Local authorities and the voluntary sector are to be invited to bid for a share of a 70 million pound expansion of funding aimed at helping people living rough to make a permanent move away from the streets. It is hoped the money will pay for more than 100 new or upgraded hostels that will provide training facilities to help rough sleepers become independent as well as providing accommodation. 

The Planning Advisory Service has launched an online tool to help authorities assess their own performance. It poses a series of questions, which can be tackled by individual staff members or teams. The system was piloted by 15 local authorities before its launch.
The new tool is based on the ‘ideal planning service’ benchmark developed by the Improvement and Development Agency for the PAS and allows planning services to identify their strengths and weaknesses. 

 This report from the Chartered Management Institute calls into question the focus on reducing absenteeism in local government. The survey findings provide insights into cost reduction measures and point to the need to improve the health and welfare of employees rather then simply attempting to reduce absence levels.