E-AUCTION BRINGS BIG SAVINGS ON SUPPLIES FOR PUBLIC SECTOR

The largest ever reverse e-auction means public sector organisations will cut their office supply bills by almost two-thirds. The prices they will pay for stationery, printer cartridges, paper and magnetic media will be cut by up to 62 per cent under a groundbreaking deal led by the Ministry of Defence.

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STUDY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR SMOKING BAN – BUT NOT IN PUBS

Figures released today show that less than half of people in England support the ban on smoking in pubs. The data, taken from the British Social Attitudes survey shows that only 48 per cent people back the ban while 49 per cent think smoking should be allowed freely in pubs or in certain areas. The figures come just two days before the introduction of the ban in all public places in England.

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The Internet poses many risks for pupils using school technology. Issues such as cyberbullying, predator grooming and racism are a real and growing concern. Schools need to be vigilant about protecting pupils and preventing them from accessing unsuitable material. This feature describes how Norfolk County Council tackled the problem.

WELSH COUNCILS WILL HAVE TO TOUGHEN CONDUCT CODES ON SCHOOL BUSES

Local authorities in Wales will have to bring in codes of behaviour for children travelling on school buses under proposals published by the Welsh Assembly Government and now out for consultation. The measures would also provide free transport for more primary school children.

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SARAH WOOD TO HEAD THIRD SECTOR COMMISSIONING PROGRAMME

The woman who will head the third sector commissioning programme at the Improvement and Development Agency, set up to work with service commissioners from the public sector, has been named. She is Sarah Wood who has extensive experience working in local government in both England and Scotland. She will direct the programme, which is funded by the Office for the Third Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office.

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By Thomas A Kolditz.In this extraordinary book Col. Kolditz explains that his research on in extremis leadership, where followers perceive their lives to be threatened, reveals that the leadership lessons and principles in evidence in dangerous settings also apply to leading in any organization and everyday life.

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GREATER ROLE IN TACKLING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE URGED FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES

The New Local Government Network is calling for local authorities to be given a greater role in tackling domestic violence. It argues that councils can pull various bodies together to deal with the problem. Home Office figures show an incident of domestic violence is reported to police every minute.

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COUNCILS SAY SYSTEM IS ‘CREAKING AT SEAMS’ AS NEW GUIDANCE IS PUBLISHED

Local authority leaders have welcomed new guidance on continuing care, unveiled by Health Minister Ivan Lewis, as a step in the right direction but they have warned that the social care system is ‘creaking at the seams’. The new National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare is designed to make funding decisions on who is eligible for care fairer, faster and easier to understand.

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This report from the Information Centre, an independent special health authority that collects statistics about health and social care, shows that the number of staff working in social services has declined. The falling numbers result from greater involvement of the private sector in delivering care. There has been an increase in the total expenditure on social care since 1997 as well as an increase in the total numbers of people receiving services.The number of staff employed by councils with social service responsibilities in England was 272,100 in 2006 compared with 277,300 in 2005 and 308,700 in 1997. This represents a decrease in the headcount of around 2 per cent since 2005 and 12 per cent since 1997.

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CALL FOR NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BOOST RECRUITMENT OF COUNCILLORS

A new report from MPs is calling on the Government to support a high profile national campaign to boost the recruitment of councillors. An all-party Parliamentary Group inquiry into the role of a councillor has found that one barrier stopping people becoming councillors is a lack of awareness about the role and the way local government operates.

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