: “Our proposed budget prioritises keeping our residents safe and receiving the right support at the right time. “Despite the lack of funding for local authorities and the level of cuts we have faced here in Blackpool we are still investing in the things that mean the most to our residents. “We are making it a priority to protect services such as libraries, park, leisure centres, public protection and waste. We will also continue to deliver all of the free events that our residents enjoy and provide a huge boost to our economy. “I am really proud to be able to say that we are investing the most we have invested in Youth Services in 15 years, we continue to pay the real living wage for all our staff and have stuck to our commitment to do the same for our care workers. Our free school breakfast initiative is going strong and is now in its 11th year. “We are seeing some positive outcomes in Children’s Services with a steady reduction of the number of children in care. Evidence shows us that when we can keep families together, it this has a lifelong positive impact on their outcomes and opportunities. This also has a knock-on effect in legal services where we have seen the associated costs reduced. Our focus on recruitment has also seen positive news with a significant reduction in agency staff employed by the council, creating a more stable, sustainable workforce and delivering continuity for our families. “Children’s Social care represents 36% of the Council’s revenue spend but these measures are helping to tackle the financial challenges that ourselves and so many other local authorities face. “This year, the number of staff placed at risk is in single figures. However, freezing or removing vacant posts will undoubtedly have an impact on the remaining workforce and the level of service that we are able to provide. At a time when demand is going up, we are taking resource out which does not sit well with anyone. This is particularly concerning in Adult Services where the ageing population is putting increasing pressure on our services and those of our partners. Regardless of the pressures we face, we will always put local residents first ensuring they receive the care and support they need. “Every year I keep saying that we need the Government to provide us with a sustainable way of setting our budget but year-on-year nothing changes. Since the last four-year settlement ended in 2019/20 we have had to plan based on a one-year settlement. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan and predict the future, this needs to be addressed.”