At the end of 2025, the Government issued guidance on social landlords’ duties under the Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, which were extended to cover social housing.
Read the key deadlines, inspection requirements, and practical steps for landlords to ensure compliance, here:
Coming soon...The Fastest 50 Podcast!
Alistair McDonald, BD Director at Ward Hadaway, will be joined by #Fastest50 winners and a variety of co-hosts from Ward Hadaway to explore what scaling a business really demands.
Sign up to be the first to hear the first episode: https://bit.ly/4b9Nysg
This week's Local Authority Update includes the following updates:
▪️New employers grant to boost early years education quality
▪️UK innovators offered £20m grants for tech to reduce drug and alcohol harm and deaths
▪️£400 cash boost for disabled adults to tackle living costs
Read it here:
In this week's Procurement in a Nutshell, Tim Care explains the scope and remit of the Procurement Review Unit’s (PRU) Procurement Compliance Service (PCS).
Read it here: https://bit.ly/4rZVy4L
#Procurement #PublicSector
The Govt Commercial Function guidance regarding procurement oversight is intended to help ensure the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 are adhered to, through provision of recommendations and guidance, following investigation of a contracting authority’s compliance.
Read more here:
This week's Local Authority Round-Up includes:
▪️Student skills investment to boost the UK defence industry
▪️Local Govt Assoc claims 8 in 10 councils will become insolvent over “mounting deficits” related to the cost of SEND support
▪️Aspiring social workers set to receive targeted financial support
Today, 9 Feb ’26, the Competition Appeal Tribunal will hear the UK’s first Subsidy Control case on financial support to an airport.
Here, Alexander Rose examines Bristol Airport v Welsh Ministers and why there have been fewer aviation challenges than under the EU State aid regime.
"Record financial results are always welcome. But from my perspective, what matters most about Ward Hadaway’s 2024/25 performance is what the results say about the ambition of the businesses we work alongside every day." Read more from Liz Bottrill, Executive Partner of our Manchester office, here:
06.02.2026 17:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
This week's Procurement in a Nutshell discusses a joint report from the monitoring officer and section 151 officer at Peterborough City Council, which examines “unlawful” payments of over £17m on emergency accommodation made without a formal tendering process or member approval. Read it here:
06.02.2026 16:07 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Our weekly Local Authority round-up is available now.
This week's updates include:
• AI tutoring could support 450,000 disadvantaged pupils
• Every cancer patient to receive a personalised support plan
• New social & affordable housing package announced to help thousands of families
Following todays State of the City Region event, Paul Johnson said “What struck me most is that Manchester’s strength isn’t about being second to anyone.The opportunity is positioning the city alongside Europe’s leading commercial centres and backing the ambition that has already taken us this far.”
22.01.2026 13:36 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
We're delighted to welcome Paul Wigham to the firm as a partner in our corporate team.
His work spans M&A and fundraising transactions, with a strong track record advising founders, investors and management teams in high growth companies
Read more here https://bit.ly/3NzHm3q
Mak Systems Group Ltd v Velindre University NHS Trust [2026] EWHC (TCC), the first procurement case of 2026 to go through the courts, showcases the granting of an automatic suspension in new procurement law challenge.
Read the summary in this week's Procurement in a Nutshell:
This week's local authority round-up is now available, bringing you summaries of this week's education and public funding updates.
Read it here:
As part of our expanding sports sector expertise, we’re proud to sponsor Teesside Lions Basketball Club.
Alistair McDonald, business development director said "There is a clear sense of ambition around the club, alongside a strong community focus."
Read more here:
As we enter a new year, we expect more people will be using open frameworks. This week's Procurement in a Nutshell serves as a refresher to what an open framework is and how to use them.
Read it here: https://bit.ly/4puMD9E
#Procurement #OpenFramework
For professionals, business owners, and those with complex finances, divorce can bring additional challenges – particularly around financial disclosure.
Explore how transparent financial disclosure supports smoother, fairer outcomes here:
This week's Local Authority round-up includes the following housing and health & social care updates:
▪️Taxpayer cash protected as crackdown on rogue landlords expands
▪️Landmark junk food ad ban to protect Children’s health
Read it here: https://bit.ly/4aRSkei
#PublicSector #LocalAuthority
We are pleased to announce that Louise Miller has joined as a partner in our private client team. Louise’s practice spans traditional private client work through to complex succession planning for entrepreneurs and owners of growing companies.
16.12.2025 13:54 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Last month, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) published a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise action plan. The purpose of this is to set out why and how SMEs should work with CCS, where to find opportunities & the actions CCS are taking to reduce barriers for SMEs in bidding for work. Read more here:
28.11.2025 15:51 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
In this week's Local authority round-up:
▪️NHS wait times to be cut following the rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Centres
▪️Chancellor freezes charges to keep prescriptions under £10
▪️Public and private sector housing and regen experts join forces to boost supply of homes for places most in need
Stay up to date with recent employment case law developments as Katie Adams reviews key legal decisions shaping workplace rights.
This month, Katie explores cases on unfair dismissal and the importance of the appeal process, the use of scripts in disciplinary hearings, and whistleblowing:
On 14 October 2025, the Home Office released its sixth Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules this year, introducing major reforms set out in the Government’s May 2025 White Paper. Learn more about the key updates and how employers can prepare here:
11.11.2025 16:06 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
In this article, Jacqueline Knight explores a proposal within the Employment Rights Bill, currently at the House of Lords amendment stage, which would extend the timeframe for employees to bring a claim to the Employment Tribunal from the current 3 months (in most cases) to 6 months. Read it here
10.11.2025 16:06 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The Employment Rights Bill includes the creation of a new Fair Work Agency (FWA). The FWA will be a central body with wide-ranging powers to uphold workplace rights and will reshape how some workplace rights are policed in the UK. Here's everything you need to know to ensure you're ready for change.
07.11.2025 15:53 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The Employment Rights Bill introduces measures to modernise the workplace and strengthen worker protections through enhanced trade union rights. Here are the key takeaways from our trade union webinar, including developments that could significantly affect trade union rights and workplace influence
06.11.2025 15:46 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
AI investment is driving growth for the North East’s Fastest 50 and a number of companies in the annual list of the region's fastest growing firms are harnessing the power of AI. Find out more here ⬇️
05.11.2025 14:23 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The November edition of The Employment Law Digest is out now!
Packed with updates for employers and HR professionals, this month's issue covers trade union rights, updates to tribunal time limits, case law updates and the latest on the immigration rules. Stay up to date here: https://bit.ly/43Nc8er
We're proud to reveal this year's North East #Fastest50 winning companies:
Congratulations to our winners and all of the businesses who ranked in this year's list!
See the full list here: https://bit.ly/4hoKXwg
#NorthEastBusiness #WardHadawayNewcastle
The North East Fastest 50 stage is set!
We're looking forward to welcoming our guests to celebrate the growth, ambition and achievements of the fastest 50 growing companies in our region.
Who will make this year's list? Find out this afternoon!
#Fastest50 #NorthEastBusiness #WardHadawayNewcastle
