£1.6bn Coronavirus fund for councils: CCN response

Today the government has confirmed that councils are to receive £1.6bn for Coronavirus impacts across all service areas.

The County Councils Network understands that the majority of this funding will be for adult social care related impacts.

The full announcement, including a further £1.3bn to help with delayed discharges from hospital and free up bed capacity for those with the virus, can be read here.

Cllr David Williams, chairman of the County Councils Network, said:

“The County Councils Network has been in dialogue with the government on this funding allocated to councils today and we appreciate the speed with which it has been announced. The task ahead is huge and will take a gargantuan effort from all parts of the public sector – but we are seeing county authorities already putting in place rigorous plans to ensure that the vulnerable and elderly are protected.

“The majority of this funding is earmarked for the impact on adult social care services. County areas are home to the largest populations of elderly people, with complex and rural geographies, while care markets in county areas remain some of the most fragile in the country, and every effort must be made to ensure provider failure does not occur. Therefore the councils in those places need a fair allocation of these resources, with it distributed based on an area’s relative need. The further funding to support hospital discharges must contain the flexibility for councils to work with health partners to target resources and adapt to each area’s own circumstances to free up beds as quickly as possible.

“Whilst today’s funding announcement is huge, we are at the start of what could be a very long and painful few months. Councils will undoubtedly put this money to good use, but further funding may be needed in the not too distant future.”