Will local authorities become airspace planners?
Chris Gee explains what councils need to consider when creating a drones policy.
New advice urges councils to ‘not shy away’ from adoption
16/01/2020 The Government has urged local authorities to prioritise adoption and ensure adoptive parents are not wrongly turned away. |
Agency calls for more families to consider adoption
03/01/2020 A regional adoption agency has urged more people to consider adoption as a route to building or extending their family. |
Parish councillors call for childcare support
23/12/2019 Local councillors have urged the new Government to reform rules which prevent them from being able to claim childcare costs. |
Children’s home closed due to safeguarding concerns
17/12/2019 A specialist children’s home in Gloucestershire has temporarily closed because of safeguarding and safety concerns. |
Council criticised for ‘Trans Inclusion Toolkit'
16/12/2019 Oxfordshire County Council has defended its guidance to schools looking to support young people who feel they are not the gender they were assigned at birth. |
New figures reveal exercise inequalities
06/12/2019 Children from less affluent families are less likely to participate in physical activity than their wealthier peers. |
A child loses their home ‘every eight minutes’, charity says
03/12/2019 The number of children without a home in Britain is at the highest it has been in 12 years, a homelessness charity has revealed. |
Planning system is ‘failing’ children’s rights, says report
29/11/2019 The planning system is neglecting the rights and needs of children, a new report has warned today. |
Bristol accused of 'abject failure' over SEND care plans
26/11/2019 An overhaul of services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is under way at Bristol City Council, after it failed to meet deadlines for families applying for support. |
Nearly 500,000 children ‘worried’ about mental health
20/11/2019 Almost half a million children who are worried about their feelings or behaviour are not asking anyone for help, according to campaigners. |
Child poverty in working households up by 800,000, TUC finds
18/11/2019 The number of children growing up in poverty in working households has shot up by 38% since 2010, according to the TUC. |
Children do less exercise as they get older, research reveals
14/11/2019 Primary school children do less exercise as they get older, according to new research. |
Pioneering project ‘diverts’ children from organised crime
29/10/2019 A programme diverting young people away from a life of serious organised crime is set to be rolled out to a number of cities across the UK, a children’s charity has announced. |
Special educational needs reforms ‘poorly implemented’, MPs say
23/10/2019 A generation of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is being failed by the Government’s SEND reforms, MPs warn. |
Whitehall urged to change gambling laws to apply to online games
22/10/2019 A new report has called on the Government to tighten gambling laws to help protect children from spending hundreds of pounds while playing online games. |
Around 58,000 reception-aged children obese, data shows
11/10/2019 New figures from the NHS have revealed that obesity levels among reception-aged schoolchildren in England have increased. |
Give councils the powers to restrict takeaways, obesity report says
10/10/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed a proposal to strengthen planning powers to help deal with the underlying causes of obesity. |
Majority of children ‘happy’, report finds
10/10/2019 The overwhelming majority of children in the UK are happy, according to an official report. |
Councils voice concern over 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates
27/09/2019 An 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates should serve as a wake-up call to parents and authorities about the need for children to be protected against disease, local government leaders have warned. |
Over 4,000 young people ‘exploited’ by County Lines gangs
20/09/2019 Figures released by the Mayor of London’s office have revealed that there are more than 4,000 young people involved in County Lines operating out of London. |
Whitehall launches £30m fund to fight online ‘predators’
17/09/2019 The Government has announced a £30m fund to help tackle paedophiles operating online. |
Councils accused of acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs
17/09/2019 Lack of money and increasing demand have been blamed after an allegation that councils were unwittingly acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs. |
Council criticised after SEN child left without education for over a year
12/09/2019 Worcestershire CC complaints policy has been criticised after a boy with special educational needs was left without appropriate education for 14 months. |
Cash-strapped councils struggling to support SEND children, auditors warn
11/09/2019 Auditors have warned that councils are coming under growing financial pressure as the demand for supporting school pupils with the greatest needs rises. |
Quarter of a million children ‘unhappy’, charity says
