Websites | LocalGov

Citizen 4.0 - The future of local public services

27/07/2022

Matt Culpin explains how local authorities can use big data to predict demand for public services.

How councils can reduce their digital carbon footprint

18/07/2022

Simon Wissink outlines how local authorities can align their digital sustainability credentials with existing physical sustainability philosophy.

Improving digital accessibility

13/06/2022

Mark McCallum warns hundreds of documents on council websites still do not meet the UK regulations and globally-recognised accessibility standards.

Devon councils launch Ukrainian refugee website

01/04/2022

Local authorities in Devon have launched a new website to help residents who wish to support Ukrainian refugees.

Council given power to remove dangerous goods from eBay

11/05/2021

Local authorities will be able to report and remove illegal or unsafe items from eBay under a new pilot scheme.

Embedding readability into New Forest District Council’s website DNA

06/01/2021

Matt Louis explains why it's worth going the extra mile to embed readability into your website’s DNA.

Charity warns many council websites are still inaccessible

23/09/2020

Inaccessible council websites are preventing millions of disabled people from accessing vital services and information, a charity has warned.

The accessibility challenge

17/02/2020

How Bracknell Forest Council's ‘digital-first' approach propels them to high web accessibility ranking.

The growing impact of civic tech

15/01/2019

Mark Cridge explains how civic tech can give councils better outcomes and enhance civic participation for millions of people.

Wolverhampton launches ‘retail revival’ partnership with eBay

24/09/2018

The City of Wolverhampton has launched a 12-month partnership with eBay to help small retailers start up or expand their online presence.

Councillor designs ‘virtual’ Facebook councillor

05/09/2018

The Redditch councillor who set up David Cameron’s official Facebook page has designed his own chatbot service to help local people communicate with the council.

Welsh local councils accused of operating in 'secretive ways'

30/08/2018

Local councils in Wales have been accused of being 'secretive' and anti-democratic after research revealed not all provide electronic access to minutes and meetings.

Charity warns councils are depriving four million older people of benefits

23/05/2018

Nearly four million older people are being denied access to key benefits because they do not use computers, according to campaigners.

Council websites making ‘progress’ in presentation about childcare on mobiles

18/05/2018

Local authority websites have shown ‘progress’ in the presentation of information and services on mobile devices about children's services, ICT body reveals.

Some councils 'hiding' cost of waste collection on their websites

20/03/2018

Although three-quarters of councils now charge for garden waste collections, less than half of council websites provide a good or very good service for this task, a new survey has revealed.

Bucking the trend

14/03/2018

Nichola Glover-Edge explains why Cheshire East Council is being held up as best practice for providing social care information online.

A benchmark for website accessibility

20/02/2018

Bryn Anderson explains why all council websites and apps must meet minimum accessibility standards from this September.

Councils face 19 million cyber-attacks a year

20/02/2018

Councils have been subject to over 98 million cyber-attacks in the past five years, a new investigation has revealed today.

Two council websites hacked by crypto-coin miners

12/02/2018

Manchester City, Camden and Croydon council websites were among 5,000 sites ‘maliciously’ hacked over the weekend.

Online council information for drivers with disabilities ‘poor’, Socitm finds

02/02/2018

Council parking services do a ‘poor job’ when it comes to the provision of online information for drivers with disabilities, ICT body warns.

Council websites ‘falling short’ on provision of care information

19/01/2018

Council social care teams are ‘falling short’ in their duties to provide online information, advice and guidance to the public, ICT body warns.

Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2017

13/12/2017

From council pay to the Housing White Paper, here is a run-down of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2017.

Revamped council websites fail usability test

11/07/2017

Fewer than half of revamped council websites pass usability test, digital experts find.

Nine top tips for a successful local government website design

14/06/2017

Craig Johnson presents his nine top tips to help councils deliver a succesful website design.

Digital experts name top UK council websites

06/06/2017

Thirty six local authorities have been identified as having the UK’s top council websites after performance surveys carried out from a customer perspective.

Nearly 90% of council websites work on mobiles, survey finds

26/05/2017

Almost nine in 10 local authorities now have websites that work on mobile phones, according to the latest figures.

