Data
Home Office admits 'more we can and need to do'
More needs to be done to share data and improve communications with councils, Home Office mandarins have admitted.
Making sure accountancy stays rewarding and exciting
'Technology and social value are with us now, but we are reacting, not leading. We need to start planning to use it to retain and attract talent', says Michael Hudson.
Curating a good council and government system
Ed Hammond says Oflog has the potential to make Government's actions and interventions more predictable and evidence-based.
A call for clarity on Oflog
The Office for Local Government has sparked a flurry of passionate views within the sector. Stuart Hoddinott calls for clarity over how it will balance a more interventionist approach alongside a role as a ‘good faith convenor’ of councils.
EXCLUSIVE: Oflog pushes ahead with early warning system
Senior Oflog officials are pressing ahead with their plans to create an early warning system for councils in trouble despite continuing Local Government Association (LGA) resistance, The MJ understands.
Wales struggles to spend UKSPF cash
Wales has topped the list of regions for the amount of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) cash unable to be spent in 2022-23.
Supported housing struggles exposed in PAC report
The strained supported housing sector is blighted by fraud, inadequate financial resources and missing data, a damning report has found.
Prevention is still better than cure
Solving the public health crisis means preventing the next one, and looking beyond the NHS, according to Ruth Luscombe.
Autumn Statement: why we need real reform
As the Autumn Statement draws closer, Simon Christian says only complete fiscal reform will unlock the revenue funding needed for core public services, but the debate cannot stop at financial changes alone.
Oflog moves to expand remit
The new Office for Local Government (Oflog) watchdog has proposed to widen its scope to five new service areas.
Keeping a closer eye on the data
Are councils making use of data to streamline services? Certainly the Government, in launching Oflog, believes there is more potential. At a recent round table debate data experts from local authorities discussed the challenges. Martin Ford reports on the highlights.
How to unlock £19bn in benefits
As councils grapple with the cost of living crisis, Deven Ghelani explains how they can use data to help residents access benefits and ease the pressure.
Scottish and Welsh councils outperform England for ethnicity data
Scottish and Welsh councils are outperforming their English counterparts for publishing workforce ethnicity data, a new report has revealed.
Have your say on the future of population and migration statistics
Councils’ input is critical to providing evidence for the ONS’ recommendations on the future of population and migration statistics and the census, says Jen Woolford.
Home Office under fresh asylum pressure
The Home Office came under fresh pressure this week to overhaul the mandatory National Transfer Scheme (NTS) for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).
Solving the school run
Contrary to popular opinion, active travel isn’t the only answer to school run congestion - data can help too, says Pooya Kamvari.
Top Talent: HR & OD
Starfish Top Talent celebrates the up and coming HR and OD stars in the sector - and here are just some of them.
EXCLUSIVE: Council warning over asylum communication
‘Limited’ Home Office communication over asylum – including poor data sharing - continues to stymie efforts to resolve accommodation problems, councils have warned.
Combatting colossal challenges - future-proofing local authorities
With the right partner, cloud-based solutions are a more cost-effective route to modernisation than many in the public sector expect, says Anton Roe.
The sound of overstretched elastic bands snapping?
The budget setting process provides an insight into how sensitivity to the political undercurrents plays into the role of the chief executive, says Blair Mcpherson.
