Workforce planning

The apprenticeship levy has highlighted the lack of good workforce planning across councils. There is a need for Human Resources (HR) to better inform service planning (transformation) in the short and long term.

• Local government has an ageing workforce and in certain key professions this is reaching a crisis point in an increasing number of councils
• 74 per cent of councils in England said they were experiencing recruitment and retention difficulties – it hasn’t changed for over a decade
• There is too much focus on addressing short term needs which is compounding the existing long-term workforce problems
• There is a greater need for integration between local government and other services such as health and social care to meet community health challenges – effective place-based workforce planning can help create greater opportunities for service improvement at reduced costs
• Increasing pressure on council resources and an increasing demand for services is impacting on morale and turnover is increasing across councils in key professions
• Council HR services have and are being cut. This has resulted in expertise/capacity to carry out workforce planning being reduced.

Local government finance workforce hub support offer 2025-2026

The LGA is excited to announce a comprehensive workforce support offer for up to 30 council finance teams. This initiative aims to enhance workforce planning and development through the Finance Workforce Hub. Participants will benefit from shared practices, peer-to-peer learning, and access to a wealth of resources including guides, tools, and templates.

National Local Government Workforce Planning Network

An exclusive space for local authorities to discuss and share workforce planning matters.

Join the National Local Government Workforce Planning Network by emailing [email protected]

LGA strategic workforce planning consultancy offer

Read more about the LGA workforce planning consultancy offer

For practical support on-site contact [email protected].