Councils will struggle to cope with the financial challenge posed by England’s ageing population and may miss opportunities to innovate and save, says a new report from the Audit Commission.

Under Pressure says most councils do not know enough about the costs of their ageing population. They may also miss the savings that could flow from preventive services and better work with other organisations ‘Most older people live at home, not in care homes. And the longer they do, the happier they are and the less they cost the taxpayer. Innovative, personalised services mean older people stay independent longer, saving public money.

Read more on WATCHDOG WANTS COUNCILS TO BE MORE IMAGINATIVE IN PROVIDING CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE…

The Early Years Single Funding Formula, which aims to give a clearer and more consistent system of childcare funding, has progressed from 9 pilots to 56 pathfinder councils. The full roll out will be completed in April 2011.

Read more on NEW FORMULA FOR EARLY YEARS FUNDING GOES FROM PILOT TO PATHFINDER…

The 13 total Place pilot projects which have looked at how public money is spent in a local area and how it can be used more efficiently to improve local services have delivered their reports to ministers. They show that focusing on the customer and cutting out duplication and overlap will open the way for radical changes to public services which will bring improvements at a lower cost.

Read more on RADICAL CHANGE AND LOWER COSTS EMERGING FROM TOTAL PLACE PILOT PROJECTS…

Central Bedfordshire and Luton is the first of 13 Total Place pilot projects to publish its findings. The report has more than 50 proposals to cut crime and improve the welfare benefits system. The project has also paved the way for future profitable collaboration between public services including local councils, central government and voluntary organisations.

Read more on TOTAL PLACE PILOT DELIVERS BETTER SERVICES IN BEDFORDSHIRE…

The difficult economic climate has created a need for community enterprises to raise their own finance and shares and bonds are seen as the way forward.

The newly announced community enterprise strategic framework will help more local groups set up successful local social enterprises and it sets out proposals for community shares that would allow local people to raise funds to maintain or buy a stake in important community services like the village shop or local pub to ensure its survival. A football supporters club could form a co-operative to take over their team, giving the supporters a chance to purchase community shares and so have a say in its future.

Read more on PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE THROUGH SHARES AND BONDS…

Police in Knowsley, on Merseyside, have introduced a new form of crime management by reducing beats to just three streets. This rigorous policing method was successfully used in inner city Liverpool and is now being employed to improve the lives of residents on a once troubled estate.

Read more on NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING GETS DOWN TO MICRO-BEATS…

Conservative leader David Cameron has pledged to give public sector workers the chance to form co-operatives to run services. The plan would give staff of taxpayer-funded services, such as primary school teachers and nurses, the opportunity to decide how the services were run.

Read more on PLAN FOR CO-OPERATIVES TO RUN PUBLIC SERVICES…

The Audit Commission’s financial health checker has proved popular with the 150 county and single tier councils and it has now been enhanced so that the 210 district councils can compare their financial performance.

Read more on FINANCIAL HEALTH CHECK FOR DISTRICT COUNCILS…

More electrification of the rail network and steps to increase capacity across the North of England should be the priorities for Government investment in the railways over the next ten years, according to a group of MPs. In a report today the Commons Transport Committee is also warning that investment in new infrastructure must not detract from necessary medium-term investments.

Read more on REPORT CALLS FOR PRIORITY FOR NORTH IN RAIL INVESTMENT…

The first steps are being taken to set up a twinning arrangement between Members of the Scottish Parliament and parliamentarians in Malawi. Two MSPs, Karen Gillon and Michael Matheson are in Malawi in the latest stage of cooperation between the two bodies to share ideas and ways of working.

Read more on SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARIANS SEEK TWINNING LINK WITH MALAWIAN MPs…