The Editorial Team 
The LGA has urged the Government’s review of children’s social care to consider the impact of increasing private equity and stock market involvement in the system, after publishing new research that shows the six largest independent providers of placements made £219 million in profit last year.
The Government has said it will update its housing need formula to meet its target of building 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.
Councillors have a vital advocacy role in making their local adult and community education services the best they can be.
The Government is to review its programmes supporting youth services in the spring, after announcing £100 million to deliver the National Citizen Service and invest in youth services in last month’s Spending Review.
The Chancellor has decided to only conduct a one-year Spending Review in order to prioritise the response to COVID-19, and focus on immediate support to create jobs.
Eight in 10 MPs say councils should have more financial freedoms and powers to build homes in their area and 72 per cent say they should have more control over local taxes, according to exclusive LGA polling by Savanta ComRes.
A grant scheme that provides support with food and bills for vulnerable households during the pandemic has been extended.
The LGA is supporting a legal challenge to a decision not to extend emergency legislation on virtual council meetings, calling it “extremely disappointing”.
Social care providers were left exposed by a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) because of the Government’s decision to prioritise hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic, a report by the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee says.
The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a cross-party call from politicians and researchers for an overarching national plan to tackle child poverty.