The Editorial Team 
Councils in England face a £2 billion funding gap in the current financial year and could be forced to cut services if the Government does not meet the cost of soaring COVID-19 spending, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.
Weight-related stigmas need tackling to help prevent rising levels of obesity from having a significant impact on demand and cost pressures in adult social care, the LGA has warned in a new report.
People’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of recovery planning, the LGA has said in a new joint report with the Centre for Mental Health.
Councils are very supportive of the approach of helping each other to improve their performance, according to an independent report.
The Government has published a series of proposals for overhauling the planning system.
Snapchat and ‘community ambassadors’ are helping councils communicate public health messages about COVID-19 to local residents.
The NHS Test and Trace system in England will cut 6,000 staff by the end of August, with the remaining contact tracers working alongside councils’ public health teams to reach more infected people and their contacts in communities, the Government has announced.
The LGA has reiterated the need for new homes to be delivered through a planning system “with public participation at its heart”, after the Government announced proposals to reform the way the country builds.
The LGA has called for councils to be given tougher licensing powers to close down pubs and other licensed premises that are not following COVID-19 safety guidelines.
The LGA’s sector-led improvement offer has helped support improvements to local leadership of children’s services in England.