Coronavirus crisis: local government unions call for consistency

Scotland’s leading trade unions in local government are calling on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to take urgent action to address the inconsistent approach being taken by local authorities, which could risk lives.

UNISON, Unite and GMB collectively represent over 120,000 workers in local authorities across Scotland, many of whom are on the frontline delivering essential services and providing care to vulnerable groups.

The trade unions have been involved in ongoing discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) on their response to this crisis, but are increasingly concerned that the lack of urgency and consistency is now putting service users and workers at risk that it now requires the First Minister’s direct intervention.

In a letter to the First Minister the trade unions are highlighting a number of key concerns including:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Ongoing concerns regarding the availability and quality of PPE for workers. There are specific issues regarding the availability of PPE for those working with vulnerable users in home care settings and the need for urgent clarification over the self-isolation for workers who have been in close contact with service users confirmed as having the virus.
Testing Workers – There is an urgent need to test frontline workers in accordance with WHO guidance. There appears to be no strategy or consistency currently about when tests will be rolled out and who will be tested.
Social Distancing– Serious concerns continue about the ability of workers to observe social distancing measures at work. There are particular difficulties with workers being told to travel to sites in the same vehicle – in waste and home care services in particular.
Key Workers– The need for greater clarity around who meets the definition of a ‘key worker’ because there are many situations where some workers in some authorities are being deemed ‘key workers’ and others are not.
Waste Collection– The need for a one nation policy on residential waste collection. 32 local authorities are doing different things – some maintaining a full service, others closing all waste and recycling centres.

The Joint Trade Unions state: “UNISON, Unite and GMB have been raising a number of key concerns in relation to the inconsistent and potentially dangerous approach to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic with COSLA.

“We believe that local government workers, and those in the third and private sectors, delivering our essential services must be protected in terms of their health both physical and mental. To date this is not being done anywhere near effectively enough.

“We are on the brink of the peak of the pandemic and still there exist major concerns over the availability, and guidance around the use of, personal protective equipment – particularly in the social and residential care sector – testing of frontline staff, the difficulties in workers being able to observe social distancing at work and the definition of who is a key worker.

“The trade unions appreciate that this is an unprecedented time but the lack of national, consistent, guidance in these areas has the potential to put lives at risk.

“We need a national co-ordinated response – the First Minister needs to lead the effort to ensure that national guidance is both clear and consistently applied by local authorities.”

Coronavirus food fund: support to put meals on tables

Families unable to access food as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will get support from local authorities with £30 million of new investment from the Scottish Government Food Fund.

The funding will support those most in need including families with children who are eligible for free school meals, older people, those with long-term health conditions and pregnant women.

Councils will have flexibility to use this additional resource in ways that best meet emerging local needs and circumstances, working with community groups and businesses to support home delivery, provide financial help and meet dietary requirements.

Allocations include more than £4.7 million for Glasgow, £1.65 million for Edinurgh and £2.2 million for Fife.

The funding, one part of the £350 million Communities Fund, will be distributed to councils across Scotland by COSLA.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “This pandemic is impacting on all our lives but for some it is more than a disruption, it is severely restricting their ability to access food for themselves and their families.

“It is vital that we work together to ensure the most vulnerable people in our communities receive the support they need.

“Local authorities are uniquely placed to respond swiftly in partnership with community groups and organisations to help those struggling.

“We know that free school meals are vital for families across the country and an important way of ensuring their children receive the nutritious food they need. That is why it is so important that support continues while schools remain closed.

“This fund will help ensure the most vulnerable people in our society during this outbreak receive support. The guidance shared with local authorities today supports local thinking about how funding can best be targeted and deployed.”

COSLA Children and Young People spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “Access to food is a current and vital concern for many people in our communities. Councils are committed to working flexibly, ensuring local access for those who are vulnerable or isolating and to maintain access to free school meals for entitled families.

“Local Authorities will continue to work with and for local people to ensure provision that is right for them. We welcome the food fund guidance produced by Scottish Government that supports this local decision making.”

COSLA Resources spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “As a result of Covid-19, greater numbers of people are at risk of food insecurity. Councils are facing additional challenges in ensuring food reaches those most in need.

“In these challenging times, we welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement of additional funding.”

Edinburgh’s council leaders have also welcomed news of the Scottish Government’s Food Fund, which will provide Edinburgh with an additional £1.651 million to help feed the city’s most at-risk residents.

Council leader Cllr Adam Mcvey said: “No one should be left feeling hungry and without enough food because they’re self-isolating. We’re here to help our most vulnerable residents through this difficult time and we’ll do everything in our power to support them.

“Already, we’ve been delivering food parcels to those in our care and thousands of families who might be struggling while schools are closed. The £1.65 million we’ll receive from the Scottish Government as part of their Coronavirus Food Fund is hugely welcome and will allow us to build on this work, as long as there is a local need.”

