WE all know what the phrase “greater efficiency” usually means in practice: more cuts to vital services. But in saying it wants to run its social care system more efficiently, should we cut Glasgow City Council some slack? The council says it can make savings by relying less on services provided directly by care workers and more on telecare or support groups; it also has some support from those working in the sector, and in principle, a modern social care system that responds to changes in technology, and what users want, is actually a worthy aim.

But what is the council really doing here? It says its shake-up will mean abandoning the traditional model of commissioning much of its social care by the hour from charities or other providers and using other methods instead. What it amounts to in reality is cutting down on staff time and using other methods that are less staff-heavy, such as group work or help by phone or computer. It is a plan, says the council, that would make a five per cent saving.

Obviously, the plans, which will be closely watched by other local authorities, could be nothing more than a way of dressing up cuts as a way of helping service users, and indeed the details of exactly how the new “holistic” services would work are worryingly vague. The reality too is that all councils have been subject to a number of forces that have piled the pressure on its finances and left them with little choice but to look for more cuts.

The most important factor at play is the cost of staff. For years, care workers have been grossly under-paid for providing vital services and it has led to a shameful situation where much of the social care budget of Glasgow and other councils is going to companies that pay nowhere near the new national minimum wage.

Thankfully, the situation will improve with the introduction of a £9 an hour minimum, which is due to come into force by 2020. But Glasgow City Council says the introduction of the £9 minimum could increase its social care budget by as much as £21million a year – at that rate, says the council, it could no longer afford to pay the current level of staff for the social care services they provide.

So what is the council to do? It says it can save the money it needs by shifting to a model that is less staff-heavy but there is only so far such a plan can go. Ultimately it means reducing the time staff are involved and there is a limit to how much that can be done without harming users. Telecare and other such innovations should be pursued, but the bulk of social care still requires real people helping others with the realities of day-to-day living.

In the longer term, there is another reality that is also unavoidable. Glasgow City Council may think it has found a way to make savings on its staff costs, but, with an ageing population, Scotland can only go so far down the road of cuts. At some point, building a social care system that can care for people when they need it will require more resources. In pushing forward with its reforms, Glasgow City Council must also consult with the people who use care directly and give them real control of how the money is used.