Social Care – the Continuing Crisis: From the Perspective of Local Authorities in England.

Learning Disability Coalition, 2011

In early 2010, the Learning Disability Coalition conducted a survey of local authorities to find out the state of social care funding for people with learning disabilities. In the face of rising demand for services and fewer resources, many local authorities said that they were very concerned for the future funding of social care for people with learning disabilities.

Over the last year, there have been significant political and economic changes which have brought additional pressures on the financial resources available to local authorities. The Comprehensive Spending Review has resulted in local authorities facing cuts of 28% from their central Government grant over the next four years. Whilst the Government has promised to give an extra £2 billion per year to local councils to lessen the impact of the cuts on social care, this money is not ring fenced and it is not enough to mitigate the problems caused by the gaps left in local authority finances.

In light of the changing financial circumstances which local authorities are grappling with, this repeat of the 2010 survey demonstrates the impact of spending cuts on people with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities, their families and carers were also surveyed in order to find out how their care and funding has changed over the last year.

LDT Editor

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