The government should consider appointing an independent body to evaluate proposals to ensure the long- term sustainability of local government in non-metropolitan England. Particular attention should be given to the variation in demographics and associated demand in people-based services, ensuring the assessment of proposals results in the best alignment of resources, needs, and assets. Structural Change Orders (SCOs) and implementation arrangements for reorganisation should ensure that upper- tier councils have a majority on implementation governance, particularly Where disaggregation takes place, proactive mitigation of issues related to workforce and leadership development will be vital, and upper tier authorities should be enabled to take the lead on this. Where disaggregation takes place, develop and implement a specific plan (supported by relevant legislation if necessary) to address the issues of ordinary residence. Coherence with ICS restructures should be prioritised to maximise opportunities for public service reform and to ensure alignment at place level and co- terminosity where possible. A solution to be developed and implemented to address the issue of the statutory override on the High Needs Block budget. on Joint Committees and when countywide services are being disaggregated.
Distorted care demand and supply
Many sector stakeholders engaged through this programme expressed a concern about the impact of ordinary residence, whereby demand originates from parts of a county which may not be where the supply of support is most readily available. This research shows that disaggregation and the formation of smaller unitary authorities will present a challenge to balance the uneven distribution of supply of care and the demand for care within these authorities, which is currently smoothed across larger geographic footprints. The greatest potential impact of this distortion can be seen in the working age adult (WAA) residential cohorts. For these cohorts, demand, cost, and growth can be highly varied across a large county area.
1.3 Policy implications
Government priorities
From this programme of work a set of conclusions can be drawn which highlight key priorities for government to consider in moving to the next phase of LGR and assessing, selecting, and implementing proposals put forward by local areas. Local government reorganisation should seek to avoid or minimise disaggregation. The government should scrutinise and rigorously evaluate all proposals against their own statutory criteria, with a particular focus on, and due weighting for, the impact on people-based services.
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