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Report finds fall in provision of long-term care 28/02/2025 Councils provided long-term care to fewer people last year than they did a decade ago, according to a new report.
Nursery fees set to jump 10% 11/02/2025 The rise in employers' national insurance will force most nurseries to increase their fees by 10%, a new survey has revealed.
National Insurance compensation allocations 'sensible' 05/02/2025 The Government's approach to distributing compensation to councils for higher National Insurance Contribution bills has been described as ‘sensible' by a think-tank.
The cost of local authority trading companies 30/01/2025 Trading companies provide a model to deliver services under tight financial circumstances, says UNISON’s Paul Bell. But at what cost?
Union warns of risk of ‘two-tier workforce’ 20/01/2025 Council trading companies have created a two-tier workforce as their employees are paid less and receive inferior pensions than town hall staff, UNISON says.
Union slams council’s ‘fire and rehire’ plans 05/12/2024 The GMB union has criticised Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council over its plans to ‘fire and rehire’ 500 workers.
Summer riots linked to ‘torn social fabric’ 03/12/2024 The majority of towns that saw rioting over the summer after the stabbing attack in Southport have a ‘torn social fabric’, a charitable trust has said.
NIC hike ‘will be insurmountable’ for some care providers 27/11/2024 A social care leader has warned that the Government’s decision to increase employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be ‘catastrophic’ for millions of people who need care.
Kendall: Local government to join up work opportunities 26/11/2024 Mayors and councils will be given powers to join up services locally to tackle worklessness, the work and pensions secretary will announce today.
Warrington bans ‘non-essential’ travel to avoid S114 13/11/2024 Warrington Council has announced a ban on all 'non-essential' travel and recruitment as it tries to avoid bankruptcy.
Social care and the alarming impact of the NIC rise 12/11/2024 The Budget leaves the social care sector alarmed about the rise in national insurance contributions, says Rachael Dodgson, chief executive of Dimensions.
Migrant care workers face ‘persistent breaches of employment rights’ 12/11/2024 Migrants working in adult social care have reported facing unsustainable working hours, ‘demoralising’ financial insecurity, and persistent employment rights breaches.
NI rise threatens homelessness services 11/11/2024 The rise in national insurance announced in the Budget could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for many organisations providing homelessness services, charities say.
Think-tank calls for £6bn devolution to tackle economic inactivity 02/09/2024 A think-tank has argued that the Government should transfer £6bn to local government in a bid to tackle economic inactivity.
Council staff face ‘hardship’ as they wait months for pensions 02/09/2024 Former council workers in the West Midlands are waiting months to receive their pensions after retiring, creating ‘huge hardship issues’, trade unions and a council have warned.
Councillors asked to sign off redundancy plans 24/07/2024 Proposals to save £12m a year by axing hundreds of job posts will be considered by councillors in Hertfordshire next week.
Union slams council’s ‘outrageous’ fire and rehire plan 16/07/2024 Worcestershire County Council is planning to fire and rehire more than 140 employees, despite Labour pledging to ban the practice.
Shropshire could cut 540 job posts 09/07/2024 Shropshire Council could cut 540 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts in a bid to cut costs by becoming a smaller organisation.
Warwickshire staff miss 15,000 days due to poor mental health 21/06/2024 Poor mental health was the biggest reason for sickness absence at Warwickshire County Council last year, a report has revealed.
Levelling up progress ‘glacial’, think tank says 19/06/2024 Progress on levelling up in England has been ‘glacial’ and – according to some metrics – inequality has got worse, a new analysis by the IFS has revealed.
‘Existential crisis’ for councils as £6bn funding gap revealed 06/06/2024 A new Local Government White Paper has uncovered a £6.2bn funding gap facing councils in England over the next two years.
Nearly 85,000 childcare places needed, MPs warn 29/05/2024 Around 84,500 more childcare places and 40,000 extra staff are required by September 2025 if the Government is to deliver on its childcare support plans.
Council employees offered 5.8% pay rise 16/05/2024 Council employees have been offered a pay increase of at least £1,290, which equates to a 5.8% rise for the lowest paid.
Ministers propose disability benefits overhaul amid ‘spiralling’ costs 30/04/2024 Plans to overhaul the disability benefits system and ‘deliver better value for the taxpayer’ have been laid out by the Government.
