Publications

Looking after other people's children is one of the most important things councils do. It is the responsibility of all councillors, not just the lead member for children's services and officers.

Within the context of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 a number of key sectors have come together to provide effective leadership and support for the successful implementation of local Healthwatch (LHW).

The Local Government Association (LGA) has long campaigned for reform of our care and support system and we believe we are edging closer to seeing real, tangible change for the better. The forthcoming white paper will be the next important milestone on this journey and we want to use its publication to continue building the momentum for reform.

In communities across the country we know that local people are concerned about losing locally-valued assets and associated services – from inner-city community centres to village pubs and post offices.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning Healthwatch and are embracing this challenge with increasing energy and enthusiasm. The case studies in this report are intended to provide a flavour of some of the good work and innovative practice-taking place.

Reforming our democratic constitution is right at the forefront of the political debate, with changes to the House of Lords being actively discussed and a planned Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

This paper provides useful insights into the views and experiences of a range of 15 local authority front line staff, including locality managers and staff from central children's services recently involved in defining and undertaking research projects with support from the NFER and the Local Authority Research Consortium (LARC).

This leaflet sets out how the LGA is supporting members and officers to lead self-regulation and improvement in the culture, tourism and sport sector.

This report from the Local Government Group's Big Society Task Force shows how democratically-elected local councillors are at the forefront of developing stronger, more empowered and more resilient communities.

This publication is intended to provide helpful and practical guidance for councils when considering how in-house services can be delivered through various different models.