Professionals back use of standalone supervision orders
Children ‘bearing brunt’ of mental health crisis
MPs call for review of 'dangerous' obesity strategy
New study maps loneliness during the pandemic
Tackling mistrust about vaccines
Dr Justin Varney looks at how Birmingham is working to tackle the ‘layers upon layers of mistrust’ among ethnic minority communities that is ‘now playing out in vaccine hesitancy’.
Only half of people in the UK with COVID symptoms self-isolate, study finds
01/04/2021 Local authority leaders have described as ‘concerning’ a study revealing that levels of adherence to test, trace, and isolate COVID-19 rules are low. |
Surge testing in Bolton announced
31/03/2021 Additional testing is being deployed in Bolton where one case of the COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa has been identified. |
Council reassures residents after Avian Flu detected on farm
30/03/2021 A one kilometre restriction zone has been set up around a poultry farm in Tarporley as Cheshire West and Chester Council respond to an outbreak of Avian Flu. |
Hancock announces £500m for mental health services
29/03/2021 People with mental health difficulties will benefit from expanded mental health services backed by £500m, the Government announced today. |
COVID care home infections fall 62% after single vaccine dose
29/03/2021 A single dose of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines gives residents of care homes protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection after four weeks. |
Funding for addiction services slashed by £26m
29/03/2021 Doctors have called on the Government to invest £43m into youth addiction services to prevent lifelong addiction. |
Council chiefs call for ‘1948 moment’ for social care
29/03/2021 Local authority leaders have called for ‘immediate action’ on social care as part of a long-term plan to build back better from the pandemic. |
New 'Singapore-style' Office will tackle leading health risks
29/03/2021 A new 'Singapore style' Office for Health Promotion will systematically tackle the ‘top preventable risk factors causing death and ill health in the UK’, the Government announced today. |
Welsh government starts to re-open tourism sector
26/03/2021 Wales’ tourism sector will be able to start re-opening from tomorrow as the stay-local rule is lifted, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced. |
Councils urged to publish Start for Life offer
25/03/2021 Local authorities are being urged to publish a single publication setting out what support is available for parents in their local area. |
Short-term funding has held back care, says watchdog
25/03/2021 Short-term funding has held back investment in the unstable £16.5bn adult social care market despite a forecast 57% in demand from the over-65s by 2036 says a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). |
COVID-19: 1.5 million potential years of life have been lost
23/03/2021 Up to 1.5 million potential years of life have been lost due to COVID-19, new research published today has revealed. |
Smokers in England cost local care services £1.2bn each year
23/03/2021 Smokers in England need care 10 years sooner than non-smokers, which places a considerable burden on local social care services, research reveals. |
Sleep-in shifts legal battle ends
19/03/2021 A long-running legal challenge by care workers over pay worth £400m has been rejected by the Supreme Court. |
Changing Futures programme extended for three years
19/03/2021 A programme to help people facing multiple issues has been extended with an extra £18m new investment. |
Government told to end ‘25 years of inaction’ and fix social care
18/03/2021 Social care leaders have called on the Government to end what they describe as over two decades of ‘inaction’ over the UK’s social care crisis. |
County council criticised for overcharging for respite care
17/03/2021 Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to refund some people it charged for short-term residential care following an investigation. |
County council approves Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone pilot
17/03/2021 Oxford’s proposed Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot has been formally approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet for launch in August. |
Care recipients report deteriorating health due to ‘lack of care’
15/03/2021 Carers have called on the PM to bring forward reforms aimed at fixing social care as a new survey reveals more than a quarter of care recipients said their health had deteriorated because of a lack of care. |
Homeless people and rough sleepers to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccine
12/03/2021 Local teams have been given permission to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to homeless people or those sleeping rough. |
Investigation launched into children’s care market
12/03/2021 A study into the increasing costs in children’s social care provision and lack of appropriate placements has been launched by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). |
Survey reveals 50% of respondents say mental health should be post-pandemic priority
11/03/2021 Nearly half of those who took part in a recent social mobility survey said that the Government should focus on addressing mental health issues as part of its post-pandemic recovery plan. |
Schools Streets cutting air pollution, study reveals
09/03/2021 Closing roads around schools at pick-up and drop-off times has reduced air pollution by 23% in London, a new study published by mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed. |
England to miss 'smoke-free’ target by 21 years, research suggests
