Briefings and responses

Key summary points and briefings for local government on the National Citizen Service Bill.

Councils are best-placed to understand the range of needs faced by disadvantaged children.

Councils play a strong role in providing good school places, with 91 percent of maintained schools rated as Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, compared with 85 per cent of academies and 84 per cent of free schools.

Local government leaders support the national funding formula but are clear that setting 22,000 school budgets on a ‘one size fits all’ national formula decided remotely in Whitehall will not work.

Local government has a central role to play in tackling a number of issues facing young people, and supporting them to live the lives they want to lead.

Analysis of a recent survey conducted by the LGA among local leaders on public health delivered by their local authority showed that the top priority for public health is to give children and young people the best start in life.

Good mental health is essential for a healthy and prosperous society. Unfortunately, it is easier to focus on what happens when a person becomes mentally ill, and how the health service intervenes, rather than how to keep our communities mentally well in the first place. Improving and maintaining good mental health for communities is a key priority for councils.

Research commissioned by the LGA reveals that the skills gap is worsening. By 2024 there will be more than four million too few high-skilled people to take up available jobs, two million too many with intermediate skills and more than six million too many low-skilled.

Data shows that council-maintained schools receive better Ofsted ratings, and improve more quickly, than academy schools. Analysis undertaken for the LGA showed that ninety-one per cent of maintained schools are now rated as either Good or Outstanding.

Local government has a key role to play in protecting children and young people from involvement in, and the impact of, organised crime.