Disability access to council websites ‘ongoing challenge’

17/05/2017

The websites of nearly a third of councils failed an accessibility test for people with disabilities proving digital access is still ‘an ongoing challenge’.

Councils make ‘encouraging’ progress on digital access to care information

17/05/2017

Councils have made ‘encouraging’ progress when it comes to the provision of information and advice about local care services on their websites, survey finds.

Harrogate tops index for best council website

10/03/2017

Harrogate Borough Council’s website has been named as the best local authority website in the UK.

Hackers take over Aberdeen City Council’s website

30/01/2017

Aberdeen City Council’s website was hacked by ‘Team System Dz’ for nearly three hours on Saturday evening.

Hackers: Fake or real?

02/08/2016

Could you spot a fake hacker? Adrian Crawley explains why it’s time that those in local councils did.

Council launches 24-hour chat service

19/07/2016

Calderdale Council has become the first local authority to provide a 24-hour instant messaging services for customers.

Council websites 'failing to meet plain English guidelines'

27/04/2016

Two-thirds of local government websites are failing to meet plain English guidelines, according to new analysis.

Council hires ‘ethical hackers’ to test computer network security

12/04/2016

Leicester city council have hired ‘ethical hackers’ to help them improve their cyber security.

Making councils fit for the 21st century

23/03/2016

Lee Kemp calls on local government to move away from traditional ways of thinking to allow disruptive ideas to flourish.

Transgender couple wins damages after council publishes libellous material

10/02/2016

A transgender couple who were subjected to a campaign of harassment have won damages from the council after defamatory comments were published on its website, The Telegraph reports.

County refuses to pay cyber ransom demand

01/02/2016

Lincolnshire County Council has restored IT systems following a cyber-attack last week.

Council websites make it easy for you to find your local tips, survey learns

29/01/2016

More than three quarters of county councils provide a good or very good service for people seeking information about their local tip, even when they are doing so from their mobile phone, Socitm has found.

Website launched to protect children from ‘twisted ideologies’

19/01/2016

A new website is being launched by the Government to help parents protect children from ‘radical views’.

West Midland’s council victim of ‘bizarre hack’

14/01/2016

Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council’s website has been temporarily brought down by hackers, according to the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald.

Is your council website up to scratch?

07/01/2016

Chris Bush argues some councils could be missing a trick with their website’s user experience.

Half of the UK’s counties enable older persons' bus pass applications online, survey finds

06/01/2016

Half of the UK’s counties now enable older persons' bus pass applications online, according to a survey carried out by Better Connected.

Digital content from councils not ‘up to scratch’ claims survey

08/12/2015

People are failing to recommend or share information from their local authority online, a new survey has revealed.

70% of councils provide good parking service online

27/11/2015

70% of councils provide a good or very good parking service online, according to a new Socitm survey.

Poowatch app to clean up Worcester’s streets

05/11/2015

A new app, designed to tackle the scourge of dog litter, will be launched this week in Worcester.

Person Centred Planning

28/10/2015

Craig Wilkie explains how Nottinghamshire County Council has scaled up EHCP with Centres of Excellence

New resource launched to tackle poor housing conditions

21/10/2015

A new online resource to show local authorities the impact housing conditions can have on physical and mental health has been launched today.

Performance of councils' websites is falling, research suggests

20/10/2015

Local authority websites are struggling to keep pace with changes in technology and customer expectations, according to the latest survey by Socitm.

Playing an Anonymous game

20/07/2015

With several councils recently having their networks and websites hacked, Adrian Crawley sets out his five steps for managing cyber attacks.

Thousands of emails stolen from council website in cyber attack

08/07/2015

Over 13,000 email addresses have been stolen from Edinburgh City Council’s website following a ‘malicious’ cyber attack.

Google steps in to offer high streets help

02/07/2015

Internet giants Google are offering British high street shops the chance to revolutionise their digital strategies.

Eye tracking technology helps council redesign website

12/06/2015

A council has used eye tracking technology to help redesign its website.

Pickles exposed as Formula 1 racing legend?

23/04/2015

Eric Pickles’ past as a successful international motor racing champion has been revealed on Wikipedia, or has it?

LGA joins website to help councils recruit young people

14/04/2015

The Local Government Association (LGA) has signed up to Plotr to encourage young people to consider a career in local government.

