Worcestershire council mulls closing financial support service

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 06:19 · Archive

Worcestershire County Council is considering closing its in-house service managing finances for 144 vulnerable adults to save £175,000 annually.

Worcestershire County Council is considering closing its in-house Appointees and Deputies Service, which manages financial affairs for vulnerable adults who lack mental capacity to manage their own money and have no family able or willing to help. The move would transfer 144 existing clients to external providers and save approximately £175,000 annually.

The in-house service costs £304,663 a year to operate, including nearly £285,000 in staffing costs, but generates only around £130,000 in income, leaving the council subsidising it by £174,663 a year with fees recovering just 43 per cent of the cost. The service has already largely stopped accepting new clients since June 2024 due to capacity issues and long-term staff sickness, with only four exceptional cases accepted since then.

The external market already supports around 2,700 Worcestershire residents through private providers. Cabinet will be asked on 22 October to permanently close the service to new referrals and approve a consultation on what should happen to existing clients. Three options have been considered: maintaining the service, transferring clients over two years, or completing an accelerated transfer within 12 months. The 12-month option could deliver the full annual saving from 2028/29, though the council cannot simply abandon responsibility for its existing clients.

How it is being reported

• More than 100 vulnerable adults face change as council seeks £175,000 savingTHE finances of 144 vulnerable adults could be transferred from Worcestershire County Council to external providers under plans to save around £175,000 a year.Malvern Gazette · 20 Oct, 05:01
• More than 100 vulnerable adults face change as council seeks £175,000 savingTHE finances of 144 vulnerable adults could be transferred from Worcestershire County Council to external providers under plans to save around £175,000 a year.Worcester News · 20 Oct, 05:01

In this story: Worcestershire County Council · Worcestershire

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