Council fined £500,000 after death of woman with dementia
New figures reveal exercise inequalities
Majority of people support tax rises to solve social care crisis
Air pollution like smoking 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns
Partnership working will deliver best outcomes in social care
Hayden Knight believes that a collaborative approach between providers, local authorities and other agencies offers an opportunity to innovate the way we care for people with dementia.
Council fined over £1m after child suffers ‘life-changing head injury'
05/12/2019 Hampshire County Council has been fined £1.4m after a child suffered a head injury caused by an unsecured street bollard. |
Major parties ‘fall short’ on social care funding commitments
04/12/2019 None of the three major parties have pledged enough in social care funding to fix the ongoing crisis in care provision, a health think tank has concluded. |
Overdose victims in Glasgow saved 17 times in four months
04/12/2019 Glasgow Council has released figures showing that overdose victims were revived 17 times in four months at its night shelter. |
Councils warn FGM is still under-reported
29/11/2019 There have been 22,500 new cases of FGM identified in the past four years, according to new figures published by NHS Digital. |
Charity warns child cruelty is rising every year
28/11/2019 The number of child cruelty and neglect offences have risen every year for the past five years, new analysis has shown. |
Nine in 10 care directors concerned at winter pressures
27/11/2019 More than 90% of adult care directors are concerned at their ability to cope with winter pressures or provider failure, a survey has found. |
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. |
Two thirds of adults ‘unpaid carers’, study reveals
22/11/2019 Two thirds of UK adults can expect to care unpaid for a loved one in their lifetime, according to research from the universities of Sheffield and Birmingham. |
Hedges around parks can halve pollution, study finds
21/11/2019 Planting a hedge in front of a park can cut air pollution in half, a new study has found. |
Victims of domestic abuse let down by 'fragmented' system
21/11/2019 Victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence are being let down by 'inconsistent, complex and short term' services in Wales, according to a new report. |
Blueprint for social care reform puts ‘relationships over bureaucracy’
20/11/2019 A new model for social care promises to 'put relationships over bureaucracy'. |
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. |
Guide to help councils look after people with ‘several health problems’ published
19/11/2019 A new guidebook shows how people with several health problems can best be looked after by local authorities and other agencies working together. |
Social prescribing does not achieve ‘meaningful’ health outcomes, study says
19/11/2019 Council chiefs have defended social prescribing after researchers argue the practice does not ‘achieve meaningful levels’ of health and well-being changes. |
Over 22,000 young people face homelessness this Christmas
18/11/2019 A charity has warned that tens of thousands of young people in England will be homeless or at risk of homelessness this Christmas. |
Five Bristol residents die prematurely each week due to pollution
18/11/2019 Air pollution in Bristol, largely caused by diesel cars, contributes to five people dying prematurely every week, new research has revealed. |
Child abuse linked to faith rises by ‘a third’, council chiefs warn
14/11/2019 The number of children identified by councils as having been abused for reasons associated with belief has risen by a third in three years, the LGA reports. |
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. |
Councils chiefs call for more powers to ‘restrict’ takeaways
12/11/2019 Local authorities have called for more planning powers to help them prevent takeaways from ‘clustering’ as part of the fight against health inequalities and obesity. |
One and a half million older people have ‘unmet care needs’, charity warns
11/11/2019 The number of older people with unmet care needs stands at one and a half million and could rise to over two million in the next decade, a charity has warned. |
Only one in five alcoholics receiving treatment, health experts say
08/11/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the next Government to reverse public health cuts as figures reveal only one in five alcoholics receiving treatment. |
Abuse ‘endemic’ in children’s homes
07/11/2019 An independent inquiry has found physical and sexual abuse was endemic in children’s homes and residential care homes. |
Family hardship drives 53% increase in children referred for ‘urgent support’
05/11/2019 A rise in family ‘conflict and hardship’ against a background of cuts to council budgets is behind the heightened pressure on child protection services, local authority leaders have revealed. |
Thousands of inpatients with learning disabilities and autism to receive care review
05/11/2019 Thousands of people with learning disabilities and autism that have detained in a mental health hospital will have their care reviewed over the next 12 months, the Government announced today. |
Stoke-on-Trent CC given three months to improve ‘inadequate’ children’s services
