Maintaining performance
The 15 strongest performing councils in adult social care have been highlighted in IMPOWER’s latest productivity INDEX. Ralph Cook looks at the results.
Care denied to 700,000 older people, charity reveals
07/02/2020 Around 700,000 older people have had their request for care turned down in the past year, analysis by a charity has discovered. |
Building society pilots ‘contactless’ donation scheme to tackle homelessness
31/01/2020 A branch of the building society Nationwide has introduced a novel new way to donate to a homelessness charity – ‘contactless posters’. |
Charity cancels evangelical event over preacher’s ‘repulsive views’
30/01/2020 A charity which manages venues in Sheffield has cancelled an event by an evangelical preacher after LGBT+ groups warned that he promoted homophobic views. |
Khan urges Londoners to support rough sleepers this winter
17/12/2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on residents of the capital to support his winter rough sleeping campaign ahead of Christmas. |
Private renters overspending £11bn a year on rent
26/11/2019 Private renters in England are spending £11bn more a year on rent than they can afford, new research has shown. |
Nearly 700 children a day at risk of domestic violence
21/11/2019 Many children facing domestic abuse are failing to get the support they need because of a 'postcode lottery, a new report has warned today. |
Over 22,000 young people face homelessness this Christmas
18/11/2019 A charity has warned that tens of thousands of young people in England will be homeless or at risk of homelessness this Christmas. |
Glasgow faces legal battle over homeless services
03/10/2019 Shelter Scotland has launched a legal battle against Glasgow City Council over failures in its homelessness service. |
Older people face ‘significant barriers’ in applying for EU Settlement Scheme
27/09/2019 The Government has been warned it could face a ‘Windrush 2’ as vulnerable older people are failing to apply to the EU settlement scheme (EUSS) in time. |
Youth service spending set to hit ‘lowest point in a generation’
25/09/2019 The young persons charity YMCA has warned that spending on local youth services is at ‘breaking point’ with a nearly 70% decrease in funding in a decade. |
Over 300,000 people forced to sell homes to pay for care
19/09/2019 Over the last 20 years hundreds of thousands of older people have been forced to sell their home to cover the cost of social care, charity reveals. |
Casey calls for support to tackle homelessness
16/09/2019 Homelessness expert Dame Louise Casey has issued a call to arms to tackle the rising tide of homelessness around the world. |
Councils sent 2.6 million debts to bailiffs in just one year, charity reveals
11/09/2019 Councils have substantially increased their use of bailiffs to collect debts over the last two years, a surge driven by a rise in parking debt referrals. |
Council charity to run Hertfordshire's libraries
02/08/2019 Hertfordshire County Council is set to save £500,000 in business rates by transferring its libraries to a charity it set up for the purpose. |
Around 770,000 denied support during social care green paper delay
22/07/2019 Nearly 800,000 people have been denied state help during the social care green paper delay, an elderly persons charity has said. |
Report explores how public donations could protect future of parks
18/07/2019 Charitable donations could help protect the future of the UK’s parks and green spaces, a new report has found. |
Charity calls for help feeding children during the holidays
16/07/2019 The Trussell Trust is urging people to donate food to their local food bank to help support families with children during the summer holidays. |
Young people ‘fear for their future’, charity says
08/07/2019 Young people fear for their future and feel ignored by politicians, according to new report. |
Charities call for £1bn a year to reverse public health cuts
12/06/2019 Two health charities are calling on the Government to reverse the £1bn a year cuts to public health grants. |
Cuts creating ‘care deserts’ across England, charity says
15/05/2019 Years of underfunding has undermined the care market and created ‘care deserts’ in England, an elderly persons charity has warned. |
Homeless shelter closes due to safety concerns
03/05/2019 A homeless centre in Shrewsbury has been temporarily closed down after safety concerns about the building were brought to Shropshire Council’s attention. |
Universal Credit ‘key driver’ behind increase in foodbank use
25/04/2019 The number of food parcels given out across the UK has gone up 73% in five years, according to a major charity. |
Homelessness charity wins £3.6m lottery grant
23/04/2019 A charity which helps people battling with homelessness, long-term unemployment and addiction is set to expand thanks to a grant from the national lottery. |
Charities warn about ‘dangerous’ cuts to children’s services
26/02/2019 Thousands of children are at risk of falling into crisis due to ‘devastating and dangerous’ funding cuts in children’s services, five charities have warned today. |
Council apologises for evicting anti-abortion charity
20/02/2019 Lambeth Council have paid £5,000 in damages to an anti-abortion charity after evicting its volunteers and staff from an event in the London borough last year. |
One in five people are living in poverty, report warns
04/12/2018 Britain has suffered a 'relentless rise' in the number of working families struggling to make ends meet over the last five years, according to poverty campaigners. |
