ALREADY rated by the Care Quality Commission as “Requires improvement,” Warrington Borough Council is looking at saving over £7.7 million in adult social care costs in just one year.
As the council’s budget papers are examined more closely, it is clear that adult social care, the biggest part of the council’s annual spend, plays a significant role in the savings being proposed to try and plug a £130m budget shortfall over the next four years.
The papers set out plans to save over £7.7 million in JUST ONE YEAR 26/27 alone through a series of reviews affecting adult social care services.
These reviews cover supported accommodation, day services, home care, outreach support, residential and nursing care, direct payments, carers’ support, and how much people contribute towards the cost of their care.
These proposals come shortly after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its Local Authority Assessment of Warrington Borough Council in May 2025 . Taken together, the budget proposals and the findings of that review raise important questions about timing, impact, and risk — particularly for residents who already rely on support.
The council received the lowest possible score for safeguarding.
What the CQC found last year
The CQC’s assessment rated Warrington Borough Council’s adult social care responsibilities as “Requires improvement.”
The review highlighted a number of issues, including:
• Delays in care assessments, reviews and financial assessments
• Inconsistencies in how person-centred care is delivered
• Safeguarding systems that were complex and not always reliable
• Unequal experiences for some groups, including people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and unpaid carers
While the CQC also recognised positive work and committed staff, the overall message was that adult social care in Warrington needed strengthening and greater consistency, rather than additional pressure.
What the budget proposals involve
The savings in the budget papers are described as a series of “reviews”. In practice, reviews are a normal part of adult social care and can be positive when they ensure support is appropriate.
However, savings of this scale can only be achieved if reviews lead to changes in how much care is provided, how it is delivered, or who receives it. That may include:
• Reassessing whether people still qualify for the same level of support
• Reducing hours of care or changing service models
• Expecting greater reliance on informal or unpaid care
• Increasing the amount individuals contribute financially
For people who use these services, reviews can be stressful, particularly when there is uncertainty about outcomes.
Possible implications for families and carers
The CQC report noted that many people and carers already experience long waits for assessments and reviews, and that carers’ needs are not always fully addressed separately.
Several of the budget proposals focus on services that support carers directly or indirectly, such as carers’ direct payments, day services and outreach support. These services often help families manage caring responsibilities alongside work, health issues and financial pressures.
Any reduction or tightening in this area may increase stress for families who are already coping with significant emotional and financial strain. In some cases, carers stepping back from support can lead to crisis situations that are difficult and costly to resolve.
Financial pressures on residents
The budget papers also propose reviewing how much people contribute towards the cost of their care, with the aim of increasing income.
The CQC highlighted delays in financial assessments and the anxiety this can cause for residents who do not know what care will cost them. For people on low or fixed incomes, even small increases in charges can affect decisions about whether to accept or continue care.
There is a concern that uncertainty or increased costs could discourage some people from seeking help early, potentially leading to greater needs later on.
Who may be most affected?
People with complex needs, including those with learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions or limited family support are often less able to adapt to changes in services.
The CQC found that experiences and outcomes are not equal across all groups in Warrington. That means changes to services may not be felt evenly, and those with fewer alternatives may experience the greatest impact.
So what next?
Balancing the council’s finances is clearly necessary, and the budget papers reflect the scale of that challenge. At the same time, adult social care is not an abstract service. It affects people’s safety, independence, dignity and wellbeing.
Set against a recent regulatory assessment that identified areas needing improvement, the proposed level of change raises understandable questions for residents and families:
• How will reviews be carried out safely and fairly?
• Will people still receive timely assessments and support?
• Can the system absorb this level of change without increasing risk?
For families already struggling emotionally, financially, or both the proposals outlined in the budget papers may feel unsettling.
How can the council make such deep cuts to Social Care in just one year without it possibly seriously affecting residents?
The full impact will depend on how they are implemented, who is affected, and what safeguards are put in place.
What is clear is that these decisions matter most to those who rely on adult social care every day, the MOST VULNERABLE in our society and whose lives are shaped by the support or absence of support that follows.
As we prepare to run a number of features on proposed budget cuts, we invited Warrington Borough Council to make a response.
A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “The savings the Council needs to make to close its four-year, £130 million funding gap, will require a number of extremely difficult decisions. The published proposed savings list is now subject to discussion by the Council’s Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet, with Full Council – a meeting of all Warrington councillors – ultimately being asked to approve the Council’s budget proposals on 2 March.”
