Charities in the dark over council's £800k cuts plan

Charities helping the most vulnerable in society say they are not being involved in council plans to cut their funding.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is planning to cut £802,000 over the next two years from funding it gives to charities such as Julian House and Developing Health and Independence (DHI).

In February, the council said it would carry out a review with the charities, but they say they still do not know the details of the cuts they are facing.

Cabinet member for adult services, Alison Born, said the council is "committed" to working with charities.

DHI, originally the Drugs and Homeless Initiative, is among the charities facing potential cuts, as is the homelessness charity Julian House.

Kate Morton, chair of the group 3SG which represents charities and third sector groups, told the council’s cabinet on 12 September: “We are more than six months into the 2024/25 annual budget and we still do not know whether we have to make cuts.”

The council changed the £802,000 cut to a £400,000 cut in the 2024/25 financial year, and a £402,000 cut next year, after warnings that it would be “catastrophic” for the area’s most vulnerable people.

Ms Morton said that 3SG had been told the day before the meeting on Thursday that a “scoping exercise” had been completed by council officers and a “case of change” drawn up.

She said: “That is really disappointing because in this meeting [in February] we were promised we would be part of the solution around the case for change and would be working with the officers rather than it being done to us.”

She added that 3SG director Becky Brooks had some meetings with a senior council officer, but it was "too little, too late".

In another council meeting on 9 September, it was stated by a council officer there would be no cuts to charities in the current year, with the money to be found elsewhere.

But charities have not had this confirmed to them, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

Ms Born told Ms Morton: “We are committed to working with you and with other sector partners and we’re not planning any surprises so I’m really sorry it’s got to this stage where this is how you feel about the work we are doing.”

She added that she and the council’s cabinet member for children’s services Paul May would be happy to meet with 3SG about their concerns.

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