A local authority is scrapping charges for all its leisure facilities as part of a unique partnership between the council and an NHS trust. The innovative plan has been launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council, working with the local Teaching Primary Care Trust.
Read more on COUNCIL SCRAPS LEISURE CHARGES AS PARTNERSHIP PLANS TO IMPROVE HEALTH…
This programme is now available to view on egovtv.tv, the online television channel for public service modernisation. It features an interview with the Chief Executive of Woking Borough Council who explains how councils can start to meet their environmental obligations and also make handsome savings in the process.
Allowing local people to decide on how money is spent on policing, health and youth services is one of the main strategies the government is pursuing to fulfil a pledge to move power downwards from Whitehall, to the Town Hall and then to the community. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has set out a new draft strategy for consultation to give people in every local authority area a greater say on how public money is spent by 2012.
Read more on ROUTE TO EMPOWERMENT – PEOPLE TO HAVE A SAY ON HOW MONEY IS SPENT…
Patients will be given greater control over when and where they can get their treatment from April 2008. Any patient receiving routine elective treatment will now be able to choose from any NHS approved hospital provider in England.Currently choice is limited to a list of hospitals.
Read more on EMPOWERING PATIENTS – HOSPITAL CHOICE EXTENDED…
By Adrian Gostick & Scott Christopher.
The book uses serious science to reveal the remarkable power of humour and fun in work, and demonstrates that leaders who are light-hearted earn more on average than their peers. Entertaining workplaces have more loyal employees. Employees who are considered humorous are vastly more likely to get promoted.
Third sector involvement in public services is seen by government as an essential part of achieving the transformation of service delivery. But third sector oganisations believe that those responsible for commissioning services in central and local government expect additional social, economic or environmental benefits to be provided as free extras. The Performance Hub, which is funded by Capacity builders and the Home Office, wants to level the playing field for contracts by sharpening up thinking about what third sector organisations provide so that all benefits can be costed in when bids are evaluated.
Read more on THIRD SECTOR SEEKS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR CONTRACTS…
Tram-trains bringing quicker journeys and offering a greener travel option for passengers will start running in Yorkshire in 2010. Five tram-trains running on both railway tracks and tram lines, will replace conventional trains currently used on the 37-mile Penistone Line between Huddersfield, Barnsley and Sheffield.
The benefits of electronic document management are readily recognized,but the ongoing costs of scanning documents into electronic format are often overlooked. This white paper from Cave Tab Ltd compares the set-up and operating costs of an outsourced scanning service versus an in-house service ina local government benefit claims department, a planning and building control department and an organisation which has a large number of staff required to complete hand-written time sheets.
Read more on THE FORGOTTEN COST OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT…
Networked public service content covering interests such as health and social issues could be brought to the screens of local TV viewers if a campaign for local TV is successful. Regional programme makers could produce documentaries about current affairs with social action content. Councils and other public bodies could get their messages across through local advertising.
Read more on LOCAL TV COULD REVOLUTIONISE COMMUNICATING WITH COMMUNITIES…
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