The British Association of Social Workers is supporting Ofsted proposals for changing the social work culture by introducing ’no notice inspections’ and focusing on direct observations of social work practice.

The proposals would put an end to ‘staged’ inspections and the blame culture that is often a bi-product of the inspection process of local authority children’s services departments. Inspections need to be learning opportunities rather than part of the blame culture that is dragging the profession down.

Read more on SOCIAL WORKERS SUPPORT OFSTED IN CULTURAL CHANGE PROPOSAL…

The National Archives is to pilot a web archiving model for councils to ensure important online information is preserved for future generations. Currently, The National Archives works in partnership with the Internet Memory Foundation to archive central government websites but its remit does not extend to cover all the local government or community websites which may be of interest to local record offices.

Read more on NATIONAL ARCHIVES SUPPORTS COUNCILS IN PRESERVING DATA…

Opportunities for a “new social contract” between civil society and government could be lost if urgent action isn’t taken to break down barriers to joint working. This call comes from Civil Exchange, a newly launched think tank which aims to help government and civil society work better together to find fresh solutions, unlock new potential and provide innovative services which meet different needs.

Read more on CALL FOR NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR…

Public services of the future will be delivered in different ways. The reform White Paper ‘Open Public Services’ sets out the ambition to improve quality and give better value to the taxpayer. Regardless of whatever is achieved by this new reform agenda, it is clear that innovation will change governance, management and the way services are delivered.

Read more on PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM – WHITE PAPER BREAKS THE MOULD…

The Mayor of London’s plans to make savings by sharing services have met opposition from the different organisations within the capital. There is frustration that services can be shared without any adverse effect on performance or staff, but resistance from senior managers has put the savings target in jeopardy.

Read more on FRUSTRATION IN DEVELOPING SHARED SERVICES…

Early intervention services for children and young people in Gloucestershire will become more effective as the Council steps up joint working across multiple agencies. Social and health care professionals will share new IT systems which will remove internal frontiers.

Read more on GLOUCESTERSHIRE JOINS UP CHILDREN’S SERVICES…

Local authorities have been invited to take part in the Community Budget extension and some 50 councils, in addition to the pilot areas, are expected to sign up before the end of the financial year. The budgets will be used for families with multiple problems.

Read more on COMMUNITY BUDGET EXTENSION SPEEDS UP…

A Lack of understanding of the psychology of public sector service risks greatly exaggerating the effect of cuts on the public sector and could help cause industrial action, according to Rob Briner, Professor of Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck University of London

Read more on GOVERNMENT IS BREAKING “PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT”…

The modest timetable for extending Community Budgets has been scrapped and there is to be a rapid extension with new pilot projects to explore innovative ways for further development. Community Budgets open the way for creating new forms of service delivery and it is clear that innovation will play the central role in reform plans rather then privatisation.

Read more on INNOVATION REPLACES PRIVATISATION IN PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM…

The ownership of council homes across England would transfer to the community for the first time if proposals published in a new report are accepted by the Government.

Community and council ownership on a large-scale is one of three options for the future of council housing considered in a report released by the National Federation of Arms Length Management Organisations – ALMOs . The new models aim to provide greater opportunities for tenant involvement in the running of council housing and to enable ALMOs to leverage off-balance sheet, private finance for the first time.

Read more on PLAN TO GIVE COMMUNITIES OWNERSHIP OF C0UNCIL HOMES…