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“Councils continue to do all they can to keep their communities safe, while encouraging everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. These extra measures are a reminder that COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat, especially with the new Omicron variant and rising case numbers.

Councils across the country continue to lead the local fight against the pandemic. However, the Government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund is set to end in March 2022, which poses a threat to councils' ability to ramp-up efforts in response to the Omicron variant.

"Domestic abuse is complex and in order to enhance efforts to combat this issue, through both prevention schemes and support services, councils need to be fully funded across all services."

The number of children with mental health problems seen by social workers has surged by a quarter since before the coronavirus pandemic, amounting to nearly 1,500 kids presenting to councils every week.