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Dear Colleague,
On 30 October the Government set out their Autumn Budget. In regards to adult social care specifically, we will need to see further detail on the £600 million, as well as on council tax increases and the council tax precept. The Government must provide clarity that the £600 million will be an increase to the Social Care Grant, which councils have freedom to allocate between children’s social care and adult social care. In recent years, councils have allocated around 60 per cent of the grant to adult services.
While the additional funding is welcome, it must be seen in the context of the announced increases to the National Living Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions. With no separate funding for these announcements, care providers will likely expect to see their increased costs reflected in their fees paid by councils. This will almost certainly absorb all of the grant increase for many councils even if it is spent wholly on adult social care, leaving little or nothing to address immediate challenges in adult social care, such as long waiting times for an assessment of a person’s care needs or the commencement of care packages.
The additional funding for social care must also be seen in the context of the extra £22.6 billion investment announced for the NHS. This is crucial and much-needed investment for our health service and will help lay the foundations for the 10 Year Health Plan. But the challenges facing the NHS, and how to address them, are inextricably linked to the fortunes of adult social care and support and other local government services. As it stands, the NHS has a process in place for developing a plan for the future, backed up by significant increased investment; adult social care does not yet have either.
At the start of the week, I chaired the LGA’s joint webinar with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to discuss the Government’s Change NHS portal, their 10-year plan for health and how councils can feed into this important work. It’s crucial the local government voice is heard so it was great to see 160 attendees on the webinar and to have over 70 questions fielded to the speakers, Tom Riordan (Second Permanent Secretary, DHSC) and Sally Warren (Director General, 10-Year Health Plan, DHSC). More on how councils can get involved and be part of the conversation of the future of the nation’s health is below.
Given the Government’s emphasis on shifting from treatment to prevention, it was disappointing not to see specific funding to take forward activity aimed at preventing, reducing or delaying the onset of more acute and costly needs for care and support. Particularly when our new joint report, launched at the National Children and Adults Services Conference (NCASC) this week, has found that investing in earlier preventative support in social care would improve people’s lives and save £3.17 for every pound spent.
We were pleased to see the Secretary of State announce a men’s health strategy yesterday, which the LGA has been calling for. As I noted in our media release, innovative local initiatives led by councils are making strides, but national action is needed which recognises men’s health as a national concern. Men’s health is often overlooked but critically important.
If you have been enjoying the National Children and Adults Services Conference this week I look forward to seeing you today in Liverpool, where will be able to continue to discuss these issues in person.
Yours sincerely,
Cllr David Fothergill
Chairman, LGA Community Wellbeing Board
Stories
Change NHS: Have your say
A nationwide conversation about the future of the NHS is underway, led by the Government. ‘Change NHS’ is seeking views on three key shifts: from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention. The more local government voices that feed into the process, the more the sector will be able to influence future design decisions positively. The deadline for to the portal is Monday 2 December. We would especially encourage you to reflect on practical preventative interventions (including public health); neighbourhood hubs and approaches that bring health and council services together; and ways of working between social care and NHS that promote ‘home first’. The LGA will be publishing its submission to the portal in due course, you can read our emerging response
We are also asking councils to share with us good practice examples and your responses' to the portal by emailing: healthandcare@local.gov.uk.
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Adult social care information and advice toolkit
Adult social care information and advice are essential and getting them right means that people are more likely to be able to make informed choices and access the right support at the right time and place. This can make a big difference for someone and ultimately can improve their health and wellbeing. It also helps councils to manage and prioritise their assessment processes and resources. Download the toolkit.
Crisis in Children’s Oral Health: Report Calls for National Strategy
A new report by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives has highlighted the crisis in children’s oral health, which is seeing millions of children in England suffering from tooth decay. It urges Government to adopt a national child oral health strategy, including increasing access to dental care.
Mental health discharge
Partners in Care and Health have published A framework for achieving excellence in mental health discharge, guidance to support mental health discharge. This practical guidance draws on extensive engagement with front line teams, statutory guidance and mental health discharge operational models that are working well across the country.
Why a shift in adult social care provision is needed
The chief executives of Community Catalysts, Shared Lives Plus and the National Development Team for Inclusion have outlined their shared views on how and why a shift in adult social care provision is needed. This also includes links to work by all three organisations on values-based support in local communities.
