News

LGA Chairman Cllr James Jamieson said: “Councils across the country are leading efforts to support communities through the unprecedented coronavirus crisis we face. They continue to do an amazing job."

Councils across the country are leading local efforts to support communities through the coronavirus crisis and keep day-to-day services running. This has led to significant unforeseen demands and costs caused by the pandemic – to protect the vulnerable such as older, disabled and homeless people - and in order to continue to keep normal services running, such as bin collections. This is at the same time as councils have seen a large and immediate hit to their income. Many councils use income from fees and charges to fund a range of services, such as leisure and planning services, many of

"These measures will help councils with their cash-flow as they grapple with extra costs, lost income, and demand pressures as a result of the pandemic."

“Councils have a track record of doing everything they can to rise to the challenge of ensuring no child goes without a place, having created more than 800,000 new places since 2010."

Following the unprecedented Agreement reached on 26 March between the Fire Service National Employers, National Fire Chiefs Council and Fire Brigades Union, it has today been agreed to add a further three areas of work to reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required. Firefighters will be able to: Assist in taking samples for COVID-19 antigen testing Drive ambulance transport not on blue-lights (excluding known COVID-19 patients) to outpatient appointments or to receive urgent care Provide driving Instruction by FRS driver trainers to deliver training

Council employees have been offered an improved pay increase of 2.75 per cent from 1 April 2020, plus an additional one day’s leave which would increase the minimum entitlement from 21 to 22 days per year (plus public holidays).

"It is vital that the arrangements set out in the plan are urgently translated to reality on the ground."

"These figures begin to shine a light on the impact of coronavirus in care settings and on older and disabled people who use social care services."

“We want to work with the Government to ensure that schools are given the support they need over the immediate term, and this includes urgently placing a temporary pause on academy conversions during this time.

"It is vital that even more of this vital protective equipment is available to those who need it, including our valuable social care staff and others providing essential local services."