MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ‘WILL BE LITMUS TEST’ FOR NHS REFORM PLANS

Headlines: July 15th, 2010

The Government is being urged to ensure that mental health does not lose out in its plans to reform the NHS. The charity, Mind, said the litmus test of the new-look service would be whether or not it met the needs of people with mental health problems.

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CITY CITES RECESSION AS REASON FOR DROP IN HOUSEHOLD WASTE

Headlines: July 14th, 2010

Britain’s largest local authority believes the economic recession is one of the reasons behind a drop of almost five per cent less in the amount of household waste generated in its area. Birmingham City Council has reported that in the year to April there was a 4.72 per cent drop by weight in rubbish it collected.

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OUTSOURCING DEAL ON TRACK TO SAVE MILLIONS FOR COUNCILS’ GROUP

Headlines: July 14th, 2010

The Local Government Group, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, says it is saving millions of pounds through an outsourcing deal. Under a two-year agreement it has outsourced back office staff to enable it to represent its members more effectively.

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DEVOLUTION THE KEY TO IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES AND LOWER COSTS

Headlines: July 13th, 2010

The path to improved public services at lower costs is now clear, but unlocking the benefits will demand fundamental change in governance and a devolution of power. The vision of the Local Government Association is to replace the multiple funding streams, each with its own policies and bureaucracies, with an area budget. It is claimed that this move to place based budgeting could save £100b over 5 years by opening the gate to greater efficiency.

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PROPOSAL TO MOVE HEALTHCARE AND POLICING TO THE TOWN HALL

Headlines: July 13th, 2010

The Local Government Association’s vision for public services argues for Area Boards to be accountable for healthcare and policing. The boards of primary care trusts would be abolished and the chair of the police authority would be a member of the Area Board. This change in accountability would lead to better decision making that took into account inter dependencies and was not constrained by ring fence budgets.

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COUNCIL COUNTS COST TO LOCAL ECONOMY OF SHELVING BSF PROGRAMME

Headlines: July 12th, 2010

A council has spelt out what it believes will be the full cost to its local economy of the Government’s decision to stop the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Nottingham City Council says the step will have a huge impact and it is liaising with the Department for Education to understand the full implications.

The council estimates that the 89 million pounds withdrawn in shelving the school building programme in the city could have been worth as much as 178 million pounds to the region’s economy through the multiplier effect. Graham Chapman, the council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resources, Economic Development and Reputation, said: “The BSF programme wasn’t just about the physical regeneration of Nottingham’s schools, it was about keeping the city working and creating jobs during these tough times.”

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LOCAL BUS SERVICES FACING ‘BEECHING STYLE CUTS’ WARN CAMPAIGNERS

Headlines: July 12th, 2010

Local authorities, bus operators, transport campaigners and unions are warning today that Britain’s local bus networks are at risk from Beeching-style cuts if the Government withdraws direct national funding as part of its spending review. They have written to the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, and claim there will be big fare rises, services cuts and job losses if the Bus Service Operators Grant is scrapped.

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COUNCILS FACING ‘TSUNAMI OF CUTS’ SAYS THINK TANK

Headlines: July 9th, 2010

A think tank is predicting that councils could face central government funding cuts of at least a third. Research from the New Local Government Network suggests authorities could lose more than 12 billion pounds, leading to cuts in services or increased charges.

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AUTHORITIES’ FAILINGS PUT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN’S PERSONAL DETAILS AT RISK

Headlines: July 9th, 2010

Three local authorities are facing action from the Information Commissioner after the details of thousands of children were put at risk by breaches of the Data Protection Act. The London Borough of Barnet and West Sussex and Buckinghamshire County councils have been criticised for their ‘systemic lack of staff training on how to handle personal information’.

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PUBLIC SECTOR STAFF READY TO SACRIFICE PAY BEFORE PENSION RIGHTS

Headlines: July 8th, 2010

People looking for work in the public sector would rather make sacrifices on pay than on pension rights according to the results of a new survey. Of the 5,000 jobseekers questioned almost a quarter from the public sector said they would be willing to compromise on salary to secure a job but only four per cent were prepared to be flexible on pensions.

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