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CHILDREN'S SERVICES

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Catch up on all the latest local government news and analysis at the press of a button with The MJ e-book.

Catch up on all the latest local government news and analysis at the press of a button with The MJ e-book.

Featuring all the same news, features and appointments as the printed magazine, the e-book can be viewed on any device at no extra charge for subscribers.

In The MJ this week, we look at the mounting challenges facing the Government's hopes of 10,000 new homes coming from councils each year.

We also report on calls for MPs to mount a campaign for council funding by an LGA vice-president.

And an inquiry is launched into children's services funding, with Budget funding looks unlikely to cover councils' funding gaps.

Click here to view this week's e-book.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Fifty years on: Lessons from the Layfield report on local council funding

By Owen Mapley | 29 April 2026

Half a century from the Layfield Report on local government finance, many of the issues it raised remain and have become more complex, says Owen Mapley.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Solace urges Better Care Fund rethink

By Dan Peters | 22 April 2026

Council chief executives have called for an urgent rethink of how funds like the Better Care Fund are structured, governed and deployed.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

'Banging the table for children'

By Ann McGauran | 22 April 2026

The new president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services’ passionate belief in the rights of children and young people shines through. Ann Mc...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Fiscal devolution: A test of seriousness for government and places

By Mike Emmerich | 20 April 2026

If government and mayoral strategic authorities are willing to match fiscal responsibility and the retention of the proceeds of growth within agreed paramete...

Martin Ford

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