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Dear Colleague,
With Mark taking a much-needed break this week, I will be bringing you these updates in his absence. As half-term begins, you will have seen the ongoing coverage of the provision of free school meals to disadvantaged children during the school break. Some of the most recent media reports suggest the Government is planning to give councils extra money to fund holiday clubs to address the issue. We will of course keep you updated once we hear any information on possible funding. I know that many councils are already looking at ways in which you can support children in your communities during half term and beyond. Once again, we have seen the pivotal role local government plays in supporting families facing hardship and those worst affected by the impact of the pandemic.
In our media response, we said it was a top priority for councils to ensure vulnerable pupils are provided for. However, we warned that demand from households experiencing financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19 had now outstripped the £63 million welfare funding provided for councils by the Government in the summer, and that councils were having to top this up from already stretched budgets. We called on the Government to restore local welfare funding so councils can provide preventative support to all households who need it, many of whom are likely to be economically vulnerable for some time to come. We will of course continue to closely monitor the situation and respond to any announcements from government.
As always, do continue to liaise with your Principal Adviser and let us know if there is anything more we can do to support your council.
Local restrictions
From 00:01 this morning, Warrington moved from local COVID alert level ‘high’ to ‘very high’. Please continue to visit the guidance on each COVID alert level as well as the postcode checker to understand the restrictions in your area.
Tier 3 enforcement advice
Following a discussion around enforcement issues with officers last week we have developed a short guidance note for councils on the interpretation of the key issues within the tier 3 regulations. The guidance covers issues councils have raised with the LGA and outlines how these could be managed with a focus on the specific restrictions on hospitality premises. We are grateful to the councils who have shared their initial plans with us in order to support a collaborative approach across the sector.
Updated funeral management guidance
On Friday 23 October, the Government released updated guidance for arranging or attending a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic. This reflects the recent changes to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020, which allow for COVID-19 positive people (whether symptomatic or asymptomatic) to leave their self-isolation for specific purposes, including to attend the funeral of a close family member. The updated guidance strongly recommends that people with symptoms of COVID-19, and those required to self-isolate, should not attend and are encouraged to participate virtually in the first instance. If they do attend in-person, there are several minimum safety requirements that mourners must adhere to, including: maintaining social distancing; wearing surgical-grade Type IIR face mask, properly fitted; and advising other mourners that they are in the self-isolation period. Any other mourner who comes into contact with them may need to self-isolate following the ceremony.
The LGA has raised with Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) the concerns of councils and funeral sector stakeholders, regarding the potential health and safety risk the regulations pose for council staff, funeral staff, and other mourners. We have also been lobbying government for clarity regarding the practical and financial implications of the regulations for councils and funeral directors.
COVID-19 antibody testing study
The Government has published the results of a COVID-19 antibody study. The study conducted by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI show antibody responses to COVID-19 reduce over time following infection. The results suggest that people who did not show symptoms of COVID-19 are likely to lose detectable antibodies sooner than those who did show symptoms and that the loss of antibodies was slower in 18 to 24-year-olds compared to those aged 75 and over. It remains unclear whether antibodies provide any effective level of immunity or, if such immunity exists, for how long it might last. Everyone must continue to follow social distancing rules even if they have tested positive for antibodies. The LGA continues to press government to work closely with councils on plans to roll out the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Remote education lesson plans
The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance on lesson plans shared by schools to help teachers adapt their practice for remote education, following the outbreak of coronavirus. The lesson plans are an optional resource designed to help teachers consider how they might adapt their teaching practice for the remote context. DfE is also offering several school-led webinars on remote education to help share good practice. Find out more about the webinars.
Childcare and early years providers survey
A survey of childcare and early years providers, assessing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been published by the Department for Education. The survey noted that 76 per cent of group-based childcare providers had made use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme since the pandemic started and the majority of those open at the time of the survey had around half of the attendance they normally would. At the time of the survey, only around half of providers felt it was financially sustainable to open for another year or longer.
Childcare entitlement support
The Government has announced that working parents who are on the Government’s coronavirus support schemes will still be eligible for childcare support, including the 30 hours offer and Tax-Free Childcare, even if their income levels fall below the threshold temporarily whilst on these schemes. DfE attendance data has highlighted that more parents are returning to their formal childcare settings, with attendance at early years settings now at 86 per cent of pre-coronavirus daily levels. This is set to increase further as the latest parent survey by Ipsos MORI, shows that in September, 94 per cent of parents whose child received formal childcare before the pandemic were either using formal childcare now, or were intending to return their child to formal childcare if they could by January 2021. Announcing the measures, Children and Families Minister, Vicky Ford praised the hard work of early years professionals and said that the Government was committed to protecting working parents and the dedicated early years sector.
Cyber security
With cyber security at the front of many of our minds, we have been working to share guidance to help protect councils from cyber threats and recover quickly in the face of an attack. The latest advice shared with IT officers includes information on mitigating malware and ransomware attacks. We recommend considering this advice with IT teams to understand what steps are being taken to reduce this risk. I would also like to highlight the importance of taking regular, offline backups, segregated from your network, with a copy kept offsite. For support, advice, or more information on the guidance shared please contact cybersecurity@local.gov.uk.
New Chair of Homes England
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has confirmed Peter Freeman as the new Chair of Homes England, the Government’s housing delivery agency. Peter Freeman is co-founder of property developer Argent and has been appointed for a three-year term.
Homeless young people
The Government has published new guidance for councils to help ensure care leavers have the stable homes they need and prevent them from becoming homeless. The guidance recommends council housing departments and children’s services produce a joint protocol that sets out how they will work together.
Active travel
All highways authorities will have received a letter from the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps last week. The letter outlined concerns with some of the schemes that were funded through the COVID-19 emergency active travel fund. LGA Chairman, Cllr James Jamieson has replied to the letter pointing out that councils were required to implement emergency schemes with unprecedented pace. Councils have kept the schemes under review and have dealt with problems by adjusting schemes as is necessary. The speed with which we acted was required by the nature of the emergency but was also a condition of the funding.
The letter also highlighted the importance of a timely decision on the allocations for the next tranche of funding. Councils will only be able to consult on future schemes once we have certainty of funding. We share the Government’s view that we need to increase the amount of space for active travel if it is to become the default mode for short trips. Managing this transition will require leadership at both a national and local level.
Travel exemptions
The Government has updated its guidance which lists the jobs that qualify for exemptions from the self-isolation or passenger locator form requirements. The guidance lists the jobs that qualify for an exemption and informs people if they need to self-isolate, complete a passenger locator form or if there are any conditions they will need to meet or evidence they will need to show if they have travelled to a non-exempt country or territory.
Elections
The Electoral Commission has published a set of resources to support local authorities in raising public awareness at elections. The resources highlight the options people have about how to vote and aim to establish clear and consistent messaging for voters. The resources can be downloaded via the Electoral Commission Resources webpage.
Job Support Scheme
The LGA guidance has been updated to reflect updates from government on access to the job support scheme. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has confirmed that despite the suggestion that local authorities should approach the department before accessing the scheme; there are no plans for specific guidance and if councils wish to use the scheme, in line with its rules, then they should apply directly like other businesses.
I hope you found this update useful.
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Best wishes,
Sarah Pickup
Deputy Chief Executive
Local Government Association
@SJPickup
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