Building Healthier Communities: The Case for Investing in Public Health
Explore how targeted, community-based public health strategies can improve lives, reduce NHS pressure, and deliver cost savings for local authorities.
Ombudsman raises concerns over councils’ handling of complaints involving children
25/07/2025 Concerns have been raised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman over the way councils handle complaints of cases involving children. |
Care workers living in poverty, charity warns
18/07/2025 Care home staff are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to the average worker, a health charity has revealed. |
Reform UK council leader raises social care visa alarm
14/07/2025 The leader of Reform UK-controlled Kent County Council has urged the Government to rethink its plans to reduce health and social care visas to the UK. |
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. |
EHCPs ‘under threat’, campaigners warn
07/07/2025 Campaigners are urging the Government not to cut education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). |
Family Hubs to open in every council area
07/07/2025 The Government has announced a plan to open 1,000 Sure Start-inspired Family Hubs by 2028 to help deliver support to parents in every council area in England. |
Rough sleeping rates surge by 63% over a decade
30/06/2025 Rough sleeping rates in London reached a peak between April 2024 and March 2025, research reveals. |
EHCPs jump up 11% in a year
27/06/2025 The number of children on Education, Health and Care Plans has increased by 11% in a year, official statistics have revealed. |
Number of family hubs down by a third
24/06/2025 The number of family hubs and children’s centres in England has reduced by more than a third since 2009, freedom of information (FOI) requests have revealed. |
Scale not key to social care disaggregation
23/06/2025 Adult social care disaggregation should not focus on scale, according to research published today. |
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. |
Housing without delay: removing one of the major obstacles
17/06/2025 The new Housing Without Delay initiative focusses on using preventative measures within the home as a health intervention. |
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. |
Spending Review: Chancellor vows to improve pay for social workers
11/06/2025 The Chancellor has backed a fair pay agreement for social care workers in a Spending Review that failed to address many of the care sector’s concerns. |
Council chiefs call for boost to occupational therapist workforce
09/06/2025 Council leaders have called on the Government to invest in occupational therapists (OTs) to improve health, care, and prevention strategy outcomes. |
‘Urgent’ call for sustainable homecare funding
06/06/2025 New research reveals local authorities are ‘consistently failing to fund homecare’, with 27% of contracts falling below minimum wage. |
Abuse audit delayed
03/06/2025 A nationwide audit of child abuse has been delayed, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has confirmed. |
Councils faced with ‘astronomical’ children’s homes costs
29/05/2025 The number of children’s home placements costing over £500,000 annually has dramatically increased over the last five years, council chiefs warn. |
Is immigration making the UK an ‘island of strangers’?
28/05/2025 LocalGov editor William Eichler spoke to Belong CEO Kelly Fowler to discuss immigration, social cohesion, and whether the UK was an ‘island of strangers’. |
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. |
Call for £1.5bn boost to care worker pay
19/05/2025 A think tank has urged the Government to boost social care funding by £1.5bn to support a £2,000 pay rise for care workers. |
What the changes to overseas recruitment mean for the care sector
15/05/2025 Melanie Weatherley MBE, co-chair of the Care Association Alliance, responds to the Government’s decision to end the recruitment of care workers from overseas. |
International recruitment of care workers to end
12/05/2025 The Government is set to end the recruitment of care workers from overseas to bring down the migration figures, but critics call the move a ‘crushing blow’. |
Blueprint document sets out changes to ICB functions
08/05/2025 A blueprint document has set out changes to integrated care board (ICB) functions with a number being transferred to neighbourhood providers and NHS regions. |
LGA: Children’s social care buckling under budget pressures
17/04/2025 Council chiefs have urged the Government to invest more into early intervention to support the children’s social care system as it reaches ‘crisis point’. |
Streeting: Care staff to be trained in ‘cutting-edge’ tech
09/04/2025 Social care workers will be trained to use the latest ‘cutting-edge technology’ to help improve the social care system, Wes Streeting has said. |