Years-old study into Carer’s Allowance to be published 25/04/2024 Research into how unpaid carers are impacted when they are forced to repay benefit overpayments will be published ‘shortly’, a minister has pledged.
10,000 council staff on long-term sick leave 25/04/2024 Nearly 10,000 staff members working in councils across England are currently on long-term sick leave, freedom of information requests have revealed.
Trade union law ‘nullifies’ right to strike, court rules 18/04/2024 UNISON has welcomed a landmark Supreme Court ruling that found UK trade union law ‘encourages and legitimises unfair and unreasonable conduct’ by employers.
Future of four-day week in limbo 21/02/2024 South Cambridgeshire councillors have been advised to continue the authority’s four-day week trial until the Government offers more detail on plans to ‘disincentivise’ the practice.
Keep carers in work to save £6bn, Government urged 19/02/2024 The UK economy will lose billions this year because of unpaid carers who are unable to work, a think-tank has warned.
Scotland’s public services ‘crumbling’ 19/02/2024 Scots have observed worsening poverty and public services are failing to address social problem, according to a new report.
Nine million adults lack essential skills 03/01/2024 Nine million adults lack essential skills with skill level disparities within local areas far exceeding those between local and combined authorities.
Middlesbrough proposes job cuts as it warns of ‘tough choices’ 14/12/2023 Middlesbrough Council has proposed axing 75 full-time equivalent posts and cutting social care costs as it scrambles to set a balanced budget for next year.
Local authority leaders criticise minimum service levels 11/12/2023 'Unfair’ and ‘undemocratic’ minimum service levels will lead to ‘more frequent and longer strikes’, according to mayors and council leaders from across UK.
Leeds councillors to discuss axing 750 employees 06/12/2023 Senior councillors in Leeds are set to discuss plans to reduce staffing levels by 750 by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.
South Cambs issued Best Value notice over four-day week 03/11/2023 The Government has issued a non-statutory Best Value notice to South Cambridgeshire District Council ‘following concerns about its trial of a four-day working week’.
Barriers to support impacting carers’ mental health 02/11/2023 Unpaid carers are not receiving adequate support from statutory services and their mental health is suffering as a result, Carers UK has found.
DLUHC advises councils on four-day week 26/10/2023 The Government has issued guidance for English councils on four-day weeks and said it is exploring other measures ‘to ensure the sector is clear’ that the practice should not be pursued.
Public support more focus on poor health causes 02/10/2023 The Government should invest more in public health to address the roots of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
Care sector ‘stifling’ the economy, report says 18/09/2023 Properly funded social care would power growth and unlock jobs, according to a report published today.
Council expands four-day week trial after fresh call to end it 14/09/2023 A 12-month four-day week trial at South Cambridgeshire District Council will expand next week, despite local government minister Lee Rowley again calling on the council to end it.
Employment support services provide support ‘in name only’ 06/09/2023 Jobseekers and employers are being failed by Jobcentre employment services, which display a lack of care and support, think tank says.
LGA: ‘Radical shift’ towards local employment support needed 25/07/2023 Council leaders have called for a ‘radical shift’ from centralised employment support after a consultation emphasised the benefits of 'local involvement'.
MPs call for devolution of employment support 19/07/2023 The delivery of support aimed at helping people into employment should be devolved to groups of local authorities, MPs have said.
Union warns of ‘significant rise’ in social care exploitation 10/07/2023 Unison has warned of a ‘significant rise’ in the number of migrant workers who are being exploited in the social care sector.
Barnsley launches new initiative to boost employment 04/07/2023 Barnsley Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority have launched a new initiative to support thousands of residents into employment.
NHS leaders call for social care workforce plan 03/07/2023 NHS leaders have written to the Prime Minister calling for a social care workforce plan to boost recruitment and retention in the social care sector.
Boosting the wellbeing of public sector employees 06/06/2023 Sick days are damaging public sector productivity. Alun Baker, GoodShape, looks at how to boost employee wellbeing.
Council chiefs welcome £165m skills fund 25/05/2023 Local authority leaders have welcomed the launch of a £165m skills fund but say councils should be given more powers to help people into employment.
Empowering cities could bring £420m economic boost 23/03/2023 Bringing together employment and skills services in urban areas could result in a £420m boost to the national economy, according to local government leaders.
Post-COVID work scheme saw ‘missed opportunities’ 22/03/2023 Prospects for people getting back into work after pandemic would have been much better if councils had been able to take the lead, council leaders claim.