Improvement support programme 2023-24 annual report
The LGA and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services as Partners in Care and Health (PCH) published its annual report, which looks back on the 23/24 programme, and showcases its work with councils and systems to improve adult social care and public health services.
It details how the programme has engaged with councils or systems, developed unique support offers and delivered outcomes and outputs to improve service delivery so people can access the care that meets their needs, in a time and manner that suits them.
National Children and Adult Services Conference
27 - 29 November 2024 | Liverpool ACC
Healthier futures: Whole systems approaches to promoting children’s healthy weight
10 December 2024 | Virtual
BCF Support Programme Learning Lunch: Optimised Handling
11 December 2024 | Virtual
UK Health Security Agency conference 2025
25-26 March 2025 | Manchester Central
LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2025
1 July 2025 - 3 July 2025 Liverpool
Earlier action and support: The case for prevention in adult social care and beyond
LGA
Tobacco and Vapes Bill, Second Reading, House of Commons, 26 November 2024
LGA briefing
Empowering healthy places: Unveiling the powers and practices of local councils in fostering healthy neighbourhoods
LGA
A blueprint for the future: Sexual and reproductive health and HIV services in England
LGA
Moving on from asylum accommodation: The impact and learning from councils on the asylum backlog clearance
LGA
Improvement support programme 2023-2024: Annual report
Partners in Care and Health
Improvement and support offer prospectus 2024/25
Partners in Care and Health
Embedding ‘No Wrong Doors for young carers’ - working together to support young carers and their families: Leeds City Council
Partners in Care and Health
Understanding the management and monitoring of waiting lists in adult social care
Partners in Care and Health
Your guide to Care Quality Commission assessments for adult social care in councils
Partners in Care and Health
Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment for adult social care - must know guide for chief executives
Partners in Care and Health
Diverse by Design - new self-assessment tool
Partners in Care and Health
A framework for achieving excellence in mental health discharge
Partners in Care and Health
Two years on: a progress review of ‘From harm to hope': A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives’
Public Sector Access, in collaboration with the LGA
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill
This week the UK moved closer to being the first country in the world to phase out the sale of tobacco to the next generation and end youth smoking, as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill returned to Parliament for its Second Reading.
The LGA supports the measures in this Bill, which will ensure that anyone born on or after 1st January 2009 will never legally be sold tobacco products. Stopping a new generation of tobacco users will significantly decrease the harms from tobacco for future generations. Powers will extend indoor smoking restrictions to certain outdoor spaces, such as playgrounds and hospitals.
The Bill also sets out much needed powers to address the rising use of vapes by children and young people, through the regulation of flavours, branding and point of sale displays.
To help tackle these illegal sales, the LGA believes measures set out in the Bill should be accompanied by additional resources and powers for regulatory bodies. Trading Standards need additional support to enforce regulations and advise businesses on compliance. Whilst we welcome the proposals to increase fixed penalty notices to £200, there have been calls for fines to increase to serve as a more significant deterrent.
Mental Health Bill
The new Mental Health Bill was introduced in Parliament on 6 November 2024. The bill takes forward a number of recommendations from the 2023 Joint Committee Inquiry that scrutinised the original draft Bill. The key changes since the previous bill include the following:
- The removal of “how soon” harm may occur from the detention criteria.
- The removal of the requirement for the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) to see the nominated person – the role that will replace the nearest relative – in person.
- A new duty on NHS commissioners to make arrangements to inform people about advance choice documents and provide appropriate help to create one.
- Including the wording of the principles identified by the independent review within the MHA’s requirements for a code of practice.
- A new duty on the patient’s responsible clinician to consult with a professional involved in the patient’s treatment when taking the decision to discharge.
Find out more at Better care for mental health patients under major reforms.
Budget debate: Fixing the NHS and reforming public services
The Budget debate on Tuesday 5 November in the House of Commons centred on the theme of Fixing the NHS and reforming public services. Key discussion points included the financial strain on the NHS, ongoing social care challenges, and disparities in healthcare outcomes – with emphasis on the need for sustainable and equitable solutions. Proposals included the integration of health and social care services, potentially through a National Care Service to relieve pressure on families and improve care continuity. Mental health care was highlighted as an area in urgent need of expansion, especially for young people, due to rising cases of mental health issues exacerbated by socioeconomic pressures. We have long been calling for sustainable funding for local government statutory and non-statutory mental health services to put them on an equal footing with NHS clinical mental health services.
