This monthly publication keeps you informed of key issues and developments in research impacting on, or of interest to, local government.
June 2026 Analysis and Research Bulletin
Welcome to the Local Government Association (LGA) Analysis and Research Bulletin.
This comprehensive monthly publication keeps you informed about key issues and developments in research impacting on local government.
The bulletin brings together the work of the LGA and also features relevant publications from the wider research community. The information in this bulletin is grouped under themed areas. This publication is produced by LGA Research and Information and we provide high-quality analysis and research across all aspects of local government.
A new archive providing back-dated copies of this bulletin is now available.
Education and young people
Understanding the relationship between attendance, wellbeing and sense of belonging - England
This National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER) research sought to understand the potential relationships between pupil wellbeing, sense of school belonging, and school absences, with a view to informing solutions to help tackle the attendance crisis.
Growing apart – the evolution of the attainment gap - England
This Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) report considers how the socio-economic disadvantage gap in England emerges and widens across different stages of education, from the early years through to 16 – 19.
Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 evaluation final report
The Rees Centre has published a new national evaluation, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), exploring the use of Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) Post-16 funding in England and early evidence of progress towards the intended outcomes in the programme's theory of change.
Family routes: the educational outcomes for children in long-term foster care
This Department for Education (DfE) research report is part of a wider funded study, 'Family routes: Growing up in adoptive and special guardianship families.' The research aims to explore the longer-term outcomes of children in different types of permanence arrangements in England.
Special educational needs in England: January 2026
This DfE publication analyses the characteristics of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) by their special educational needs provision and type of need.
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reform: The view from local government on impact and implementation
This LGA publication provides an independent analysis of the Government’s proposed SEND reforms in England, informed by the views of local government.
Schools, pupils and their characteristics: 2025/26 academic year - England
These DfE statistics provide information on the number and characteristics of schools and pupils in England collected in the January 2026 school spring census returns.
Pupil attendance in schools 8 September 2025 to 12 June 2026 - England
This DfE data provides information on the levels of attendance and overall authorised and unauthorised absence in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools between 8 September 2025 and 12 June 2026 in England.
Participation in education, training and employment: 2025 - England
These DfE statistics provide national participation figures for 16 to 21 year olds in England at the end of 2025, and update estimates for 2015 to 2024.
Vocational and other qualifications quarterly: January to March 2026 - England
These Ofqual statistics provide information on numbers of certificates issued for vocational and other qualifications in England between January and March 2026, (excluding GCSEs, AS and A levels, Advanced Extension Awards, apprenticeship end-point assessments, Extended Project Qualifications and T Level Technical Qualifications).
Child sexual abuse of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage children: a knowledge review
This Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) knowledge review provides an overview of research in relation to the sexual abuse of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage children. It explores the nature of sexual abuse, its impacts, the barriers that prevent children talking about it, and how concerns about it are identified and responded to, both within communities and by services.
Updated CSA Child Sexual Abuse response pathway
The CSA have relaunched their Child Sexual Abuse response pathway in a new interactive format, making it quicker and easier for professionals to understand the steps they can take to protect and support children and families.
Supporting boys from low-income families in the early years
Two new reports from the Institute for Government provide information on supporting boys from low income families in the early years.
Transport
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure statistics June 2026 - UK
These data and statistics from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provide information about electric vehicle charging provision and grant funding for charging in the UK in June 2026.
Daily domestic transport use by mode from June 2025 – Great Britain
These Department for Transport (DfT) statistics provide information on the daily usage of selected domestic transport by mode for Great Britain from June 2025.
Rail customer experience survey for mid - October 2025 to the end of March 2026 – England, Scotland and Wales
These Transport Focus statistics are published every six months, and provide an overview of overall passenger journey satisfaction and satisfaction with different aspects of their train service, including punctuality, crowding, and value for money.
Passenger rail usage: January to March 2026 – Great Britain
These Office of Rail and Road (ORR) quarterly statistics provide information on the volume of passenger journeys, kilometres and revenue on the mainline network in Great Britain between January and March 2026.
Quarterly bus fares statistics: January to March 2026 – Great Britain
These DfT statistics provide information on Local bus fares in Great Britain for January to March 2026.
Provisional road traffic estimates: April 2025 to March 2026 – Great Britain
These DfT statistics provide provisional estimates for road traffic in Great Britain for the year ending March 2026, by vehicle type and road class.
Public perceptions on the safety of automated vehicles - UK
This DfT and Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles research provides insights into public perceptions of the safety of automated vehicles
Environment
UK environmental accounts, 2026
These ONS environmental accounts provide information on the contribution of the environment to the economy, the impact of economic activity on the environment, and responses to environmental issues in the UK.
