News / SIC departments must cut even deeper
FURTHER cuts of more than £700,000 will have to be found from Shetland Islands Council’s education budget.
The council’s education and families committee heard on Wednesday that frontline staff were most likely to be affected by the latest development.
The additional pressure on budgets has come about after £2.2 million of projected corporate savings were re-distributed to the various departments with children’s services receiving the largest share at £711,000.
Director Helen Budge described the development as “unfortunate” and added that senior council officials – the so-called Directors for Change – were placed in a difficult position when the shortfall in savings became clear.
She said the only way out was to split the sum across all departments with children’s services taking the brunt as it has the largest budget, adding: “We as directors do not want to see this happening again.”
The rest of the extra savings will be spread across the council, with social services seeking £363,000, corporate services looking for £246,000, economic development providing £296,000 and £342,000 coming from infrastructure services.
Committee vice chairman George Smith said that he was concerned these savings would now have to be found from front line services.
Shetland Central member David Sandison said the council must have got its budgets wrong “in the first place”.
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