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Nearly nine in 10 councils fear that nursery closures this year will undermine capacity ahead of the rollout of the Government’s extension of the 30 hours free childcare scheme, new research by the Local Government Association reveals today. 

“The LGA has long called for fairer funding for all schools and for councils to be able to work with schools to set budgets that reflect local need."

Tougher powers are needed for councils to oversee and regulate out-of-school settings (OOSS) – including being able to shut down illegal schools – after an independent report commissioned by the Government uncovered major safeguarding concerns. The Department for Education funded a pilot in 16 council areas over an 18-month period into the oversight of OOSS, examining safeguarding risks and existing legal powers available to councils. OOSS is a wide range of provision including uniformed organisations, sports and leisure clubs, supplementary schools, faith-based organisations and arts clubs

The Early Years Local Government Programme has been instrumental in helping councils shape priorities and improve services and prospects for children and families, an independent external evaluation has found.

Early support hubs which allow young people to access mental health support without referrals should be made available nationwide to help tackle a rise in mental health issues during the pandemic.

"The impacts of COVID-19 will be with us for years to come. They will show up in economic hardship, mental health issues, attainment gaps and more, and it will be up to councils, schools and their partners to support children and their families to navigate these challenges."

“Schools and councils need to focus on providing education during the pandemic, without any unnecessary distractions. This is why we are urging Ofsted to postpone the resumption of monitoring inspections for schools, either in-person or virtual, until after February half-term at the earliest.”

More than a million young people in England could be missing formal full-time education, fuelled by significant gaps in education legislation, rising child support needs and a lack of funding.

School-based counselling needs to be available and fully funded by the Government in all state funded secondary schools and academies to help support rising numbers of children and young people reporting mental health issues during COVID-19, the Local Government Association urges today.

More than eight in 10 councils in England responsible for children’s social care overspent in the year to 2019/20. This comes despite councils increasing their budgets by £535 million that year and by £1.1 billion in the past two years.