News and views from the Local Government Association “Our campaign is calling on the Government to protect adult social care funding to make it sustainable for the future. This is not just essential for social care, but for all other services if this is not tackled.” Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board P8
P8 Show Us You Care
Our campaign to protect funding for adult social care
P10 Independent Finance Commission Recommendations for devolved powers to help growth
P12 Averting a crisis Councillors lead where a community faced mass job losses Fortnightly Issue 583 28 February 2015
P3 Metal thefts Prevention cuts crime
EDITORIAL
A new approach As this Parliament draws to a close, we have the opportunity to reflect on the Tory-led government’s record. A Localism Act that gave new powers to the Secretary of State and served as an alibi for cuts. Unprecedented cuts to local government funding, implemented in a way that hits the poorest areas the hardest. A Secretary of State who thrives on attacking councils and meddling in local matters. And a dysfunctional Communities and Local Government department, which the Public Accounts Committee concluded has a failure of leadership within Whitehall and the sector. Local government needs to now be clear: we have had enough. The glimmer of hope that has got us through the last five years has been the incredible talent and drive we have in local government to serve our communities – our workforce rarely gets the praise they deserve in the tit-for-tat political climate created by Pickles. This must be recognised and built upon in a new approach that takes power out of Whitehall and into communities. The cuts to local government funding are not sustainable. Increasing NHS budgets whilst slashing social care is a nonsense and protecting schools budgets while cutting early intervention damages our education system. We need a fair funding settlement that recognises different levels of demand for services in more deprived areas. And local government needs independence enshrined in statute so that national politicians cannot meddle in matters for local determination. Local government has developed a powerful case for reform and devolution. Labour is promising the biggest devolution of economic power and funding in a generation. 2015 is a year of financial cliff-edges but also political opportunity: it’s time for a different approach. Cllr Jim McMahon is Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group Editor Dawn Chamarette Design Liberata Design Advertising Amanda Cowen Write to first, Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ T (editorial) 020 7664 3294 T (advertising) 020 7664 3157 email first@local.gov.uk Photography Photofusion and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Print BGP Ltd, Bicester Circulation 18,400 (July 2014) To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk The inclusion of an advert or insert in first does not imply endorsement by the LGA of any product or service. Contributors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the LGA.
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Government U-turns on EU fund control
Flagship infrastructure projects, employment and skills schemes and local growth could be put at risk following a devolution U-turn by the Government on local control of EU funding. The Government has agreed to locally allocate £5.3 billion in European Structural and Investment Funds and handed full control of its share to the Greater London Authority. However, it has ruled that England’s communities outside the capital will be given little or no say over how, when and on what projects it is spent on over the next seven years. They will have to enter long-winded Whitehall negotiations before any money is handed out. The LGA said denying local areas - including councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships, local businesses and voluntary organisations - the power to combine funding and select which projects receive cash is a backward step and will have major consequences across the country. It will also see England falling further behind the rest of the EU on devolution. Holland, for example, is
one of 20 EU member states to hand its major cities, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, significant powers over EU cash. The LGA is calling on the Chancellor to use next month’s Budget to reverse the decision. LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks said: “This decision could be harmful to growth and employment prospects and risks stifling vital local projects. English towns and cities should be given the same powers that are offered to London and other European cities and regions. “Local areas will rightly know how much EU funding they will receive but it is unacceptable to then be told how to spend it. Projects being decided upon by civil servants with little knowledge of local areas or needs will result in significant delays to vital projects affecting hard-pressed local businesses and residents most in need of support. “Councils have proved that when they have influence over EU funds they can use them effectively to help new businesses start up and create thousands of new jobs.”
Inside this issue 05 Policy
Regional waste management
06 Letters Compulsory voting
07 Opinion NHS ‘must change’
08 Feature
One chance to get adult social care funding right
10 Feature Independent Finance Commission
13 Feature
Consultation; sectorled improvement
15 Last Word
Growth in the North
Licensing of dealers cuts metal thefts Metal thefts have fallen by a third in the past year as councils lead efforts to combat unscrupulous thieves targeting churches, desecrating war memorials and causing disruption by stealing electric cables and metal from railway lines. Latest figures show there were 40,680 metal thefts in England and Wales in 2013/14 – down from 59,788 in the previous 12 months. The LGA said the decline in metal thefts follows the new Scrap Metal Dealers Act which came into force in October 2013 alongside a range of other measures to tackle the crime. Under the law, every scrap metal dealer had to obtain a licence from their local council to trade. Town halls have been able to refuse or revoke licences, have new powers of entry and inspection and the ability to shut down rogue dealers. The LGA said councils have worked hard to issue nearly 8,000 licences to scrap metal dealers since
the Act came into force and have been assisting the police to prosecute unlicensed traders and shut down scrap metal businesses that break the law. Cllr Ann Lucas, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Such a significant drop in metal thefts is excellent news for communities who have suffered from the chaos, disruption and heartache caused by unscrupulous metal thieves. “Councils were long-calling for new laws to help them regulate the scrap metal industry in order to make it more difficult for thieves to sell their stolen goods to scrap yards. “It is great to see it is having such a positive impact but the fact there are still around 40,000 metal thefts a year show there can be no let up. Town halls will continue to work closely with police to keep driving metal thieves out of communities and out of operation for good.”