08/03/2021 It will take 21 years longer than expected for England to become smoke-free at a cost of over £40.4bn in local authority, social care and NHS costs, new analysis has revealed. |
Majority of parents warn pandemic has made children less active
08/03/2021 More than two-thirds of parents have warned their children are less physically active than before the start of the pandemic in a new survey. |
MPs launch inquiry into adult social care funding
05/03/2021 An investigation into the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on adult social care will be conducted by MPs. |
Councils urged to build community spirit to help reduce health inequalities
05/03/2021 A toolkit to help local areas increase their community spirit beyond the pandemic has been published by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH). |
Multi-million funding boost to increase mental health support in schools
05/03/2021 Nearly three million children in England will have access to mental health teams in their schools, following the allocation of £79m funding. |
Funding boost for councils’ weight management services
04/03/2021 The Government has announced £100m funding to help adults and children achieve and maintain a healthier weight. |
Council accused of neglecting man with dementia’s ‘human rights’
04/03/2021 Nottinghamshire County Council has apologised to the family of a man with dementia who was placed in a care home as a temporary measure and then left for five months. |
Budget 2021: Failure to fix 'broken' social care system
04/03/2021 The chancellor has faced criticism for failing to address the social care crisis in his Budget yesterday. |
Six cases of new Brazil COVID variant identified
01/03/2021 Up to six cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in Manaus, Brazil have been detected in the UK, the national health body has confirmed. |
Households of school aged children eligible for rapid COVID tests
01/03/2021 All households of school aged children will get two rapid tests per person, per week, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced. |
London council to investigate possible cancer cluster
25/02/2021 Barking and Dagenham LBC has apologised for failing to investigate a woman’s concerns about a possible cancer cluster in the borough. |
Homeless deaths rose by more than a third in past year, warn campaigners
22/02/2021 The number of homeless people who died last year increased by 37% despite the success of the Everyone In scheme, new research has revealed. |
Think tank calls for collaboration in face of ‘stark’ health inequalities
22/02/2021 A think tank has called on health and care organisations across London to continue working together closely after the pandemic in order to tackle health inequalities across the capital. |
Care home visits to resume in March
22/02/2021 Care home residents in England and Wales will be allowed one regular visitor from 8 March under plans to ease lockdown restrictions. |
Government bans unregulated accommodation for vulnerable children
19/02/2021 Placing vulnerable children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation will be made illegal from September, the Government has announced. |
Multi-million pound funding to tackle Long COVID
18/02/2021 Four research studies have been awarded £18.5m to explore the causes and effective treatment of Long COVID. |
Councils call for extra cash for expanded shielding list
17/02/2021 Councils have called for more access to data and extra cash to deal with sharp spike in the number of people shielding from coronavirus. |
Launch of COVID-19 vaccine uptake plan
15/02/2021 The Government has highlighted how vaccination buses and short films aimed at people with a learning disability are helping to boost vaccine uptake at a local level. |
Disabled people accounted for six in 10 deaths from COVID-19 last year
12/02/2021 Figures have shown that six out of 10 people who died from COVID-19 last year were disabled. |
Extended funding for projects for children with SEND
12/02/2021 The Government has extended funding for projects to support children with special educational needs and disabilities. |
LGA responds to white paper plans to radically reform the NHS
11/02/2021 Council leaders have warned that local government needs to be an equal partner in the design of any national oversight of social care as the Government sets out its white paper plans to overhaul the NHS. |
Social care should remain delivered by councils, says new report
10/02/2021 Tens of thousands of people could live more independent lives if councils keep hold of social care under government plans to overhaul health services, a new report has insisted. |
Seven in ten local authorities offering rapid testing
10/02/2021 Rapid testing is now being offered by more than 70% of local authorities in England for people unable to work from home, latest figures show. |
Fossil fuel air pollution causes one in five deaths every year, research shows
09/02/2021 Fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide - much higher than previously thought - according to new research. |
Report calls for a joined up public health approach to gangs
08/02/2021 Local authorities are failing to tackle the key drivers for youth violence in their areas, the Children's Commissioner has warned in a new report. |
Surge testing expanded to other areas
08/02/2021 More local authorities will be deploying surge testing in a bid to stop the spread of the new COVID-19 variants. |
Councils warn of 'harrowing' rise in serious child harm cases during pandemic
05/02/2021 The number of serious child-related incidents reported by councils has risen by more than a quarter during the pandemic, new figures show. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
