First Magazine - February 2016

No.596 February 2016 www.local.gov.uk

the magazine for local government

special report:

“If people lose their homes to flooding, the last thing we want is for them to lose their jobs to flooding” Cllr Chris Steward, Leader of City of York Council

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comment:

21 Localism in Wales The WLGA’s elections manifesto

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Getting people Getting active people active Dame Tanni Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson on Grey-Thompson local initiatives on local initiatives

25 Health and social care inspection David Behan on reshaping services

The local government event of the year www.local.gov.uk/events to book your place @LGAComms #LGAconf16

Peer support

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s councillors, we all know that the best help with problems – whether in our wards or across our districts, towns, counties and cities – comes from those who have faced similar difficulties.

So I would urge you all to make sure your authority is taking up the free peer support available to it via the LGA’s sector-led improvement programme (see p10).

As Cllr Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council, says in this edition of first, honest feedback and mutual learning from our peers is the most valuable – and costeffective – form of consultancy we all have.

Elsewhere in the magazine, you can read about the work of the LGA’s vicepresidents in Parliament, and how being an MP or peer compares to being a councillor and council leader.

We have comments from Paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Behan, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, as well as from my Welsh counterpart, Cllr Bob Wellington, who provides an introduction to the Welsh LGA’s manifesto for the Welsh Assembly elections in May; while Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, suggests some radical changes are needed to our voting systems.

Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

contents news

4 Finance settlement

5 Academy oversight

Local welfare Microchipping dogs

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Editor Karen Thornton Design & print TU ink www.tuink.co.uk Advertising Ottway Media Solutions Write to first: Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ Email first@local.gov.uk Tel editorial 020 7664 3294 Tel advertising 07917 681135 Photography Photofusion, Dreamstime and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Cover Calderdale Council Interview Gus Palmer Circulation 18,100 (February 2016) first is published online at www.local.gov.uk/first at least two days before the magazine. To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk The inclusion of an advert or insert in first does not imply endorsement by the LGA of any product or service. Contributors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the LGA.

February 2016

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features 8 After the floods 10 Sector-led improvement

12 Talking to residents 13 Financing housing 14 LGA vice-presidents

Mental health City regeneration

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interview

16 Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society

“It is almost impossible for Labour in the South and Conservatives in the North to have their local support fairly reflected at the ballot box”

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comment

21 WLGA elections

manifesto 22 LGA chairman and group leaders 24 Getting active and arts in health 25 Health and social care 26 Autism champions 27 Construction skills and self-build homes 28 Betting shops and flexible hiring

regulars 6 Letters and sound bites 29 Councillor Commission 30 Education Bill 31 Local by-elections

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news in brief Local welfare

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news LGA response to finance consultation Councils need transitional funding to soften the impact of the ‘U-shaped’ funding curve they face over the next four years and help them protect vital services, the LGA has said.

In its response to the consultation on the ‘Provisional local government finance settlement 2016-17’, the LGA says some councils will face grant reductions in the coming financial year at a significantly higher level than they had planned for as a result of a change in the way government allocates grants.

The new system now accounts for the differing extent to which councils rely on grants, making smaller reductions to those that rely a lot on the grant than to authorities able to raise more of their own revenue from council tax.

The consultation response says some councils are “close to the edge” of financial sustainability and called for “consideration to be given” to how to manage a situation where a council has insufficient resources to operate.

The LGA recognises and supports the offer of a four-year settlement, a reform which it

has long called for. However, the uncertainty around the outcomes of the review of the New Homes Bonus and the widened Better Care Fund must be tackled so that councils don’t have to estimate the total available resources in future years – putting them in a better position to take up the four-year offer.

All district councils – not just the 51 with the lowest council taxes in 2015/16 – should be allowed to raise their Band D council tax by £5, the LGA says.

On social care funding pressures, the ability for councils to raise a 2 per cent social care precept will help local authorities, the consultation response says. But with no immediate extra cash available from the improved Better Care Fund in 2016/17, it suggests the planned £700 million of new funding for the Better Care Fund be brought forward to 2016/17 to help alleviate these pressures.

It concludes: “This, together with the incremental nature of the council tax precept policy, means a further two years of significant pressures on a system that is already under strain.”

he Commons’ Work and Pensions Committee has warned of a postcode lottery over emergency welfare payments to hard-pressed families. The LGA said that reductions in funding mean that making crisis payments was likely to be “a stretch too far” for some councils. In a separate report, the National Audit Office said the future of local welfare provision is uncertain.

Cllr Claire Kober, LGA Resources Portfolio Holder, said the variation in support across the country was driven by shortfalls faced by many councils and added: “Without additional funding, there is a real risk that many will be unable to afford to continue to run their local welfare schemes or will have to scale them back significantly.”

Radicalisation in schools

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ducation Secretary Nicky Morgan has launched an “educate against hate” website as part of a renewed drive against extremism, and a consultation on making sure information is shared when pupils leave a school to move to another part of the country. Cllr Roy Perry, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils work closely with their maintained schools to ensure that any child missing from school or thought to be at risk of radicalisation is quickly identified and supported.

Ensuring all academies and free schools understand their responsibilities to work with their local council in helping to combat this issue is paramount.“

Chip on the shoulder

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orbay Council has launched a new poster campaign encouraging residents to get their dogs microchipped, ahead of a new law that comes into force on 6 April. All dog owners will be required to chip any animal aged over 8 weeks and keep their contact details up-to-date on a registered database – or else face a fine of up to £500. Cllr Robert Excell, Executive Lead for Community Services, said: “The council has a statutory duty to deal with stray dogs and we want to ensure they are returned to their owners as quickly as possible, but getting them back is made more difficult when there are no current contact details available. The time, effort and expense caused by one stray dog can be minimised if it is microchipped and is wearing a collar and ID tag.”

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www.local.gov.uk

Oversight of academies criticised by MPs The scrutiny of academy schools is confusing, fragmented and lacks transparency, the Commons’ Education Select Committee has found.

With more than 5,000 academy schools now operating across England, MPs believe the system for monitoring them needs reassessing and says that the role of regional schools commissioners (RSCs), appointed by government to approve and monitor both free schools and academies, remains unclear.

The committee found that the growing number of academies outside council control meant increasing numbers of schools lacked any local oversight until RSCs were appointed in 2014. However, MPs have stressed that a fundamental reassessment of accountability and oversight for all schools is needed, and called for improvements to the commissioners’ transparency, accountability and working relationships.

They stressed for commissioners to be effective in delivering school improvement they must improve relationships with schools, councils, communities, and inspection agency Ofsted. But council leaders remain concerned that commissioners lack the capacity and local knowledge to oversee so many diverse schools.

Cllr Roy Perry, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils remain concerned that regional schools commissioners still lack the capacity and local knowledge to have oversight of such a large, diverse and remote range of schools.

“Having the commissioners’ geographical

boundaries set differently to Ofsted’s is also very confusing for parents, who still turn to their council for support and advice on their child’s education.

“With over 80 per cent of council maintained schools rated as either good or outstanding by Ofsted, councils want to be regarded as improvement partners and support commissioners.”

Councils, like commissioners, want to help schools improve and have a vast knowledge and understanding of how improvements can be made. Since Ofsted introduced their tougher inspection regime in September 2012, over 80 per cent of maintained schools have gained good or outstanding judgements, compared to 69 per cent of academies. The LGA believes this proves that councils should be regarded as education improvement partners and should be able to support the work of RSCs. Cllr Perry added: “Across the country, hundreds of schools, often in disadvantaged areas, are already being turned around thanks to the intervention of councils to deliver and maintain strong leadership, outstanding classroom teaching and appoint effective support staff and governors.

“The LGA opposes significant powers relating to education being given to an unelected body with parents and residents unable to hold it to account at the ballot box.”

The LGA has been lobbying for changes to the Education and Adoption Bill – see p30 for more information.

Go-ahead for Liverpool scheme

February 2016

Graduate social workers

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scheme to recruit high-quality graduates into children’s social care is “a step forward” for the sector, say council leaders.

Charity Frontline has been brought in by the government to get more graduates into the profession, and will work in a similar way to Teach First. Cllr Roy Perry, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “This scheme is a step forward in helping to tackle the rising demand in children’s social care, with the number of children on child protection plans up by 60 per cent. Frontline will bring in people with new, fresh ideas who can make a really positive difference to the sector, as well as helping to ease pressures, reduce caseloads and ensure more children are safer.”

Funding for mental health

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he Government has announced almost a billion pounds of additional funding for mental health services, including targeted support for new mums and the first ever waiting times for teenagers. Cllr Izzi Seccombe, LGA Community Wellbeing spokesperson, said: “As many as one in 10 children between the ages of one and 15 will suffer from a mental health disorder and we desperately need to see the whole system properly funded, resourced and joined up to ensure children receive support when they need it. Councils commission mental health services alongside the NHS and there are opportunities for both to work closely together to achieve the improvements needed.”

Winter safety

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£35 million regeneration of Lime Street in Liverpool will go ahead after the High Court rejected a bid to overturn planning permission. The scheme involves redevelopment for mixed use including commercial, retail and leisure uses with hotel and student accommodation. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, said: “We were confident that we had properly and rigorously considered this application following all of the relevant government guidance, and it is pleasing that the High Court has come to the same conclusion. Lime

news in brief

W Street is a key gateway route in the city centre that is in desperate need of investment and upgrading. We want to get on with allowing the developers to invest in their vision.”

hile last month’s big chill gripped much of the country, 87 per cent of councils were using state-of-the-art GPS technology on their gritting fleets, as well as salt spreading monitors and thermal mapping, to ensure roads were safe. Councils stockpiled 1.2 million tonnes of salt, according to the LGA’s Winter Readiness Survey. Gritters treated thousands of miles of roads whenever overnight temperatures dropped below zero, and 95 per cent of councils used Twitter accounts to keep residents up-to-date with weather forecasts, road conditions and gritting activity.

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Understanding council finances

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ith the twin pressures of reduced resources and tighter timescales, added to the commitment of greater transparency, the production of annual accounts for local authorities would benefit from much greater simplification.

Changes such as Whole of Government Accounts and International Financial Reporting Standards may have made the accounts more comprehensive, but they have also made the accounts an impenetrable puzzle that only further obscures the financial workings of local authorities to anyone bold enough to peruse them.

