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Dear colleague,
The publication of the ‘Marmot Review 10 Years On’ report, which states that life expectancy has failed to increase across the country for a decade and health inequalities have widened, is a significant wake-up call about the need to tackle the widening health inequalities across the country.
As we have long-argued, the biggest impact on health and wellbeing is in addressing the wider determinants of health. In this respect, public health is an absolutely vital service in its own right and plays a crucial role in supporting and promoting healthy ageing throughout our lives. With the Government committing to making the next ten years ‘the decade of prevention’ now is the time to showcase and celebrate the many successes of public health innovations that councils and their partners are leading across the country.
With a multi-year Spending Review on the horizon, it is also the time to make the strongest possible case for sustainable long-term investment in the public health grant to ensure the future viability of essential prevention and health protection services.
This year’s annual LGA/ADPH public health conference, which takes place in Brighton on 24 March, is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to learn more about councils’ public health work and consider what more needs to be done to secure the powers, flexibilities and resources needed to continue the improvements public health is making to local population health. I am delighted to be co-chairing this important conference and look forward to welcoming our expert speakers Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive, Public Health England and Professor Chloe Orkin, Consultant Physician, Barts Health NHS Trust.
I am well aware that this is a busy time of year for many and that a full day away from the office is difficult to arrange. However, there is much to be gained from learning from each other and I would urge anyone who works in this field to attend this highly-regarded event. I look forward to seeing you there.
The outbreak of coronavirus is a rapidly evolving situation. Councils such as Wirral, Brighton & Hove, Milton Keynes and York have been at the forefront of the national response.
At a national level, the LGA has been involved in supporting those authorities directly affected through our conversations with the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England, and, in particular, the Resilience and Emergency Division of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Councils are using tried-and-tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. A very extensive and complex contact-tracing operation is under way, with health protection teams around the country diligently talking to people that might have been in close contact with carriers of the virus to assess their risk, offer advice and prevent further spread.
Visit our coronavirus hub for a link to all the latest information.
Yours,
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Cllr Ian Hudspeth
Chairman, LGA Community Wellbeing
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Stories
Coronavirus: information for councils
The LGA is liaising with Public Health England (PHE), the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding the evolving situation with the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Local authority Directors of Public Health are in close contact with PHE. Visit our coronavirus hub.
Modern slavery risk in the adult social care sector
The Modern Slavery Evidence Unit (MSEU) at the University of Nottingham has published a briefing on care worker exploitation which asserts that the fragmentation of the adult social care provider market, and the sector’s reliance on outsourcing and flexible, ‘unskilled’ labour, has increased the risk of care worker exploitation. Further, it notes that the lack of applicability of Section 54 of the 2015 Modern Slavery Act to public sector procurers and the changing nature of the provision of adult social care - from the employment of care-workers directly by local authorities to more ‘flexible’ employment relationships involving a range of intermediaries – has increased the risk and potentially jeopardises the safety of care workers and the employment standards they could expect to enjoy. If you have any questions on this topic or would like to share any experiences from your local area, please contact guy.head@local.gov.uk
Healthy communities together: funding and support
The Healthy Communities Together programme will see up to £3 million of funding plus additional support, coaching and facilitation to help develop more effective partnerships between voluntary sector organisations and the NHS and local authorities in their area. The programme will combine the health, care and leadership expertise of The King’s Fund with grant funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. Applications open soon, and the pilot areas will start work later in the year.
AI funding in social care deadline: 4 March 2020
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health and Care Award 2020 will make £140 million available over three years to accelerate the testing and evaluation of the most promising AI technologies which meet the strategic aims set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. To find out more, join the applicant session on 25 February 2020 or email enquiries@ai-award.info. The deadline for applications is 1pm, 4 March 2020.
Personal health budgets
NHS England and NHS Improvement have produced a brief explainer video about personal health budgets. Helping to ensure that people receive more personalised care and support is a key commitment for the NHS and features in its Long-Term Plan, and recent legislation means up to 100,000 more people are set to benefit from personal health budgets in the coming years. Watch the video to understand more, or visit the NHS website or NHS England website.
Integrated personal budgets: a snapshot
NHSE/I would like to get a snapshot of integrated personal budgets (IPBs) and to identify what is working well. To that end, they would like to speak to health and social care professionals who have experience in supporting people with care and support planning in an IPB situation; and commissioners from clinical commissioning groups and local authorities working with the local financial methodology around personal health budgets. To find out more, email Lyn.Griffiths@ndti.org.uk
Outcomes and improvement framework for working age adults with a learning disability and/or autism
ADASS and the LGA are holding three events in March for directors of adult social care, senior officers, heads of commissioning or transformation or heads of service to help to shape and inform the outcomes and improvement framework: 9 March in Leeds; 16 March in Birmingham; and 18 March in London. To sign up please email chip@local.gov.uk with your name, organisation and preferred workshop location.
NCASC 2020: Bids for workshops
A bid form to run workshop sessions at next year’s NCASC has a deadline of 14 April, with bids from councils and people with lived experience or organisations that represent them encouraged. Delegate bookings for Manchester from 4 to 6 November in are also open.
Parliamentary
Select Committees
The new Chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees have been announced. Clive Betts MP (Labour, Sheffield South East) has been returned as HCLG Chair, pledging evidence-based scrutiny of housing, local government and social care. Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt MP (Conservative, South West Surrey) will Chair the Health and Social Care Committee, vowing to “fix social care”. The LGA is the top written evidence provider in the country and, once the full membership of the Committees is announced, we will engage once again with their inquiries.
