By D Burns and M TaylorThis handbook emerged from research on community involvement in the City Challenge and Single Regeneration Budget partnerships. An introductory section explains the principles and processes behind the audit tool, which addresses four key questions: (i) what to measure? (ii) how to measure? (iii) what the measures offer? (iv) who should perform the audit? The tool is presented as a series of tables grouped into five categories. There are 14 questions developed across the five categories, and for each question there is a tool or appraisal exercise.

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The government is planning to take steps to safeguard the title of social worker in an attempt to raise the status of the profession and to protect the public from people claiming to work in social services.

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The Prime Minister is expected to use a speech on public services later today to highlight the need for improvements in efficiency as a way of making more money available to frontline services. It follows the publication this week of a consultation document seeking views on the best opportunities for greater efficiency.The Efficiency Review was first announced by Gordon Brown in the Budget. It is being led by Peter Gershon, who heads the Office of Government Commerce, and its brief is to take a radical look at the way government does its business. It is estimated that by the financial year 2005-6, 320 billion pounds will be being spent on public services with 70 billion of that controlled by central government.

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