The Local Government Association (LGA) has published its guidance on local authorities' statutory public health responsibilities and the allocation of the £3.9bn public health grant for 2025-2026. The guidance outlines mandated functions under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, including requirements for sexual health services, NHS health checks and child measurement programmes. It clarifies the joint appointment process for Directors of Public Health between councils and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, while explaining statutory requirements for drug and alcohol services, children's health services and public health advice to NHS bodies.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published guidance outlining how councils should maintain strong financial governance and ensure financial sustainability during local government reorganisation (LGR). Issued in response to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution’s invitation for reorganisation proposals, the guidance emphasises that existing councils must continue to meet statutory duties and avoid decisions that could compromise the future stability of new unitary authorities. It highlights the need for consistent governance frameworks, collaboration between statutory officers, and rigorous financial planning based on accurate data and assurance processes. Although the government has allocated £7.6m to support the development of LGR proposals, councils are expected to fund most implementation costs locally.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a ‘must know’ guide on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment process. The guide provides information on the background and process of the assessment in addition to steps to help prepare for the assessment. The guide will be continually updated.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has coordinated and published a cross-party open letter, signed by LGA Chair, Shaun Davies, and LGA's political group leaders, calling on the government to extend the Household Support Fund for at least another year. LGA reported that an urgent call was made by more than 170 council leaders for urgent extension of the Household Support Fund, which expires at the end of March 2024. LGA’s Resources Board Chair, Pete Marland, has said that 'without an urgent extension of this funding for at least a year, there is a risk of more households falling into financial crisis, homelessness and poverty.'

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a playbook to support councils in adopting and managing agentic artificial intelligence (AI), developed by a consortium of councils and researchers led by North Yorkshire Council. The guidance explains how systems that plan, use tools and carry out tasks could improve productivity and service delivery, while requiring clear human accountability. It recommends defining each agent’s purpose, access permissions and responsible owners before deployment, alongside safeguards covering cyber security, data quality, transparency and staff training. Councils should assess risks including errors, bias, data breaches and workforce impacts, and retain human judgement in sensitive service decisions. The playbook includes a three-tier rollout model, with oversight increasing according to the agent’s use and influence on decisions. It advises councils to measure improvements in decision quality and service outcomes alongside time savings.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a report for the Casey Commission calling for adult social care reform to be nationally supported but locally led. It states that councils should remain central to a system that is place-based, preventative and grounded in lived experience, with clearer responsibilities for national and local government.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published an independent report, prepared by Isos Partnership, which examines the rising needs of children under five and explores how councils and early years providers are responding to these challenges. The report finds that councils and providers are consistently seeing an increase in both the volume and complexity of needs, particularly communication and interaction difficulties, with more children presenting with very limited or no language and social communication skills. It cites poverty, family stress, neurodivergence and pandemic lockdowns as contributing factors, noting that providers are adapting to support these children but often face funding and capacity pressures. Practitioners and councils call for greater funding, a national workforce strategy and curriculum reforms to improve early years inclusion. The LGA urges the government to address these challenges through special educational needs and disability (SEND) system reforms and the Best Start in Life agenda.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a report identifying councils' potential to unlock £276bn of untapped economic opportunity through place-based industrial strategies. The report, produced in partnership with the Future Governance Forum, finds that councils already contribute £149bn annually to the national economy, including £117bn to local economies through employment, procurement, and service provision. The analysis reveals that non-devolved areas could add £77bn to economic output, equivalent to 12.6% of local economic activity, if local barriers to growth were addressed. The report recommends that government introduce sustainable multi-year funding frameworks with greater fiscal flexibility, establish structured engagement mechanisms between local, regional and national tiers, and co-design Local Growth Plans with local authorities. It calls for councils in non-devolved areas to develop growth and investment plans, while recommending the LGA build an evidence base on inclusive growth best practice and provide targeted support for non-devolved areas. The report emphasises councils' four-pillar role as growth facilitators, service providers, orchestrators and anchor institutions in driving economic development.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a report with advice on how to build collaboration between the new UK Government and councils to deliver on the shared ambition for responding to climate change. The report builds on the consensus for place-based approaches that tailors’ solutions to the unique needs of each community, while aligning local climate efforts with national targets to deliver cohesive, systemic impact.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published findings from a survey examining the impact of Right to Buy (RTB) reforms introduced in 2024. The survey was conducted between May and June 2024 and prepared in partnership with the County Councils Network and District Councils. The reforms included reduced discount levels, increased flexibility in the use of receipts, an extended cost floor period and the removal of the acquisitions cap.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published survey findings that indicate improved financial stability for council Housing Revenue Accounts (HRA). According to the survey of 154 councils, conducted between 17 December 2025–16 January 2026, 46% of councils expect to draw on reserves in 2026–27, a significant drop from 72% in the previous year. Additionally, 71% of councils are confident in balancing HRA budgets compared to 61% in 2025 and 61% believe they can maintain existing housing stock, up from 52%.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a toolkit, developed by Local Partnerships in collaboration with sector partners, to assist councils undergoing local government reorganisation (LGR). The toolkit provides resources for more than 200 councils in England involved in transitioning district, county and small unitary councils into single-tier local government structures. It collates templates, webinars, guidance notes and lessons learned from previous reorganisations, organised by key themes, including finance, leadership and governance. The toolkit also includes a checklist of actions for each stage of the reorganisation process. The LGA plans to develop the toolkit further over time in response to feedback from councils and the wider sector.