Apprentices go back to school
News in brief Premier League should share profits with grassroots
England’s national football team faces “decades more in the international wilderness” unless a bigger slice of TV profits goes to the grassroots game. The LGA says the current spending on developing the game at lower levels is “pitiful” compared with the vast profits accrued from TV money. It is calling for a far greater slice of profits to be pumped into grassroots football – which is almost always played on council pitches. That money should be administered by local authorities, who understand their communities best. The warning comes after the Premier League’s announcement of a £5.1 billion TV deal.
Greater Manchester integrated fund must be replicated
Responding to the announcement that the Government will devolve control of social care and health spending to Greater Manchester. The LGA said: “This is good news for the people who live there and now needs to be replicated for people across the rest of the country. We have long argued that truly integrating social care and health and taking decisions closer to where people live is crucial to improving services and keeping older people living in their homes for longer. While this is a good start, government needs to now set out a new settlement for England which devolves decisions on health and social care down to local areas.”
MPs’ report shows social care fund needs protection
Seven young people have lined up to work at a Bishop Auckland school as part of Durham County Council’s apprenticeship programme. They have been taken on as teaching support assistants and site management staff. Cllr Neil Foster, cabinet member for economic regeneration (pictured with six of the apprentices), said: “It is fantastic we have been able to give these apprentices a kick-start on the way to full-time employment by getting first-hand work experience. We wish them every success.”
Following publication of the Committee of Public Accounts’ report on planning for the Better Care Fund, the LGA, responded: “This rightly recognises the significant work that councils have had to undertake to make sure that vulnerable people do not suffer at the hands of last-minute government changes to the Better Care Fund. The failure to set out the £1 billion savings target to councils along with Ministers’ decisions to move the goal posts to respond to financial concerns raised by the NHS has made carrying out these plans more difficult and left many councils with very little time to implement the changes before the April 2015 deadline. Protection for social care funding now needs to be urgently addressed in a similar way as it has been for the NHS.”
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This year’s annual conference will take place 50 days in to the new Government, halfway through their first crucial ‘first 100 days’ of office and in the lead up to one of the most important Spending Reviews of recent years. The conference will also be an excellent opportunity to take stock and see how far the calls for greater local powers and devolution has come since Scotland’s historic vote in 2014. The conference will provide delegates with a timely opportunity to challenge and debate the first few weeks of the new Government and its proposed direction as set out in the manifestos. For information about the conference and exhibition or sponsorship opportunities go to the dedicated conference website http://tinyurl.com/LGAannualconference
The national voice of local government
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firstpolicy Innovation Annual Conference If you would like to present your council’s innovative practice at the LGA’s annual conference this year, contact events@ local.gov.uk. In 2014, elected members and officers from more than 60 councils took part in the Innovation Zone over the three days, demonstrating examples of cutting edge work in redesigning services, demand management, data, technology and transformation. For more see the Innovation Zone page at www.local.gov.uk/ annualconference. This year’s event takes place on 30 June to 2 July in Harrogate.
Schools
Education and training
Young people
The LGA and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) have launched a programme of support for councils to help them improve the way they track and record young people’s participation in education or training. “Hidden Talents – Tracking Young People” comprises a ‘how to guide’ and a planning tool for councils. The guide captures the work of 24 local authorities participating in the project, and the tool aims to help councils improve their tracking activity. Both can be downloaded from the education section within the programmes and children young people area of www.local.gov.uk
Environment Regional waste management The latest regional waste management review published by Local Partnerships highlights more than £18 million in annual efficiencies and the innovative waste management approaches by authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber. This is the fourth in a series of regional reviews undertaken by Local Partnerships, following those about the West Midlands, London and the North East. All the reviews highlight case studies and insights for other councils to draw from when considering their own challenges to deliver efficiencies in waste budgets, while continuing to provide high quality waste services to residents and businesses. Local Partnerships is jointly owned by LGA and the Treasury. The reports can
be downloaded from the publications section of www. localpartnerships.org.uk
Devolution Culture, tourism and sport LGA’s annual Culture, Tourism and Sport Conference takes place in Durham on 3 and 4 March. The title of this year’s conference is: “A new Magna Carta? The power of culture, tourism and sport to transform places and renew democracy”. Speakers include Steve Cram, World Champion athlete; Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chairman of Arts Council England; Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of English Heritage; Penelope Viscountess Cobham, Chairman of VisitEngland and Sir Robert Worcester, Chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Committee. The event brings together local political and professional leaders to
discuss the latest innovative practice and debate topics including “using the Magna Carta anniversary to renew local democracy and civic pride,” and “the impact of devolution on policy and funding”. To book a place visit www.local.gov.uk/events
Health Care and support reform The “Implementing Your Programme” pages of the care and support reform section of www.local.gov. uk has been updated to include indexes of tools and resources available. There is an index for council-focused products and a separate index for provider- focused products. Work will continue to improve the website, including consideration for a new front door” to the resources, as part of the support package for 2015-16.
