Emily Hudson

Construction employers in southern England are being urged to offer more apprenticeships as agencies and colleges report a shortage of placements. Co-Train director Charmaine Holland says firms are reluctant to commit to two-year employment during a construction downturn, while flexible employment arrangements could help overcome that barrier. The government has invested £287m in vocational colleges, including ten in the South, to expand facilities and courses such as bricklaying, plumbing and decorating. College leaders say technical training is increasingly valued, but councils and contractors need to use procurement and planning requirements more consistently to create apprenticeship opportunities and address skills shortages.

Councils in southern England are increasing their use of artificial intelligence as they face severe budget pressures and overstretched workforces. Oxfordshire uses AI to plan school transport, transcribe social-care notes and support callers; West Berkshire uses image recognition to identify emerging potholes; and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is trialling a chatbot for children's services. Councils say the technology can save staff time and improve efficiency, although none could quantify significant financial savings. Leaders and UNISON stress that AI must not replace human contact, particularly in social care, and that staff should help shape how the technology is introduced.

Councils in southern England are increasingly using artificial intelligence to address severe budget pressures and overstretched workforces. Oxfordshire uses AI for social-care transcription, school transport planning and a virtual assistant; West Berkshire uses image recognition to identify emerging potholes; and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is trialling a family-services chatbot. Although councils report efficiency and workload benefits, none could quantify substantial financial savings. Council leaders and UNISON stress that AI must support rather than replace professional judgement and human contact, particularly in adult and children’s social care, and that staff should be involved in implementation.

More than one million people have signed a petition opposing the possible early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper in 2020. They could become eligible for release in January under changes to sentencing rules intended to ease prison overcrowding. Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Andy Burnham from police chiefs and politicians to exclude offenders who kill emergency workers from the scheme, while Burnham has warned that preventing all early releases could cause the prison system to collapse. A third defendant, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible under the new conditions.

More than one million people have signed a petition opposing the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper in 2020. Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car while responding to a quad-bike theft in Berkshire. Under recent sentencing changes, Cole and Bowers could become eligible for release in January after serving half their sentences, while Henry Long, who received 16 years, is not eligible under the new conditions. Police leaders and Thames Valley politicians are urging the government to exclude people who kill emergency workers from the scheme, while ministers warn that preventing all early releases could cause the prison system to collapse.

Coastguard Rescue Officers protested outside the UK Parliament against Maritime and Coastguard Agency plans to remove their emergency callout payments and return them to unpaid volunteer status. Officers warned the changes would damage recruitment and retention and reduce their ability to commit time to rescue work. MPs from multiple parties criticised the decision and urged the government, MCA and HMRC to find an alternative solution. The MCA said the change was required following a legal ruling and emphasised that it valued the service and would support volunteers through the transition.