Local Authorities to Give Evidence to Lords Adult Social Care Committee
The House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee will hold an evidence session with the Local Government Association and local government representatives, on the challenges they face in designing and delivering adult social care, as it continues its inquiry into what needs to change to create a fair, resilient, and sustainable care system.
The session takes place today (Monday 18 July from 3:45pm-5pm) and can be followed live on Parliament TV.
Giving evidence at 3:45pm will be:
• Cllr David Fothergill – Chairman at Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board
• Martin Samuels – Strategic Director for Social Care and Education at Leicester City Council
• Tandra Forster – Executive Director for Adults and Communities at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
• Laura Gaudion – Interim Director of Adult Social Care and Housing Needs at Isle of Wight Council
Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:
• What might be the key steps to raise the visibility and profile of people with care needs and unpaid carers in your local authority? Is there any scope for development and improvement that would not take significant resources?
• Unpaid carers have told us that they feel forgotten and often unsupported by social services. What are the key challenges to enabling tangible change for unpaid carers on the ground?
• To what extent is it possible for you as a local authority to step in when central government fails, for example, to increase Carers’ Allowance or respite care? Do you have any scope or resources that can fill these gaps? Can you draw on other local agencies and sectors in partnership with you to provide additional support?
• While access to supported housing is key to enabling independent living, our Committee has heard that there is a lack of a strategic approach to accessible and supported housing in local authorities. What are the obstacles to an integrated approach to housing and social care and how can they be overcome?
