LG Futures will be working with the DWP to review its financial management arrangements against the public sector best practice CIPFA Financial Management Model.  LG Futures’ role will include: undertaking a comprehensive electronic survey to seek stakeholder views; conducting interviews with key officials; providing external verification/moderation of ‘scores’ arising from… More

The briefing provides comparative analysis of the impact of the 2010/11 local government finance settlement, including formula grant transfers and specific grants.

Following submission of Invitations to Tender, LG Futures has been appointed to the Audit Commission’s Policy, Research and Studies Framework.  LG Futures are on three of the framework lots in relation to Financial Research, Analysis and Advice; Analytical Services; and Training Services.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), through its Expert Panel for Local Governance Research, has commissioned LG Futures to undertake a Peer Review of its methodology for estimating take-up of Small Business Rate Relief.

To complement ongoing work with Southampton CC to identify significant cost savings, LG Futures will be developing a comprehensive suite of business metrics to assist in performance managing all council services.  A range of financial, activity, customer, staff and performance data will be combined to develop these indicators into bespoke… More

The research will take place in the context of the publication of the Government’s July 2009 Green Paper on Social Care; “Shaping the Future of Care Together”.  The paper presents the principles for a new National Care Service and includes three alternative funding models in relation to a potential new… More

Camden are in the process of a wide-ranging review of their finance services and have identified the importance of ensuring that both finance professionals and budget/service managers receive appropriate tailored training to support and up-skill them in financial management. LG Futures will be working with Camden over the coming months… More

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), through the Department’s Expert Panel for Local Governance Research, has commissioned LG Futures to prepare an impact assessment of changes to legislation concerning local authority mutual insurance arrangements. The work will be used to inform future government policy around this issue.

The research follows on from previous work undertaken in relation to Diploma costs and funding at Key Stage 4. The research will focus upon: the level of Diploma delivery costs and transport costs in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and the potential costs to 2013; and what represents best practice in delivery,… More

LG Futures will be undertaking with the council on a financial review to identify the potential scope for savings, in the light of the expected reductions in public sector funding from 2011/12.  The review will utilise specific benchmarking and budget analysis/cost driver tools developed by LG Futures.

LG Futures has been appointed by a range of authorities to undertake cost benchmarking reviews.  The reviews use models developed by LG Futures in identifying the scope for potential savings, with work haing been commissioned by Blaby DC, Slough BC, Warrington BC and LB Barking and Dagenham

Neil Wilcox,  Director of Funding and Research, has been appointed to CLG’s Local Governance Research Unit Expert Panel. The Panel comprises 18 key individuals with expertise on a range of topics relating to local government and local governance.  It is being established to provide external peer review, broad academic input… More

The review will assess Central Bedfordshire’s arrangements in relation to pupil place planning and develop best practice guidance.

LG Futures will be working with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) on a feasibility study for the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the Right to Control (RtC) for disabled people, which will allow individuals to make decisions about how best to use the money available… More

The benchmarking exercise will compare Rotherham to its nearest neighbours for all council services, with more detailed anlaysis to take place in relation to adults’ and older people’s social care functions.

Research will take place into, ‘Enabling capital investment by London local government’.  The objectives of the research are to: identify potential barriers to capital investment by London boroughs and ways in which these could be mitigated or overcome; identify potential measures that central government could introduce in order to enable… More

The work will assist in identifying any methodological issues within the current local government finance system that potentially disadvantage the council; and will provide an independent view of potential approaches that could be followed to make the council’s case in relation to potential under-counting of its population.

The review of land charges will be used to inform appropriate land charge fees under the most recent Regulations and the review of company accounts will assess the financial viability of companies bidding for the council’s waste collection contract.

LG Futures will be working with eleven local authorities – six of which were pilots for the new early single years formula, and five of which decided to implement a year before it was mandatory to do so.  Work will take place with the eleven authorities over the period March… More

LG Futures will be working with Mouchel to develop a cost model for Walsall Community Health Trust (the provider arm of Walsall PCT). The model will be based on a number of different data sources to show the costs of activity under the current professional and the new patient level… More