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Welcome to the NAG newsletter for 4 June 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
Fostercare Providers Newsletter
National Association of Fostering Providers (NAFP) publish regular updates to their members and stakeholders on issues relating to foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of points raised in the latest newsletter are relevant to procurement officers in local government. In particular this month there are updates on sufficiency, communication with councils, webinars, procurement timescales and links to NAFP consultation responses.
Education recovery plan
Pupils will be offered up to 100 million hours of tuition as part of the Government’s catch-up programme for children in England who have faced disruption to schooling during the pandemic. The Department for Education (DfE) has announced £1 billion to support up to six million, 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged pupils, as well as an expansion of the 16-19 tuition fund which will target subjects such as maths and English. A further £400 million will go towards providing high-quality training to early years practitioners and school teachers to ensure children progress while some Year 13 students will be given the option to repeat their final year if they have been badly affected by COVID-19.
Business Grants
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published data on grants distributed to businesses in the form of Local Restrictions Support Grant, Additional Restrictions Grant and Restart Grant. In total, up to 25 April, it shows that councils have made over 2.8 million payments to businesses, amounting to more than £7.7 billion.
Non-COVID stories
National Procurement Policy Statement PPN 05-21
This Procurement Policy Note (PPN) sets out information and guidance on the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) which will require contracting authorities including councils, to have regard to national strategic priorities for public procurement alongside their own local priorities.
The policies set out relate to Social Value; Commercial and Procurement Delivery; and Skills and Capability for Procurement.
Net-zero
The Prime Minister and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng last week launched the Together for our Planet 'Business Climate Leaders' campaign, a new drive to encourage small businesses to commit to cutting their emissions in half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. It says steps could include installing energy saving light bulbs, switching to electric vehicles and other cleaner forms of transport to reduce their carbon footprint, looking at environment-friendly packaging options, or introducing cycle to work schemes for employees.
Webinars and Videos for Organisations that Trade with the EU
Webinars and videos about trading with the EU are available for councils to share with local stakeholders and businesses. Topics covered in the webinars include importing and exporting goods, moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and details of the government’s cross-border trade forum, designed to help businesses and traders find answers to questions on the new rules on trading with the EU.
Businesses can now access a calendar of upcoming webinars.
HMRC advice on applying supply chain due diligence principles to assure your labour supply chains
HM Revenue and customs (HMRC) has recently published guidance on the above which procurement officers may find of interest. The guidance contains why you need to assure your labour supply chain, principles of supply chain due diligence and guidelines to help you assure.
Eight in 10 councils forced to overspend on children's social care budgets amid soaring demand
Local Government Association analysis shows that soaring demand to help safeguard children and funding pressures meant councils in England had to overspend on children's social care budgets by £832 million in 2019/20.
Webinars
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.
Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) - Net Zero Week 14-18 June 2021
In partnership with iNetwork, YPO are hosting a week of free online webinars to help you on your journey to net zero. There is a packed line up of industry experts, public sector organisations and suppliers to share their net zero journeys so far, strategies and top tips. They're hosting 12 free webinars, with over 30 speakers from across the public sector, plus industry experts for a full week of activity and debate, as we consider how this global priority can be achieved on a local and regional basis and what role procurement has to play.
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
Induction for councillors with a leading role in health and care - Tuesday 29 June
This leadership development session is aimed at those new to:
- Health and Wellbeing Board Chair/Co/Vice Chair, CCG Chair or any other leading political or clinical role relating to:
- public health
- health and wellbeing
- health inequalities
- Portfolio-holder/Lead Member with responsibility for Adult Social Care
This session will brief delegates on the current policy issues, look at the challenges and opportunities for high profile leadership roles, and relate these to their local context. As well as hearing from a range of participants across the public health, care and health system, they will hear about further support on offer and have plenty of opportunity for discussion and networking.
For further information and to make a booking please contact: CHIP@local.gov.uk
LGA Annual Conference – 6-8 July 2021
Our Annual Conference 2021 is now less than two months away and is being held virtually again this year and it has been agreed will be FREE for all member councils this year.
From Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 July, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leading central and local government politicians, as well as expert speakers from within and outside the sector.
Booking is now open on our website for this year's annual conference. Please share and promote the conference to your contacts and encourage them to sign up and read more about this year's Annual Conference.
Design in the Public Sector: Green procurement - 16 July 2021
This is the third in a series of four webinars, run by the LGA in partnership with the Design Council, as part of the Design in the Public Sector’s Climate Change programme 2020-21. The webinar will showcase how design skills can be used to approach the everyday challenges we face and provide councils with a platform to share their insights and experiences of tackling climate challenges through green and sustainable procurement.
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