September update from Howard Sykes: "Government is failing young and old."
The Government is failing young and old with its obsession with Brexit. It is paralyzed by the issue, meaning that it is failing yet again to step up and tackle some of the major issues affecting our communities, like its failure to show any leadership on social care funding and tackle the deepening housing crisis.
Someone had to do something, so I was delighted when the LGA released its own green paper, filing the vacuum left by the Government, and starting off a nationwide public debate about the future of care for all adults, and how best to support their wellbeing. The Government must stop ducking the issue. The support the LGA has received to date in doing this has been great.
It’s not just social care that the Government has let us down on. In June, ministers promised us a Social Housing Green Paper ahead of the parliamentary recess. The minister stated it was “essential that people living in buildings like Grenfell Tower not only are safe but feel that the state understands their lives and works for them.” I couldn't agree more!
So where was it? It didn’t materialise as Westminster went on its holidays and we are still waiting. Government housing policy is as clear as mud.
'The lives we want to lead'
The LGA green paper for adult social care and wellbeing
Adult social care and support matters. High quality social care and support helps people live the life they want to live. It helps bind our communities, it sustains our NHS and it provides essential economic value to our country.