Dear Sir It is becoming increasingly apparent that the proposals contained in the government s Personal Care at Home Bill are unclear, unfunded and are likely to have a significant impact on existing local services; including possible cuts and rises in c
Dear Sir
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the proposals contained in the government's Personal Care at Home Bill are unclear, unfunded and are likely to have a significant impact on existing local services; including possible cuts and rises in council tax.
We fully support the principle of providing additional support to those with the most critical care needs. What we cannot support, however, is a piece of legislation that has major weaknesses and which risks adding further strain to an existing system already under considerable financial pressure.
Specifically, we believe that the government has significantly underestimated the likely numbers eligible for this support and also the likely cost of each care package.
Indeed, research carried out by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) across 61 local authorities shows that the average cost of care is about �200 per week; substantially greater than the �103 per week estimated by the government.
At this level the cost to local authorities would amount to around �580m per annum as opposed to the �250m assumed in the proposals. Local authorities are already required to deliver 4% efficiency savings next year and the savings needed to fund this policy would be on top of this.
We also have major doubts over how the government intends to fund this scheme. It has failed to elaborate on where its own contribution will come from whilst appearing to be reliant on savings, that may either be non-existent or may well have already been allocated elsewhere, from councils. This, of course, does not address subsequent years where even greater restrictions in public spending will apply.
It is also wrong to raise expectations amongst many of the most vulnerable in our society and their families that they may be in a position to benefit from these proposals when the reality may be significantly different.
We are therefore calling for the government to commission urgently an independent review of these proposals, including an analysis of the financial position, before progressing any further.
Yours faithfully
Cllr David Finch, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Adults, Health & Community Wellbeing
Cllr Richard Smith, Hertfordshire County Council Executive Member for Adult Care & Health
Cllr Graham Gibbens, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Fred Yeulett, Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing
Cllr Colin Noble, Suffolk County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services
Cllr David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities
Cllr Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Welllbeing
Cllr Michael Gosling, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Ann Gerrard, Halton Borough Council Executive Member for Health and Social Care
Cllr Simon Jones, Shropshire Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Services
Cllr Barry MacLeod-Cullinane, London Borough of Harrow Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing
Cllr Graham Arthur, London Borough of Bromley Portfolio Holder for Adults and Community Services
Cllr Sue Anderson, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities
Cllr Roy Smith, Warrington Borough Council Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing
Cllr Tony Hicks Gloucestershire County Council Lead Cabinet Member for Community and Adult Care
Cllr Neil Bent, Tobay Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Housing
Cllr Martin Davies, London Borough of Camden Executive member for adult social care & health
Cllr David Renard, Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care
Cllr Elaine Atkinson, Borough of Poole Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Health, Social Care, Housing and Equalities
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Lead Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Michael Young, Trafford Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Cllr Mark Reen, London Borough of Ealing Portfolio Holder for Health and Adult Services
Cllr Pamela Fisher, London Borough of Hounslow Executive Leader Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Cllr Les Pugh, Wolverhampton City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr David Foster, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Deputy Leader and Executive Member Adult Social Care
Cllr Barbara McCracken, Walsall MBC Cabinet member for Social Care and Inclusion
Cllr Hugh Rees, Rutland County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care
Cllr Simon Dudley, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services
Cllr Jim Maddan, Wandsworth Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services
Cllr Ivan White, Southampton City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Cllr David Lee, Leader of Wokingham Borough Council
Cllr Robin Brown, Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet member for Health & Adult Social Services
Cllr Mike Calvert, Lancashire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services
Cllr Brian Lord, Oldham Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Health
Cllr Dr. David Salter, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Health & Social Care
Cllr Ken Norman, Brighton and Hove City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Cllr Dale Birch, Bracknell Forest Council Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing.
Cllr Philip Gretton, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services
Cllr Stephen Baker, Hull City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Equalities and Diversity
Cllr Philip Corthorne, Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing
Cllr Brenda Dowding, Cheshire West & Chester Borough Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care & Health
Cllr Antonia Noble, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member - Community and Adult Care
Cllr Charles Jones, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care
Cllr Chris Metcalfe, North Yorkshire County Council Executive Member Adult and Community Services
Cllr Armand Toms, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member Adult Social Care
Cllr Simon Reed, Northumberland County Council Executive Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing
Cllr Jim Couchman, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services
Cllr Graham Marsh, Lincolnshire County Council Executive councillor Adult Social care and Supporting People
Cllr Lesley Faulkner, Dudley M.B.C. Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services
Cllr Liz Phillips, London Borough Waltham Forest Cabinet Member Health, Adults and Older people
Cllr Emma Lewell, South Tyneside Council Lead member for Independent and Healthy Lives
Cllr Dale Mulgrew, Rochdale MBC Portfolio Holder for Health & Social Care
Cllr Peter Catchpole, West Sussex County Council Cabinet member Adult services
Cllr Lorna Campbell, London Borough of Lambeth Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing
Cllr Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Council Lead Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council Lead Member for Children's and Adults' Services
Cllr Barry Goldbart, Bournemouth Borough Council cabinet Member for Adult Services
Cllr Morris Nicholls, Durham County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Services and Wellbeing
Cllr Richard Harrap, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Portfolio Holder - Adult & Carer Services
Cllr John Thomson, Wiltshire Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Libraries
Cllr Amanda Arnold, Thurrock Unitary Authority Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care
Cllr Chris Williams, Milton Keynes Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Adult Social Care
Cllr Jonathan Morley, City of York Council Executive Member for Housing and Adult Social Services
Cllr Malcolm Morland, North East Lincolnshire Council, Portfolio Holder - Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Jacqui Seymour, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Support
Cllr Nigel Ashton, North Somerset Council Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Adult Social Care
Cllr Heather Johnson, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Community Services
Cllr John Pantall, Stockport MBC Executive Member, Adults and Health
Cllr Patricia Schofield. Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Cabinet member Adult Services
Cllr Suzanne Knight, St Helens Council Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Adult Social Care & Health
Cllr Roland M. Domleo, Cheshire East Council Cabinet Member For Adult Services
Cllr R.Sleigh - Solihull MBC Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member Healthier Communities
Cllr Beverly Sullivan, Bury Council Executive for Health and Wellbeing
Cllr Bev Knott, Bristol City Council Cabinet member for Care and Neighbourhoods
Cllr Christine Lawrence, Somerset County Council Cabinet Member for Communities
Cllr Dale Smith, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Portfolio Holder - Adult Social Care
Cllr Flewitt, Southend on Sea Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health & Housing
Cllr Norma Wright, Sunderland City Council Cabinet Member for Healthy City
Cllr Carole Hegley, Central Bedfordshire Council Portfolio Holder Social Care and Health
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