DEMAND on services for vulnerable children and adults is an increasing pressure on Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott spoke of the pressures the local authority is facing at the Focusing on the Future meeting at the Guildhall in Salisbury on Thursday.

She said: “Those pressures are not getting any better partly because of the money we are no longer getting from government but also the fact that we have extra pressures on our services.”

The meeting heard there were increasing pressures on children and adult services.

Baroness Scott said: “The real pressures now are coming on children’s services. We are still getting more and more children that need our care, whether this is because they have special educational needs, disabilities or because we need to look after them and safeguard them in some way, those numbers are continuing.

“The cost of looking after those children and young people is continuing to rise as is the cost of looking after people with disabilities, both adults and children. There are medical reasons for that but the main thing is they need our care and support and we will look after them. But It is putting pressure on our budgets at a time when we are having less money.”

The council tax breakdown showed £60million was allocated for family and children’s services, with £118million for adult social care operations.

She said the “realities this year is £20million worth of savings yet again”. She said this was “continuing” and getting “more difficult every year”.

Baroness Scott said the council have been working hard on the budgets, which “would not adversely affect those services our communities really need and rely on” particularly services for vulnerable people.

She said the council were continuing to invest in services for vulnerable adults and children.