News

The overwhelming majority of MPs and peers agree that additional funding should go to councils’ adult social care budgets to tackle the funding crisis facing services caring for older and disabled people, a new poll published today shows.

“Algorithms and formulas can never be a substitute for local knowledge and decision-making by councils and communities who know their areas best."

Nearly nine in 10 councils fear that nursery closures this year will undermine capacity ahead of the rollout of the Government’s extension of the 30 hours free childcare scheme, new research by the Local Government Association reveals today. 

“Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face and these figures are yet another sad indictment of how we have collectively failed as a society to tackle it"

“The newly announced retail discounts will provide support for high street businesses and pubs, but it is crucial that in line with normal government practice, councils are fully funded for this loss of extremely important income."

“We support a public health approach to tackling serious violent crime, which has become an increasing priority for councils."

If we truly value our local services then we have to be prepared to pay for them. Fully funding councils is the only way they will be able to keep providing the services which make a difference to people’s lives, such as caring for older and disabled people, protecting children, building homes, fixing roads and collecting bins. 

We must not forget that it is individuals and communities who feel the impact, whether it is through seeing their local library or leisure centre close, roads deteriorate or support for young people, families and vulnerable adults scaled back.

More than 130 extra children and young people with special needs are being supported by councils every day, new figures reveal, prompting calls for government funding to tackle a growing “national special needs emergency”.

Soaring demand to protect vulnerable children at risk of harm has seen spending to provide support increase by almost a quarter in five years, with an upcoming national care review a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to set out long-awaited reform, councils are warning today.