Chief executives of the unitary councils to be set up in April 2009 will face severe challenges and heightened expectations of the people who live in Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire, and Wiltshire. Local Government Minister John Healey has called for these councils to take advantage of their new start to bring in fresh blood to the senior management teams. He has also given an assurance that the employment rights of all staff affected by the changes will be protected.

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The NHS has signed up to framework agreements with Eduserv, the not-for-profit IT services group, to supply IT products and services.

The framework agreements will allow GPs, nurses, and health managers to share with their peers the latest developments in their fields and to buy web services and consultancy on how they can improve the way they can communicate better with the public.

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By Santosh Rai

Increasing participation at community level improves local service delivery, raises local accountability and develops cohesive communities. But there is a mismatch between ambitions for governance and the reality of governance for black and minority ethnic women. There are many and varied motivations which lead them to contribute to community life, but frustration and dissatisfaction with the operation of local governance structures is a common reality. There are poor communication channels, hierarchical structures and conflicts of interests between community needs and personal and organisational agendas. The way forward lies in better governance leadership, building inclusive governance, strengthening engagement structures and harnessing motivations.

Read more on REALITIES OF CITIZEN GOVERNANCE FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES…