A new updated Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme has been launched to reflect the growing dynamism and influence of the parish council tier of local government. The National Association of Local Councils says the update will give high-achieving councils a further key role in empowering local communities.

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A local authority has gained national recognition with its programme of benefits for employees. Works Perks, run by Nottingham City Council, was described as ‘innovative and clever’ by judges of the Employee Benefits Awards, which are designed to reward best practice amongst employers in this field.

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This report from the Institute for Public Policy Research argues that the police service in England and Wales suffers from an accountability deficit. At the national level fragmented governance means that no actor in the system has the power to effectively incentivise performance improvement or drive through change and reform. Recent attempts by the Government to increase control from the centre through target setting and top-down initiatives have had limited success and have made policing even less responsive to local needs and circumstances. At the local level there is no real democratic accountability: police authorities are weak, unaccountable and remote, while elected local governmen thas no effective say over local policing priorities.

Read more on A NEW BEAT: OPTIONS FOR MORE ACCOUNTABLE POLICING…