Visit http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com for more rss feeds. http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/CoreCode/rss/rssdisplay.aspx en-gb Copyright http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com, 2020 Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:13:52 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ 15 Leeds City Council have today (August 19) announced that their plans for a Clean Air Zone within the city may not have to go ahead due to lower emissions during the lockdown period. The council puts the lower emissions down to fewer heavy goods vehicles, buses and taxis entering the city, as well as fewer cars. As a result of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-clean-air-zone-plans-suspended-for-the-foreseeable-future 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-clean-air-zone-plans-suspended-for-the-foreseeable-future Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:30:00 GMT According to recent statistics by London Councils, apprenticeships directly created by London boroughs are up 14% on the previous  year. Between April 2019 and March 2020, London boroughs generated 3,693 apprenticeships, with 1,772 of those directly employed by those boroughs. As well as this being a 14% increase on the year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-on-the-rise-across-london-boroughs 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-on-the-rise-across-london-boroughs Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:15:00 GMT Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is investing £2.28m of the Government’s Local Growth Deal funding into the creation of a new Histopathology Diagnostic Hub at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Histopathology is the diagnosis and study of bodily tissues. The investment is one of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-lep-allocates-228m-to-improve-local-nhs-services 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-lep-allocates-228m-to-improve-local-nhs-services Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT Over 180 colleges are set to receive a share of £200m, in order to repair and refurbish buildings and campuses. The funding makes up part of a larger £1.5bn package, to be given to further education institutes over the next five years. This round of funding was due to be given to colleges next year, however the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/colleges-set-to-receive-200m-in-funding 433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/colleges-set-to-receive-200m-in-funding Wed, 19 Aug 2020 09:30:00 GMT The government has today (September 18) announced plans to scrap Public Health England in favour of a new organisation called The National Institute for Health Protection which will combine Public Health England, Test and Trace as well as the Joint Biosecurity Centre. The government is immediately bringing together PHE, NHS Test and Trace... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-creates-new-national-institute-for-health-protection 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-creates-new-national-institute-for-health-protection Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:45:00 GMT The National Lottery Community Fund has announced the first 14 grants from the Climate Action Fund going to communities across the UK to tackle climate change. The fund aims to support community lead projects tackling climate change A Zero Carbon Cumbria will receive the biggest grant of £2.5m, with five other projects across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-climate-change-projects-to-receive-14m-funding 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-climate-change-projects-to-receive-14m-funding Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:45:00 GMT Welsh Ministers have announced a further £260m of funding to help local councils cope with the extra pressures brought on by Covid-19. This takes the overall figure to over £1bn of extra funding being invested into local councils. The extra funding, not only hopes to ease pressures of the frist wave of Covid-19, but also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-announce-a-further-260m-of-coronavirus-support 2950,433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-announce-a-further-260m-of-coronavirus-support Tue, 18 Aug 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Government has announced £10m worth of funding for the distillery industry. The funding is aimed to help distilleries cut down on their emissions by focusing on low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen, biofuel and repurposed waste to power their operations. It is hoped that the money will cut CO2 emissions by one million tonnes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10m-investment-for-uks-distilleries-to-go-green 433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10m-investment-for-uks-distilleries-to-go-green Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on Government to continue to support councils to invest in long-term measures in order to tackle the issue of air pollution, following analysis by the Office for National Statistics into links between air pollution and Covid-19. According to Cllr Darren Rodwell, Transport Spokesperson for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-association-air-pollution-ons-analysis 437,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-association-air-pollution-ons-analysis Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:15:00 GMT Eighteen charities across Greater Manchester aimed at preventing vulnerable young people getting involved in serious violence have been supported with a funding boost totalling £201,000 in Government grants. The emergency, one-off grants from the Home Office will ensure the charities can continue their work despite the financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-funding-charity-greater-manchester 2950,454,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-funding-charity-greater-manchester Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:00:00 GMT The National Academy of Social Prescribing has been awarded £5m funding by the Government. The funding is hoped to help tackle some of the social side-effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The £5m will be invested in various social prescribing services including tailored debt advice following Covid-19 as well as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-awards-nasp-5m-funding-boost 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-awards-nasp-5m-funding-boost Mon, 17 Aug 2020 12:15:00 GMT West Midlands council leaders and Mayor, Andy Street, are calling on the Government to grant additional devolved powers to the region to aid its local recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders have submitted a proposal to Government, which can be viewed in full here, asking for Whitehall to devolve more powers to the West... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-recovery-devolved-powers 2950,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-recovery-devolved-powers Fri, 14 Aug 2020 11:15:00 GMT Calderdale Council have approved a wide range of projects, from highways to schools and housing, as part of a £101m capital spending programme. The approved spending was a notable increase in cost from past budgets, with the council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Resources, Cllr Jane Scullion, explaining the total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calderdale-council-capital-spending-programme 2950,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calderdale-council-capital-spending-programme Fri, 14 Aug 2020 10:45:00 GMT Hundreds of homes and buildings, such as leisure centres and local council offices, across south Wales will receive low carbon energy from new heat work projects following an £8m funding boost announced by the UK Government. The funding will develop a new system of distribution pipes taking excess heat from a central source such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-wales-low-carbon-heat-projects-funding-boost 437,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-wales-low-carbon-heat-projects-funding-boost Fri, 14 Aug 2020 10:00:00 GMT Today (13 Aug) Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, has revealed a £150m programme of demolition work across the vast site, including the Redcar Blast Furnace and Coke Ovens, which could create up to 300 jobs. The programme is set to last five years and the contracts will see the demolition of some of the most well-known structures from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/150m-of-contracts-announced-for-redcar-steelworks-demolition- 2950,433,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/150m-of-contracts-announced-for-redcar-steelworks-demolition- Thu, 13 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT A new procurement framework developed by NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has been launched to assist public sector organisations to purchase cost-effective IT solutions, potentially saving an estimated £75m. The Digital Workplace Solutions Framework offers consumer-orientated technologies across a complete range of software... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-sbs-public-sector-digital-workplace-solutions-framework 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-sbs-public-sector-digital-workplace-solutions-framework Wed, 12 Aug 2020 10:30:00 GMT Norfolk County Council has awarded a six-year £102m contract to manage the treatment of significant volumes of waste, helping the council achieve its ambitious environmental targets. The council has already committed to achieving zero waste to landfill status and reducing its carbon output, with the new contract set to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-waste-treatment-contract 2950,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-waste-treatment-contract Wed, 12 Aug 2020 10:00:00 GMT On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices we are joined by Martina Kane, Policy and Engagement Manager, at The Heath Foundation. She is calling for young people’s future health to be taken seriously by eliminating stress and uncertainty surrounding work and housing. Martina explains how young people’s future health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-26-caring-for-this-generation-of-young-people-martina-kane-the-health-foundation 870,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-26-caring-for-this-generation-of-young-people-martina-kane-the-health-foundation Wed, 12 Aug 2020 09:00:00 GMT Councillors representing a number of towns in Northumberland have backed a government decision to invest a further £1.4m into flood defence schemes in the region. Part of a wider £170m initiative announced by the Government last month to accelerate flood schemes across the country, the funding will help to protect local towns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-northumberland-flood-protection-funding 2950,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-northumberland-flood-protection-funding Tue, 11 Aug 2020 10:30:00 GMT In response to a recent report calling for more support for carers and further investment and reform of adult social care, the Local Government Association (LGA) has praised the efforts of councils so far and backed the calls for additional support going forward. Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-councils-social-care-support 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-councils-social-care-support Tue, 11 Aug 2020 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities are set to benefit from more localised contact tracing as NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England extended their partnership with local public health efforts, with the aim of reach more people testing positive for coronavirus and their contacts. As part of the partnerships, NHS Test and Trace will provide local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-contact-tracing 436,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-contact-tracing Tue, 11 Aug 2020 08:45:00 GMT Highways England is undertaking market engagement on the A66 Northern TransPennine road project, valued at £771m according to a prior information notice released last week. Initially assigned last year by the Government at a value of £1bn, the project will link the A1(M) Junction 53 at Scotch Corner with the M6 Junction 40 at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highways-england-tender-feedback 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highways-england-tender-feedback Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:30:00 GMT The UK Government has launched the Document Checking Service, an innovative scheme designed to give people easier and safer access to digital services which require identity checks, such as online mortgage applications, financial services and recruitment onboarding. Run by the Government Digital Service, the new service would allow a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-government-digital-access-pilot-scheme 439,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-government-digital-access-pilot-scheme Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:00:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has today (10 Aug) announced funding will be doubled to help communities in urban and disadvantaged areas plan their local neighbourhoods. Back in May funding was increased from £9,000 to £10,000 to help with the effects of coronavirus. But as of today, government grants in individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-to-receive-planning-funding-boost- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-to-receive-planning-funding-boost- Mon, 10 Aug 2020 09:30:00 GMT Blackpool Council submitted a £50m bid to Government yesterday (Aug 6) following public consultation to help shape the town’s future. If successful, the Town Deal bid will through from the £3.6bn Towns Fund, and is one of 101 bids from UK towns for investment of up to £25m, or up to £50m in exceptional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackpool-council-bids-for-50m-from-the-towns-fund 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackpool-council-bids-for-50m-from-the-towns-fund Fri, 07 Aug 2020 12:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a joint report today with the Centre for Mental Health, calling for urgent investment into mental health recovery in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This should come in the form of funding for councils to spend with local partners, including the voluntary and community sector for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-urgent-investment-into-mental-health- 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-urgent-investment-into-mental-health- Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:30:00 GMT Transport for London (TfL) has progressed with the expansion of the worlds-first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) as new infrastructure installation gets underway (Aug 6). The first new cameras are currently being installed, transforming the effectiveness of the ULEZ which has resulted in a 44% reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide within... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ultra-low-emission-zone-expansion- 433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ultra-low-emission-zone-expansion- Fri, 07 Aug 2020 09:15:00 GMT On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices we are joined by Cllr Mandy Clare from Cheshire West and Chester Council. As the Leader’s champion of Poverty and Inequality, she is calling for the full Cabinet to declare a Poverty and Inequality Emergency. Councils around the country have been declaring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poverty-emergency-cllr-mandy-clare 2950,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poverty-emergency-cllr-mandy-clare Thu, 06 Aug 2020 16:00:00 GMT Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has made a call for capital projects in the areas to create a ‘pipeline’ of future investments. D2N2 is responsible for delivering the Local Growth Fund, worth over £250m, and  the Government’s new Getting Building Fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/d2n2-call-for-pipeline-of-new-projects 2950,433,438,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/d2n2-call-for-pipeline-of-new-projects Thu, 06 Aug 2020 11:15:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has launched a set of ‘landmark reforms’ today (Aug 6) aiming to speed up and modernise the planning system and boost economic recovery. Planning for the future outlines plans to streamline the ‘outdated’ system by cutting red rape and making use of technology to deliver homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/once-in-a-generation-planning-reforms 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/once-in-a-generation-planning-reforms Thu, 06 Aug 2020 09:30:00 GMT  Bristol City Council has relaunched its search for a partner to deliver the UK’s first carbon neutral, smart energy city by 2030, set to deliver up to £1bn of investment. The £12m contract, published Monday (Aug 3), aims to secure a partner for the long-term venture with the Council, forming the City Leap Energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-leap-partnership- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-leap-partnership- Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:00:00 GMT Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has given the green light to £560m in school improvement investments today (Aug 5) with allocation to 580 building projects. Sixth form colleges, academies and voluntary aided schools in England will benefit from new facilities and improved school buildings. The money will enable repairs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/560m-in-school-improvements 2950,453,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/560m-in-school-improvements Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:45:00 GMT A key flood alleviation scheme was officially unveiled in east Leeds yesterday (Aug 5) as part of a £4.75m programme to benefit local economy and environment. The scheme, in the Wyke Beck valley, will work to protect homes in the area with a new flooding control structure and flood storage in Killingbeck Meadows Local Nature Reserve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-leeds-council-unveils-major-flood-alleviation-scheme- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-leeds-council-unveils-major-flood-alleviation-scheme- Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:00:00 GMT Chesterfield Borough Council is investing £7.1m into delivering new and modernised council homes in Staveley to meet the needs of local people. Homes in the area will undergo extensive internal and external improvements as part of the modernisation programme. New doors and windows will be installed to increase security and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/71m-into-modernisation-programme 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/71m-into-modernisation-programme Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:30:00 GMT Details of the new £2bn Green Homes Grant scheme have been announced today (Aug 4), with Government funding up to two-thirds of home improvement costs for over 600,000 homes. To take part in the scheme, builders, plumbers and other tradespeople across England will need to sign up for TrustMark accreditation. The scheme will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-homes-grant-scheme-unveiled- 433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-homes-grant-scheme-unveiled- Tue, 04 Aug 2020 09:30:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has confirmed a £1.3bn investment today (Aug 4) into new homes, jobs and vital infrastructure projects. In total, the investment is expected to deliver up to 45,000 homes, create up to 85,000 jobs and reduce around 65 million kgs of CO2 emissions. Over 300 shovel-ready projects in England are to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/13bn-investment- 433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/13bn-investment- Tue, 04 Aug 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP has announced that the temporary ‘Nightingale Courts’ will begin hearing cases from next week, following the unveiling of the 10 sites on July 19. The Nightingale Court will provide more capacity for court cases and tribunals that have struggled to operate through the pandemic, to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nightingale-courts-to-open-from-next-week- 2950,454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nightingale-courts-to-open-from-next-week- Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:15:00 GMT London Borough of Brent Council has announced today (Aug 3) that just under 700 new council homes are under construction in the area as part of a £395m investment. This is the highest number of council homes delivery for any local authority in London, and there are another 913 council homes in the delivery pipeline. The Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/700-new-council-homes-london-borough-of-brent- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/700-new-council-homes-london-borough-of-brent- Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:30:00 GMT Welsh Health and Social Services Minster Vaughan Gething has announced £22.7m in additional funding today (Aug 3) for adult social care providers. The funding will add to the £40m made available to local authorities in April for the adult social care sector in Wales. Lost income and additional costs incurred as a result... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-227m-in-funding-for-adult-social-care-providers- 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-227m-in-funding-for-adult-social-care-providers- Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:45:00 GMT This week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, covers a hydrogen transport revolution, with Centre for Policy Studies researcher, Eamonn Ives. Eamonn specialises in the environment, devolution and business and regulatory policy and recently authored a report on how hydrogen can fuel a transport revolution. While the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-hydrogen-transport-revolution 433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-hydrogen-transport-revolution Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:45:00 GMT The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Simon Clarke has announced £20m in new grants today (July 30) to support the recovery of small businesses. The boost will see thousands of smaller businesses in England given access to grants of between £1,000 and £5,000, to fund new technology, equipment and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/20m-in-new-grants-for-small-businesses 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/20m-in-new-grants-for-small-businesses Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:15:00 GMT Mayor of Tees Valley Ben Houchen is calling on local businesses to tender for a £120m project as part of the 12-month jobs plan. Firms in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are being encouraged to bid for a contract on the former Redcar steelworks site as part of a £120m project. The new Joint Venture High Voltage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-ben-houchen-120m-project- 2950,433,438,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-ben-houchen-120m-project- Wed, 29 Jul 2020 15:15:00 GMT Words provided by Cantium Business Solutions, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive    Who can automate back-office processes for our local authority? #CantiumCan Cantium Business Solutions is a Crown Commercial Services supplier on the government’s G-Cloud 11 procurement framework. Our team has a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/automating-back-office-processes-for-local-authorities- 2950,438,439,2998,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/automating-back-office-processes-for-local-authorities- Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:45:00 GMT Lancashire County Council has launched a set of proposals (July 28) to give the county more of a voice in local and central Government. In a statement made by the Council, Lancashire’s ‘complicated and fragmented’ administrative structures were highlighted as blockers of benefits such as devolution deals and a clear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-combined-authority 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-combined-authority Wed, 29 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT Highways England has pledged a £114m package (July 28) to improve well-known motorways and major A roads over the next 12 months. The planned package of enhancements includes road resurfacing, bridge repairs, cycle lane creation and improved landscaping and signage. The £144m will be invested into 150 schemes across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highways-england-to-spend-114m-on-road-improvements- 433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highways-england-to-spend-114m-on-road-improvements- Wed, 29 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT Transport for Buckinghamshire (July 27) has piloted new technology to make excavation work safer and more cost effective. The ‘ground breaking’ technology is being used to assist excavation work near buried services, making utility diversions cheaper by establishing their exact position and vacuuming the surrounding material... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-for-buckinghamshire-trials-ground-breaking-technology- 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-for-buckinghamshire-trials-ground-breaking-technology- Tue, 28 Jul 2020 12:30:00 GMT The West Yorkshire devolution deal, spearheaded by the Combined Authority, is gathering pace after a council meeting yesterday (July 27) discussed its progress. The £1.8bn deal is getting closer to completion, a week after the largest ever public consultation on English regional devolution closed. Over 4,500 people in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deal-gains-momentum- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deal-gains-momentum- Tue, 28 Jul 2020 11:30:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson is launching a £2bn cycling and walking ‘revolution’ today (July 28) including thousands of miles of new bike lanes, cycle training and prescription bikes. It comes shortly after the launch of the PM’s obesity campaign, to improve the health of the population, take demand off the NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2bn-cycling-and-walking-revolution- 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2bn-cycling-and-walking-revolution- Tue, 28 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for a social care reset today (July 27) after reflection on the Prime Minister’s pledge to “fix social care” one year ago. The representative body has urged Government to publish its timetable for social care reform prior to Parliament’s return from summer recess in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-needs-a-reset 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-needs-a-reset Mon, 27 Jul 2020 11:45:00 GMT Friday (July 24) saw the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and the Combined Authority Cabinet sign off a £5.8m grant award to fund an inward investment scheme. The project is said to have the potential to bring 3,000 jobs to the Tees Valley region by September 2022, delivering significant economic growth and employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-agrees-58m-deal 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-agrees-58m-deal Mon, 27 Jul 2020 09:45:00 GMT Seven North East Councils are working together to plan a 40-year Energy from Waste project worth over £2.1bn. Plans will see five borough authorities – Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton – and Newcastle City Council and Durham County Council join forces to build an “Energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/21bn-energy-and-waste-project- 2950,433,437,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/21bn-energy-and-waste-project- Fri, 24 Jul 2020 14:15:00 GMT The Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotherham, has launched an ambitious recovery plan today (July 24) outlining the potential for £8.8bn worth of projects in the region. Building Back Better, which is now with Central Government, has the support of leaders in business, academia, the public sector and trade... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/88bn-economic-recovery-plan 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/88bn-economic-recovery-plan Fri, 24 Jul 2020 09:45:00 GMT Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet agreed a multi million pound funding deal for Carlisle South Link Road yesterday (July 23). The funding agreement with Homes England is worth in excess of £134m and signifies a major milestone in the project. The Link Road will help to boost Carlisle and Cumbria’s economic recoveries... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-agree-funding-for-134m-homes-england-project- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-agree-funding-for-134m-homes-england-project- Fri, 24 Jul 2020 09:15:00 GMT The Department for Education has awarded £5.4m today (July 23) to 20 colleges to help level up skills across the country. Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Gillian Keegan made the announcement today that 20 applications have been successful and will receive a total of £5.4m from the College Collaboration Fund (CCF). The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/share-of-54m-awarded-to-upskill-20-uk-colleges 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/share-of-54m-awarded-to-upskill-20-uk-colleges Thu, 23 Jul 2020 15:15:00 GMT On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, Emily is joined by Sir David Bell, whose career in local government spans almost four decades. Sir David is the current Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland and believes universities have a vital role to play in supporting the social and economic bounce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-david-bell-is-higher-education-the-key-to-economic-recovery 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-david-bell-is-higher-education-the-key-to-economic-recovery Thu, 23 Jul 2020 14:00:00 GMT Over the past few weeks, we have received over 140 nominations for Council of the Month, each with inspiring and heart-warming detail of Councils and Councillors working tirelessly for their local area. We divided the nominations up into five groups and five members of the PSE team began reading through and narrowing it down to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/choose-your-winner-for-council-of-the-month 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/choose-your-winner-for-council-of-the-month Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT UK Research and Innovation has today (July 22) awarded £3m to six research networks looks to tackle air pollution. The new multidisciplinary networks will investigate solutions to air pollution and drive research and innovation for air quality challenges both indoor and outdoor. Home, school, work and public transport will all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/3m-to-projects-tackling-air-pollution- 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/3m-to-projects-tackling-air-pollution- Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:15:00 GMT A new Government hub in Croydon has been granted planning permission today (July 22), which is expected to save taxpayers more than £8m a year. The Government Property Agency (GPA) has managed to secure a 25-year lease for the site at Two Ruskin Square in Croydon, with civil servants from the Home Office set to move in by late... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-light-for-second-government-hub-in-croydon- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-light-for-second-government-hub-in-croydon- Wed, 22 Jul 2020 10:15:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a £350m funding package today (July 22) to support the green economy and tackle climate change. The investment will support the UK’s ambitions to reach net zero by 2050 by funding the decarbonisation of the heavy industry, construction, space and transport and stimulating green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-johnson-unveils-350m-fund-for-green-recovery 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-johnson-unveils-350m-fund-for-green-recovery Wed, 22 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT The Government launched a new Hydrogen Advisory Council today (July 21) to help to develop hydrogen as a decarbonisation strategy for the UK. Collaboration between Government and Industry will ensure the Council can identify and promote the work needed to roll out supply of low carbon hydrogen at scale across the energy system. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hydrogen-advisory-council- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hydrogen-advisory-council- Tue, 21 Jul 2020 14:15:00 GMT Oxford City Council has announced that it will trial its first all-electric refuse collection vehicle today (July 21). Council-owned company, ODS, will trial the all-electric vehicle in Oxford to support zero carbon ambitions and help to reduce air pollution. Running from today until Thursday (July 23), the trial will allow ODS to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-to-trial-first-all-electric-refuse-vehicle- 2950,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-to-trial-first-all-electric-refuse-vehicle- Tue, 21 Jul 2020 11:30:00 GMT The Scottish and UK Government have pledged £90m into Falkirk’s economy as part of the Falkirk Growth Deal today (July 21). The money will be used to drive and grow inclusive and sustainable economic recovery in the region over the next ten years, with targeted economic development across infrastructure, transport, innovation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/falkirk-economy-to-get-90m-boost- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/falkirk-economy-to-get-90m-boost- Tue, 21 Jul 2020 10:00:00 GMT Nearly 900,000 public sector workers, including teachers, doctors and police officers are set for above inflation pay rises this year, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak today (July 21). The pay rise also includes Armed Forces, prison officers and senior civil servants and aims to reflect the vital contribution public sector workers make... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-public-sector-workers 2950,433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-public-sector-workers Tue, 21 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT The Government has published funding figures today (July 20) that show how every pupil in England will benefit from a rise in funding in 2021. It comes in the second year of a three-year settlement for schools worth £14.4bn, which is the biggest increase in a decade. Compared with 2019, an extra £4.8bn will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announce-rise-in-school-funding 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announce-rise-in-school-funding Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:15:00 GMT The Welsh Government has announced today (July 20) a £38m investment package to make Wales a safer place to cycle, scoot and walk. Calling it “A golden opportunity for change”, Deputy Minister Lee Waters has committed to grasping the opportunities presented by the pandemic and supporting residents to choose more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/golden-opportunity-for-change- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/golden-opportunity-for-change- Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:15:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme this weekend (July 18), to finance Council efforts to help the most vulnerable in society into long-term accommodation. Councils and their local partners can now apply for Government funding to cover costs of support and new tenancies for around 15,000 people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/266m-housing-fund- 2950,441,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/266m-housing-fund- Mon, 20 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced in his statement on Coronavirus today (July 17) that local authorities will have new powers to enforce measures to limit the spread of the virus in their area. From tomorrow (July 18), local councils will be able to close specific premises, shut public outdoor spaces and cancel events to speed up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-powers-for-local-lockdowns 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-powers-for-local-lockdowns Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:45:00 GMT  The Local Government Association (LGA) and the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) have launched a guide to help local councils engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The LGA is calling for local action by councils and government funding to support the UN’s 2030 Agenda and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainable-development-goals 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainable-development-goals Fri, 17 Jul 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has confirmed allocations for the £500m additional funding for councils announced earlier this month (July 2). Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that an additional £500m would be given to support councils, as well as measures to ease financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/allocation-for-extra-500m 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/allocation-for-extra-500m Fri, 17 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, Emily is joined by the Director of National Innovation Centre for Data, Steve Caughey, to highlight the potential of using data to it’s full potential within the public sector and beyond. At less than two years old, the centre is at the start of its journey to equip the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-innovation-centre-for-data 438,439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-innovation-centre-for-data Thu, 16 Jul 2020 15:15:00 GMT The Government has published proposals today (July 16) for a new law outlining security requirements for smart devices, which could protect millions of users from cyber criminals. Drawn up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and backed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the proposals highlight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyber-security-of-smart-products 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyber-security-of-smart-products Thu, 16 Jul 2020 11:15:00 GMT The Department for Health and Social Care has announced a £62m package today (July 16) to help local councils to discharge people with learning disabilities or autism from hospitals into the community. Secretary Matt Hancock has called for a renewed focus to better support people with learning disability or autism and accelerate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/62m-for-local-councils- 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/62m-for-local-councils- Thu, 16 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT Milton Keynes Council has unveiled plans (July 15) to purchase 70 modular homes to house homeless families is the area. The two-bedroom homes will temporarily house families in Fishermead, during an interim period whilst Council staff work to find them a more long-term solution. Families will be allowed to live in the modular homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/modular-homes-for-homeless-families 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/modular-homes-for-homeless-families Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMT Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (D2N2 LEP) has awarded £6.4m from its Local Growth Fund Allocation to part-fund the completion of the Woodville Regeneration Route. The road, which received the LEPs approval yesterday (July 15), lies between the village of Woodville and the town of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/d2n2-lep-awards-64m-for-regeneration-route- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/d2n2-lep-awards-64m-for-regeneration-route- Wed, 15 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT Yesterday (July 13) saw the Tees Valley become the first place in the UK to launch e-scooter trials, after Mayor Ben Houchen successfully campaigned to secure the pilot. Launched in Middlesbrough, the roll out will initially feature 50 e-scooters before it goes live across all five boroughs of the Tees Valley later this month. Hubs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-pilots-uks-first-e-scooter-trial- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-pilots-uks-first-e-scooter-trial- Tue, 14 Jul 2020 14:45:00 GMT Telford and Wrekin Council has launched a £2.6m fund (July 13) to boost more sustainable travel in the area. Travel Telford Sustainable Transport fund aims to enable a range of improvements over the next four years and encourage residents to choose cycling, walking and public transport throughout the coronavirus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/26m-in-sustainable-transport- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/26m-in-sustainable-transport- Tue, 14 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT The Government has announced a change in legislation today (July 14) to accommodate the construction of large batteries for storing renewable energy from solar and wind farms across the UK. By relaxing planning legislation, the number of batteries serving the electricity grid could treble, and the size of storage cells could increase by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-energy-in-the-uk 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-energy-in-the-uk Tue, 14 Jul 2020 10:45:00 GMT The Government has announced a £5.2bn long-term plan to tackling flooding today (July 14) which will see up to 336,000 properties in England better protected. Around 2,000 new flood and coastal defences are set to be created by 2027, as well as support for households and businesses to recover more quickly after a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-tackle-flooding- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-tackle-flooding- Tue, 14 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT Blackpool Council has bid for up to £25m of the Government’s £1bn Future High Streets Fund, to support the next phase of its Town Centre Regeneration Strategy. The town is one of 100 that has been shortlisted to use the Fund to reinvent their high street, through transport improvements, enhanced public spaces, smart... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackpool-future-high-streets-fund- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackpool-future-high-streets-fund- Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:15:00 GMT  Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) has the green light to build the first zero carbon affordable homes in the district. Plans to build up to 50 zero carbon homes over across a number of sites have had funding approved, with onsite renewable heat and energy and high levels of insulations to be incorporated. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zero-carbon-affordable-homes- 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zero-carbon-affordable-homes- Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:45:00 GMT The UK Government announced a £705m investment package yesterday (July 12) to fund infrastructure, jobs and technology at the GB-EU border. Included in the package is up to £470m to build the port and inland infrastructure to support new customs procedures and controls. A £235m investment is set to go into staffing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/705m-investment-into-gb-eu-border- 433,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/705m-investment-into-gb-eu-border- Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT This week, Leader of Isle of Wight Council, Dave Stewart, Joined host Emily Rodgers on the Public Sector Voices podcast. The Island has received national attention throughout the coronavirus crisis for piloting the Government’s controversial track and trace app. With a modest population of 140,000 people, 40% of which are retired... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-21-isle-of-wight 2950,438,439,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-21-isle-of-wight Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMT Knowsley Council’s Planning Committee has approved a multi million pound proposal (July 10) to build up to 360 new family homes in Whiston. The development at Halsnead Garden Village is a major project for Knowsley and the wider Liverpool City Region in terms of economic recovery after coronavirus. Proposals will also see an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/knowsley-council-agrees-proposals 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/knowsley-council-agrees-proposals Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:30:00 GMT Three new projects have been unveiled today (July 10) by Science Minister Amanda Solloway, to receive funding for technologies and services that will support the NHS’ response to coronavirus. The UK Space Agency and European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly-backing the new projects developing space-enabled technologies, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-boost-for-drones 2950,433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-boost-for-drones Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:45:00 GMT Islington Council is set to take on housing repairs and maintenance for more than 4,000 council homes following month-long public consultation. The council announced yesterday (July 9) that one of its two Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts that manage council housing stock, is due to end in April 2022. The contract (PFI2)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/islington-council-4000-council-homes- 2950,433,441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/islington-council-4000-council-homes- Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT Leicester City Council has proposed an £8.1m programme (July 9) to create new school places and provisions for children with additional education needs. Three special education schools in the city would be extended to offer extra facilities, and a further 10 schools across the city will have Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-proposes-81m-scheme-for-hundreds-more-send-school-places- 2950,433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-proposes-81m-scheme-for-hundreds-more-send-school-places- Thu, 09 Jul 2020 14:30:00 GMT Kent County Council is rolling out around 2,000 videophone systems to help elderly or vulnerable residents to access digital support and solutions. It comes in the form of a £1.5m contract and will connect digitally disadvantaged residents and those with a learning disability in Kent with virtual care and health consultants, as well... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2000-videophones-to-vulnerable-residents 2950,438,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2000-videophones-to-vulnerable-residents Thu, 09 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak delivered his Summer Economic Update yesterday (July 8) outlining a multi billion pound commitment to creating green jobs and supporting employment among young people. Since the announcement, which also offered support for businesses willing to continue employment of furloughed workers, local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unfinished-business-with-councils 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unfinished-business-with-councils Thu, 09 Jul 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Chancellor of the Exchequer has today (July 8) delivered his Summer Economic Update with a package of measures designed to support jobs and boost the UK economy. It forms the second part of a three-phase plan, with emphasis firmly placed on supporting jobs, by supporting skills and young people with ‘green recovery’ at its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-billion-pound-plan-for-jobs 2950,433,436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-billion-pound-plan-for-jobs Wed, 08 Jul 2020 14:15:00 GMT A new partnership between Loughborough University and Highways England will aim to prepare the UK’s motorways for self-driving vehicles. The new £1m project will look into accommodating connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), with research into operations at roadworks, merging and diverging sections as well as lane... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prepare-for-self-driving-vehicles 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prepare-for-self-driving-vehicles Wed, 08 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has begun the procurement process for a £7m contract to support its Skills for Growth programme. The contract is specifically seeking a number of elements including collaboration with SMEs and micro businesses, to gather intelligence on the occupational skills gaps they are currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmca-launches-7m-procurement-process 2950,433,438,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmca-launches-7m-procurement-process Wed, 08 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has announced plans (July 6) to retrofit 50,000 homes across the region to tackle fuel poverty. If the WMCA’s £3.2bn blueprint submitted to Government is accepted, £50m has been earmarked to begin a transformational programme of retrofitting, completing 50,000 homes by the end... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-plans-to-retrofit-50000-homes- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-plans-to-retrofit-50000-homes- Tue, 07 Jul 2020 16:45:00 GMT A partnership between Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), local councils and the emergency services aims to cut the number of injuries on roads by 40%. The West Midlands Regional Road Safety Strategic Group, launched yesterday (July 6), will work to reduce the number of incidents that cause death... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reduce-road-injuries-by-40 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reduce-road-injuries-by-40 Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:45:00 GMT A report published by the Centre for Progressive Policy today (July 7) is calling on the Government to protect the Further Education skills system in preparation for the end of the furlough scheme. The Government needs to ‘act now’ to ensure millions of people are not locked out of the labour market, according to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/centre-for-progressive-policy- 2950,433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/centre-for-progressive-policy- Tue, 07 Jul 2020 11:15:00 GMT The National Trust, together with other key figures, has called on the Prime Minister (July 5) to invest £5.5bn on urban green infrastructure as part of his “infrastructure revolution”. In a letter co-written by the Trust, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Sustrans, Create Street, and local council leaders, the PM was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-55bn-on-green-infrastructure 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-55bn-on-green-infrastructure Tue, 07 Jul 2020 09:30:00 GMT UK Research and Innovation has announced the opening of a multi-million pound funding pot today (July 6) to help tech and manufacturing businesses to transform supply chains. Businesses can now apply for funding for projects of up to £1.5m, to develop digital technologies that could provide a more efficient, productive, flexible and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britains-supply-chains- 2950,433,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britains-supply-chains- Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:45:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a one-year extension to the Government’s £9bn Affordable Homes Programme today (July 6). The building of 53,000 new affordable homes had an original deadline of needing construction to underway by March 2022. However, since this deadline was set, the construction industry has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-year-extension 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-year-extension Mon, 06 Jul 2020 10:00:00 GMT The Government announced a £1.57bn rescue package yesterday (July 5) for Britain’s cultural, arts and heritage institutions. The emergency grants and loans, made available through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), will be accessible to organisations across a wide range of sectors. Performing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rescue-package-of-157bn 2950,433,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rescue-package-of-157bn Mon, 06 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke, has announced a £10m Kick-starting Tourism Package today (July 3) to support the sector in time for summer. Many communities, who depend on tourism to fuel their local economy, have suffered from the lockdown restrictions in recent months. Today’s funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-10m-tourism-package 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-10m-tourism-package Fri, 03 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMT Wakefield Council has secured a £1.75m Government grant (July 2), to support projects to immediately improve Wakefield city centre and Castleford. The Council were chosen for the opportunity to bid for a share of the £3.6bn Towns Fund, for the town’s potential and big ambitions for the area and its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wakefield-council-secures-175m 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wakefield-council-secures-175m Fri, 03 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT Up to £66m in additional Government funding has been secured by the West Midlands today (July 3) to begin a series of ‘shovel ready’ schemes to support the region’s Covid-19 recovery. The funding has come through the Government’s Getting Building Fund, and comes in response to a list of infrastructure schemes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-secured-66m 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-secured-66m Fri, 03 Jul 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Government announced a range of support measures for councils yesterday (July 2), including £500m in additional funding, payment deferral, and 75p compensation for every pound lost over 5% of planned income. Since the announcement, local authorities have been reacting to the news, welcoming the cash injection but expressing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-react-to-support-package- 2950,433,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-react-to-support-package- Fri, 03 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT This week leader of Malvern Hills District Council Sarah Rouse joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices after being recognised in the West Midlands Employers #EverydayHeroes campaign for her leadership since taking over the council. The area suffered from severe floods that devastated businesses only to be hit with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-20-cllr-sarah-rouse 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-20-cllr-sarah-rouse Thu, 02 Jul 2020 11:00:00 GMT An additional £500m funding package and further support for Councils has been announced today (July 2) by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick. The new support will help local authorities to cover income lost during the pandemic, relieve spending pressures and plug any financial holes than have emerged over recent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-500m-for-councils- 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-500m-for-councils- Thu, 02 Jul 2020 09:30:00 GMT New Tussell data, published today (July 2) shows that the Government has spent £4.3bn on Covid-19 related contracts, almost doubling since the last report less than a month ago (June 4). Of the £4.3bn contracts published, SMEs have won two thirds (63%) of the value of PPE contracts, with four of the top five firms involved in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/covid-response-43bn-and-rising- 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/covid-response-43bn-and-rising- Thu, 02 Jul 2020 08:45:00 GMT This weekend (July 4) will see trials of rental e-scooters permitted in local areas thanks to new regulations and powers given to local authorities. Announced by Transport Minister Rachel Maclean, the 12-month trials will allow people to commute to work or ride for leisure on roads, cycle lanes and tracks. The announcement came with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-powers-to-trial-e-scooters- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-powers-to-trial-e-scooters- Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:15:00 GMT Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is investing more than £27m into a number of schemes that will create over 1,700 jobs and support economic growth across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The six schemes that have been awarded the funding will unlock 15 hectares of land, providing capacity for nearly 500... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marches-lep-awards-27m- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marches-lep-awards-27m- Wed, 01 Jul 2020 10:30:00 GMT The Government has announced plans to create thousands of green jobs with a £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund. It comes as the nation is promised a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic, and will support charities and environmental organisations to pick up projects across the country to restore nature and fight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-jobs-with-40m-fund- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-jobs-with-40m-fund- Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, Darren Jones and Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) Phillip Dunne have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to warn him that time is running out on the climate emergency. In the letter, the Chairs instil the urgent need to accelerate the country’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/letter-to-avert-climate-crisis 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/letter-to-avert-climate-crisis Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:45:00 GMT Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has opened up a tender process (June 29) to find a supplier for the £10m GM Bike Hire scheme. It is said to be a ‘major milestone’, as the first phase of the two-part procurement process searches for a service provider to deliver the scheme. Phase one includes a fleet of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-10m-bike-hire-scheme 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-10m-bike-hire-scheme Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today (June 30) announce a “New Deal” with jobs and infrastructure embedded into economic growth. Speaking in the West Midlands today, the Prime Minister will confirm the ‘build, build, build’ notion, by announcing plans to bring forward £5bn of capital investment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-johnson-to-announce-new-deal 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-johnson-to-announce-new-deal Tue, 30 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Today marks a breakthrough in Sheffield City Region’s fight for devolution, as a multi-million pound deal is agreed (June 29). The ‘landmark’ deal, which will be approved in Parliament in the coming weeks, will unlock and deliver new powers and funding for South Yorkshire by this summer. The order for the Deal will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deal-for-south-yorkshire 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deal-for-south-yorkshire Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled a £1bn rebuilding programme for schools in England today (June 29). The transformative ten-year scheme, supported by over £1bn in funding, represents the first major rebuilding programme since 2014. Starting in 2020-21, the first 50 projects will be focused on the school buildings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-school-rebuilding-programme- 2950,453,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-school-rebuilding-programme- Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT Nearly £80m in Government investment has been announced today (June 29) by Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng to help reduce carbon emissions from homes and businesses. A wide range of programmes are set to benefit from the funding, including heat network trials, and schemes that can reduce the cost of retrofitting properties using the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficient-80m-boost- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficient-80m-boost- Mon, 29 Jun 2020 08:45:00 GMT Kent County Council will trial sustainable graphene asphalt on roads in Dartford, to prevent cracks and potholes for longer at a greater benefit to the evironment.  The extra-strong material will be used to resurface damaged roads as the graphene-enhanced asphalt is less likely to soften in the heat of harden and crack in colder... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kent-county-council-graphene-asphalt- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kent-county-council-graphene-asphalt- Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:45:00 GMT Over £400m in Government and industry funding has been delivered to seven major research and innovation projects in the UK today (June 26). Developing zero-emissions tech for maritime vessels, smart-packaging to cut food waste and new health products to tackle infections are among the supported projects. Programmes will aim to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/400m-research-and-development 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/400m-research-and-development Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has ringfenced £4.2m of their budget to fund temporary accommodation in the District. It comes the same week as Central Government set aside an additional £1.5m on interim housing for rough sleepers. With demand for social housing in the region very high, there is often a wait for a property... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mid-sussex-to-spend-42m-on-temporary-accommodation- 2950,433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mid-sussex-to-spend-42m-on-temporary-accommodation- Fri, 26 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT Marvin Rees was elected as Bristol Mayor in 2016 and has taken the city on a transformative journey through climate change action, social mobility and more recently an energised conversation around race inequality. Rees joined host Emily Rodgers on the Public Sector Voices podcast this week to discuss the events of the last few weeks and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marvin-rees-podcast- 2950,433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marvin-rees-podcast- Thu, 25 Jun 2020 14:00:00 GMT Redbridge Council is calling on Government to repay the £45m shortfall in funds that were promised by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick in March 2020. Leader of the Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, has highlighted the Government’s broken promise of compensating councils for the cost of Covid-19 and its local response and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-want-our-money- 2950,433,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-want-our-money- Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has submitted a £1.4bn five-year recovery plan to Government today (June 25) to boost the nation’s post-Covid and post-Brexit economy. The 178-page report outlines the city’s aims to create 25,600 jobs, an additional 12,000 construction jobs and more than 9,700 apprenticeships through a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-economic-recovery-plan 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-economic-recovery-plan Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT The City of London Corporation is looking into reallocating some street space to accommodate al fresco dining for the safe reopening of cafés and restaurants. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday (June 23) that bars and restaurants can reopen from July 4th providing they have the safety provisions in place to do so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-of-london-al-fresco-dining- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-of-london-al-fresco-dining- Wed, 24 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT New funding from the Treasury announced by Ministers today (June 23) will provide interim housing for 15,000 rough sleepers during the pandemic. An additional £105m will be made available to support vulnerable people or those at risk of homelessness into accommodation with their own tenancies. Support will include help with deposits... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-105m-for-rough-sleepers- 433,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-105m-for-rough-sleepers- Wed, 24 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT An ambitious Covid-19 recovery plan was approved by Cabinet members of Northumberland County Council yesterday (June 23) highlighting tourism and climate change as key drivers. During the special meeting, the Council discussed its response to the virus, which has seen over £90m in grants paid out to local businesses, and how the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northumberland-recovery 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northumberland-recovery Wed, 24 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Evolution is crucial in any business and Public Sector Executive is no different. Long before Covid-19 even became a thought in the back of our minds, the team at PSE were looking at innovative ways to deliver its content to our audience in a more dynamic and responsive manner. We’re conscious to take the time to both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cleaner-greener-safer-media 437,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cleaner-greener-safer-media Tue, 23 Jun 2020 11:30:00 GMT The automotive industry in Britain will receive a £73.5m Government investment into green technology and jobs, Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi announced today (June 23). The funding will be split into grants for ten UK projects, each receiving a share of the investment to support development of cutting-edge technology for electric... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/735m-green-technology-boost 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/735m-green-technology-boost Tue, 23 Jun 2020 10:30:00 GMT A £3.2bn blueprint for the West Midlands’ economic recovery has been put to Government today (June 23) to create long-term prosperity for the region and the wider areas. ‘Kickstarting the West Midlands Economy: Our Investment Case to Government’ highlights the immediate action needed to ignite the economy whilst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-32bn-blueprint 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-32bn-blueprint Tue, 23 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has awarded £1.6m to three councils today (June 22) to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis and February’s floods. The three projects will support the LEP’s core goal of driving economic growth across the region through innovative schemes to get the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lep-awards-16m 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lep-awards-16m Mon, 22 Jun 2020 15:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that 100,000 social homes a year need to be built as part of the recovery from Covid-19. The report, published by the LGA yesterday (June 21) says a ‘post-pandemic building boom’ is needed to deliver housing fit for social care, health and other key workers and their families... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100000-social-homes-a-year 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100000-social-homes-a-year Mon, 22 Jun 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Government has launched a ‘bounce back’ plan for the agriculture, food and drink industry today (June 22) to support businesses that have been affected during the coronavirus lockdown period. Jointly driving this new plan, The Department for International Trade (DIT) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bounce-back-plan-launched 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bounce-back-plan-launched Mon, 22 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a £1bn plan to help children ‘catch up’ on their education following the lockdown, including one-to-one or small group tuition. £650m is to be shared across state primary and secondary schools through the 2020-21 academic year and £350m will go towards a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-pms-1bn-education-catch-up-package 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-pms-1bn-education-catch-up-package Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:30:00 GMT Work is set to start on the second phase of a £40m flood prevention scheme for more than 800 homes and businesses in Bury. The multi-million pound project is part of the Environment Agency’s £2.6bn investment programme to protect communities across the country by strengthening flood defences. The three-part scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/40m-flood-prevention-project 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/40m-flood-prevention-project Fri, 19 Jun 2020 10:30:00 GMT Manchester City Council has announced that a road closure will take place this week to allow for the completion of the UK’s first ‘CYCLOPS’ junction. The competition of the project will mark a key milestone in the £13.4m Manchester to Chorlton cycling and walking route. The Royce Road junction in Hulme closed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-first-cyclops-junction- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-first-cyclops-junction- Fri, 19 Jun 2020 10:15:00 GMT Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has committed to funding the wages of over 100 apprentices to encourage businesses to take on more 16-20-year olds. The value of the pledge is almost £1m, and will aim to help young people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool into employment to counter balance the decline in apprenticeship... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-fund 433,453,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-fund Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:15:00 GMT The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has announced today (June 18) that Greater Manchester will be home to the world’s first commercial liquid air battery project. The facility has been planned for Trafford, Greater Manchester and will harness the UK’s solar and wind energy to put the city ‘at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liquid-air-battery- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liquid-air-battery- Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT Sir Richard Leese, long-standing leader of Manchester City Council joins Public Sector Voices host, Emily Rodgers to discuss the events throughout his 24-year reign and the future landscape of the city. It is a task that is still ongoing, but rebuilding Manchester up from where is was all those years ago has taken the industrial city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-richard-leese 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-richard-leese Thu, 18 Jun 2020 08:30:00 GMT Watford Borough Council has today (June 17) announced the members of its new Place Shaping Panel as part of its commitment to enhancing quality of life for residents. It will serve as a rigorous independent board of reviewers for any development proposals, who will use their skills and expertise to ensure Watford’s townscape... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watford-council-place-shaping 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watford-council-place-shaping Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:15:00 GMT The Scottish Government launched a £230m ‘Return to Work’ package yesterday (June 16) to help stimulate Scotland’s economy. The initiative, set up to support economic growth following the pandemic, covers low carbon projects, construction, digitisation and business supply. Funding for this scheme is made up of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/return-to-work-package 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/return-to-work-package Wed, 17 Jun 2020 11:15:00 GMT Public Health England published a report yesterday (June 16) on the impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, as well as strategies for addressing inequalities going forward. The report, titled 'Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups' found that the highest age... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phe-publish-bame-communities-report 2950,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phe-publish-bame-communities-report Wed, 17 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT As if leading and supporting their communities through a life-changing global pandemic wasn’t enough of a challenge, councils have also had to simultaneously respond, adapt and overcome the democratic challenges presented by social distancing – through the advent of online ‘virtual’ meetings. “I think... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-guildford-council- 2950,439,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-guildford-council- Wed, 17 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Content provided by Avoira, editorally reviewed by Public Sector Executive  Avoira to help manage the return to work and life with temperature detection solutions Technology solutions specialist Avoira has launched a range of smart temperature detection camera packages to help public sector organisations, combat the spread of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avoira-to-aid-return-to-work-with-temperature-detection-solutions 435,2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avoira-to-aid-return-to-work-with-temperature-detection-solutions Tue, 16 Jun 2020 12:15:00 GMT Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet members have agreed an additional £5m investment into roads and footpaths in the region, following damage from flooding earlier in the year. The Council’s annual budget, outlined by Councillors in February, included an overall package of £33.4m, but only £28.4m was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/5m-improvements-on-lancashire-roads 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/5m-improvements-on-lancashire-roads Tue, 16 Jun 2020 11:30:00 GMT The Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) have moved ahead with zero-emission ambitions, as green number plates have been confirmed for roll out from Autumn. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, confirmed the announcement today (June 16), as part of the drive for net zero emissions by 2050. Drivers will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-number-plates 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-number-plates Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT New research published by the Health Foundation yesterday (June 16) shows that public opinion of the role of the state has shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic. Polls and surveys have uncovered new data on the public showing that there has been an increase in recognition of the responsibility of the state for supporting good health. Almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-foundation-reveals-shift-in-attitude 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-foundation-reveals-shift-in-attitude Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT In a statement on Covid-19 from the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Friday (June 12), the Jet Zero Council initiative was unveiled in a bid to make a green recovery from the pandemic. Members of the group, who are yet to be published in detail, will include Ministers, businesses, trade bodies and environmental groups, and will work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-unveils-the-jet-zero-council 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-unveils-the-jet-zero-council Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:00:00 GMT The Scottish Government announced a £62m fund for the energy sector yesterday (June 12) to help reach net zero goals and recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19 and the oil and gas price crash. The Energy Transition Fund will prop up businesses in the oil, gas and energy sectors through the next five years to enable growth and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-to-invest-62m 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-to-invest-62m Sat, 13 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT The District Council’s Network (DCN) is calling on the public to exercise caution when visiting high streets and town centres ahead of the reopening of non-essential retail on Monday (June 15). As councils prepare for the easing of lockdown restrictions, vigilance from shoppers is needed to avoid a second spike in virus infection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dcn-urges-public-to-take-extra-care- 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dcn-urges-public-to-take-extra-care- Sat, 13 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Norwich City Council can begin planning the biggest development opportunity in the East of England following the go-ahead from Cabinet Members this week (June 10). The city regeneration scheme is set to make way for thousands of homes and jobs in the area, and ‘breathe new life’ into the city. In addition to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norwich-regeneration-masterplan 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norwich-regeneration-masterplan Fri, 12 Jun 2020 11:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis reminded Government yesterday (June 11) of its commitments to flood prevention in South Yorkshire, claiming the ‘clock is ticking’ for hardest-hit communities. In a letter from the Mayor to the Government, Jarvis pressed Government to ramp up flood prevention measures to help soften the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dan-jarvis-clock-is-ticking 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dan-jarvis-clock-is-ticking Fri, 12 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT The High Streets Task Force has gone further with its support for English high streets ahead of the reopening of non-essential retain on June 15th. The new package of support, announced today (June 12) by Government, will provide retailers with new training, expert advice and online resources to ensure their transition is as smooth, safe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-support-from-high-streets-task-force 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-support-from-high-streets-task-force Fri, 12 Jun 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has announced today (June 11) that over a million new green jobs could be created by 2050 if the Government works with Councils. The LGA is calling on Government to develop a set of economic recovery measures, including skills and employment schemes, complete with devolved funding to facilitate the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-million-new-green-jobs-by-2050- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-million-new-green-jobs-by-2050- Thu, 11 Jun 2020 14:15:00 GMT Local authorities across England will receive a share of a new £63m funding package, confirmed today by Government (June 11), to help struggling residents to buy food and essentials. The additional financial support will enable councils to further support communities who have been affected by coronavirus and would otherwise struggle... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-63m-for-local-welfare-assistance-fund- 2950,433,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-63m-for-local-welfare-assistance-fund- Thu, 11 Jun 2020 11:45:00 GMT On this week’s episode, Executive Member for Children and Families and Leeds City Council, Cllr Fiona Venner, joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices to discuss how families in Leeds are being supported through the crisis. As more school children are sent back to school, a lot of anxiety is apparent among children and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-17-the-wider-impact-of-covid-19-on-our-children 2950,453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-17-the-wider-impact-of-covid-19-on-our-children Thu, 11 Jun 2020 11:15:00 GMT The Government has opened applications for the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) and data science conversion courses. The Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden announced yesterday (June 10), that 2,500 graduates can apply for a place on new masters courses starting in Autumn 2020. Of the 2,500 places available, 1,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worlds-first-ai-and-data-science-courses 433,453,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worlds-first-ai-and-data-science-courses Thu, 11 Jun 2020 09:30:00 GMT CASE STUDY: A primary schools perspective of going into coronavirus lockdown  Our Lady Of Walsingham R C Primary School Clare Johanson As the parent support advisor and schools safeguard lead I work closely with all our vulnerable families or those families who just need a little extra support. As daily contact via school... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/being-a-primary-school-in-the-covid-19-era 453,446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/being-a-primary-school-in-the-covid-19-era Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:45:00 GMT Nottingham City Council has announced (June 10) that it will offer businesses across the region free trials of new electric vans following a successful £2.69m Government grant. The authority will buy 50 of the electric vehicles for companies to use on a ‘try-before-you-buy’ basis, until March 2022, funded through the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-invest-269m-into-electric-vehicles 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-invest-269m-into-electric-vehicles Wed, 10 Jun 2020 12:45:00 GMT A report, published today (June 10) by the Public Accounts Committee, is calling on the Department for Education to rethink their approach to University Technical Colleges (UTCs), as findings show taxpayers pay ‘over the odds’. New financial targets and measures of success for students are recommended as part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxpayer-paying-over-the-odds-for-utcs 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxpayer-paying-over-the-odds-for-utcs Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities in England will be given new powers to make journeys safer for cyclists, announced by Cycling Minister Chris Heaton-Harris today (June 10). From June 22nd, new laws will allow councils to use CCTV to issue penalty charge notices to drivers who illegally park or load in cycle lanes, posing a risk to cyclists. The new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-new-powers-to-protect-cyclists- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-new-powers-to-protect-cyclists- Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT Emma Williamson – Head of Scrutiny Services at Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council held an online Extraordinary Meeting of the Full Council, with 80 members, on 28th April. The Council have now held 15 meetings via Microsoft Teams, including Licensing hearings, Scrutiny meetings and Cabinet meetings. As the impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/case-study-birmingham-city-council 2950,439,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/case-study-birmingham-city-council Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:00:00 GMT Three Cheshire councils have secured £5.4m in funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) to help young people and adults into work, training or higher education. Cheshire East, Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester Councils announced the successful bidding to the ESF yesterday (June 8), boosting social intervention work in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-secure-54m- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-secure-54m- Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:45:00 GMT Content provided by Goss Interactive, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive Clackmannanshire Council make innovative use of GOSS Bookings in the wake of the easing of lockdown measures. With the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions starting to ease across the UK, many local authorities are beginning to re-open certain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-use-goss-bookings 2950,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-use-goss-bookings Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Public Sector Executive is proud to unveil its new Editorial Board, with members from all corners of the public sector. We are keen to hear more from our board members and have hand picked some exciting new members to keep our audience up to date with the latest and greatest in within local government. Our Board now consists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pse-unveils-new-editorial-board-members 2950,436,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pse-unveils-new-editorial-board-members Mon, 08 Jun 2020 16:45:00 GMT Cybercrime, including ransomware, is widespread and creating significant data protection and recovery challenges for many Public Sector organisations, but how do you ensure a breach doesn't bring your organisation down? Public Sector Executive, in partnership with Pheonix Software, want to understand the challenges you face in the 'where'... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protecting-the-public-sector-from-cybercrime- 2950,439,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protecting-the-public-sector-from-cybercrime- Mon, 08 Jun 2020 15:15:00 GMT A bold recovery plan was approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on Friday (June 5) with green ambitions at its core.   The blueprint, WM2041: A programme for Implementing an Environmental Recovery sets out how the region will bounce back from the economic impact of coronavirus whilst making it a greener and healthier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-approve-ambitious-green-recovery-plan- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-approve-ambitious-green-recovery-plan- Mon, 08 Jun 2020 10:15:00 GMT Newcastle City Council launched a £3m fund on Friday (June 5) to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) that haven’t had been eligible for previous emergency business grant schemes. Councils across the UK have launched discretionary funds to support businesses in the area that haven’t previously benefitted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-launches-3m-sme-support-fund- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-launches-3m-sme-support-fund- Mon, 08 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has today (June 5) called for a delay to council loan repayments as the financial fallout of the crisis threatens their efforts to lead their communities. The LGA is asking for access to cheaper short-term loans with delayed repayments to ease the cash flow problems during the immediate Covid-19... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-delay-to-council-loan-repayments- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-delay-to-council-loan-repayments- Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:30:00 GMT Content provided by TechnologyOne, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive. A CEO’s perspective  Andrew Grant, former CEO of Aylesbury Vale District Council, often questions whether digital transformation even exists at a local government level. I recently invited Andrew to share his unique perspective on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-ceos-perspective- 2950,446,452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-ceos-perspective- Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:15:00 GMT A Tussell report (June 4) has revealed that nearly 400 Covid-related contracts have been awarded, worth over £1.7bn. Public sector procurement has seen an 18% increase in published tenders in May compared to April, with an almost 300% increase on the Covid-related awards, as the traditional competitive tender process was put to one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gov-pays-17bn-in-procurement-contracts 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gov-pays-17bn-in-procurement-contracts Fri, 05 Jun 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Mayor of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, James Palmer, secured unanimous approval from his Board yesterday (June 3) for a £13.1m giveaway available to eleven market towns. Applications for the multi-million pound allocation will go to the Board for approval from July 2020 onwards, with a spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/131m-market-town-giveaway 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/131m-market-town-giveaway Thu, 04 Jun 2020 11:45:00 GMT A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) finds Britain could be in a position to ‘lead the world in hydrogen power.’ The think-tank report, Driving Change, highlights the importance of full transport decarbonisation, leaving no type of vehicle behind, as doing so would ‘forfeit significant future economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cps-report 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cps-report Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:15:00 GMT Yesterday (June 3) saw the Government’s housing agency, Homes England, agree £309m for the delivery of three major London housing developments. The three sites, in Brent Cross, Silvertown and Barking Riverside have capacity for up to 20,000 new homes. The necessary infrastructure to accelerate the delivery of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homes-england-agrees-309m 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homes-england-agrees-309m Thu, 04 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Public Health England (PHE) published a report yesterday (June 2) confirming that the risk and outcomes of the Coronavirus pandemic is not felt equally across the country. The disparity came to light through the PHE report, Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19, that analysed a number of factors including age and sex, location... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-england 442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-england Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:30:00 GMT This week’s episode, Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes CBE joined host Emily Rodgers on the Public Sector Voices podcast to highlight his ambitions for the future of his city. Nick has been instrumental in representing local government and their economies through a decade of austerity and has worked to secure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-16-cllr-nick-forbes 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-16-cllr-nick-forbes Wed, 03 Jun 2020 10:30:00 GMT Cheshire East Council has taken a big step in their fight against the climate emergency as planning permission for a green hydrogen refuelling compound has been secured. The £1m scheme, based in Middlewich, will help to reduce carbon and improve air quality around Cheshire East. Funding for the project was secured earlier in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-makes-hydrogen-fuel-progress- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-makes-hydrogen-fuel-progress- Wed, 03 Jun 2020 09:30:00 GMT This week will see the return of car park charges set by local councils, but different authorities will be approaching it in different ways. The latest Government guidelines encourage those who can safely return to work to do so, with non-essential retail set to reopen on June 15. From late March and throughout lockdown, councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-parking-charges 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-parking-charges Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:00:00 GMT New Government proposals were published yesterday (June 1) that could help the UK go further in tackling climate change. The new system, jointly designed with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, boasts a UK-wide Emissions Trading System (ETS) that would charge for carbon pollution, encouraging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-uk-tackle-climate-change 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-uk-tackle-climate-change Tue, 02 Jun 2020 10:45:00 GMT Content provided by Goss Interactive, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive.   New coronavirus dashboards help Gateshead Council keep track of vulnerable citizens' support requests during pandemic Gateshead Council has recently developed brand new Coronavirus dashboards to help their staff keep track of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/c-19-dashboards-help-council- 2950,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/c-19-dashboards-help-council- Tue, 02 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has announced plans for a new housing company, set to deliver 500 affordable homes a year. Initial proposals for the council-owned housing development company were agreed in March, with a view to accelerate the number of multi-tenure, sustainable, high-quality homes for lower-income families. In the ten-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500-affordable-homes-a-year 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500-affordable-homes-a-year Mon, 01 Jun 2020 14:45:00 GMT Mayor of Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis has welcomed a new report today (June 1) from The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) on the Natural Assets in the North. The report, A plan for nature in the north of England: Natural Assets North, sets out four key recommendations from the thinktank and charity, IPPR North, to boost the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-plan-for-nature-in-the-north 2950,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-plan-for-nature-in-the-north Mon, 01 Jun 2020 10:15:00 GMT Cabinet members at Dover District Council are set to meet on June 1 to decide a number of new budget measures, including a £2.5m support package for town centres. The fiscal challenges faced as a result of the coronavirus crisis have resulted in a revised budget proposal from the District Council, as the budget pressure for 2020/21... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dover-district-councils-25m-plan 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dover-district-councils-25m-plan Mon, 01 Jun 2020 09:15:00 GMT North East Lincolnshire Councillors approved plans yesterday (May 28) that will see a total of £4.967m invested into two major highway projects. Part of the plan will release £2.967m of Department of Transport funding for vital repairs to Grimsby’s historic Grade 2 listed Corporation Road Bridge. The Council has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/projects-in-grimsby-given-green-light- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/projects-in-grimsby-given-green-light- Fri, 29 May 2020 12:30:00 GMT The East Midlands region has been promised a huge economic boost with a £2.7bn multimodal transport plan published this week (May 28). The plan has been developed and published by a number of councils, transport bodies and East Midlands Airport and covers improved rail, bus and tram networks as well as enhanced road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-midlands-26bn-transport-plan 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-midlands-26bn-transport-plan Fri, 29 May 2020 11:15:00 GMT Schools in Kirklees are set to benefit from a £3.4m investment, agreed by the cabinet members yesterday (May 28). The funding will replace and upgrade vital facilities across at least 25 different primary and secondary schools in Kirklees. The refurbishments will look to make the school building more sustainable and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kirklees-council-investment-into-schools- 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kirklees-council-investment-into-schools- Fri, 29 May 2020 10:00:00 GMT In this week’s episode, Lord Robert Kerslake joined host Emily Rodgers to discuss the recent UK2070 Commission on levelling up UK towns and cities. He has been listed as one of the most influential people in the public sector thanks to his services to Local Government that span from Council Chief Executive to President of the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-15-lord-kerslake 2950,436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-15-lord-kerslake Thu, 28 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT Content provided by Nextivity, Editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive Colin Abrey of Nextivity explains why uninterrupted 4G coverage in public sector buildings cannot wait As Covid19 lingers on relentlessly mobile telecoms and home broadband services are providing society with some semblance of normality. Everyday life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-reliable-indoor-mobile-coverage-post-covid19- 438,439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-reliable-indoor-mobile-coverage-post-covid19- Thu, 28 May 2020 11:30:00 GMT A £61m investment has been agreed today (May 28) by Homes England for the development of a neighbourhood with 6,500 new homes. Developers Urban&Civic will deliver the 716-acre community at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, with the first £15m of contracts being awarded to local contractors in the next six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homes-england-61m-investment- 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homes-england-61m-investment- Thu, 28 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT The West Yorkshire devolution deal, worth more than £1.8bn in local funding, took a major step forward last week as councils gave the green light for public consultation. Five West Yorkshire authorities and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority held meetings on the delivery of the West Yorkshire devolution deal, and agreed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deal-worth-18bn- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deal-worth-18bn- Thu, 28 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT Kirklees Council’s Cabinet gave the green light yesterday (May 26) for the £250m Huddersfield Blueprint to be part of planning policy, following the extensive input of local people.   The Blueprint is now agreed as a Supplementary Planning Document, making it an official guideline for all town centre development, ensuring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kirklees-council-250m-blueprint 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kirklees-council-250m-blueprint Wed, 27 May 2020 11:30:00 GMT Bristol Council has announced that a new project, with the potential to transform the lives of people living in council homes, will be discussed by the Cabinet next month. The programme, Moving Forward Together (MFT), will look to improve the lives of tenants in Bristol and prioritise the improved delivery of the housing service. New... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moving-forward-together 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moving-forward-together Wed, 27 May 2020 10:00:00 GMT Council leaders and business owners situated along the proposed ‘eastern leg’ of HS2 have called on Government (May 26) to commit to its progression in line with the ‘western leg’. Their claim is that by progressing HS2 East, it will boost economic recovery after the Coronavirus crisis, and give towns and cities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-on-government 2950,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-on-government Wed, 27 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT Information has been announced (May 23) on the £1bn Infrastructure programme that will see the A66 upgraded as part of the Northern Trans-Pennine transformation. It brings the project a step closer as the official preferred route is announced as well as the list of improvements Highways England wants to take into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/route-announced-for-1bn-transformation 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/route-announced-for-1bn-transformation Tue, 26 May 2020 10:30:00 GMT Core Cities UK, representative body of the key cities across England and Wales, has published a letter written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Robert Jenrick MP today (May 26) after Covid-19 related costs pass £1.6bn and counting. The letter calls on Government for more financial support, stressing the fact that the cities and city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-call-on-gov-for-more-financial-support 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-call-on-gov-for-more-financial-support Tue, 26 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT High Streets Minister Simon Clarke announced a £50m boost yesterday (May 26) for councils across the country to safely reopen their high streets and other retail spaces. Non-essential retail businesses, which have remained closed throughout lockdown, are preparing to reopen when scientific advice says they can. The fund, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50m-funding-for-councils 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50m-funding-for-councils Tue, 26 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT Local Authorities in England will be supported with an additional £300m in funding to help roll out the new test and trace service. The Department of Health and Social Care announced today (May 22) that local authorities will be ‘central’ to supporting the new service, and will be asked to develop tailored outbreak... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-receive-extra-300m-for-test-and-trace-services 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-receive-extra-300m-for-test-and-trace-services Fri, 22 May 2020 16:15:00 GMT The Scottish Government has announced that pupils will return to schools on August 11, providing scientific advice says it is safe to do so. The Deputy First Minister John Swinney confirmed yesterday (May 21) a plan for safe return to schools, through a combination of school and home learning. The new date is one week earlier than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-in-scotland-to-reopen-with-new-measures-in-august- 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-in-scotland-to-reopen-with-new-measures-in-august- Fri, 22 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT Start-up companies working on green solutions in the UK are set for a £40m jointly-funded pot to ‘supercharge’ the next generation of clean, low-carbon technologies. Announced yesterday (May 21) by Alok Sharma MP, The Clean Growth Fund will underpin the UK’s 2050 carbon neutrality ambitions and give UK companies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-start-ups-to-get-40m- 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-start-ups-to-get-40m- Fri, 22 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT The society for innovation, technology and modernisation (Socitm) has published a document to help local authorities continue their ‘astonishing’ response to the Covid-19 crisis. New ways of working have been an essential part of the continued public services delivered across the UK. Local authorities have been ensuring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socitm-supports-local-authorities-with-a-new-local-normal- 2950,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socitm-supports-local-authorities-with-a-new-local-normal- Thu, 21 May 2020 16:30:00 GMT East Hampshire District Councillor Paula Langley joined Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to give us insight into the role of a councillor at a very local level, and how the community is pulling through the crisis. Paula represents the most deprived ward in East Hampshire, and was inspired to enter local politics after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-14-deeds-not-words-cllr-paula-langley- 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-14-deeds-not-words-cllr-paula-langley- Thu, 21 May 2020 12:30:00 GMT Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire LEP (D2N2) gave the green light yesterday (May 20) for a £3.8m grant, to part fund the construction of the £7.42m Hollis Lane Link Road project in Chesterfield. It forms a vital part of the Chesterfield Station Masterplan, a regeneration scheme boosting sustainable economic growth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chesterfield-station-masterplan- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chesterfield-station-masterplan- Thu, 21 May 2020 11:00:00 GMT The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced yesterday (May 20) that £150m will be made available from dormant bank and building society accounts to support charities and social enterprises during the crisis. £79m has already been unlocked and is set to be repurposed to help charities’ coronavirus response and recovery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/150m-unlocked-from-dormant-accounts- 433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/150m-unlocked-from-dormant-accounts- Thu, 21 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced today (May 21) a Cultural Renewal Taskforce to help the recreation and leisure sector get back on its feet following the pandemic. Representatives for the arts, cultural and sporting world have been tasked with developing a blueprint for reopening businesses and venues safety and in line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cultural-renewal-taskforce- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cultural-renewal-taskforce- Thu, 21 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT A pan-London partnership to secure emergency personal protective equipment (PPE) for care homes is expected to deliver more than 48 million PPE items. The new agreement came yesterday (May 19) to step up for care homes and other local frontline services across London, to be distributed in the coming weeks as safety concerns continue to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-boroughs-48-million-items-of-ppe- 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-boroughs-48-million-items-of-ppe- Wed, 20 May 2020 14:30:00 GMT Businesses and training providers in Sheffield are set to benefit from two new strands of the Sheffield City Region’s Skills Bank programme, launched yesterday (May 19). Skills Bank, which forms part of SCR’s Growth Hub is supporting those affected by the Coronavirus crisis with new online training programmes, developed for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-skills-bank-new-support- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-skills-bank-new-support- Wed, 20 May 2020 11:30:00 GMT Business Secretary Alok Sharma has announced today (May 20) that the Government is doubling the investment into the Fast Start Competition to £40m. Start-up companies and innovative businesses are due for a £40m boost from government to support new technological advances. The Competition was originally set at £20m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/start-up-businesses-get-40m-boost- 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/start-up-businesses-get-40m-boost- Wed, 20 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT The Environment Audit Committee launched a new inquiry yesterday (May 18) into the energy efficiency of existing homes. Around 29 million homes are considered to have the potential to improve their energy efficiency according to figures published by the committee. Making homes more energy efficient would improve household incomes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-energy-efficiency 2950,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-energy-efficiency Tue, 19 May 2020 12:15:00 GMT A £37m settlement has been announced today (May 19) by the Department of Education to support children with complex needs in 2020-21. Children with special educational needs and disabilities are set to benefit from £37.3m of direct support over the next year, expected to help over 75,000 families in England. The money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/37m-to-support-children-with-complex-needs-and-their-families 453,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/37m-to-support-children-with-complex-needs-and-their-families Tue, 19 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT The HM Treasury has announced today (May 19) the extension of the loan size available through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) from £50m to £200m. The amount increase will support large firms that don’t qualify for the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coronavirus-business-loan 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coronavirus-business-loan Tue, 19 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Schools and Families at Bury Council Cllr Tamoor Tariq has addressed the headteachers in the area with his position regarding Central Government’s arrangements for re-opening schools. The letter starts by thanking staff members at Bury council for their ‘unswerving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bury-council-opposes-plans 2950,453,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bury-council-opposes-plans Mon, 18 May 2020 16:15:00 GMT To mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week today (May 18), the Welsh Minister for Education Kirsty Williams and Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething, have announced £3.75m in mental health funding. The focus of the funding will be supporting children and young people with their mental health in schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-gov-5m-funding-for-mental-health-in-schools-now-for-under-11s 2950,453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-gov-5m-funding-for-mental-health-in-schools-now-for-under-11s Mon, 18 May 2020 10:45:00 GMT Leaders of the biggest councils in England have called for a ‘£5bn income guarantee’ from Government to help them make it through the crisis period. Local authorities are at risk of having to declare insolvency as the pandemic continues and more pressure is put on the delivery of public services, and feel an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-5bn-income-guarantee-backed-by-treasury- 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-5bn-income-guarantee-backed-by-treasury- Mon, 18 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT Council chiefs and leaders in Leeds are set to discuss the latest coronavirus response report and recovery plans in an online meeting tomorrow (Tues 19). The executive board of Leeds City Council will analyse and consider the work being done to support recovery in the city as well as planning the delivery of work still to be done as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meeting-with-leeds-council-leaders-to-discuss-c-19-recovery 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meeting-with-leeds-council-leaders-to-discuss-c-19-recovery Mon, 18 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT Plans were approved yesterday (May 14) for the first building in London to incorporate urban greening on such a large scale. The City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee has approved the building on Fenchurch Street that is set to include extensive vertical urban greening designed to improve air and noise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-light-for-largest-urban-greening-building-in-london 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-light-for-largest-urban-greening-building-in-london Fri, 15 May 2020 12:45:00 GMT Director of Core cities UK Chris Murray joined Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to discuss how the 11 key cities, that sit at the centre of wider economic areas, could prosper as lockdown restrictions are lifted. Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-13-building-economic-resilience-through-local-powers-chris-murray- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-13-building-economic-resilience-through-local-powers-chris-murray- Thu, 14 May 2020 16:30:00 GMT Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will announce a multi-billion-pound infrastructure package today (May 14) making roads and railways smoother and safer. A total of £1.7bn will be announced today as a Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund to ensure that England’s drivers and cyclists will return to the roads having had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shapps-announces-multi-billion-pound-fund-for-road-and-railway 433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shapps-announces-multi-billion-pound-fund-for-road-and-railway Thu, 14 May 2020 16:00:00 GMT London Councils, which represents the Capital’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, has asked residents to work with them and their local authorities to ensure parks and green spaces are kept open. In line with new Government advice that came into effect yesterday, (May 14) people are now able to exercise outdoors as much as they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-ask-public-to-help-keep-green-spaces-open- 2950,870,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-ask-public-to-help-keep-green-spaces-open- Thu, 14 May 2020 12:15:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an extra £600m for care homes during Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQs) yesterday (May 13). It came with specific reference to infection control in care homes, in response to claims from Leader of the opposition Keir Starmer that the Government had been “too slow to protect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-announces-600m-for-infection-control-in-care-homes 2950,870,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-announces-600m-for-infection-control-in-care-homes Thu, 14 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT A Local Education Authority in Bury has launched an Educational Psychology Service and parent helpline to support parents and carers through this crisis. The current situation is causing parents and carers a lot of stress and worry, particularly for those with children or young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-education-authority-launches-parent-and-carer-helpline- 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-education-authority-launches-parent-and-carer-helpline- Wed, 13 May 2020 14:45:00 GMT The Carbon Trust and Imperial College London have joined forces to lead a new energy consortium project looking at how a flexible energy system can help reach net zero ambitions. The cross-sector consortium, launched yesterday (May 12), will explore the notion of an integrated and flexible energy system to accelerate the UK’s goal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-energy-consortium-launched-to-help-with-net-zero-ambitions- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-energy-consortium-launched-to-help-with-net-zero-ambitions- Wed, 13 May 2020 11:15:00 GMT Core Cities UK has urged Government to put localism at the heart of the coronavirus recovery. City leaders that form the 11 Core Cities group, including Chair Cllr Judith Blake, have claimed that a centralised ‘command and control’ approach to easing lockdown is the wrong one. The representative group is calling for City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-more-local-powers-for-c-19-recovery 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-more-local-powers-for-c-19-recovery Wed, 13 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has published a plan to re-start the housing market allowing anyone form today (May 13) to move home providing health and safety guidance is followed. According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, more than 450,000 people have been unable to progress the house moving process... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-secretary-to-re-start-housing-market-with-new-measures- 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-secretary-to-re-start-housing-market-with-new-measures- Wed, 13 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT Content provided by GOSS Interactive, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive.   GOSS Interactive assists Dumfries and Galloway Council deliver new integrated online support services to their residents and business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/goss-help-council-deliver-new-integrated-online-support-services 2950,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/goss-help-council-deliver-new-integrated-online-support-services Tue, 12 May 2020 11:30:00 GMT Scottish Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the housebuilding sector will be able to apply for a short-term loan of up to £1m from the Scottish Government. The pandemic lockdown restrictions have seen many sites across the sector close to limit the spread of the virus, and SME housebuilders have faced liquidity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scot-gov-announce-100m-fund-for-sme-housebuilders 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scot-gov-announce-100m-fund-for-sme-housebuilders Tue, 12 May 2020 10:00:00 GMT Lambeth Council has announced it will start issuing fines to drivers who leave they engine running whilst stationary. A £20 fine has been introduced by the local authority to crack down on harmful car idling, as well as the launch of a new awareness campaign aimed at improving air quality across the borough. Leaving the engine... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-crackdown-to-see-fines-issued-for-car-idling- 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-crackdown-to-see-fines-issued-for-car-idling- Tue, 12 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT Norfolk County Council has announced today (May 11) that it is due to receive a funding package of an additional £1.1m from the Department for Education (DfE) to further support its work with young people in care and their families. The Council, in partnership with Essex and Hertfordshire County Councils, originally launched its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-councils-to-receive-extra-11m-to-support-children-in-care 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-councils-to-receive-extra-11m-to-support-children-in-care Mon, 11 May 2020 14:45:00 GMT A redevelopment in Leicester has been given the green light as the £17m investment package is put in place. The 19th century Fenwick building, originally called ‘The Gresham’, is situated on the corner of Market Street in Leicester and will be transformed into a 121-bedroom aparthotel, with a lobby bar, restaurant and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-and-lep-support-17m-redevelopment-plans- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-and-lep-support-17m-redevelopment-plans- Mon, 11 May 2020 10:30:00 GMT Transport Secretary Grant Shapps launched a set of greener, more active transport plans on Saturday (May 9) with plans to promote walking and cycling across the country. The £2bn investment forms part of the £5bn funding announced for buses and cycling in Feb 2020, of which £250m will be put into pop-up cycle lanes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2bn-boost-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians- 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2bn-boost-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians- Mon, 11 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT Sacha Lord, Night-time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to discuss the region’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis, underpinned by its rich music heritage. Sacha brought events like Warehouse Project and Parklife to the region and in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-12-sacha-lord-dancing-through-the-crisis- 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-12-sacha-lord-dancing-through-the-crisis- Thu, 07 May 2020 15:15:00 GMT A Herefordshire primary school is set for a £6m expansion after a contractor was agreed for the work to be carried out. Herefordshire Council has signed a contract with Morgan Sindall Construction to take on the major renovation of Marlbrook Primary School at Green Croft. Included in the construction programme is six new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contractor-appointed-for-6m-school-improvements-in-herefordshire- 2950,453,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contractor-appointed-for-6m-school-improvements-in-herefordshire- Thu, 07 May 2020 09:30:00 GMT Leaders across Greater Manchester have pushed forward their ambitious travel plans as up to £5m of emergency funding is made available to recover from the impact of covid-19. Yesterday (May 6) saw the launch of Safe Streets Save Lives, a campaign to support social distancing in the city region during lockdown and beyond. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-launches-5m-active-travel-plan 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-launches-5m-active-travel-plan Thu, 07 May 2020 08:45:00 GMT Longstanding membership association for the public sector and civil service workers, Boundless, is giving away 10,000 film codes from steaming platform Chili for public service workers. The film codes are worth £10 each, giving the total gesture a value of £100,000. It comes as a thank you for front line public service workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boundless-donates-100000-of-free-films-for-public-sector-workers 2950,446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boundless-donates-100000-of-free-films-for-public-sector-workers Wed, 06 May 2020 15:15:00 GMT Leaders from 25 more councils have committed to continuing vital building safety improvements throughout the pandemic period today (May 6). Building Safety Minister Lord Greenhalgh has confirmed the additional support of 25 Council leaders for building safety work to continue, providing they can be done safely. The pledge, agreed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-pledge-support-for-building-safety-improvements- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-pledge-support-for-building-safety-improvements- Wed, 06 May 2020 12:30:00 GMT This week has seen Cheshire East Council agree its Carbon Neutral Action Plan and its first Environment Strategy, two huge steps in tackling the climate emergency. The Council’s first virtual meeting took place yesterday (May 5) in response to lockdown restrictions and new government regulations allowing the meeting to take place... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-boost-for-cheshire-east-council-on-climate-emergency- 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-boost-for-cheshire-east-council-on-climate-emergency- Wed, 06 May 2020 11:30:00 GMT Stoke-on-Trent City Council has tripled its number of pothole repairs, with almost 1,900 completed in city streets since lockdown measures started. 7.5 miles of road have been resurfaced in the last 42 days, including the A53 MFI roundabout, Westport Road in Burslem, Manor Street in Fenton and Cemlyn Avenue in Blurton. An exact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-council-triples-number-of-pothole-repairs-thanks-to-travel-restrictions 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-council-triples-number-of-pothole-repairs-thanks-to-travel-restrictions Wed, 06 May 2020 10:30:00 GMT Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) are starting to reopen across the country in areas where councils are able to implement social distancing rules. The Government published guidance for local authorities yesterday (May 5) on the safe re-opening of the HWRCs in their regions, as demand soars following the lockdown... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-guide-councils-on-safe-re-opening-of-recycling-centres- 2950,443,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-guide-councils-on-safe-re-opening-of-recycling-centres- Wed, 06 May 2020 10:00:00 GMT Mayor Ben Houchen is calling on business owners across Tees Valley to help with the coronavirus recovery plan. The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown restrictions have put a huge strain on businesses across the country and the Mayor is leading efforts to shape the future of his region’s recovery plan. In partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-houchen-calls-on-businesses-to-shape-recovery-plan 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-houchen-calls-on-businesses-to-shape-recovery-plan Tue, 05 May 2020 14:15:00 GMT Programme Director at the Institute for Government, Joe Owen, joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices to discuss the recent report he co-authored called Lifting the Lockdown: How to approach a coronavirus exit strategy. Joe is currently leading the Institute’s research on Whitehall’s preparations for exiting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-voices-ep-11-lifting-the-lockdown- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-voices-ep-11-lifting-the-lockdown- Tue, 05 May 2020 14:15:00 GMT Council staff on the Isle of Wight will be the first to access a new coronavirus action plan to help minimise the spread of the virus and return to normality. The Government’s ‘test, track and trace’ plan was launched on the Isle of Wight yesterday (May 4), allowing residents to help the Government move towards lifting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-first-to-gain-access-to-test-track-and-trace-plan 2950,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-first-to-gain-access-to-test-track-and-trace-plan Tue, 05 May 2020 09:45:00 GMT Mayor of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis has secured £11m worth of funding to protect essential public transport services for key workers and essential journeys. More than £10m was secured by the Mayor in April for bus services whilst maintaining and extending concessionary payments. The effect of which will see the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-metro-mayor-secures-11m-public-transport-deal- 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-metro-mayor-secures-11m-public-transport-deal- Mon, 04 May 2020 11:15:00 GMT The Education Secretary has announced a number of new measures today (May 4) to protect students and universities from the effects of impact of coronavirus. A package of measures has been outlined by Gavin Williamson to safeguard the higher education sector through the current pandemic and stabilise university admissions this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coronavirus-support-package-for-higher-education-sector- 2950,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coronavirus-support-package-for-higher-education-sector- Mon, 04 May 2020 10:30:00 GMT A support package of £6.1m has been announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to support high streets and town centres in England through the coronavirus crisis. High Streets Minister Simon Clarke MP confirmed the funding on Friday (May 1), giving hundreds of local businesses a lifeline to fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/61m-in-funding-for-high-streets-and-town-centres- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/61m-in-funding-for-high-streets-and-town-centres- Mon, 04 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT The next 12 months will see £12m worth of maintenance schemes carried out along a 28-mile stretch of the M56. Highways England has announced today (May 1) that the motorway linking Manchester and North Wales will be upgraded to provide a better journey for drivers. The £12m investment will fund a number of improvements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-to-wales-motorway-set-for-12m-improvements 433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-to-wales-motorway-set-for-12m-improvements Fri, 01 May 2020 12:30:00 GMT In a letter written to councils in England, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has thanked the work of local councils and outlined that testing is available for their staff. The letter, written today (May 1), thanks council workers for their hard work in supporting communities and reminds them of their eligibility for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/covid-19-testing-available-for-council-workers 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/covid-19-testing-available-for-council-workers Fri, 01 May 2020 10:45:00 GMT A new virtual cyber school is offering thousands of young people the opportunity to become the next generation of cyber security experts. As schools across the country are closed to stop the spread of coronavirus, online learning is playing a vital role in education. The new initiative aims to inspire talented young people to work in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-new-virtual-cyber-school-for-young-people 454,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-new-virtual-cyber-school-for-young-people Fri, 01 May 2020 09:15:00 GMT HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Ministry of Justice have announced today that a new video platform will be brought in to ensure criminal hearings continue to be carried out during this period of travel restrictions. The new system will allow all magistrate and crown courts across England and Wales to hold secure hearings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/video-tech-to-ensure-criminal-justice-system-continues- 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/video-tech-to-ensure-criminal-justice-system-continues- Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:45:00 GMT The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has launched the Commission for Economic Renewal today (Apr 30) analysing the policies and interventions required to put the UK in the best position to rebuild economies after the coronavirus pandemic. By uniting some of the foremost economic development practitioners and academics to instigate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ied-launches-commission-for-economic-renewal- 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ied-launches-commission-for-economic-renewal- Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:45:00 GMT The Institute for Government has published a report today (Apr 30) urging the Government to be straight with the public that there is 'no single grand exit plan' from the coronavirus lockdown. The paper, named Lifting the Lockdown: How to approach a coronavirus exit strategy, highlights that any easing of restrictions will need to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-report-calls-for-transparency-regarding-lockdown-exit-plan- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-report-calls-for-transparency-regarding-lockdown-exit-plan- Thu, 30 Apr 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Scottish Government has committed to fully funding a new £10m infrastructure programme for pop-up walking and cycling routes or temporary improvements to existing routes. The new projects will be supported by Transport for Scotland, Sustrans Scotland who will provide guidance and advice to local authorities on enhancements such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-gov-commits-10m-to-deliver-pop-up-active-travel-infrastructure- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-gov-commits-10m-to-deliver-pop-up-active-travel-infrastructure- Wed, 29 Apr 2020 11:45:00 GMT A new board has been formed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to steer the region’s economy out of the crisis caused by the pandemic. Business and organisation leaders from across West Yorkshire are uniting to form an Economic Recovery Board to ensure the region is best placed to fightback from the coronavirus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sector-leaders-unite-for-west-yorkshire-economy-recovery-board- 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sector-leaders-unite-for-west-yorkshire-economy-recovery-board- Wed, 29 Apr 2020 10:30:00 GMT The Government has confirmed allocations for the £1.6bn of latest Covid-19 funding for individual councils, it came on the same day The County Councils Network (CCN) called for more clarity (Apr 28). Councils in England have been allotted the precise sum of funding they will receive as Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-allocates-16bn-covid-funding-for-councils- 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-allocates-16bn-covid-funding-for-councils- Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:15:00 GMT The Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2 LEP) has greenlighted £2.4m in funding for Chesterfield Borough Council to invest in HS2 infrastructure. The multi-million-pound investment will go towards developing the Chesterfield railway station are to maximise the economic benefits... