Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has told troubled families co-ordinators that they are at the vanguard of a revolution in social policy.

The 152 co-ordinators, representing all major councils, met to consider how to deliver the Prime Minister’s pledge to turn around the lives of 120,000 troubled families in the next three years.

Read more on TROUBLED FAMILIES INITIATIVE IS A REVOLUTION IN SOCIAL POLICY…

Policy making, the core activity at the heart of government, has now entered the market place with the award of a contract for policy advice to the thinktank Institute for Public Policy Research.

Read more on LAST BASTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE OPENS DOOR TO OUTSOURCING…

The digital divide, with the elderly on the wrong side, is limiting wider use of online public services.

The digital divide, formerly between the haves and the have nots, has shifted to a generational issue. Four out of ten people aged 65 or over do not have access to the internet at home, with 5.4 million having never used the internet. Only 5% of those aged 65 or above own a smartphone compared to nearly three quarters of 16-24 year olds.

Read more on DIGITAL DIVIDE THREATENS GREATER USE OF ONLINE PUBLIC SERIVCES…

The Social Market Foundation has followed other organisations in expressing concern about proposals for introducing Universal Credit next year.

A report from the think tank, ‘Sink or Swim: the Impact of the Universal Credit’ describes interviews with low income families to get views about how they would adjust to six specific reforms under the new Universal Credit.

Read more on THINK TANK CALLS FOR CHANGES TO UNIVERSAL CREDIT…

Public service pension reforms will save £430b over the next 50 years and this will reduce the cost to the taxpayer by about half.

Publication of the Public Service Pensions Bill is the final stage in reforming current arrangements. The Bill is forecast to save £65 billion, of the total £430b savings, over the next fifty years.

Read more on PUBLIC SERVICE PENSION REFORMS CUT COST BY HALF…

Modern organisations in the private and public sectors need a new type of leadership claims the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Research by the Institute reveals the need for a new breed of leadership, which requires development programmes aligned with corporate culture, values and priorities. It is imperative to build a positive workplace cultures that gets the best out of people to support innovation, empowerment and ethical behaviour.

Read more on SHEEP-DIP LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING HAS GONE SAYS HR GROUP…

Owners of shops, offices, pubs and clubs have been promised that will no longer face burdensome health and safety inspections with the scrapping or overhaul of 3,000 regulations. But earlier initiatives have made similar promises with little result.

Read more on RED TAPE CUTS MORE ABOUT PRESENTATION THAN SUBSTANCE…

Expert brokers have been hired in a fresh drive to get stalled housing deals up and running and builders back on moth-balled sites.

Many housing developments stalled as the credit crunch began to bite because of economically unrealistic agreements negotiated between councils and developers at the height of the housing boom. This results in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits at all when agreements are no longer economically viable.

Read more on DRIVE TO KICK-START HOUSING DEVELOPMENT…

Co-operatives UK has launched an online support service for Third Sector and charitable organisations. It offers professional legal and governance advice and guidance to new start and established third sector organisations.

Read more on NEW SUPPORT SERVICE FOR THIRD SECTOR…

A new survey finds that the majority of British travellers support the introduction of new technology that delivers greater security and efficiency at the UK’s borders.

The study of more than 2,000 British adults, carried out by online polling firm, YouGov for SAS, the business analytics software and services provider, finds that nearly two-thirds of British overseas travellers would support the current strict checks at border checking points being enhanced by technology that analyses each passenger by the potential risk they present, if this led to an overall reduction in queues and enhanced security. The survey questioned more than 2000 people.

Read more on TRAVELLERS BACK NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR CUTTING AIRPORT QUEUES…