28/08/2019 Council chiefs have called for more funds for children’s services after a charity found quarter of a million teenagers in the UK are unhappy. |
Millions of children go hungry over summer holidays, Labour say
22/08/2019 Government funding on holiday hunger supported less than 4% of all children who are currently eligible for free school meals, the Labour Party have said. |
Housing crisis forcing 1.3 million children to live in ‘overcrowded’ conditions
22/08/2019 A new study has revealed that more than one in 10 children in England are living in overcrowded homes because of a lack of suitable housing. |
Children growing up in ‘B&Bs and shipping containers’, commissioner warns
21/08/2019 Thousands of children are growing up in unsuitable temporary accommodation, commissioner warns – a state of affairs council chiefs blame on a lack of funding. |
Air pollution could be causing a third of child asthma cases, study warns
08/08/2019 Air pollution could be the cause of up to a third of new cases of childhood asthma in Europe, according to a new study. |
Calls for ugent investment in public playgrounds
05/08/2019 The decline in public playgrounds is ‘pushing’ children away from outdoor play, a new survey has revealed. |
System struggling to cope with 'explosion' of older children in care, Commissioner warns
01/08/2019 The system is struggling to cope with the increasing number of older children going into care over the past five years, a new report has warned today. |
Over 14 million living in poverty, think tank reveals
30/07/2019 Millions of people, including children and pensioners, are living below the poverty line, new research into poverty has revealed. |
‘Primary school’s worth’ of children face homelessness this summer
22/07/2019 Next PM told to make homelessness an 'urgent priority' as research finds hundreds of children face being placed into temporary accommodation this summer. |
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. |
Local government cuts forcing children to grow up in poverty, Labour say
15/07/2019 Millions of children are growing up in poverty because of Whitehall cuts to council funding, Labour says after research reveals extent of childhood poverty. |
Hinds launches £9m mental health training scheme
12/07/2019 Pupils struggling with mental health are to benefit from more 'joined up care and support', education secretary Damien Hinds has announced. |
Deaf children face ‘radio aid lottery’
11/07/2019 Local authority leaders have hit back against a claim that councils are failing to provide aids to deaf children. |
Free HPV vaccination to be offered to boys
09/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed an announcement that from boys will be offered the free Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the first time. |
Austerity creating ‘crisis of childhood’, charity warns
09/07/2019 Funding cuts mean support has been diverted away from early help services into protecting children at immediate risk of harm, council leaders have warned. |
Stop 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, council chiefs say
09/07/2019 More must be done to stop the 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, according to local government leaders. |
Air pollution ‘shortening the lives of children’, report reveals
08/07/2019 A new study has revealed that air pollution could be shortening the lives of children in Birmingham by seven months. |
London boroughs warn refugee scheme ‘is not working’
08/07/2019 The Government scheme for distributing refugee children throughout the country is not working, according to London Councils. |
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. |
Primary school children targeted for ‘county lines’ drug trafficking
05/07/2019 The response from statutory agencies to ‘county lines’ drug dealing is ‘too often haphazard’, a charity warns as new report reveals children as young as seven are being exploited by criminal gangs. |
Next PM told to invest £10bn in ‘mending broken childhoods’
04/07/2019 The next PM should put the billions they have promised for income and corporation tax cuts towards ‘mending broken childhoods’, says Children’s Commissioner. |
Majority of young people experience mental health issues, poll reveals
02/07/2019 Three in five young people have experienced a mental health problem or are close to someone who has, according to a new survey. |
New fund to cover costs of children’s funerals
01/07/2019 Grieving families will no longer have to pay for their child’s burial or cremation under a new government scheme in England. |
Children's Play: Winner: Milner Square, Islington LBC
25/06/2019 The winner of this year's Children's Play category is Islington LBC for the new play scheme at Milner Square. |
Council-led programmes to fight childhood obesity launched
25/06/2019 The Government is to fund five council-led programmes to tackle childhood obesity. |
Children exposed to toxic air inside schools, report warns
18/06/2019 The quality of air inside and outside primary schools must be improved to protect children's health, campaigners have demanded. |
Charity warns cuts to children’s services ‘undermine’ mental health agenda
