LGR: Additional resources

This session looked at key issues councils need to be thinking about as they move into the next phase of local government reorganisation, including how to keep the best interests of children and vulnerable adults at the heart of those discussions. The session focused on key themes and strategy, rather than the detailed delivery of these services, enabling attendees to consider social services in the wider context of LGR.  

Watch the webinar recording (YouTube) 

2:18 – 25:08 – Rachel Shimmin, Chief Executive, Buckinghamshire Council. Strategic partnerships; workforce planning; casework; market oversight and commissioning; service development and reform; communication and engagement; financial and technical enablers. 

25:32 – 54:41 – Panel discussion including Rachel Shimmin, Milorad Vasic (Director of Children’s Services, Westmorland and Furness Council) and Jonathan Price (Executive Director, People – Adults Services, Dorset Council). Reflections on challenges faced, what worked well, and key lessons learnt. 

This report summarises the lessons learnt through previous rounds of LGR, through an adult social care lens. Key takeaway lessons focus on issues such as safeguarding, robust programme management, provider stability and digital and data readiness. 

The report is broken down into the following areas: 

The document outlines why areas undergoing Local Government Reorganisation must consider partnership working to maintain safe, sustainable adult and children’s social care across new unitary boundaries. It sets out the importance of service continuity, opportunities for collaboration, and key considerations for leadership, commissioning and strategic planning. It also highlights available national support and provides case studies illustrating effective regional partnership models.  

1. Introduction 
2. Prioritising service continuity 
3. Partnership working 
4. Support 
5. Case studies 

This report for DCN by IMPOWER Consulting is designed to support leaders across all parts of government to engage constructively with the future of adult social care (ASC), focusing on key messages for local areas to consider through the reorganisation process. It includes case studies from Northamptonshire, Dorset, Cumbria and Cheshire, along with lessons from a range of LGR-experienced officers.  

Page 10: The context for adult social care 
Page 18: What districts already do and why it matters for reconfiguring ASC 
Page 23: Does scale matter? 
Page 27: What are the real conditions for success? 
Page 31: A vision for postreform ASC services 
Page 36: Supporting you in local LGR conversations 
Page 37: Mapping and understanding your local context 
Page 46: Identifying what model will work best in your local context 
Page 47: Practical lessons on disaggregating social care 
Page 53: Conclusion. 

This guidance supports Heads of Library and Archive Services to prepare for Local Government Reorganisation and understand the impact on their services. It was written by Shared Intelligence for Libraries Connected, The National Archives, the Local Government Association and Arts Council England. 

• anticipate and prepare
• vesting day is only the start
• checklist
• possible macro models of LGR
• possible libraries and archive structures
• considerations
• inhouse/contracted out options
• SWOT analysis
• what next?
• safe and legal – sources of guidance. 

This report examines how local authority archaeology services have adapted since 2010 in response to financial, organisational and policy pressures. It reviews alternative delivery models, analyses constraints and success factors, and provides detailed evidence to support future service design decisions.  

Page 8: Service delivery models 
Page 15: Legal provisions 
Page 19: Governance 
Page 21: Geographic distribution 
Page 23: Critical success factors 
Page 29: Critical constraints 
Page 32: Productivity measurement 
Page 34: Detailed SWOT analysis of service delivery models 
Page 46: Service sustainability 
Page 63: Changes and adaptability 
Page 66: Historical development 
Page 72: Alternative models 
Page 73: Delivery model innovation. 

Drawing on work by Local Partnerships - a public sector delivery partner supporting councils through complex transformation programmes - alongside input from ADEPT members, the toolkit addresses the key highway challenges associated with LGR.  

As new unitary authorities are established and boundaries redrawn, the toolkit provides practical step-by-step guidance and checklists and is designed to help senior leaders and officers ensure continuity of service, while also setting a clear direction for long-term harmonisation, efficiency and transformation. 

These FAQs are aimed at Directors of Public Health (DsPH) working in areas affected by local government reorganisation. They cover the statutory position, workforce implications, grant transition, and what DsPH should be doing now. The LGA will update these as the programme develops. 

This report outlines a range of risks to children’s services which are posed by local government reorganisation, as identified by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services. 

This paper was originally written for consideration by central government, however councils will want to reassure themselves that they have considered the risks outlined in their local context and identified mitigations as required.

MHCLG, the LGA, and sector advisors from across local government have developed this aide-memoire to support the identification of risks that could affect the successful transition to a reorganised unitary authority. It does not address long-term operational risks that may arise after the new unitary authority becomes fully operational. This resource is designed for local authorities to help identify and manage local risks, for the LGA and other sector bodies to inform the development of guidance and support, and for HM Government to enable them to remain alert to the risks facing the local government sector. The document is intended to be a living resource and will be regularly updated to remain relevant and useful to all three audiences.  

• assets and property
• communications and engagement
• data quality
• financial
• governance and decision making
• human resources
• information technology
• legal and regulation
• policy implementation
• service continuity and oversight. 

This short guidance from NAVCA (National Association of Voluntary and Community Associations) draws on evidence and recent experience to offer practical insights into how councils, local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) and the VCFSE (voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise) sector can work together to maintain trust, protect vital funding and strengthen place-based systems before, during and after reorganisation. 

Page 2: Risks of the LGR process to the VCFSE 
Page 3: How LIOs and the VCFSE sector can contribute to the LGR process 
Page 3: What councils can offer to the VCFSE sector in partnership with LIOs 

This blog post outlines some of the considerations for fleet management, including waste collection and parks maintenance. It highlights that councils will need to consider: 

• efficiency vs operational capacity 
• sandardisation and integration challenges 
• workforce and depot rationalisation 
• aligning with climate goals 
• data and culture. 

This toolkit provides strategic and operational guidance to help councils undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) manage their waste and resource services. It includes frameworks, checklists and practical tools designed to maintain service continuity, support contractual and infrastructure transitions, and ensure compliance during the restructuring of waste and resource services. 

Page 5: Statutory waste duties 
Pages 6-7: Policy landscape 
Page 8: Emissions trading scheme 
Page 9: Deposit return scheme 
Page 10: Extended producer responsibility 
Page 11: Simpler recycling 
Pages 13-14: The LGR journey 
Page 15: Scope and governance 
Pages 16-20: Establishing a baseline including data lists 
Page 21: Preparation for vesting day 
Pages 22 and 25-26: The case for change 
Page 23: Quick wins 
Page 24: Setting the vision 
Pages 27-30: Business cases 
Pages 31-33: Mobilisation for BAU 
Page 34: Review and iterate. 

Local government reorganisation will affect local authority welfare services, including revenue and benefit teams, adult social care teams, and client affairs (corporate appointee) teams.  

In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions will need to make several changes to allow them to work with the new unitary authorities. They will work with each local authority project team to guide them through the process.  

In preparation for this, the Local Authority Partnership Engagement and Delivery (LA-PED) team in DWP has produced a checklist for local authorities about the various tasks needed to complete a successful merger. This checklist is designed to be used in conjunction with the close work between DWP and local authorities. 

They have hosted this on Glasscubes in a dedicated workspace for local government reorganisation. If you do not already have access to Glasscubes, contact [email protected].  

If you have any questions about your upcoming merger, please contact the LA-PED change team on [email protected].