OCTOBER LEADERSHIP INDEX
NLGN’s Leadership Index provides insights into the level of confidence on key issues affecting local government, based on the perception of chief executives, leaders and council mayors.
NLGN Leadership Index October 2018 illustrates councils’ diminishing confidence in their powers and resources to deliver social care services and an almost universal projected rise in council tax. Looking ahead to next year, the findings also reflect concerns over the impact of a possible ‘no deal’ Brexit.
Key findings include:
- Confidence levels in the delivery of social care are in sharp decline.
Confidence in the powers and resources to meet the needs of adult social care has declined by 16 per cent in just eight months. Confidence in the powers and resources to meet the needs of children’s services has also waned, with a decline of 18 per cent over the same period. In social care providing councils, these declines are even greater: 21 per cent for adult social care and 24 per cent for children’s services.
- An overwhelming majority of councils plan to increase council tax in March 2019.
96.8 per cent of councils expect to raise council tax next year. The leading cause of this forecast rise is the reduction in funding councils receive from central government, with 57 per cent of respondents citing this as the most significant cause of financial pressure.
- In the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, just under half of councils expect costs to rise most in the provision of adult social care. Just under half (46 per cent) of respondents reported that adult social care would be most likely to see an increase in costs in the event of a no deal Brexit, while 28 per cent reported economic development would face the largest cost rise.
The full results of the survey can be downloaded HERE.
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