Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Bristol Council £29m deficit a result of failure in leadership
A report on Bristol City Council’s finances, conducted Steve Bundred, the former chief executive of the Audit Commission, has concluded that its £29 million deficit was a result of a ‘collective fairly of leadership’.
The report found that the leadership of the council did not recognise the scale of the problems, did not act fast enough to draw up savings plans and its existing frugalities were failing.
The independent review was requested following the mayoral elections in May 2016.
The report maintained that while the council failed to deal with issues in a timely manner, it had ‘taken steps to put things right’, with ‘regular and stronger financial reporting’.
George Ferguson, the former elected mayor of the city said: "I only heard about this review yesterday afternoon - which says it all - this administration is more interested in spending our money on reviews and blame games."
Meanwhile, elected Mayor Marvin Rees commented: “I inherited a deeply troubling financial challenge and promised this independent report to help us understand the causes and how we could put things right. We are undoubtedly making fast and strong progress already. We know where there are issues and are already putting many of the fixes in place. This means the public, our partners and councillors can be confident in our budget plans for next year, something which the report confirms.
“We have new senior finance officers, an excellent interim chief executive and incoming permanent chief executive, so we are in a good position to improve performance, change the council’s culture and be open about our challenges.
“The report suggests that in the past the political leadership was too complacent in trusting that savings could be made without making really hard choices. Scrutiny was focused on our pressures rather than on the savings which needed making. This report proves that our current approach to making savings, whilst very difficult, is absolutely necessary and that we have improved political oversight of our work.”
Latest News
26/04/2024 - 12:12
New planning powers come into effect today giving local councils more tools to hold rogue developers to account as part of the government’s Levelling-up and Regeneration Act.
26/04/2024 - 11:13
Sport England has published a report which reveals a long-term increase in activity levels among adults, but also highlights further action is need
25/04/2024 - 12:28
The Welsh government will work with councils to set out a three-phase plan to implement a 20mph limit.
25/04/2024 - 11:56
£11 million of grant funding has been confirmed for public sector bodies in Scotland.
25/04/2024 - 10:32
The Labour Party has announced that it would renationalise most passenger rail services within five years.
Company Focus
Located in Bromley, Japanese Knotweed Eradication Ltd has been providing solutions in the treatment and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) for over a decade. During this time we have mastered a repertoire of methods, from herbicidal treatments to landscaping solutions, tailored to address the unique challenges our clients face with this pervasive weed.
Event Diary
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
Supplier Profiles
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Latest Features
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.
