Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget on Wednesday 6 March.Whilst the detailed impact of the budget on Lancashire is not yet clear, with additional information expected in the coming weeks, there were some significant headline announcements, and these included:
Continued support for our residents with the extension of the Household Support Fund for an additional 6 months up to the end of September, which is run by local authorities and supports people with the cost of essentials, such as food and utilities.
£800m to be invested to increase productivity across public services. Confirmation of £500m of new funding for councils, originally announced in January, to support pressures within social care of which we will receive £11.5m.
£105m investment nationally towards 15 new special free schools and 20 alternative provision free schools (locations to be confirmed in due course) and £45m of matched funding to councils to build an additional 200 children's home placements to address council cost pressures in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.
A further £400m of funding to expand the Long-Term Plan for towns to include 20 new towns (typically getting £20m each) with Rawtenstall in Rossendale being one of the 20 added.
Our Cabinet met on Thursday 7 March and considered a range of reports including:
The Corporate Performance Report 2023-24 Quarter 3 which highlighted that some indicators are now being judged as potentially off track. In particular the number of children missing education and our sickness absence. The report also showed improved performance in other areas, including on standards in reading, writing and maths at key stage 2.
Increase of Foster Care Allowances. This report outlined the plan to increase allowances for foster carers to ensure that the requirements of the fostering strategy are maintained, and that the service meets regulatory requirements.
Holiday, Birthday and Religious Festivals payments will also receive an increase. All councillors extended their appreciation and thanks to our foster carers.
The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health which identifies that the key health indicators show that our positive outcomes have slowed down across Lancashire since the pandemic. It identifies poor health as a key factor affecting economic progress in Lancashire, and vice-versa.
The results are in following the eight-week consultation on the proposed devolution deal, where we asked residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to share their views.
A total of 1,881 responses were received during the consultation, with 1,695 being received from individuals. Feedback showed how most people welcome the proposal.
If the proposal is implemented, existing funding and powers would move from central government to Lancashire through the creation of a Combined County Authority (CCA).
The deal aims to give local voices a greater role in decision-making, securing more investment to deliver better outcomes for Lancashire communities.
Full Council will consider the outcomes of the consultation and make a decision on the proposal at its meeting on Thursday 14 March.
Meetings will also be held by our partners Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool Council next week.
A Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Review of our adult services took place last week.
Although not a formal inspection, the review was a vital part of our preparations for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of adult services, which may take place during 2024/25 as part of the national inspection programme.
There is much to celebrate from the initial feedback and assessors commended many of our services that support people to live independently.
We will be building on these strengths in our development plans as well as picking up on those areas we want to improve.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in the review, a full report giving detailed feedback on the review will be published by the LGA in the next three months.