Seven government funded bodies that promote green businesses, organisations and homes will be merged, following an announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme, Envirowise, The Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse, the Construction Resources and Waste Platform, Action Sustainability and the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste centre for local authorities will be merged into the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Read more on DEFRA MERGES GREEN AGENCIES…

This document sets out the strategy of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills for ensuring that 95 per cent of the working-age population possess at least functional levels of literacy at level 1 by 2020. It envisages substantial progress toward the ambition by 2011 with a Public Service Agreement target of 597,000 people of working age to achieve a first level 1 or above.

Read more on SKILLS FOR LIFE: CHANGING LIVES…

Pharmacists have joined the government’s medicines regulator to warn about sales of counterfeits.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) say that the sale of counterfeit medicines is a growing problem around the world, largely driven by illegal websites.

Read more on PARTNERS PRESCRIBE CAUTION WITH ONLINE DRUG SALES…

Five government departments have joined the Church of England to improve the support offered to churches and faith groups to work with local communities.

The report, ‘Realising the potential’, is the first time a list of all the relevant Government funding streams and capacity building resources have been listed in one document. It sets out support to help faith groups engage strategically at local and regional levels around the delivery of local priorities and access to funding allocations. There are also out actions for national, regional and local government to improve how they work with churches and faith groups.

Read more on GOVERNMENT SAYS FUNDING PROVIDERS SHOULD BE LESS ‘SQUEAMISH’ ABOUT FAITH GROUPS…

Deprived neighbourhoods fulfill different functional roles and successful policy intervention and strategy development requires an understanding of these different roles.

This paper from Communities and Local Government sets out a framework for gaining a better understanding of those roles. The research examined migration data for people moving into and out of deprived areas. From this data four types of areas were identified.

Read more on UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF DEPRIVED NEIGHBOURHOODS…

The Parliamentary and Health Service and Local Government Ombudsmen have said there are “serious questions” about how well equipped the NHS and councils are to plan for and provide services for people with learning disabilities.

Read more on OMBUDSMEN RECOMMEND REVIEW OF LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICES…

An “impressive amount” of innovative activity across local government has been praised in a joint report from three public bodies.

The report, More than good ideas, has been published by the Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA), the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and the Beacon Scheme. It sets out a range of views on public sector innovation, from councils, academics and the third sector.

Read more on REPORT SHOWCASES LOCAL GOVERNMENT INNOVATION…

By Edward Betof

This book is about unlocking the potential of your organisation’s best and brightest. The author offers a compelling implementation roadmap and includes detailed plans, worksheets, exercises and other useful tools that speed the transition to leaders as teachers.

Read more on LEADERS AS TEACHERS…

Two new reports have set out proposals to improve the regulation and governance of healthcare professionals.

The ‘Tackling Concerns Nationally’ (TCN) and ‘Tackling Concerns Locally’ (TCL) reports are part of wider Government reforms to raise standards and ensure patient safety. They are the result of an eighteen month project by working groups set up to work on changes announced in the White Paper – Trust, Assurance, Safety: the Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.

Read more on TIGHTENING REGULATION OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS…

A campaign is being launched to make greater personalisation of public services a necessity rather than an optional extra.

The New Local Government Network (NLGN), a think tank set up by senior local government figures to re-energise the sector, is publishing ‘People Power How Can We Personalise Public Services?’ today (Monday). The report explores the developing relationship between the state and the individual, with more and more services moving to empower citizens.

Read more on MORE PERSONALISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES…