Your weekly update on London local government. Problems viewing this? [link removed] Add to safe sender.

Your weekly update of London local government issues

11 Jan 23

Local welfare services play a vital role supporting struggling residents

Local welfare services provided by local councils provide a vital safety net to households in financial crisis and should receive long-term government funding, a new study concludes.

London Councils commissioned analysts at ( [link removed] )Policy in Practice ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ) to carry out the first ever in-depth evaluation of Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) schemes across the capital.

The research found that a wide range of events can cause financial crisis and trigger an application for welfare assistance, including domestic abuse, flooding of homes, redundancy, and bereavement. Many applicants had experienced delays in receiving benefits payments, suggesting delivery problems in the national benefits system are a factor driving demand for local welfare support.

Concluding that councils are best placed to provide such emergency support to residents, the researchers recommend that central government re-establishes ring-fenced, long-term funding for local authorities’ LWA schemes. The government abolished direct funding for LWA from 2015/16, leaving local authorities to decide whether to maintain an LWA service paid for via their general funds.

( [link removed] )London Councils’ Executive Member for Communities, Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ), said:  “As this research shows, councils’ local welfare services provide a vital safety net. We’re often our residents’ last hope and a xxxxxx against homelessness and despair. Boroughs believe the money invested in this support pays real dividends, not only by assisting those in crisis but also through avoiding additional costs to the wider public sector.”

Retrofit London named Climate Project of the Year 

London boroughs’ ambitious joint work on retrofitting London’s homes to make them greener and warmer has been named ( [link removed] )Climate Project of the Year at the UK Housing Awards. ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Enfield and Waltham Forest, the lead boroughs for the collaborative Retrofit London programme, along with London Councils, were declared winners at the awards held on 23 December.

London's buildings are responsible for around a third of the capital’s total carbon emissions. By working together to upgrade housing stock, boroughs are determined to drive a dramatic decarbonisation of property, with additional benefits in reducing fuel poverty and boosting green industries.

Retrofit London is one of London Councils’ seven climate change programmes. The programmes were established to support cross-borough work on tackling key climate change issues facing the capital.

You can find out more about London Councils' Climate Change work and the seven climate change programmes here. ( [link removed] )

New Year Honours

A number of London local government figures were recognised in the ( [link removed] )2023 New Year Honours list ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ), including former Chair of the City of London Policy and Resources Committee and London Councils Vice Chair, Catherine McGuiness, who was awarded a CBE for services to the financial sector and educational inclusion.

Others recognised in the awards include: Former Hounslow Leader Stephen Curran, who received a CBE for services to local government; former Brent Deputy Leader Margaret McLennan, who received an MBE for services to digital inclusion and to the community in Brent; Head of Culture and Place, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Verena Cornwall, who received an MBE for services to local government and to the community in Kensington and Chelsea; and Jahran Allen-Thompson, Mortuary Service Manager at the London Borough of Waltham Forest, who received an MBE for services to local government.

Age friendly communities

London Councils is keen to promote best practice for boroughs to better support older people living in their communities and we are part of the age-friendly boroughs strategy working group which aims to encourage councils to sign up to become, World Health Organization (WHO) age-friendly communities. 

The Centre for Ageing Better is running a webinar to share the WHO  framework for creating an age-friendly community and how places across the UK have made their communities great places to grow old in.

( [link removed] )More details and online booking for the Introduction to Age-friendly Communities webinar on Wednesday
15th February 10-11am here. ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

To have a conversation about making your borough an age-friendly community contact ( [email protected] )AFC Network ( [email protected] ). And for more information on the Age-friendly London approach contact ( [email protected]?subject=Age%20Friendly%20Communities%20(Key%20Issues) )Sue Johnson ( [email protected]?subject=Age%20Friendly%20Communities%20(Key%20Issues) ) ( [email protected]?subject=Age%20Friendly%20Communities%20(Key%20Issues) ), Senior Policy Officer, Equality, Inclusion and Diversity, GLA.

Share this

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

or forward to a colleague [link removed]

Media round-up...

Local support is a ‘xxxxxx against despair’, say London councils ( [link removed] )LocalGov ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Camden leader: ‘If we approach broken systems from a place of fear, we won’t change’ ( [link removed] )LGC ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

London has been named the world's best city for 2023 beating out Paris and New York ( [link removed] )Mirror ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Short-term care placements receive £200m boost ( [link removed] )LocalGov ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Care home discharge plan risks inappropriate placements and neglects causes of crisis – sector ( [link removed] )Community Care ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Call for ‘fundamental rethink’ of funding to include five-year settlement LGC ( [link removed] )

London’s post-lockdown recovery in offices and hotels trailed European rivals ( [link removed] )FT (£) ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Falling primary numbers force council to consider mergers ( [link removed] )Schools Week ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Council chiefs call for powers to close illegal schools
( [link removed] )LocalGov ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Useful resources

Help with cost of living ( [link removed] )

Support for Ukraine ( [link removed] )

Covid data and advice ( [link removed] )

( [link removed] )
( [link removed] )

( [link removed] )You can now also follow London Councils  ( [link removed] )
on Instagram  ( [link removed] )

Comments or queries? Email the editor ( [email protected]?subject=Key%20Issues%3A )

visit londoncouncils.gov.uk ( [link removed] )

( [link removed] )

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. 59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL | [email protected] ( [email protected] )

Unsubscribe from this newsletter [link removed]