As stated in our Autumn Budget 2024 briefing, we will need to see further detail on the £600 million announced for social care, as well as on council tax increases and the council tax precept. While the additional funding is welcome, it must be seen in the context of the announced increases to the National Living Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions. With no separate funding for these announcements, care providers will likely expect to see their increased costs reflected in their fees paid by councils. This will almost certainly absorb all of the grant increase for many councils even if it is spent wholly on adult social care, leaving little or nothing to address immediate challenges in adult social care, such as long waiting times for an assessment of a person’s care needs or the commencement of care. packages.
Given the Government’s emphasis on shifting from treatment to prevention, it is disappointing not to see specific funding to take forward activity aimed at preventing, reducing or delaying the onset of more acute and costly needs for care and support. To effectively reduce pressure on healthcare systems, improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities it is vital to involve local government in shaping the upcoming 10-year plan for health. Reforming social care and investing in local government services are essential for a healthier population and a sustainable NHS. Local government must be integral in developing the solutions. Public health teams have faced an unprecedented period of pressures, with funding levels not keeping pace with demand. Sufficient ongoing funding is needed to ensure all local authorities can continue to meet their statutory public health responsibilities. It is vitally important that the Government continues to address challenges which arise over the coming months and years.
The contribution of the community and voluntary sector to society
On Thursday 31 October, the House of Lords discussed challenges faced by the community and voluntary sectors, focusing on funding issues, recruitment challenges and the critical role these sectors play in public services and community support. Peers, including LGA President Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench) highlighted the need for sustainable funding models, support for volunteer recruitment and collaboration between the Government and voluntary groups to maintain essential services. The Government acknowledged these sectors’ contributions, committing to consider further ways to support and sustain their efforts in local communities.
Ahead of the debate, the LGA and Association of the Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) called on the Government to provide an immediate injection of funding to continue tackling the issues facing the care and support sector. This would be a downpayment on a future multi-year settlement for adult social care and would help improve current challenges, including: waiting times for assessments, commencement of care packages, and care plan reviews; unmet and under-met need; provider instability; workforce recruitment and retention pressures; and growing and unsustainable strain on unpaid carers. Such funding would also be a much-needed boost to the voluntary and community sector, bolstering local community capacity.
National Carers Strategy
Oral questions by Baroness Keeley (Labour) in the House of Lords on Tuesday 19 November addressed calls for a comprehensive National Carers Strategy. Discussions emphasised the need for cross-departmental collaboration, recognition of unpaid carers, and support for combining caregiving with paid work. Concerns were raised over the adequacy of carer’s allowance, unpaid carer’s leave, and support for professional personal assistants for disabled individuals. Proposals included formalising cross-government efforts and improving technology use in social care to bridge gaps. The LGA has consistently reiterated that support for and recognition of unpaid carers – who are the backbone of care – is crucial. Too many of these people are suffering ‘burnout’ and the labour market is losing many people, especially those in their 50s, who are having to give up work to care. The adult social care system could not survive without the enormous contribution of unpaid carers who provide vital support for thousands of people every day.
Carers UK report
Thursday 21 November marked Carers Rights Day, and oral questions by Baroness Pitkeathley (Labour) discussed the findings from Carers UK’s report on Poverty and financial hardship of unpaid carers in the UK. The report highlights that 1.2 million unpaid carers live in poverty, with their poverty rate being 50 per cent higher than non-carers. Peers acknowledged carers’ economic contribution, comparable to NHS spending, and welcomed measures such as raising the carer’s allowance earnings limit. Concerns included inadequate financial support, lack of respite care, and restrictive education rules for carers. Support for unpaid carers is vital, now more than ever. As revealed in ADASS’ Spring Survey 2024, 88 per cent of Directors of Adult Social Services either strongly agreed or agreed that unpaid carers have come forward with increased levels of need in their local area over the past 12 months. The LGA’s publication earlier this year, The Care Act 204: Ten years on from Royal Assent, also underlines the growing strain on unpaid carers.
LGA responds to ADASS analysis of National Insurance and National Living Wage increases
27 November 2024
LGA responds to NAO report on NHS Health Checks
13 November 2024
ADASS Autumn Survey - LGA response
6 November 2024
first magazine
first is the LGA's membership magazine, distributed to around 18,000 councillors and local authority chief executives in England and Wales.
In this issue:
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