"If ...people see the specifics of what this cut will mean they will be horrified" Steven North, Salford City UNISON
A Salford City Council report, leaked to the Salford Star, shows plans to slash £1.616million from the Health Improvement Service, with £1.47million being cut in 2015-16, and £146,000 in 2016-17.
There are no details in the document on which services will be affected, apart from £146,000 from the Stop Smoking Service and £70,000 from Family Weight Management – with the majority of the cut coming from what the report calls its Core Health Improvement Service.
This would cover services like work with elderly people with dementia, young people suffering from trauma and people needing help with weight management, healthy eating or mental health problems.
The cut comes just weeks after Salford Council launched its Public Health Annual Report, with a foreword by David Herne, Director of Public Health, stating "Salford has a proud heritage of action to improve the health of its local population".
The 55 page Public Health document looks at Salford's pioneering practice over the last 150 years, and references The King's Fund research which "argues that an understanding of how to reduce health inequalities and maximise wellbeing should become a key determinant of how Local Government budgets are shaped and resources allocated".
It then lists key ways in which this could be done, including `Prevention and early intervention' and ways to `boost people's levels of physical activity, reduce obesity and improve wellbeing'...
The Health Improvement Service budget will be slashed by well over a half, after the £1.616million cut, leaving just £645,188 in the kitty, plus £105,000 for `community development' until 2016-17.
It is estimated in the leaked Council report that fifty FTE (full time equivalent) posts will be axed, including 13 possible compulsory redundancies.
Reacting to the Salford Star disclosure, Steven North, branch secretary of Salford City UNISON which represents Salford Council employees, said: "It's clear from these documents that there is a real threat of redundancies in that service - as you would expect this is something our union will take very seriously.
"Not only that" he explained "The Council is acknowledging that these cuts will have a massive impact right across the city. UNISON has already been contacted by people wanting to raise their concerns about what will happen to health improvement.
"If those people see the specifics of what this cut will mean they will be horrified" he added "I think the Council needs to be honest with staff and service users about what exactly they stand to lose before they set the budget on the 25th February. Given that is only two weeks away, we'll be requesting that they do so urgently and hope that they are genuinely prepared to listen to what people have to say."
* Meanwhile there is a public meeting this Thursday night, 12th February, about Salford Council cuts to the Discretionary Support Scheme – the safety net for many of Salford's vulnerable people (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
Save Salford Discretionary Support Scheme (SDSS)
Thursday 12th February 7pm
Swinton Royal British Legion
Cheetham Road, Swinton
M27 4UQ.
See also previous Salford Star article... *The £58million cuts questions that Salford City Council needs to answer – click here
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