Jim Clifford, Head of Third Sector Advisory and Chair of Public Sector Group at Baker Tilly outlines concerns for the Government’s plans to devolve more social care decision-making to local authorities.
“Whilst health has been substantially ring-fenced and there are some significant positives and long-term messages around the protection of research expenditure and around dementia treatment, there is a significant concern arising from the commitment to devolve more authority on reduced budgets to local authorities.
“Local authorities are responsible for commissioning a wide range of care and support services for the most needy in our societies. Often these are commissioned from voluntary sector organisations that, nevertheless, need funding to operate. With increased devolution of discretion to the local authority local decision making poses a risk that money will be taken away from care for the most vulnerable and redistributed elsewhere.
“The government has indicated that the Big Society will develop in time to pick up some service areas, but vulnerable adults and those with very complex needs could lose out in the meantime. We anticipate that unless real control is put in place to ensure that local authorities do maintain spending in these areas, a massive additional burden will fall on the voluntary sector or those most vulnerable in our local communities will fall by the way side.
“The government’s proposals for local authority control of this spending may be workable in the medium term but we need to consider seriously how we facilitate a cultural shift to enable that to happen.”
To speak to Jim, please contact Sarah Evans-Toyne or Mel Shelley at Broadgate Mainland on 020 7726 6111 or bakertilly@broadgatemainland.com
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