Nursery closures threaten free childcare
Nearly nine in 10 councils fear that nursery closures will undermine capacity ahead of the extension of the 30-hours free childcare scheme, research for the LGA shows.
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‘Ban single-use vapes’ – LGA
Single-use vapes should be banned on environmental and health grounds, councils and the LGA have said for the first time.
Call for ‘step change’ in council housebuilding
Every area in England should be handed a new local housing deal by 2025 that combines funding from multiple national housing programmes into a single pot to spark a “generational step change” in council housebuilding.
Four-day working week ‘on trial’
Councils should be free to pilot innovative solutions to local challenges, the LGA has said, in response to ministerial demands for a council to abandon its trial of a four-day working week.
‘Scrap single-word ratings for adult social care’
Plans to introduce ‘single word’ inspection ratings for adult social care services should be dropped, as they set local councils up “to fail”.
‘System reset’ to tackle audit backlog
A ‘system reset’ of local audit has been proposed by the Government to tackle the backlog of unaudited accounts dating back up to seven years.
Wider benefits of adult learning recognised
The Government has reversed its decision to focus adult education courses in England purely on employment outcomes, which could have resulted in courses such as family learning and household budgeting being cut.
Gove promises simpler funding system
A plan to simplify aspects of the funding landscape for councils and tackle multiple funding pots for local growth was announced at the LGA’s annual conference in July.
Labour focuses on housing and devolution
Labour will “take the housing crisis head on” and deliver on devolution if it forms the next government.
‘Devo requires change in mindset’
A change in mindset and culture in Whitehall and Westminster is needed for councils to get real devolution, according to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.