Want to commission a citizens’ assembly? Here, three councils say ‘go for it’. But there’s a lot to think about – and above all, you need the right issue say Sarah Owens, Isobel Wade and James Moody.
The District Councils’ Network (DCN) annual conference in Warwick will provide a golden opportunity to shape our post-Brexit future, says Cllr John Fuller.
Joanne Roney says that while addressing past failures is ‘very necessary’, we must not lose sight of ‘how radically our approach to tackling child sexual exploitation has been strengthened’ since Operation Augusta.
Graham Allen says a focus on social care being solely about getting people out of hospital only diverts attention from keeping as many people as possible away from unnecessary admission.
With elections looming in 2020, it is a topical moment to think about what we can learn from the combined authority structures and from London's governance system, says John O'Brien. What works best?
This month Microsoft withdrew support from Windows 7. Chris Mountford looks at how local government can balance the books while keeping data secure.
Maybe we should just recognise that recruitment is a lottery and get rid of the whole recruitment industry, replacing it with a lottery whereby any candidate who meets the person specification is eligible, argues Blair Mcpherson.
What do senior managers do when they are very good at their role but realise they are increasingly unlikely to fulfil their ambition, asks Blair Mcpherson.
The arguments for creating large unitary authorities have not been developed in an evidence-based way, say Steve Leach and Colin Copus. How can the persistence of ‘reorganisation by stealth’ be explained?
An anonymous writer ponders the incongruity between what the centre expects from local government and the ‘nature, breadth and ferocity’ of the challenges councils are facing.
Nadira Hussain asks how the sector can future-proof continuous improvement when technology and ‘need’ evolve all the time.
District chiefs must remain in close touch with their communities and empower staff for councils to remain relevant.
It’s time to stop talking and let district councils act to ensure effective use of public expenditure and to support older people to have the quality of life they deserve, argues Sandra Dinneen.
Cllr David Sparks urges the public to vote wisely to make sure local government can deliver more for its communities going forward.
