Briefings and responses

We welcome the numerous mentions throughout the document of the need for the NHS to work with partners, in particular local government. The NHS view of what constitutes a locally driven plan, however, is more centrally driven than the local government perspective.

The ability of local government to take the lead on climate change is restricted by financial constraints on councils, a lack of devolved powers, challenges with monitoring and implementation and a lack of awareness of the agenda.

The UK system of devolution is unequal. Councils across England need to be given control over public services and investments.

Local leaders should be given the responsibility and funding to address long-standing challenges and maximise opportunities. Bringing power and resources closer to people is the key to delivering better outcomes for communities and inclusive growth across the country.

Improving and maintaining good mental health for children is a vital priority for councils. Intervening early can dramatically improve an individual’s life chances and save our public services money in the longer term.

Many of the services that impact young adults are delivered by local government. The challenges facing them span a range of issues. It is vital that the Government uses the Spending Review to deliver truly sustainable funding for local government. Investing in local services is good for the nation’s prosperity and overall wellbeing.

This briefing is to update you on the development of Primary care networks (PCNs) which were established on 1 July and to provide advice on the contribution of local government to this important change to the health and care landscape.

Councils are supporting children and young people with high quality mental health support. Children’s services see more than 500 cases a day of children presenting with a mental health problem.

Our latest analysis demonstrates that homelessness support (including temporary accommodation) faces a funding gap of £110 million in 2019/20, and £421 million in 2024/25. There are currently 83,700 homeless households in need of temporary accommodation and other forms of support from local authorities.

Councils provide a wide range of youth services. As local authority budgets have reduced and demand for services has increased, councils have had to make difficult decisions about how to use increasingly limited resources on youth services.