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"We stand ready to work with the Government on securing a sustainable future for these vital services and delivering on the Government’s ambitions for its forthcoming national youth strategy."

Helen Jenkins, currently the LGA’s Joint Head of Leadership and Interim Head of Improvement Coordination and Strategy, will join the Strategic Leadership Team as Assistant Chief Executive. 

“This report rightly highlights the key challenges facing education and children’s social care.

“Tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable disease which disproportionately affects those who are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society. 

Over the past five years, frozen Local Housing Allowance rates have left councils to pick up more than £700 million in costs that they are unable to claim back from government, threatening their financial viability and hampering efforts to reduce homelessness.

“To tackle the challenges within the SEND system, any reform must focus on boosting mainstream inclusion, and we are pleased government has set out steps towards this.

“Midwives, health visitors and Family Hubs all have a vital part to play in supporting families with children, including for early years, as this report states."

Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face. However any efforts to tackle the causes of obesity need to be part of a whole systems approach.

Cllr Heather Kidd, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:  “Councils are committed to keeping tenants and residents safe, and are keen to work with Government to drive the pace of remediation.  “However, for local government to carry out enforcement and addressing cladding issues as effectively and quickly as possible, multi-year funding arrangements are needed.  “Councils are keen to remediate the buildings they own that have dangerous cladding, but they need access to the necessary funding to do so on the same basis they had to remediate ACM cladding.”  Notes to Editors: A

“People with substance misuse issues need effective support and treatment, which councils are committed to providing.