Despite Eric Pickles' claim that today's Local Government Settlement was a 'bargain', there was little to celebrate for vulnerable communities. Councils need to start telling the truth about what it will mean on the ground
The message from today's Local Government Settlement is clear. The squeeze continues. What some time ago might have been seen as mere belt tightening has now become a cord around the neck that is throttling local government.
If this were just central government beating up a junior partner it would be bad bullying behaviour. But it is worse - much worse - than this. It is Cameron, Osborne and Pickles now requiring that committed public servants do the dirty work of making already very deprived and disadvantaged children, families and disabled adults and older people destitute.
Too dramatic? Well, just think of the rise in homelessness ahead as a consequence of the central government imposed housing benefit cuts and caps. Just think that in April local councils get the grief of being responsible for the Social Fund but with less cash provided by central government.
Families and adults with absolutely no money will be queuing at council doors hungry, frozen and without health or hope.
Meanwhile Gove and Hunt, who should be champions for the welfare and protection of vulnerable children and disabled people, will continue to churn up education and health services. This means public sector employees will be distracted and diverted from assisting those in greatest need.
There is a key role now for local government and for those working within councils who will increasingly see the consequences of government policies and the way they are creating distress and destitution for local communities.
They need to tell the story about the reality of children, families and disabled and older people left stranded and neglected by policies that appear to prioritise penalising the poor.
It is one of the few actions local government can take to maintain any credibility amidst the cuts and the decimation of public services for very vulnerable people.
Ray Jones is professor of social work at Kingston University and St George's, University of London, and from 1992-2006 was director of social services in Wiltshire
