Greetings!
Paris Olympics 2024
I start this week’s bulletin by congratulating our Olympian athletes for winning 65 medals at the recent Paris Olympics. It is a fantastic achievement with 14 of those being Gold! We can all be proud of our athletes flying the flag proudly for Great Britain on the world stage. Now our attention turns to the Paralympic Games which start on Wednesday 28 August and I send my best wishes to our great Paralympians!
Results day
A massive congratulations to students across England and Wales on getting their A-level, T-level or BTec results last Thursday. I was pleased to read that overall this year, 27.8 per cent of all grades were A* or A- up from 27.2 per cent in 2023. Furthermore, of students applying to university, 82 per cent achieved the grades they needed for their first choice. If you know of anyone who is unsure of their next steps, why not encourage them to consider some work experience in the LGA Independent Group Office or with one of our LGA Independent, Green or Plaid Cymru Council Leaders?
Meeting our Independent, Green and Plaid Cymru Council Leaders
It was a pleasure to meet with Independent, Green and Plaid Cymru Council Leaders last week online. This fortnightly meeting provides a regular opportunity to hear directly from our fantastic and dedicated council leaders, about the emerging issues affecting them and their communities and gives me the chance to provide updates on all the LGA is doing for our elected member councils. We enjoyed a rich discussion and specifically covered waste recycling reforms as well as the prisoner early release scheme, with the first tranche expected to come on 10 September. We want to hear from you, especially those from district councils, how your local authority is preparing for the early release scheme and how many numbers you might be expecting. Please let us know.
LGA all-leaders zoom meeting with Baroness Taylor
I had the opportunity to speak again at the second webinar for all local authority leaders last Tuesday, reflecting on the recent protests, violence and other recent disturbances facing local authorities and how the LGA is supporting its member councils. It was also a chance for local authority leaders to share their experiences and hear best practice coordination, clean-up and community relations. In addition, it covered what local government needs (including resources and powers), and touched on community-building over the longer term. I re-iterated our stance on civility in public life and how we as elected members are best placed to bring people together and highlight what is most needed for our residents and communities. It was great to welcome Baroness Taylor, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Baroness Taylor thanked us for our work so far and supported us on our key asks, including: greater partnership working, better communications, increased funding, improved cohesion and building cross-party and political unity.
Summary of NPPF Consultation key points and housing targets spreadsheet
As promised, a group summary of this important consultation has now been published on our Independent Group publications page. Please take a look at this very useful document put together by our Head of Group Office, Abigail Gallop. The Group will be hosting its own online information session for members about the consultation and its proposed reforms to the planning system the week commencing Monday 9 September. The Government consultation closes on Tuesday 24 September.
Nation Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation - councillors briefing (online) - Friday 6th September 1pm to 2.30pm
As part of the series of workshop that PAS are delivering with MHCLG colleagues to help local authorities understand and respond to the present National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation, we are really pleased to be able to deliver a briefing session specifically for local planning authority councillors. This online event will be held at 1pm to 2.30pm on Friday 6th September, with places free to attend. You can book your place on the dedicated booking page. The session will be recorded and shared via the PAS website past events if you can't make the date.
LGA improvement support: Annual report 2023/24
Our 2023/24 annual report detailing the sector-led improvement support we offer to local authorities has now been published. Do take a look at this important document which showcases how our highly valued support has delivered positive impacts for the local government sector. I would like to thanks our national lead peer, regional lead peers as well as our member peers for all their hard work, support and dedication to making our councils the best they can be and for sharing their knowledge and expertise through peer mentoring of individual councillors.
Autumn Budget 2024
The Government have announced this will take place on Wednesday 30 October and the LGA is already busy preparing. As we face a critical funding gap of more than £6 billion over the next two years, it is critical we make our case because it is local services that will matter the most. The review will set departmental budgets for at least three years. Please let us have your views by emailing LGA Finance.
