Laura Sharman
Directors warn against blanket ban on unregulated accommodation
Children’s services directors have warned against a blanket ban on placing vulnerable youngsters in unregulated accommodation such as hostels or caravans.
Think tank proposes pension-style social care system
A pension-style model is the most effective way of fixing the social care crisis, a new report from a think tank has argued.
Birmingham Council given new powers to close businesses
Birmingham City Council has been given new enforcement powers to help keep the rate of COVID-19 infections reducing.
Unite members reject 'insulting' council pay offer
The majority of members of Unite the union have rejected the 2.75% pay offer.
Plans to end homelessness will ‘fail’ without funding
The Government’s pledge to end homelessness will fail unless services are fully funded in the upcoming Spending Review, the Salvation Army has warned.
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.
Call to scrap two-tier local government system in rural areas
The ‘confusing' two-tier model of local government should be abolished and replaced with single unitary councils, a report has argued today.
Major projects must be more responsive to local need, MPs argue
Hundreds of billions of pounds spent on new infrastructure projects could be ‘squandered’ without better co-ordination of local projects, MPs have warned.
MPs call for 90,000 new social homes every year
An extra £10bn in grant funding is required to deliver the number of social homes needed to meet demand, MPs have said today.
Norwich to bring services back in-house
Norwich City Council has opted to set up a wholly-owned company when it brings its services back in-house from next year.
Chancellor accused of 'selective memory' over council workers' pay
Council staff are the 'forgotten army of public service' and are being denied a 'decent' pay rise, a union said today.
Councils issue warning over £730m of unspent EU funding
Nearly a quarter of the European Social Fund is at risk of being sent back to Brussels, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Sunak outlines £3bn green investment package
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced £1bn will be made available to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings, including schools and hospitals.
Government 'failed to prepare' on PPE, say MPs
The Government has failed to ensure there is enough personal protective equipment (PPE) in the event of a second wave of coronavirus, a watchdog warned today.
Millions of voters missing from electoral registers, report warns
Millions of eligible voters may be missing from electoral registers, a Lords report has warned today.
Thousands of council jobs at risk due to funding shortfall, union warns
Tens of thousands of council jobs could be lost unless the Government addresses the current funding shortfall, Unison has warned.
Research suggests fall in house building due to COVID
More than 80,000 new homes will not be delivered this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, research has revealed today.
Johnson pledges £5bn ‘new deal’ on capital projects
Boris Johnson is expected to bring forward £5bn of investment in hospitals, roads and schools later today.
Johnson launches planning reforms to help 'build, build, build'
Boris Johnson is expected to bring forward £5bn of investment in hospitals, roads and schools later today.
Leicester could be first city to face local lockdown
Leicester could be the first place in England to be placed in a local lockdown following a rise in the number of coronavirus cases, the home secretary warned over the weekend.
