COUNTY COUNCIL NETWORKS – WRITTEN EVIDENCE (PSR0016) PUBLIC SERVICES: LESSONS FROM CORONAVIRUS SUMMARY Since the outbreak of COVID-19, local government has successfully stepped up to the plate to deliver the services that government has asked it to. There were points where processes could have gone better, as could be expected given the unprecedented circumstances. In many cases this was because the knowledge and expertise of local government was not taken advantage of as quickly as it might have done. Research by Grant Thornton, commissioned by CCN, shows that CCN member authorities could face an in-year funding shortfall of £752m, increasing to £2.5bn when potential council and business rates collection fund deficits are considered, and continuing ‘legacy costs’ of COVID-19 pressures are included. Two further scenarios demonstrate that the shortfall could increase to between £3.6bn and £4.5bn, depending on how costs evolve during this financial year and the next. Alongside emergency funding, government should provide an income guarantee to be available to compensate councils for their lost income from council tax, business rates, fees and charges and other non-commercial income. Funding issues even before the pandemic have limited local authorities’ ability to provide preventative services because most expenditure in this area is non-statutory and therefore has been de-prioritised in favour of statutory services. Any public service reform which emerges from the pandemic should recognise the unique and crucial role local authorities can play in supporting national initiatives, delivered locally. As part of conversations about the post-COVID future of public services, CCN believes that the government should extend the powers that have been given to combined authorities to county areas. There has been increased and ongoing communication between central and local government – both at political and administrative level. The pandemic has led CCN member authorities to innovate with service delivery to ensure that they can support communities, residents and businesses appropriately. The transfer of public health into local authorities has been of help to councils in responding to the pandemic quickly and effectively. The influx of hundreds of thousands of volunteers offering to help the most vulnerable in their communities has been welcome. However, there have been issues over ensuring enough opportunities to help, with some volunteers not having been deployed or used as effectively as they might have been. Introduction 1. The County Councils Network (CCN) represents 36 English local authorities that serve counties. CCN’s membership includes both county council and county unitary authorities who together have over 2,500 councillors and serve over 26m people (47% of the population) across 86% of England and deliver high-quality services that matter the most to local communities, including children’s social care and education services. 2. CCN’s member authorities have worked hard during the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown to ensure that children’s services continue to provide the support that children need and that families are properly supported at this difficult time. However, they remain extremely concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency both on children’s immediate welfare and their long-term wellbeing. This response summarises some of the major concerns which have been raised by our members during the pandemic in relation to children across the gamut of services provided by local authorities. Central and local government cooperation on public service delivery 3. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, local government has successfully stepped up to the plate to deliver the services that government has asked it to, and to deliver existing or new services that residents look to their local authority to provide. Government has understandably asked a lot of local government, asking them to use their knowledge of their local communities to support national initiatives. Councils have successfully undertaken some of the heaviest lifting across the public sector: ranging from shielding the vulnerable and protecting the NHS, to helping secure local businesses' futures. 4. However, there were points where processes could have gone better, as could be expected given the unprecedented circumstances. In many cases this was because the knowledge and expertise of local government was not taken advantage of as quickly as it might have done, for example with the roll-out of the Shielding Programme. The involvement of councils in the delivery of Test and Trace might suggest this is a lesson that has already been learnt. 5. It is to be hoped that any public service reform which emerges from the pandemic will recognise the unique and crucial role local authorities can play in supporting national initiatives, delivered locally. This will involve a new local government settlement that empowers councils to drive forward public service reform across their area, and through services such as health and social care and economic development. To date, devolution has been unevenly rolled out across England. This is partly because England presently has a complex local governance system with too many councils and perhaps needs a smaller number of authorities with greater powers. 6. As part of conversations about the post-COVID future of public services, CCN believes that the government should extend the powers that have been given to combined authorities to county areas. Councils have again shown that they can be trusted to deliver and coordinate high quality public services and have demonstrated they merit a greater role with regard to the coordination of public services in their area. However, given county councils have already proven themselves able to provide the place-based leadership required for the COVID-19 response, it would suggest there is no advantage in these larger areas having a directly-elected mayor which may complicate and slow down their ability to respond to significant challenges. 7. It is encouraging that there are already moves towards offering local areas greater autonomy in tailoring national priorities with local responses – such as local authorities being involved in conversations with government about securing economic recovery. CCN are keen to work with the government and parliamentarians more generally to ensure that this recognition of local government continues. The Devolution White Paper that we are expecting to be published this year, provides an opportunity for the strengths of this cooperation to be retained and built on. Local and national co-operation 8. CCN member authorities have had to dramatically re-shape their services and redeploy significant numbers of staff at short notice to ensure that they can support communities, residents and business at the present time. They have innovated in terms of the continued delivery services that residents rely upon, and the delivery of new services that the government has asked for. There are five key areas where councils have had to work on the response to COVID-19 and examples of work county authorities have delivered are included in the table below.1 Protecting Buckinghamshire Council transformed the Olympic the NHS and Lodge and other buildings at Stoke Mandeville Stadium social care in Aylesbury into a 240-bed social care facility for adults in just three weeks. Cambridgeshire County Council used the trade links it had built up over the years with enterprises in China to help source over 12,000 pieces of personal 1 Full case studies for these initiatives can be found here: http://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/download/3027/ protective equipment for Addenbrooke’s Hospital and local care providers. Going the Cumbria County Council launched an emergency extra mile to helpline for its vulnerable residents immediately after help the the lockdown, and in little over two weeks it had vulnerable helped over 5,000 vulnerable or isolated people in need of urgent help. In April the council was receiving 200 requests a day for assistance. Durham County Council has offered help to residents who fear losing their home due to the financial impact of Coronavirus by asking them to get in touch directly with the council so housing officers can help. Making the Hertfordshire County Council moved essential best use of public health services online, with many consultations council staff being conducted virtually, sexual health testing kits and services and contraception being ordered and sent out by post. The stop smoking service continued, and the council had to double the amount of specialist clinics available due to demand during the pandemic. Importantly, putting the service online allowed re-deployment of 240 public health staff to roles in combating the virus. Somerset County Council re-deployed over 1,000 staff – including councillors – to help on the frontline. With libraries having to close, councils have seen a spike in demand online. The number of people joining Somerset libraries online increased 544% compared to the same period in 2019. Marshalling Nottinghamshire County Council created a new England’s community hub to offer advice and support to volunteers communities over the coming weeks for vulnerable people, families and residents who can’t leave their homes or who are self-isolating at home. More than 600 people or organisations signed up as volunteers in the first weeks, to help people with services such as: food supplies and delivery; collecting and delivering medicines; personal and social support – dog walking, collecting newspapers; advice on health; and transport needs. The database includes a search facility so that residents can easily find a volunteer group to meet their needs. Northamptonshire County Council mobilised hundreds of local volunteers to deliver a leaflet to every single household in the county which outlines the help available to them during the pandemic. The huge undertaking, in partnership with district authorities in the county, aimed to ensure no stone was left unturned in explaining to people what help is at hand from their local authorities.