Social work students from Wales will be able to apply for funding for their studies from next year in the hope that this will attract more people to the profession. The announcement follows a review into the current funding scheme, which formed part of the reform of social work training in Wales.From 2004 payments of two and a half thousand pounds a year will be available for students. They will also have the chance to have their fees paid, up to a maximum of eleven hundred pounds if they cannot claim them from elsewhere. Students will also be able to claim travelling expenses, as is the case at the moment.

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Evidence of the way local government is playing a major role in speeding up the process of buying and selling property has come with the news that the National Land Information Service – the electronic system set up in 2001 – has handled its one millionth online search.Using the system, solicitors can access all the property information they need from councils, Land Registry offices, the Coal Authority and the Environment Agency. It reduces the time taken for a search from weeks to days or even hours compared with the former paper-based system.

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This Briefing Paper by the Audit Commission argues that developing an approach that is more centred on service users is not just a regulatory obligation it is also part of good management and providing high-quality services. Consulting and involving service users, and finding out what the general public want from their local services, can help councils to carry out their work more efficiently and effectively. The Commission believes that there is scope for service users and citizens to be involved at all levels in a council, from member engagement with the communities in their wards to service departments. It is concerned that some councils have poor systems of consultation or systems in need of review. Five factors have been identified as critical to successful user and citizen engagement they are: commitment to user focus and citizen engagement; understanding the local communities; clarity of purpose; communicating in appropriate ways and delivering change and improved outcomes.The Briefing Paper is available at http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/analysis.asp

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