Becoming leaders
Democracy, decision-making and good governance are strengthened when councillors reflect the people they seek to serve and represent.
Pandemic leaves ‘legacy of abuse’
School closures during the first national lockdown left local authorities with a “legacy of abuse and neglect” to respond to.
Provisional finance settlement published
Last month’s provisional finance settlement has been published – and sees new funding for adult and children’s social care.
Making it count
The national census provides crucial data that helps inform the work of local authorities, and councillors have a key role to play in encouraging residents to take part.
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.