This programme from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been devised to help local authorities to develop their approaches to improved partnership working, implementing successful Local Area Agreements and rising to the challenge of the efficiency agenda. It consists of a package of tailored support and active learning to meet the individual needs of organisations. It provides guidance for the in-house team to identify specific needs and agree a performance pact setting out joint objectives and responsibilities. It also contains an action plan focused on tackling a real performance issue within the authority.The tailored support available could include help in identifying improvement routemaps; facilitated workshops and coaching and mentoring for top teams, members, heads of service, partners; service reviews and support for organisational development.

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A guide has been launched that aims to ensure children with complex disabilities receive better and more co-ordinated education, health and social care. The Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills say too few areas are achieving best practice so they have produced the guide to help bring about improvements in services.The new guide says the key to improvement is giving families more choice and involvement in the way care is delivered. It is part of a series being produced to assist people working with children to bring about improvements in line with the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity. It illustrates the experience of a baby born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

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A local authority in Yorkshire is seeing the results of turning to a high-tech solution to combat the growing problem of benefit fraud. East Riding Council has adopted an SMS text messaging system that allows local people to report those they suspect of fraud.The ‘Text a Fraud’ service has been produced by Dialogue Communications, an international company specialising in using text messaging and mobile multimedia. The system is being used by East Riding’s Fraud Investigation Unit and allows members of the public who wish to remain anonymous to text the authority when they suspect benefit fraud is being committed.

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