"Tough choices" ahead for Lanarkshire social care board

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Funding for equipment and adaptations in South Lanarkshire is being reduced by £555,000 during this year as the area’s integration joint board (IJB) bridges a budget gap.

The move plugs the financial shortfall which follows March’s council decision to reject more than doubling community alarm charges, instead agreeing only a 50p weekly rise to £2.20 instead of the originally-proposed £4.10.

Board members agreed the measure at a special meeting, with a report noting it was “the only feasible proposal” to balance the books – as they focus on their work to “protect essential services and prepare for unavoidably tough choices ahead” amid Audit Scotland highlighting a “harsh financial backdrop”.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android South Lanarkshire will now have £1.945 million available to spend on equipment and adaptations service in the year up to March 31, compared to last year’s £2.5m – with board members being told: “Over the past two years, spend has been high as the service sought to catch up with outstanding demand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.” “Mitigating actions” being put in place include providing access to recycled equipment, obtaining housing improvement grants, directing those with low and moderate needs to self-assessment tool Ask Sara, and “prioritising critical and substantial