Government ministers are accused today of a lack of interest in the natural environment. The Campaign to Protect Rural England says two years after the creation of Natural England, the official advisory body on landscape and wildlife, either the Government is not listening to it or it is not making its voice heard loudly enough.
Read more on CONCERNS RAISED OVER ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BODY…
By Robin Ryde
The author is Deputy Chief Executive of the UK National School of Government and he writes to help leaders learn how to survive and succeed in the modern world. The book covers ‘high concept’ leadership thinking and locates such ideas in examples from the fast moving, occasionally vexing and often lonely business of leading people and organisations.
A new Third Sector skills body has been launched to plug the skills gaps and shortages in charities, voluntary groups, social enterprises and other third sector organisation. Last month the Office of the Third Sector, which is part of the Cabinet Office, published research which showed that growth of the sector had stalled and new people had not been attracted to seek jobs.
Experts from a wide range of disciplines have been brought together to carry out research and analysis on the third sector. The aim is to strengthen the evidence base for the entire third sector, including charities, social enterprises and small community organisations. The Third Sector Research Centre is based at the University of Birmingham, which will also provide some of the funding. Additional funding will come from the University of Southampton, the Economic and Social Research Council, Office of the Third Sector and The Barrow Cadbury Trust.
This paper from Communities and Local Government distils out learning from the New Deal for Communities programme about neighbourhood level masterplanning.
Masterplanning involves bringing together strategies for the physical regeneration of an area. Failure to see the big picture can lead to misunderstandings when the masterplan is translated into tangible programmes. It follows that time and resources must be invested into developing a shared understanding of the definition and purpose of the masterplan document. There is evidence that although partners may be working hard together to achieve regeneration aims in the area and use the term ‘masterplanning’ to describe the process that they are engaged in, many are not aware of the wider strategic framework. This lack of awareness creates difficulties further down the road.
The way in which councils are interpreting the eligibility criteria for adult social care is inequitable and has produced a post code lottery. This is a key finding of a review by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, commissioned by the Care Services Minister. The review report ‘Cutting the Cake Fairly’ also calls for greater clarity and transparency so that both professionals and service users understand how decisions are reached.
Read more on COMMISSION CRITICISES COUNCILS FOR INEQUALITIES IN SOCIAL CARE…
The Ministry of Justice has launched an initiative to engage its 80,000 staff who work in criminal justice policy, prisons and probation in England and Wales. The first web chat was held in July 2008 as part of a search to explore new ways to engage staff, covering all departments and regions.
By Lavinia Mitton
The financial network of banks, insurance companies and advisors can be taken for granted by those with easy access to the network. But for those without access there is financial pain caused by higher-interest credit, lack of insurance, no account into which income can be paid and higher-cost utilities. Financial exclusion leads to social exclusion and particular groups of people, such as lone parents, are particularly vulnerable. The author looks at how measures to limit the risk of exclusion are working and what might be done in the future.
The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a “Champions” campaign to help people suffering from financial exclusion. The Champions will signpost people to existing financial services and will also work in partnership to develop new services in areas where people do not have access to the facilities others take for granted.
Read more on CHAMPIONS TO LEAD DRIVE FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION…
There is more conflict in the public sector workplace than there is in the private sector where conflict is better managed. These findings come from a new report ‘Fight, Flight or Face It’ published by business psychology firm OPP in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
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