Accountability Financial oversight of academies and free schools should be returned to councils, the LGA says. In a letter to Schools Minister David Laws, Cllr David Simmonds, the Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, highlighted recent official reports which raised serious concerns about financial oversight in academies and free schools and called for it to be returned to councils. Cllr Simmonds wrote: “The council role is to challenge schools and hold them to account for what they do with millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. However good Education Funding Agency or Whitehall officials, they cannot reasonably be expected to keep an eye on what hundreds of highly-paid public servants are doing in schools and parents have every right to expect better.”
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sound bites Morris Bright (Con, Hertfordshire) “Two and a half hours in to @hertscc budget meeting and I get to speak at last. One word. ‘Against’. It’s all going on here. #exciting” https://twitter.com/morris__bright Care and Support Alliance “The CSA backs @LGANews call for #socialcare funding to be protected like the NHS in #budget2015 See our comment> careandsupportalliance.com/the2015-budge…” www.twitter.com/candsalliance Cllr Wayne Lawlor (Lab, Croydon) “Proud to have voted for a fair, balanced budget tonight at Full Council, full of hope and ambition for Croydon.” www.twitter.com/waynejplawlor Graeme McDonald (Solace) “Interviewing for new joint post with @ESRC @LGANews today. Based at @Solace_UK role will promote use of evidence in #localgov” www.twitter.com/McDonaldGraeme Richard Stay (Con, Central Beds) “Interesting view from @LGANews on DevoNext & devolution local.gov. uk/devolution Combined Authorities are not always the way forward” www.twitter.com/StayRC
Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following? Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk
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letters
Compulsory voting Cllr Stephen Lambert’s Last Word “It’s time for compulsory voting” (first 582) could well be the “First Word” of many letters to be received! I take a similar view to that of Cllr Lambert, and perhaps we should follow the practice of those countries with compulsory voting. The present system, whether one agrees or not, of first past the post, should in no way be abused for, if nothing more, the vote for the ladies of our society in particular, was hard fought for. There is no doubt that the decrease in the numbers exercising their right to vote in the last 50 years
or more has in part been brought about by the actions and corrupt practices of those elected to high office. This breeds contempt and, in turn, distrust on the part of the people, and apathy follows. However, I do not regard compulsion as being antidemocratic. There is a right to vote and the choice one has is a choice of candidate. If one does not exercise the right to vote, then one does not have the right to grumble. Cllr David Tett (Ind) West Dorset District Council
OPINION
Policies targeted solely at voters
I’d just come back from a morning’s canvassing when I read Cllr Stephen Lambert’s call for compulsory voting (first 582). And I must say I agree with him. Why? Well on the doorstep it is disappointing when one comes across those who are almost boastful of the fact that they never vote. Yet if they don’t participate in elections, politicians will only continue to target their policies at those who do, however unfair this might be. Compulsory voting will force elected representatives to treat all groups equally, which will benefit the current abstainers who won’t find their needs so easily ignored. And as for the question of freedom of choice, well there’s nothing to stop people from casting a spoiled ballot paper, is there? Cllr Tim Mickleburgh (Lab) North East Lincolnshire Council
A civic right but not a duty
Further to the Last Word (first 582) regarding the merits of compulsory voting, a requirement for people to vote at pain of some sanction will not necessarily improve community and democratic engagement. While there is a distinction between those who are well-informed and decide not to vote and those who just can’t be bothered, voting should be a civic right rather than a civic duty. Perhaps a move towards on-line voting, greater use of postal ballots or even moving from a Thursday voting day may all make it easier to vote, but the real challenge is not so much getting everyone to vote, but getting people to know and value what they are voting for.