Matrix Workforce Management Solutions Appoints Andrew Curry as Client Engagement Director for Health and Social Care
09/04/2025 Matrix, a leader in Workforce Management Solutions, has announced the appointment of Andrew Curry as Client Engagement Director for Health and Social Care. |
Care leaders call for NIC bridging fund
04/04/2025 Care leaders have called for the creation of a ‘bridging’ fund to mitigate the impact of the rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs). |
Local area partnership promises urgent improvements
03/04/2025 Bracknell Forest Council and NHS Frimley ICB have promised ‘urgent and sustained improvements’ following a critical Ofsted and CQC report. |
Croydon woman breaks back after care funding cut
28/03/2025 A woman in Croydon sustained a serious back injury using an NHS bed turning aid after the local authority cut funding for her night-time care. |
Care providers launch legal action over NICs rise
25/03/2025 Care England has launched legal action over the Government’s rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for care providers. |
Cuts to disability benefits could cost councils £1.2bn
24/03/2025 The Government's cuts to disability benefits could lead to £1.2bn of extra costs for social care services and the NHS, according to a think tank. |
Streeting pledges to spend more on social care through NHS
24/03/2025 Social care will receive more funding through the NHS in this spring’s 10-Year Health Plan, the health and social care secretary has revealed. |
Council inaction left disabled woman scared she would die
20/03/2025 A disabled Islington woman said she was scared she had been left ‘to die’ after the council took too long to decide what support she should receive. |
Government votes to reject health and care NICs exemption
19/03/2025 The Government has voted to reject a Liberal Democrat amendment to exempt health and care providers from a rise in NICs. |
Care home plans approved with £57m backing
14/03/2025 Gloucestershire councillors have approved plans to build three new care homes over the next four and a half years thanks to a £57m cash injection. |
Prevention services 'at risk'
12/03/2025 Prevention services are ‘at risk' because of rising social care spending, a local government leader has warned. |
Health and social care facing £457m funding gap in Scotland
06/03/2025 Health and social care finances in Scotland are facing a £457m funding gap in 2024/25, a new report has revealed. |
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. |
Care at home programme to save council £10m
27/02/2025 A programme designed to support people and carers to live healthier and more independent lives is on track to save Somerset Council over £10m. |
Lords vote to exempt social care from NIC hike
26/02/2025 The House of Lords voted yesterday to exempt social care providers from a National Insurance hike set to come into force in April. |
Hospices set to benefit from £100m boost
26/02/2025 Hospices across England are set to receive £25m of funding for facility upgrades and refurbishments, the Government has confirmed. |
Fife Council reaches £46m ‘turning point’
25/02/2025 Fife Council has reached a ‘turning point’ and will now have to save £46m, according to a new report by the Accounts Commission. |
Parliament rally calls on Government to tackle social care crisis
25/02/2025 Campaigners are gathering at Parliament today to call on the Government to address the social care crisis. |
Funding floor for Welsh councils
24/02/2025 Councils in Wales are to see an average funding increase of 4.3%, following the announcement of the Welsh Government's Budget. |
Putting people at the heart of AI adoption
20/02/2025 Dean Collins, AI expert at PA Consulting, says we need to re-think the ‘people aspect’ if AI’s benefits are to be felt by care providers and communities. |
Make a dent in the £100m compensation claim bill
19/02/2025 With stairs being the most common hazard in the home, AAT is giving local authority social care teams a best value tool to manage safety, fast. |
Unions brand reunification service closure ‘callous’
19/02/2025 Cambridgeshire CC’s decision to close down a service helping children in care would harm vulnerable children and cost more money, unions warn. |
Step Change in Improving Delivery of Home Adaptations
12/02/2025 Occupational Therapists can achieve a step change in the speed with which they resolve home adaptation need by capitalising on processes put in place by AAT. |
Report ‘lays bare significant challenges’ caused by CQC inspection model
12/02/2025 A Care Provider Alliance report has revealed the ‘significant challenges’ services have faced since the adoption of the CQC’s Single Assessment Framework. |
Hundreds of children forced ‘out of area’ for mental health care
10/02/2025 Hundreds of children are forced to travel out of their local area for mental health treatment, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP). |
