Frustrated county councillors have agreed to write to the government and urge it to unveil long-awaited proposals for adult social care reform – as services across the country hit tipping-point.

Last year government announced it would publish a green paper on care and support for the elderly by summer 2018 – however the plans failed to surface before parliamentary recess.

The consultation document is expected to set out ideas for the long-awaited reform of services across England and will encourage people inside and outside parliament to provide feedback.

At a meeting on Thursday, September 20, Bucks County Council (BCC) unanimously supported a motion to write to the government and urge it to publish the paper.

BCC will also request a “range of credible options” for improving resourcing within adult social care and will ask the government to “acknowledge the unique and invaluable position” of local government in delivering social care together with the NHS.

Leader, Martin Tett, said rising budget pressures is “an existential threat to this council and others in the country”, adding the need for change is “urgent.”

He said: “When you look at the pressures that councils like ourselves face, children’s and adult social care are swallowing up the rest of our budgets for all the other services we provide like waste collection, highways, libraries, and so on.

“Fundamentally, there has to be more money in the system and it’s got to come from somewhere.

“I don’t underestimate how difficult this is, but this is now urgent. This is about real people and how their lives are being impacted and I urge the government to act quickly.”

In July the Local Government Association (LGA) launched its own nationwide consultation on adult social care services in order to kick-start “a desperately needed debate” on the issue.

Deputy chief executive of the LGA, Sarah Pickup, addressed the meeting, stating: “The continued absence of a sustainable, long-term solution has brought care and support to breaking point.”

BCC’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Lin Hazell, said: “What we need from government is the support to deliver adult social care.

“We need to understand the direction of travel as we continue to deliver these services and set our budgets.

“We need to know how we will be managing things for the future.”

Councillors unanimously approved the motion.