'Vulnerable people will suffer' if Glasgow City Council cut health and social care budget warn social workers

A social care worker has said “vulnerable people will suffer” if Glasgow’s health and social care budget is cut.

On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside Commonwealth House in the city where the board tasked with plugging a £36m funding gap will meet on Wednesday.

Glasgow’s Joint Integration Board, the partnership between the city council and the NHS, will decide on how much money will be allocated to health and social care.

Unions have said 150 jobs are at risk, employment equality is being ignored and the city’s entire care system is at stake.

Home carer Francis Stojilkovic told STV News proposed cuts will decimate services in Glasgow.

The social care worker told STV News: “The job’s not the same anymore. You’re going into people‘s houses and it’s cut to the bone. To be honest with you, we can’t believe this is happening because the care sector is on its knees as it is and any more cuts to this city is just going to be a disaster.

“It’s the vulnerable people that’s going to suffer and our workers that’s going to suffer because they’re struggling the now to cope.”

Among the plans being considered by the board on Wednesday is restricting support access to those deemed as “critical need” only.

Funding for the Maximising independence Programme, which aims to keep people living at home for as long as possible may also be cut as well as the Drug and Alcohol Partnership.

Stephen McKillop from Unite the Union said: “Do not approve these cuts. Choose to refuse. Come back, look at the cause and effect, look at the pain and suffering. Yes, there’s a shortfall, but that shortfall cannot come out of people’s wages, low paid women, carers, service users.

“This year, was described to me this morning, as the most bleak financial settlement in the history of social work. That’s a colleague of mine, longserving, that’s told me that.”

Meanwhile UNISON’s Mandy McDowall said: “Enough is enough. These cuts are absolutely horrendous. They are going to decimate our city and they’re really going to hit the most vulnerable.

“A lot more needs to be done at Scottish Parliament level and Westminster. There is not enough money being put into public services in general.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Glasgow City IJB faces the same financial challenges that the public sector across Scotland face and is working hard with our range of stakeholders to manage and address these challenges.

“The IJB will meet this week to agree and set the budget for 2024/25.”