It is already pretty late to be doing this as budgets are being set now. The 'technical' work, to the extent it is being done, has already been largely finished (e.g. modelling the impact of reducing the eligibility threshold - which is generally regarded as a false economy) and budget proposals in most councils will be with members.
There is scope for lobbying/campaigning but I can't see the model of professional expertise informs professional organisation, informs councils, having much effect in the timescale now left. There is still plenty of scope for campaigning and here it would be worth using evidence/expertise to argue against silly decisions - for example those that impact on preventative services and resources.
But the govt. strategy is very clever - make the councils have to implement the cuts so campaigning and discontent is focussed on them. Hence the cries of pain this week from liberal-demagogue councillors. It is very difficult for councils since by protecting statutory services and those they have a legal duty to provide for will inevitably mean sacrificing other expenditure. So any campaigning has to make very clear where the blame really lies and have effective strategies for national level as well as local campaigning - a tall order!

On 12/02/2011 02:46, Erica Brostoff wrote:

[log in to unmask]" type="cite">Please can any officer of the Community Psychology Section advise me whether the section is producing a statement or advice to Local Councils on the effects of cuts to services, such as clubs for the elderly providing companionship and hot meals to those who almost certainly will not have these community supports, due to local authority cuts. I have received a flyer about complete cutting of funds to such a charity in Holborn where 150 elderly people who might otherwise be housebound will be abandoned to fend for themselves from July this year due to such cuts.

It seems to me this was an ideal time for the Community Section to have been formed and to marshall resources on these issues together with the BPS as a whole.

This may all be going on, on one of the Community Psychology Websites which I do not visit due to time constraints and not having got familiar with them yet. I would be grateful for advice on this.
Thank you,
Erica Brostoff.

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___________________________________ The Community Psychology List has a new website/blog at: http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/ There is a threaded discussion forum: http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi There is a twitter feed: http://twitter.com/CommPsychUK To post on the website blog, forum or twitter feed, contact Grant or David at the email addresses below. David Fryer ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask]) To unsubscribe or to change your details on this COMMUNITYPSYCHUK list, visit the website: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK