What we spend money on

Most of our spending is spent making sure everybody can live safe, fulfilled and independent lives. 

To do this we support children and adults who need us most, such as those in our community with special educational needs, physical disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health issues. This is about 65 per cent of our spending.

We break our spending down by our directorates (the different departments staff work in) but we know that is not always the best way for people to understand it.

Adult Social Care budget - £72m (39 per cent of total spending)

Adult Social Care works to help everybody achieve what matters to them in their life and enable them to be as independent as possible.

This includes adults with a physical or mental impairment or illness, including adults with physical, mental, sensory, learning or cognitive disabilities or illnesses, autism, substance misuse or brain injury. 

This also includes our public health service, which works to improve everybody’s health. 

Children’s Services budget - £44.9m (25 per cent of total spending)

Children’s Services provides support and help to the borough’s most vulnerable children and families. 

It includes social work teams, children’s centres, respite, residential and semi-independent homes and a youth offending team, as well as foster care and adoption services. 

It is responsible for keeping children safe from abuse, neglect or exploitation and harm, as well as helping families struggling with various issues, such as poverty, mental health problems, domestic abuse or substance abuse.

Place and Growth budget - £33.3million (18 per cent of total spending)

Places and Growth includes many of services people use every day such as roads and other transport, waste and recycling. 

It is also responsible for parks, play areas and country parks as well as community safety and planning.

Resource and Assets budget - £19.9m (11 per cent of total spending)

Resource and Assets includes finance and procurement, which is how the council manages it budget and makes sure it gets value for money. 

There’s also the democratic process and governance such as how elections are run and decision are made. It is also responsible for the council’s buildings and land, including managing building projects.

Chief Executive’s Office budget - £13.2m (seven per cent total spending)

The Chief Executive’s Office provides support functions such as HR and IT as well as customer services, libraries, communications and engagement. 

It is responsible for the Council Plan, which sets out what we want to do in the future and how we will do it, and our work with partners and communities, including equalities work.