People are living longer but are less likely to have the support of an extended family. Over the next fifty years the number of people over 65 will rise from 9.3 million to 16.8 million. Telecare offers the promise of enabling thousands of older people to live independently, in control and with dignity for longer. This document from the Department for Health provides local authorities and their partners with guidance in developing telecare services for their communities. It sets out the purpose of the Preventative Technologies Grant and the expectations for the use of the grant.It also outlines two separate models developed to support social service departments in the development of strategy and business cases for local telecare projects. This is to support councils in making decisions about how to spend the Preventative Technology Grant. Supplementing these models is a detailed guidance document on how to use the models. The models are provided are only an aid, which councils are free to use if they so wish. The Department does not intend to provide training nor ongoing support in their use.
A new report focuses on the role of urban parish and town councils in regenerating communities. It has been written by the Local Government Information Unit and looks at the scope of the parish council model for advancing the Government’s neighbourhoods agenda.”Parish and town councils and neighbourhood governance” has been published following a seminar earlier this year. It makes a number of recommendations for both the government and local authorities. The LGIU says the document is intended to inform the development of the Government’s neighbourhood policy, following the recent “Citizen Engagement and Public Services: Why Neighbourhoods Matter” paper produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Read more on STUDY LOOKS AT URBAN PARISHES’ ROLE IN REGENERATION…
The latest guides produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to support local authorities and agencies in improving the quality of life in local communities, are designed to help them find better ways to create cleaner, greener and safer areas.The guides have been produced as a strand of the “How To” programme, which aims to support councils and other bodies to take action to improve the quality of life for people in England. “How to improve residential areas” and “How to create quality parks and open spaces” offer advice on action that can be taken and powers that can be used as well as detailing what resources are available to improve the local environment.
Read more on NEW ‘HOW TO’ GUIDES FOCUS ON SAFER COMMUNITIES…