Plans to split large councils into smaller unitary authorities could hit vulnerable people with a ‘triple whammy' of worse services, higher costs and staff shortages, county leaders have suggested.
A County Councils' Network (CCN) report by consultancy Newton claimed that breaking up existing counties into councils serving fewer than 500,000 residents would add up to £270m in annual care costs, require over 1,000 additional senior roles and risk lowering care quality.
CCN urged the Government to stick to its original 500,000-population guide.
Chair Matthew Hicks said there was ‘clear evidence that there are very real risks to care services if county councils are split into multiple small unitary councils'.
He continued: ‘Those that depend on care could face worse services, be met with significant upheaval and have too few staff to adequately deliver their support. At the same time, councils and taxpayers could be loaded with substantive extra costs. Put simply, reorganisation plans could make or break care services.'
But incoming chair of the District Councils' Network, Richard Wright, said: ‘The actual data for existing unitary councils, as opposed to theoretical modelling, shows there is no relationship between their population size and financial performance or service quality, including on social care.
‘Any reorganisation that results in mega councils with populations of 500,000 people – leaving England with by far the largest councils in the Western world – would lead to services like social care being far from the communities they're supposed to serve.
‘A strong local connection to communities helps social care departments intervene early and offer vulnerable people focused support. This helps to prevent ill health and therefore reduces the burden on the NHS.'
