SOLACE
Swales to be next SOLACE president
The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) is expected to name Martin Swales as its next president.
Healing health is a local government issue
Prevention is better than cure, as health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has trumpeted all over the news this week, but his efforts were rewarded by 'a series of accusations over everything', writes Heather Jameson
Look at the Budget's fine print
It's the fine print in a Budget that needs the most careful attention, and it's time to ramp up further the campaign for local services, says Martin Reeves of SOLACE
Breaking the barriers
As Jo Miller’s presidency of SOLACE with its focus on equalities and women’s rights ends, Jessica Crowe reports from a recent workshop on the best way to continue making progress
Diversity matters
Ann McGauran reveals the findings of a report that shows England’s local authorities still have some distance to go before their leadership teams truly reflect their local populations.
Dawes invites tourism tax call
Marsham Street has given its clearest indication yet that it could be open to considering council calls for a tourism tax.
SOLACE Summit: Commercialisation crackdown warning
A senior civil servant has warned councils the Government could crack down if commercialisation trends continue.
SOLACE Summit: CIPFA to seek compromise over resilience index
The controversial proposed financial resilience index is likely to be a ‘compromise’ between critics who believe it is unhelpful and supporters who welcome its timing, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) chief executive Rob Whiteman.
SOLACE: 'It's no way to run a country,' says Miller
The current state of public finances are ‘no way to run a country,’ SOLACE president Jo Miller told council chiefs at their annual conference.
SOLACE Summit: Miller calls for social value approach change
Council chief executives have heard a rallying cry for them to bring their influence to bear on increasing social value’s role in procurement.
SOLACE Summit: Councils are at back of austerity queue
Councils are at the ‘end of the queue’ when it comes to receiving funding from the Treasury, the chief executive of Brighton & Hove Council has said.
Promises, promises – and election pledges
The IFS Green Budget – its pre-Budget financial briefing – is always an interesting read, says Heather Jameson. The conclusion is, the Government can’t keep all of its promises
A sticking plaster on social care?
Health secretary Matt Hancock’s social care cash announcement at the Conservative Party conference was overshadowed by the Prime Minister’s housing announcements, but Ann McGauran asks if it goes far enough
Positive powers amid adversity
Local government chiefs say budget cuts, managing citizen expectations and the reducing workforce are the top three challenges they face. Dan Peters reports on our The MJ/SOLACE survey
Taking solace in SOLACE
Being a public service leader has never been more difficult, according to Jo Miller, who – in the build up to this week’s Society of Local Authority Chief Executives conference – says that strong leadership is as important and rewarding as ever
SOLACE 2018
Catch up with all our coverage from last week's annual SOLACE summit in Brighton here.
EXCLUSIVE: Chiefs warning to May if austerity not lifted
More councils face scaling back services to a minimum statutory offer if prime minister Theresa May reneges on her promise of ‘better times ahead,’ local authority chief executives have warned.
Bradley praises council efforts in 'challenging landscape'
Northern Ireland’s secretary of state today emphasised her commitment to restoring devolution and praised the effort made by local government in drawing up City Deals.
Future shocks
It is our job as public service leaders to be ambitious for our places and optimistic about their future, even though local government is going through very tough times, writes Gavin Jones
Learning from the emergency life cycle
When it comes to emergency response there are ‘no second chances’ says Stephen Baker of SOLACE. The organisation has linked up with the LGA to launch a new guide to learning throughout the life cycle of emergencies