While we are all looking to work smarter, it is surely time to review the presentation of local authority accounts, not only from a process perspective, but to give council tax payers a greater understanding of council finances.

Cllr Clarence Barrett (Residents’ Association), London Borough of Havering

letters

Local council tax support

W The importance of good scrutiny It is quite possible that the five years Margaret Hodge MP spent chairing the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee will eclipse her ministerial career.

Select committees are where ministers and others come under real and detailed scrutiny, although this can depend on the chairmen and members. Margaret Hodge became a forensic interrogator and a number of unprepared witnesses did not enjoy the experience.

Scrutiny is as important in local government as it is in Parliament. Poor scrutiny leads to indifferent governance. A confident administration should not be afraid of questions on detail. After all, councils disperse millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and how this is undertaken is of interest to those very taxpayers.

Responses and reports should be in plain and simple language, easily accessible and readable. Information which the public has a right to know, under the law, should always be included. Transparency reduces suspicion.

Parliamentary select committees reflect parliamentary balance and the Public Accounts Committee is chaired by a leading member of the principle opposition. This sends out an immediate message that this committee is not beholden to government.

Local authorities should do the same. A robust and forward thinking administration should welcome this. Unfortunately, too many authorities regard scrutiny chairs as within the gift of the majority.

As an instinctive anti-centralist, I still wonder if government should make provision to ensure that the entire council, administration and opposition, plays a key role in scrutiny.

Cllr Peter Golds CBE (Con), London Borough of Tower Hamlets

hen the local council tax support scheme replaced council tax benefit in April 2013, we worked hard to protect vulnerable families in North East Lincolnshire. As part of our scheme, those households who had a child under five or were in receipt of disability benefits were protected from any reduction in the level of support they received.

We were the only council in the country to offer this kind of additional financial protection to these vulnerable groups, but maintaining it at the current level is no longer an option as we face deeper cuts from central government.

Council tax support in its current form isn’t sustainable and the scheme will have to change if it’s to continue to shield the most vulnerable from further cuts to our budget.

The level of protection offered to people in these two groups is to reduce by 50 per cent – meaning they will need to pay 12.5 per cent of their council tax bill next year. Halving the amount of support we offer will save the council £600,000 next year and we will save a further £175,000 by making other changes.

This year we will look again at how we shape the scheme in the long term and consult on the options we consider. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how councillors are having to make tough decisions about how our dwindling funds are spent.

Cllr Matthew Patrick (Lab), Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, North East Lincolnshire Council

What do you think? Please submit letters for publication by emailing first@local.gov.uk.

Letters may be edited and published online

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www.local.gov.uk

Finding the right devolution model

EU funds available for floods clear-up

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recently welcomed the findings of an independent report into how local government in Hull and its sub-region can be more effective, efficient and accountable.

The report sets out the challenges of deciding the right devolution model for Hull, whilst concluding that what is most critical is our relationship with the East Riding of Yorkshire, which surrounds our tightly bounded city. Our two authorities are already working well together and I am committed to strengthening and extending this across a wider range of issues.

However, with Hull embarking upon a once-in-a-generation programme to transform its economy, I also believe the time is right for our city to forge new partnerships well beyond the boundaries of our immediate neighbours.

As a regional city and a key European port, our priority is to ensure that Hull seizes this opportunity by playing its role within the Northern Powerhouse to the full; this means that our very important partnerships with the East Riding and with other Humber authorities are just part of the story.

With major investments, such as Siemens, now flowing into the city, our status as UK City of Culture 2017, and ambitious plans to develop our visitor economy, Hull is a significant asset for Yorkshire, the North and the UK as a whole.

The complexities and challenges faced by local authorities as we respond to a regional devolution agenda are significant. Whilst I continue to believe that a Greater Yorkshire model would offer the biggest benefits and opportunities for all involved, I am absolutely determined – whatever the final shape of combined authorities – to work across boundaries to get the best possible deal for Hull, ensuring our city plays its part in driving growth across Yorkshire and the North.

Cllr Stephen Brady (Lab), Leader, Hull City Council

February 2016

any communities across the country devastated by the recent floods are still struggling to rebuild. That is why, as an LGA Vice-President, I have been working hard to persuade the Government that it should apply for a grant from the EU’s Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help local councils cope.

If current estimates of £5 billion damage are correct, the EU grant could be worth upwards of £125m. This could be used by local authorities to pay for the rebuilding of vital infrastructure, clean-up operations and providing temporary accommodation.

One-tenth of the funding could be made available as an advance payment within four to six weeks. The rest would be available within six to eight months and could be used to reimburse councils for money they have already spent responding to the floods.

I’ve already received assurances from the European Commission that the UK would be eligible for a substantial grant. But the clock is ticking, to qualify we must apply within 12 weeks of when the disaster first hit. The Government has said it is open to applying, but is dragging its heels due to political concerns including the possible impact on the UK’s rebate from the EU budget.

I believe that it would be wrong to deprive local communities of EU funds for political reasons. At a time when council budgets are being squeezed, it is doubly important that the Government ensures local authorities can benefit from this additional source of funding.

Pressure from the LGA would help persuade the Government that this is the right thing to do. I therefore hope you will support me in this important campaign.

Catherine Bearder MEP (Lib Dem), Vice-President, LGA

sound bites Cllr Phil Scott (Lib Dem, Kirklees) “It’s cold out there – our night patrol service will be monitoring the network & conditions tonight…” www.twitter.com/CllrScott Association of Labour Councillors “Congratulations to both shortlisted @LGA_Labour Group Leader candidates @nick_forbes and @SharonStevenage.” www.twitter.com/LabourCllrs Cllr Warren Bennett (Con, South Ribble) “Up bright and early to go through the draft budget papers for cabinet (again), interesting day ahead given some of the proposals.” www.twitter.com/CllrWarren Cllr Kevin Peel (Lab, Manchester) “After going on about it all afternoon I completely forgot I was on the 10 o’clock news and missed it. Was I any good?!” www.twitter.com/kevpeel Cllr Ben Johnson (Lib Dem, Southwark) “Starter homes must not be forced on communities – we need genuinely affordable housing.” www.twitter.com/drbenjohnson Cllr Nic Laurens (Con, Shropshire) “Number of children in care falls in Shropshire. Could you help make it fall further?” www.twitter.com/Nic_4Meole Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following?

Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk

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features After the floods The winter floods hit thousands of homes and businesses across the North of England. first has been talking to some of the councils affected about the clean-up and recovery – and what the key issues are for the future

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ne person lost their life in Kendal, more than 19,000 properties across Cumbria, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and North Yorkshire were flooded, and billions of pounds of damage was caused by the extreme weather that started with Storm Desmond in early December and continued into the festive period with Storm Eva and Storm Frank.

Council staff – including some who had themselves been flooded – gave up their Christmas holidays to work around the clock on the immediate response alongside the emergency services, army and other agencies; and thousands of volunteers have helped clear up their neighbourhoods.

While the flood waters may have receded (although many rivers are still running high), the clear-up continues in the worst-hit areas.

However, councils now have a clearer picture of the extent of the damage, are working on medium and long-term recovery plans – and beginning reviews into how similar events in the future can be prevented or their impact reduced.

One of the biggest concerns raised by council leaders contacted by first is about job losses and business recovery.

“If people lose their homes to flooding, the last thing you want is for them to lose their jobs to flooding,” reflects Cllr Chris Steward (Con), Leader of the City of York Council.

“For a couple of days, we had to say ‘don’t

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come to York’, and that’s incredibly unusual.

Now we want to stress ‘come to York’. People are still out of their homes but 99 per cent of things are back to normal and we are open for business.”

In Calderdale, where 1,635 businesses were flooded, officers estimate job losses are already running into four figures.

And in Cumbria, where roads and bridges key to the Lakes’ tourism industry were damaged or destroyed, there are concerns that visitor bookings are “going off a cliff”.

“It’s not just the businesses that were flooded that get affected,” adds Cumbria County Council Leader Cllr Stewart Young (Lab).

“In Appleby, when the bridge was closed and the town was cut in half, there were businesses that weren’t getting any customers but hadn’t been flooded. It’s very difficult, because they are not always eligible for the support that those directly flooded get.”

Bradford Metropolitan District Council has been offering flooded-out small businesses free pitches at its markets, to try to help them get back on their feet.

Leader Cllr David Green (Lab) said: “If you are a supplier to a business hit by the floods,

there’s that knock-on effect. Unless there is significant additional financial support, there are businesses that are going to struggle to get back on their feet in the short term.”

And in Leeds, where 500 businesses were hit by Storm Eva on Boxing Day, there

“It took a couple of days to realise we still needed to print things on bits of paper” Cllr Tim Swift, Leader, Calderdale Council

www.local.gov.uk

“The criteria for flood defences is skewed towards residential, not business” Cllr Judith Blake, Leader, Leeds City Council

are concerns some may not ever reopen.

Leeds City Council Leader Cllr Judith Blake (Lab) said: “We know there are businesses that might not open up again because the damage to their machinery is too high, and the risk of not being able to get insurance is another factor “This is a national debate: we have to come up with a process that means businesses can get affordable insurance, otherwise we are talking about areas being completely blighted.

It’s not sustainable for large areas to be put out of action like this, areas like Kirkstall and south of the main railway station that are central to our drive to move the economy forward.”

She added: “The criteria for flood defences is also skewed towards residential, not business. There are serious questions about the criteria we are using and who we are protecting.”

Leeds is putting together a strategic recovery plan, and is lobbying hard for a comprehensive flood protection scheme for the city. Funding for such a project was turned down in 2011, although work is in progress on a smaller ‘phase one’ scheme.

Others are also concerned that the various grants and funding available for flood relief and defences, and the formulae used to determine who gets what, are not fit for the 21st century and need to prioritise business as well as residential areas.

However, there is praise for how quickly February 2016

the Government released funding to help residents and businesses in the immediate aftermath of the floods. Its Community Recovery Scheme is providing local authorities with more than £500 for each household affected; grants of up to £5,000 to help protect homes from future flood damage; and around £2,500 for each business affected.

Some councils were able to transfer the cash directly into many residents’ bank accounts within days of the floods hitting their areas – before Christmas, in Cumbria.

Other issues councils will be reviewing in the months ahead include communications, staffing, infrastructure, protection of vital utilities including power sub-stations and telephone exchanges, and regional responses.

In Calderdale alone, 10 sub-stations were affected by flooding, leaving many homes without power and no access to the internet.

