About Government and Local Authority

Central Government

The Prime Minister is head of the UK government. She is ultimately responsible for all policies and decisions. She oversees the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies, appoints members of the government and is the principal government figure in the House of Commons.

Central Government is responsible for nationwide policy-making and implementation which affects almost all aspects of every day lives for people living in the UK, as opposed to local government which is responsible for regional services.

There are a massive range of potential career options across the various departments in Central Government, it is an essential part of our society so once in, job stability is very high.

If you have set you sights on helping to run the country, then working for the government could be a good option for you. Take a look at the various links to find out what options are available.

Local Authority

Local authorities are responsible for an extensive range of public services in their given areas, this includes services such as:

• education
• transport
• planning
• fire and public safety
• social care
• libraries
• waste management
• trading standards

They also promote the interests of the local community, including the social, economic, environmental, recreational, cultural, community or general development of the area

Most parts of England have two tiers of local authority, these are

• County Councils – cover the whole county and provide 80 per cent of services in these areas, including children’s services and adult social care)
• District councils – cover a smaller area, providing more local services (such as housing, local planning, waste and leisure but not children’s services or adult social care), can be called district, borough or city councils

In some parts of the country, there’s just one (unitary) tier of local government providing all the local services. The three main types are:

• Unitary authorities
• London boroughs
• Metropolitan boroughs

Both Suffolk and Norfolk have a two tier local authority as follows:

Suffolk County Council

• Babergh District Council
• Forest Heath District Council
• Ipswich Borough Council
• Mid Suffolk District Council
• St Edmundsbury Borough Council
• Suffolk Coastal District Council
• Waveney District Council

Norfolk County Council

• Breckland District Council
• Broadland District Council
• Gt Yarmouth Borough Council
• North Norfolk District Council
• King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council
• South Norfolk District Council

Both Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils employ a large amount of people in the two counties and are always looking for talented individuals to join their various teams. Follows the links for further details.

Suffolk County Council have a careers website especially for young people looking to join them. Have a look on the Rising High website to see what they can offer you!