PEOPLE are “drowning” and those desperate for help are not getting the assistance they so badly need, a councillor has said.

The remarks were made by a passionate Claire Ellis (Con) who called for the council to develop a new strategy to target the borough’s most vulnerable adults and children who many fear are falling through the net.

It came as councillors on Monday night questioned the controversial decision, taken by the cabinet member for children’s services, Coun Fionuala Foley, to close the town’s children’s centres.

Although she praised Coun Foley’s stance on children’s centres, Coun Ellis made it clear that she thought the council wasn’t doing enough to target the most vulnerable.

“We need to look at this because there are people out there who we still cannot reach, and we should be putting money into finding these people and helping them,” she said.

“We have something that will turn horrible in a few years time because we are failing a whole lot of people, and unless something is done quickly it is going to get very serious.”

The budget for children’s social care is this year anticipated to overspend by £3.9m, and the number of children in care has increased by a third from 252 in 2014 to 336 at the end of 2017.

Coun Mark Dempsey (Lab) suggested that the greater numbers of children being brought into care is proof that the administration’s decision to close the children’s centres was the wrong one.

“10 years ago, children were having a better life and they had a better future,” he said. “We know that’s the case, that’s why we were so passionate about this when the centres were being closed.”

Addressing Coun Foley, he said: “What evidence would make you change your mind and make you reconsider your approach?”

But the cabinet member stood firm and insisted that, based on the information she had at the time, closing the children’s centres had been the right thing to do.

Coun Foley said: “I stand by the decision. I have to make decisions based on the facts and the children’s centres were not getting to the most vulnerable because they were not coming through the doors.

“I don’t think we are doing worse because more young people are coming into care – they need care and they are at risk of harm.

“I’m not saying that they shouldn’t come into care because I want to keep my figures down.”

The council aims to work with all of the 1,270 families in Swindon who are in most need of support by 2020.