It’s one of the issues that will be picked up by the council’s independently chaired Floods Commission, which will be reviewing events and making recommendations on how to better protect communities against future flooding.

“After the 2012 floods, we were criticised because we didn’t make enough use of social media,” says Calderdale Council Leader Cllr Tim Swift (Lab). “This year, we were geared up but a big chunk of people up the valley had no power and no internet access. It took

a couple of days to realise we still needed to print things on bits of paper.”

York City Council lost all phones and internet for two days after a BT exchange was flooded, and even 999 calls were briefly affected. Leeds lost a server and had no email for nine hours but was still able to upload information to its website and communicated via social media.

Meanwhile, in Cumbria, the widespread and serious flooding has exposed the county’s “extremely vulnerable” 19th century (and older) infrastructure, especially bridges, says Cllr Young.

“It’s highlighted the need for significant investment in infrastructure which is way beyond the ability of the county council to fund, and that’s what’s exercising us at the moment. We can’t deal with this on our own.

“I welcome what [funding] we’ve had as a start but it’s nowhere near enough to do what needs to be done. We need some certainty we are going to get some more.

We know what needs to be done but we can’t let contracts or start work until we have some security it’s coming.”

Cllr Green was one of several leaders to highlight the need to work regionally to protect communities effectively and efficiently against future flooding.

“We are looking to have a full regional review of flood defences and alleviation schemes,” he says.

“It’s not just the rain that fell in Bradford, it’s the rain that falls up the valley in North Yorkshire that feeds the rivers that run through the city. Investing upstream may have a greater benefit to Bradford and the wider region.”

And there is universal praise for the work of council staff, volunteers and other public and emergency services, as well as thanks for the support received from other councils and outside organsations – especially in Yorkshire, where councils were unable to help each other as much as usual because they were all affected by flooding at the same time.

“It’s been astonishing: people have just pulled together, turned up and done things for each other on a scale I don’t think we could have imagined,” says Cllr Swift.

“We have had a lot of outside help as well. We’ve had people coming not just from West Yorkshire but from London and quite a few Muslim charities came from a distance.

It gives such a positive message about community cohesion at such a difficult time.”

The LGA has a range of resources for councils on extreme weather and flood risk, including a guide to communicating with residents, and is running a series of regional events – see www.local.gov.uk/floodportal for more information

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Supporting improvement Cllr David Simmonds is Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board

The LGA is refreshing the improvement support it offers to councils, and urging all councils to make the most of the help available from experienced local government colleagues

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ast year’s provisional local government finance settlement confirmed the Government’s continuing support for sector-led improvement and, significantly, its intention to agree a new deal for sector-led support for the course of this Parliament.

This is good news for councils and the LGA. Leaders and chief executives continue to tell us that the support we offer is useful and has a positive impact on their authority’s capacity to improve.

A four-year settlement will enable us, like councils, to plan for the longer term.

While our improvement offer is being refreshed all the time in response to what councils tell us they need, the core elements are likely to remain fairly consistent because they are based on what we know, from experience, works: • leadership – developing political leaders and helping councillors undertake their leadership roles • peer challenge – providing an external perspective on your council’s organisation • comparative data – LG Inform provides up-to-date and comparable data about your local area and the performance of your authority • efficiency support – a range of tools and approaches to help councils make the most of their finances • sharing good practice – our searchable data base contains over 800 council examples.

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But we will also be guided by the feedback councils gave last year in response to our consultation paper on the future of sector-led improvement. The key message was a recognition that we can no longer rely on a wholly voluntary approach to improvement.

Of the leaders and chief executives responding to the consultation, 72 per cent agreed that all authorities should

“All local authorities should have a corporate or finance peer challenge every four or five years” be expected to have a corporate peer challenge on a regular basis. At the same time, 61 per cent of respondents to a separate LGA membership survey agreed that the LGA “should be more challenging with authorities on their performance”.

Accordingly we are strengthening the approach to the corporate peer challenge (see green box, right) – a key element of our improvement support to councils. Peer challenges involve a team of experienced officers and councillors visiting a council to review its leadership, corporate capacity and financial resilience plus an area of the council’s choosing, and making recommendations for improvements.

LGA corporate peer challenge – key components • Peer challenge is a proven tool for improvement.

• It is commissioned by a council at a mutually agreed time.

• The challenge focuses on leadership, corporate capacity and financial resilience – plus an area of the council’s choosing.

• The team comprises senior local government peers (usually a council leader, chief executive and senior officers) with scope to involve others from the private or voluntary sectors.

• The team undertakes a short intensive period (usually three or four days) working with the council to gain a better understanding of its challenges and explore the opportunities for improvement.

• The process involves engaging with a wide range of people connected with the council including partners.

• The findings and recommendations for improvement are delivered immediately.

• A formal report is delivered within three weeks.

• Councils are expected to publish the report and produce an action plan to progress the findings and recommendations.

• Any support needs are discussed with the LGA’s principal adviser for your region.

In future, we will plan on the basis that all local authorities should have a corporate peer challenge or finance peer challenge every four or five years. We will place greater emphasis on councils’ leadership of place and on their financial sustainability; revise the feedback report to councils about their peer challenge, making it more formal and consistent; and there will be a clearer expectation that councils should publish reports and their action plans. A follow-up visit will become a standard part of the corporate peer challenge process.

Councils’ take-up of corporate peer challenge is seen by many national stakeholders as a litmus test of their www.local.gov.uk

performance of the sector as a whole.

The role of the LGA is to support local authorities and to maintain an overview of the performance of the sector in order to be able to offer early support.

Sector-led improvement key principles – TRUST Local authorities:

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TRUST

• are responsible for their own performance and improvement of residents trust their council 50 •make primarily accountable to local most to local60 decisions 40 TRUST are communities 70 30 of residents trust their council of residents trustresponsibility their council for the • have a collective most to make local decisions performance most to makeoflocal the decisions sector as a whole.

80 20 • are responsible for their own of residents trust central government The role of the LGA is most to make local decisions to support local performance and improvement 10 authorities and to 90maintain an overview of the performance of the sector in order • are primarily accountable to of residents trust central government of residents trust central government offer early support.

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• have a collective responsibility of local residents are happy for performance of the with the the way their council is run sector as a whole.

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SUPPORT The role of the LGA is to support of leaders and their chief executives local authorities and to maintain st Parliament, increased demographic pressures 50had said support from40 the LGA 60 ed improvement been a success.

SUPPORT anhas overview of the performance SUPPORT a positive impact on their authority 70 30 of the sector in order to be able of leaders and their chief executives of leaders and their chief executives said support from the LGA hadsaid support from the LGA had to offer early support. a positive impact on their authority 80 20

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PERFORMANCE

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of indicators used to measure sector-led improvement have improved real terms funding reduction in the last Parliament, increased demographic pressures and national policy changes, sector-led improvement has been a success.

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PERFORMANCE

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a positive impact on their authority

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SUPPORT

engagement in sector-led improvement and of the importance they attach to continuous improvement.

So when we know that some commentators criticise the voluntary nature of sector-led improvement and that the National Audit Office has challenged the Department for Communities and Local Government about its understanding of councils’ performance, it is important for us as a sector to be able to demonstrate strong engagement and take up of corporate peer challenge in particular.

Of course, that’s not the only reason.

The corporate peer challenge is highly regarded in the sector, and as we enter another spending review period councils and fire and rescue services are already considering how they can make most use of the offer and when best to have their second peer challenge (see Cllr Ruth Dombey’s contribution, right).

I would encourage you all to look again at our corporate peer challenge offer and discuss with your LGA principal adviser the best time for your council to undertake one.

See www.local.gov.uk/sector-ledimprovement for more information on our support offer to councils

February 2016

89%

of leaders and their chief executives said support from the LGA had a positive impact on their authority

Taking on another challenge

council’ plans were new and the peer AC team challenged us to clarify what we meant by this for staff and to review our corporate approach. Since then we have created a central commissioning support team, supporting directoratebasedDespite commissioning and category a real terms funding reduction in the last Parlia management teams,and with a Commissioning national policy changes, sector-led impr Board to drive a common approach.

We have also invested heavily in staff development through participation in the national Commissioning Academy and our own Commissioning Network.

Similarly on economic development, the peer team challenged us to do more. Since then, our inward investment arm, Opportunity Sutton, has helped secure an estimated £330 million of investment in the borough, with more than 650 new businesses created in the first half of 2015/16 alone.

I would urge all councils to take the opportunity provided by a corporate peer challenge to reflect on whether you have the right priorities and focus to meet the future challenges we all face.

Honest feedback and mutual learning from our peers is the most valuable – and cost-effective – form of consultancy we all have.

6

Cllr Ruth Dombey (Lib Dem) is Leader of the London Borough of Sutton

In February, Sutton will be hosting our second corporate peer challenge (CPC), one of only three councils so far to have taken up this opportunity for self-reflection and external challenge in the new round of CPCs. This reflects the findings of our first CPC, back in February 2012, that Sutton is “a learning organisation, with a track record of innovation, that prides itself on its deliberative, collaborative and localist approach”.

I believe in the power of peer challenge to help us continually learn and improve what we do, and the principle of sector-led improvement fits with Sutton’s commitment to localism. Our second peer challenge has proved a valuable opportunity to reflect on what we learnt from the 2012 CPC and how far we have come since then.

For example, in 2012 our ‘Commissioning

first feature | 11

Getting the word out Effective communications with residents are important for building trust and engagement

T

he landscape of public services is changing in a way that we haven’t seen for decades – devolution, a transformation in the way public services are delivered and ongoing financial pressures – which means there has never been a more important time to ensure residents are engaged with what is happening in their local area.

Whether it’s working on new devolution deals or changes to local services, senior management and members have challenging decisions to make on a daily basis. These decisions will have a bearing on the lives of residents so it is vital that local authorities effectively communicate this new landscape to the public.

High quality communications will support engagement and build trust with residents, rally advocates and articulate ambition for your area.

One of the biggest changes currently taking place across local government is devolution. The pace of change is fast moving, with new devolution deals being announced regularly – so it is important residents understand the changes that are taking place, especially as the language and terminology involved can be complex. To take your residents with you they need to understand what it will mean for them.

With demands continuing to rise, local public services are also changing. Good communication is vital to ensure people understand the reasons for change and the role they can play. This could be residents doing more for themselves so services can be protected right through to promoting ‘place’ to help attract new business and new investment.

Councils are complex organisations and need to effectively communicate about a variety of other issues and news, including public health campaigns, preventing child sexual exploitation, recruiting new councillors and encouraging residents to stand for election. One council that has effectively communicated about elections is Rotherham Metropolitan Borough council, with its Be a Councillor campaign, aimed

12 | first feature

at encouraging more people to become councillors (see www.local.gov.uk/be-acouncillor for LGA resources on this issue).

The recent extreme weather has seen councils not only faced with huge challenges to manage the effects of snow and flooding, but also challenges around the loss of key communication channels including telephone lines and internet.

This has required councils to know their communities and be innovative in the ways they communicate, utilising all possible channels. During the recent flooding, as part of their community leadership role, councils worked around the clock to communicate with and support members of the public and businesses.

So what help is available to councils to help improve their communications?

The LGA, working with councils, has developed a number of useful toolkits that will help you to better communicate with your residents, businesses and other local stakeholders. These include:

DevoNext This resource details everything you need to know about devolution for local government – what has been secured, what is happening across the country right now and what you can do at your council.

Our explainer films will help you to convert, and communicate, complex messages into straight forward explanations.

See www.local.gov.uk/devolution

CommsHub A range of guides and resources to help support and advance communications activity at your council. See www.local. gov.uk/communications-support

Digital councils Contains guidance and advice on how to use social media effectively as a councillor to engage with the local community. See www.local.gov.uk/digital-councils

A guide for communicating during extreme weather This good practice guide provides advice for councils communicating during periods of extreme weather.

It is designed to support you to develop a council-wide communications strategy to help your authority prepare for, and react to, adverse weather and ensure you are able to communicate effectively with your residents. See www.local.gov.uk/ floodportal. The LGA is also running a series of events on managing severe weather outbreaks, starting on 11 February in Bristol – see www.local.gov.uk/events

To advise us of any innovative work you are doing or get further advice on communications best practice, you can contact directorof communications@local.gov.uk

www.local.gov.uk

Driving innovation in housing finance Cllr Keith House (Lib Dem) (left) is Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council and a Senior Independent Director of the Housing & Finance Institute. Natalie Elphicke OBE is Chief Executive of the Housing & Finance Institute

A year ago, a report on the role of councils in getting more homes built recommended the setting up of a housing finance institute to accelerate progress. Now it is up and running, the report’s authors are urging councils to get ‘housing business ready’

W

hen we were asked by the Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government to review the role of councils in housing supply, we expected to learn a lot.

We did. But what we perhaps did not expect was to be inspired.

What we said in the foreword to our review a year ago is as true now today.

Seeing and hearing first-hand what many councils can and do achieve was a revelation.

They don’t just build homes. They help and support new businesses and new entrants to the housing market.

They work in partnership with housing associations, national and local builders, and a host of other professional and voluntary organisations.

They demonstrate that meeting Britain’s housing need can be made to happen.

What we found, often from smaller councils like Bournemouth, Gateshead and Ashford as well as the obvious larger councils, was that innovation is alive and well in local government.

It is needed. Despite efforts from government, and the commitment of all the main parties in the run-up to last year’s General Election, Britain has been building just half the number of homes needed for our communities, pushing up prices and failing to give young people opportunities for homes.

February 2016

Councils can be a major part of plugging the gap in supply. What’s more, they have the powers to do it. We found exciting examples of joint working and new ways of using powers to get homes built.

But we also found a lack of confidence and knowledge in many places, most strongly around how to make finance really work to deliver housing.

Our core recommendation was that councils could look at moving from their statutory role of providers, be that through planning or building homes through housing revenue accounts, to being ‘housing delivery enablers’.

To plug the gap, we recommended the setting up of a housing and finance institute to promote and support the sharing of ideas and drive innovation in housing finance.

Government agreed, with the Chancellor tasking us to take this project forward.

& Hamlins. The City of London has provided support and also our Chairman, Mark Boleat.

Our board includes representatives from business and local government, including names familiar in the LGA family such as President Lord Kerslake and Deputy Leader Sir Steve Bullock.

The HFi is now entering its second season, with the question to councils: “Are you housing business ready?”

We believe that the traditional obstacles to delivery – planning, finance, land – are largely myths, which can be overcome with leadership and conviction. HFi’s Housing Business Ready programme tackles the leadership issue head on, solving problems and bringing down barriers. We’re keen for councils to get in touch through the HFi website – www.thehfi.com – where there are examples of our work and good practice.

There is no one single solution to meeting Britain’s housing need. Our review, also available on the HFi website, identified a range of actions for government, such as increasing availability of public land, and for councils, such as working with local developers and businesses for local solutions.

We made 30 recommendations that we are monitoring and will report back on later this year.

Are you housing business ready?

Making the difference The Housing & Finance Institute (HFi) is now up and running, and has started work with councils around the country, accelerating housing supply, broadening skills and developing links between councils, housing associations, developers, and the finance and legal professions that need to come together to make the difference we need.

The HFi has attracted support from a wide range organisations determined to match our vision: Local Partnerships, Pinnacle, Keepmoat, Plus Dane, Trowers

first feature | 13

From town hall to Westminster first talks to some of the LGA’s vicepresidents about their work on behalf of local government in the Mother of Parliaments

E

very year, the four political groups at the LGA invite parliamentary representatives from the House of Commons, House of Lords and European Parliament to be our vicepresidents. Almost all are former (sometimes current) councillors or chief executives, or have some connection to local government.

Our network of vice-presidents supports the LGA in championing the issues which matter to local government by raising the LGA’s policy recommendations in parliamentary debates, questions and motions, and seeking to influence legislation as it is agreed by the Westminster and European Parliaments.

But what is it like to move from a town hall to the corridors and guilded halls of Westminster – or to commute between the two? And can you really make a difference on behalf of local government? first spoke to some of the LGA’s vice-presidents.

Quiet word Crossbench peer Lord Bichard, who spent a decade as a council chief executive, at Gloucestershire and Brent, said: “I still instinctively see the implications of proposals for local government and will then seek to influence opinion in a helpful way. That is sometimes by supporting amendments and sometimes in general debates such as the debate on social care just before Christmas.

“It is also important to remember that not all the business of the House takes place in the Chamber. Sometimes a quiet word in the lobby or corridors can sway opinion if it is well-informed by practical experience.”

Lib Dem peer and South Somerset district councillor Baroness Cathy Bakewell MBE enjoys being able to play her part at both a local and national level.

“I find the two roles very complementary,” she said. “The district officer briefings are extremely pertinent. It is easy to get out of touch once you are no longer an elected representative.

14 | first feature

“When first introduced [in the Lords] I found the process of putting your name down to speak days ahead of debates irksome. I preferred just standing up to speak during debates in the council chamber, but I have got used to it. Timelimited contributions help to concentrate the mind wonderfully!”

Baroness Bakewell was pro-active on the Water Act 2014, and hopes the resulting Flood Re scheme – which aims to make flood cover affordable for households at highest risk of flooding – will be fit for purpose when it comes in in April.

Inaugural LGA Chairman Lord Jeremy Beecham, a former Leader and current Labour councillor at Newcastle City Council, said: “I went to the House of Lords because it provided an opportunity to use my knowledge and my experience as a councillor over, at that time 43 years, now 48.

“The role is very different. I’m not representing constituents, though I do illustrate issues and problems with which I’m familiar from my experience both as a ward councillor and member of our health scrutiny and audit committees. On a purely personal level, being a member has helped me cope with the sad loss of my wife to cancer just six weeks after my introduction.”

Former Lambeth Council Leader Steve Reed MP, said: “As a council leader I led a major organisation that employed thousands of people and delivered hundreds of services.

As an opposition MP you have a platform and influence but very little direct power.

I’ve had to learn how to make my new role work effectively.”

Mr Reed, who led for Labour on the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, said: “In my current role as Shadow Minister for Local Government, I’m campaigning for a more radical approach to devolution, fair funding for local services, and more power for people over the public services they use.”

Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns, a former Lincolnshire county councillor, said:

“I really loved being a councillor and I love being an MP, though the two jobs are very different. Being an MP presents much more of a juggling act between spending time in the constituency and Westminster, but I’m working hard to make sure I’m doing as much as I can for the local area.”

She chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Local Democracy, which seeks to support the work of town and parish councils in particular. “We have had a significant amount of interest already from the sector and the Government, with Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton speaking at our last meeting.

“Despite only being elected in May I have worked hard to ensure that local government is well represented in debates.

I’m hoping to do a lot more in the upcoming year, in particular on the Government’s new devolution deals.”

Green Party member Baroness Jenny Jones said her four years as a councillor in Southwark was “the hardest work” she’s ever done, partly because she was the only Green on a Lib Dem/Tory council.

“However, it was also a fascinating time, with an exciting connection to the area I lived in, and a wonderful feeling if there was ever a success,” she said.

“By comparison, my time at the London Assembly, from 2000 to 2016, has been www.local.gov.uk

Baroness Cathy Bakewell Liberal Democrat peer since 2013, member of the Procedure Committee (Lords), councillor and former Leader of South Somerset District Council (2001-2007)

Lord Jeremy Beecham Labour peer and Shadow Spokesperson, councillor and former Leader of Newcastle City Council (1977-1994), and first LGA Chairman (1997-2004)

“There are too few current local councillors out of the circa 840 members [of the Lords], but there is a sprinkling of former council leaders and a few current leaders”

Lord Michael Bichard Crossbench peer since 2010, former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Employment, Chair of the National Audit Office

“I have been pleased to see how often the voice of well-informed experience is listened to and how often draft legislation is changed as a result”

a tough battle to achieve green aims, but also much easier with a team to help, advise and do research.”

As Lib Dem Spokesperson for Children in the Lords, Baroness Kath Pinnock has February 2016

Steve Reed MP Labour MP for Croydon North since 2012, Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, and former Leader of Lambeth Council (2006-2012)

“I care passionately about local government and its power to do good and the LGA is a fantastic source of information to raise in debates and campaigns”

Baroness Kath Pinnock Liberal Democrat peer since 2014, Spokesperson for Children and councillor and former Leader of Kirklees Council (2000-2006)

“Members of the Lords with recent local government experience are the ones who can speak with authority and use examples from their experience of the impact of the fierce cuts in local government spending”

helped make successful amendments to the Government’s Childcare Bill, argued against the academy route as the only model for school improvement in the Education and Adoption Bill and spoken

PHOTO: NICK DALY

“Local government experience is key to shaping legislation that affects residents throughout the country.”

