Author Profile

Martin Ford

Martin Ford

Articles by Martin Ford

Ofsted warns of COVID impact on SEND support

By Martin Ford | 09 November 2020

The pandemic has ‘seriously affected’ support for special educational needs an disabilities (SEND...

COVID volatility hits LGPS value

By Martin Ford | 09 November 2020

The market value of the Local Government Pension Scheme plummeted by £15bn in the last financial ...

Combined authority expansion halted by 'party politics'

By Martin Ford | 09 November 2020

The expansion of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has stalled after leaders failed t...

COVID-19 pressures 'yet to emerge'

By Martin Ford | 09 November 2020

The consequences of the pandemic for the sector may only become apparent in the years to come, th...

Plea for £1.6bn winter care funding

By Martin Ford | 06 November 2020

Social care directors have made an appeal to the Government for a new funding package.

Spike in child abuse

By Martin Ford | 06 November 2020

Ofsted’s chief inspector has warned of an increase in the number of child injuries and deaths unc...

Redbridge grapples with £60m overspend

By Martin Ford | 05 November 2020

Officers at Redbridge LBC are drawing up a second plan to mitigate the soaring costs of the COVID...

Care Act easements 'politicised'

By Martin Ford | 05 November 2020

A ‘sense of injustice’ among adult care directors has been detailed in a report on the use of eas...

Manchester considers £50m of cuts

By Martin Ford | 04 November 2020

A programme of cost-cutting measures has been put forward by officers in an effort to tackle a lo...

Online sales tax backed by London

By Martin Ford | 04 November 2020

The local government sector in the capital has advocated the introduction of an online sales tax ...