FOR the next two weeks, I am covering for Councillor Renard, who is taking a short break. As well as being deputy leader of the council, I am also the cabinet member for health and adult social care.

One of my roles – health – is significant as the first Swindon Borough Council, which was created in 1900, took its powers from the 19th Century public health acts.

Those days, the council ran hospital services, managed sewers and waste collection, and dealt with other nuisances.

Today, the council focuses on promoting wellbeing and reducing health inequalities.

For example, we aim to reduce obesity and teenage pregnancy while supporting healthy lifestyles and assisting those affected by dementia.

We also work in partnership with other organisations such as the Great Western Hospital, Seqol (which delivers care services), the voluntary sector, and the Clinical Commissioning Group (which organises the delivery of NHS services).

The other part of my portfolio, adult social care, was the main point of discussion at my annual question and answer session held before the council’s scrutiny committee last Monday.

Our main priority is to ensure that all adults, especially those who are vulnerable, are safeguarded. Alongside this, we will continue to provide adequate care and support to those who need it.

However, as our population grows, and the number of residents who need care increases, we also have to take into account the pressure on the council’s budget and on local Council Tax payers.

In the leaflet that came with your Council Tax bill in April, we showed how we spend £38 of every £100 Council Tax on caring for older people and adults with special needs. As part of the budget, we have to estimate how many people we will need to support each year.

A private business can always increase prices or say “sold out” if there is too much demand.

The council cannot refuse to provide support for the elderly or the vulnerable just because we do not have the budget.

Therefore, we are taking a number of steps to manage this growth in demand. Often, by helping people assess their own needs more effectively, we can make sure they have a better quality of life and at a lower cost. We know that making smaller, more appropriate interventions can help residents remain living at home longer and enjoy independent lives.

At the same time, we also have to plan for the implementation of new legislation, such as the Care Act 2014, and adjust to any new requirements arising from court cases elsewhere.

You can see that this role is a difficult balancing act, but a vital one for all residents. After all, we all expect services to be available in the event that we suddenly need help ourselves.