• Social care reform will help provide greater choice for those receiving care, opportunity for those providing it and certainty over costs
• Government details how over £1 billion will be spent helping people live safely, independently and where they want to
• Investment to improve housing and take advantage of technology to help those receiving care and caregivers

People who need care, the social care workforce and unpaid carers will benefit from the ten-year vision for adult social care published today.

The white paper is part of the government’s wider social care plans, backed by £5.4 billion, which for the first time provides a limit to the cost of care for everyone in the adult social care system, and significantly increases state support.

The transformed social care system will apply to people in both residential and at home care and will set daily living costs at a lower rate than originally proposed, helping people save more money. It will mean nobody is forced to sell their homes in their lifetime.

As part of the white paper, the government is today setting out further details on how over £1 billion for system reform will be spent over the next three years to improve the lives of those who receive care – as well as their families and carers.

This will include providing greater choice, control and support to help people lead independent life by including funding to transform homes and improve the physical, digital and technological infrastructure.

The funding will help pay for:

• The range and amount of new supported housing to be increased through £300 million in housing investment, to help local authorities offer greater choice, care and support, alongside a new practical service to make repairs and changes in peoples’ homes to help them remain safe and either stay with their families or live independently in accordance with their wishes.
• New technology and digitisation backed by at least £150 million to improve care quality and safety, support independent living and allow staff to provide focused care where it is needed. For example acoustic sensors which monitor movement will help residents sleep uninterrupted and allow carers to monitor them safely and be alerted if needed. Digital care records will be updated to make sure all caregivers have the latest up-to-date details to provide the best support possible.
• The 1.5 million strong adult social care workforce will see a record £500 million invested so they have the opportunity to progress in their careers with training and qualifications while providing an even better standard of care. This will help recognise their valued skills and prioritise their wellbeing with greater support for their mental health.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

The pandemic has been an important turning point for social care, putting into the spotlight the incredible work the sector delivers day in and day out and highlighting the urgent need for change.

This ten-year vision clearly lays out how we will make the system fairer and better to serve everyone, from the millions of people receiving care to those who are providing it.

We are investing in our country’s future – boosting support to help people live at home with their families for longer and ensuring that health and care work hand in hand so people get the help they need.

The improvements will be funded through the 1.25 per cent Health and Social Care levy.

Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said:

The lives of millions of people will be improved by our plans for social care supported by significant investment for system reform to deliver the person centred care we need.

We promised to come forward with proposals to improve social care and that is exactly what we are doing.

Our fantastic care staff, people who receive care and their families deserve a care system which works for them and these plans are the next step in helping make it a reality.

The reform programme also includes:

• £70 million to assist local authorities and improve the delivery and standard of care.
• An increase to the upper limit of the Disabled Facilities Grant for home adaptations such as stairlifts, wetrooms and home technologies to allow people to live where they want to and increase the options for care.
• Up to £25 million to work with the sector to kickstart a change in the services provided to support unpaid carers, to boost support and increase access to respite services giving them much needed support and a break.
• A new national website to provide easily accessible information for the public on social care and at least £5 million to pilot new ways to help people understand and access the care and support available.

Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, Eddie Hughes MP said:

I’ve seen first-hand the benefits supported housing brings to those who need it and I’m thrilled this investment will mean even more people will have improved care and support.

The Disabled Facilities Grant is a lifeline for thousands of people, meaning they can live at home safely and independently.

This is just one of the ways this government is supporting the most vulnerable in our society, making sure they have a safe place to call home.

More details will be set out in due course as work continues to develop the plans set out in the white paper, with the support of all involved in the sector. Over the course of the three years further amounts from the £5.4billion will be distributed as the programme progresses.

No significant reform can be achieved by central government alone which is why this paper is the culmination of working with hundreds of organisations and individuals across social care to develop this vision for reform.

The department will continue working with a diverse group of stakeholders, including people who receive care and support as well as their carers as the vision develops.

• The Adult Social Care Reform White Paper is part of a wider set of mutually-reinforcing reforms including the Integration White Paper, the Health and Care Bill and reforms to the public health system.
• Further details on how the remainder of the £1.7 billion will be allocated over the three years will be confirmed in due course.
• Today also sees the launch of a new government campaign – Transforming Social Care – to help individuals and their families understand the reforms and how they will benefit from them.

Commissioners have been sent in to address serious financial and management failures at Slough Borough Council at the request of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities today (1 December 2021).

Local Government Minister Kemi Badenoch updated Parliament last month that the Department was minded to intervene in the council after an independent review uncovered a “deeply concerning picture of mismanagement, a breakdown in scrutiny and accountability, and a dysfunctional culture at Slough Borough Council”.

Residents and councillors have voiced their support for government intervention and the proposal to appoint commissioners. The council has also accepted the findings of the review and has agreed to work with commissioners to make real improvements to its services.

Local Government Minister Kemi Badenoch MP said:

There is overwhelming evidence that Slough Borough Council has failed its residents and it is necessary for government to intervene.

