The future of local authority services in the North West is under threat from a growing financial crisis, with significant cuts already being made to statutory adult care and children’s services, says new analysis published today (Friday) by the TUC and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES).
The report Austerity Uncovered looks at the impacts of austerity, focusing upon how changes in publicly-funded services affect both people and places across the country, now and in the years to come.
The report, commissioned by the TUC, shows that the government’s austerity plans have considerably increased in scale, with cuts extending well into the next parliament.
The report shows that:
Austerity Uncovered identifies a number of common themes emerging from the nine local case studies. These include: a marked move away from the principle of universal services, with increased use of rationing, targeting and thresholds; significant cutbacks in adult care, particularly home care; and increasing levels of outsourcing of services in some cases, such as home care and supported living services for older people in Blackpool.
North West TUC Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said: “There is a wide scale destruction of public services taking place under this government and the report shows the impact that is having here in the North West.
“Cuts are harming the most vulnerable in our society and in light of the devolution debate that is taking place it is even more important that we set out a proper vision for public services. This needs to be one that funds important services such as adult care and social services, not one that cuts to the bone of these vital lifelines for many.”
The report makes a number of recommendations on how to mitigate the impacts of austerity. These include: a needs-based approach to funding settlements that take into account places with higher levels of social and economic deprivation; further devolution of resources and decision-making powers at the local level; develop a long-term plan for increasing funding for adult social care; a high-level commitment to improve child wellbeing and reduce inequalities; more intelligent commissioning of services that promote the living wage and reduce the use of zero-hours contracts; and more collaboration with public service unions and community groups to encourage local strategies and solutions.
CLES Chief Executive Neil McInroy said: “This report outlines the wide range of impacts on people and communities. The scale and depth of the austerity cuts are harming both our present and future.
“This research tells us that austerity affects all the country, though it bites deeper in poorer areas. The North West is particularly susceptible to austerity measures. The region has historically had a high demand for public services and continues to do so. The challenges remain acute.
“We need to get the priorities right and appreciate that austerity means people’s needs are no longer being met like they should be. Without considered decisions based on the needs of people and places, now and into the future, we risk causing irreversible damage.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The North West TUC/CLES report can be found at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/North%20West%20Final%20Report_1.pdf
- The national TUC/CLES report can be found at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC%20Final%20Report%20Dec%2714_1.pdf
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews
- CLES are the UK's leading member and research organisation dedicated to economic development, regeneration and local governance www.cles.org.uk
Contacts:
Media enquiries:
Adrian Nolan (CLES) T: 0161 236 7036 M: 07545 609511 E: adriannolan@cles.org.uk
Jay McKenna (TUC) M: 07788 414578 E: jmckenna@tuc.org.uk
Want to hear about our latest news and blogs?
Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox
To access the admin area, you will need to setup two-factor authentication (TFA).