THE number of community mental health staff working across Bradford will not be reduced due to budget cuts, a Council committee has heard.

The chief executive of Bradford District Care Trust, Nicola Lees, outlined concerns over a reduction of nearly £3 million to drug and alcohol misuse services over the next two years, stating they could jeopardise “public safety.”

The issues were highlighted again by the Council’s Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee, but the authority’s mental health boss said the number of people the services could cater for would not be affected.

Committee member Councillor Nicola Pollard (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) asked what impact the £3m cuts to drug and alcohol services would have, questioning if there would be a reduction in staff or the number of people able to access support.

Both Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, and Mark Trewin, who manages the authority’s mental health services, said the support would be “amalgamated with community mental health services.”

Asked about cuts to staffing, Mr Trewin said: “No, there will be no reduction in the number of community mental health staff.”

Cllr Slater added that the authority’s vision was to create “multi-disciplinary teams” to avoid duplication of services.

The concerns were raised by Ms Lees in a seven-page letter to the Council in response to its consultation over imposing overall cuts of £32 million.

When Cllr Pollard asked whether the committee could view and scrutinise the letter, it was suggested that Ms Lees may want to attend a meeting and address the committee directly.

The idea was backed by committee chairman Councillor Vanda Greenwood, who said: “Some of the things she has put in there are incorrect.”

The committee also heard details of the Council’s new ‘Home First’ plans, designed to keep more people healthy and in their own homes for longer.

Cllr Slater and Bev Maybury, the Council’s strategic director of health and wellbeing, said the strategy did not involve trying to reduce the number of people living in residential care homes by 20 per cent.

Mrs Maybury told the committee: “We’re not suggesting people will be left without support. If someone has a statutory need, it will be met.”