NEWS FROM LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
LANCASHIRE county council bosses are to push for change in central government, as the authority braces itself for a £92m funding shortfall in adult social care over the coming years.
The council faces a £26m gap in the funding in 2017/18, rising to £92m in 2020/21, and it is feared key services could be at risk. Now following a debate by the administration’s scrutiny committee, leaders are to write to the government, to urge it to tackle the funding crisis.
Ian Crabtree, the council’s head of policy, information and commissioning, presented a report to the committee, and said: “The county council faces a financial gap of approximately £148m by 2020/21, including a forecasted £92m shortfall in adult social care.
“The two per cent council tax precept falls far short of addressing the financial gap for adult social care.”
The meeting heard about difficulties in recruiting nurses and carers, and Mr Crabtree said the challenges facing the sector were the same as nationally.
“There are financial pressures through a growing elderly population, people stay shorter times in hospital, and there is a push to get people out. And we have a geographically dispersed demographic.”
The level of illness or disability for people going into residential care was also now ‘more severe’.
County Coun Tony Martin, cabinet member for adult and community services, said it was difficult recruiting people into the market and getting them to stay: “I’m an optimistic politician, but it is getting to the state now where, if the government doesn’t have a rethink about the finances of it, we’re not going to be able to sustain it in the future.”
Mr Crabtree said he had met 50 residential care providers recently, and their “biggest concern” was around recruitment.
County Coun Liz Oades said: “It just seems that this particular part of the service is in crisis to me, along with the NHS.
“I’m ashamed for a rich country like this to see what’s happening.
“We have baby boomers like myself born in the 1950s who are getting older and when we start needing care it is going to get worse.
“We have to address it on a local level, but somebody central has to get hold of this and accept there is a problem and it needs to be properly resourced.
“This committee needs to send a very strong message to say they need to get hold of this, because I am depressed by this.
“The overall picture is very depressing, and if somebody doesn’t get hold of this centrally it is going to get worse.”
County Coun Lizzi Collinge agreed the committee should call for action from government: “This is something we can’t control ourselves in Lancashire, as much as we would like to.”
Concerns were raised about issues including zero-hours contracts.
Following the debate chairman County Coun Bill Winlow suggested leaders write to the government. He said: “I would also like to see more support for primary care. And we need a new settlement, particularly for councils in the north who are having to deal with these problems.”
There were also calls for more sustainable funding, and wider health improvements.
A letter is to be drafted and brought back to the committee, before it is sent to Westminster.
In a statement, County Coun Martin said: “Additional government funding for social care is entirely inadequate for the scale of the challenge we face. In total, the two per cent council tax increase, known as the social care precept, and the Better Care Fund will bring in just £11.5m in 2017/18, against an increase in costs of £37.7m. This is clearly not sustainable and the council as a whole has called on the government to look again at how it funds services in Lancashire. We recognise the challenges faced by the sector and have taken steps to help providers.”
In April fees to residential care providers were increased by nine per cent and they were now procuring home care services through a process that should mean they paid fees which reflected the true cost of care.
“We always put protecting vulnerable people first and, although fee increases put more pressure on the county council, it is crucial to help companies who provide vital residential and home care services to remain in business.”
They were working more closely with health and social care organisations and had brought in consultants to help overhaul adult services to make longterm savings and provide a more effective service.
“Whilst we are working very hard to address the challenges we face, the bottom line is that we cannot do this on our own. We need central government to step forward and provide appropriate funding for these vitally important services.”
COUNTY councillors in Lancashire are being asked to give cash grants towards the creation of a playground for children with disabilities.
Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum has applied to five members of Lancashire county council for funding totalling £1,100, towards a £1m project.
An application said: “This is a joint project with Hyndburn Parents and Carers Group to raise funds for a SEND (special educational needs and disability) playground.
“The generous funding from Hyndburn county councillors will be used to purchase/ hire items for the numerous fundraising events which are going to take place across the borough in the next 12 months.”
It said: “The Play4Uz2 project will benefit thousands of disabled children, not just in Hyndburn but across Lancashire by building a SEND playground.
“To raise the £1m necessary to undertake this project, the Hyndburn Parents and Carers Group and the Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum are organising numerous community events that will bring the community together and support this worthy project.
“The first event is a Christmas Fayre. Also in the planning is a family concert and an Easter Fund day, and sponsored walk in Oakhill Park.”
So far, County Coun Munsif Dad has agreed to give the requested £300, and County Coun Clare Pritchard has agreed to the requested £200.
The application said, if not all the funding was granted, the events would still go ahead but with “reduced activities to fit the available budget”.