Improvement
Two more council partnerships scrapped
Two more council partnerships have been scrapped, it has emerged.
Pride in Plymouth puts the city on top
Plymouth City Council’s ambition, community engagement and effective partnership working earned it The MJ’s Local Authority of the Year award. Michael Burton reports.
Shortcomings revealed in second child murder case
A second court case in a month has revealed serious shortcomings in how local agencies responded to allegations of abuse shortly before a child’s murder.
Commissioners sent in to struggling Slough
The Government has sent commissioners in to struggling Slough Council in a bid to turn around its failing finances.
Liverpool 'fails to grasp' the significance of intervention, commissioners claim
Liverpool City Council’s intervention team found a lack of competence and capacity, and a failure by senior officers to grasp the seriousness of the situation, their first letter detailing their progress said.
LGA insists in-person peer reviews will continue for now
Local Government Association (LGA) peer reviews will continue to be held in person despite a call for them to switch back to virtual delivery.
Doubt over future of 75% rates retention under Gove
New local government secretary Michael Gove has indicated that 75% business rates retention could be a casualty of levelling up plans.
Councils told to face up to financial challenges
Local authorities urged to face up to the tough financial decisions in wake of Wirral and Peterborough reviews.
Commissioners to monitor Slough improvement plan
Mismanagement and a dysfunctional culture contributed to Slough Council’s financial meltdown, two Government-ordered reviews have concluded.
Liverpool to spend £12m to fund improvements
Liverpool City Council has approved nearly £12m in funding for improvement, following its intervention.
‘Tough decisions’ for Peterborough
Peterborough City Council faces ‘tough decisions’ to get a grip on its finances, according to a peer challenge report.
Ombudsman: Care system failing to deliver
Funding problems rather than individual errors explain a ‘relentless rise’ in the proportion of social care complaints upheld by the local government ombudsman, the watchdog has said.
Advisers brought in to boost Liverpool governance
Two independent advisers have been co-opted onto Liverpool City Council’s audit committee in a bid to strengthen the authority’s governance.
Peers find 'strong and effective leadership' at council
Telford & Wrekin Council has ‘strong and effective’ political and managerial leadership, Local Government Association peers have found.
Dissecting dysfunction
Could anything have been done by the sector or the Government to draw Croydon back from downfall? Dan Peters speaks to leader Cllr Hamida Ali and chief executive Katherine Kerswell.
MHCLG defends choice of Croydon improvement panel
The Government has defended choosing an all-white improvement panel for a council where more than half the population is black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME).
PwC to help Nottingham transformation vision
Nottingham City Council will pay consultancy PwC £400,000 to help draw up its ‘vision for what it wishes to achieve through transformation’.
Birmingham faces intervention on SEND
Birmingham City Council faces a further intervention after a damning Ofsted report revealed it was not making progress.
LGA boosts finance help
Local authority leaders have laid out a raft of changes aimed at helping councils become more financially sustainable and resilient in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brum finances dubbed 'exemplary'
Birmingham City Council – which was once on the brink of financial collapse – has been praised for improvements in its financial management.