GeoClimate shrink–swell dataset
New data from the British Geological Survey (BGS) suggests that millions of homes in London, Essex, and Kent are at risk of climate-related subsidence, as hotter, drier summers become more frequent.
Heat pump deployment statistics: January to March 2026 - UK
These heat pump deployment statistics provide information on heat pump installations in the UK between January and March 2026.
Local authority greenhouse gas emissions: 2005 to 2024 estimates - UK
These Department for Energy and Security and Net Zero statistics provide UK local authority and regional estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 to 2024.
Final UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics: 1990 to 2024
These Department for Energy Security and Net Zero statistics provide final estimates of UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2024.
Local government
Local Outcomes Framework statistical neighbours model – consultation
The LGA welcomes views and insights from councils on the proposed Local Outcomes Framework Statistical Neighbours Model to inform our response to MHCLG’s consultation on this model. Councils wishing to contribute to the LGA’s response to this consultation can email us at [email protected] before 5pm on Wednesday 22 July, and opinions and feedback will be combined to inform an overall response on behalf of the sector.
Exploring research capacity and capability in a local authority: qualitative insights from leaders and staff
This paper from BMC Public Health suggests that local authorities are well positioned to address social determinants of health but should use evidence-based approaches to achieve effective outcomes and efficient resource use. The paper examines research capacity within a northern England authority to understand how evidence informs policy and practice.
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: April 2023 to March 2024 – final release
These Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) statistics provide provisional outturn estimates of local authority revenue expenditure for April 2023 to March 2024 in England.
Metrics added to LG Inform this month include:
People on Universal Credit
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published additional employment indicators for the People on Universal Credit collection. For January 2026 in England, there were 2,197,086 people in employment (PAYE) on Universal Credit, representing 30.5 per cent of all claimants. There were 485,165 people in self-employment on Universal Credit, representing 6.7 per cent of all claimants. Additionally, there were 94,009 people in employment (PAYE) and self-employment on Universal Credit, representing 1.3 per cent of all claimants. These figures are in addition to the existing LG Inform metrics, including proportion of Universal Credit claimants not in employment (PAYE) or self-employment. The latest data shows 61.4 per cent of claimants in England fall into this category.
Available Geographies: Country – Region – County – London borough – Metropolitan District – Unitary – District
Crime severity score
The ONS Crime severity score collection has been added to LG Inform. There is a Total recorded crime score, which is the Crime severity score for all crimes recorded by the police (except for fraud). Plus, Crime severity scores for six offence categories: Violence against the person, Sexual offences, Robbery, Theft offences, Criminal damage and arson, Other crimes against society. For context in 2024/25 England had a total recorded crime score of 16.3. The highest regional score was London at 20.5 and the lowest was 12.7 for the South East.
Available Geographies: Country – Region – London borough – Metropolitan District – Unitary – District
Employment, pay and workforce
Gender pay gap data for local government
This LGA report provides a summary of the gender pay gap for English local authorities (2025/26). The findings show continued progress to narrow the gap between the earnings of men and women in councils, reflecting ongoing efforts to improve equality, pay structures and progression opportunities across the local government workforce.
Labour market in the regions of the UK: June 2026
These ONS statistics provide information on regional, local authority, and parliamentary constituency breakdowns of changes in UK employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity, and other related statistics.
June 2026 labour market dashboard - UK
This Learning and Work Institute publication provides an analysis of the latest ONS labour market statistics. They consider what the figures say about the health of the labour market, and what they mean for people’s experiences of work.
Public sector employment, UK: March 2026 time series
These ONS statistics provide a seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted quarterly time series of UK public sector employment, containing the latest estimates.
Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO) - England
This DfE publication provides updated graduate and postgraduate employment and earnings outcomes for those who graduated with a first degree (Bachelors), level 7 (Masters) or level 8 (PhD) qualification.
Evaluation of the JobsPlus pilot
This report from the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) builds on interim findings published in September 2025 to provide evidence on whether JobsPlus, (which is a voluntary, community led, hyperlocal employment support programme adapted from the United States model) can be adapted to the UK context and effectively implemented to improve employment outcomes.
Economy
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) monthly estimate, UK: April 2026
This ONS publication provides the GDP estimate for April 2026. The GDP measures the value of goods and services produced in the UK and estimates the size of and growth in the economy.
UK trade: April 2026
These ONS UK trade statistics for April 2026 provide the total value of UK exports and imports of goods and services in current prices, chained volume measures and implied deflators.
Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 18 June 2026
These ONS statistics provide information on the impact of challenges facing the economy and other events on UK businesses, including financial performance, workforce, trade, and business resilience.
