THE team responsible for adult social care at Swindon Borough Council is to examine the impact that a reduction in the Dial-A-Ride bus service would have across departments.

The commitment to look further at the matter and to lobby the cabinet member for transport accordingly was made at a meeting of the council’s scrutiny committee on Monday.

A report submitted to the committee by the cabinet member for adult health and social care, Brian Ford (Con – Wroughton and Wichelstowe), listed maintaining investment in community-based and preventative services to help people maintain their independence as a priority.

Councillor Jane Milner-Barry (Lab – Old Town) asked whether it would not be reasonable to include Dial-A-Ride, the door to door disability bus service, within that bracket.

Coun Milner-Barry said: “I don’t believe it comes out of the adult social care budget, but it must save money for you by keeping people out of residential care and reducing the need for domiciliary care.”

Dial-A-Ride faces a cut in funding of at least £100,000 with fears that it could be up to twice that.

A cut at the lower end of that range would see significant reductions in the level of service provided, but if the worst fears were realised it could threaten the future of the service altogether.

In any event, the council’s recent bus strategy outlined proposals to withdraw all transport subsidies, including Dial-A-Ride, from 2020.

The chairman of the committee, Coun Bob Wright (Lab – Central), outlined that the impact of old age and declining health is that people slow down and their familiarity with an area or how to do things becomes more difficult.

He said: “Previous programmes of work to do with transport always involved Dial-A-Ride as the mitigation for people in that situation.

“From a perspective of mental health, if we do not maintain that support service you are going to end up with individuals who may not move from their properties, who may become isolated, who may then end up with the associated problems.

“The health benefits from Dial-A-Ride should be considered as much as the transport it provides from A to B.”

Coun Chris Watts (Lab – Eldene, Liden and Park South), added: “Surely this department (Adult health and social care) needs to do a risk assessment to see if the decision will have a direct impact on your budget.”

Coun Ford acknowledged that there may be a link but said it was not one he was aware had previously been considered.

“You’ve actually just made us aware of it,” he said.

“I don’t know when decisions are being made but we’re certainly more than happy to do an assessment and look at it.

“I will not be making the decisions on this – lots of things in the council are interlinked and intermeshed and I am more than happy to put it forward to the lead member.”

A decision on the immediate future of Dial-A-Ride is expected within the next week.