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Our response to the Government’s £22.5 million funding announcement to help areas with low vaccine uptake encourage hard to reach people to come forward.

Commenting on research undertaken by the London School of Economics (LSE)  and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance about increasing access to perinatal mental health care, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said: “As this stark research highlights, perinatal mental health problems occur during the period from conception to the child’s second birthday. If untreated and unsupported, these mental health problems can continue to affect mothers, and their families for years afterwards. In the UK, one in five are affected by maternal

“If we are to truly level up, we must focus on reducing poor health outcomes as well as economic imbalances between regions. It is encouraging that the levelling up white paper is expected to address narrowing the gap in healthy life expectancy and reducing obesity."

“The Government needs to do more to help unpaid carers who are the backbone of care and support and provide invaluable support to their loved ones.”

“The Government should ensure that local outbreak management plans can be stepped up if required if there is a re-emergence of the virus and that all partners are sufficiently resourced to make this happen."

As councils plan budgets for next year, concerns are growing that the Government’s reforms to adult social care are underfunded and risk their implementation as well as exacerbating existing pressures, the Local Government Association is warning.

“Social care remains under enormous strain to recruit and retain high quality staff when faced with pay issues, unmet need within the sector and pressures on provider fee levels. Considering the limits that adult social care has been working within over the pandemic, it’s positive to see that the report finds that “service quality held up quite well”.

The LGA pays tribute to the social care workforce and the vital work and support they delivered through the COVID-19 pandemic and remember those who sadly lost their lives.

National adult social care organisations have come together to call for a co-produced, national workforce strategy alongside action to improve terms and conditions.

"Adult social care is facing a funding gap for current services, increasing each year due to inflation and other costs even with these reforms fully funded. This is without considering the immediate need to address unmet and under met need on these overburdened systems."