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lep-confirms-24m-for-councils-investment-in-hs2-site 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lep-confirms-24m-for-councils-investment-in-hs2-site Tue, 28 Apr 2020 13:00:00 GMT Source: PSE April/May 20 Nadine Smith – Centre for Public Impact. Even in the best of times, trust in government, both local and national, hangs on a knife edge. Throughout this Covid-19 crisis, trust will matter more than ever, as the government asks us to place our faith in them in a very big way - more so than any time since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communicating-in-a-crisis-puts-trust-in-government-to-the-ultimate-test 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communicating-in-a-crisis-puts-trust-in-government-to-the-ultimate-test Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:45:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) has urged the Government today (Apr 28) to be clearer on the amount of funding individual authorities will receive from the latest £1.6bn of emergency funding. It comes as analysis reveals that the coronavirus is costing almost £1bn extra to care costs. While the Government has announced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urge-government-for-funding-clarity-as-care-costs-rise- 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urge-government-for-funding-clarity-as-care-costs-rise- Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:15:00 GMT 10,000 local councils across England have stepped up to support their communities through the coronavirus crisis. The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has commended England’s 10,000 local councils for their vital role during this pandemic. Local councils, including parish and town councils have stepped up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-commends-englands-local-councils-during-coronavirus 2950,438,870,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-commends-englands-local-councils-during-coronavirus Tue, 28 Apr 2020 08:45:00 GMT A ground-breaking renewable energy scheme is set to emerge from abandoned coal mines in South Tyneside, cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by hundreds of tonnes. This £7m system will take geothermal energy from flooded mines in the former Hebburn Colliery and use it to heat council-owned buildings in the area, including a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/7m-renewable-energy-scheme-to-go-ahead-in-south-tyneside- 2950,433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/7m-renewable-energy-scheme-to-go-ahead-in-south-tyneside- Fri, 24 Apr 2020 12:30:00 GMT A partnership between Leeds City Council, a food and hunger charity, local businesses and the third sector has seen over 5,000 vital food parcels delivered to vulnerable people in Leeds. As part of a major emergency food distribution programme in the city of Leeds, more than 5,000 food parcels have been delivered in less than a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-5000-emergency-food-parcels-delivered-in-leeds 2950,438,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-5000-emergency-food-parcels-delivered-in-leeds Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:45:00 GMT The natural reaction to a crisis like this is to retreat, scale back and fear for the future. While it is an uncertain future, history has shown us that fortune favours the bold and now is the time to invest in increasing your market share. The World Advertising and Research Centre (WARC) published an article last month stating that there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-step-up-and-increase-your-market-share 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-step-up-and-increase-your-market-share Thu, 23 Apr 2020 11:45:00 GMT A national effort to recruit social care workers has been made today as part of a new campaign launched by the Department of Health and Social care. The campaign ‘Care for Others. Make a Difference’ aims to inspire the public to consider a career in social care and attract more staff into the sector. Health Secretary Matt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-recruitment-campaign-for-adult-social-care-launched- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-recruitment-campaign-for-adult-social-care-launched- Thu, 23 Apr 2020 10:45:00 GMT Content provided by Cadcorp, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive.   Building upon its “Cloud First” ICT strategy, Arun District Council migrates to Cadcorp cloud-hosted web mapping Arun District Council (ADC) has been using Cadcorp web mapping technology since 2014. It is deployed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/arun-district-council-moves-to-cloud-gis 2950,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/arun-district-council-moves-to-cloud-gis Thu, 23 Apr 2020 08:30:00 GMT A partnership between Manchester City Council and the NHS has seen a new coronavirus testing facility open at the Etihad Campus in Manchester. The drive-through testing centre, which opened Monday (Apr 20), is for frontline NHS staff, care workers, other key workers and their families who are showing potential symptoms of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-and-nhs-partnership-opens-coronavirus-test-centre- 2950,438,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-and-nhs-partnership-opens-coronavirus-test-centre- Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:30:00 GMT West Sussex County Council has announced that a road building project worth £23m, which will support new homes and jobs and cut congestion and pollution, is set to start soon. The major set of works will be carried out in Burgess Hill, which will see the A2300 improvements scheme widen around 2.5km of single-land road to become a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-on-key-transport-link-worth-23m-set-to-start-soon- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-on-key-transport-link-worth-23m-set-to-start-soon- Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:45:00 GMT Metro Mayor Dan Jarvis, of the Sheffield City Region has called on industry to work together in making ‘life-saving’ medical equipment in response to the coronavirus crisis. Businesses in South Yorkshire are being asked to turn their hand to the production of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including gowns, visors, masks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-dan-jarvis-makes-ppe-plea-to-industry- 2950,433,438,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-dan-jarvis-makes-ppe-plea-to-industry- Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:45:00 GMT Sponsored Content - Source: PSE April/May   You might think that the move to electric vehicles is a new phenomenon; a novel idea to support the recent commitments to net zero carbon or a response to council’s declaring a climate emergency. You’d be wrong. BMW unveiled its first battery electric vehicle at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bmw-the-power-of-choice- 433,438,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bmw-the-power-of-choice- Mon, 20 Apr 2020 16:00:00 GMT The University of Sunderland has designed protective face shields for healthcare professionals working on the frontline during the coronavirus outbreak. The visors were designed and developed by experts from the University’s Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP) with input from intensive care unit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/university-designs-and-delivers-protective-face-shields- 453,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/university-designs-and-delivers-protective-face-shields- Mon, 20 Apr 2020 13:00:00 GMT The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced today (Apr 20) a new coronavirus support package of £1.25bn to protect and support firms driving UK innovation. The Government support package, will provide targeted and tailored help for some of the most dynamic sectors within the economy, from tech firms to life sciences. The funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/125bn-announced-to-protect-innovative-uk-firms- 433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/125bn-announced-to-protect-innovative-uk-firms- Mon, 20 Apr 2020 10:00:00 GMT The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson announced yesterday (Apr 19) that disadvantaged children across England will receive laptops and tablets to support remote education during the coronavirus crisis. Children in the most vital stages of their education, who are missing school as families stay home to stop the spread of the virus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/online-learning-boosted-by-major-new-support-package 453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/online-learning-boosted-by-major-new-support-package Mon, 20 Apr 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced a further £1.6bn to support councils through this pandemic. Announced on Saturday (Apr 18) by Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, the extra £1.6bn will be delivered to councils across England to respond to the coronavirus crisis as they support local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/additional-16bn-for-councils-announced-by-government- 2950,870,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/additional-16bn-for-councils-announced-by-government- Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:30:00 GMT The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have launched a consultation on the terms of extending the Climate Change Agreement scheme (CCA), which is set to save businesses up to £300m a year. The scheme works to reduce energy usage of businesses by setting targets in return for discounts on the climate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extension-to-climate-change-scheme-to-save-businesses-up-to-300m-a-year- 2950,433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extension-to-climate-change-scheme-to-save-businesses-up-to-300m-a-year- Fri, 17 Apr 2020 14:45:00 GMT Cambridge County Council has launched a local feedback initiative for its Babraham Park and Ride Smart Energy Scheme to further its vision of delivering net zero carbon emissions in the region by 2050. The council has invested £11m into 55 schools across the county so far to redevelop their energy programmes and constructed a 12MW... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-seeks-local-feedback-on-smart-energy-scheme- 2950,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-seeks-local-feedback-on-smart-energy-scheme- Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:30:00 GMT A regeneration scheme which forms part of a masterplan expected to attract £1.7bn worth of private sector investment has been agreed today (Apr 17) by Birmingham City Council and Homes England. The major development project has been given the green light for Homes England to release land for one of the city’s largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-homes-england-development-deal-secured-for-birmingham- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-homes-england-development-deal-secured-for-birmingham- Fri, 17 Apr 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced today (Apr 16) that councils will be given greater financial relief for cash flow pressures. New measures mean that councils will be able to defer £2.6bn in business rates payments to Central Government to ease immediate financial pressures on local authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-ability-to-defer-26bn-in-government-payments- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-ability-to-defer-26bn-in-government-payments- Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:15:00 GMT A Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council cabinet meeting yesterday (Apr 15) saw a new Cyber Security Strategy approved. As local councils across the UK move a lot of their operations online, cyber security is more in important than ever, and sensitive data must be protected against new types of threats, risks and malware. The new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barnsley-council-publishes-new-cyber-security-strategy 2950,454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barnsley-council-publishes-new-cyber-security-strategy Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:30:00 GMT Trafford Council and Birmingham City Council have both launched online support systems for young people’s mental health at this time of crisis. Trafford Council, which launched its service today (Apr 16), is offering free online counselling and online emotional support to children and young people through the Covid-19... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-work-to-support-young-peoples-mental-health 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-work-to-support-young-peoples-mental-health Thu, 16 Apr 2020 11:00:00 GMT Content provided by Spry Fox Networks, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive.   Stuart Waine of Spry Fox Networks explains why 4G coverage inside public sector buildings is a necessity and not just a nice to have Ask any public sector organisation about their biggest challenges and they will invariably... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/emergency-call 2950,433,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/emergency-call Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:45:00 GMT A £4m scheme of works begins today in Liverpool, resulting in the closure of a key route in the city. Liverpool City Council has contracted the work on Princes Avenue and Road to form part of a £4m improvement that will create a cycle path along the central reservation. Other improvements in this area include the planting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-begins-on-liverpools-4m-improvement-scheme 2950,433,436,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-begins-on-liverpools-4m-improvement-scheme Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:15:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has announced (Apr 14) that they are funding a new programme aimed at giving local people the skills needed to start a new career in construction. The innovative programme has moved online for the first time, in order to continue training people as current Government restrictions require people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-funding-for-new-online-construction-training-course- 433,446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-funding-for-new-online-construction-training-course- Wed, 15 Apr 2020 09:00:00 GMT Source: PSE April/May By Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind The past few weeks have been unprecedented for us all. The arrival of coronavirus in the UK has meant that, for the vast majority of us, our way of life has changed. Change isn’t easy for most people, and it can be especially difficult for the one in four of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protecting-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus- 870,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protecting-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus- Tue, 14 Apr 2020 15:30:00 GMT Space-enabled technology and services aimed at strengthening the NHS in fighting coronavirus has been given a boost today (Apr 14) thanks to a new funding drive from the UK Space Agency. The space industry has the means to provide crucial support to the country’s fight against coronavirus with technologies including satellite data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-space-tech-to-support-coronavirus-response- 433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-space-tech-to-support-coronavirus-response- Tue, 14 Apr 2020 10:45:00 GMT Home England has announced today (Apr 14) that it acquired £180m worth of housing sites in the last financial year, with the 19 sites having capacity for 5,000 new homes across the country. The Government’s housing agency completed several of these major purchases in the lead up to the end of the financial year, which in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homes-england-gives-long-term-hope-to-housing-market 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homes-england-gives-long-term-hope-to-housing-market Tue, 14 Apr 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry (Apr 6) into the role British innovation has to play in tackling climate change, with particular focus on offshore wind. Specific technology currently in use or in development will be examined, with consideration of its potential and using it to its best and most cost-effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-technological-innovations-for-climate-change- 2950,437,436,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-technological-innovations-for-climate-change- Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:30:00 GMT A new partnership between NHSX and technology firms is helping vulnerable care home residents to connect with their loved ones during this period of isolation. The ability to communicate with friends and family can provide vital emotional support to those currently living in isolation. The Government has announced today (Apr 9) that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhsx-partners-with-tech-firms-to-reduce-social-isolation- 439,870,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhsx-partners-with-tech-firms-to-reduce-social-isolation- Thu, 09 Apr 2020 10:00:00 GMT Content provided by Priority Digital Health, editorially reviewed by Public Sector Executive.   Fast-growing digital provider, Priority Digital Health, have developed and launched a new platform in response to the COVID-19 crisis - within the space of week. The Covid-19 Welfare platform, designed by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/covid-19-welfare-platform-helping-the-most-vulnerable- 438,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/covid-19-welfare-platform-helping-the-most-vulnerable- Wed, 08 Apr 2020 16:30:00 GMT Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced today (Apr 8) in his weekly virtual press conference his plans to provide free tram travel for NHS staff and social care workers, as a thank you for their service during the coronavirus outbreak. According to the Mayor, he had been lobbied by MPs from across GM to provide the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-mayor-to-offer-free-metrolink-to-nhs-and-healthcare-staff 870,446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-mayor-to-offer-free-metrolink-to-nhs-and-healthcare-staff Wed, 08 Apr 2020 15:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Apr/May Cllr Peter John OBE – Chair of London Councils As the complex, long-term challenge of the global COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, London borough councillors and officers are working night and day to protect and support Londoners, especially our most vulnerable residents, while also finding a way to continue... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-stepping-up-to-the-covid-19-challenge- 2950,433,438,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-stepping-up-to-the-covid-19-challenge- Wed, 08 Apr 2020 11:45:00 GMT The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a £1m fund today (Apr 8) to ‘fast-track innovation’ in helping the Armed Forces in the fight against coronavirus. The opportunity, launched with support from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is open to any new idea or approach that could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dasa-launches-1m-fund-as-call-for-innovation-to-tackle-covid-19 433,438,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dasa-launches-1m-fund-as-call-for-innovation-to-tackle-covid-19 Wed, 08 Apr 2020 10:15:00 GMT The Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, Cllr Sue Murphy CBE died yesterday (Apr 7) at the age of 59, following an ongoing illness. She was first elected to the City Council in 1995, and had served as Executive Member for Employment and Skills and Executive Member for Finance, before becoming Deputy Leader in 2010, a position she... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-pays-tribute-to-deputy-leader-sue-murphy-cbe 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-pays-tribute-to-deputy-leader-sue-murphy-cbe Wed, 08 Apr 2020 09:15:00 GMT Source: PSE Apr/May 20   The need for energy efficient homes In 2019, the Government became the first major global economy to sign a commitment to net-zero emissions into law. And this year the United Kingdom is hosting the UN’s COP26, where the world will come together to jointly commit to action toward an economy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficient-homes-housing-minister-christopher-pincher- 433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficient-homes-housing-minister-christopher-pincher- Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:15:00 GMT National domestic abuse charity, Women’s Aid, has launched a campaign today (Apr 7) to highlight risks of abuse during coronavirus lockdown. The campaign, ‘The Lockdown’ aims to raise awareness of the added dangers of domestic abuse during the lockdown period currently ongoing. The video shows empty streets around... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/womens-aid-launches-the-lockdown-campaign-amid-coronavirus- 454,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/womens-aid-launches-the-lockdown-campaign-amid-coronavirus- Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:15:00 GMT Nottingham City Council is recruiting 1,600 new care workers to support vulnerable people in the community during the coronavirus crisis. The Council is calling on people in its region to come forward and take on a new role as an essential care worker as pressure on public services continues to rise. Those who are elderly, vulnerable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-seeks-1600-new-care-workers- 2950,870,446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-seeks-1600-new-care-workers- Tue, 07 Apr 2020 10:15:00 GMT A new Procurement Policy Note (PPN) has been published by the Cabinet Office to further protect suppliers during and after the coronavirus outbreak. Under this new PPN, contracting authorities must take action with immediate effect to ensure suppliers at risk can continue normal operations once the outbreak is over. Suppliers at risk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-moves-to-further-protect-suppliers-after-coronavirus- 433,436,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-moves-to-further-protect-suppliers-after-coronavirus- Tue, 07 Apr 2020 09:15:00 GMT In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the Cabinet Office has actioned an immediate change to the use of procurement cards, to improve organisations’ efficiency and ensure payments are made alongside robust controls. The additional pressure experienced by the supply chain during this period can have a serious effect on maintaining... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/procurement-policy-change-to-ease-cash-flow-pressures-on-suppliers- 2950,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/procurement-policy-change-to-ease-cash-flow-pressures-on-suppliers- Mon, 06 Apr 2020 15:30:00 GMT Hackney Council has announced that 100% of its electricity is now supplied by renewable sources. The change, which came into effect last week, is part of the council’s action plan to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change. All of the council’s electricity now comes from wind and solar power and supports a range... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hackney-council-now-using-100-renewable-electricity- 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hackney-council-now-using-100-renewable-electricity- Mon, 06 Apr 2020 11:30:00 GMT A funding package worth £20m has been announced by Government today (Apr 3) to help businesses boost the UK’s resilience to the long-term impact of coronavirus and similar future situations. Technology businesses will be able to apply for grants of up to £50,000 to help develop new ways of working and enhance certain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tech-funding-of-20m-to-boost-uk-resilience-following-coronavirus- 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tech-funding-of-20m-to-boost-uk-resilience-following-coronavirus- Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:45:00 GMT Local authorities across England have been given new powers to enable virtual public meetings using video or telephone conferencing technology. From tomorrow (Apr 4) the new powers will come into play and local councils will be able to hold virtual public meetings thanks to legal requirements from Government being temporarily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-new-powers-for-virtual-public-meetings- 2950,436,443,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-new-powers-for-virtual-public-meetings- Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:30:00 GMT The Government has announced a £3.25m fund to support organisations redistributing food across England during the coronavirus outbreak. The funding will be used to help redistribute up to 14,000 tonnes of surplus stock and minimise food waste during this crisis. Logistical barriers with obtaining, storing and transporting food... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/food-redistribution-to-benefit-from-3m-cash-support 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/food-redistribution-to-benefit-from-3m-cash-support Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps has announced almost £400m in funding to keep buses in England operational during the coronavirus crisis. Key workers across the country who rely on public transport to get to work will benefit from a funding boost of £397m announced today (Apr 3).  The package, in partnership with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/close-to-400m-to-keep-buses-operational-during-crisis 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/close-to-400m-to-keep-buses-operational-during-crisis Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:00:00 GMT A newly streamlined, Government-backed certification scheme for cyber security was launched this week (Apr 1) by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The ‘new look’ Cyber Essentials Scheme will be delivered to protect organisations from cyber threats and create clear guidance to respond effectively to cyber... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-look-cyber-security-protection-for-businesses 438,439,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-look-cyber-security-protection-for-businesses Fri, 03 Apr 2020 08:30:00 GMT The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has issued a warning of a ‘wave of waste’ to come after concerns of ‘spiralling’ household waste in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Local councils are expecting a spike in household rubbish as waste collection workforce is limited due to self-isolation. Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-waste-warning-during-coronavirus-crisis 2950,446,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-waste-warning-during-coronavirus-crisis Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:15:00 GMT More than £20m has been delivered to businesses in the Bradford area through the Government’s Small Business Grant Fund. Yesterday (Apr 1) saw one-off grants of £10,000 delivered to over 2,000 businesses to help them to survive this economically unstable period of time as the country tackles the coronavirus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bradford-council-pays-out-20m-under-the-small-business-grant-scheme 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bradford-council-pays-out-20m-under-the-small-business-grant-scheme Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:15:00 GMT Mayor Andy Burnham hosted a live, virtual press conference today to provide updates on Greater Manchester’s response to the coronavirus. During the video he announced that Metrolink services would be reduced as passenger numbers fall to below 10%, with 20-minute intervals in between as less people are leaving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-andy-burnham-and-sir-richard-leese-covid-19-update 2950,433,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-andy-burnham-and-sir-richard-leese-covid-19-update Wed, 01 Apr 2020 15:00:00 GMT Teesside University has joined forces with the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority to deliver a package of practical support for local businesses during the coronavirus emergency. A coordinated approach to tackling the economic impact on the region’s businesses will be taken by the new collaboration, along with a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teesside-university-unveils-covid-19-business-support-package 2950,433,453,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teesside-university-unveils-covid-19-business-support-package Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:45:00 GMT A new Director of Public Health at Liverpool City Council has been appointed and will step into the role today (Apr 1). Matthew Ashton, 47, will take on the responsibility of keeping the 500,000 citizens in Liverpool happy and healthy, a notable task to take on during the Covid-19 pandemic. He begins the role from a study in his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-appoints-new-director-of-public-health 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-appoints-new-director-of-public-health Wed, 01 Apr 2020 09:00:00 GMT Sport England has announced today (Mar 31) that it will be making up £195m of funding to support the sport and physical activity sector during this crisis. It will consist of a £115m rollover of current funding into 2021/22 to guide established partners into the future and continue to facilitate the vital delivery of sport and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sport-england-announce-195m-in-coronavirus-support-funding- 433,453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sport-england-announce-195m-in-coronavirus-support-funding- Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/Mar Dr Melanie Smans is Economic Development Manager at South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils   The South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils Business and Innovation Strategy Action Plan 2016-2020 highlights the importance of providing support to people who wish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-support-lessons-learned-from-our-start-up-and-productivity-project 2950,433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-support-lessons-learned-from-our-start-up-and-productivity-project Tue, 31 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT  A new voucher scheme has been launched today (Mar 31) to protect families unable to claim their free school meals during school closures. The national voucher scheme will provide every child, eligible for free school meals, a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 to be redeemed at supermarkets. During this time, when children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scheme-launched-for-recipients-of-free-school-meals- 453,442,443,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scheme-launched-for-recipients-of-free-school-meals- Tue, 31 Mar 2020 11:00:00 GMT First Minister of the Welsh Government Mark Drakeford has announced a new £500m fund today (Mar 30) to further support the Welsh economy. In addition to the wider economy, businesses and charities facing an unstable period or decline in trade due to the current pandemic will be supported. The Economic Resilience Fund will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economic-resilience-fund-worth-500m-announced-by-welsh-gov 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economic-resilience-fund-worth-500m-announced-by-welsh-gov Mon, 30 Mar 2020 16:45:00 GMT Round of the Urban Tree Challenge Fund opens today (Mar 30), which enables local councils and community groups to apply for a share of £10m to fund tree planting in urban areas. Opened by the Forestry Commission, the aim of the fund is to help finance the planting of more than 130,000 trees across England’s towns and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/second-round-of-10m-urban-tree-challenge-fund-open 437,870,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/second-round-of-10m-urban-tree-challenge-fund-open Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:30:00 GMT Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has announced a £5m fund to house 1000 of the region’s most vulnerable people with immediate effect. Following a meeting of the Greater Manchester COVID-19 Emergency Committee, an ‘urgent humanitarian response’ has been made by the Mayor to protect individuals from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-mayor-announces-5m-fund- 2950,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-mayor-announces-5m-fund- Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:00:00 GMT In addition to their role responding to core emergencies, Firefighters will be able to deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances and retrieve dead bodies to provide additional support during the coronavirus crisis. A new and unprecedented agreement between the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), fire chiefs and Fire and Rescue Employers confirms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighters-given-additional-roles-to-support-coronavirus-crisis- 870,446,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighters-given-additional-roles-to-support-coronavirus-crisis- Fri, 27 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Home Office has announced today (Mar 26) that new powers have been bestowed upon the UK police force to deal with the response to coronavirus. It comes in a bid to ensure people stay at home, and in doing so protect the NHS and save countless lives. The new powers, which come into effect from today will support police by allowing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-powers-given-to-police-amid-coronavirus- 446,443,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-powers-given-to-police-amid-coronavirus- Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:30:00 GMT Manchester City Council has announced today (Mar 26) that a partly-vacant brownfield site in the region is set for 100 low-carbon one and two bedroom apartments and 39 semi-detached family homes. The report, outlines that the 1.2ha of council land on Oldham Road, Newton Health will be transformed into a residential zone split equally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-set-to-deliver-low-carbon-affordable-homes- 2950,433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-set-to-deliver-low-carbon-affordable-homes- Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:45:00 GMT Last week, the Government announced that £2.9bn of the £5bn COVID-19 fund announced the in the Chancellor’s budget will be spend on caring for the most vulnerable in society. The money will be spent on helping patients no longer in need of urgent hospital treatment to be cared for at home, making at least 15,000 beds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-responds-to-the-29bn-funding-for-most-vulnerable-in-society 433,870,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-responds-to-the-29bn-funding-for-most-vulnerable-in-society Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:15:00 GMT The University of Cambridge will be taking a major role in the fight against the coronavirus spread after it was announced that a £20m investment will allow for large-scale investigation into the cause of the virus. The national effort to understand and restrict the novel coronavirus infection is set for a boost as the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridge-to-lead-20m-fight-against-spread-of-coronavirus 453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridge-to-lead-20m-fight-against-spread-of-coronavirus Thu, 26 Mar 2020 09:15:00 GMT The Government has launched a new WhatsApp information service today (Mar 25) to inform the public on the most recent coronavirus developments. Launched by the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England, the free service aims to dispel the spreading of ‘fake news’ and give information and advice on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-coronavirus-messaging-service-launched-by-government- 439,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-coronavirus-messaging-service-launched-by-government- Wed, 25 Mar 2020 14:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the government to ask retired care workers to return to work. In a statement published today (Mar 25), the LGA highlighted the profound impact retired care workers could have on those most at risk of the coronavirus. By asking them to return to work, council leaders believe they could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-gov-should-ask-retired-care-workers-back-to-work 2950,870,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-gov-should-ask-retired-care-workers-back-to-work Wed, 25 Mar 2020 12:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has addressed central government this week (Mar 23) calling for a delay to the launch of its Clean Air Zone. As regions across the country battle with Covid-19 restrictions, workers and residents in Birmingham are needing to prioritise the health of their families and their businesses before the plans for a Clean... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-calls-for-delay-to-clean-air-zone- 2950,437,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-calls-for-delay-to-clean-air-zone- Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP has announced today (Mar 24) the confirmation of a £500m Hardship Fund that will provide council tax relief to those most affected by coronavirus. Vulnerable households who would otherwise struggle to pay council tax will be supported by the new package of funding announced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500m-hardship-fund-to-provide-council-tax-relief 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500m-hardship-fund-to-provide-council-tax-relief Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:00:00 GMT As the country, and indeed the world cease operations to tackle this pandemic, public services must continue, and arguably now more than ever - so must public procurement. Last week, the government made it easier than ever to facilitate the procurement of goods and services in order to allow emergency contracts to be awarded without the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-procurement-innovates-around-covid-19-restrictions- 2950,433,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-procurement-innovates-around-covid-19-restrictions- Tue, 24 Mar 2020 10:45:00 GMT LIVE FROM EVONORTH Councillor Andrew Western is the Leader of Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Green City Region Lead and delivered a speech at the recent EvoNorth event about GM’s plans for a green city region. Cllr Western delves deep into the ‘extremely challenges process’ of achieving a green city region... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bonus-ep-live-from-evonorth-2020-cllr-andrew-western 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bonus-ep-live-from-evonorth-2020-cllr-andrew-western Tue, 24 Mar 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a briefing on the government’s Coronavirus Bill, debated by MPs today. The LGA, which represents councils across England and Wales, outlines the measures in the bill deemed positive and welcome and also highlights further recommendations to support local government through the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-coronavirus-bill-positive-but-further-powers-wanted- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-coronavirus-bill-positive-but-further-powers-wanted- Mon, 23 Mar 2020 16:30:00 GMT In an effort to support the mental and physical health of its employees, the Cabinet Office is aiming to develop a digital wellness platform. The platform is intended to support staff in tracking and improving their physical wellbeing, as well as helping to manage common workplace mental strains including stress, anxiety, focus and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-publishes-contract-notice-for-digital-wellness-platform 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-publishes-contract-notice-for-digital-wellness-platform Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:15:00 GMT From today (Mon 23) businesses struggling to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic will be able to access government support. Announced by the Treasury and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the funding pot will help to keep businesses operating during the global economic crisis currently being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gov-launches-coronavirus-business-support-worth-330bn- 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gov-launches-coronavirus-business-support-worth-330bn- Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:00:00 GMT “I think the budget should be ripped up; I think that budget is now a piece of fiction.” The Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), Nigel Wilcox has written a report outlining the immediate, medium and long-term responses to the Covid-19 pandemic felt across the UK. PSE’s Emily Rodgers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ied-the-budget-should-be-ripped-up-due-to-covid-19 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ied-the-budget-should-be-ripped-up-due-to-covid-19 Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:15:00 GMT The government has announced today (Mar 18) a change in their approach to the procurement of goods and services amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with immediate effect. In order to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency during this time of crisis when the supply chain is disrupted, the government has permitted various new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-changes-procurement-policy-in-response-to-covid-19 2950,433,446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-changes-procurement-policy-in-response-to-covid-19 Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:45:00 GMT More than £2.2m has been granted to local authorities across England today (Mar 18) as a part of a government push to improve air quality. The funding comes from the government’s Air Quality Grant, and will support innovative projects and local schemes aimed at developing new air quality improving measures in partnership with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/22m-boost-for-local-authorities-to-tackle-air-pollution- 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/22m-boost-for-local-authorities-to-tackle-air-pollution- Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:15:00 GMT Computer scientists at Loughborough University have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can predict air pollution levels. Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people per year around the world, making it a huge concern for at-risk communities. The AI system created by a team of computer scientists at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scientists-at-loughborough-university-develop-ai-air-pollution-system- 453,437,438,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scientists-at-loughborough-university-develop-ai-air-pollution-system- Tue, 17 Mar 2020 12:15:00 GMT Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) has unlocked over £182m in Local Growth Fund investment since 2014. Businesses and residents in the area have seen 5764 new jobs created and 1379 new homes made available. Delivered through GBSLEP’s Growth Programme, the funding supports investments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gbslep-investment-passes-180m-milestone- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gbslep-investment-passes-180m-milestone- Tue, 17 Mar 2020 10:15:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20 Stephen Bahooshy, Senior Commissioning Manager and Nicky Selwyn, Carer and Service User Group Chair, Croydon Council.   Here it is, that age old question: What came first, the bad customer or the bad customer service? (Or maybe we just made that up, whatever). But it’s true though, right? We... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-came-first-the-bad-customer-or-the-bad-customer-service- 2950,446,452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-came-first-the-bad-customer-or-the-bad-customer-service- Tue, 17 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT Digital projects aimed at improving public services are set for a £1.2m boost thanks to Government funding for six councils across England. The six councils will receive a share of £1.2m to allow innovation in areas such as public services improvement. Up to £350,000 will be available for each council to accelerate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-councils-to-receive-12m-boost-to-digital-projects 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-councils-to-receive-12m-boost-to-digital-projects Mon, 16 Mar 2020 13:30:00 GMT A new review launched today (Mar 16) by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will look at making journeys easier, smarter and greener. New technology will be consulted on as part of the Future of Transport regulatory review, aiming to making options apart from the car more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launch-review-into-transport-tech- 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launch-review-into-transport-tech- Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT Lancashire County Council has raised £350m from UK Municipal Bonds Agency (UKMBA) over a five-year period at a fixed-rate deal at a rate of SONIA+80bps, which will be used to meet Lancashire’s short-term capital borrowing needs. Sir Merrick Cockell is the Chair of the UKMBA, and spoke to PSE’s Emily Rodgers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-borrow-350m-from-ukmba- 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-borrow-350m-from-ukmba- Mon, 16 Mar 2020 08:30:00 GMT Leicester City Council has secured a £33m package of funding from the Government’s Transforming City Fund for a transport scheme in the city. Plans for city-wide improvement measures on transport, cycling and walking across Leicester are set for a £33m cash injection following a successful council bid. The city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-announces-33m-transport-funding- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-announces-33m-transport-funding- Fri, 13 Mar 2020 12:15:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday (Mar 12) that will lead to 10,000 high quality homes in the region. The partnership between the developers and the combined authority support the WMCA’s commitment to investing in suitable homes for its residents following their recent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-deal-to-deliver-10000-high-quality-homes- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-deal-to-deliver-10000-high-quality-homes- Fri, 13 Mar 2020 12:15:00 GMT Our tenth PSE Podcast takes us on the go to Leeds Civil Hall where we speak with Leeds City Council Leader Judith Blake. A real whistle-stop tour of the work being done in the North and specifically Leeds. Council Leader Judith Blake joins hosts Emily Rodgers and Matt Roberts for the tenth PSE podcast. Recorded in Leeds Civic Hall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-10-fighting-for-leeds-cllr-judith-blake-cbe 2950,2899,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-10-fighting-for-leeds-cllr-judith-blake-cbe Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:30:00 GMT Manchester City Council announced today (Mar 13) the successful bid for £51.6m from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund to unlock key housing sites in Manchester’s Northern Gateway. Supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the bid focused on 20hectacres of brownfield land which will make... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchesters-51m-bid-success-for-northern-gateway-housing- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchesters-51m-bid-success-for-northern-gateway-housing- Fri, 13 Mar 2020 08:45:00 GMT A major flyover bridge in Leeds City Centre Is set for a £30m transformation project in May. Originally built in the late 1960s, the Regent Street Flyover will be replaced by a more modern structure to improve traffic flow on the key route through the city. It comes after decades of damage from road salt and poor construction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-flyover-bridge-to-get-30m-transformation- 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-flyover-bridge-to-get-30m-transformation- Thu, 12 Mar 2020 13:30:00 GMT The Education and Skills Funding Agency has announced today (Mar 12) a new league table highlighting the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The rankings will look to commend some of the best apprenticeship employers in the country and help prospective applicants along with their careers advisers and families to find the best opportunities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-apprenticeship-league-table-launched-by-gov 453,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-apprenticeship-league-table-launched-by-gov Thu, 12 Mar 2020 10:15:00 GMT The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps has set out new proposals today (Mar 12) to tackle pavement parking and make pavements safer and more accessible. New proposals specifically aim to improve the safety of people with mobility or sight impairments and parents with prams who may need to walk into the road to avoid parked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-consultation-on-safer-pavements-for-pedestrians- 2950,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-consultation-on-safer-pavements-for-pedestrians- Thu, 12 Mar 2020 09:45:00 GMT New Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his first Budget today, (Mar 11) less than a month after taking on the role. Mr Sunak began the Budget speech by addressing the issue of coronavirus with a £30bn “fiscal stimulus”, stating the government is prepared to give the NHS “whatever resources it needs” to cope... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-2020-a-new-era-for-the-country 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-2020-a-new-era-for-the-country Wed, 11 Mar 2020 15:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has today (Mar 11) unveiled ambitious plans to halve greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years. With existing commitments to becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038, Manchester’s Climate Change Partnership has produced a framework outlining what the region should do to contribute to tackling the climate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-halve-greenhouse-gas-emissions 2950,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-halve-greenhouse-gas-emissions Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:45:00 GMT London boroughs are calling for more council freedom in today’s budget (Mar 11) to allow them to take control of the housing crisis in their region, by having the funds to build more affordable homes. Representative group London Councils announced yesterday (Mar 10) that it was urging the Treasury to make radical policy changes to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-need-budget-freedom-to-tackle-homelessness 2950,433,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-need-budget-freedom-to-tackle-homelessness Wed, 11 Mar 2020 09:30:00 GMT Last week saw the highly-anticipated EvoNorth event take place in Manchester. Amid Coronavirus fears, disruption and cancelled events, hundreds of public and private sector leaders vowed to keep their hands clean and their minds open for two days of immersive collaboration. With the impressive backdrop of Emirates Old Trafford... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evonorth-2020-connecting-the-north 2899,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evonorth-2020-connecting-the-north Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:45:00 GMT The city of Oxford has propelled its efforts in reducing air pollution with its first electric open-top double decker bus which arrived in Oxford yesterday (Mar 9). It comes ahead of the Oxford Zero Emission Zone, and is the first of five open-top City Sightseeing Oxford buses currently being retrofitted to be more environmentally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-electric-open-top-double-decker-bus-arrives-in-oxford- 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-electric-open-top-double-decker-bus-arrives-in-oxford- Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20   Rachael Morgan is the Procurement Manager at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and has been dealing with the organisation’s procurement for over nine years. PSE’s Emily Rodgers spoke to her at the recent National Social Value Conference about how social value has evolved in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-the-significance-of-social-value-in-communities- 2950,433,870,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-the-significance-of-social-value-in-communities- Tue, 10 Mar 2020 09:45:00 GMT Close to £3m has been announced by the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and UK Research and Innovation to support entrepreneurial female innovators and young people into science. Yesterday’s announcement (Mar 8), from the UK’s first dedicated female Science Minister, Amanda Solloway, will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-3m-unveiled-to-support-female-science-innovators- 433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-3m-unveiled-to-support-female-science-innovators- Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:45:00 GMT Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed a £5.2bn investment into flood defences during a visit to Bewdley in Worcestershire on Sunday (Mar 8). The town, home to the River Severn, was badly hit by floods following the wettest February on record. And although the area of Bewdley is slowly getting over the devastation as the river levels... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-welcomes-52bn-for-flood-defences-and-announces-further-200m 433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-welcomes-52bn-for-flood-defences-and-announces-further-200m Mon, 09 Mar 2020 08:45:00 GMT A ground-breaking trial is being rolled out in London using household batteries to support the electricity grid. The revolutionary ‘virtual power station’ will help to manage demands during peak winter periods and reduce carbon emissions across the capital, following a successful pilot. 45 households have been paid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-virtual-power-station-to-be-rolled-out-in-london- 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-virtual-power-station-to-be-rolled-out-in-london- Fri, 06 Mar 2020 11:45:00 GMT The government has announced today (Mar 6) a £179m investment into the future of UK science. The investment package comes on the first day of British Science Week and will see the next generation of UK scientists supported to maintain a world-leading position in the science industry. Business Secretary Alok Sharma and Education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/next-generation-of-scientists-to-benefit-from-179m-investment- 453,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/next-generation-of-scientists-to-benefit-from-179m-investment- Fri, 06 Mar 2020 09:45:00 GMT The next round of the Contracts for Difference scheme, announced yesterday (Mar 2), is set to help power millions more homes with renewable energy. The scheme is due to open in 2021, and the latest round will be open to renewable technologies including onshore wind and solar energy. Included in the announcement is the news of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-measures-to-help-power-millions-more-homes-with-renewable-energy 433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-measures-to-help-power-millions-more-homes-with-renewable-energy Tue, 03 Mar 2020 12:30:00 GMT The Communities Secretary has announced today (Feb 3) winners of a £1.35m fund to deliver green spaces in communities. The announcement, which coincides with World Wildlife Day, sets out 68 new Pocket Parks in every region of England. Funding will be spent on transforming neglected urban spaces into green spaces for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-of-135m-fund-for-68-green-spaces-announced- 2950,437,441,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-of-135m-fund-for-68-green-spaces-announced- Tue, 03 Mar 2020 09:45:00 GMT Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has today (Feb 2) announced a new competition aimed at finding the best architects and designers to help deliver homes for the future. The most talented designers in industry are invited to submit their ideas for new low carbon homes that meet the highest standards and will cater for the needs of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-design-competition-for-homes-of-the-future- 433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-design-competition-for-homes-of-the-future- Mon, 02 Mar 2020 15:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20 A free government whitepaper sets out nine simple steps to successful technology buying for the public sector. Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Technology Solutions document tackles the purchase of both hardware and network services. Reliable and secure online services, telephone contacts, email... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-tech-tips-for-the-public-sector- 433,438,439,446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-tech-tips-for-the-public-sector- Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:30:00 GMT The Communities Secretary, Simon Clarke has announced today (Mar 2) a £3.5m investment package to support the regeneration of Grimsby, of which £2.2m is new investment for its landmark Town Deal. The Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has awarded £1.3m through the government’s local growth fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-35m-announced-for-grimsby-regeneration 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-35m-announced-for-grimsby-regeneration Mon, 02 Mar 2020 11:45:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has announced a multi-million pound investment to transform the former Caparo steelworks into local housing. A 252-home community will emerge from the derelict steelworks site in Walsall, turning a long-standing eyesore into a 16.5-acre housing site. The Combined Authority will also work to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-wmca-investment- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-wmca-investment- Mon, 02 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT A first-of-its-kind smart street lighting pilot in Lincolnshire is close to completion thanks to a partnership between South Kesteven District Council and a Scottish technology company. The new pilot scheme, set to finish this month, includes the highest quality LED street lighting and IoT technology to monitor air quality and footfall in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-cutting-edge-smart-street-lighting-pilot-almost-complete 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-cutting-edge-smart-street-lighting-pilot-almost-complete Fri, 28 Feb 2020 11:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20 Mary Lanigan, Council Leader for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Steel has been the lifeblood of generations in Redcar and Cleveland. We like to tell everyone we meet that our steel built the world; it’s not wholly true, but our steel did build many of the world’s great bridges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redcar-and-cleveland-borough-council-steely-determination- 2950,433,438,446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redcar-and-cleveland-borough-council-steely-determination- Fri, 28 Feb 2020 10:45:00 GMT A new partnership between eight cities across south Wales and west England has launched a new website and prospectus setting out a vision to boost local economies. The Western Gateway, originally launched by Cabinet Ministers in November 2019 is the third powerhouse in the UK after the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine and is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-western-gateway-to-deliver-56bn-to-uk-economy-by-2030 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-western-gateway-to-deliver-56bn-to-uk-economy-by-2030 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT We’re living in a digital age. The global cloud computing industry has evolved exponentially with new cloud models and services continually being developed, adopted and deployed. Organisations across all industries, including the public sector, have quickly found themselves with a duty to keep pace and investigate cloud options. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maximising-digital-potential 439,2998,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maximising-digital-potential Fri, 28 Feb 2020 09:15:00 GMT Roads Minister Baroness Vere has announced today (Feb 28) a £93m investment into roads and transport tech. Today’s multi-million pound boost to connectivity will ensure England’s roads are fit for the 21st century by providing 32 local authorities with investment for essential repair works, better infrastructure and road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-93m-for-transport-tech-and-road-networks 2950,433,438,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-93m-for-transport-tech-and-road-networks Fri, 28 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Sheffield City Region (SCR) is looking for businesses seeking the opportunity to export to India to apply for its new India Growth Champions scheme. SCR and the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) have partnered to deliver this scheme and are searching for ten SMEs interested in developing business links with India, resulting in a trade... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-seeking-smes-for-india-export-scheme- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-seeking-smes-for-india-export-scheme- Thu, 27 Feb 2020 12:45:00 GMT The UK2070 Commission has published its final report ‘Make No Little Plans – Acting At Scale For A Fairer And Stronger Future’ today (Feb 27) at MediaCityUK in Salford. When issuing the report Chair Lord Kerslake called on government to “go big or go home” in its approach to stemming further economic decline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk2070-report-published-exposing-over-centralised-system- 433,436,2899,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk2070-report-published-exposing-over-centralised-system- Thu, 27 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/Mar 20 Cllr Julian Bell, Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee Taking ambitious action to stop climate change is high on London boroughs’ agenda. With dire warnings from the scientific community about the consequences of unchecked global temperature rises, most boroughs committing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-collaboration-is-central-to-tackling-climate-change 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-collaboration-is-central-to-tackling-climate-change Thu, 27 Feb 2020 10:45:00 GMT An additional £236m in funding has been announced by the Prime Minister today (Feb 27) to help get rough sleepers off the street. A new independent advisor, Dame Louise Casey, has been appointed to lead an urgent review into the causes of homelessness. This will serve as a blueprint for action, for Government to deliver additional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-announces-extra-236m-to-end-rough-sleeping 433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-announces-extra-236m-to-end-rough-sleeping Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20  Matt Spencer, Head of Public Sector at O2, spoke with PSE’s Matt Roberts about how the public sector is lighting the way in digital transformation and innovation.   Where is ‘innovation’ truly happening? For some, the word conjures up locations prefixed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/o2-lighting-the-way- 438,439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/o2-lighting-the-way- Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:15:00 GMT Peterborough City Council has unveiled £2m plans for the largest smart city regeneration project in the UK. The city-wide scheme, The Peterborough Integrated Renewables Infrastructure project (PIRI), will be designed to cut energy bills and facilitate green heat, electricity and transport for people in the area by combining modern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-2m-plans-for-largest-smart-city-project-in-uk 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-2m-plans-for-largest-smart-city-project-in-uk Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:00:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20 Cllr Sean Fielding, Leader of Oldham Council, explains their newly-announced ambitious development plan for Oldham and what it will mean for the local area.   In January 2020 Oldham Council launched an ambitious plan to transform Oldham, including creating more than 2,000 new homes in the town... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oldham-council-creating-a-better-place 2950,433,2899,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oldham-council-creating-a-better-place Wed, 26 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Barrow Borough Council has unveiled an ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2037. It comes after the council declared a climate emergency in July 2019 following a unanimous vote by its elected members. Their net zero plans are underpinned by a set of measures detailing the steps it will take to contribute to global targets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barrow-borough-council-unveils-carbon-neutral-target-of-2037 2950,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barrow-borough-council-unveils-carbon-neutral-target-of-2037 Wed, 26 Feb 2020 11:15:00 GMT A dedicated school leader will be assigned to vulnerable children in every school across the country under new plans published today. (Feb 25) Changes to the role of Designated Safeguarding Leads in schools will be introduced following a consultation launched today, putting greater focus on improving the education of children on the edge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vulnerable-children-to-benefit-from-new-government-plans- 453,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vulnerable-children-to-benefit-from-new-government-plans- Tue, 25 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 20 Professor Awais Rashid - University of Bristol, UK An online resource, bringing together the latest intelligence on cyber security, providing a go-to resource for information security professionals across the public sector. Cyber security of our connected digital world is a major challenge for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cybok-a-knowledge-framework-for-the-cyber-security-workforce 453,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cybok-a-knowledge-framework-for-the-cyber-security-workforce Tue, 25 Feb 2020 10:00:00 GMT The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has today (Feb 25) announced a £49.2bn investment into local council funding, the largest increase in councils’ spending power for a decade. The Local Government Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP made the multi billion pound announcement following a vote in the House... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-confirms-492bn-spending-increase-for-councils- 2950,433,436,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-confirms-492bn-spending-increase-for-councils- Tue, 25 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has today (Feb 24) responded to an announcement from the Home Office for plans to introduce a law aimed at protecting public venues and spaces from terror attacks.  Security Minister James Brokenshire has announced plans for a new law requiring owners and operators of public spaces to keep the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-government-proposals-of-protect-duty-law 2950,454,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-government-proposals-of-protect-duty-law Mon, 24 Feb 2020 09:30:00 GMT New technology is set to benefit parents in supporting their children learning at home, with 6 new apps available to improve speaking, reading and writing. A competition was launched to find the best educational apps for parents to engage young children in learning at home and after a panel of experts consideration, 6 apps have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/6-new-apps-approved-to-help-develop-early-years-learning- 453,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/6-new-apps-approved-to-help-develop-early-years-learning- Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT Our first podcast episode with two guests took us on the road to the TfGM offices where we spoke to two representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Chief Executive Eamonn Boylan and Andrew Lightfoot, Strategic Director – Public Service Reform. With hosts Ailsa Cowen and Matt Roberts, the discussion flowed from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-9-greater-manchesters-bright-future-eamonn-boylan-andrew-lightfoot 2950,2899,442,870,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-9-greater-manchesters-bright-future-eamonn-boylan-andrew-lightfoot Thu, 20 Feb 2020 16:30:00 GMT The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) has called for government action to ‘level-up’ housing in the North as new study highlights disproportionate cut-backs in northern councils. The scale of housing cut-backs in northern councils has been made clear in research launched today (Feb 20) by NHC. The research was carried out by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-housing-consortium-calls-for-government-action- 2950,433,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-housing-consortium-calls-for-government-action- Thu, 20 Feb 2020 12:45:00 GMT The UK’s biggest eco-friendly fleet of refuse vehicles is being launched in Liverpool tomorrow (Feb 21) by Mayor Joe Anderson. The fleet of 20 vehicles, powered by Biomethane, a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), will drastically help to cut Liverpool City Council’s carbon footprint and support their net zero journey. The new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uks-biggest-eco-friendly-refuse-fleet-worth-34m-to-launch-in-liverpool- 2950,433,437,443,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uks-biggest-eco-friendly-refuse-fleet-worth-34m-to-launch-in-liverpool- Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Region’s Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced today (Feb 20) that bus services in the region could be franchised as part of a London-style public transport system. Papers from the Combined Authority, set to be published later today, highlight bus franchising and the “leading option”, amongst others... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-city-region-bus-franchising-is-leading-option- 2950,433,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-city-region-bus-franchising-is-leading-option- Thu, 20 Feb 2020 10:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Feb/March 2020   In the 2017 Autumn budget, an announcement was made for a Public Service Leadership Academy, to help share best practice across public services and drive productivity. The Chancellor believed that the challenges and complexities faced by public sector leaders warranted more training and support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-leadership-centre 2950,438,436,443,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-leadership-centre Thu, 20 Feb 2020 10:00:00 GMT Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden announced today (Feb 20) £65m worth of government funded trials across the country to unlock the potential of 5G and level up infrastructure in rural areas. The potential of modern technology is set to boost rural areas in the UK, as nine winning projects share £35m from the governments rural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-to-unlock-5g-potential-with-65m-funding-pot 433,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-to-unlock-5g-potential-with-65m-funding-pot Thu, 20 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT West Lothian Council has allocated £100m from its budget to increase and improve its housing stock over the next three years. Approved at a council meeting yesterday (Feb 19) the new investment will see over £55m spent on the creation and acquisition of new homes in the region. Included in this is the completion of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-lothian-council-allocates-100m-to-housing-stock 2950,433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-lothian-council-allocates-100m-to-housing-stock Wed, 19 Feb 2020 10:45:00 GMT Bradford Council is set to benefit from a £4m funding pot from government to tackle poor air quality in the district. Yesterday (Feb 18) saw the launch of a public consultation on the proposed Clean Air Zone in Bradford, inviting residents and businesses to have their say, which will run until March 26th. The city centre, Outer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-release-4m-fund-for-bradford-clean-air-zone 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-release-4m-fund-for-bradford-clean-air-zone Wed, 19 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Council has revealed that they are to become the latest UK Smart City, starting with a technological overhaul of the city’s roads. The council are planning to have created a digitised public highway network in Sheffield by spring of this year, with thousands of individual wireless sensors communicating with the latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-to-become-smart-city-starting-with-highway-overhaul 2950,433,438,439,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-to-become-smart-city-starting-with-highway-overhaul Wed, 19 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT The government has given the go ahead to a road upgrade project in West Sussex today (Feb 18), making journeys quicker, safer and more environmentally friendly for communities. The £17m funding package, announced by Transport Minister Baroness Vere, will go into the A2300 improvement scheme aiming to reduce congestion, improve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-sussex-road-upgrade-worth-17m-announced- 2950,433,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-sussex-road-upgrade-worth-17m-announced- Tue, 18 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT A £90m funding package has been announced by government today (Feb 18) to tackle carbon emissions in industry and homes across the UK. Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng has outlined the funding today, with £70m of it to include setting up two of Europe’s first low carbon hydrogen production plants. The first plant will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gov-announces-90m-fund-to-cut-carbon-emissions- 433,437,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gov-announces-90m-fund-to-cut-carbon-emissions- Tue, 18 Feb 2020 08:45:00 GMT Derby City Council and Nottingham City Council are eagerly awaiting a decision from the Department for Transport on a joint submission for over £100m for the second phase of the Transforming Cities Fund. The shared ambition aims to improve connections between the two areas including major employment sites, making it radically easier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-joint-100m-transport-transformation-plan 2950,433,437,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-joint-100m-transport-transformation-plan Mon, 17 Feb 2020 11:45:00 GMT The government has announced today (Feb 17) a £16.6m funding package to support 75 domestic abuse support projects across England. Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick has confirmed that councils across the country will be given a helping hand in providing essential support, this includes safe housing for survivors of domestic abuse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-share-of-over-16m-for-domestic-abuse-services 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-share-of-over-16m-for-domestic-abuse-services Mon, 17 Feb 2020 09:15:00 GMT North Lanarkshire Council’s Environment and Transportation Committee has given its backing to a potential £5m project of investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging and electricity network infrastructure across the region. The proposed charging hubs, located in car parks owned and operated by North and South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-5m-plan-for-ev-charging-network 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-5m-plan-for-ev-charging-network Fri, 14 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) has announced a £2m recovery fund for businesses in Calderdale that suffered in the Storm Ciara floods. Working in partnership with Calderdale Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the LEP has established the Calderdale Business Flood Recovery Fund, worth £2m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lep-establishes-2m-flood-recovery-fund-for-smes 2950,433,437,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lep-establishes-2m-flood-recovery-fund-for-smes Fri, 14 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Last night, (Feb 13) Conservative MP, Jake Berry took to twitter to announce he has stepped down from government and his roles as Northern Powerhouse Minister and Local Growth Minister. In a series of tweets from the Darwen and Rossendale MP, 41-year old Berry revealed that the decision came following the offer of another role requiring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-minister-jake-berry-steps-down- 436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-minister-jake-berry-steps-down- Fri, 14 Feb 2020 10:00:00 GMT It was announced today (Feb 13) that Sajid Javid resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is to be replaced by his deputy, Rishi Sunak. Javid had spent only 204 days in the role of Chancellor since taking over from Philip Hammond in July 2019. It was going to be a moderate shake-up of Johnson’s government, but the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sajid-javid-resigns-as-chancellor-amid-cabinet-reshuffle- 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sajid-javid-resigns-as-chancellor-amid-cabinet-reshuffle- Thu, 13 Feb 2020 14:45:00 GMT Andy Richardson, Chair of the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board In 2014, a vision was laid out in the Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry in Wales to establish how the industry would develop over the next six years on its journey to reaching its full potential. Ambitious growth targets were a key theme. Our aim was to drive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-the-food-and-drink-industry-in-wales-smashed-its-7bn-target-for-growth 2950,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-the-food-and-drink-industry-in-wales-smashed-its-7bn-target-for-growth Thu, 13 Feb 2020 11:30:00 GMT Major investment plans set out by Kirklees Council have been given the green light following budget approval. Yesterday (Feb 12) saw the Full Council vote to approve Kirklees Council’s Budget proposals for 2020-21. Included in the report are plans for regeneration, tackling climate change and achieving outstanding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-investment-plans-for-kirklees-council-approved 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-investment-plans-for-kirklees-council-approved Thu, 13 Feb 2020 10:45:00 GMT The Department for Education has announced a growth in the Budget for Adult Education in 2020/21 following successful support given to those aged 19 and over to learn and develop new skills. Thanks to the devolution deal in the region, the funding will support additional powers to boost the delivery, funding and performance management of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-education-budget-increased-to-306m-in-tees-valley 2950,453,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-education-budget-increased-to-306m-in-tees-valley Wed, 12 Feb 2020 14:00:00 GMT Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has agreed to a grant set to boost development on South Kirkby, one of Leeds City Region Enterprise Zones. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority will deliver the funding, secured on Monday (Feb 10) as part of the wider Leeds City Region Growth Deal worth £1bn, to accelerate growth and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lep-grant-worth-27m-to-boost-development-in-wakefield 2950,433,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lep-grant-worth-27m-to-boost-development-in-wakefield Wed, 12 Feb 2020 11:45:00 GMT Sixteen organisations across England have been awarded a share of £4.5m to invest into digital adult social care projects. The organisations, including 13 local authorities and three charitable trusts are set to receive their share, overseen by NHS Digital, to roll out local digital projects on a wider scale. They have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-digital-adult-social-care-projects-awarded-45m- 2950,433,439,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-digital-adult-social-care-projects-awarded-45m- Wed, 12 Feb 2020 10:15:00 GMT A day many have been waiting for, the government has today (Feb 11) given HS2 the official go-ahead following recommendations from the Oakervee review. The multi billion pound project has had its fair share of criticism but it has been decided by the Prime Minister that the positives ultimately outweigh the negatives. The news comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-respond-to-hs2-announcement- 2950,433,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-respond-to-hs2-announcement- Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:15:00 GMT The Prime Minister will today (Feb 11) announce a £5bn funding package to overhaul bus and cycle links for every region outside of London. The new vision from the Department of Transport (DfT) is set to deliver simpler fares, thousands of additional buses, improved routes and more frequency to local transport networks. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-5bn-investment-into-local-transport 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-5bn-investment-into-local-transport Tue, 11 Feb 2020 08:45:00 GMT Key UK councils have united to put pressure on Whitehall for ‘radical devolution’, to pave the way for the levelling up of cities and regions across the whole of the UK. Core Cities UK and London Councils have joined forces to call on the government to deliver ‘real fiscal devolution’, putting the individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-uk-authorities-call-for-devolution-to-end-whitehall-hand-outs 2950,436,2899,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-uk-authorities-call-for-devolution-to-end-whitehall-hand-outs Mon, 10 Feb 2020 11:45:00 GMT The first round of the Urban Tree Challenge Fund has awarded £10m to thirteen projects in communities across England. The £10m scheme, launched in May 2019, will see 130,000 trees planted by 2021, It comes in a bid to improve health and wellbeing in communities and help to fight climate change and support ambitions of net zero... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/organisations-to-plant-50000-trees-following-10m-funding- 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/organisations-to-plant-50000-trees-following-10m-funding- Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:30:00 GMT Sheffield City Region will receive an extra £2.5m from the Government to promote active travel in the area. Walking and cycling schemes, including new cycle training, e-bike loans and walking groups for people with disabilities will benefit from the extra government funding. The announcement (Feb 7) comes on the same day that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-to-receive-25m-fund-for-active-travel 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-to-receive-25m-fund-for-active-travel Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:30:00 GMT The government has published a number of measures to encourage people to opt for cycling and walking, including highlighting positive outcomes of successful programmes, extension of the Access Fund and plans of cycle training for every child in England. Plans have been revealed to invest £22m over the next year into active travel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-22m-investment-into-active-travel- 2950,433,437,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-22m-investment-into-active-travel- Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:00:00 GMT Getting on the housing ladder has just been made more accessible thanks to an announcement today (Feb 7) from the Housing Secretary, outlining plans to cut the costs of some new homes by a third. The new scheme, First Homes, will encourage first-time buyers to buy a home in their local area as discount prices will be locked into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-new-homes-to-be-cut-by-a-third-under-new-scheme- 433,437,441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-new-homes-to-be-cut-by-a-third-under-new-scheme- Fri, 07 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT The Department for Education has today (Feb 7) announced a £110m investment into improving T Level resources such as new and improved facilities, high-quality equipment and teachers’ skills. T levels represent highly skilled, technical alternatives to A Levels, delivered as a mix of classroom theory, practical learning and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gov-to-invest-110m-into-t-level-development- 453,438,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gov-to-invest-110m-into-t-level-development- Fri, 07 Feb 2020 09:15:00 GMT Yesterday (Feb 6) Waverley Borough Council’s Executive unanimously approved the draft budget scheduled for presentation at the Full Council meeting on 18 February. The draft budget sees council tax rise with inflation by 1.9%, allowing the council £378,000 in extra income compared to last year. In addition to this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/full-council-recommends-waverley-budget-proposals 2950,433,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/full-council-recommends-waverley-budget-proposals Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:45:00 GMT Durham Council has announced that they plan to invest up £50m to be used in 100 projects across Country Durham to reduce the region’s emissions. The council’s Cabinet will meet later this month to discuss the plans and decide whether to move forward with the proposals, which were developed following a consultation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/durham-council-climate-change 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/durham-council-climate-change Thu, 06 Feb 2020 13:45:00 GMT The government has revealed that councils can now apply for a £50m grant to replace their existing buses with all electric buses. The plans would mean that the chosen town would be the first in England to have an all-electric fleet of buses. The £50m grant is part of a wider £170m set aside to improve bus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-all-electric-buses 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-all-electric-buses Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:15:00 GMT Warwick District Council have announced their action plan to combat climate change and become carbon neutral by 2025. This announcement comes after cross party Councillors unanimously decided to declare a climate emergency in the summer of 2019. Since then, the council has drawn up plans to tackle the climate emergency. The council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warwick-district-council-announce-3m-climate-emergency-action-plan 2950,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warwick-district-council-announce-3m-climate-emergency-action-plan Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:00:00 GMT Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is leading a new £8m public-private consortium to open up vast amounts of travel data for vehicle makers, inventors, coders and entrepreneurs to utilising in developing new transport products and technologies. The consortium will set up a national data exchange named ConVEx, with £4m of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfwm-national-data-sharing-convex 438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfwm-national-data-sharing-convex Wed, 05 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT The Department for Education has today (Feb 5) committed to a multi-million pound investment into Further Education (FE) to recruit train and develop the workforce and boost skills and opportunities in the UK. Education Secretary Gavin Williams made the announcement today as part of an additional £400m investment into education for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-education-to-benefit-from-24m-support-package 453,446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-education-to-benefit-from-24m-support-package Wed, 05 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT Oldham Council has announced plans to build a 900kw solar farm in Failsworth. The new solar farm would compliment their already existing 120kw rooftop panels already operating on Tommyfield Market. Oldham Council has plans to make itself the greenest borough in Greater Manchester and also has ambitions to make itself carbon neutral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oldham-council-announce-plans-for-solar-farm 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oldham-council-announce-plans-for-solar-farm Tue, 04 Feb 2020 16:30:00 GMT Eastbourne Borough Council, with the help of the South Downs National Park, have begun talks with Eden Project Global in order to develop their own version of the project, unique to Eastbourne’s geography and setting. During the talks, Eastbourne Borough Council plan to have regular meetings with members of the community to receive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eastborne-council-in-exploratory-talks-with-the-eden-project 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eastborne-council-in-exploratory-talks-with-the-eden-project Tue, 04 Feb 2020 13:30:00 GMT West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has drastically changed their approach to affordable housing and put home ownership within the reach of thousands more people in the area. WMCA is the first region in the UK to introduce its own localised definition of affordable housing, linking real incomes of people in the area to what is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-housing-re-defined-by-the-west-midlands- 2950,433,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-housing-re-defined-by-the-west-midlands- Tue, 04 Feb 2020 12:15:00 GMT Head of Public Sector at Virgin Media Business, Martin McFadyen, joins us in the studio to weigh in on the role of connectivity in the public sector and why joining up health and social care services is critical to enhancing public services. We are living in an ever-evolving digital world, meaning people have greater expectations of what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-7-connectivity-in-the-public-sector-martin-mcfadyen 2950,433,437,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-7-connectivity-in-the-public-sector-martin-mcfadyen Mon, 03 Feb 2020 12:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec/Jan   Penny Macbeth, Dean of Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University "The industrial revolution transformed Manchester, and now the creative digital revolution is doing the same" The region’s digital economy is thriving – worth some £5bn – and is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/35m-school-of-digital-arts-at-manchester-metropolitan-university- 433,453,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/35m-school-of-digital-arts-at-manchester-metropolitan-university- Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:45:00 GMT Chief executive of Northern Housing Consortium, Tracy Harrison, joins us in the PSE Podcast room to discuss the housing sector from a Northern perspective. Tracy is a keen believer in fairer housing policies for the North and explains what services NHC can provide for their members. With hosts Matt Roberts and Ailsa Cowen, the discussion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-6-housing-from-a-northern-perspective-tracy-harrison- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-6-housing-from-a-northern-perspective-tracy-harrison- Fri, 31 Jan 2020 12:45:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has been named the most inclusive employer in the UK on Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list. They have also received special commendation as a top trans-inclusive employer. Other local government bodies also made the list, with the Greater London Authority being the second highest performing in the sector at 22... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-named-the-uks-top-lgbt-employer- 2950,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-named-the-uks-top-lgbt-employer- Fri, 31 Jan 2020 11:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has launched a new £20m fund aiming to support sustained growth for ambitious business in the area. Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotherham, announced the news yesterday (Jan 30) that any business in the City Region undertaking a growth project will be able to apply for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-metro-mayor-launches-new-20m-growth-fund- 2950,433,438,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-metro-mayor-launches-new-20m-growth-fund- Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:45:00 GMT The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has announced today (Jan 30) that the UK’s cyber security industry is worth an estimated £8.3bn, an increase of 46% from £5.7bn in 2017. Findings from a report published by the Department show that the sector has seen significant growth in annual revenue and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-finds-uk-cyber-security-sector-now-worth-83bn 433,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-finds-uk-cyber-security-sector-now-worth-83bn Thu, 30 Jan 2020 09:30:00 GMT Urgent needs in the youth sector are set to be addressed by the Youth Accelerator Fund. The fund will also allow further development for projects ran by Sport England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and British Film Institute. Organisations and youth clubs in sports, arts, film and heritage will obtain a share of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/7m-government-investment-in-youth-projects- 2950,433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/7m-government-investment-in-youth-projects- Thu, 30 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT The Housing Secretary has confirmed financial support of £1bn to support small and medium sized builders to enter the housing market. Rt Hon Robert Henrick MP announced yesterday (Jan 29) that small and medium sized building firms will be eligible for millions of pounds in loans to enable new homes to be delivered across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-green-lights-1bn-funding-for-sme-builders- 433,441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-green-lights-1bn-funding-for-sme-builders- Thu, 30 Jan 2020 08:45:00 GMT Chief executive of Social Value Portal, Guy Battle joins us in the studio for the fifth PSE podcast, giving us insight into the specific benefits that come from embedding social value into council commissioning and procurement. With hosts Emily Rodgers and Matt Roberts, the conversation covers everything from the social, economic and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-5-understanding-the-economic-benefit-of-social-value-guy-battle 2950,433,441,443,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-5-understanding-the-economic-benefit-of-social-value-guy-battle Tue, 28 Jan 2020 12:30:00 GMT Government has announced £112m in funding for councils to support rough sleepers into accommodation. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has today (Jan 28) set aside a £112m Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for councils to share to tackle homelessness.  The funding is a 30% increase this year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/112m-rough-sleeping-fund-announced-for-councils 2950,442,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/112m-rough-sleeping-fund-announced-for-councils Tue, 28 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT Over 120 senior business leaders from within the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands have signed an open letter to Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, urging him to commit to HS2 in full. The letter, published on behalf of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, outlines the importance of completing HS2 right through to the Midlands and the North of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/120-nph-leaders-call-for-hs2-to-be-delivered-in-full 437,2899,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/120-nph-leaders-call-for-hs2-to-be-delivered-in-full Mon, 27 Jan 2020 15:00:00 GMT Tens of millions of pounds in additional powers and resources set for South Yorkshire, after the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority today (Jan 27) agreed to proceed with the implementation of the devolution deal. The deal was agreed by Mayor Dan Jarvis and council leaders in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-consultation-launched-on-devolution-deal- 2950,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-consultation-launched-on-devolution-deal- Mon, 27 Jan 2020 14:15:00 GMT Following the national drive to inspire 60 minutes of physical activity per day across the week, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced yesterday (Jan 26) a total of £2.4m in funding for better sports activities and teaching, plus 19 schools across different areas of England will have the opportunity to collaborate with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/24m-funding-to-encourage-schools-to-open-up-sports-facilities-all-year-round- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/24m-funding-to-encourage-schools-to-open-up-sports-facilities-all-year-round- Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:45:00 GMT Sam Plum, chief executive of Barrow Borough Council spoke to PSE about the Northern Powerhouse and why it needs more clarity if it’s going to influence local strategy. -------- The Northern Powerhouse as a concept gives weight to national and regional policy, which in Barrow means we can have joined up conversations with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-northern-powerhouse-and-clarifying-northern-policy 2950,433,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-northern-powerhouse-and-clarifying-northern-policy Fri, 24 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has moved ahead in the plan to create a commercially viable platform for the exchange of data, to further the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). A procurement notice has been launched as part of the ConVEx (Connected Vehicle Data Exchange) project, of which the primary aim is to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-push-forward-cav-agenda-with-proposed-data-marketplace- 2950,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-push-forward-cav-agenda-with-proposed-data-marketplace- Thu, 23 Jan 2020 15:45:00 GMT Turn on any news station around the world and the likelihood is you’ll see at least one news story relating in some capacity to China. Now a global economic powerhouse, the reach and involvement of the Far East nation is almost inescapable as it backs, funds and develops projects across the globe; including right here in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-china-investment 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-china-investment Thu, 23 Jan 2020 12:45:00 GMT Pat Ritchie, Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council and Chair of the Government Property Agency (GPA) spoke to PSE about the work being done within the Northern Powerhouse and the three things she would do if she were the NPH Minister. ---------- There can be a tendency to think the Northern Powerhouse is all about Leeds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-north-controlling-its-own-destiny 2950,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-north-controlling-its-own-destiny Thu, 23 Jan 2020 12:30:00 GMT The government has today (Jan 22) announced the largest influx of funding for the police system in a decade. The amount of funding presented to the policing system for 2020 to 2021 will increase by more than £1.1 bn, totalling £15.2 bn, if Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of flexibility to set the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-11-billion-potential-funding-for-the-policing-system- 454,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-11-billion-potential-funding-for-the-policing-system- Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:15:00 GMT Today (Jan 22) legislation was brought before Parliament to end the automatic half-way release for offenders sentenced for crimes such as rape, manslaughter and GBH. Two separate Statutory Instruments are being debated, the Release of Prisoners Order 2019 and the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 Regulations Order 2019. Instead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/longer-prison-time-for-serious-violent-and-sexual-offenders- 454,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/longer-prison-time-for-serious-violent-and-sexual-offenders- Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:45:00 GMT Leicester City Council has unveiled plans for the innovative redevelopment of a former factory building on King Street, at a suspected cost in the region of £9m. The proposed space, Pilot House, will be used to create office space and units for start-up companies and growing businesses.  The new business community is set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-plans-multi-million-pound-redevelopment- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-plans-multi-million-pound-redevelopment- Wed, 22 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT Trials for new innovative technology to aid disabled pupils in the classroom will take place across the country in the first programme of its kind in the world. Universities, science, research and innovation Minister Chris Skidmore spoke today (Jan 22) at the biggest education technology show in the world. He announced plans to fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-tech-support-for-pupils-with-special-educational-needs- 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-tech-support-for-pupils-with-special-educational-needs- Wed, 22 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT Intelligence and cyber security organisation, GCHQ, has announced (Jan 17) that it has selected 11 Greater Manchester start-up companies to support and mentor. The government communication body, who recently announced a move to Manchester City Centre, will back tech start-ups that focus on keeping people safe, reducing emissions and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gchq-backs-11-greater-manchester-tech-start-ups- 438,439,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gchq-backs-11-greater-manchester-tech-start-ups- Tue, 21 Jan 2020 12:15:00 GMT Northern Powerhouse Q&A with Kevin Parkes, Executive Director of Growth & Place at Middlesbrough Council How important do you think the Northern Powerhouse is? It’s very important and its emphasis is increasing. It’s providing a much needed strategic, national approach to regenerating the regions outside the home... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-qa-kevin-parkes 2950,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-qa-kevin-parkes Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:30:00 GMT The Department for Transport has today (Jan 21) announced that funding for on-street chargepoints will be doubled to help boost the electric vehicle revolution. The Transport Secretary and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles are doubling funding for residential chargepoints to £10m next year. The money could see another 3,600... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-for-electric-vehicle-chargepoints-to-double-to-10m-next-year 2950,437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-for-electric-vehicle-chargepoints-to-double-to-10m-next-year Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT South Tyneside Council has today (Jan 20) announced the go-ahead for cutting-edge renewable energy plans set to save more than half a million pounds a year. The proposed scheme would also slash carbon emissions, with an estimated 1,475 tonnes saved per year. Plans include harnessing low-grade heat from the River Tyne and export it to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-tyneside-energy-scheme-given-green-light 2950,437,438,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-tyneside-energy-scheme-given-green-light Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:45:00 GMT Oldham Council are reportedly set to approve a new multi-million-pound investment strategy which would see the local authority deliver 2,000 new homes. The council estimates the ‘Creating a Better Place’ strategy will unlock £306m of investment across Oldham, created through the building of 2,000 new homes in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oldham-council-investment-strategy 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oldham-council-investment-strategy Mon, 20 Jan 2020 12:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has published (Jan 13) a draft plan illustrating their vision for the future of transport in the city. Adding to the existing Birmingham Connected transport strategy, the draft Birmingham Transport Plan, covers a set of principles to aid future investment in transport to serve more people, homes and jobs, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-transport-plan-preliminary-draft-published-by-council- 433,441,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-transport-plan-preliminary-draft-published-by-council- Thu, 16 Jan 2020 13:45:00 GMT Key guidelines for development in Manchester over the next 15-20 years is to be reviewed, as new Local Plan is undertaken by City Council. The new Local Plan will replace the city’s current Core Strategy and provide a set of principles that will underpin all new development in the region. It is the first major review of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-do-major-review-of-local-development-plan 2950,433,437,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-do-major-review-of-local-development-plan Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:30:00 GMT Professor Joe Howe, chair of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA) and executive director of the Thornton Energy Institute joins us in the studio for our third PSE podcast, bringing with him unbridled enthusiasm and solutions for saving the world from Climate Change. With hosts Emily Rodgers and Ailsa Cowen, the conversation kept... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ep-3-industrial-decarbonisation-and-hydrogen-energy-prof-joe-howe 433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ep-3-industrial-decarbonisation-and-hydrogen-energy-prof-joe-howe Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:15:00 GMT Grant Peggie, Director at British Business Bank Launched by British Business Bank in 2017, the £400m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) is supporting economic prosperity in the region by making commercial investments into growing companies. Helping to create a more diverse finance market is a key objective of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/npif-at-evonorth-2020-showcasing-the-investment-opportunity-in-the-north 433,2899,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/npif-at-evonorth-2020-showcasing-the-investment-opportunity-in-the-north Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:30:00 GMT The Sheffield City Region devolution deal has been agreed (Jan 14) by the Mayor and all four Leaders and will now go to public consultation. Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “We stand at a critical moment for our country. As we leave the European Union, securing further powers and resources for South Yorkshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-devolution-deal-agreed- 2950,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-devolution-deal-agreed- Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:00:00 GMT The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC), a membership body representing around 90% of housing providers across the North of England, has today (Jan 15) become the latest member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. The Northern Powerhouse is a government vision for a connected and thriving North, able to compete and contribute to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-consortium-becomes-northern-powerhouse-partner 436,2899,441,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-consortium-becomes-northern-powerhouse-partner Wed, 15 Jan 2020 11:30:00 GMT Source PSE Dec 19/ Jan 20  Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive, Northern Housing Consortium "Climate Change is a global issue, but the innovation and solutions will be local and regional" The North has always had the ability to solve difficult problems through innovation and ingenuity and there’s nowhere this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/climate-change-is-a-global-issue-but-the-innovation-and-solutions-will-be-local-and-regional 433,437,2899,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/climate-change-is-a-global-issue-but-the-innovation-and-solutions-will-be-local-and-regional Wed, 15 Jan 2020 10:30:00 GMT Source PSE: Dec 19/Jan 20 Cllr Kye Dudd Bristol has always been a city with sustainability at its heart. In November 2018, we were the first UK city to declare a climate emergency and, since then, we’ve begun to build environmental initiatives into our daily lives. When I took on the responsibility for transport at Bristol... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electric-vehicles-and-renewable-energy 2950,437,438,446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electric-vehicles-and-renewable-energy Wed, 15 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT South Tyneside Council is today (Jan 14) celebrating the opening of a brand-new autism hub in South Shields, aimed at better supporting local people with autism and their families. The new centre, based on Gordon Street in South Shields, will provide support for all ages and their families. The Toby Henderson Trust will cater for children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-autism-hub-opens-in-south-tyneside 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-autism-hub-opens-in-south-tyneside Tue, 14 Jan 2020 14:45:00 GMT Small businesses across Greater Manchester have benefitted from boosts in apprenticeship opportunities thanks to a £1.9m support package. Since March 2019, when the #SeeDifferent Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Apprentice Support package, was launched in the city-region, a total of 186 small businesses have received grants of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/19m-support-increase-for-greater-manchester-apprenticeships- 2950,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/19m-support-increase-for-greater-manchester-apprenticeships- Tue, 14 Jan 2020 14:15:00 GMT Communities throughout England are set to receive thousands of newly designed homes thanks to an £8 million cash injection, Housing Minister Rt Hon Esther McVey has today (14 January) announced. £6 million will be used to help newly locally-led garden towns and villages progress plans to deliver up to 200,000 new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/8-million-government-funding-for-new-communities- 438,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/8-million-government-funding-for-new-communities- Tue, 14 Jan 2020 08:45:00 GMT New £3m funding will allow jobcentre staff to accompany outreach teams on the streets to speak to people sleeping rough, helping them to claim their benefits, find new work, secure stable accommodation and director them to additional support. The new funding, which distributed from 2020 to 2021, comes off the back of devoted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/3m-fund-to-aid-jobcentres-supporting-the-homeless- 442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/3m-fund-to-aid-jobcentres-supporting-the-homeless- Mon, 13 Jan 2020 14:45:00 GMT Leeds City Council have taken the next steps to address the local authority’s climate emergency declaration from March, as senior councillors approved plans to cut the council’s carbon footprint by more than half by 2025. The new proposals will see Leeds City Council reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 70,000 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-city-council-carbon-emissions 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-city-council-carbon-emissions Mon, 13 Jan 2020 13:45:00 GMT Source PSE: Dec 19/Jan 2020   Mark Lynam is a Board Member of the Institute of Economic Development, and Director of Transport, Housing and Infrastructure in Sheffield City Region’s Executive Team. We need a new paradigm for economic development within local and regional government – one which addresses issues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainability-is-it-time-to-view-economic-development-through-a-different-lens 437,438,2899,446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainability-is-it-time-to-view-economic-development-through-a-different-lens Mon, 13 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, chats to PSE about the risk of smaller towns getting left behind on the Northern Powerhouse agenda. For Northern Council’s it’s really important to raise the profile of the North and rebalance investment to all parts of the country. What I’d like to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-can-the-northern-powerhouse-support-the-next-generation 2950,436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-can-the-northern-powerhouse-support-the-next-generation Mon, 13 Jan 2020 09:30:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has released its report on tackling climate change across the West Midlands. Released on January 10, 2020, the #WM2041 report is aimed at kickstarting the conversation around tackling climate change in the region. Due to be reviewed by the WMCA board this week, the report will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-climate-change 2950,437,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-climate-change Mon, 13 Jan 2020 09:15:00 GMT Stephen Young, Executive Director of Growth, Environment, Transport and Community at Lancashire County Council, spoke to PSE about key expectations from The Northern Powerhouse and how we can learn from Germany’s example. --- I think as a concept the Northern Powerhouse is massively important, trying to rebalance the economy is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-northern-powerhouse-and-why-combined-authorities-are-a-game-changer- 2950,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-northern-powerhouse-and-why-combined-authorities-are-a-game-changer- Fri, 10 Jan 2020 12:45:00 GMT Today (Jan 10) will see an announcement from Government, outlining a £71m investment to fund ambitious plans for former Steelworks to transform into a world-leading business zone. Plans will see the former SSI Steelworks in Redcar converted into a huge business hub, home to trail blazing clean energy, manufacturing and tech... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/71m-government-funding-to-enable-teesside-transformation- 433,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/71m-government-funding-to-enable-teesside-transformation- Fri, 10 Jan 2020 10:30:00 GMT A newly developed technique which uses artificial intelligence to identify and block child grooming conversations online has been launched by the Home Office and Microsoft in Seattle. The method, which began expansion at a hackathon co-hosted by Microsoft and the Home Office in November 2018, will automatically flag conversations which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-artificial-intelligence-technique-to-stop-online-child-grooming- 454,453,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-artificial-intelligence-technique-to-stop-online-child-grooming- Fri, 10 Jan 2020 09:15:00 GMT Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Neighbourhoods, Cornwall Council As one of the country’s first local authorities to have produced a detailed action plan in response to the climate emergency, we have already started working towards our ambition to help Cornwall become carbon neutral by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-neutral-cornwall 437,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-neutral-cornwall Thu, 09 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calerdale Council’s £15.4m scheme is aiming to deliver a redevelopment for a fresh, fit for purpose facility that complements the surrounding heritage, public realm and urban fabric of Halifax town centre. Improving accessibility and safety, proposals includes a level and fully enclosed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/154m-bus-station-proposed-by-west-yorkshire-combined-authority- 441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/154m-bus-station-proposed-by-west-yorkshire-combined-authority- Thu, 09 Jan 2020 10:45:00 GMT The Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, has announced today (Jan 9) a new Town of the Year competition to champion the successes of towns in the UK. It comes as part of a wider set of measures to level up parts of the country and unlock potential with 100 town deals being delivered through a £3.6bn Town Funds. Achievements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-town-of-the-year-competition-announced-by-government 2950,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-town-of-the-year-competition-announced-by-government Thu, 09 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec 19/Jan 20 The Local Government Association (LGA) discusses upskilling and retraining staff in public sector workplace. As leaders of place, councils and combined authorities want to work with partners across the piste to build strong, resilient economies with a shared vision for their local area and where residents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-upskilling-the-workplace- 2950,436,446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-upskilling-the-workplace- Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:00:00 GMT Patrick Melia, Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council spoke to PSE about the Northern Powerhouse and why it needs approaching with communities at its core I think the Northern Powerhouse has got the potential to be important, but in practice it hasn’t delivered a lot and that needs to change if it’s going to be a thing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connecting-the-northern-powerhouse-with-local-communities- 2950,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connecting-the-northern-powerhouse-with-local-communities- Wed, 08 Jan 2020 09:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec 19/Jan 20   Pippa Coutts, Carnegie UK Trust Carnegie UK Trust has been promoting wellbeing in the UK and Ireland for over one hundred years. The results of a survey the Trust conducted with IPSOS Mori in 2018 reveal that two in five people live in towns, across the UK and Ireland. Despite this number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlocking-the-potential-of-town 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlocking-the-potential-of-town Tue, 07 Jan 2020 12:30:00 GMT Tony Oakman, chief executive of Bolton Council spoke to PSE about the Northern Powerhouse and the key priorities he’s like to see from central government. From my perspective I think the Northern Powerhouse is significant to say the least in terms of the profile of Northern authorities and opportunities for economic growth across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-northern-councils-shopping-list-for-central-government- 2950,436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-northern-councils-shopping-list-for-central-government- Tue, 07 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec 19/Jan 20   Matthew Fell CBI Chief UK Policy Director from Whitehall to townhalls, from head office to high street shops Speaking to businesses across the North there’s enormous pride and enthusiasm for its potential. However, after a prolonged period of uncertainty which is harming investor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-renewed-partnership-between-business-and-government 436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-renewed-partnership-between-business-and-government Tue, 07 Jan 2020 09:15:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec19/Jan 20   Stephen Garthwaite, headteacher, Ysgol y Grango In November Ysgol y Grango, the secondary school in Rhosllanerchrugog in Wrexham of which I am headteacher, hosted the launch of the Stop School Hunger / Dysgu Nid Llwgu campaign.  We’re a member of the award-winning community organising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/food-for-thought- 453,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/food-for-thought- Tue, 07 Jan 2020 08:45:00 GMT Becca Heron, director of Economy and Skills at Wigan Council spoke to PSE about the Northern Powerhouse and why transport links and skills are key to transforming the North. The Northern Powerhouse is extraordinarily important, the UK has got one of the most centralised governments and economies and the North has been subject to massive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-the-northern-powerhouse-could-help-meet-economic-potential 433,436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-the-northern-powerhouse-could-help-meet-economic-potential Mon, 06 Jan 2020 15:15:00 GMT Following the heavy floods back in November a £2 million fund to support farmers who suffered uninsurable damage to their property has opened today (6 Jan) for applications. Last year the government confirmed that it would extend its Farming Recovery Fund so farmers in parts of South Yorkshire could apply for grants between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2-million-fund-opens-for-farmers-affected-by-flooding- 435,441,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2-million-fund-opens-for-farmers-affected-by-flooding- Mon, 06 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP announced yesterday (Jan 5) that a funding pot of up to £165m will be made available to support families with deep rooted problems. Intensive support for some of the most vulnerable families in the country will be provided by the Troubled Families programme following a new financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-165m-in-funding-announced 442,870,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-165m-in-funding-announced Mon, 06 Jan 2020 11:45:00 GMT Following the lead of Bristol, West Berkshire Council’s lead for economic development and planning has revealed the council is considering launching a council-owned housebuilding firm to tackle the current housing shortage. Hilary Cole said the council would look to set up the company in order to build more affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-berkshire-council-housebuilding 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-berkshire-council-housebuilding Mon, 06 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec 19/Jan 20 Carol Matthews - Chief Executive of The Riverside Group and Chair to H4N – ‘Homes for the North’ Good quality homes are the bedrock of a strong economy and thriving communities yet, across the North, not enough homes are being built.  Improving the supply and quality of homes in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strengthening-connections-between-northern-powerhouse-leaders 2899,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strengthening-connections-between-northern-powerhouse-leaders Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:45:00 GMT Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has announced today (3 Jan) that over 100 councils across England have been presented with a share of over £4 million to crack down on criminal landlords and letting agents. Despite the majority of landlords providing decent homes for their tenants a small majority continue to break the law... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4-million-funding-to-crack-down-on-criminal-landlords- 435,454,441,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4-million-funding-to-crack-down-on-criminal-landlords- Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:15:00 GMT Source: PSE Dec/Jan 2020   Neil Harrison, category manager – technology solutions, Crown Commercial Service Crown Commercial Service is the largest public sector procurement organisation in the UK, with thousands of customers in a range of sectors. We are privileged to have so many that are engaged in what we do, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-the-customer-in-mind- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-the-customer-in-mind- Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT Further investment by the Government in music hubs sees thousands more children being able to learn instruments and play in orchestras or choirs. Additionally, charities that help young people learn about different genres of music will next year also receive £1m to support the next generation of musicians. The opportunity for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/80-million-government-funding-into-music-hubs- 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/80-million-government-funding-into-music-hubs- Fri, 03 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, has today (Dec 20) approved £23.6m to help fund the building of a major logistics and manufacturing park at Teesside International Airport. The £200m development, to be built on the 270-acres of land on the southside of the airport will include 3.4 million square feet of logistic, manufacturing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-approves-deal-to-unlock-200m-airport-deal 433,438,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-approves-deal-to-unlock-200m-airport-deal Fri, 20 Dec 2019 12:45:00 GMT Leicester City Council has announced (Dec 19) a major new project on local air pollution, studying locally-based fine particulate pollution (PM2.5).  