Retail sales: May 2026 – Great Britain
These ONS statistics provide a first estimate of retail sales in volume and value terms, seasonally and non-seasonally adjusted during May 2026 in Great Britain.
Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 25 June 2026
This ONS publication provides early experimental data and analysis on economic activity and social change in the UK. These real-time indicators are created using rapid response surveys, novel data sources and experimental methods.
Housing
Better homes, better health: insights from linking housing and health data
This briefing from The Health Foundation presents new findings from the Networked Data Lab (NDL), a UK-wide network of analysts led by the Health Foundation. Teams in five areas of the country (Cheshire and Merseyside, North West London, West Yorkshire, Grampian and Wales) accessed, linked and analysed local data sources to produce new evidence on the links between housing and health.
Closing the gaps: Immigration status and homelessness - England
This Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report notes that homelessness in England is on the rise, including among migrants and refugees. The report draws on interviews with people with lived experience across London, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands, and outlines how the challenges they face play out in practice.
Housing statistics 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 - England
These Homes England housing statistics present the housing starts on site and housing completions that they have delivered between 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Crime
Civil justice statistics quarterly: January to March 2026 – England and Wales
These Ministry of Justice (MoJ) civil justice statistics provide information on the volume of civil and judicial review cases dealt with by the courts over time and the overall timeliness of these cases.
Criminal court statistics quarterly: January to March 2026 – England and Wales
These MoJ statistics provide information on the type and volume of cases received and processed through the criminal court system of England and Wales, including statistics on case timeliness.
Regular publications and events
Lunchtime webinar series: Children and family outcomes in the family and criminal justice systems: Insights from linked administrative data
7 July, 12pm - 1pm, Seminar room B and MS Teams
This webinar from The Rees Centre will explore how linked administrative data can be used to understand outcomes for children and families when parents are involved in the family and criminal justice systems.
Social Research Association (SRA) training courses
The SRA are currently offering a range of online training courses using zoom.
SRA - Social Research Practice journal
The latest issue of the SRA's free e-journal is now available.
The Rees Centre newsletter
The Rees Centre newsletter is published every two months giving an update on their fostering related research activities and events along with a book review and a section on young voices.
Changing Populations newsletter
The latest newsletter from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Population Change is now available.
Child Welfare Inequalities Project (CWIP) news
The CWIP at Coventry University studies the links between deprivation and children’s chances of being unable to live safely within their birth families and also aims to establish child welfare inequalities as a core concept in policy making, practice and research. Information about current CWIP projects is available on the website.
NIHR School for Public Health Research
Sign-up to receive the latest news and updates from the NIHR School for Public Research including publications, funding opportunities, upcoming events and more. Sign-up for the NIHR mailing list. Read the latest NIHR newsletter.
Centre for Evaluation newsletter
The Centre for Evaluation develops interventions, systems and strategies to improve public health using rigorous evaluation methods. Visit the website to sign up for the Centre for Evaluation newsletter.
What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth newsletter
This regular newsletter from the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth provides the latest resources and evidence. Visit the website to sign up for the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth newsletter.
Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Newsletter
The CSA newsletter
brings together the most up-to-date research into an accessible overview for frontline professionals and commissioners. Visit the website to sign up for the CSA newsletter.
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Direct
This regular NFER newsletter provides research, industry insights and free resources and events. Sign up for the NFER newsletter.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) Centre for Evaluation
The Centre for Evaluation aims to improve the design and conduct of evaluations of complex public health interventions through the development, application and dissemination of rigorous methods, and facilitate the use of robust evidence to inform policy and practice decisions. The Centre produces a termly newsletter.
Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) newsletter
WCPP works to address key economic and societal challenges through the use of evidence and produce a regular WCPP newsletter
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) news alert
EEF news alerts provide information about teaching and learning toolkits, project evaluation reports, grant funding rounds and news and events.
NESTA
NESTA is an innovation foundation which aims to tackle society’s big challenges. Sign up to the NESTA newsletter.
Policy Bristol Newsletter
The Policy Bristol Newsletter provides regular policy updates and the latest policy research and events news.
ActEarly monthly bulletin
The AntennAE monthly e-bulletin provides the latest news and developments from Act Early.
The Health Foundation newsletter
This monthly Health Foundation newsletter provides details about funding opportunities, latest publications and blogs, and the latest news from the world of UK health care.
The Learning and Work Institute newsletter
This monthly Learning and Work Institute newsletter provides news updates, latest publications and blogs.
The Evidence Edit
This EEF newsletter from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) provides information and resources relating to primary and secondary education.