SOCIAL services bosses admit that it is time to "grasp the nettle" and keep the budget from busting year after year.

Apart from the Red Centre issue, the executive approved a range of measures to deal with rising demand and spiralling costs.

They include: tightening eligibility criteria for community care services for adults. This could mean that an old person returning home from hospital would receive personal care, but not have their shopping done, bills paid or pension collected.

Members have also introduced a "fair allocations system" for respite care for adults with learning disabilities.

People would be given a ranking so that everyone knew what they were entitled to and those who have traditionally "shouted loudest" do not win out.

A third move will raise the threshold at which a child is taken into care.

In future, reasons of "family dysfunction" or "socially unacceptable behaviour" will not count, and the department will help the child to live at home.

All these measures are expected to reduce the overspend by £800,000.

Councillor Tim Chamberlain, executive member for health and social services, said the council had ploughed an extra £3 million this year into social services, on top of £2 million last year.

"However, it has not been possible to control demand and, if left unchecked, social services would overspend by around £2 million by the end of the financial year.

"We have to meet our obligations and priorities and some people in less need may not receive help or may receive a reduced service."