Providers concerned about the impact of cuts
Posted on Tuesday 09 November 2010
CCPS has today published the fourth of its Service Provider Optimism surveys, a longitudinal study designed to track the way that major voluntary sector social care providers view their organisations' prospects and the environment in which they operate.
This iteration of the survey, which was carried out in September 2010, reveals both the impact of cuts which have already taken place and providers' concerns about the scale and impact of future cuts.
In advance of the Scottish budget, which is expected to include significant cuts to local authority budgets, from which CCPS members receive an average of 74% of their funding, it is concerning to note, for example, that a third of respondents are already reporting a decrease in the number of staff employed in their organisations.
Providers are unsure as to the scale of the cuts to come, but are pessimistic about their impact: 68% of respondents are less optimistic about the general business situation in the sector than they were three months ago, and nearly half or respondents anticipate a decrease in turnover by the end of the financial year. In particular, providers are concerned about the possible impact of cuts on the people they support.
The survey will be repeated at regular intervals throughout 2011, as part of CCPS' work to track the impact of cuts in public spending on social care and support.