Only Italy is worse on planning
I appear to have trodden on a few toes of different political persuasions with my remarks about the bureaucratic planning system in this country (first 582). Yet not one has even attempted to explain why we have such a dreadful record. Having owned houses in six countries, and having dual nationality, I do not claim to know the answer, but the one thing I do know is that if councillors continue to support unquestioningly our present system and refuse to look at systems which give more houses of a higher quality and at a lower price, we will continue in our present failing situation. For the benefit of Lib Dem Cllr Roger Barstow Frost of Burnley, I would state that I am not a disciple of Eric Pickles, as he claimed, and I do not claim to have any solution, whether simplistic or not. I simply say that in every case of the 20 countries in which I have lived and worked, only Italy appears to me to have a worse system than ours. Perhaps the habit of sticking their heads in the sand and claiming that British must be best, without looking at the way others do it, is why councillors have for so long condemned the people of this country to the disaster which we still have in housing. Cllr Keith Sowden (Free Ind) Lancaster County Council
Cllr Clarence Barrett Upminster and Cranham Residents’ Association What do you think? You can comment on these letters online at www.local.gov.uk/first-letters or submit your own letter for publication by emailing first@local.gov.uk. Letters may be edited and published online
We need new ways to deliver NHS services At The King’s Fund, we’re calling for fundamental changes in how health services are commissioned, paid for and regulated to deliver the fiveyear vision set out by the NHS. The NHS’s Five Year Forward View sets out how its services will need to change. It has been endorsed by all three main political parties and will set the agenda for NHS reform in the next parliament. However, without significant changes to policy and new approaches to leadership in the NHS, it risks suffering the fate of policy documents which have failed to deliver on their ambitions. Our new report argues that dealing with growing financial and service pressures could crowd out the time and space needed to implement long-term changes to NHS services. Delivering these changes will require leadership of the highest order, with much resting on whether the coalition of NHS bodies behind the Forward View can be kept in place. We recommend: • an integrated approach to commissioning, with much greater emphasis on pooling budgets currently held by NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities; • new ways of paying for NHS services should incentivise delivery of integrated care instead of encouraging admissions to hospital as under the current system of payment by results; • The Care Quality Commission’s work should focus on assessing how well care is integrated across local systems of care rather than just inspecting individual NHS organisations; • a national strategy for quality improvement and leadership development, to ensure the NHS becomes a ‘learning organisation’ focused on improving quality of care. While NHS leaders will understandably be tempted to focus on dealing with short-term pressures, the reality is that improving operational performance and implementing the changes to services outlined in the Forward View are two sides of the same coin – both must be priorities if the NHS is to confront the challenges it faces. Prof Chris Ham is Chief Executive of The King’s Fund and lead author of ‘Implementing the NHS five year forward view: aligning policies with the plan’
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The LGA’s Show Us You Care campaign is calling on the Government to protect adult social care funding to make it sustainable for the future. Already there is a funding gap that will widen to £4.3 billion by 2020. All other services will be affected if this problem is not urgently addressed.
One chance to get adult social care funding right As councillors, many of us will have seen first-hand the effects of the cuts to local government funding on our adult social care system. In the last few months alone, I have seen social care teams faced with the challenge of meeting the care and support needs of increasing numbers of people from dwindling resources. This is happening in the health system too. At the heart of this issue is the need to protect and properly fund adult social care to make it sustainable for the 21st century. And this is the core message of the LGA’s “Show Us You Care” campaign. It brings these issues to the fore and seeks to secure a financial settlement for adult social care to enable immediate and future demand to be met with high quality services We urgently need to address this problem or we will see social care continue to spiral into crisis.
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We are still seeing too many older and disabled people left languishing in hospital beds for too long or consigned to residential care because we lack the capacity to help them live independently for longer. This has to stop. The time to do this is now.
Demographics Our campaign is calling on the Government to protect adult social care funding to make it sustainable for the future. This is not just essential for social care, but for all of the other services that will tip into failure if this problem is not tackled. As many as 60 per cent of councils are considering stopping next year something that they are doing at the moment for their residents to allow extra funding to be directed into social care. Adult social care services alone are already facing a huge funding gap that will widen to £4.3 billion by the end of this decade. Demographic pressures, funding cuts, escalating costs, changes to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Care Act reforms are all putting more and more pressure on the system.
Councils across the country have worked hard to protect social care services as far as possible, but with little further scope for efficiencies, we are all facing near-impossible choices. We should not have to decide between providing care, or children’s centres or homelessness services; our bin collection services or libraries; roads maintenance or planning services; parks or leisure centres. We have been working with other organisations which represent frontline workers across social care, health and charity sectors to raise the profile of the issues that are facing adult social care. What is clear is that we are all working towards one main goal – to make care better for people who need it. What we need to do now is work out the best way we can achieve this together – both at a national and a local level. We have all been gearing up for the changes that councils will be required to make with the introduction of the Care Act in just over a month. And we continue to push the Government on funding for the reforms to ensure there is enough money for councils to implement the changes that your residents have long been waiting for.