LGA Annual Conference
The programme for our upcoming Annual Conference in Harrogate 22-24 October has now been published! Please click on the ‘programme’ tab for more information. I will be looking forward to welcoming Carla Denyer MP who will be our special guest speaker at our group political dinner as well as our plenary session reflecting on her journey from local government to becoming an MP and sharing her thoughts on re-setting the central-local government partnership - a journey worth hearing! See you at conference!
Next Generation 2024/25 cohort
Please don’t forget there are still some spaces left for the 24/25 cohort of our Next Generation Programme. This programme is aimed at established councillors who have served at least one term, whether in administration of opposition, are looking to climb the ladder in their local government elected role. Apply now!
And finally…
Independent Group Conference: 10-11 January 2025 Cookham, near Maidenhead
Please join us for the annual LGA Independent Group Conference and awards dinner 2024/25, a fantastic opportunity to come together to network, reflect, discuss, debate, learn, share and plan ahead for the next elections. If you are an Independent, Green or smaller party councillor in England or Wales at a district, county, unitary authority, or a combined authority, this is a key date for your diary.
We have an early bird all inclusive conference rate for our members, supported by the Independent Group Office. This rate brings together onsite accommodation with breakfast and lunch, the awards dinner and the conference, but places are limited at this reduced rate. Once all the onsite accommodation has been booked the Group Office will recommend other local hotels.
Have a great week ahead!
Warmest regards,
Launch of national local government recruitment campaign
The "Make a Difference, Work for your Local Council" campaign is launching nationwide in November to encourage people to embark on careers in local government. Co-produced with councils by the Local Government Association (LGA) and Solace, and funded by the UK Government, it aims to fill essential roles that support critical community services like planning, adult and children’s services, finance, and environmental health. More than 9 in 10 councils across the country are experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties as demand for services continues to rise, highlighting the vital need to attract more people into the workforce.
The national campaign follows a successful pilot in the North East of England, supported by the North East Regional Employers Organisation, which ran from January to March 2024. The pilot campaign generated over 17 million impressions and an 8.96 per cent increase in job applications, boosting awareness and interest in local government careers. It has since been shortlisted for two LGC Workforce Awards in the categories of ‘Best Innovation in Recruitment’ and ‘Best Next Generation Employer’.
Local government pay 2024
Following the Chancellor’s recent announcement of funded pay awards to other parts of the public sector, the local government unions asked the National Employers to return to the negotiating table. In response, the National Employers reaffirmed the offer they made on 16 May as full and final, as it is at the limit of most councils’ affordability.
Supporting good governance
The LGA continues to develop a suite of support, guidance, and tools so that councils can assess and assure themselves of the effectiveness of their governance, and gain help to address any areas for improvement. Recent additions are top tips for chief executives, improvement and assurance framework for local government (including a councillor’s guide to the framework) and a growing series of case studies.
Healthy Start scheme consultation
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation to seek views on whether eligibility for Healthy Start should be extended to include others who are prevented from accessing public funds due to immigration controls. Consultation closes on 23 October 2024.
Public Health and Planning Collaborative Group
The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) have established a Public Health and Planning Collaborative Group as a forum to discuss challenges between the respective professions, as well as sharing knowledge, practice, and language. The first meeting is 20th September (15:00 to 16:00). If you are interested in joining, please contact the Healthy Places team.
Dates for the Diary
Thursday 5 September 2024 | Manchester
This Local Government Association event is open to new members from across the North-West who have been elected (for the first time) in May 2024. The event will support newly elected members in exploring their roles. It will provide an opportunity to hear from cross-party guest speakers about their experiences and insights, as well as support this cohort of newly elected members from across the region to develop their networks.
Thursday 19 September 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
This virtual event which is funded by Government will provide an overview of local government finance without any numbers - focusing instead on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies and processes. It will give you an understanding of both what you need to be aware of in your role and what you need to understand about your authority’s role and is aimed at newly elected members or those just looking for a refresh.
Thursday 26 September 2024, 10.00am - 11.30am
Focussing on key roles and responsibilities of the audit committee, this webinar will refresh and provide clarity on the key tasks of the audit committee and in particular the Chair role within this.
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