SOCIAL services in Newport is getting “close to the edge”, it has been claimed.

Newport City Council’s cabinet was told continued funding cuts by both the Welsh Government and Westminster had put services in the city under serious strain.

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, the authority’s strategic director for people Mike Nicholson, said Newport has one of the lowest budgets in south Wales and cuts have outweighed investment to the tune of £3.8 million over the past five years.

Presenting an annual report into social services, Mr Nicholson said pleading with both Westminster and the Senedd to reconsider the way funding is dealt out to local authorities for social services was “the only hope we’ve got”.

“We need to try and get the message to the Welsh Government that we are getting closer to the edge,” he said.

“We may get through another year but if it goes on longer than that without support from the Welsh Government and central government we are going to have problems.”

Newport’s social services support fewer adults than comparable councils in Wales, almost twice as many are involved in comparison with others in England, the report says. The council also has a lower than average number of children in care.

Speaking at the meeting Alway ward member Cllr Ray Truman said: “We just can’t keep going on the way we are.

“I know it’s the same with other councils.

“People are living longer, which is fantastic, but with that comes challenges.

“We can’t deliver the services we want to.”

In the report Mr Nicholson said: “The storm clouds are gathering and without sustained investment from Welsh Government, the service will begin to become less innovative, more pressurised and provide less support to people who are in need.

“But, whatever the challenges, I can assure the administration and all members that the social services workforce will continue to put the needs of the most vulnerable first.

“We will do everything we can to continue to maintain the high standards of professionalism that is required to protect people from harm and to promote the wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens.”

The report also said: “Further budget savings will be very challenging, but in the context of the current financial environment and the size of the social care budgets within the overall council budget, inevitable”.

View the full report at democracy.newport.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=139