The MJ - your free ebook
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we want to do all we can to support you, so we will provide The MJ as an enhanced ebook here every Thursday, completely free, for the duration of the crisis.
News
Two million requests for care rejected in two years
Two million requests for care have been turned down by councils since Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to 'fix social care,' new research has revealed today.
County poised to reject £15m grant
Senior Leicestershire CC councillors are poised to turn down £15m of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) cash because the project represents ‘too great a financial risk’.
Lincolnshire districts join forces in new partnership
Three Lincolnshire district councils have announced they will form a new strategic partnership.
Government to impose new air pollution targets
The Government will increase funding to local authorities and impose new legal targets on air pollution in a bid to prevent further deaths.
Virtual meetings have boosted local democracy, survey finds
Nine in 10 councils believe local democracy has improved as a direct result of online council meetings, a survey has found.
Children's social care a 'Jenga held together with Sellotape,' says damning review
The children's social care system is too focused on investigating families rather than providing them with support, according to an independent review of services.
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Opinion
What next for the social care market?
Martin Samuels sets out five principles we can draw on in creating a sustainable market in social care, and says we must not allow fear to stop us moving forward.
Organisations need wellbeing too
IMPOWER’s resilience framework – produced in conjunction with eight councils and the County Councils’ Network – looks at how workforces can adapt to disruption ranging from small events to the largest crisis in decades. Jon Ainger explains.
Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
Time to get serious about air quality
When it comes to air quality it is local authorities’ duty to go above and beyond simple compliance, says Mark Nichols.
The levelling up White Paper must have proposals to match counties' ambitions
CCN’s member councils are putting in train ambitious place-based economic recovery plans, 'but they remain stunted by a lack of devolved powers available to metro mayors as well as significantly less funding', says Simon Edwards.
Squeezing the balloon
Resources for social care are down and demand is pent up and rising says Iain MacBeath, but now must be the time to realise people’s ambitions for more flexible personalised support.
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Best Practice
Finding local solutions to the challenges ahead
Councils are uniquely placed to convene and work with local and national partners to address the jobs and skills challenge as the economy opens up, says Sir Richard Leese.
Analysis
Keeping children in sight
Last week allegations of ill-treatment at a children’s home in Cardiff were in the spotlight. Dan Peters talks to sector experts about whether the system of inspection is failing.
Private sector
Are you missing out on the re-sale revolution?
Finlo Corrin of Liquidity Services looks at why online marketplaces deliver higher returns from surplus assets.
Can local authorities still drive town and city centre regeneration?
Incentives such as the Levelling Up funding, combined with the long-term risk of falling business rates means that the potential, and need, for bold change cannot be ignored, says Jonathan Allen of Browne Jacobson.
Reflection on the year gone for iESE and the challenges ahead
Chief executive of iESE Dr Andrew Larner looks back on an unusual year, and highlights the creation of the next generation of care records management as a significant task for the year ahead.
