News
Councils and union clash over zero-hour contracts
Councils have insisted on keeping the option of zero-hour contracts as Unison prepares to push the sector’s associations to back a campaign to abolish them.
Lack of social care funding undermines NHS investment
Insufficient resources in the care system will undermine investment in the NHS, new research has suggested.
Spending Review poses 'challenge' for fair funding
A minister has said a one-year settlement for local government would pose a ‘challenge’ for implementing the fair funding review in 2020/21.
EXCLUSIVE: £95k exit cap regulations are 'lawyers' charter to print money'
Government regulations introducing a £95,000 cap on local government exit payments are a ‘lawyers’ charter to print money,’ the trade union representing the most senior managers in the sector is expected to tell Whitehall.
Spending Review must meet costs of refugee resettlement
Local government has cautiously welcomed the Government’s commitment to continue resettling refugees after a flagship scheme ends next year.
Legal officers press for standards reform
The rise in the number of independent councillors has strengthened the case for a tougher standards regime, monitoring officers have argued.
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Opinion
Can Boris the Brexiteer revert to Boris the inclusive Mayor?
Mike Burton has two questions. Will Boris bring some of his trusted former local government leaders to No 10 to give the support that proved so successful when he was Mayor? Will he, once elected by his Brexiteer party, swing back to the old Boris?
Measuring success is more than just boosting GDP
The past decade in local government has been dominated by pushing forward local economies, with subtle shifts in focus, but tirelessly chasing GDP, says Heather Jameson. But is there a new way?
Our chance to build
Tony Clements looks at the large-scale work Ealing LBC has embarked on to provide affordable homes, which is being mirrored by councils across the country, and says that in the shadow of crisis now is the time to show we can deliver.
Bring on the robots
AI could be a great time-saver in workplaces dealing with complex processes, writes Claire Fox, but making work robotic should not be confused with technology’s exciting potential.
Giving the sector a voice on AI
Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Lord Jonathan Evans says Artificial Intelligence can revolutionise local government – but it must do so in line with standards that the public expect.
A campaign to dispel some of the myths about local government
Unison has launched a campaign this week to celebrate the work of council staff. General secretary Dave Prentis explains why.
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Best Practice
Dealing with disciplinary investigations
Serious disciplinary allegations against a chief executive or other statutory officer are never welcome news, say Sarah Lamont and Judith Barnes as they outline the mechanisms to be put in place and what councils will need to focus on.
Analysis
Breaking the non-disclosure habit?
Non-disclosure clauses in employment settlements are often being used by employers to cover up complaints of harassment and discrimination, says a select committee report. To what extent is this the case in local government? Ann McGauran reports
Hot Topic: Unions
- Councils and union clash over zero-hour contracts
- A campaign to dispel some of the myths about local government
- EXCLUSIVE: £95k exit cap regulations are 'lawyers' charter to print money'
- Union seeks injunction against Birmingham in long-running bin dispute
- Hundreds of Birmingham refuse workers to strike weekly
Private sector
Jobs cull for Kier
Kier Group is to cut around 1,200 jobs and make savings of £55m over the next two years amid a planned sell-off of many of its commercial interests.
We need to change how we deliver change
Mike Gibson of Ethical Consulting asks: Why waste valuable resources on consultancy when surely we should develop new and valuable skills which we can draw on when needed?
From customer experience to thriving community
A design approach is still important to maintain, but the design rules for a community-centric approach can be fundamentally different to those of a customer-centric approach, says Dr Andrew Larner of iESE.