RSPCA calls for more council funding for animal welfare services
28/11/2018 Councils are being forced to cut or outsource animal welfare services, a report from the RSPCA has warned. |
Households owe £18.9bn on everyday bills
21/08/2018 Households owe nearly £19bn on essential bills such as council tax and utilities, Citizens Advice has warned today. |
Charities merge to improve support for ‘vulnerable children’
10/08/2018 More vulnerable children will be given specialist support as a result of a partnership between two leading charities. |
UC claimants lose ‘hundreds of pounds’ due to assessment timing
06/08/2018 Many Universal Credit claimants are losing hundreds of pounds each year because their payday falls too close to their assessment date, a charity has revealed. |
Universal Credit system ‘too complicated’, charity says
23/07/2018 Universal Credit claims ‘falter’ due to a complicated process and a lack of support, a charity which supports claimants has found. |
North Tyneside saves over £100,000 thanks to children’s charity
13/06/2018 A local authority has saved more than £100,000 and reduced the flow of children into care by 16% thanks to its partnership with an ‘innovative’ charity. |
Council response to Grenfell tragedy was 'weak' - report
30/05/2018 Damage caused by Kensington and Chelsea RLBC's ‘weak’ response in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire will be ‘difficult to repair,’ a report has suggested. |
Councils failing to support thousands of young homeless people warns charity
03/05/2018 At least 86,000 young people in the UK are estimated to have sought help from their local council last year because they were homeless or at risk of homelessness, according to new research. |
Charity launches community-led services to tackle social care pressures
11/04/2018 More person and community-led approaches are needed to help tackle increasing pressures on health and social care services, charity says. |
Charity shops face business rates relief ‘postcode lottery’
09/04/2018 Charity shops are ‘falling victim’ to inconsistent and unfair policies on business rates relief and waste management, charity representatives say. |
Investigation launched into serious failures at specialist school
06/04/2018 An investigation has been launched into a charity for the blind following ‘serious concerns’ over the safeguarding of vulnerable children and young people. |
Half a million older private renters are ‘invisible’ in housing policy
27/03/2018 Older private renters are being overlooked by housing policy despite being more likely to report cold and damp in their homes, a charity has warned today. |
‘Unnecessary’ hospital admissions for terminally ill cost NHS £2.5bn
21/03/2018 There were over 1.6 million emergency hospital admissions for people in their last year of life during 2016 costing the NHS £2.5bn, a charity has warned today. |
Councils join new alliance to help people report child abuse
16/03/2018 Local councils have joined forces with police chiefs, charities and the Government to help encourage the public to report suspicions of child abuse. |
Cuts to trading standards putting older people at risk of fraud, warns charity
09/03/2018 Cuts to trading standards services are leaving millions of older people at risk of fraud, according to Age UK. |
Fuel poverty kills thousands every year, charity reveals
26/02/2018 The UK has the sixth-highest rate of excess winter deaths in Europe with thousands dying preventable deaths every year, fuel poverty charity finds. |
Should councils be launching their own charities?
21/02/2018 Mark Whitehead explores why Barnet has become the first council to set up a charity to support children in care. |
Third of dementia sufferers do not have care plan, charity warns
13/02/2018 One in three patients suffering from dementia do not get the NHS follow up support they’re supposed to because of a lack of care plan, older persons charity finds. |
Council ‘bemused’ by comedian’s homeless charity petition
23/01/2018 Russell Brand has launched a petition calling on Slough to provide a homelessness charity with a building as a ‘wedding present’ ahead of the royal wedding. |
Over £300m from dormant accounts to go towards ‘good causes’
04/01/2018 Around £330m from dormant bank and building society accounts will be used to help disadvantaged young people, the homeless and other good causes across the UK, the Government has announced. |
Social care funding cuts will leave 1,400 dementia patients stuck in hospital this Christmas
13/12/2017 At least 1,400 people with dementia will be stranded in a hospital ward over Christmas due to a lack of social care funding, a new investigation has revealed. |
Nearly 130,000 children will wake up homeless on Christmas, charity warns
06/12/2017 Nearly 130,000 children in Britain will wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas, homelessness charity warns. |
Charity reports ‘deeply troubling’ use of bailiffs by councils
14/11/2017 The number of bailiffs being used by councils to collect debts has risen by 14% in the last two years, new research has revealed today. |
Number of Community Alcohol Partnerships to tackle underage drinking
12/10/2017 An organisation dedicated to tackling underage drinking is set to double the number of its local groups around the country. |
Charities at ‘risk of collapse’ due to unaffordable LGPS debt
26/09/2017 Charities should be allowed to exit the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to stop them building up unaffordable debt, according to a new report. |