New civil service ‘hub’ in York to deliver 2,600 jobs 03/03/2023 A new civil service ‘hub’ is set to open by 2027 in York, bringing up to 2,600 new jobs to the city, the Government has announced.
Lowest paid council employees offered 9.42% pay bump 23/02/2023 Council employees have been offered what the Local Government Association describes as a ‘full and final’ pay increase of at least £1,925 from 1 April 2023.
Council concerned by loss of 1,300 jobs at Ford premises 15/02/2023 Basildon Council has said the local authority will continue to work with Ford after the automobile manufacturer announced plans to cut over a thousand jobs.
County chiefs call for powers to solve rural workforce crisis 06/02/2023 Council leaders have called for powers to tackle labour squeeze as a new analysis reveals that hundreds of thousands of people have left the rural workforce.
Labour proposes more employment powers for councils 04/01/2023 Local authorities would be given more power in an overhaul of the jobs market and training under plans being looked at by the Labour Party.
DWP urged to devolve employment support to councils 02/12/2022 Local authority leaders have called for all employment support to be devolved to councils rather than contracted out to large providers.
Council leaders call for reversal of adult education cuts 11/11/2022 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to use next week’s Autumn Statement to reverse proposed cuts to community learning courses.
Benefit cuts leave council welfare schemes ‘over-burdened’ 28/10/2022 Cuts to benefits have left local authority-administered discretionary welfare support funds ‘over-burdened’, think tank warns.
Council launches taskforce to plan factory’s future 28/09/2022 Newcastle City Council has launched a taskforce with Nestlé UK to plan for the future of a confectionery factory which is set to close near the end of 2023.
Council to trial four-day week 05/09/2022 A council in South Cambridgeshire is planning to begin a three-month trial of a four-day week in order to attract new staff.
Devolve powers to tackle jobs crisis, council chiefs say 17/05/2022 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to devolve more powers to councils to free them up to tackle the growing job crisis at the local level.
Chancellor urged to use £20bn windfall to support struggling households 11/05/2022 The Chancellor should use some of the reported £20bn fiscal windfall to provide emergency support to squeezed households, report says.
Welsh government invests £8m in employment services 14/04/2022 Welsh government is investing £8m in employment services that help people recovering from physical, mental ill-health and substance misuse remain in work.
Government’s youth employment scheme branded ‘chaotic’ 25/02/2022 Government scheme for helping young people into employment has been ‘chaotic’ and has failed to support as many people as first predicted, PAC says.
Council chiefs call for devolution of skills powers 30/11/2021 Local authority leaders are urging MPs to support measures that would see councils have more say in the delivery of skills development at the local level.
Over 100,000 young people start jobs through Kickstart Scheme 16/11/2021 Over 100,000 young people across the country have now started jobs through the Kickstart Scheme, the Government today announced.
Business rates system 'discourages shift to net zero' 31/08/2021 Small firms have written to the Government warning that the business rates system is a disincentive to invest in net zero and employee wellbeing measures.
Labour market recovery uneven, think tank warns 12/08/2021 Tourism-reliant areas have seen job numbers pick up over the summer, but the jobs recovery is uneven and has a long way to go, according to a new anaylsis.
Bristol council commits to £30,000 plus salaries for inner-city households 11/08/2021 Bristol council have announced a new target to support at least one person from each inner-city household to to secure a salary of over £30,000 by 2030.
Javid launches £75m autism strategy 21/07/2021 The Government today launched a new multi-million pound strategy to help improve the lives of people with autism.
Report calls for thousands of new green jobs in areas worst hit by pandemic 05/05/2021 More than 16,000 new green jobs could be created in areas with the greatest employment challenges with Government investment and raised ambition, according to new research by a think tank.
Councils urged to combine employment support into homelessness services 21/09/2020 Personalised support from councils could help twice as many people stay in employment, a new paper has argued.
New scheme to support self-isolating workers does not go ‘far enough’, Burnham says 27/08/2020 Mayor Andy Burnham has criticised the Government’s announcement of a new payment for people who are self-isolating, arguing it ‘goes nowhere near far enough’.
Council chiefs call for devolution of skills investment 17/06/2020 Local authority leaders have said they will work with the Government to develop post-Covid economic recovery plans as figures reveal a fall in employment.
Inquiry into housing tenure and unemployment launched 09/03/2020 A new parliamentary inquiry launched today to tackle the employment and earnings gap that exists between working age social housing tenants and other tenures.
