Budgets
Norfolk and Essex face multi-million pound funding gaps
Norfolk CC’s leader met local government minister Rishi Sunak as his authority attempts to close a budget gap of £40m next year.
Salford strides ahead on integration
Charlotte Ramsden says almost 20 years of integrated working by Salford City Council and Salford CCG is delivering better outcomes - and the majority of children's services are now included in the pooled health and care fund.
Pooling funds is a better use of resources
Jill Penn is moving to a new finance role at the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk. She says what we do impacts on the same residents, so working together is better than arguing about the proportion of the cash you're getting.
Tackle the producers of plastics first
The Government is consulting on consistency in household and business waste recycling collections. But Paul Shevlin asks if the numbers stack up, in resource and environmental terms.
Committing to youth wellbeing
Councils are being ‘forced to divert the limited funding they have left away from preventative work. But with levels of knife crime rising, will the Government put more money into targeted youth services responses? Ann McGauran reports
We need sustainable funding
We are lurching towards schemes where we can deliver something good or extra just because there is a new 'one-off' pot of cash that can be exploited, says Adele Taylor.
Mr Benn and the rise of the super directorate
It is clear the role of chief officer is rapidly being reframed - and they often find themselves in a Mr Benn-like world, according to Paul O'Brien.
Halting knife crime is a multi-agency endeavour
Rachel Dickinson says much greater investment is needed in children and young people if we are to make a difference to levels of knife crime - and treating serious youth violence as a public health issue makes absolute sense.
Making progress in Powys
An inspection revealing child protection processes at Powys CC were not good enough came as a ‘hard knock’, says leader Rosemarie Harris. She talks to Dan Peters about the council’s continuing improvement journey.
Resourcing councils to prevent homelessness
Senior council politicians and officers do not feel they have adequate funding to fulfil their statutory duties under the new Homelessness Reduction Act, says Trinley Walker.
We need the widest possible look at council finances
The MHCLG review of the money councils get is welcome - but we need a wider look at local authorities' responsibilities and funding from across Government departments, argues Gary Fielding.
Call for regulator to manage increasing commercial activity
A code to guarantee the soundness of the sector’s plans as commercial activity gathers momentum has now become necessary, a new report has suggested.
South Yorkshire devolution deadlock broken
The years-long devolution stalemate in south Yorkshire has finally been resolved.
Northamptonshire to request early years budget deadline extension
Northamptonshire CC is to miss the deadline for setting its early years block budget after U-turning on proposed cuts.
Local government employment down 2%
Local government employment has fallen by 2% over the last year, new figures have shown.
Councils agree to ramp up efforts to tackle children's services pressures
Local authorities in London have agreed to intensify their efforts to tackle the increasing financial pressures on children’s services.
Surrey parents lose SEND budget legal battle
Surrey CC has fended off a legal challenge to its budget for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Measuring the effectiveness of scrutiny in Herts through outcomes and the impact on residents
Cllrs David Andrews and Seamus Quilty outline how Hertfordshire CC's two scrutiny committees take a 'proactive, curious and forensic' approach that also involves officers on the council's graduate scheme in the process.
Let's trial fiscal devolution in areas like Westminster
Westminister has seen England's biggest fall in children's services budgets since 2010. Cllr Heather Acton says the council has had to be creative and think differently about ways of providing care and support to families.
Hungry kids and foodbanks could become 'normal'
Children arriving at school hungry and families queuing up at foodbanks ‘could become part of the wallpaper’ of everyday life, the president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has warned.