Future Forum
Tackling homelessness
Homelessness is piling pressure on squeezed council budgets. The MJ and the National Audit Office teamed up to bring council chief executives and senior managers together in Manchester to get under the skin of the issue. Paul Marinko reports.
Levelling up’s showbiz touch
Last week’s Chanel fashion spectacle in Manchester was a global triumph for the city, but addressing regional inequalities still remains a huge challenge for the next Government, says Michael Burton.
Future Forum North: Crises require 'vision for the future'
The challenges facing the local government sector shouldn’t be a barrier to recruiting senior officers, The MJ Future Forum North has heard.
Future Forum North: Redmond urges faster audit reform
Sir Tony Redmond said reforms should be introduced more quickly to resolve the crisis in local audit.
Future Forum North: Dispelling AI ‘doom and gloom’
A call was made to shift the focus of the artificial intelligence (AI) debate to its potential benefits, rather than ‘doomsday scenarios’ at the MJ Future Forum North.
Future Forum North: 'Move Oflog out of London for independence'
If the new Office for Local Government (Oflog) wants to demonstrate its independence it should moved out of London.
Future Forum North: Questions over sector regulation
Questions have been raised about the role of regulation in the local government sector at the MJ Future Forum North.
Future Forum North: Councils need to be ‘part of the solution’
The local government sector must take a role in finding long-term solutions to the challenges facing the country.
Future Forum North: Monitoring officers need ‘seat at top table’
More work is needed to bolster the role of the monitoring officer in councils, the MJ Future Forum North has heard.
Future Forum: Budget blow to recruitment
The Budget fallout could further deter people from the most senior roles in local government, an expert has suggested.
Future Forum: Stop staff feeling alone, says IMPOWER
Council chiefs need to limit the sense of isolation and risk of failure for their teams when encouraging them to be ambitious and drive change, The MJ's Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: Workforce crisis may stop us in our tracks
The workforce crisis facing local government is the ‘big one that will stop us all in our tracks,’ the president of senior officers’ group Solace has warned.
Future Forum: ICSs yet to reach full potential
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are not yet reaching their full potential, The MJ's Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: We've had to do it ourselves
A chief executive whose council has repeatedly lost out bidding for levelling up funds has told how her authority has had to ‘do it ourselves’.
Future Forum: Chief recruitment challenges increase
Difficulties in recruitment for top council roles have continued to mount in recent months, The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: Get the fundamentals right to avoid Government inspectors
Councils should ‘get the fundamentals right’ to avoid central Government inspectors calling, a top council lawyer has said.
Future Forum: Social value can survive austerity
Securing social value in contracts is made more difficult in times of austerity but is still achievable, The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: Chief calls for more shadowing
A former senior civil servant turned council chief executive has called for more shadowing between the two.
Future Forum North: NHS shouldn't be afraid of local politics
The Local Government Association’s deputy chief executive has told the NHS not to be afraid of the local politics as integrated care systems (ICS) develop.
Future Forum North: Build individual relationships with mandarins
Councils need to build individual relationships with Whitehall civil servants if they want to achieve positive outcomes, a former senior mandarin has advised.