ÂŁ1.1 billion
Councils will have to find from other service budgets to continue protecting adult social care spending in cash terms
Similarly, we are pressing the Government to fully fund changes to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards to counteract the ongoing cost burden of the huge increase in assessments councils are having to carry out.
Determined Over the coming weeks we will be writing to all councils to ask you to support the work we are doing on your behalf. It is only through a determined effort from councils, the health service and government working together that we will create a system which is fit for purpose in the future. We owe it to all of our residents to make sure that we take this once in a generation opportunity to get this right now.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe is Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board
What councils can do to get involved Protecting adult social care funding and putting it on a sustainable footing for future generations is an issue which affects all councils with a duty to care for older and disabled people. In the coming weeks we will be writing to councils and asking you to support the campaign. It is only through a determined effort of working together, in councils and with our health partners, that we will create a system which is fit for purpose for the 21st century. You can find more information a www.local.gov.uk/showusyoucare You can also follow on Twitter at #showusyoucare
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The Independent Commission on Local Government Finance has published its final report on the reform of local government finance and finding better ways to fund local services and promote economic growth in England.
URGENT NEED FOR REFORM
The Independent Commission on Local Government Finance was set up in June 2014 because local government finance urgently needs reform. The LGA and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) asked the Commission to recommend changes to the system which will allow local government to meet the needs of citizens. The Commission’s views and recommendations are independent of the LGA and CIPFA.
A path to English devolution
Councils’ success at implementing cuts over the past few years has shielded people from the stark reality that the services they use can’t carry as they are for much longer. The urgent need for reform is going to be one of the biggest and most important challenges facing the next government. Without it, many of the key services which have been part of everyday life for generations may not be there much longer.
Radical Nowhere is this more evident than with adult social care, which is facing financial crisis with minimal scope for further efficiencies. Money available for care is going down at the same time as demand is going up. The need for English devolution has been acknowledged by all of our major political parties. We have concluded that devolution and reform of the local government finance system must go hand in hand. The Independent Commission on Local Government Finance has set out a path to English devolution which we believe is the only way to save public services in an era of reduced public spending and rising demand. It is clear that if we want local services to survive and support a thriving national economy, a radical devolution of powers, funding and taxes to local areas is urgently needed.
Darra Singh is Chair of the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance
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Current system not sustainable
This report from the Independent Commission raises issues which will have a bearing on everyone in this country, now and for generations to come. The commissioners recognise that the local government finance system is not sustainable in the long term. Their recommendations for local government to have more control over money raised in its communities, the ability to rely on multi-year budgets and their emphasis on giving local areas the freedom they need to innovate, are the right approach.
Variable The LGA has already made clear in our 100 Days campaign that we cannot go on as we are. With rising demand, more complex needs and less money to go round, the time for merely talking about changing the way we do things is fast running out. The services councils provide will not be able to withstand another five years of cuts without radical reform, and it will be people who rely on good roads, public facilities and care who pay the price. It will be vital that this and the next government take heed of the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission’s call for a variable pace of reform is sensible. As this report makes clear, it will be important that pioneer areas which first take on new freedoms represent a broad range of types of local authority across all parts of the country.
Cllr David Sparks is LGA Chair
In particular, The Independent Commission on Local Government Finance looked at five key areas: growing the economy, increasing the housing supply, integrating health and social care, protecting the vulnerable, and supporting families and children through early intervention.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Commission has set out plans for a 10-year programme of devolution that would see more than £200 billion in annual public expenditure controlled by groups of local authorities. Under the plans, Whitehall and Westminster would have a much reduced role in local services like housing, planning, social care and transport and local government funding. The Commission urges that pioneer areas get new freedoms now, with these reforms rolled out to other areas over the next 10 years as they become ready. Other reforms are recommended for all areas to take on straight away.
Greater freedom over jobs, housing and care Government should develop additional freedoms to boost economic growth and increasing housing supply. This should include the freedom to develop new ways of integrating health and social care. It should also include councils and Local Enterprise Partnerships taking on the entire responsibility for further and adult education, skills and apprenticeships, regeneration and employment support.
Devolution of national taxes The funding of locally delivered services should resemble the Scottish model. Local government should be funded through a combination of council tax, business rates, government grant, a portion of existing national taxes like VAT or income tax and some newly assigned taxes such as stamp duty, tourism taxes or airport taxes.