17/06/2019 A children’s charity has welcomed the Prime Minister’s ‘new mission’ to put prevention at the top of the mental health agenda, but warn that cuts to children’s services undermine progress in this area. |
Calls for sugar-free schools by 2022
05/06/2019 All schools in London should be sugar-free by 2022, according to health experts. |
£15m project launched to support vulnerable families
22/05/2019 A scheme has been launched to try and keep children with their families instead of being sent into care. |
Nearly 600 people arrested to tackle county lines drug gangs
21/05/2019 Nearly 600 people have been arrested in a single week for their suspected involvement in drug dealing across county lines. |
Children with autism ‘let down’ by system, report finds
20/05/2019 The system of support for young people with learning difficulties and autism is letting down some of the most vulnerable children in the country, according to the Children’s Commissioner. |
‘Significant’ variations in rates of dental visits, study finds
17/05/2019 Children living in areas of deprivation are more likely to visit the dentist compared to those in more affluent areas, a new study has revealed. |
Hackney publishes guide to banning traffic outside schools
17/05/2019 Hackney Council has launched a new toolkit designed to help local authorities ban traffic outside of schools at opening and closing times. |
Child poverty is the ‘new normal’ in Britain, campaigners warn
15/05/2019 An estimated half a million more children are having their lives ‘limited by poverty’ today than at the start of the decade, the UK’s leading child poverty coalition has revealed. |
Welfare reforms put pressure on struggling families, report warns
13/05/2019 A new study looking at the impact of welfare reforms on child vulnerability has found that a quarter of children in low income families are unable to make ends meet. |
Councils receive extra £30m to care for asylum seeking children
09/05/2019 The amount of funding councils receive to look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children is set to rise by £30m. |
Spending Review should put aside £3bn for children's services say MPs
30/04/2019 The Government needs to release at least £3bn of non-ring-fenced funding to local authorities to save children’s services from the ‘crisis’ they are in, MPs have said. |
Play as a powerful motivator
26/04/2019 Beth Cooper explores the value of play and green places in preserving the nation’s health. |
Councils need more powers to tackle junk food adverts, campaigners say
24/04/2019 Campaigners have called for local authorities to be given more powers to push back against junk food advertising. |
More men needed in early years education, minister says
24/04/2019 The Government has launched a new project designed to encourage more men to work in early years education. |
Council proposes introducing more smoke-free spaces
12/04/2019 Derbyshire residents could soon be asked to decide on whether they want more smoke-free places in their county. |
Thousands of children being taught in illegal schools
12/04/2019 Up to 6,000 children are being educated in illegal schools across England putting their safety and education at risk, a watchdog has warned. |
Nearly two thirds of councils cut mental health services for children
10/04/2019 Around 60% of local authority areas have seen a real-terms fall in spending on low-level mental health services for children, a new report has revealed. |
Child benefit value at ‘record low’
03/04/2019 The value of child benefit has fallen to a record low, a think tank says 40 years after the benefit was established. |
School children in referral units doubles within a decade
01/04/2019 The number of primary school children in Pupil Referral Units has more than doubled since 2011. according to the Labour Party. |
Government is ‘failing’ to combat child poverty, campaigners say
28/03/2019 Campaigners have warned that the economy is not ‘working for everyone’ as the latest statistics show that child poverty in working families is on the rise. |
Commissioner appointed to oversee Blackpool's children's services
26/03/2019 Essex CC has been appointed to take over Blackpool Council’s children’s services after an Ofsted report last year found it was ‘inadequate’. |
Council chiefs call for ‘urgent investment’ in children's health visitors
21/03/2019 The health visiting service is ‘stretched to its limits’ due to underinvestment and a shrinking workforce, local authority leaders have warned. |
Children missing out on ‘vital emergency support’ due to cuts
18/03/2019 New research from a children’s charity has revealed that young people are paying the price of Government cuts in crisis support, with many parents struggling to afford food and clothing. |
Children left vulnerable to abuse due to focus on Brexit, report warns
12/03/2019 Councils are failing to protect children from abuse in England due to ‘systematic’ safeguarding failures, a new report has warned. |
Councils ‘failing’ children exploited by gangs, report reveals
28/02/2019 The same mistakes that led to child sexual exploitation failings are being repeated with gangs, the children’s commissioner has warned. |
Very few young people regularly vape, report finds
27/02/2019 Only a small proportion of young people are regularly using e-cigarettes, according to the findings of a new report. |
