Local Authority round-up 9 October 2026
9th October, 2026
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.
Regulatory
Vaping Products Duty comes into force from 1 October 2026
A new excise duty on vaping products came into force on the 1 October 2026 to reduce the affordability and appeal of vaping.
Vaping Products Duty is charged at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid and will be paid by manufactures, importers and warehouse keepers approved by the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
HMRC has also launched the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme. Once fully rolled out, vaping duty stamps will provide digital traceability throughout the supply chain, enhancing consumer protection. This will also support the government’s commitment to back legitimate businesses, crack down on rogue operators and create fairer, safer high streets.
To support businesses, HMRC has introduced a six-month grace period meaning wholesalers and retailers can sell any existing eligible unstamped non-duty liable, stock until 31 March 2027. However, from 1 April 2027, all vaping products sold in the UK must carry a valid vaping duty stamp and consumers should only buy duty-stamped products.
For more information, please click here.
Health & Social Care
Support for families and babies rolled out to all family hubs
Government expands Healthy Babies support, boosts all adult social care workforce and backs NHS action on violence against women.
Healthy Babies programme
The Healthy Babies programme is to be expanded to all local authorities, taking a more integrated approach to family support based on the Sure Start principles.
Parents will get enhanced infant feeding and mental health support, as well as help to form strong relationships with their babies, alongside health visiting and midwifery support, at more than 1,000 hubs by 2028.
The government announced the roll-out of the Healthy Babies programme to every Best Start Family Hub in England.
Best Start Family Hubs have been rolling out across England but more than half of local authorities have hubs without Healthy Babies services. The Healthy Babies programme will now be expanded to all local authorities with Sure Start principles of a more integrated approach to family support.
For more information, please click here.
Adult Social Care
The Secretary of State has announced that a new adult social care workforce plan is set to be published by the end of the year and will open up more opportunities for jobseekers to start careers in care.
Violence against women and girls
The government is also strengthening the NHS response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), backed by £49.4 million of funding for integrated care boards (ICBs) over 3 years.
Up to £34.4 million over 3 years will support 12 ICBs across England to deliver the first phase of the Steps to Safety referral service, making sure women and girls experiencing violence and abuse can access specialist support through their GP. A further £15 million over 3 years will be invested in victim support services through ICBs across England.
Education
The Minister for School Standards has requested that Ofsted extends the pause on inspections of national professional qualification (NPQ) and early career teacher programme (ECTP) providers.
The current pause on routine inspections of national professional qualification providers will continue for the rest of the academic year 2026/27.
The pause also applies to routine inspections of early career teacher programme providers. The extended pause is to allow Ofsted to continue developing a renewed inspection framework that aligns expectations of NPQ and ECTP providers with the current approach to inspecting other educational remits.
Routine inspections of providers of both programmes will resume in the academic year 2027/28.
For more information, please click here.
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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