Room 151

1 week ago | room151.co.uk | Mona Dohle

One week after two LGPS pools were told they did not have government approval to proceed, their partner funds are now in a race against time to find a new home. A week ago, 21 LGPS funds were confronted with the news that their pools, ACCESS and Brunel, had not received government approval to proceed. Having worked closely with their respective pools for the best part of a decade, they have now been told they have only months to find a new home.

1 week ago | room151.co.uk | Jason Holland

Around 1,700 children are referred to children’s social care services every day in England – while council spending on early intervention services has dropped by more than £2bn, or 42%, since 2010/11. The Local Government Association (LGA) said that with 621,880 referrals to children’s social care in the year ending 31 March 2024, there was a need for an “adequate long term funding solution in the Spending Review and a cross-government plan to support children and young people”.

1 week ago | room151.co.uk | Jason Holland

Commissioner appointed to help heal Woking financesBarry Scarr has been appointed as the finance commissioner to Woking Council until 31 October 2025. Scarr is an industry veteran having served in a variety of director of finance and advisory positions in local government throughout his career. The role is expected to require two to three days a week work, at £1,100 per day, payable up to a maximum of 260 days per annum, pro rata.

1 week ago | room151.co.uk | Mona Dohle

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, a pensions industry body that represents among others the LGPS has used unusually stark words to criticise the government’s approach to pool consolidation. The industry body, which counts four LGPS members as part of its policy board is usually careful not to wade into day-to-day politics.

1 week ago | room151.co.uk | Jason Holland

Merton Council has used a treasury allocation of £10m to invest in a fund that aims to address homelessness and provide affordable housing. The investment in Resonance’s National Homelessness Property Fund 2 (NHPF2) trust fund, which runs to 2035, offers a dual purpose of providing a good level of return while helping to alleviate some of the temporary accommodation pressures Merton is facing.