Personalised self-service

26/03/2015

Brett Husbands looks at how single customer accounts drive improved customer experience and fully realise the benefits of channel shift

County councils fear broadband target will be missed

25/03/2015

Nearly half of county councils (45%) are concerned the Government's target for rolling out superfast broadband will not be met, a new survey reveals.

Security warning as 55% of councils use unsupported software

13/03/2015

More than half of councils in England are still using unsupported versions of Java, leading to concerns of a future ‘security disaster’, according to new research.

Councils 'failing' to provide information to help blind and partially sighted children

27/01/2015

Almost half of English local authorities are failing to provide adequate information about services for blind and partially sighted children and young people, according to the charity Blind Children UK.

Why slow applications are costing councils millions

19/01/2015

Zubair Aleem investigates the impact slow applications are having on local government productivity

New social media network goes live

15/01/2015

Local authorities are being urged to join a new social media network, in a bid to be more transparent.

LEP goes live with Dot London

07/11/2014

The London Enterprise Panel (LEP) has become the first mayoral body to adopt a Dot London web domain.

Majority of council websites fail government standard

31/10/2014

A majority of council websites are failing the Government's good performance standards, as speeds worsen on last year - research suggests.

Surrey wins best council website award

28/10/2014

Surrey County Council has won website of the year in the 2014 Socitm Awards.

Aberdeen aims for ‘gigabit city’ status

04/09/2014

Aberdeen is set to become Scotland’s first ‘gigabit city’ with modern digital infrastructure bringing high speed broadband to public sector organisations and businesses.

Central Bedfordshire awards cost-cutting IT contract

01/09/2014

Central Bedfordshire Council has awarded a nine-year contract to manage its IT network.

Council hails success of pavement stencil to reduce city begging

22/08/2014

A new pavement stencil campaign has reduced the number of beggars in Exeter city centre while encouraging charitable giving.

Council app to guide carnival-goers

22/08/2014

A free app commissioned by Kensington and Chelsea RBLC is being touted as ?the must-have guide? to this weekend?s Notting Hill Carnival.

Online map will challenge government on inefficient property

21/08/2014

An online tool to help communities decide if government property and land is being used effectively has gone live.

Salford to live stream council meetings

19/08/2014

Salford City Council is to live stream and record public meetings following a new law to improve transparency in local government.

Councillor disciplined for using council laptop to view pornography

08/08/2014

A councillor has been disciplined after using his council laptop to view pornography, despite receiving a previous warning for the same offence.

Thinking strategically about infrastructure costs

17/06/2014

How to minimise the costs associated with necessary local government IT.

Single local government website ‘ill-conceived’

17/06/2014

A single website for all of local government is an ‘ill-conceived’ idea and should not be attempted, according to an association for IT professionals.

Helping local governments to achieve digital success

13/06/2014

What hurdles do local authorities face when implementing a digital strategy?

Housing associations failing to understand existing technology, finds survey

12/06/2014

Less than 20% of housing associations across the UK have a full understanding of their existing technology according to a new survey.

Technology gap losing billions in potential savings, study claims

12/06/2014

Councils and public sector bodies could be missing out on £7.2bn savings thanks to inefficiencies and a ‘technology gap’, figures suggest.

Report: ICT function should be transformed

27/05/2014

The information and communications technology (ICT) function should be transformed into a business information service, a new report has said.

Invest in digital skills to combat loneliness, think tank says

27/05/2014

Investing £875m to teach millions of older people to use the Internet and email would deliver substantial economic and social benefits, a think tank has claimed.

Twitter gaffe sees exec board branded ‘pathetic’ by own council

14/05/2014

A council has described its own executive board as ‘pathetic’ in a twitter blunder blamed on multi-tasking difficulties faced by male members of staff.

DCLG minister applauds new community advice hub

30/04/2014

A new website offering local advice on community activities has been championed by a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) minister.

Surrey IT boss takes helm at Socitm

22/04/2014

The trade body for council IT professionals has appointed a new president.

Council websites 'falling behind' world's top brands

17/04/2014

Councils need to do more to help website visitors find and navigate around their news sections.

