Increase in public health grants
The Government has said its public health grant allocations to councils, published in February, will deliver a real-terms increase of more than 4 per cent over 2023/24 and 2024/25.
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Pavement parking ban ‘should be extended’
Powers to ban pavement parking should be extended across England to make streets safer, councils have said.
Operations for children’s rotten teeth up 17%
There were more than 31,000 hospital operations last year to remove rotten teeth in children and teenagers – equating to 119 per working day, according to new official figures.
Suicide prevention projects are ‘lifeline’
The ending of funding for suicide prevention projects could have “life or death consequences” in some areas, the LGA has warned.
Additional funding announced for social care
Councils in England are to receive an extra £600 million in the financial year 2024/25, of which £500 million will be for adult and children’s social care services.
‘Extend support for vulnerable households’ – LGA
The LGA is calling on the Government to extend the Household Support Fund, amid warnings that six million of the poorest people in the UK would need to more than double their income to escape poverty.
‘Unprecedented’ demand on sexual health services
Sexual health services are reaching breaking point, with more than two-thirds of council areas seeing increased rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis since 2017, the LGA has warned.
‘Wraparound’ care a struggle for councils
Local authorities are struggling with the delivery of ‘wraparound’ childcare amid significant funding and staff recruitment challenges, says an LGA-commissioned report.
Ministers press councils on reserves
The LGA has warned that reserves “can only be spent once” in response to calls from ministers for councils to use them in response to current funding pressures.
First workforce pathway for care staff
The Government has announced a new ‘care workforce pathway’, providing the first national career structure for adult social care staff.