A single budget settlement for each area
This would mean combined authority areas being given all of the funding for public services including health, education, policing and council services which would then be spent according to local priorities.
Council tax reform Local areas should be given the freedom to determine the number and value of council tax bands and when properties are revalued. The current system, based on 1991 prices and nationally set bands, lacks credibility and fairness and exacerbates housing problems by forcing local authorities to levy taxes which are disproportionately low in some areas and disproportionately high in others. The Commission also urges the next government to scrap council tax referendums and give councils the freedom to set their own discounts.
Local public accounts committees These should be established in areas which take on these new freedoms to scrutinise value for money for all public services. The Commission also sets out recommendations for all areas which it urges should be applied to all areas now.
The creation of a new independent funding body This would carry out an urgent review of local government’s sustainability before this year’s spending review and would advise and scrutinise government’s distribution of funding to local areas.
Raising additional revenue Councils being given the freedom to determine fees and charges locally is seen as vital to a number of council services being sustained.
Business rates reform The business rates system should be localised in its entirety in the next 10 years, with the retention of 100 per cent of business rates, including business rates growth by local government. As part of its review of business rates, government should consult on options for localisation of business rates relief.
Multi-year settlements The Government which takes office in May should introduce full and clear multi-year settlements to enable effective long-term planning for local authorities and other public services.
For the full report: www. localfinancecommission. org LGA campaigns Future Funding, p14 DevoNext, p14 Show Us You Care, p8
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A partnership between local authorities, BAE Systems, education and training providers and other public and private sector bodies in Hampshire showed how a potential economic disaster was averted. It highlighted how local knowledge was essential in turning around the job losses at a shipyard.
AVERTING A CRISIS In November 2013 BAE Systems announced it had made the difficult decision to stop shipbuilding in Portsmouth, with the potential loss of nearly 940 jobs at the naval base. The company’s analysis showed a quarter of the affected employees came from the city, with nearly half from the Hampshire County Council area and a fifth from Southampton. Clearly, all work to mitigate the job losses had to involve solutions over a wide area.
Taskforces Building on the experience of Southampton City Council, which had dealt with the closure of Ford’s Transit plant, Portsmouth City Council set up two multi-agency taskforces, one focused on finding an alternative use for the site and the other seeking to co-ordinate support for people facing redundancy. The latter invited executives from Ford to share their experiences and made sure colleges from across the area were engaged. To reduce the number of compulsory redundancies, BAE Systems made a considerable investment, alongside funding from Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the national skills support for redundancy programme administered by Chichester College. Support included: • an employee assistance centre to provide training in writing CVs and interview skills • two education and advice fairs • five on-site recruitment fairs • a training programme • an online BAE Systems database of employees looking for external work • redeployment work by BAE Systems The success of these measures is clear. About 80 per cent of employees avoided compulsory redundancy. Around 90 per cent achieved their preferred outcome on leaving. For hundreds of people, this meant finding a new job. For others it meant retiring or taking a career break.
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Brian Mill is one employee who found a positive outcome. A welder with BAE Systems for six years, he sought the help of the employee assistance centre, and gained a new role as a trainee combat systems software engineer with the company. He told us: “When I first heard about the roles available at a company consultation meeting, I couldn’t believe what a great opportunity it was. You don’t often get the chance to completely change your career, so to be fully trained and supported through it on a salary is an amazing opportunity.” Thanks to a partnership between BAE Systems, local councils, further education and training providers and other public and private sector bodies, a significant economic shock for the Solent area has probably been averted. A timely and effective response was mounted to a very challenging situation, and it has had notable success. This is because it was a local response, using knowledge of the local economic scene and the local labour market in particular. There could not be a better example of the need for councils to be given devolved funding for developing skills, training and careers advice, so they can respond to such crises in the most effective way for their residents. Cllr Luke Stubbs, is Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development, Portsmouth City Council. The LGA’s 100 Days campaign sets out how the next government could improve local economies and the nation’s prosperity by strengthening the role of councils for employment skills and back to work support. Visit www.100days.local.gov.uk for details.
Members and senior officers are responding to the LGA’s major consultation on sector-led improvement. We are asking for your views on how we can shape the future of the service we already offer to local authorities (including fire and rescue services). The consultation ends on 13 March.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD The LGA provides tools and support – such as our peer challenges – to help councils drive their own improvement and identify potential hurdles and opportunities for individual local authorities and across the sector. Support from the LGA’s productivity programme has helped save more than £400 million. Over 350 peer challenges have been conducted to help drive improvements.
