CCN Latest News, CCN News 2022 | 25 May 2022
The analysis, released today by the County Councils Network (CCN) and Newton, provides the first independent analysis of the reforms, which include a more generous means-test, a cap on care costs of £86,000, a move towards a ‘fair’ cost of care, and the ability for people who arrange and fund their own care to ask their local authority to do it on their behalf.
The report estimates that the costs of reforms in the nine years from when they are introduced to 2032 could be a minimum of £10bn higher than currently estimated and could create a further workforce crisis in social care, with over 5,000 extra staff projected to be required to carry out extra care and financial assessments for those seeking to benefit from the reforms.
The report, Preparing for Reform, has been developed through extensive engagement with local authorities, providers, and residents alike, coupled with unique postcode-level analysis to understand the impact of the reforms across the country.
Key findings include:
A separate survey of CCN councils for the report found that almost two-thirds of councils felt that they were ‘not well prepared’ for the reforms due to funding shortfalls and a tight timescale of implementing them from October 2023. Just over three quarters (77%) said that they would be unable to allocate any more resources from other service areas to pay for any financial shortfall, whilst nine in ten (91%) said they were ‘very concerned’ they will be unable to recruit enough staff.
Councils say recruitment on this scale will be ‘impossible’ and they will need more funding to attract more staff, alongside extra time to implement the reforms by transforming their working practices, including greater digitisation of assessments to streamline the process.
Facing a funding shortfall, and a workforce crisis next year, two-thirds of councils support delaying key aspects of the reforms beyond next Autumn, rather than a ‘big bang’ of introducing all of them at the same time. This would give councils more time to transform their services in anticipation of the extra assessments required, including greater use of technology. The report also calls on government to urgently invest in a national recruitment and workforce development campaign for local authorities and providers.
Failure to do so could result in individuals facing even longer waits to get a care package. Presently, there are over 500,000 people waiting for an assessment – and councils will face further administrative pressures from the reforms from next October.
Councils will also face significant unfunded cost pressures, particularly those in counties. The report calls on government to fully fund these reforms based on its financial projections and to re-examine its funding formula which will distribute funding for the reforms. CCN is calling for this formula to be overhauled to account for county areas being particularly exposed to the costs of reforms.
Cllr Martin Tett, Adult Social Care Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said:
“There is clear support from local government for the government’s package of social reforms, which will make the system fairer and ensure that more people do not face catastrophic care costs.
“However, today’s report shows there is a significant financial and operational cost to these reforms, which are likely to be significantly more than the government’s estimates. We urge ministers to clearly examine these findings, which show costs are likely to be higher than the government is forecasting, and potentially devastatingly so in some regions.
“Local authorities are also facing a mountain of extra assessments required for the thousands of people who will approach their local authority to benefit from the reforms and it will be almost impossible to recruit the extra staff required.
“Therefore, the government must fully fund these reforms, incorporating the substantial extra cost they are likely to generate for councils so we are able to set balanced budgets in the future. Importantly, instead of a big bang introduction to the reforms, today’s report calls for them to be phased to give local authorities enough time to mitigate the challenges and give them enough time to transform and prepare for such a momentous change.”
Daniel Sperrin, Director at Newton, said:
“Newton is pleased to have partnered with CCN to carry out this analysis of the impact of the charging reforms. It is evident that whilst offering clear benefits for residents, the reforms will have a profound financial and operational impact on local authorities and providers. We hope that the findings and recommendations from this report will help both local and central government to prepare to implement the reforms, and so help realise the opportunities that they present.”
Notes to editor
Regional and council-tier breakdown of the minimum costs of reform – and the funding shortfall faced by areas and local authorities (lower estimate)
Estimated Cumulative Cost 2023-2032 (£/m) | ||||||
Over 65s Means Test & Cap | Fair Cost of Care | Operational Costs | Total | Estimated Funding* (£/m) | Funding Shortfall (£/m) | |
CCN (County & Rural Unitary) | £8,877 | £4,338 | £1,131 | £14,347 | £6,729 | £7,618 |
Met Borough | £1,579 | £3,043 | £244 | £4,867 | £3,800 | £1,067 |
London | £1,165 | £586 | £224 | £1,974 | £2,400 | -£426 |
Non CCN English Unitary | £2,265 | £1,747 | £302 | £4,314 | £2,571 | £1,743 |
England** | £13,886 | £9,714 | £1,901 | £25,502 | £15,550 | £9,952 |
East Midlands | £614 | £802 | £100 | £1,516 | £1,295 | £221 |
East of England | £1,793 | £1,173 | £298 | £3,264 | £1,573 | £1,691 |
London | £1,165 | £586 | £224 | £1,974 | £2,400 | -£426 |
North East | £429 | £673 | £47 | £1,149 | £893 | £256 |
North West | £1,346 | £2,327 | £195 | £3,868 | £2,305 | £1,563 |
South East | £4,391 | £1,010 | £540 | £5,941 | £2,163 | £3,778 |
South West | £2,221 | £510 | £225 | £2,956 | £1,562 | £1,394 |
West Midlands | £853 | £1,365 | £95 | £2,313 | £1,730 | £583 |
Yorkshire & the Humber | £1,074 | £1,269 | £176 | £2,520 | £1,578 | £942 |
England** | £13,886 | £9,714 | £1,901 | £25,502 | £15,550 | £9,952 |
*Estimated funding is arrived by firstly taking the government’s estimate of the total national costs of reforms for the years 2023/24 to 2031/32 for comparable elements of the reforms analysed by Newton. Figures are obtained from the government’s Adult Social Care Charging Reform Impact Assessment (see here). Estimated funding by region and LA type is then calculated by taking this total and distributing to each individual council using the adult social care relative needs formula (ASC RNF). Funding for each council is then aggregated to region and council type. The ASC RNF is the current formula used by government to distribute social care funding.
**England total for funding estimate and funding shortfall rounded figures.
Regional and council-tier breakdown of social workers and financial assessors required
Additional Social Workers | Additional Financial Assessors | |
CCN (County & Rural Unitary) | 2506 | 495 |
Met Borough | 558 | 83 |
London | 538 | 39 |
Non CCN English Unitary | 702 | 88 |
England | 4304 | 705 |
East Midlands | 221 | 45 |
East of England | 684 | 97 |
London | 538 | 39 |
North East | 108 | 16 |
North West | 448 | 65 |
South East | 1186 | 250 |
South West | 507 | 88 |
West Midlands | 214 | 38 |
Yorkshire & the Humber | 398 | 67 |
England | 4304 | 705 |
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