Strong leadership and self-knowledge are identified today as key factors in schools moving out of special measures. A report from Ofsted says, too, that schools need a strong sense of identity if they are to succeed and it sets out steps that local authorities and the Department of Children Schools and Families need to take to support schools.

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A series of training sessions has been launched with the aim of helping staff who commission public services to work in partnership with the third sector. Over the course of the programme 600 commissioners will learn how they can best fulfil Government aims for public services to benefit from greater involvement of charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises.

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By Nick Bradley

Recovering revenue for councils has become more efficient with the introduction of a range of technical innovations by Philips Collection Services Ltd. The author describes how an ‘own council brand’ penalty charge system facilitates telephone and web payments. He also describes how a back office system for routing and tracking cases and the use of digital pen technology for field staff have brought improvements in collecting benefit overpayments, tenancy and council tax arrears, magistrates’ fine, commercial and private rent arrears, business to business debts and consumer payment arrears.

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