There is a growing response from public services to build new partnerships with volunteers, particularly in the key priority areas of health, education and crime prevention. Volunteers are coming forward in increasing numbers to take part in school reading schemes and mentoring projects. They are also providing specialist skills such as accountancy to voluntary organisations.Although 370,000 hours have been deposited in the BBC Timebank, the initiative is only in the early stages of development. Sir Richard Wilson, head of the civil service, has put volunteering on the agenda by writing to the heads of departments asking what is being done to encourage staff to volunteer. A principal barrier to volunteering is that many people do not know about the opportunities or that time off is available. To overcome this weakness a website is being launched to explain just how people can help and managers will receive e-mails asking them to make staff aware of the site.

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James Stewart, the new Chief Executive of Partnerships UK, will receive a salary of 200,000 pounds and also be entitled to receive incentive payments. He was formerly Head of Project Finance, Europe, at Newcourt Capital and has held senior project finance positions at Hambros Bank and SG. Later in the year Partnerships UK will take over the role of the Treasury Public Finance Initiative Task Force of expediting the flow of PFI projects.Partnerships UK is a one billion pound private sector-led body to help increase and improve investment in the UK’s public services from private sources. It employs City experts to help the public sector get the best deal from the Private Finance Initiative and other forms of public-private partnerships. It will act as a project manager for PFI deals, providing public sector organisations – from Whitehall departments to local education authorities – with expert advisory and implementation skills.

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The Audit Commission report reveals wide variations in what people are charged for home help services and how councils manage charges. It found charging policies in some areas leave some people with less to live on than the income support level appropriate for people of their age. The report also shows how financial arrangements can create incentives for managers to move people into residential homes when they could remain in their own homes. The report calls on the Government to provide more guidance for councils and it calls on councils to use best value reviews to improve the management of charges.Contacts for further information: Tanya Croft, Barney Wyld, Susan Allsopp or Adrian Roxan on 020 7838 4848.

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