MPs call for an ‘early years revolution’ in child care
26/02/2019 Members of Parliament have called on local authorities to develop plans to help improve support for children during the first 1,000 days of life. |
Childhood poverty set to hit ‘record highs’
20/02/2019 The proportion of children living in poverty risks hitting a record high by the end of the parliament, a shocking new report has revealed. |
Whitehall’s ‘hostile environment’ puts children in danger, charity says
19/02/2019 The Government’s commitment to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants outweighs their commitment to children’s rights, a charity has warned. |
Pilot project helps a third of youths quit ‘county lines’
14/02/2019 Specialist support helped nearly a third of young people in a pilot project to quit 'county lines' involvement with drugs, according to a review. |
Only a week left to enter Street Design Awards
14/02/2019 The Street Design Awards, celebrating innovation and best practice in street design schemes, have been relaunched by Local Government News magazine. |
Council rolls scooters out in bid to tackle pollution
13/02/2019 Children in Leeds will soon be travelling to school on scooters instead of in cars as part of the council’s push to clean up the city’s air. |
Health experts warn about impact of toxic air on children
06/02/2019 Nearly nine out of ten child health experts are warning air pollution is already having a negative impact on children's health in their region. |
Front-line workers ‘must get better’ at tackling child exploitation by drug gangs
30/01/2019 Front-line professionals ‘must get better’ at spotting signs that children are being exploited, a children’s charity has said in response to an annual assessment of county lines drug networks. |
Government failing to treat children as victims of domestic abuse, warns charity
11/01/2019 Nearly a quarter of a million children should be classed as victims of domestic abuse, the NSPCC has said today. |
Nine out of ten councils blow the budget on children's care
09/01/2019 Nearly ninety percent of councils overspent on children’s social care last year, according to figures released by the Local Government Association. |
£12m boost for adoptive families
24/12/2018 The Government yesterday announced a £12m funding boost to support adoptive families. |
Council chiefs warn of dangerous ‘must-have’ toys
24/12/2018 Local government leaders are warning Christmas shoppers to avoid potentially dangerous and fake ‘must-have’ toys. |
Whitehall launches £9m holiday programme for disadvantaged children
21/12/2018 The Government today launched a £9m programme to provide disadvantaged children with free meals and activities during the school holidays. |
One in four trafficked children reported missing from care
21/12/2018 Nearly a quarter of trafficked children were reported as going missing from care in 2017, a new study has revealed. |
New mental health teams set to support 500,000 children
20/12/2018 Half a million children and young people are set to benefit from new mental health support teams, secretary of state for health and social care has announced. |
Health visitors ‘crucial’ for children’s cognitive development
19/12/2018 Thinking skills should be made a priority to prepare children for school, according to a new report. |
Early learning gap widens in 50% of council areas
18/12/2018 The early learning gap between children in poverty and their peers has widened in half of the local authority areas in England, children’s charity reveals. |
Teachers warn of ‘Dickensian’ levels of poverty
17/12/2018 Teachers have warned they are seeing increasing levels of 'Dickensian' poverty among children in their classrooms. |
Council chiefs call for ‘emergency cash’ to support children with special needs
17/12/2018 The Government has announced it will provide £350m to support children with complex needs and disabilities. |
A million young children will be deprived of basics this Christmas, charity warns
06/12/2018 A million children face a miserable Christmas without warm clothing, fresh food or celebrations, poverty campaigners have warned. |
More than 130,000 children will be homeless at Christmas, charity warns
05/12/2018 The number of homeless children has increased by 59% in the last five years, meaning 131,000 will be without a permanent home this Christmas, Shelter has warned. |
Children in care to receive scholarships to independent schools
05/12/2018 The Government yesterday launched a new scheme to help children in care receive mentoring and scholarships from independent schools. |
Council call for action over number of operations to remove rotten teeth in children
03/12/2018 Council leaders have called for immediate action to tackle sugar consumption after new figures showed more than 45,000 teenagers and children had teeth extracted in hospital last year. |
Southwark commits to 100% treatment rate for children with mental health conditions
30/11/2018 Southwark Council has become the first local authority in the country to commit to a 100% treatment rate by 2020 for children with mental health conditions. |
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.
