10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
Government lacks understanding of the value of hospices, NAO finds
29/10/2025 The DHSC and NHSE do not know how funding is used by hospices for palliative and end-of-life care due to a lack of central oversight, according to the NAO. |
Councils to fund half of increased labour costs under fair pay agreement
27/10/2025 Local authorities are projected to fund over half of increased labour costs passed on by providers as a result of the fair pay agreement for social care. |
Lack of investment 'threatens' shift to community care, says CQC
24/10/2025 A lack of investment in community services threatens the 10-Year Health Plan’s goal of shifting care closer to home, according to the CQC. |
Government to crackdown on traders selling vapes to children
09/10/2025 New rules for retailers selling tobacco, vapes and nicotine products are being proposed by the Government. |
Social care leader blasts ‘potentially catastrophic’ Farage migrant pledge
26/09/2025 Social care leader has said a pledge by Reform leader Nigel Farage to abolish indefinite leave to remain would be ‘potentially catastrophic’ for social care. |
MPs call for 'root and branch' transformation of 'broken' SEND system
18/09/2025 A cross-party report has called for ‘root and branch transformation' of the ‘broken' special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. |
Work scheme for people with health conditions launches in West England
11/08/2025 A programme to help people with health conditions back into the workplace has been launched in the West of England. |
Government denies delay to ICB cluster launch
05/08/2025 The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has denied plans to launch Integrated Care Board (ICB) clusters have been delayed. |
ICBs and councils replace vital services following NRS Healthcare collapse
04/08/2025 ICBs and councils have announced new partnerships to replace vital services previously provided by NRS Healthcare after it went to liquidation last week. |
‘Risk to life’ warning as healthcare equipment maker faces collapse
31/07/2025 Council leaders have warned of a ‘a devastating impact’ and ‘risk to life’ with a healthcare equipment maker on the brink of collapse. |
Calls for higher pay for social care workers
29/07/2025 The Government has faced calls for higher pay and better conditions for social care workers as the numbers of British recruits has continued to fall. |
Councils hail 24% rise in attempts to quit smoking
25/07/2025 The number of people attempting to quit smoking using council commissioned Stop Smoking Services has grown by almost a quarter, according to NHSE data. |
Social care and public health leads council third-party spend
08/07/2025 Social care and public health led local government third-party spend in 2024, new figures have revealed. |
Reform mayor ‘deeply concerned’ about ICB merger plans
23/06/2025 Reform UK Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Dame Andrea Jenkyns is ‘deeply concerned’ about plans to merge with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. |
Social care commission shelves cross-party talks
17/06/2025 Leader of the Government’s social care review of social care, Baroness Casey, has shelved plans for cross-party talks, it has been reported. |
SEND system in urgent need of reform, says LGA
09/06/2025 A new report by the Local Government Association (LGA) has called for urgent reform of SEND services. |
'Burning platform' warning on early years' services
05/06/2025 Early years’ services are on a ‘burning platform’ with UK outcomes among the ‘worst in the civilized world’, a leader has warned. |
Call for 10-year sexual health strategy
03/06/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for a 10-year sexual health strategy as services face unprecedented pressure. |
SEND improvement plan to address ‘systemic failures’
29/05/2025 Bracknell Forest Council has set out plans to improve SEND provision including funding for extra staff. |
Care coalition calls for significant social care funding in Spending Review
22/05/2025 A coalition of stakeholders has called for significant investment in social care in the Spending Review on 11 June. |
