Politicians like myself often use the phrase “vulnerable people” and then go on to say how much money it costs from your council tax to look after them – 42p in every pound you pay, in the case of adult social care.

The danger in using verbal shorthand like this is that it can begin to obscure the fact that we are always talking about real people, with real lives, not simply statistics on a spreadsheet.

For a stark reminder of the reality, it is worth reading the report that went to the health overview and scrutiny committee last night, which you can find via the Council And Democracy pages of our website.

In it you’ll find some real life examples of the issues these people face, often with great forbearance, every day, and also the difficult decisions and issues that our staff and carers have to make on their behalf.

It’s no different when it comes to safeguarding children.

It seems almost every day in the national news there’s another horrendous story of neglect or sexual exploitation or children.

It’s why we put a lot of effort into supporting vulnerable and troubled families, because prevention is always better than cure.

Although the council has a legal duty to provide this care, as well as a responsibility for investigating allegations of abuse, this all comes at a huge financial cost. If we had not taken radical steps to change how we commission services a few years ago, the adult social care budget would easily be taking 50p to 60p out of every pound of council tax we raise.

The issue of funding is a national one, and there are no simple answers. As a council, we have to evaluate very carefully all other services that we want to see provided, because we can no longer afford the full range of traditional services or subsidies. Since 2011, the council has changed. We are no longer the body that provides many services. Instead, usually with partners in the public, voluntary, and charitable sector, we define the results we want to see – called outcomes – and then we commission a body to deliver those results. That may be a traditional council department, but more often than not, it will be a different company, or charity, or agency, that does the work.

On a completely different topic, it is with sadness that I must also reflect on the passing of Fred Ferris, honorary town crier. He was a great ambassador, and quite literally, an outspoken advocate for the town. Though Fred may now be silent, his generous spirit still echoes through Swindon.