The use of of personal devices such as smartphones and tablets while on holiday has led to the appearance of another new word – ‘workation’. Using personal devices in this way has many advantages, but there is a downside. Alan Laing looks at the security and network protection risks that now confront organizations.
Read more on SUN, SEA, SAND AND SNEAKY EMAIL PEEKS – THE RISE AND REALITY OF A WORKATION…
The latest cuts in local government budgets announced by the Chancellor have intensified the search for innovative ways to deal with the new situation. One way to address this is to spin-out a competitive local government service-line, creating a new venture which can be either publicly or privately owned.
KPMG has produced a Guide to Local Government Spin-outs for councils grappling with the challenge of improving the financial value of the services they deliver. It offers practical steps for exploring and creating alternative delivery models.
The troubled families programme, which provides intensive help, will be extended to include an additional 400,000 families as a result of a budget increase of £200,000. The extension will help families to get to grips with their problems before they reach the crisis points that would qualify them for the current troubled families programme.
Read more on MORE CASH TO EXTEND TROUBLED FAMILIES PROGRAMME…
The government has launched a consultation into ways of reducing the costs of the Local Government Pension Scheme by increasing fund co-operation, transparency and accountability to taxpayers.
Figures published for the Local Government Pension Scheme show there is scope for reforms to improve performance and reduce management and administration overheads, which cost taxpayers £471 million in England.
Read more on SPOTLIGHT ON TOWN HALL PENSION MANAGEMENT COSTS…
Schools are on the verge of embracing tablet and apps sparking a new way of learning for pupils. But as the technology advances the risk to pupils increases.
The unprecedented growth rate of tablet computers in corporate and consumer markets is spreading steadily to schools, according to new research from the British Educational Suppliers Association.
Read more on NEW WAY OF LEARNING IN SCHOOLS COMES WITH HEALTH WARNING…
Tim Kelsey’s challenge to the NHS to deliver paper-free referrals by 2015 has been sanctioned by Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt’s announcement that the NHS will be paperless by 2018. Recently, HIMSS Analytics has introduced the first Electronic Medical Records Adoption Model for Europe, which tracks an organisation’s progress to a fully electronic patient record. Steve Rudland, Healthcare Industry Manager at Hyland Software UK, discusses how hospitals can measure their progress towards paper-free patient care and the benefits that can be achieved.
The King’s Fund has launched a new Commission to consider whether the post-war settlement, which established separate systems for health and social care, remains fit for purpose.
Huge social, demographic and technological changes have taken place since the NHS and social care system were established in 1948. With health and social care services facing unprecedented challenges, the Commission will examine the way that entitlements, benefits and funding are currently organised and whether they could be better aligned to meet the needs of 21st Century patients and service-users.
Read more on DIVIDE BETWEEN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT…
John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio believe that feminine values can solve our toughest problems and build a more prosperous future. In this book they present a very cogent argument.
Among 64,000 people surveyed in thirteen nations, two thirds feel the world would be a better place if men thought more like women. This marks a global trend away from the winner-takes-all, masculine approach to getting things done. Drawing from interviews at innovative organizations in eighteen nations and at Fortune 500 boardrooms, the authors reveal how men and women alike are recognizing significant value in traits commonly associated with women, such as nurturing, cooperation, communication, and sharing.
Read more on THE ATHENA DOCTRINE: HOW WOMENT AND MEN WHO THINK LIKE THEM WILL RULE THE FUTURE…
New guidelines from Communities and Local Government will end restrictions some councils impose on meetings so that the public will now be able to film proceedings.
The new how-to guide gives practical information for the public to attend meetings of a council’s executive and how to obtain council documents. The government has changed the law to allow citizens to report, blog, tweet and film council meetings in England. It also outlines the assorted rights that taxpayers’ have to access council papers and documents.
Read more on ENDING RESTRICTIONS ON COUNCIL MEETINGS GIVE PUBLIC A BETTER DEAL…
The continuing squeeze on budgets and the resulting staff cuts are creating demand for skilled and experienced staff on a short term basis. The latest figures show that Councils are increasingly employing older staff to meet this need.
Read more on COUNCIL’S NEED FOR SHORT TERM STAFF IS BEING MET BY OLDER WORKERS…
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