Staying Safe in Local Elections: Challenges and support for candidates
With local elections nearing, rising abuse fears are deterring candidates - this analysis explores risks, definitions, and new guidance to support safer campaigning.
Tackling Rising Costs in Children’s Social Care Through Procurement
20/08/2025 With rising care costs, councils must rethink procurement to secure better value, improve provision, and deliver stable homes for children in care. |
Keeping the safety net
09/09/2021 Local authority leadership is invaluable to Transitional Safeguarding and councils are ideally placed to enable complexity-attuned commissioning, says Dez Holmes. |
Charity warns funding for refuges ‘inadequate’
17/02/2021 A charity focusing on supporting women and children who have survived domestic abuse has warned that existing funding arrangements for refuge services are ‘inadequate’. |
Councils' commissioning must boost communities says report
15/04/2020 The public sector should adopt Community Value Charters as a standardised way of evaluating social value and improving the lives of local residents, a new report has urged. |
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Councils pledge to 'keep it local'
04/03/2020 Eleven councils have pledged to move away from big outsourcing contracts and keep local services in the hands of local community organisations. |
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Handyperson Services ‘unsung heroes’ in supporting independent living
20/02/2020 A new report has called for the work done by Handyperson Services in keeping vulnerable people safe to be fully recognised by commissioners. |
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Local authorities will continue to commission public health services
10/06/2019 Councils will continue to commission local public health services, a government review has concluded. |
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Clinical Commissioning Groups ‘failing to function effectively’
20/12/2018 An inquiry into the role of Clinical Commissioning Groups has been launched after a report warned many were ‘failing to function effectively’. |
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Clinical commissioners making ‘positive contribution’ to local economies
14/12/2016 Clinical commissioners are making a ‘positive contribution’ to their local economies, new report finds. |
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Survey reveals 70% of councils using Social Value Act to meet challenges
28/11/2016 Seven out of ten councils are using the Social Value Act when commissioning or procuring services, according to the results of our local government survey. |
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New guidance for local commissioners published
26/09/2016 A new skills and employment commissioning guide has been released in order to help local commissioners take advantage of the devolution agenda. |
