Government Launches Consultations on Social Care Restructuring Affecting 28 English Councils
The government has initiated consultations on reorganising social care responsibilities across approximately one-sixth of England’s council areas, potentially affecting thousands of social care professionals.
The proposals would see 28 of the 153 councils currently responsible for children’s and adult social care undergo boundary changes as part of the government’s wider initiative to eliminate two-tier local government structures throughout England.
Under existing arrangements in two-tier areas, county councils oversee key services including social care, education and transport, whilst district authorities manage functions such as waste collection, housing and planning applications.
The government’s restructuring plans aim to establish unitary local authorities across the country, typically serving populations of at least 500,000 residents. Ministers argue this approach will deliver improved efficiency, effectiveness and faster decision-making processes.
Presently, 132 of the 153 social services authorities operate as unitary bodies, with 21 county councils managing children’s and adults’ services in the remaining areas. The reorganisation will also impact 20 smaller unitary authorities neighbouring the affected counties.
The restructuring process requires affected councils to submit reorganisation proposals to ministers. The government will then consult on these submissions, either as presented or in amended form, before making final decisions on which proposals to approve.
Following ministerial approval, legislation will be introduced to establish new council structures, with timetables set for elections and the commencement of operations for the new authorities.
Social workers and other social care staff employed by affected councils will transfer to the newly established bodies under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). This legislation safeguards employees’ existing terms and conditions of employment and ensures continuity of service is maintained throughout the transition.
Cllr Matthew Hicks, Chair of the County Councils Network, said: “The launch of the consultation period for the remaining 14 areas invited to submit reorganisation proposals is an important milestone. These reforms represent the largest and most complex changes to local government in generation, so we urge all stakeholders and local residents in each area to engage with the consultation.
“County councils have worked hard to put forward ambitious, evidence-based proposals that will improve services and deliver fewer, leaner councils: fully in line with the government’s stated criteria. Conversely, some of the competing proposals put out to consultation risk splitting high performing care services into smaller councils – well below the stated criteria. At the same time, they promise hundreds of millions of in savings to adult and children’s services with little supporting evidence.
“It is vital that the government uses this consultation period to closely scrutinise and rigorously evaluate all proposals against their own statutory criteria. Crucially, all final decisions by ministers on which proposals to implement, starting with those in Devolution Priority Programme areas due next month, must be evidence-based and not politically driven. The decisions will shape local areas for years to come, so it is vital they ensure any new councils are able deliver savings to reinvest in frontline services, safeguard care to the most vulnerable and foster the economic growth this country desperately needs.
“Building on our experience of working through dozens of reorganisation programmes over the last two decades, the County Councils Network will continue to support its member councils’. This will include engaging the government over their timescales for implementation this parliament, recognising the views of all our member councils.
