Leaders of charities have met the Chancellor to discuss how the Third Sector can deliver public services at a better price for taxpayers. Delegates from the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, which represents more than 2,000 heads of charities, said savings could be made in the long term within public services by understanding the needs of the people who used them.

Read more on CHARITIES WANT GREATER ROLE IN PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY…

Operations and outpatient appointments for children are being cancelled across the country because of the chaotic introduction of new Government safeguarding regulations. In a report today the Royal College of Surgeons says that in spite of repeated warnings surgeons cannot move between health trusts quickly enough to deal with rare cases and to cover absences.

Read more on SURGEONS SAY CHAOS OVER CHILD SAFEGUARDING SYSTEM IS ‘UNBELIEVABLE’…

By Chris Davies

Education, like other parts of the public sector, is entering a new era of budget restraint. The task of improving standards has become more challenging, but there are ways to respond to the challenge. The author describes what school leaders can do to get the most out of scarce resources and the support that is available to do it.

Read more on HELPING SCHOOLS REALISE THEIR POTENTIAL…

There is a warning that Council Tax increases of 16 per cent could be needed next year if central government grants are frozen. The Director of the New Local Government Network, Chris Leslie says the less than two per cent increases for the coming year have been made possible by the ‘generous increase’ in grant which could be the last for five years.

Read more on THINK TANK WARNS OF FUTURE COUNCIL TAX RISES IF GRANT IS CUT…

Councils with responsibilities for adult social care are to get an extra twenty-thousand pounds each to update their Extra Care housing strategies. The Care Services Minister, Phil Hope, said he wanted older people who needed care and support to benefit from new and refreshed local housing strategies promoting dignity, respect and choice.

Read more on COUNCILS TOLD TO ACT NOW TO UPDATE EXTRA CARE STRATEGIES…

Across the country pioneering project teams have found out how public money is spent in their area and then looked in detail at how services could be improved at a lower cost. The new approach of focusing on what happens in a place across all public service boundaries and then getting together to find better ways of doing things has been proved beyond doubt. This has not been easy, but the greater challenge lies ahead. People in Whitehall and town halls together with colleagues in the health service, the police and other public bodies have to find ways to take forward the idea of Total Place.

Read more on TAKING TOTAL PLACE FORWARD FROM PILOT TO MAINSTREAM…

Councils, the police and the health service as well as business and voluntary organisations need to learn from one another to improve their services and increase value for money. An independent review of Comprehensive Area Assessment, published today, calls for closer working but says across public services the picture is broadly one of improvement.

Read more on CAA REVIEW SAYS COLLABORATION IS THE ROUTE TO BETTER SERVICES AND VALUE…

The most radical shake-up of adult social care law for more than 60 years is being proposed today by the Law Commission, which says overhauling the present outdated legislation governing the care provided to elderly and disabled people will save unnecessary red tape, delays, litigation, and public money.

Read more on RADICAL REFORM PROPOSED FOR ADULT SOCIAL CARE LAW…

This document describes how good communication is used to support the development of high-performing organizations. There is compelling evidence that communication makes a vital contribution to organisations in the public services as well as in businesses.

Read more on THE COMMUNICATING ORGANISATION…

A new report into vocational teaching challenges the assumption that only degree holders make good teachers. The Skills Commission is today publishing the results of a wide-ranging inquiry and is arguing that experience and expertise have to be valued to attract top quality teaching talent for the increasing numbers of vocational learners.

Read more on TEACHERS OF VOCATIONAL COURSES ‘RELEGATED TO SECOND DIVISION’…