North Somerset’s funding gap is the result of
- year-on-year cuts to our budget and;
- an increase in the cost and demand for our services.
Why demands and costs are rising
We have seen an increase in the number of older people needing social care support as well as adults with learning disabilities, people with mental health needs, families needing SEND services, and more children and young people also needing social care support.
This means that, for every £100 the council has, £52 is now spent on children’s and adult’s services. These are vital services for some of our most vulnerable residents who require a high level of support and care. This means they can be costly and complex services to deliver, putting pressure on our budget.
We have also seen the cost of service delivery increase often due to factors outside of our control, for example inflation and energy costs making things even more expensive.