Andrea Jenkyns MP Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood since 2015, Commons’ Health Committee member, and former Lincolnshire county councillor

“[LGA Chairman] Lord Porter is an inspirational leader and I wanted to contribute to the fantastic work he is doing”

Baroness Jenny Jones Green Party peer since 2013, London Assembly since 2000, and first Green member of Southwark Council (2006-2010)

“In the event of war, disease, terrorism or environmental catastrophe, it’s our councils who are the front line.

National politicians can helicopter in to tut at the mess, but councillors have to live there and survive the same conditions as all residents”

in favour of ‘no strings attached’ devolution for local government.

She said: “In all these major issues I have had considerable support in the form of briefing papers from the LGA.”

first feature | 15

interview Democracy campaigner

A

lmost a third of the population of England and Wales live in ‘one-party states’ – areas where the local council is dominated by one political party holding 75 per cent or more of the seats.

The Electoral Reform Society’s (ERS) latest analysis reveals that amounts to 19 million of us – an increase of 2.2 million people in 12 months.

Speaking to first, the campaigning organisation’s Chief Executive Katie Ghose said there is an urgent need to fix this “growing problem” that risks driving people further away from engaging with local democracy.

She said: “What’s really worrying is there is a growing group of people who are hardened non-voters and have lost any faith in voting being a meaningful exercise. That is not helped by the current system with millions of wasted votes and people’s experience of never casting a vote that goes to a winning candidate.

“The problem with the electoral system is that you have safe seats and people who are in a role for such a very long time, they are seat blockers if you like.

“There are also many other deeper reasons

16 | first interview

PHOTOS GUS PALMER

From ‘one-party states’ where councils are dominated by a single political party to democratising devolution in England, it’s time to pull the UK’s Victorian voting systems into the 21st century argues Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society

to blame. People are gradually losing their lifelong loyalty to one of the big parties which is having an impact on turnout. Different social and family changes also mean younger people are no longer going along to the polling station with their mum and dad.

“Our ambition is that every voice is heard, every vote is valued and every opinion expressed is translated into a fair share of seats at the local level, and competitive elections are held in every area so people have real choice wherever they live.

“In every area, local residents must feel confident there is excellent scrutiny and accountability.”

For the ERS, the current ‘first past the post’ electoral system used in local elections in England and Wales is not only “bad for voters” but is “bad for government and bad for democracy”. It has long campaigned for a proportional voting system as a fairer way to match seats with votes.

Under its preferred single transferrable www.local.gov.uk

vote system, each voter would get one vote, which can transfer from their first preference to their second preference.

The system – used in national elections in Ireland, Australia, India and New Zealand, and in local elections in Scotland – means if a preferred candidate has no chance of being elected or has enough votes already, the vote is transferred to another candidate of the voter’s choosing.

Competition Ms Ghose said: “The reason why we advocate the single transferrable vote, which has been used in the last two elections in Scotland, is because we feel it really helps enable competitive elections, it rewards voters in terms of the choices they make and enables voters to use their heads and their hearts.

“They don’t have to make tactical choices, they can vote for who they actually want to win and express preferences.

“We feel it is a very practical change that February 2016

could be brought about because councillors and local residents are already used to multimember wards in England, so moving to having a team of local councillors under a more proportional system is something we think can be easily achieved.

“What’s interesting is that both the Labour and Conservative parties recognise that you get real electoral deserts under the current system; it is almost impossible for Labour in the South and Conservatives in the North to have the support they have within the local population fairly reflected at the ballot box.

“I do think some of those arguments around local democracy and activism are beginning to get through to some of the main parties. What’s also helpful is having the Scottish example to look on as an example of how well it can work.

“Uncontested seats are a thing of the past in Scotland. The rotten boroughs are no more and it is a shining example of

“Our ambition is that every voice is heard, every vote is valued and every opinion expressed is translated into a fair share of seats at the local level, and competitive elections are held in every area so people have real choice wherever they live” first interview | 17

how a change to the voting system can help with a wholehearted change to local democracy.”

While the campaign group believes Scotland is paving the way for electoral reform in the UK, it also hopes attitudes towards voting rights for 16 and 17-yearolds north of the border will be replicated in England sooner rather than later.

A landmark moment in the campaign to lower the voting age came when 16 and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in 2014’s Scottish independence referendum. The ERS said this resulted in 75 per cent of the age group in Scotland voting and 97 per cent saying they would do so again in future elections.

Voting habits Despite this apparent success, young people aged between 16 and 17 will not be allowed to vote in local elections elsewhere in the UK, after MPs rejected a Labour and Liberal Democrat amendment to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill to lower the voting age last November.

“One of the reasons we are passionate advocates about extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds is the evidence suggests that if you vote early you are more likely to develop a voting habit for life,” said Ms Ghose.

“It was incredibly disappointing for the Government to dismiss the success of the 16 and 17-year-olds voting in the Scottish referendum, where the evidence was superb in terms of young people’s engagement in the issues; they didn’t blindly follow one line or another.

“Unsurprisingly, young people are in the habit of learning so they took on board lots of information and they were influencing their parents. It is really disappointing that the UK Government hasn’t woken up to the untapped potential there.”

Engaging more young people in local democracy will not only boost turnouts – local election turnouts stubbornly remain at around 35 per cent and below – but the ERS is convinced it would also encourage more people to take part in local politics.

The vast majority of councillors are male and of white ethnic origin. In 2013, they had

18 | first interview

an average age of 60. Only one in eight was aged under 45, a proportion which has changed little since 2004.

Ms Ghose said the make-up of local councillors is failing to “hold a mirror up and truly reflect the local population”.

Exciting and enabling people from all walks of life to enter local politics is central to a healthy, modern democracy, she argues.

“A starting point has to be education and not being frightened of political education in schools”, she said.

“Good, neutral but enticing information and the opportunity to explore politics and the practice of politics is vital. It is something we should be helping and supporting schools and teachers to do – and it should start in primary schools.

“Parties are the pipeline so it is the political parties that have also got to have action plans to bring through people and give them that ladder of involvement that would propel them to being in elected office.

“Sometimes some of the best examples www.local.gov.uk

“One of the reasons we are passionate advocates about extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds is the evidence suggests that if you vote early you are more likely to develop a voting habit for life”

I have seen are when local councillors nurture, mentor and support someone who didn’t think politics was for them into office.”

With devolution deals being signed and negotiated across the country – and with them, the increased likelihood of more elected representatives – the ERS insists it is even more vital to develop a “great talent pool” to choose from.

For councils discussing deals to secure more powers and funding from central government, it is critical of what it sees as the process being “conducted behind closed doors” and warns the shift of control from central to local will collapse if the public is not given a leading role.

Ms Ghose said: “It feels as though we are at a point where there are a lot of constitutional cards up in the air with a strong march towards English devolution.

Councils have been put in a straitjacket really.

They have been given tight timescales, they have stretched resources and deals made conditional – often on the imposition of directly-elected mayors.

Mayoral mandates “In a sense, national government has outsourced responsibility for public involvement. So our hope is that with that in mind, local councils will really pick up the baton and they will bring democracy to devolution and get the public involved in a really meaningful way.

“In areas where there is going to be a new mayor, councils need to work with local residents now to get the public information and awareness out there.

Or else there could be a risk that the devolution settlements unravel with potentially low turnout and engagement and then low mandates for those newlyelected members.

“When you do devolution without public involvement from the outset there are then real risks around how people feel about engaging with those new institutions.”

That was the thinking behind the ERS’s Citizens’ Assembly pilot projects in Sheffield and Southampton last year, which saw the organisation team up with academics and the Economic February 2016

and Social Research Council to get people involved in and debate the democratic future of their cities and the UK. “We had terrific inputs from local leaders, advocates and campaigners coming at devolution from different angles,” Ms Ghose said.

“The assembly members really interrogated those ideas. We feel many lessons can be learned from them. There was a real power and value in bringing people together, many of whom aren’t involved in politics on a day-to-day basis, and many of whom said it increased their appetite to engage.”

The ERS is quick to highlight that every one of us will have something to vote for over the next 18 months, whether it is for a new London mayor, Welsh Assembly member, local councillor or whether the UK should stay part of the European Union. It feels there is therefore no better time to shake-up our democracy and bring through the electoral reform that properly reflects our new political landscape in the 21st century.

Ms Ghose concludes: “In some ways we have a 19th century democracy that is struggling to come into the modern age.

What is happening is the rather old fashioned system that was OK for a two-party politics can’t really cope with an electorate that is a multi-party electorate and wants to express a wider range of views.

“Councillors from all parties are recognising this in many places and want to reconnect with local residents. They are striving to do that in their daily work but the system is making it hard for them.

“People have changed and politics needs to catch up.”

“In areas where there is going to be a new mayor, councils need to work with local residents now to get the public information and awareness out there” first interview | 19

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18/01/2016 11:00

www.local.gov.uk

comment Localism – the plan for public services in Wales

build-up of pressure in other parts of the system such as the NHS. The Welsh Government’s recent draft budget demonstrates how some of these key manifesto points are already being met with some success. It offers a clear recognition of the importance of preventative services, but also gives the sense that meaningful dialogue on giving local councils greater flexibility and freedoms is firmly on the agenda.

Financial security

Cllr Bob Wellington CBE is Leader of the Welsh LGA

While devolution may quickly be gaining ‘Holy Grail’ status for local government in the UK, significant questions remain over whether the quest has travelled far enough in Wales. This question is at the heart of the recently published WLGA manifesto, ‘Localism 2016-21: a plan for public services in Wales’.

For council leaders, the real prize at the end of Wales’ ongoing devolution process is the delivery of high quality and responsive public services that directly meet the needs of local communities. In the run-up to the Welsh Assembly elections in May 2016, our manifesto offers an ambitious 40-point plan for how this might be achieved. Central to the manifesto is February 2016

a commitment to the principle of localism, one that would see increased powers being transferred from Cardiff Bay to local communities through the level of government closest to the people. The ongoing debate on local government reorganisation in Wales needs to address these themes if it is to succeed.