I have appointed experienced commissioners who will start the process of rebuilding confidence and trust between the council, councillors and the communities they serve.

The commissioners will be led by Max Caller CBE, who led the best value inspections at Northamptonshire and Liverpool Councils and was a commissioner at Tower Hamlets. He will be supported by finance commissioner Margaret Lee, former statutory finance officer at Essex County Council and member of the London Borough of Croydon Improvement and Assurance Panel.

The team will immediately take over several functions associated with financial management and governance after an independent review concluded the council was failing in its best value duty in these areas.

Lead Commissioner Max Caller CBE said:

We look forward to working with Slough Borough Council, both members and officers, to help the council come back to high-quality local government where they deliver best value for all their residents.

The review published in October, revealed the financial challenge the council faces, concluding that Slough cannot become financially sustainable without considerable government support.

These commissioners will play an important role in deciding Slough’s future, including the council’s request for exceptional financial support.

Max Caller CBE – led the Best Value Inspections at Northamptonshire and Liverpool and was a Commissioner at Tower Hamlets. Max is a former Chief Executive of the London Boroughs of Hackney and Barnet and former Chair of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Margaret Lee – recently retired from Essex County Council where she held the post of Executive Director for Corporate and Customer Services. As well as holding senior finance roles, including that of the Statutory S151, she was responsible for other support services such as legal and assurance services, procurement and the transformation support team. She is the finance lead on the Improvement and Assurance Panel for the London Borough of Croydon.   

Find more information on the timeline leading up to the intervention into Slough Borough Council.

The appointment letters for the commissioners, Directions and Explanatory Memorandum and the representation the council made in response to the proposal to intervene have all been published on GOV.UK today.

Commissioners will provide a first report within the next 3 months, with initial views and an assessment of whether they require further support.

Further reports will be provided every 6 months.

The commissioners will work collaboratively with the Children’s Services Commissioner, Trevor Doughty, to make sure that these vital services continue to be delivered effectively in line with the council’s statutory duties.

If you’re a trader, a number of things are changing from 1 January 2022. This information will help you get ready.

Customs declarations

You will no longer be able to delay making import customs declarations under the Staged Customs Controls rules that have applied during 2021. Most customers will have to make declarations and pay relevant tariffs at the point of import.

You should consider before 1 January 2022 how you are going to submit your customs declarations and pay any duties that are due. You can appoint an intermediary, such as a customs agent, to deal with your declarations on your behalf or you can submit them yourself.

Some businesses already have a ‘Simplified Declarations’ authorisation from HMRC that allows their goods to be released directly to a specified customs procedure without having to provide a full customs declaration at the point of release.

If you want to use Simplified Declarations, you’ll need authorisation to do so. It can take up to 60 calendar days to complete the checks needed for this and you will also need to have a Duty Deferment Account in place. Therefore a new application made now may not be authorised before 1 January 2022.

You must use the correct country code for the country of origin and the country of dispatch when you complete your customs declaration. For EU countries, the individual country code of the relevant member state should be used. The EU country code must not be used and will be removed from systems shortly.

Border controls

Ports and other border locations will be required to control goods moving Great Britain and the EU. This means that unless your goods have a valid declaration and have received customs clearance, they will not be able to be released into circulation, and in most cases will not be able to leave the port.

From 1 January 2022, your goods may be directed to an Inland Border Facility for documentary or physical checks if these checks cannot be done at the border.

It’s important that those involved in transporting your goods are ready and understand how you intend to operate from January 2022.

From 1 January 2022, you must also submit an “arrived” export declaration if your goods are moving through one of the border locations that uses the arrived exports process.

If you do not follow the correct process from 1 January 2022, the new systems will not permit your goods to leave the country and they will be turned away as they will not hold export clearance.

If you use a service such as a courier or freight forwarder to move your goods, you need to check their terms and conditions about who will make the declarations, and what other information they need from you to do this.

Rules of origin – for imports and exports

The UK’s deal with the EU, called the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), means that the goods you import or export may benefit from a reduced rate of Customs Duty (tariff preference). To use this, you need proof that the goods you:

• import from the EU originate there
• export to the EU originate in the UK

By ‘originate’ we mean where goods (or the materials, parts or ingredients used to make them) have been produced or manufactured. It is not where the goods have been shipped or bought from. Your goods will need to meet the product specific rules of origin requirements set out in the TCA.

UK and EU importers can claim tariff preference if they have one of the following proofs of origin:

• a statement on origin – this must be made out by the exporter to confirm that the product originates in the UK or EU
• the importer’s knowledge – this option allows the importer to claim tariff preference based on their own knowledge of where the goods they’re importing originate from

If you export goods to the EU and you provide the EU importer with a statement on origin, you may also need to have a supplier declaration in place. These are needed to confirm the origin of the goods you’re exporting when the manufacture alone is not enough to meet the product specific rules of origin.

Throughout 2021, you have been allowed to export goods to the EU using tariff preference and get supplier declarations afterwards, to give you more time. But from 1 January 2022 you must have supplier declarations (where required) at the time you export your goods.

