Poverty and inequality are financial challenges for local authorities and threaten the cohesion of their communities.
Summary Evidence has been accumulating that many challenges and barriers are built into the electoral process for people experiencing disabilities. While some measures have been taken to address mobility and visual issues, those with learning difficulties or mental illness are facing particular obstacles that are not yet being addressed. A Call for Evidence on access…
Eleven years after the Scottish National Party formed a minority government and took charge of Scotland for the first time, LGiU Scotland attended the three-day National Conference packed with fringe events, speeches, policy-making and much more.
The publication in August 2018 of a report from the Scottish Public Health Observatory on the burden of disease attracted a considerable amount of interest and drew national attention to the Observatory’s work. This briefing covers the findings of this report.
In September 2018, the Social Metrics Commission produced a report which outlined a new approach to poverty measurement for the UK. The new metric reflects more accurately the realities and experiences of living in poverty than previous measures.
The needs of neglected adolescents in the care system can be overlooked. Ofsted with the Care Quality Commission and the police and prison inspectorates have reviewed local practice for supporting older children finding the need for coordinated support for this often forgotten group.
Private renting, homelessness, universal credit and the Letwin review of housebuilding all feature in this month's housing and planning roundup. There are also details of ongoing consultations covering the leasehold system, regulation in Scotland, and classifying second homes as holiday lets.
What progress has the government made towards its fiscal targets? We look here at the economic outlook as set out in the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook and at public spending announcements in Budget 2018, including those relating to housing, productivity, taxes, and welfare.
Having an ageing population is one of the greatest challenges facing the developed world today, so in recent years, Ireland has taken significant steps to become an age-friendly nation. This briefing covers the work of Age Friendly Ireland and what Scotland can learn from this.
This report from the NPI and the Lloyds Bank Foundation traces the impact on service-level spend across services, between types of local authority and between areas. It finds some significant disparities underneath the headline figures, which raises questions about the sustainability of local services to tackle disadvantage.
The Government is introducing new services to support the mental health of children and young people including school and college-based support and additional NHS capacity. This briefing on the examination of these proposals by the Commons Education and Health and Social Care committee and the Government’s response.