“There’s a general acceptance that sector-led improvement is now the only way of improving the sector. Government understands that and the sector does too. [The corporate peer challenge at Sevenoaks] was hugely challenging… it’s about people who are there to offer constructive help, advice and in some cases, point out areas that need improvement. Hearing that from somebody who’s a critical friend is far better than hearing it from an inspectorate.” Cllr Peter Fleming is Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board and Leader of Sevenoaks District Council
“I think mature local government would say that any sort of challenge regime, any sort of sector-led improvement approach should be voluntary. However we have to ask ourselves some difficult questions: if I think about my personal views on this subject I’d say that within a given period of time if an authority hasn’t come forward then they could be compelled to do so.” Cllr Claire Kober is Chair of the LGA’s Resources Board and Leader of London Borough of Haringey
Here is a selection of comments from our new video podcast on sector-led improvement. The podcast in the form of lively discussion, includes personal views on the success and challenges of sector-led improvement, the need for councils to have peer challenges, and thoughts on the future role of sector-led improvement within local government. To watch our short film in full; visit www.local.gov.uk/sector-led-improvement
“Even when you’re doing things well, sector-led improvement can assist you in making sure that you’re making the right decision, putting the money where you should be putting it and using money wisely, after all it’s in short supply.” Cllr Ian Stephens is Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board and a member of Isle of Wight Council
“Sector-led improvement… is about your council’s improvement rather than somebody else’s inspection targets. So this is about helping yourself and therefore you’re more likely to want to have the results coming out as clearer and more honest and not staged in any shape or form.” Cllr Jill Shortland is Vice-Chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board and Leader of Somerset County Council
Taking part in the consultation
All leaders and chief executives have been sent their own unique link to the online response form. Anyone else wishing to submit a response can generate their own unique link by visiting http://bit.ly/1uRWs5E
FIRST FEATURE
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PARTNERS
PARLIAMENT
Pets and looked Campaign progress after children For children who have experienced trauma, a pet can be a loyal and constant companion. Research from the University of Bath in relation to children in foster care backs this up. Humans are more likely to form relationships with animals when they have fewer social networks, and this often applies to children in care. The research also found that the presence of animals in a foster home reduced children’s anxiety. Pets can help support human to human relationships for children in care in two key ways: “softening” is how the animal helps the child experience the foster home as a positive environment; “switching” is where the child first develops a relationship with the animal, and then recognising that the animal also trusts the carer, begins to trust them too.
With the Health and Social Care Information Centre reporting a 6 per cent rise in the number of dog attacks last year in England, local authorities are right to be cautious. However, we are concerned that in some cases local authorities are overly-cautious, and in the most extreme cases feel they need to prohibit certain breeds of dogs. We consider that any policy that relies on information about breed without considering the individual animal and circumstances risks being flawed. Fortunately, many local authorities have taken the first step towards supporting carers to think about how best to manage their pets around children. For example, Hertfordshire County Council Fostering Recruitment Team last year hosted sessions with a local dog training school to look at dog safety and having fun with your dog. One in four families owns a pet dog. We’ve produced “Dogs and pets in fostering and adoption,” a guide to help foster carers, social workers, adopters, special guardians and panel members. With the right policies, local authorities can help children make the most of their pets, and improve their emotional, educational and physical outcomes. Paul Adams is a Fostercare Development Consultant at the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) www.baaf.org.uk
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FIRST POLITICAL
In the last issue (first 582) we updated you on our work promoting the “Show us You Care” campaign in Parliament. Two further campaigns we are working on closely with MPs and Peers are “Future Funding”, which calls for the next government to protect public services and ensure adequate funding so they can be provided locally, and “DevoNext”, which calls for further devolution to councils. The financial sustainability of councils has been a headline issue since the early days of this Parliament and we are only part of the way through funding reductions. The LGA has highlighted the stark realities for local government in delivering core services with fewer resources, when at the same time the pressure on services is increasing. Ahead of the general election and the Spending Review which will follow, we are in constant contact with MPs and Peers to build crossparty support for the Future Funding campaign. The LGA worked closely with Lord Beecham, former leader of Newcastle City Council and former LGA Chair, to host a presentation in which we set out the reality of the 2015/16 finance settlement for local government. In the last month we also briefed before debates on council finances in the House of Commons and the House of Lords where our research was quoted extensively (the LGA was quoted 40 times) by a cross section of MPs and Peers. Meanwhile devolution has raced back onto the national stage in the last year as a result of the Scottish independence referendum and the subsequent debates about where power should rest outside of Westminster.
