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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!

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4 Organisations in this area

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Did You Know?
More than five million people in the UK are employed in the public sector.

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6 Posts

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Environmental Health Officer (Degree Level [6] Apprenticeship)
Closing Date:
9th July 2025
Salary:
£24,309 - £26,783 per annum
Location:
Norwich, Norfolk
Required: Educated to A level or equivalent in scientific subjects - We have a great opportunity for an individual to join us and undertake academic, practical, and professional training to become a fully qualified Environmental Health Officer and work as an a...
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Planning Officer (Post-Graduate Apprenticeship Level 7)
Closing Date:
6th August 2025
Salary:
Band C £27,534 - £30,866
Location:
Norwich, Norfolk
Required: Relevant qualification (HNC or related degree) and/or minimum 4 years’ proven experience in a planning environment. - This is a unique opportunity to work within a pro-active multi-disciplinary Development Management team and help shape, influence an...
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Looking for Graduate Trainees x5
Closing Date:
9th July 2025
Location:
Dereham, Norfolk
Corporate Policy Graduate, Environmental Health & Licensing Graduate, Housing Solutions Graduate, Private Sector Housing Graduates
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Disability Confident
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Apprentice Intelligence Analyst - Suffolk County Council
Applications for this role are now closed
Closing Date:
24th June 2025
Salary:
£24,404
Location:
Ipswich, Suffolk
Employer description The National Trading Standards Intelligence Team is hosted by Suffolk County Council, one of the key objectives for National Trading Standards has been to develop intelligence led working and to support local authority trading standards se...
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Horticultural apprentice - HALSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL
Closing Date:
1st July 2025
Salary:
£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
Location:
Halstead, Essex
Employer description Halstead Town Council has 11 employees, 2 of whom are groundsmen, 3 are officebased, 2 work in the carparks and 3 in caretaking, as well as a cleaner, It manages carparks, allotments, churchyards, planning, events Main description Halstead...
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New Horizons for Care Leavers
We were delighted to support Suffolk County Council's New Horizons event in March which brought together local employers looking to support the inspirational Family Business project that supports care leavers in Suffolk. The Family Business is Suffolk County....
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