Council staff demand a stop to £65m budget cuts

Council staff said they were "concerned" over £65m of cuts to jobs and services, and demanded they be stopped.

Unison members at Suffolk County Council staged a rally outside the authority's headquarters in Ipswich on Thursday.

Some told the BBC they were "very worried" about the impact the cuts would have on communities.

The council said it would not comment on the rally but previously said the budget-setting process had been "the most challenging" in recent years.

Unison regional secretary Tim Roberts said staff could not understand how services would be delivered following cuts at the Conservative-run authority.

"The council only delivers the services that they have to by law," he said.

"We know from across the county the impact [cuts are already] having - whether that's around the youth centres that have shut, the library service, vulnerable people not being able to access social care, disabled children not being able to get the support.

"These cuts are just going to make it worse and worse."

Anita Abraham is a service and condition officer with the union and said the issue kept her awake at night.

"It's a very difficult situation because the need is greater than the money we're provided with," she explained.

She said she was particularly concerned for children and young families.

"In all children's services, the way of working has always been early intervention - so noticing problems and identifying needs before the child reaches crisis," she said.

"But unfortunately in this county, there isn't the resource to do the early intervention."

Gary Perkins, a council employee and union representative, said he would not mind higher council tax if services were improved.

"There is only so much you can cut," he said.

"There must come a time when it has to stop and I'd like to see Suffolk County Council put a foot down and say, 'enough is enough'."

In January, the council said the budget-setting process had been "the most challenging" in recent years.

It said £64.7m needed to be saved over two years, which included £11m of staffing costs.

Deputy leader Richard Rout said adult and children's care needed to be at the heart of the plans, leading to "difficult decision" about other services.

"This is necessary because the demand on council services for those most in need in Suffolk is at an all-time high," he said.

"The cost of providing many of those services is significant, but the funding that we need is not keeping up."

He added many other councils were facing similar "tough choices".

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