Such a next step in the quest for true devolution would reignite local democracy, help unlock Wales’ potential for significant local economic growth, and would revolutionise how public services are run by ensuring they are shaped by local needs rather than national targets alone. Sustainable and fair funding, increased financial flexibility and a massive reduction in the bureaucracy faced by councils in Wales will all be needed to ‘grease the wheels’ on this next stage of Wales’ devolution journey.

Our manifesto also offers a new way of doing business based on a refocusing of our national resources into prevention, by providing sustainable and up-front investment for the local government services that make such a vital contribution to reducing the

Wales is a devolved nation and we have a clear opportunity to create a different reality to the severe problems being faced by our colleagues in England. To succeed, councils will need the autonomy, financial security and the control of their own localities that forms the very essence of ‘localism’ outlined in our manifesto.

As developments in England such as the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill demonstrate, an active devolution of power to communities through local government is now the ‘big idea’ in public policy. Yet even within a devolved nation, devolution will need to progress further to an increasingly local level, and it will remain a key test for whatever form of Welsh government is in place after this year’s elections.

While the finances available to run our public services have been decimated over recent years, and local councils have been forced to close or shrink back many of the services and facilities that our communities feel most strongly about, the WLGA’s localism manifesto is designed to help halt this decline and reassert the importance of council services for Welsh communities. It makes it clear that if we work in partnership and completely revamp central-local government relations, if we develop a funding system that allows councils to respond to community needs and if we give more powers to a local level, then we will be in a much stronger position to deliver for communities in Wales.

To read ‘Localism 2016-21 – a plan for public services in Wales’ visit www.wlga.gov.uk

first comment | 21

group leaders’ comments Sustainable and fair funding

I

t is easy when something you’ve been worrying about turns out to be less painful than expected to breathe a sigh of relief and say, ‘well, that’s OK’.

That is exactly how many of us reacted to the ‘Provisional local government finance settlement 2016-17’ – and we were wrong.

It’s not OK. Councils’ budgets have been hit harder than any other part of the public sector.

The ‘efficiency cuts’ have been made. This settlement was bad for councils and for communities across the country – not as bad as it might have been, but still bad.

Local government urgently needs a sustainable and fair funding model. The flooding of people’s homes and businesses over Christmas shows why we need serious investment in our local infrastructure.

Instead, this year, households can expect their council tax bills to rise. The Government has changed its policy on council tax from an annual freeze to four years of increases.

The recognition of the huge pressure on social care budgets was welcome but using a council tax precept to ease this a little is fraught with risk. The amounts councils will be able to raise will vary significantly. The need to take care

“This settlement was bad for councils and for communities across the country – not as bad as it might have been, but still bad”

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock is Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group

of our elderly shouldn’t be dependent on the value of properties in their neighbourhood – something which current plans seem to involve.

The devolution debate will move on to a new phase over the next 18 months. There will be a new London mayor, and candidates will start to emerge for the new city regions mayoral contests. We need to seize the moment and show that devolution can make a real difference to our country and for the communities we serve.

We need to keep on making the case for localism. The argument is not yet won and we must never forget just how deeply embedded the centralising tendency is in British government.

chairman’s comment

Tested and not found wanting

Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

W

inter is always a testing time for local public services. Councils play an essential role in keeping the country going throughout the coldest and wettest months by gritting roads, clearing snow, and providing vital support to vulnerable residents.

When the weather becomes extreme, as happened with the Christmas and New Year floods, councils are at the forefront of protecting residents, supporting emergency services, clearing roads and repairing infrastructure, and generally getting their local areas back on their feet.

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No-one should underestimate the longterm impact of extreme weather on local communities. As we report in this edition of first, the flooding in the North of England has already claimed jobs as well as laying waste to people’s homes, and it will take months for bridges and roads to be repaired and people’s lives to get back to normal. We will continue to press for affected areas to get the financial and practical assistance they need not only to recover but also to invest in the measures that will help prevent or mitigate the impact of similar weather in the years to come.

But despite all that, I cannot help but be proud of the way the sector and local residents have responded.

Front line council staff worked round the clock to deal with the initial devastation and to keep residents informed about what was going on. Thousands of local residents checked up on their neighbours and volunteered to help with the clear-up.

Other local public services and government agencies, including fire and rescue, police, army, the Environment Agency and others, worked tirelessly alongside council staff. It was also great to see the Secretary of State take a hands-on approach to helping the sector with this.

And neighbouring councils unaffected by the bad weather stepped in with offers of help ranging from sandbags to apps for keeping track of which homes have been flooded.

We should be proud of how, once again, in the most difficult circumstances, local councils have served their local areas so well.

“Front line council staff worked round the clock to deal with the devastation and keep residents informed” www.local.gov.uk

Cllr David Hodge is Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

Cllr Marianne Overton MBE is Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson is Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group

Ambitious agenda for housing

The housing that we can afford

Protecting tenants in the private sector

T

O

T

he security that comes from having a safe and decent home is something that everyone aspires to, so I am delighted that at the start of this New Year the Government has made some key announcements in relation to housing policy.

Particularly important is the announcement that it will commission the building of homes on publicly owned land where planning permission already exists.

The first wave of up to 13,000 homes will start on five sites this year, with up to 40 per cent of them being affordable ‘starter’ homes.

Meanwhile, the Government has also announced an ambitious £2.1 billion fund for the building of starter homes on brownfield sites, creating at least 30,000 such homes and a further 30,000 market homes by 2020.

The Prime Minister also recently announced, as part of a comprehensive package of measures to improve the life chances of the most disadvantaged, that the Government will work with 100 housing estates across the country to radically improve them or, in the worst cases, replace them with new high quality housing.

I welcome this ambitious agenda and look forward over the coming year to working with colleagues at the local and national level to make it a reality.

“The security that comes from having a safe and decent home is something that everyone aspires to”

ver the past few weeks we have seen the dreadful impact caused by flooding. Local authorities continue to help people to repair their lives. However, with council funds being thinner than ever, how long can they continue to meet the needs of their communities?

The LGA worked tirelessly ahead of the local government settlement to get the best possible deal for local authorities. Now, like me, you are probably engrossed in working out which services can be dropped or passed onto others, so that we can still provide our statutory minimum duties. This minimal budget leaves us almost unable to consider the longer term and important preventative measures that we once could.

It is important to reduce the deficit, however it seems perverse to take it from the working poor and those who have least while leaving the large global companies relatively unscathed.

Our communities need enough housing that we can afford, but building as a driver of growth is surely short-term. Looking at my local plan, I see that jobs in the manufacturing and government sectors are expected to fall and the economic growth that is said to be driving the need for more houses is construction.

We need to focus on helping our small businesses to thrive, to create enough money for the services and houses we need without damaging the environment we know and love.

“This minimal budget leaves us almost unable to consider the longer term”

he plea of private renters is high on the political agenda for Liberal Democrats and will be debated at our spring conference in York in March, as the number of people living in the private rented sector hits 11 million.

The Government plans to give additional powers to councils to take a tougher line on rogue landlords, but it’s not enough. Councils will get to keep more of the fines they dish out, will be empowered to shared intelligence about landlords, and see the creation of a blacklist of convicted landlords and agents.

This is all good but it’s time the law started protecting tenants from the whims of unscrupulous landlords. This imbalance of power disrupts the lives of thousands of families and is playing havoc with the education of increasing numbers of children.

We need full licensing of landlords, scrapping of letting fees for tenants, a boost for housing and legal advice services, tenants to have first refusal on buying the home they are renting if it is sold during their tenancy, and a ban on advertising new homes overseas before doing so in the UK. We need to do more to restrict no-fault evictions and above-inflation rent increases, and all that can be done in a private rented sector strategy which gives private renters a fair deal. Pull your finger out, Greg.

“It’s time the law started protecting tenants from the whims of unscrupulous landlords”

For more information about the LGA’s political groups, see www.local.gov.uk

February 2016

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Local action for an active nation Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is Chair of ukactive

It was fantastic to see the release of the Government’s sport strategy at the end of last year. ‘Sporting future: a new strategy for an active nation’ provides an impetus for long-lasting change to the way we approach sport and activity in this country, ensuring it is working at the grassroots community level as well as at the elite.

“We’d do well to remember how young people become engaged in sport”

When considering the importance of local authorities in driving up participation, we’d do well to remember how young people become engaged in sport in the first place and how they might go on to become athletes representing the UK. It often begins in their local community, using their local facilities, inspired by a local role model and supported by their friends and family.

As the Chair of ukactive, I was pleased to see the language of activity used throughout the strategy, recognising the crucial element it must play in any strategy which seeks to engage more people in physical activity.

Nothing marks this broadening in scope more clearly than the introduction of the Active Lives Survey, which will measure how active people are overall rather than the amount they take part in a particular sport – giving us great

confidence that with better measurement will come better understanding of how to improve participation.

Local authorities have always had a vital role to play in inspiring activity, whether it is through sport, active travel or using local facilities. But the recent widening of their remit to include public health means they have even more scope for increasing activity levels.

They are often best placed to lead this increase through linking together local stakeholders such as schools, sports clubs, the voluntary sector, sport national governing bodies and local businesses. And it is encouraging that the importance of local delivery and action has been recognised in the strategy with pilots, supported by Public Health England, due to take place in authorities that are prioritising inactivity and developing relevant strategies.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a keynote speaker at the LGA Annual Culture, Tourism and Sport Conference 2016 taking place in Leicester from 24-25 February.

For more information, visit www.local.gov.uk/events

The arts in healthcare Tim Joss is Founder and Chief Executive of arts enterprise Aesop

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This country is blessed with two highly developed, world-class sectors – healthcare and the arts.

Each faces severe financial challenges, but a cool look at the relationship between the two reveals misperceptions, limited connections and few innovations on the road to operating at scale.

Yet there is abundant potential for the arts to contribute to cost-effective health improvement.

At the Royal Festival Hall on 5 February, this potential will be discussed and demonstrated at the first National Arts in Health Conference and Showcase for Health Decision Makers, organised by innovative charity Aesop – an arts enterprise with a social purpose. Speakers include Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Wellbeing, Public Health England.

There will also be an exciting showcase of 24 top arts in health organisations. All work within local communities and cultural organisations, collaborating with the public and third sectors and the NHS to deliver evidence-based health interventions.

Sounds nice – but where’s the evidence for health outcomes and cost benefits? Meet Dance

to Heath (pictured), a group-dancing falls prevention programme created by Aesop. Falls cost the NHS £2.3 billion a year, yet current prevention programmes are not all evidence based, and lack take-up and maintenance.

