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Welcome to the NAG newsletter for 14 May 2021. Feel free to circulate to your colleagues.
This newsletter is now delivered through our corporate service that handles all our various e-bulletins. Manage or create a subscription - previous bulletins can now be found here.
COVID Stories
COVID - 19 Contingency Framework in education
The Department for Education has published an updated COVID-19 Contingency Framework: Education and childcare settings. The Framework sets out a series of guiding principles designed to help decision makers when considering plans to apply, tighten or ease measures affecting education and childcare. The framework includes measures that will be helpful tools in managing local outbreaks and responding to variants of concern (VoCs). It also outlines a description of the types of attendance restrictions that may be needed and refers to the government's central decision-making process.
Business support
Micro businesses play a vital role in our economy. In response to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on these businesses, we have worked with Shared Intelligence to conduct research to understand micro businesses in different local economies and the role councils and their partners can play to support them. The report 'How well do you know your microbusinesses' is now available.
Local elections - COVID costs
Last week's 'Super Thursday' elections were the most complex set of elections councils have ever had to manage and I know colleagues worked tirelessly to deliver the elections against the challenging backdrop of COVID-19 restrictions. Ahead of the elections, Government provided some additional funding to cover the COVID-related costs associated with local elections. If you have found that your allocation is insufficient to cover these costs, please let us know by emailing my colleague Jessica.Norman@local.gov.uk.
Non-COVID stories
The Construction Innovation Hub
The Construction Innovation Hub has launched a tool to help local authorities in how they design, build and use their buildings digitally. The Local Authority Government Soft Landings Interactive Navigator has been developed to help councils get the most out of their buildings and Estates by focusing on the long-term use and performance.
Homelessness
The LGA has published a new councillor's guide to leading the homelessness sector. In the guide we seek to provide councillors with some key information about homelessness and some inspiring examples of action taken by councils to tackle homelessness that has made a real difference in our local communities. Please share this guide with councillors across your authorities and feel free point new councillors, elected last week to our new councillor hub to provide newly elected members with all the essential information.
Climate Change
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Research
The LGA want to understand the role local authorities want to have in the delivery of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and understand any barriers to greater involvement and have partnered with Local Partnerships on this work. To gather your views on this issue we are holding two workshops:
- Highways Authorities - 3 June 2021
- Non-highway Authorities (District Councils) - 4June2021
To take part contact sarah-joy.lewis@localpartnerhips.gov.uk
Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions for social care: Guidance for local authorities
The LGA has launched sector-specific guidance for social care services Scope 3 GHG emissions which covers all the main aspects of social care spend and is applicable to both outsourced and in-house services. This sector specific guidance will help with providing clarity in interpreting the GHG Protocol, supporting the improved accuracy and robustness of reporting. The guidance is structured as follows:
- introductory information, including what Scope 3 emissions are
- screening – a starter’s guide for councils when undertaking Scope 3 reporting to aid beginners, and a refresher note for those more advanced
- Technical – interpretation of accounting protocol for social care and recommended approaches to accurately account for key activities
Torbay proposes £1m 'green bond'
Torbay Council has outlined plans for a £1m community green bond, as it seeks to become the third authority to launch such an investment.
If approved, Torbay would follow in the footsteps of council in West Berkshire and Warrington Borough, which both issued community municipal investments to fund solar schemes last year.
Crown Commercial Service updates
Microsoft discounts with our latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
CCS to announce the next iteration of a 3 year MoU with Microsoft UK, to ensure you continue to achieve better value for money. Learn more.
Voucher schemes to support the COVID winter grant
CCS voucher schemes framework can help you set-up schemes to meet a range of citizen needs, including the COVID winter grant scheme. Set up to help councils to disperse the grant.
Framework updates
Find out which frameworks were extended, expired or awarded in April in our regular monthly update.
CCS supports SAFERjobs
CCS has become a proud partner of SAFERjobs, helping protect job seekers and agency staff from exploitation.
Webinars
Net Zero Innovation: taking action from the local to the world - 18 May 2021
The Net Zero Innovation Network brings together local authorities, universities and other stakeholders to address climate challenges at the local level and seek routes to achieve council’s net zero commitments. This one-hour seminar looks at how we can scale good climate-reduction practice nationally and internationally as the UK prepares to host the COP26 climate negotiations in November.
GCF Southern Hub Conference 2021 Online - 20 May 2021
Connecting commercial and procurement colleagues for great commercial outcomes, personal wellbeing and developing careers will be at the heart of this conference. Key objectives will be to deliver the very latest commercial knowledge and best practice. There will be opportunities interact with colleagues in your region and help build and enhance your professional networks and career development in commercial. The event is open to commercial colleagues across the public sector.
Place-based leadership for biodiversity - 28 May 2021
In the year when the UK hosts COP26, and nature-based solutions is one of five core themes, this webinar will explore several different aspects in this challenge. It will also show councils how they can utilise place-based leadership to enhance their natural spaces and make way for biodiversity.
Design in the public sector: Innovative approaches to low energy housing - 15 June 2021
This is the second webinar in a series of four, run by the LGA in partnership with the Design Council as part of the Design in the Public Sector programme 2020-21. The webinars intend to disseminate design skills among public sector professionals and provide councils with a platform to share their insights and experiences of tackling climate challenges focusing on various topics.
Modern Slavery Due diligence in combatting labour exploitation - 24 June 2021
Join the Supply Chain School for their free due diligence in combatting labour exploitation workshop.
This course is designed to illustrate what due diligence looks like and how you can embed essential elements of this into your organisational processes; identify and create a policy and strategy; understand the principles of risk assessments focusing on labour exploitation and the role supply chain mapping plays in addressing the risks and; understand what peer organisations are undertaking this area through sharing amongst the group.
Microsoft Envision: UK Public Sector, 22 - 24 June 2021
A virtual event hosted by Microsoft aimed at supporting the public sector by sharing insights, best practice and expertise so you can take action in shaping the future of your organisation.
In conversation with industry experts and thought leaders, together they will explore challenges and opportunities that align with the public sector's key themes:
- Day 1: Empowering People
- Day 2: Inspiring Innovation
- Day 3: Achieving More
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