MORE cuts in social services could be on the way as the department revealed a £2 million overspend on childrens care.

Councillors have been told that all options are being looked at to bring the budget under control.

A report by Ms Eleni Ioannides, executive director of childrens services, shows that the cost of sending children out of the borough for care accounts for nearly £1.7 million of the overspend. This is partly linked to the closure of the councils own childrens homes, and the increase in the number of high cost packages.

For instance, last year there were 35 cases costing between £20-50,000; 11 cases from £50-100,000; 14 cases between £100-200,000; and two cases at more than £200,000.

The other main area of overspending is children's disability services, to the tune of £250,000. Further budget pressures come from higher foster care allowances, and legal fees fighting court challenges.

Ms Ioannides said it was likely that no new money would be made available to tackle the problems, adding: "As such, it will not only be a question of reviewing budgets that are or may become overspent, but also service areas that have never overspent will need to be reviewed."

Councillor Wilf Davison, at Wednesday's children and young people scrutiny commission, said this worried him. "That indicates to me that they are planning to take money away from them."

The report also revealed that, from April to December last year, the council spent £325,000 on expensive agency staff, money funded from in-house vacancies.

Ms Ioannides said that Bury could not fill its vacancies. "Theres a national shortage of social workers," she said. "And Bury does not pay well in comparison with neighbouring authorities."

But Coun Davison suggested that maybe Bury should pay them more. "We are using vacancy money to employ agency staff who are dearer than us it doesnt make sense. There are lessons to be learned and we should look at this."

Various project boards have been set up to examine ways of reducing the overspends.