Minimum ‘basic’ income trial reports mixed results 26/02/2020 A pilot scheme assessing the impact of a minimum ‘basic’ income on poverty and inequality improves well-being but financial insecurities remain.
Blackpool Council showcases the true value and results of DFN Project SEARCH 04/02/2020 Cllr Simon Blackburn, leader of Blackpool Council, outlines the impact that implementing DFN Project SEARCH’s innovative training programme has had on the council and wider community.
Work alone cannot eliminate poverty, think tank says 04/02/2020 Policy makers need to focus on further interventions to reduce poverty, think tank says as a new report warns that work alone cannot eliminate poverty.
DWP say ‘record’ levels of disabled peopled helped into work 08/08/2019 Over 36,000 disabled people were supported into work last year, a figure the Department for Work and Pensions says is a ‘record’.
Widening the property talent pool 17/06/2019 William Eichler finds out a new programme is encouraging young people to have a career in the property and regeneration sector.
Two councils given funding to help women back to work 13/06/2019 Seven successful projects to be given funding to help support women and carers back return to work have been named.
London parents 'locked out' of work due to rising childcare costs 06/06/2019 Nearly two in three local authorities in London do not have enough childcare to meet the demand from parents of school-age children, new research has revealed.
Council chiefs call for action on 'youth jobs gap' 24/04/2019 Local authority leaders have renewed calls for an integrated employment and skills service following a report highlighting a 'youth jobs gap'.
Southern cities provide more jobs for low-skilled workers than in the North 07/03/2019 Employment opportunities are greater for low-skilled workers in southern English cities than those in the North or Midlands, a think tank has discovered.
Three areas pilot schemes to get care leavers into work or education 29/01/2019 Three areas have been chosen to pilot schemes to help care leavers access education and employment.
Disability employment gap ‘narrows’ 15/01/2019 Disabled people have accounted for about a third of the increase in employment in the UK over the last decade, think tank finds.
One in four ‘sandwich carers’ suffer mental health problems 15/01/2019 Over a quarter of ‘sandwich carers’ report symptoms of mental ill-health and are struggling financially, according to the latest statistics.
Supported housing system ‘isn’t working’, charity warns 05/12/2018 People living in supported housing are being discouraged from finding work because of fears they will not be able to afford their rent, report reveals.
Care sector faces staff shortage of 400,000 over next decade 26/11/2018 The struggling adult social care sector is facing a growing workforce crisis due to chronic low pay and endemic job insecurity, a new report has revealed.
Council reduces workforce by 138 to balance budget 26/11/2018 Over 130 Bath and North East Somerset Council workers have been made redundant at a cost to the council of £4.75m.
Council plans ‘random’ drug tests for employees 25/07/2018 Walsall Council employees may soon be subject to ‘random’ drug testing after drugs paraphernalia was discovered.
£4m fund launched to help people with disabilities in work 17/07/2018 The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a new ‘challenge fund’ to help more people with mental health or musculoskeletal conditions to stay in work.
Fire services must ‘diversify’ their workforces, council chiefs say 13/03/2018 Councils have called for recruitment of more women and people from minority backgrounds to ensure fire and rescue services are fit for twenty-first century.
£135m employment support programme launched 01/03/2018 London boroughs today launched a new multi-million pound employment programme which will provide tailored support to help people find work.
Projects launched to support care leavers 28/02/2018 Three new projects to help care leavers into education, employment or training has been launched by the Government.
Public sector workers responsible for ‘a third' of all unpaid overtime 23/02/2018 Public sector employees are responsible for more than a third of all unpaid overtime despite only making up a quarter of the workforce.
Government’s ‘pre-occupation’ with housing costs business 04/12/2017 The Government’s focus on new homes is leading to increased pressure on the availability of employment land and premises, businesses say.
35,000 more households in work due to benefit cap, Whitehall claims 03/11/2017 The number of households moving into employment because of a limit on their state benefits is continuing to rise, according to the Government.
Public sector employment fallen to 70 year low, figures reveal 18/09/2017 Figures showing public sector employment as a share of the labour market has fallen to a seventy-year low have been branded a 'catastrophe' by the GMB union.
The six challenges facing local councils over next 20 years 12/07/2017 An ageing population, fragmented families and housing affordability are among the challenges the local government sector will face over the next two decades, report says.