Local councils in Scotland are deeply concerned by the new School Education Bill, which it has called ‘unnecessary legislation’. The new law gives ministers the power to force education authorities to act on the suggestions of schools inspectors.The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities believes there is no need for the legislation because there are no failing schools in Scotland. The Convention’s President, Pat Watters, described the act as ‘a complete waste of Parliamentary time.’

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The voluntary sector will be urged today to get a greater understanding of collaborative working to make the sector more effective and to improve services for beneficiaries. Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, will make the call when he launches a new service to enable voluntary organisations to work in partnership.The Collaborative Working Unit is designed to provide practical information so organisations can make informed decisions about whether and how to work collaboratively. The options range from the joint delivery of projects to sharing human resources and payroll functions.

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By Dame Denise Platt, DBE Reproduced by permission of the Public Management and Policy Association. Social care in the UK is going through a radical transformation. Thinking is focused on the customer, although all practice has not reached this view yet. The author, who chairs the newly created Commission for Social Care, sets out her vision for moving from doing things for people to including and consulting them. She describes how a regulatory framework will promote choice, innovation and improvement, rather than ensuring compliance with rules.