‘Unanswered questions’ on SEND deficits – MPs
MPs have warned that the Government’s SEND reforms have left “unanswered questions” on home-to-school transport and council deficits.
Ombudsman highlights planning enforcement delays
Complaints about planning enforcement are increasing and some councils are taking years to resolve cases, according to a new report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Funding increase for public health
Local authority allocations for the 2026/27 public health grant have been confirmed by the Government at £4.4 billion, a real-terms funding increase.
Adult social care ‘faces a reckoning’
The Government is to establish a national safeguarding board and accelerate dementia trials in response to some “simple asks” from Baroness Louise Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission into Adult Social Care.
Supporting historic buildings
Meeting housing, climate and placemaking goals requires a broader focus than new build alone, including the reuse and retrofit of historic buildings.
Improving cancer diagnosis and survival
Councils influence many of the social, economic and environmental factors that determine cancer outcomes.
A turning point for local government funding
Over the past 15 years, councils representing the most deprived communities have faced devastating real-term cuts in funding.