In November, we welcomed the great and the good of the local government world to Buckinghamshire, for the County Councils Network’s (CCN’s) Annual Conference 2024. We met in Marlow under dramatically different political circumstances compared with recent history. But while it is all change in the composition of MPs in the Commons, CCN’s approach to advocacy has not changed.
Irrespective of who is in charge nationally, the CCN has always been collaborative and constructive. Equally, however, we do not shy away from pointing out the proposals that our members believe to be detrimental to residents.
Since the general election, we have had a number of advocacy successes: first, on pointing out the dramatic (and unfunded) costs of the adult social care charging reforms, no matter how laudable they were.
More recently, we secured a pledge from this government to reform children’s social care and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
It was CCN’s research that laid bare the financial challenge facing local government this Parliament, on the eve of the Budget, that contributed to the Chancellor taking action. In particular, the extra £1 billion ‘downpayment’ for SEND services ahead of substantial reform will be vital, as long as this funding comes direct to councils, which bear the brunt of costs.
However, as I said in my opening speech at the CCN’s conference, just days after the Budget, the devil will be in the detail.
Since then, it has become clear that upper-tier councils will face significant direct and indirect costs because of the National Living Wage and National Insurance contribution increases.
Worse still for county and unitary councils, the proposed distribution of an extra £600 million for local government via a ‘recovery grant’ is highly targeted and based on a deprivation formula. Despite CCN members being under intense financial pressure, it is likely very few will get any money at all from this grant.
Of course, we recognise deprivation is a key indicator of need. That is why counties receive significantly less per head in the social care grant than other parts of the sector.
But, deprivation is not the main driver of the unsustainable rise in costs over the past few years, particularly in children’s services and SEND provision. Government must address these short-term costs effectively if we are to succeed in reforming both.
Linked to funding, the Government’s devolution white paper is also imminent at the time of writing.
We can expect reorganisation to play a big part in the document, with the Government attracted to streamlining local government as part of its reform of public service agenda.
Proposals should use whole-county geographies as the starting point (for both reorganisation and devolution), with a minimum population limit of 500,000 for any new authorities.
Once these conditions are in place, the Government can expect us to be a pragmatic and collaborative partner.
Heading into 2025, there are many unknowns for local government, not least across finance, reorganisation and devolution.
Big changes – and decisions – are coming down the line, and CCN will ensure the county voice is at the forefront of the Government’s thinking.
- To find out more please visit CCN.