Dance to Health is underpinned by more than 50 randomised controlled trials and has been devised to deliver measurable health outcomes and savings, and to go to scale.

Two practical Aesop initiatives will be launched at the conference: an arts in health evaluation framework and an online ‘dating site’ to link health professionals with arts in health programmes (aesop-marketplace.org).

Health professionals and artists have different skill sets. But when both are in harmony the results can be magical and transformative.

It is Aesop’s mission to bring that transformation about not just for some, but for all.

For more information visit www.ae-sop.org or email info@ae-sop.org or follow Aesop on Twitter @AesopHealth

www.local.gov.uk

The future of health and social care inspection David Behan is Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission

The health and social care landscape is changing and regulation of health and social care services cannot stand still.

As the population grows, demand increases and needs change, and care has to respond to this in a context of constrained resources.

Dealing with these pressures, by saving money and transforming models of care while maintaining the quality and safety of services, will be a major focus for all services over the coming years.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will complete comprehensive inspections of all services that we rate by the end of 2016. This will provide a powerful baseline understanding of the quality of health and adult social care services in England for the first time.

We are currently undertaking a formal consultation on our new strategy. The consultation will determine how we take forward our inspection programmes in the future and we encourage councillors and scrutiny committees to have their say. As part of the consultation, we will also be looking at how the CQC manages new responsibilities, such as inspecting the use of resources in the NHS. Financial pressures are real but not unexpected, and they will continue into 2016/17 and beyond. The NHS’s ‘Five year forward view’ starts to map out how the health sector can respond, but adult social care does not benefit from a sector-led strategy and is not in such a strong position.

What is clear is that, across health and social care, innovation and transformation of services will be vital. Incremental cuts and efficiency savings will no longer be sufficient to meet the challenges ahead.

This is an exciting opportunity to reshape services around the people who need health and social care. The health and care sectors February 2016

can only be successful in achieving this step change if we all work together.

As an organisation, we are committed to achieving the recommendations in the Francis public inquiry report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust – to build stronger working relationships and information sharing arrangements with council scrutiny.

We have made specific commitments to build relationships with committees, and we have put in place ways to engage scrutiny chairs and officers in announced NHS trust inspections – before and after quality summits.

Our local relationships with council scrutiny are vital to make sure that information and insight about the quality of local services is received and acted on appropriately.

for example, the care for particular groups of people, wards or departments in the service, or how the service links to other health and care services in the area.

We also want to hear from individual councillors about any concerns about the quality of local services they pick up from constituents and their work in community engagement.

We encourage you to use our inspection reports to get an understanding of what we look for when we inspect a service. District councillors also have a key role in helping the CQC spot local concerns about care homes and GP services.

We hope you will continue to work with us as we evolve our approach in order to ensure people receive high-quality care, as services change in response to the challenges ahead.

“This is an exciting opportunity to reshape services around the people who need health and social care” CQC inspectors in your areas and our public engagement team will continue to update you about inspection reports, our national work, and inspection programmes.

But our inspection teams also want to know about your plans and findings.

Any information shared will help the CQC decide when, where and what to inspect.

It will help intelligence and inspection teams spot problems or concerns in local services that need to be acted upon quickly, and decide when to inspect a service and what to focus on during the inspection –

For CQC guides for council scrutiny and councillors, please visit www.cqc.org.uk/ content/overview-and-scrutiny-committees. Email engagementandinvolvement@cqc. org.uk to receive a regular e-newsletter on CQC activity or a monthly OSC bulletin for council scrutiny

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Autism: not just health and education Cllr Andrew Rendle (Lab) is Croydon Council’s Autism Champion and Deputy Cabinet Member for Families, Health and Social Care

Long before I was first elected in May 2014 to London’s largest borough (by population), I knew the ‘Champion for Autism’ role was the role I wanted. As a proud father of three children, two of whom have autism, I’m thankful to have it.

So what is autism? The answer could fill this entire magazine but briefly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects how a person communicates with and relates to others.

It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. People on the spectrum often have an over or undersensitivity to sound, light, smells, and touch.

The National Autistic Society estimates

that one in 100 people are on the spectrum, although many believe this is a big underestimate. Even so, autism touches the lives of millions.

Local government has a massive role to play if we recognise that ASD is not just a health and education concern.

Autism needs to be considered in all portfolio areas especially housing, adult social care, transport and employment.

As the autism champion, I’m in a unique position to challenge cabinet members to look at their policies and ask ‘is this accessible and relevant to someone on the spectrum?’ And if not – what can we change?

It is vital that all councils have a lead member for autism as councillors are in a position to work with organisations outside of politics such as professional sports clubs, hospitals, charities and the local press.

In Croydon, we created the Autism

Partnership Board on which sits commissioners, educators, representatives of the NHS and charities, carers, and officers from housing, education and social care. We have also run staff and member training sessions, launched online training and organised autism-friendly events.

People with autism, their parents and carers need support and understanding in all areas that local government has influence over. We need to understand this, review policies, raise awareness and bring all organisations together, to move forward together.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/autismcroydon

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19/01/2016 19/01/201611:30 11:30

www.local.gov.uk

Construction skills time bomb Brian Berry is Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders

We are in the midst of a serious and growing construction skills shortage.

All trades, from bricklayers to site managers, are in short supply, so unless the industry works closely with central and local government to address this problem, we will not be able to deliver the new homes, schools, hospitals and transport infrastructure that the country needs.

One way of addressing the skills crisis is to drastically increase construction apprenticeship training, which is why the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) commissioned a report on how to boost training among small firms. The report puts forward a number of recommendations, including one aimed at local authorities. Public sector construction contracts are worth around

£30 billion a year, accounting for nearly a third of all work in the industry, and this leverage needs to be put to good use.

The FMB believes that both national and local government have a duty to use their influence to drive up apprenticeship numbers by requiring that a proportionate level of apprenticeship training is conducted as part of a public sector construction contract.

The legacy of a new school or social housing shouldn’t just be the bricks and mortar that’s left behind. It should also be more opportunities for young people to begin a rewarding career in construction.

We are aware that most local authorities are already tuned into this fact – there are few public sector construction contracts that do not include a requirement to train apprentices. However, how sure are you that this training is actually taking place?

The FMB is urging all local authorities to introduce a proper monitoring system which can help ensure that these pledges are being policed. What’s more, if it turns out a supplier hasn’t trained the apprentices they pledged

to, it should count against them during future tender processes.

Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure their suppliers make good on their promises and this is one concrete way of doing so.

Support for self-builders Cllr David Renard is Leader of Swindon Borough Council

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre is based on the edge of Swindon, and the good news is that we are doing a great deal to support self-build housing.

We are probably more active than many councils in our support for self-build as a realistic alternative to volume housing.

We expect a planning application for a custom-build scheme on a former school in Freshbrook this year. It will deliver around 15 custom-build units on borough councilowned land, with a potential ‘phase 2’ that would deliver a further 12 units.

If this proves to be commercially successful, the council intends to develop further sites in its ownership in this way.

This initiative is important in addressing a key area of demand in the housing sector, February 2016

along with helping to meet our overall housing requirements and making the best use of council-owned assets.

It also empowers people to build their own homes to match their specific needs and aspirations.

Some of the developers of our larger sites are also aware of the benefits of self-build, and negotiations are taking place around how they could incorporate self-build into current and planned schemes.

Our local plan includes an expectation that larger residential developments consider selfbuild as part of their development mix.

Currently, self-build is largely restricted to single dwellings, so to increase supply we will be working with developers to agree a suitable approach to delivering self-build

homes as part of larger schemes.

We have commissioned consultants jointly with Wiltshire Council to assess the demand for self-build, as part of a new strategic housing market assessment. We anticipate that this will provide evidence enabling us to make an even stronger policy commitment towards self-build and custom-build in the next update of Swindon’s local plan.

We are also inviting parish councils to consider self-build within any housing allocations in their neighbourhood plans.

“Self-build is important in addressing a key area of demand in the housing sector and making the best use of council-owned assets” first comment | 27

Betting shops and sustainable communities Cllr Mike Jones is Chairman of the LGA’s Selector Panel

In November 2014, Newham Council submitted the largest ever Sustainable Communities Act (SCA) application, calling for a reduction in the maximum stakes on fixed odds betting machines (FOBT) from £100 to £2.

More than 90 councils supported the proposal, which is intended to help tackle the clustering of betting shops on high streets.

When government rejected the proposal last summer, Newham wrote to the LGA to invoke the SCA ‘selector’ procedure, which allows the LGA to review a decision an applicant is unhappy with. The LGA can either request that government reconsiders the decision, or decide that there is no case for resubmission.

In November 2015, I chaired a cross-party panel acting as selector for Newham’s application; the first time the LGA had had to consider an appeal.

The panel heard from Cllr Tony Page, Licensing Spokesman on the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, and Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, presented on behalf of the council. We also received advice from

Local Works, a campaign group that supports the SCA and has a formal role advising the selector.

One of the serious issues highlighted was the proliferation of betting shops and FOBTs in disadvantaged areas.

Having considered the evidence, the panel unanimously decided that the application met the criteria for resubmission, including that it requires action from government and will promote sustainable communities. The LGA formally wrote to government before Christmas asking it to reconsider its decision.

From the first running of an SCA appeal, we now move further into unchartered territory by beginning a period of negotiation: over the next six months, government is legally required to engage with the LGA to discuss the proposal and possible alternatives.

We will work closely with Newham and the many other councils with concerns about clustering and the impact on community cohesion to put forward as strong a case for change as possible. If you have evidence on this issue you would like to share, please get in touch at community.safety@local.gov.uk.

The benefits of flexible hiring Emma Stewart MBE is Joint Chief Executive Officer of Timewise

The launch of our new research, ‘How flexible hiring could improve business performance and living standards’, has outlined the opportunity cost for local authorities of not embracing flexible working – the cost of not attracting, retaining or utilising good talent.

The research identifies almost two million British workers who are either trapped in jobs they are overqualified for or locked out of work altogether, not due to a lack of skills or experience but by the lack of quality parttime and flexible jobs to apply for.

Why? Because only 6.2 per cent of jobs

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mention flexible working options in the job advert.

It is for this reason that we at Timewise are calling for employers to unlock more quality jobs to flexible working, both for new hires as well as to progress existing talent.

This is especially important within local government, where unprecedented pressure on budgets and services requires an innovative approach to maximising the performance of the organisation, managers and people by looking afresh at how, when and where services are delivered.

