Third sector
Conservative Street in housing benefits freeze call
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called on his own party to reduce homelessness by reversing the housing benefits freeze.
Combined strategy call to tackle homelessness
The Government should commit to a coherent combined housing and homelessness strategy, a report published today by a commission of experts has urged after a year-long investigation.
EXCLUSIVE: New protocol to ease council tensions
A protocol encouraging best practice between councils will be drawn up by the Local Government Association (LGA) as tensions grow around increasing out of area placements, The MJ understands.
Government homelessness funding 'not enough'
Two out of three councils do not think £73m Government funding to help them fulfil their statutory duty to prevent homelessness is enough, a survey has found.
Charities find children's 'cuts hotspots'
Per capita funding for children’s services has fallen by more than 30% since 2010, with London boroughs suffering the most savage cuts, children’s charities have warned.
Charities attack mental capacity reforms
Liberty and 11 disability groups led by Mind have attacked the Government’s bill aimed at reforming deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS).
Hancock praises over-40s tax
A tax increase for the over-40s could be introduced to bridge the adult social care spending gap after the health secretary praised the idea.
Council buys company in £17.5m deal
Shetland Islands Council has bought a property investment and development company for just under £17.5m.
Why civil society matters
A strong civil society is key to the social capital, as Dan Corry explains, and councils should ensure they are doing their best to support it.
Furious LGA attacks Universal Support decision
Smith Square has penned a stinging rebuke to a senior civil servant over Whitehall’s shock decision to strip responsibility for Universal Support from councils.
Councils take 'superficial' role in Civil Society Strategy
The Government has been accused of side-lining councils in its Civil Society Strategy.
Government urged to halt voter ID
Ministers have come under renewed pressure to halt plans to expand compulsory voter ID pilots.
Working homeless figures soar
The number of families described as ‘working homeless’ has soared over the past five years, housing charity Shelter has warned.
Funding fail for information sharing crack team
A ‘crack team’ launched to improve information sharing across the public sector has announced it is scaling back its work after failing to secure funding.
Rotherham apologises for misleading whistle-blower
Rotherham MBC has issued a formal apology to child sexual abuse whistle-blower Jayne Senior after officials misled her during an internal investigation.
Can community cure the loneliness epidemic?
Graham Duxbury argues that the voluntary sector is central to addressing isolation and loneliness.
Empowering your residents
Authorities can empower residents by changing behaviour and enlisting support for that change when service providers and volunteers in communities come together, writes Maxine Moar.
Government has 'underestimated' children's centre closures
As many as 1,000 Sure Start children’s centres could have closed in the last eight years - double the amount estimated by the Government - new research has found.
Making social value commissioning work
Dan Corry is optimistic social value commissioning will provide a platform for local government to deliver better outcomes for its people, but there are many challenges that need to be addressed first.
Can charities bridge the health divide?
Dan Corry argues that local authorities can collaborate more closelywith the third sector to deliver better health services for their communities