PREVENTION and rehabilitation will help social service bosses deal with spiralling costs, Worcestershire health watchdogs have been told.

Rob Sykes, chief executive at Worcestershire County Council, outlined their importance when he delivered an update on the situation facing the besieged service which last September was facing a £4.6m overspend.

He said the cash-crisis gripping social services had been tackled by reducing the numbers of children in care, cutting administration costs and tightening eligibility criteria for adult services.

In children's services, the problem had been compounded because Worcestershire had more in care than similar sized counties in the rest of the country.

Mr Sykes addressed Worcester and District Community Health Council at Ronkswood Hospital.

He said it was no longer the case that if someone ended up in a home they would stay there until they died.

"The expectation now is that we give them the help and confidence to return home," he said.

"We have been successful in reducing the number of children in care and I think it is positive for both children and families," he added.

Criteria

"In particular, we want to do more with health services in supporting them at home rather than taking them into care."

Mr Sykes said they had also tightened the criteria for adults to reduce the number they offered a service to.

But he warned that the demand on services was growing year by year as the elderly population got bigger.

He described the Government's handout this year as disappointing and one of the lowest in the country.

"The county council has just been through its budget setting prices but one thing all the parties were united about was more money needed to be put into social services," he said.

"The budget agreed has put another £4m into social services."

He added there was going to be a huge amount of growth next year but he said a joint approach between health and social services would help them to use money more wisely.