Over the last two years, we have developed the Timewise Council programme, helping local authorities develop and implement real culture change around flexible working and hiring.

Now at 15, the number of councils undertaking the programme continues to rise as more councils recognise that if they want to attract, retain and progress the best talent, flexibility matters – including from the point of hire.

Moreover, it’s a great way to deliver social value, by enabling people who need to work differently to have increased job mobility – whether it’s because they have caring responsibilities, health reasons, or simply because as young graduates they want to work for a more agile, forward-thinking employer.

As Cllr Lib Peck (Lab), Leader of Lambeth Council, puts it: “Being Timewise allows us to recruit a more diverse workforce and help raise the standard of living for the families of those we employ.”

For more information please visit www.timewise.co.uk

www.local.gov.uk

councillor Councillors under review

Colin Copus is Professor of Local Politics at De Montfort University, Leicester

A new commission is reviewing the role and work of councillors, with the aim of providing policy makers with a better understanding of the contribution that councillors make to the governance of their local communities and to the health of politics and democracy.

The quality and effectiveness of local government and local democracy rests on the contribution made to both these factors by councillors as elected representatives. As a consequence, the office of councillor is one of the most fundamental political positions in any democracy and it is the political office through which local areas, and the communities within them, are able to govern themselves.

Councillors live in close proximity to those they govern, represent and serve, and they are part of the communities about whom and for whom they make political decisions that will have lasting consequences for local well-being. The office of councillor is February 2016

the most criticised and maligned of political posts yet it is an office vital to any effectively functioning democracy.

The Local Governance Research Unit at De Montfort University has launched a Councillor Commission to conduct an independent review of the role and work of the councillor, and of the contribution made by councillors to the governance of their communities and the country.

The commission’s aim is to provide the policy-makers who take decisions about the structure, function, role and purpose of local government and democracy with a better understanding of the office of councillor and of the contribution councillors make to their communities. It also aims to further public and policy debate and understanding about local government and local democracy.

The commission’s terms of reference are to explore and consider the roles, functions, tasks, responsibilities and powers of the councillor so as to assess their relevance and effectiveness in enabling councillors to sustain a viable system of local democracy, local leadership and local government.

It will examine the daily experiences of councillors in their office as politicians and representatives, to understand how far and

Commission members The members of the Councillor Commission are: • Colin Copus (Chair), Professor of Local Politics, De Montfort University • Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman, UK Municipal Bonds Agency plc and London Pensions Fund Authority • Jessica Crowe, Head of Customers, Commissioning and Governance, London Borough of Sutton • Heather Jameson, Editor, Municipal Journal • Jacqui Mckinley, Executive Director, Centre for Public Scrutiny • Lord Gary Porter, Chairman, LGA • Anthony Zacharzewski, Director, Democratic Society

to what effect councillors can shape their communities, and the actions, activities and policies of private and public organisations operating within and beyond the boundaries of the council.

The commission will also examine the quality of support councillors receive from their councils in conducting their activities, and examine ways of strengthening and enhancing the role and status of the office of councillor.

Lord Porter, the LGA’s Chairman, is among the commissioners (see above) undertaking this work, which is being supported by Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Commons’ Communities and Local Government Select Committee. The commission is independent of the committee but will submit its final report – due out in September – to the committee’s chair for consideration.

Written evidence can be submitted directly to the commission at any stage during the inquiry by emailing councillors@ dmu.ac.uk. The commission will hold a series of regional workshops and evidencegathering events. If you are interested in participating in these, please email ccopus@dmu.ac.uk, or Suzanne Walker at swalker@dmu.ac.uk.

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parliament Standards not structures Councils have a good track record on school improvement and a statutory duty to promote high educational standards in their areas. However, their current powers to intervene are strictly limited.

Following a significant period of structural reform, the LGA has argued for the focus of school improvement policy to be on the standard of education, not on the structures through which it is provided.

The Education and Adoption Bill, currently before the Lords, offers a mixed bag of proposals on this issue.

Currently, academies are not subject to statutory intervention, but are governed by their funding agreements with the Department for Education (DfE). The LGA worked with parliamentarians to make the case that failing and coasting academies be subject to the same rigorous intervention as maintained schools. The Government has listened to this argument and amended the Bill so that the definition of a coasting school will also apply to academies.

In last year’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor stated that the Government’s goal is for every secondary school to become an academy. Through our parliamentary engagement, the LGA continues to make the argument that conversion to an academy is no guarantee of improvement. Following conversion, 56 per cent of sponsored academies improved their Ofsted grade, 33 per cent stayed the same and 11 per cent got a lower grade.

We also have doubts about the capacity of current and potential academy sponsors to take on additional schools, with councils also reporting difficulty in finding sponsors for new schools or those that are judged inadequate. During debate on the Bill, figures emerged showing that 48 schools had to wait more than 12 weeks for a sponsor, and of those 32 were waiting more than 12 months.

The LGA supported an amendment that would require the Secretary of State to consider whether a high-quality sponsor is available before converting a school to an

academy, or whether the local council may be better placed to lead on improvement. The Government’s statistics show only 15 per cent of the largest chains are performing above the national average as compared to 44 per cent of councils. The Government rejected this amendment at Report Stage (when all peers review the amended Bill after Committee Stage), but have been urged to reconsider this issue ahead of Third Reading (the final opportunity to amend the Bill before it returns to the Commons).

Councils have a good track record of raising education standards: since the new, tougher Ofsted inspection was introduced in September 2012, 80 per cent of maintained schools have gained good or outstanding judgements, compared to 69 per cent of academies. Therefore the DfE should also be able to covert a failing academy to a maintained school, councils should be able to sponsor academies, and maintained schools should be able to sponsor failing schools without first having to become academies themselves, depending on what is best for the pupils.

Whenever a school is struggling, the focus should be on quality and capability, regardless of whether it is an academy sponsor, another maintained school, or a local authority that takes it on.

Adoption The Bill also contains provisions on adoption services. The legislation recognises the importance of regional adoption boards in England and the success of these collaborative arrangements, and puts them on a statutory footing – something to be welcomed.

We want to ensure that the ongoing focus on adoption does not distract from the importance of other types of long and short-term care for vulnerable children. Local and national government continues to strive to improve the experience of all children in care.

The next stage of the Education and Adoption Bill will be on 4 February.

For more information, please visit www.local.gov.uk/parliament

30 | first political

www.local.gov.uk

elections Review of the year – 2015 by-election results Throughout 2015, 172 byelection results were recorded, a smaller number than normal because of the shire district elections held in May. Almost 400,000 votes were cast.

Half of these vacancies arose following the previous councillor’s resignation and a small proportion, one in 20, was prompted by disqualification. The remainder occurred because of the sitting councillor’s death.

More than a quarter of the year’s contests were held on 7 May as local authorities saved money by combining local and parliamentary elections. This overlap impacts on turnout which averages 32 per cent across the year but falls to 27 per cent (as in 2014) when the high turnout by-elections on General Election day are removed.

This points up the large differences in electoral participation between parliamentary and other elections and may have contributed to the Conservative party’s surprise victory, when an additional third of the electorate engaged with the democratic process.

Slightly more than one in five vacancies saw defeat for the incumbent party, again below the average. This is perhaps explained by the relative success of the Conservative party incurring just eight defeats while making 19 gains of its own. More than a third of these gains were from UKIP (which lost nine seats without making a gain) but there was a net gain in seats too from Labour and honours even with the Liberal Democrats.

The relatively low incidence of by-election turnover, therefore, reflects the general state of party politics. Conservative dominance is largely unchallenged by Labour, the Liberal Democrats are less of a fighting force (making seven gains but suffering six losses over the year) while neither UKIP nor the Greens currently possess local party organisations February 2016

Professors Colin Rallings (right) and Michael Thrasher are Directors of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre

capable of harvesting protest votes.

Although the two main parties contested nine in ten vacancies, the Liberal Democrats are now much more selective about their candidates. Indeed, during 2015, UKIP contested seven in ten seats compared with the two-thirds featuring a Liberal Democrat. The Greens gave by-election voters an opportunity in just over half of the available seats.

But having candidates does not guarantee votes and votes in the case of the smaller parties are not translating into seats.

The Conservative vote share averaged 35 per cent and Labour’s 32 per cent; these parties won 82 per cent of the by-elections.

By contrast, the Liberal Democrat, Green and UKIP vote shares averaged 19 per cent, 8 per cent and 13 per cent respectively and brought just 21 victories.

These parties have either forgotten or have yet to acquire the knack of converting winnable seats. In seven seats, for example, UKIP candidates polled over 30 per cent of the vote but won in only two of these. This is better than the Greens, however, whose 96 candidates only twice attracted a similar level of support.

Despite the odds against winning, some 782 candidates stood in 2015, a ratio of 4.5 candidates per seat, confirming that while most electors continue to ignore these elections the local parties are seeking out volunteers and fighting campaigns.

What can these by-election results foretell of likely outcomes this May, when seats last

local by-elections Aylesbury Vale, Grendon Underwood & Brill CON HELD 6.8% over Lib Dem Turnout 28.8% Brent, Kensal Green LAB HELD 29.5% over Lib Dem

Turnout 20.2%

Carlisle, Botcherby IND GAIN FROM LAB 17.6% over Lab

Turnout 17.8%

Conwy, Gogarth CON HELD 17.5% over Lab

Turnout 24%

East Hertfordshire, Hertford Heath CON HELD 32.5% over Lib Dem Turnout 22.8% Ryedale, Derwent LIB GAIN FROM CON 0.6% over Con

Turnout 29.1%

Spelthorne, Shepperton Town CON HELD 49% over UKIP Turnout 25.4% Worcestershire, Stourport-On-Severn CON GAIN FROM ICHC 1.4% over ICHC Turnout 16.6%

fought in 2012 are contested again? That year marked the pinnacle of Labour’s popularity under Ed Miliband and the party gained 550 seats and control in an additional 23 councils.

Examining the 31 by-election wards in 2015 last fought in 2012 shows that Labour’s current vote is down while that of its principal rivals is up.

Already 2016 has not begun well for Labour, with defeat in Carlisle’s Botcherby ward to an Independent who finished in second place last May. Further defeats of about 200 seats can be expected unless the party begins to improve its electoral appeal.

See www.local.gov.uk/first for more by-elections data

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