining our concerns about the budget and cuts to Adult Social Care and also raised our concerns about the cuts to Youth Services.

6th December - sought meeting with Council Leader to discuss our concerns about the budget.

8th December - PR&G meeting on budget where whole raft of proposals across all services was put forward - a great read of 883 pages! The Equality Impact Assessments are key to understanding the likely impact of service cuts and need to be scrutinised.

13th December - OPC Public Meeting with James Hengeveld from BHCC Finance to explain the basis of the Council budget and where monies are spent and proposed changes.

21st December - Agreed meeting for 10th January with Council Leader

2017

10th January 2017 - OPC Budget brief circulated and shortened version used as basis for Agenda for meeting with Councillor Morgan. We raised with him issues around the cuts of over £13 million to Health & ASC budget impacting on Assessment & Intervention Team, Occupational Therapy, Community Equipment Service, Ireland Lodge Woodingdean, Wayfield Avenue Hove, Tower House,Community Transport, Health Improvement, Public Transport and Public Toilets. We also requested a link Councillor for the OPC as this had not been filled for some time.

23rd/25th January - OPC action plan re budget - a number of OPC members

wrote to their Local Councillors and/or MPs. Press brief sent to The Argus, Brighton Independent and Brighton & Hove News.

30th January - Article in The Argus “Campaigners: cuts will hit those most in need - warning that elderly & vulnerable face greatest risk”

6th February - OPC Chair and Secretary undertake Latest TV interview with Frank Le Duc expanding on our concerns about the budget & future of the OPC.

7th February - Letter to every Labour Councillor pre-PR&G meeting re budget impacts on ASC with brief/s, plus our principled objections to BHCC withdrawing administrative support to the OPC as from April 2018.

9th February - PR&G meeting - OPC members asked a range of public questions re: Fairness Commission & Older People, Tower House, Adult Social Care, Dementia & Mental Health facilities, Community Transport & Proposal to

Discontinue BHCC support for OPC.

17th February - OPC received via Councillor Barford a Health & Adult Social Care response to the OPC brief about the budget.

23rd February - Full Council Budget meeting - some monies put back into

Community Transport for Easylink, Community Safety Team, Youth Service &

Voluntary Sector via a range of amendments to the budget proposals