Children’s Services need support to deal with increasing complexity
03/02/2025 The Government must introduce long-term funding mechanisms for Children’s Services to address increasing complexity and rising demand, a new report says. |
Tax hike threatens to add to nursing home costs
27/01/2025 The Government has been urged to reverse its NICs hike on care providers as figures reveal how much nursing costs for pensioners have increased in a decade. |
Scotland scraps core element of National Care Service
24/01/2025 The Scottish Government has scrapped plans to deliver structural social care reform through a National Care Service. |
Social care delays leading to ‘dangerously long’ hospital stays
17/01/2025 One in seven hospital beds were occupied last week by patients who were medically fit to be released, but who were forced to wait for care packages. |
Committee chair 'shocked' by CQC shortfalls
16/01/2025 The chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran, has said she is ‘shocked’ at ongoing shortfalls at the Care Quality Commission (CQC). |
ADCS: Cuts have led to poor safeguarding outcomes for children
14/01/2025 The combination of poor-quality housing and the cost-of-living crisis is contributing to ‘family distress and breakdown’, safeguarding report concludes. |
Social care cannot wait for 2028 reform, report warns
14/01/2025 Social care is on the brink of collapse and cannot wait for Government reform in 2028, a report has warned. |
Social care reform requires 'political courage'
09/01/2025 The Government's three-year timetable for reforming social care has been labelled ‘completely unnecessary' by Sir Andrew Dilnot. |
Social care ‘likely to deteriorate’ during wait for review
03/01/2025 Councils have warned that the social care sector is ‘likely to deteriorate’ during the three-year wait for the findings of a new independent commission. |
Councils to be 'accountable' for care improvements as commission launched
03/01/2025 The Government intends to hold councils ‘accountable' for improving care in their areas as part of its social care reforms. |
Derbyshire plans cuts amid £18m shortfall
03/01/2025 Derbyshire County Council has proposed a series of cuts in the face of an £18.6m shortfall for the next financial year. |
Care sector faces ‘most difficult’ months in years
16/12/2024 Organisations working in social care have warned that without new funding the coming months will be ‘the most difficult we’ve seen in recent years.’ |
Frustration mounts over lack of care workforce strategy
06/12/2024 Frustration in the sector is growing as the Government fails to produce a workforce strategy for social care. |
Child put in care after councils fail to adapt home
05/12/2024 Errors made by two councils left a child with significant and complex needs living in an unsuitable home for ‘far too long’, an ombudsman has found. |
South East councils on brink of ‘crisis’
04/12/2024 The local government system in the South East of England is on ‘the brink of looming crisis’, according to a think-tank. |
Toddler who drowned victim of ‘gross’ social care failure
02/12/2024 A two-year-old girl who drowned in a bin containing 9cm of water was a victim of ‘gross failure’ mostly by social workers, coroner says. |
500% rise in unregistered and illegal home use
28/11/2024 The number of vulnerable children in care placed in unregistered and illegal homes has shot up by 500% in three years, data released by Ofsted has shown. |
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. |
Councils will need 13,000 new social workers over next decade
27/11/2024 Councils in England will need to hire 13,000 more social workers over the next 10 years amid growing need for the care and support of young people, according to new research. |
Council ‘being slowly bankrupted’ by social care charges
26/11/2024 Labour MP Jonathan Brash has told the Commons that Hartlepool Borough Council is ‘being slowly bankrupted’ by private children's social care providers. |
‘Alarming’ rise in OT waiting lists
25/11/2024 Waiting lists for occupational therapy (OT) services have surged by 139% across the UK since 2019, new research has found. |
Petition calls for social care national insurance hike exemption
18/11/2024 Care England has called on its members to sign a petition calling for an exemption from the Government’s employer national insurance (NIC) tax rise. |
Eight in 10 unpaid carers consider quitting work
15/11/2024 Eighty percent of unpaid carers with a health condition have considered giving up their jobs amid a lack of support from their employers, study reveals. |
Worcestershire set for £12.5m overspend
14/11/2024 Worcestershire County Council must act to avoid a projected overspend of £12.5m this year, a report has warned. |
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. |
CCN calls for rethink of social care funding
11/11/2024 The County Councils Network (CCN) has called on the Government to rethink its approach to distributing local authority funding next year. |
