Spending Review returns have now been submitted and we await the trick or treat outcome, just ahead of Halloween. Rather than the usual reams of asks as part of the submission, I found myself in an almost state of panic this year regarding the implications of the Government's Build Back Better plan and the potential lack of understanding, particularly by the public, on what it achieves.

The reason for my panic was confirmed in a recent management team meeting when one of the corporate directors said, ‘well won't the new social care funding meet the anticipated increase in cost of adult services next year?' Silent screeches like a scene from a Halloween horror film emanated from me. And if senior officers are struggling to comprehend the new funding regime, how are our residents going to understand?