Progress on prevention and integration in care sector ‘too slow’, charity warns
25/09/2017 Local authorities are ‘struggling’ to meet their obligations to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care, the British Red Cross has warned. |
Universal Credit pushing people into ‘spiral of debt’, charity warns
11/09/2017 The expansion of Universal Credit (UC) is a ‘disaster waiting to happen’ because many of its problems have not been solved including the long wait for payments, charity warns. |
Quarter of a million private renting families burdened with ‘debt’, charity finds
08/09/2017 Around 250,000 private renting families in England are burdened with ‘serious debt’ because they have to move house frequently, a housing charity has warned. |
One in five young teenagers consider running away from home, poll reveals
07/09/2017 A fifth of children have considered running away from the family home, charity says as it warns children are struggling with the move to secondary school. |
Charity warns millions of pensioners living below the poverty line
01/09/2017 A quarter of pensioners are facing financial problems with many unable to meet unexpected expenses or keep their homes warm, according to Age UK. |
Rough sleeping to rise by three quarters in next decade warns charity
10/08/2017 Rough sleeping is set to increase by 76% in the next ten years, according to new analysis by homeless charity Crisis. |
Charity warns nearly four million children living in poverty
04/08/2017 Almost four million children across the UK now living below the breadline, a charity has warned. |
Unpaid carers ‘struggling’ to take a break
11/07/2017 One in four unpaid carers have not had a single day off in five years, shocking survey reveals. |
1,300 jobs are saved after charity goes into administration
06/06/2017 Over ,1000 jobs have been saved after a drug and alcohol abuse charity went into administration due to ‘unsustainable financial pressure’. |
Active travel projects get £15m funding boost
22/05/2017 Active travel charity Sustrans Scotland has awarded more than £15m in Scottish Government funding for the creation of walking and cycling infrastructure in the country over the next year. |
Third of over 80s have ‘unmet’ care needs
17/05/2017 Almost a third of over 80s are receiving inadequate care and support, warns charity as they call on the major political parties to put social care at the heart of their election manifestos. |
Council cuts hit charitable sector
10/05/2017 Local government cuts have hit charities as new figures reveal the charitable sector can expect to see ‘little rise’ in government income. |
Greater Manchester mayor donates 15% of salary to homelessness fund
08/05/2017 The newly elected mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has donated 15% of his salary to help eradicate homeless in the region. |
Birmingham cracks down on ‘charity muggers’
03/05/2017 Birmingham City Council has reached an agreement that will see a reduction in the number of charity fundraisers in the city centre. |
Caritas Anchor House: a success story from the frontlines of austerity
28/04/2017 The Homelessness Reduction Act has put homelessness on the agenda again. William Eichler visits a charity to learn how they are tackling the issue in London. |
Debt charities call on councils to ‘stamp out’ bad practices by bailiffs
14/03/2017 Local authorities have key role in ‘stamping out’ bad debt collection practices by bailiffs by ensuring fair treatment, charities say. |
Walk to School Week
27/02/2017 This May thousands of teachers and children across the country will celebrate the benefits walking brings during Walk to School Week (15 – 19 May). |
Extra funding to support people with multiple needs
14/02/2017 A coalition of three charities have been awarded lottery funding to help expand support for people with multiple needs across England over the next five years. |
Charity sees sharp rise in drugs and alcohol being used near children
13/02/2017 The NSPCC has reported more than 20,000 concerns over substance abuse near children to the police and children’s services over the past three years. |
Cracks within fostering system 'likely to get bigger' warns charity
31/01/2017 The fostering system in the UK is under ‘unsustainable strain’, with ‘hard-won improvements’ at risk of being eroded, a report has warned today. |
Welsh councils not getting ‘value for money’ from third sector
26/01/2017 Local authorities in Wales have increased their investment in third sector services, but ‘poor arrangements’ mean they are not getting value for money, auditors find. |
Listening to the streets
23/01/2017 William Eichler finds out how a person-centred approach can stop people from being trapped in the ‘homeless industry’. |
Councils spending 'close to nothing' on mental health initiatives
08/12/2016 Local authorities are spending less than 1% of their public health budget on mental health services, new data has revealed today. |
Small charities ‘under threat’ from poor commissioning processes
07/12/2016 Small charities are ‘under threat’ because of ‘shockingly complicated’ and ‘inappropriate’ local government commissioning processes. |
Third of homecare workers have no dementia training
17/11/2016 One in three homecare workers have no dementia training and are leaving people in soiled clothes, surviving without hot meals and even missing vital medication, according to a health charity. |
Telephone hotline would help foodbanks support people in a crisis says charity
