County Councillors have confirmed their commitment to ensuring ongoing support for people with learning disabilities and their families, following changes to how the council works with the NHS in Cambridgeshire.
This reassurance — that a plan is in place and high-quality adult social care from the council will continue —was given by the Adults and Health Committee last week and further reinforced by the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee, at their meeting today, Tuesday 11 March 2025.
The Learning Disability Partnership (LDP), which has provided integrated health and social care support for adults with learning disabilities in Cambridgeshire, will be formally dissolved from 1 April 2025.
Councillors are calling on local health partners to fully share information about the arrangements for NHS funded support from April 2025 and to ensure complete continuity of care from the NHS for people currently receiving services, to match those commitments already made by the council.
The Council and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board (ICB) are continuing discussions on how to work together to maintain services across the county. However, discussions are ongoing about payments owed for the services provided by the council, including historical debts. There still remains an opportunity to reach an agreement before entering formal legal mediation, and the council hopes for a constructive resolution that benefits all involved, particularly those who rely on these important services.
County councillors have raised concerns about this service separation and the associated financial issues, which has been formally escalated as a corporate risk by the council. Reports presented to the Adults and Health Committee, and the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee, have highlighted the potential impact of these unresolved issues, and the council continues to press for a resolution.
Councillor Richard Howitt, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Adults and Health Committee, said: "We want to reassure the people that rely on council services and their families, that our priority is to ensure care and support for those people with a learning disability continues without disruption. We have a plan in place and our teams are fully funded. People will continue to receive the support they need.
“We will be contacting all service users and their families again soon, with further information. While this is a challenging transition, we remain committed to working in partnership and seeking opportunities for collaboration to deliver the best possible support for people with learning disabilities.
“The Learning Disability Partnership will come to an end on the 1 April, despite the Council's best efforts to preserve an integrated service at every stage. While we respect our health partners in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board (ICB) and acknowledge the financial pressures they face, there remains an unresolved dispute over historical debt owed to the council. We hope this can be settled swiftly to ensure focus remains on delivering care. I also urge the ICB to provide clear communication on how health-funded services will be managed to avoid uncertainty for service users and their families. To prevent unnecessary escalation, I call on the ICB to work with us to resolve this debt before the need for mediation, so we can move forward in a spirit of cooperation and prioritise those who rely on these services."
This transition follows the council’s decision to end the current Section 75 agreement, which previously governed the partnership’s pooled budget arrangements, due to the shared funding contributions between the Council and the NHS not being met. To mitigate the potential risks, the council has put in place robust actions, including restating its own commitment towards strong collaboration with service providers and the NHS.
