The Local Housing Allowance scheme is systematically flawed according to the housing and homelessness charity, Shelter. It says that in its current form the system fails tenants and landlords.

Shelter has published research based on a survey of 450 LHA claimants and says the results show thousands of tenants are struggling to manage their finances and many of them are in danger of losing their homes. In a report, ‘For whose benefit?’, Shelter calls for the Government to act immediately to restore choice to tenants about whether the allowance is paid directly to them or to their landlord.

Read more on CHARITY POINTS TO FLAWS IN HOUSING ALLOWANCE SCHEME…

By Jo Owen

Modern management is dying under the weight of its own contradictions. The old order is giving way to a new world disorder. The revolution is happening before our eyes. So what now? Jo Owen has penned a guide to the dazzling and dangerous new world – The Death of Modern Management: How to Lead in the New World Disorder.

Read more on THE DEATH KNELL TOLLS FOR MODERN MANAGEMENT…

Health trusts are to be set new objectives next year for reducing cases of MRSA infections The new targets will focus on those trusts that need to improve most.

They will come into force from April and will apply to all NHS organisations in an effort to ensure patients receive clean safe care across the whole service. In November 2004, the Department of Health set a national target of cutting MRSA bloodstream infections by half. The latest quarterly figures from the Department show that has been exceeded with a 76 per cent reduction across the country.

Read more on NHS FACING NEW TARGETS TO CUT MRSA INFECTIONS…

A scheme to encourage children to walk to school has helped boost the number of pupils travelling on foot to schools taking part by almost a fifth according to an independent evaluation. Almost 2,000 schools have signed up to the WoW – Walk Once a Week – campaign run by the charity Living Streets.

Read more on CAMPAIGN BOOSTS NUMBERS OF PUPILS WALKING TO SCHOOL…

This programme is now available to view on localgov.tv the online television channel for public service modernisation. It describes how three councils are saving £1 million a year and improving service performance with a new revenue and benefits shared service delivered with partner Capita.

Read more on SHARED SERVICES BRINGS SAVINGS TO COUNCILS…

A new Ofsted report says programmes for gifted and talented pupils are not elitist. Inspectors say schools that ensure all students are suitably challenged find that all pupils benefit. The report does, however, raise doubts about the effectiveness of some provision.

Read more on OFSTED SAYS GIFTED AND TALENTED PUPIL PROGRAMME IS NOT ELITIST…

Local authorities have been given a new role in backing growing industries to support future economic success. A new national framework has been drawn up to coordinate the work of councils and the Regional Development Agencies to pursue national priorities for skills, innovation and investment and to promote industries that will drive growth.

Under the proposals RDAs and councils will collaborate more closely to build on their local strengths and to ensure that any public money that is invested is targeted at projects where it can have the most impact. The plans follow the publication earlier this year of the ‘New Industry, New Jobs’ strategy which set out the need for all government action to be supportive of business.

Read more on COUNCILS AND RDAs GET NEW ROLE TO PROMOTE GROWTH…

The greatest health risks that children face today are obesity, mental ill health and sexual problems. Schools are the obvious place to do something about countering these risks and this article explains how the healthy schools initiative is supporting teachers to tackle these problems.

Read more on TACKLING OBESITY MENTAL HEALTH AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN SCHOOLS…

Cambridge Economic Associates have been working with neighbourhood managers for several years to explore the feasibility of measuring public service performance at a neighbourhood level. This report explains that there was virtually no interest in neighbourhood data prior to the advent of local area agreements and it describes why this level of data is vitally important for developing initiatives that seek to turn around deprived neighbourhoods by tackling problems such as crime and anti-social behaviour, poor environmental quality, worklessness, ill health, and low levels of educational attainment.

Read more on MEASURING AND VALUING PUBLIC SERVICES AT NEIGHBOURHOOD LEVEL…

A new protocol has been launched to ensure that the more than 140,000-young people in England who care for family members do not miss out on education and other opportunities. It has been drawn up jointly by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Directors of Children’s Services who said some young people were looking after relatives with high-level social care needs.

Read more on GUIDELINES AIM TO ENSURE YOUNG CARERS DON’T MISS OUT…