08/11/2016 A telephone ‘hotline’ connecting foodbanks and local jobcentres should be launched to help those needing emergency food parcels, the Trussell Trust has said. |
Number of care leavers in 'unsafe' accommodation falls by 35%
28/10/2016 The number of care leavers being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation has fallen by 35% in the past two years, according to new figures. |
Older private tenants forced to live in 'squalor' warns charity
27/10/2016 A charity is calling for more funding to be given to local environmental health services to crack down on the ‘appalling’ living conditions of older people in private rented housing. |
Charity refers 500 reports of child slavery to councils
13/10/2016 Over 500 reports of child slavery were referred to local authorities this year, according to a national children’s charity. |
Hundreds of children evicted from social housing in Wales last year
11/10/2016 More than 500 children were evicted from social housing in Wales last year, according to a new report from Shelter Cymru. |
Tower Hamlets charity victim of ‘gross mismanagement’ and fraud
07/10/2016 A Tower Hamlets charity was the victim of ‘gross mismanagement' and fraud, according to a report published today by the Charity Commission. |
110,000 carers ‘sandwiched’ between two generations of dependents
28/09/2016 More than 100,000 people are looking after a parent with cancer while also taking care of their own children, a new report reveals. |
Councils forced to put down thousands of stray dogs due to out-of-date microchips
27/09/2016 More than 37,000 stray dogs remained unclaimed in council kennels last year, according to new figures from Dogs Trust. |
Housing benefit cap could force two-thirds of women's refuges to close
05/09/2016 More than two-thirds of domestic abuse refuges could be forced to close unless they are exempt from the housing benefit cap, new research has warned today |
Armed forces members ‘disadvantaged’ by service
30/08/2016 Nearly 40% of those who serve in the armed forces report feeling disadvantaged as a result of their service, new report reveals. |
Six billion fewer plastic bags used thanks to charge
01/08/2016 Shoppers are set to take home six billion fewer plastic bags this year as a result of the five pence charge, the Government says. |
Councils criticised for treatment of those in problem debt
19/07/2016 Local government is one of the worst sectors for treating people in problem debt unfairly, according to the results of a new survey. |
Dispute over British Museum’s tax bill
17/06/2016 The British Museum has challenged Camden Council over a £720,000 tax bill. |
Benefit changes worrying for those ‘experiencing financial hardship’, charity finds
15/06/2016 Over four-fifths of social tenants who claim benefits are concerned about future changes to the welfare system, a national charity has found. |
Charities urge MPs to reform homelessness legislation
06/06/2016 MPs have been urged to reform homelessness legislation, requiring all local authorities in England to take action to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. |
Care Act has failed to protect disabled people and carers, warns charity
02/06/2016 More than half of local authorities in England spent less on services for disabled people and carers last year, despite the Care Act being introduced. |
Councils unlawfully rehousing families outside local area warns charity
23/05/2016 Some councils are unlawfully moving homeless families into temporary accommodation outside their own boroughs, a new investigation has revealed. |
Charity highlights 'hidden army' of older carers
18/05/2016 Campaigners have demanded more state support for older people looking after relatives at home after unveiling evidence that they are saving the nation £5.9bn a year. |
Older pensioners more likely to be living in poverty, warns charity
16/05/2016 Older pensioners are thousands of pounds a year worse off than younger ‘Baby Boomer’ pensioners and working age adults, a charity is warning |
Councils asked to delay hedge cutting to protect wildlife
10/05/2016 The RSPB has urged local authorities not to cut back hedges or trees until September, warning major work can destroy habitats and nests. |
Councils urged to stop using bailiffs to chase council tax debt
04/05/2016 Charities are urging councils to stop using bailiffs to chase council tax debts, warning enforcement action can deepen resident's financial problems. |
Universities and charities should cooperate more for public benefit, says new study
26/04/2016 Public policy outcomes could be improved if academics and the third sector worked more closely together, argues new report. |
Research warns of 'hidden poverty' across country
25/04/2016 Although northern and Scottish cities have the highest concentration of vulnerable children and families, a new report has warned that pockets of ‘hidden poverty’ exist across the south and coastal areas. |
Large minority of councils still use 15-minute care visits, charity reveals
04/04/2016 Thousands of disabled and elderly people are still facing 15-minute care visits, despite official guidance advising against them. |
This issue of Public Property examines how public sector organisations can unlock the hidden value in their land, and why a new approach to construction could help boost the outcomes of the Government’s One Public Estate programme.
The December issue also considers why learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. It also contains a case study on how the London Borough of Westminster has provided high quality care for the elderly alongside a block of luxury apartments.