The LGA has used the opportunity to highlight that what is good enough for Scotland, is good enough for England and Wales. There is compelling evidence that taking decisions closer to the people affected achieves better results and saves money. Through the DevoNext campaign, the LGA is bringing together examples of how further powers would benefit councils. Within Parliament, the LGA has also been proactive in supporting the work of the AllParty Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution. They are a cross-party group of MPs and Peers who meet to facilitate discussion and progress the issue of devolution within the UK. In January, the LGA hosted a meeting of the APPG attended by LGA Chair, Cllr David Sparks and William Hague MP, Leader of the House of Commons and Chair of the Cabinet Committee for devolution in England. Following this the APPG is producing a “legacy paper” on the constitutional challenges faced by the next government. The LGA has contributed to the paper which is due to be launched at our office in Smith Square, Westminster. The financial sustainability of services like care for the elderly and the opportunity to give councils and their communities a great say over the way these services are run, will remain important issues for the election and the next Parliament. Through our high profile campaigns, the LGA will seek to ensure that local government’s priorities are heard in the national political debate.
BY-ELECTIONS ANALYSIS
UKIP ‘have peaked’ where their wins exist The first seat to change hands at a byelection this year saw UKIP defeated in the Mark Hall ward, Harlow. Labour’s gain came on the back of a 10 per cent swing away from UKIP since last May in a council area in which Nigel Farage’s party had topped the poll in 2014. On a lower turnout, the Conservatives and Labour retained almost all their actual votes. Indeed there is some reason to believe that we might have reached “peak UKIP”, at least as far as local elections are concerned. For although the party continues to post some impressive scores when it fields a candidate for the first time, in 15 of the 18 cases since the beginning of November where direct comparison can be made with its performance in 2013 or 2014, its vote share has dropped by an average of over 2 per cent. The result which ocurred in Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire, is another case in point. In 2013 UKIP, came a clear second in this safe Conservative division with 22 per cent of the vote; however, this time they polled less than 15 per cent, with just 51 votes covering the gap between
them and the Greens in fifth place. This is not to say that UKIP will not have a key influence on the outcome on 7 May at both the general and local elections, rather that voters show some signs of a modest return to the traditional parties as those contests approach. The one election in Wales, in Carmarthenshire, was a tight battle between Labour and Plaid Cymru with Labour prevailing as it had done in 2012. The Hengoed division is in the Llanelli constituency, which on paper is Plaid’s number two target in Wales. It is indicative of the current gap between their fortunes and those of their counterparts in Scotland, the SNP, that the nationalists could make no inroad. A by-election in a similar seat in Scotland now would be certain to result in an SNP landslide - exactly as happened in Kirkcaldy in Fife at the end of January. Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher are Directors of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre
Local by-elections Authority
Ward
Harlow
Mark Hall
Shropshire
Result
Turnout % 26.4
Oswestry East
Swing % from/to (since) LAB GAIN 10.2% UKIP/ FROM UKIP Lab (2014) CON HELD n/a
Cambridgeshire
Bar Hill
CON HELD
23.6
Carmarthenshire
Hengoed
LAB HELD
4.0% UKIP/ Con (2013) 0.2% PC/ Lab (2012)
For more statistics, see this story at www.local.gov.uk/first-news
19.5
35.2
LAST WORD
We need to be proactive in the North Frustrated by former mill sites lying empty in Pendle’s towns and villages, whilst developers eye green fields, I decided to take action. Last week, at our budget council, I surprised many by announcing a new capital programme for 2015/16 of £1.5 million for a Brownfield Regeneration Fund. This fund will prime brownfield sites for development, making them attractive and viable. In Pendle, we have affluent areas sitting alongside deprived areas, with 58 per cent of our housing stock terraced housing, giving us a poor housing mix. When we took over the council in 2010, our focus was on raising housing standards and reducing empty homes. While we’ve achieved a measure of success in these aims, the urban blight and suburban pressure remained. Our local housing market continues to struggle and houses prices remain low, despite the economic upturn. Many boroughs across the North face the same conflicts. As a council we aren’t anti-development, just anti poor development in wrong areas. Durham University published research last year showing that people living near brownfield sites are significantly more likely to suffer from poor health than those living in areas with little or no brownfield land. Regardless of contamination, brownfield could have wider negative impacts on the general health of communities. “Accessible and sustainable development” is an oft heard mantra, but to actually achieve it, we realised that we had to be proactive. Using receipts from sales of homes currently being renovated, we are setting aside £1.5 million and once up and running, we expect the fund to become self-sustaining. It will be flexible, so that each case will be judged on its merits, with our planning department actively engaging to ensure that permission can be granted as quickly as possible. This means that we can grow Pendle’s housing land supply, improve our towns and villages and protect the rural landscape that makes Pendle so special.
Cllr Joe Cooney (Con) is Leader of Pendle Borough Council
FIRST POLITICAL
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