The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
Responding to the publication of the Government’s white paper on adult social care reform, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“This much-anticipated white paper sets out a positive vision for the future of adult social care and it is right that it has been co-produced with and alongside people who draw on care and support. It is also encouraging to see the Care Act is the foundation upon which these reforms will be built, particularly the emphasis on housing, greater recognition of the workforce and skills, and prevention
"We need a cross-departmental government plan to tackle homelessness with long-term investment in prevention and services to support economically vulnerable people and households to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place."
“Vaccination is ultimately our route out of this pandemic and the COVID-19 booster and flu jab programmes are mission critical to keeping our population safe and healthy this winter"
“At a time when the Government is rightly discussing devolving powers to local areas as part of the Levelling Up White Paper, it is crucial that this is not undermined by sidelining the expertise of local government in the delivery of skills and employment support."
This insightful report on what social care directors are facing on the ground and what actions they want to see makes essential reading for government.
People are being urged by councils to check in on vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives to ensure they are safe with parts of the country set to experience low temperatures.
“To ensure employment and skills programmes are as effective as they can be in future, councils and combined authorities should be placed at the heart of delivering a coherent and local offer building on their proven track record of delivering similar services and support.”
"As these figures show, more needs to be done to meet increasing demand and a huge amount of unmet need, with more than half a million adults estimated to have alcohol dependency, while a high proportion of those receiving treatment are living in the most deprived areas."
“Councils face significant financial challenges to deliver much-needed SEND support to all those who need it and to meet rising demand, reporting a spending deficit of £675 million last year."