It comes after the city council was awarded £250,000 from the Government, to become one of the first cities in the country to pilot the monitoring and mapping of potentially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-to-pilot-major-air-pollution-study 2950,437,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-to-pilot-major-air-pollution-study Fri, 20 Dec 2019 11:00:00 GMT Cornwall Council have backed the next stage of a £170m regeneration scheme aimed at revitalising the run-down Pydar Street area of Truro. The innovative scheme is aiming to provide homes, workspaces, learning opportunities and job creation as part of a vibrant, exciting new neighbourhood. Green spaces and good quality public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-truro-regeneration-pydar-street 2950,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-truro-regeneration-pydar-street Fri, 20 Dec 2019 10:45:00 GMT New proposals for the housing sector have been unveiled as part of the Queen’s Speech today (Dec 19), promising fairer, more affordable homes for buyers and renters. A better deal for renters has been outlined, with a new lifetime deposit, making moving home easier and cheaper for millions of people in the UK and allowing their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-revolutionary-changes-to-the-housing-market 433,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-revolutionary-changes-to-the-housing-market Thu, 19 Dec 2019 15:00:00 GMT With famous faces such as Victoria Wood, Danny Boyle, Howard Jacobson and Celia Birtwell calling it home, the town of Bury has been revealed as Greater Manchester’s inaugural Town of Culture. Having been presented with this award, the town will see investment in 2020 totaling £120,000 designed to aid a burst of creativity in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-bury-town-of-culture 2950,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-bury-town-of-culture Thu, 19 Dec 2019 10:00:00 GMT The Welsh Government has today (Dec 19) announced that it will be investing a total of £74m into funding more resilient, cleaner and greener transport. Low emission vehicles and a more resilient public transport system will be the focus of a funding pot set out in the government’s 2020-21 budget, pushing a green transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-greener-transport 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-greener-transport Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:30:00 GMT In a first for the UK, Warrington Borough Council is set to produce all of its own electricity after buying the first of two solar farms. The deal is expected to provide enough energy to power a town, as well as generating a surplus of more than £100m over a 30-year period. The local authority acquired the solar farm near York... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warrington-borough-council-solar-farm 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warrington-borough-council-solar-farm Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:15:00 GMT At the recent Institute of Economic Development (IED) conference in London (Dec 4), Hampshire County Council won the Best Implementation award for its role in securing a new £45m facility at Farnborough Airport. In partnership with Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership and Rushmoor Borough Council, Hampshire County Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hampshire-county-council-wins-best-implementation-award 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hampshire-county-council-wins-best-implementation-award Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:15:00 GMT Leaders from the Lincolnshire County Council are set to approve an investment of around £1.8m into redesigning the authority’s IT systems, seeking to fix the series of “significant” issues which have beset the current system. The council will look to adopt systems from, and become part-owner of, Hoople... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-county-council-it-investment 2950,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-county-council-it-investment Tue, 17 Dec 2019 11:15:00 GMT Gloucestershire County Council has announced a series of commitments ahead of its next Cabinet meeting (Dec 20) in a bid to tackle climate change. The Cabinet will be asked to agree a switch to all-renewable electricity, bringing their total CO2 emission reduction to 89% since 2007, building on the 70% emission cut they are already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucestershire-council-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-by-89 2950,437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucestershire-council-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-by-89 Tue, 17 Dec 2019 10:15:00 GMT Oxford City Council’s Cabinet has responded to the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change, outlining its next steps and allocating £19m to become a Zero Carbon Council and city. The Council has published a report in response to the Assembly committing to becoming a net zero Council in 2020. The £19m investment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-responds-to-climate-change-assembly 2950,437,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-responds-to-climate-change-assembly Tue, 17 Dec 2019 09:30:00 GMT Allerdale and Copeland community groups have been presented with the opportunity to help form a bid to bring more than £1m of Arts Council funding to the area. Creative People and Places ethos is about more people choosing, creating and taking part in brilliant art experiences in the places where they live. West Cumbria has a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1m-arts-council-bid-put-forward-by-west-cumbrian-councils- 2950,453,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1m-arts-council-bid-put-forward-by-west-cumbrian-councils- Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:45:00 GMT Dominic Harrison, director of Public Health and Wellbeing for Blackburn with Darwin Borough Council, spoke to PSE about the Northern Powerhouse and what’s missing for Northern Councils. I think the Northern Powerhouse has underperformed on its promises to date, but it’s still probably the best bet we’ve got to get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-best-bet-to-address-economic-inequality 2950,436,2899,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-best-bet-to-address-economic-inequality Mon, 16 Dec 2019 10:45:00 GMT Cheltenham Borough Council released figures yesterday (Dec 11) revealing that day visitor numbers have grown to 1.9 million over the past year, an increase of 7%. The region has also seen a 6% increase of staying visitors, now just under 1.1 million, putting their tourism worth at £162m. In addition, a 14% increase was recorded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheltenham-tourism-worth-over-162m- 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheltenham-tourism-worth-over-162m- Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:45:00 GMT Plans for a £20m state-of-the-art facility in Lancashire have been approved by South Ribble Borough Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council. Permission has been granted today (Dec 12) for one of the world's most prestigious research and development groups, the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/20m-research-centre-in-the-north-giving-the-green-light- 433,438,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/20m-research-centre-in-the-north-giving-the-green-light- Thu, 12 Dec 2019 10:45:00 GMT In light of the recent one per cent hike in the interest rate offered by the Public Works Loan Board to local councils, an alternative source of economical funding is desperately needed. The UK Municipal Bonds Agency recently appointed PFM Financial Advisors with a clear remit to focus on structuring the UKMBA’s offering providing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-borrowing-revolution 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-borrowing-revolution Thu, 12 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT The University of Strathclyde has today (Dec 11) announced the opening of a new centre of excellence in Glasgow, supporting innovation in the medicine, food and drink and high-value manufacturing sectors. It comes following a partnership between the University and LGC group, a UK chemical and bio-measurement company. The new Centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-innovation-centre-of-excellence-opened-in-glasgow 453,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-innovation-centre-of-excellence-opened-in-glasgow Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:00:00 GMT Scottish Borders Council employees recently undertook an upskilling programme aimed at increasing the flexibility of staff and enabling them to effectively respond with issues arising within the council’s estates. The bespoke Handyperson training programme, ran in partnership between the council and the Borders College Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-borders-council-upskill 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-borders-council-upskill Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:30:00 GMT In July, Wigan Council launched ‘The Deal 2030’, a comprehensive report outlining their ambitious strategy for the next decade, after hearing the opinions of thousands of residents. This week, the Council has announced (Mon 9) that a main priority from the ‘Big Listening’ exercise carried out with residents was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wigan-council-commits-to-a-smarter-wigan 2950,438,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wigan-council-commits-to-a-smarter-wigan Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:30:00 GMT New regulation proposals have been launched by the Scottish government aiming to improve accessibility for those living with a disability in the communal areas around their home. Under the newly announced proposals, people living with disabilities would be given the right to remove barriers to access by creating ramps, widening paths and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-scottish-legislation 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-scottish-legislation Wed, 11 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT Research potential in the UK is set for a boost as universities collaborate to improve research quality and reproducibility. The UK is already a world leader in research, but in order to maintain this reputation, there must be constant commitment to producing ‘rigorous, robust and high-quality’ research. Policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ten-universities-take-measures-to-maximise-research-potential-in-the-uk 453,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ten-universities-take-measures-to-maximise-research-potential-in-the-uk Wed, 11 Dec 2019 11:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has announced support for the Council’s purchase of St Modwen’s assets with a £10m investment from the Single Investment fund. This comes after news that Knowsley Council had purchased St Modwen’s assets in Kirkby Town Centre, a purchase which will now be supported by a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10m-funding-secured-for-kirkby-town-centre-regeneration- 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10m-funding-secured-for-kirkby-town-centre-regeneration- Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has confirmed an investment of more than £16m into skills education at colleges, local authorities and learning providers across the Liverpool City Region. Skills training in the city region has already seen a £30m investment into buildings, facilities and equipment. Of the total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/161m-invested-into-skills-education-across-liverpool-city-region 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/161m-invested-into-skills-education-across-liverpool-city-region Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:00:00 GMT Three Norfolk councils have agreed behind closed doors a waste contract worth £250m, having agreed to purse a joint waste services contract back in 2017. The three councils are Breckland Council, North Norfolk District Council and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. Councillors voted on their preferred... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-council-waste-contract 2950,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-council-waste-contract Tue, 10 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet has approved the borrowing of a further £9.5m to create another housebuilding joint venture, following the success of its current schemes. The local authority had seen its previous schemes “far outstrip expectations” over their profitability. In a recent council meeting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/darlington-venture-housebuilding 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/darlington-venture-housebuilding Fri, 06 Dec 2019 10:15:00 GMT Age UK has today (Dec 5) published a report on the effect of a lack of social care, citing that it has resulted in 2.5 million lost bed days in the NHS between this election (Dec 12) and the previous one (June 8 2017). The report explains that when someone is medically fit to be discharged from hospital but is forced to stay as a result... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-report-on-lack-of-social-care 436,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-report-on-lack-of-social-care Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:45:00 GMT One London charity has been awarded £248,000 in funding to develop accessibility in jobs and services for disabled people. City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable arm, presented the money to Business Disability Forum in Southwark. It comes as part of a collection of charity grants worth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/845k-in-charity-grants-supporting-disabled-people-in-london 442,870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/845k-in-charity-grants-supporting-disabled-people-in-london Thu, 05 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT Plans to invest £340m into real estate over the next five years have been unveiled by South Cambridgeshire District Council. The plans, which were unveiled and voted on during a full council meeting, intend to increase the amount invested in the local authority’s capital investment strategy, which is currently around... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-cambridgeshire-district-council-investment 2950,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-cambridgeshire-district-council-investment Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:15:00 GMT New figures from the Department for Education shows that Greater Manchester has now closed the educational equality gap between local young children eligible for free school meals and the rest of the country. The statistics mean that 56% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds are starting school ready to learn, showing a 4% increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-is-closing-the-regions-educational-gap- 2950,453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-is-closing-the-regions-educational-gap- Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has announced figures showing a rise in jobs and skills, with over 2,500 new apprenticeships created in the region. The report comes from the Office for Data Analytics, showing that there are now 31,750 apprenticeships in the region, an 8.7% increase on the previous year and nearly double the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-see-87-boost-in-apprenticeships 2950,433,453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-see-87-boost-in-apprenticeships Wed, 04 Dec 2019 09:45:00 GMT Bolton Council have taken steps to cut down on the number of empty properties in their constituency, by raising the council tax paid on such properties by up to three times. The move comes after a consultation was launched, which was approved by the council on Monday. Bolton currently has 1,375 empty properties which have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-bolton-council 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-bolton-council Wed, 04 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT The city-region of Greater Manchester was named on the CDP’s (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) ‘A List’ of cities, states and regions that are working hard towards combatting climate change. In the 2018 list, published earlier this year, only 43 cities worldwide scored the highest rating of more than 8,400... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/international-charity-recognises-greater-manchesters-efforts-against-climate-change- 2950,433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/international-charity-recognises-greater-manchesters-efforts-against-climate-change- Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:45:00 GMT With the UK Government’s recent commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Professor Joe Howe, chair of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA) and executive director of the Thornton energy Institute looks at the part that Hydrogen can play in being crucial to the solution. Decarbonisation of our energy systems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hydrogen-the-key-to-unlocking-a-zero-carbon-future 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hydrogen-the-key-to-unlocking-a-zero-carbon-future Tue, 03 Dec 2019 11:15:00 GMT Every day you and your teams play a vital role in delivering transformational public services to millions of citizens. These public services help save lives, provide care for vulnerable children, put roofs over millions of heads and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s an unprecedented landscape for politics at present and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-can-you-do-for-the-citizen 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-can-you-do-for-the-citizen Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:00:00 GMT The recent PSE Webinar in London, in partnership with Phoenix, saw five industry leaders take a deep dive into the profound effect digital technology is having on the public sector. Nadira Hussain, director of Leadership Development and Research at SOCITM was featured in the webinar line up on Nov 27th along with other members of key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/webinar-using-technology-to-share-best-practice-in-the-public-sector 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/webinar-using-technology-to-share-best-practice-in-the-public-sector Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:30:00 GMT It was announced today (Dec 2) that Balfour Beatty Living Places has been awarded a six-year contract worth £217m by Lincolnshire County Council for the maintenance of highways assets. The council will be working closely with Balfour Beatty Living Places to ensure the regions road network, of 9,000 kilometres of highways... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-county-council-award-217m-highways-contract 2950,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-county-council-award-217m-highways-contract Mon, 02 Dec 2019 12:30:00 GMT Oxford City Council is offering free stalls for 15 small businesses in Oxford at the Gloucester Green Market on Saturday (7 Dec). The market, run by LSD Promotions on behalf of the council, will open on ‘Small Business Saturday’ a scheme set up to highlight small business success and encourage consumers to ‘shop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-offer-lifeline-to-small-businesses 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-offer-lifeline-to-small-businesses Mon, 02 Dec 2019 10:15:00 GMT The Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) has published a manifesto asking the next government to make the big decisions on decarbonisation. The newly published manifesto (Nov 28) states that ‘customers must be at the front and centre of future heat strategy’ and urges the use of clean gases such as hydrogen to reach net zero... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-eua-call-on-government-to-prioritise-decarbonisation 433,437,438,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-eua-call-on-government-to-prioritise-decarbonisation Fri, 29 Nov 2019 12:30:00 GMT Private sector landlords who commit certain housing offences in Leicester will soon be dealt with my civil enforcement powers. From January 1 2020, Leicester City Council plans to issue fixed penalty notices, or fines to landlords or organisations who commit housing offences. This is instead of pursuing a lengthier and more expensive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-to-use-civil-powers-to-crack-down-on-rogue-landlords- 2950,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-to-use-civil-powers-to-crack-down-on-rogue-landlords- Fri, 29 Nov 2019 11:15:00 GMT Two Buckinghamshire schools have been awarded for their sustainable travel by a national scheme sponsored by the Department of Transport. The schools have been recognised for their work with encouraging children and young people to walk or cycle to school. St Marys and All Saints C of E School, Beaconsfield, and The Iver Village... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-schools-leading-the-way-in-sustainable-travel 453,437,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-schools-leading-the-way-in-sustainable-travel Thu, 28 Nov 2019 15:45:00 GMT A new report published by the Carnegie UK Trust called ‘Turnaround Towns UK’ aims to provide a pathway for change and prevent town decline. According to the new study, vulnerable towns can secure their future and turn their fortunes around if they act now. Key principles for change are offered in the trust’s report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-carnegie-uk-report-offers-turnaround-for-uk-towns 2950,433,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-carnegie-uk-report-offers-turnaround-for-uk-towns Thu, 28 Nov 2019 10:45:00 GMT Building work is underway on Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts, a £35m investment into the future of digital storytelling. Due to be opened in 2021, the School of Digital Arts (SODA) is a pioneering interdisciplinary school, built to support the ever-growing demand for skilled workers in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-metropolitan-universitys-new-35m-school-of-digital-arts-underway- 2950,433,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-metropolitan-universitys-new-35m-school-of-digital-arts-underway- Thu, 28 Nov 2019 10:30:00 GMT A proposed £4.5m air ambulance airbase in North Weald, as part of the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) service, has received planning permission from Epping Forest District Council. Construction on the new facility is set to begin next year, and is scheduled to be completed during winter 2020. A one-off government grant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/epping-forest-district-council-airbase 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/epping-forest-district-council-airbase Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:15:00 GMT The Institute of Economic Development is holding their annual conference next week (Dec 4) in London, where economic strategies for a post-Brexit Britain will be debated. Exploring ways to deliver inclusive and sustainable growth and more effective place management will be the focus of discussion at the Institute of Economic Development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/post-brexit-growth-strategies-to-be-debated-at-ied-conference 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/post-brexit-growth-strategies-to-be-debated-at-ied-conference Wed, 27 Nov 2019 11:45:00 GMT A new electric vehicle (EV) charging network launched last week (Nov 20) in South West England, coinciding with the area’s first EV charging hub The council-owned charging network, Revive, will serve EV drivers in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. A new charging hub, located in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-owned-electric-vehicle-charging-network-launched 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-owned-electric-vehicle-charging-network-launched Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT In September last year, the Scottish Government announced over £60m investment into additional school counselling across Scotland. It has been announced today (Nov 26) that an agreement has been reached between the Scottish Government and COSLA on the specific allocation of the £60m over four years. Professional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/60m-in-scotland-mental-health-funding-allocated 2950,453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/60m-in-scotland-mental-health-funding-allocated Tue, 26 Nov 2019 15:15:00 GMT The Social Value Act was implemented in January 2013, during which time many things have changed for the better. However, many organisations are still struggling to carry out requirements of the Act. The good news is that real leadership is emerging across all sectors, with innovators delivering more and better value for their communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-act--the-national-social-value-conference-2020 436,2899,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-act--the-national-social-value-conference-2020 Tue, 26 Nov 2019 13:45:00 GMT Martin Kearney has been appointed as the new chief operating officer for Nexus, the public body which owns the Tyne and Wear Metro and wider public transport across the North East. Kearney has over 30 years of public transport experience and currently runs transport services in Sydney and Auckland. However, he will soon make the move to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nexus-appoints-new-chief-operating-officer 443,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nexus-appoints-new-chief-operating-officer Mon, 25 Nov 2019 15:45:00 GMT £1.4bn less a year is being spent on key local services than in 2010 according to new analysis published today (25 Nov) by Trade Union Congress (TUC). TUC is calling for large-scale investment in local services as North West council spending on vital services is down by a fifth since the start of the decade. In 2010/11 councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuc-calls-for-large-scale-investment-in-local-services 2950,433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuc-calls-for-large-scale-investment-in-local-services Mon, 25 Nov 2019 11:00:00 GMT Cllr Joan Atkinson, Lead Member of Area Management and Community Safety at South Tyneside Council talks about the council’s approach to violence within families. Today (Nov 25) sees violence against women in the spotlight marked by the global White Ribbon campaign. However, while most people know about domestic abuse and its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-child-to-parent-violence-at-south-tyneside-council- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-child-to-parent-violence-at-south-tyneside-council- Mon, 25 Nov 2019 09:30:00 GMT Nottingham City Council is tackling homelessness in the city by working to make more homes available to them. In addition to exciting housing stock, 70 more properties will be bought following a loan agreement between the council’s Executive Board and Nottingham City Homes (NCH), taking the total number of homes available to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-to-house-hundreds-of-homeless- 2950,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-to-house-hundreds-of-homeless- Fri, 22 Nov 2019 15:15:00 GMT Knowsley Council is buying land and existing shops from a developer in the Merseyside area of Kirkby as part of a £43m investment deal to rejuvenate the neglected town centre. Original plans from the private sector to regenerate the town suffered nearly 20 years of delays, before eventually falling through, and has prompted the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/knowsley-council-kirkby-regeneration 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/knowsley-council-kirkby-regeneration Fri, 22 Nov 2019 14:15:00 GMT East Ayrshire Council has revealed plans to invest £175m in housing over the next 5 years. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) sets out how East Ayrshire Council will spend approximately £88 million to help fulfill the Scottish Government’s plan of building 50,000 affordable homes by 2021. The programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-ayrshire-council-plans-for-175m-investment-in-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-ayrshire-council-plans-for-175m-investment-in-housing- Fri, 22 Nov 2019 10:15:00 GMT Lord Jim O’Neill, vice chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, is to press the case for devolution in Cumbria at an event next week. Lord O’Neill will address business and community leaders at UCLan’s Samuel Lindow on Westlakes Science and Technology Park, near Whitehaven, on Wednesday November 27th. He will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vice-chair-of-the-northern-powerhouse-to-talk-devolution-in-cumbria- 2950,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vice-chair-of-the-northern-powerhouse-to-talk-devolution-in-cumbria- Fri, 22 Nov 2019 09:15:00 GMT Following a consultation, Cornwall Council have announced today (Nov 21) more availability will soon be made for sexual health clinics and an online service. The service will come from Brook and their online partner SH:24 from December 2019. Brook was established nearly 60 years ago and has over 25 years’ experience delivering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-announces-new-sexual-health-services- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-announces-new-sexual-health-services- Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:00:00 GMT   The National Autistic Society Northern Ireland has opened a new autism centre this week (19 Nov) to meet the needs of autistic people and their families. TV star and mum of autistic twins, Christine McGuiness opened the first of its kind centre in Northern Ireland. The core service of the centre is day provision for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-autistic-society-opens-first-of-its-kind-autism-centre 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-autistic-society-opens-first-of-its-kind-autism-centre Thu, 21 Nov 2019 12:15:00 GMT The University of Manchester and Manchester City Council have formed a new research partnership to track Manchester’s languages. New research is going into identifying the diversity of Manchester’s languages and public signage in the city. Over 150 languages are spoken in Manchester including Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Polish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-and-university-launch-research-into-cities-languages- 2950,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-and-university-launch-research-into-cities-languages- Thu, 21 Nov 2019 10:30:00 GMT Transport for Greater Manchester announced today (20th Nov) that at the weekend Metrolink’s contactless payment system hit the million-journey mark. The contactless payment method was brought in on the 15th of July this year and this milestone for the new payment system shows that people are quickly adopting the easy-to-use way to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metrolink-contactless-payment-system-hits-millionth-journey- 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metrolink-contactless-payment-system-hits-millionth-journey- Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:15:00 GMT A prestigious national award was handed to Cumbria County Council at this year’s National Constructing Excellence Awards, the lead organisation for construction in the UK, for a new school building. The county council’s new state-of-the-art school building for Sandside Lodge School in Ulverston, was named overall winner in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-receives-national-award- 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-receives-national-award- Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:15:00 GMT Leicester City Council launched a three-month consultation yesterday (Nov 19) asking residents to have their say on Leicester’s climate emergency action plan. The citywide vision of making Leicester carbon neutral and join the global fight against climate change is being put in the hand of its residents. Experts predict that we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-invites-residents-to-help-in-climate-emergency 2950,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-invites-residents-to-help-in-climate-emergency Wed, 20 Nov 2019 12:30:00 GMT Reading Borough Council has announced it will make a bid to buy Reading Prison, following a public petition to save the Grade-II listed building and open the prison up as an arts space. Councillor Jason Brock, council leader for Reading Borough Council, announced the authority will make the bid for the prison in Reading, which is being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reading-borough-council-prison 2950,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reading-borough-council-prison Wed, 20 Nov 2019 11:15:00 GMT More than 100 different species’ survival is being threatened as a result of noise pollution, according to researchers from Queen’s University Belfast. Amphibians, arthropods, birds, fish, mammals, molluscs and reptiles have shown that noise affects their behaviour. The animals were separated into these groups and analysed, in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-evidence-supports-need-for-noise-pollution-policy 435,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-evidence-supports-need-for-noise-pollution-policy Wed, 20 Nov 2019 09:15:00 GMT Officials have announced a 98.37% superfast broadband coverage in Nottinghamshire thanks to the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire campaign. The campaign is a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council and a range of funding partners including Central Government, Openreach and the area’s district, borough and City councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/officials-claim-98-superfast-broadband-coverage 2950,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/officials-claim-98-superfast-broadband-coverage Tue, 19 Nov 2019 16:15:00 GMT The Mayor’s Hope Fund has launched an appeal for donations of tins, packets and UHT milk and juice to stoke the shelves of foodbanks in the city with Christmas approaching. Liverpool City Council have set up multiple collection points across the city. Lifestyle centres, libraries and One Stop Shops and council staff are taking part... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-of-liverpool-launches-appeal-to-help-feed-the-hungry-this-christmas- 2950,433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-of-liverpool-launches-appeal-to-help-feed-the-hungry-this-christmas- Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:15:00 GMT Two estates that have been under threat of demolition since 2012 have been handed back to Hammersmith & Fulham council. Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates were sold by the then Conservative-lead council in 2012 for £105 million to property investment company Capital and Counties (CapCo). Since then, the estates have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammersmith-and-fulham-council-to-buy-back-gibbs-green-and-west-kensington-estates 2950,433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammersmith-and-fulham-council-to-buy-back-gibbs-green-and-west-kensington-estates Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:30:00 GMT Queen’s University Belfast and The University of Manchester have been awarded £1.25m by Prostate Cancer UK and Movember to continue advancing treatment for prostate cancer as part of the Belfast-Manchester Centre for Excellence. The funding will allow clinical trials to be expanded, develop and pioneer novel treatments while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-university-belfast-receives-125m-to-develop-prostate-cancer-treatment- 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-university-belfast-receives-125m-to-develop-prostate-cancer-treatment- Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:45:00 GMT Road safety charity Brake has revealed new research that nearly a third of adults were in a collision, or had a near miss, with a vehicle on a UK road in the past year. The findings from a survey of 2,000, has been published to highlight the level of danger felt on UK roads and to encourage people to “Step Up for Safe Streets” for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1-in-3-adults-were-in-a-collision-or-near-miss-on-the-road-in-the-past-year- 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1-in-3-adults-were-in-a-collision-or-near-miss-on-the-road-in-the-past-year- Mon, 18 Nov 2019 14:30:00 GMT A new mental health service aimed at Greater Manchester’s students is to be announced at an event this evening (Nov 18). The service aims to help students overcome significant mental illness, such as psychosis, depression, personality disorders and eating disorders whilst living at university. Greater Manchester’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovative-mental-health-services-announced-for-greater-manchesters-students 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovative-mental-health-services-announced-for-greater-manchesters-students Mon, 18 Nov 2019 12:30:00 GMT Operation Limelight focuses on raising awareness of forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) at the border and safeguarding potential victims. This summer, Operation Limelight focused solely on flights between the UK and destinations where there is a high prevalence of forced marriage. The operation involved working alongside... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/border-force-and-metropolitan-police-operation-highly-commended-at-world-class-policing-awards- 454,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/border-force-and-metropolitan-police-operation-highly-commended-at-world-class-policing-awards- Mon, 18 Nov 2019 11:30:00 GMT A grassroots charity from Wrexham in Wales are calling for government to urgently increase free school meals allowance by 80p. According to the award-winning community charity, TCC (Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru / Together Creating Communities), children are increasingly found to be going hungry at school. In Wales, the problem is beginning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stop-school-hunger-campaign-launched-in-wales 453,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stop-school-hunger-campaign-launched-in-wales Mon, 18 Nov 2019 09:30:00 GMT Over the Christmas period a nightlight safety scheme will be piloted in Wigan town centre to ensure partygoers stay safe and to ease pressure on front-line emergency services. The Safe Haven scheme opens on Saturday 16th of November. Wigan Council will be working in partnership with St John Ambulance, Greater Manchester Police, Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safe-haven-being-provided-for-wigan-partygoers-this-christmas- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safe-haven-being-provided-for-wigan-partygoers-this-christmas- Fri, 15 Nov 2019 12:15:00 GMT South Tyneside Council leader Iain Malcolm spoke with Emily Rodgers for the new PSE podcast about the council’s green agenda and plans for the future. Like many UK councils, South Tyneside Council has signed up to the climate emergency agenda and now has officers working on developing more sustainable initiatives for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-ahead-with-south-tyneside-council 2950,437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-ahead-with-south-tyneside-council Fri, 15 Nov 2019 10:15:00 GMT - PRESS RELEASE -   Covering a growing population of 15.3 million, home to over a million businesses and with an economy totalling £329bn, the Northern Powerhouse forms the very spine of the North of England. As such, it is a region absolutely pivotal to the future of the UK, and for meeting central government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decarbonisation-northern-powerhouse 437,2899,2998,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decarbonisation-northern-powerhouse Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:45:00 GMT   Doncaster Council has approved plans for a major advanced manufacturing and logistics development located at Doncaster Sheffield airport (DSA). The 3.5 million square foot development, which will be owned and managed by Peel L&P, is set to be one of the largest in the Yorkshire region and is part of the airport’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doncaster-council-approves-plans-for-large-scale-airport-development 2950,433,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doncaster-council-approves-plans-for-large-scale-airport-development Thu, 14 Nov 2019 16:30:00 GMT South Tyneside Council leader Iain Malcolm spoke with Emily Rodgers for the new PSE podcast about how he found a solution for his residents in the face of budget cuts. Iain Malcolm has been a member of South Tyneside council since 1988 and leader for the past ten years. Over that time, he has seen the budgets cut “systematically... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-the-south-tyneside-council-leader-kept-his-community-centres-open 2950,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-the-south-tyneside-council-leader-kept-his-community-centres-open Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:15:00 GMT Public Sector Executive’s Matt Roberts explains how living in a modern, interconnected world, as we do, means public sector organisations cannot afford to ignore the role of data. Data is all around us in the modern age. Unseen, the digital environment plays a role in near on every aspect of our lives. It influences, manages and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/utilise-public-services 438,439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/utilise-public-services Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:15:00 GMT A funding program has been created by TDA, on behalf of Torbay Council, offering up to £10,000 to foreign companies willing to re-locate to the area. The ‘soft landings’ program, first targeted at electronics and photonics companies but open to a wide range of organisations, also offers the investment opportunity to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/torbay-council-offers-funding-to-attract-foreign-businesses 2950,437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/torbay-council-offers-funding-to-attract-foreign-businesses Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT The number of children in England identified by councils as having been abused for reasons associated with witchcraft have risen by a third in the past three years, the LGA reveals today. Abuse in children based on faith or belief, which includes witchcraft, spirit possession and black magic, increased from 1,460 to 1,950 cases between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-lga-responds-to-witchcraft-claims- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-lga-responds-to-witchcraft-claims- Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:45:00 GMT The Lancet has released a comprehensive yearly analysis called Countdown on Health and Climate Change, tracking progress across 41 key indicators in collaboration with 120 experts from 35 institutions including the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and University College London. The publication reports on extensive health damage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extensive-health-damage-from-climate-change-for-worlds-children 437,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extensive-health-damage-from-climate-change-for-worlds-children Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:30:00 GMT The Health Foundation has released a report today (14 Nov) looking at mortality rates in the UK. The data, based on research carried out by the London School of Economics, shows that the UK is at risk of suffering a fall in life expectancy if social inequality is not addressed. As a result of the report, Mortality and life expectancy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-health-foundation-calls-for-government-body-to-protect-falling-life-expectancy 442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-health-foundation-calls-for-government-body-to-protect-falling-life-expectancy Thu, 14 Nov 2019 10:45:00 GMT After the success of EvoNorth earlier this year, we're back for a 2nd year to once again unite the leaders from across the Northern Powerhouse to collaborate, share exciting innovation, build a stronger Northern Powerhouse and take control of our own destiny, together. Still unsure about whether to add EvoNorth to your 2020 diary? Here... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/5-reasons-evonorth-should-be-a-date-in-your-2020-diary 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/5-reasons-evonorth-should-be-a-date-in-your-2020-diary Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:15:00 GMT Membership club Boundless calls for action on World Kindness Day. Public sector membership club, Boundless, revealed shocking statistics ahead of World Kindness Day on 13 November, showing a fifth of the country’s public sector workers (over a million people) have never received a simple ‘thank you’ in their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boundless-world-kindness-day 452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boundless-world-kindness-day Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:45:00 GMT The Living Wage Foundation has announced a new UK Living Wage hourly rate of £9.30 per hour, an increase of 30p per hour. The new London Living Wage has risen to £10.75 per hour, a 20p per hour increase. This comes as living costs such as childcare and private rental costs, particularly in London, continue to rise. The UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-wage-foundation-calls-for-employers-to-join-as-uk-living-wage-rises 433,442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-wage-foundation-calls-for-employers-to-join-as-uk-living-wage-rises Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:15:00 GMT In a week’s time, The People’s Powerhouse will be in Sunderland hosting their jam-packed ‘this is the North’ convention. The event will see the coming together of diverse and interesting people, booked to share their insight with guests on 19 November. Stand up poet and writer Dr Kate Fox will be hosting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-week-until-the-peoples-powerhouse-event- 438,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-week-until-the-peoples-powerhouse-event- Tue, 12 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT Recent survey reveals Cheshire East is thriving as tourism continues to boom. The visitor economy has increased by £43m compared to the previous year – placing the total value of hospitality and visitor revenue at a staggering £936m. More 16 million visitors passed through the area, with festivals and dozens of other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-on-track-to-achieve-1-billion-target-in-visitor-economy-by-2020 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-on-track-to-achieve-1-billion-target-in-visitor-economy-by-2020 Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:45:00 GMT The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has initiated the government’s emergency Bellwin scheme to compensate eligible local authorities for the qualifying immediate costs they incur as part of their response to the flooding in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Bellwin is a scheme for emergency financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bellwin-scheme-activated-by-government-to-support-local-communities-hit-by-recent-flooding- 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bellwin-scheme-activated-by-government-to-support-local-communities-hit-by-recent-flooding- Mon, 11 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT District households who have an Amazon virtual assistant can now ask Alexa about recycling thousands of domestic items and seek guidance on everything from checking when collections are, reporting missed collections and asking for new recycling containers with the answers being personalized to the residents’ address. People who want... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-devon-district-council-implements-new-method-for-increasing-recycling- 2950,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-devon-district-council-implements-new-method-for-increasing-recycling- Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:00:00 GMT Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Public Health team is supporting AgeUK’s campaign to raise awareness of the rising rate of HIV in the over 50s. There are currently more than 100 people living with HIV across Bath and North East Somerset, with one in three over the age of 50. Nationwide over the past four years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bath-and-north-east-somerset-council-supporting-hiv-awareness-campaign 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bath-and-north-east-somerset-council-supporting-hiv-awareness-campaign Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:30:00 GMT Sheffield Business School is part of a group of business schools accredited by Small Business Charter for their expertise who will deliver the programme. The Leading to Grow Programme will be offered at no cost to microbusinesses across England. The funding has been made available through the government’s £9m Business Basics... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/university-bestowed-government-funding-to-help-microbusinesses-use-tech-to-grow- 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/university-bestowed-government-funding-to-help-microbusinesses-use-tech-to-grow- Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:45:00 GMT Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP) are collaborating to invest £7.5m in new technology innovation. A number of suppliers have been appointed to start developing a cutting-edge digital platform that will help to transform public services and give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-tech-to-transform-care-with-75m-investment 438,439,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-tech-to-transform-care-with-75m-investment Wed, 06 Nov 2019 14:45:00 GMT Stoke-on-trent City council has today initiated their Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) The emergency measures are there to help and protect rough sleepers during the coldest and most difficult periods of the year. The council, and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough council, working in collaboration with Brighter Futures and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/severe-weather-emergency-protocol-invoked-for-rough-sleepers- 2950,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/severe-weather-emergency-protocol-invoked-for-rough-sleepers- Wed, 06 Nov 2019 10:30:00 GMT The University of Sunderland will now be responsible for producing an army of professionals dedicated to supporting service users with interventions that improve their daily lives. The University now delivers a full cycle of health programmes from paramedic training and nursing to pharmacy, physiotherapy and medicine – and the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-investment-in-occupational-therapy-at-the-university-of-sunderland- 433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-investment-in-occupational-therapy-at-the-university-of-sunderland- Wed, 06 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT The UK’s work to protect overseas cultural heritage will receive a further £10 million announced by UK Heritage Minister Helen Whately. The extension has been put in place to help heritage sits overseas to prepare for and respond to the potential risk of natural disasters and climate change. A new pilot will be trialled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-extend-cultural-protection-fund-with-10m-investment- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-extend-cultural-protection-fund-with-10m-investment- Tue, 05 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT Leicester City Council are investing nearly £5m into improving the fabric and facilities of school buildings across the region. This money comes as a part of a wider programme of works and will be spent on a large number of upgrades, including energy-efficient schemes, electrics works, heating, window replacement, site security and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-6m-investment-into-leicester-city-council-schools-and-public-buildings 2950,433,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-6m-investment-into-leicester-city-council-schools-and-public-buildings Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:45:00 GMT West Lindsey District Council, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, has unanimously passed a motion to target becoming a net-zero carbon authority by 2050. Councillors moved to support the creation of a strategy on sustainability and climate change in order to reach the target. Under the proposals, the local authority will bring itself in line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-west-lindsey-district-council-carbon 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-west-lindsey-district-council-carbon Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:15:00 GMT A number of Bristol organisations have launched a new programme to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, and they are encouraging other organisations to join them. 39% of employees have cited work as contributing to their mental health issues over the past 12 months, and whilst it’s becoming more of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-becomes-first-city-to-sing-up-to-mental-health-at-work-commitment- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-becomes-first-city-to-sing-up-to-mental-health-at-work-commitment- Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England, has revealed today that unsustainable costs and demand pressures on free home-to-school transport will cost councils £1.2bn a year by 2024. Approximately 550,000 school children are currently receiving free home to school travel each year, with 145,000 of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-councils-urge-government-to-rethink-school-transport-as-bill-set-to-soar-to-12bn-by-2024 2950,453,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-councils-urge-government-to-rethink-school-transport-as-bill-set-to-soar-to-12bn-by-2024 Mon, 04 Nov 2019 16:15:00 GMT The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced today (Nov 4th) that new funding will safeguard good landlords so they can prosper, helping councils progress new ways to recognize and stamp out poor landlords. The initiative comes on the back of last year’s £2 million of funding, which was shared across 56 projects and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4m-to-help-councils-tackle-criminal-landlords- 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4m-to-help-councils-tackle-criminal-landlords- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:45:00 GMT The government have today announced plans to launch a £50 million scheme to help the fight against climate change by boosting tree-planting rates. The new Woodland Carbon Guarantee will inspire farmers and landowners to plant more trees and create new woodland in return for payments as those trees grow. This fresh initiative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50m-woodland-carbon-guarantee-scheme-to-encourage-tree-planting- 433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50m-woodland-carbon-guarantee-scheme-to-encourage-tree-planting- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 12:30:00 GMT Young people aged 16-19 will have access to high-quality courses that will help them develop their career opportunities as of next year. The £155 million funding forms part of the additional £400 million, which was announced in August for school sixth forms and colleges for 2020-21, the biggest boost in funding of new money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/colleges-and-sixth-forms-to-benefit-from-155-million-funding-boost- 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/colleges-and-sixth-forms-to-benefit-from-155-million-funding-boost- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 11:30:00 GMT As part of the government’s £100 million prison security package seven jails are set to obtain advanced new equipment to tackle the smuggling of drugs, phones and weapons behind bars, in a bid to make our prisons a safer place. The chosen prisons have been prioritised as they face significant security challenges and the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-prisons-get-new-security-equipment- 454,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-prisons-get-new-security-equipment- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 10:45:00 GMT Seven government departments are set to benefit from a £100m, three-year contract extension signed with Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL), in partnership with the Government Shared Services (GSS), continuing to provide a range of critical business services. As part of the agreement to extend SSCL’s existing contract... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-collaboration-shared-services 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-collaboration-shared-services Mon, 04 Nov 2019 10:30:00 GMT The Opportunity Area programme will receive an £18m investment to support some of the most disadvantaged parts of England. The investment, aimed at young people, will build on improving educational outcomes, careers advice and attracting teachers. The Education Secretary has today announced (Nov 4) that the government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/18m-boost-for-young-people-through-opportunity-area-programme- 453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/18m-boost-for-young-people-through-opportunity-area-programme- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 10:00:00 GMT Today (Nov 3rd) Housing Minister Esther McVey unveiled £30 million boost for this ‘Construction Corridor’ The government are creating a new industry that will create jobs and career opportunities for a new workforce by delivering Carbon Free Homes. A £30 million boost from the government is being put into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/30m-for-construction-of-new-carbon-free-homes- 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/30m-for-construction-of-new-carbon-free-homes- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 10:00:00 GMT Five more Housing Infrastructure Fund projects were announced by Government on Friday (1 Nov) with a combined investment of more than £374m. The Housing Secretary’s announcement is part of the government’s commitment to push the infrastructure revolution forward and unlock more homes in the UK. The £374m will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-further-374m-to-be-invested-into-infrastructure-revolution- 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-further-374m-to-be-invested-into-infrastructure-revolution- Mon, 04 Nov 2019 09:30:00 GMT Following a survey of public sector organisations and their incorporation of social value into the procurement process, in partnership with Wates and the Social Value Portal, Public Sector Executive’s Matt Roberts evaluates one of the clear challenges presented by the data.   Social value is a procurement buzz phrase at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-wates-narrative 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-wates-narrative Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:00:00 GMT Partner organisations and charities from April 2020 will be able to help vulnerable people claim Universal Credit. Secretary of State Therese Coffey has today (Nov 1st) announced a £10m Universal Transition Fund to aim helping vulnerable people, including disabled people, care leavers and those with mental health issues claim... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10m-fund-to-support-people-claiming-universal-credit- 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10m-fund-to-support-people-claiming-universal-credit- Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:00:00 GMT Notting Hill Genesis and Transport for London, working together as part of the Kidbrooke Partnership LLP joint venture, have been given the go-ahead to deliver more than 600 homes, of which 50 per cent will be affordable, in Kidbrooke. This comes on the back of the decision by Deputy Mayor, Jules Pipe, to call in the application and act... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kidbrooke-to-receive-hundreds-of-new-affordable-homes- 441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kidbrooke-to-receive-hundreds-of-new-affordable-homes- Fri, 01 Nov 2019 12:30:00 GMT Rural business in England are set to benefit from a £35m government investment to create new jobs, boost tourism and allow growth potential in rural areas. This number could go up to £50m depending on the number of high-quality applications. The government’s Growth Programme provides grants of up to £750,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/35m-government-funding-for-rural-businesses- 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/35m-government-funding-for-rural-businesses- Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:15:00 GMT Yesterday (Oct 31st) at Graven Hill, at the launch of the Build It’s Self Education House, the National Custom and Self Build Association announced that the 30th of October, Right to Build Day, will be the yearly deadline for anyone wishing to build their own home via Self or Custom Build. Right to Build Day will now mark the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-build-day-sees-launch-of-self-build-education-house- 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-build-day-sees-launch-of-self-build-education-house- Fri, 01 Nov 2019 09:30:00 GMT Public sector bodies across the industry will for the first time be able to utilise a government-led construction agreement, as the government awarded a major new procurement agreement to Crown Commercial Service (CCS). All public sector bodies are now able to utilise the CCS Construction Works and Associated Services framework to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-ccs-procurement-framework-construction 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-ccs-procurement-framework-construction Fri, 01 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT The recently appointed minister for prevention, public health and primary care, Jo Churchill, looks towards a more predictive and preventative public health system. This is an exciting time to be a health minister in this government. This statement may surprise many of you given the continuing twists, turns and distractions in Westminster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/last-word-pills-potions-and-public-health--jo-churchil 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/last-word-pills-potions-and-public-health--jo-churchil Thu, 31 Oct 2019 19:00:00 GMT Funding boost to be distributed to councils across England to deliver free childcare places, allowing parents to work more flexibly and support children’s early development. The surge in funding comes following the Chancellor’s declaration of an extra £66 million investment in the early years as part of the spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-see-funding-boost-to-support-childcare-and-early-education- 2950,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-see-funding-boost-to-support-childcare-and-early-education- Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:30:00 GMT The government is urging businesses to take part in two competitions aiming to help achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and establish the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040. Around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions are produced by industrially intensive areas and whilst vital to UK economy, they are a threat to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-competitions-established-to-help-achieve-decarbonisation-of-uk-industry- 437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-competitions-established-to-help-achieve-decarbonisation-of-uk-industry- Thu, 31 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Hannah Buckley, operations supervisor at Kent County Council, talks about the council’s strategy and transformative approach in responding to the challenges and timeframe of the Department for Transport’s new Blue Badge digital process. As a local authority, we are continually looking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/implementing-the-new-blue-badge-digital-service-process--kent-county-council 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/implementing-the-new-blue-badge-digital-service-process--kent-county-council Wed, 30 Oct 2019 14:00:00 GMT The order which was first secured in 2016 by Birmingham City Council is now valid until September 1st 2022 meaning street cruising is banned for a further three years. The definition of street cruising is a congregation of drivers of 2 or more motor vehicles, including motorcycles, between the hours of 7pm and 7am on the public highway or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-secure-order-against-street-cruising-for-an-additional-three-years- 435,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-secure-order-against-street-cruising-for-an-additional-three-years- Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:45:00 GMT An innovative pilot project has been launched during National Care Leavers’ Week, by Child Friendly Leeds ambassador ENGIE and Leeds City Council is giving Leeds care leavers a helping hand to live independently. The scheme, known as DIY SOS, sees energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE carry out work on future properties of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-leavers-in-leeds-benefit-from-new-diy-sos-scheme- 441,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-leavers-in-leeds-benefit-from-new-diy-sos-scheme- Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT Stephanie Riches, Co-ordinator of the People’s Powerhouse, joins us in the studio for our very first PSE podcast, giving a deep dive into her new role, diversity and inclusion in the public sector and the People’s Powerhouse Charter, rounded off with a Manchester quiz!   With hosts Emily Rodgers and Matt Roberts, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pse-podcast-001-inequality-within-the-north- 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pse-podcast-001-inequality-within-the-north- Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Dr Neil Thorpe, Dr Lee Fawcett, Matt Linsley and Brett Cherry, from Newcastle University, discuss sustainably and efficiently improving road safety in the UK. In the UK, over 80% of passenger miles are by car, van or taxi. But automobile transport, despite its numerous privileges and conveniences... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/saving-lives-with-safety-cameras-and-statistical-analysis-newcastle-university 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/saving-lives-with-safety-cameras-and-statistical-analysis-newcastle-university Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT Council houses in Leicester to receive £22m of housing repairs, maintenance and adaptations in a major improvement undertaking of the council’s housing stock. The city council is currently half way through a major programme of renovations to bring council homes across the city up to modern standards. The £22m has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/22m-invested-into-leicesters-council-housing-stock 2950,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/22m-invested-into-leicesters-council-housing-stock Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:15:00 GMT Following an analysis of all present and developing local plans from across England, the Right to Build Task Force has discovered that more than half of all local planning authorities (58%) now have, or are bringing into effect, local plan policies that support Custom and Self Build housing delivery. This is up from 24% in 2015. This is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/custom-and-self-build-housing-supported-by-over-half-of-england-local-authorities- 2950,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/custom-and-self-build-housing-supported-by-over-half-of-england-local-authorities- Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:45:00 GMT Source PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Peter O’Driscoll, managing director of RingGo, discusses how technology can play a role in creating a modern city. The UK’s cities are becoming increasingly diverse with varying ages, genders, ethnicities and income levels combining to create modern cities, but constantly evolving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-services-more-than-just-convenience-ringgo 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-services-more-than-just-convenience-ringgo Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT People who live in Leicester can now help to get people off the streets for the night through new contactless donation points across the city. The new scheme, named Give Leicester, is part of the Leicester homeless charter launched last year. It is a collaboration of people, organisations, practitioners and supporters, working together to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-enable-contactless-donations-for-rough-sleepers 2950,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-city-council-enable-contactless-donations-for-rough-sleepers Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Source : PSE Oct/Nov 2019   The mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, explains why the city has submitted a bid to Boris Johnson’s new Government for a ‘Green City Deal’. In Liverpool Town Hall recently, city councillors from all parties declared a climate change emergency and set an ambitious target to become... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meeting-liverpools-green-goals--mayor-of-liverpool-joe-anderson 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meeting-liverpools-green-goals--mayor-of-liverpool-joe-anderson Wed, 30 Oct 2019 07:30:00 GMT Source : PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Bill Walker, director of strategic relationships & knowledge exchange at the University of Hull, discusses an exciting new collaboration between the universities of the North as they aim to create a Northern Powerhouse alliance leading the country in science, research and clean... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-ivy-league-of-the-north--university-of-hull 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-ivy-league-of-the-north--university-of-hull Tue, 29 Oct 2019 19:30:00 GMT Proposals to Bristol City Council’s cabinet suggest a small area diesel ban for all privately-owned vehicles and a penalty for non-compliant commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis, HGVs and LGVs. The plan will ask Cabinet to lead the way and allow Bristol to become the first UK city to introduce a small area diesel ban and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-councils-cabinet-to-consider-air-quality-improvement-plan- 2950,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-councils-cabinet-to-consider-air-quality-improvement-plan- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 16:15:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019   PSE sits down with Britain’s newest metro mayor, Jamie Driscoll, to discuss his plans for the North of Tyne, devolution, and the Northern Powerhouse. Jamie Driscoll, the mayor of North of Tyne Riding on the back of a “once-in-a-generation” devolution deal worth £600m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decentralise-decarbonise-democratise 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decentralise-decarbonise-democratise Tue, 29 Oct 2019 16:00:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019   PSE sat down with the esteemed Debbie Jones, the director of children’s services at Tower Hamlets Council, to discuss how she led the jump from an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted rating to a ‘remarkable’ ‘Good’ rating. “We were in February 2017 when the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-the-remarkable 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-the-remarkable Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:00:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Heather Scott OBE, Tees Valley Combined Authority cabinet lead for transport, explains how the combined authority and partners are looking to improve transport infrastructure in the Tees Valley. An efficient, reliable and affordable transport network can easily be taken for granted by those who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-tees-valley-transport--tees-valley-combined-authority 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-tees-valley-transport--tees-valley-combined-authority Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT Today it was announced that buses across Great Britain are set to be made more accessible for disabled passengers following a new partnership with the Real Time Information Group (RTIG). The group, which is set to work alongside the Department for Transport, supports good practice in the use of communications technology on public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2m-investment-to-make-buses-more-accessible-for-disabled-passengers- 433,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2m-investment-to-make-buses-more-accessible-for-disabled-passengers- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:30:00 GMT Parmjit Chahal, head of children’s access at Harrow Council, explains how a quick, dignified new fingerprint drug test is proving important in building a more open, trusting relationship with parents. Harrow children’s services, like many local authorities, work hard to identify parental drug use at an early stage in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/putting-a-finger-on-success- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/putting-a-finger-on-success- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT The government have announced a review is being implemented to look into ways of boosting the response to threats such as county lines, people trafficking and drugs. The review, the first of its kind to be carried out, will be led by Sir Craig Mackey QPM, former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, with support from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-set-to-look-into-serious-and-organised-crime- 454,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-set-to-look-into-serious-and-organised-crime- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:10:00 GMT Phil Swan, chief information officer for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), discusses exciting new collaborations in the region aimed at joining up vital public services and empowering people to live well. Greater Manchester’s (GM’s) councils, NHS organisations and other public bodies are working together to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sharing-care-in-greater-manchester- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sharing-care-in-greater-manchester- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT Source : PSE Oct/Nov 2019   Terence Smith, head of global growth at JCB Power Products, discusses the UK’s power failure on 9 August 2019 and how they are looking to help ensure similar situations don’t occur again. The Guardian newspaper described the recent UK power outage as a “rude awakening,”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protecting-the-uk-power-supply- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protecting-the-uk-power-supply- Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT Newly developed digital forensics unit and expanded digital investigations team will crack down on criminal activity involving devices smuggled into jails, Prisons Minster, Lucy Frazer QC MP announced today. More than 20, 000 mobile devices and SIM cards are seized in prisons each year. The total of smartphones seized is also rising, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-edge-digital-forensic-unit-is-set-to-crack-down-on-criminal-activity-in-prisons- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-edge-digital-forensic-unit-is-set-to-crack-down-on-criminal-activity-in-prisons- Mon, 28 Oct 2019 16:45:00 GMT Academies and sixth form colleges across England will see huge facility transformations and improvements with share of more than £400m. The multi-million-pound government fund, open today (Oct 28), can be used by academies and sixth form colleges through bidding for a share of the fund and investing it into their academic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-400m-available-for-school-and-college-improvements 453,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-400m-available-for-school-and-college-improvements Mon, 28 Oct 2019 16:45:00 GMT Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2019    Chris Painter, professor emeritus at Birmingham City University, appraises a momentous period in British politics from the May 2019 elections through to the precipice of a possible disorderly Brexit. The 2019 local elections in England, immediately followed by the UK European elections, took... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seismic-electoral-movement-and-political-zealotry 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seismic-electoral-movement-and-political-zealotry Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:00:00 GMT Source: PSE: Oct/Nov 19   Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, explains her manifesto to ensure the country’s next generation get the childhood they need to prosper as adults. Today’s children are our future economic prosperity, our tax payers and wealth producers, and our future... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supporting-the-next-generation- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supporting-the-next-generation- Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:45:00 GMT Source: PSE: Oct/Nov 19   Dr Anna Dixon, the chief executive of Centre for Ageing Better, explains why the Future High Streets Fund is a vital opportunity to rebuild our town centres for everyone. Over the summer, the Government announced a raft of towns and cities set to benefit from the Future High Streets Fund, launched... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-our-high-streets 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-our-high-streets Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:45:00 GMT Source: PSE: Oct/Nov 19   Rob Webster, CEO lead for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership & CEO for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, explains how advancing health tech innovation means working together to deliver for the economy and for patients. In August, we were delighted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-city-region-leading-the-way-with-health-tech-partnership- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-city-region-leading-the-way-with-health-tech-partnership- Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT More than 3,600 farmers have been successful in their applications for their share of a £22m funding pot, set up to provide productivity-boosting equipment from the government’s Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme. Farming minister, George Eustice confirmed today that 3,677 applications have been approved as part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announce-22m-investment-into-farmer-productivity 433,437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announce-22m-investment-into-farmer-productivity Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet has formally endorsed a Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF) which could lead to the delivery of up to two million sq ft of new commercial space in the city centre over the next 15 years. The Commercial Business District (CBD) SRF has identified 12 key sites as places for possible expansion in a bid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/masterplan-to-make-liverpool-into-a-world-class-business-location-has-been-approved- 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/masterplan-to-make-liverpool-into-a-world-class-business-location-has-been-approved- Fri, 25 Oct 2019 11:30:00 GMT People in 100 places across England have been encouraged to have a say in how the Town Deals, each worth up to £25m, can transform their towns. Local people are being given the chance to shape their town’s future through a new campaign, launched by communities and Local Government secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-people-urged-to-get-involved-in-multi-million-pound-mytown-campaign 433,438,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-people-urged-to-get-involved-in-multi-million-pound-mytown-campaign Fri, 25 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced that youth projects across the country will gain a £12m investment as part of the Government’s pledge to help young prosper and widen their opportunities. The boost of funding includes up to £7m for a Youth Accelerator Fund that will further existing successful projects, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-commits-12m-investment-to-boost-nation-wide-youth-projects- 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-commits-12m-investment-to-boost-nation-wide-youth-projects- Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:45:00 GMT Surrey County Council’s cabinet are set to agree £270m of funding for long term flood risk management work across the county to protect homes and roads. The funding agreement includes a contribution to the River Thames Scheme, which looks to reduce flood risk to 15,000 properties and tens of thousands of people living and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-county-council-flood-risk-funding 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-county-council-flood-risk-funding Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), the Ministery of Defence’s (MoD) innovation hub, to invest £1m in a boost for service personnel’s welfare and training. DASA will fund nearly £1m for Armed Forces trial of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, psychological and neuroscience tools and technology to further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1m-investment-into-armed-forces-welfare-and-training 438,439,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1m-investment-into-armed-forces-welfare-and-training Thu, 24 Oct 2019 16:30:00 GMT Museums and galleries sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) have reported a record-breaking 50 million visits last year. England saw almost 50 million visits to their DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries last year, including a swell of 8.5 million children, thanks to new initiatives and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/museums-and-galleries-in-england-reach-record-breaking-visits- 433,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/museums-and-galleries-in-england-reach-record-breaking-visits- Thu, 24 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT Housing Minister Esther McVey (Oct 24) wants to build a green housing revolution in the North, as she will today announce the launch of a new ‘centre of excellence’ for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The launch accompanies the announcement that the government housing agency Homes England is today funding deals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-minister-wants-to-make-the-north-a-green-housing-construction-corridor 437,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-minister-wants-to-make-the-north-a-green-housing-construction-corridor Thu, 24 Oct 2019 11:45:00 GMT The new chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr James Jamieson, discusses devolution, the latest Spending Round and being a national mouthpiece for local government with PSE’s Jamie Bennett-Ness. James Jamieson, first elected to Central Bedfordshire Council in 2009, has risen through the ranks of local government over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-governments-united-front 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-governments-united-front Thu, 24 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT The mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, explains how the city council has been leading the way with combating climate change and achieving carbon neutral goals. In November 2018, Bristol became the first UK city council to declare a climate emergency, highlighting the action we were taking as a council, and a city, on climate change. Our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-the-climate-revolution 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-the-climate-revolution Thu, 24 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT British Safety Council has responded to research from King’s College London which illustrates a direct link between air pollution and health emergencies. They are now calling for more work needed on the effects of exposure on outdoor workers. The new data released by King’s College London reveals that hundreds of children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outdoor-workers-at-risk-of-air-pollution-according-to-new-research 435,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outdoor-workers-at-risk-of-air-pollution-according-to-new-research Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:15:00 GMT A former Salford women’s refuge, which has stood empty for five years, has re-opened today (Oct 23) after being transformed into social housing. Joan Lestor House on Ellesmere Street in Walkden, named after Labour MP Baroness Lestor of Eccles, was built in 1999 and provided a safe haven for homeless, vulnerable women before its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neglected-womens-refuge-reopened-as-salford-social-housing 441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neglected-womens-refuge-reopened-as-salford-social-housing Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT The first of two, Liverpool City Council commissioned care homes to be built in over 25 years, is opening later this week. The city council committed to the £8m Brushwood on South Parade in Speke to meet the demands for dementia care services in the area. The establishment is the first local authority-built care home to open in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-liverpools-first-council-care-home-in-25-years-to-open-this-week 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-liverpools-first-council-care-home-in-25-years-to-open-this-week Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:45:00 GMT Iron Mountain Solutions Now Available on Digital Outcomes and Specialists 4 (DOS-4) Digital Marketplace Framework Expands Iron Mountain’s Offering for Public Sector Customer Iron Mountain has announced that its information management and digital transformation solutions are now available through the Government’s latest Digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-digital-marketplace-framework-to-offer-iron-mountain-solutions 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-digital-marketplace-framework-to-offer-iron-mountain-solutions Wed, 23 Oct 2019 10:30:00 GMT Support programmes for young people leaving care, totalling £19m, announced today (Oct 23) ahead of National Care Leavers Week. To mark National Care Leavers Week, education secretary Gavin Williamson, has announced new cross-government care available to young care leavers. On top of this, £19m of investment to fund programmes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announce-19m-fund-to-support-young-people-leaving-care 453,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announce-19m-fund-to-support-young-people-leaving-care Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Stroud District Council has published its revised local plan, detailing the plans to build 3,900 homes, a secondary school and a new railway station in two ‘garden villages’ in Stroud. The council has committed that every house built as part of it’s highly-ambitious plan would have to be carbon neutral. Under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stroud-district-council-local-plan 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stroud-district-council-local-plan Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Debbie Dore, chief executive of the Association for Project Management, discusses the impact that the establishment of the Infrastructure and Project Authority will have. Government, like the rest of the economy and society, is increasingly delivering change via projects. Given the scale of project activity, it is vital that this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/professionalisation-of-project-management 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/professionalisation-of-project-management Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT Director of people transformation at Companies House, Angela Lewis, describes how the organisation is putting people at the centre of its transformation programme as it looks to adapt to meet future challenges. The reason why transformation programmes often fail is because organisations do not consider the people element in enough detail.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-transformation 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-transformation Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT Leah Fletcher, commercial agreement manager - Education Technology for the Crown Commercial Service, explains the process behind creating a bespoke technology agreement for the education sector. When our successful ICT Services for Education agreement reached the end of its lifespan, we at Crown Commercial Service (CCS) wanted to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/education-technology 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/education-technology Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:30:00 GMT Nigel Wilcock, executive director of the Institute of Economic Development, outlines what can be done to address and combat regional imbalances in the UK economy. In the midst of continuing uncertainty in Westminster, one potentially important development that may have gone unnoticed at a local level is the cross-party Treasury Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/overcoming-regional-imbalances 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/overcoming-regional-imbalances Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT Since 2017 thousands of children with vision impairments have had to suffer from cuts or frozen funding for specialist education services, a new report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said. Despite the rise in the number of children and young people requiring and accessing specialist support, 43% of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-three-children-with-vision-impairments-missing-out-on-specialist-support 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-three-children-with-vision-impairments-missing-out-on-specialist-support Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:30:00 GMT The Government has announced today (Oct 22) that up to £1m in funding is being awarded to fight waste crime in the UK. The money will also go towards preventing illegal waste from being shipped abroad by using smart waste tracking. The UK currently uses an outdated, paper-based system for monitoring household and commercial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1m-boost-to-tackle-illegal-waste-removal-in-the-uk 454,437,438,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1m-boost-to-tackle-illegal-waste-removal-in-the-uk Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT A Rough Sleeping grant of £1.9m has today (Oct 22) been awarded to 6 projects involving partnerships between Local Authorities (LAs) and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The government funding will go towards testing models that provide better access to health services for people with mental ill health and drug and alcohol... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-2m-rough-sleeping-grant-awarded 442,870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-2m-rough-sleeping-grant-awarded Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:15:00 GMT Local councils to provide life-saving support to domestic abuse survivors thanks to new legal duty announced by Government. From next year, every council in England will have a legal requirement to support individuals who have endured domestic abuse and get them into safe accommodation, Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-protect-domestic-abuse-survivors-with-local-council-support 2950,870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-protect-domestic-abuse-survivors-with-local-council-support Mon, 21 Oct 2019 11:15:00 GMT Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, has announced a £1m investment to help add disabled access to Billingham Railway Station. The station, built in the 1960’s, is currently the only railway station in the Tees Valley with no disabled access. The funding makes up part of a bid into the Government’s Access for All scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/billingham-railway-station-to-receive-2m-for-disabled-access 2950,440,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/billingham-railway-station-to-receive-2m-for-disabled-access Mon, 21 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis has called on Northern Rail to provide passengers compensation and cheaper fares on routes still where Pacer trains will be retained in the region into 2020 – long past the initial deadline for their retirement. In a letter co-signed by mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dan-jarvis-pacer-trains 2950,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dan-jarvis-pacer-trains Mon, 21 Oct 2019 09:15:00 GMT Cambridge City Council has got on board with the Cambridge Plastic Pledge, urging local businesses and organisations to make a change this year to reduce their single-use plastic contribution. Various organisations in the area, such as Visit Cambridge, Great Days Out In & Around Cambridge and Shepreth Wildlife Conservation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridge-city-council-joins-plastic-pledge-action- 2950,437,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridge-city-council-joins-plastic-pledge-action- Fri, 18 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT Transport for London (TfL) and The Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander, have today (Oct 17) joined Waltham Forest Council and the City of London Corporation to unveil a key part of the multimillion-pound transformation of Waltham Forest. The transformations, including safe pedestrian and cycle lanes, form part of the award-winning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multimillion-pound-waltham-forest-transformation-unveiled 2950,437,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multimillion-pound-waltham-forest-transformation-unveiled Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:45:00 GMT The Prime Minister will today announce (Oct 17) that he will chair a new Cabinet Committee dedicated to tackling Climate Change and its global effects. PM Boris Johnson and the new committee will be the driving force behind government and its efforts to protect our environment, emissions and improve air quality. This government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-johnson-to-chair-first-of-its-kind-climate-change-committee- 437,438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-johnson-to-chair-first-of-its-kind-climate-change-committee- Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:30:00 GMT The North and Midlands must take control of their high-speed rail network, argues a report from the Northern Powerhouse Independent Review warning against cancelling the major infrastructure projects without viable alternatives. The review, established to inform the Government-commissioned Oakervee review of HS2, which will report to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-and-midlands-must-take-control-to-deliver-true-benefits-of-hs2-and-npr-says-review- 2950,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-and-midlands-must-take-control-to-deliver-true-benefits-of-hs2-and-npr-says-review- Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT The Government’s ‘Get Help to Retrain’ services are continuing their rollout, making the scheme now available to six major cities across England. As of today (Oct 16) the pioneering service, aimed at helping adults start a new career, will be offered to individuals across the Leeds City Region, the Cambridgeshire and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-major-cities-to-benefit-from-government-adult-retraining-scheme 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-major-cities-to-benefit-from-government-adult-retraining-scheme Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:30:00 GMT The Health Foundation has today (Oct 16) urged government to consider policy changes to housing, transport and education after new report shows a risk to the future of young people. The report, A heathy foundation for the future, calls for a whole government approach to protect the future health of young people. Included in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-health-foundation-calls-for-government-overhaul-for-a-healthy-society- 453,441,870,446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-health-foundation-calls-for-government-overhaul-for-a-healthy-society- Wed, 16 Oct 2019 10:00:00 GMT The government has today (Oct 15) announced ambitious new measures to further tackle climate change, in response to Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recommendations. Plans to go ‘further and faster’ with fighting climate change have been set out just four months after the UK became the first leading economy to commit to net... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-takes-the-fight-against-climate-change-even-further 437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-takes-the-fight-against-climate-change-even-further Tue, 15 Oct 2019 17:00:00 GMT Detailed proposals for creating a single unitary council covering the whole of Leicestershire, and abolishing the county’s seven district authorities, have been published. The 100-page draft blueprint compares the different options for a major restructuring of local government in the county, and concludes that the creation of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blueprint-for-single-unitary-leicestershire-council-published 2950,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blueprint-for-single-unitary-leicestershire-council-published Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:15:00 GMT A new £2m fund will be made available to organisations dealing with the loneliness issue across the country, the Minister for Civil Society, Baroness Barran announced today (Oct 15) Organisations that are at the ‘frontline’ of managing loneliness in the UK will be given a £2m pot to help bring people together and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-2m-fund-to-tackle-loneliness 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-2m-fund-to-tackle-loneliness Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT Government is making the environment a priority with the introduction of landmark bill to fight the biggest threats to the environment. The bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech yesterday and will today (15 Oct) be introduced to parliament. The fundamentals of which are to protect and enhance our natural environment. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pioneering-new-measures-announced-in-government-environment-bill- 437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pioneering-new-measures-announced-in-government-environment-bill- Tue, 15 Oct 2019 10:30:00 GMT Boris Johnson has set out his Government’s major policies on crime, the environment and Brexit in today’s Queen Speech, including the announcement that a Devolution White Paper will be published. Housing safety in the wake of Grenfell, the NHS and social care reform all featured In the State Opening of Parliament, the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-queens-speech-2019-crime-social-care-and-devolution-bills-unveiled-by-boris-johnson 454,433,436,2899,441,870,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-queens-speech-2019-crime-social-care-and-devolution-bills-unveiled-by-boris-johnson Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:15:00 GMT This week, on National Adoption Week (October 14-21), Buckinghamshire County Council is launching a new ‘Adoption Ready’ tool that helps people see if they are suitable to become adoptive parents. People tend to wrongly assume their eligibility to adopt. This could be due to age, financial situation, orientation or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-county-council-launch-online-tool-to-check-your-adoption-eligibility- 2950,446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-county-council-launch-online-tool-to-check-your-adoption-eligibility- Mon, 14 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT In partnership with leading Smart City operator providers, Hull City Council is set to become the first local authority in the UK to benefit from its own purpose-built Smart City Operating System (OS). Seeking to build on the success of being crowned UK City of Culture 2017, Hull’s local authority have taken it upon themselves... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hull-city-council-smart-city 2950,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hull-city-council-smart-city Mon, 14 Oct 2019 10:30:00 GMT The role of culture in communities is being reinforced with a £250m investment for young people and local growth. Cultural projects, museums, libraries and other creative industries have reason to celebrate after the Culture Secretary announced a game-changing investment for the culture and creative sector. Of the funds, over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-heritage-and-culture-to-receive-250m-investment- 433,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-heritage-and-culture-to-receive-250m-investment- Mon, 14 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT A new set of figures have been announced today (Friday 11) to outline how schools are to benefit from Government’s £14bn education investment. UK schools will receive details of how they are going to benefit after it is announced that every school across the country will get more money for every child. Every secondary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/allocation-details-of-14-billion-funding-for-schools-announced 453,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/allocation-details-of-14-billion-funding-for-schools-announced Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:45:00 GMT Teacher’s working hours have fallen by an average of five hours a week compared to 2016, as they spend less time on things other than teaching. Research published today (11 Oct) has revealed that teachers are working five hours a week less than they were three years ago. The second Teacher Workload Survey saw over 7,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/positive-shift-in-the-right-direction-as-teacher-workload-dropped-by-five-hours-a-week- 453,446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/positive-shift-in-the-right-direction-as-teacher-workload-dropped-by-five-hours-a-week- Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT A newly released report has highlighted Cambridge City Council’s progress in cutting carbon emissions from its operations, showing a 25.2% reduction over four years. The steady fall in carbon emissions within the council’s jurisdiction through the period of 2014/15 to 2018/19 can be traced back to the council’s actions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridge-city-council-carbon-emissions 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridge-city-council-carbon-emissions Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT   Two major city-centre sites will benefit from dramatic regeneration aiming to help growth in the region and save taxpayers’ money. Birmingham and Peterborough city centres will be the bases for thousands of civil servants as a way to enhance local business. The scheme is part of Government’s Hubs programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-investment-to-transform-key-city-centre-sites- 2950,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-investment-to-transform-key-city-centre-sites- Thu, 10 Oct 2019 12:45:00 GMT As part of her final work as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Dame Sally Davies, has published a report named ‘Time to solve childhood obesity’. The report is aimed at politicians and policy makers rather than parents and claims the government should prioritise children’s health ahead of companies’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-damning-childhood-obesity-report 453,870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-damning-childhood-obesity-report Thu, 10 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT The Government has announced today (October 10) an £88m cash injection to boost productivity power of UK businesses. The UK falls behind other countries around the world in terms of productivity, and this new funding hopes to close the gap and supercharge British business. Some UK sectors are among the highest in Europe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-88m-in-government-funding-to-boost-uk-business-productivity 433,437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-88m-in-government-funding-to-boost-uk-business-productivity Thu, 10 Oct 2019 09:30:00 GMT Plans have been laid out by government to drive the UK forward with business, growth, opportunity and skills, including a boost for innovation and science. Last week, Business and Energy secretary Andrea Leadsom, launched a number of new measures to promote and support UK researchers and businesses able to innovate and revolutionise the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-204bn-in-government-funding-to-boost-innovation-business-energy-and-science 433,437,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-204bn-in-government-funding-to-boost-innovation-business-energy-and-science Wed, 09 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis, is blazing a trial for other local leaders by committing to the growth of the Northern Forest – and asking the Prime Minister to join him. Mayor Jarvis is enlisting the help of central government in his efforts to tackle climate change. He has written to the Prime Minister asking for his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-mayor-calls-on-prime-minister-to-support-the-northern-forest- 2950,437,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-mayor-calls-on-prime-minister-to-support-the-northern-forest- Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:30:00 GMT Hayley Clark, the acting head of development and impact at the NSPCC, talks about the significant gap in support services for children who have been sexually abused and the Home Office’s new framework for commissioners. The complex and fragmented commissioning landscape for child sexual abuse support services has resulted in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nspcc-working-together-to-improve-the-support-available-for-children-who-have-been-sexually-abused 435,442,870,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nspcc-working-together-to-improve-the-support-available-for-children-who-have-been-sexually-abused Tue, 08 Oct 2019 11:30:00 GMT Exeter City Council has outlined its plan to embark on an £18m residential housing project, aimed at delivering 100 homes by summer 2022 across four sites in the city. The funding was authorised through the local authorities’ executive set, and will build on the council’s current stock of 5,000 homes – with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exeter-city-council-residential-project 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exeter-city-council-residential-project Tue, 08 Oct 2019 10:45:00 GMT Public sector membership club Boundless has revealed statistics ahead of National Work Life Week which suggest money is not the only key to a happier work life. The research, which polled over 2,000 UK workers in both the public and private sector, asked employees what would make them happier in their job. A higher salary, perhaps... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boundless-happy-at-work 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boundless-happy-at-work Tue, 08 Oct 2019 09:00:00 GMT The RAC has released a statement today with damning statistics relating to vehicles being left stationary with the engine running. They are calling on councils to be tougher on this and potentially issue fines upon refusal to comply. According to a study carried out by RAC, 72% of drivers want to see councils deal with motorists who leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-council-crackdown-on-drivers-who-leave-their-engine-running 2950,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-council-crackdown-on-drivers-who-leave-their-engine-running Mon, 07 Oct 2019 16:30:00 GMT The Government has today announced the latest round of funding, as part of the Air Quality Grant scheme, to help local authorities improve air quality across England. Since it was established, the grant has awarded more than £61m to a variety of projects, benefitting schools, businesses and residents – reducing the impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gov-local-authority-air-quality 437,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gov-local-authority-air-quality Mon, 07 Oct 2019 08:45:00 GMT The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, joined Transport for London (TfL) and Islington Council today to officially open the new Highbury Corner junction. The once daunting roundabout, known for its potential danger, has been transformed into a welcoming junction much safer for the whole community. Projects like this are happening... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-of-london-opens-completed-highbury-corner 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-of-london-opens-completed-highbury-corner Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:15:00 GMT Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, is using £90,000 of funding from the Government’s Homelessness Veterans Fund to support Help 4 Homeless Veterans charity. UK Armed Forces have protected our way of life but can find themselves without protection upon leaving the forces. The latest Ministry of Housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-to-support-homeless-veterans-in-south-yorkshire 2950,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-to-support-homeless-veterans-in-south-yorkshire Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:15:00 GMT Construction of a major road scheme in Preston has received the necessary funding to get started on work. The £200m Preston Western Distributor scheme will be constructed on the west side of the city from the M55 motorway connecting to a new junction with Blackpool Road at Lea. City areas including Fulwood, Ingol, Cottam, Lea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/200m-road-scheme-secures-final-funding- 2950,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/200m-road-scheme-secures-final-funding- Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:30:00 GMT Trafford Council is set to loan a leisure centre company £2.5m, in order to support renovations and two new leisure centres in Altrincham and Stretford, as well as help provide a pay increase to staff. According to councillors, the decision was made to loan the money to the Trafford Leisure Community Interest Company, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trafford-council-leisure-trust 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trafford-council-leisure-trust Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT   New measures have been announced to go hand-in-hand with ongoing efforts to improve education in the UK. Technical education will get an additional boost after Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced yesterday (30 September) a project to ensure the building and development of a skilled workforce needed for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nations-skillset-to-improve-thanks-to-government-funding 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nations-skillset-to-improve-thanks-to-government-funding Tue, 01 Oct 2019 11:45:00 GMT Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has announced today (30 September) plans for ‘Superbus’ networks in Britain. The cutting-edge plans will see bus fares fall and service frequency rise with new all-electric buses. The government package, worth £220m in the first year, includes better passenger information and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-britain-bus-revolution 2950,437,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-britain-bus-revolution Mon, 30 Sep 2019 17:15:00 GMT In a bid to attract new users of electric vehicles and early users of charging points, Rotherham Council are making electric vehicle charging available for free until the end of the financial year. From 1 October 2019 until the end of March 2020, electric car owners will be able to charge their vehicles for free at all Rotherham Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-offers-free-electric-charging- 2950,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-offers-free-electric-charging- Mon, 30 Sep 2019 14:30:00 GMT The government have announced two new programmes today to help young people into work and jobseekers into higher paid jobs. Manchester and the West Midlands are set to receive up to £1.2m for extra time and resources to be spent on helping young people into employment. Particularly care-leavers and young offenders. West... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4m-invested-in-higher-worker-earnings-and-youth-employment 433,453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4m-invested-in-higher-worker-earnings-and-youth-employment Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:00:00 GMT Greater Manchester is taking steps to lead the way in obtaining bus reform. It will be the first city-region in the UK to use public consultation on the introduction of a bus franchising scheme. Under the Bus Services Act 2017, powers are available to request permission to hold a major public consultation into Greater Manchester bus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-one-step-closer-to-bus-reform 2950,433,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-one-step-closer-to-bus-reform Mon, 30 Sep 2019 11:30:00 GMT The Mayor of Greater Manchester has today announced his bold new masterplan for a ‘London style’ transport system of integrated train journeys and multi-modal zonal ticketing. Launching the plans today, Andy Burnham expressed his concerns that ‘poor performance’ in the North was resulting in people choosing to take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/andy-burnham-reveals-plans-for-a-transformed-london-style-system-for-greater-manchester 2950,433,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/andy-burnham-reveals-plans-for-a-transformed-london-style-system-for-greater-manchester Mon, 30 Sep 2019 09:45:00 GMT Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, has stuck to a pledge made in his manifesto promising to launch a new business growth programme. He was elected to mayor in May 2017 and has delivered on a number of promises. This follows the successful purchase of the airport and the establishment of a Garden Village within the Tees Valley. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/35m-boost-to-local-businesses-thanks-to-tees-valley-mayor 2950 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/35m-boost-to-local-businesses-thanks-to-tees-valley-mayor Sat, 28 Sep 2019 12:30:00 GMT The University of Southampton officially unveils the National Infrastructure Laboratory on its Boldrewood Innovation campus today. The opening of the centre, by chief executive of Network Rail, Andrew Haines, will see the Southampton’s continuation of shaping the future of the UK’s major infrastructure, representing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-the-future-of-uk-infrastructure-invested-in-southampton 433,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-the-future-of-uk-infrastructure-invested-in-southampton Fri, 27 Sep 2019 11:45:00 GMT GOV.UK has today announced that its messaging service Notify, is on track to save taxpayers an average of £35m a year over the next five years. The government run messaging service was designed to provide a simple line of communication between people and the government. The service is used by many organisations, with the most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-messaging-service-to-save-taxpayer-175m 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-messaging-service-to-save-taxpayer-175m Thu, 26 Sep 2019 16:15:00 GMT Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have released a report today revealing that smokers are costing the social care system £720m a year in England. Their research found that 670,000 people have need for care as a result of smoking and the cost of smoking-related social care to local authorities is £720 m a year. Last year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-ash-report- 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-ash-report- Thu, 26 Sep 2019 14:45:00 GMT Nine local authorities in Wales will receive UK Government funding to allow the installation of charging points in car parks and residential areas. The UK Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is set to give five councils in Gwent £458,724.50 this year in order to install 73 charge points with 146 individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-boost-for-electric-vehicles- 2950,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-boost-for-electric-vehicles- Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:15:00 GMT The YMCA has released a report today showing that youth services spending is set to fall to the ‘lowest point ever in a generation’. Spending cuts have seen the average spend on youth services per local authority go from £7.79m, to just £2.45m, from 2010 to 2019. The 69% decline was revealed through an analysis of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-damning-ymca-report-on-youth-services 2950,453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-damning-ymca-report-on-youth-services Wed, 25 Sep 2019 12:30:00 GMT Local councils are dependent on long-term government funding pots and more devolved powers if they have a chance and meeting national climate change targets, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said today. Including the LGA, which represents councils across England and Wales, 230 councils have declared a climate emergency. Many of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-councils-need-power-and-funding-to-hit-climate-change-goals 437,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-councils-need-power-and-funding-to-hit-climate-change-goals Wed, 25 Sep 2019 09:15:00 GMT JP Marks, director general of work and health services at the Department for Work and Pensions, argues the work of jobcentre work coaches overlaps with social workers, making the point that collaborative working is improving outcomes in the community. At the core of being a Jobcentre work coach is a conversation. An opportunity to resolve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobcentre-collaborative-working 870,452,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobcentre-collaborative-working Wed, 25 Sep 2019 09:00:00 GMT The number of bus journeys has plummeted again and is at its lowest number since 2007. The ‘worrying trend’ was revealed today following recent polls commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA). Latest government figures show that there were 4.31 billion passenger journeys made in England for the year ending June... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-journeys-at-lowest-level-in-over-a-decade-new-figures-reveal 2950,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-journeys-at-lowest-level-in-over-a-decade-new-figures-reveal Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:30:00 GMT UK funding is set to give millions of children around the world the opportunity to attend school, PM Boris Johnson will announce today. The PM’s plans to ensure that every child gets a quality education will come during an announcement today (24 September) at the UN General Assembly. The £515m will help to get over 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-pm-pledges-515m-to-help-get-girls-into-school- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-pm-pledges-515m-to-help-get-girls-into-school- Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:00:00 GMT Today saw the launch of the No Homeless Veterans Campaign, coordinated by Stoll, calling on local authorities to identify and support servicemen and women and their housing needs. The latest Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) homelessness data reveals that in last year alone only 1,780 homeless veterans were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-response-to-no-homeless-veterans-campaign 2950,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-response-to-no-homeless-veterans-campaign Tue, 24 Sep 2019 11:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the Government to urgently publish its final plans for the replacement of the EU funding after Brexit. With the Brexit deadline fast approaching, local councils are reportedly not able to secure vital investments into their local economies without fund certainty The LGA, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-is-running-out-for-councils-to-receive-eu-replacement-fund 2950,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-is-running-out-for-councils-to-receive-eu-replacement-fund Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:30:00 GMT Thanks to £1bn subsidy, British scientists will have the funds to join global innovators in the fight against climate change. Our best and brightest will have access to up to £1bn of aid funding as they team up with innovators from around the world to tackle climate change. The financial backing will be launched by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-launches-1bn-climate-change-fund 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-launches-1bn-climate-change-fund Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:30:00 GMT Rural areas have seen a spike in the number of barns and farm buildings being turned into homes. Over the past three years there has been an almost 230 per cent increase on these transformations happening, all without the need for planning permission. Latest figures show the number of agricultural to residential conversions in England has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barn-conversions-without-planning- 2950,433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barn-conversions-without-planning- Mon, 23 Sep 2019 11:45:00 GMT Foehn discuss with Public Sector Executive how they go about addressing the unique challenges of presenting an appealing communications system setup for public sector clients.   Over the past twenty years, we’ve worked with organisations of all types across both private and public sectors. From accountants to zoos, we’ve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foehn-communications-system 439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foehn-communications-system Mon, 23 Sep 2019 09:15:00 GMT Peterborough City Council to ask for cabinet approval to set up their own Housing Revenue Account (HRA), enabling the council to provide hundreds of new homes over the coming decades to help solve the city's homelessness crisis. The council has reported a 56% increase in households declaring themselves as homeless only the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peterborough-city-council-to-tackle-homelessness-with-its-own-housing-company 2950,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peterborough-city-council-to-tackle-homelessness-with-its-own-housing-company Fri, 20 Sep 2019 15:00:00 GMT Civil servants who take up the option of volunteering as special constables will get up to 12 days paid special leave a year, in order to spend more time supporting their local police force. The new Home Office initiative will come into effect for staff across 19 government departments, including the Cabinet Office and HM... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-special-constables 454,436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-special-constables Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:15:00 GMT With 350 councils to represent in England, the LGA are keen to make sure local services and communities are the government’s top priority. The have issued a seven-point plan for the Queen’s Speech, with a view to reignite devolution and bring greater powers and funding to areas such as housing, transport and health and social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-provides-plans-for-devolution-themed-queens-speech 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-provides-plans-for-devolution-themed-queens-speech Fri, 20 Sep 2019 10:45:00 GMT Network Rail has submitted a planning application to City of Edinburgh Council proposing to install a bridge walk and visitor centre at the historic Forth Bridge.   If plans go ahead for the UNESCO World Heritage site revamp, members of the public will be able to drink in the iconic Scottish history from heights of 367ft (110m) above sea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/network-rail-proposal-for-unesco-world-heritage-site 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/network-rail-proposal-for-unesco-world-heritage-site Fri, 20 Sep 2019 10:45:00 GMT The chief executive of St Helens Council, Mike Palin, will step down next week following a decision to study for a Master’s in Business Administration. Palin has held the role since January 2015 and joined with the aim to “build on the excellent track record of the council” Leader of the St Helens council, David... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/st-helens-chief-executive-to-step-down 2950 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/st-helens-chief-executive-to-step-down Thu, 19 Sep 2019 17:15:00 GMT In a full council meeting earlier today (Thursday 19), Shropshire council have reached a unanimous decision to agree funding and the transfer of land for the building of new homes. The council-owned local housing company Cornovii Developments Limited, set up to enable people in the local area to have homes that they ‘want, need and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shropshirecouncilapproveshousingplan 2950,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shropshirecouncilapproveshousingplan Thu, 19 Sep 2019 16:15:00 GMT The leader or Portsmouth City Council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, hosted Department for Transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris at the city’s port this week. During the visit, a request for Brexit funding was brought up by Vernon-Jackson in the form of a letter to the transport minister. The visit was part of the Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/portsmouthcitycouncilpleaforbrexitfunding- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/portsmouthcitycouncilpleaforbrexitfunding- Thu, 19 Sep 2019 12:45:00 GMT   The oldest operational suspension bridge in the world has received £3.14m in lottery funding, securing its future. The Union Chain Bridge, or Union Suspension Bridge as it is also known, has been providing a crucial transport link between England and Scotland for over 200 years. The National Lottery Heritage Fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unionchainbridgesaved 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unionchainbridgesaved Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:45:00 GMT A £500m development plan for North Oxford looks likely to get the green light from Oxford City Council officers. The proposal includes 480 new homes and offices with a 4,500-job capacity and an 18-bedroom hotel, to be located near the Wolvercote Roundabout. Figureheads in the area are keen to tackle the affordable housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500mnorthoxfordhousingplan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500mnorthoxfordhousingplan Wed, 18 Sep 2019 10:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council have joint-sold a 45% share of Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport to investors. Of the sold stake, 35% was originally property of Peel Group and the other 10% belonged to Liverpool City Council, a share which was only acquired in 2016. New shareholders Ancala now have 45% of the major Liverpool airport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councilsellsliverpoolairportshares 2950 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councilsellsliverpoolairportshares Wed, 18 Sep 2019 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities across the UK are being urged to apply for a new grant fund, delivered by the Road Safety Trust, aimed towards improving safety on local roads. The Small Grants Funding Programme has an estimated £120,000 budget, with councils eligible to receive a share of between £10,000 and £30,000 to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-local-road-fund 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-local-road-fund Wed, 18 Sep 2019 09:30:00 GMT Housing minister Esther McVey has announced £2m funding to “ensure the UK greenbelt remains untouched and protected” by preventing illegal greenbelt development. The funding will be shared across 37 areas of the UK, with councils receiving the funds able to spend the money how they see fit – though one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-illegal-greenbelt 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-illegal-greenbelt Wed, 18 Sep 2019 09:00:00 GMT A pioneering partnership between the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Lovell Partnerships provides opportunity to pave the way for over 4,000 new homes. Confirmed by mayor Andy Street today (Tuesday 17 Sept), the partnership will see the unlocking of the industrial brownfield land and rediscovery of its potential for new build... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4000newhomespartnership 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4000newhomespartnership Tue, 17 Sep 2019 12:30:00 GMT Subsidised meals in the community could be kept for some residents depending on senior councillor consideration. Over the summer, East Sussex County Council considered plans to remove the meals in the community subsidy in a bid to make almost £1m of savings from adult social care. Subsequently, the council have received over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mealsinthecommunity 870,440,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mealsinthecommunity Tue, 17 Sep 2019 11:15:00 GMT Rob Whiteman, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA), discusses the benefits of long-term preventative investment. Rising demand, reducing resource – this has been the rolling landscape of the public sector for the past few years. In this context, it can be difficult to justify allocating limited resources to spend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prevention-investing-for-the-future 450,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prevention-investing-for-the-future Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT The government will provide 69 towns across the UK with a share of a £95m heritage boost. Specific locations and their respective portions have been confirmed by culture secretary Nicky Morgan. The cash injection will be overseen by Historic England to create new High Street Heritage Action Zones aiming to revitalize the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukhighstreetheritageboost 2950,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukhighstreetheritageboost Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:30:00 GMT Boris Johnson has pledged his support for the Northern Powerhouse and for further devolution deals, alongside announcing the creation of a new growth body with powers to bring together major organisations in the region. Giving a speech in South Yorkshire, Johnson reiterated that he remains committed to delivering the Sheffield City Region... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-johnson-vows-to-give-more-power-to-the-northern-powerhouse-regions 433,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-johnson-vows-to-give-more-power-to-the-northern-powerhouse-regions Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:00:00 GMT Government has pledged £62m funding to improve flood defences across England, with more than 9,000 homes set to benefit from the improvements. Environment secretary Theresa Villiers announced the new round of investment into flood defences, which will support communities across Yorkshire, Cumbria, the North East and South East of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-flood-defences 433,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-flood-defences Thu, 12 Sep 2019 13:00:00 GMT A public sector pension fund in the county of Dorset has risen to a value of £3bn for the first time, having seen a 5% rise from the start of the previous financial year. The Dorset County Pension Fund serves more than 71,000 public sector workers across the southwest county. Employees from councils, colleges, schools, housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-county-pension-fund 2950,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-county-pension-fund Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT Cornwall Council have outlined their proposals to go before councillors, asking for approval of £12m funding to support Spaceport Cornwall – the project to build the UK’s first horizontal launch site at Newquay Airport. The plans would see the spaceport used to launch small satellites into orbit, and has already received... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-spaceport 2950,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-spaceport Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:30:00 GMT With £1bn available to solve the area's traffic issues, Debbie Wilcox, leader of Newport City Council, discusses balancing improvements to the M4 motorway with the interests of Newport itself. Newport occupies a critical position as the gateway to South Wales, but its position on the M4 creates both opportunities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investing-in-newports-infrastructure 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investing-in-newports-infrastructure Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside councils are set to submit their plan to tackle the air quality of the region following government direction. Cabinet meetings are to be held this month in order to seek the approval of councillors regarding proposals for a Clean Air Zone and a variety of additional measures to be brought... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tynesidecouncilsplans 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tynesidecouncilsplans Wed, 11 Sep 2019 17:00:00 GMT Councillor Debbie Wilcox, leader of Newport City Council and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), will step down as leader. This comes after being recognised in former Prime Minister Theresa May’s Resignation Honours List. Wilcox, a former teacher, was elected into council in 2004 and served as a cabinet member from 2012... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/debbiewilcoxpeerage 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/debbiewilcoxpeerage Wed, 11 Sep 2019 15:45:00 GMT With the new Sheffield City Region Integrated Rail Plan joining the region's official Transport Strategy this summer, Dan Jarvis, mayor of Sheffield City Region, discusses his exciting plans for transforming transport in South Yorkshire. Despite the uncertainties of Brexit, here in South Yorkshire we stand at the edge of a hugely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-a-better-connected-south-yorkshire 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-a-better-connected-south-yorkshire Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT Andrew Smith, Crown Commercial Service category lead - technology solutions, talks about how the CCS can support the development of smart cities and help modernise public sector procurement practices. The smart city agenda promises much. Technologically-driven improvements might benefit citizens’ health, their daily commute, their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ushering-in-the-future-with-smart-cities 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ushering-in-the-future-with-smart-cities Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT Cllr Adrian Gulvin, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for resources, outlines why the local authority in the south-east has invested £35m in a town centre shopping centre. Medway is currently undergoing a significant transformation thanks to our monumental 20-year regeneration programme, and has become the biggest regeneration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/medways-blueprint-for-transformation 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/medways-blueprint-for-transformation Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT In February this year, official Northern Powerhouse Partner, Cognitive Publishing, delivered EvoNorth 2019.  The two day event was designed to amplify and highlight future developments the region has to offer - uniting leaders responsible for fuelling the Northern Powerhouse agenda, including Dr Nicola Headlam, Head of the Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-partner-aims-to-connect-the-north-once-again- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-partner-aims-to-connect-the-north-once-again- Mon, 02 Sep 2019 09:15:00 GMT NHS and councils within Greater Manchester have come together to develop and test new advanced technologies that look to join up vital information across public services and help empower people to live well, integrate care and save lives. The announcement outlines a £14.3m digital transformation programme to develop advanced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-digital-technology 2950,439,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-digital-technology Thu, 29 Aug 2019 09:05:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, argues why we must move away from the scale and standardisation of public services and instead ‘Keep it Local’ to prosper from community collaboration. We are nearly a decade into a deep austerity programme of which councils have shouldered the heaviest burden. Now, coupled with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keep-it-local-unlocking-the-power-of-community 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keep-it-local-unlocking-the-power-of-community Thu, 29 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT A transport plan outlining priorities and proposals for the future of all forms of transport in the Tees Valley has been launched by the Combined Authority. The Strategic Transport Plan draft was launched by councillor Heather Scott OBE, the cabinet lead for transport within the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and includes a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-transport-plan 2950,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-transport-plan Wed, 28 Aug 2019 11:30:00 GMT Newport City Council has been given £300,000 by the Welsh Government to help address issues of repeat homelessness in the city through a ‘Housing First’ project. The scheme is designed to assist those who need significant levels of support to overcome homelessness, focusing in on those with a repeat history of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-gov-newport-homelessness 2950,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-gov-newport-homelessness Wed, 28 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT Reducing carbon emissions has been a key talking point for councils in recent months and years, with ambitious targets having been set out going forwards. Councils and other public sector organisations have made huge strides in attempting to cut down their harmful greenhouse emissions. One such local government body, Herefordshire Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/herefordshire-council-carbon-reduction 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/herefordshire-council-carbon-reduction Tue, 27 Aug 2019 15:30:00 GMT Theresa Grant, chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council, shares the authority’s remarkable journey from financial crisis to delivering a balanced budget, and discusses the road still ahead. The story of the demise of Northamptonshire County Council dominated local government media and indeed the national media for much of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stabilising-northamptonshire-county-council 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stabilising-northamptonshire-county-council Tue, 27 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT Something is stirring in the north of England. Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, explains what’s occurring and how it’s caught the eye of Government and the private sector. Around 8,800 new jobs and 10,000 new homes. £88m combined public sector investment already. Impressive statistics in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/generating-growth-with-the-grimsby-town-deal 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/generating-growth-with-the-grimsby-town-deal Thu, 22 Aug 2019 10:30:00 GMT Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has announced an extra £9m will be made available to ensure local areas and major ports are ready for Brexit. As part of the funding, local councils which either have or are located near to a major air, land or sea port are set to receive a share of £5m funding. The further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-areas-robert-jenrick-brexit-ready 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-areas-robert-jenrick-brexit-ready Thu, 22 Aug 2019 08:30:00 GMT Councils have saved more than £100m in the past year through a sector-led improvement (SLI) offer set up by the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA said all councils have received support from the scheme in the last 12 months, which has seen the deliver of 140 peer challenges, training of more than 800 councillors and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-lga-sector-led-improvements 2950,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-lga-sector-led-improvements Wed, 21 Aug 2019 14:15:00 GMT Following the publication of a report on adult social care by London Councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) have praised the efforts being taken by councils to make a positive difference. The London Councils report was produced as a follow-up to their original green paper – ‘The lives we want to lead’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-london-councils-adult-social-care 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-london-councils-adult-social-care Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:15:00 GMT Transport for the North (TfN) has submitted a bid for £700m of investment into the region’s roads over the next five years, with 16 projects earmarked to benefit from the funding boost. The regional transport body is asking for a significant share of the 2020-2025 National Roads Fund in order to complete the projects –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-road-projects-funding-bid 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-road-projects-funding-bid Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT Local investment totalling £3.3m is set to be spent to expand 23 local projects aimed at helping prevent mental illness in children and young people. Thousands of young people across England are set to benefit from new mental health support including counselling, mentoring and arts programmes in their communities. Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-childrens-mental-health 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-childrens-mental-health Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT Mark O’Reilly, project director at Bolton College of Medical Sciences (BCMS), discusses how the local partnership is setting out to train the next generation with the use of a new £30m vocational training centre. A recent report, published by The Nuffield Trust, Health Foundation and King's Fund, suggests that current trends... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-boltons-nhs-workforce 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-boltons-nhs-workforce Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT Councils are now open to apply for the next round of digital funding to improve public services, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced. Utilising the Local Digital Fund, councils can look to secure funding from today (19 August) for projects which seek to boost the quality and/or frequency of public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-local-digital-fund 2950,438,439,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-local-digital-fund Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:30:00 GMT Following the launch of an evidence-based review into NHS health checks by health and social secretary Matt Hancock, the Local Government Association (LGA) have praised the efforts of councils. Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, councillor Ian Hudspeth, said: “Health checks can save lives and prevent people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-council-efforts 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-council-efforts Mon, 19 Aug 2019 10:15:00 GMT Debbie Rayfield, corporate apprenticeship manager at Sefton Council, discusses her role within the council’s Apprenticeship Team and the challenges that can be faced meeting the targets of the Apprenticeship Levy. I initially joined the Apprenticeship Team in 2016 on a secondment from Personnel and the team had been delivering a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growing-in-confidence 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growing-in-confidence Thu, 15 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT Bradford Council’s policy of allowing businesses to pay for sponsorships of roundabouts and grass verges has seen the local authority bring in £128,000 a year. With business advertising now present on almost 70 highways verges and roundabouts across the council district, Bradford Council has been able to use the additional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bradford-council-sponsored-roundabouts 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bradford-council-sponsored-roundabouts Wed, 14 Aug 2019 12:30:00 GMT West Suffolk Council, through its local authority-owned solar farm, has raised more than £1.2m in funds to support frontline services in the past three years. The 12.4MW solar farm at Toggam Farm, in Lakenheath, is one of the largest council-owned solar farms in the UK and has exceed expectations in its third year of operation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-suffolk-council-solar-farm 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-suffolk-council-solar-farm Wed, 14 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT Anwen Robinson, UK Operating Officer at TechnologyOne - an enterprise SaaS company - explains why adopting an enterprise vision is key to long-term benefit Local government transformation is primarily driven by the need to find efficiencies and ultimately improve organisational resilience in a difficult economic climate. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technologyone-shared-service-success 2950,439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technologyone-shared-service-success Wed, 14 Aug 2019 11:45:00 GMT Simon Tse, chief executive of the Crown Commercial Service, discusses how the biggest public procurement organisation in the UK is changing. For some time the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the trading fund of the Cabinet Office, rightly focused its attention on best value and ensuring agreements were compliant. But now we’re... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlocking-the-door-for-customers-and-suppliers 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlocking-the-door-for-customers-and-suppliers Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:30:00 GMT Following the departure of its current chief executive, Birmingham City Council has announced Clive Heaphy will step up to take the helm as Interim CEO of the authority. Currently serving as chief financial officer, Heaphy will serve in the interim role until a new permanent chief executive is appointed, subject to approval by full... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-interim-ceo 2950,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-interim-ceo Mon, 12 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT Chancellor Sajid Javid has announced a fast-tracked one-tear Spending Round to allow government departments to focus on delivering Brexit on 31 October. Javid said the spending round for 2020-21 will provide “financial certainty” and “clear the ground ahead of Brexit while delivering on people’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chancellor-announces-fast-tracked-government-spending-review-ahead-of-brexit 2950,433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chancellor-announces-fast-tracked-government-spending-review-ahead-of-brexit Fri, 09 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT As part of its next phase of the £6bn Meridian Water scheme in north London, Enfield council have submitted plans for 2,300 new homes on the site. The application is the largest ever submitted to the local authority, and has been accompanied by a second application setting out the strategic infrastructure required to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enfield-council-application-homes 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enfield-council-application-homes Thu, 08 Aug 2019 11:15:00 GMT A development vision for Wales by 2040 has outlined more urban living, and earmarked the building of thousands of new council homes. As part of the vision, a new planning framework – the National Development Framework – is being created to show where new homes, jobs and services need to be over the next 20 years.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-2040-council-homes 433,437,436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-2040-council-homes Thu, 08 Aug 2019 09:45:00 GMT Hundreds of new bike spaces could be built in Oxford city centre, as part of Oxford City Council’s £200,000 plan to improve the city’s cycling infrastructure. Consultants told the city council that 665 new spaces could be built around the city centre, with the authority having already set aside £30,000 for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-bike 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-bike Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:45:00 GMT Lakeside North Harbour, a vast office complex in Portsmouth, has been purchased by the local City Council for £138m. The site, located in Cosham, now belongs to the local authority, with a loan set to be used to pay for the 120-acre site over a 35-year period. The council hopes owning the office complex will not only generate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/portsmouth-city-council-complex 2950,433,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/portsmouth-city-council-complex Tue, 06 Aug 2019 15:15:00 GMT West Lothian Council have appointed Ann Marie Carr to serve as their new head of housing, customer and building services. Ms Carr has been serving in the role on an interim basis since December 2018, but is now set to take over the position permanently. As part of the job role, she will have responsibility for management and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-lothian-council-housing 2950,441,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-lothian-council-housing Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:00:00 GMT Is austerity really over? Even if it is, that doesn’t mark the end of shared services for local government. Anwen Robinson, UK Operating Officer at TechnologyOne explains. In the 2018 Autumn statement, chancellor Philip Hammond announced the “end of austerity” and trumpeted the recovery in public finances... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technologyone-shared-services-boom 2950,433,446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technologyone-shared-services-boom Tue, 06 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT The government’s recent announcement of additional funding to be secured for councils to assist them with Brexit preparations, particularly surrounding the possibility of a no-deal exit, has been welcomed by the Local Government Association (LGA). Councils and the LGA will now look to work with the Ministry of Housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-brexit-preparations-funding 2950,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-brexit-preparations-funding Mon, 05 Aug 2019 09:30:00 GMT Road users in Wokingham are to benefit from a £24m investment to reduce congestion, boost employment and create opportunities for greener forms of travel. Roads Minister Baroness Vere has announced funding for a new 2.3 km Arborfield Cross Relief Road, to link the A327 Reading Road to the A327 Eversley Road, providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/24m-approved-to-tackle-rush-hour-traffic-in-wokingham 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/24m-approved-to-tackle-rush-hour-traffic-in-wokingham Fri, 02 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT Having been named the new ministerial champion for the Midlands Engine, local government secretary Robert Jenrick MP has confirmed he will lead ambitious plans to boost prosperity across the Midlands. The Midlands plays an essential role within the UK economy and as such the government is supporting the Midlands Engine Partnership to grow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/robert-jenrick-midlands 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/robert-jenrick-midlands Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:30:00 GMT INVESTMENT in East Sussex has been credited for the creation of more than 2,000 jobs in the last five years. East Sussex County Council worked with partners to secure more than £600 million in capital investment since launching a growth strategy for the county in 2014. The investment, which could see the creation of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-east-sussex-gva-up-by-23-in-seven-years 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-east-sussex-gva-up-by-23-in-seven-years Thu, 01 Aug 2019 15:15:00 GMT The Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority have officially taken control of an annual devolved budget of around £29.5m  to deliver adult education provision across the region. To mark the event, the Mayor visited Stockton training provider DTN Academy - providers of a comprehensive learning experience for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-combined-authority-taken-control-of-295m-budget-for-adult-education 433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-combined-authority-taken-control-of-295m-budget-for-adult-education Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:30:00 GMT Over a third of upper-tier council leaders from all main parties across England have backed Cancer Research UK’s call for the new Government to increase public health funding. The number of people with cancer in the UK is set to rise steeply by 2030, yet research shows four in 10 cancer cases could be prevented through changes such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-cancer-research-uk 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-cancer-research-uk Thu, 01 Aug 2019 08:30:00 GMT The Environment Agency is starting work on a new £25 million flood risk management scheme which will help protect more than 1,600 homes and businesses in Cumbria. Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, has officially marked the occasion with the first spade in the ground at Walkmill Crescent, near Botcherby... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/25m-flood-risk-management-scheme-for-carlisle-is-underway 446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/25m-flood-risk-management-scheme-for-carlisle-is-underway Wed, 31 Jul 2019 17:00:00 GMT The mayor of Liverpool has submitted a major bid to the new prime minister for a £230m ‘Green City Deal’ to boost the region’s economy and tackle climate change. Joe Anderson has put forward the proposal to Boris Johnson’s new government which will create 10,000 new jobs, 4,000 apprenticeships and support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-submits-230m-bid-for-green-city-deal 2950,433,437,436,2899,870,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-submits-230m-bid-for-green-city-deal Wed, 31 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT A multi-million-pound transport interchange in South Tyneside is set to welcome its first passengers after a major refit. The £21million facility in South Shields, which incorporates a relocated Metro station will open this weekend. The statement building, which is clad in striking copper shingle, has been under construction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-tyneside-council-metro-station 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-tyneside-council-metro-station Wed, 31 Jul 2019 08:55:00 GMT Anwen Robinson, UK operating officer at TechnologyOne celebrates a decade of shared service agreements and the savings they have brought to UK local government. Over £1.34 billion in cumulative efficiency savings has been made from 626 shared service arrangements across the country, according to the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anwen-robinson-technologyone-shared-service 2950,436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anwen-robinson-technologyone-shared-service Mon, 29 Jul 2019 10:00:00 GMT Wiltshire Council has outlined its strategy to address climate change with a commitment from Cabinet for the council to become carbon neutral by 2030. Initial steps will include looking towards a major increase in renewable energy generation on council buildings and reviewing the council fleet to establish which vehicles can become... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-carbon-neutral 2950,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-carbon-neutral Mon, 29 Jul 2019 09:15:00 GMT Businesses are able to apply for a share of £30m funding to support project that use digital technology to improve productivity and agility within UK manufacturing. The Made Smarter Review 2017, commissioned by the UK government, estimated that industrial digitisation could increase productivity by more than 25%. Building on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/applications-digital-technologies-funding 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/applications-digital-technologies-funding Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT Kensington and Chelsea Council are set to invest £57m to transform Lancaster West Estate in west London. According to a report to the council, the project will deliver “a model 21st century social housing estate”. Buildings in the estate will be fitted with double glazing, new kitchens and updated heating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-council-announce-57m-for-estate 2950,433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-council-announce-57m-for-estate Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:45:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) has published a new five-point plan for the new government today – with local authorities urging for ‘immediate clarity’ over resources available to councils next year. They have also called for a ‘cast-iron commitment’ to the Fair Funding Review. The newly-published... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-councils-network-five-point-plan 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-councils-network-five-point-plan Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:30:00 GMT The delivery of public health services on the Isle of Wight, including drug and substance misuse services, mental wellbeing support and sexual health assistance, will from August be delivered by Hampshire County Council. There are no savings attached to the new partnership, the Hampshire authority said, and the restructuring that has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hampshire-isle-wight-public-health 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hampshire-isle-wight-public-health Thu, 25 Jul 2019 10:45:00 GMT Northumberland County Council has welcomed £12m funding to boost digital connectivity in rural communities. The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) made a bid to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year for the investment from its Local Full Fibre Networks Programme. The funding will pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northumberland-digital-funding 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northumberland-digital-funding Thu, 25 Jul 2019 09:30:00 GMT Nottingham City Council is hoping that its recently-granted self-supply water license could create savings worth an estimated £64,000 a year. The move will see the council run its water services in-house, with an aim of reducing operating costs and increasing resource efficiency. Nottingham City Council’s Energy Services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-self-supply-water-license 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-self-supply-water-license Thu, 25 Jul 2019 09:30:00 GMT Rachel Shimmin has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Buckinghamshire Council; the new unitary authority set to take over local government in the county next year. Shimmin, the current interim head of paid service and implementation lead and the current chief executive of Buckinghamshire County Council, will lead the brand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-from-buckinghamshire-county-council-appointed-at-new-1bn-unitary-authority 2950,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-from-buckinghamshire-county-council-appointed-at-new-1bn-unitary-authority Wed, 24 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT Tower Hamlets Council’s children’s service has jumped two grades and achieved a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted after inspectors found a “transformed culture” and “remarkable progress.” In 2017, the children’s services were blasted by Ofsted for not meeting basic social work standards and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-boroughs-childrens-services-completes-remarkable-turnaround-in-ofsted-review 435,2950,453,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-boroughs-childrens-services-completes-remarkable-turnaround-in-ofsted-review Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:45:00 GMT The government has pledged to ban “poor doors” to help end the segregation of social housing residents in mixed-housing developments in future builds. Communities secretary James Brokenshire announced the measures to “tackle the stigma” and stamp out ‘poor doors’ which separate social and private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-reveals-new-measures-to-stamp-out-poor-doors-segregation 435,2950,436,441,442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-reveals-new-measures-to-stamp-out-poor-doors-segregation Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:45:00 GMT The long-awaited prevention green paper has been published by the government, including a host of policies targeting ill-health such as proposals tackling smoking, drinking and poor diets. The ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ was on Monday night without media fanfare, and has been treated with scepticism due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-prevention-green-paper-a-step-in-the-right-direction- 436,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-prevention-green-paper-a-step-in-the-right-direction- Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:30:00 GMT New research from London Councils highlights the life-changing impact early intervention has on the most vulnerable young people in the capital. The umbrella group’s evaluation of children’s social care and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in the capital points to the value of investing in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-survey-shows-intervention-cost-effective-approach-to-helping-vulnerable-children 2950,454,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-survey-shows-intervention-cost-effective-approach-to-helping-vulnerable-children Tue, 23 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT Communities across Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall and central England are to be protected against the impact of flooding after almost £3 million of government investment. Following a competitive evaluation process, three projects have been chosen to receive up to £700,000 each to boost research into property-level measures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-devon-and-cornwall-get-3m-funding-for-flood-measures 2950,446,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-devon-and-cornwall-get-3m-funding-for-flood-measures Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:45:00 GMT East Hampshire District Council and Havant Borough Council have approved the permanent appointment of Gill Kneller as shared Chief Executive. She was made interim Chief Executive in January 2019, following the departure of predecessor Sandy Hopkins. Both councils agreed to appoint her to the position permanently following a recruitment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-at-east-hampshire-district-council-and-havant-borough-council 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-at-east-hampshire-district-council-and-havant-borough-council Mon, 22 Jul 2019 11:30:00 GMT Communities Secretary Rt Hon. James Brokenshire has laid out the government’s vision for building a stronger sense of belonging and shared prosperity within local communities. The new Community Framework: ‘By deeds and their results: how we will strengthen our communities and nation’, sets out how the government will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-consultation-with-local-authorities-to-promote-local-voices 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-consultation-with-local-authorities-to-promote-local-voices Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:45:00 GMT Ministers have confirmed the renewal of the Better Care fund for 2019 to 2020, bringing the available pooled funding to £6.4bn. The fund provides financial support for councils and NHS organisations to jointly plan and deliver local services. It enables people to leave hospital sooner, to get the care they need at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-better-care-fund-renewed 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-better-care-fund-renewed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:45:00 GMT Innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be used to help improve the condition of local roads, following the announcement of DfT funding announced totalling £2 million to develop the most thorough understanding ever of Britain’s road markings. By analysing the quality of near 100,000 miles of road, the department... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ai-technology-fund-of-2-million-announced-to-identify-uk-pothole-blackspots 2950,446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ai-technology-fund-of-2-million-announced-to-identify-uk-pothole-blackspots Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:30:00 GMT The Department for Transport has announced nearly £350 million is being made available for councils to improve local roads up and down the country. Two sets of funding, totalling £348 million across four years, will be available for local authorities to bid for in an effort to tackle issues on major local roads, from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/department-of-transport-announces-348-million-for-roads 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/department-of-transport-announces-348-million-for-roads Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:15:00 GMT A series of local economic blueprints have been unveiled, setting out plans for how to boost the earning power and opportunities of people and businesses as part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. Demonstrating the unique strengths of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc area and local economies, Government officials announced four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-new-regional-economic-blueprints-launched 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-new-regional-economic-blueprints-launched Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched its third year of the Housing Advisers Programme, an innovative scheme to help councils overcome housing challenges in their local areas. The programme funds the provision of independent expertise for councils undertaking specific projects to tackle the effects of the housing crisis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-invites-councils-to-bid-for-housing-advisers-programme 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-invites-councils-to-bid-for-housing-advisers-programme Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:00:00 GMT Academies in England will receive a package of over £33m to help drive improvement in the education system, the Department for Education (DfE) has announced today. High-performing academy trusts are being encouraged to grow and support more schools across England supported by £17m. Alongside this the Government is setting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/department-education-announces-millions-academies-drive-improvements 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/department-education-announces-millions-academies-drive-improvements Fri, 19 Jul 2019 12:45:00 GMT Housing Minister Kit Malthouse has vowed to support a new economic plan to boost innovation and maximise opportunities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The locally-developed plan sets out how the area will take full advantage of its global assets and maximise economic opportunities in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Mr Malthouse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-back-new-oxford-cambridge-arc-economic-proposals 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-back-new-oxford-cambridge-arc-economic-proposals Fri, 19 Jul 2019 12:30:00 GMT A report by OFSTED on Barnet Council’s Children’s Services have gone from inadequate to good in just under two years. The report highlights that the council is delivering improved services for some of the borough’s most vulnerable children and young people. An inspection of the council’s Children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-report-finds-purposeful-progress-at-barnet-councils-childrens-services 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-report-finds-purposeful-progress-at-barnet-councils-childrens-services Fri, 19 Jul 2019 10:45:00 GMT The general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) has described the decision by MPs to approve the second stage of the High Speed Two (HS2) as “wise and welcome”. MPs backed the High Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Bill in the House of Commons yesterday by 263 votes in favour to 17... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tssa-welcomes-vote-backing-hs2-phase-2 433,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tssa-welcomes-vote-backing-hs2-phase-2 Wed, 17 Jul 2019 12:45:00 GMT Norwich county councillors have formally approved a new link road for the Norwich bypass, despite the environmental group Extinction Rebellion staging protests on the steps of the County Hall. The council’s cabinet committee backed a preferred route for the 3.9-mile road which will cost £153m, linking the A47 to the A1067 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-approves-153m-link-road-amid-climate-change-protests 435,2950,433,437,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-approves-153m-link-road-amid-climate-change-protests Tue, 16 Jul 2019 09:15:00 GMT Lewisham LBC is set to appoint Kim Wright, currently a group director at Hackney Council, as its new chief executive. Wright will take up the top job in October, leaving her post as group director for neighbourhoods and housing in Hackney. Lewisham said she had been “central” in helping Hackney become one of the best... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lewisham-lbc-appoint-new-chief-executive-from-hackney-council- 2950,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lewisham-lbc-appoint-new-chief-executive-from-hackney-council- Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:15:00 GMT Local authorities, NHS trusts and police forces will all be required to work together to tackle serious violence under the new ‘public health duty’. Unveiled by home secretary Sajid Javid in response to a sharp spike in knife crime, the new legal duty will require bodies to share data, intelligence and knowledge to allow them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-nhs-trusts-and-police-to-work-together-to-tackle-serious-crime-under-new-public-health-duty 2950,454,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-nhs-trusts-and-police-to-work-together-to-tackle-serious-crime-under-new-public-health-duty Mon, 15 Jul 2019 15:00:00 GMT Councils across England are set to receive a further £28m to help ease pressures on local services following increased migration, from alleviating rough sleeping and community integration to targeting rogue landlords. The funding boost, announced by communities minister Lord Bourne, brings the total investment into the Controlling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-28m-announced-to-alleviate-pressures-on-councils-through-controlling-migration-fund 435,2950,436,441,442,440,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-28m-announced-to-alleviate-pressures-on-councils-through-controlling-migration-fund Mon, 15 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT Gideon Henderson has been appointed by Defra as its new chief scientific advisor. Henderson, who is currently a professor of earth sciences at the University of Oxford, will join Defra in October in this year. He replaces the out-going Sir Ian Boyd, who leaves Defra after seven years in the post. Environmental secretary Michael... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defra-appoints-oxford-professor-as-new-chief-scientist 453,437,438,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defra-appoints-oxford-professor-as-new-chief-scientist Fri, 12 Jul 2019 15:15:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse minister has announced a £3.75m funding boost to kickstart the major regeneration plans for Grimsby town centre. Part of the “pioneering” Town Deal, the latest investment represents the second phase of Grimsby’s “unprecedented regeneration strategy” bringing the total investment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pioneering-grimsby-regeneration-deal-gets-multi-million-funding-boost 2950,433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pioneering-grimsby-regeneration-deal-gets-multi-million-funding-boost Fri, 12 Jul 2019 10:15:00 GMT Philip Whitehead has been appointed as the new leader of Wiltshire Council as the former leader, the Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, steps down after 16 years at the authority. Cllr Whitehead, who has represented Urchfont and The Canning SINCE 2013, was appointed as the new leader and as the cabinet member for finance, procurement and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-appoints-new-leader-as-baroness-scott-steps-down 2950,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-appoints-new-leader-as-baroness-scott-steps-down Thu, 11 Jul 2019 16:45:00 GMT A review of the statutory guidance for council-provided youth services has been launched by the government. Civil society minister Mims Davies made the announcement, stating that the review will “focus on the positive role local authorities can play in the provision of youth services.” The review will take social into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-welcome-government-review-of-youth-services-guidance 435,2950,453,436,442,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-welcome-government-review-of-youth-services-guidance Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:45:00 GMT Local authorities are set to play a key role in the newly announced £135m government investment into health research, which looks to bring together partnerships to better tackle a range of problems. Health minister Nicola Blackwood announced the partnership between local authorities, some of the country’s leading universities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-government-research-fund 438,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-government-research-fund Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:15:00 GMT The UK and Scottish governments have announced a £65m investment as part of the Moray Growth Deal in order to help unlock the region’s economic potential. The deputy prime minister David Lidington and Scottish minister for further education, higher education and science Richard Lochhead jointly announced the first round of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moray-growth-deal-awarded-transformative-65m-package-by-uk-and-scottish-governments- 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moray-growth-deal-awarded-transformative-65m-package-by-uk-and-scottish-governments- Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Birmingham City Council has announced she will be stepping down from her role to take up a new position the top job at Christchurch City Council in New Zealand. Dawn Baxendale leaves the council 16 months after joining, and she called the new role in Christchurch a “lifetime opportunity,” adding that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-chief-executive-to-swap-birmingham-for-new-zealands-christchurch-cc 2950,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-chief-executive-to-swap-birmingham-for-new-zealands-christchurch-cc Thu, 11 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT The Midlands has been chosen to host the prestigious UK-China Regional Leaders’ Summit, the “most significant Anglo-Chinese event ever to be hosted by the region.” Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace said the national summit, which will be held in late November in Birmingham, is a “great honour for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midlands-to-host-prestigious-uk-china-regional-leaders-summit 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midlands-to-host-prestigious-uk-china-regional-leaders-summit Wed, 10 Jul 2019 08:45:00 GMT The government is investing nearly £40m in infrastructure for electric vehicles including wireless charging systems. The funding is to be split across 12 projects which will “transform” electric chargepoint infrastructure in the UK, with support for a number of exciting innovations and charging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-invest-40m-in-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-and-wireless-charging 433,437,438,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-invest-40m-in-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-and-wireless-charging Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:00:00 GMT Town halls should encourage the redevelopment of retail parks and large supermarkets into communities that include homes, shops and businesses, a wide-ranging report for the government has found. The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission published their interim report, the 'Creating space for beauty' report, calling for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commission-transform-retail-parks 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commission-transform-retail-parks Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:15:00 GMT The government has revealed the winners of the first phase of a multi-million-pound fund to transform local high streets, with 51 areas of the country through to the second phase. The £675m Future High Streets Fund, launched at the end of 2018, is aimed at helping local government leaders reinvent their town centres and making them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-unveils-675m-future-high-streets-fund-shortlist 2950,433,436,441,442,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-unveils-675m-future-high-streets-fund-shortlist Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:15:00 GMT New guidance for setting executive pay has been published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), suggesting trusts must be prepared to cut pay in cases of poor management. The new guidance sets out key factors that should be used by academy trust boards when setting or reviewing executive salaries so that they are “fair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-guidance-for-academy-trusts-to-crack-down-on-excessive-executive-pay- 435,453,438,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-guidance-for-academy-trusts-to-crack-down-on-excessive-executive-pay- Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:15:00 GMT Rafael Cortes, head of marketing at Foehn, reviews the success of G-Cloud and what the most recent iteration offers the future. Even the best of relationships can go through a ‘six-year patch’. Not so at Foehn. To the contrary, I’m pleased to say that our six-year relationship with G-Cloud is stronger than ever, with no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-years-taking-stock-g-cloud-11 439,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-years-taking-stock-g-cloud-11 Tue, 09 Jul 2019 08:30:00 GMT Outsourcing giant Amey has struck a deal with Birmingham City Council to pay the authority £300m to escape its troubled road maintenance deal which was worth £2.7bn. The deal will see Amey pay the city council £215m to cut short the 25-year highways contract, and pay another £85m in disputed fees and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/amey-to-pay-birmingham-city-council-300m-to-exit-25-year-highways-maintenance-contract 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/amey-to-pay-birmingham-city-council-300m-to-exit-25-year-highways-maintenance-contract Mon, 08 Jul 2019 16:30:00 GMT Herefordshire has been recognised as one of the top performing council in England for supporting for children with high needs in a recent study that rated all the local authority areas. An independent study looked at 39 national data sets to measure value within high needs funding and the outcomes for high needs children to rate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/herefordshire-children-high-needs 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/herefordshire-children-high-needs Mon, 08 Jul 2019 14:00:00 GMT Chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Children and Young People Board, councillor Anntoinette Bramble, has praised the positive work being done to reduce criminalisation of children in care. However, as was pointed out in the Howard League for Penal Reform’s report, which highlighted how police are called to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-howard-league-police-children-home 454,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-howard-league-police-children-home Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:30:00 GMT New research conducted by YouGov shows people trust social enterprises more than private enterprises to deliver outsourced public services and believe they do so with more expertise, efficiency and value for money. The findings demonstrate the public want to see a better model to deliver services, and would prefer local authorities to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yougov-public-services-social-enterprises 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yougov-public-services-social-enterprises Mon, 08 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) has announced today that councillor David Williams has been elected leader of the Conservative group for the network, and will now be chairman elect for the organisation. This follows a leadership contest between Cllr Williams, who is leader of Hertfordshire County Council, and Cllr Philip Atkins, leader... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-councils-network-david-williams 2950,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-councils-network-david-williams Fri, 05 Jul 2019 14:15:00 GMT Since our major employers and the places and communities they are based in have a deeply inter-connected relationship, bosses and place-leaders should work together to upskill local people to meet the demands of an ever-changing workplace, argues Jonathan Werran, the chief executive of not-for-profit think tank Localis. Philip Collins... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-sustainable-place-prosperity 433,438,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-sustainable-place-prosperity Fri, 05 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Midlands Engine team have welcomed a delegation from the South West of Ireland at the Manufacturing Technology Centre for the launch of the ‘Joining the Dots’ programme. Joining the Dots is a British Embassy led programme that promotes economic links and opportunities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/companies-from-ireland-and-midlands-attend-joining-the-dots-launch 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/companies-from-ireland-and-midlands-attend-joining-the-dots-launch Fri, 05 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT The government will launch a new Green Finance Strategy that intends to boost sustainable investment, with an expectation for listed companies to disclose how climate change impacts their work. The strategy, the government hopes, will help make the UK an international hub for expertise and funding that supports greener... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-new-green-finance-strategy-to-tackle-climate-change 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-new-green-finance-strategy-to-tackle-climate-change Fri, 05 Jul 2019 09:45:00 GMT The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has challenged the two Tory leadership candidates to create an NHS-style free service in response to rapidly rising demand in social care. Peers including former Conservative and Labour chancellors have called for an immediate £8bn investment in social care, to tackle the “national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peers-call-for-nhs-style-free-social-care-system-and-an-extra-8bn-to-tackle-funding-crisis 436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peers-call-for-nhs-style-free-social-care-system-and-an-extra-8bn-to-tackle-funding-crisis Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:30:00 GMT The second phase of the Predictive Cyber Analytics competition has been launched by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in order to help develop a deployable solution to predict and counter future cyber threats. This competition is seeking novel approaches to cyber security to enable proactive defence in a hostile cyber... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/next-phase-of-competition-to-predict-cyber-threats-launched-with-850k-funding 435,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/next-phase-of-competition-to-predict-cyber-threats-launched-with-850k-funding Thu, 04 Jul 2019 11:45:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has delivered a balanced budget for 2018-19 with a “remarkable” underspend of £4.5m, a £34.6m improvement compared to July 2018. Last year the cash-strapped council was twice forced to issue spending bans, the first issued in 20 years, as it faced a £64m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-delivers-remarkable-balanced-budget-with-multi-million-underspend 435,2950,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-delivers-remarkable-balanced-budget-with-multi-million-underspend Thu, 04 Jul 2019 11:45:00 GMT Campus Whitehaven, Sellafield’s largest ever community investment, has been officially opened by HRH Princess Anne. The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of the site, which houses St Benedict’s Roman Catholic Secondary School and Mayfield Special School and opened its doors to pupils in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/princess-anne-officially-opens-30m-sellafield-education-campus-in-cumbria 433,453,438,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/princess-anne-officially-opens-30m-sellafield-education-campus-in-cumbria Thu, 04 Jul 2019 10:30:00 GMT Local authorities must be given “more powers, funding” and the freedom to raise council taxes in order to tackle the widespread challenges facing councils, the new chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. Speaking at the LGA Annual Conference 2019, James Jamieson called on central government to relinquish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-chair-jamieson-calls-for-higher-taxes-and-greater-freedoms-for-councils-to-tackle-austerity 435,2950,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-chair-jamieson-calls-for-higher-taxes-and-greater-freedoms-for-councils-to-tackle-austerity Wed, 03 Jul 2019 11:30:00 GMT District councils are now building and planning homes at a “considerable pace” as a direct result of the borrowing cap being lifted, a new report has revealed. A survey, commissioned by the District Councils’ Network (DCN), in partnership with the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), shows that a third of councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-making-great-strides-in-building-houses-post-borrowing-cap- 433,436,441,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-making-great-strides-in-building-houses-post-borrowing-cap- Wed, 03 Jul 2019 10:30:00 GMT G-Cloud 11, a new major government procurement framework is set to go live featuring over 4,200 suppliers. The latest G-Cloud framework has now been awarded, and will go on the government’s Digital Marketplace imminently. Around £4.8bn of cloud and digital have been procured by public bodies through G-Cloud since 2012... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-procurement-framework-g-cloud-11-goes-live-with-4200-suppliers 438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-procurement-framework-g-cloud-11-goes-live-with-4200-suppliers Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Anglesey County Council has announced his retirement and will step down from his role in October. Dr Gwynne Jones said it had been a “difficult decision for me personally” but that the time was right to retire. Council leader Llinos Medi said he leaves the authority in a “far stronger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chief-executive-of-anglesey-county-council-announces-plans-to-retire 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chief-executive-of-anglesey-county-council-announces-plans-to-retire Tue, 02 Jul 2019 11:30:00 GMT The UK and Scottish governments and the leaders of five cross-border councils have signed off on a “transformational” £394.5m Borderlands growth deal. The signing of the formal agreement, an outline business case known as the ‘heads of terms’, marks a landmark step towards securing the funding to accelerate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-and-ministers-sign-off-on-395m-borderlands-growth-deal 2950,433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-and-ministers-sign-off-on-395m-borderlands-growth-deal Tue, 02 Jul 2019 10:00:00 GMT All of the 28 universities across the north of England are to forge an alliance and create a plan of action to drive the Northern Powerhouse agenda forward. The unprecedented move is a direct response to the Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry’s call to create an elite “Ivy League” network of universities leading the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-universities-strike-alliance-to-create-ivy-north-of-the-north 433,437,438,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-universities-strike-alliance-to-create-ivy-north-of-the-north Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:15:00 GMT Healthwatch England have published new data showing councils are struggling to meet key targets for dementia care. Under the Care Act, which came into force in April 2015, councils must ensure that their social care services are responsive to the specific needs of individual patients. In order to achieve this, people’s care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dementia-care-targets-healthwatch-england 2950,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dementia-care-targets-healthwatch-england Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:45:00 GMT Executive director of the Institute of Economic Development, Nigel Wilcock, argues that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund should address imbalances in localities that affect prosperity. Whilst government may have missed its latest deadline for publishing the promised consultation on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), we reached out to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-ways-the-uk-shared-prosperity-fund-can-rebalance-the-economy 433,436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-ways-the-uk-shared-prosperity-fund-can-rebalance-the-economy Mon, 01 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT New-build houses will now be sold on a freehold basis, the government has announced, effectively outlawing the “unscrupulous practice of unnecessary leaseholds.” All future homeowners will benefit in a “bold move to tackle unfair leasehold practices,” Ground rents on new leases are to be slashed to zero under the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exploitative-sale-of-new-build-houses-as-leaseholds-outlawed-by-government 435,433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exploitative-sale-of-new-build-houses-as-leaseholds-outlawed-by-government Mon, 01 Jul 2019 10:45:00 GMT Norfolk County Council has launched it’s new, six-year plan for the region which will aim to boost the local economy, transform education services and protect the environment. The ‘Together, For Norfolk’ vision includes a £120m investment in new specialist schools and resource bases for children with special... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-unveils-six-year-masterplan- 433,436,441,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-unveils-six-year-masterplan- Mon, 01 Jul 2019 09:15:00 GMT Proposals by the Government for new approaches to meeting the costs of the planning service where this improves performance have been welcomed by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Speaking yesterday at the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Housing, communities secretary James Brokenshire said that reform is needed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rtpi-calls-on-government-to-let-councils-rise-planning-fees 2950,441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rtpi-calls-on-government-to-let-councils-rise-planning-fees Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:00:00 GMT A report by Circle Economy shows that cities which encourage circular economy practises, such as repairing and recycling, bring in investment and new jobs. The analysis explores how local authorities in 43 European cities support the circular economy, and found that it creates “tangible socio-economic benefits” for cities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zero-waste-economies-positive-for-cities-and-people-says-report 2950,433,437,438,446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zero-waste-economies-positive-for-cities-and-people-says-report Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:30:00 GMT The Ministry of Defence has missed its targets over military housing and acknowledges there now exists a real risk of losing experienced and skilled personnel over sub-standard housing. According to the June 2019 House of Commons report, the MoD is not optimistic the situation will improve much in the foreseeable future either, creating a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministry-of-defence-poor-housing 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministry-of-defence-poor-housing Fri, 28 Jun 2019 13:45:00 GMT Two fully electric powered roadworks vehicles are being trialled by Highways England for the first time, the company announced. One of the vehicles is being used across the East Midlands and the other on a major scheme which is improving the A14 in the East of England. The trial is part of a package of air quality measures unveiled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highways-england-electric-roadworks-vehicles 437,438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highways-england-electric-roadworks-vehicles Fri, 28 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that Sarah Albon has been appointed its new chief executive, with the current inspector general and chief executive of the Insolvency Service joining HSE on 1 September. Ms Albon will replace the outgoing acting chief executive David Snowball, who has held the post since June 2018... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hse-sarah-albon 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hse-sarah-albon Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:00:00 GMT The Welsh government have raised £226m from a new ‘land transaction tax’ to replace stamp duty. The new tax was introduced in April 2018 as allowed by a new devolution package giving Wales control of parts of their tax code. Properties sold for over a certain amount must pay the new tax to the Welsh Revenue... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-raises-226m-from-new-land-tax 436,441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-raises-226m-from-new-land-tax Fri, 28 Jun 2019 08:30:00 GMT Leeds City Council has begun to install camera infrastructure to monitor and enforce the Clean Air Charging Zone (CAZ). When live the zone will tackle air pollution in Leeds by encouraging businesses to transition to cleaner, less polluting vehicles to avoid daily charges. The council has begun to install a network of around 300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-council-install-cameras-to-monitor-and-enforce-clean-air-charging-zone 2950,433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-council-install-cameras-to-monitor-and-enforce-clean-air-charging-zone Thu, 27 Jun 2019 10:15:00 GMT For decades, successive governments have sought to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent in the most effective and most efficient ways possible. Dr Joshua Pritchard, researcher at Reform - the independent public services think tank – talks social value and efficiency. Shortly before Labour resoundingly won a second successive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dr-joshua-pritchard-reform-social-value 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dr-joshua-pritchard-reform-social-value Thu, 27 Jun 2019 09:30:00 GMT Councils across the UK are sharing services to cut down on costs that save the taxpayer over £1.3bn, a report from council leader shows. The Local Government Association (LGA) hailed the initiative from 626 partnerships as a success. Lord Porter, LGA Chairman, said: “Councils have embraced efficiency and innovation in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-praise-councils-for-sharing-services-which-save-over-1bn 2950,438,446,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-praise-councils-for-sharing-services-which-save-over-1bn Thu, 27 Jun 2019 09:15:00 GMT Efforts to improve public sector access to the capabilities and expertise contained within the SME community are continuing at pace. Henry Rex, head of public sector/central government programmes at techUK, discusses the difficulties for businesses. During a time of budgetary constraint for the public sector, when Brexit uncertainty is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/henry-rex-techuk 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/henry-rex-techuk Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:00:00 GMT Smaller companies are finding it hard to engage with the apprenticeship programme, citing a lack of buying power. Anthony Impey, the National Federation of Self Employed & Small Businesses' (FSB) apprenticeships and skills policy chair, writes about solutions to change the status quo. Skills are vital to unlocking productivity and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fsb-anthony-impey-small-medium-business-apprenticeship http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fsb-anthony-impey-small-medium-business-apprenticeship Wed, 26 Jun 2019 11:30:00 GMT It’s five years this week since George Osborne gave a speech calling for a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and the project is fully underway. It has evolved from a political buzzword to a main component of Britain’s public policy. But what is the Northern Powerhouse? Here are five facts you might not know about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-not-publish-five-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-northern-powerhouse 433,436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-not-publish-five-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-northern-powerhouse Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:45:00 GMT Harlow Council’s housing repairs and maintenance, facilities management and environmental services company has won the Fleet Safety Trophy at the RoSPA Fleet Safety Awards 2019. HTS (Property and Environment) Limited, which provides services to residents, leaseholders and community organisations, received its award at a gala dinner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harlow-council-collects-top-fleet-safety-honour-at-rospa-awards 2950,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harlow-council-collects-top-fleet-safety-honour-at-rospa-awards Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:45:00 GMT The Prime Minister has called for new design standards to ensure high-quality homes and further rights for tenants. Theresa May will use her address to the Chartered Institute of Housing conference today to highlight “tiny homes with inadequate storage.” The PM is also expected to set out next steps on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prime-minister-speaks-out-against-construction-of-tiny-homes 441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prime-minister-speaks-out-against-construction-of-tiny-homes Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:00:00 GMT Cheshire East Council’s director of children’s social care, Jacquie Sims, explains how a new approach to training programmes for social care workers has brought better results. Keeping excellent, reliable staff is the recipe for the success of any organisation and when it comes to the retention of social workers, this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-children-social-care-partnership 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-children-social-care-partnership Tue, 25 Jun 2019 15:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office’s digital transformation expert, Yvonne Gallagher, focuses on assessing the implementation of digital and related change programmes. Cloud services can bring cost and performance benefits. But they can also generate new challenges and risks. The National Audit Office’s (NAO) new guide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-audit-office-cloud-services 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-audit-office-cloud-services Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:00:00 GMT Five council areas in the England are to receive funding for programmes to tackle child obesity through area-specific schemes. The programme is supported by the Department for Health and Social Care and councils in Bradford, Blackburn, Nottinghamshire, Lewisham and Birmingham will be awarded £100,000 of funding. Public Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-gives-15m-to-councils-to-tackle-child-obesity-in-england 2950,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-gives-15m-to-councils-to-tackle-child-obesity-in-england Tue, 25 Jun 2019 09:45:00 GMT Britain finally said ‘thank you’ to the country’s 5.37m public sector workers following a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Public Service Day. The day, which took place on Sunday June 23 this year, was launched by the United Nations back in 2003 but has been barely acknowledged in the UK – until... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boundless-public-service-day 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boundless-public-service-day Mon, 24 Jun 2019 14:00:00 GMT South Tyneside Council has been named the co-operative council of the year at an awards ceremony in Manchester on 21 June. Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said, “Being one of just six co-op councils shortlisted for the Co-operative Council of the Year Award was praise enough but to be announced the winner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-tyneside-co-operative-council-of-the-year 2950,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-tyneside-co-operative-council-of-the-year Mon, 24 Jun 2019 10:15:00 GMT Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Being on the receiving end of some “thanks” can make communities feel respected, needed, and empowered. And of course, happy! But do we say it often enough? Politeness is one of the qualities often listed as under-pinning culture in this country but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peter-kyle-public-service-day 447,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peter-kyle-public-service-day Fri, 21 Jun 2019 11:15:00 GMT Tom Chance, director at the National Community Land Trust Network, argues that community-led initiatives are a productive way of helping to solve the housing shortage. Collaboration, it is said, is the key to building more homes, designing them to a high quality, stopping building failures, and all manner of other important objectives.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-community-led-initiatives-can-help-save-the-housing-shortage 447,437,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-community-led-initiatives-can-help-save-the-housing-shortage Wed, 19 Jun 2019 16:00:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council’s hydrogen spokesperson, councillor Philip Bell, highlights the Granite City’s determination to play a leading role in the fast-developing hydrogen sector. Aberdeen has enjoyed a rich economic history which includes agriculture, fishing, paper, oil and gas, ship building, textiles and now, as part of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aberdeenhydrogentransport 447,437,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aberdeenhydrogentransport Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:30:00 GMT A fifth of the country’s public sector workers say they have NEVER received a ‘thank you’ for doing their job as Public Service Day approaches. Almost 5.4 million people are employed in the public sector and civil service in the UK – from nurses to teachers and firefighters to administrators. But a survey by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fifth-of-public-sector-workers-have-never-received-a-thank-you-from-the-people-they-serve 435,447,436,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fifth-of-public-sector-workers-have-never-received-a-thank-you-from-the-people-they-serve Thu, 13 Jun 2019 16:45:00 GMT The Government has launched a new marketplace for innovation, providing a smarter way for public sector customers to access the very latest technologies. Spark: The Technology Innovation Marketplace has been designed by Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to support cutting edge products and markets that aren’t catered for in traditional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-marketplace-improves-public-sector-access-to-latest-tech 433,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-marketplace-improves-public-sector-access-to-latest-tech Tue, 11 Jun 2019 11:15:00 GMT Thurrock Council’s chief executive, Lyn Carpenter, discusses an exciting new £1bn regeneration scheme on the River Thames and its importance in setting the template for high quality, community-driven and infrastructure-led growth. Thurrock is one of the largest growth areas in the UK and has major regeneration projects centred... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thurrock-councils-investment-masterplan 447,441,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thurrock-councils-investment-masterplan Tue, 11 Jun 2019 08:45:00 GMT Jack Hunter, a research fellow at think tank IPPR North, discusses how to use the Northern Powerhouse to encourage greater social purpose among businesses in the region – including proposals for a new Northern Powerhouse Community Fund. In case you haven’t noticed, business as usual is no longer an option. The latest sign our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-build-a-truly-northern-powerhouse 447,433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-build-a-truly-northern-powerhouse Tue, 11 Jun 2019 08:45:00 GMT The lack of candidates in recent elections is a worrying trend which impacts on communities and democracy. Willie Sullivan, a senior director at independent campaign organisation the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), provides some solutions which could transform the English process. The local elections in May saw parties’ shifting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broken-electoral-system-creating-rotten-boroughs 447,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broken-electoral-system-creating-rotten-boroughs Mon, 10 Jun 2019 17:15:00 GMT Martin Ferguson, director of policy and research at Socitm, discusses the potential of 5G in the public sector, and the need to properly assess the risks. Let’s face it. There’s something quintessentially British about apologising. Indeed, a 2016 YouGov survey revealed that, for every 10 times an American citizen said sorry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evaluating-5g-unapologetically 435,439,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evaluating-5g-unapologetically Mon, 10 Jun 2019 17:15:00 GMT Mick Ward, chief officer of transformation and innovation, adults and health at Leeds City Council, provides an overview of the innovative ABCD model transforming care services. In Leeds, tackling loneliness, particularly for older people, has been a priority for many years. This focus on loneliness led to the creation of a fantastic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-our-abcd-in-leeds 447,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-our-abcd-in-leeds Mon, 10 Jun 2019 17:00:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry has had his powers extended to include housing, business and energy by the government, “strengthening its commitment to the Norther Powerhouse.” The joint ministerial position will see Berry provide enhanced oversight and co-ordination of local economic growth and will ensure key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-gives-northern-powerhouse-minister-new-housing-and-energy-remit 433,437,436,2899,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-gives-northern-powerhouse-minister-new-housing-and-energy-remit Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT The government has announced the introduction of new rules to change the future of social value and make the way housing developers stump up the money for infrastructure both simpler and more transparent. These regulatory changes are designed to help achieve its ambition to deliver 300,000 extra homes per year by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value 452,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value Wed, 05 Jun 2019 10:00:00 GMT Cllr Philip Atkins, housing, infrastructure, and planning spokesman for the County Councils Network (CCN), reveals that county house prices are the most unaffordable in England outside of London. House prices are never far away from the headlines, and much media attention in recent months has focused on sluggish growth for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-for-the-future-amidst-a-growing-affordability-crisis 447,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-for-the-future-amidst-a-growing-affordability-crisis Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:45:00 GMT Cllr Mike Rowley, board member for housing at Oxford City Council, details how his authority is meeting the growing demand for housing in the city. Oxford’s Barton housing development opened the doors to its first social housing tenants in February, marking both a significant milestone for the innovative public-private partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-private-partnership-creates-housing-community-at-oxford-city-council 436,441,443,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-private-partnership-creates-housing-community-at-oxford-city-council Thu, 30 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT Dr Charlotte Augst, chief executive of National Voices, a coalition of charities that stands for people being in control of their health and care, details how the integration between health and social care can be made more easily and effectively for the future. The NHS Long-Term Plan is the last iteration of a long-standing but elusive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integration-get-these-two-things-right-first 447,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integration-get-these-two-things-right-first Wed, 29 May 2019 15:30:00 GMT In April, Dorset Council was officialy formed. One new unitary authority replaced six county, district and borough councils. Dorset Council now serves 377,000 people, making it one of the largest unitary authorities in the country. Matt Prosser, the council’s chief executive, shares the journey to create a new unitary authority, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-new-dorset-council-why-we-had-to-make-a-bold-decision 447,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-new-dorset-council-why-we-had-to-make-a-bold-decision Wed, 29 May 2019 15:30:00 GMT How can vocational education and training match workforce skills with the needs of the economy? Senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Anna Round reports. The alignment of vocational education and training with workforce skills and needs of the economy is vital for economic and social justice, and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-alignment-of-vocational-education-and-training 447,433,453,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-alignment-of-vocational-education-and-training Wed, 29 May 2019 15:15:00 GMT Can government use the Spending Review to get out of the cycle of short-termism, over-optimism, and silo decision-making? Antonia Gracie, audit manager at the National Audit Office, reports. For civil servants across Whitehall, amidst the intense work of Brexit preparation, there are other important preparations on the horizon. Those with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/using-the-spending-review-to-break-the-cycle 447,433,436,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/using-the-spending-review-to-break-the-cycle Wed, 29 May 2019 15:15:00 GMT Hertfordshire and West Essex STP has announced a job-share partnership between the local county council and CCG to lead the STP. Iain MacBeath, the director of adult social care services at Hertfordshire County Council, and the chief executive officer of East and North Hertfordshire CCG Beverley Flowers will lead the county’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-county-council-director-and-ccg-ceo-to-lead-stp-in-joint-role 436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-county-council-director-and-ccg-ceo-to-lead-stp-in-joint-role Wed, 22 May 2019 16:30:00 GMT Councils in England face a funding black hole of over £50bn across the next six years, according to a new report warning that local authorities will soon be forced to resort to providing the “bare minimum.” In the new report, the County Councils Network (CCN) has called for the Treasury to urgently allocate funds towards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/even-draconian-cuts-wont-be-enough-as-councils-face-50bn-funding-blackhole 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/even-draconian-cuts-wont-be-enough-as-councils-face-50bn-funding-blackhole Wed, 22 May 2019 16:30:00 GMT The government has formally approved the formation of two new unitary councils in Northamptonshire in 2021, a year later than first planned, also confirming the abolishment of the county council and seven district and borough councils. Communities secretary James Brokenshire said “shadow authorities” would be set up in 2020... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-backs-northamptonshire-unitary-authorities-with-one-year-delay-and-separate-childrens-services-trust 433,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-backs-northamptonshire-unitary-authorities-with-one-year-delay-and-separate-childrens-services-trust Wed, 15 May 2019 17:15:00 GMT Local authorities should use a new generation of “smart bins” and council tax cuts to drive up household recycling rates, a think tank’s new report has recommended. Bins fitted with sensors could record household recycling rates, cutting councils’ costs using better-planned rubbish collection routes and then... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/introduce-smart-bins-and-hand-out-tax-cuts-to-drive-up-recycling-urges-think-tank 437,438,436,441,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/introduce-smart-bins-and-hand-out-tax-cuts-to-drive-up-recycling-urges-think-tank Mon, 13 May 2019 10:45:00 GMT Councils are to be given a legal duty to provide “safe houses” for victims of domestic abuse and their children, under new plans announced by the prime minister. Theresa May announced the new policy, backed by government funding to be provided to local authorities, in order to end the “postcode lottery” for victims... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-be-placed-under-legal-duty-to-house-victims-of-domestic-abuse- 454,436,441,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-be-placed-under-legal-duty-to-house-victims-of-domestic-abuse- Mon, 13 May 2019 10:00:00 GMT The government has announced a £30m funding boost for councils looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) following warnings that minors are being “left in limbo.” Immigration minister Caroline Nokes revealed that local authorities will receive £114 for each child for every day that they are in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-get-30m-boost-to-look-after-asylum-seeking-children 435,453,436,442,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-get-30m-boost-to-look-after-asylum-seeking-children Fri, 10 May 2019 14:45:00 GMT An overhaul of the communications system used by the UK’s emergency services will be at least £3bn overbudget and three years late, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. The Emergency Services Network was created to replace the current system Airwave, but the Home Office has already delayed its delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-emergency-services-radio-system-to-be-at-least-3bn-overbudget-and-three-years-late-as-home-office-failings-blasted-by-nao- 435,454,438,439,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-emergency-services-radio-system-to-be-at-least-3bn-overbudget-and-three-years-late-as-home-office-failings-blasted-by-nao- Fri, 10 May 2019 11:30:00 GMT The government has given the go-ahead for the South Yorkshire devolution deal following a “breakthrough” in March in the stalled £30m a year deal for the Sheffield City Region. After “years of impasse”, the four South Yorkshire council leaders and mayor Dan Jarvis agreed to a devolution deal, and James... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-agrees-to-30m-a-year-south-yorkshire-devolution-deal- 433,436,2899,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-agrees-to-30m-a-year-south-yorkshire-devolution-deal- Thu, 09 May 2019 11:45:00 GMT Newham Council has reached a deal with NatWest to terminate a number of controversial LOBO bank-loans which will see the authority save up to £143m. The termination agreement will allow the council to pay off the lender-option, borrower-option (LOBO) loans at a considerably lower rate of interest in order to save the equivalent of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newham-council-to-save-143m-after-terminating-risky-lobo-loans-with-natwest 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newham-council-to-save-143m-after-terminating-risky-lobo-loans-with-natwest Wed, 08 May 2019 16:30:00 GMT Jamie Driscoll has been named as the first ever mayor for the North of Tyne, and declared a climate emergency in his first day in charge of the newly formed combined authority. The Labour candidate defeated his closest rival, Conservative’s Charlie Hoult, with over 76,000 votes, becoming the first person to hold the office following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-ever-north-of-tyne-mayor-takes-office-and-promises-green-new-deal 433,437,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-ever-north-of-tyne-mayor-takes-office-and-promises-green-new-deal Wed, 08 May 2019 16:15:00 GMT The deputy leader of the Labour Party has written to the government calling for an inquiry into Essex County Council’s planned library closures. The authority plans on “drastically” reducing its services from 74 to 30 in order to make £2m in savings, but the plans have received a large backlash from local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-deputy-calls-for-government-inquiry-into-councils-planned-library-closures 435,436,443,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-deputy-calls-for-government-inquiry-into-councils-planned-library-closures Tue, 07 May 2019 17:15:00 GMT We are on a digital rollercoaster, swirling and twirling through a variety of different online advertising platforms – have we forgotten about traditional marketing platforms such as print? The UK is currently the global leader in advertising, generating £6 for every £1 spent on advertising to the economy. This year, UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empower-your-reader-choose-print- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empower-your-reader-choose-print- Tue, 07 May 2019 15:30:00 GMT The education secretary has turned to headteachers, schools and local authorities for fresh views on children’s special needs funding after admitting schools are facing “knock-on-pressure” due to sky-rocketing demand. Speaking at the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference, Damian Hinds has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hinds-turns-to-headteachers-for-views-on-how-to-solve-childrens-send-funding-crisis 435,453,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hinds-turns-to-headteachers-for-views-on-how-to-solve-childrens-send-funding-crisis Fri, 03 May 2019 16:15:00 GMT Dumfries and Galloway Council paid out nearly £6.9m to terminate a private finance initiative (PFI) waste deal with a private contractor. The Scottish local authority entered into a 25-year PFI contract to deliver its waste services in 2004, but the contract was ended 11 years early in September 2018. Now, a BBC Freedom of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-paid-out-7m-to-terminate-pfi-waste-deal- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-paid-out-7m-to-terminate-pfi-waste-deal- Fri, 03 May 2019 16:00:00 GMT The lowest-paid workers at Sandwell Council have called-off strike action after securing a ‘substantial wage rise’ following a dispute over job grading. The customer service assistants employed at the council were due to begin industrial action on 10 May in a row caused by a “botched” job evaluation process which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sandwell-councils-lowest-paid-staff-call-off-strike-action-after-deal-agreed 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sandwell-councils-lowest-paid-staff-call-off-strike-action-after-deal-agreed Thu, 02 May 2019 17:15:00 GMT The government has “no clear picture” of what is needed to deliver further devolved welfare benefits in Scotland and faces a “significant challenge” in the next stage of the devolution of powers, the national spending watchdog was warned. A new report from Audit Scotland said that whilst the Scottish Government has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-faces-significant-challenge-in-delivering-new-devolved-welfare-benefits-says-auditor- 435,433,436,442,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-faces-significant-challenge-in-delivering-new-devolved-welfare-benefits-says-auditor- Thu, 02 May 2019 12:30:00 GMT Children’s services in England are at “breaking point” and need a minimum funding boost of at least £3.1bn funding boost to cope with demand, MPs have warned in a parliamentary report. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee said that current levels of funding are unsustainable, but that increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/starved-childrens-services-need-3bn-funding-as-cuts-push-councils-to-breaking-point-say-mps- 435,453,436,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/starved-childrens-services-need-3bn-funding-as-cuts-push-councils-to-breaking-point-say-mps- Wed, 01 May 2019 17:15:00 GMT Dudley Council has appointed a new chief executive to replace the outgoing leader who leaves in June to join Barnsley Council. Kevin O’Keefe will take over the top job at Dudley Council after leaving his current post as director of governance at Wolverhampton City Council. The 54-year-old was selected after a rigorous selection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dudley-council-appoints-new-chief-executive-from-wolverhampton- 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dudley-council-appoints-new-chief-executive-from-wolverhampton- Wed, 01 May 2019 17:00:00 GMT One of Britain’s largest care home groups has gone into administration, putting its 17,000 residents and 22,000 jobs at risk. Two of the holding companies behind Four Seasons Health Care have appointed administrators after struggling to repay and restructure its debts of more than £500m and its rescue talks failing. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-care-giant-four-seasons-goes-into-administration 435,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-care-giant-four-seasons-goes-into-administration Wed, 01 May 2019 12:45:00 GMT Medway Council has acquired a high street shopping centre for £35m as part of a major regeneration programme. The unitary authority has taken over the lease of the Pentagon Shopping centre in Chatham town centre for £34.8m, and is anticipated to provide Medway with the opportunity to generate an annual income of £1m to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/medway-council-in-35m-shopping-centre-purchase-as-part-of-major-regeneration-programme 435,433,436,441,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/medway-council-in-35m-shopping-centre-purchase-as-part-of-major-regeneration-programme Tue, 30 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT Headteachers in England have been told to endure “the darkest hour before the dawn” until future school spending is revealed as the education secretary insists he will make a “strong case” for more funding ahead of the Spending Review. A number of MPs raised the issue of education funding during questions in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/headteachers-told-to-endure-darkest-hour-ahead-of-spending-review- 435,453,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/headteachers-told-to-endure-darkest-hour-ahead-of-spending-review- Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:00:00 GMT Boundless, the membership club for civil service and public sector workers, has appointed its first female association chair in 45 years. Heather Glanville will lead Boundless as association chair after spending 20 years as a member and with more than 10 years in public service within the probation service, the association said she is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-and-civil-service-club-announces-first-female-association-chair-in-45-years 435,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-and-civil-service-club-announces-first-female-association-chair-in-45-years Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:45:00 GMT A delayed merger between two hospital trusts that will save £10m to £14m “needs to happen,” according to a councillor and mayoral candidate ahead of an election race in Bedford. Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Trust (LDUH) announced the proposals to acquire Bedford Hospital Trust (BHT) in 2017, with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delayed-hospital-merger-at-centre-of-bedford-mayoral-election-as-candidates-desperate-to-retain-nhs-services 435,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delayed-hospital-merger-at-centre-of-bedford-mayoral-election-as-candidates-desperate-to-retain-nhs-services Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:15:00 GMT Local councils are “failing” BAME communities with minorities underrepresented and allegations of racial discrimination, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism plaguing politicians ahead of the local elections, according to new research. Local authorities have been criticised for a lack of BAME political representation at local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-failing-bame-communities-with-number-of-white-male-and-elderly-councillors 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-failing-bame-communities-with-number-of-white-male-and-elderly-councillors Mon, 29 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT Thousands of new homes are to be built in Guildford up until 2034 after the local council voted to adopt a major local plan which will see 15 villages taken out of the green belt. Despite thousands of objections, Guildford Borough Council has approved the new housing policy to build 10,678 homes to meet the rising housing demand in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guildford-approves-major-local-plan-for-thousands-of-new-homes-on-green-belt-land 435,433,436,441,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guildford-approves-major-local-plan-for-thousands-of-new-homes-on-green-belt-land Mon, 29 Apr 2019 11:30:00 GMT Auditors have slammed a district council in Surrey which undertook the most expensive property investment ever made by a local authority after it found “significant weaknesses” in its financial processes. KPMG delivered a damning assessment of Spelthorne Borough Council’s purchase of a BP research centre in Sunbury for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/auditors-find-significant-weaknesses-in-record-breaking-investment-deal-and-slam-surrey-councils-1bn-property-roulette 435,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/auditors-find-significant-weaknesses-in-record-breaking-investment-deal-and-slam-surrey-councils-1bn-property-roulette Mon, 29 Apr 2019 11:15:00 GMT Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, asks: if cities are places of opportunity for the low skilled, why are so many struggling? Those looking for Brexit respite had their prayers briefly answered recently as MPs paused to scrutinise the government’s Stronger Towns Fund. The £1.6bn cash injection was lauded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cities-as-places-of-opportunity- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cities-as-places-of-opportunity- Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:30:00 GMT District councils are achieving excellent outcomes by shifting health solutions from clinical settings to community ones. They have a significant role to play in public health and are improving people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Cllr Isobel Darby, DCN lead for enhancing the quality of life, reports. Evidence shows that how well... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaping-healthy-places-with-district-councils- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaping-healthy-places-with-district-councils- Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:30:00 GMT Localis chief executive Jonathan Werran outlines the challenges to delivering future connectivity and mobility, and asks what policy shifts to how we fund and plan for modern transport infrastructure will be required if we are to stay on track. Connectivity through physical and digital infrastructure can lead the way forward in reducing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-road-more-taken-delivering-future-connectivity-and-mobility- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-road-more-taken-delivering-future-connectivity-and-mobility- Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:15:00 GMT Steve Ford, head of strategy and delivery at Cornwall Council, outlines the incredible work his authority has been doing to provide renewable energy to residents on the south-west coast. In July 2015, Cornwall Council made history by becoming the first rural authority to secure a devolution deal, given power over £568m government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/providing-clean-energy-to-cornwall 437,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/providing-clean-energy-to-cornwall Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:00:00 GMT Ben Zaranko, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), analyses this year’s Spring Statement and looks ahead to the Spending Review. This year’s Spring Statement always promised to be a quiet affair. For starters, it was sandwiched between dramatic votes on the government’s Brexit deal. The fog of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-state-of-the-spring-statement- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-state-of-the-spring-statement- Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:45:00 GMT Thurrock Council has approved plans for a £1bn town centre regeneration which will see nearly 3,000 new homes created and generate around 2,200 new jobs. The proposals to transform mainly brownfield sites in Purfleet “into a new community” have been granted planning permission by the authority’s planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thurrock-council-approves-1bn-town-centre-regeneration-scheme-to-build-nearly-3000-homes 433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thurrock-council-approves-1bn-town-centre-regeneration-scheme-to-build-nearly-3000-homes Fri, 26 Apr 2019 16:15:00 GMT Surrey County Council has fined its highways maintenance contractor £30,000 for poor and potentially fatal road repairs following a prosecution. BT has been handed the fine, which is thought to be one of the largest fines for bad road repairs after a road that was dug up to lay down cables. District judge Teresa Szagun said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/potentially-fatal-road-repair-sees-highways-firm-fined-by-surrey-county-council 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/potentially-fatal-road-repair-sees-highways-firm-fined-by-surrey-county-council Fri, 26 Apr 2019 16:00:00 GMT Troubled contractor Interserve has been awarded a place on the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) framework for infrastructure and car park management. The framework is available to a range of public sector organisations and will operate until November 2022, offering the potential to generate sales of up to £450m throughout its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interserve-awarded-place-on-450m-nhs-framework-until-2022 435,436,870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interserve-awarded-place-on-450m-nhs-framework-until-2022 Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has unveiled plans to scrap around 200 of its buildings and move to a new HQ in a bid to save tens of millions of pounds. Guildford and Woking have emerged as the frontrunners to host Surrey’s new “civic heart” by 2020 as a report due to go in front of the council’s cabinet next Monday reveals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-cc-reveals-plans-to-scrap-200-council-buildings-and-relocate-its-hq-to-save-10m-a-year 435,433,438,436,441,443,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-cc-reveals-plans-to-scrap-200-council-buildings-and-relocate-its-hq-to-save-10m-a-year Thu, 25 Apr 2019 17:15:00 GMT Hundreds of thousands of voters in next week’s local elections will be “denied democratic rights” by nearly 150 seats going completely uncontested according to the Electoral Reform Society. England faces “democracy deserts” across the local elections, the research said, and before a single vote is cast 300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voters-denied-democracy-in-local-elections-by-hundreds-of-uncontested-seats 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voters-denied-democracy-in-local-elections-by-hundreds-of-uncontested-seats Thu, 25 Apr 2019 16:45:00 GMT Cornwall Council has been criticised by the local government ombudsman after failing to determine a man’s village green application more than 11 years after he submitted it. Colin Brown first applied to the council to have a piece of land in his village near Saltash turned into a village green in 2008 with the backing of 146 fellow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-criticised-by-ombudsman-after-taking-more-than-11-years-to-decide-mans-village-green-application 435,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-criticised-by-ombudsman-after-taking-more-than-11-years-to-decide-mans-village-green-application Thu, 25 Apr 2019 10:15:00 GMT Plans to borrow £24.1m to develop new specialist education places have been approved by Suffolk County Council, with the first wave of new places expected to be ready for September 2020. A cross-party working group came up a £45m plan to develop hundreds of new places for children with special educational needs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-county-council-backs-24m-borrowing-to-create-first-wave-of-specialist-education-places- 453,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-county-council-backs-24m-borrowing-to-create-first-wave-of-specialist-education-places- Wed, 24 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT Local authorities in England have more than halved their spending on single homeless people since 2008 spending and are spending £1bn less a year, major research from homeless charities have found. St Mungo’s and Homeless Link said that with the number of people sleeping rough is 165% higher than it was in 2010, the report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-1bn-a-year-funding-gap-for-single-homelessness-as-charities-give-government-wake-up-call 435,436,441,442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-1bn-a-year-funding-gap-for-single-homelessness-as-charities-give-government-wake-up-call Wed, 24 Apr 2019 15:15:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council is to publish its unaudited annual accounts after an audit report revealed the authority had broken European law in its handling of some of its contracts. The new report into Aberdeen City Council’s handling of contracts, to be presented to next week’s audit committee, shows that the authority broke... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-contract-failings-revealed-in-new-audit-report 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-contract-failings-revealed-in-new-audit-report Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:15:00 GMT A council has threatened to pull out of Swansea Bay’s £1.3bn city deal unless it starts delivering projects in the next six months. Neath Port Talbot Council asked the other authorities involved and the UK and Welsh Governments to radically change their approach to the Swansea Bay City Deal last week, after multiple reviews... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neath-port-talbot-council-threatens-to-pull-out-of-13bn-swansea-bay-city-deal- 433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neath-port-talbot-council-threatens-to-pull-out-of-13bn-swansea-bay-city-deal- Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:45:00 GMT Flintshire County Council has taken over litter enforcement services in the county and urged residents to “take responsibility” over waste after it cut ties with the controversy-hit Kingdom Services. The waste disposal enforcement firm’s staff have been accused of “underhand and aggressive tactics” in its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flintshire-council-takes-over-litter-enforcement-services-from-controversial-kingdom- 435,436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flintshire-council-takes-over-litter-enforcement-services-from-controversial-kingdom- Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:00:00 GMT Nottingham City Council is to rejoin its local NHS integrated care system (ICS) after significant reforms were made to the way the system runs in order to address concerns over accountability and privatisation. The local authority’s executive board has voted to lift its suspension and restart its formal role on the Nottingham and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-rejoins-ics-after-reforms-agreed-in-privatisation-and-accountability-row 436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-rejoins-ics-after-reforms-agreed-in-privatisation-and-accountability-row Wed, 17 Apr 2019 12:45:00 GMT Councils have seen a £1.2bn drop in real-terms funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) over the last four years as the Nation Education Union (NEU) warns that local authorities have reached “crisis point.” Nine of out 10 councils face shortfalls of thousands of pounds and do not have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/send-funding-cut-by-more-than-1bn-as-nine-in-10-councils-hit-massive-funding-shortfall- 435,453,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/send-funding-cut-by-more-than-1bn-as-nine-in-10-councils-hit-massive-funding-shortfall- Tue, 16 Apr 2019 17:15:00 GMT Hackney Council has defended the management of its £246m of housing contracts after a probe revealed aggressive pricing, excessive claims for works, and a “dishonourable culture” amongst contractors. The probe, a two-year old internal review from a council scrutiny commission which has recently come to light, found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-scrutiny-report-found-dishonourable-culture-and-aggressive-overpricing-among-housing-contractors 435,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-scrutiny-report-found-dishonourable-culture-and-aggressive-overpricing-among-housing-contractors Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:45:00 GMT Two Oxfordshire councils reaping the benefits of a “groundbreaking” joint working partnership which includes sharing staff and services are proposing to expand the partnership to a host of other services. Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council currently share a large section of their senior leadership teams... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-explore-breaking-new-ground-in-ambitious-joint-working-partnership 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-explore-breaking-new-ground-in-ambitious-joint-working-partnership Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:30:00 GMT A new system of environmental and property levies has been proposed to boost council funding in a call for a “fundamental review” of Scottish local government finances. The joint paper, launched by trade union Unison and the Jimmy Reid Foundation, sets outs a number of recommendations for a “fairer system” of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-fundamental-review-of-scottish-councils-funding-system-with-new-property-levies 435,433,436,441,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-fundamental-review-of-scottish-councils-funding-system-with-new-property-levies Mon, 15 Apr 2019 11:45:00 GMT New proposed laws mean landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants at short notice without a good reason in a government pledge to overhaul the private rental sector. Housing secretary James Brokenshire has announced the new legislation preventing private landlords from evicting tenants at short notice and without good reason... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-laws-to-abolish-no-fault-evictions-in-government-overhaul-of-private-rental-sector 435,441,443,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-laws-to-abolish-no-fault-evictions-in-government-overhaul-of-private-rental-sector Mon, 15 Apr 2019 10:30:00 GMT Outsourcing giant Amey has offered Birmingham City Council £300m to free itself from a troubled 25-year PFI contract after a bitter five-year legal battle. Amey, owned by Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial, is understood to have made an informal offer to the city council to buy itself out of the £2.7bn contract, according... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/amey-tables-300m-offer-to-escape-25-year-birmingham-city-council-contract 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/amey-tables-300m-offer-to-escape-25-year-birmingham-city-council-contract Mon, 15 Apr 2019 10:00:00 GMT Cabinet member for economic regeneration at Northumberland County Council Richard Wearmouth outlines the plans to reintroduce passenger services between Ashington and Newcastle. The reintroduction of passenger services on the existing freight-only line between Ashington and Newcastle has been an aspiration of the county council for many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connecting-the-north-east- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connecting-the-north-east- Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:45:00 GMT Martin Ferguson, director of policy and research at Socitm, outlines the technology-related trends to look out for in the public sector throughout 2019. IT pundits often make overly-ambitious guesses as to how fast ‘next big thing’ technologies will be deployed. One story, related in Socitm’s recent policy briefing on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-public-sector-it-can-exploit-the-last-big-things 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-public-sector-it-can-exploit-the-last-big-things Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:45:00 GMT Glen Garrod, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), outlines the challenges facing the social care workforce – which are being shouted down by Brexit. Social care in England provides employment for some 1.5 million people (not including those working as personal assistants) – that’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-about-social-care- 447,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-about-social-care- Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:45:00 GMT The third in a trilogy of Brexit articles for PSE, Chris Painter, Professor Emeritus at Birmingham City University, considers the wider constitutional and political issues arising from its mishandling. No end in sight Additional concessions from Brussels on the November 2018 divorce withdrawal agreement and accompanying political... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexits-systemic-fallout 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexits-systemic-fallout Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:30:00 GMT The director of The Right to Build Task Force – which advises stakeholders on bringing on more custom and self-build homes – Mario Wolf, who is currently on secondment from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, discusses challenges the public sector needs to engage with to deliver housing supply growth. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/self-build-builds-potential-for-more-and-better-homes 441,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/self-build-builds-potential-for-more-and-better-homes Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:30:00 GMT Ofsted has warned that local authorities are providing funding for children’s education in unregulated settings, after finding 6,000 children to date receiving education in suspected illegal schools. The education inspectorate has called for tougher laws on tackling “illegal schools” which it says increases the risk of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-paying-for-thousands-of-children-in-illegal-schools-ofsted-says- 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-paying-for-thousands-of-children-in-illegal-schools-ofsted-says- Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:15:00 GMT A Welsh council announced a “significantly” changed approach to the £1.3bn city deal for Swansea Bay after multiple reviews have raised concerns over progress and transparency. Councillors in Neath Port Talbot have said the new approach is “essential” to securing progress with the Swansea Bay City Deal, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-reveals-significantly-different-approach-to-13bn-swansea-bay-city-deal-in-response-to-criticisms- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-reveals-significantly-different-approach-to-13bn-swansea-bay-city-deal-in-response-to-criticisms- Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:00:00 GMT Mark Baigent, divisional director of housing & regeneration at London Borough Tower Hamlets and chair of the London Housing Directors’ Group, reflects on how the collaborative workforce for the Capital Letters scheme is tackling homelessness in The City. Although the housing crisis affects the whole country, it’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovative-collaboration-will-improve-support-for-homeless-households 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovative-collaboration-will-improve-support-for-homeless-households Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:00:00 GMT The leader of Solihull Council and deputy mayor of West Midlands Combined Authority is standing down after five years in the role. Bob Sleigh served as deputy leader of Solihull Council for eight years before leading the Conservative group since 2014, but will step down ahead of next month’s local elections. Cllr Sleigh... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bob-sleigh-to-stand-down-as-solihull-council-leader-and-wmca-deputy- 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bob-sleigh-to-stand-down-as-solihull-council-leader-and-wmca-deputy- Thu, 11 Apr 2019 15:00:00 GMT The government has published new guidance for councils to encourage housing developers to fund the new schools created by their developments. The Department for Education has published the new advice setting out how local authorities can best secure funding from housing developers for new schools and school expansions. Developers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-press-housing-developers-to-pay-for-new-schools-under-new-dfe-guidance 435,433,453,436,441,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-press-housing-developers-to-pay-for-new-schools-under-new-dfe-guidance Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:15:00 GMT A Scottish council made more than 800 salary overpayments totalling over £800,000 to current and former employees, Scotland’s spending watchdog has revealed. A report from the Accounts Commission has raised concerns over “recurring weaknesses” in financial control at councils in Scotland which are dealing with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-overpaid-staff-more-than-800000-as-watchdog-raises-national-concerns-of-recurring-weaknesses-in-financial-control 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-overpaid-staff-more-than-800000-as-watchdog-raises-national-concerns-of-recurring-weaknesses-in-financial-control Thu, 11 Apr 2019 09:45:00 GMT Over 130 Dorset parishes and towns in Dorset have failed to attract enough candidates for the upcoming elections, meaning some of the council may not be able to operate from next month. At least 130 of the 163 parishes and towns in the Dorset Council region do not have enough candidates for the 2 May local council elections, whilst 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-parish-councils-hit-by-lack-of-candidates-for-local-elections 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-parish-councils-hit-by-lack-of-candidates-for-local-elections Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT A consultation has been launched by the government into the banning of six-figure pay-offs for public sector workers, dubbed ‘golden goodbyes’. The Treasury is now considering capping pay-offs for public sector and local government workers at £95,000. Earlier this week, the Tax Payer’s Alliance compiled a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-set-to-ban-six-figure-public-sector-worker-pay-offs-with-95k-cap- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-set-to-ban-six-figure-public-sector-worker-pay-offs-with-95k-cap- Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT A postcode funding lottery and “extremely worrying” real-term reductions are facing the increasing number of children suffering from low-level mental health conditions, a major report from the Children's Commissioner for England has said. The research reveals the huge variety between how much funding is available to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-commissioner-extremely-concerned-over-council-spending-on-mental-health-services-and-postcode-lottery 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-commissioner-extremely-concerned-over-council-spending-on-mental-health-services-and-postcode-lottery Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:30:00 GMT CIPFA has issued fresh guidance for internal audit in the public sector in order to contend with “restricted resources and growing levels of financial risk.” The new guidance calls on the public sector to provide the required support and recognition for the heads of internal audit and their teams, and present best practice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-publishes-new-guidance-for-public-sector-internal-audit-to-cope-with-growing-levels-of-financial-risk 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-publishes-new-guidance-for-public-sector-internal-audit-to-cope-with-growing-levels-of-financial-risk Tue, 09 Apr 2019 17:15:00 GMT The number of council workers earning over £100,000 a year has reached almost 2,500, according to a new ‘town hall rich list’. The Taxpayers’ Alliance has compiled the rich list that, against a back drop of sweeping local government cuts, described how more than 600 council employees earnt more than the prime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-hall-rich-list-reveals-thousands-of-council-workers-are-earning-over-100000 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-hall-rich-list-reveals-thousands-of-council-workers-are-earning-over-100000 Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:00:00 GMT Dr Joanna Redden, Dr Lina Dencik, Dr Arne Hintz and Harry Warne, of the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at the University of Cardiff, tell more on the technology they are using for analysing decisions of local authorities across the UK. Globally, governments at all levels are making greater uses of new data systems as they try to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mapping-and-analysing-data-practices-across-local-government 447,439,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mapping-and-analysing-data-practices-across-local-government Mon, 08 Apr 2019 14:30:00 GMT Bristol City Council is to put a further £9m into its loss-making energy firm in a decision criticised as “reckless” and a “staggering waste of public money.” The council has already invested £27m into Bristol Energy and now plans to inject nearly £9m over the next five years, along with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-makes-reckless-9m-investment-into-clean-energy-firm 435,437,438,436,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-makes-reckless-9m-investment-into-clean-energy-firm Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:15:00 GMT Local authorities spent a total of £335m last year hiring agency social workers, with some now employing up to half of their children’s social care workforce using private companies. A number of councils have spent tens of millions of pounds on agency social workers as authorities struggle to recruit permanent staff to meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-spending-hundreds-of-millions-of-pounds-on-agency-social-workers- 435,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-spending-hundreds-of-millions-of-pounds-on-agency-social-workers- Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT The London Borough of Newham has been fined after it accidently revealed sensitive personal information on more than 200 suspected gang members which were acquired by rival gangs. The council has been fined £145,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after it judged it “unnecessary, unfair and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newham-council-leaked-sensitive-gang-information-months-before-wave-of-serious-gang-violence 435,454,439,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newham-council-leaked-sensitive-gang-information-months-before-wave-of-serious-gang-violence Mon, 08 Apr 2019 10:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has fined highways firm Amey £48.5m after the contractor failed to replace two damaged sets of roadside bollards, the latest development in an increasingly toxic row over the pair’s 25-year contract. The city council has charged Amey £58,000 a day for the delays to repairing the bollards designed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-fines-amey-50m-over-bollard-repairs-after-total-breakdown-in-relations 435,433,436,667,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-fines-amey-50m-over-bollard-repairs-after-total-breakdown-in-relations Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:45:00 GMT Mental health charity Mind has teamed up with Cumbria County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) to change the way we think about mental health as part of the ‘Time to Change’ campaign. As many as one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, so in a bid to raise awareness of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mind-join-forces-with-cumbria-firefighters-to-share-mental-health-message- 435,436,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mind-join-forces-with-cumbria-firefighters-to-share-mental-health-message- Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:00:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded 24 firms with its framework for a number of modular building projects in the public sector. The modular building solutions framework will “provide the public sector with a low-cost solution for their temporary and semi-permanent building needs,” with a particular focus on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-awards-framework-for-modular-building-revolution-across-the-public-sector 436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-awards-framework-for-modular-building-revolution-across-the-public-sector Fri, 05 Apr 2019 14:30:00 GMT Milton Keynes Council has agreed a £1.75m legal settlement with its waste management contractor following a historic row over the contamination of its recycling waste. This follows claims that up to 25% of the council’s recycling sacks have been contaminated with dirty nappies, pet waste and food from 2013 to 2019, meaning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/milton-keynes-council-in-175m-settlement-with-contractor-after-recycling-waste-contamination 435,437,436,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/milton-keynes-council-in-175m-settlement-with-contractor-after-recycling-waste-contamination Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:45:00 GMT Private landlords in 12 areas across Bristol will now have to pay £1,200 for licensing to rent properties as part of a council’s bid to improve protection for renters. Bristol City Council has agreed to expand the licensing scheme to wards identified as areas with high concentrations of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-council-brings-in-licencing-scheme-for-private-landlords-to-protect-renters- 435,436,441,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-council-brings-in-licencing-scheme-for-private-landlords-to-protect-renters- Thu, 04 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT The leader of Flintshire County Council has quit his post after becoming embroiled in a “hateful and public” row over the divisive sacking of his deputy. Aaron Shotton has announced he is stepping down as Labour leading in order to “heal the political divisions that have emerged in recent days” and cited the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flintshire-council-leader-quits-over-political-divisions-caused-by-hateful-and-public-sacking-row- 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flintshire-council-leader-quits-over-political-divisions-caused-by-hateful-and-public-sacking-row- Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:00:00 GMT Housing supply growth has been at the top of the political agenda – bar Brexit – for the last few years now, and has been a key domestic policy of the Conservative government. But custom and self-build homes, in the words of Lord Porter the chair of the LGA, “will become increasingly important” and offer an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/discover-the-benefits-of-custom-and-self-build-homes-with-the-right-to-build-task-force-learning-visit 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/discover-the-benefits-of-custom-and-self-build-homes-with-the-right-to-build-task-force-learning-visit Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT MPs have urged the government to “urgently advance” its plans to replace EU funding for local government and stop leaving councils “in the dark” over Brexit. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has recommended that ministers should prioritise ensuring EU funding will be fully replaced after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-urgently-bring-forward-brexit-funding-plans-for-local-government-and-stop-leaving-councils-in-the-dark-say-mps 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-urgently-bring-forward-brexit-funding-plans-for-local-government-and-stop-leaving-councils-in-the-dark-say-mps Thu, 04 Apr 2019 11:30:00 GMT The government has launched a new £10m strategy to support leading tech companies to work with schools and colleges in a “new era” for EdTech. Education secretary Damian Hinds wants the use of technology in education to help reduce teacher workload, boost student outcomes, and help “level the playing field”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-era-for-edtech-as-dfe-launches-new-10m-strategy- 453,439,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-era-for-edtech-as-dfe-launches-new-10m-strategy- Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:15:00 GMT Workers at Dundee City Council have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action after the authority imposed what a union described as a policy of compulsory redundancies and changes to employment terms. Councillors voted in February for a new policy removing the ability of employees to nominate themselves for redundancy and to cut pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dundee-city-council-workers-vote-to-strike-over-new-redundancy-and-pay-protection-policy 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dundee-city-council-workers-vote-to-strike-over-new-redundancy-and-pay-protection-policy Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:30:00 GMT A city council has backed £61m proposals for a new, smaller and more cost-effective headquarters as a “catalyst for regeneration” in Sunderland. Cabinet members at Sunderland City Council have approved the business case to move the authority and around 1,200 staff from its current HQ to the Vaux brownfield site. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunderland-council-backs-61m-move-to-new-cost-effective-headquarters 433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunderland-council-backs-61m-move-to-new-cost-effective-headquarters Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:15:00 GMT The chief executive of Islington Council has announced her retirement “in the coming weeks” after 30 years in local government. Lesley Seary has said she will stand down from the London council after eight years in charge, “leading the council through one of the most challenging periods for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/islington-councils-chief-executive-announces-retirement 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/islington-councils-chief-executive-announces-retirement Tue, 02 Apr 2019 17:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s financial position remains “immensely serious,” a government-commissioned improvement panel had warned. Despite some improvements, the city council has been hit with three separate auditor warnings in four years, the latest coming last week in wake of the latest set of strike action from bin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improvement-panels-final-report-warns-birmingham-city-councils-finances-remain-immensely-serious 435,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improvement-panels-final-report-warns-birmingham-city-councils-finances-remain-immensely-serious Tue, 02 Apr 2019 17:00:00 GMT A council has deliberately failed to assess thousands of vulnerable people who may have been unlawfully deprived of their liberty, the local government ombudsman has ruled. Staffordshire County Council decided in May 2016 that it would stop carrying out assessments of vulnerable people except for high-priority cases. Since May 2016... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-unlawfully-deprived-thousands-of-vulnerable-people-of-their-liberty-due-to-financial-pressure 435,436,442,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-unlawfully-deprived-thousands-of-vulnerable-people-of-their-liberty-due-to-financial-pressure Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:45:00 GMT Alan Birmingham, CIPFA policy manager devolved governments, addresses a somewhat overlooked problem: intergenerational equity.    As public sector employees’ pension liabilities continues to take off, intergenerational equity could be seen as a major issue for the United Kingdom. However, you wouldn’t know this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accounting-will-be-key-to-tackling-intergenerational-equity- 435,433,436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accounting-will-be-key-to-tackling-intergenerational-equity- Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:15:00 GMT Two new unitary authorities have officially taken control of local government in Dorset following the merging of nine local authorities. Given the go-ahead by parliament in May last year, the creation of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Dorset Council is expected to save £108m over the next six years, with 450... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-unitary-authorities-formally-take-over-from-dorsets-nine-local-councils 436,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-unitary-authorities-formally-take-over-from-dorsets-nine-local-councils Mon, 01 Apr 2019 09:45:00 GMT Wolverhampton council has agreed plans to make staff take unpaid annual leave over the Christmas period as the struggling council tries to slash its wage bill. The City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet has approved recommendations to adopt a new National Joint Council (NJC) pay model which will see the majority of its staff get a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-to-force-staff-to-take-unpaid-leave-in-bid-to-slash-wage-bill 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-to-force-staff-to-take-unpaid-leave-in-bid-to-slash-wage-bill Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:15:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council will have its spending ban lifted after commissioners reported the authority is “now living within its own means.” The section 114 notice banned all expenditure at the authority except on statutory services for protecting vulnerable people. Northamptonshire became the first council in 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-ban-over-northamptonshire-county-council-lifted 435,433,436,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-ban-over-northamptonshire-county-council-lifted Fri, 29 Mar 2019 14:30:00 GMT The government has confirmed its intervention at Rotherham council will formally end this weekend after it had “transformed from a failing authority to one that is reinvigorated and fully autonomous.” Central government took over Rotherham MBC in 2015 after its entire cabinet resigned in the wake of an investigation which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-finally-free-of-government-intervention-after-restoring-moral-compass 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-finally-free-of-government-intervention-after-restoring-moral-compass Thu, 28 Mar 2019 17:00:00 GMT Surrey County Council and its under-fire special needs services has been criticised by the local government ombudsman after it took 15 months too long to provide a disabled boy with adequate education. The boy, who has “significant special education needs (SEN),” was left in a school unable to provide the right occupational... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-ombudsman-slams-surrey-county-council-for-delaying-disabled-boys-education-by-15-months 435,453,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-ombudsman-slams-surrey-county-council-for-delaying-disabled-boys-education-by-15-months Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:30:00 GMT Vulnerable children in Newham are being put at risk by “serious failures” in social services and care leaders who have “neglected their duties” to children, a damning Ofsted report has found. Inspectors reported a “significant deterioration” at Newham Council’s children’s services since 2014... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-leaders-neglected-their-duties-to-children-as-ofsted-finds-serious-social-care-failures-at-newham-council- 435,453,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-leaders-neglected-their-duties-to-children-as-ofsted-finds-serious-social-care-failures-at-newham-council- Thu, 28 Mar 2019 11:45:00 GMT Essex County Council is to lead a review investigating Blackpool Council’s inadequately-rated children’s social care services and determine whether or not the authority should lose its control over the services. In January, an Ofsted report found that some of Blackpool’s most vulnerable children were living in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-commissions-essex-cc-to-review-blackpool-councils-inadequate-childrens-services 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-commissions-essex-cc-to-review-blackpool-councils-inadequate-childrens-services Wed, 27 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Bexley Council has announced that Jackie Belton has been recommended for appointment as its new chief executive. Belton was formerly the strategic director of corporate services at Lambeth and Newham councils and is now set to be signed off as the new chief executive of the London Borough of Bexley Council on 17 April. She will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-appointed-for-bexley-council 440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-appointed-for-bexley-council Wed, 27 Mar 2019 16:15:00 GMT A senior director at Aberdeen City Council has resigned from the authority after he was suspended earlier this month. Frank McGhee was suspended from his £115,000 a year role as director of commissioning pending a full investigation by the council, although the reason for his suspension is unknown. McGhee was the latest in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suspended-senior-director-quits-aberdeen-city-council- 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suspended-senior-director-quits-aberdeen-city-council- Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:30:00 GMT Wiltshire Council has announced it is extending its consultation on controversial plans to restructure its special education services and has withdrawn its decision to close three special schools. A group of families in Wiltshire had taken the council to court over the plans to close three special schools in the area in favour of a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-withdraws-20m-plans-to-close-special-schools-and-reopens-consultation- 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-withdraws-20m-plans-to-close-special-schools-and-reopens-consultation- Tue, 26 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT The four South Yorkshire council leaders and mayor Dan Jarvis have announced a “breakthrough” in the stalled devolution deal for Sheffield City Region. After “years of impasse” the local leaders have “reached a consensus” and agreed a deal worth around £30m a year in extra funding that will see... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-leaders-make-breakthrough-in-30m-devolution-deal-for-region 433,436,2899,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-leaders-make-breakthrough-in-30m-devolution-deal-for-region Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:45:00 GMT The Conservative council leader who was suspended for sharing a message supporting far-right activist Tommy Robinson has now been re-instated by the Conservatives after a 13-day suspension. Andrew Bowles, the leader of Swale Council for 16 years, has been disciplined by his party after appearing to endorse a claim on Twitter that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-reinstated-after-online-tommy-robinson-comments-amid-tory-islamophobia-row 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-reinstated-after-online-tommy-robinson-comments-amid-tory-islamophobia-row Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has been accused of “unprecedented levels of financial incompetence” after it received its third auditor warning in four years. Finance and governance director Clive Heaphy confirmed that the council had been issued its latest section 24 notice which makes two statutory recommendations to the authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-accused-of-unprecedented-levels-of-financial-incompetence-after-receiving-its-third-auditor-warning- 435,436,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-accused-of-unprecedented-levels-of-financial-incompetence-after-receiving-its-third-auditor-warning- Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:15:00 GMT A six-year pay dispute between councillors at Caerphilly County Borough Council at a cost of £4m will mean the rules around senior council officers’ pay in Wales will be changed, first minister Mark Drakeford has said. Drakeford has promised a review into the long-running and costly Caerphilly pay row after an investigation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-minister-promises-rules-review-after-caerphilly-councils-six-year-4m-pay-row 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-minister-promises-rules-review-after-caerphilly-councils-six-year-4m-pay-row Mon, 25 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is attempting to wind down the remainder of around £1bn in controversial LOBO bank loans. Seven local authorities announced in February that they were suing Barclays over a combined £500m of the lender-option, borrower option (LOBO) loans which have come under heavy criticism from campaigners... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rbs-to-wind-down-1bn-worth-of-controversial-lobo-loans-by-end-of-the-year- 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rbs-to-wind-down-1bn-worth-of-controversial-lobo-loans-by-end-of-the-year- Mon, 25 Mar 2019 10:00:00 GMT An Essex council has announced a £1bn contract in a joint venture to regenerate council sites and deliver new homes and commercial facilities. Brentwood Borough Council has named Morgan Sindall as its partner for the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), with a 50:50 ownership split between the council and the major local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/essex-council-announces-1bn-construction-deal 433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/essex-council-announces-1bn-construction-deal Fri, 22 Mar 2019 16:15:00 GMT A Welsh council is to pull out of a government-run schools improvement scheme over concerns about how it is run and fears that the quadrupling of costs could threaten jobs at the local authority. Neath Port Talbot Council will, subject to a cabinet decision next week, serve notice to withdraw from the ‘Education through Regional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-pull-out-of-government-schools-improvement-body-over-rising-costs-and-major-concerns-over-poor-management 435,453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-pull-out-of-government-schools-improvement-body-over-rising-costs-and-major-concerns-over-poor-management Fri, 22 Mar 2019 16:00:00 GMT An application from three district councils for a judicial review of the merger plans to create a single unitary council for Buckinghamshire has failed. South Buckinghamshire, Chiltern and Wycombe councils have been informed that their application, which was prompted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-legal-challenge-against-buckinghamshire-merger-process-rejected 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-legal-challenge-against-buckinghamshire-merger-process-rejected Fri, 22 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT A ‘local income tax’ could provide councils in the UK with an extra £6bn a year per 1% in order to help them meet rising costs and rising demands, economists have suggested. A report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) assessing the potential for devolving further tax revenues and powers to English councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-income-tax-could-give-councils-billions-in-extra-funding-ifs-report-reveals- 435,433,438,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-income-tax-could-give-councils-billions-in-extra-funding-ifs-report-reveals- Thu, 21 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT The two government-appointed commissioners have reported that Northamptonshire County Council’s financial position has “improved considerably” and its budget plans for next year are “robust and realistic.” The financially-troubled council has twice issued spending bans and at one point faced a budget deficit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioners-report-that-northamptonshires-finances-have-improved-considerably-but-still-risk-ahead- 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioners-report-that-northamptonshires-finances-have-improved-considerably-but-still-risk-ahead- Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:00:00 GMT Scottish councils have been urged to make “fundamental, transformational changes” to how frontline services are designed and delivered and said that the “pace of change needs to improve.” A report from the Accounts Commission said that councils “face an increasingly complex, changing and uncertain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watchdog-urges-scottish-councils-to-make-fundamental-changes-to-meet-shifting-demands 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watchdog-urges-scottish-councils-to-make-fundamental-changes-to-meet-shifting-demands Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:45:00 GMT Local government employment has slumped to a “new record low,” official figures have revealed. The number of people employed in local government dropped to 2.04 million in December 2018, a drop of 44,000 staff (2.1%) from December 2017, according to data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-employment-hits-new-record-low 435,433,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-employment-hits-new-record-low Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council is to ask the government for extra time to find a solution to its early years funding deficit after proposals for nearly £2m of cuts faced a backlash from residents. The cash-strapped council had proposed £1.8m worth of cuts from its £45m early years budget, but care providers spoke out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-to-ask-for-dfe-for-more-time-over-controversial-early-years-funding-cuts 435,453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-to-ask-for-dfe-for-more-time-over-controversial-early-years-funding-cuts Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:15:00 GMT A group of corrupt council workers who invented welfare claims to steal more than £1m from three London councils have been sentenced to prison for a total of 17 years. The seven benefit assessors worked at Lambeth, Kingston, and Barking and Dagenham councils and created false housing benefit claims over six years. The council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gang-of-council-officers-given-17-year-total-jail-sentence-after-stealing-more-than-1m-from-three-london-authorities 435,454,436,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gang-of-council-officers-given-17-year-total-jail-sentence-after-stealing-more-than-1m-from-three-london-authorities Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:15:00 GMT Families of children with special educational needs have lost a High Court challenge against Surrey County Council over its plans to reduce its special educations budget by £21m. As part of £82m of savings in its 2019-20 budget, the authority plans on cutting £21m from its special educational needs and disabilities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-lose-high-court-battle-against-surrey-county-council-over-21m-special-needs-reduction 435,453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-lose-high-court-battle-against-surrey-county-council-over-21m-special-needs-reduction Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT Interserve handed out £660m worth of public sector contracts before it went into administration last week – which one union has called the “height of irresponsibility.” Interserve, which entered administration on Friday, has been awarded government contracts worth £665m since 2017 despite several profit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interserve-handed-irresponsible-public-sector-contracts-worth-over-660m-prior-to-administration 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interserve-handed-irresponsible-public-sector-contracts-worth-over-660m-prior-to-administration Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT Vulnerable children are “not being protected” by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and are being failed by its “inadequate” services, Ofsted has found. An inspection of the children’s services in Stoke found that children experienced “serious and widespread delays in having their needs met,” criticising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stoke-on-trent-councils-inadequate-children-services-slammed-by-ofsted-in-outrageous-dereliction-of-duty 435,453,436,442,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stoke-on-trent-councils-inadequate-children-services-slammed-by-ofsted-in-outrageous-dereliction-of-duty Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:45:00 GMT The long-running Birmingham bin dispute appears to be over after the city council approved settlements worth £3,500 for each striking worker as it was revealed that the latest strikes have cost the council more than £5.8m. Unite has said it considers the dispute to be over and weekly bin collections will resume from today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-bin-dispute-declared-over-but-strike-action-costs-city-council-another-6m 436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-bin-dispute-declared-over-but-strike-action-costs-city-council-another-6m Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has opted to use a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to bring the remaining 870 acres of land at a former steelworks site back into public ownership, ending a long-running dispute. Nearly 3,000 people at the site in Redcar lost their jobs in 2015 when the Thai steel firm SSI closed down, leaving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-to-use-compulsory-purchase-powers-to-bring-former-steelworks-back-into-public-ownership-as-houchen-declares-we-wont-be-held-to-ransom 435,433,436,2899,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-to-use-compulsory-purchase-powers-to-bring-former-steelworks-back-into-public-ownership-as-houchen-declares-we-wont-be-held-to-ransom Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:30:00 GMT The long-standing leader of Nottingham City Council has announced he is stepping down from the authority at the local elections in May. Jon Collins has led the city council for 16 years and was elected as a councillor in Nottingham 32 years ago in 1987. But the authority’s leader has said it was “right for me” to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-city-councils-long-standing-leader-to-step-down- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-city-councils-long-standing-leader-to-step-down- Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:00:00 GMT Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, outlines his organisation’s campaign to make sure local government tops to government’s list for this year’s Spending Review. Our #CouncilsCan campaign to influence this year’s Spending Review is well underway and gathering momentum. The money local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-can-lga-launches-spending-review-campaign- 436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-can-lga-launches-spending-review-campaign- Mon, 18 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT A collection of local government, university, and business leaders have joined forces to secure £500m of ‘game-changing’ investment into the future of clean growth in the north west of England. Made up of council leaders and private and public partners from the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, Warrington and Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clean-growth-collaboration-for-north-west-launched-by-local-government-and-business-leaders 437,438,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clean-growth-collaboration-for-north-west-launched-by-local-government-and-business-leaders Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:15:00 GMT One of the largest providers of public services in the UK is to go into administration after its largest shareholder led a rebellion against its financial rescue plan. Interserve has announced its parent company has applied for administration after its investors rejected the debt-for-equity rescue deal that would have handed control of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interserve-to-go-into-administration-as-rescue-deal-rejected 435,433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interserve-to-go-into-administration-as-rescue-deal-rejected Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:00:00 GMT One of the top jobs at Wirral Council was given to a contractor eight days after officials knew he had invoiced them for large sums of money being paid into a dissolved company’s bank account. The council blunder saw Stewart Halliday appointed as corporate director for economic and housing growth on an interim basis on 24 January, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-offered-top-job-to-man-hit-by-very-serious-allegation-over-payments-to-dissolved-firm 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-offered-top-job-to-man-hit-by-very-serious-allegation-over-payments-to-dissolved-firm Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT The local government ombudsman has ordered Birmingham City Council to address a long-standing complaint about child abuse which it said the council had “failed to investigate.” The complaint from 2014 related to abuse allegations from a foster carer with the complainant, Mr X, reporting his “terrible experience” as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/terrible-foster-care-allegations-of-child-abuse-not-investigated-by-birmingham-city-council 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/terrible-foster-care-allegations-of-child-abuse-not-investigated-by-birmingham-city-council Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT The chancellor has announced he will launch a “full three-year Spending Review” before the summer break as long as Brexit is agreed and the “uncertainty lifted” in the next few weeks. In his Spring Statement, Philip Hammond said the Spending Review will set departmental budgets beyond the NHS and maximise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chancellor-confirms-three-year-spending-review-imminent-subject-to-a-brexit-deal 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chancellor-confirms-three-year-spending-review-imminent-subject-to-a-brexit-deal Thu, 14 Mar 2019 12:45:00 GMT A commitment of £345m for the Borderlands Growth Deal has been announced by the UK and Scottish governments. In the Spring Statement yesterday, chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled £260m of funding hours after the Scottish Government announced an £85m funding package for the borderlands of England and Scotland. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/borderland-authorities-praise-game-changing-funding-of-345m-for-growth-deal 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/borderland-authorities-praise-game-changing-funding-of-345m-for-growth-deal Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:30:00 GMT A “damning” auditor’s report into a £100,000 pay-off made by Bristol City Council to its former chief executive has been released. Bristol mayor Marvin Rees insisted that ex-chief executive Anna Klonowski was entitled to the £98,000 pay-out but the report said it was “inappropriate” for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/damning-auditors-report-published-on-bristol-councils-100k-pay-out-to-ex-chief-executive 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/damning-auditors-report-published-on-bristol-councils-100k-pay-out-to-ex-chief-executive Wed, 13 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has unveiled a commission to deliver a new station in Liverpool city centre to connect the region to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). Metro mayor Steve Rotherham announced the creation of the station commission, with the CEO of Everton Football Club Denise Barrett-Baxendale the chair of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-metro-mayor-announces-commission-into-new-city-centre-rail-station 433,436,2899,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-metro-mayor-announces-commission-into-new-city-centre-rail-station Wed, 13 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Newham LBC is set to appoint Althea Loderick as its new chief executive and head of paid service. If approved by the full council later this month, Loderick will replace the former Capita boss Katherine Kerswell who has been the interim chief executive since August 2018. Loderick will join Newham LBC from her current post as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newham-council-to-appoint-new-permanent-chief-executive 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newham-council-to-appoint-new-permanent-chief-executive Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:00:00 GMT The leader of a unitary authority has announced he is resigning with immediate effect, blaming abuse he has received from campaigners and “health challenges.” The leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Ray Oxby, has revealed he is quitting the council, his post as councillor for Grimsby’s South Ward, and the Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unitary-council-leader-resigns-over-abuse-beyond-what-any-reasonable-person-should-have-to-endure 436,441,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unitary-council-leader-resigns-over-abuse-beyond-what-any-reasonable-person-should-have-to-endure Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:00:00 GMT Bradford Council has unveiled its Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) Growth Strategy, setting out the city’s economic, social, and inclusive growth plans across Bradford and the north. The strategy covers six main areas, and outlines how improved connections to Bradford city centre delivered through NPR will transform the UK’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bradford-launches-npr-growth-strategy-in-bid-to-become-catalyst-for-northern-economy 436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bradford-launches-npr-growth-strategy-in-bid-to-become-catalyst-for-northern-economy Tue, 12 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Peterborough and Cambridgeshire councils have appointed a joint executive director in order to boost the city and county economy, completing the management team of the wholly joined-up joint services. Steve Cox will take on the role of executive director for place and economy at both Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-and-county-councils-appoint-joint-director-to-deliver-economic-growth-across-peterborough-and-cambridgeshire 433,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-and-county-councils-appoint-joint-director-to-deliver-economic-growth-across-peterborough-and-cambridgeshire Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:30:00 GMT Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry has said the government is ready to back a devolution deal for West Yorkshire and proposed a “rural” deal for York in the wake of One Yorkshire’s rejection. Speaking at the One Yorkshire devolution conference, Berry said the government has a clear approach to devolution in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jake-berry-gives-support-for-west-yorkshire-devolution-deal-as-council-leaders-urge-government-to-work-with-not-against-us 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jake-berry-gives-support-for-west-yorkshire-devolution-deal-as-council-leaders-urge-government-to-work-with-not-against-us Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:30:00 GMT Manchester City Council is to raid its reserves and raise council tax in a bid to make £15m worth of savings in a meeting that spiralled out of control and led to councillors “aggressively shouting” in member’s faces. Rows erupted prior to the meeting between councillors as they set up to discuss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-meeting-descends-into-chaos-as-manchester-city-council-raids-reserves-in-latest-cuts 435,433,436,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-meeting-descends-into-chaos-as-manchester-city-council-raids-reserves-in-latest-cuts Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT Birmingham’s long-standing bin strike has been called off after unions said a new agreement had been tabled with the city council that for the first time meets their expectations. Unite said it had cancelled its strike action, which first began back in 2017, to allow Birmingham City Council’s cabinet to discuss the proposed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breakthrough-deal-tabled-between-union-and-council-in-birmingham-bin-strikes 436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breakthrough-deal-tabled-between-union-and-council-in-birmingham-bin-strikes Mon, 11 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council’s SNP group leader has called for the nine suspended councillors to be expelled from their party and end the “complete farce” in the party. As reported by the BBC, a senior director at the council was also suspended over the weekend with the council refusing to comment on “individual staffing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-to-end-to-complete-farce-over-nine-aberdeens-councillors-suspensions 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-to-end-to-complete-farce-over-nine-aberdeens-councillors-suspensions Mon, 11 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT The decline of the Great British high street has been one of the greatest concerns for local councils in recent years, leading to some innovative efforts to revitalise shopping districts. Karen Whelan, chief executive of Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC), tells more on her authority’s proactive approach to high street... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camberley-inspired-investment-and-regeneration- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camberley-inspired-investment-and-regeneration- Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:15:00 GMT The National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) National Infrastructure Assessment was released in July 2018, making a variety of recommendations ranging from digital technology growth to making the switch to low-carbon energy sources. Professor Sadie Morgan, commissioner at the NIC, delves deeper into how northern cities can be improved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-commission-progressing-the-north 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-commission-progressing-the-north Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT Paul Bentley, of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), introduces us to the Spend Analysis Recovery Framework: a no win no fee means of carrying out audits and recovery for the public sector. You probably don’t think of yourself as a hero. Those who spend taxpayers’ money have a duty to look for new and innovative ways of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sars-ii-recovery-made-easy- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sars-ii-recovery-made-easy- Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT Steve Cains, head of power solutions at Public Power Solutions, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Swindon Borough Council, describes the benefits of its latest innovative use of solar energy: to power a recycling plant. Local authorities have never been under greater pressure: to deliver high levels of services while budgets are being cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swindons-solar-powered-recycling-centre-saves-council-cash- 447,433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swindons-solar-powered-recycling-centre-saves-council-cash- Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT Local councils around the UK are getting creative to attract the younger generation into the sector, and Ashford Borough Council is at the forefront of this innovation. Michelle Pecci, head of human resources and customer services at the authority, tells more on Ashford’s new scheme to bring more young people into local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/training-the-next-generation-at-ashfield-borough-council- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/training-the-next-generation-at-ashfield-borough-council- Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has rubber stamped £20m worth of cuts as the authority reaches £327m of savings since 2010. The council needs to reduce its spending by £60m over the next three years, and its latest wave of budget cuts will see council tax raised, library hours reduced, and disabled drivers having to pay for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-so-much-more-we-can-do-newcastle-city-council-confirms-20m-cuts-and-job-losses 433,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-so-much-more-we-can-do-newcastle-city-council-confirms-20m-cuts-and-job-losses Fri, 08 Mar 2019 11:15:00 GMT The foster parents of the Parson Green bomber are suing Surrey County Council for negligence after the authority placed him in their home without telling them he had been “trained to kill by ISIS.” Ahmed Hassan was sentenced to life aged 18 last year for carrying out an attack with a home-made bomb on a London Underground... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/betrayed-foster-carers-of-parsons-green-bomber-suing-surrey-county-council 435,454,453,436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/betrayed-foster-carers-of-parsons-green-bomber-suing-surrey-county-council Fri, 08 Mar 2019 10:15:00 GMT Wirral Council has terminated its contract with the waste disposal enforcement firm who were accused of “underhand and aggressive tactics.” The authority suspended its contract with Kingdom last month so that a review of the enforcement campaign could be carried out after a raft of complaints over improper fines to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wirral-councils-aggressive-waste-enforcement-contract-with-kingdom-terminated 435,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wirral-councils-aggressive-waste-enforcement-contract-with-kingdom-terminated Fri, 08 Mar 2019 10:15:00 GMT Powys county councillors have backed a 9.5% council tax hike and approved the authority’s budget after the controversial first round of £12m of cuts were rejected last month. Opposition groups criticised the council’s cabinet last week after a proposed budget ,including a council tax hike rise of nearly 10% and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/powys-county-council-backs-amended-budget-cuts-and-tax-hike-but-significant-risk-remains- 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/powys-county-council-backs-amended-budget-cuts-and-tax-hike-but-significant-risk-remains- Thu, 07 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT A council leader has withdrawn his support for the One Yorkshire proposals and appealed to other authority readers to start considering alternatives after Dan Jarvis was shut down once again by the prime minister. Peter Box, the leader of Wakefield Council, said it was time to accept the housing secretary’s decision to reject the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-calls-for-authorities-to-rethink-one-yorkshire-devolution-and-start-considering-alternatives 433,436,2899,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-calls-for-authorities-to-rethink-one-yorkshire-devolution-and-start-considering-alternatives Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:30:00 GMT MPs have launched an inquiry into local government finance to review its policy ahead of the 2019 Spending Review. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee will examine how effective the existing funding set-up for local government is in providing resources to meet demands for local services across the UK. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-into-local-government-finance-launched-by-mps 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-into-local-government-finance-launched-by-mps Thu, 07 Mar 2019 14:15:00 GMT Walsall Council has approved plans for £10.7m to be spent on transforming the authority’s structure, which could see 800 jobs cut over the next three years. The ‘Walsall Proud Programme’ (WPP) has been approved by councillors, and aims to “achieve better outcomes and customer experience, increase staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/walsall-approves-transformational-programme-in-10m-move-which-could-see-800-jobs-lost 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/walsall-approves-transformational-programme-in-10m-move-which-could-see-800-jobs-lost Wed, 06 Mar 2019 17:15:00 GMT Durham County Council has approved plans to for a new £50m headquarters in the city centre despite widespread demonstrations against the “ridiculous” move. The county council wants to leave its headquarters in Aykley Head and move to a new development at The Sands, transferring 1,000 of its council workers to Durham city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-plans-for-new-50m-hq-approved-by-durham-councillors 435,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-plans-for-new-50m-hq-approved-by-durham-councillors Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:45:00 GMT A Conservative council leader has been suspended from the party after he retweeted a post supporting the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Andrew Bowles has led Swale Borough Council in Kent for 16 years, but was suspended by the Conservative Party last night after a retweet hailed Robinson as a “patriot.” Bowles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-council-leader-suspended-after-retweeting-post-supporting-tommy-robinson 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-council-leader-suspended-after-retweeting-post-supporting-tommy-robinson Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:45:00 GMT A councillor has been suspended from Belfast City Council for six months after she was found to have breached the local government code of conduct. Alderman Ruth Patterson has been sanctioned by the Northern Ireland Local Government Ombudsman (NILGCS) after she made allegations regarding a north Belfast football club and a “man... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/belfast-councillor-given-six-month-suspension-after-breaching-code-of-conduct-over-ira-allegation 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/belfast-councillor-given-six-month-suspension-after-breaching-code-of-conduct-over-ira-allegation Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:45:00 GMT Two councils have approved over £20m worth of cuts as both authorities slam an “ever increasing tough financial climate” due to austerity and a “totally unfair” year of drastic government cuts. Doncaster Council and Nottingham City Council yesterday both approved budget proposals to make £21m and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/totally-unfair-and-no-way-to-run-public-services-two-councils-slam-government-as-40m-total-cuts-approved- 436,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/totally-unfair-and-no-way-to-run-public-services-two-councils-slam-government-as-40m-total-cuts-approved- Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:30:00 GMT   A £10m High Court legal challenge against Northumberland County Council and three of its leaders over delayed plans for 2,000 homes has now been dropped. An arms-length body of the developers Lugano Property Group issued a writ in September claiming in July it would be hit with delayed project bills of £13m in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developer-drops-10m-legal-case-against-northumberland-county-council-over-housing-proposals 435,436,441,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developer-drops-10m-legal-case-against-northumberland-county-council-over-housing-proposals Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:00:00 GMT Educating the next generation of business, society leaders and decision-makers is one of the most prevalent challenges the North faces: with 80,000 new digital workers in demand by 2020, it is more important now than ever before that the next workforce wave has the right skills and knowledge base to develop and drive the Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evonorth-2019-discussing-education-skills-employment 447,453,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evonorth-2019-discussing-education-skills-employment Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:45:00 GMT Throughout all of the various topics discussed across the two days of EvoNorth, there were two overarching themes which consistently cropped up: Brexit and climate change, arguably the two most disruptive challenges facing the country right now. Whether it was during the leaders debates on health, social care and wellbeing; business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-energy-for-the-northern-powerhouse-at-evonorth- 447,437,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-energy-for-the-northern-powerhouse-at-evonorth- Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:15:00 GMT One of the key objectives of EvoNorth 2019 was to bring key influencers in their respective industries together to develop fruitful business relationships, identify and pursue vital areas of importance for their sector, and work collaboratively for the shared goal of a Northern Powerhouse – and the two-day event did just that. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-innovation-investment-at-evonorth-2019 447,433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-innovation-investment-at-evonorth-2019 Mon, 04 Mar 2019 14:30:00 GMT The celebration of EvoNorth 2019, the first ever event of its name, lived up to lofty expectations in amplifying and highlighting the biggest and brightest of past, present, and future exciting developments the region has to offer, bringing together key decision-makers from a vast array of backgrounds and professions – all joining forces... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evonorth-2019-connecting-the-passions-people-and-places-of-the-north 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evonorth-2019-connecting-the-passions-people-and-places-of-the-north Mon, 04 Mar 2019 14:00:00 GMT The local government funding crisis has forced councils into selling thousands of public spaces, libraries, and community centres worth a total of £9.1bn in the last five years in order to pay for service cuts and redundancy payments. New research from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BOIJ) has revealed that one in six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/billions-of-pounds-made-from-selling-public-assets-being-spent-on-council-cost-cutting-and-redundancies-new-research-reveals 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/billions-of-pounds-made-from-selling-public-assets-being-spent-on-council-cost-cutting-and-redundancies-new-research-reveals Mon, 04 Mar 2019 11:45:00 GMT Durham County Council’s proposed £50m plan to move its headquarters to the city centre has been hit with protests, with campaigners calling it the “most ridiculous idea ever” and a “countywide concern.” The authority wants to leave its current headquarters in Aykley Heads and move 1,000 of its workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protests-held-over-ridiculous-50m-hq-move-for-durham-county-council-ahead-of-vote 435,433,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protests-held-over-ridiculous-50m-hq-move-for-durham-county-council-ahead-of-vote Mon, 04 Mar 2019 11:45:00 GMT On Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 February, we hosted the first ever installation of EvoNorth, covering all aspects of the Northern Powerhouse, including health, social care and wellbeing; digital innovation; business and investment; transport and connectivity; energy; education, skills and employment; and much, much more. Below, we’ve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-12-tweets-from-evonorth- 436,2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-12-tweets-from-evonorth- Mon, 04 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT The deputy leader of Wirral Council has hit out at a “hard-left stitch-up” after she was “forced out” by the Labour Party ahead of upcoming elections. Bernie Mooney, who had been tipped by other councillors to be Wirral’s next leader, has said she felt “betrayed” after she was deselected by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-deputy-leader-forced-out-of-labour-party-selection-in-hard-left-stitch-up 436,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-deputy-leader-forced-out-of-labour-party-selection-in-hard-left-stitch-up Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:45:00 GMT A spate of recent outsourcing woes show the government urgently needs to improve its understanding of the market, argues Sarah Nickson of the Institute for Government. Government relies on the private sector to deliver a vast range of critical services – from hospitals, to army recruitment, to major IT systems, to ferries to ease... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-needs-better-outsourcing-data 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-needs-better-outsourcing-data Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:30:00 GMT Cllr Rob Rotchell, cabinet member for adult social care at Cornwall Council, tells us how his council is addressing the challenges of adult care and support through its technology-enabled care programme. The upcoming year will continue to bring major challenges for health and adult social care in the UK. In Cornwall, we aim to create a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-councils-technology-enabled-care 447,438,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-councils-technology-enabled-care Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:15:00 GMT Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for energy and environment Cllr Sally Longford and head of energy services Wayne Bexton explain how Nottingham is leading the way in tackling climate change and fuel poverty simultaneously by trialling Energiesprong – a Dutch initiative that gives homes a green makeover. Many of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gearing-up-for-the-rollout-of-energiesprong-homes 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gearing-up-for-the-rollout-of-energiesprong-homes Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:15:00 GMT With bank loans becoming harder to obtain for some small businesses, what are the options available for SMEs seeking financial support? Grant Peggie, director of venture capital solutions at the British Business Bank (BBB), comments on how it can aid growth within small businesses, and how this can impact regional economic prosperity. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-business-bank-enabling-regional-prosperity- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-business-bank-enabling-regional-prosperity- Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT Interim chief executive, Ade Adetosoye OBE, reveals the story behind Bromley’s incredible improvement journey in Children’s Services. Improving the quality of services for children, young people and families at pace is a daunting challenge, one which I have encountered regularly during my 25 years of social work practice. To... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bromleys-incredible-journey-in-childrens-services 435,440,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bromleys-incredible-journey-in-childrens-services Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT More than £32m of cuts at Cardiff City Council have been given the green light, paving the way for a wave of savings including 55 full-time job losses and a council tax hike of nearly 5% which is likely to increase for each of the next four years. The largest council in Wales faces a £32.4m budget shortfall for the next year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-council-approves-plans-council-tax-rise-and-over-50-job-losses-to-tackle-32m-budget-gap 436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-council-approves-plans-council-tax-rise-and-over-50-job-losses-to-tackle-32m-budget-gap Fri, 01 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT Doncaster Council chief executive and SOLACE president Jo Miller is to leave the authority in order to take up a new role in New Zealand as head of Hutt City Council. Miller will leave Yorkshire in July to become the chief executive of the city council near Wellington after the acting mayor of the New Zealand authority said she was the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doncaster-council-and-solace-boss-to-depart-for-once-in-a-lifetime-new-zealand-council-job 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doncaster-council-and-solace-boss-to-depart-for-once-in-a-lifetime-new-zealand-council-job Fri, 01 Mar 2019 11:45:00 GMT Four Lancashire councils have launched a campaign to create a new ‘super’ unitary authority. The authorities have written to the government asking for advice on how to create a new all-purpose ‘Pennine Lancashire’ council in order to pool their resources to create a “big voice in the Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-councils-launch-bid-for-new-unitary-super-council 433,436,2899,440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-councils-launch-bid-for-new-unitary-super-council Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:45:00 GMT The public sector is leading the way in regards to flexible working, with 94% of public sector organisations offering this to employees, a new survey has revealed. The survey by Softworks, in partnership with Public Sector Executive, sought to learn more about the flexibility within the public sector along with how current and future... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-working-being-led-by-the-public-sector-softworks-survey-finds 435,433,436,446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-working-being-led-by-the-public-sector-softworks-survey-finds Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:15:00 GMT The former leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council has resigned from the Labour group over its “draconian” plans to cut teaching staff numbers in the region. Ronnie Nicholson said the SNP-Labour council’s plan to cut at least 40 teaching posts was a “step too far,” stating: “I simply cannot be involved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ex-council-leader-resigns-over-draconian-plans-to-cut-teaching-staff-in-face-of-16m-budget-gap 453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ex-council-leader-resigns-over-draconian-plans-to-cut-teaching-staff-in-face-of-16m-budget-gap Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:45:00 GMT Powys County Council’s cabinet has been slammed by opposition groups after a proposed budget was rejected, with the authority now entering crisis talks. Group leaders have re-entered discussions over the budget, which currently faces a £12m funding shortfall, after plans for cuts and a 9.5% council tax increase were thrown out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opposition-groups-slam-out-of-touch-powys-county-council-after-budget-of-12m-cuts-thrown-out 435,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opposition-groups-slam-out-of-touch-powys-county-council-after-budget-of-12m-cuts-thrown-out Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:45:00 GMT The journey to the formation of Weymouth Town Council has taken one step closer following the approval of the second formal Order relating to the creation of the authority. At a full council meeting of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council on Thursday night, councillors approved the Order, setting out details of what will transfer to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/final-step-taken-towards-set-up-of-new-council- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/final-step-taken-towards-set-up-of-new-council- Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:30:00 GMT Local councils in the UK have spent almost £6.6m on award ceremonies since 2015, with the average cost to the taxpayer per council reaching more than £18,000. Analysis by the TaxPayers’ Alliance into council spending found that in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18, local authorities spent £6,594,523 on award ceremonies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-spend-66m-on-award-ceremonies-since-2015 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-spend-66m-on-award-ceremonies-since-2015 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:30:00 GMT Northumberland County Council has spent more than a million pounds on non-disclosure agreements – so called ‘gagging agreements’ – in the last 21 months. At a full council meeting on Wednesday, Chronicle Live reported that the member for Berwick East Cllr Georgina Hill asked how much money had been spent “on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-spent-11m-on-non-disclosure-agreements-in-last-21-months- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-spent-11m-on-non-disclosure-agreements-in-last-21-months- Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:45:00 GMT Martin Tugwell, programme director at England’s Economic Heartland, outlines the body’s vision for the future of the region, and emphasises the importance of sub-national transport bodies. The idea for England’s Economic Heartland was formed five years’ ago during a discussion between three council leaders who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/englands-heartland-and-the-case-for-sub-national-transport-bodies 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/englands-heartland-and-the-case-for-sub-national-transport-bodies Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Paul Johnstone, north of England regional director for Public Health England (PHE), discusses his organisation’s work in assisting the devolution and public health agenda. With the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, the statutory role of improving and protecting the public’s health moved from the NHS to local government and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healing-the-divide-with-public-health-england- 447,2899,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healing-the-divide-with-public-health-england- Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT With local government elections on the horizon in spring this year, Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), discusses the technological evolution local authorities are using to train the next generation of councillors. Training for council officers, and especially for elected members, can be a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-tilt-towards-tech-in-training-the-next-generation-of-councillors- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-tilt-towards-tech-in-training-the-next-generation-of-councillors- Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Local authorities across the UK are exploring how digital innovation can improve their constituents’ lives; and the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council is no different. Cllr Stephen Brain, chair of the Digital Cities department at the council, tells more. The borough is forward-thinking in relation to all matters digital and is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thinking-digitally-greenwich-borough-council 447,438,439,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thinking-digitally-greenwich-borough-council Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Paul Dennett, city mayor of Salford, reports on how his council has been cracking down on empty homes. Salford City Council brought almost one empty home a day back into use between 2011 and 2016 – and the battle continues. The strategy cut the number of empty properties in the city by nearly 3,000 – the fifth highest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-empty-home-to-home-sweet-home 441,443,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-empty-home-to-home-sweet-home Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:45:00 GMT The chief executive of South Cambridgeshire District Council is set to retire from her post at the authority with more than a £200,000 pension contribution. Beverly Agass, who became chief executive of the council in July 2017, had been working with the new Liberal Democrat leadership team elected in May 2018. However, at a full... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-council-ceo-takes-early-retirement-with-more-than-200k-pension-contribution 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-council-ceo-takes-early-retirement-with-more-than-200k-pension-contribution Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:15:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has voted in favour of raising its council tax by 4.99% in a rare move that was voted through by councillors on Thursday. The council took advantage of special freedoms to pass the measure without the need to hold a referendum, after it was given permission to raise council tax by 2% greater than normally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-raises-council-tax-by-499-with-special-freedoms- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-raises-council-tax-by-499-with-special-freedoms- Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT LiveTiles is proud to be sponsors of EvoNorth, taking place on 27-28 Feb 2019 at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Designed specifically for the North, by the North, EvoNorth is uniting over 300 leaders, influencers, and decision makers responsible for building, shaping and delivering the Northern Powerhouse. EvoNorth is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/livetiles-at-evonorth-27-28-feb-2019 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/livetiles-at-evonorth-27-28-feb-2019 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT The amount of money being spent on vital services in the care and support of unaccompanied children seeking asylum by councils has doubled in four years, according to the LGA. Despite local authorities’ best efforts and eagerness to provide support to those looking to resettle into a new community, the LGA has warned the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-on-unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-double-in-four-years 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-on-unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-double-in-four-years Thu, 21 Feb 2019 14:45:00 GMT A committee of MSPs has expressed concerns about the “lack of transparency, accountability, and alignment” of a council-run business support service delivering advice to companies around the country. The Economy, Energy, and Fair Work Committee aired its doubts about Business Gateway in an announcement yesterday, and reflected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/holyrood-committee-airs-concerns-over-lack-of-transparency-accountability-and-alignment-of-business-gateway 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/holyrood-committee-airs-concerns-over-lack-of-transparency-accountability-and-alignment-of-business-gateway Thu, 21 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT Government proposals to assess local authorities’ spending needs based on population will only divert funding from councils serving deprived areas to those serving more affluent areas, according to an analysis from leading economists. In its submission of evidence to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposed-population-based-council-funding-formula-would-hit-deprived-areas- 436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposed-population-based-council-funding-formula-would-hit-deprived-areas- Thu, 21 Feb 2019 10:00:00 GMT Join DELL EMC for their presentation that will explore the continued advancement of technology driven by the four mega-trends of big data, always- connected mobile devices, social networks and cloud computing is resulting in an exponential growth of data and the creation of digital citizens who have access to the information at their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-dell-emc-support-evonorth-redefining-digital-transformation 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-dell-emc-support-evonorth-redefining-digital-transformation Thu, 21 Feb 2019 09:15:00 GMT Jamie Driscoll has been selected as Labour’s candidate to become the mayor of the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) after beating Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes. Driscoll, a councillor under Forbes at Newcastle City Council, won the nomination after receiving endorsement from John McDonnell and from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driscoll-beats-his-own-councils-leader-to-labour-nomination-for-the-first-north-of-tyne-mayor 436,2899,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driscoll-beats-his-own-councils-leader-to-labour-nomination-for-the-first-north-of-tyne-mayor Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:00:00 GMT Durham County Council has committed to cutbacks of £16m but pledged an additional £74m to capital investment as the authority drops into its reserves. Following a £14.2m reduction in Durham’s revenue support grant from government, the council said it faces “significant financial pressures” and needs to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-financial-pressures-forces-durham-county-council-into-reserves-as-it-approves-16m-of-cuts 435,433,436,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-financial-pressures-forces-durham-county-council-into-reserves-as-it-approves-16m-of-cuts Wed, 20 Feb 2019 16:30:00 GMT Around 104 jobs are to be lost and £29m worth of savings need to be made at Gateshead Council in its 2019-20 budget – as the authority’s leader slams the government for putting it in this “desperate situation.” Cabinet members at the council have agreed an extensive list of savings and a council tax rise of 3... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gateshead-council-to-cut-104-jobs-as-it-blames-29m-budget-deficit-on-broken-government-funding 433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gateshead-council-to-cut-104-jobs-as-it-blames-29m-budget-deficit-on-broken-government-funding Wed, 20 Feb 2019 14:00:00 GMT Amey could be set to pay more than £200m to free itself from a troubled 25-year PFI contract with Birmingham City Council to repair its roads following a five-year legal battle with the authority. The outsourcing giant lost the legal fight with the city council over the deal worth a total of £2.7bn in the Court of Appeal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/amey-looking-to-escape-birmingham-roads-contract-with-200m-divorce-bill 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/amey-looking-to-escape-birmingham-roads-contract-with-200m-divorce-bill Tue, 19 Feb 2019 17:15:00 GMT Councillors at an emergency meeting at Telford and Wrekin Council have decided to refer the “harmful” and “fatally flawed” plans to shake-up hospital services in Shropshire to the health secretary Matt Hancock. Clinical commissioners approved the reorganisation of hospital services in the region, dubbed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bitterly-disappointed-council-votes-to-refer-shake-up-of-shropshire-hospital-services-to-health-secretary 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bitterly-disappointed-council-votes-to-refer-shake-up-of-shropshire-hospital-services-to-health-secretary Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:45:00 GMT A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employee who paid herself more than £40,000 in universal credit payments has pleaded guilty to fraud and been jailed for a year. Lauren Wainwright, 32, used claimants’ national insurance numbers to make 54 separate fraudulent payments to her own bank account, Preston Crown Court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dishonest-and-corrupt-dwp-worker-jailed-for-40k-universal-credit-fraud 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dishonest-and-corrupt-dwp-worker-jailed-for-40k-universal-credit-fraud Tue, 19 Feb 2019 15:30:00 GMT Anglesey County Council faces bankruptcy if it doesn’t put more money aside, its financial chief has warned as the authority announces multi-million-pound savings and a 9.5% council tax increase. The county council said it faces “its biggest financial challenge to date” after another cut in funding from central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anglesey-council-faces-biggest-financial-challenge-to-date-in-setting-balanced-budget-amidst-bankruptcy-warnings 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anglesey-council-faces-biggest-financial-challenge-to-date-in-setting-balanced-budget-amidst-bankruptcy-warnings Tue, 19 Feb 2019 12:30:00 GMT A Welsh authority set to increase its council tax by nearly 10% has publicly spoken out about the unfair funding formula for councils, and has urged the first minister to enter talks to deliver “a fair deal.” Powys County Council last week backed a 9.5% tax hike and approved a total of £12m in cuts, with office staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enough-is-enough-powys-county-council-speaks-out-against-cuts-and-demands-fair-deal-from-government 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enough-is-enough-powys-county-council-speaks-out-against-cuts-and-demands-fair-deal-from-government Mon, 18 Feb 2019 11:45:00 GMT The government has launched plans to overhaul the country’s waste system, with packaging producers potentially being required to cover the full cost of dealing with their waste and also facing a new tax for plastic packaging. A series of consultations have been launched as the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs sets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plastic-packaging-tax-and-weekly-food-collections-in-plans-for-government-overhaul-of-national-waste-system 437,436,440,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plastic-packaging-tax-and-weekly-food-collections-in-plans-for-government-overhaul-of-national-waste-system Mon, 18 Feb 2019 10:45:00 GMT Low-paid social care workers have won the right to appeal against a decision not to pay minimum wage to carers performing ‘sleep-in’ shifts following a ruling by the Supreme Court. The decision means social care workers will be able to argue that sleep-in shifts should count as working time to the Supreme Court – which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supreme-court-to-hear-care-workers-case-in-400m-mencap-sleep-in-battle 436,442,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supreme-court-to-hear-care-workers-case-in-400m-mencap-sleep-in-battle Mon, 18 Feb 2019 10:30:00 GMT Climate change is forcing cities to approach emergency situations differently – and Newcastle University, in partnership with Northumbrian Water, are looking at innovative methods to predict how a city will react in the future. Leading minds behind the project Chris Jones, Brett Cherry, and Professor Chris Kilsby tell more. Cities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastles-twin-cities- 433,441,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastles-twin-cities- Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:15:00 GMT Ahead of her speaking slot at this year’s EvoNorth, Acas chief executive Susan Clews assesses the current climate of workplaces and what matters most to workers, and argues that job quality and business performance go hand-in-hand. Are workers in the north worrying about the same issues as their counterparts in the south? The answer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acas-and-the-peoples-powerhouse 447,2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acas-and-the-peoples-powerhouse Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Alison Hughes, assistant director of strategic ICT partnership at Bolton & Wigan councils, explains how the two councils are collaboratively facing the challenges of delivering an ICT service. The digital landscape is changing and councils are faced with increasing demand for services with reduced budgets. Along with the high... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bolton-and-wigans-strategic-ict-partnership-crossing-borders-together- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bolton-and-wigans-strategic-ict-partnership-crossing-borders-together- Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Chris Painter, professor emeritus at Birmingham City University, examines the reasons why prime minister Theresa May’s approach to Brexit has proved so problematic. A premiership in context There are fascinating parallels between the premierships of Gordon Brown and Theresa May: both entered 10 Downing Street lacking personal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chris-painter-mays-failing-brexit-project 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chris-painter-mays-failing-brexit-project Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Colin Bell, business growth director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), talks about why partnership across the North is key to achieving economic growth. Partnership is central to the work we do at the North East LEP – it’s a key part of our organisation’s name and it’s a key part of everything... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-powerful-partnerships-across-the-north- 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-powerful-partnerships-across-the-north- Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Wirral Council has temporarily suspended a contract with an enforcement firm after a raft of complaints around improper fines to businesses. The council’s cabinet member for environment Anita Leech announced she had directed that the current enforcement campaign on trade waste be suspended so a review of the approach can be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-suspends-contract-with-litter-enforcement-firm-kingdom-after-businesses-complain-about-aggressive-fines 435,436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-suspends-contract-with-litter-enforcement-firm-kingdom-after-businesses-complain-about-aggressive-fines Fri, 15 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT Hampshire County Council has apologised after mistakenly publishing a notice that Prince Philip had died in what has been blamed on an “internal error.” The authority accidently published a notice about the Duke of Edinburgh’s ‘death’ on its website earlier today, appearing on the county council’s front... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-apologises-over-mistaken-prince-philip-death-notice 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-apologises-over-mistaken-prince-philip-death-notice Fri, 15 Feb 2019 16:00:00 GMT The new chief executive of Sutton London Borough Council has been announced, with Helen Bailey taking up the role at the authority. Following former chief executive Niall Bolger’s departure for Hounslow Council at the end of 2018, the council’s selection process led by the Senior Officer Appointment Committee – made up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sutton-london-borough-council-permanent-chief-executive-announced 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sutton-london-borough-council-permanent-chief-executive-announced Fri, 15 Feb 2019 16:00:00 GMT Around 97% of councils plan on hiking up council this year and over half plan on dipping into their reserves as under-pressure authorities increase cuts to vital services, new figures reveal. A national survey from the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has revealed that three quarters of councils are increasing council tax by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-left-on-life-support-as-97-set-to-raise-taxes-and-half-dig-into-reserves 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-left-on-life-support-as-97-set-to-raise-taxes-and-half-dig-into-reserves Thu, 14 Feb 2019 16:30:00 GMT The leader of Sandwell Council has resigned in a move he described as being “knifed in the back” three weeks after he was suspended pending investigation by the Labour Party. Steve Eling has stood down “kicking and screaming” from the council, according to local MP James Morris, after months of rumours, speculation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sandwell-council-leader-steps-down-kicking-and-screaming-after-lengthy-council-infighting- 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sandwell-council-leader-steps-down-kicking-and-screaming-after-lengthy-council-infighting- Thu, 14 Feb 2019 14:30:00 GMT County council leaders have backed a 9.5% council tax hike in Powys as the authority passed £12m of cuts – but the council stressed that frontline services, schools, and social services have been protected. Powys County Council said office staff are to be cut, buildings sold, and tax will be hiked up by nearly 10% - a rise of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/powys-county-council-moves-forward-with-12m-cuts-and-95-tax-increase 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/powys-county-council-moves-forward-with-12m-cuts-and-95-tax-increase Wed, 13 Feb 2019 17:15:00 GMT Dundee City Council has put forward proposals to save £9m a year from its budget with plans to axe principal teachers in secondary schools and introduce new charges. With the council facing a budget blackhole of £19m prior to the Scottish Government finance settlement, the SNP administration’s finance spokesperson Willie... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dundee-sick-to-the-teeth-with-austerity-as-council-propose-multi-million-cuts-to-staff-and-services- 433,453,436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dundee-sick-to-the-teeth-with-austerity-as-council-propose-multi-million-cuts-to-staff-and-services- Wed, 13 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT Proposals for a One Yorkshire devolution deal handing powers and funding to the region has been rejected by the government. The One Yorkshire proposals were submitted to the government last year with the backing of 18 out of the 20 region’s local authorities but the communities secretary has rejected the plans as “they do not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/novel-one-yorkshire-devolution-deal-rejected-by-government 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/novel-one-yorkshire-devolution-deal-rejected-by-government Wed, 13 Feb 2019 13:00:00 GMT "We are delighted to be a Strategic Partner to EvoNorth 2019. We’re looking forward to joining leaders from across the north to hear their vision for shaping the region and how we can help to make this a reality" EvoNorth welcome strategic partner Virgin Media Business to next month's event. They will be supporting our exclusive Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-virgin-media-business-support-evonorth 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-virgin-media-business-support-evonorth Wed, 13 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT Trafford Council chiefs are considering ripping up a ‘super contract’ it has with a private firm to carry out a mass of council services over 20 years after a review has revealed a catalogue of failings and “high-level issues.” Trafford Council and Amey struck the deal in 2015, assigning the private firm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-consider-scrapping-amey-super-contract-with-after-report-reveals-public-services-failings 435,438,436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-consider-scrapping-amey-super-contract-with-after-report-reveals-public-services-failings Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:15:00 GMT Glasgow City Council has agreed to sell off a host of its major venues and buildings to an arm’s length council-owned body in order to meet the cost of a £548m equal pay settlement with its workers. The city council will sell a “significant further portfolio” of venues to City Property which will be leased back to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-city-council-agrees-deal-to-remortgage-major-venues-to-finance-548m-equal-pay-settlement 436,443,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-city-council-agrees-deal-to-remortgage-major-venues-to-finance-548m-equal-pay-settlement Tue, 12 Feb 2019 10:15:00 GMT A Wolverhampton Council worker has been dismissed after allegedly stealing electronic devices such as phones and laptops from the authority, and has also been arrested by West Midlands Police. The 31-year-old supervisor in Wolverhampton’s ICT department was sacked for allegedly stealing brand new electrical equipment such as laptops... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-worker-arrested-and-sacked-after-stealing-electronics-from-authority-and-selling-them-on-ebay 435,439,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-worker-arrested-and-sacked-after-stealing-electronics-from-authority-and-selling-them-on-ebay Tue, 12 Feb 2019 10:00:00 GMT With EvoNorth just around the corner, we caught up with Dr Hakim Yadi, CEO of the Northern Health Science Alliance, to find out why he is attending EvoNorth 27-28 Feb. What does your role as CEO of the Northern Health Science Alliance involve? As CEO of the Northern Health Science Alliance I lead a team which make sure the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dr-hakim-yadi-ceo-of-northern-health-science-alliance-explains-why-its-vital-to-unite-at-evonorth- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dr-hakim-yadi-ceo-of-northern-health-science-alliance-explains-why-its-vital-to-unite-at-evonorth- Mon, 11 Feb 2019 11:15:00 GMT Jacksons Fencing are proudly sponsoring and exhibiting at Evo North, a conference bringing together leaders from across the North of England responsible for shaping, building and delivering a Northern Powerhouse, later this month on the 27th and 28th February. The Northern Powerhouse is expected to create employment, improve public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jacksons-fencing-at-evonorth-27-28-feb-2019 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jacksons-fencing-at-evonorth-27-28-feb-2019 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 11:15:00 GMT Newham London Borough Council is to sue the Royal Bank of Scotland over the terms of around £150m worth of LOBO bank-loans, making it the latest council to take legal action against banks over the highly controversial loans. Previously labelled the ‘debt capital’ of the UK by campaign group Debt Resistance UK, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newham-lbc-to-sue-rbs-over-150m-in-lobo-loans 435,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newham-lbc-to-sue-rbs-over-150m-in-lobo-loans Fri, 08 Feb 2019 10:30:00 GMT A council worker who abused his position to steal £80,000 of public money from Rochdale council has been sentenced to jail for 18 months after his “fool-proof plan to get rich” was uncovered. Matthew Ravey, 28, who reportedly saw himself as “some sort of criminal mastermind,” admitted to making fraudulent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rochdale-council-worker-jailed-for-80000-theft-in-desperately-flawed-con-job 435,439,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rochdale-council-worker-jailed-for-80000-theft-in-desperately-flawed-con-job Fri, 08 Feb 2019 10:30:00 GMT Councillors at Edinburgh City Council voted today to approve the first ever UK ‘tourist tax’ which will raise an estimated £14.6m annually. The Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) scheme will include a flat £2 per-night room charge added to the price of a room in all properties for the first seven days of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-becomes-first-uk-authority-to-introduce-tourist-tax 438,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-becomes-first-uk-authority-to-introduce-tourist-tax Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT A proposed £85m investment in bringing 10,000 new homes to Leeds city centre is set to be discussed by councillors. Leeds City Council intends to submit a bid for the government’s housing infrastructure fund (HIF) for £85m in order to invest in infrastructure in the city centre, supporting the development of 10,000 homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-council-proposes-85m-investment-in-10000-new-homes-for-the-city-centre 433,436,2899,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-council-proposes-85m-investment-in-10000-new-homes-for-the-city-centre Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT Around 175 jobs are to be cut at Rotherham Council as it tries to plug a £30m funding deficit over the next two years in its latest budget proposals. The authority has revealed cuts to the town’s Healthwatch, a 2.99% tax hike, and the closure of the its Bailey House and Rawmarsh depot, bringing Rotherham’s total budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-are-on-our-knees-rotherham-council-reveals-30m-budget-cuts-with-175-jobs-set-to-go- 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-are-on-our-knees-rotherham-council-reveals-30m-budget-cuts-with-175-jobs-set-to-go- Thu, 07 Feb 2019 10:15:00 GMT One of the largest providers of public services in the UK Interserve has unveiled an emergency rescue deal which will see its debt slashed by more than £300m. Its deleveraging plan is expected to reduce Interserve’s debt from £600m to £375m, achieved by issuing new shares – but will need approval from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interserve-reaches-rescue-deal-with-lenders 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interserve-reaches-rescue-deal-with-lenders Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:15:00 GMT Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has announced its £1.3m bid to bring innovative hydrogen vehicles and refuelling stations has been approved by the government. The region will benefit from a fleet of hydrogen technology cars and two refuelling stations built in Middlesbrough and Redcar, allowing cars, bin lorries, and even... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-wins-bid-to-bring-hydrogen-vehicles-and-fuelling-stations-to-region 437,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-wins-bid-to-bring-hydrogen-vehicles-and-fuelling-stations-to-region Wed, 06 Feb 2019 15:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has approved cuts of £82m in its budget plans for 2019-20 which will see 31 children centres across the county close. Councillors approved the budget yesterday as Surrey leader Tim Oliver declared that “not enough has been done” in the past to ensure the authority’s finances are sustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-of-82m-approved-at-surrey-county-council-as-plans-to-close-childrens-centres-move-forward 437,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-of-82m-approved-at-surrey-county-council-as-plans-to-close-childrens-centres-move-forward Wed, 06 Feb 2019 14:15:00 GMT Exeter City Council has apologised for an “inadequate” consultation into plans to build a new independent mental health hospital next to a primary school which failed to properly consider the safety of children. The council has admitted its application to build a 54-bed independent hospital on Ribston Avenue was flawed, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-reconsider-inadequate-plans-to-build-mental-health-hospital-next-to-primary-school- 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-reconsider-inadequate-plans-to-build-mental-health-hospital-next-to-primary-school- Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:30:00 GMT Wirral Council and Thanet District Council are to face government intervention after James Brokenshire wrote to the authorities regarding their “lamentable” failure to draw up a local housing plan. All of England’s 338 planning authorities are required to publish local plans detailing their development strategies, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-orders-government-intervention-at-two-councils-over-consistent-failures-to-publish-local-housing-plans 435,433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-orders-government-intervention-at-two-councils-over-consistent-failures-to-publish-local-housing-plans Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:30:00 GMT Cumbria County Council needs to find £47m in cuts as it prepares to meet and set its budget, but councillors have warned that “uncertainty” has affected plans for savings and that businesses “struggling to predict the unpredictable.” The council will meet for a crucial budget talks later this month still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-facing-47m-debt-as-it-deals-with-host-of-uncertainties 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-facing-47m-debt-as-it-deals-with-host-of-uncertainties Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council is being taken to the Supreme Court by a woman who claimed she was forced into homelessness by the council. The mother-of-four was declared “intentionally homeless” after the city council said she should have plugged a £35 shortfall between her housing benefit and her rent using non-housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mother-appeals-to-supreme-court-after-birmingham-city-council-declared-her-intentionally-homeless 435,436,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mother-appeals-to-supreme-court-after-birmingham-city-council-declared-her-intentionally-homeless Mon, 04 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT A new all-out bin strike in Birmingham is now imminent after the Unite union has promised that industrial action “will be escalated” after talks failed to settle the dispute with the city council. Unite has given Birmingham City Council a 24-hour ultimatum after the two have been locked in detailed talks during the last week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refuse-worker-strike-action-to-be-escalated-in-birmingham-city-councils-bin-row 436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refuse-worker-strike-action-to-be-escalated-in-birmingham-city-councils-bin-row Mon, 04 Feb 2019 10:45:00 GMT Seven local authorities are suing Barclays over controversial LOBO bank-loans worth over £500m, which they claim were fraudulently set with high interest rates when sold before the financial crisis. The councils have filed a lawsuit against the bank over lender-option, borrower option (LOBO) loans taken out between 2006 and 2008... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seven-councils-launch-lawsuit-against-barclays-over-500m-lobo-loans 435,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seven-councils-launch-lawsuit-against-barclays-over-500m-lobo-loans Mon, 04 Feb 2019 10:45:00 GMT The Scottish Government has paved the way for councils across the country to raise taxes after the SNP brokered a deal with the Green Party, also allowing for a new levy on tourists to be introduced in what one MP called “triple tax bombshell.” Dubbed the “most significant empowerment of local authorities since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-given-powers-to-raise-tourism-and-council-taxes-as-government-gets-budget-backing-for-triple-tax-bombshell 436,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-given-powers-to-raise-tourism-and-council-taxes-as-government-gets-budget-backing-for-triple-tax-bombshell Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT The cash-strapped council which controversially introduced the first monthly bin collections in England and Wales to save money has given away nearly £580,000 in complimentary tickets to events in the last four years. Over 25,000 were given away by Conwy County Council, and one Conservative assembly member said residents would be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-council-criticised-for-600000-complimentary-ticket-spend-amid-introduction-of-monthly-bin-collections- 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-council-criticised-for-600000-complimentary-ticket-spend-amid-introduction-of-monthly-bin-collections- Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:15:00 GMT The chief executive of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) has announced she will retire after 10 years in the role. Margaret Carney, who is set to retire on 31 May, said the decision had been the most difficult decision in her career – but noted that it was the right opportunity to pass the role on to develop the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sefton-council-ceo-to-retire-after-over-40-years-in-local-government 436,2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sefton-council-ceo-to-retire-after-over-40-years-in-local-government Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:00:00 GMT A town council has passed a motion of no confidence in one of its councillors following allegations of harassment and bullying. Labour councillor Elaine Addison was given a vote of no confidence from her colleagues at North Walsham Town Council after a secret ballot saw a 7:5 vote to censure her. Cllr Jenny Melville tabled the vote... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vote-of-no-confidence-in-councillor-passed-after-bullying-allegations 435,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vote-of-no-confidence-in-councillor-passed-after-bullying-allegations Thu, 31 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT A £70bn masterplan to overhaul transport infrastructure in the north has been unveiled and will cut journey times between major northern cities in half, potentially bringing £100bn to the northern economy and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Transport for the North’s (TfN) 30-year road and rail infrastructure project put 1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/masterplan-for-70bn-transport-overhaul-in-the-north-unveiled 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/masterplan-for-70bn-transport-overhaul-in-the-north-unveiled Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT The leader of Wolverhampton City Council has announced he will step down after 15 years in the role. Roger Lawrence said it felt like the “right time to make way for fresh leadership” after spending 36 years as a councillor for the City of Wolverhampton Council. Lawrence was first elected as a councillor in 1983 before... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-leader-to-step-down-after-15-years-in-charge 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-leader-to-step-down-after-15-years-in-charge Thu, 31 Jan 2019 09:15:00 GMT Proposals for £25m worth of cuts, higher taxes, and £589m in capital spending have been put forward by Northumberland County Council in its detailed budget for 2019-20 and its medium-term financial plan for the next three years. The council needs to make savings of £36m over the next three years, and has identified... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northumberland-proposes-25m-in-cuts-and-council-tax-hike-but-promises-over-half-a-billion-in-capital-investment 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northumberland-proposes-25m-in-cuts-and-council-tax-hike-but-promises-over-half-a-billion-in-capital-investment Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:00:00 GMT New powers for local authorities to be able to suspend councillors who breach the code of conduct without allowances for up to six months have been recommended alongside a number of other ethical recommendations by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. In its review of local government ethical standards, published following a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ethics-review-calls-for-greater-transparency-and-new-local-powers-to-suspend-councillors 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ethics-review-calls-for-greater-transparency-and-new-local-powers-to-suspend-councillors Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:30:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has been given permission to raise council tax by 2% more than permitted at any other council to help it balance its books amid financial turmoil. Unveiling the final local government finance settlement, communities secretary James Brokenshire said the financially-troubled authority would be given special... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northants-given-special-dispensation-by-government-to-raise-council-tax-by-5 436,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northants-given-special-dispensation-by-government-to-raise-council-tax-by-5 Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:15:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council faces cuts of nearly £45m for this financial year, double the figure initially predicted, and crisis talks will be held this week between council leaders and community groups to identify the savings, it has emerged. As reported by the Aberdeen Evening Express, the city council’s Marie Boulton revealed the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-to-look-at-all-possible-savings-amid-reports-of-45m-cuts 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-to-look-at-all-possible-savings-amid-reports-of-45m-cuts Tue, 29 Jan 2019 16:30:00 GMT Around 90% of English councils have been forced cut council tax support for working age claimants, meaning many low-income households have fallen behind with their council tax bills, according to new research. A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has highlighted the impact of the government’s decision to abolish the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-forced-to-cut-council-tax-support-sees-surge-in-unpaid-tax-bills 435,433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-forced-to-cut-council-tax-support-sees-surge-in-unpaid-tax-bills Tue, 29 Jan 2019 15:15:00 GMT Local authorities in England will receive £56.5m in order to help their preparations for Brexit after James Brokenshire announced an additional £21.5m to be given to councils in 2019. The communities secretary said the extra money would be used for “appropriate contingency planning” weeks after a leaked letter to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-reveals-councils-to-receive-565m-for-brexit-preparations 433,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-reveals-councils-to-receive-565m-for-brexit-preparations Tue, 29 Jan 2019 14:15:00 GMT Nearly £8.6m has been spent on redundancies at Essex County Council after nearly 300 staff left during a reorganisation of its senior management structure. Statistics released by the council showed that 277 Essex County Council employees left with redundancy packages in 2017-18, with 13 separate staff members leaving the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redundancy-costs-at-essex-county-council-reach-86m-after-277-employees-leave 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redundancy-costs-at-essex-county-council-reach-86m-after-277-employees-leave Mon, 28 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has called for an urgent local government funding review after a new report revealed that austerity cuts have “hit hardest” in councils and communities in the north. Centre for Cities’ annual report on UK city economies found that “worryingly, the cities least equipped to absorb the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-calls-for-council-funding-review-as-report-reveals-austerity-cuts-are-singling-out-northern-cities 433,436,2899,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-calls-for-council-funding-review-as-report-reveals-austerity-cuts-are-singling-out-northern-cities Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:45:00 GMT The former head of Westminster Council’s pension fund has been jailed for seven years after stealing more than £1m from the authority. Ian Woodall was sentenced to seven years in jail for “appalling conduct” in raiding Westminster Council’s pension fund between 2010 and 2012 after being found guilty of fraud... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/appalling-westminster-councils-former-pension-boss-given-seven-year-sentence-for-1m-fraud 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/appalling-westminster-councils-former-pension-boss-given-seven-year-sentence-for-1m-fraud Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:45:00 GMT A ‘winter wonderland ice rink’ opened in the centre of Mansfield has made a loss of more than £80,000, according to figures from its council. At a full meeting of Mansfield District Council on Wednesday, members of the authority’s Labour party questioned executive mayor Kate Allsop’s decision to open an ice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mansfield-district-council-makes-81k-loss-on-vanity-project-christmas-ice-rink-attraction 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mansfield-district-council-makes-81k-loss-on-vanity-project-christmas-ice-rink-attraction Fri, 25 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT Children in need of help or protection are being exposed to neglect, abuse, or harm because of the Department for Education’s (DfE) lack of action and failure to understand the factors behind rapidly growing demand in children’s social care, according to a damming report. The National Audit Office (NAO) found that nearly every... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-children-exposed-to-neglect-or-abuse-due-to-governments-failures-in-understanding-surge-in-childrens-services 435,453,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-children-exposed-to-neglect-or-abuse-due-to-governments-failures-in-understanding-surge-in-childrens-services Fri, 25 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT Brighton and Hove City Council has been told its flagship £400m leisure centre development project cannot go ahead because of the chaos caused by Brexit and the absence of a deal agreed by government. Hours before councillors were due to vote on the final deal, the developers submitted a letter to the Brighton authority saying the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flagship-400m-leisure-centre-development-for-brighton-and-hove-council-hangs-in-the-balance-over-brexit-uncertainty 433,436,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flagship-400m-leisure-centre-development-for-brighton-and-hove-council-hangs-in-the-balance-over-brexit-uncertainty Fri, 25 Jan 2019 16:00:00 GMT Nottingham City Council has committed to becoming the first ‘net-zero carbon’ city in the UK after setting the ambitious target of 2028 to go carbon neutral. The announcement comes as the city met its energy strategy target goals two years early - reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 26% 2020 – and is on track to meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-council-unveils-2028-target-to-become-uks-first-carbon-neutral-city 437,438,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-council-unveils-2028-target-to-become-uks-first-carbon-neutral-city Thu, 24 Jan 2019 16:45:00 GMT The five local authority leaders in Tees Valley and mayor Ben Houchen have officially approved a £588m investment plan for the region, giving the go-ahead for Houchen’s bid to bring its local airport back into public ownership. Houchen’s £40m transformation of Durham Tees Valley Airport, previously described as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-votes-in-favour-of-mayor-houchens-airport-purchase-as-588m-investment-plan-approved 433,436,2899,441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-votes-in-favour-of-mayor-houchens-airport-purchase-as-588m-investment-plan-approved Thu, 24 Jan 2019 15:00:00 GMT Sandwell Council’s leader has been suspended by the Labour Party pending further investigation following a complaint after months of “rumours, speculation, and allegations.” The decision was taken by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), meaning councillor Steve Eling can no longer lead Labour’s 70... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-suspends-council-leader-in-latest-twist-in-the-saga-of-sandwell-labour-party- 435,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-suspends-council-leader-in-latest-twist-in-the-saga-of-sandwell-labour-party- Thu, 24 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT A cash-strapped council has dramatically reduced its savings target by £20m after receiving concessions from the government, meaning a number of extreme budget cuts are no longer needed. East Sussex County Council announced that a savings target of £45m over three years had been reduced to £26.3m after successfully... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-council-strips-back-budget-cuts-by-20m-with-help-of-government-grants 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-council-strips-back-budget-cuts-by-20m-with-help-of-government-grants Wed, 23 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Redundancy warning letters have been sent to council staff in Dorset who have been left “infuriated and deeply shocked” ahead of the planned local government reorganisation in the county. The new Dorset Council said that it had formally notified staff of the loss of 117 mainly managerial posts as it “reduces duplication... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-left-deeply-shocked-after-new-dorset-unitary-sends-out-redundancy-letters 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-left-deeply-shocked-after-new-dorset-unitary-sends-out-redundancy-letters Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:45:00 GMT It's a chance to become a key Northern Powerhouse supplier Showcase and elevate your brand through one of our partnership options: ranging from taking to the stage and speaking from the main plenary, to hosting your own thought leadership masterclass, or even having your logo appear on every attendee’s name badge; put your brand in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-evonorth-can-win-you-new-business- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-evonorth-can-win-you-new-business- Wed, 23 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT Controversial proposals to close 38 children centres in Norfolk have been voted through by councillors after a six-hour meeting at County Hall. Protestors turned up outside the meeting, campaigning against the plans to close the majority of the existing 53 centres— but the council decisively backed the proposals. Protest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-rubber-stamps-plans-to-close-38-childrens-centres-amid-fierce-protests- 435,453,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-rubber-stamps-plans-to-close-38-childrens-centres-amid-fierce-protests- Wed, 23 Jan 2019 11:45:00 GMT A High Court judge has slammed Greenwich Council’s social services at its staff failed to carry out “basic core social work” in an adoption case and forced an adopting family to move after their address was sent to the birth family. Social services at the London council failed in their duty to make basic inquiries about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-council-criticised-by-high-court-judge-for-basic-social-care-failings-in-adoption-case-after-serious-and-significant-data-breach 435,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-council-criticised-by-high-court-judge-for-basic-social-care-failings-in-adoption-case-after-serious-and-significant-data-breach Tue, 22 Jan 2019 16:45:00 GMT All five Tees Valley councils have confirmed they are backing mayor Ben Houchen’s £40m plan to buy Durham Tees Valley Airport and bring it back under public ownership. The controversial deal to buy the airport using funds devolved to the combined authority needs the approval of all five council leaders in Tees Valley to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-five-tees-valley-councils-to-support-mayor-houchens-airport-takeover-plan-despite-being-combined-authoritys-single-biggest-risk 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-five-tees-valley-councils-to-support-mayor-houchens-airport-takeover-plan-despite-being-combined-authoritys-single-biggest-risk Tue, 22 Jan 2019 15:00:00 GMT Two Buckinghamshire district councils have threatened legal action over the plans to create a single unitary council for the county. Wycombe and Chiltern DCs have written to James Brokenshire as a preliminary step towards legal proceedings against the way in which the plans to combine Buckinghamshire CC and its four district councils into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-councils-threaten-legal-action-over-unitary-merger-plans 433,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-councils-threaten-legal-action-over-unitary-merger-plans Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:45:00 GMT Children’s services at Herefordshire Council are to be reviewed following an extraordinary council meeting in the wake of two “appalling” High Court rulings which found the services were failing children “on a serious and serial basis.” At the special council meeting, the authority revealed that it had been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/herefordshire-childrens-services-to-be-reviewed-in-wake-of-appalling-high-court-rulings-on-serious-and-serial-failings 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/herefordshire-childrens-services-to-be-reviewed-in-wake-of-appalling-high-court-rulings-on-serious-and-serial-failings Mon, 21 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has pledged to hire 160 new staff as part of an £8m restructuring in a “radical new approach” its children’s social care services. Under its budget proposals for 2019-20, the council wants to half the caseloads of social workers dealing with children in Liverpool after an Ofsted report last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-hire-160-new-staff-in-unprecedented-investment-in-childrens-social-care 436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-hire-160-new-staff-in-unprecedented-investment-in-childrens-social-care Mon, 21 Jan 2019 10:30:00 GMT Up to 300 jobs could be cut from Edinburgh City Council as it announces “an unprecedented level of cuts to services” in a bid to cut £41m from next year’s budget. Museums, public toilets, and residential care could all be cut in a raft of money-saving measures after the Scottish capital’s council published... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-proposes-slashing-budget-by-41m-with-300-jobs-set-to-go 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-proposes-slashing-budget-by-41m-with-300-jobs-set-to-go Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council is seeking a court injunction against refuse workers striking against fortnightly rubbish collections, sparking the cabinet member for clean streets, waste and recycling to resign in protest. Majid Mahmood, a member of the council’s leadership team, said he cannot be part Birmingham’s decision to take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-member-resigns-over-birmingham-councils-declaration-of-war-against-staff-unions-in-long-running-bins-dispute 436,440,444,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-member-resigns-over-birmingham-councils-declaration-of-war-against-staff-unions-in-long-running-bins-dispute Fri, 18 Jan 2019 15:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region (LCR) mayor Steve Rotheram has proposed a new ‘metro mayor tax’ a year after ruling out such a move as he unveils his key priorities for the combined authority’s budget. The extra charge on this year’s council tax bill will see householders charged on average £16 more to pay for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-city-region-mayor-proposes-metro-mayor-tax-to-deliver-priorities-one-year-after-ruling-it-out- 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-city-region-mayor-proposes-metro-mayor-tax-to-deliver-priorities-one-year-after-ruling-it-out- Fri, 18 Jan 2019 14:15:00 GMT An agreement has been reached over the long-running and bitter dispute over equal pay at Glasgow City Council, which will see thousands of female council workers receive pay-outs worth an estimated £500m. Unions and legal representatives have reached a deal in principle with the council on a package of payments, settling the 14,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deal-struck-in-historic-12-year-equal-pay-dispute-with-glasgow-city-council 436,442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deal-struck-in-historic-12-year-equal-pay-dispute-with-glasgow-city-council Fri, 18 Jan 2019 14:00:00 GMT “Unacceptable and worrying” levels of financial mismanagement have been found at town and city councils across Wales, as the national auditor general reveals “significant weaknesses” in the auditing processes of the country’s local authorities. Under half of town and community councils in Wales were found to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-needs-to-get-a-grip-as-number-of-authorities-with-significant-financial-weakness-rises 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-needs-to-get-a-grip-as-number-of-authorities-with-significant-financial-weakness-rises Thu, 17 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Ahead of next month’s EvoNorth event we caught up with Dr Tracy Vell MBE, Associate Lead for Primary and Community Care, Greater Manchester, Health and Social Care Partnership. Dr Tracy Vell MBE shares her thoughts on the Northern Powerhouse, what it means to her and why she thinks it’s important to attend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-dr-tracy-vell-mbe-associate-lead-for-primary-and-community-care-greater-manchester-health-and-social-care-partnership- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-dr-tracy-vell-mbe-associate-lead-for-primary-and-community-care-greater-manchester-health-and-social-care-partnership- Thu, 17 Jan 2019 17:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s children’s social care services have broken a decade of ‘inadequate’ ratings after Ofsted inspectors recognised standards have been revitalised since the launch of the council’s Birmingham Children’s Trust (BCT) last April. Ofsted has awarded a ‘requires... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-councils-childrens-social-care-services-avoids-inadequate-rating- 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-councils-childrens-social-care-services-avoids-inadequate-rating- Thu, 17 Jan 2019 14:30:00 GMT If you're looking to find out what's happening in the Northern Powerhouse, make new connections, and share innovative ways of working, confirm your attendance for EvoNorth on 27 - 28 Feb 2019. 1 - You'll gain an invaluable insight into what's happening across the north We have a wide range of speakers from across a number of sectors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-5-reasons-why-you-should-claim-your-free-evonorth-delegate-pass-today 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-5-reasons-why-you-should-claim-your-free-evonorth-delegate-pass-today Thu, 17 Jan 2019 11:15:00 GMT Transformational plans for Oxfordshire County Council could see 890 jobs lost in a bid to save £50m, as councillors meet today to discuss the proposed savings and the implications. Last August the county council proposed a “complete overhaul” with a four-year plan including savings of up to £33m which it said would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-moves-forward-with-50m-savings-transformation-plan-which-could-see-900-jobs-lost 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-moves-forward-with-50m-savings-transformation-plan-which-could-see-900-jobs-lost Thu, 17 Jan 2019 10:45:00 GMT The mayor-elect of the London Borough of Redbridge has dramatically withdrawn his nomination after it emerged that his wife was involved in the brutal killing of a TV executive. Varinder Singh-Bola, mayor-elect of Redbridge, announced that he would no longer be taking up the position in order to protect his family from “public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-elect-quits-over-controversy-surrounding-wifes-involvement-in-tv-executive-murder-case 454,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-elect-quits-over-controversy-surrounding-wifes-involvement-in-tv-executive-murder-case Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Fears of bankruptcy and government commissioners “are growing louder” at Moray Council as the authority struggles to find ways to cut a further £8.1m from next year’s budget. Money-saving measures already agreed by the council could see 140 jobs lost, services stripped back, and buildings closed in order to fight a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moray-council-could-be-the-first-in-scotland-to-declare-bankruptcy 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moray-council-could-be-the-first-in-scotland-to-declare-bankruptcy Wed, 16 Jan 2019 14:30:00 GMT The local government ombudsman has reprimanded Norfolk County Council over its provision for children with special educational needs (SEN) after upholding 11 complaints against the council in the last two years. The ombudsman said the number of complaints upheld against Norfolk was one of the highest in England, a day after the county... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-slams-norfolk-county-council-over-failings-in-special-needs-provision-cases-with-compensation-paid-out- 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-slams-norfolk-county-council-over-failings-in-special-needs-provision-cases-with-compensation-paid-out- Wed, 16 Jan 2019 12:45:00 GMT Newham LBC is establishing a wide-ranging commission to review its financial management in the wake of “astonishing failures of system controls” in a £9m fraud claim against its repair division. The council’s mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has revealed that an Internal Control Commission is to be set-up following an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newham-council-to-set-up-commission-into-astonishing-failures-amid-9m-fraud-allegations- 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newham-council-to-set-up-commission-into-astonishing-failures-amid-9m-fraud-allegations- Tue, 15 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Around 70% of children’s centres in Norfolk are set to close despite major opposition to the closures, with Norfolk County Council now proposing to shut eight less centres than originally planned. Norfolk County Council has stated it has “listened and updated its proposal” to shut 46 out of 53 children’s centres... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-council-proposes-closing-38-children-centres-in-updated-proposal-following-backlash 435,436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-council-proposes-closing-38-children-centres-in-updated-proposal-following-backlash Tue, 15 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT Oversight of local governance systems must be improved by the government to help councils cope with increasing financial and demand pressures, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The report found significant failings with the government’s oversight, transparency, and data collection, which it said was undermining its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-oversight-of-local-governance-needed-as-nao-slams-governments-lack-of-transparency- 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-oversight-of-local-governance-needed-as-nao-slams-governments-lack-of-transparency- Tue, 15 Jan 2019 14:45:00 GMT It will face opposition at first, but transitioning to a system of bus franchising is the best and only option to truly modernise transport systems across our city regions, argues Luke Raikes, senior research fellow at IPPR North. England’s new metro mayors are slowly reshaping English politics. Next year, the mayors elected in 2017... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-franchising-is-the-biggest-power-new-mayors-have-they-should-use-it 433,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-franchising-is-the-biggest-power-new-mayors-have-they-should-use-it Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:15:00 GMT From Windrush to Univerisal Credit: the Institute for Government’s (IfG’s) accountability lead Benoit Guerin discusses how we can avert future government blunders and improve public accountability. This past year was marked by several high-profile government crises. Thousands of UK citizens from the ‘Windrush... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-accountability-a-year-in-crises- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-accountability-a-year-in-crises- Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:15:00 GMT Trinley Walker, senior policy researcher at the New Local Government Network (NLGN) considers some different ways of approaching the relationships between the public and private sectors. The private sector’s role in the delivery of public services is never far away from the political debate. The current Labour Party leadership has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rethinking-public-private-partnerships- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rethinking-public-private-partnerships- Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:15:00 GMT Ben Houchen and the owner of Durham Tees Valley Airport have warned it will likely close if the Tees Valley mayor’s takeover plan is rejected in two weeks’ time. In launching a bid to gather support for the controversial proposed £40m purchase of the airport, Ben Houchen has warned that the airport will likely close in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/durham-tees-valley-airport-likely-to-close-without-council-backing-of-mayor-houchens-40m-vanity-project- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/durham-tees-valley-airport-likely-to-close-without-council-backing-of-mayor-houchens-40m-vanity-project- Mon, 14 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT Local government workers whose jobs have been outsourced will receive increased pension protections and will remain in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) under new proposals published today. Under the government proposals, employers of outsourced staff will no longer be able to offer staff a comparable scheme – all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-sets-out-increased-pension-protection-for-outsourced-council-workers 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-sets-out-increased-pension-protection-for-outsourced-council-workers Mon, 14 Jan 2019 11:15:00 GMT Southend council has put forward plans to stake £20m of its budget on the property market in order to replace the lost funding from central government. In its draft budget proposal for 2019-20, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council unveiled £35.3m of new projects and set out how it will use capital to make up lost funding from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southend-council-to-stake-20m-on-commercial-property-purchases-in-bid-to-replace-government-funding-cuts 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southend-council-to-stake-20m-on-commercial-property-purchases-in-bid-to-replace-government-funding-cuts Mon, 14 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT The Scottish Conservative party has suspended Aberdeen City Council’s depute provost following a police investigation into a sexual harassment allegation made against the councillor. The party announced that Alan Donnelly, who represents the Torry and Ferryhill ward, was immediately suspended from the party after receiving what it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aberdeen-councillor-suspended-from-party-following-sexual-harassment-complaint 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aberdeen-councillor-suspended-from-party-following-sexual-harassment-complaint Fri, 11 Jan 2019 16:00:00 GMT Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough Council has agreed to put £50m funding into recovery services for those worst affected by Grenfell fire over the next five years. An overarching Grenfell Recovery Strategy has also been approved by councillors, setting out plans to support the survivors, the bereaved and the wider community to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-rbc-commits-50m-to-grenfell-survivors-alongside-new-recovery-strategy- 433,436,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-rbc-commits-50m-to-grenfell-survivors-alongside-new-recovery-strategy- Fri, 11 Jan 2019 16:00:00 GMT Solicitors acting on behalf of the City of Durham Parish Council have written to Durham County Council to go against the authority’s “unlawful” plans to build a new headquarters in the city. In an announcement this week, Simon Kelly, from Richard Buxton Solicitors, wrote a 12-page letter to Durham CC’s chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-and-county-councils-clash-over-unlawful-location-of-new-headquarters 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-and-county-councils-clash-over-unlawful-location-of-new-headquarters Fri, 11 Jan 2019 15:30:00 GMT The redundancy of Bournemouth Borough Council’s managing director ahead of a planned merger of Dorset councils will cost around £475,000. Two new unitary authorities will replace the county’s nine councils in April, but Bournemouth council’s boss Jane Portman was unsuccessful in her application to be the new chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bournemouth-boss-redundancy-to-cost-475000-ahead-of-planned-merger 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bournemouth-boss-redundancy-to-cost-475000-ahead-of-planned-merger Thu, 10 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Highland Council has warned that a sweeping set of savings are needed after a large reduction in government grant funding means the local authority is facing a £31.2m budget gap for 2019-20. The council’s bosses have warned it faces a “huge challenge” after detailed analysis of the Scottish Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-funding-settlement-leaves-highland-council-facing-huge-30m-black-hole 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-funding-settlement-leaves-highland-council-facing-huge-30m-black-hole Thu, 10 Jan 2019 15:15:00 GMT An “unacceptably high” number of public bodies have significant financial weaknesses and are failing to provide taxpayers with value for money, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned. Of nearly 1,000 councils, NHS, police, and fire bodies examined by the National Audit Office (NAO), 208 (22%) were found to have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-cry-when-things-go-wrong-nao-finds-unacceptable-levels-of-financial-weakness-across-public-bodies 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-cry-when-things-go-wrong-nao-finds-unacceptable-levels-of-financial-weakness-across-public-bodies Thu, 10 Jan 2019 11:30:00 GMT Camden Council is set to appoint Jenny Rowlands as its new chief executive. Rowlands is currently Camden Council’s executive director for supportive communities having served in the role since 2016, and will now take over from chief executive Mike Cooke in March. Her appointment will need to be ratified by councillors later... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-council-to-appoint-director-as-new-chief-executive- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-council-to-appoint-director-as-new-chief-executive- Wed, 09 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT Bromley LBC’s children’s services has had its statutory direction lifted by Ofsted in an “absolutely remarkable” turnaround just two years after inspectors slammed “widespread and serious” failures at the children’s services and safeguarding. Ofsted said that Bromley’s children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/statutory-directions-lifted-as-councils-childrens-services-leaps-to-vastly-improved 435,436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/statutory-directions-lifted-as-councils-childrens-services-leaps-to-vastly-improved Wed, 09 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT A deal to secure more than half of the developable land at the former Redcar Steelworks has been announced by Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry and Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, with investment expected to bring over 500 new jobs. Houchen has said that Tata Steel Europe has agreed to transfer more than 1,420 acres of land at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-minister-confirms-land-transfer-deal-to-unlock-major-metalworks-in-tees-valley 436,2899,441,443,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-minister-confirms-land-transfer-deal-to-unlock-major-metalworks-in-tees-valley Wed, 09 Jan 2019 15:30:00 GMT Cumbria could axe more than 200 councillors if the county’s seven councils are cut back under plans to create a unitary authority for the region, according to exploratory work done by the county council. Across its seven councils, Cumbria has 368 councillors0— but under the unitary reform plans to cut seven authorities down to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-200-councillors-could-lose-jobs-in-cumbria-unitary-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-200-councillors-could-lose-jobs-in-cumbria-unitary-plans Tue, 08 Jan 2019 17:30:00 GMT Corby Borough Council has asked for the proposed creation of two new unitary authorities in Northamptonshire to be delayed after the local authority pointed to time constraints, staffing pressures, and service disruption risks. Corby was the only council to vote against the two new unitary authorities, with seven other local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/corby-council-calls-for-delay-to-northamptonshire-unitary-reform-plans- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/corby-council-calls-for-delay-to-northamptonshire-unitary-reform-plans- Tue, 08 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT Nottingham has become the first city council to pioneer the “Energiesprong” initiative which has upgraded the energy efficiency of thousands of homes in the Netherlands and will aim to cut UK tenants’ energy bills by half. The city council has secured over £5m in funding to roll out the ultra-low energy homes pilot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-council-to-rollout-ultra-low-energy-homes-using-dutch-model-to-half-energy-bills 437,436,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-council-to-rollout-ultra-low-energy-homes-using-dutch-model-to-half-energy-bills Tue, 08 Jan 2019 14:30:00 GMT We caught up with Alex Heritage, Chief Executive at the NHS Transformation Unit, ahead of next month’s two-day exclusive networking event EvoNorth.  Alex, shares how his role as Chief Executive is transforming health, social care and well-being across the region, why he is attending EvoNorth and why he thinks attending EvoNorth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-alex-heritage-explains-why-he-thinks-evonorth-is-vital-to-shaping-the-future-of-the-northern-powerhouse 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-alex-heritage-explains-why-he-thinks-evonorth-is-vital-to-shaping-the-future-of-the-northern-powerhouse Tue, 08 Jan 2019 11:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester has today outlined a series of “bold and far-reaching” proposals for housing and transport, including plans for tens of thousands of new affordable homes, the major rejuvenation of town centres, and hundreds of millions of pounds to be put into improvement projects. The region will deliver a national-first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-town-centre-regenerations-and-50000-affordable-homes-announced-in-new-greater-manchester-masterplan 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-town-centre-regenerations-and-50000-affordable-homes-announced-in-new-greater-manchester-masterplan Mon, 07 Jan 2019 12:30:00 GMT Newham Council has called an ‘extraordinary meeting’ into allegations of fraud surrounding the council’s £9m-overbudget repairs and maintenance service (RMS) as nine councillors have written to the Metropolitan Police asking that it launch a criminal investigation. In December, it was revealed that Newham LBC was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-urged-to-intervene-in-newham-councils-astonishing-9m-repair-division-fraud-after-extraordinary-meeting-called 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-urged-to-intervene-in-newham-councils-astonishing-9m-repair-division-fraud-after-extraordinary-meeting-called Mon, 07 Jan 2019 11:45:00 GMT Deirdre Duff, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth, takes a look at local authorities’ role in fracking. The fossil fuel industry has five times more fossil fuels than we can use if we are to prevent climate chaos. Despite this, with government backing, it continues to explore for more.   The industry itself... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking-divest-to-invest 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking-divest-to-invest Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:15:00 GMT Mark Morrin, localism lead and principal research consultant at ResPublica, makes the case for salary-deducted lending to sit alongside a broader set of savings programmes as a solution to indebtedness. Consumer debt and the cost of financing it is one crucial mainstay of place-based disadvantage. In our report, ‘Credit Emancipation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-credit-with-the-public-sector- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-credit-with-the-public-sector- Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT Rob Whitehead, director of knowledge and communications at Future Cities Catapult, looks ahead to the exciting future of urban innovation. In the 1986 film ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ the titular hero proclaims: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-cities-accelerating-the-accelerators- 433,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-cities-accelerating-the-accelerators- Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT Digital technology must play a supportive and secondary role to energy distribution and transport infrastructure priorities if the ‘smart city’ agenda is to power the clean growth and electric vehicle (EV) revolution, writes Localis chief executive Jonathan Werran. Since the first steam-powered Industrial Revolution, we as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-cities-the-smart-thing-to-do 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-cities-the-smart-thing-to-do Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT Professor Duncan Maclennan CBE, professor of public policy at the University of Glasgow, argues we must recognise the entrepreneurial potential of local authorities in the wake of Brexit. More attention needs to be paid to Britain’s towns, especially after reports such as Carnegie UK Trust’s ‘New Powers, New Deals:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/towns-favoured-brexit-but-brexit-will-not-favour-them 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/towns-favoured-brexit-but-brexit-will-not-favour-them Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT Leaders of the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester have set out plans to ban the practice the fracking across the region. Greater Manchester will effectively stop companies from extracting underground shale gas in the region, although firms will be able to appeal rejected applications. The councils that make up Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-councils-to-ban-fracking-as-burnham-makes-radical-statement 433,437,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-councils-to-ban-fracking-as-burnham-makes-radical-statement Mon, 07 Jan 2019 09:45:00 GMT The former leader of the Northamptonshire County Council has resigned as a councillor, saying she wanted to “move on” as she feels her role as backbencher “does not serve any useful purpose.” A by-election will now be held after Heather Smith resigned following 11 years as a councillor representing Oundle and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-northamptonshire-leader-heather-smith-resigns-from-council- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-northamptonshire-leader-heather-smith-resigns-from-council- Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT The leader of Haringey Council has dismissed two of his cabinet members in a bid to “eradicate a number of persistent & personal conflicts” in the authority. Cllr Joseph Ejiofor announced on Twitter on Wednesday that adults and health portfolio holder Cllr Peray Ahmet and cabinet member for civic services Cllr Zena... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/haringey-lbc-cabinet-members-sacked-following-persistent-personal-conflicts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/haringey-lbc-cabinet-members-sacked-following-persistent-personal-conflicts Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:15:00 GMT Herefordshire Council will hold a special public meeting in order to investigate the failures of its children’s services which recently led to two damning judgements from the High Court. Last month, a High Court judge slammed Herefordshire’s “woeful” children’s care after failing children in two cases –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-hold-extraordinary-meeting-to-investigate-failings-in-childrens-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-hold-extraordinary-meeting-to-investigate-failings-in-childrens-services Fri, 04 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT Wrexham council have defended plans to house rough sleepers in shipping containers after the project was delayed until after Christmas.  Four converted shipping container units were due to open in time for Christmas, but senior members of the independent-led local authority has said they now expect to open in mid-January. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wrexham-councillors-defend-delay-to-homeless-shipping-container-plans 436,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wrexham-councillors-defend-delay-to-homeless-shipping-container-plans Thu, 03 Jan 2019 17:15:00 GMT A £5m loan from Leicestershire County Council to its financially struggling neighbour Northamptonshire County Council has been repaid in full after concerns that the UK’s poorest council would not be able to repay the loan. Leicestershire CC made the unsecured loan to the cash-strapped authority last January, but was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-repays-5m-loan-from-leicestershire-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-repays-5m-loan-from-leicestershire-council Thu, 03 Jan 2019 15:00:00 GMT Government departments could be scrapped or combined in order save billions of pounds, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government raised as one of the departments which could be merged under plans being considered by the Treasury, according to insiders. PoliticsHome claimed senior figures are considering plans to draw... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-departments-could-be-axed-or-merged-to-save-taxpayer-billions 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-departments-could-be-axed-or-merged-to-save-taxpayer-billions Thu, 03 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT In a leaked letter to the chancellor, communities secretary James Brokenshire has warned of fresh disruption and an inability to deal with “civil unrest” because the Treasury has reportedly failed to deliver the funding needed to prepare local councils for Brexit. Brokenshire has complained to Philip Hammond after his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-warns-chancellor-of-significant-risk-of-disruption-as-councils-denied-sufficient-brexit-prep-funding 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-warns-chancellor-of-significant-risk-of-disruption-as-councils-denied-sufficient-brexit-prep-funding Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:00:00 GMT Dr Mia Gray and Dr Anna Barford, both of the University of Cambridge, argue that the ghost of austerity continues to haunt the local government landscape as many councils struggle to offset often profound budget cuts – especially across England. On 2 October, in the prime minister’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-end-to-austerity-for-local-government 436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-end-to-austerity-for-local-government Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:30:00 GMT Cities across the country are stuck in a cycle of low-skilled workers with low-paid jobs facing few opportunities to upskill or progress, and the rise of robots and automation with only make matters worse. Elena Magrini, researcher at the Centre for Cities, reports. ‘What if we train people and then they leave?’ is the dilemma... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-make-places-breaking-the-low-skilled-equilibrium- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-make-places-breaking-the-low-skilled-equilibrium- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:30:00 GMT Mark Palethorpe, acting executive director of people at Cheshire East Council, explains what the Skills for Care graduate management programme could mean for the adult social care workforce. Recruiting into adult social care is a big challenge for any local authority in the current climate, and Cheshire East Council is not immune to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-healthy-state-of-affairs-at-chesire-east-council- 447,870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-healthy-state-of-affairs-at-chesire-east-council- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT Bridget Rosewell OBE, commissioner at the National Infrastructure Commission, argues that local authorities should be required to prepare for the growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) with a government-backed roll-out of a fully visible charging network. After 100 years of incremental change, in the coming decades we will witness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-electric-rolling-out-an-ev-charging-network- 447,433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-electric-rolling-out-an-ev-charging-network- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT A £675m fund to transform high streets and town centres has been launched by high streets minister Jake Berry, with towns across the country urged to bid for a share of the funding. The Future High Streets fund aims to revitalise local high streets and turn them into “modern vibrant community hubs,” with the scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-700m-government-scheme-to-transform-high-streets-and-town-centres 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-700m-government-scheme-to-transform-high-streets-and-town-centres Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT Director of transformation Sarah Parker and executive director of public health Helen Atkinson discuss the challenges Surrey Heartlands has faced as a partnership, and their role in supporting the whole system in its successful journey towards devolved health and social care. Our experiences of reviewing, developing, and commissioning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-scale-of-surrey-heartlands-ambition- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-scale-of-surrey-heartlands-ambition- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT Duncan Sharkey has been named as the new managing director at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Sharkey, who is currently the corporate director at Milton Keynes Council, is expected to be confirmed as the new managing director at a Full Council meeting on 28 January. Sharkey has previously worked as the managing director... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/royal-borough-council-names-new-managing-director- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/royal-borough-council-names-new-managing-director- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 11:30:00 GMT Private housing providers are “ripping off” struggling councils as new figures show that local authorities’ spending on temporary accommodation for the homeless has risen to almost £1bn. Growing numbers of homeless and rough sleepers have seen councils across England spend £997m on temporary accommodation in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ripped-off-by-private-landlords-spending-1bn-on-homeless-accommodation- 436,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ripped-off-by-private-landlords-spending-1bn-on-homeless-accommodation- Wed, 02 Jan 2019 10:00:00 GMT A staggering 15% of local authorities in England are at risk of financial instability, the UK’s leading finance and accounting body has discovered. In a briefing yesterday, CIPFA, the professional body for people in public finance, said that there are “some signs of potential risk” to 10-15% of councils, compounding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-15-of-councils-at-risk-of-financial-instability-cipfa-reveals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-15-of-councils-at-risk-of-financial-instability-cipfa-reveals Fri, 21 Dec 2018 10:45:00 GMT Evaluating the new buyout of Durham Tees Valley Airport is “impossible” without all details being given to local councillors and residents, Darlington Borough Council’s leader has told PSE. Cllr Steve Harker, who took over from retiring leader Cllr Bill Dixon in July, said he and the leaders of the four other councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/impossible-to-assess-benefits-of-tees-valley-airport-buyout-without-all-facts-darlington-bc-leader-says 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/impossible-to-assess-benefits-of-tees-valley-airport-buyout-without-all-facts-darlington-bc-leader-says Fri, 21 Dec 2018 09:45:00 GMT Families have launched a High Court legal challenge against the government’s special education needs (SEN) funding cuts after successfully taking Bristol council to court. Two mums took the council to court over £5m worth of cuts to SEN funding earlier this year and their victory has since led to other judicial reviews against... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-families-launch-high-court-challenge-against-governments-special-needs-cash-cuts 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-families-launch-high-court-challenge-against-governments-special-needs-cash-cuts Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:00:00 GMT Mayor Ben Houchen has announced that he will change the Durham Tees Valley Airport’s name back to its pre-2004 title as part of a major buyout which has now attracted the backing of business leaders in the region, despite continuing political opposition. Around 40 Teesside business leaders have signed a letter to the Labour council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-leaders-back-houchens-airport-deal-as-tees-valley-mayor-announces-name-change 433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-leaders-back-houchens-airport-deal-as-tees-valley-mayor-announces-name-change Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:15:00 GMT Nottingham City Council needs to slash £22m and an initial 27 jobs from its budget, and has blamed government austerity for repeated cuts to services after its main funding source has been reduced by three quarters since 2013. The city council has hit out after its main government funding has been cut from £127m in 2013 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-slams-government-austerity-as-it-cuts-further-22m-and-27-jobs 436,870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-slams-government-austerity-as-it-cuts-further-22m-and-27-jobs Thu, 20 Dec 2018 10:15:00 GMT The government will implement all recommendations on combustible cladding, including a tougher regulatory system for building safety, after a taskforce found that both the pace of change at Kensington and Chelsea council following the Grenfell fire tragedy and the rehousing process remained “painfully slow.” The independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-to-implement-all-grenfell-recommendations-after-painfully-slow-progress-at-council-to-date 433,436,441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-to-implement-all-grenfell-recommendations-after-painfully-slow-progress-at-council-to-date Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT London mayor Sadiq Khan has told the BBC that council tax will “probably” be raised to help pay for shortfalls in police funding. Speaking to BBC Radio London this morning, the mayor called for greater funding for the force’s slashed budgets, and said he could implement the government’s announcement for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-mayor-to-probably-raise-council-tax-to-fight-police-funding-shortfall 454,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-mayor-to-probably-raise-council-tax-to-fight-police-funding-shortfall Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council’s leaders have hit out at the Scottish Government for cutting the authority’s grant by nearly £60m, and warned that services and jobs are at risk. The local authority’s co-leader Douglas Lumsden said that residents would now be worried about how savings would be made, as general funding for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-leaders-slam-government-funding-cuts-as-it-warns-of-risk-to-jobs-and-services- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-leaders-slam-government-funding-cuts-as-it-warns-of-risk-to-jobs-and-services- Wed, 19 Dec 2018 15:00:00 GMT Poole council have backed Dorset County Council over their referral of plans to reorganise hospital services to the secretary of state. The health scrutiny committee of the Borough of Poole Council unanimously agreed on Monday to send a letter to the health secretary in support of the county council’s referral regarding the decision... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poole-council-backs-referral-of-dorset-hospital-reorganisation-to-secretary-of-state 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poole-council-backs-referral-of-dorset-hospital-reorganisation-to-secretary-of-state Tue, 18 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT Interested in artificial intelligence (AI) but confused about how to use it, or where to source the best technologies out there? Roderick Crawford, public sector director at SAS UK & Ireland, lends a helping hand. This has been a year of headlines for AI innovation. From Theresa May’s address at Davos, to Pepper the robot giving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/artificial-intelligence-has-arrived-which-way-now 439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/artificial-intelligence-has-arrived-which-way-now Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:45:00 GMT James Brokenshire has announced the creation of a new network of rough sleeping hubs, with £5m committed to the scheme to help provide thousands of vulnerable people with specialist support to recover from life on the streets. Eleven rough sleeping hubs across England, called the ‘Somewhere Safe to Stay hubs,’ will be up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-launches-11-homeless-hubs-to-fight-rough-sleeping-in-england 436,441,442,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-launches-11-homeless-hubs-to-fight-rough-sleeping-in-england Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:30:00 GMT The leader of Christchurch Borough Council has been axed by his own party and deselected by the council after leading a legal battle against a new Dorset council merger with Bournemouth and Poole. David Flagg has been deselected by the constituency’s approval committee after a secret ballot. He told the Echo: “After... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-council-leader-deselected-ahead-of-dorset-merger-he-fought-to-oppose 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-council-leader-deselected-ahead-of-dorset-merger-he-fought-to-oppose Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:15:00 GMT Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), reflects on the CCN’s conference and looks ahead to the Spending and Fair Funding reviews. In last month’s PSE, I wrote that councils are increasingly delivering ‘less for less’ and will continue to do so without additional resource. Now, it's fair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fair-future-for-counties 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fair-future-for-counties Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:15:00 GMT Lois Lane, policy and research advisor at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), analyses the outcomes and recommendations of the Letwin Review, and makes the case for radical reform of the country’s broken land market. Last month, we argued that the final report of Sir Oliver Letwin’s review of build-out offered a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/letwin-review-a-golden-opportunity-but-does-it-add-up- 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/letwin-review-a-golden-opportunity-but-does-it-add-up- Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:15:00 GMT Hackney mayor and London Councils’ digital champion, Philip Glanville, takes an in-depth look at some of the projects benefitting from a dedicated funding pot to improve digital infrastructure across the capital’s boroughs. Over the past year, the capital’s 32 boroughs, the City of London Corporation, and the mayor of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-digital-london 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-digital-london Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT Keith Smith, director of apprenticeships at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, outlines the key initiatives currently taking place to drive the growth and quality of apprenticeships. An apprenticeship can be life-changing, with higher wages and better job prospects. It offers a unique opportunity for people of all ages and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/putting-quality-at-the-heart-of-apprenticeships- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/putting-quality-at-the-heart-of-apprenticeships- Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:45:00 GMT Chris Painter, professor emeritus at Birmingham City University, examines the many lessons flowing from the June 2016 EU Referendum. The consequences flowing from the June 2016 referendum decision to discontinue the UK’s membership of the European Union are manifold. Constitutional, political, economic, public funding, and global... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ten-lessons-from-brexit 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ten-lessons-from-brexit Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:45:00 GMT As society comes to terms with the fear and loathing of artificial intelligence (AI), is it time for councils to start considering what benefits the technology can bring to their organisation? LGiU chief executive Dr Jonathan Carr-West and associate Neil Reeder explore the possibilities of a digital future. AI has massive potential to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/artificial-intelligence-reality-or-hype- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/artificial-intelligence-reality-or-hype- Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:30:00 GMT Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Sheffield City Region, discusses the future of regional funding post-Brexit, and makes the case for greater devolution. In March, the UK will exit the European Union. No matter what the detail of the deal is, it's critical that our communities don't become poorer as a result. While much of the media interest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-our-regions-must-not-lose-out-after-brexit 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-our-regions-must-not-lose-out-after-brexit Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:30:00 GMT Leeds City Region is aiming to become one of the world’s first zero-carbon regions as it sets out a new energy strategy to meet the Paris Climate Agreement and provide a boost to the region’s economy. West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) have agreed an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-sets-out-plan-to-become-one-of-worlds-first-zero-carbon-energy-economies 437,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-sets-out-plan-to-become-one-of-worlds-first-zero-carbon-energy-economies Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:30:00 GMT It’s no secret that councils up and down the country are scrambling to keep services afloat as they try to balance dwindling resources with growing demand. In line with the ‘doing more with less’ philosophy, one of the solutions to this conundrum has been restructuring local government altogether. PSE’s Jack Donnelly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-local-government-by-storm- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-local-government-by-storm- Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:15:00 GMT PSE’s Daniel Broadley reflects on the key messages to take away from this year’s National Social Value Conference, which took place on 20-21 November in Manchester. If you’re born into the bottom 10% of society in terms of poverty, to reach average earnings it wouldn’t take six years, or even six decades, but six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-social-value-conference-2018-going-upstream- 447,436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-social-value-conference-2018-going-upstream- Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:15:00 GMT Chairman of the LGA Lord Porter puts the chancellor’s Autumn Budget under the microscope and looks at what it means for local government. The chancellor’s latest Budget shows that the government is listening to the LGA’s call for desperately-needed investment in our local public services. The LGA’s Budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-autumn-budget-round-up 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-autumn-budget-round-up Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:45:00 GMT The newly created Dorset Council is facing the possibility of delivering an unbalanced budget next year and has added an additional £2m to its projected budget deficit. In a warning to the shadow executive, the report ahead of today’s budget meeting has warned that the shadow council may not be able to set a balanced budget in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-dorset-council-faces-unbalanced-budget-as-dispute-over-transfer-of-debts-remains-unresolved 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-dorset-council-faces-unbalanced-budget-as-dispute-over-transfer-of-debts-remains-unresolved Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:45:00 GMT It’s no secret that the public sector and its service providers need to invest in technology to help make better use of their resources. But is it really just as simple as buying new software? Simon Dennis, director of artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics innovation at SAS UK, tells PSE’s Luana Salles where the power of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-devil-is-in-the-data 451,439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-devil-is-in-the-data Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:45:00 GMT One of the public sector’s key technology partners has recently welcomed a new member to its team. Matt Spencer, O2’s head of public sector sales, speaks to PSE’s Luana Salles about what a day in his life looks like, and how the public sector can benefit. For Matt Spencer, no two days are ever the same. Five months into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-innovation-in-the-public-sector-the-future-is-now 438,451,439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-innovation-in-the-public-sector-the-future-is-now Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:45:00 GMT Hundreds of trafficked children under the care of local authorities in the UK last year have reportedly gone missing, according to new research from charities. The report, seen by the Observer, shows that of the 1,015 children reported by local authorities as suspected or identified victims of trafficking, 24% have gone missing from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ongoing-hidden-scandal-as-hundreds-of-children-go-missing-from-local-authority-care 436,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ongoing-hidden-scandal-as-hundreds-of-children-go-missing-from-local-authority-care Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT If we want to introduce change throughout local government, then we have to encourage our people to buy-in, writes Danny Longbottom, director of local government and health at BT. In my role I have the privilege of meeting lots of people in local government across the UK. More often than not, the subject of digital transformation crops up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-let-a-culture-of-resistance-take-hold-of-your-organisation 438,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-let-a-culture-of-resistance-take-hold-of-your-organisation Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT Partnering innovative SMEs with central government can help the civil service work smarter in the digital age, writes Tim Skinner, head of central government at BT. In an increasingly digital world, central government faces new challenges. Citizens want instant online access to services on various devices. Meanwhile, your own people need... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-businesses-offer-the-big-ideas-for-better-public-service 438,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-businesses-offer-the-big-ideas-for-better-public-service Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT A council has agreed to allocate nearly an extra £250,000 to an investigation looking into alleged pay rises given to senior officers. Labour, Plaid Cymru, and Independent members at Caerphilly Council agreed to go ahead with the extra funding of £242,000 over a long-running investigation into the council and its former chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-spend-4m-investigating-senior-officers-who-gave-themselves-20-wage-rise-during-pay-freeze 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-spend-4m-investigating-senior-officers-who-gave-themselves-20-wage-rise-during-pay-freeze Fri, 14 Dec 2018 11:45:00 GMT Fife Council has announced that it will be scrapping the controversial standardised P1 assessments at the end of the current academic year. At an authority meeting yesterday, councillors agreed to withdraw from the P1 Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSAs) scheme and replace it with Performance Indicators in Primary Schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fife-council-scraps-controversial-p1-assessments-despite-harsh-government-opposition 453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fife-council-scraps-controversial-p1-assessments-despite-harsh-government-opposition Fri, 14 Dec 2018 11:30:00 GMT Almost four months after Ofsted inspectors identified “serious and widespread failures” across Wakefield’s children’s services, it has today been announced that the council will be able to retain full control of its portfolio. Independent commissioner Peter Dwyer CBE – appointed by Whitehall in August to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-commissioner-allows-wakefield-council-to-retain-full-control-of-services 435,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-commissioner-allows-wakefield-council-to-retain-full-control-of-services Fri, 14 Dec 2018 11:30:00 GMT The annual local government finance settlement shows that the government has recognised short-term pressures facing local government — but it is yet to solve medium to long-term financial demands burdening authorities around the UK, according to county council chiefs. The settlement, announced today by communities secretary James... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-short-term-needs-met-with-24-spend-boost-but-questions-loom-over-long-term-future 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-short-term-needs-met-with-24-spend-boost-but-questions-loom-over-long-term-future Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:00:00 GMT Oxford City Council has owed its fully balanced four-year budget proposal – which is better than many other local authorities up and down the country which have been forced to make often drastic cuts to services – to its approach to wholly-owned companies. Its 2019-20 budget, published this week but yet to be considered by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-council-owes-balanced-budget-to-its-wholly-owned-public-services-company 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-council-owes-balanced-budget-to-its-wholly-owned-public-services-company Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:30:00 GMT The leader of Salisbury City Council is to step down from the role citing the job’s impact on his personal life behind the decision. Cllr Matthew Dean, who has been in the role since April 2017 and leader of the Conservative group for five years, notified councillors of his resignation yesterday. However, he has said he will remain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salisbury-city-council-leader-steps-down-due-to-jobs-impact-on-personal-life- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salisbury-city-council-leader-steps-down-due-to-jobs-impact-on-personal-life- Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:30:00 GMT Finance secretary Derek Mackay has unveiled a series of cash injections for Scotland’s public services, with preparations for Brexit at the heart of the government’s spending plans. Mackay yesterday revealed the Budget proposals to MSPs, which includes an increase of £730m in health and care services (which he claims... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-council-spending-taken-a-hit-from-smoke-and-mirrors-scottish-budget-but-brexit-may-force-changes 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-council-spending-taken-a-hit-from-smoke-and-mirrors-scottish-budget-but-brexit-may-force-changes Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT Methods of addressing failure in local government are “no longer fit for purpose” and need a major shift in approach to ensure struggling councils don’t end up making their situations worse, think tanks have warned. According to the new report, the think tanks are worried that the public sector does not have the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/approach-to-failures-in-local-government-needs-thorough-rethink 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/approach-to-failures-in-local-government-needs-thorough-rethink Wed, 12 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT The government is spending £284bn, almost a third of its total spending, with external contractors, a new report by Institute for Government (IfG) has revealed. The new report states that four government departments – the Ministry of Justice, the DfT, the Department for International Trade, and for the Environment, Food, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-third-of-total-government-spending-on-external-contractors-is-risky-ifg-research-finds 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-third-of-total-government-spending-on-external-contractors-is-risky-ifg-research-finds Wed, 12 Dec 2018 17:00:00 GMT Christchurch Borough Council, the local authority that had been fighting tooth and nail against a planned government shake-up in Dorset, will have to decide whether to contribute more than £420,000 from unallocated reserves to the very reform they battled against. In what one councillor called a “slap in the face of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-councillors-split-over-need-to-contribute-420000-towards-unwanted-merger-costs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-councillors-split-over-need-to-contribute-420000-towards-unwanted-merger-costs Wed, 12 Dec 2018 15:45:00 GMT Ahead of the upcoming networking extravaganza EvoNorth, we caught up with Gary Wallis-Clarke, a member of the Northern Powerhouse Education and Skills group, executive headteacher at West Jesmond Primary school, and its national leader of education. In our interview, Gary reveals what the Northern Powerhouse means to him... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-gary-wallis-clarke-member-of-the-northern-powerhouse-education-and-skills-group- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-gary-wallis-clarke-member-of-the-northern-powerhouse-education-and-skills-group- Wed, 12 Dec 2018 10:45:00 GMT Leeds City Council announced plans to cut 74 full-time staff and a 3.99% tax hike as it faces a £24.3m budget deficit in 2019-20. The local authority has published a raft of cuts in its latest budget proposals as it faces rising demand on adult social care services and substantial cuts to its core government funding. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT The mayor of Liverpool has quit the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), arguing he no longer sees the point of the body, and claimed it was “set up by a government which isn’t prepared to listen.” Joe Anderson took to Twitter to criticise the NPP ministers, claiming that “the lights in the NP have become much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-quits-northern-powerhouse-partnership-claiming-government-isnt-prepared-to-listen 433,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-quits-northern-powerhouse-partnership-claiming-government-isnt-prepared-to-listen Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:00:00 GMT Plans to reorganise the structure of Nottinghamshire County Council into a unitary authority have been shelved, the council’s leader has announced today. Cllr Kay Cutts, leader of the authority, previously threw her support behind the proposals that would see the existing two-tier structure — comprised of seven district and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-structure-reshuffle-halted-in-face-of-criticsm- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-structure-reshuffle-halted-in-face-of-criticsm- Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:15:00 GMT Bodies will remain uncollected and council staff may be forced to work from home for six months due to gridlocked roads in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Kent County Council has warned. In a damning report, Kent CC said that refuse would fill the streets, food deliveries could be disrupted, and children could miss exams if the county is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bodies-may-be-uncollected-no-deal-brexit-chaos-could-see-council-staff-work-from-home-for-months 433,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bodies-may-be-uncollected-no-deal-brexit-chaos-could-see-council-staff-work-from-home-for-months Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:15:00 GMT Interserve, one of the government’s largest outsourcing companies and provider of public services, has announced it is seeking a rescue deal as it struggles with £500m of debt and is trying to avoid a Carillion-style collapse. The company, which employs 45,000 people in the UK in key services in prisons, schools and hospitals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-public-services-contractor-seeking-second-rescue-deal-to-avoid-carillion-style-collapse- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-public-services-contractor-seeking-second-rescue-deal-to-avoid-carillion-style-collapse- Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT All councils must publish detailed rough sleeping and homelessness strategies by winter 2019 or face government intervention if they fail to do so as part of the government’s new road-map to end rough sleeping by 2027. James Brokenshire unveiled the action plan along with a much-needed £11m fund opened for councils to bid for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-set-out-rough-sleeping-strategies-by-2019-or-face-government-action-brokenshire-warns 436,441,442,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-set-out-rough-sleeping-strategies-by-2019-or-face-government-action-brokenshire-warns Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT Could smart cities and social media be the perfect match? Simon Dennis, director of artificial intelligence and analytics innovation at SAS UK, reports.  Politics is a divisive issue and not simply from a philosophical standpoint. Engagement levels are highly polarised across different sections of society. We could postulate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/re-energising-citizen-engagement 438,439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/re-energising-citizen-engagement Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:30:00 GMT Tendring District Council has been fined £27,000 after the local authority pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach when an outbreak of Legionnaires disease left a man fighting for his life. The district council was fined by Colchester Magistrates Court after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-fined-thousands-after-pleading-guilty-to-catastrophic-disease-outbreak 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-fined-thousands-after-pleading-guilty-to-catastrophic-disease-outbreak Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:15:00 GMT Herefordshire council has apologised for failing children in two separate cases through its “woeful” children’s services after a High Court judge said he was “appalled” by errors made by the authority’s social workers and managers over a prolonged period of time. In one case brought against the County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-slams-herefordshire-council-for-woeful-childrens-care-after-failing-two-children-on-a-serious-and-serial-basis 435,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-slams-herefordshire-council-for-woeful-childrens-care-after-failing-two-children-on-a-serious-and-serial-basis Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:00:00 GMT Plans for the creation of a new unitary authority responsible for providing all public services in Nottinghamshire have been published by the county council as it looks to deliver £27m annual savings. Nottinghamshire CC will decide next week whether to press ahead with a formal public consultation regarding the change from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/despite-opposition-nottinghamshire-submits-case-for-new-unitary-authority- 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/despite-opposition-nottinghamshire-submits-case-for-new-unitary-authority- Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:30:00 GMT Leaders in local government have been reacting harshly to the delay of the local government finance settlement announced yesterday afternoon. Contrary to what the government had promised, communities secretary James Brokenshire revealed that the settlement will only be released following the major Brexit vote on 11 December, but promised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-delay-reactions-brexit-debate-has-become-a-distraction 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-delay-reactions-brexit-debate-has-become-a-distraction Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:30:00 GMT The leader of East Sussex County Council has opposed the potential of a local government structure reshuffle in a bid to make savings following the authority’s announcement of a ‘core offer’ of services last month. In an interview with PSE, Keith Glazier, who has been a councillor for over two decades, said the potential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-boss-rejects-possible-local-council-restructure-to-fight-deficit-this-is-purely-politics 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-boss-rejects-possible-local-council-restructure-to-fight-deficit-this-is-purely-politics Thu, 06 Dec 2018 08:45:00 GMT The elected mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn, has been announced as the interim mayor for the newly-created North of Tyne Combined Authority. Redfearn has been appointed by the cabinet to lead the combined authority up until May 2019, when North of Tyne will elect its first ever mayor. The appointment of an interim mayor is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-combined-authority-appoints-new-interim-mayor 436,2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-combined-authority-appoints-new-interim-mayor Wed, 05 Dec 2018 16:00:00 GMT The announcement of the local government funding settlement has been delayed as Parliament looks to grapple with Brexit. In a statement released this afternoon, communities secretary James Brokenshire said this confirmation was made prior to the meaningful vote on 11 December, and publication will be made following the vote next week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-delayed-by-brexit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-delayed-by-brexit Wed, 05 Dec 2018 15:45:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse has been “deprioritised” by government, with Brexit “chaos” preventing the north of England from realising its full potential, a think tank has warned. The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) North said that for the Northern Powerhouse to succeed, leaders in the region must wrestle... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-chaos-has-held-back-the-north-as-government-has-deprioritised-the-northern-powerhouse 435,433,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-chaos-has-held-back-the-north-as-government-has-deprioritised-the-northern-powerhouse Wed, 05 Dec 2018 15:30:00 GMT The deliverance of services for a cash-strapped county council should focus on the most vulnerable, and “shouldn’t be about politics” in the authority, the East Sussex County Council leader has told PSE. Cllr Keith Glazier spoke to PSE about the council’s short-term arrangements to protect those most in need of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/providing-core-offer-of-services-shouldnt-be-about-politics-east-sussex-county-council-leader-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/providing-core-offer-of-services-shouldnt-be-about-politics-east-sussex-county-council-leader-says Wed, 05 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT Offloading libraries and a 2.99% tax increase have been announced as the part of Northamptonshire County Council’s draft budget, but frontline services will remain largely protected in a £43m savings scheme. The county council has announced it is “changing its approach” as it set out its draft budget proposals for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northants-is-changing-its-approach-to-protect-frontline-services-as-council-sets-out-2019-20-budget- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northants-is-changing-its-approach-to-protect-frontline-services-as-council-sets-out-2019-20-budget- Tue, 04 Dec 2018 17:15:00 GMT Mayor of the Tees Valley Combined Authority Ben Houchen has today announced a £40m deal to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership and a £45m investment to “dramatically overhaul” the two biggest stations in the region using money devolved from central government. Tees Valley mayor Ben... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-ploughs-ahead-with-controversial-airport-buyout-despite-local-council-fightback 433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-ploughs-ahead-with-controversial-airport-buyout-despite-local-council-fightback Tue, 04 Dec 2018 16:15:00 GMT The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has challenged councils not to “throw out the rule book” as they redesign their services in the face of widespread budget cuts and service pressures. The new report from the LGSCO has revealed how the “stark reality of huge changes” made by councils over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-throw-out-the-rule-book-in-the-face-of-budget-pressures-warns-ombudsman- 435,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-throw-out-the-rule-book-in-the-face-of-budget-pressures-warns-ombudsman- Tue, 04 Dec 2018 15:00:00 GMT Ryan Reed, head of public sector sales at Swiss Post Solution (SPS), reveals the new ESPO 390 framework, which can help address the need for digital transformation across the public sector.  The administrative and financial burden of manual processes and physical records is taking its toll on across the public sector. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-framework-addresses-the-importance-of-digital-transformation-for-the-public-sector 439,446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-framework-addresses-the-importance-of-digital-transformation-for-the-public-sector Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:30:00 GMT One of the largest home care providers in the UK has been sold two weeks after it announced it was selling or transferring all of its contracts after regulators reported it was on the brink of bankruptcy. Allied Healthcare, which provided over 13,000 elderly and vulnerable people with care in their own homes across 150 local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-care-provider-allied-healthcare-saved-from-bankruptcy- 436,870,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-care-provider-allied-healthcare-saved-from-bankruptcy- Mon, 03 Dec 2018 11:30:00 GMT The City of Edinburgh Council is set to agree a deal with the contractors at the centre of the closure of 17 schools in 2016. Edinburgh council and the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP) – a PFI consortium which is comprised of Amey and Miller Construction – announced the proposed settlement agreement which will see the ESP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contractors-behind-17-school-closures-agree-to-pay-in-settlement-with-edinburgh-council 2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contractors-behind-17-school-closures-agree-to-pay-in-settlement-with-edinburgh-council Mon, 03 Dec 2018 10:30:00 GMT Nearly 80 council leaders have written to James Brokenshire demanding an emergency cash injection to prevent a “catastrophic collapse,” calling for the upcoming £1.3bn cuts to be scrapped “at an absolute minimum.” Leaders from 76 Labour councils, including Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle, have made the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-write-to-brokenshire-in-plea-for-settlement-cash-to-prevent-catastrophic-collapse 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-write-to-brokenshire-in-plea-for-settlement-cash-to-prevent-catastrophic-collapse Mon, 03 Dec 2018 09:30:00 GMT Four candidates have put their names forward to stand as Labour’s North of Tyne mayoral candidate. Newcastle city councillor Jamie Driscoll and former North Tyneside cabinet member Ian Grayson have followed North East MEP Paul Brannen and leader of Newcastle CC Nick Forbes to nominate themselves for role. The mayor will lead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-bidding-to-become-north-of-tynes-first-ever-mayor 436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-bidding-to-become-north-of-tynes-first-ever-mayor Fri, 30 Nov 2018 15:30:00 GMT The government has banned combustible materials such as those used on Grenfell Tower on new high-rise homes and buildings and given councils the power to strip unsafe cladding from residential buildings. James Brokenshire said local authorities would be given full support to carry out the emergency remedial work, assuring councils that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-have-full-backing-as-government-announces-ban-on-unsafe-cladding 435,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-have-full-backing-as-government-announces-ban-on-unsafe-cladding Fri, 30 Nov 2018 14:45:00 GMT The government has appointed a children’s services commissioner for Northamptonshire and issued a statutory direction to the county council requiring immediate improvement. The direction follows a damning report from Ofsted which said that the council’s children’s services had declined “significantly” in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-childrens-services-commissioner-takes-over-at-northamptonshire 435,453,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-childrens-services-commissioner-takes-over-at-northamptonshire Fri, 30 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT As well as postponing local elections, James Brokenshire has announced a consultation with all Northamptonshire councils and other significant bodies on the reorganisation of local government in the region. The communities secretary said in a written ministerial statement that the consultation will be used to decide whether or not to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-announces-consultation-to-take-northants-unitary-proposals-to-next-stage 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-announces-consultation-to-take-northants-unitary-proposals-to-next-stage Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:00:00 GMT The government has accepted a recommendation from independent commissioners to effectively bail out Northamptonshire County Council by allowing it to use the £60m gained from the sale of its HQ in order to wipe out its massive debt and fund at-risk everyday services. In the first progress report published by the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioners-deliver-first-progress-report-on-plans-to-rebuild-northamptonshire-cc 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioners-deliver-first-progress-report-on-plans-to-rebuild-northamptonshire-cc Thu, 29 Nov 2018 15:45:00 GMT Greater Manchester is set to “radically overhaul” its model of delivering public services in what has been billed as a “big test for devolution.” The new model will lead a drive towards integrating public services at a local level, which will see people and budgets in neighbourhoods of around 30,000 to 50,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-test-for-devolution-as-greater-manchester-plans-to-overhaul-its-public-services 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-test-for-devolution-as-greater-manchester-plans-to-overhaul-its-public-services Thu, 29 Nov 2018 14:45:00 GMT Sarah Mahmood, aged 17, is the former Member of UK Youth Parliament for the borough of Rochdale and has been recognised by the Royal Family for her work during her year as MYP and has set a good example to her peers, whom she listened well to and acted on their feedback, focusing particularly on mental health services and support for young... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-rochdale-myp-wins-prestigious-diana-award-for-mental-health-and-young-people-work 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-rochdale-myp-wins-prestigious-diana-award-for-mental-health-and-young-people-work Thu, 29 Nov 2018 10:00:00 GMT Government rules that allow developers to bypass the planning system to build have caused councils to miss out on more than 10,000 “desperately-needed” affordable homes in the past three years, council have warned. The LGA said that the permission development rules are exacerbating the nation’s housing affordability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/permission-development-rules-are-exacerbating-affordable-housing-crisis-councils-warn 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/permission-development-rules-are-exacerbating-affordable-housing-crisis-councils-warn Wed, 28 Nov 2018 17:00:00 GMT Rotherham Council has come under fierce criticism after a convicted sex offender was offered access to the child of one of the victims of the town’s sexual exploitation scandal. Arshid Hussain was jailed for 35 years in 2016 after he was convicted of 23 child sex offences, but was told by Rotherham Council he could seek visits from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-abuse-victim-reveals-council-offered-convicted-sex-offender-access-to-her-child 435,454,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-abuse-victim-reveals-council-offered-convicted-sex-offender-access-to-her-child Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:45:00 GMT The ombudsman for local government and social care has said it is becoming “increasingly concerned” with how some councils are handling increasing adult social care issues after a review found issues with systems, policies and procedures. In its annual review of adult social care complaints, the Local Government and Social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-increasing-concerned-over-councils-systematic-problems-with-social-care 435,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-increasing-concerned-over-councils-systematic-problems-with-social-care Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:30:00 GMT Ahead of next year’s EvoNorth, taking place on 27-28 February 2019, we caught up with Anna-Jane Hunter, Director of North of England Rail at Network Rail. She will be joining us on our exclusive Transport and Connectivity panel discussion to shed light on future plans across the region. In this interview, Anna-Jane reveals what the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-anna-jane-hunter-director-for-the-north-of-england-rail-at-network-rail- 2899,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-5-minutes-with-anna-jane-hunter-director-for-the-north-of-england-rail-at-network-rail- Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT Controversial LOBO loans could cost councils as much as £16bn, according to new research, which has prompted the shadow chancellor John McDonnell to call for a government investigation into the high-interest and risky loans. Analysis from the investigative cooperative Research for Action shows that 240 local authorities involved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-lose-16bn-from-lobo-loans-as-mcdonnel-calls-for-government-investigation- 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-lose-16bn-from-lobo-loans-as-mcdonnel-calls-for-government-investigation- Tue, 27 Nov 2018 17:15:00 GMT More than 28,000 local authority jobs have been lost in Wales since 2010 as a result of severe spending cuts to councils driven by the UK Government. Analysis published by Unison in its ‘Audit of Austerity’ report reveals that five out of six jobs at Welsh councils have gone, with 19 of the 22 councils in Wales losing more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-have-lost-an-army-of-council-workers-to-austerity-spending-cuts 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-have-lost-an-army-of-council-workers-to-austerity-spending-cuts Tue, 27 Nov 2018 16:30:00 GMT Lincolnshire County Council’s CEO has left the council after just four months in the role due to differences in opinion with the council’s leader. Keith Ireland has stepped down from his post at the county council after only joining from the City of Wolverhampton Council in July. He and Martin Hill, the leader of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-ceo-steps-down-after-just-four-months-in-role 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-ceo-steps-down-after-just-four-months-in-role Tue, 27 Nov 2018 15:45:00 GMT Marc McAuley, CIPFA’s counter-fraud manager, invites everyone to get involved in next year’s Government Counter Fraud Awards before nominations close this Friday. Fraud is not a new offence in the UK, having been written into the First Statute of Westminster in 1275. While the language was slightly different – referring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/storytelling-is-important-when-it-comes-to-busting-fraud 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/storytelling-is-important-when-it-comes-to-busting-fraud Mon, 26 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT A total of 138 council workers have been made redundant by Bath and North East Somerset Council, which has led to pay-outs totalling £4.75m. Requiring savings of £7.1m savings in 2018-19, the staffing redundancies will create annual savings of £4.28m for the council, but will cost the council £4.75m over a two-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spends-475m-on-redundancy-pay-outs-as-more-than-130-staff-leave 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spends-475m-on-redundancy-pay-outs-as-more-than-130-staff-leave Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT Lancashire County Council has revealed a sweeping new set of savings proposals worth £77m over the next four years, which includes cuts to vulnerable adult and children’s services and a total loss of 164 jobs. The planned cutbacks include turning off 18,000 of its 100,000 residential street lamps in the middle of the night, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-must-be-business-like-lancashire-council-eyes-77m-cuts-and-160-job-losses-to-fight-deficit 436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-must-be-business-like-lancashire-council-eyes-77m-cuts-and-160-job-losses-to-fight-deficit Mon, 26 Nov 2018 11:15:00 GMT Parents in Falkirk have been warned there will “unprecedented cuts” to schools as the council faces a £29m budget deficit over the next five years. Falkirk council has asked secondary school headteachers to find £2.5m in cuts in 2019-20, whilst headteachers at primary schools have been asked to make £1.8m in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-writes-to-parents-warning-of-unprecedented-cuts-to-schools-to-tackle-deficit 453,436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-writes-to-parents-warning-of-unprecedented-cuts-to-schools-to-tackle-deficit Mon, 26 Nov 2018 10:00:00 GMT Capita has agreed to pay Barnet Council more than £4m in compensation for poor performance and services that were “not up to scratch.” The council has now published a report proposing that councillors agree a £4.12m payment from Capita to settle “historical commercial issues” which includes the delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/capita-to-pay-more-than-4m-compensation-to-barnet-council-over-contracts-performance- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/capita-to-pay-more-than-4m-compensation-to-barnet-council-over-contracts-performance- Fri, 23 Nov 2018 15:15:00 GMT Leading Labour politicians in Northamptonshire have claimed the county council has a £133m black hole in its finances and have written to the government calling for urgent intervention in the county. Prominent figures from the party at every council in Northamptonshire, as well as former minister Sally Keeble and parliamentary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-labour-chiefs-write-to-government-to-end-disarray-of-133m-black-hole-in-public-finances- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-labour-chiefs-write-to-government-to-end-disarray-of-133m-black-hole-in-public-finances- Fri, 23 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT Two local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) in Yorkshire have both approved merger proposals to create a combined Yorkshire LEP responsible for billions of business and infrastructure investment. The new organisation will be responsible for investment to boost economic growth and social inclusion, covering a region of 4,000 square miles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-leps-approve-merger-plans-to-secure-bigger-share-of-the-prize- 433,436,2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-leps-approve-merger-plans-to-secure-bigger-share-of-the-prize- Fri, 23 Nov 2018 14:00:00 GMT Government proposals to increase the number of councillors by half in Buckinghamshire’s new major unitary authority are “bizarre and difficult to defend,” Buckinghamshire County Council’s leader has claimed. Speaking to PSE, Cllr Martin Tett, who backed the aligning of services in the county that would abolish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-council-leader-questions-governments-bizarre-unitary-merger-councillor-numbers 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-council-leader-questions-governments-bizarre-unitary-merger-councillor-numbers Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:30:00 GMT The government must ensure that ‘life and death’ children’s services are supported when the merging of council services for Buckinghamshire County Council, the authority’s leader has said. Speaking to PSE, Cllr Martin Tett – who supported the merger of council services in the county – said the Ministry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bucks-county-council-leader-urges-government-to-protect-life-and-death-childrens-services-in-merger 453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bucks-county-council-leader-urges-government-to-protect-life-and-death-childrens-services-in-merger Thu, 22 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council has appointed Sandy Hopkins as its new chief executive after the local authority’s employment panel unanimously recommended her nomination. Hopkins will take over from the current interim chief executive Richard Crouch in the new year after beating more than 20 applicants to get the council’s top... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-veteran-unanimously-appointed-to-southampton-city-councils-top-job 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-veteran-unanimously-appointed-to-southampton-city-councils-top-job Thu, 22 Nov 2018 14:30:00 GMT Sunderland City Council is preparing to slash more than £12m from its public services next year as it faces a budget gap of around £50m over the next three years – the latest in a string of local authorities being forced to cut corners in the coming months and years. The proposals for 2019-20 include around 60 council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-approves-another-raft-of-service-cuts-in-the-face-of-50m-budget-deficit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-approves-another-raft-of-service-cuts-in-the-face-of-50m-budget-deficit Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:00:00 GMT Councils have welcomed the additional local authority resources announced this week by the Welsh Government, which will raise the funding floor and provide another £13m for core services – but warned that “this remains a particularly challenging financial settlement” after eight years of austerity. Following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-welcome-13m-budget-boost-for-next-year-but-warn-pressures-are-far-from-over 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-welcome-13m-budget-boost-for-next-year-but-warn-pressures-are-far-from-over Wed, 21 Nov 2018 14:30:00 GMT Cognitive Publishing, the home of leading government management magazine Public Sector Executive, has been selected as an official partner of the Northern Powerhouse. In support of the regional initiative, Cognitive will join a network of leaders and organisations who believe in supporting and delivering on the economic potential of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-executive-fuels-the-northern-powerhouse-with-official-partnership 2899,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-executive-fuels-the-northern-powerhouse-with-official-partnership Wed, 21 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT All major public services providers will have to draw up ‘living wills’ determining what would happen if they go bust as part of the government’s post-Carillion approach to outsourcing. Central government will begin piloting this approach with five key suppliers to the public sector – Serco, Capita, Sopra Steria... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-public-sector-suppliers-to-draft-living-wills-as-part-of-post-carillion-outsourcing-approach 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-public-sector-suppliers-to-draft-living-wills-as-part-of-post-carillion-outsourcing-approach Wed, 21 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT In a prosecution brought forward by the CQC, a care home provider has been slapped with a £300,000 fine for allowing a man with a history of sexual assault the freedom to prey on vulnerable people. Hillgreen Care Ltd was prosecuted for failing to protect those in its care and exposing them to the risk of sexual abuse. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-care-home-fined-300000-for-failing-to-protect-residents-from-sexual-predator 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-care-home-fined-300000-for-failing-to-protect-residents-from-sexual-predator Wed, 21 Nov 2018 11:15:00 GMT A United Nations report looking at poverty in the UK has identified cuts to local government as one of the many causes of poverty across the country. Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, toured the UK to assess the nation’s levels of poverty. He found that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-has-been-gutted-according-to-uns-report-on-uk-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-has-been-gutted-according-to-uns-report-on-uk-poverty Tue, 20 Nov 2018 16:30:00 GMT MPs on the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy have slammed the government for “the absence of political leadership” in dealing with the threat of cyber-attacks. The threat to the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) – including the health service, energy, water and transport – is as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-slam-government-for-lack-of-leadership-in-cyber-security- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-slam-government-for-lack-of-leadership-in-cyber-security- Tue, 20 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT The chief executive role at Trafford Council, which had been left vacant after former boss Theresa Grant stepped down in July when the Labour Party took control of the authority, has now been filled. Sara Todd, who is currently deputy chief executive at Manchester City Council, will take over Trafford’s top job at the end of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trafford-names-new-ceo-after-grant-swaps-northern-council-for-northamptonshire 2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trafford-names-new-ceo-after-grant-swaps-northern-council-for-northamptonshire Tue, 20 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT The leader of Hartlepool Borough Council is facing calls to resign after a vote of no confidence was overwhelmingly passed against him. Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, who became leader in 2013, has his future in doubt after grassroots members of the Hartlepool Constituency Labour Party (CLP) cast the vote last week. The Hartlepool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-loses-no-confidence-vote-after-public-lose-faith-in-local-labour-party 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-loses-no-confidence-vote-after-public-lose-faith-in-local-labour-party Mon, 19 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT A surge in the number of adults with severe disabilities and an increase in the cost of care could see council’s expenses increase by £2bn by 2025, putting their long-term survival at risk. Analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) shows that the annual cost of caring for adults with learning disabilities is predicted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/costs-of-caring-for-adults-with-learning-disabilities-to-rise-by-2bn-for-councils-by-2025 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/costs-of-caring-for-adults-with-learning-disabilities-to-rise-by-2bn-for-councils-by-2025 Mon, 19 Nov 2018 11:45:00 GMT Alan Bermingham, policy manager at CIPFA, analyses the government’s decision to abolish future use of PFI/PF2 funding arrangements. Many people were caught by surprise when the chancellor announced PFI/PF2 contacts will not be used for future projects, effectively abolishing a funding model first introduced in 1992. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pfi-gone-but-need-for-private-money-will-not-disappear 436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pfi-gone-but-need-for-private-money-will-not-disappear Mon, 19 Nov 2018 11:45:00 GMT A Welsh council is facing a £10.5m budget blackhole on top of millions of savings already planned, with the unfunded pay award for teachers one of the reasons behind the growing deficit. Vale of Glamorgan Council has set out its initial budget for 2019-20, with the authority needing to plug a deficit of just under £10.5m, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-with-little-choice-but-to-cut-services-in-the-face-of-10m-deficit 453,436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-with-little-choice-but-to-cut-services-in-the-face-of-10m-deficit Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:45:00 GMT Somerset County Council has scrapped plans to force staff to take two days unpaid leave over Christmas. The cash strapped authority had planned for its employees to take unpaid leave between Christmas and New Year’s Day for the next two years in order to save just under £500,000. But the county council has written to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-council-abandons-plans-to-force-staff-to-take-unpaid-christmas-leave- 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-council-abandons-plans-to-force-staff-to-take-unpaid-christmas-leave- Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:45:00 GMT A South Shields council could be burdened with a massive £7.6m PFI bill if a poorly-rated secondary school in the area is forced to close, it has been revealed. South Tyneside Council is facing the prospect of South Shields School, rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors last year, being forced to close due to declining... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-tyneside-council-could-be-lumped-with-76m-pfi-bill-if-closure-of-inadequate-school-goes-ahead 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-tyneside-council-could-be-lumped-with-76m-pfi-bill-if-closure-of-inadequate-school-goes-ahead Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT Staffordshire County Council is to cut its own senior leadership team as the authority tries to tackle a £35m funding gap in its budget. The number of directors on its leadership team will be cut from five to four with Andy Burns, the current director of finance and resources and the former president of CIPFA, set to lose his job at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-axe-finance-director-as-part-of-bid-to-plug-35m-budget-shortfall 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-axe-finance-director-as-part-of-bid-to-plug-35m-budget-shortfall Fri, 16 Nov 2018 14:15:00 GMT Council members at Cumbria County Council debated yesterday the possibility of abolishing their current local government structure in favour of a much larger, single unitary council in its place. At the council meeting in Kendal yesterday, council leader Stewart Young said then-communities secretary Sajid Javid’s approval of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-council-mulls-over-plans-for-major-one-stop-shop-local-government-reshuffle 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-council-mulls-over-plans-for-major-one-stop-shop-local-government-reshuffle Fri, 16 Nov 2018 09:00:00 GMT Communities secretary James Brokenshire has decided to appoint an additional commissioner to the team already in place at Northamptonshire County Council as a result of Ofsted’s latest inspection, which concluded that children’s services had deteriorated significantly since its last visit two years ago. After a two-day visit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-another-commissioner-on-the-way-after-huge-decline-in-childrens-services 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-another-commissioner-on-the-way-after-huge-decline-in-childrens-services Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council has declared a “climate emergency” and has unanimously backed a commitment to make the city carbon neutral by 2030. In its latest Full Council meeting, Green councillor Carla Denyer put forward the motion to “declare a climate emergency,” and received backing from the full council to making... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-declares-climate-emergency-and-backs-total-carbon-neutrality-by-2030- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-declares-climate-emergency-and-backs-total-carbon-neutrality-by-2030- Thu, 15 Nov 2018 10:30:00 GMT Suffolk County Council is set to cut service spending and jobs as part of an £11.2m savings package in its proposed budget for 2019-20. The proposals will be examined by the council’s scrutiny committee next week, but if accepted, the plans would see 2.99% rise in council tax next year, with a further 1% rise for social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-easy-options-left-suffolk-council-proposes-cutting-jobs-and-services-to-save-11m-in-2019- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-easy-options-left-suffolk-council-proposes-cutting-jobs-and-services-to-save-11m-in-2019- Thu, 15 Nov 2018 09:45:00 GMT Westminster City Council is to ban new supersized properties to free up space to build more affordable homes for “real people” as it sets out its 2040 vision for housing. The council said it would restrict new-build homes that exceed 1,615 sq ft, a size 50% bigger than the average size of the borough, amidst growing concerns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-council-to-ban-supersize-homes-to-make-room-for-more-affordable-housing 436,441,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-council-to-ban-supersize-homes-to-make-room-for-more-affordable-housing Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:15:00 GMT James Brokenshire has unveiled proposals for a new ‘housing court’ to enable landlords and tenants to receive faster and more effective justice in settling property disputes. The designated court, according to the communities secretary, will be “particularly important” for families and vulnerable tenants “who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-unveil-new-housing-court-proposals-to-speed-up-landlord-and-tenant-justice 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-unveil-new-housing-court-proposals-to-speed-up-landlord-and-tenant-justice Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:45:00 GMT The government urgently needs to raise taxes to plug the £3.6bn funding gap in adult social care and must address this in its delayed social care green paper, the LGA has said. Councils blamed “years of significant underfunding” coupled with rising demand for pushing adult social care services to “breaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-plug-36bn-social-care-funding-gap-with-tax-rise-councils-say 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-plug-36bn-social-care-funding-gap-with-tax-rise-councils-say Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:45:00 GMT Savings made by the financially-challenged Northamptonshire County Council have reduced the local authority’s overall deficit by more than £10m since a section 114 notice was issued to the council in July this year. Council board papers due to be discussed today found that £1.3m of proposals introduced in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-slashes-deficit-by-10m-but-services-in-significant-decline 453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-county-council-slashes-deficit-by-10m-but-services-in-significant-decline Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT Ofsted has written to Northamptonshire County Council after an inspection found that its children’s services had declined “significantly” in the last two years “against a backdrop of recent financial uncertainty.” Children were found to be “not consistently or effectively assessed, supported or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-gives-damning-report-on-northants-childrens-services-amidst-financial-uncertainty 435,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-gives-damning-report-on-northants-childrens-services-amidst-financial-uncertainty Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT The leader of Surrey County Council David Hodge is to step down from the top job. In a statement released today, Cllr Hodge said it has been “an honour and a privilege” to lead the council since 2011, during a time that saw the local authority make £540m in savings. “I am proud of what we have achieved during... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-time-surrey-county-council-leader-david-hodge-to-stand-down 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-time-surrey-county-council-leader-david-hodge-to-stand-down Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:30:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has announced it will cut 100 jobs as the authority reveals it needs to make £60m in savings over the next three years to balance its budget. The city council has proposed raising council tax by 2.95% and implementing the government’s additional 1% adult social care precept, and cutting around 40 jobs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-council-to-cut-100-jobs-in-the-face-of-60m-funding-hole 436,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-council-to-cut-100-jobs-in-the-face-of-60m-funding-hole Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT Housing minister Heather Wheeler MP has announced £22m funding for more than 60 projects across England for councils to help support domestic abuse survivors and their families. The money will go towards rebuilding the lives of over 25,000 domestic abuse survivors, including over 2,200 new beds in refuges and other safe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-minister-confirms-22m-for-councils-to-support-domestic-abuse-survivors 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-minister-confirms-22m-for-councils-to-support-domestic-abuse-survivors Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:15:00 GMT Scottish local government members have voted to reject a 3% pay rise from COSLA as Unison moves towards the possibility of a council pay strike. Unison said its members voted overwhelmingly against the offer, with two-thirds of local government members saying they were prepared to strike over unfair pay. The local government umbrella... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-strikes-loom-as-local-government-union-rejects-3-pay-offer- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-strikes-loom-as-local-government-union-rejects-3-pay-offer- Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:00:00 GMT Rose Lasko-Skinner, researcher at Reform, is currently working on a paper looking at choice and competition in the public sector and has written on how failure to understand risk makes for poor procurement practices. Here, she discusses the importance of social value. The “state of crisis” declared in HM Prison Birmingham in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-in-public-procurement 436,440,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-in-public-procurement Mon, 12 Nov 2018 10:00:00 GMT Cardiff council has set out an array of cuts to public services along with a 4.3% hike in council tax and capping school’s budget growth as the authority needs to make £35m to plug a funding gap. The local authority faces a budget gap of £93m over the next three years and needs £36.8m extra funding to maintain is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-council-sets-out-plans-for-service-cuts-to-fund-35m-budget-blackhole- 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-council-sets-out-plans-for-service-cuts-to-fund-35m-budget-blackhole- Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:45:00 GMT Many of the requirements from buyers posted on the Digital Marketplace were either non-compliant or poorly worded, which resulted in challenges from suppliers and delayed timescales for buyers. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) decided to go out and talk to its users to train them to create better, more targeted content, reveals Emilia Cedeno... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-digital-buying-community-is-live 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-digital-buying-community-is-live Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:45:00 GMT The South Bank plan, which refers to a number of investments and proposed activities across a massive plot of land south of the River Aire, is one of Europe’s largest city-centre regeneration initiatives. Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, looks ahead at what’s in store. Leeds is a city with enormous ambition and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-force-to-be-reckoned-with 447,433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-force-to-be-reckoned-with Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:30:00 GMT As councils across England struggle with their finances in the face of massive cuts from central government, Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), assesses the risk of ‘core offers’ becoming the norm. After difficult budget discussions, we have seen several stories in the press on the financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/less-for-less-the-risk-of-core-offers- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/less-for-less-the-risk-of-core-offers- Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:15:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has spent £1.7m on an audit report on the work carried out by Carillion, finding “a range of issues” and “major elements unsuitably executed.” The report shows that the county council spent £123m on a total of 602 projects with the construction giant, and uncovered a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-spends-17m-on-audit-for-work-carried-out-by-carillion 435,433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-spends-17m-on-audit-for-work-carried-out-by-carillion Fri, 09 Nov 2018 16:15:00 GMT Cumbria County Council has submitted proposals for moving to a unitary system which will go before the council next week. Cumbria CC members will be asked to vote on a local government reorganisation which would see the county council and six district councils combine its responsibilities. According to the report due to go in front... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-council-prepares-to-vote-on-unitary-reorganisation-proposals- 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-council-prepares-to-vote-on-unitary-reorganisation-proposals- Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:45:00 GMT Staff members at Shropshire Council will have to work from home 12 days a year and have been put under a spending freeze in order for the local authority to make required savings. As reported on by the Shropshire Star, across the county staff will take ‘environment’ days on the last Friday of every month, in addition to chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shropshire-council-to-enforce-spending-freeze-and-work-from-home-days-in-bid-to-save-cash 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shropshire-council-to-enforce-spending-freeze-and-work-from-home-days-in-bid-to-save-cash Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:15:00 GMT North of Tyne leaders vote to approve a key strategic document outlining their vision and early funding opportunities for the new combined authority. The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), fresh from its “once-in-a-generation” £600m devolution announced last week, hosted its first ever cabinet meeting in Morperth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-tynes-new-combined-authority-sets-out-its-ambitions-for-devolved-600m-fund 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-tynes-new-combined-authority-sets-out-its-ambitions-for-devolved-600m-fund Fri, 09 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT A town in Shropshire is threatening to leave its current council and join a neighbouring council in a row with funding. Broseley Town Council is considering leaving Shropshire Council in favour of Telford and Wrekin Council in what has been dubbed ‘Broxit’. The town council has submitted proposals to request a community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-shropshire-town-threatens-to-jump-councils-in-broxit-proposal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-shropshire-town-threatens-to-jump-councils-in-broxit-proposal Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:30:00 GMT Councils are to be given £2m in government funding to tackle “rogue landlords” who break the law by offering inadequate or unsafe housing. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that councils will be able to bid for the funding in a move by the government to “clamp down on squalid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-2m-for-crackdown-on-rogue-landlords 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-2m-for-crackdown-on-rogue-landlords Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council is proposing dimming its streetlights overnight, closing community centres, and a 4.99% council tax hike as it tries to find up to £86m in savings in the next four years. Publishing its 2019-20 budget proposals, the council said it needs to make £50 savings in the next year alone and called it the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-proposes-job-cuts-and-dimming-street-lights-to-make-50m-savings 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-proposes-job-cuts-and-dimming-street-lights-to-make-50m-savings Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:00:00 GMT The City of Edinburgh Council’s plans to build 20,000 new affordable homes in the Scottish capital now face a funding black hole of £77m. The authority’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), announced this time last year, is to deliver 20,000 affordable homes over the next 10 years in what is the council’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-20000-affordable-homes-strategy-to-leave-edinburgh-with-77m-funding-deficit 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-20000-affordable-homes-strategy-to-leave-edinburgh-with-77m-funding-deficit Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:30:00 GMT Cllr Roger Lawrence of Wolverhampton Council has been named as Leader of the Year as members of local government up and down the country have been recognised in the 2018 Councillor Achievement Awards. The annual awards ceremony, organised by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), were held last night in London to celebrate the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dedicated-and-hugely-talented-councillors-across-the-country-win-awards 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dedicated-and-hugely-talented-councillors-across-the-country-win-awards Wed, 07 Nov 2018 14:45:00 GMT Thurrock Council is considering legal action against Highways England for its Lower Thames Crossing proposals which will create a “visible scar” on the landscape. The new road, which will be the largest road tunnel in the UK, will connect Thurrock, Kent and Essex. It’s forecasted that more than 27 million drivers will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unitary-council-threatens-highways-england-with-legal-action-over-lower-thames-crossing 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unitary-council-threatens-highways-england-with-legal-action-over-lower-thames-crossing Wed, 07 Nov 2018 13:00:00 GMT Plans to integrate children’s services at Cornwall Council are to be discussed by the cabinet despite protests that parents could end up being charged to use the services. Cornwall Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the ‘One Vision’ Partnership Plan, which will decide who will run the services when around 235 health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-at-crossroads-over-plans-for-means-tested-childrens-services 436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-at-crossroads-over-plans-for-means-tested-childrens-services Tue, 06 Nov 2018 17:15:00 GMT Children’s services in England and Wales will face an inquiry launched by MPs after concerns have been raised about the sector’s funding and spending levels. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee announced the inquiry today following findings that children’s services across the country are faced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-select-committee-launches-inquiry-into-childrens-services-funding-and-spending 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-select-committee-launches-inquiry-into-childrens-services-funding-and-spending Tue, 06 Nov 2018 17:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council is considering increasing council tax by up to 4% as the authority reveals it needs to save a further £6.1m in order to plug its budget. The city council is trying to address its future budget challenges and has launched a consultation into how much more residents are willing to pay as part of its 2019-20 budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-considers-4-tax-hike-to-balance-its-budget 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-considers-4-tax-hike-to-balance-its-budget Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:45:00 GMT The financially-struggling East Sussex County Council has announced its ‘core offer’ of services today, including the possibility of staff redundancies as the authority looks to balance the books. The council document, signed by chief executive Becky Shaw, which will be discussed by the Cabinet next week, outlined its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-county-council-announces-core-offer-of-services-including-staff-redundancies-risk 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-county-council-announces-core-offer-of-services-including-staff-redundancies-risk Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:30:00 GMT The new chief executive of one of the new unitary authorities in Dorset has outlined his approach to culture and work with employees, arguing that this will be the “right decision” for the county. Speaking to PSE, Matt Prosser, who will lead Dorset Council – a new unitary which will come into existence in April next year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-dorset-councils-ceo-on-merger-of-six-authorities-this-is-going-to-be-the-right-decision-for-dorset 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-dorset-councils-ceo-on-merger-of-six-authorities-this-is-going-to-be-the-right-decision-for-dorset Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:15:00 GMT Protests have been held against Southampton City Council’s decision to close its two remaining care homes. The Labour-run council says it would save £1.3m if the two care homes were shut down, but protesters and unions say the move would leave around 50 elderly residents losing their homes and 80 care staff under threat of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/demonstrators-protest-against-councils-callous-plan-to-close-its-last-two-care-homes 436,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/demonstrators-protest-against-councils-callous-plan-to-close-its-last-two-care-homes Mon, 05 Nov 2018 11:45:00 GMT Councils have called for the Scottish Budget to deliver a 2.5% increase in local government funding, warning they have “no options left” for savings. Council umbrella body Cosla today launched a briefing document, outlining its Budget demands including scrapping the 3% cap on council tax and giving local authorities the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-issue-budget-warning-to-scottish-government-that-they-have-no-options-left 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-issue-budget-warning-to-scottish-government-that-they-have-no-options-left Mon, 05 Nov 2018 10:30:00 GMT Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s debt has risen to over £420m this year, but leaders have insisted it is “good borrowing” with the city’s long-term future in mind. The local authority has taken out a further £25m of long-term loans for projects such as private sector housing and improving highways which it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-defend-stoke-on-trents-420m-debt-as-good-borrowing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-defend-stoke-on-trents-420m-debt-as-good-borrowing Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:45:00 GMT Central government needs to change its approach to local transport planning and investment, including by consolidating funding and maximising devolution opportunities, argues Tom Thackray, the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) infrastructure director. In the past few months, many of us will have relied on our local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-two-speed-england 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-two-speed-england Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:15:00 GMT Cllr Peter Fleming OBE, chair of the LGA’s Improvement & Innovation Board and leader of Sevenoaks District Council, looks at how technology can improve the productivity of public-sector workers. Across the country, councils have been harnessing the power of digital tools and solutions to improve outcomes for their residents for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovating-workforce-productivity- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovating-workforce-productivity- Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:15:00 GMT Peter Schofield, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) collaborative procurement programme manager, looks back at the region’s history of adopting social value policy and outlines what lessons his team has learned as a result. Procurement was identified by the New Local Government Network’s Jessica Studdert in March... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-in-greater-manchester-lessons-learned- 447,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-in-greater-manchester-lessons-learned- Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:15:00 GMT PSE take a look at smarter, data-driven ways of working to improve value-based spending ahead of next year's Spending Review.  It’s been almost 10 years since austerity measures first scythed through the public sector. In that time, all traditional methods of cutting costs have been tried and tried again. Reductions to budgets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-chances-are-youll-have-to-get-smarter-with-budget-but-how- 438,439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-chances-are-youll-have-to-get-smarter-with-budget-but-how- Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:00:00 GMT Debt problems can have detrimental effects on people’s wellbeing, the economy and public services. Charles Nancarrow, director of regulation and trade at the National Audit Office (NAO), talks us through part of his organisation’s latest report into tackling problem debt. Over-indebtedness, or problem debt, which is defined as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-problem-debt 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-problem-debt Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:00:00 GMT Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the North of Tyne authorities leading on housing and chief executive of Newcastle City Council, outlines her vision for the region as it walks towards a groundbreaking devolution deal. A new political era is dawning in the north east. The devolution deal that we negotiated with the government is currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-a-new-future-and-political-dawn 447,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-a-new-future-and-political-dawn Mon, 05 Nov 2018 07:30:00 GMT The five existing local authorities in Buckinghamshire will be abolished in favour of a unitary council that will come into effect in April 2020, the communities secretary has announced. The current two-tier structure of Buckinghamshire County Council, and the district councils of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe, will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-councils-to-be-merged-into-single-unitary-as-brokenshire-backs-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-councils-to-be-merged-into-single-unitary-as-brokenshire-backs-bid Fri, 02 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT Ministers have signed a £600m devolution deal for the North of Tyne in a “once-in-a-generation” transferring of devolved power and investment to a new combined authority. The Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry signed the parliamentary order last night, confirming the devolution deal covering three North of Tyne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/once-in-a-generation-600m-devolution-deal-agreed-for-north-of-tyne 436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/once-in-a-generation-600m-devolution-deal-agreed-for-north-of-tyne Fri, 02 Nov 2018 12:15:00 GMT A new report from the Carnegie UK Trust has argued that public bodies and policy must be more open, fair, and responsive to emotion and human connection, arguing that focusing on emotional intelligence is just as importance as investing in AI technologies. Julia Unwin CBE recently wrote for PSE to raise the issue of kindness in public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regulation-and-efficiency-has-crowded-out-human-kindness-in-public-policy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regulation-and-efficiency-has-crowded-out-human-kindness-in-public-policy Fri, 02 Nov 2018 12:00:00 GMT The mayor of the Sheffield City Region has renewed his call for greater devolved powers across the country following what was called a “missed opportunity” with chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget on Monday. Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening, Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central who was elected to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scr-mayor-jarvis-reaffirms-call-for-greater-devolved-powers-after-missed-opportunity-budget 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scr-mayor-jarvis-reaffirms-call-for-greater-devolved-powers-after-missed-opportunity-budget Thu, 01 Nov 2018 16:45:00 GMT  Southend council have set out plans to campaign for an extension to Crossrail, a fourth river crossing east of the Lower Thames crossing, and a number of other infrastructure schemes in an ambitious five-year plan for the region. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has unveiled its draft five-year roadmap which outlines a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southend-council-sets-out-ambitious-campaign-for-fourth-thames-crossing-and-crossrail-extension 433,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southend-council-sets-out-ambitious-campaign-for-fourth-thames-crossing-and-crossrail-extension Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:15:00 GMT Greenwich council is to give a legal payout to thousands of members of staff following a five-year legal dispute over holiday pay. Part-time cleaners, teaching assistants, catering, admin workers, school meal workers and other staff – a vast majority of whom are women – are set to receive a pay out in the hundreds of thousands... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-council-staff-to-receive-pay-out-after-five-year-legal-battle- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-council-staff-to-receive-pay-out-after-five-year-legal-battle- Thu, 01 Nov 2018 12:45:00 GMT Highland Council has warned that its reserves are at “the lowest levels in recent history” and has asked for help from the public on how to plug a budget deficit of £66.7m over the next three years. The local authority has asked for feedback from staff, trade unions, councillors and the public, seeking ideas on how to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highland-council-turns-to-the-public-to-help-fight-67m-budget-deficit- 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highland-council-turns-to-the-public-to-help-fight-67m-budget-deficit- Thu, 01 Nov 2018 12:30:00 GMT Economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have warned that the Budget is “no bonanza,” and that public services “are going to feel squeezed for some time to come.” In its post-budget analysis, the think-tank’s director Paul Johnson said that this budget is “a bit of a gamble,” noting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/this-is-no-bonanza--public-services-will-continue-to-be-squeezed-post-budget-ifs-warns 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/this-is-no-bonanza--public-services-will-continue-to-be-squeezed-post-budget-ifs-warns Thu, 01 Nov 2018 09:30:00 GMT Homes England has revealed its five-year strategic plan to deliver and face the long-term housing challenges across the country,  arguing that it will “disrupt the housing market.” The public body, which replaced the Homes and Communities Agency at the start of the year, aims to unlock both public and private land in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-year-strategic-plan-from-homes-england-will-disrupt-the-housing-market- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-year-strategic-plan-from-homes-england-will-disrupt-the-housing-market- Wed, 31 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT The mayor of the Sheffield City Region has delivered an impassioned speech on the state of local government in the UK following the chancellor’s Budget, claiming that councils have been “smeared with accusations of profligacy.” During a debate yesterday, Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, claimed that Philip... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-mayor-delivers-passionate-post-budget-speech-claiming-councils-have-been-smeared-with-profligacy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-mayor-delivers-passionate-post-budget-speech-claiming-councils-have-been-smeared-with-profligacy Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:15:00 GMT An inquiry has found that the least socially mobile areas in England are counties, held back by “outdated” and “inequitable” council funding and the false idea that they are ‘well-off.’  These are the finding of ‘Social Mobility in Counties,’ a report carried out by the County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-mobility-of-counties-fettered-by-outdated-and-unfair-council-funding-system- 436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-mobility-of-counties-fettered-by-outdated-and-unfair-council-funding-system- Wed, 31 Oct 2018 09:15:00 GMT The director for the Northern Powerhouse has outlined his concern at the government’s intention of funding the region post-Brexit, arguing that “we haven’t seen enough long-term commitment." Speaking at an event in Manchester on Friday, Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said “much of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-director-on-post-brexit-funding-we-havent-seen-long-term-commitment 2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-director-on-post-brexit-funding-we-havent-seen-long-term-commitment Tue, 30 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT Controversial Public Finance Initiative (PFI) and PF2 contracts that led to the stalling of the construction of major hospitals in Liverpool and Birmingham have been abolished by the chancellor in yesterday’s Budget announcement. Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Philip Hammond definitively told MPs he would “never”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-pfi-contracts-abolished-by-chancellor-in-budget-announcement 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-pfi-contracts-abolished-by-chancellor-in-budget-announcement Tue, 30 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT Bradford council’s children services have been rated ‘inadequate’ after leaving children “at serious risk of harm,” Ofsted has found. Its report found that services for children in Bradford had “rapidly deteriorated” since the previous inspection in April 2017, with too many children not getting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-finds-inadequate-bradford-childrens-services-have-rapidly-deteriorated 435,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-finds-inadequate-bradford-childrens-services-have-rapidly-deteriorated Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:30:00 GMT Philip Hammond’s Budget promises will not be enough to deliver the one million homes planned for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc without intensive government efforts, warns the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC). In his Autumn Budget, the chancellor unveiled £20m extra funding for the central section of the East West Rail line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-promises-not-enough-to-unlock-rail-and-housing-in-oxford-cambridge-arc 433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-promises-not-enough-to-unlock-rail-and-housing-in-oxford-cambridge-arc Tue, 30 Oct 2018 12:45:00 GMT Councils could find themselves with a massive £30bn bill if private firms fail to improve how they deliver local services, according to a new report from Localis. The report, ‘Ethical Commercialism,’ found that moving all local services in-house would put a £30bn dent in the public purse, and potentially disrupt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-30bn-bill-unless-private-firms-act-with-fairness-and-decency- 438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-30bn-bill-unless-private-firms-act-with-fairness-and-decency- Tue, 30 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT A massive £5.5bn infrastructure fund capable of building 650,000 homes and just £84m dedicated to children’s social care were some of the highlights from chancellor Philip Hammond’s whistle-stop Budget announced to the Commons today. One of the key features from Hammond’s speech was £500m dedicated to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pse-budget-roundup-500m-housing-fund-84m-granted-to-childrens-services 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pse-budget-roundup-500m-housing-fund-84m-granted-to-childrens-services Mon, 29 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMT Local authorities in England will receive £420m to grapple with the nation’s growing pothole crisis in chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget announcement today. Alongside a commitment of £28.8bn to upgrading England’s road networks, the £420m cash boost will build on the existing fund of almost £300m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-allocates-420m-to-deal-with-the-uks-pothole-crisis-in-budget 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-allocates-420m-to-deal-with-the-uks-pothole-crisis-in-budget Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT Almost £1bn extra will be allocated for social care in England, chancellor Philip Hammond will announce in the Budget later today. As reported by major media outlets yesterday, Hammond is expected to allocate more than £800m for councils, with another £100m for children, giving local government a much-needed boost to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-to-pledge-almost-1bn-extra-for-social-care-in-budget-announcement 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-to-pledge-almost-1bn-extra-for-social-care-in-budget-announcement Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT A surge in the number of children supported through a child protection plan of more than 2,700 is pushing councils “to the brink,” the LGA has warned. Figures published by the Department for Education show that 53,790 children were being supported through child protection plans on 31 March, a 5.31% increase on the previous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-on-the-brink-after-surge-in-children-protection-plans- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-on-the-brink-after-surge-in-children-protection-plans- Mon, 29 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT Resolving the equal pay dispute at Glasgow City Council will cost the city “hundreds of millions of pounds,” the council’s SNP leader has admitted. Susan Aitken has warned that “justice comes with a price,” that the “massive cost” would be difficult for the council, and that there would be no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgows-equal-pay-clash-will-cost-the-city-hundreds-of-millions 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgows-equal-pay-clash-will-cost-the-city-hundreds-of-millions Mon, 29 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT Councils could generate £320bn for the UK economy over 50 years if they were given funding in today’s Budget to build a “new generation” of social housing. Major investment in new, high-quality council housing would see returned income generated through rents and also create savings in the annual housing benefit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investment-in-new-generation-of-social-housing-could-generate-320bn-for-economy 433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investment-in-new-generation-of-social-housing-could-generate-320bn-for-economy Mon, 29 Oct 2018 09:30:00 GMT Lilian Greenwood, chair of the Transport Select Committee, discusses the inquiry that MPs are launching into the state of England’s local road network. The “appalling condition of virtually every road” in the UK is a “terrible epidemic” and a “national scandal bordering on criminal negligence.”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-roads-and-governance-an-inquiry- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-roads-and-governance-an-inquiry- Mon, 29 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT Glen Garrod, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), explores the thorny issue of funding ahead of the government’s forthcoming green paper. As the voice of social care teams across the country, ADASS is determined to help social care teams deliver care which both reduces pressure on our NHS and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-has-reduced-pressures-on-the-nhs-now-the-pressures-must-reduce-on-care-too 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-has-reduced-pressures-on-the-nhs-now-the-pressures-must-reduce-on-care-too Mon, 29 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT Ben Carpenter, chief executive of Social Value UK, argues that, before we start measuring social value, we should ask clearly: what is it, and why does it matter? Social value is so much more than a value-for-money exercise. If you see social value as simply a new catchphrase for ‘efficiency savings’ or ‘proving how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-what-is-it-and-why 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-what-is-it-and-why Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT The Northern Gateway will be one of the largest residential-led regeneration schemes in the UK when the project hits the ground in the coming months, explains Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council. Rightly lauded in the same regeneration echelons as Hulme in the early 90s and east Manchester before and after the 2002... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-northern-gateway- 447,2899,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-northern-gateway- Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT Councils are to be provided with free access to thousands of satellite images and radar data from satellites to help with planning and development projects. The UK Space Agency’s Space for Smarter Government Programme (SSGP) will give local authorities high-resolution images which will provide an “unprecedented level of detail... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-get-free-access-to-satellite-images-and-data-from-uk-space-programme 438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-get-free-access-to-satellite-images-and-data-from-uk-space-programme Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:45:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has today revealed plans to revitalise town centres across the region. The collaborative project between the WMCA and local councils will target the Bilston, the St Thomas Quarter in Dudley, Bordesley Green in Birmingham, St Matthews Quarter in Walsall, and West Bromwich town centres. High... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-and-local-councils-to-transform-the-regions-town-centres- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-and-local-councils-to-transform-the-regions-town-centres- Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT Campaigners have warned that plans to build one million new homes in the south of England will “concrete over an area of countryside the size of Birmingham.” However, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has argued that the area’s economic future “can be secured while protecting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-cambridge-arc-million-house-housing-plan-risks-birmingham-sized-are-of-countryside- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-cambridge-arc-million-house-housing-plan-risks-birmingham-sized-are-of-countryside- Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT Half of English adults have never thought about how they will pay for care when they get older, and only 15% say they are making plans to pay for care they might need in the future, a national public polling by the LGA has revealed. It found that the “overwhelming majority” of people have not made any plans for how they will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unprepared-and-unaware-28-think-social-care-is-free-at-point-of-access 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unprepared-and-unaware-28-think-social-care-is-free-at-point-of-access Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:15:00 GMT A children’s home run by Suffolk County Council was found to have “serious and widespread failures,” meaning vulnerable children were not protected, an Ofsted report has found. An inspection on the children’s home – which cares for children aged between eight and 13 who may have experienced neglect, emotional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-council-run-childrens-home-for-most-vulnerable-rated-inadequate-by-ofsted 435,436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-council-run-childrens-home-for-most-vulnerable-rated-inadequate-by-ofsted Thu, 25 Oct 2018 14:00:00 GMT Local authorities are underfunding homecare on a massive scale and are buying homecare for the elderly “on the cheap,” a major report by the association representing the providers of homecare has found. The United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) found that the average councils in the UK has spent just £16.12 per... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-one-in-seven-councils-pay-the-recommended-minimum-price-for-elderly-homecare- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-one-in-seven-councils-pay-the-recommended-minimum-price-for-elderly-homecare- Thu, 25 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT The date that councils will receive their local government finance settlement for 2019-20 has been announced as 6 December. This follows the announcement by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government that they will aim for local authorities to receive their provisional and final local government finance settlements on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-settlement-dates-for-councils-unveiled-to-help-provide-more-certainty-over-budgets 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-settlement-dates-for-councils-unveiled-to-help-provide-more-certainty-over-budgets Thu, 25 Oct 2018 10:30:00 GMT The mayor of London has announced a £1bn scheme for 26 London boroughs to build an extra 11,000 council homes at social rent levels, plus a further 3,750 other homes in a bid to tackle the housing crisis. Sadiq Khan announced that under the new ‘Building Council Homes for Londoners’ programme, the first-ever city hall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-announces-1bn-plan-to-build-11000-new-council-homes-in-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-announces-1bn-plan-to-build-11000-new-council-homes-in-london Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT An extra £3.2bn is needed each year to reverse the impact that government cuts to the public health grant has had on health services. The public health grant – which enables local authorities to deliver vital public services such as obesity programmes, drug and alcohol services and sexual health services – has seen a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-services-need-32bn-funding-to-reverse-impact-of-government-cuts- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-services-need-32bn-funding-to-reverse-impact-of-government-cuts- Wed, 24 Oct 2018 13:00:00 GMT A dedicated national social care service could be a potential solution to surging demand burdening acute health providers over the winter months, the new president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has suggested. In an interview with NHE, Professor Andrew Goddard said the general public “does not really understand” the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-can-winter-pressures-be-dealt-with-introduce-a-national-social-care-service-rcp-president-suggests- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-can-winter-pressures-be-dealt-with-introduce-a-national-social-care-service-rcp-president-suggests- Wed, 24 Oct 2018 12:45:00 GMT Local authorities receive 5,100 new requests for adult social care support every day, a total of 1.8 million requests in 2017-18. The figure is a 1.6% increase from 2016-17, with over 70% of the requests coming from people aged 65 and over, figures from NHS Digital have revealed. Councils last year spent a total of £17.9bn on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-receive-over-5000-requests-for-adult-social-care-every-day- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-receive-over-5000-requests-for-adult-social-care-every-day- Wed, 24 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT Tim Skinner, head of central government at BT, discusses Intelligent Connectivity, and how it’s transformating central government. It’s no secret that central government agencies and departments face new challenges like delivering focused services to ever more demanding citizens; citizens that want instant online access to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/intelligent-connectivity-is-transforming-central-government 439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/intelligent-connectivity-is-transforming-central-government Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:00:00 GMT Danny Longbottom, director of local government and health at BT, takes a look at public sector frameworks, and explains what his organisation can do to help. Everyone in the public sector is feeling the squeeze. The pressure to reduce costs grows daily. But so does the pressure to deliver economic growth and improve the quality of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-so-great-about-public-sector-frameworks 439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-so-great-about-public-sector-frameworks Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:00:00 GMT The interim chief executive of Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has stood down from her post “to pursue other opportunities” with immediate effect. Manjeet Gill stepped down from her role five months before she was expected to after being taken on for just a six-month contract, which turned into a much longer assignment as she... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wokingham-council-interim-boss-steps-down-as-ceo-search-goes-on 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wokingham-council-interim-boss-steps-down-as-ceo-search-goes-on Tue, 23 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMT Glasgow council workers have staged one of the UK’s biggest strikes in a 48-hour protest against unequal pay for women, with hundreds of schools shutting down and home care services affected. An estimated 8,000 protesters have taken to the streets after a “lack of progress” around equal pay claims from thousands of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equal-pay-protest-sees-8000-glasgow-council-workers-strike-for-two-days 436,442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equal-pay-protest-sees-8000-glasgow-council-workers-strike-for-two-days Tue, 23 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT Tributes have been paid to the deputy leader of Cumbria County Council Ian Stewart following the death of the 65-year-old Liberal Democrat councillor. He suffered a heart attack in his home near Milnthorpe and passed away on Monday morning. Stewart was the leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, as well as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tributes-paid-to-the-deputy-leader-of-cumbria-county-council-ian-stewart 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tributes-paid-to-the-deputy-leader-of-cumbria-county-council-ian-stewart Tue, 23 Oct 2018 14:45:00 GMT Tighter recycling contamination restrictions in the wake of China’s imported waste ban have directly hit at least a fifth of councils, the LGA has revealed. China’s restrictions on imports of mixed paper and certain types of plastic has resulted in the worst effected councils see their costs for sorting recycling increased by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/china-ban-adds-500000-in-recycling-contamination-costs-to-councils 436,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/china-ban-adds-500000-in-recycling-contamination-costs-to-councils Mon, 22 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT Rules preventing people found guilty of serious crimes from serving on local councils will be strengthened after a public consultation, the government has announced. Local government minister Rishi Sunak announced the changes to rules that mean anyone convicted of a serious offence that results in a sentence covered under the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-disqualification-rules-for-people-guilty-of-serious-crimes-serving-in-councils 454,2899,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-disqualification-rules-for-people-guilty-of-serious-crimes-serving-in-councils Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT Pembrokeshire is facing the prospect of a 28% rise in council tax or extensive job cuts to meet services after several warnings about the county council’s “grim” financial situation. Finance director Jon Haswell said the council, based on current predictions, would need council tax to rise by 28% unless services were cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-warns-of-28-rise-in-council-tax-or-mass-job-cuts-needed-to-meet-services 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-warns-of-28-rise-in-council-tax-or-mass-job-cuts-needed-to-meet-services Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:00:00 GMT Wigan Borough Council is leading the way with its innovative approach to integrated health and care. We hear from the Healthier Wigan Partnership about the work they’ve been doing to improve people’s lives and transform their health and wellbeing. The ‘Deal for Health and Wellness’ is Wigan Borough Council’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-good-health-a-reality-in-wigan 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-good-health-a-reality-in-wigan Mon, 22 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT Georgina Maratheftis, programme manager for local government at techUK, paints a picture of what the council of the future could look like – and just how we might get there. It’s a universally acknowledged truth that local government continues to face financial constraints whilst still having to deliver lots of services and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-council-of-the-future- 439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-council-of-the-future- Mon, 22 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT Liverpool already boasts the best in class when it comes to innovation – but no city can rest on its laurels. Joe Anderson, the city’s mayor, talks about the ongoing development of the Knowledge Quarter Gateway. Knowledge is power. It’s an age-old saying, but in the 21st century cities across the world are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/knowledge-quarter-the-pieces-of-the-jigsaw- 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/knowledge-quarter-the-pieces-of-the-jigsaw- Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT Finland’s local government structure is going through a set of reforms as municipalities across the small Nordic nation continue to merge. Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the LGiU, and Suvi Loponen, LGiU associate, examine the local government structure of Finland and how it compares to the UK. Known as one of the happiest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-in-finland- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-in-finland- Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT Now in its second year, the People’s Powerhouse Conference promises to celebrate achievements and find new solutions to ensure better lives for all of those in the north. PSE’s Luana Salles looks ahead to November’s event. For those of you who don’t recall how the People’s Powerhouse was born, here’s a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-doors-of-the-powerhouse-are-open-once-again 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-doors-of-the-powerhouse-are-open-once-again Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT Councils have been warned not to expose public funds to “unnecessary or unquantified risk” when borrowing to invest in commercial property in a statement from CIPFA. In a joint statement, CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman and Richard Paver, chair of the CIPFA Treasury and Capital management panel, reminded councils that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-warns-councils-against-exposing-public-money-to-risk-in-commercial-property-investment- 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-warns-councils-against-exposing-public-money-to-risk-in-commercial-property-investment- Fri, 19 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT The government is still “a long way” from achieving an effective strategy for integrated health and social care and progress has been blocked by a “council squeeze,” MPs say. In a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), they warned that despite “a lot of talk within government” over how to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-face-no-realistic-prospect-of-progress-for-integrated-care-warn-mps 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-face-no-realistic-prospect-of-progress-for-integrated-care-warn-mps Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT Plans to build “upwards” for the first time in Oxford city centre in a bid to tackle a major shortage of housing have been approved by the city council. The new plans will focus on building more homes, including social housing and affordable housing, as building upwards and increasing density could lead to a possible 8,000 new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-housing-plan-to-build-upwards-approved-by-city-council 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-housing-plan-to-build-upwards-approved-by-city-council Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT Lancashire County Council (LCC) has awarded a controversial £104m healthcare contract to Virgin Care for the second time after a hearing in the High Court ordered a re-evaluation of the decision. The contract to run LCC’s Healthy Child Programme ‘0 to 19’ was originally awarded to the private company, but two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-strips-contract-from-nhs-trusts-and-hands-it-to-virgin-after-high-court-row 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-strips-contract-from-nhs-trusts-and-hands-it-to-virgin-after-high-court-row Thu, 18 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMT The government has released the first £248m share of funding for councils to start removing unsafe cladding from their high-rise tower blocks. Twelve local authorities and 31 housing associations have been told that they will receive part of the estimated £400m funding announced by Theresa May earlier this year following the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/twelve-councils-given-first-share-of-400m-fund-to-remove-unsafe-tower-block-cladding 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/twelve-councils-given-first-share-of-400m-fund-to-remove-unsafe-tower-block-cladding Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:45:00 GMT Nottingham County Council has agreed to go into partnership with a regeneration specialist to prepare the region for the new East Midlands HS2 station. Nottinghamshire’s selection as the location of the East Midlands HS2 rail hub offers a “once in a generation” opportunity for the local and national economy and provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-council-in-hs2-partnership-to-deliver-once-in-a-generation-opportunity 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-council-in-hs2-partnership-to-deliver-once-in-a-generation-opportunity Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:15:00 GMT Gloucestershire County Council has been described as being “rudderless” and in a “crisis of leadership” after the resignation of its fourth director in a year. The strategic director for finance Jo Walker has announced that she is leaving the council to become the chief executive at North Somerset Council after 30... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rudderless-gloucester-council-in-crisis-of-leadership-after-fourth-director-quits 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rudderless-gloucester-council-in-crisis-of-leadership-after-fourth-director-quits Thu, 18 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT Councillors have endorsed a “milestone” plan to transform Leeds station in preparation for HS2 arriving in the area. The Leeds City Council executive board approved the strategic outline business case, the detailed transformational plans for the rail station which will “maximise the potential of high-speed rail” in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-approve-plans-for-hs2-transformation-at-leeds-station 433,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-approve-plans-for-hs2-transformation-at-leeds-station Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT Almost 16,000 babies are growing up in “toxic” households where they are at risk of harm following unprecedented financial strain on children’ services, according to a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England. The ‘Crying Shame’ report shows that there are 15,800 babies under the age of one are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-babies-at-risk-of-harm-due-to-childrens-services-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-babies-at-risk-of-harm-due-to-childrens-services-cuts Wed, 17 Oct 2018 15:30:00 GMT The allocation of new £240m winter funding for local authorities to spend on adult social care has been announced. The extra funding was announced by health and social care secretary Matt Hancock earlier this month in preparation of increased winter pressures and to free up beds by reducing delayed transfers of care. General... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-allocations-for-240m-social-care-funding-revealed 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-allocations-for-240m-social-care-funding-revealed Wed, 17 Oct 2018 12:45:00 GMT Labour have managed to take control of a Conservative-led council following an “internal war” among the Tory councillors, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats managing to form a minority administration. South Ribble Borough Council elected Labour’s Paul Foster as the leader of the Conservative majority council mere... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scandal-hit-conservative-council-elects-labour-leader 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scandal-hit-conservative-council-elects-labour-leader Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:30:00 GMT UK councils detected or prevented a total of £302m in fraud in 2017-18, according to CIPFA. The organisation found that the number of fraud cases had increased compared to last year from 75,000 to 80,000, although the amount of money related to the cases was £34m less than in 2016-17. The CPIFA Fraud and Corruption... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-found-more-than-300m-in-fraud-during-2017-18 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-found-more-than-300m-in-fraud-during-2017-18 Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT A former employee of Westminster City Council has been found guilty of stealing nearly £1m from the council pension fund. Ian Woodall, the former interim head of pensions and investments at the council, was yesterday convicted of one charge of fraud by abuse of position and a second charge of concealing criminal property at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-pension-fund-manager-of-westminster-council-found-guilty-of-1m-fraud 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-pension-fund-manager-of-westminster-council-found-guilty-of-1m-fraud Tue, 16 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT Demonstrators and parents have gathered outside County Hall in Norwich to protest against planned mass children’s centre closures as Norfolk County Council meet to discuss the proposals. The council is currently undergoing public consultation over plans to shut down 46 out of the council’s 53 centres when their contracts end... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protesters-gather-as-councillors-meet-to-discuss-mass-childrens-centre-closures 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protesters-gather-as-councillors-meet-to-discuss-mass-childrens-centre-closures Mon, 15 Oct 2018 14:15:00 GMT The chief executive of Wigan Council Donna Hall CBE has announced her retirement, after winning national acclaim for forging a new model of local government during her eight years in charge. Politicians and senior figures from across the borough have paid tribute to the retiring chief executive, who has said she will step down in summer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wigan-council-ceo-donna-hall-announces-retirement- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wigan-council-ceo-donna-hall-announces-retirement- Mon, 15 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT  Research from Cambridge University has revealed that English councils have been hit twice as hard as councils in Scotland and Wales by spending cuts. The analysis found that local authorities in England have suffered an average spending fall of almost 24% since 2010 compared to 12% in Wales and 11.5% in Scotland, which represents an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/study-shows-english-councils-suffering-territorial-injustice-from-government-spending-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/study-shows-english-councils-suffering-territorial-injustice-from-government-spending-cuts Mon, 15 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT We have learned a lot since the last National Social Value Conference, with many organisations both in the public and private sectors now embedding social value into commissioning and procurement. Guy Battle, chief executive at Social Value Portal (pictured), reveals what to expect at this year’s conference, taking place in Manchester on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspiring-leadership-in-social-value 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspiring-leadership-in-social-value Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:15:00 GMT Tom Leaver, project manager at Future Cities Catapult, examines the rationale behind the creation of the City Data Sharing Toolkit, and explores how this is driving a seismic shift in how cities evolve into our data-rich future. We’re used to big-screen sci-fi future cities being dystopian monoliths to everything wrong with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-cities-should-become 438,439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-cities-should-become Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:15:00 GMT David Phillips, associate director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, discusses the current health of local government finance, and how a better formula could help manage this situation. In recent months, my conversations with colleagues and councils seem to be increasingly focused on one thing: pie. Not any old pie though: the funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-fair-funding-possible-or-pie-in-the-sky- 447,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-fair-funding-possible-or-pie-in-the-sky- Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT On 6 September, the biggest decision-makers of the north joined forces to celebrate and debate how to drive innovation and improvement through the region in the first-ever Convention of the North. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and one of the leading lights behind the partnership, sat down with PSE’s Jack Donnelly to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-the-momentum-of-the-northern-powerhouse 447,451,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-the-momentum-of-the-northern-powerhouse Mon, 15 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, discusses the findings of the very first Convention of the North, which was held in Newcastle on 6 September. The UK is the most politically centralised country in the Western world, and at the same time the most economically unbalanced. While London booms, 47% of the UK population... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-convention-of-the-north 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-convention-of-the-north Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:30:00 GMT Fracking will restart in the UK for the first time in seven years on Saturday after campaigners lost a late legal challenge against Lancashire County Council (LCC). Cuadrilla said it was delighted to be given the go-ahead in High Court today to begin shale gas exploration at its Preston New Road in Lancashire, after Mr Justice Supperstone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking-to-start-in-lancashire-after-council-wins-high-court-legal-challenge 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking-to-start-in-lancashire-after-council-wins-high-court-legal-challenge Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:15:00 GMT Local leaders in Yorkshire have asked the government to assist with the delivery of a One Yorkshire devolution deal after a new study has revealed that there is a “coherent Yorkshire economy.” A devolution deal could reportedly deliver a £30bn a year boost to the region and wider UK and unlock benefits worth up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-yorkshire-leaders-submit-another-devolution-bid-with-promise-of-30bn-boost 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-yorkshire-leaders-submit-another-devolution-bid-with-promise-of-30bn-boost Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:30:00 GMT Eastbourne and Lewes councils have held talks about breaking away from the cash-strapped East Sussex County Council and forming an independent unitary authority. Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council have held an informal “sharing of ideas” session about the possibility of breaking away from county council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-consider-unitary-bid-in-potential-split-from-east-sussex-local-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-consider-unitary-bid-in-potential-split-from-east-sussex-local-government Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:30:00 GMT The easiest savings across the public sector have already been made and choices of where to cut corners are getting increasingly harder, meaning the government will soon have to face tough decisions on the future of public service financing. In this year’s Performance Tracker report, the Institute for Government (IfG) argued that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifg-unpopular-funding-reform-decisions-ahead-as-easiest-council-cuts-have-already-been-made 438,436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifg-unpopular-funding-reform-decisions-ahead-as-easiest-council-cuts-have-already-been-made Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:15:00 GMT This year’s CQC State of Care report has found that most people in England receive a good quality of care, but that, much like the situation last year, quality remains inconsistent and access to care is very much dependent on where you live. The CQC’s ratings showed that since last year, quality of care has generally been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/state-of-care-the-tipping-point-has-already-been-reached- 435,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/state-of-care-the-tipping-point-has-already-been-reached- Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT Leicester's city council and police force are appealing a decision to award compensation to a sex abuse victim after a convicted paedophile was housed near the victim’s home. Martin Todd, a convicted paedophile, was housed “a stone’s throw away” from the care home that the 15-year old victim was staying at in 2009.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-and-police-appeal-against-compensation-for-child-abuse-victim 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-and-police-appeal-against-compensation-for-child-abuse-victim Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT Up to 500 jobs are at risk at Wolverhampton and residents face a council tax rise of 4.99% in what has been described as “the most significant financial challenge the council has ever faced.” The local authority faces a budget deficit of more than £28m by the end of 2019-20, and still needs to save £6m before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500-jobs-could-go-as-wolverhampton-council-eyes-5-tax-hike-to-tackle-28m-deficit- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500-jobs-could-go-as-wolverhampton-council-eyes-5-tax-hike-to-tackle-28m-deficit- Thu, 11 Oct 2018 10:30:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has appointed Ian Duncan as their new executive director of finance and section 151 officer. The cash-strapped authority has also confirmed a £65m “stabilisation plan” as the council tries to plan how it can deliver public services which are financially sustainable for the future amidst a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-appoints-new-chief-of-finance-amid-65m-cuts- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-cc-appoints-new-chief-of-finance-amid-65m-cuts- Wed, 10 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT An additional £400,000 may be required to finalise the creation of one new council as part of a local government shake-up in Dorset. Costs to set up the new Dorset Council— comprised of Dorset County, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth & Portland, and West Dorset councils after the merger of the local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-set-up-could-cost-an-extra-400k-in-temp-staff 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-set-up-could-cost-an-extra-400k-in-temp-staff Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:30:00 GMT New research has revealed that councils have a “declining appetite” for outsourcing in light of calls for a rethink on the relationship between the public and private sector, epitomised by the collapse of Carillion.   The survey, carried out by the New Local Government Network (NLGN), found that only 15% of council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-have-a-declining-appetite-with-outsourcing-and-the-private-sector- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-have-a-declining-appetite-with-outsourcing-and-the-private-sector- Wed, 10 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT The government has announced its first counter-fraud profession for the public sector today, bringing together 10,000 counter-fraud specialists to help members develop their skills. Minister for the constitution Chloe Smith said the fight against fraud in the public sector is “crucial” in building a fairer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-first-public-sector-counter-fraud-profession 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-first-public-sector-counter-fraud-profession Tue, 09 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMT Leaders of Northamptonshire’s district and borough councils have written to the communities secretary outlining their concern at Northamptonshire County Council’s severe spending cuts in a bid to meet a £65m deficit. The seven district and borough councils said they were concerned at Northamptonshire County Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seven-northamptonshire-councils-write-to-brokenshire-of-concern-over-county-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seven-northamptonshire-councils-write-to-brokenshire-of-concern-over-county-cuts Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:15:00 GMT London Councils has awarded £47m to fund major projects to improve digital infrastructure in the capital. The £46.83m comes from the business rates retention scheme currently being piloted in London and will fund eight projects to boost economic growth in London. The main focus is on digital infrastructure, with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-give-47-million-boost-to-improve-digital-infrastructure- 433,438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-give-47-million-boost-to-improve-digital-infrastructure- Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:45:00 GMT Hugo D’Ulisse, technical director, public sector at SAS UK & Ireland, outlines the top issues you’ll need to consider for making artificial intelligence (AI) a success. When it comes to AI, it feels like the UK has entered into a sprint to the top. In the adjacent lanes are China and the US with all their spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ai-is-it-really-worth-it- 446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ai-is-it-really-worth-it- Mon, 08 Oct 2018 14:00:00 GMT The government needs to inspect financially struggling councils to ensure they are meeting their social care duties, an umbrella group for disability charities has urged. The Voluntary Organisation Disability Group (VODG) has said the Autumn Budget is “the opportunity to shore up the fragile social care system” amid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-inspections-of-struggling-councils-needed-to-protect-fragile-social-care-system-charities-urge 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-inspections-of-struggling-councils-needed-to-protect-fragile-social-care-system-charities-urge Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:45:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has spent nearly £30m on hotels for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire. Sixteen months after the fatal fire, more than 150 households are still waiting to move into a permanent home and RBKC has been heavily criticised for the slow progress of its rehousing programme. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grenfell-council-spent-30m-on-hotels-with-survivors-still-waiting-to-be-rehoused- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grenfell-council-spent-30m-on-hotels-with-survivors-still-waiting-to-be-rehoused- Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT Four of England’s directly elected metro mayors have united to demand spending control of the regional funding that will replace EU structural funding after Brexit. In a joint statement to the Financial Times, the four northern mayors echoed the Vote Leave campaign slogan saying they wanted to “take back control” by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-lobby-to-take-back-control-over-eu-funding-replacement-cash 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-lobby-to-take-back-control-over-eu-funding-replacement-cash Mon, 08 Oct 2018 10:45:00 GMT Hackney Council will fit 17,000 new fireproof doors as the local authority faces a £21m bill to bring homes up to building safety regulations. Fire resistance testing has revealed that thousands of the council’s door stock don’t meet the required 30-minute fire and smoke resistant legislation, meaning thousands of homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-faces-21m-bill-to-replace-17000-doors-after-fire-safety-test-failures 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-faces-21m-bill-to-replace-17000-doors-after-fire-safety-test-failures Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:30:00 GMT A new report sets out the options for a potential restructuring of local government in Leicestershire, which shows there is “a strong case” for a single unitary council, according to Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton. The paper, released today by Leicestershire CC, outlines the financial challenges facing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unitary-report-for-rushton-backed-leicestershire-county-council-drawn-up 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unitary-report-for-rushton-backed-leicestershire-county-council-drawn-up Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:15:00 GMT James Brokenshire has formally ended the government’s intervention in Tower Hamlets London Borough Council following “significant improvements” in a recent review. The Ministry of Housing, Communities, & Local Government (MHCLG) announced the decision yesterday, following the rebuilding of the council after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-removes-intervention-in-tower-hamlets-lbc 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-removes-intervention-in-tower-hamlets-lbc Fri, 05 Oct 2018 14:30:00 GMT The leader of Camden Council has paid tribute to the outgoing chief executive for leading the local authority through times of unprecedented budget cuts. CEO Mike Cooke, who has been at the Town Hall for 14 years and at the helm for half that time, has announced this week that he will be stepping down at the end of March next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forward-thinking-camden-council-boss-to-retire-after-seven-years-of-unprecedented-challenge 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forward-thinking-camden-council-boss-to-retire-after-seven-years-of-unprecedented-challenge Thu, 04 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT A council has been granted a High Court injunction allowing it to evict travellers setting up camp on protected green sites across the city. The legal move means Wolverhampton City Council will be able to fine, arrest or even imprison anyone who is illegally occupying any of the 60 protected sites listed as part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-allows-city-council-to-imprison-illegal-campers-on-any-of-60-vulnerable-sites 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-allows-city-council-to-imprison-illegal-campers-on-any-of-60-vulnerable-sites Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:30:00 GMT Home secretary Sajid Javid has announced a £200m fund to help councils and local services target young people at risk of violent crime. The aim is for a range of different bodies to come together in a multi-agency effort to tackle violent crime amongst young people. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-unveils-public-sector-anti-violence-duty-in-200m-move 454,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-unveils-public-sector-anti-violence-duty-in-200m-move Thu, 04 Oct 2018 07:00:00 GMT Councils will soon receive long-awaited greater powers in building new homes following Theresa May’s announcement of the removal of a strict housing cap. In the prime minister’s Conservative party conference speech today, May said solving the housing crisis is “the biggest domestic policy challenge of our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-greater-housing-powers-as-may-abolishes-strict-cap 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-greater-housing-powers-as-may-abolishes-strict-cap Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMT Locals in Nottinghamshire are being invited to give their views on the structure of local government in the area as the county council’s public consultation opens. Residents, businesses, councils, and other stakeholders are being invited to share their views on the proposals to abolish the current two-tier structure of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-into-nottinghamshire-county-council-unitary-merger-gets-underway- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-into-nottinghamshire-county-council-unitary-merger-gets-underway- Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT Boris Johnson has called for greater powers to be given to local authorities around the UK to help combat the rising costs of services for social care and children’s services. In a speech at the Conservative party conference at the ICC in Birmingham yesterday, the former foreign secretary said greater fiscal devolution being granted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-devolved-powers-to-councils-long-overdue-boris-johnson-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-devolved-powers-to-councils-long-overdue-boris-johnson-says Wed, 03 Oct 2018 08:45:00 GMT The High Court case to reverse Surrey County Council’s planned £21m cuts to services for disabled children has begun today. Four groups of parents are challenging Surrey CC’s plans to slash its budget for their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in a currently on-going case at the Royal Courts of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-battle-underway-to-reverse-surrey-councils-21m-cuts-to-disabled-childrens-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-battle-underway-to-reverse-surrey-councils-21m-cuts-to-disabled-childrens-services Tue, 02 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has announced it is considering applying to the government for use of its capital budget and sourcing an additional £6m in council tax in a bid to meet its savings target this year. In the authority’s stabilisation plan released yesterday, government-appointed commissioners in Northamptonshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-and-government-bid-amongst-plans-for-northamptonshire-to-tackle-deficit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-and-government-bid-amongst-plans-for-northamptonshire-to-tackle-deficit Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:45:00 GMT The mayor of Greater Manchester has given his view on the declining state of local authorities around the UK, arguing that local government is treated as an “easy target” for budget cuts. Speaking exclusively to PSE, mayor Andy Burnham argued local government is not far away from a “tipping point” where services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-burnham-says-councils-are-an-easy-target-for-budget-cuts- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-burnham-says-councils-are-an-easy-target-for-budget-cuts- Tue, 02 Oct 2018 10:30:00 GMT The health and social care secretary Matt Hancock is set to announce an emergency £240m fund to be injected into social care to free up beds this winter. In a speech today at the Conservative Party conference, the secretary of state will say the much-needed money will be spent on prevention and on getting people home swiftly in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hancock-announces-240m-emergency-social-care-funding-ahead-of-green-paper 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hancock-announces-240m-emergency-social-care-funding-ahead-of-green-paper Tue, 02 Oct 2018 09:30:00 GMT The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has warned that a “financial winter is coming” after a survey review of the 22 councils across Wales showed that local authorities had “run out of road.” The WLGA’s key message from the council survey was that with funding cut by £1bn during eight years of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/incoming-financial-winter-could-mean-7000-council-job-losses 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/incoming-financial-winter-could-mean-7000-council-job-losses Mon, 01 Oct 2018 12:30:00 GMT The 10 city regions shortlisted for a share of the £840m fund to improve transport links and upgrade city public transport have been announced. Theresa May's shortlist marks the next stage of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund which the government intends to use to finance transport schemes, supporting cities to make it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ten-uk-cities-shortlisted-for-840m-fund-to-upgrade-transport 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ten-uk-cities-shortlisted-for-840m-fund-to-upgrade-transport Mon, 01 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT A major source of local government funding is set to be slashed by £1.3bn next year, the biggest cuts to government funding since 2010 despite already “unprecedented” pressures on councils across the UK. The LGA has revealed a total of 168 councils, almost half of all UK councils, will no longer receive the Revenue... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-to-cut-further-13bn-of-local-government-funding-will-tip-many-councils-over-the-edge- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-to-cut-further-13bn-of-local-government-funding-will-tip-many-councils-over-the-edge- Mon, 01 Oct 2018 10:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has criticised the government for flagging in its interest in the Northern Powerhouse, arguing that the Midlands Engine is being given a greater focus. In an exclusive interview with PSE, Burnham said that Whitehall has “turned down the volume” on the Northern Powerhouse, and instead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnham-government-has-turned-down-the-volume-on-northern-powerhouse- 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnham-government-has-turned-down-the-volume-on-northern-powerhouse- Mon, 01 Oct 2018 09:45:00 GMT A report into the conviction for fraud of a contractor of Barnet Council has revealed how the authority failed to prevent a £2m theft case. There were “insufficient financial controls” in place and not enough oversight to prevent the former employee of a Barnet Council contractor stealing £2m from the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/insufficient-financial-controls-enabled-council-contractor-to-steal-2m 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/insufficient-financial-controls-enabled-council-contractor-to-steal-2m Fri, 28 Sep 2018 14:45:00 GMT Money-saving measures risking up to 136 jobs have been agreed by Moray Council to fight a £12m budget deficit as the council dips into its reserves. Councillors on Wednesday gave the green light for more than £5m of savings for next year which could see up to 136 job losses. The local authority currently has a £19m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/difficult-times-ahead-for-council-looking-to-cut-up-to-140-jobs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/difficult-times-ahead-for-council-looking-to-cut-up-to-140-jobs Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:00:00 GMT A £4.6m investment which will bring a revolutionary metals project to the north east has been signed off by the mayor of the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). The investment will allow for the development and manufacturing of specialty alloy metal powders – which are used in 3D printing and car parts manufacturing –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-signs-off-5m-fund-for-metals-industry-of-the-future-years-after-ssi-closure 433,438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-signs-off-5m-fund-for-metals-industry-of-the-future-years-after-ssi-closure Fri, 28 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT Labour has regained control of Dudley MBC following a vote to remove the Conservative council leader. The authority now has 36 Labour councillors and 35 Conservatives, with one councillor as independent in Heather Rogers. The LDRS reported that Cllr Rogers accused Cllr Harley of failing to effectively deal with allegations of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-regains-control-of-dudley-metropolitan-borough-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-regains-control-of-dudley-metropolitan-borough-council Thu, 27 Sep 2018 15:30:00 GMT Graham Farrant has been appointed as the chief executive of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council, joining Matt Prosser who was recently made boss of the second devolved authority in Dorset. The Senior Appointments Committee recommended that Farrant is to be appointed to the role, with the recommendation to be taken to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-london-borough-ceo-to-join-as-second-dorset-unitary-council-boss- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-london-borough-ceo-to-join-as-second-dorset-unitary-council-boss- Thu, 27 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT A Sandwell MBC councillor has not breached the authority’s code of conduct, it has been found, after a former council member accused the leader of allegedly conducting a “smear campaign” against him. A complaint was made to the council’s monitoring officer by former councillor Mahboob Hussain accusing leader Cllr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sandwell-council-leader-cleared-over-smear-campaign-misconduct-claims 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sandwell-council-leader-cleared-over-smear-campaign-misconduct-claims Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Councillor Richard Alderman has been charged by police for allegedly posting “offensive” and “obscene” messages on social media. The 72-year-old, who was elected into Rutland County Council earlier this year, has been charged with a communications offence by Leicestershire Police. He has been charged with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillor-charged-by-police-over-indecent-social-media-posts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillor-charged-by-police-over-indecent-social-media-posts Wed, 26 Sep 2018 12:15:00 GMT The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has outlined her priorities for dealing with soaring demand of children’s services and social care around the country, arguing that she cannot “magic money out of the air.” In an interview with PSE, Cllr Kay Cutts said that Nottinghamshire CC has already overspent by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cllr-cutts-on-dealing-with-childrens-services-pressures-i-cant-magic-money-out-of-the-air 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cllr-cutts-on-dealing-with-childrens-services-pressures-i-cant-magic-money-out-of-the-air Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:15:00 GMT Monthly bin collections have been introduced for the first time in England and Wales by Conwy County Council, despite major complaints from residents over piles of waste, rats and fly-tipping. The North Wales council rolled out the controversial scheme on Monday following a year-long trial for its 11,000 households. During the trial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-controversially-begins-first-monthly-bin-collection-in-england-and-wales 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-controversially-begins-first-monthly-bin-collection-in-england-and-wales Tue, 25 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has hit back against claims that the authority lacks transparency, claiming that the council is “the most open and transparent council there is.” Cllr Kay Cutts, in an interview with PSE yesterday, responded to calls from the deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council in July that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-leader-hits-back-were-the-most-transparent-and-open-council-there-is 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-leader-hits-back-were-the-most-transparent-and-open-council-there-is Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:15:00 GMT The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has rejected calls from opposing councillors to put potential merger plans to a referendum, arguing that it could lead to opposing organisations attempting to railroad the vote. Speaking exclusively to PSE, leader Cllr Kay Cutts argued that a local referendum was “a very expensive way of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-notts-leader-rejects-calls-for-council-merger-referendum-public-decision-due-in-may 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-notts-leader-rejects-calls-for-council-merger-referendum-public-decision-due-in-may Tue, 25 Sep 2018 09:30:00 GMT Somerset County Council has expressed their concerns over the proposed financial resiliency index scheme, saying that “having a relative ranking of all authorities” will not improve anyone’s financial position and offer an “unwelcome distraction.” The index will be comprised by CIPFA and is designed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-council-criticises-financial-resiliency-index-and-media-speculation-on-its-finances 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-council-criticises-financial-resiliency-index-and-media-speculation-on-its-finances Mon, 24 Sep 2018 13:00:00 GMT Edinburgh Council have announced a wave of consultations and set out their four-year plan to tackle their budget gap and growing strains on services. The council are seeking resident’s views on the draft strategy ‘Planning for Change and Delivering Services’ which looks at how the authority delivers its services from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-sets-out-long-term-plan-to-tackle-budget-deficit- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-council-sets-out-long-term-plan-to-tackle-budget-deficit- Mon, 24 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Somerset County Council might still fail to make sufficient savings to establish a “sustainable budget” even after the latest wave of major cuts were agreed last week. On the 12 September, the cash-strapped authority approved over 70 proposals in order to make the required £13m savings which must be delivered by February... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cash-strapped-somerset-council-might-still-fail-to-set-sustainable-budget-despite-massive-cuts- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cash-strapped-somerset-council-might-still-fail-to-set-sustainable-budget-despite-massive-cuts- Mon, 24 Sep 2018 10:15:00 GMT Staff members at a council in Essex are being offered 10 fully paid days to leave the office and team up with local police to give back to their local communities. Basildon Council launched an event yesterday endorsing Employing Supported Policing, where officers will be supported by staff members in an agreement that allows civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/essex-council-employees-offered-10-fully-paid-days-to-police-local-communities 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/essex-council-employees-offered-10-fully-paid-days-to-police-local-communities Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT New adult social care funding for 18 councils across the UK has been awarded by NHS Digital, with the local authorities splitting the £1.4m cash pot to develop digital projects in support of social care. NHS Digital has revealed three categories of funding, with the most money awarded to the nine councils looking to improve the flow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-14m-cash-pot-for-digital-projects-at-18-councils-looking-to-modernise-social-care- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-14m-cash-pot-for-digital-projects-at-18-councils-looking-to-modernise-social-care- Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:30:00 GMT Westminster City Council is bringing its arms-length housing body back under the authority’s control as a key Cabinet member claimed there was “no option” other than the move. CityWest Homes— the housing organisation for the council— had a number of concerns raised and highlighted by residents, leading the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-city-council-to-bring-almo-housing-scheme-back-in-house-after-performance-concerns 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-city-council-to-bring-almo-housing-scheme-back-in-house-after-performance-concerns Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:30:00 GMT Scottish Borders Council has put forward plans for a single public authority in the region in a proposed submission to a local government review. Ahead of the council’s meeting next week, a report said the proposals aim to drive a “step change in outcomes for the citizens and communities of the Scottish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-and-nhs-consider-merging-into-a-single-public-authority- 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-and-nhs-consider-merging-into-a-single-public-authority- Thu, 20 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT More positive progress has been made regarding the involvement of local authorities in shaping integrated care systems (ICSs) across the country, but deeper engagement is needed to improve population health going forward, a leading think tank has argued. In its major review of eight of the first-wave ICSs, the King’s Fund concluded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deeper-council-engagement-still-needed-to-drive-health-integration 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deeper-council-engagement-still-needed-to-drive-health-integration Thu, 20 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT England’s county councils are to outline another wave of cuts, with almost £1bn needed in reductions to balance the books next February. Startling analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) warned that local authorities will set out £685m in savings and cuts next February; alongside an additional £233m of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-cuts-set-to-continue-as-county-councils-outline-1bn-in-budget-reductions-ccn-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-cuts-set-to-continue-as-county-councils-outline-1bn-in-budget-reductions-ccn-says Thu, 20 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Cornwall Council has proposed to cut a whopping 388 jobs under new budget proposals. However, the proposed cuts are only the equivalent of 388 full-time jobs. According to a report ahead of the council’s Cabinet meeting today, the amount of jobs to be cut will reduce to 167 after mitigations such as reducing the amount spent on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-in-bid-to-save-80m-and-avoid-northants-style-disaster 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-in-bid-to-save-80m-and-avoid-northants-style-disaster Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:45:00 GMT Theresa May has announced £2bn in new funding for housing associations. Speaking at the National Housing Federation (NHF) summit in London today, the prime minister promised the extra money, intended to help long-term construction decisions, which will be assigned over the next 10 years. Addressing the summit of NHF, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/theresa-may-announces-2bn-funding-for-affordable-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/theresa-may-announces-2bn-funding-for-affordable-housing- Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:45:00 GMT Andy Burnham is among those speaking at the People’s Powerhouse Convention, an event aiming to “let the people in” and give them a voice in decision-making. Mancunian poet Tony Walsh, also known as Longfella, will also speak at the event alongside Edna Robinson, the People’s Powerhouse chairman; and Susan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/andy-burnham-leads-a-host-of-speakers-at-peoples-powerhouse-2018 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/andy-burnham-leads-a-host-of-speakers-at-peoples-powerhouse-2018 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:45:00 GMT The communities secretary will completely remove government-appointed commissioners from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council after three years, signalling the return of all powers to the authority. Then-communities secretary Eric Pickles announced he would take control of the authority in February 2015, following scathing reports by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-brokenshire-to-remove-commissioners-and-return-all-council-powers-next-week 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-brokenshire-to-remove-commissioners-and-return-all-council-powers-next-week Wed, 19 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet has agreed to borrow up to £120m to invest into infrastructure in a bid to boost the quality of major and minor roads in the county. A report discussed by councillors today acknowledged that under-investment had resulted in “significant reduction” in the quality of roads, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-approves-plans-to-borrow-120m-for-infrastructure-works 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-approves-plans-to-borrow-120m-for-infrastructure-works Tue, 18 Sep 2018 17:15:00 GMT A massive 46 out of 53 children’s centres could close under plans announced by Norfolk County Council in a bid to balance the books. Norfolk— who in July took an extra year to deliver savings to be “more realistic”— has launched an eight-week consultation into proposals for the new service that would leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mass-childrens-centre-closures-proposed-for-norfolk-county-council 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mass-childrens-centre-closures-proposed-for-norfolk-county-council Tue, 18 Sep 2018 15:15:00 GMT Surrey County Council will face a funding gap of almost £100m by March 2021 unless it acts now, a report by accountancy experts CIPFA has warned. In a report commissioned by the council, CIPFA said that Surrey won’t have sufficient reserves to meet its expected budget gap and will need “to reform fundamentally how it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-county-council-issued-warning-as-council-faces-near-100m-deficit- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-county-council-issued-warning-as-council-faces-near-100m-deficit- Tue, 18 Sep 2018 14:30:00 GMT Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) are to deliver new mental health services for young people after a city council pledge. Leeds City Council has awarded the contract, meaning LCH will be delivering a Public Health Integrated Nursing Service for 0-19-year-olds from April 2019. Services include health visiting, school nursing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-nhs-trust-to-work-with-city-council-to-provide-new-services-for-young-people 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-nhs-trust-to-work-with-city-council-to-provide-new-services-for-young-people Mon, 17 Sep 2018 17:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council is facing a reported £84m hole in funding for the Commonwealth Games as councillors scramble for a solution after being given a section 24 notice. Europe’s largest local authority has burnt through £116m of emergency reserves in the past two years and is currently spending £75m more per year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/84m-shortfall-in-commonwealth-games-funding-for-struggling-birmingham-council 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/84m-shortfall-in-commonwealth-games-funding-for-struggling-birmingham-council Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT The former head of the Civil Service, Lord Kerslake, has argued that central government is disregarding councils and local authorities as it is too preoccupied with Brexit. Lord Kerslake’s comments came as he spoke at CIPFA’s conference last week, where he also argued that the squeeze on local government finance is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kerslake-central-government-too-focused-on-brexit-to-help-council-finances 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kerslake-central-government-too-focused-on-brexit-to-help-council-finances Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:15:00 GMT Anglesey council is considering closing almost 30 schools and a major increase in council taxes as it tries to balance the books. The council is meeting this morning to discuss its options, which include closing schools with fewer than 120 pupils and significantly raising council tax. Raising council tax by more than 5% would breach... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-council-considers-tax-hike-and-closing-up-to-30-schools 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-council-considers-tax-hike-and-closing-up-to-30-schools Mon, 17 Sep 2018 10:30:00 GMT A series of projects that will catalyse a £100m regeneration of Blackpool town centre has been approved. Included in Blackpool Council’s major investment projects is a £26m state-of-the-art conference centre, a £23m tram extension and the development of Blackpool’s first five-star hotel. Also included in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100m-regeneration-investment-to-breathe-new-life-into-blackpool-town-centre-approved 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100m-regeneration-investment-to-breathe-new-life-into-blackpool-town-centre-approved Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT Significant increases in the value of land resulting from public policy decisions should be shared with local communities say MPs. The report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has looked at how this land value increase can be captured to generate extra funding for local infrastructure and affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increases-in-land-value-is-fundamentally-about-fairness-and-should-benefit-local-communities-say-mps 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increases-in-land-value-is-fundamentally-about-fairness-and-should-benefit-local-communities-say-mps Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT The new chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council, Theresa Grant, has said that day-to-day life working at the cash-strapped council is “fraught with risk.” Grant is the council’s fourth CEO in just 12 months and has come in at an extremely tough time: she is tasked with balancing the books of England’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-council-chief-admits-job-is-fraught-with-risk- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-council-chief-admits-job-is-fraught-with-risk- Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT Ben Carpenter, chief executive of Social Value UK, discusses the worth of social value, and argues that, before we start measuring social value, we should ask clearly: what is it, and why? Social value is so much more than a value for money exercise. If you see social value as simply a new catchphrase for ‘efficiency savings’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-what-is-it-and-why 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-what-is-it-and-why Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT Soaring pressures on children’s social care has pushed another local authority into financial difficulties with Newcastle City Council announcing that their budgets will go into the red by £3.5m. Cabinet member for resources Cllr Veronica Dunn said: “As part of budget monitoring we are currently projecting an overspend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-pushes-another-council-into-overspend-with-newcastle-city-council-going-35m-over-budget 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-pushes-another-council-into-overspend-with-newcastle-city-council-going-35m-over-budget Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT Cash-strapped Somerset County Council has agreed to £13m in cuts to services in order to balance its books. The council unanimously approved the “most difficult savings proposals it has had to consider” in a meeting yesterday, despite protests outside Shire Hall in Taunton by members of the Unison union and The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-county-council-approves-major-cuts-to-services-in-13m-savings-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-county-council-approves-major-cuts-to-services-in-13m-savings-bid Thu, 13 Sep 2018 15:45:00 GMT Just one person has applied for Lancashire County Council’s chief executive role and its £200,000-a-year salary. The current interim chief executive, Angie Ridgwell, was the sole applicant for the top job at the council, which is currently facing financial and management troubles. Its finances were deemed to be at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-council-receives-just-one-application-for-ceo-job-after-shifty-staff-restructuring 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-council-receives-just-one-application-for-ceo-job-after-shifty-staff-restructuring Thu, 13 Sep 2018 09:45:00 GMT Warrington Borough Council is forecasting an overspend of £6.1m for 2018-19 according to its Q1 forecast, making it just the latest in a string of local authorities to report a looming deficit this financial year. This is, however, slightly down from the forecast for the same period last year of £6.2m, thus representing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warrington-council-predicts-6m-deficit-but-pledges-rigorous-financial-management 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warrington-council-predicts-6m-deficit-but-pledges-rigorous-financial-management Wed, 12 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT A new report has urged local authorities and all other public-sector employers to offers their employees salary-linked loans and saving systems to boost financial literacy and end “punitive” borrowing costs. The think tank, ResPublica, also argues that this could boost the credit ratings of those in the most disadvantaged... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-provide-place-based-credit-building-and-salary-linked-loans 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-provide-place-based-credit-building-and-salary-linked-loans Wed, 12 Sep 2018 16:30:00 GMT A firm partly-owned by a Northamptonshire county councillor allegedly received a payment of £60,000 from a company owned by the authority, local media has reported. The BBC Local Democracy Report claimed that Conservative member Andre Gonzales De Savage’s company Explore Communications received a payment from the NEA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-councillors-firm-paid-60000-by-council-owned-company 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-councillors-firm-paid-60000-by-council-owned-company Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:45:00 GMT Peter Schofield, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) collaborative procurement programme manager, looks back at the region’s history of adopting social value policy and outlines what lessons his team has learned as a result. Procurement was identified by the New Local Government Network’s Jessica Studdert in March... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-in-greater-manchester-lessons-learned 438,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-in-greater-manchester-lessons-learned Wed, 12 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT Oxford City Council’s service delivery arm has announced drone-based services including roof and building surveying, land mapping and filming. Introduced by the Oxford Direct Services (ODS), it is the first council-owned organisation to bring drone services in-house. The ODS, the service delivery and commercial arm of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/x 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/x Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:15:00 GMT Mounting pressures on children’s services could push Swindon Borough Council into a £3m overspend, board papers indicate. A Cabinet meeting of the local authority on 6 September indicated that the council’s overall budget will be overspent by £3m for the 2018-19 financial year — an increase of £879,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-pressures-could-lead-to-3m-overspend-for-swindon-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-pressures-could-lead-to-3m-overspend-for-swindon-council Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT There has been “virtually no progress” on women’s representation in local government, with a whopping 97% of councils still being male-dominated, stark figures have shown. Research by the Fawcett Society revealed that the proportion of women elected to local government in England increase by less than one percentage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/virtually-no-progress-in-council-gender-diversity-as-97-still-male-dominated 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/virtually-no-progress-in-council-gender-diversity-as-97-still-male-dominated Tue, 11 Sep 2018 15:45:00 GMT Burnley Council will look to cut jobs and relocate its contact centre as it battles with a financial deficit of £3.2m. In a report by the council’s head of finances and property services, Asad Mushtaq, Burnley Council set out their plans to meet their financial challenges and balance the books over the next three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnley-council-to-cut-jobs-amid-new-savings-plan-to-fight-budget-deficit- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnley-council-to-cut-jobs-amid-new-savings-plan-to-fight-budget-deficit- Mon, 10 Sep 2018 13:00:00 GMT Demand for goods created in the Northern Powerhouse continues to soar with sales in the region growing by 3.5% in the last year. Official figures released last week highlighted the value of goods on the quarter in 2018 rising from £14.5bn in Q1 to £14.9bn in Q2— showing the strength of the northern economy as the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-exports-on-the-rise-with-35-increase-in-last-year 433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-exports-on-the-rise-with-35-increase-in-last-year Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:30:00 GMT The CQC has revealed both new and follow-up reviews for six local authorities exploring how older people move between health and adult social care services. Formerly requested by the secretary of state for health and social care and the housing, communities and local government secretary, the CQQ has now reached out to local systems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-extends-local-system-reviews-programme-with-six-local-authorities-chosen 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-extends-local-system-reviews-programme-with-six-local-authorities-chosen Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Katrina Williams, head of travel at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), explains how they are helping government organisations to get the best deal when buying travel solutions. It has been a trend since before the turn of the century: digital communication continues to reduce the need for extensive business travel. In a sense, the change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/travel-solutions-on-track 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/travel-solutions-on-track Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Paul Miner, head of strategic plans and devolution at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), highlights the findings of a recent survey which show that local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) need to become more sensitive to the needs of rural communities. LEPs are business-led partnerships between the private and public sectors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-need-to-do-more-for-englands-countryside 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-need-to-do-more-for-englands-countryside Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Cllr Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, looks at the exclusion of social care from the government’s recent NHS funding pledge. The £20bn annual funding increase for the NHS was a bittersweet announcement for people working in adult social care. While the settlement is recognition for its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-about-social-care 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-about-social-care Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT Chris Painter, professor emeritus at Birmingham City University, explores the paradox of reform principles persisting despite mounting evidence about their limitations. This article critically revisits a number of public service reform principles in light of evidence assembled over time. One of the abiding themes since 2010 is, of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/re-evaluating-public-service-reforms 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/re-evaluating-public-service-reforms Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:30:00 GMT In an ideal world, housing should follow infrastructure rather than the other way around, says County Councils Network (CCN) Conservative vice-chairman and leader of Staffordshire County Council, Philip Atkins. In June, CCN held its first-ever housing conference. The event itself was successful and was attended by over 70 delegates and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pioneering-the-future-of-housing 441,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pioneering-the-future-of-housing Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:45:00 GMT Secretary of state for Wales Alun Cairns will today outline his vision for the Western Powerhouse at the Policy Forum Wales seminar in front of an audience of local leaders. The Welsh secretary will lay down the challenge to local government, education and business leaders to come forward with ideas on how to bolster existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-announces-vision-for-western-powerhouse- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-announces-vision-for-western-powerhouse- Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:45:00 GMT Danny Longbottom, Director of Local Government and Health, BT Local authority budgets are being squeezed. Demand for services is rising. Meanwhile, today’s citizens expect more. In fact, 48% want a simpler and cleaner experience from local government digital services. Forward-thinking organisations are realising that going digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-more-of-your-local-government-digital-transformation-with-intelligent-connectivity- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-more-of-your-local-government-digital-transformation-with-intelligent-connectivity- Mon, 10 Sep 2018 09:15:00 GMT Tim Skinner, Director of Central Government, BT. We believe in building better public services in the UK. Through people, places and ideas. Aligned with the Cabinet Office’s ‘Smarter working’ theme, we want to improve how people work together, where they work and what they use to do their work. Whether it’s in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-more-of-your-digital-transformation-with-intelligent-connectivity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-more-of-your-digital-transformation-with-intelligent-connectivity Mon, 10 Sep 2018 08:45:00 GMT The Strathclyde Pension Fund (SPF) has approved a £20m investment in companies developing innovative medical technology. Glasgow City Council is aiming to attract high-tech US companies to the region, with the major investment coming from the local council pension fund. SPF, which manages the retirement savings of staff at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-city-council-announces-20m-investment-to-bring-healthcare-technology-jobs-to-the-area 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-city-council-announces-20m-investment-to-bring-healthcare-technology-jobs-to-the-area Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:15:00 GMT Leaders of Leicestershire’s seven district councils have urged Leicestershire County Council’s proposals to merge the authorities into a unitary body to be dropped, labelling the plans “unreasonable.” In a letter to Leicestershire County Council leader Cllr Nick Rushton, who threw his support behind the plans in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicestershire-district-council-leaders-urge-county-council-to-halt-unreasonable-super-council-proposals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicestershire-district-council-leaders-urge-county-council-to-halt-unreasonable-super-council-proposals Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT A deal has been agreed between a south east county council and the police and crime commissioner (PCC) after he dropped his business case to take over the running of the fire service. In an announcement yesterday, an agreement was made to set up the Hertfordshire Emergency Services Collaboration Board, which will ensure the collaboration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deal-secured-between-pcc-and-hertfordshire-county-council-as-fire-row-dropped 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deal-secured-between-pcc-and-hertfordshire-county-council-as-fire-row-dropped Fri, 07 Sep 2018 14:15:00 GMT Short-term incentives and funding pressures across local government may be pushing councils to pursue debt repayments “too quickly and aggressively,” the National Audit Office (NAO) had argued in a new report. The auditor concluded today that government – both central and local – has a limited understanding of how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-funding-pressures-forcing-councils-to-chase-debt-too-quickly-and-aggressively 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-funding-pressures-forcing-councils-to-chase-debt-too-quickly-and-aggressively Thu, 06 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT Salford City Council is set to approve a further loan to the company behind the AJ Bell Stadium as part of long-term generation plans – but has promised that the extra money will not come from council service pots. The local authority will decide during a Cabinet meeting next week whether to loan the company another £670,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salford-considers-loaning-another-670k-to-firm-behind-rugby-stadium 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salford-considers-loaning-another-670k-to-firm-behind-rugby-stadium Thu, 06 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT Shropshire Council has launched legal action against a football club in a bid to recover a £80,000 payment made six years ago which has been left largely unpaid. The local authority gave The New Saints (TNS) FC the money “on the understanding that it would be repaid,” but so far only £10,000 has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bring-it-on-shropshire-takes-football-club-to-court-over-unpaid-80000-grant-row 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bring-it-on-shropshire-takes-football-club-to-court-over-unpaid-80000-grant-row Thu, 06 Sep 2018 10:45:00 GMT A struggling local authority has blamed unexpected expenses incurred through the unfunded removal of the public sector pay cap and higher children care costs on its forecasted £6m budget deficit for 2019-20. In a report submitted for this week’s Finance and Policy Committee meeting, Hartlepool Council director Chris Little... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-blames-unfunded-pay-cap-for-deficit-doomsday-and-may-dip-into-reserves 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-blames-unfunded-pay-cap-for-deficit-doomsday-and-may-dip-into-reserves Thu, 06 Sep 2018 10:15:00 GMT Suffolk County Council has revealed a projected overspend of £8.6m this year as the scale of their financial challenges are revealed. The overspend is mainly down to an increasing cost and rising demand for children and young people’s services, accounting for almost £5m of the projected deficit. Based on spending on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-county-council-reveals-86m-overspend-with-tough-calls-to-make-in-coming-weeks 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-county-council-reveals-86m-overspend-with-tough-calls-to-make-in-coming-weeks Wed, 05 Sep 2018 17:30:00 GMT Nottinghamshire County Council is considering proposals to scrap its current two-tier structure for a new unitary system in order to save on costs. Senior politicians will meet at County Hall on 6 September for the first of a series of cross-party meetings to consider the reorganisation, potentially paving the way for a large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-considers-unitary-proposals-in-a-bid-to-balance-books 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-considers-unitary-proposals-in-a-bid-to-balance-books Wed, 05 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT The government has published its response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s calls for ring-fenced transformation funding for health and social care, claiming “it will consider proposals” for a multi-year capital plan to support the transformation. In a report published today, the government outlined its response... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-will-consider-proposals-for-ring-fenced-health-and-social-care-funding-in-latest-response 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-will-consider-proposals-for-ring-fenced-health-and-social-care-funding-in-latest-response Wed, 05 Sep 2018 16:15:00 GMT CIPFA has said it has been “blown away” by the amount and level of response to its publishing of a proposed financial resiliency index that would provide an early warning system to prevent local authorities from reaching financial difficulties like that of Northamptonshire County Council. In a statement released today, CIPFA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-blown-away-by-response-to-council-financial-resiliency-index-analysis-due-in-october 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-blown-away-by-response-to-council-financial-resiliency-index-analysis-due-in-october Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:15:00 GMT Somerset County Council has published plans to lose up to 130 jobs and cut major services in order to balance the books – up from the ”hugely regrettable” 100 jobs that were thought to be on the line last week, when proposals had not yet been confirmed. The authority announced cutbacks to public transport, highways and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/left-with-no-choice-somerset-council-confirms-130-jobs-and-major-services-are-at-risk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/left-with-no-choice-somerset-council-confirms-130-jobs-and-major-services-are-at-risk Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:45:00 GMT A property developer has issued a writ to the High Court over a legal wrangle with Northumberland County Council for its delay in the progression of a 2,000-home housing project. Newcastle-based Lugano Group issued the writ after claiming in July that it would be hit with £13m in delayed project bills over the building of a garden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developer-to-serve-high-court-writ-to-northumberland-council-in-ongoing-13m-legal-row 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developer-to-serve-high-court-writ-to-northumberland-council-in-ongoing-13m-legal-row Tue, 04 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT UK local government pension funds currently invest over £9bn in companies engaged with fracking, it has been revealed. PSE’s Jamie Bennett-Ness reports. Greater Manchester Pension Fund leads the way, investing almost £1bn in fracking, while some councils are investing more than 5% of their pension funds into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-this-cannot-be-right-councils-investing-9bn-in-fracking-through-pension-funds 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-this-cannot-be-right-councils-investing-9bn-in-fracking-through-pension-funds Mon, 03 Sep 2018 12:45:00 GMT We have learned a lot since the last National Social Value Conference, with many organisations both in the public and private sectors now embedding social value into commissioning and procurement. Guy Battle, chief executive at Social Value Portal, reveals what to expect at this year’s conference, taking place in Manchester on 20-21... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspiring-leadership-in-social-value 440,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspiring-leadership-in-social-value Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:30:00 GMT Record-high demand is putting pressure on local authorities’ struggling sexual health services, a new study has found. Research by the LGA highlighted that the 3.3 million attendances to England’s sexual health clinics in 2017 was a 13% increase on attendances from 2013—prompting concerns about the impact the growing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-high-sexual-health-demand-putting-severe-strain-on-council-resources 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-high-sexual-health-demand-putting-severe-strain-on-council-resources Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:30:00 GMT Any new cloud system you adopt will become the beating heart of your business operations for years to come. It is therefore crucial to choose a long-term, trusted partner to help you along the way, writes Rafael Cortes, head of marketing at Foehn. Uniquely, there is one system that governs the productivity of your employees, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-communications-making-the-case-for-investment-in-cost-saving-technology 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-communications-making-the-case-for-investment-in-cost-saving-technology Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:45:00 GMT With the nation facing public health challenges of epidemic proportions, forward-thinking local authorities are invited to apply to the Design in the Public Sector Programme, delivered in partnership with the LGA, writes Sarah Weir OBE, chief executive of Design Council. Cllr Paul Bettison OBE, chairman of the LGA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-the-health-of-the-country 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-the-health-of-the-country Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:15:00 GMT The upcoming merger that will abolish the existing nine current district Dorset councils and replace them with two unitary authorities has “inhibited” Bournemouth’s ability to deliver improvements to children’s services, the education inspectorate has said. In a report published last week, Bournemouth Borough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-has-inhibited-bournemouth-services-improvements-ofsted-says 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-has-inhibited-bournemouth-services-improvements-ofsted-says Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:00:00 GMT As the grid goes green, do we still need to consider energy efficiency? The Mayor of London’s RE:FIT team investigates. According to recently published greenhouse gas emissions factors, the UK is making excellent progress towards decarbonising the grid. This poses an interesting question: as the grid becomes less carbon-intensive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stay-on-top-of-energy-efficiency- 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stay-on-top-of-energy-efficiency- Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:00:00 GMT In a follow-up to his article in PSE June/July, director of Involve Tim Hughes provides an update on the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care – namely, that social care should be free at the point of use. The adult social care funding system has been in urgent need of reform for many years, but our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-citizens-assembly-part-ii 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-citizens-assembly-part-ii Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:00:00 GMT Clive Skidmore, assistant director for housing development at Birmingham City Council, takes us back to when the Building Birmingham Scholarship programme was created and explains how it has helped young people since then. In 2008, the City Housing Partnership (CHP) agreed that it would be fitting to remember the contribution that Tony... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-birmingham-scholarship 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-birmingham-scholarship Mon, 03 Sep 2018 08:45:00 GMT Somerset County Council is proposing to cut more than 100 jobs in a bid to make savings and balance the authority’s books. A statement yesterday by council leader David Fothergill noted that Somerset had to “live within our means” amid a funding crisis striking local authorities across the country, and revealed that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hugely-regrettable-100-jobs-cuts-proposed-for-struggling-somerset-county-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hugely-regrettable-100-jobs-cuts-proposed-for-struggling-somerset-county-council Fri, 31 Aug 2018 12:15:00 GMT A defiant council has refused to sign the local government reform proposals that have been green-lit by a Northamptonshire meeting this week. Corby Borough Council has clarified that plans to create two unitary councils in the region, which were accepted by Northamptonshire councillors on Tuesday, will be submitted to central government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-refuses-to-sign-northamptonshire-unitary-reform-proposals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-refuses-to-sign-northamptonshire-unitary-reform-proposals Fri, 31 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has decided to step down in order to “move on to new challenges.” Martin Whiteley led the combined authority since its inception to help deliver a “momentous devolution deal” for the region, which included a £800m funding package over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridgeshire--peterborough-ca-seeks-new-boss-as-ceo-steps-down 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridgeshire--peterborough-ca-seeks-new-boss-as-ceo-steps-down Fri, 31 Aug 2018 11:30:00 GMT The geographically largest local authority in the UK will be forced to defer non-essential spending, accelerate savings and cut back further on staff recruitment in order to tackle an urgent projected deficit. In papers submitted to its Corporate Resources Committee this week, Highland Council—which serves a third of the land area... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/biggest-uk-council-defers-spending-and-recruitment-to-handle-serious-looming-deficit 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/biggest-uk-council-defers-spending-and-recruitment-to-handle-serious-looming-deficit Fri, 31 Aug 2018 11:15:00 GMT Harsh winter weather has contributed to 22% rise in complaints last year, a Scottish council has claimed. The 927 complaints recorded in 2017-18 compared with 759 over the previous 12 months were largely attributed to “the winter weather, public toilet charging, and the inclusion of social work complaint figures for the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winter-weather-to-blame-for-sizable-rise-in-complaints-last-year-scottish-council-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winter-weather-to-blame-for-sizable-rise-in-complaints-last-year-scottish-council-says Fri, 31 Aug 2018 10:45:00 GMT Confidential information containing sensitive personal details could have been available on a Welsh county council’s website for over a decade. Some of the documents held people’s names, addresses, and medical conditions — and were publicly available on Ceredigion County Council’s website up until today. After... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/personal-data-may-have-been-available-on-welsh-councils-website-for-11-years 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/personal-data-may-have-been-available-on-welsh-councils-website-for-11-years Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:30:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council could undergo a “complete overhaul” including cutting jobs in a bid to make £33m in savings. In a statement released today, the authority, which needs to save £33m as part of its four-year budget plan, currently estimates a potential reduction of between 600-890 FTE posts at the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-33m-operational-savings-drive-could-lead-to-890-job-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-33m-operational-savings-drive-could-lead-to-890-job-cuts Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:45:00 GMT A woman who worked for the Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea Council has been charged with fraud offences relating to the Grenfell Tower fire. Jenny McDonagh, 39, from Abbey Wood, was charged today with two counts of fraud by abuse of position, one count of theft by employee, and one count of money laundering. “The charges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grenfell-tower-kensington-council-worker-charged-with-fraud-offences- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grenfell-tower-kensington-council-worker-charged-with-fraud-offences- Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:30:00 GMT A business case made by Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) to run the county’s fire service has been condemned as “misleading” and “flawed” by Norfolk County Council. In an announcement today, Norfolk councillors— who voted to keep the fire service under the local authority’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-council-condemns-misleading-flawed-and-untested-pcc-bid-to-control-fire-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-council-condemns-misleading-flawed-and-untested-pcc-bid-to-control-fire-services Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:30:00 GMT Plymouth City Council has written to James Brokenshire to gain more clarity for Britain’s departure from the EU. In a letter to James Brokenshire, the south-coast council, led by council leader Tudor Evans, will invoke the Sustainable Communities Act in an effort to push the government to share “what it knows about what Brexit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plymouth-council-becomes-first-local-authority-to-legally-oppose-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plymouth-council-becomes-first-local-authority-to-legally-oppose-brexit Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:15:00 GMT CORRECTION NOTICE A previous version of this story, dated 24 August, contained inaccuracies relating to Ged Fitzgerald's involvement in the case. PSE would like to clarify that Mr Fitzgerald has not been accused of fraud, and his suspension last September was not related to financial irregularities in any contract. We would like to retract... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/case-file-of-former-liverpool-boss-handed-on-to-crown-prosecution-service 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/case-file-of-former-liverpool-boss-handed-on-to-crown-prosecution-service Wed, 29 Aug 2018 14:00:00 GMT Councillors at Northamptonshire County Council have voted in favour of proposals to create a unitary authority at its full council meeting today. The financially-struggling authority has had to make ‘radical’ cuts to services in order to make savings against a £70m budget deficit in the past month — with services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-northamptonshire-county-council-members-vote-in-favour-of-unitary-proposals 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-northamptonshire-county-council-members-vote-in-favour-of-unitary-proposals Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:00:00 GMT More than four-fifths of MPs have backed calls for adult social care funding to be increased, a new LGA survey shows. The poll indicated that an overwhelming majority of MPs (84%) and peers (76%) agree that there should be a boost in cash for adult social care services, following reports that one in 10 older people are facing care costs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-fifths-of-mps-call-for-greater-social-care-funding 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-fifths-of-mps-call-for-greater-social-care-funding Tue, 28 Aug 2018 10:45:00 GMT Failure in signing off its latest set of accounts has left staff at Northampton Borough Council with “angst and frustration,” its latest audit report has said. The local authority has missed another deadline in signing off its 2016-17 statement of accounts— outlined in its latest finance report by chief finance officer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/angst-and-frustration-at-lack-of-progress-in-signing-off-northampton-council-accounts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/angst-and-frustration-at-lack-of-progress-in-signing-off-northampton-council-accounts Tue, 28 Aug 2018 10:00:00 GMT Matt Prosser, Solace’s spokesperson for digital leadership and interim head of paid service at the Shadow Dorset Council, discusses the future of digital colocation between local authorities. Sitting around a table with some of the more tech-savvy brains of local and central government, we spent a good few minutes debating whether... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-the-digital-goods 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-the-digital-goods Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:45:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, takes a look at the number of publicly-owned assets being sold off to the private sector after bearing the brunt of austerity, and considers what can be done.  We have known for some time that many of our important local buildings and spaces are being lost. These are our swimming pools and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-great-british-sell-off- 447,443,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-great-british-sell-off- Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:45:00 GMT After a politically rocky few months, PSE’s Jack Donnelly tells us what to expect at this year’s trio of major party conferences, taking place across the months of September and October. Conservatives The Conservatives will hold their 2018 annual conference this year at the ICC in Birmingham. From 30 September to 3 October... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/party-conferences-preview 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/party-conferences-preview Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT Peter Stansbury, lead author of the Agile Business Consortium’s Agile Digital Services (AgileDS) training course and qualification, recommends leaving behind traditional management techniques and embracing a forward-thinking behaviour in the public sector. The establishment of Government Digital Service (GDS) signalled the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/management-hard-to-be-agile- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/management-hard-to-be-agile- Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:15:00 GMT A north-west county council’s accounts that were held up due to issues with a controversial loan are set to be approved next week. The approval of Lancashire County Council’s accounts was put on hold earlier this month after auditors Grant Thornton queried how the Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loan, taken out in 2010... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-accounts-to-be-signed-off-after-contentious-lobo-loan-holdup 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-accounts-to-be-signed-off-after-contentious-lobo-loan-holdup Fri, 24 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT Redundancy costs for displaced chief executives as a result of an upcoming Dorset merger could reach as much as £1m. The legal battle against the merger ended earlier this month as the main opponent to the proposals, Christchurch Borough Council, conceded defeat after a lengthy ongoing case that reached the High... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chief-executive-redundancy-costs-for-dorset-merger-could-reach-1m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chief-executive-redundancy-costs-for-dorset-merger-could-reach-1m Fri, 24 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT Proposals to create an index to measure a council’s financial resilience to avoid another Northamptonshire-style spending ban have been criticised by a senior body for public sector managers. The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (Solace) published a letter sent to CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serious-misgivings-raised-over-financial-resiliency-index-by-solace- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serious-misgivings-raised-over-financial-resiliency-index-by-solace- Thu, 23 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT Carnegie UK Trust fellow Julia Unwin CBE discusses the direction that public services are going, and argues that well-intentioned reforms might put efficiency ahead of basic human kindness and interaction. There are words that we use in our everyday language that we know matter to us. Kindness is one of them. We teach our children about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-power-of-kindness- 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-power-of-kindness- Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:15:00 GMT Local authorities across England are struggling to meet “escalating demand” from children’s services, the County Councils Network (CCN) has said. New figures released today by the government has revealed that councils in England have overspent by a massive £816m to protect vulnerable children in the last financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-councils-overspend-by-over-800m-struggling-to-meet-childrens-services-demand 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-councils-overspend-by-over-800m-struggling-to-meet-childrens-services-demand Thu, 23 Aug 2018 14:30:00 GMT Glasgow City Council is facing a period of “unprecedented” financial pressures on services due to the cost of settling ongoing equal pay claims. A report by the Accounts Commission— Scotland’s spending watchdog— highlighted that the local authority is facing a funding gap of £129m over the next three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-council-faces-serious-cost-pressures-over-500m-equal-pay-battle-and-130m-deficit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-council-faces-serious-cost-pressures-over-500m-equal-pay-battle-and-130m-deficit Thu, 23 Aug 2018 09:45:00 GMT Improvements made in returning hospital patients to adult social care has saved the NHS £60m, leaders in the sector have said. New data from NHS England highlights that there were 43,600 fewer delayed days from hospital wards to the community from June 2017 to June 2018, with both the NHS and social care sectors having... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-improvements-saves-nhs-60m 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-improvements-saves-nhs-60m Wed, 22 Aug 2018 17:00:00 GMT Glasgow City Council is facing legal action over its “abysmal treatment” of local residents after the Glasgow School of Art fire – the second in just four years. In a scathing statement released yesterday, Govan Law Centre said it was looking to gauge public interest of litigation against the city council, the Glasgow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-case-considered-against-glasgow-city-council-over-second-art-building-fire 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-case-considered-against-glasgow-city-council-over-second-art-building-fire Wed, 22 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT The government has appointed a commissioner to review whether Wakefield Council should lose control of its children’s services after Ofsted inspectors found that they were inadequate across the board. In a statutory direction issued to the council today, signed by civil servant Suzanne Lunn, the Department for Education said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioner-to-consider-government-takeover-of-failing-wakefield-council-services 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioner-to-consider-government-takeover-of-failing-wakefield-council-services Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:30:00 GMT Council funding should depend on how much councils would raise if they all set the same council tax rate instead of determining a formula based on recent spending patterns—which would only reinforce inherent disparities across the country, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has argued. In a pair of reports published today, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-to-be-hit-hardest-by-perverse-and-unfair-funding-formula 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-to-be-hit-hardest-by-perverse-and-unfair-funding-formula Wed, 22 Aug 2018 11:15:00 GMT Public sector finances seem to have taken a turn for the better as ONS figures show that net borrowing was in surplus by £2bn – double that of July last year, and the largest surplus for 18 years. Key to this growth was a £1bn increase in self-assessed income tax receipts, a £0.4bn increase in PAYE receipts, and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ask-for-help-after-public-finances-hit-biggest-budget-surplus-in-18-years 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ask-for-help-after-public-finances-hit-biggest-budget-surplus-in-18-years Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT Exciting regeneration plans for the South Bank area of Leeds have been approved by the city council following extensive consultation with landowners, stakeholders, businesses and the public – amounting to 32,000 individual responses received in total. Leeds City Council has now officially adopted the £500m masterplan which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-council-approves-plans-for-one-of-europes-largest-regeneration-schemes 433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-council-approves-plans-for-one-of-europes-largest-regeneration-schemes Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:00:00 GMT Over 200 local authorities spent more than £4.5m on transport for mayors, lord mayors, lord provosts, chairmen and women, startling new figures show. Data sourced from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the Taxpayers’ Alliance highlighted that over £2,745,000 was spent on buying and leasing cars over a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-45m-spent-on-vehicles-for-mayors-shocking-new-figures-show 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-45m-spent-on-vehicles-for-mayors-shocking-new-figures-show Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:00:00 GMT One in 10 older people are facing care costs of over £100,000, with many not saving enough to pay for care in later life, new research shows. Analysis by ‘Which?’ indicates that just 12% of adults over the age of 55 have put aside funds to pay for any future care needs, largely due to many prioritising the cash for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-10-people-facing-care-costs-of-over-100000 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-10-people-facing-care-costs-of-over-100000 Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:30:00 GMT Over 13,000 vulnerable children are receiving care in areas rated in the lowest standard of support, damning new analysis has found. Local services for children in need of help were dubbed as a “silent crisis,” in a new report by the Social Market Foundation, a thinktank who used Ofsted data to compile the figures. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-services-for-vulnerable-children-in-silent-crisis-new-analysis-shows 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-services-for-vulnerable-children-in-silent-crisis-new-analysis-shows Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT Council bosses in Yorkshire are considering pulling out of an asylum seeker programme that gives homes to over 5,000 people unless the current project is changed.    In a letter to home secretary Sajid Javid, leaders from the 14 local authorities claimed that many northern towns and cities in the county have a higher... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-chiefs-threaten-pull-out-of-asylum-seeker-housing-project 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-chiefs-threaten-pull-out-of-asylum-seeker-housing-project Mon, 20 Aug 2018 10:30:00 GMT A property developer who launched a £13m legal bid against Northumberland County Council says it has been banned from sharing vital information with council members. Newcastle-based Lugano Group was due to build the Dissington Garden Village – commissioned by Northumberland CC when Labour was in power in the authority –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developer-in-13m-legal-wrangle-with-northumberland-now-plans-to-take-council-to-high-court 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developer-in-13m-legal-wrangle-with-northumberland-now-plans-to-take-council-to-high-court Fri, 17 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT A council has successfully obtained a High Court injunction allowing it to use greater powers – from fines and asset seizure to imprisonment and – against illegal travellers in the region. The borough-wide injunction will allow Bromley to stop people form occupying council-owned land, although the interim tool is only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-allows-london-council-to-fine-and-imprison-illegal-campers 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-allows-london-council-to-fine-and-imprison-illegal-campers Fri, 17 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT A report on the future of the debt-ridden Northamptonshire region due to be published this afternoon will likely recommend replacing all eight local authorities with two unitary councils. Public consultation results and the report itself will both be made online at 3pm this afternoon across all eight council websites – but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-report-due-to-propose-splitting-region-into-two-unitaries 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-report-due-to-propose-splitting-region-into-two-unitaries Fri, 17 Aug 2018 09:15:00 GMT A Lancashire council has apologised after sending a letter that stated football fans “will no longer be welcome” in the town centre for daytime matches. In a letter sent to Sheffield United FC this week, Chorley Council said football fans who travel to the town for away matches would not be welcome due to the impact it has on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-forced-to-apologise-after-telling-intimidating-football-fans-they-were-unwelcome- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-forced-to-apologise-after-telling-intimidating-football-fans-they-were-unwelcome- Thu, 16 Aug 2018 17:30:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council’s cabinet has agreed to sell its Longtown Outdoor Education Centre in an attempt to tackle a £70m budget shortfall, just a day before a report on the future governance of the council is due to be published. The 70-bed residential centre, owned by the council since 1964, will be purchased by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-to-sell-education-centre-ahead-of-plans-for-unitary-council-shake-up 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-to-sell-education-centre-ahead-of-plans-for-unitary-council-shake-up Thu, 16 Aug 2018 16:15:00 GMT Torbay Council has announced an immediate moratorium on spending as it tries to deal with financial trouble and a predicted £2.8m overspend at the end of March next year.  The council-- which is controlled under the elected mayoral system, populated with six independent councillors, one UKIP, and one Conservative councillor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/torbay-council-halts-non-urgent-spending-in-bid-to-tackle-significant-financial-challenges 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/torbay-council-halts-non-urgent-spending-in-bid-to-tackle-significant-financial-challenges Thu, 16 Aug 2018 10:45:00 GMT A Monmouthshire county councillor has been suspended for claiming that homosexuality is “unnatural, perverted, immoral and wrong.” Cllr Graham Down, an independent councillor for the Shirenewton ward, made the comments in emails sent to the council’s chief executive in 2016. Down also compared homosexuality to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillor-who-described-homosexuality-as-immoral-and-wrong-is-suspended 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillor-who-described-homosexuality-as-immoral-and-wrong-is-suspended Wed, 15 Aug 2018 16:45:00 GMT The communities secretary has called for a boost to garden towns across England in a new announcement for a garden communities project. Under the plans released today, James Brokenshire claims the programme will lead to more high-quality homes built and an increase in green areas— with garden community projects taking the form of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-funding-up-for-grabs-as-brokenshire-opens-up-garden-communities-project 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-funding-up-for-grabs-as-brokenshire-opens-up-garden-communities-project Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:15:00 GMT The insolvent Northamptonshire County Council’s attempts to make cuts to 21 libraries in the region have been halted by the High Court. When the local authority decided to go ahead with radical service and job cuts last week, libraries under its control were headed for the chop as Northamptonshire looks to make £70m in savings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlawful-northamptonshire-council-plans-to-close-libraries-blocked-by-high-court 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlawful-northamptonshire-council-plans-to-close-libraries-blocked-by-high-court Wed, 15 Aug 2018 14:45:00 GMT Around 6,500 jobs and a 20% surge in the local economy are expected after landmark new plans were submitted for planning permission in York. Making use of one of the largest city-centre brownfield sites in the UK, the York Central Partnership’s plans will renovate the underused brownfield site to the west of the city’s railway... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-2500-homes-on-the-way-as-part-of-york-central-development-proposals-submitted 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-2500-homes-on-the-way-as-part-of-york-central-development-proposals-submitted Tue, 14 Aug 2018 17:00:00 GMT Christchurch Borough Council has agreed not to take its legal fight to the Court of Appeal following the refusal of its Judicial Review application, with leader Cllr David Flagg apologising for the authority’s unsuccessful battle. The dropping of the appeal brings to an end Christchurch’s long-running legal dispute against... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fight-against-dorset-merger-draws-to-an-end-as-christchurch-council-accepts-defeat 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fight-against-dorset-merger-draws-to-an-end-as-christchurch-council-accepts-defeat Tue, 14 Aug 2018 16:30:00 GMT The government’s social housing green paper is “only a small step” in delivering more social homes says the UK’s largest local government body. Government proposals to give social housing residents greater support in holding their landlords to account has been criticised by the Local Government Association (LGA)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-housing-green-paper-only-a-small-step-compared-to-huge-need-for-affordable-homes-lga-says 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-housing-green-paper-only-a-small-step-compared-to-huge-need-for-affordable-homes-lga-says Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:45:00 GMT A council that took four years in a legal wrangle to remove a pony from an Isle of Lewis house may have found the four-legged beast a new home. Western Isles council removed Grey Lady Too – a Connemara pony that was taken into the home by pensioner Stephanie Noble on Christmas Eve in 2011 – from its residence in 2014 because... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-horse-around-council-finds-new-home-for-house-bound-pony 436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-horse-around-council-finds-new-home-for-house-bound-pony Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:00:00 GMT Rumours that Somerset County Council staff could be asked to take two days of unpaid leave to prevent costs from rising even further have been rejected by the local authority— though councillors have said they are in “dialogue with unions” to create a two-day unpaid plan in December. The proposals for the unpaid leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-rejects-rumours-of-staff-taking-unpaid-leave-to-help-cut-costs-but-plans-in-the-works 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-rejects-rumours-of-staff-taking-unpaid-leave-to-help-cut-costs-but-plans-in-the-works Mon, 13 Aug 2018 12:30:00 GMT   A south-coast local authority will go ahead with plans to scrap its fledgling energy company after it was deemed to be too expensive— losing at least £2.5m of public money in the process. In an announcement, Portsmouth City Council said the wholly-owned company, Victory Energy, “would have needed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/portsmouth-wastes-2m-ditching-controversial-energy-firm-amid-fears-of-even-more-losses 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/portsmouth-wastes-2m-ditching-controversial-energy-firm-amid-fears-of-even-more-losses Mon, 13 Aug 2018 11:15:00 GMT As many as 6,000 rough sleepers will receive specialist support in a new government scheme announced today. Supported by £100m in funding, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) will put the cash towards Whitehall’s aim of eradicating homelessness entirely by 2027. The strategy is supported by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homeless-action-plan-given-100m-government-boost 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homeless-action-plan-given-100m-government-boost Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:30:00 GMT It’s time to stop seeing transport investment as a nice-to-have: it’s a cut-through catalyst for growth in sectors across the north. Barry White, chief executive of Transport for the North (TfN), discusses how connectivity is the bedrock of the region’s future prosperity. The power of the north is unrelenting. Its star... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-era-of-opportunity-for-the-north 447,433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-era-of-opportunity-for-the-north Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT Dr Linze Schaap, associate professor at the Tilburg Centre for Regional Law and Governance, and Dr Niels Karsten, assistant professor at the Tilburg Institute of Governance, provide evidence from abroad to justify why larger authorities are not the answer to local government reform. The recent economic and fiscal crises have put new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-mergers-little-gain-less-democratic 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-mergers-little-gain-less-democratic Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT Georgina Maratheftis, programme manager for local government at techUK, makes the case for wider adoption of cloud technology by local authorities. There are lots of councils across the UK that are realising the benefits of adopting and using cloud services. There are also a lot more that are not – and they should be. A recent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-council-cloud-first-approach 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-council-cloud-first-approach Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT Cllr Isobel Darby, member lead for quality of life at the District Councils’ Network (DCN) and leader of Chiltern District Council, shares some examples of district-led prevention initiatives which show the strong contribution that these collaborations can make to the health and care sector. As the NHS reaches its 70th birthday... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-strength-of-districts 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-strength-of-districts Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT YPO has launched the first national apprenticeship framework this month, allowing the UK public sector to access apprenticeship training across all standards from a range of local and national suppliers. Lizzy Grayson, category manager of corporate services at YPO, urges public organisations to act now to benefit from the scheme, and reveals how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/understanding-the-apprenticeship-levy 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/understanding-the-apprenticeship-levy Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:45:00 GMT The acquisition of a £21m shopping centre by a Somerset council has been blasted by opposition council members who claim the deal was “shrouded” in secrecy. North Somerset Council’s buy-out of Weston-super-Mare’s premium Sovereign Shopping Centre last week was dubbed as a “bold and innovative”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-risky-and-shrouded-in-secrecy-21m-mall-buy-out-criticised-by-opposition 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-risky-and-shrouded-in-secrecy-21m-mall-buy-out-criticised-by-opposition Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT UK citizens will soon be able to have a say in local government decisions as the government launches its ‘Innovation in Democracy’ pilot scheme as part of its new Civil Society Strategy. Users of the pilot in six regions across the country will soon be able to “take a more direct role” in decisions that impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-new-local-government-citizens-jury-pilots-headline-whitehalls-civil-society-strategy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-new-local-government-citizens-jury-pilots-headline-whitehalls-civil-society-strategy Fri, 10 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT Reserves at Lancashire County Council (LCC) are forecast to drop amid ongoing and widespread financial challenges, with almost 200 local authorities in England predicting a net decrease in reserves in the coming year. Lancashire is in the top 20 of councils forecasting the most significant decreases, alongside major councils including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-finances-at-tipping-point-as-auditors-predict-national-drop-in-cash-reserves 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-finances-at-tipping-point-as-auditors-predict-national-drop-in-cash-reserves Fri, 10 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT Around 6,000 people have had their financial details put at risk after Lewisham Council’s IT system was hacked. In a statement, Ian Thomas, chief executive of Lewisham, said the council “sincerely regrets” how the portal used by its digital team was compromised. The portal that was illegally accessed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-details-of-6000-london-residents-at-risk-after-council-cyber-attack 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-details-of-6000-london-residents-at-risk-after-council-cyber-attack Fri, 10 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT The financially bankrupt Northamptonshire County Council will press ahead with plans to make “radical” cuts to key services as it looks to fight its way out of a section 114 spending ban. Tory-led Northamptonshire CC backed the ‘Core Offer’ proposals in its crisis meeting today in an effort to make £70m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-ploughs-ahead-with-radical-service-and-job-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-ploughs-ahead-with-radical-service-and-job-cuts Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:15:00 GMT Plans to drastically cut back services and replace regular provision with a scaled-down ‘core offer’ of statutory services could become the new normal, leaders have warned. The stark warning from the County Councils Network (CCN) comes on the same day as Northamptonshire councillors meet to decide on a dramatic programme of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bare-bones-core-offer-could-become-the-norm-as-more-councils-face-financial-doom 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bare-bones-core-offer-could-become-the-norm-as-more-councils-face-financial-doom Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:00:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council locals have led calls for a halt on their council tax due to not receiving value for money as the cash-strapped authority plans to axe and scale back a string of services. During the authority’s Full Council meeting today, which is ongoing, one resident claimed that she is going to start a public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-locals-to-boycott-council-tax-cfo-says-they-cant-spend-cash-they-dont-have 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-locals-to-boycott-council-tax-cfo-says-they-cant-spend-cash-they-dont-have Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:15:00 GMT A borough council who lost a High Court case in its campaign to prevent local authorities in the area from being merged has applied to appeal the ruling. Christchurch Borough Council’s long-running legal battle against plans to merge with Poole and Bournemouth district councils was dealt a major blow on Tuesday when the High Court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-to-appeal-high-court-ruling-over-dorset-merger-row 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-to-appeal-high-court-ruling-over-dorset-merger-row Thu, 09 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has appointed a former London borough senior financial officer as their new interim director of finance. Leigh Whitehouse, who is currently the interim director of finance and corporate services at the London Borough of Bexley, will join the council on 3 September. Prior to his role at Bexley, he held senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-interim-finance-director-on-the-way-to-deal-with-critical-time-at-surrey-cc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-interim-finance-director-on-the-way-to-deal-with-critical-time-at-surrey-cc Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT Unison has lodged an appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling that social care companies are not required to pay £400m in backpay to carers who perform ‘sleep-in’ shifts. The appeal will be considered by the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the removal of the requirement in June. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-lodges-supreme-court-appeal-against-completely-wrong-pay-ruling 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-lodges-supreme-court-appeal-against-completely-wrong-pay-ruling Wed, 08 Aug 2018 15:45:00 GMT Parish and town councils would be supportive of a single code of conduct that could be used by all local authorities, research has found. Local government currently uses different codes of conduct across its landscape, but 90% of councils surveyed by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) argued that this should be replaced by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-single-code-of-conduct-and-2m-ethical-standards-training-scheme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-single-code-of-conduct-and-2m-ethical-standards-training-scheme Tue, 07 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT The city of Edinburgh will receive £300m of investment after it was formally signed off by Theresa May during her visit to the Edinburgh festival today. The City Deal forms part of the government's £1bn investment in deals across Scotland, which was matched by the Scottish Government. In Edinburgh, it will help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-receives-300m-cash-boost-as-part-of-uk-government-investment-to-south-east-scotland 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-receives-300m-cash-boost-as-part-of-uk-government-investment-to-south-east-scotland Tue, 07 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT A council campaigning against a potential merger that would see its authority scrapped has lost its battle in High Court. Christchurch Borough Council has consistently opposed merger plans to replace Dorset county’s nine councils with two larger authorities. Under the proposed restructuring, Christchurch would join services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-disappointed-by-failed-high-court-bid-against-dorset-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-disappointed-by-failed-high-court-bid-against-dorset-merger Tue, 07 Aug 2018 14:30:00 GMT As the grid goes green, do we still need to consider energy efficiency? The Mayor of London’s RE:FIT team investigates. According to recently published greenhouse gas emissions factors, the UK is making excellent progress towards decarbonising the grid. This poses an interesting question: as the grid becomes less carbon-intensive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stay-on-top-of-energy-efficiency 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stay-on-top-of-energy-efficiency Mon, 06 Aug 2018 14:30:00 GMT Services at a Tory-led council are to be cut back to those most in need in an effort to prevent another Northamptonshire-style financial crisis that left the Midlands authority bankrupt. East Sussex County Council’s announcement last month that reductions in central funding has led to the restriction of certain services was followed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-to-slash-services-in-northamptonshire-style-of-spending-cutback- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-to-slash-services-in-northamptonshire-style-of-spending-cutback- Mon, 06 Aug 2018 12:45:00 GMT Heather Wakefield, Unison’s head of local government, police and justice, analyses her organisation’s scathing research into the confidence of council workers in the future of local services. It’s a bleak indictment of the state of local councils when the very people working for them have no confidence in the future of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enough-is-enough 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enough-is-enough Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT Matt Prosser, Solace’s spokesperson for digital leadership and interim head of paid service at the Shadow Dorset Council, discusses the future of digital colocation between local authorities. Sitting around a table with some of the more tech-savvy brains of local and central government, we spent a good few minutes debating whether... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-the-digital-goods 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-the-digital-goods Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse vision is finally within reach – it’s time we grasp that opportunity and turn it into reality, writes Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP). It is just over four years since the words ‘Northern Powerhouse’ were first introduced by then chancellor George Osborne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-vision-to-reality 447,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-vision-to-reality Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT SPONSORED INTERVIEW The urban landscape is changing. How can local authorities keep up with citizen behaviour? Stephen Leece, managing director at Citi Logik, tells PSE’s Luana Salles that big data might just be the solution. The way people are moving is fundamentally changing. The classic view of commuting to work – living... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-a-city-understand-itself 438,451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-a-city-understand-itself Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:30:00 GMT Michael King first joined the Local Government Ombudsman service back in 2004 as deputy ombudsman. At the start of 2017, he was appointed as the local government and social care ombudsman (LGSCO). Here, he talks to PSE’s Daniel Broadley to discuss ombudsman reform and the commitments set out in the LGO’s latest corporate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-ombudsman-reform- 435,447,451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-ombudsman-reform- Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:30:00 GMT SPONSORED INTERVIEW The public sector, and policing in particular, has often been criticised as being slow to adapt to change. But now, says Louise Fellows, O2’s new managing partner for Homes Affairs, things are changing. She sits down with PSE’s Daniel Broadley to discuss what her organisation is doing to support the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/modern-policing-the-future-is-bright 454,451,452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/modern-policing-the-future-is-bright Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:30:00 GMT  A Somerset council which will be formed in a new merger in April next year will spend more than £130,000 on a new website and branding. Figures sourced by an FoI request by Somerset Live and shared with PSE indicate that a new website, logo, and related branding will run the new Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-somerset-council-to-spend-over-130000-on-new-website-and-branding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-somerset-council-to-spend-over-130000-on-new-website-and-branding Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT The former leader of Northamptonshire County Council has resigned from her party, citing that she “cannot cope” with comments from new councillors. Cllr Heather Smith, who had been a Conservative councillor for 11 years, announced her resignation on Twitter on Friday after a tumultuous past few months for the cash-strapped... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-northamptonshire-county-council-boss-resigns-from-party 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-northamptonshire-county-council-boss-resigns-from-party Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:45:00 GMT Newham Borough Council has appointed former Capita boss Katherine Kerswell as its new interim chief executive to take up the post in September. Kerswell previously has been a chief executive of four different councils including Northamptonshire and Solihull, and has spent the past three years at Capita running the organisation’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/capita-director-made-interim-newham-chief-executive- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/capita-director-made-interim-newham-chief-executive- Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:30:00 GMT Auditor queries over Bristol City Council’s accounts are yet to be answered as the authority has missed several outstanding issues to be provided for their external progress report. Auditor BDO said they are “continuing to work” with council officers to finalised outstanding queries and to complete their audit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/final-accounts-deadline-missed-by-bristol-city-council- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/final-accounts-deadline-missed-by-bristol-city-council- Fri, 03 Aug 2018 15:45:00 GMT The financially-ruined Northamptonshire County Council has released an action plan proposing “radical” service cuts across the entire service landscape as its members revealed that a potential £180m deficit by March 2021 is not out of the question. The action plan, drawn up in response to its second section 114 notice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-radical-service-cuts-planned-as-deficit-threatens-to-hit-180m 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-radical-service-cuts-planned-as-deficit-threatens-to-hit-180m Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT A recent survey has found that a vast majority (80%) of Conservative councillors agree that fracking firms, where they have a license to drill and explore for gas, should be made to apply for planning permission before drilling. