In Greater Essex, we are proud of the strong foundations we’ve built in delivering vital services. Adults and children’s social care services across Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock are all rated Good or Outstanding by regulators. 93% of Essex schools are Good or Outstanding and we also have some of the lowest rates of delayed discharge and residential care admissions in the country.
But we must also be honest about the challenges ahead. Rising demand from a growing and ageing population, increasing complexity of need and growing inequalities are putting pressure on services. Recruitment and retention of staff in adult social care is tough, costs are rising and national reforms are slow to arrive. We are in pole position, but to stay ahead will take all our skill and experience in driving services forward.
That’s why I believe the plan for three unitary councils we recently announced is the right direction for local government in Greater Essex. The area currently has a very complex, two-tier model, with twelve city, district and borough councils, one county and two unitary councils – all with different responsibilities.
The creation of three single unitary councils that would handle all local government responsibilities, will make things much simpler for residents, reduce duplication and mean we can work more efficiently. We’re suggesting that these three unitary councils are based around the three cities of Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. That doesn’t mean that other areas of Greater Essex will be absorbed into these and ‘lost’, there will still be a sense of local identity and ultimately greater local decision-making – both of which we know are important to people.
Why three councils?
Firstly, this would create fair and balanced populations, giving all the new council areas a chance to thrive by sharing demand and financial risk fairly. Some areas in Greater Essex have older populations, others face higher levels of poverty and less opportunities. Smaller councils would concentrate high-cost services on small populations, creating an unsustainable and unfair council tax burden. In short, they are more expensive for you. With three larger unitary councils, we spread that risk and ensure all areas can succeed without increasing the cost by creating more social care departments than at present.
Secondly, it preserves excellence and scales best practice. Our approach to children’s social care in Essex - early help, prevention and strong partnerships – has meant fewer children in care and better life chances for them. To put this into context, if the county council had the national average of children in care in Essex, our costs would more than double – an extra £126 million a year that we cannot afford. The three council model allows us to expand early help and prevention services, so money is spent supporting families before the crisis hits.
We’re also leading the way in adult social care reform as a council. Through the Caring Communities Commission, we and our partners have taken our findings to Parliament, showing how a preventative, community-led approach can transform care across the country.
Our vision is clear - shift the focus from crisis to prevention and give local communities the power to decide. This will mean people can be as independent as possible and we reduce the dependency on high-cost council services. By spending money well on what works, those with the greatest need get help and support and there is more money for more universal services across all of Essex.
Thirdly, it makes it simpler for public services to work together. Right now, Essex Police and the NHS have to work with 15 different councils. Under our proposed news structure, that would become just three. That means more consistency, better coordination and clearer accountability for residents. And it means police and health leaders spend more time running things and less time on meetings, travel and dealing with bureaucracy.
Finally, three councils provide a sustainable platform for long-term reform. Smaller unitary councils may sound appealing, but they risk quickly becoming unaffordable and unsustainable, leading to poorer services, worse outcomes and higher costs for taxpayers. A three unitary council structure means services would be provided equally and there is greater local decision-making. We know just how important the feeling of local identity and belonging is to residents and the new councils would maintain this, with emphasis on ensuring the needs of different places are met and that local influence remains strong.
This isn’t just a reorganisation, it’s a reinvestment in the future of Essex. We owe it to our residents to make bold, thoughtful choices. Three unitary councils gives us the best chance to protect what works, fix what doesn’t and achieve a bright future where people of all ages can thrive.
Leave a comment