Improvement

Latest Improvement

POLICY AND POLITICS

Lack of transparency blamed for Best Value 'mistrust'

By Joe Lepper | 24 March 2026

A lack of transparency in the Best Value system has ‘led to mistrust’ among councils around the Government’s reasons for intervening, Whitehall researchers have warned.

POLICY AND POLITICS

Capacity warning to Cornwall over strategic authority move

By Joe Lepper | 23 March 2026

A corporate peer challenge review has issued a capacity warning to Cornwall Council as it looks t...

SEND

Croydon pledge after SEND overspend

By Joe Lepper | 16 March 2026

Croydon LBC has pledged to tackle a raft of problems highlighted in a review into its £16.7m over...

Recruitment challenges restricting pace of Sandwell improvement, peers find

By Joe Lepper | 13 March 2026

Recruitment challenges are hindering continued improvement at Sandwell Council, a Local Governmen...

FINANCE

Fresh finance structure for Gloucester after auditor intervention

By Dan Peters | 05 March 2026

Gloucester City Council has proposed a fresh structure for an expanded finance team after its ext...

IMPROVEMENT

London borough urged to shout about achievements

By Neil Merrick | 02 March 2026

A London borough has been told the shout more loudly about its achievements and prospects so as t...

PERFORMANCE

From outputs to outcomes

By Tony Munton | 17 February 2026

Responding to the publication of the Local Outcomes Framework, Dr Tony Munton says the approach i...

PERFORMANCE

The local outcomes framework comes with risks

By Ian Miller | 17 February 2026

Ian Miller says the local outcomes framework is a tool to allow Whitehall to intervene and he is ...

PERFORMANCE

Is it time to inspect homelessness?

By Jack Shaw | 11 February 2026

The Government is already laying much of the groundwork for an ‘Ofsted for homelessness’, says Ja...

IMPROVEMENT

EXCLUSIVE: £1.6m bill for intervention support

By Dan Peters | 10 February 2026

Councils under Government intervention have shelled out more than £1.6m on staff and consultants ...

FINANCE

Councils' unaudited accounts remain 'a cautionary tale', NAO chief will say

By Ann McGauran | 10 February 2026

Backlogs of unaudited accounts mean English local government ‘remains a cautionary tale’, the hea...