Solace
TPA analysis of senior local government pay is relentlessly unsophisticated
Graeme McDonald says: 'Perhaps the diminishing number of national news outlets covering the TPA’s so called "Town Hall Rich List" means the message is finally getting across – their analysis is so simplistic it verges on the dangerous.'
Councils hit with new productivity demands
Ministers have demanded councils improve their productivity in the same week as the Government quietly published a report revealing Whitehall makes the sector less efficient.
LGA looks to do more to help officers
The Local Government Association (LGA) is looking to do more to help officers fulfil their roles as part of a policy shift for the politically-led organisation.
Oflog co-design promises have been broken, say councils
Ministerial promises to ‘co-design’ the Office for Local Government (Oflog) with the sector have been broken, councils have claimed.
Elections show the organisation at its ‘one council’ best
Kathy O' Leary says: 'As both pollsters and returning officers would agree, success in elections is talking only about the result and not the process.'
Future Forum: Councils hit by absence of employee value propositions
The ability of councils to attract, keep and develop future talent is being hit by the absence of a defined employee value proposition (EVP), The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Solace at 50
As Solace hits its 50th anniversary – alongside the anniversary of the 1974 local government reorganisation – Heather Jameson looks at the highlights of an essay collection launched to mark the occasion.
Good councils make effective use of consultants
'While it’s easy to dismiss reports criticising spend on consultants it is worth reflecting on what consultants bring to our organisations, whether we are clear on their purpose and ensure we focus our spend in those areas that rebuild capacity at a time when it is most needed,' says Graeme McDonald.
A Faer Point
Following last week’s by-election results, Martin Tucker ponders the electoral changing of the guard that underpins our democratic local government system.
Taking public health right to the top
Many directors of public health have the leadership approach, experience and technical ability to make excellent chief executives and they need the opportunities to reach the top role, says Julia Weldon.
REVEALED: Productivity plan demands toothless
Councils have been told Whitehall will be unable to force them to submit productivity plans.
Chiefs back ethnicity pay gap reporting
Council chiefs have backed proposals that would place a duty on local authorities to collect data and report on staffing, pay and outcomes by ethnicity.
Welcome to a bright future
The benefits of developing the sector’s own talent is self-evident, says Cllr Abi Brown. By taking on a National Graduate Development Programme candidate, councils get extra capacity and capability to better reflect the communities they serve.
Time for a new economic playbook for place
More than ever, place-making needs to be at the centre of what councils do and not at a single spatial level. A coherent national plan is needed, says Robin Tuddenham.
Officer warning over street votes
Senior council officers have issued a scathing response to plans for street-level planning votes – dismissing the idea as a costly and complex ‘proliferation of polls’.
United we stand
Graeme McDonald says the workforce challenges facing the sector are something that cannot be solved by councils alone, and he gives some tips on how local government can stem the tide.
Solace: Marking 50 years in local government
With all the change that has happened over 50 years it feels like the time is right for another local government reset, says Graeme McDonald.
Expanding Oflog’s vision
Jack Shaw says the Office for Local Government needs to go further than its current long-term vision, and moving to a statutory footing would mean it could set up a more robust performance regime.
Uplifting diverse talent
Mark Lawrence and Angela Carr of Stroud DC explain what they have gained from Solace’s AMPlify development programme supporting the progression of diverse talent in local government leadership.
How can further local authority failures be prevented?
There is evidence in a new report from Grant Thornton that in each case of serious local government failure one or more links in the chain of safeguards has been weak or altogether broken, says Paul Dossett.