TEACHERS are “likely” to face compulsory redundancies and more adult social care service users are expected to move to “increased independence” as part of a savings drive by Ceredigion County Council.

Despite a small funding increase of 0.9 per cent from the Welsh Government, the council is still having to make a raft of savings after identifying a number of areas of increased costs for 2017/18.

A four per cent council tax increase is being suggested by council Cabinet members.

Scrutiny committees heard there are still a range of savings proposals across all departments, with the most controversial cuts including redundancies for teachers and changes to adult social care packages.

While any decision to make teachers redundant would have to be made by individual school governing bodies, Matthew Brown, the council’s head of learning services, said it was “likely” that redundancies would be made.

In a report to the scrutiny committee he said that the impact of having to make a targeted saving of £770,000 was “not known at this stage, i.e before governing bodies have made their individual decisions, but likely to include compulsory redundancies in 2017.”

There are also a range of proposed savings in the social services department, including a review of respite care in the families and children department, reducing the use of taxis for transporting youngsters and instead relying on charities, and forging closer links with Hywel Dda Health Board to provide step-up and step-down care beds in council-owned residential homes.

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