Depute Leader, Cammy Day, added: “There has been an incredible response from local communities working together to reduce the risk of food poverty and while there is no shortage of food overall, it’s increasingly difficult for people who can’t leave their homes to get the supplies they need.

“One of the actions we’ve already taken is to provide additional cash support to eligible families with school children. We now need to work hard over the coming days to identify how to best use this additional funding to support Edinburgh’s residents, working closely with local communities and charities, who are already supporting vulnerable people with essential basic food supplies.”

The £350 million Communities Fund was first announced by Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell on 18 March 2020.

Since it was announced, over £100 million of new support has been delivered to local authorities to assist their efforts. This includes £50 million in hardship funding, £22 million to bolster the Scottish Welfare Fund and £30 million from the Food Fund.

The guidance shared with local authorities outlines seven key principles to support local thinking about how funding can best be targeted and deployed.

People worried about food during the COVID-19 crisis should contact their local authority for further information on the help and support available to them.

Drive to free up hospital beds

Councils have been asked to increase support for care at home, nursing homes and care homes to reduce delayed discharges and free up hospital beds.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has confirmed to COSLA that, subject to expenditure being aligned to local plans, the Scottish Government will meet additional costs to increase support and staff capacity in social care.

The move aims to help the care system adapt to increased pressure placed on it by COVID -19, with many people requiring continued support for daily living, even if they have not contracted the virus.

Ms Freeman said: “We have placed the NHS on an emergency footing and we also need to increase the capacity in our social care sector.

“Extensive work is already underway by health and social care partnerships to free up hospital beds and care for older people, and others in need of support, in care homes and in our communities.

“We have now informed councils that any additional expenditure to maximise the care available to our communities, aligned to work that is already underway, will be covered by the Scottish Government.”

COSLA’s Health and Social Care spokesperson Councillor Stuart Currie said: “COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge to anyone working in caring professions in Scotland.

“The Scottish Government and local government have shared leadership to ensure the entire system is working together to optimise the impact on the wellbeing of our communities. Work is underway locally to do this and today’s announcement gives welcome assurance to the sector about the steps which will be taken to maximise the care available to our communities.

“COSLA guidance will be issued shortly to support commissioners to work collaboratively to protect the resilience of the social care sector and ensure they remain operationally and financially viable.”

Skint! Council finances ‘unsustainable’

Most of Scotland’s 32 councils are increasingly relying on money from reserves to keep up with demand for services and balance their budgets. A report from the Accounts Commission, Scotland’s national watchdog for local government, says the financial pressures are likely to get worse. Continue reading Skint! Council finances ‘unsustainable’

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Disability charities urge Scottish councils not to cut special needs funding

A coalition of disability charities is urging all 32 Scottish local authorities to maintain vital funding for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN).

The children and young people concerned, an estimated 199,000 in total, include those with physical, sensory or learning disabilities in mainstream education, as well as those with health conditions. Continue reading Disability charities urge Scottish councils not to cut special needs funding

Rapid Rehousing funding increased

An additional £9 million of funding will be provided to local authorities to prevent homelessness and help people into more permanent accommodation. The investment will increase the local authority funding being provided for Rapid Rehousing from £15 million to £24 million over three years.

This will help transform services so people facing homelessness can either immediately, or as quickly as possible, be placed into permanent, stable accommodation with the support they need.

The money is part of the Scottish Government’s £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund.

Announcing the funding following a visit to an Aberdeenshire shared accommodation service, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Temporary accommodation provides an important safety net in a crisis, but we know it is not the solution.

“The evidence shows what most people need is a settled place to stay where they can rebuild their lives. Where additional support is required, it will be most effective when people are living in a stable home, in mainstream housing.

“This additional funding will help reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and get people experiencing homelessness into appropriate and sustainable housing as quickly as possible.”

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Communities Committee, Cllr Anne Stirling said: “We are pleased to see some additional funding coming forward to help us tackle homelessness.

“We are committed to ensuring the right mix of housing options across Aberdeenshire and to reducing poverty and inequality across our communities. Our shared accommodation model helps us to ensure there are temporary affordable housing options for those who need it most.”

COSLA Vice President Graham Houston said: “Tackling Homelessness is a key issue for Councils across Scotland.

“We welcome the extra resource to help local authorities begin to move towards Rapid Rehousing. We will continue to work in partnership with Scottish Government to ensure Councils have the resources needed.”

Council Funding: who’s telling the truth?

Real terms funding increase for local government?

The Scottish Government says:

The Scottish Budget delivers a total funding package amounting to £11.1 billion for local government.

This provides local authorities with a £197.5 million increase for day to day spending on essential public services in 2019-20, alongside a £207.6 million increase on their capital spending budget.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said despite a £2 billion reduction in real terms to Scotland’s block grant over the last decade, the 2019-20 Scottish Budget provides local authorities with a real terms increase in overall funding of over £210 million. This alongside a real terms increase in both the revenue and capital settlements.

Mr Mackay said: “The Scottish Government has continued to ensure that our partners in local government receive a fair funding settlement despite further cuts to the Scottish Budget from the UK Government.

