Local government directors remain concerned about how councils will be able to fund the new Care Act.
President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), David Pearson, said one of the major issues was making sure the money available was sufficient.
Mr Pearson said ADASS would work with the Local Government Association (LGA) after a survey of directors found adult social care budgets had been cut by more than a quarter in the last four years.
A report to the LGA’s community wellbeing board read: ‘If the Government’s estimate of the costs of implementation in 2015/16 is too low then councils may be left exposed to the difference (adding further pressure on budgets) and unable to fulfil their statutory duties.
‘Further, if amending the scope of the reforms is not successful in managing the cost then citizens may be denied the services and support they expect from the reforms.’
The LGA also described the timetable for implementing the Care Act as ‘extremely challenging’, with councils having to work their way through more than 700 pages of regulations and guidance published in June.
