Legendary Liverpool Art Rockers Deaf School at Mountford Hall

MARKING 50 years since the band's inception, Liverpool's own legendary art rockers; DEAF SCHOOL; are set to return to their hometown for a show at:- Mountford Hall, on:- 16 December 2023.

In what promises to be a night of unforgettable music, the band; best known for their innovative and eclectic sound; will be supported by fellow Liverpool natives It's Immaterial.

Deaf School have been a fixture on Liverpool's music scene since the 1970s and have earned a reputation for their dynamic live performances. They've gained a devoted following of fans over the years, including notable artists, such as:- Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello who have cited Deaf School as a major influence.

The upcoming Liverpool show will see Deaf School perform tracks from their extensive discography, spanning over 4 decades of music making. Their unique sound, which blends elements of rock, pop and avant-garde, promises to continue to captivate audiences over 5 decades on.

Liverpool based It's Immaterial will also be joining Deaf School, delivering a set filled with their infectious pop melodies and experimental instrumentation. Having risen to prominence in the 1980s with hits including:- "Driving Away From Home" and "Ed's Funky Diner." It's Immaterial have continued to influence a whole host of artists in the years since.

"We're thrilled to be returning to Mountford Hall and to be sharing the stage with It's Immaterial. Liverpool has always been our home, and we can't wait to perform for our hometown crowd once again." said Steve 'Average' Lindsey, 1 of Deaf School's founding members.

Tickets available online at:- TicketMaster.Co.UK.

Please also check out the Schools' Twitter for the latest updates and information.

Council Tax single person discount accounts to be reviewed

LIVERPOOL City Council will be carrying out a review of households that receive a 25% single person discount to make sure that everyone is paying the correct amount of Council Tax. There are currently 92,000 households that receive the discount. Usually it is given to households where there is only 1 adult over the age of 18, but in some circumstances there can be more. Letters will be sent to residents to let them know how to cancel their single person discount before:- 31 December 2023, if there has been a change of circumstances. After this date, a company will be carrying out the review on behalf of the Council and they will use several sources to find out how many adults live in a property. If they determine the single person discount is wrong it will be removed and backdated. If there have been no changes to a household, people do not need to respond to the letter, or take any other action.

A full list of discounts and exemptions can be found at:- Liverpool.Gov.UK.

Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Cllr Ruth Bennett, said:- "It is really important that our records are up-to-date so we are billing households correctly and receiving the correct amount of Council Tax. We are writing to people now to give them a chance to tell us before we start the review, as we do appreciate that telling the Council may not have been top of their list of priorities and may have been overlooked. This is all part of our improvement journey, making sure we are doing all we can to bring in the amount of Council Tax we are owed, which helps pay for vital services."

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THE new assurance process for Council adult social care services is time and energy intensive, interviews with the pilot Councils show.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents Councils in England and Wales is calling for a guarantee of adequate new burdens funding for the process, as well as sufficient advance notice of the assessments for Councils.

With 5 pilots completed, the Care Quality Commission regulator will begin a new assessment regime which will see Councils handed an overall rating of either:- 'inadequate,' 'requires improvement,' 'good' or 'outstanding' as part of a new system of adult social care assurance introduced by the Government. Following interviews with those pilot Councils, it is evident that a significant amount of work is required to prepare and execute these assessments.

Adult social care has faced over a decade of underfunding and unmet and under-met need has grown as a consequence. With no extra money announced for adult social care in the Autumn Statement Councils will struggle to keep up with demography, pay and inflationary pressures. There is also concern that the implications of underfunding Councils may not be taken into account in the ratings given.

The LGA says that the Government should guarantee of adequate new burdens funding for the process including committing to reviewing and increasing the funding if necessary. The learning from the pilots must be carried through into full rollout.

Additionally, Councils in the 1st tranche of assessments need to be notified as soon as possible given the significant amount of preparatory work required in advance of assessment team on-site visit

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board said:- "While Councils are very willing to participate in this process, the current precarious position of adult social care must be recognised. Despite unmet and under met need remaining concerningly high, Councils received no additional funding for adult social care in the Autumn Statement. The added workload these assessments are causing for Councils must be addressed and Councils should be given appropriate additional funding and support in order to participate in them effectively."

Cathie Williams, Chief Executive of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said:- "The pilots have shown the assurance process takes up a huge amount of time and energy within local authorities, at a time when social care teams are already under pressure with growing numbers of people needing care and support, budgets under severe strain and high levels of vacancies. To ensure assurance doesn't take away from support going to people who need social care, the Government must provide local authorities with additional funding and resource to carry this out. We're also keen to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on what support will be available for Councils following assessments, as that will be vital in maximising the impact of this new assessment programme."