SOUTHAMPTON City Council bosses have revealed details of more than £2million of proposed cuts in social services.

The controversial measures were disclosed after the cash-strapped local authority made the widely welcomed decision not to close two council-run old people's homes.

But the savings are well short of the £3.3 million cutbacks needed to balance the social services budget and other council departments will now be left to make up the £920,000 short-fall.

Areas affected include home care, children's services, community care, meals-on-wheels, and care for the elderly.

Social services chief John Beer said: "I'm very pleased we haven't had to make any redundancies or closures.

"Although there may be some slight service reductions, I don't anticipate there being a tighter criteria for people to meet in order to get services.

"And these savings won't involve anyone being taken out of a service they currently need."

But public sector workers' union, Unison, would only give the plans a cautious welcome and demanded to see more details.

Southampton-based Unison representative Mike Tucker said: "We're pleased these two homes aren't going to close but some of the other cutbacks have job implications that we are concerned about.

"We are also worried that services provided by council employees, such as the home care service, will be run down and contracted out to private firms. But management have given us a commitment that there will be more detailed discussions.''

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