Tories warned that Cuts to Early Intervention Services could cost Council more than it saves!

The Tory-run Leicestershire County Council has released a draft budget that will cut funding to prevention and early intervention services by £4 million. The budget will fall from £6.5m to £2.5m. This is on top of a cut of £3m that was made a few years back.

Early Intervention Services are geared towards addressing problems at an early stage in order to prevent them deteriorating into more serious problems that are more difficult to address. This can range from assisting elderly people or people with disabilities living independently, to helping victims of homelessness, domestic abuse or people with addictions, before their situation spirals out of control and they find themselves needing more expensive help.

With more people needing Adult Social Care services each year, the cost of providing the current level of service is already expected to increase by nearly £40 million over the next four years. There are serious concerns that severe cuts to Early Intervention and Preventative services could lead to even more people requiring more expensive care services at a greater cost to the County Council.

Liberal Democrat Adults and Communities Spokesperson Michael Charlesworth said: "Every person we fail to help avoid homelessness, domestic violence or drug addiction will end up needing more expensive care later on."

"Investing in preventative services in the short run saves money in the long run."

"Cutting the service like this is a short-sighted approach that will save pennies today but cost pounds tomorrow. The Conservatives are only making it harder for themselves to balance the budget in future years."