Children and young people's mental health services and social care can help to pick up the pieces when things go wrong. But it is councils and their partners who can play a lead role in trying to ensure problems don't develop in the first place.
In March 2015 the LGA wrote to local authorities (LAs) inviting them to complete an online self-assessment about their plans to prepare for the transfer of commissioning responsibilities for 0-5 year olds from NHS England to local government on 1 October 2015.
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a terrible crime with destructive and far reaching consequences for victims, their families, and society. It is not limited to any particular geography, ethnic or social background, and all councils should assume that CSE is happening in their area and take proactive action to prevent it.
The council role in school place planning: Making sure there are enough school places locally' looks at some of the measures taken by councils to meet the recent surge in demand for school places and gives a five-point plan which the LGA believes is necessary to ensure councils have the funding and power to create the further new places needed.