01/11/2019 Williamson issues a direction which gives Stoke-on-Trent three months to establish a partnership with another council to deliver children’s social care. |
Local government sector guide to tackling loneliness launched
29/10/2019 Local authority leaders have joined forces to produce a guide on how to tackle loneliness for commissioners, service providers, councillors and others working in the sector. |
Failure of £350m Four Seasons deal proof social care is not ‘properly’ funded
25/10/2019 The failure to sell the struggling social care provider, Four Seasons, is further proof that the Government is not funding social care properly, union says. |
Councils chiefs call for more sexual health funding
25/10/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to ensure that its updated sexual and reproductive health strategy is ‘fully funded’. |
UK lagging behind on health care infrastructure spending
24/10/2019 The UK is spending ‘significantly’ less on health care infrastructure compared to other countries in the EU, new research has revealed today. |
New academy to drive forward 'social prescription'
23/10/2019 Every patient with long-term health problems will be offered a 'social prescription' including arts, sport or leisure activities in a new Government initiative. |
NHS study reveals ‘growing’ pressure on social care sector
23/10/2019 Charity calls for ‘urgent solution’ to the care crisis as study reveals councils received two million new requests for adult social care support last year. |
Whitehall commits £19m for young people leaving care
23/10/2019 Young people leaving care have been promised better housing, healthcare and employment opportunities in a new government scheme. |
Children in care not getting their legal right to a ‘buddy’
22/10/2019 Children in the care system are not getting their legal right to an essential ‘buddy’ as more than two thirds of councils admit leaving them on waiting lists, a children’s charity reveals. |
Nearly £2m awarded to projects improving health services for the homeless
22/10/2019 Nearly £2m has been awarded to six projects as part of an effort to help test models that improve access to health services for people sleeping rough. |
Reform of primary care in Wales ‘not happening quickly enough’
22/10/2019 Plans to strengthen primary care in Wales have not happened as quickly or as widely as intended, according to auditors. |
Councils helping fewer unpaid family carers
21/10/2019 Fewer unpaid family carers are receiving support from their local council, new figures have revealed. |
Whitehall confirms plans to end ‘postcode lottery’ for abuse survivors
21/10/2019 The Government has confirmed plans for a new legal duty for local authorities to provide survivors of domestic abuse with safe accommodation. |
Council chiefs call for investment into leisure facilities
18/10/2019 Local authority leaders have voiced concerns over the ability of councils to continue to provide leisure centres, which contribute to public health, without more Government investment. |
Khan announces £4m for London youth workers
16/10/2019 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced he will invest £4m to increase the number of youth workers in hospitals across the capital. |
Number of young people gambling is ‘emerging’ public health risk
16/10/2019 A new study has found an increasing number of young people are experimenting with gambling, making them more likely to be problem gamblers later in life. |
Charity calls for ‘whole Government approach’ to health of young people
16/10/2019 Whitehall should transform its policies across housing, transport and education in order to secure the future health of today’s young people, charity says. |
Council adopts fingerprint-based drug testing
15/10/2019 Peterborough City Council has brought in fingerprint-based drug testing as part of its family safeguarding social care initiative. |
Care green paper delay causing 'instability'
15/10/2019 The care regulator has accused the Government of aggravating the funding pressures in adult social care by stalling on the long-awaited care green paper. |
£2m loneliness fund launched
15/10/2019 The Government has launched a new £2m fund to help support grassroots organisations at the frontline of tackling loneliness. |
A quarter of London’s parks have unsafe air quality
11/10/2019 One in four of green spaces in London breach safety limits for air quality, new analysis has revealed. |
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. |
Council chiefs call for ‘properly resourced’ plan to improve health visiting
10/10/2019 Council leaders have called for a ‘properly resourced’ plan to encourage closer working between health visitors and other local authority services. |
Call for dedicated social care appeals
10/10/2019 Fewer than one in five councils have a dedicated appeals process for social care, according to new research. |
Majority of children ‘happy’, report finds
10/10/2019 The overwhelming majority of children in the UK are happy, according to an official report. |
This issue of Local Government News explores what impact the increase to the Public Works Loan Board rate have on councils’ capital schemes and why adopting AI will not just improve customer service response times for councils.
This issue also finds out how local government pension funds are backing infrastructure projects and calls on local government to get better value from its technology spend.
