The MJ - your free ebook
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we want to do all we can to support you, so we will provide The MJ as an enhanced ebook here every Thursday, completely free, for the duration of the crisis.
News
Government to cover LRF expenditure
Funding will finally be provided to stretched local resilience forums (LRF) after they pleaded for cash.
Council writes off £24m debt
Nottingham City Council has written-off £24m of debt owed by its energy company, newly-released figures have shown.
Ministers: Don't rely on more funding
Ministers have warned councils not to rely on more funding on top of the announcements made so far.
Rochford MD to retire as new leader takes over
The managing director of Rochford DC has announced he is to retire after more than four years in the role.
Extra £50m funding for Scottish social care
Social care in Scotland will be given a £50m funding boost to help meet the cost of the coronavirus crisis.
Planning shakeup to ‘sideline’ councils
Councils have warned they will be ‘sidelined’ by new planning regulations to be unveiled this week.
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Opinion
Charting a course through tricky waters
Without significant extra funding, many councils and their partners will struggle during COVID-19 recovery to manage the increased demand on services for supporting children and families, says Donna Molloy.
Don’t short-change our children now
Kath O’Dwyer says getting a long-term sustainable funding settlement for local government as a whole – not just for children’s services – is crucial if we are to overcome the worst impacts of the crisis
Beware the ‘construction cartels’
Laurence Pritchard says the pressure to keep infrastructure projects moving when competition for construction contracts is fiercer can make councils a target for practices banned by the Competition and Markets Authority
Learning through crisis
The motto for the borough of Watford is ‘to go boldly’, and it has been tested this year as never before, says Donna Nolan
A place-based approach to economic recovery
According to the latest analysis commissioned on behalf of the County Councils Network, counties are the most vulnerable councils to the economic impact of COVID-19. Paul Dossett argues they should be at the forefront of government plans to level [..]
Keeping positive outside crisis time
The better nature of people has come to the fore during the recent pandemic, but how do we keep the momentum going in more ‘normal’ times? Dan Corry poses the question.
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Best Practice
Hackney’s Windrush legacy
Hackney will now have two pieces of public artwork that will act as a permanent reminder to everyone who walks past about how the Windrush generation has enriched Britain, says Cllr Carole Williams.
Analysis
At the sharp end of Scottish scrutiny
The chair of Scotland’s public spending watchdog for councils steps down this month. Graham Sharp talks to Ann McGauran about his legacy and says the challenges have never been greater.
Private sector
Leisure outsourcer asks staff to take 'career break'
A major leisure services provider has come under fire for asking workers to take ‘unpaid career breaks’.
Council services to move to joint venture
Derbyshire CC’s cleaning, caretaking and building design services will be transferred to joint venture companies run with Suffolk CC from next month.
Don't be afraid to recruit online
Local government recruiters should think about whether their current exercise will ‘lift and shift’ or needs changing, but the advice of Ann Hartley at Penna is don’t be afraid to move online.
