Hardy, B., Hudson, B. & Waddington, EThis self-assessment tool emerged through collaboration between the Department of Health and the NHS Trent Region. It is applicable to many cross-sectoral partnerships, although it was developed in the context of health and social care. It describes the key elements of a partnership profile: recognition and acceptance of the need for partnership; development of clarity and realism of purpose; ensuring commitment and ownership; developing and maintaining trust; creating clear and robust partnership working arrangements and the ability to monitor, measure and learn.

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The drive for better financial management in the public sector is resulting in the creation of new senior finance posts and fuelling salary increases. The latest edition of Hays’ Guide to Salaries in Accountancy, reporting on trends in the public and private sectors for second half of 2003, reveals that Directors of Finance in Higher Education secured the greatest salary increases with 4.8 per cent. Finance Heads of service areas in central government and government agencies secured 3.4 per cent increases. As a result, the gap between private and public sector salary and benefit packages for accountants has never been closer.The report notes that public sector employers are increasingly looking to the private sector to find the right candidates. At the same time many commercial candidates are keen to move into the public and not-for-profit sector because of the benefits associated with work-life balance, including perks such as 30-days holiday, flexi-time, on-site creches and home-working. Those with caring responsibilities outside work are particularly open to considering these benefits equally alongside salary and other rewards.

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Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised that more grants and loans will be available to voluntary sector organizations in the summer to improve their capacity to deliver public services. The funding will support the development of financial management and other skills and be made available through the Futurebuilders Fund. The Home Office is also finalising work on a new capacity and infrastructure framework including funding to help improve performance management and governance in the sector.Other measures to support and develop the voluntary sector and encourage people to undertake some sort of voluntary activity will be announced in the Budget. In addition Home Secretary David Blunkett will call a summit of organisations and businesses involved in mentoring in such areas as drug and alcohol abuse, to discuss how more can be done.

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