Paper maps quickly become out of date and it is difficult to add supplementary data to them. This case study outlines how Leeds City Council is using Geographical Information Systems to represent information in a geographical form to simplify processes and support decision making across many council departments. It describes how GIS is being used in dealing with local land charges, planning permission and environmental health, to community safety, social services and area regeneration.

Fourteen local authority areas are to begin testing the delivery of education and training for students aged from 14 to 19. The areas have been chosen following the success of 25 pathfinders launched last year to pilot government improvements in provision for the age group.From September young people in the 14 areas will be given more choice and flexibility to follow pathways that suit their skills and enable them to fulfill their potential. As well as building on what has already been done the new areas will be expected to test 14-19 education and training in radical and innovative ways.

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The government has announced the creation of thirty-five Children’s Trust pathfinders which will help a radical drive to transform the delivery of services for children. The pathfinders will bring together children’s Social Services, Education and Health Services into a single local structure designed around the needs of children, young people and their families.The move was announced jointly by the Health Minister, Stephen Ladyman and the Children’s Minister, Margaret Hodge, who said the setting up of the Pathfinders system marked the start of a drive to bring together children’s services to provide coordinated support to children and families. The first trusts, she said, would help the government to establish what worked as it built integrated services in local communities.

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