Local Authority round-up – 11 April 2025
11th April, 2025
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Health and Social Care
New support measures introduced for NHS employees
It has been reported that one in seven NHS employees have experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public. Further, a quarter of NHS employees have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse.
The Government have announced new measures to encourage employees to report incidents of violence or aggression, and to ensure this information is collected at a national level.
The package of measures will also seek to address issues concerning whether employees are paid correctly for the work they deliver. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with NHS England to implement a national digital system to support the fair and consistent application of the Job Evaluation Scheme. It is hoped that this will ensure employees are placed in the appropriate pay band recognising the skills and knowledge required for the role.
Further measures include:
- enhanced career progression support for nurses such as leadership training;
- new guidance for employers on how to recognise overseas experience on appointment into the NHS and share best practice on recruitment and selection processes; and
- steps to reduce reliance on expensive agency workers by making it easier for NHS employees to take up flexible working.
For more information please click here.
Housing
Partnership between the Ministry of Defence and Homes England announced
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Homes England are working collaboratively to identify, develop and release unused public land. For example, the partnership has expedited construction at Deverell Barracks to deliver 1,300 homes. It is hoped that thousands of new homes at Wyton airfield in Cambridgeshire will also be commissioned in the coming years.
The Defence Secretary has identified the long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country.
It is hoped that the partnership between the MoD and Homes England will be the blueprint for a new “trailblazer” approach to accelerate the release of public land.
For more information please click here.
Regulatory
Government guidance on statutory neonatal care leave and pay published
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and Leave came into effect on the 6th April 2025. To assist with the transition, the Government has released a bundle of guidance documents.
The key information to note is as follows:
To be eligible for Neonatal Pay and Leave, the baby must have been born on or after 6 April 2025 and:
- enter neonatal care within 28 days of birth
- spend at least 7 consecutive days in neonatal care
Parents must be employed in England, Scotland or Wales.
An employee can take one week of leave for every 7 consecutive full days the baby spends in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks’, from the first day of their employment.
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay for an eligible employee is either £187.18 a week or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Neonatal Care Pay and Leave is in addition to other parental pay and leave entitlements such as Maternity Leave.
To access the guidance please click here.
For further information please contact Tim Care in our Public Sector Team.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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