Motion in the name of Councillor Alex Norris:
This Council profoundly regrets the failure of the Government to adequately fund adult social care. In Nottingham, the 3% raise in Council tax allowed by government would raise £3 million; however the current shortfall is £10 million.
Since 2010, social care funding has been exposed to a 40% real terms fall in local government funding, and social care funding now accounts for less than 2% of Gross Domestic Product. Vital services that reduce the need for more expensive health interventions later in life are under pressure, adding extra cost to the system as a whole.
The government remains committed to the integration of health services and local authority social care by 2020. Working together in this way should strengthen services in the community and achieve some savings and efficiencies. However, continued failure to fund adult social care puts these benefits at risk.
Therefore, this Council calls upon the Government to:
· Make available the £2.3bn estimated by the King’s Fund that is required to safeguard statutory social care services as a matter of urgency, which along with the Government’s social care precept, would help to support local authorities’ spend on social care and would prevent the need to further reduce vital social care services;
· Release all information of any deal made available to Surrey County Council and ensure that all local authorities have access to the same deal;
· Establish a more sustainable national base for funding social care;
· Protect vital funding for Health Visitors which gives children the best start in life and reduces the need for later interventions;
· Protect vital Public Health funding which greatly reduces the need for later interventions;
· Ensure that locally elected representatives are put at the heart of proposed changes to health and social care.
Minutes:
Moved by Councillor Alex Norris, seconded by Councillor Ginny Klein:
“This Council profoundly regrets the failure of the Government to adequately fund adult social care. In Nottingham, the 3% raise in Council tax allowed by government would raise £3 million; however the current shortfall is £10 million.
Since 2010, social care funding has been exposed to a 40% real terms fall in local government funding, and social care funding now accounts for less than 2% of Gross Domestic Product. Vital services that reduce the need for more expensive health interventions later in life are under pressure, adding extra cost to the system as a whole.
The government remains committed to the integration of health services and local authority social care by 2020. Working together in this way should strengthen services in the community and achieve some savings and efficiencies. However, continued failure to fund adult social care puts these benefits at risk.
Therefore, this Council calls upon the Government to:
· Make available the £2.3bn estimated by the King’s Fund that is required to safeguard statutory social care services as a matter of urgency, which along with the Government’s social care precept, would help to support local authorities’ spend on social care and would prevent the need to further reduce vital social care services;
· Release all information of any deal made available to Surrey County Council and ensure that all local authorities have access to the same deal;
· Establish a more sustainable national base for funding social care;
· Protect vital funding for Health Visitors which gives children the best start in life and reduces the need for later interventions;
· Protect vital Public Health funding which greatly reduces the need for later interventions;
· Ensure that locally elected representatives are put at the heart of proposed changes to health and social care.”
The following amendment was proposed by Councillor Andrew Rule, seconded by Councillor Georgina Culley:
“In paragraph 1
Remove the ‘the government’ insert ‘successive governments’
After ‘adequately’ insert ‘plan for and’
In paragraph 2
Remove ‘since 2010, social care funding has been exposed to a 40% real terms fall in local government funding, and’
Remove bullet point 2
Amended motion to read:
The Council profoundly regrets the failure of successive governments to adequately plan for and fund adult social care. In Nottingham, the 3% raise in Council tax allowed by government would raise £3 million, however the current shortfall is £10 million.
Social care funding now accounts for less than 2% of Gross Domestic Product. Vital services that reduce the need for more expensive health interventions later in life are under pressure, adding extra cost to the system as a whole.
The government remains committed to the integration of health services and local authority social care by 2020. Working together in this way should strengthen services in the community and achieve some savings and efficiencies. However, continued failure to fund adult social care puts these benefits at risk.
Therefore, this Council calls upon the Government to:
· Make available the £2.3bn estimated by the King’s Fund that is required to safeguard statutory social care services as a matter of urgency, which along with the Government’s social care precept, would help to support local authorities’ spend on social care and would prevent the need to further reduce vital social care services;
· Establish a more sustainable national base for funding social care;
· Protect vital funding for Health Visitors which gives children the best start in life and reduces the need for later interventions;
· Protect vital Public Health funding which greatly reduces the need for later interventions;
· Ensure that locally elected representatives are put at the heart of proposed changes to health and social care.
Councillors voted on the proposed amendment.
RESOLVED to reject the proposed amendment.
Councillors then voted on the original motion.
RESOLVED to carry the original motion.