Care for working-age and disabled adults to cost £17bn by 2030
11/11/2024 Social care costs for working-age adults and those with a lifelong disability could reach £17bn by 2030, according to new research. |
Windsor and Maidenhead’s social care must improve, watchdog says
08/11/2024 England’s adult social care regulator has found that services provided by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council require improvement. |
EXCLUSIVE: Care homes will close as a result of Budget, leader warns
31/10/2024 A leader has warned that care homes will close as a result of the hike in national insurance announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget. |
Budget: Cash bonanza not expected for councils
30/10/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to plough cash into public services in today's Budget – but struggling councils are not expecting a cash bonanza to come their way. |
How to manage the risk of stairs without spending £000s
28/10/2024 With social care budgets under pressure, AAT has put together a complete equipment management package of out-sourcing services to achieve best value. |
Many children not getting the right support, care regulator warns
25/10/2024 Many children and young people are not currently getting the support they need, England’s health and social care regulator has warned. |
Councils facing ‘social care blackhole’, Lib Dems warn
24/10/2024 Councils are facing a ‘social care blackhole’ in their finances, according to the Liberal Democrats. |
Streeting promises 10-Year Plan for social care
21/10/2024 Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has promised a 10-Year Plan for social care that will run alongside the 10-Year Plan for the NHS. |
Solace: Underfunding councils ‘ultimate false economy’
14/10/2024 Failing to properly fund councils is ‘the ultimate false economy’ because it forces them to make ‘repugnant’ cuts which lead to greater problems in the future. |
Last provider of holidays with 24-hour care to close
11/10/2024 The UK’s only holiday provider that offers 24-hour care for people with complex disabilities is set to close over ‘insurmountable’ financial challenges. |
First national guide on kinship care published
10/10/2024 The first national guide on kinship care, designed to help local leaders in children’s services support kinship carers, has been published. |
Why social care isn’t just a discharge service
10/10/2024 Sean Harriss, Senior Advisor at PPL, talks about how viewing social care as a ‘hospital discharge service’ means the value of social care isn’t realised. |
IFS highlights ‘unresolved’ social care issues
10/10/2024 A major new Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report has highlighted the ‘unresolved’ issues in social care funding and reform. |
Lib Dems call for cross-party talks on social care ‘postcode lottery’
09/10/2024 The Lib Dems have repeated their call for cross-party talks on social care after revealing a steep rise in the number of pensioners per care home. |
Care service outsourcing surges despite quality concerns
08/10/2024 The outsourcing of care services to private providers has ‘surged’ over the last two decades despite concerns over quality, a new study has found. |
Time to axe ‘contradictory’ care laws, minister says
07/10/2024 It is ‘high time’ to axe outdated language and contradictory rules from laws on disabled children’s social care, the families minster has said. |
CQC announces new chief executive
07/10/2024 England’s health and social care regulator has announced that Sir Julian Hartley will be appointed as its new chief executive. |
Council’s ‘financial resilience’ in question
07/10/2024 The ‘financial resilience’ of Windsor and Maidenhead is in question after the Cabinet heard this year's forecast overspend had risen from £9.9m to £12.4m. |
ICB opts not to reopen Norfolk reablement centre
01/10/2024 An ICB has decided not to reopen a Norfolk reablement centre despite opposition from local campaigners. |
Council leaders withdraw support for social care bill
30/09/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have withdrawn their support for the Scottish Government’s flagship social care reform bill. |
Two million older people living with ‘unmet’ care need
27/09/2024 More than one in four (28%) people aged over 80 are living with some unmet need for social care, a new report by Age UK has found. |
McKellen praises UK’s ‘first of a kind’ LGBTQ+ care scheme
26/09/2024 Actor Ian McKellen has praised Manchester City Council’s approval of the UK’s ‘first of a kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ extra care social rent housing scheme. |
Just one-third of council directors able to invest in preventative services
26/09/2024 Chief executive of ADASS says the need to make over £900m in savings is ‘squeezing' investment in early support for people at home and in the community. |
