No abuse at local elections

THE Local Government Association (LGA) has joined forces with the Jo Cox Foundation to call for people to show respect and civility towards candidates standing in and officers running the local elections in much of England on 4 May.

The LGA is calling for no abuse or intimidation towards those standing in the upcoming local elections.

As over 70% of the country go to the polls in 2 weeks' time both organisations are encouraging everyone to treat all those involved in the elections with respect and dignity.

The calls come as the LGA's 2022 Councillor Survey previously found that:-

• 7 in 10 Councillors faced abuse or intimidation between:- 2021 to 2022.

• Just over a quarter (28 per cent) of Councillors in England and Wales felt personally at risk in their role.

A large number of respondents also felt that the line between political competition and personal attacks had been crossed during local election campaigns.

Last year the LGA set up its Debate Not Hate campaign, to raise awareness and to help tackle this problem.

This set of local elections sees the introduction of the requirement for voters to produce ID in order to vote. Councils are urging people to check if they have a photo ID well ahead of time so they don't miss out on their chance to participate in important local elections.

The LGA is also reminding voters to be patient with hardworking local polling Station staff as they implement the new changes.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Vice-Chair of the Local Government Association said:- "These upcoming elections are incredibly important in setting the future direction of our local communities. The tens of thousands of people who are standing as candidates in them are doing a great public service. Candidates and Councillors want to engage with as many voters as possible during this election campaign. However, they should not have to experience abuse, threats or any kind of harmful behaviour simply because of who they are, what they look like or their background. We want all voters to treat candidates with respect and to engage in positive, constructive conversations and debates and make local democracy a welcoming environment for all."

Su Moore, Chief Executive Officer of the Jo Cox Foundation said:- "Campaigning for respectful politics is a key part of our work to make change on the issues that Jo Cox was passionate about. Jo was renowned for her ability to forge cross-party relationships and to work collaboratively with those of opposing political views. Robust debate and scrutiny are essential aspects of our democratic process; abuse and intimidation shouldn't have to be. At the Jo Cox Foundation, we seek to end the abuse and intimation that discourages so many from entering political life and particularly impacts diverse representation. As part of this work, we're encouraging those standing in next month's elections to share our Civility Pledge. We believe that change must begin at the highest levels, and by sharing the Pledge, candidates can set an example by committing to uphold the dignity of all candidates. Our research shows that this has an impact on the general public, and voters are more likely to support candidates who conduct respectful campaigns."

A helping hand

CARE England, the largest and most diverse representative body for independent providers of adult social care in England, has issued a raft of measures to the sector aimed at reducing costs and curing complexities to create efficiencies.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says:- "It is vital to remain pragmatic in these challenging times and this latest initiative is something we hope will help go towards stabilising the adult social care market. Care England and Hft's Sector Pulse Check 2022 report found that the adult social care sector is on the precipice. We know that fee levels are the principal determinant of a sustainable market and recognise the financial pressures facing Local Authorities which, according to the Local Government Association, will see a further 9% increase in the cost of Social Care in:- 2023 to 2024, this is of course off the back of:- 2022 to 2023 inflation which equates to around 14% for care providers. On top of this, the Government requires Local Authorities to utilise funds from:- 2022 to 2023 through to 2024 2025 to move toward the:- 'Fair Cost of Care.' As such, any Local Authority that is offering uplifts less than inflation is unable to meet this requirement and is consequently failing to achieve the required reform objective. The solutions Care England has highlighted to system partners, including:- care providers and local decision makers, can be implemented with relative ease to improve the financial position of care providers, in addition to fee uplifts, to help meet this obligation with minimal cost impact to Local Authorities, or which can be funded via its current funding allocation from Central Government."

The Independent Providers Support Briefing is available on the Care England website and contains a host of measures which cover key issues afflicting adult social care providers. These measures include:-

• Recruitment and Retention - Employee referral, reward, and recognition app Care Friends has been proven to recruit and retain staff longer for half the costs of traditional recruitment methods and introduce more new and loyal individuals to the sector.
   

• Energy Costs - Care England instigated support for care providers with energy procurement by consolidating buying power for energy, which is delivering up to 36% savings and has helped to recover £3.5m in VAT and CCL charges, as well as providing articles and briefings outlining practical steps that can be taken to minimise and save on energy costs.
   

• VAT – Care providers are currently unable to recover input VAT, unlike most UK businesses. Care England continues to run webinars on how care providers can recover VAT through restructuring and is encouraging providers to ask their respective Local Authorities to support VAT recovery and use the information provided to recover VAT where possible.
   

• Procurement - Care England is offering procurement support by combining purchasing power with other care providers to achieve economies of scale.
   

• Fees - Care England has produced materials designed to help navigate the complex process of challenging Local Authority annual fee uplifts and the options open to providers.
   

• Personal Budgets - Information for care providers to understand the part they play in contributing to Local Authority fees offered and maintained below the cost of care.

Martin Green continues:- "The Government will be injecting £7.5bn into social care over the next 2 years, but the reality is this figure leaves far less than is needed to address the catastrophic inflation experienced, let alone wider measures such as discharge or funding new packages of care. We must work collaboratively over the coming months to help sustain the sector. We acknowledge the financial position of Government and Local Authorities, and hence why we are offering the above solutions beyond a fee uplift which can have an equally significant inflation-busting impact on care providers and support sustainability, which can be legitimately funded via the current Government financial settlement. However, Local Authorities must recognise the role they play in perpetuating the unsustainability of the sector. Care providers have historically continued to accept residents at rates below the actual cost of providing care. This has led Local Authorities to set personal budgets at fee levels that are simply unsustainable. A new reality must be imposed where care provider costs are brought into the conversation with a Local Authority when setting personal budgets. Care England is keen to help build bridges by broadening the conversation with commissioners and demonstrating that provider engagement should not wholly be about fee negotiation once a year. In the interim, the measures outlined in our Independent Providers Support Briefing would bring about immediate relief to a struggling sector equal to that of a:- 5% to 10% uplift in care provider fees."

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