Change ‘urgently required’ to fire services
Fire and rescue services in England are improving, but more change is urgently required, according to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services’ ‘State of fire’ report.
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Winter package to protect social care
A £300 million fund to help recruit and reward social care workers, alongside extra support for the vaccination booster programme to protect the vulnerable and those providing care, was announced before Christmas as part of a new winter support package for the care sector.
Honours for LGA leaders
The LGA’s chairman and chief executive are among the local government recipients of New Year Honours.
Private rented housing ‘converted to Airbnbs’
Councils are warning of a growing crisis in the private rented housing sector, with a sharp rise in landlords selling up or converting their properties into Airbnbs.
Four in five parents worried about county lines
More than 80 per cent of parents and carers are concerned about ‘county lines’ in their local areas, according to a survey conducted on behalf of The Children’s Society.
Care services dominate spending
Children’s and adult social care services could fail to support everyone they need to, despite making up nearly two-thirds of councils’ total spending, because of rising demand, increasing costs and inadequate funding.
Councils ‘can help create 700,000 green jobs’
Nearly 700,000 new ‘green’ jobs could be created by 2030 if councils are given a greater role in local job creation, the LGA has said.
‘Invest in bus services to hit net zero’
Investment in bus services is urgently needed if councils are to reduce car journeys, lower carbon emissions and help the UK work towards its net zero goal by 2050 or earlier.
Local authorities told to take asylum-seeking children
All councils with children’s services will be mandated to care for some of the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving in the UK.
More funding for councils
Councils will receive new government grant funding totalling £4.8 billion over the next three years, courtesy of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s recent Spending Review and Budget announcements.