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Responding to announcements about adult social care and public health in today’s Spending Review, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the crucial value of councils’ adult social care and public health services. “Extra funding for children’s and adult social care will help address some short-term pressures, but we need a clear plan on the future of care and support and how we pay for it, which recognises low pay in the adult social care workforce and finally delivers parity of esteem with

“The extra funding for adult and children’s social care announced today is positive but will not on its own be enough to tackle the significant challenges facing children’s social care which was already under strain prior to the pandemic as a result of increasing demand and long-term funding reductions."

“Councils have done an incredible job getting people sleeping rough off the streets and have accommodated more than 29,000 people who have faced homelessness since the start of the coronavirus pandemic."

“Overall, the Spending Review provides more certainty for councils next year but the long-term outlook remains unclear. Public finances will undoubtedly be under huge strain in the years ahead but investment in our local public services is critical to our national recovery next year and beyond."

“Councils have been calling for urgent certainty and clarity about what to expect after the national lockdown ends and it is good that the Government has listened and provided this much-needed announcement."

Some people sleeping rough in some areas could be forced to stay out in the cold this winter to avoid a risk of infection in unsafe settings, due to shortfalls in funding and appropriate accommodation for councils to use, a new report for the Local Government Association warns today.

Vital public health services such as drug and alcohol treatment, early years and school aged support, weight management and sexual health services need urgent investment in the Spending Review if the country is to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic, councils say today.

"Homecare workers have not been able to access the same level of testing as their colleagues working in care homes, so this announcement should redress this balance. The further rollout of these tests to live-in carers and personal assistants also needs to happen as quickly as possible."

“It is critical that that the Government uses the Spending Review to provide significant investment so councils can continue to support their employees as much as possible and recruit and retain the staff needed to provide the local services that are delivered every day by our hard-working staff, alongside care workers and NHS colleagues.”

“It remains extremely worrying that with infection rates and deaths from coronavirus continuing to increase during this lockdown, the test and trace system is still only picking up six out of every ten contacts of people who tested positive."