27
Rejected
Local authority capacity and sequencing of reforms are not adequately addressed by DLUHC.
Conclusion
We asked the Department and DLUHC what they were doing to ensure that local authorities could deliver charging reform alongside system reform, with all the other pressures on them. The Department told us one of the reasons for delaying charging reform had been local authority capacity given other pressures on them and that, before giving a new chunk of complicated work alongside all the other things they had to do, it would want to be sure they could do it well.70 DLUHC told us that it was working closely with local authorities to ensure they had capacity do all the critical things going through them, including reforms to children’s services which it said was also a major system reform. We heard that all these programmes were at different stages of development and that DLUHC was working with local authorities to make progress on things like quality and productivity but was not currently sequencing reforms with local authorities to address local pressures and priorities.71 67 Q 79 68 C&AG’s Report, para 3.14 69 Q 80 70 Q 82 71 Qq 82, 95–97 Reforming adult social care in England 19
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the committee’s implied recommendation regarding sequencing reforms for local authorities. It states it cannot commit to the approach now, deferring details of the next reform phase until after the next spending review, and will only consider publishing regular progress reports.
Government Response
Rejected
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 The department welcomes further opportunities to set out its plans to deliver its vision for adult social care reform and to be held to account for progress against it but cannot currently commit to the approach recommended. In addition to the published 10-year vision, set out in the white paper People at the Heart of Care in December 2021, a further update on reform activity was detailed in Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care published in April 2023. 6.3 The department has been clear that plans are subject to future spending reviews and fiscal events. Future reform activity will be informed by lessons learned during the current spending review period. The department will set out details of the next phase of reform following the next spending review. 6.4 The department will consider the value of publishing regular progress reports and will report to the Committee as per normal processes on the remainder of these recommendations.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Report
Twenty-Second Report - Reforming adult social care in England
20 Mar 2024
HC 427
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
2.4 yrs
Report published
20 Mar 2024