COMMENT

EVERY year, councils in England receive 1.8million new requests for adult social care – the equivalent of nearly 5,000 a day.

Every pound invested by the Government in council-run services such as social care helps to relieve pressure on other essential services like the NHS, keeping people out of hospital and improving lives.

Councils could do so much more if they are properly funded.

The Spending Review on Wednesday needs to confirm that all current funding streams continue into next year and provision is made for rising costs and increased demand.

We also need a long-term, sustainable funding settlement for adult social care so all who use and work in this vital service can get the support and certainty they need.

We at the LGA have already prepared our own key recommendations on how best to achieve this.

Local government stands ready to host cross-party talks to kick-start this process and help make sure we finally achieve a resolution to this long-standing issue which affects us all.