Poverty
Supporting communities together
Genuine collaboration between housing associations and councils can help them meet their combined ambitions for communities and neighbourhoods, says Felicity Hunt.
Tackling poverty in the North of Tyne: A combined approach
Patience has been key to a North of Tyne Combined Authority programme addressing child poverty, including both the underlying issues and the ‘here and now’ symptoms, says Adrian Dougherty.
The impact of ending the Household Support Fund would be disastrous
The Household Support Fund is a crucial way for councils to help residents with the costs of living and should be top priority in the upcoming Budget, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Better food policies for councils’ menus
Ahead of the local elections in May, and in the context of a council funding crisis, Sofia Parente looks at the levers candidates can use to ensure better food policies are priorities.
This is not a slow burning threat
We urgently need the Government to develop a national strategy to tackle the root causes of poverty, not just the symptoms, says John Pearce.
Plan to fight poverty
Adrian Dougherty sets out lessons from a joined-up approach to addressing child poverty at North of Tyne Combined Authority.
Millions would need to double income to escape poverty, report warns
Six million people in the UK would need to more than double their income just to escape poverty, a new report has found.
Local leaders need the tools to implement systemic solutions
Devolution of council tax and business rates, coupled with central Government infrastructure investment to underpin growth, would give local leaders the ability to genuinely invest in their cities’ futures, says Claire Kober.
How can councils protect health in the face of financial strain?
Jennie Leggat highlights the impacts of local government underfunding on people’s health and how using Health Impact Assessment could help minimise these.
Santa or the Grinch? No quick fix for fail finances
Heather Jameson says: 'It all comes back to the same issues over and again for local government. The funding system is fundamentally broken.'
Fulfilling a crucial role for children
As directors of children’s services prepare to attend the National Children and Adult Services Conference, Ann McGauran assesses the challenges and rewards of this important role
Autumn Statement: end of Household Support Fund leaves gaping hole
The Household Support Fund is an essential safety net for families in crisis – removing it means there is nothing to break their fall, says chief executive of Barnardo's Lynn Perry MBE.
Cutting through the stigma
Amanda Hill-Dixon gives her analysis of the findings of a report into poverty and social exclusion.
Seven in 10 councils struggling amid cost of living crisis
Seven in 10 councils are struggling to support people hit by the cost of living crisis, according to new research published today.
Centralisation is not a cosy cocoon
When Detroit went bust it seemed to prove the riskiness of local self-government, says Jessica Studdert. But Birmingham going into effective bankruptcy 'should end any naive assumptions the Whitehall model provides anything like a safety net'.
Government expected to fail to meet rough sleeping target
The Government will fail to meet its target to end rough sleeping because of a ‘chronic shortage’ of affordable housing and support services, experts have warned.
Celebrating positive action on health
St Helens BC’s drive and adaptability in addressing feedback from the community made it a worthy winner at The MJ Awards, say Katherine Merrifield and Gwen Nightingale.
Using the past to shape our future
The UK’s youngest city has provided many important historical examples of civic leadership and pioneering spirit, and as Kersten England explains, continuing this legacy and maintaining a modern shared vision is a responsibility Bradford welcomes.
Can we refocus on public service reform now?
Part of the challenge for governments in tackling poverty is to enable everyone to work together to do their bit - and many of the levers needed to support a family or individual out of poverty sit at the local level, says Andrew Laird.
Is basic income the answer?
As chief executives gather for the annual Solace Wales conference, Amanda Hill-Dixon looks at the Welsh Government’s experiment with universal basic income and what it could do to alleviate the cost of living crisis.
