Publications

Every child deserves to look forward to a bright future. For that to be the reality, we must ensure practical steps are taken to create a society where good mental health is treated as just as important as good physical health.

Five guiding principles underpinning a good careers system for all ages

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER), with the National Youth Agency (NYA) and National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), was commissioned by the LGA to examine what works in intergenerational practice. Intergenerational practice refers to activities that bring together older adults and young people or children.

Coram Family and Childcare was commissioned by the Local Government Association to conduct research with parents, sector experts and local authorities to build an understanding of current provision of wraparound childcare and how councils might use additional funding announced in the Spring Budget to support the expansion of provision.

For the LGA, good mental health and wellbeing for children, young people and adults is an absolute priority. Councils have responsibilities for children’s mental health through their children’s and public health services, as well as their role on health and wellbeing boards and as local system leaders.

Every child deserves a good school place, but that isn’t currently available to everyone. Government rules ban councils and council-maintained schools from helping academies and free schools improve. But given their excellent track record in maintaining high educational standards and in turning around failing schools, councils need to be recognised as effective education improvement partners, ready and able to support schools of all types.

The LGA commissioned a literature review to examine and evaluate ‘what works?’ in relation to the delivery of good quality early years provision for all children accessing the early years childcare entitlements.

Findings from the LGA’s peer learning programme.

In the spring of 2022, the Local Government Association commissioned consultant peers to review library services in eight councils, specifically with regard to how they worked to enhance the local early years offer and, in particular, support for speech, language and communication development.

In October and November 2023, the Local Government Association sent an online survey to all councils providing children’s social care in England. The purpose of the survey was to assess the frequency and costs arising from high-cost children’s social care placements, as well as to explore reasons why the costs of certain placements are particularly high.