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| Tackling council cuts in Scotland through community action | Tackling council cuts in Scotland through community action |
| (4 months later) | |
| In East Ayrshire, community action plans are showing how cash-strapped Scottish councils may be able to keep public services running | |
| Jane Dudman | |
| Wed 20 Sep 2017 07.21 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 22 Sep 2017 16.01 BST | |
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| On a coolish Thursday in September, three residents of the small Scottish town of New Cumnock are enjoying an aquaerobics class in the town’s newly-refurbished outdoor swimming pool. These women aren’t just keeping fit and healthy, they may also be part of the answer to one of the toughest challenges for councils in Scotland as in the rest of the UK: how to tackle drastic funding cuts in the future, by actually reducing demand for public services. | On a coolish Thursday in September, three residents of the small Scottish town of New Cumnock are enjoying an aquaerobics class in the town’s newly-refurbished outdoor swimming pool. These women aren’t just keeping fit and healthy, they may also be part of the answer to one of the toughest challenges for councils in Scotland as in the rest of the UK: how to tackle drastic funding cuts in the future, by actually reducing demand for public services. |
| Speaker after speaker at the recent annual meeting of the chief executives of Scotland’s 32 local authorities reiterated the size of the challenge. Budgets have fallen in Scotland, with one forecast last September estimating that key public services, including local government, face cuts of up to 17% over the next four years. | Speaker after speaker at the recent annual meeting of the chief executives of Scotland’s 32 local authorities reiterated the size of the challenge. Budgets have fallen in Scotland, with one forecast last September estimating that key public services, including local government, face cuts of up to 17% over the next four years. |
| Scotland has a public sector deficit of £13.3bn, which is 8.3% of Scottish GDP. The UK as a whole has a much higher deficit, of £46bn, but it’s only 2.4% of GDP. | Scotland has a public sector deficit of £13.3bn, which is 8.3% of Scottish GDP. The UK as a whole has a much higher deficit, of £46bn, but it’s only 2.4% of GDP. |
| Those figures are a big concern for Scottish council chief executives, according to a recent report (pdf) by Zurich Municipal and Solace Scotland. “We are now past the point of incremental change,” one chief executive told the researchers. “It feels like services will have to be transformed to meet the next stage.” | Those figures are a big concern for Scottish council chief executives, according to a recent report (pdf) by Zurich Municipal and Solace Scotland. “We are now past the point of incremental change,” one chief executive told the researchers. “It feels like services will have to be transformed to meet the next stage.” |
| But the options are complex. “Do we cut services for vulnerable people or do we embrace new ventures and accept higher levels of risk,” wondered one chief executive. While most local authorities in Scotland have formed joint boards with the NHS to integrate health and social care, Highland council has pioneered a different approach. The council leads on children’s services, using NHSbudgets, while the NHS manages adult services and healthcare. It’s not without its challenges, according to the report, with the biggest being what happens to the money when a child becomes an adult. So far no other Scottish council has followed its lead, but it demonstrates Scottish determination to find a way of doing things differently. | But the options are complex. “Do we cut services for vulnerable people or do we embrace new ventures and accept higher levels of risk,” wondered one chief executive. While most local authorities in Scotland have formed joint boards with the NHS to integrate health and social care, Highland council has pioneered a different approach. The council leads on children’s services, using NHSbudgets, while the NHS manages adult services and healthcare. It’s not without its challenges, according to the report, with the biggest being what happens to the money when a child becomes an adult. So far no other Scottish council has followed its lead, but it demonstrates Scottish determination to find a way of doing things differently. |
| Tinkering at the edges of existing public services and simply cutting or remodelling services won’t work, according to most experts. Drastic measures are needed and that includes reducing demand for services in the first place. | Tinkering at the edges of existing public services and simply cutting or remodelling services won’t work, according to most experts. Drastic measures are needed and that includes reducing demand for services in the first place. |
| It’s not a new idea, but for Katie Kelly, head of housing and communities at East Ayrshire council, those women in the pool are part of rethinking public services. New Cumnock is a former mining town that has faced severe economic challenges. It was one of the first communities in East Ayrshire to produce its own community action plan, with locals supported by a local charitable trust based at nearby Dumfries House. The outdoor pool, one of the last surviving pools of its type in Scotland, was transferred to the trust and restored, as part of a £1.1m regeneration project. | It’s not a new idea, but for Katie Kelly, head of housing and communities at East Ayrshire council, those women in the pool are part of rethinking public services. New Cumnock is a former mining town that has faced severe economic challenges. It was one of the first communities in East Ayrshire to produce its own community action plan, with locals supported by a local charitable trust based at nearby Dumfries House. The outdoor pool, one of the last surviving pools of its type in Scotland, was transferred to the trust and restored, as part of a £1.1m regeneration project. |
| The council has been working on greater community involvement, or what Kelly calls “vibrant East Ayrshire”, for several years, following the recession and multimillion-pound cuts to council budgets. “People needed us more, but we had less to spend. We couldn’t simply do the same as we had before,” says Kelly. “The most important part of what we have done is listening to our community. If there’s no community, we won’t have a job.” | The council has been working on greater community involvement, or what Kelly calls “vibrant East Ayrshire”, for several years, following the recession and multimillion-pound cuts to council budgets. “People needed us more, but we had less to spend. We couldn’t simply do the same as we had before,” says Kelly. “The most important part of what we have done is listening to our community. If there’s no community, we won’t have a job.” |
| Kelly says many councils get too deeply involved in their own processes. “We were good at consulting,” she says. “But we needed to go into deeper engagement, instead of having answers ready.” | Kelly says many councils get too deeply involved in their own processes. “We were good at consulting,” she says. “But we needed to go into deeper engagement, instead of having answers ready.” |
| So East Ayrshire has tried a different tack. In a concerted effort to give more power over to the people it serves, the council now has 18 community-led action plans in place and has given more than £5m to 213 community projects. | So East Ayrshire has tried a different tack. In a concerted effort to give more power over to the people it serves, the council now has 18 community-led action plans in place and has given more than £5m to 213 community projects. |
| Volunteering has increased exponentially in the area, adds Kelly. And in response to the often-asked question that turning over more projects to communities means giving out money unfairly to communities that are better-organised or with the loudest voices, Kelly points out that the previous way the council allocated money was not particularly equitable, and says that a lot of work has gone into ensuring that all communities get a fair share. In some cases, that’s been achieved through linking up different areas with different levels of affluence, to work together on action plans. “We’ve worked very hard with elected members on this,” she says. | Volunteering has increased exponentially in the area, adds Kelly. And in response to the often-asked question that turning over more projects to communities means giving out money unfairly to communities that are better-organised or with the loudest voices, Kelly points out that the previous way the council allocated money was not particularly equitable, and says that a lot of work has gone into ensuring that all communities get a fair share. In some cases, that’s been achieved through linking up different areas with different levels of affluence, to work together on action plans. “We’ve worked very hard with elected members on this,” she says. |
| And her council’s aim is clear: “If we’re going to be a small council, we want to be the very best we can be.” | And her council’s aim is clear: “If we’re going to be a small council, we want to be the very best we can be.” |
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