Social services leaders have welcomed a new consultation on the future of mental health services. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said it would be ‘the launchpad for a national debate on mental health and wellbeing, and a vision for services in 2020 designed to promote a mentally healthier society, while supporting those people who need specialist care and treatment.’

Read more on DIRECTORS TO STRESS ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN MENTAL WELLBEING…

This Audit Commission review of how schools procure goods and services concluded that it can’t be sure whether the taxpayer is getting value for money. The Commission is critical of school inspectors, governors and local councils.

Read more on IMPROVING EFFICIENCY IN SCHOOLS…

The Communities and Local Government Parliamentary Select Committee has warned of a threat to town centre development in changing planning guidance in line with the Barker review.

Currently councils must carry out an assessment of the need for development and this forms a key part of the basis against which planning applications for development for town centre uses such as office, retail or leisure are considered. The developer must demonstrate that there is a need for further development in a particular area which is not being met by existing facilities. The ‘need’ test has been considered by many as a crucial element of the Government’s ‘town centre first’ approach to planning policy, and in particular as a bulwark against excessive or inappropriate out-of-town retail development.

Read more on SELECT COMMITTEE WARNS OF DANGER IN PLANNING CHANGES…

Replacing targets with entitlements to public services will make little difference on the frontline. This is a key finding from a poll of Publicnet Briefing readers. Creating entitlements for patients, parents, school leavers, young people and the unemployed is an essential part of the Building Britain’s Future initiative launched by the Prime Minister in June.

Read more on MOVING FROM TARGETS TO ENTITLEMENTS UNLIKELY TO DELIVER BETTER SERVICES SAYS POLL…

The Quality Framework implements the national strategy for quality improvement in health and social care and it outlines an ambitious future for primary and community care. It presents a vision for community care emphasising the key role in providing personal care, particularly for children and families, older people and carers, those requiring rehabilitative support or with complex care needs and those at the end of life. It also supports the drive for promoting health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities.

Read more on TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY SERVICES: QUALITY FRAMEWORK…

Councils are being urged to expand their family intervention projects and crack down on out-of-control families. In the first year of the Youth Crime Action Plan more than 2000 families received support. Engaging with parents to help them prevent their children getting involved in anti-social behaviour, crime and violence is seen as an effective way to turn behaviour around.

Read more on COUNCILS TO STEP UP INTERVENTION WITH PROBLEM FAMILIES…

There will be fewer retail markets in the future because they are not able to compete with supermarkets, cheap retail outlets and the Internet. This is the conclusion of the Communities and Local Government Parliamentary Select Committee.

Read more on RETAIL MARKETS IN DECLINE…

By Mike Aiken, Ben Cairns and Stephen Thake.

Community assets go back some 400 years and they sound like a good idea. But there is a downside to the community owning and managing assets. The authors look at the challenges that community ownership of assets bring to the organizations charged with the job of managing them. They suggest a way forward to securing the benefits of community assets for the community. There has been a high degree of policy interest in community ownership and management of assets such as buildings and land in recent years, and a significant amount of community activity has taken place to justify this interest. It has been less clear how much was known about the issue, particularly from independent evaluations and research. This study reviewed the evidence base to identify gaps in existing knowledge. It was undertaken by analysing a wide range of documents from policy, research and community organisation sources and through discussions with practitioners in the field.

Read more on COMMUNITY ASSETS: WHAT IS THE FUTURE…

To what extent will an entitlement disperse power to service users?

Little. No difference. Great deal.
All categories 45% 26% 28%
Council members 45% 33% 22%
Council officers 30% 30% 40%
Civil servants 50% 0% 50%

Read more on FROM TARGETS TO ENTITLEMENT POLL 17 JULY 2009 – FINDINGS…

Local councils are to be given more power and responsibility in proposals announced by Communities Secretary John Denham. The council will become the point of scrutiny for all local public services and it will be able to influence the spending of public bodies in their area.

Read more on MORE POWER FOR LOCAL COUNCILS IN THE PIPELINE…