Insights

Much has been written about ‘productivity plans’ – an ask of local authorities to produce documents setting out how they will improve service performance and reduce ‘wasteful expenditure to ensure every area is making best use of taxpayers’ money’. It’s certainly right and proper for any organisation – public or private – to evaluate constantly […]

How has the office workplace changed… “for good”?  The role of offices in sustaining the vitality of towns and city centres Whether it be public or private sector, the role of offices and the workplace has changed drastically since the pandemic, with the need for space in terms of both quantity and type altering significantly. It also […]

As we enter February and the crucial time for project delivery before the financial year draws to a close, do you have business plan targets or performance metrics to hit before the end of the financial year, but are lacking in house capacity and capability to deliver?  We provide expert advice and practical resources alongside project/programme delivery […]

National Apprenticeship Week 2024 As it’s National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we wanted to tell you about the apprenticeship scheme at Local Partnerships. Our apprentice Chinwe Today, we’re hearing from Chinwe Oyo. Chinwe​ joined Local Partnerships on 24 October 2022 as a Business Administration Apprentice. “More than 12 months ago, I chose to do an apprenticeship with Local […]

Local Partnerships is running some free, in person commercial skills training events, funded by UK Government. The aims/objectives for the course are: The free workshops are open to both members and officers and will be especially useful for chief executives, directors and portfolio holders. The Commercial skills training workshops dates are: Thursday 22 February – […]

Was COP28 worth all the emissions produced in bringing the delegates together in Dubai? COP is the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world. The basis of COP is that all participating nations must agree the wording to the declaration at the end of […]

There are many different ways in which commercialism can be used as a means of delivering a council’s objectives including: But what enables success in commercialism? At Local Partnerships, we recognise there are many different factors to consider when adopting commercialism and have developed a toolkit to help local and combined authorities cover them. One […]

With more than 1.2 million households in this country on council housing waiting lists, it is unsurprising that a widespread consensus has emerged in recent years that local government has a critical role in the delivery of social housing. Yet there have been notable changes in councils’ approach to that role over time, ranging from […]

Future proofing local government in the face of myriad challenges requires innovation and elevated strategic planning, writes Adele Gritten, chief executive of Local Partnerships.  As we step into 2024, local government finds itself at a critical juncture, facing a myriad of challenges facing UK local government in 2024 are demanding innovative solutions and elevated strategic […]

The Climate Calendar Here at Local Partnerships, we have a team of experts dedicated to supporting the public sector with climate ambitions, helping to achieve net-zero goals, planning for a changing climate, delivering energy projects, and minimising waste while facilitating a circular economy. That’s what we do day-to-day. We don’t just believe in the collective […]

Sign up to our free webinar “What commercial means for councils: launching the Commercial Toolkit” on 1 February 2024.

Introducing our Programme Management Office(PMO) Guide, our latest document, created as Part of the Local Government Association’s Sector Support Improvement programme funded by UK Government. This free PMO guide is for local authorities interested in establishing a PMO or review their project management arrangements. The guide highlights key considerations and lessons learned as guidance to local authorities who […]

“You cannot help but be invigorated by the passion and energy with which Julie McEver, Corporate Director at Local Partnerships, approaches change.” Hear the latest episode “The only constant is change” in the “Truth about local government podcast series”, hosted by Matt Masters. The episode discusses her journey and how we are helping local authorities […]

Councils need to strike a balance between accountability and allowing companies freedom, writes Vivien Holland, Director at Local Partnerships. Everyone is aware of the high-profile failures, but many local authority trading companies continue to thrive, taking advantage of the freedoms enjoyed by operating independently in the commercial world. However, the current economic and fiscal landscape […]

There can be little doubt that homelessness, and specifically the pressures around temporary accommodation, has become an accelerating issue for many councils over recent years. Nationally, more than 100,000 households are living in temporary accommodation – up 10% from 12 months previously and the highest figure on record. This is a concern with regard to […]

We hosted a webinar to talk about our newly developed Temporary Accommodation model, which can be found on our website.   The webinar was very well attended, with over 100 councils, reflecting the very high (and increasing) priority which councils are attaching to this area. This reflects our own experience, where more and more councils are […]