News

At the 10-year milestone of children’s public health responsibilities moving to local authorities, the Local Government Association (LGA) is urging the Government to commit to public health in the Autumn Budget to meet the ambition of raising the ‘healthiest generation of children’, with strong leadership and sustained investment.

New figures show the number of investigations carried out by councils where a child is thought to be at risk of harm is on average over 600 every day, underlining the need for councils to be adequately funded in next month’s Autumn Budget.

“It is disappointing the Schools White Paper has been delayed.

“Councils, who know their communities and areas best, already play an essential role in bringing together a sometimes-fragmented skills offer for residents and employers. "

We’re delighted to announce that the LGA is part of a new Department for Education (DfE) project to design a Centre for Excellence in digital and data for children’s services. Working as part of a ‘D2I consortium’, the LGA will be leading on the research and contributing experience from our existing sector support programmes. The Centre of Excellence will be a major investment by DfE in the capability of local authorities to use data and digital in children’s services, and the D2I consortium will work together to design it with the sector. The D2I consortium members are:  Data to Insight Coram LGA S

"We know that right from a young age, good oral health can impact the speech, sleep, eating and overall health of a child. Councils up and down the country have been working hard with local early years providers and schools to improve the oral health of children."

“Councils have led the way in reducing teenage pregnancies. We must now build on the achievements of the past 25 years by tackling persistent inequalities, digital exclusion, school absence and pandemic legacies."

"We know that high levels of caffeine in energy drinks have been linked to health problems in children, making this ban a vital step in safeguarding children’s health and giving every child the best start in life."

“This important report highlights the urgent need for a cross-government strategy for children, young people and families to ensure we are all working towards a shared ambition.

"Councils want to ensure every child gets the best start in life"