NOT a day goes by when we don’t hear a story about a council service on the brink of collapse. From the outsourcing disaster at Northamptonshire County Council to the recent damning report on the state of children’s social care by the Care Crisis Review, there is growing concern that the future of councils is at risk.

Yet all too often the human cost of cuts, and the price that individuals in communities across the country are paying, are hidden beneath the statistics.

At the beginning of our conference week, Unison published the results of a survey of over 21,000 people working in local councils across Britain. It highlighted in very stark terms indeed the human cost of these cuts on us all, and on our local communities.

There is not a single area of local authority services that haven’t felt the impact of these harsh and brutal cuts to local councils since 2010.

Not only do they affect the lives of the people working in councils — loyal, proud public servants who just want to deliver for the general public — but they also hit the lives of the elderly, of children, of those in council housing, of those at risk or experiencing domestic abuse.

It means social work assessments are not delivered for months, deadlines to help children or young people in need are not being met, and staff are having to firefight all the time and aren’t giving families the support they need.

It also means staff working in administrative roles struggle to answer phone calls from customers because the sheer number of calls exceeds their much reduced capacity.

Local residents no longer receive personalised support, with the vulnerable no longer able to get help with filling out forms to access support services.

In some areas night noise patrols are either non-existent or have been significantly reduced, grass in parks and playing fields is going uncut, streets are unswept, and there are delays to fly tipping being dealt with.

Refuse collection workers report that bin rounds can’t be completed, environmental health officers describe being unable to monitor food safety to the standard required. Dog wardens don’t have the capacity to respond to public complaints.

Only one in 10 council workers is confident vulnerable residents are safe and cared for. From cuts in housing support, to the removal of consumer advice services or cuts to social services that help vulnerable people manage their tenancies — the lack of funding in this area is putting people at risk.

Children are growing up in local areas where libraries are no longer a key element of their development. With libraries cut, children’s activities simply aren’t happening and staff are unable to do the work that they used to do.

All this evidence proves beyond doubt that there’s an overwhelming case for councils to be funded properly.

Unison is calling for more money for local government in the Autumn Budget, both through increased business rates retention and new money being made available.

Nearly eight in 10 workers in local councils aren’t confident about the future of local services. The message is clear. Without additional funding, communities will continue to suffer.

The human cost of cuts to councils is all too real and this government has the power to change it.

Dave Prentis is general secretary of Unison.