Our services
London Councils delivers a range of direct services to Londoners on behalf of its member boroughs.
Grants
Grants: we distribute £28 million a year to some 300 voluntary groups on behalf of the boroughs. We commission services from groups working in clearly-defined priority areas, to ensure Londoners throughout the capital have access to the services they need.
Transport-related services
Concessionary Fares: we run the Freedom Pass scheme that allows more than a million older and disabled Londoners to travel free on the capital's buses, tubes and trains. It costs £260 million a year and is paid for by London's boroughs.
Taxicard Opens in a new window: another concessionary fares scheme that provides subsidised door-to-door transport in taxi cabs for people with severe mobility impairments. Taxicard is paid for by the boroughs and theMayor of London.
Parking and Traffic Appeals Opens in a new window: we run the adjudication service that hears appeals from motorists against parking and other fixed-penalty notices issued by the boroughs. It also offers a similar service for appeals against congestion charge penalties.
London Lorry Control Scheme: we run the scheme designed to keep heavy lorries out of residential areas at night and at weekends.
London European Partnership for Transport (LEPT): aims to improve the level of communication, cooperation and investment that exists between London, London boroughs and the European Union.
Tow away, Removal and Clamping Enforcement (TRACE): A vehicle can be removed without permission for illegal parking by any local authority, the DVLA and by the Metropolitan Police Authority. We provide a free helpline service for anyone who suspects their vehicle may have been towed away or removed without owner’s consent. The service is accessible 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day.
Health Emergency Badge (HEB): People involved in the delivery of primary healthcare attending medical emergencies in patients' homes can apply for a HEB.
Blue badge scheme: The blue badge (formerly orange badge) scheme offers special parking provision for some people with disabilities.
Europe
European Service Opens in a new window: ensuring London gets a fair share of EU funding and that the boroughs are well equipped to access and maximise the funding available. The service is run from offices in London and Brussels and delivers strategic advice, funding support and intelligence to maximise economic development opportunities for London boroughs.
European Social Fund: we distribute grants on behalf of the European Social Fund.
Community Services
Data Share London: is a new partnership initiative, managed by Community Services, involving children's services, social care, health and other pan-London public organisations working to support the development of best practice for information sharing between organisations to deliver excellent services. The programme will provide up-to-date information, model agreements and protocol documents. Data Share London is also concerned with advancing understanding and awareness of secure, correct data sharing and handling protocols in the public sector and will offer training and how savings can be made in the cost of resolving policy and practice and providing management information to show compliance with statutory regulations.
A new website is now available and further functionality is currently being added. By the end of May 2010 those visiting the website will be able to access a wide range of tools to assist them with data sharing. There will be a library of useful resources, case studies of good practice, discussion forums, lists of contacts, details of events and news updates about information sharing.
DWP Financial Inclusion Champions Team for London: London Councils is promoting the benefits of Financial Inclusion to London Local Authorities as part of a nationwide campaign funded by the Department of Work and Pensions. Financial Inclusion means ensuring more people have easier access to financial products such as banking, savings schemes, affordable credit and home contents insurance and have the skills and confidence to choose them and use them.
The London Councils DWP Financial Inclusion Programme Manager is part of the DWP Financial Inclusion Champions Team for London.
Following three cross-London meetings to share best practice on Financial Inclusion, London Councils is now producing a Financial Inclusion Toolkit for the use of London Local Authorities.
Third-sector commissioning: London Councils has been asked by IDeA to work with elected Members in local government and non executive members in the NHS to build:
- Opportunities for joint commissioning between statutory agencies with the 3rd sector
- Awareness of the opportunities and capacity of the third sector
- Knowledge of the commissioning process and
- Tools to enable assessment of delivery of local strategies and outcomes for success in building community services.
NOTIFY: the child protection system that notifies housing, health, education and social services departments when homeless households placed in temporary accommodation move within or between boroughs. This service helps to prevent vulnerable children from 'slipping through the net'.
London Care Placements: this service helps boroughs to find residential accommodation for vulnerable children and adults in need of care.
Joint Teams for London Project: aims to increase benefit take up by pensioners.
Consumer Direct: we are working with London trading standards to transfer the delivery of Consumer Direct London to telephone help line advice centres across the UK, for people with consumer-related problems.