“After removing the health uplift the Scottish Government fiscal resource block grant funding goes down by £340 million or 1.3% in real terms for 2019-20. Despite that reduction, we have still provided a 2% real terms uplift in the total Local Government settlement for 2019-20.

“If local authorities choose to use their powers to increase Council Tax by up to 3% they can generate up to an additional £80 million to support the delivery of essential local services.”

2019-20 Local Government funding allocations.

Local Authority	Revenue	Capital	Total Local Government Settlement	Council Tax Increase	Total Local Government Funding Plus Potential Council Tax Income
£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Aberdeen City	335.935	36.645	372.580	3.669	376.249
Aberdeenshire	422.419	47.964	470.383	4.197	474.580
Angus	204.922	20.131	225.053	1.567	226.620
Argyll & Bute	195.978	21.878	217.856	1.559	219.415
Clackmannanshire	95.667	8.068	103.735	0.742	104.477
Dumfries & Galloway	285.816	27.803	313.619	2.088	315.707
Dundee City	298.885	27.361	326.246	1.921	328.167
East Ayrshire	231.385	22.897	254.282	1.686	255.968
East Dunbartonshire	186.682	13.850	200.532	1.921	202.453
East Lothian	174.747	15.824	190.571	1.660	192.231
East Renfrewshire	177.809	12.984	190.793	1.608	192.401
Edinburgh, City of	731.695	107.886	839.581	8.504	848.085
Eilean Siar	95.399	10.384	105.783	0.327	106.110
Falkirk	282.900	22.102	305.002	2.104	307.106
Fife	649.412	50.805	700.217	5.186	705.403
Glasgow City	1250.279	178.834	1429.113	8.655	1437.768
Highland	450.617	50.165	500.782	3.770	504.552
Inverclyde	166.007	11.719	177.726	1.082	178.808
Midlothian	162.730	17.000	179.730	1.427	181.157
Moray	160.995	15.355	176.350	1.287	177.637
North Ayrshire	276.359	24.705	301.064	1.920	302.984
North Lanarkshire	619.950	47.063	667.013	4.139	671.152
Orkney	74.592	8.283	82.875	0.280	83.155
Perth & Kinross	250.919	34.288	285.207	2.485	287.692
Renfrewshire	315.487	23.672	339.159	2.621	341.780
Scottish Borders	207.926	23.957	231.883	1.731	233.614
Shetland	85.703	9.026	94.729	0.289	95.018
South Ayrshire	202.043	18.863	220.906	1.848	222.754
South Lanarkshire	564.744	41.482	606.226	4.392	610.618
Stirling	169.881	14.923	184.804	1.503	186.307
West Dunbartonshire	188.777	13.361	202.138	1.268	203.406
West Lothian	319.734	22.711	342.445	2.333	344.778
Undistributed	150.768	82.221	232.989	0.000	232.989
Scotland	9,987.162	1,084.210	11,071.372	79.768	11,151.140

‘A Bad Deal for Local Government’?

COSLA says:

COSLA said it was disappointed that the value of the essential services provided by Scottish Local Government has not been recognised by the Scottish Government in the Scottish Government’s budget announcement.

COSLA went on to describe the proposed budget as a cash cut to Local Government’s core budget and said that as a priority would use the next few weeks to engage in meaningful dialogue with both Scottish Government and the wider Scottish Parliament.

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “First and foremost my feeling is one of disappointment. Disappointment for councils, disappointment for communities and disappointment that Local Government’s role as a deliverer of vital services, an employer and a procurer has not been recognised.

“There is always smoke and mirrors around how those at the centre present their budget. The one message that the Scottish people need to take from today’s budget is that the Local Government’s core budget which provides our essential services has taken a hit.

“We have engaged positively with Scottish Government throughout these budget negotiations and we have run a positive campaign around the meaningful impact that our essential services make to communities throughout Scotland.

“The essential services that Local Government deliver are the foundations on which Scotland is built – today’s announcement means that these foundations are under severe pressure.”

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said: “Whichever way you want to dress it up, the reality of the situation is that yet again the totality of the essential services Councils deliver has been neglected by the Scottish Government.

“There is no scope for Local Government to mitigate the impact of these cuts as there has been no movement yet on local taxation – the 3% Council Tax Cap remains and there is no indication about discretionary taxation, including Tourist Tax.

“It is extremely frustrating that, having worked well on a range of issues with the Government this year, our contribution to meeting key outcomes across Scotland has not yet been acknowledged.

“What we have today is a bad deal for communities and for jobs. Given these proposals today, serious financial challenges lie ahead for councils.”

So who is telling the truth about local government funding?

Budget: saving public services?

The 2019-20 Scottish Budget provides Scotland with economic stability by making strategic long-term investments to strengthen and prepare the economy for the future, according to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay. However local government umbrella organisation COSLA says the budget will mean only more cuts to council services. Continue reading Budget: saving public services?