If you cannot provide a supplier declaration to confirm the UK origin of goods you exported to the EU between 1 January and 31 December 2021, you must let your customer know.

If you’re subject to a request for verification by EU customs authorities and you can’t provide this supporting evidence, your EU customer will be liable to pay the full (non-preferential) rate of Customs Duty and we may also charge you a penalty.

Even if goods you import from the EU are eligible for tariff preference, normal VAT rules will still apply.

Postponed VAT Accounting

If you’re a VAT-registered importer, you can continue to use Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA) on all customs declarations that require you to account for import VAT, including supplementary declarations, except when HMRC have told you otherwise. PVA has already provided significant cash flow benefits for thousands of our customers, and we expect that most businesses will choose to use it.

Commodity codes

Commodity codes are used worldwide to classify goods that are imported and exported. They are standardised up to 6-digits and reviewed by the World Customs Organisation every 5 years. Following the end of the latest review, the UK codes will be changing on 1 January 2022.

You can also check the Trade Tariff news page.

Further changes from 1 July 2022

Further changes will be introduced from July 2022, which we’ll let you know more about nearer the time.

These will include:

• requirements for full safety and security declarations for all imports
• new requirements for Export Health Certificates
• requirements for Phytosanitary Certificates
• physical checks on sanitary and phytosanitary goods at Border Control Posts

• Local knowledge is being sought to help decide on the extension of Surrey Hills Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) boundaries
• Natural England is calling for everyone with an interest to contribute
• Whether you live in the Surrey Hills AONB, run a local business, enjoy visiting, care about landscapes and biodiversity, or represent an organisation – your evidence could be crucial in helping determine whether an extension is merited

The Surrey Hills is an iconic and beautiful landscape encompassing rare habitats, from chalk grassland to extensive ancient woodland and is enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors.

There has been a desire locally over many years for a review to decide whether additional areas adjacent to the existing AONB boundary should also be designated.

Earlier this year Natural England announced that the Surrey Hills AONB will be considered for boundary expansion.

A formal boundary review is now underway, which will consider the case for extending the existing AONB.

Members of the public are urged to take part and contribute to Natural England’s decision making process. This stage is a ‘call for evidence’ to gather a range of data and information in a structured way. This will help to address the specific technical requirements of the formal assessment process.

From today people can take part easily online, through a digital app and other means. Evidence provided by the public will help contribute to Natural England’s assessment of the natural beauty of the area. Also its decision whether other areas in the vicinity of the existing boundary should form part of an extended Surrey Hills AONB.

Allison Potts, Area Manager for Natural England, said:

It is very important that people who live in and around the Surrey Hills have the opportunity to participate in this review process. Your local knowledge is our starting point.

We are urging members of the public to help Natural England build evidence – to gather information about the natural beauty of the landscape. Also the condition, natural and cultural heritage, scenic qualities, relative wildness and tranquillity. Evidence that you provide for these factors could be particularly important for our assessments.

If further areas are added to the Surrey Hills AONB, this could bring many benefits for the area. This includes boosting nature’s recovery, giving more people the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful area and safeguarding a nationally important landscape for future generations.

An extension to the Surrey Hills AONB could help preserve the natural environment and rural heritage, promote tranquillity and give more opportunity to support people’s health and wellbeing through access to nature, on the doorstep of London.

Visit Surrey Hills to find out how you can help Natural England to decide.

• Natural England is government’s statutory advisor on landscapes in England, with duties and powers that include conserving and enhancing landscapes through the designation of National Parks and AONB.

• The decision whether to extend the Surrey Hills AONB will be made by Natural England’s Board, having undertaken the required assessments and considered the results of a statutory consultation. Which will follow this ‘call for evidence’ later in 2023.

• If a legal order extending the boundary of the Surrey Hills AONB is approved by the Board, it will not take effect until it is confirmed by the Secretary of State (Defra). Prior to making this decision, the Secretary of State has the power to call a Public Inquiry.

• The designation process is likely to take several years and will be a collaborative process working with the Surrey Hills AONB and local stakeholders.

• More detail about the Surrey Hills AONB can be found here on the website
• Visit Surrey Hills page to find out more about how to participate in providing evidence to support the assessments
• Further details about the proposed expansion can be found by visiting GOV.UK
• This area of landscape designation has been selected through an evidence-based shortlisting of proposals that have been made to Natural England over the last 10 years.
• This project is 1 of 4 areas that Secretary of State (Defra), George Eustice, announced in June that Natural England would be considering for designation, the others are:

An extension to the Chilterns AONB

To consider many special features including chalk streams, magnificent beechwoods, native woodland and wildflower-rich hills, bringing nature closer to populations in North London.

Cheshire Sandstone Ridge AONB

A diverse, distinctive, and celebrated landscape located in the heart of Cheshire, in close proximity to the large populations of North West England, rich in heritage, archaeology, wildlife and culture.

Yorkshire Wolds AONB

A tranquil landscape of rolling hills, valleys and open plateaux interspersed with ancient woodland, chalk streams, farm holdings and historic villages, extending north from the River Humber.