MEASURES which include cuts to care packages, increases in the cost of school meals and asking schools to find savings of over £700,000 have been approved by Ceredigion County Council scrutiny committees.

Departmental budget plans outlining areas where the authority could make savings went before scrutiny committees ahead of the budget plans being discussed by the Cabinet and full council.

A range of savings proposals have been identified that include asking school governing bodies to find savings from their individual school budgets and increasing the cost of school meals.

Assessing people who currently receive care packages and reviewing how respite care, children care and transport services for families are also among the proposals were accepted by scrutiny committee members.

Cllr Peter Evans, the chair of the healthier communities committee, said he hoped that services would be maintained but savings targets of over £1m in adult services by prioritising a greater use of step-up and step-down beds and a review of who receives services were accepted.

Social services Cabinet member Catherine Hughes said that the department was having to reconsider how services are provided with new regulations brought in by the Welsh Government.

She insisted that the department needed to look at “new ways and more modern ways” of providing services to ensure that those in need can access the necessary services but that the council is meeting its legal requirements.

The chair of the learning communities scrutiny committee, Cllr Paul Hinge, said the committee had accepted the proposals, but realised that schools could be facing pressure to make savings from their individual budgets.

Council leader Ellen ap Gwynn said council representatives had met with secondary school headteachers to discuss their concerns over how saving requirements could hit school budgets and insisted that education department officers would provide support to schools.

She added: “I think we had a very good debate with them.”

The budget proposals will now go before the Cabinet before being put before the full council for approval.