LGA Responds To National Audit Office Report On Personalised Commissioning In Adult Social Care

Responding to a National Audit Office report on personalised commissioning in adult social care, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, LGA Community and Wellbeing spokesperson, said:

“Personal budgets mean that thousands of people across the country have greater control over how to use the money available for their care and health support, which can give them greater choice and help improve their lives.

“Local authorities have a responsibility to review the social care needs of individuals and this may sometimes mean adjusting personal budgets if a person’s abilities have improved, or declined.

“Councils are facing increased funding pressures and are determined to work with individuals and service providers to help people get the support they need.

“While recent measures, such as the ability to raise council tax by 2 per cent to raise money for social care and an extra £1.5 billion for the Better Care Fund by the end of the decade, will go some way to addressing the problems facing adult social care funding, concerns remain that future years will still be extremely challenging. Our recent analysis shows that, for example, council tax rises to pay for social care in 2016/17 will not bring in enough money to alleviate the growing pressure on the vital services caring for our elderly and disabled residents.

“Significant savings will still need to be made, which will further impact on the size of personal budgets. The next two years in particular will be especially tough. Services supporting the elderly and vulnerable are under severe strain and that is why, at the very least, the planned £700 million of new funding from the Better Care Fund should be brought forward to 2016/17 in order to help alleviate growing social care pressures.”