Spending Review: cash pressures remain
Amid gloomy economic forecasts, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled his Spending Review, which he said aimed to “protect the public services most affected by coronavirus”.
LGA: ‘Restore £1.7 billion early intervention funding’
The LGA has called for £1.7 billion in government cuts to early intervention funding to be reversed, as councils prepare for a surge in demand for support for children and young people who have “disappeared” during the pandemic.
Fragmented funding ‘adds up to poor VFM’
English councils received at least 448 individual government grants between 2015/16 to 2018/19 in an increasingly “fragmented and reactive” use of public funding, a new LGA study reveals.
Lack of clarity on tier system
Many in local government welcomed the announcement of the new tier system a few weeks ago, hoping that it would bring simplicity and clarity to councils, residents and businesses subject to restrictions.
Funding for early help ‘critical’
As we re-enter a difficult period of rising COVID-19 infections, it’s a good time to look back at what lessons we can learn from the first wave of coronavirus for the delivery of services to vulnerable children and families.
Child victims of domestic abuse
The new Domestic Abuse Act 2021 legally recognises children as victims. We now need to make sure that this translates into meaningful change in the way we support these children.
A blue recovery
For someone working in conservation, the pandemic – with its close links to the destruction of our natural environment – can prompt despair at the years of ignored warnings.
Short-termism ‘hampering’ adult social care
Short-term funding and the lack of a long-term vision for adult social care have hampered local authorities’ ability to innovate and plan for the future, according to a report by the National Audit Office.
Jobs on the line
Local government has a crucial role to play in jobs and skills recovery after the pandemic.