Healthy ageing
Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, gave evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry into healthy ageing. Cllr Hudspeth referenced the importance of taking a life-course approach to promote healthy ageing, and highlighted some of the innovative work of councils and the LGA’s sector-led improvement (SLI) offer. Cllr Hudspeth also referenced some of the challenges councils have faced as a result of reductions to the public health grant.
NHS Funding
The NHS Funding Bill has now passed through Parliament and is waiting for Royal Assent. The Bill places a legal duty on the Government to give the NHS an extra £33.9 billion every year to transform care and protect front line NHS funding. During the Commons debates, LGA Vice-President, Andrew Lewer MP (Conservative, Northampton South), welcomed the funding and used our briefing to call on the Government to provide the same long-term certainty for social care and public health funding.
We briefed for the debate on the second reading and final stages in the House of Lords. Peers welcomed the additional funding for the NHS, but noted the challenges the public health and adult social care systems are facing and called for them to receive a similar long-term funding settlement. Baroness Penn, Lord Low, and Lord Bradley highlighted that the public health grant for 2020/21 is yet to be published. In response, Health spokesperson Lord Bethell confirmed that the Government is committed to prevention, and reiterated the Government’s pledge that nobody should be forced to sell their home to pay for social care and that they are beginning the process of cross party talks on adult social care reform. He also confirmed that the mental health White Paper will be published in the Spring.
Social care
We briefed Peers for a debate on NHS targets. LGA Vice-President, Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat), highlighted previous LGA research on social care funding. Baroness Thornton (Labour) noted that more recognition needs to be given to the vital contribution of public health services, which prevents ill health and saves the health service billions of pounds every year. In response, the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, said that it is important that social care is put on a sustainable footing.
We also briefed MPs ahead of an opposition day debate on adult social care. LGA Vice-President Helen Hayes MP (Labour, Dulwich and West Norwood) raised the cross-party work of the LGA on reform of the adult social care system, and Shadow Communities Secretary Andrew Gwynne MP highlighted LGA research on adult social care funding pressures and workforce challenges. In response, Care Minister Helen Whately MP recognised the urgency and importance of adult social care reform, and referenced the Government’s intention to bring forward plans to address this.
Publications
Public health and the Licensing Act 2003
LGA
Making Safeguarding Personal Outcomes Framework Project Summary Report 2018/19
LGA and ADASS
Physical activity - prevention and management of long-term conditions
Public Health England
World Health Statistics 2018: Monitoring health for the Sustainable Development Goals
World Health Organisation
Sharing ideas
Call for evidence: DWP engagement of disabled people in policies and practices that affect them
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has launched a call for evidence relating to its latest project: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) engagement of disabled people in policies and practices that affect them. In this call for evidence the SSAC is not looking for views about social security benefits, but on how DWP listens to feedback from disabled people or involves disabled people, and any ways in which this might be improved. The deadline for submissions is 23 March 2020.
Free health and care induction on 16 June 2020
For those new to a leading role in a health and care system, this free induction session will brief on the policy issues, look at leadership challenges, and relate both to local areas. As well as hearing from a range of participants across the health and care system, you will hear about further support on offer, with plenty of opportunity for discussion and networking. The induction takes place on 16 June 2020, 10.30am to 3.30pm at 18 Smith Square. To find out more and book a place, please email sue.neumann@local.gov.uk
Evidence scope: loneliness and social work
Commissioned by the Chief Social Worker for Adults, this evidence scope looks at the evidence around the role of social workers in preventing and reducing loneliness and isolation.
Patient flow: finding solutions to recurring challenges
Webinar on social prescribing: 20 March 2020
Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) will be running a lunch and learn webinar on general practice and social prescribing, with guest speakers from Alvanley Family Practice, Stockport. This topic will be of particular interest to commissioners and people working for health and wellbeing boards. The webinar takes place on 20 March 2020 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Book your place on social prescribing webinar.
Community Services and Ageing Well (CSAW) Improvement Community event
This free event, aimed at health and care professionals, commissioners and others involved in improving community services, takes place on 10 March 2020 at the Kia Oval, London. Register for the event. Become part of the CSAW Improvement Community.
Events
Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Assembly
28 February 2020 | London
Community Services and Ageing Well Improvement Community event
10 March 2020 | Kia Oval, London
Patient flow: finding solutions to recurring challenges
11 March 2020 | The King's Fund, London
Annual HWB chairs and co-chairs summit
18 March 2020 | London
Building on the success of the Better Care Fund: integrating health and social care
20 March 2020 | Manchester
LGA/ADPH annual public health conference and exhibition 2020
24 March 2020 | Brighton
Harnessing culture and sport to deliver social prescribing
22 April 2020 | London
LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2020
30 June to 2 July 2020 | Harrogate
National children and adult services conference 2020
4 to 6 November 2020 | Manchester
Media
LGA responds to Marmot Review: 10 years on report
25 February 2020
LGA responds to Air Team report on air pollution
11 February 2020
LGA responds to Care England report on social care fees
11 February 2020
first magazine
First Magazine - now online
'first' is LGA's membership magazine and is received as a hard copy by over 18,000 councillors and 400 chief executives.
This month's highlights:
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