CM Local Authorities

The public tend to be more positive about local social care services than about national policies on it, according to new research commissioned by the Department of Health.

Buckinghamshire county council has reported a sharp fall in the number of people being admitted permanently into care homes.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that local authorities may not have enough resources to respond if demand for care services exceeds expectations. While the financial watchdog found that 99% of councils were confident that they would be able to carry out the Care Act reforms from April 2015, it said the predicted increase in demand for assessment and services, at a time when local authority provision has been falling, will cost £2.5bn to carry out the first phase of reforms.

A dispute between Sheffield council and the local foundation trust resulted in a vulnerable woman wrongly being forced to fund her own care. The Parliamentary and Health Service and Local Government Ombudsmen have ordered the council and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust to pay the woman, who had both legs amputated, £27,000. Of this, £14,000 is to reimburse her for her costs, with the remainder to compensate her for the detrimental effect the situation had on her life.

Derbyshire county council has cut the number of care homes it is considering closing to four and one residential resource centre.

A consortium of public sector and voluntary bodies has been chosen to deliver a 10-year contract integrated health and social care contract in Croydon, south London believed to be worth up to £1.8bn. The outcomes-based commissioning’ contract covers all services for over 65s in the London borough and will start next year.

Selby district council is aiming to become the first dementia-friendly council in the UK. The initiative is being spearheaded by Richard Sweeting, who was appointed chairman of the Yorkshire local authority following last month’s election.

Chief executive of cloudBuy, Lyn Duncan, explains how it is helping Northamptonshire county council implement an important part of the Care Act 2014.

In Northern Ireland, 11 care homes are being considered for closure as its five health trusts look at alternative types of accommodation for older people in the province.

Councils are preparing to cut frontline services as they seek to make further savings to their budgets. The latest survey from the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) found that in 2015/16 local authorities expect to be able to only make a limited amount of savings through making efficiencies’ and will reduce services to people needing care and support.