Councillors blamed for slow move online

15/04/2014

A lack of support from councillors is hindering local authorities’ moves to deliver services online, a new survey has found.

Leeds Council pilots live chat on its website

03/04/2014

Leeds City Council is piloting live chat for those looking for help on its website.

Facebook-style app helps older people

25/03/2014

Older people have reported an improved quality of life after they were given a simplified Facebook-style app.

Election data availability 'something of a scandal'

07/03/2014

The poor online availability of UK election data is ‘now something of a scandal,’ the director of a think tank has said.

Is the public sector Ready for 'Digital by Default'?

06/03/2014

With nearly two-thirds of public decision makers yet to have a digital transformation strategy in place, what does this mean for the digital by default agenda?

Councils ‘struggling’ to keep up with rise in mobile access

03/03/2014

Local government websites are ‘struggling’ to adapt to the rapid growth in the use of mobile phones to access services, according to a new survey.

Some £875m required to create digitally skilled nation, report says

25/02/2014

Investment of £875m is required to ensure all the UK adult population has basic online skills by 2020, a report has claimed.

Transforming service delivery

28/01/2014

How North Kesteven District Council is shifting to online channels to deliver a better service experience for residents.

Guarding against data breaches

23/01/2014

How councils can use IT asset disposal to ensure data leaks are relegated to the history books.

Councils urged to sign up to digital inclusion campaign

21/01/2014

Local authorities are being urged to take part in a digital inclusion campaign, with research showing around seven million people have never used the internet.

Prediction 2014 will be year of ‘virtual authority’

11/12/2013

Next year will be the time of the ‘virtual authority’ with digital tools becoming the primary method of interacting with councils, new research is predicting.

Online park map could be ‘remedy’ for budget cuts

19/11/2013

An online map of national urban green spaces could improve the quality of parks and support community involvement, a report has concluded.

New 'postcode checker' website for adult social care

11/11/2013

The Government has launched a new website to help people see how adult local care services in their area are performing.

Six out of ten council websites fail speed test

18/10/2013

Sheffield City Council’s website has been named the fastest performing local authority site, as 64% of town hall sites fail speed tests.

Manchester council's website voted as best in Europe

18/10/2013

Manchester council's website voted as best in Europe Manchester City Council's website has been voted as one of the best in Europe, winning a People's Lovie Award.

Councils launch new website to cut cost of bidding on contracts

04/10/2013

Two South East councils have created a new website to make it easier for businesses to bid on council contracts worth over £100,000.

Hounslow rated best council website in the country

06/09/2013

The London borough of Hounslow’s website has been ranked as the best in the country, according to a new index of local government websites.

Mole Valley DC website hacked by Anonymous

21/08/2013

A cyber attack on Mole Valley DC’s website has replaced pages with references to David Miranda, who was recently detained at Heathrow Airport.

Addressing regional inequalities  image

Addressing regional inequalities

Andrew Borland, Chief Innovation Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), University of Liverpool discusses the importance of levelling up for growth.
Banning urban pesticide use image

Banning urban pesticide use

RSPB and PAN are working on a letter from local councillors calling on the Government to introduce a national ban on urban pesticide use. Find out more below.
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Highways jobs

Recovery Worker Substance Misuse

Essex County Council
£30931 - £35362 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Defined Benefit Pension
Recovery Worker Substance MisusePermanent, Full Time£30,931 to £35,362 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Transport Officer

Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
£63,112 per annum
leading the capital’s largest new regeneration project. Brent Civic Centre (32 Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ).
Recuriter: Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

Senior Occupational Therapist

Essex County Council
£43477 - £52302 per annum + Flexible Working, Hybrid, CPD, Gov Pension
The role will be responsible for supporting adults to develop their abilities to enable them to live as independently as possible. This may include England, Essex, Harlow
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Director of Commissioning and Performance

Northumberland County Council
£100,157 - £109,081
We are looking for an individual to help us achieve excellence in adult social care in Northumberland. Northumberland County Council, Morpeth, United Kingdom
Recuriter: Northumberland County Council

Payroll Manager

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£46,014 to £55,758 per annum
About the role You will have a set of on-going responsibilities which will vary depending on the needs of the team. The responsibilities include (but not limited to) to
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
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Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.