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Your weekly London local government update

06 Nov 24

Boroughs welcome Budget boost for tackling homelessness in face of ‘tough’ finance challenges

London Councils has welcomed measures for tackling homelessness announced in the Budget, noting in particular that the £233 million of extra funding to prevent homelessness will help sustain local services in the face of record pressures. Additional investment in social care and for special educational needs and disabilities was also welcomed, alongside the extension of the Household Support Fund for a further year, and measures to boost housebuilding.

Responding to the measures announced last week, London Councils Chair Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ), said:  “We went into this Budget warning of a homelessness emergency that is devastating Londoners’ lives and pushing boroughs to the brink of bankruptcy.

“The measures announced by the Chancellor to support local homelessness services and boost housing growth are hugely welcome, alongside the additional investment in SEND and social care.

“While the Budget will help to address some of the immediate pressures we face, the outlook for borough finances remains extremely tough after 14 years of structural underfunding. We will continue working with ministers to address the significant financial challenges we face in local government and maintain vital local services.

“Next year’s Comprehensive Spending Review will be a crucial opportunity to ensure London boroughs have the resources we need to be an effective partner to national government over the coming years and help to drive growth across the capital.”

You can read London Councils' submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget here. ( [link removed] )

Inclusion in schools

Ensuring London’s schools are ‘genuinely inclusive’ is vital to protect the success of London’s schools as the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) grows, according to a new report from London Councils, commissioned from Mime Consulting.

The Inclusion in London Schools report shows that children with SEND currently make up just over 17 per cent of the pupil population in the capital, an increase of 3 percentage points since 2016. Seven London boroughs have at least a fifth of their pupils who have SEND.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Ian Edwards ( [link removed] ), said: “This report shows the clear benefits that inclusion in schools can have for both children with and without SEND. Currently, school leaders and London boroughs show commitment to inclusion, but in practice they are not always able to deliver. This has to change, and we need all education partners and government to come on board to support schools to move towards a genuinely inclusive education model.

“We’re pleased to see government taking steps, committing in last week’s Budget to spend an additional £1 billion to help with the underfunding of SEND as well as promising to reform the SEND system. We look forward to shaping those reforms with national government.

“With the number of pupils with SEND growing nationally, increasing by 27% from January 2019 to January 2024 and reaching 1.7 million pupils across England, we must take steps now to ensure all children in London and across the country get access to an excellent education.”

You can read the report in full here ( [link removed] ).

London Councils' Executive

Following former Islington Council Leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz's appointment as Deputy Mayor for Policing, Hounslow Leader Cllr Shantanu Rajawat ( [link removed] ) has been appointed Executive Member for Health at London Councils (a role previously held by Kaya Comer-Schwartz)

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In the news this week...

Funding prevents SEND inclusion in schools - report
BBC News ( [link removed] )

Lack of funding for special needs pupils is causing 'growing gap' in outcomes, London councils warn
The Standard ( [link removed] )

Government launches business rate reform co-design system
LGC ( [link removed] )

UKSPF allocations slashed by 40%
The MJ ( [link removed] )

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London's Children’s Services are working to transform the lives of children and families across the capital. London Innovation and Improvement Alliance (LiiA) has launched Practice Spotlight to collate and share some of the most innovative and impactful practices. All London Local Authorities are invited to submit examples of work that is making the biggest difference to children and families. You can find out more about the Practice Spotlight here. ( [link removed] )

London Councils has published data on parking enforcement and appeals in London for 2023-24. You can read more, including the statistsics in full here. ( [link removed] )

( [link removed] )You can now also follow London Councils  ( [link removed] )
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London Councils is the collective of local government in London, the 32 boroughs and the City of London.
We also run pan-London services like Freedom Pass and Taxicard. 
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