Government departments invest £200k in Public Practice

Homes England, the government’s housing delivery agency, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are investing just over £200k in Public Practice to support the not-for-profit’s expansion across the country.

Public Practice plays a key role in supporting public sector authorities in London, the South East and the East of England to identify gaps in the capacity of planning and place-shaping teams.

The organisation then matches skilled candidates to year-long placements with the authority, which is supported by learning, development and knowledge sharing activity. Public Practice will use the investment to expand its programme to other parts of the country.

Homes England’s partnership with Public Practice is part of the work of its Local Government Capacity Centre, which is designed to increase local government capacity and skills to make better places and homes.

It tackles head on the difficulty local authorities face in attracting and retaining built environment professionals and helps overcome this significant barrier to delivering high quality and sustainable places.

Peter Freeman, chair of Homes England, says: “Authorities throughout England have told us that skills and expertise shortages are some of the biggest barriers they face to make homes and communities happen. Public Practice has a proven model for bringing these vital skills from the private sector to local government.

“We set up the Local Government Capacity Centre to support just this kind of solutions-focused work, and I am confident that expanding Public Practice’s unique programme to areas outside of London and the South will make a real difference.”

Public Practice’s expansion will be supported by extensive consultation, liaison, and research with authorities. This evidence will help shape the direction and approach for how Public Practice expands its unique programme nationally.

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