Recommendation 16

One-year funding settlements and short-term grants are hampering local authorities’ ability to plan and to deliver value for money, which in turn affects local care markets as it makes it more difficult for local authorities to enter longer term contracts with providers. The Government must provide a multi-year funding settlement to give local authorities the visibility they need both for their own sustainability and also to help shape sustainable local care markets. It should also aim to make announcements about grants and social care precept at an earlier stage in councils’ budgeting cycle.