Latest news with #LGA
Evening Standard
5 days ago
- General
- Evening Standard
Families face £1,076 bill per child for summer holiday childcare
Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
School holiday childcare costs surge to more than £1,070
Childcare costs now sit at £179 per week, or £1,075 over the six-week school break, after a 4% rise in the last year in Great Britain, according to a new survey Parents are facing a more than £1,000 bill per child in childcare costs over the summer holidays, research shows. Childcare costs now sit at £179 per week, or £1,075 over the six-week school break, after a 4% rise in the last year in Great Britain, according to Coram Family and Childcare's annual survey. The study found that a place at a holiday club costs more than two-and-a-half times more than an after-school club during term-time - £179 per week compared to £66. The highest costs are found in Wales at £209.60 per week, the Holiday Childcare Survey found, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. Yorkshire and the Humber has seen the biggest annual price increase, at 13%, with the average cost of a holiday club now at £194.41 per week. For those who opt to use a childminder, the average price during the holidays is £234 per week across Britain – more than £1,400 for the six-week break. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. While cost is a major issue, families are also facing challenges when it comes to availability of spaces for kids. Councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places - especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), researchers found. Just 9% of councils in England said they have enough places for at least 75% of children with SEND. Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for Holiday Childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school.' Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: "While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. "Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver."
Malaysiakini
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Malaysiakini
Selangor's parking deal stinks to high heaven
COMMENT | Plans by the Selangor government to privatise the operations of street parking in four local authorities have taken several twists. The most important was that the exercise has been deemed illegal by legal experts as it infringes upon the statutory rights of local councils to manage parking under the Road Transport Act (RTA) 1987. The Local Government Act (LGA) 1976 governs, among others, the administration and management of local authorities, including the provision and regulation of parking facilities. While the LGA does not specifically detail car park operations, it empowers local authorities to enact bylaws for managing public spaces, including parking areas. Additionally, the RTA provides for the regulation of traffic, including parking, and grants the local authority the power to designate car parks and enforce parking regulations. Accordingly, the Road Transport (Provision of Parking Spaces) (Petaling Jaya City Council) Order was enacted and gazetted, giving such powers to the local authority. But on Wednesday...
Powys County Times
02-07-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Pupils with special needs ‘have to travel further to school for suitable place'
Children with special educational needs are having to travel long distances to school due to a lack of suitable provision near home, councils have suggested. Budgets for home to school transport are under 'considerable pressure' as many special schools are full, which is forcing pupils to travel further, according to a Local Government Association (LGA) report. Spending by councils on transporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to schools is predicted to reach around £1.97 billion in 2025/26, up from around £1.73 billion in 2023/24 and approximately £645 million in 2015/16. Children under eight are entitled to free home to school transport if the nearest suitable school is more than two miles away, or more than three miles for older children. The average one-way trip to school for pupils with Send is nine miles, according to the research carried out by the Isos Partnership, but one county council reported an average distance of 22.8 miles. Councils reported that a 'growing minority' of children and young people with Send are travelling very long distances to school – often due to a lack of suitable special school places closer to their home. The report warned that continuing to fulfil the current statutory responsibilities for home to school transport is becoming 'increasingly financially unsustainable' for local authorities. The findings have been published during the LGA's three-day annual conference in Liverpool this week. Schools minister Catherine McKinnell is due to address council leaders on the Send system at the LGA's conference on Wednesday morning. Department for Education (DfE) data last week showed that the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) – which set out the support a young person requires for their Send needs – has increased. In total, there were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January, up 10.8% on the same point last year. The LGA report said the rise in the number of children and young people who require education in a special setting has 'placed considerable pressure on home to school transport budgets as most special schools are full, forcing children to travel further distances to access a place that meets their needs'. Councils have reported a 40% rise over the last five years in children and young people with Send (aged under 16) needing home to school transport, the research suggested. Arooj Shah, who chairs the LGA's children and young people board, said: 'The rapidly rising need for home to school transport from children and young people in Send is yet another reminder of the huge pressures on the Send system. 'It is also wrong that children are increasingly having to travel long distances to get to school because of a lack of provision near to their home. 'This has to change. 'We urge the Government in its White Paper to deliver the comprehensive reforms the Send system needs, so that it is more inclusive and improves educational attainment for children. 'This should also include putting councils on a stable financial footing by writing off councils' high needs deficits, which are projected to reach £5 billion next year.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'This Government inherited a Send system left on its knees – which is why we are looking at changes to enable more children to thrive in mainstream settings and stop parents having to fight for help, while bringing about financial sustainability for councils. 'Through our plan for change, we're already making progress by investing £740 million to create more places for children with Send in mainstream schools, as well as increasing early access to speech, language and neurodiversity support to prevent needs from escalating. 'This will pave the way for significant, long-term reform – improving children's and parents' experiences and addressing the pressures councils are facing, including around home to school transport.'
North Wales Chronicle
02-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Pupils with special needs ‘have to travel further to school for suitable place'
Budgets for home to school transport are under 'considerable pressure' as many special schools are full, which is forcing pupils to travel further, according to a Local Government Association (LGA) report. Spending by councils on transporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to schools is predicted to reach around £1.97 billion in 2025/26, up from around £1.73 billion in 2023/24 and approximately £645 million in 2015/16. Children under eight are entitled to free home to school transport if the nearest suitable school is more than two miles away, or more than three miles for older children. The average one-way trip to school for pupils with Send is nine miles, according to the research carried out by the Isos Partnership, but one county council reported an average distance of 22.8 miles. Councils reported that a 'growing minority' of children and young people with Send are travelling very long distances to school – often due to a lack of suitable special school places closer to their home. The report warned that continuing to fulfil the current statutory responsibilities for home to school transport is becoming 'increasingly financially unsustainable' for local authorities. The findings have been published during the LGA's three-day annual conference in Liverpool this week. Schools minister Catherine McKinnell is due to address council leaders on the Send system at the LGA's conference on Wednesday morning. Department for Education (DfE) data last week showed that the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) – which set out the support a young person requires for their Send needs – has increased. In total, there were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January, up 10.8% on the same point last year. The LGA report said the rise in the number of children and young people who require education in a special setting has 'placed considerable pressure on home to school transport budgets as most special schools are full, forcing children to travel further distances to access a place that meets their needs'. Councils have reported a 40% rise over the last five years in children and young people with Send (aged under 16) needing home to school transport, the research suggested. Arooj Shah, who chairs the LGA's children and young people board, said: 'The rapidly rising need for home to school transport from children and young people in Send is yet another reminder of the huge pressures on the Send system. 'It is also wrong that children are increasingly having to travel long distances to get to school because of a lack of provision near to their home. 'This has to change. 'We urge the Government in its White Paper to deliver the comprehensive reforms the Send system needs, so that it is more inclusive and improves educational attainment for children. 'This should also include putting councils on a stable financial footing by writing off councils' high needs deficits, which are projected to reach £5 billion next year.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'This Government inherited a Send system left on its knees – which is why we are looking at changes to enable more children to thrive in mainstream settings and stop parents having to fight for help, while bringing about financial sustainability for councils. 'Through our plan for change, we're already making progress by investing £740 million to create more places for children with Send in mainstream schools, as well as increasing early access to speech, language and neurodiversity support to prevent needs from escalating. 'This will pave the way for significant, long-term reform – improving children's and parents' experiences and addressing the pressures councils are facing, including around home to school transport.'
