Having to make tough choices is part and parcel of life in local government these days and you would think that with all the difficult decisions we’ve had to make over the years that we’d get used to it.
Yet, the reality is that it gets tougher.
Deciding how we prioritise the services to fund and how we continue to protect those who are most vulnerable, with less money and rising demand, is a real challenge.
Last week we set the budget for 2018/19 and as I said at the Full Council meeting I’m really proud of what this council has achieved and continues to achieve in the toughest and most challenging of times.
The budget set out proposals to find savings and where investment will be made to provide new community facilities and improve services. The media coverage following the meeting largely focused on the increase in council tax (2.99%) and the social care levy (3%), and whilst we didn’t want to put up council tax, or have to charge the additional levy for social care services, the reality is that the extra money this generates won’t raise anywhere near enough to cover the demand and increasing costs.
So what’s the solution?
In my view the only solution is to be radical and we’re good at that - being radical.
Nine years on from becoming a unitary council - can you believe that it’s almost ten years? - We’re more financially stable than many other local authorities across the country. But, there is no doubt that we still need to do more. We have to stem cost and look at prevention, early intervention and closer working with our partners; particularly health, if we are to reduce the pressure and rising costs in social care services.
Our recovery and transformation of children’s services (following the Ofsted inspection in 2012) was recognised by the LGA peer review team as an exemplar of cross council working.
The first phase integrated children’s services, bringing Early Help and Safeguarding and Assessment together. The next phase, which is underway, will engage staff, partners and service users in delivering integrated, family-focused provision and better outcomes for children.
The earlier we can intervene and provide the support that’s needed, the greater the benefits including a reduction in the escalating costs. This approach is helping to guide the adult transformation programme, which is also well underway.
Across the whole country there are huge challenges in meeting the needs of the increasing number of older people. It’s a fact that we are living longer and that this brings with it a rise in the need for health and care services. Did you know that Wiltshire has the third largest older population in the country, with 100,000 of the 475,000 residents aged over 65, and this is set to increase?
A recent national study showed that more than 200,000 pensioners had not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month – I think that’s really shocking.
And, right now more than nine million people in the UK say they regularly feel lonely. The impact of loneliness and isolation is one of the biggest demands and costs to the health service and recent research has evidenced that loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. So what can be done to help combat this really serious and costly issue?
Let’s face it – most tax payers want and expect the roads to be in good condition, to have their bins emptied and to live in safe and pleasant environments, with access to a good range of community facilities and shops. And, whilst some may not need health or social care services right now, it’s almost a certainty that they will in the future.
So, we have no choice other than to do things differently.
The transformation of adult social care sets out a vision to support independent lives in local communities and make our adult care the best in the country by 2020. And while this will save money - it’s not about cost-cutting. It’s about helping people to live for longer in their own homes and local community – which is their preferred option – so that they can benefit from support and stay in a place that’s familiar and safe.
The answer also lies in each of us doing what we can to help others. No one can do everything but, everyone can do something. Wiltshire benefits from communities that care and communities that are happy to take action. I’m sure that they will rise to this growing challenge and offer support to those who need it; whether that’s a cup of tea, an offer of transport to a club, or activity, or the shops, picking up a prescription, or a library book, or some shopping, or just time to chat and take an interest. All of us can all play a part to help combat loneliness and isolation and offer the warmth of being a good neighbour, to help people to stay in their local community and in the place that is their home.
By being radical and working together we will be able to continue to deliver the services that the people of Wiltshire deserve.
Jane
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