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and Friends of the Earth carried out the poll, which also revealed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-have-power-over-fracking-plans-tory-councillors-say 433,437,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-have-power-over-fracking-plans-tory-councillors-say Fri, 03 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT A cross-party group of MPs have written to the chancellor calling for £100bn of investment to transform the north of England’s transport by 2050. The letter welcomed the Treasury’s “ongoing commitment to deal with this issue by reversing decades of underinvestment,” but called for the delivery date of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deliver-npr-by-2032-and-invest-100bn-in-northern-transport-by-2050-mps-demand 2899,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deliver-npr-by-2032-and-invest-100bn-in-northern-transport-by-2050-mps-demand Thu, 02 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT Residents and members of the GMB union gathered outside Northamptonshire County Council’s offices on One Angel Square yesterday in protest against its decision to find another £70m in savings – meaning only absolutely essential services will be offered. The demonstration was organised in response to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-crisis-calls-for-leader-to-resign-as-protesters-mourn-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-crisis-calls-for-leader-to-resign-as-protesters-mourn-cuts Thu, 02 Aug 2018 11:15:00 GMT The approval of Lancashire County Council’s accounts has been put on hold following a dispute over the registering of a contentious £50m loan. Conducting the council’s annual audit, and presented to the authority’s audit, risk, and governance committee on Monday, auditor Grant Thornton queried about how Lancashire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-ccs-accounts-held-up-over-contentious-50m-lobo-loan 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-ccs-accounts-held-up-over-contentious-50m-lobo-loan Thu, 02 Aug 2018 10:15:00 GMT A city council is planning on phasing out its use of “private-hired muscle” bailiffs as part of a more ethically-aware debt collection trial over the next few months. Deputy mayor Craig Cheney revealed Bristol City Council – which currently hires bailiffs to reclaim some of the £15m it loses every year due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-to-replace-hired-muscle-debt-collection-with-more-ethical-approach 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-to-replace-hired-muscle-debt-collection-with-more-ethical-approach Thu, 02 Aug 2018 08:00:00 GMT Councils around the UK have begun planning for potential social unrest and disruption in case of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, according to a Sky News investigation. Almost 30 local authorities responded to Sky News’ FoI requests, expressing serious concerns over their ability to deliver local services in light of mounting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-begin-planning-for-post-brexit-disruption-and-social-unrest 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-begin-planning-for-post-brexit-disruption-and-social-unrest Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:15:00 GMT The communities minister has paused plans to create a unitary authority between two Oxfordshire councils. In a letter to the leaders of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, the minister for local government Rishi Sunak said it will be “pausing its consideration” for the unitary council due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-unitary-council-proposals-placed-on-hold-by-sunak 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-unitary-council-proposals-placed-on-hold-by-sunak Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:15:00 GMT The troubled and technically insolvent Northamptonshire County Council has revealed that it will set up a dedicated team to deal with its financial crisis as the authority’s members prepare to hold an extraordinary budget meeting today. In a statement, leader Cllr Matt Golby explained that a team of professionals would come together... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-sets-up-dedicated-crisis-team-as-council-floats-bare-bones-core-offer 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-sets-up-dedicated-crisis-team-as-council-floats-bare-bones-core-offer Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT Efforts made by to warn Northamptonshire County Council leaders of its financial crisis were not acted upon by leaders three years ago, damning new information has found. A Freedom of Information request by local democracy reporter at the Northampton Chronicle Sarah Ward found that then director of finance Matt Bowmer wrote to council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/efforts-to-stop-northamptonshire-county-council-spending-were-ignored-three-years-ago 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/efforts-to-stop-northamptonshire-county-council-spending-were-ignored-three-years-ago Tue, 31 Jul 2018 17:00:00 GMT Norwich City Council has bought up to £40m-worth of office and shop blocks, and has spent £13.4m last year on buildings to rent back to businesses in 2017. Figures uncovered by the Eastern Daily Press highlighted the council’s purchase of a block of shops on London Street housing Laura Ashley and Mountain Warehouse for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norwich-city-council-buys-popular-office-shopping-blocks-to-rent-back-to-local-businesses 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norwich-city-council-buys-popular-office-shopping-blocks-to-rent-back-to-local-businesses Tue, 31 Jul 2018 17:00:00 GMT A legal battle over the future of Dorset councils which has gone all the way to the High Court has concluded yesterday, with both parties now awaiting the landmark ruling. Christchurch Borough Council, led by MP Sir Christopher Chope, challenged the plans to bring together services that would abolish the current nine Dorset councils and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurchs-historic-legal-battle-against-dorset-services-merger-concludes-at-high-court- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurchs-historic-legal-battle-against-dorset-services-merger-concludes-at-high-court- Tue, 31 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT District and borough authorities at risk of being axed due a potential merger into a unitary authority have declared that they will adopt a “collaborative approach” for the future of services in the area. The leaders of Blaby District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Harborough Borough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-threat-leicestershire-councils-team-up-to-evaluate-rushed-merger-plans 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-threat-leicestershire-councils-team-up-to-evaluate-rushed-merger-plans Mon, 30 Jul 2018 11:15:00 GMT Five people have been sentenced after they were found guilty for defrauding a Leicestershire council out of more than £200,000. Melton Borough Council were deceived out of £205,449 in August 2013 when they received what they believed to be a legitimate council service provider notifying Melton that bank details they held for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-men-sentenced-for-defrauding-melton-council-out-of-over-substantial-200k 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-men-sentenced-for-defrauding-melton-council-out-of-over-substantial-200k Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:00:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) will be handed back the site of Grenfell Tower amid public outrage for the move. First reported on by The Guardian, the tower block in which 71 people tragically died on 14 June last year was expected by some to come under the control of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-council-to-take-back-control-of-grenfell-tower-site-in-controversial-move 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-council-to-take-back-control-of-grenfell-tower-site-in-controversial-move Mon, 30 Jul 2018 09:45:00 GMT An un-costed cap on social care introduced for local services could have “catastrophic” repercussions for community care, with costs soaring as high as £691m a year, council chiefs have said. In a new report released today, the County Councils Network (CCN) said if the government was to introduce a care cap—... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unfunded-care-cap-could-have-catastrophic-effects-on-council-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unfunded-care-cap-could-have-catastrophic-effects-on-council-services Fri, 27 Jul 2018 11:30:00 GMT Over £8m of cash ring-fenced for public health was spent on other cash-strapped services, an audit for financially-struggling Northamptonshire County Council has found. An external report by auditor KPMG released yesterday found that the authority “misappropriated” £8.038m from a Public Health England grant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-misappropriates-8m-of-ring-fenced-funds-to-rescue-cash-strapped-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-misappropriates-8m-of-ring-fenced-funds-to-rescue-cash-strapped-services Fri, 27 Jul 2018 10:45:00 GMT Enfield Council’s Cabinet will take control of the “accelerated delivery” of a development scheme worth £6bn and capable of providing 10,000 homes to the area. The council had previously targeted a single developer for the entire Meridian Water project when it was first announced in 2011. However, following news... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/borough-council-to-take-control-of-6bn-meridian-water-development-scheme- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/borough-council-to-take-control-of-6bn-meridian-water-development-scheme- Thu, 26 Jul 2018 16:15:00 GMT Manchester City Council has approved 15,000 new homes over the next 15-20 years as part of the city’s ambitious ‘Northern Gateway’ project. Following a Cabinet meeting yesterday, the proposals, which include 3,000 affordable homes, will see homes built by 2038 as part of a joint venture between the council and Far... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-approves-1bn-plans-for-15000-new-homes-as-part-of-northern-gateway 2899,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-approves-1bn-plans-for-15000-new-homes-as-part-of-northern-gateway Thu, 26 Jul 2018 12:00:00 GMT An extra £20m is up for grabs for LEPs in a new government announcement aimed to “supercharge” economic growth in local communities. Released by the government yesterday, the proposals will offer the additional funding between 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 to support the implementation of changes such as increasing their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-plans-of-lep-revamp 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-plans-of-lep-revamp Wed, 25 Jul 2018 17:15:00 GMT Councils are being invited to apply for powers to retain the growth in their business rates under new pilots announced by communities secretary James Brokenshire. The pilots will see councils rewarded for supporting local firms and jobs, ensuring they benefit directly from the proceeds of economic growth. Selected areas will be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finance-settlement-consultation-launched-more-business-rates-pilots-on-the-way 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finance-settlement-consultation-launched-more-business-rates-pilots-on-the-way Wed, 25 Jul 2018 14:45:00 GMT Around one million public sector workers will benefit from the biggest pay rise in almost 10 years, the government announced today in an unprecedented move. The controversial 1% pay rise cap – which union bosses claim has costed the public purse around £8.5bn in the last financial year alone – ended last year in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-scrapped-as-rises-on-way-for-one-million-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-scrapped-as-rises-on-way-for-one-million-workers Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:15:00 GMT  The government is planning to end the intervention into Rotherham council three years after calling in inspectors, James Brokenshire has announced. Government intervention began in February 2015 after Baroness Alexis Jay and Dame Louise Casey found significant failings at the council that contributed to child sexual exploitation in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-proposes-to-remove-commissioners-from-rotherham-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-proposes-to-remove-commissioners-from-rotherham-council Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:45:00 GMT A potential budget shortfall in of up to £70m has led the director of Northamptonshire County Council’s finances to issue a second section 114 notice, banning spending until further notice. In a letter to councillors, director Mark McLaughlin outlined the challenges facing the council including a potential budget shortfall in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-issues-another-spending-ban-as-finances-remain-critical 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-issues-another-spending-ban-as-finances-remain-critical Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:45:00 GMT Jonny Voon, innovation lead for Internet of Things & distributed ledger at Innovate UK, talks us through the many benefits of blockchain technology and its potential to disrupt almost every industry in our economy – particularly the public sector.  While the majority of the noise around blockchain tends to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefits-of-blockchain 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefits-of-blockchain Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:00:00 GMT Paul Steinberg, lead commissioner of the London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP), argues that the capital’s successful fight against HIV is a remarkable example of what can be achieved when local authorities work innovatively across boundaries to speak with one voice. It no longer hits the headlines as much as it once did, but HIV... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-quiet-revolution 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-quiet-revolution Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT The ‘place-based’ focus of the Industrial Strategy will be a significant step towards growing local economies alongside LEPs, writes Cllr Philip Atkins, County Councils Network (CCN) vice-chairman and leader of Staffordshire County Council. The government’s revamped Industrial Strategy, released late last year, offered a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/industrial-strategies-taking-back-control 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/industrial-strategies-taking-back-control Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Plans for a historic devolution deal to “unlock the potential of the north” will be finalised by Theresa May today. The prime minister is to hold a Cabinet meeting in the north east for the first time to give further legal detail of plans to create a North of Tyne Combined Authority worth £600m, giving people of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legislation-on-the-way-for-600m-north-of-tyne-devolution-deal- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legislation-on-the-way-for-600m-north-of-tyne-devolution-deal- Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Kathleen Henehan, research and policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, examines the intergenerational and international skills gap faced by the UK, and looks at alternative ways into work than the A-Levels to graduate route.  The perennial skills story in England is one of poor performance on literacy and numeracy at school, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mind-the-skills-gap 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mind-the-skills-gap Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Jason Waterman, deputy director of disputes & policy implementation at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), describes the benefits of the streamlined Public Sector Contract, which provides a much easier route into the market. “The new CCS contract is shorter, easier to understand and takes a more standardised approach. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-it-simple 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-it-simple Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Damning new data from children’s services regulator Ofsted shows that every council-run service in Merseyside is either inadequate or needs to improve. The statistics, released by the government body last week, showed that the five local authorities running children’s services in the area were failing on key sectors such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-childrens-services-in-merseyside-councils-need-to-improve-ofsted-says- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-childrens-services-in-merseyside-councils-need-to-improve-ofsted-says- Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:00:00 GMT Reformed business rates, more flexible council taxation, and exploring new ways of allowing councils to access funds are amongst future plans for the LGiU’s annual scorecard. Released today, the think tank launched the ‘Local Finance Scorecard’ to kickstart the wider debate on pathways for local government finance and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgiu-releases-annual-scorecard-for-local-government-finance 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgiu-releases-annual-scorecard-for-local-government-finance Mon, 23 Jul 2018 10:00:00 GMT Gedling council members have emphatically outlined their stance against a potential mega-merger in Nottinghamshire that could see borough and district authorities being scrapped. Nottinghamshire County Council, who proceeded with a formal business case setting out plans to replace the current two-tier system in the region with a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-and-borough-councils-begin-challenge-against-nottinghamshire-super-council- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-and-borough-councils-begin-challenge-against-nottinghamshire-super-council- Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:15:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council’s new chief executive has been endorsed at the authority’s Full Council meeting yesterday, with the authority’s leader saying the new CEO “knows what she’s letting herself in for.” Theresa Grant, who stepped down as chief executive of Trafford Council in early July to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-new-ceo-approved-by-full-council-to-lead-area-through-unprecedented-time-of-change 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-new-ceo-approved-by-full-council-to-lead-area-through-unprecedented-time-of-change Fri, 20 Jul 2018 11:45:00 GMT An index designed to measure councils’ financial resilience in order to avoid another Northamptonshire-style fiasco would actually risk oversimplifying complex issues without offering genuine solutions to authorities who are deemed to be failing, leaders have said. Bosses from the County Councils Network (CCN) and the Association of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/naming-and-shaming-index-for-bankrupt-councils-fails-to-offer-genuine-solution 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/naming-and-shaming-index-for-bankrupt-councils-fails-to-offer-genuine-solution Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:45:00 GMT Cheshire East Council is to consider the implications of a Court of Appeal decision on sleep-in payments for carers. The announcement comes following a successful appeal by disabilities charity Mencap, which argued that a previous tribunal decision— which compelled care providers to fund six years’ back pay for overnight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-west-council-to-consider-court-of-appeal-decision-on-carer-sleep-in-payments 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-west-council-to-consider-court-of-appeal-decision-on-carer-sleep-in-payments Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:15:00 GMT Haringey Council has ditched plans for a £2bn collaboration with a property developer that could have brought over 6,000 homes to the area over the next 20 years. The council, who were labelled “negligent and in denial” over tower blocks at risk of collapse last month, scrapped the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/haringey-council-ditches-2bn-housing-development-with-private-developer 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/haringey-council-ditches-2bn-housing-development-with-private-developer Thu, 19 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Communities secretary James Brokenshire has officially granted councils across England with enhanced powers to charge greater tax premiums on empty homes following an amendment to a government bill. Councils will be allowed to triple the council tax on homes left empty for five to 10 years and quadruple it on those empty for more than a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stronger-powers-granted-to-councils-to-tackle-empty-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stronger-powers-granted-to-councils-to-tackle-empty-homes Thu, 19 Jul 2018 10:00:00 GMT Chloe Smith MP, Minister for the Constitution, evaluates the outcomes of the voter ID pilots conducted at the last local elections. We are one step closer to strengthening the integrity of our electoral system through requiring electors to confirm their identity before they vote, building on the government’s commitment to safeguard... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-step-closer-to-voter-ids-at-elections- 435,447,454,436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-step-closer-to-voter-ids-at-elections- Thu, 19 Jul 2018 09:30:00 GMT The chief executive and leader of a London Borough council have resigned from their positions due to a potential conflict of interest created by a Regional Enterprise deal with Capita. Council leader Richard Cornelius and CEO John Hooton of Barnet Borough Council stood down from their positions taking effect from 28 June as directors of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-leader-and-ceo-step-down-due-to-potential-conflict-of-interest-in-regional-enterprise-capita-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-leader-and-ceo-step-down-due-to-potential-conflict-of-interest-in-regional-enterprise-capita-deal Wed, 18 Jul 2018 17:15:00 GMT A local authority has more than doubled its financial deficit largely due to an overspend in children’s services “of an order never seen previously” in the area, board papers show. In a cabinet meeting, Lewisham Council revealed that it overspent by nearly £18m in 2017-18, a figure which was then brought down to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-deficit-more-than-doubles-to-hit-reds-of-an-order-never-seen-previously 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-deficit-more-than-doubles-to-hit-reds-of-an-order-never-seen-previously Wed, 18 Jul 2018 16:15:00 GMT A scathing new inquiry into Newham Borough Council’s investment of £40m to London Stadium has said the move was flawed because it did not ensure financial conditions for the investment would be met. The authority made the multimillion-pound bid to turn the Olympic stadium built for the 2012 games into West Ham United’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-london-council-lambasted-by-independent-qc-report-over-failed-40m-investment-into-london-stadium 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-london-council-lambasted-by-independent-qc-report-over-failed-40m-investment-into-london-stadium Wed, 18 Jul 2018 16:15:00 GMT Barclays is facing a legal battle over the issuing of controversial loans worth millions of pounds to major English councils. A High Court claim revealed by the Mail on Sunday found that 14 major local authorities including Bradford, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol are amongst those accusing Barclays of fraud over Lender Option... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/banks-sued-by-15-major-councils-in-controversial-loans-fraud-court-battle 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/banks-sued-by-15-major-councils-in-controversial-loans-fraud-court-battle Tue, 17 Jul 2018 17:15:00 GMT Canterbury City Council has announced an investment of £23m in social housing in a deal that was conducted “behind the scenes” over fears of the deal being highjacked by wealthier London boroughs. The council will convert 44 properties that it bought freehold into 63 self-contained, affordable flats and houses off Sturry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-invests-23m-in-secret-housing-deal-to-avoid-london-gazumping 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-invests-23m-in-secret-housing-deal-to-avoid-london-gazumping Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:30:00 GMT A struggling south west authority will not issue a rare section 114 notice in spite of severe funding pressures. Somerset County Council, who were close to issuing the notice earlier this month – which would impose strict spending restrictions and bring into effect an emergency budget – have said they are “not in that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-section-114-for-somerset-cc-despite-funding-issues 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-section-114-for-somerset-cc-despite-funding-issues Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:15:00 GMT Northumberland County Council’s decision to scrap new housing proposals may have cost a developer more than £13m in planning permission costs. Newcastle-based property developer the Lugano Group was due to build the Dissington Garden Village that would create 2,000 homes north of Ponteland, commissioned by Labour before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northumberland-council-hit-with-legal-claim-after-firm-racks-up-13m-delayed-project-bill 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northumberland-council-hit-with-legal-claim-after-firm-racks-up-13m-delayed-project-bill Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Controversial payments levied on users of a Merseyside bridge will not be repaid by its council in spite of a legal ruling deeming the fees to be illegal. Passengers using the Mersey Gateway Bridge have paid millions of pounds in £2 fees since the bridge was opened in October last year. At the beginning of this year the Traffic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-gateway-bridge-tolls-will-not-be-repaid-by-merseyside-authority- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-gateway-bridge-tolls-will-not-be-repaid-by-merseyside-authority- Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is planning to announce its new chief executive to replace recently-resigned CEO Ged Fitzgerald. According to reports from the Liverpool Echo, following the conclusion of the interview process the frontrunner for the role appears to be Tony Reeves, who has been working as a consultant to mayor Joe Anderson and with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-set-to-replace-disgraced-boss-at-liverpool-city-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chief-executive-set-to-replace-disgraced-boss-at-liverpool-city-council Mon, 16 Jul 2018 11:45:00 GMT Yorkshire leaders look ready to defy the government’s devolution stance after voicing disappointment with communities secretary James Brokenshire’s response earlier this week to their ‘One Yorkshire’ proposal. In a statement following its meeting, representative group Yorkshire Leaders – made up of the 18... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-defy-government-by-pressing-ahead-with-vetoed-one-yorkshire-devolution-plan 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-defy-government-by-pressing-ahead-with-vetoed-one-yorkshire-devolution-plan Fri, 13 Jul 2018 15:15:00 GMT Nottinghamshire has decided to proceed with a formal business case setting out plans to replace the current two-tier system in the region with a unitary authority after a vote was passed in yesterday’s Full Council meeting. By a slight margin of 35 to 30 votes, members at the meeting agreed to put forward a business case for a major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-case-on-the-way-for-nottinghamshire-super-council 436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-case-on-the-way-for-nottinghamshire-super-council Fri, 13 Jul 2018 11:15:00 GMT Local government leaders have welcomed the government’s Brexit white paper, with the LGA arguing that it gives “a clearer understanding of what the government’s vision of post-Brexit Britain will look like.” Moreover, the LGA welcomed the white paper’s acknowledgement of the importance of replacing EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-consultation-on-post-brexit-regional-funding- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-consultation-on-post-brexit-regional-funding- Fri, 13 Jul 2018 10:45:00 GMT A woman who last week decided to step down from her top job at Trafford after clashing with the authority’s new Labour leadership has been appointed CEO of what has been branded the country’s worst-run council. Theresa Grant, who stepped down as chief executive in early July following the establishment of Trafford... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-hope-for-struggling-northamptonshire-as-exceptional-ceo-hired-to-fix-finances 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-hope-for-struggling-northamptonshire-as-exceptional-ceo-hired-to-fix-finances Fri, 13 Jul 2018 10:15:00 GMT Buckinghamshire County Council will retain its children’s services after a new government report found that, although there is still long a way to go, the services are on the right path to improve. This is a positive step as the report said that “some progress had been made following the 2014 judgement,” but noted that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-split-into-two-unitaries-would-be-retrograde-for-childrens-services 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-split-into-two-unitaries-would-be-retrograde-for-childrens-services Thu, 12 Jul 2018 15:45:00 GMT Article by Callum Wood of Public Sector Magazine The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) upheld almost 60% of the detailed investigations it dealt with last year, which is up from just over half the previous year. Its annual report shows that the body dealt with more than 31,500 complaints and enquiries from the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-upholds-60-of-investigations-against-councils 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-upholds-60-of-investigations-against-councils Thu, 12 Jul 2018 15:45:00 GMT A new funding agreement for Liverpool City Region has been agreed and will give its metro mayor Steve Rotherham and the combined authority greater freedom over its spending. Rotherham will be able to plan and invest in ways which will drive long-term economic growth in such areas as transport, education and housing. The agreement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-spending-freedoms-agreed-for-liverpool-city-region 436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-spending-freedoms-agreed-for-liverpool-city-region Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:45:00 GMT Article by Callum Wood of Public Sector Executive  Proposals have been announced to create a new world-leading precision medicine campus within the area of the Corridor Manchester Enterprise Zone, located on the UK’s largest clinical academic campus, Manchester University NHS. Health Innovation Manchester has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposed-new-world-leading-precision-medicine-campus-to-be-set-up-in-manchester 2899,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposed-new-world-leading-precision-medicine-campus-to-be-set-up-in-manchester Thu, 12 Jul 2018 12:15:00 GMT Article by Callum Wood of Public Sector Magazine The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council is backing plans for the authority to provide unitary services, moving on from its current two-tier structure. The authority is set to debate proposals tomorrow to create a ‘super council’ that would abolish the current structure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leader-of-nottinghamshire-cc-reaffirms-support-for-unitary-authority-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leader-of-nottinghamshire-cc-reaffirms-support-for-unitary-authority-merger Wed, 11 Jul 2018 16:45:00 GMT Proposals to transform Newcastle into the UK’s leading ‘smart city’ could be given the green light at a Cabinet meeting next week. Discussing the proposals on 16 July, Newcastle City Council will consider a report which sets out ambitious plans for Newcastle to build on its successes and become a “major player in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-proposes-ideas-for-uk-leading-smart-city 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-city-council-proposes-ideas-for-uk-leading-smart-city Wed, 11 Jul 2018 16:30:00 GMT Cabinet members at East Sussex County Council will vote on the development of the authority’s core services following “significant reductions” in funding from central government. In a statement released yesterday, council chief executive Becky Shaw said savings to baseline services had already created significant impacts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-cc-to-vote-on-future-of-services-following-reductions-in-government-funding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-cc-to-vote-on-future-of-services-following-reductions-in-government-funding Wed, 11 Jul 2018 15:30:00 GMT Article by Callum Wood of Public Sector Executive magazine Cheshire’s East’s chief executive Mike Suarez, who was suspended in April last year by the council’s investigation and disciplinary committee (IDC) after allegations into misconduct, has resigned from his post. The CEO was suspended for 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-easts-chief-executive-resigns 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-easts-chief-executive-resigns Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:30:00 GMT The future of Torbay Council as a unitary council is set to be decided before September by the authority, the elected mayor has said. Speaking to Devon Live, mayor Gordon Oliver said the council “cannot survive” on current funds, adding that he had been meeting with Local Government Association officials and from other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-of-torbay-council-to-be-decided-before-september-mayor-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-of-torbay-council-to-be-decided-before-september-mayor-says Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:15:00 GMT A record number of elderly people in the England receive no social care support including getting washed and dressed, a major charity has said. According to official statistics provided by AGE UK, a record number of 1.4 million people over 65 who require assistance for everyday needs receive no care. Of these 1.4 million, over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-number-of-elderly-let-down-by-social-care-funding-shortages 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-number-of-elderly-let-down-by-social-care-funding-shortages Tue, 10 Jul 2018 16:30:00 GMT The acting chief executive and chief financial officer for a cash-strapped council have both resigned. Andrew Quincey and Mark McLaughlin have been working under government-appointed commissioners for Northamptonshire County Council since May this year. The council have been suffering from economic difficulties recently; in April it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acting-chief-executive-and-chief-financial-officer-to-resign-from-northamptonshire-council- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acting-chief-executive-and-chief-financial-officer-to-resign-from-northamptonshire-council- Mon, 09 Jul 2018 12:00:00 GMT  Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the north of England are to form a new body to support the government’s aims for the Northern Powerhouse across the region. In an announcement by Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry on Friday, chairs of 11 LEPs will form the government-funded body ‘NP11’ to act as one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-for-the-north-on-the-way-aimed-at-aligning-businesses-for-northern-powerhouse 436,2899,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-for-the-north-on-the-way-aimed-at-aligning-businesses-for-northern-powerhouse Mon, 09 Jul 2018 11:00:00 GMT Norfolk County Council is proposing to take an extra year to ensure budgets to ensure they can deliver savings, the new leader has announced. County council leader Andrew Proctor believes that the council should take three years--not two-- to bridge a predicted £95 million gap. His proposals come in a report on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-anglia-council-to-take-extra-year-to-deliver-savings-to-be-more-realistic 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-anglia-council-to-take-extra-year-to-deliver-savings-to-be-more-realistic Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:00:00 GMT  An east coast council has admitted a “slightly embarrassing” mistake of accidentally sending a court summons to itself. Waveney District Council sent the summons to the authority’s own finance department over the non-payment of non-domestic rates connected with the Nicholas Everitt Park Trust from October 2010 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-accidentally-sues-itself-blaming-change-in-payment-process 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-accidentally-sues-itself-blaming-change-in-payment-process Fri, 06 Jul 2018 14:30:00 GMT Cuts of up to £1.6m will be made over the next two financial years by Shropshire Council in an effort to meet savings targets. Approved by the Conservative-led council at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the plan was labelled as an “attack on health care services” by Opposition councillors. Savings proposals included... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-west-midlands-council-plans-16m-in-health-service-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-west-midlands-council-plans-16m-in-health-service-cuts Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Up to 8,800 new jobs and almost 10,000 homes could be created as part of a £67m landmark deal to regenerate the Greater Grimsby area. The Stage 1 town deal, revealed yesterday by business minister Lord Henley and local growth minister Jake Berry MP, will include investment to establish Enterprise Zones to attract businesses and top... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-10000-new-homes-on-the-way-with-new-67m-landmark-deal-for-grimsby 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-10000-new-homes-on-the-way-with-new-67m-landmark-deal-for-grimsby Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT Foehn's Rafael Cortes tells PSE about the company's latest triumph and discusses how the G-Cloud can shape the digital marketplace in the future. It has been confirmed by the Crown Commercial Services that Foehn is included as a supplier in the category of ‘Cloud hosting, software and support’ on the G-Cloud 10... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foehn-achieves-uk-government-g-cloud-10-certification 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foehn-achieves-uk-government-g-cloud-10-certification Thu, 05 Jul 2018 16:45:00 GMT A new joint government-industry sector deal worth £420m was launched today with the aim of transforming construction through innovative technologies and increasing productivity to help Whitehall deliver its pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2022. The partnership, which was announced today at the Northern Powerhouse Summit in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-420m-construction-sector-deal-to-spur-bytes-and-mortar-revolution 433,437,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-420m-construction-sector-deal-to-spur-bytes-and-mortar-revolution Thu, 05 Jul 2018 11:15:00 GMT James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, has promised that he won’t force through council reorganisation in situations where it isn’t wanted or needed, but did throw his support behind the concept of local government reform. Speaking at the LGA Conference this week, Brokenshire said he wants to support the work that some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-wont-force-council-reorganisation-where-it-isnt-wanted-brokenshire-pledges 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-wont-force-council-reorganisation-where-it-isnt-wanted-brokenshire-pledges Thu, 05 Jul 2018 11:15:00 GMT Communities secretary James Brokenshire has failed to make firm commitments to lobby the chancellor for more money in the upcoming Spending Review – despite loud warnings that some councils are on the brink of financial collapse and that the bank of local government as a whole is running on empty. Speaking at the LGA Conference this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brokenshire-refuses-to-promise-lobbying-treasury-for-more-local-government-cash 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brokenshire-refuses-to-promise-lobbying-treasury-for-more-local-government-cash Thu, 05 Jul 2018 09:45:00 GMT The government has announced a £7.5m digital innovation fund to help councils transform their online services. The fund was announced at the LGA Conference in Birmingham yesterday by local government minister Rishi Sunak. BREAKING: Rishi Sunak announces £7.5m digital innovation fund to allow local governments to make use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-75m-council-fund-to-take-digital-innovation-from-basement-to-boardroom- 438,439,436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-75m-council-fund-to-take-digital-innovation-from-basement-to-boardroom- Thu, 05 Jul 2018 09:45:00 GMT A shocking new report from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has revealed that 41% of those helped by the CAP who had owed money to the central of local government were “more likely to have considered suicide as a way out of debt.” The survey also found that, of those helped by CAP, 64% live below the poverty line and 55% have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-reform-of-local-and-central-governments-challenging-debt-collection- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-reform-of-local-and-central-governments-challenging-debt-collection- Wed, 04 Jul 2018 17:00:00 GMT Two women senior leaders at Trafford Council have this week decided to step down from their roles after the Labour Party took control of the local authority in this year’s elections. Its chief executive Theresa Grant and corporate director Joanne Hyde have both resigned from their posts, citing the council’s change of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-council-ceos-step-down-after-labour-election-takeover- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-council-ceos-step-down-after-labour-election-takeover- Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:30:00 GMT A damning new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has blasted the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as “complacent,” accusing it of being overly reliant on a favourable Spending Review outcome instead. The report argues that after seven years of government funding cuts totally nearly 50%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-view-that-council-funding-is-sustainable-beggars-belief-amid-threats-of-bankruptcy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-view-that-council-funding-is-sustainable-beggars-belief-amid-threats-of-bankruptcy Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:30:00 GMT Previous governments have failed to build enough homes and local councils are going to have a big role in fixing the broken housing market, the communities’ secretary has announced today. Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Birmingham, James Brokenshire said Homes England — the government arm of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-secretary-to-place-broken-housing-market-as-top-priority-councils-to-have-a-big-role 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-secretary-to-place-broken-housing-market-as-top-priority-councils-to-have-a-big-role Tue, 03 Jul 2018 15:45:00 GMT Local governments in England will face a funding gap of almost £8bn by 2025, putting local government “on the brink of collapse,” council chiefs have warned today. Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Birmingham today, LGA chairman Lord Porter said councils will “no longer be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-governments-on-brink-of-collapse-with-8bn-funding-black-hole-by-2025 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-governments-on-brink-of-collapse-with-8bn-funding-black-hole-by-2025 Tue, 03 Jul 2018 15:45:00 GMT Suffolk locals are being invited to comment on plans for council ward boundaries across the county’s two new local authorities, when the upcoming merger is fully completed. Parliament created the necessary orders in May to create the new East Suffolk Council ready to come into effect in April 2019 The move, creating a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-residents-called-upon-to-give-views-on-upcoming-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-residents-called-upon-to-give-views-on-upcoming-merger Tue, 03 Jul 2018 14:30:00 GMT A major southern council has defended its borrowing of as much as £72m from the Public Works Loan Board, claiming the borrowing is appropriate compared to other areas. In a Cabinet meeting for Bournemouth Borough Council, a Conservative-run unitary authority that represents 18 wards, members said its borrowing rates were in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bournemouth-council-cites-careful-fiscal-management-in-defence-of-72m-loans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bournemouth-council-cites-careful-fiscal-management-in-defence-of-72m-loans Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT A cash-strapped south west authority has failed to align spending with its annual budgets, with the Cabinet now being urged to take “immediate actions” to address a projected overspend. Somerset County Council, which was forced to reject claims of bankruptcy in May, is projecting an overspend of £14.3m on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-council-could-follow-in-northamptonshire-footsteps-with-section-114-spend-ban 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-council-could-follow-in-northamptonshire-footsteps-with-section-114-spend-ban Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:30:00 GMT Benoit Guerin, senior researcher at the Institute for Government (IfG), explains why accountability in government needs improving and sets out what can be done. Government or policy failures share a common trait, namely accountability issues. It is easy to brandish accountability as a lofty answer which bears little relation to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accountability-in-government-what-next- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accountability-in-government-what-next- Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities are being urged to consider the benefits of using anonymised data to improve the way they shape and deliver public services, as well as to plan ahead by predicting how the urban environment will change in the future. By taking advantage of GDPR-compliant and census-level big data produced by Vodafone’s 3G and 4G... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-councils-can-better-understand-citizen-movement-in-urban-areas 439,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-councils-can-better-understand-citizen-movement-in-urban-areas Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:45:00 GMT Ingrid Koehler, service innovation lead at the LGiU, takes a look at the untapped potential for a digital, data-led transformation of children’s services, weighing this up with the potential risks and challenges local councils could face. In our most recent local government finance survey, children’s services eclipsed adult... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-data-save-the-future-of-children- 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-data-save-the-future-of-children- Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:30:00 GMT Potholes are a scourge on our roads and can have much farther-reaching consequences than one might think. Re-routing just a small amount of existing fuel duty payments into local roads would go a long way to fixing the problem, writes Cllr Martin Tett, leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and chairman of the LGA Environment, Economy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scourge-of-the-roads 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scourge-of-the-roads Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:30:00 GMT Malcolm Harbour CBE, chair of the LGA working group on innovation in public procurement, gives us an update on the progress of the GovTech Catalyst challenges, and explains how successful projects will be rolled out. My last article in PSE gave details of the GovTech Catalyst, which engages digital innovators to increase productivity and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stepping-up-to-govtech- 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stepping-up-to-govtech- Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:30:00 GMT “Time is running out” for cash-strapped Birmingham City Council (BCC) to make changes to get out of its serious financial position, a report has claimed. The council – which has been in the public eye following a major U-turn of over 100 council staff’s litigation claims against the authority last week –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-running-out-for-birmingham-as-council-admits-to-scarce-savings-and-fresh-pressures 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-running-out-for-birmingham-as-council-admits-to-scarce-savings-and-fresh-pressures Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:15:00 GMT The leader of a major Midlands county council has outlined plans to abolish the existing authorities in the area and create one major unitary body with direct links to towns and parish in the area. Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton claimed his area was “simply losing out” to the power and influence of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-leicestershire-supercouncil-in-the-works-as-leader-claims-the-time-has-come 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-leicestershire-supercouncil-in-the-works-as-leader-claims-the-time-has-come Fri, 29 Jun 2018 16:00:00 GMT Barnet Council is considering taking back in-house a series of contracts currently outsourced to private giant Capita after identifying services where performance improvement is required. It has today published a report which proposes undertaking a full review of its partnership with the company in order to potentially realign their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barnet-considers-taking-back-capita-contract-to-boost-service-performance 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barnet-considers-taking-back-capita-contract-to-boost-service-performance Fri, 29 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT A “pioneering” proposal is being considered by Swansea Council for the creation of an energy firm wholly owned by the authority – which, while not innovative in England, would be the first of its kind in Wales. If the proposals go through, it would see the formation of a not-for-profit energy company based in the city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposed-council-owned-energy-firm-could-drastically-cut-bills-in-wales-first 433,437,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposed-council-owned-energy-firm-could-drastically-cut-bills-in-wales-first Fri, 29 Jun 2018 14:15:00 GMT Bristol City Council has been accused of breaking its own rules after spending £2m on senior interim staff. The council abides by a 10:1 voluntary pay pledge, which says that those on the highest salaries should not earn more than 10 times those on the lowest. However, figures to and reported on by the BBC and Bristol Live... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-accused-of-breaking-its-own-pay-pledge-rules- 442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-accused-of-breaking-its-own-pay-pledge-rules- Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:45:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is owed almost £100m in unpaid council tax, according to the latest government data. The data comes from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and shows that £10.8m of the total sum owed relates to the last financial year, 2017-18. The rest is debt, in the form of council tax arears... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-owed-100m-in-unpaid-council-tax 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-owed-100m-in-unpaid-council-tax Thu, 28 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT In a new analysis by the LGA, more than £800m of public money has been saved by councils sharing services. In its national shared services map, it shows that there are 555 separate shared services arrangements across England, providing £840m cumulative efficiency savings – something the LGA says reinforces... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-800m-saved-by-councils-sharing-services- 438,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-800m-saved-by-councils-sharing-services- Thu, 28 Jun 2018 10:45:00 GMT Torbay Council’s chief executive is reviewing the possibility of abandoning the authority’s unitary status and reverting to a district council after the mayor promised he was not crying wolf when saying that there was simply no money left. At a board meeting, during which members reviewed the 2017-18 budget, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-could-abandon-unitary-status-as-mayor-insists-there-is-no-money-left 433,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-could-abandon-unitary-status-as-mayor-insists-there-is-no-money-left Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT Despite being legally bound to do so, councils fear that they will be unable to deliver balanced budgets in the coming years if the government fails to provide much-needed extra funding ahead of the Spending Review. Research carried out by the County Councils Network (CCN) found that almost 20% of council leaders are not confident that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worst-is-yet-to-come-councils-fear-inability-to-balance-books-despite-legal-duty-to-do-so 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worst-is-yet-to-come-councils-fear-inability-to-balance-books-despite-legal-duty-to-do-so Wed, 27 Jun 2018 14:15:00 GMT National and local government must use “all the means at their disposal” – including by losing fears of developing a ‘nanny state’ by introducing more taxes and greater regulation – in order to improve the public’s health, four influential think tanks have argued. Analysis for the BBC from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-must-conquer-nanny-state-fears-and-create-more-public-health-taxes-and-regulation 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-must-conquer-nanny-state-fears-and-create-more-public-health-taxes-and-regulation Wed, 27 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Council leaders and elected mayors from across the north will come together in Newcastle on 6 September for the first official meeting of the brand-new Convention of the North, which will be established this summer. First mooted in February by Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram, mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool respectively, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-hold-first-convention-of-the-north-meeting-in-autumn-but-discard-legal-body-option 436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-hold-first-convention-of-the-north-meeting-in-autumn-but-discard-legal-body-option Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:30:00 GMT Legal claims by over 100 Birmingham City Council staff members have been inexplicably dropped this week. The multimillion-pound claims, spanning sexual discrimination and equal pay, were dropped with no clear reason for the decision given by employment tribunal records. Claims of the U-turn, noted by a Birmingham Live reporter at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100-birmingham-council-staff-drop-legal-claims-in-major-u-turn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100-birmingham-council-staff-drop-legal-claims-in-major-u-turn Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:30:00 GMT A council is facing another round of equal pay claims which could rack up around £5m in fines as a result of its reportedly “unjustifiable devaluation of women’s work.” Fife Council in Scotland, which has already settled more than £80m worth of pay claims since 2004, is currently still trying to deal with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-faces-fresh-5m-legal-action-on-equal-pay-on-top-of-80m-bill-settled-so-far 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-faces-fresh-5m-legal-action-on-equal-pay-on-top-of-80m-bill-settled-so-far Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:45:00 GMT Mike Fell, head of operational and cyber security at HMRC, lists the pioneering ways through which the organisation has been successfully stamping out cybercrime from malicious fraudsters. Cyber security remains one of the most serious threats to the UK’s wellbeing. That’s why, at HMRC, we’re committed to protecting our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-step-ahead- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-step-ahead- Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:00:00 GMT Tom Richmond, senior research fellow at Reform, looks under the hood of the government’s apprenticeship policies and analyses the damage inflicted by the apprenticeship levy on the public sector. Both the 2015 and 2017 Conservative Party election manifestos committed them to   a target of three million people starting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-great-training-robbery 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-great-training-robbery Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:00:00 GMT Earlier this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the £48m Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, which transport minister Nusrat Ghani says will go a long way to cleaning up our air and eliminating carbon emissions. From bustling city centres to scenic countryside routes, buses are at the heart of the public transport network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ultra-low-emission-buses-a-clear-vision-for-clean-air 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ultra-low-emission-buses-a-clear-vision-for-clean-air Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:00:00 GMT When it comes to cyber security, we are only as strong as our weakest link. PSE’s Jack Donnelly explores how safety in the digital age has drastically changed the landscape of crime, and looks at what the public, private and academic sectors can do to protect themselves. On a busy Friday afternoon on 12 May, 2017, David Willis was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-cybercrime-there-is-no-classic-victim--and-no-common-attacker 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-cybercrime-there-is-no-classic-victim--and-no-common-attacker Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT Taxpayers across the UK are willing to have more taken out of their paychecks to be spent on services including health, emergency services and homelessness, according to a new report. Despite support for varied services differing around the country, support was particularly high nationally for issues such as helping older people to live... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-half-of-public-want-to-pay-more-taxes-for-social-care-and-homelessness 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-half-of-public-want-to-pay-more-taxes-for-social-care-and-homelessness Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) are having a negative impact on rural areas and on the countryside in general, a survey from campaign leaders has found. A staggering two-thirds of those surveyed – hailing from 34 of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) branches, which cover 32 of the 38 LEPs nationally – indicated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-neglecting-rural-areas-by-focusing-on-already-wealthy-economies 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-neglecting-rural-areas-by-focusing-on-already-wealthy-economies Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:30:00 GMT Plans to cut the number of local authorities in Wales have been welcomed by Cardiff City Council’s leader because the city may need to expand space. Speaking at Cardiff City Council’s meeting last week, council leader Huw Thomas said he was open to merging with the Vale of Glamorgan Council. “I'm very open to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-council-leader-backs-merger-as-capital-is-running-out-of-space 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-council-leader-backs-merger-as-capital-is-running-out-of-space Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT The way people are moving across a city is fundamentally and rapidly changing, but some local authorities are not moving quickly enough themselves in order to understand these different movement patterns. Councils are therefore missing out on critical opportunities to improve their public services and urban planning by adapting to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-data-analytics-critical-to-help-councils-keep-up-with-changing-citizen-behaviour-patterns 438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-data-analytics-critical-to-help-councils-keep-up-with-changing-citizen-behaviour-patterns Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:45:00 GMT A children’s health services contract due to be awarded to Virgin Care from a major county council has been blocked by the High Court. Lancashire County Council (LCC), who aimed to award the £104m contract to the private company, was prevented from doing so after Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust (LCFT) and Blackpool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-council-loses-court-case-over-contract-worth-100m-with-virgin-care- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-council-loses-court-case-over-contract-worth-100m-with-virgin-care- Mon, 25 Jun 2018 10:00:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Danny Longbottom, director of local government & health at BT Business & Public Sector, reminds organisations that having the right tech in place will help save time and money in the long run – and Intelligent Connectivity may just be the perfect solution. Digital transformation has opened up a world... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-intelligent-connectivity-transform-the-public-sector 438,439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-intelligent-connectivity-transform-the-public-sector Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:30:00 GMT Peter Richards, implementation manager at the NSPCC, writes about the benefits of Letting the Future In, an evidence-based intervention for children who have experienced sexual abuse. There is a significant gap in the provision of therapeutic services for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse in all its forms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-children-to-recover-from-sexual-abuse-a-therapeutic-service-that-works 870,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-children-to-recover-from-sexual-abuse-a-therapeutic-service-that-works Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:15:00 GMT Two tower blocks in North London are at risk of collapse, with the area’s council announcing it wants to begin re-housing residents “immediately.” The Tangmere and Northolt blocks as part of the Broadwater Farm estate in Haringey, Tottenham, will be evacuated by Haringey Borough Council after checks carried out showed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-london-council-negligent-over-tower-blocks-at-risk-of-collapse 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-london-council-negligent-over-tower-blocks-at-risk-of-collapse Fri, 22 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT An ongoing battle between Christchurch Borough Council and a planned council merger has been given the go-ahead to proceed to the High Court. Last month, Christchurch council outlined its plans to halt a merger that would abolish the current nine Dorset councils, and establish two larger unitary authorities aimed at saving £108m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-council-to-go-to-high-court-over-dorset-merger-battle- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-council-to-go-to-high-court-over-dorset-merger-battle- Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:30:00 GMT Government departments “do not have sufficient understanding” of what skills UK businesses need, or how Brexit will impact the supply of STEM skills in the workforce, MPs have announced. In a report today by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), MPs have said that the Departments of Education and for Business, Energy, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-does-not-currently-have-understanding-of-skills-businesses-need-going-through-brexit 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-does-not-currently-have-understanding-of-skills-businesses-need-going-through-brexit Fri, 22 Jun 2018 11:45:00 GMT Tenancy fraud cost Solihull Council almost £1.58m last year, according to recent figures. A report presented to the council’s audit committee revealed that, since April 2017, 17 council properties have been recovered as a result of tenancy fraud investigation, with a further 34 cases currently under investigation. According to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midlands-council-saved-15m-through-combatting-tenancy-fraud 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midlands-council-saved-15m-through-combatting-tenancy-fraud Thu, 21 Jun 2018 17:00:00 GMT Almost half of all bus routes in England are under threat due to partial or incomplete subsidies from councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. According to the LGA, ongoing funding pressures mean that councils will struggle to maintain current subsidies for bus routes across the country, which could leave vulnerable people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-funding-cuts-threaten-half-of-bus-routes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-funding-cuts-threaten-half-of-bus-routes Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:45:00 GMT A London council is reviewing its data protection precautions after it was revealed that residents were told to share payment card detail via email. Islington Borough Council requested that residents pay for parking bay suspensions using a Word document to provide details including their addresses and card security codes. Information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-demands-credit-card-details-by-email 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-demands-credit-card-details-by-email Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:30:00 GMT The lord mayor of Bristol has ordered the portrait of a slave trader to be removed from her office after she decided that she could not share her office with the image. The portrait of Edward Colston, which dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, has hung in the office of Bristol’s mayor since 1953. Colston was an English... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/portrait-of-slave-trader-removed-from-bristol-mayors-office 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/portrait-of-slave-trader-removed-from-bristol-mayors-office Thu, 21 Jun 2018 11:15:00 GMT A larger role for county councils in planning to solve the affordability crisis has been backed by two new reports launched today. A study from Catriona Riddell Associates for the County Councils Network (CCN) has called for a re-introduction of strategic planning to “closer align planning and infrastructure” and accelerate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-calls-for-larger-county-council-role-in-planning 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-calls-for-larger-county-council-role-in-planning Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:30:00 GMT Councils in England could raise up to £62bn by mirroring New York’s property levy, according to the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE). ACE’s report, ‘Unlocking housing: Invigorating local communities through place making,’ argues that a radical change in approach will ensure that the UK is able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-copy-new-yorks-property-levy-to-raise-billions 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-copy-new-yorks-property-levy-to-raise-billions Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Government-appointed commissioners have given the green-light for Rotherham City Council to be regranted full control of public services after “impressive” improvements across departments since 2015. Three years ago the council was placed under government control after the authority was found to be “not fit for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-recommended-for-return-of-final-powers-says-commissioners 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-recommended-for-return-of-final-powers-says-commissioners Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:45:00 GMT James Brokenshire has finally revealed plans to ban the use of combustible cladding on high-rise residential buildings. A consultation on banning the use of combustible materials on the walls of high-rise residential buildings over 18 metres tall was published yesterday. It is believed that the cladding used on Grenfell Tower, which a fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/combustible-cladding-to-be-banned-in-high-rises 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/combustible-cladding-to-be-banned-in-high-rises Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:45:00 GMT Glasgow City Council will pay compensation to the family of a boy who died after a headstone fell on him. Ciaran Williamson was aged 8 when he was killed while playing with friends in Craigton Cemetery on Berrysknowe Road on 26 May 2015. A fatal accident inquiry in January into the death of Ciaran found that the accident may have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/family-of-glasgow-boy-killed-in-cemetery-awarded-compensation-by-city-council 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/family-of-glasgow-boy-killed-in-cemetery-awarded-compensation-by-city-council Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT More than 4,000 publicly owned buildings and spaces are being sold off every year, a report published today has revealed. The report, ‘The great British sell off,’ published the results of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by Locality to all 353 local authorities in England in January 2018. Each year, more than 4,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-ownership-fund-needed-to-protect-public-spaces 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-ownership-fund-needed-to-protect-public-spaces Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Council services are failing residents with over two thirds believing they don’t receive help and support when they need it, a new survey has found. Severe spending cuts to budgets of local authorities around the UK means that many councils aren’t receiving the funding to effectively manage the demand for services in their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-shocking-eight-out-of-ten-workers-have-lost-confidence-in-the-future-of-council-services-survey-finds 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-shocking-eight-out-of-ten-workers-have-lost-confidence-in-the-future-of-council-services-survey-finds Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT In the year since the Grenfell Tower disaster, the LGA has been working tirelessly to ramp up fire safety regulations and ban ‘desktop’ fire safety tests in order to prevent such a tragedy happening again, writes Lord Porter, chairman of the LGA. The heart-breaking accounts of the survivors and bereaved of the Grenfell Tower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grenfell-one-year-on- 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grenfell-one-year-on- Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:30:00 GMT Council chiefs have heavily criticised Theresa May for not including social care funding in her promise to increase cash resources by £20bn annually for the NHS to mark the service’s 70th birthday. Plans of the prime minister’s upcoming plans of extra funding— due to be announced today— would originally have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-under-fire-for-lack-of-social-care-funding-after-20bn-nhs-pledge 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-under-fire-for-lack-of-social-care-funding-after-20bn-nhs-pledge Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Almost 40 local councils alongside trade unions have condemned the education secretary for insufficient funding for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The School Cuts Coalition, a collective of major trade unions including the National Education Union (NEU), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-cuts-coalition-blasts-education-secretary-over-dangerously-inadequate-send-funding 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-cuts-coalition-blasts-education-secretary-over-dangerously-inadequate-send-funding Mon, 18 Jun 2018 10:15:00 GMT The EU Referendum and the stop-start Brexit negotiations have left a looming shadow of uncertainty over devolution in the UK, writes Anthony Salamone, research fellow and strategic advisor at the Scottish Centre on European Relations. Brexit is unquestionably reshaping the politics and public sector of the UK. The results of the EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexits-long-shadow-over-devolution 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexits-long-shadow-over-devolution Mon, 18 Jun 2018 09:30:00 GMT The true social value of procurement comes from asking challenging questions and thinking outside the box, argues Melissa Bell, sustainable procurement manager at the YPO. Everyone wants more for their money – and this is even more so true within the public sector. Budgets are shrinking and expectations are rising. The age-old adage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decisions-decisions- 447,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decisions-decisions- Mon, 18 Jun 2018 09:00:00 GMT Douglas White, head of advocacy at the Carnegie UK Trust, evaluates the risk-benefit relationship of data sharing within the public sector, highlighting the importance of transparency. Data is in the news a lot at the moment. With GDPR coming into force and the continued fallout from the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica revelations, our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finding-the-balance 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finding-the-balance Mon, 18 Jun 2018 09:00:00 GMT Bolton Council has purchased Crompton Place shopping centre in a £14.8m deal. The move has been funded by the council’s £100m town centre fund, which is financed through a low interest loan and repaid using dividends from Manchester Airport and the Yorkshire Purchasing Company. The cabinet first gave the approval for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bolton-council-buys-shopping-centre-as-part-of-1bn-town-centre-masterplan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bolton-council-buys-shopping-centre-as-part-of-1bn-town-centre-masterplan Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:30:00 GMT Universal Credit (UC) has not delivered value for money and-- it is uncertain that it ever will, according to research published by the National Audit Office (NAO) today. The roll out of the new system has taken significantly longer than first planned, may cost more than the previous benefits system that it is replacing, and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-under-pressure-as-nao-finds-universal-credit-not-delivering-value-for-money 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-under-pressure-as-nao-finds-universal-credit-not-delivering-value-for-money Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:30:00 GMT The proportion of delayed transfers of care due to shortcomings in social care has decreased over the last year, according to the latest figures from NHS England. In April 2018 there were 145,000 total delayed days, a decrease from the previous year, where there was a total of 176,900 delayed days. Both the NHS and social care sectors have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-15000-delayed-transfers-of-care-down-to-delays-in-arranging-care-packages 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-15000-delayed-transfers-of-care-down-to-delays-in-arranging-care-packages Fri, 15 Jun 2018 09:45:00 GMT The health and social care secretary has clarified that long-term plans for the NHS and for social care will both happen, but very likely not at the same time. His comments, made at this year’s NHS Confederation conference, seemed to suggest that contrary to extensive campaigning from organisations, the long-term NHS funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hunt-admits-imminent-long-term-nhs-plan-likely-wont-include-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hunt-admits-imminent-long-term-nhs-plan-likely-wont-include-social-care Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:45:00 GMT David Phillips, associate director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, gives his analysis of the Barnett Formula post-Brexit and asks: how will we replace EU funding to the devolved governments and local areas of the UK? The UK is due to leave the EU at 11pm on 29 March 2019. However, we will continue our regular contributions to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/on-a-cliff-edge-the-barnett-formula- 447,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/on-a-cliff-edge-the-barnett-formula- Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:30:00 GMT London’s borough of Lambeth now has planning permission for 738 new homes. A Grade II listed gas holder— in which natural or town gas is stored at ambient temperatures— will be dismantled, restored and rebuilt as part of a new scheme that will create the new homes, as well as work space and public landscaped areas. A third... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lambeth-to-create-738-homes-on-brown-field-site 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lambeth-to-create-738-homes-on-brown-field-site Thu, 14 Jun 2018 14:15:00 GMT Wigan has established a single commissioning function in a major step forward in the integration of health and social care. Through appointing Donna Hall, chief executive of Wigan Council, as the new accountable officer for the Wigan Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), a single joint accountable officer has been created for both organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wigan-take-major-step-forward-in-integration-of-health-and-social-care- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wigan-take-major-step-forward-in-integration-of-health-and-social-care- Thu, 14 Jun 2018 11:45:00 GMT Over 130,000 business rates appeals from 2010 remain unresolved, according to the LGA. In the past eight years, over a million businesses have challenged their business rates bills, but the latest figures show that 133,060 appeals have yet to be ruled on. Although councils do not set business rates or rule on challenges made by businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unresolved-business-rates-appeals-divert-25bn-away-from-public-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unresolved-business-rates-appeals-divert-25bn-away-from-public-services Wed, 13 Jun 2018 16:45:00 GMT London councils have spent almost £100m on safety measures since the Grenfell Tower tragedy last year, new figures have revealed. The spending was declared by 24 boroughs in response to Freedom of Information requests by the BBC, and has covered the cost of cladding removal, safety surveys, and ‘waking watches’ on buildings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-spend-100m-on-fire-safety-post-grenfell--but-many-denied-any-government-help 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-spend-100m-on-fire-safety-post-grenfell--but-many-denied-any-government-help Wed, 13 Jun 2018 14:45:00 GMT  The chair of a leading NHS body has called for greater collaboration between community-based and NHS healthcare, and reinforced arguments for a 4% increase in funding to improve healthcare over the next 15 years. Speaking at the NHS Confederation Conference today in Manchester, Stephen Dorrell said a failure in one sector’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/confed-chair-health-and-care-funding-talk-just-hot-air-unless-sectors-work-with-each-other 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/confed-chair-health-and-care-funding-talk-just-hot-air-unless-sectors-work-with-each-other Wed, 13 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT More than 80% of the British public support an increase in social care spending, new figures reveal. The new study, ‘Securing the future: Funding health and social care to the 2030s,’ carried out by the Health Foundation and Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), sets out “strong evidence” for an increase in spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-support-compelling-evidence-for-increased-social-care-spending 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-support-compelling-evidence-for-increased-social-care-spending Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:30:00 GMT Bath and North East Somerset Council leader, Tim Warren, has revealed that he would be open to a council merger, backing MP James Heappey’s recent suggestion of forming three new councils. Writing for the Western Daily Press recently, Heappey suggested that it is time to remove the boundary that runs from Brean Down in the west to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-should-form-three-unitary-authorities-mp-suggests- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-should-form-three-unitary-authorities-mp-suggests- Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:15:00 GMT Denbighshire County Council has warned that plans to force councils across Wales to merge would “undermine their ability to deliver services.” In a special council meeting yesterday, the council agreed to a formal response to the green paper proposing the reorganisation of local government in Wales, in which it said that it was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-council-mergers-not-in-interests-of-residents-says-denbighshire 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-council-mergers-not-in-interests-of-residents-says-denbighshire Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:45:00 GMT Almost three quarters of children’s services budgets are spent on those in severe need, a report published today has revealed. According to the research carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) for the Children’s Commissioner for England ahead of next year’s Spending Review, the overall level of public spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-childrens-budget-spent-on-73000-children-in-care 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-childrens-budget-spent-on-73000-children-in-care Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT The government and the NHS must improve how NHS reforms are communicated to the public, the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has warned. Rising demand and cost of health care means that services need to be changed and better organised around patients, and examples of NHS and care services working together to deliver better care has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-reforms-must-be-better-communicated-hscc-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-reforms-must-be-better-communicated-hscc-warns Tue, 12 Jun 2018 11:45:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Rafael Cortes, Foehn head of marketing, explains how G-Cloud 10 should be a catalyst for innovative solutions and not a source of complacency. It was Margaret Thatcher who once said, “you can’t buck the market.” On that occasion, the reference was made in the context of fiscal policy. More... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g-cloud-10-small-changes-big-opportunities 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g-cloud-10-small-changes-big-opportunities Tue, 12 Jun 2018 10:00:00 GMT Virgin Media have launched an unprecedented legal challenge against Durham County Council over accusations it is blocking plans to bring ultrafast broadband to homes in the area. Tension between the two parties was caused by Virgin’s announcement to expand to 16,000 properties in Durham when the council allegedly started demanding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/virgin-media-to-go-to-court-with-council-over-land-usage 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/virgin-media-to-go-to-court-with-council-over-land-usage Mon, 11 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT The current Right-to-Buy (RTB) scheme could collapse unless councils are granted more cash to replace the homes sold, a report has claimed. The scheme, championed by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, allowed council house tenants to buy their home in an effort to increase home ownership around the UK. Yet the LGA has said that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ability-to-replace-home-sold-under-right-to-buy-will-be-all-but-eliminated-within-five-years 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ability-to-replace-home-sold-under-right-to-buy-will-be-all-but-eliminated-within-five-years Mon, 11 Jun 2018 11:30:00 GMT The communities secretary James Brokenshire has pledged £30m in funding to boost immediate support for rough sleepers to help them into accommodation. A total of 83 areas will share the much-needed cash boost from Brokenshire with councils holding the highest numbers of homelessness across England being given top priority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/30m-for-rough-sleepers-as-charity-claims-homelessness-can-be-thing-of-the-past-in-10-years 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/30m-for-rough-sleepers-as-charity-claims-homelessness-can-be-thing-of-the-past-in-10-years Mon, 11 Jun 2018 10:15:00 GMT Anglesey councillors have unanimously rejected plans to merge with neighbouring Gwynedd Council, telling first minister Carwyn Jones to “stick his green paper in the bin where it belongs.” The Welsh Government’s consultative green paper advocated reorganisation and sets out its intent for a “stronger, more empowered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-reject-merger-plans-tell-minister-to-stick-green-paper-in-the-bin 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-reject-merger-plans-tell-minister-to-stick-green-paper-in-the-bin Fri, 08 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT The managing director of the Local Government Shared Services (LGSS) jointly run by the struggling Northamptonshire County Council – which is now under the leadership of government commissioners after being effectively considered bankrupt – was handed a £66,000 pay-off for his retirement, recent accounts show. John Kane... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bankrupt-councils-departing-lgss-boss-handed-66k-retirement-pay-off 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bankrupt-councils-departing-lgss-boss-handed-66k-retirement-pay-off Fri, 08 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT Almost three-quarters (74%) of council leaders are expecting some local authorities to plunge into a “serious financial crisis” next year. The ‘Local state we’re in 2018’ report surveyed 81 local authority chief executives and leaders across the UK, along with a poll of over 2,000 members of the public. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-leaders-expect-some-councils-to-face-serious-financial-crisis-next-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-leaders-expect-some-councils-to-face-serious-financial-crisis-next-year Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:00:00 GMT Weymouth & Portland Borough Council’s planning committee has given the green light for 172 new homes. A development of 114 homes on land that is currently used for agricultural purposes was approved by the committee yesterday. This development will include 35% affordable housing, comprising 28 homes for affordable rent and 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/approval-given-for-172-new-homes-in-dorset 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/approval-given-for-172-new-homes-in-dorset Thu, 07 Jun 2018 16:30:00 GMT Local governments around England have made at least 486 agreements to share services with other councils in the past seven years in an effort to trim costs in times of austerity. The signed deals have saved authorities at least £657m since 2010 through sharing of services such as finance, emergency services, property, IT and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-mergers-on-the-rise-as-almost-500-shared-services-deals-agreed-to-cope-with-austerity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-mergers-on-the-rise-as-almost-500-shared-services-deals-agreed-to-cope-with-austerity Thu, 07 Jun 2018 14:00:00 GMT Children’s services and children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be given more budget focus as part of Somerset Council’s meeting next week. The authority’s board papers, due to be discussed at their Cabinet meeting on 11 June, say that the authority overspent £2.2m of its budget, meaning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-somerset-council-plans-to-boost-childrens-services-budget 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-somerset-council-plans-to-boost-childrens-services-budget Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:15:00 GMT Scotland’s largest local authority has been criticised for accepting an anonymous donation of a Rolls-Royce for use of Lord Provost Eva Bolander. The donation of the two-year-old Rolls-Royce Ghost— which will replace one of Glasgow City Council’s Volkswagen Phaetons that was due to have its lease renewed— will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-council-asleep-at-wheel-for-accepting-mystery-rolls-royce-gift-during-austerity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-council-asleep-at-wheel-for-accepting-mystery-rolls-royce-gift-during-austerity Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:00:00 GMT Care leavers in Manchester will be given support and guidance under a new scheme approved by the council. A new company, wholly owned and operated by Manchester City Council, will be established to support care leavers. The city will be the first in the country to adopt this new approach. Local authorities now have a duty to provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-given-green-light-for-company-to-support-care-leavers 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-given-green-light-for-company-to-support-care-leavers Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:00:00 GMT Councilor Peter John OBE has been elected as chair of the London Councils network. Cllr John was elected at London Council’s annual general meeting, held yesterday. He is Leader of Southwark Council and was formerly deputy chair of London Councils and executive member for business, skills and Brexit. He said: "London Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southwark-leader-elected-chair-of-london-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southwark-leader-elected-chair-of-london-councils Wed, 06 Jun 2018 14:15:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee is being asked to back 10 new schemes at a value of over £383m through its Local Growth Fund and West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund programme. Among the schemes are the £764,000 Halifax Living Programme, which aims to open up sites in Halifax town centre for much needed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-investment-committee-to-consider-383m-investment-growth-and-transport-schemes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-investment-committee-to-consider-383m-investment-growth-and-transport-schemes Wed, 06 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Councils are set to receive £730m to fund new school places, education secretary Damian Hinds has announced. Included in this is £630m of basic needs allocations to create the places needed by September 2021. The plans form part of the government’s £7bn investment from 2015 to 2021 to create new school places, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hinds-pledges-730m-to-create-new-school-places 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hinds-pledges-730m-to-create-new-school-places Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:45:00 GMT Councils will receive new powers to help them deliver the homes that their communities need under proposed regulations. Under the new rules, published by housing minister Dominic Raab, councils will be able to seek government approval to launch a New Town Development Corporation, responsible for delivering new towns and garden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-powers-give-councils-oversight-over-town-planning-regulations 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-powers-give-councils-oversight-over-town-planning-regulations Tue, 05 Jun 2018 14:00:00 GMT Councils should not be treated as a replacement for the security services and police, the LGA has warned. The comments come in response to the government’s publication of the updated counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. A review of the strategy was prompted last year after terror attacks in London and Manchester. Central to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-are-not-mi5-warns-lga 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-are-not-mi5-warns-lga Tue, 05 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT  Sheffield City Council have rejected over a third of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests regarding private contractor Amey’s involvement with tree-felling in the area. A total of 5,843 requests were made to the council since 2015, of which a whopping 895 were partially or fully declined. Some 472 of the information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-council-rejects-over-a-third-of-amey-related-foi-requests-in-last-three-years 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-council-rejects-over-a-third-of-amey-related-foi-requests-in-last-three-years Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:45:00 GMT David Willett, corporate director at The Open University, walks us through the university’s research into the apprenticeship levy, as well as its flexible approach to learning on-the-job. The UK is in a precarious position. Despite some progress over the last year, our productivity continues to lag behind other members of the G7... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/targets-and-tribulations 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/targets-and-tribulations Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:30:00 GMT Severance payments paid out by West Berkshire Council have reached over £750,000 from 2016, prompting concerns over the authority’s spending arrangements. Figures obtained by Newbury Weekly News found that the council laid off 65 staff from 1 April 2016 to the end of March this year, spending a total of £769,369.65 in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-berkshire-council-spend-over-750000-on-redundancy-payments 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-berkshire-council-spend-over-750000-on-redundancy-payments Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:30:00 GMT Dorset councils have taken out controversial bank loans worth millions of pounds. Campaign group Debt Resistance UK revealed that Dorset County Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council have taken out £123m of Lender Option Borrower Option loans (LOBOs) in an effort to reduce their debts. Dorset County Council took out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-dorset-councils-take-out-fraudulent-high-risk-loans-worth-over-120m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-dorset-councils-take-out-fraudulent-high-risk-loans-worth-over-120m Mon, 04 Jun 2018 10:45:00 GMT The government should make it easier for communities to create new local councils, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has said. This comes following NALC’s response to the recent ministry of housing, communities and local government (MHCLG) consultation on updating the statutory guidance around Community Governance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-urges-simplification-of-council-creation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-urges-simplification-of-council-creation Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:45:00 GMT A recruitment process is to be launched to appoint a new chief executive to Northamptonshire County Council. The new chief executive will lead the struggling council on a fixed-term basis until the new unitary authorities are established through local government reform in the county. Earlier this month, government-backed commissioners were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-on-the-hunt-for-ceo-to-lead-during-turbulent-times 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-on-the-hunt-for-ceo-to-lead-during-turbulent-times Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:15:00 GMT Thousands of children are still “pinging around the care system,” changing home, school or social worker over the course of the year. The Stability Index, published by the children’s commissioner for England today, has revealed that, over the last 12 months, almost 2,400 children have changed home, school and social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/instability-of-pinball-kids-exposes-them-to-exploitation-and-abuse-commissioner-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/instability-of-pinball-kids-exposes-them-to-exploitation-and-abuse-commissioner-warns Fri, 01 Jun 2018 11:30:00 GMT More than £90m is set to be invested into the regions of Stirling and Clackmannanshire in a new scheme to drive economic growth by the Scottish and UK governments, as promised in the Autumn Statement of 2016. New proposals include a Tartan Centre, Aquaculture Innovation Hub, and International Environment Centre, in addition to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-regions-to-receive-90m-boost-in-newest-city-region-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-regions-to-receive-90m-boost-in-newest-city-region-deal Thu, 31 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT  A total of 4,000 fire doors in all social housing across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea – where the Grenfell Tower tragedy took place last year – will be replaced by the council, costing £3.5m in total. The borough is considering the replacement of all council flat doors with fire-resistant doors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-council-set-to-spend-35m-replacing-grenfell-style-fire-safety-doors 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-council-set-to-spend-35m-replacing-grenfell-style-fire-safety-doors Thu, 31 May 2018 10:45:00 GMT Campaigners have challenged councils wanting to restrict protests outside abortion clinics. In a letter to Lambeth, Richmond, Southwark, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds councils, the campaigners raised concerns over the effects on the rights to protest and freedom of speech and expression. They argued that the Public Spaces... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/abortion-clinic-pspos-unlawfully-restrict-freedom-of-speech-warn-campaigners 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/abortion-clinic-pspos-unlawfully-restrict-freedom-of-speech-warn-campaigners Thu, 31 May 2018 09:30:00 GMT A failure to protect access to key intelligence after Brexit will weaken councils’ abilities to protect public health and increase the risk of a new food scandal, the LGA has warned. Currently, the UK is part of a European-wide framework of rules and systems that ensure traceability of high risk products, such as food, feed and animal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-could-weaken-councils-ability-to-protect-public-health-from-2020 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-could-weaken-councils-ability-to-protect-public-health-from-2020 Wed, 30 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT Proposals are being considered for joint working between Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council following the former’s decision to end its partnership with South Northamptonshire. The move comes after the local government review in Northamptonshire required the leader and the administration of Cherwell council to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-failure-inspires-new-county-district-partnership-with-joint-ceo 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-failure-inspires-new-county-district-partnership-with-joint-ceo Wed, 30 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT The formation of a new Somerset council has been given the seal of approval by the government. The merger of Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils has received official approval by housing, communities and local government (HCLG) secretary, James Brokenshire. Previous HCLG secretary, Sajid Javid, said that he was “minded to”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-delighted-with-somerset-merger-government-approval- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-delighted-with-somerset-merger-government-approval- Wed, 30 May 2018 11:15:00 GMT The Greater London Authority (GLA) has appointed its first woman to role of chief officer. London mayor Sadiq Khan and the London Assembly have jointly appointed Mary Harpley as the authority’s most senior officer. Harpley, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, will replace Jeff Jacobs to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gla-appoints-first-female-chief-officer 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gla-appoints-first-female-chief-officer Tue, 29 May 2018 17:15:00 GMT Children with special educational needs require “significant, on-going and sustainable” funding building on from the government’s £50m pledge announced today, councillors have warned. The Conservatives announced the boost to create additional school places and up-to-date facilities for children with special... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/special-educational-needs-funding-needs-to-be-more-than-one-off-cash-injection-councilors-warn 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/special-educational-needs-funding-needs-to-be-more-than-one-off-cash-injection-councilors-warn Tue, 29 May 2018 15:45:00 GMT The government will not deliver enough low-cost rented homes, Tory council leaders have warned. In a poll conducted for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), 71% of Conservative councillors surveyed expressed concerns that the government’s pledge of an additional £2bn for affordable housing will not be enough to meet the needs of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-leaders-worry-2bn-housing-pledge-not-enough 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-leaders-worry-2bn-housing-pledge-not-enough Tue, 29 May 2018 14:00:00 GMT Following the announcement of the second wave of integrated care systems (ICSs), NHS Providers, the NHS Confederation, NHS Clinical Commissioners (NHSCC) and the LGA reflect on how lessons learnt by members from across the four organisations – that have designed and worked together as part of the vanguards – will support the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-work-of-the-vanguards-can-help-overcome-the-challenges-of-integrated-care 870,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-work-of-the-vanguards-can-help-overcome-the-challenges-of-integrated-care Tue, 29 May 2018 12:15:00 GMT  The creation of West Suffolk Council has been given the go-ahead by Parliament today. The merger, given support by MPs and Lords earlier this month, will bring more jobs and prosperity to the local economy and save the area £800,000, in addition to the £4m of annual savings brought about by the creation of West Suffolk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-suffolk-council-gets-seal-of-approval-from-parliament 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-suffolk-council-gets-seal-of-approval-from-parliament Fri, 25 May 2018 12:15:00 GMT Parliament has today made the necessary Orders to create the new East Suffolk Council in April 2019. Under new legislation the new council will come into existence on 1 April, with the existing Suffolk Coast District Council and Waveney District Council to be abolished. The new authority received the government go-ahead in February... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-east-suffolk-council-sets-historic-template-for-local-government-mergers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-east-suffolk-council-sets-historic-template-for-local-government-mergers Fri, 25 May 2018 11:30:00 GMT Almost 165,000 new homes could be built without the scrutiny of the local community, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. The LGA is urging the government to scrap its planned changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, which it says will impose often “undeliverable” housebuilding targets on local areas. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-communities-could-be-ignored-in-building-of-165000-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-communities-could-be-ignored-in-building-of-165000-homes Fri, 25 May 2018 11:15:00 GMT Legislation has now formally been passed for Dorset to be served by two brand-new unitary councils – despite an ongoing legal challenge against this proposal. From 21 April 2019 the county’s nine councils will cease to exist and will be replaced by the formation of Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council. Now that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-merger-greenlit-by-parliament-despite-christchurch-legal-battle-in-high-court 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-merger-greenlit-by-parliament-despite-christchurch-legal-battle-in-high-court Thu, 24 May 2018 17:30:00 GMT The High Court has backed the mayor of London’s “threshold” approach to affordable housing. The ruling follows a legal challenge by four retirement home developers, who claimed that the approach would fail to secure the maximum reasonable level of affordable housing. Under the scheme, contained within the Mayor’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-backs-london-mayors-affordable-housing-threshold-approach 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-backs-london-mayors-affordable-housing-threshold-approach Thu, 24 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has announced plans to purchase the shopping centre situated above Liverpool Central train station in an attempt to push forward a series of multimillion-pound regeneration schemes in the city. The authority, which is planning to purchase the lease from Aviva Life & Pensions, will work with developer Augur to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-plans-to-buy-shopping-centre-in-4m-profit-drive 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-plans-to-buy-shopping-centre-in-4m-profit-drive Thu, 24 May 2018 14:15:00 GMT The Carillion papers identify “clear and compelling problems” which the government had the opportunity to deal with in the months leading up to its collapse, according to the Public Accounts Committee. Back in January, the House of Commons agreed that the government’s risk assessments of its strategic suppliers should be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carillion-boards-belief-government-would-bail-it-out-contributed-to-collapse 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carillion-boards-belief-government-would-bail-it-out-contributed-to-collapse Wed, 23 May 2018 17:45:00 GMT The government is not able to provide evidence that it consistently monitors and scrutinises the cost and progress of inquiries, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. According to an investigation carried out by the NAO, the government has spent at least £239m on the 26 inquiries completed since 2005, with an average duration of 40... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-200m-spent-on-inquiries-with-little-evidence-of-learning-nao-reveals- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-200m-spent-on-inquiries-with-little-evidence-of-learning-nao-reveals- Wed, 23 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT Local government will be pivotal in shaping how transport technology fits and develops in communities, the LGA has said. In its new paper, ‘Clean, connected and in-control: What tomorrow’s transport technology could mean for councils’, the LGA explores the major transition in cars and road vehicle technology, warning that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-decisions-could-have-profound-impact-on-future-lga-warns- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-decisions-could-have-profound-impact-on-future-lga-warns- Tue, 22 May 2018 17:30:00 GMT Christchurch Borough Council has commenced High Court proceedings to halt council mergers in Dorset. Yesterday the council issued proceedings for a Judicial Review of the housing, communities and local government secretary’s decision to implement local government reorganisation in the county. Sajid Javid gave the green light to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christchurch-starts-high-court-legal-battle-against-dorset-council-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christchurch-starts-high-court-legal-battle-against-dorset-council-merger Tue, 22 May 2018 12:45:00 GMT  A new investigation into the usage of public funds by Northamptonshire County Council could levy the authority with a £16m grant bill after its apparent usage of ring-fenced cash on other services. The struggling council — which had government-appointed commissioners sent in to improve finance management of the body... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bill-for-cash-strapped-councils-usage-of-ring-fenced-money-could-be-up-to-16m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bill-for-cash-strapped-councils-usage-of-ring-fenced-money-could-be-up-to-16m Mon, 21 May 2018 13:00:00 GMT People sleeping rough on Britain’s streets have been fined, given criminal records, or even imprisoned due to enhanced council powers to reduce homelessness. New figures obtained in a Freedom of Information request by the Guardian have found at least 51 people have been convicted of breaching public space protection orders (PSPOs)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authoritys-enhanced-powers-ripe-for-misuse-for-convicting-hundreds-of-homeless-new-figures-show- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authoritys-enhanced-powers-ripe-for-misuse-for-convicting-hundreds-of-homeless-new-figures-show- Mon, 21 May 2018 12:45:00 GMT A Conservative-controlled council has called on the government to sort out its “broken” funding system, and claimed it was not going to go down the same path as Northamptonshire council after reports claimed the authority was at risk of going bust. A fall in government funding alongside rising costs to social overheads such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-calls-on-whitehall-to-fix-broken-funding-system-rejects-claims-of-bankruptcy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-calls-on-whitehall-to-fix-broken-funding-system-rejects-claims-of-bankruptcy Mon, 21 May 2018 10:45:00 GMT Leaders of all six councils in the North of Wales have come together to bid for a £1.3bn boost in funding for the region. Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham councils have formed the North Wales Growth Board (NWGB) to promote the need for resources in the area, centred around 26 areas of investment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-to-unite-in-bid-for-13bn-growth-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-to-unite-in-bid-for-13bn-growth-deal Fri, 18 May 2018 09:45:00 GMT Leicester City Council has resorted to armour-plating its parking meters to combat thieves. According to the council, there have already been 84 instances of thieves breaking into parking meters since April, with almost £12,000 being stolen. In 2017-18, 105 parking meters were broken into - a huge increase on previous years, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicester-armours-parking-meters-after-spike-in-break-ins 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicester-armours-parking-meters-after-spike-in-break-ins Thu, 17 May 2018 15:30:00 GMT The independent review of building regulations, conducted following the Grenfell tragedy, has stopped short of proposing a ban on flammable cladding. Dame Judith Hackitt, who led the review, said that “deep flaws” have been identified in the current system, far beyond the question of the specification of cladding systems. Last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grenfell-review-into-combustable-cladding-falls-short-lga-warns- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grenfell-review-into-combustable-cladding-falls-short-lga-warns- Thu, 17 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT A legal challenge submitted by Christchurch Borough Council against the planned merger of Dorset local authorities has been labelled as “an absurd intention to impute to parliament,” the government has said. In a scathing letter written by the new housing and communities secretary, James Brokenshire, in response to a legal bid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-merger-to-go-ahead-as-government-brands-christchurch-challenge-absurd 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-merger-to-go-ahead-as-government-brands-christchurch-challenge-absurd Thu, 17 May 2018 11:45:00 GMT A salary sacrifice scheme could be the future of adult social care funding, it has been suggested. Speaking yesterday at an LGA conference, ‘Future of adult social care and support’, John Woodward OBE, a driving force behind childcare vouchers, proposed that a similar scheme could be used to partly fund the future of adult social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/man-behind-childcare-vouchers-pitches-similar-social-care-scheme-to-treasury 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/man-behind-childcare-vouchers-pitches-similar-social-care-scheme-to-treasury Wed, 16 May 2018 16:45:00 GMT The government will commit £400m to allow councils to strip down dangerous cladding from certain tower blocks in an effort to prevent disasters reoccurring, such as last year’s tragic Grenfell fire. Speaking in the Commons today, Theresa May pledged to fully fund council and housing association-owned tower blocks to remove the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-pledges-to-fully-fund-removal-of-grenfell-style-cladding-in-400m-plan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-pledges-to-fully-fund-removal-of-grenfell-style-cladding-in-400m-plan Wed, 16 May 2018 16:00:00 GMT British Land has submitted plans for a £4bn development in south east London, it has revealed. The plans outline a planning application for the Canada Water Masterplan, which the company says is one of London’s most significant development projects. The planning application comes following four years of collaboration between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-hails-new-4bn-masterplan-for-london-borough-regeneration 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-hails-new-4bn-masterplan-for-london-borough-regeneration Wed, 16 May 2018 15:30:00 GMT Care leavers in Norfolk could soon be exempt from paying council tax. In a proposal to be discussed by councillors next week, Norfolk County Council’s children’s services committee will hear about the financial challenges faced by children and young people leaving care. Some of these young people struggle to live independently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-tables-council-tax-exemption-for-care-leavers 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-tables-council-tax-exemption-for-care-leavers Wed, 16 May 2018 12:30:00 GMT A scheme to help councils to overcome housing challenges in their local areas opens for bids today. The Housing Advisors Programme, set up by the Local Government Association (LGA), supported over 40 projects across the country, with councils launching initiatives ranging from increasing housebuilding to reducing homelessness. Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-opens-bids-for-programme-to-tackle-housing-crisis 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-opens-bids-for-programme-to-tackle-housing-crisis Tue, 15 May 2018 15:30:00 GMT A lack of investment in affordable housing is reducing local authorities’ ability to secure the homes  that the nation needs, according to a report published last week. The report, ‘Delivering affordable homes in a changing world: Ensuring councils can meet local housing need’, published by the Association for Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homelessness-rises-as-councils-struggle-to-secure-affordable-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homelessness-rises-as-councils-struggle-to-secure-affordable-homes Tue, 15 May 2018 12:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Liverpool City Council has resigned ahead of the authority's Annual General Meeting, which could have seen him removed from office. Council boss Ged Fitzgerald stepped aside from his role in May 2017 following his arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation, relating to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-ceo-resigns-after-failed-judicial-review-request 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-ceo-resigns-after-failed-judicial-review-request Tue, 15 May 2018 10:15:00 GMT Despite its significant progress, the north still has a number of “notable regional gaps” in devolution, with some of these still facing an unclear future. These are the findings of a major new report by Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), the body chaired by former chancellor George Osborne, which claimed that while a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-needs-immediate-deal-on-compelling-devolution-plans 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-needs-immediate-deal-on-compelling-devolution-plans Mon, 14 May 2018 12:45:00 GMT The House of Commons speaker has reaffirmed the decision to prevent a Christchurch MP from voting against an upcoming merger of Dorset councils, arguing there is no clear route of action to reverse the decision. House speaker John Bercow told MPs that although there is “nothing whatsoever” to prevent Christchurch MP Sir... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bercow-no-obvious-means-of-allowing-mp-to-vote-against-dorset-council-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bercow-no-obvious-means-of-allowing-mp-to-vote-against-dorset-council-merger Mon, 14 May 2018 12:30:00 GMT The future of England’s high streets and town centres are set to be reviewed in a new inquiry launched by a government committee. The inquiry, backed by the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee, will assess the future role of the high street and town centre in 2030 and its contribution to the local community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-of-struggling-high-streets-to-be-assessed-in-new-government-inquiry 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-of-struggling-high-streets-to-be-assessed-in-new-government-inquiry Mon, 14 May 2018 10:45:00 GMT Tesco has pleaded guilty to a successful prosecution by Ealing Council and has now been forced to pay a £1.6m fine. The supermarket chain pleaded guilty to two offences from August 2014 when a Tesco driver reversed into a member of the public at Tesco Metro, Greenford Road’s loading bay. The victim suffered multiple... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tesco-fined-16m-in-successful-council-prosecution 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tesco-fined-16m-in-successful-council-prosecution Mon, 14 May 2018 09:15:00 GMT Nottingham City Council is to take an ongoing dispute with staff members over pay rises to the Supreme Court. Staff members have not received a rise in salary since 2011. But in an email sent to staff this week, the Labour-controlled local authority argued it acted to prevent job cuts when the pay freeze was rolled out. Today’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-to-take-staff-to-supreme-court-in-long-running-pay-row 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-to-take-staff-to-supreme-court-in-long-running-pay-row Fri, 11 May 2018 09:45:00 GMT Three areas in England will be given financial backing to pilot projects aimed at getting rough sleepers off the streets, the housing and communities secretary has confirmed. As previously revealed by PSE, the projects in the West Midlands, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester will offer support to aid individuals in recovering from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-internationally-proven-housing-first-pilots-set-to-kick-off 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-internationally-proven-housing-first-pilots-set-to-kick-off Fri, 11 May 2018 09:15:00 GMT Parliament has given the nod of approval to the formation of a new West Suffolk Council. The West Suffolk proposal was the first of its kind to be agreed by the House of Commons, which local government minister, Rishi Sunak, described as a historic moment. In a speech to the House of Lords today, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth told the Grand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-and-lords-give-backing-to-new-west-suffolk-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-and-lords-give-backing-to-new-west-suffolk-council Fri, 11 May 2018 08:30:00 GMT A new ‘super district’ council for East Suffolk has been approved by Parliament in a major move that brings restructuring plans “very near to the finish line.” Officials from Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Council attended Parliament yesterday for the presentation of the Parliamentary Order for the formal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-super-district-gains-parliamentary-approval 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-super-district-gains-parliamentary-approval Fri, 11 May 2018 08:30:00 GMT Government-backed commissioners have been sent in to improve operations at the struggling Northamptonshire County Council. Tony McArdle and Brian Roberts are the two commissioners put in place by communities secretary James Brokenshire at the county council until 2021 who will report to the secretary of state every three months. They... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-commissioners-sent-into-northamptonshire-council-to-deal-with-crisis 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-commissioners-sent-into-northamptonshire-council-to-deal-with-crisis Thu, 10 May 2018 15:45:00 GMT London’s public services are “feeling the pinch of austerity” 10 years after the financial crisis, according to a think tank. In a review of the spending of London’s local authorities, published in a special section of the London Intelligence, the Centre for London found that spending in the capital has fallen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-running-out-of-road-to-protect-statutory-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-running-out-of-road-to-protect-statutory-services Thu, 10 May 2018 12:45:00 GMT The leaders of five Somerset district councils have hit back against proposals that would see local government in the area dramatically changed and converted into larger unitary authorities. In a public letter, the heads of Taunton Deane Borough Council and Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor, and West Somerset district councils say they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-leaders-cannot-stand-by-plans-to-scrap-six-councils-in-unrealistic-savings-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-leaders-cannot-stand-by-plans-to-scrap-six-councils-in-unrealistic-savings-bid Thu, 10 May 2018 12:30:00 GMT The former deputy leader of Sandwell MBC has been ordered to pay legal costs of almost £140,000 after an unsuccessful battle against the local authority ended up at the High Court. In 2017, Labour’s Mahoob Hussain took the council to a judicial review over the publication of an independent investigation into allegations that he... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-council-deputy-leader-ordered-to-pay-140000-in-legal-fees 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-council-deputy-leader-ordered-to-pay-140000-in-legal-fees Thu, 10 May 2018 10:15:00 GMT New approaches to the commissioning and funding of local services and organisations are to be supported by an innovative new campaign. The ‘Keep it Local’ Network will bring together commissioners, councillors, community organisations and policy experts to support local authorities to move beyond large-scale, top-down procurement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/post-carillion-campaign-teaches-councils-to-avoid-scale-fail-local-service-procurement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/post-carillion-campaign-teaches-councils-to-avoid-scale-fail-local-service-procurement Thu, 10 May 2018 10:15:00 GMT Gloucester landlords who fail to look after their properties could risk being fined by the council. The ability to fine the minority of rogue landlords who fail to honour their responsibilities towards tenants is being brought to the city’s cabinet today. It is hoped that the fines would be used to encourage landlords or property... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucester-council-tables-plans-to-crackdown-on-rogue-landlords 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucester-council-tables-plans-to-crackdown-on-rogue-landlords Wed, 09 May 2018 15:30:00 GMT The government could learn important lessons from the Japanese social care system, experts have claimed. According to the Nuffield Trust report, ‘What can England learn from the long-term care system in Japan?’, the Japanese system offers some important lessons for England. Its key success has been to gain public support though... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/england-could-learn-from-japans-social-care-system-report-claims- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/england-could-learn-from-japans-social-care-system-report-claims- Wed, 09 May 2018 15:15:00 GMT The government should not be content with councils’ ability to simply meet the legal minimum for care provision, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. A report by the influential committee argued that the adult social care sector is underfunded, and that its workforce suffers from low pay, low esteem and high turnover of staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-green-paper-is-not-a-cure-all-for-mounting-social-care-pressures 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-green-paper-is-not-a-cure-all-for-mounting-social-care-pressures Wed, 09 May 2018 12:30:00 GMT The struggling Northamptonshire County Council has managed to end the financial year without using all of its reserves. The local authority has been dealing with major financial issues for some time. In February, the executive director took the unprecedented step of issuing a section 114 notice, which stopped all but the most essential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-northamptonshire-balances-books-this-year-but-funds-need-replenishing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-northamptonshire-balances-books-this-year-but-funds-need-replenishing Wed, 09 May 2018 11:00:00 GMT Ten projects across England have been granted investment as part of the Life Chances Fund which focuses on helping and encouraging the younger generation into employment. As part of an £83m project that provides young disadvantaged children, young people will receive £28m of funding from Whitehall to receive education and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pledge-28m-to-support-the-nations-youth 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pledge-28m-to-support-the-nations-youth Tue, 08 May 2018 11:45:00 GMT Michael Sage, digital services group manager at Chelmsford City Council, outlines the authority’s journey towards becoming digitally independent. Back in 2016 we decided we had had enough of being tied into expensive contracts with the big suppliers and, with this, our inability to move agilely as an organisation. We took matters... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-digital-journey-so-far 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-digital-journey-so-far Tue, 08 May 2018 11:30:00 GMT Plans to merge local authorities in Dorset have been thrown into question after a new legal bid was launched by Christchurch Borough Council. The merger, which would remove the nine councils currently operating and replace them with two unitary authorities by May next year, was green-lighted by the then communities secretary Sajid Javid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-stalled-by-legal-bid-as-javid-accused-of-acting-beyond-his-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-stalled-by-legal-bid-as-javid-accused-of-acting-beyond-his-powers Tue, 08 May 2018 11:15:00 GMT With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) just around the corner, cyber security is on the lips of the whole public sector – but PSE’s Josh Mines argues that training is falling short for England’s local government workforce. Digital data is a powerful tool for local government. Not only is it an easier, more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equipping-the-cyber-security-gatekeepers 447,454,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equipping-the-cyber-security-gatekeepers Tue, 08 May 2018 11:15:00 GMT PSE’s Josh Mines takes a look at an innovative scheme in Sheffield that will see some of the first hydrogen-fuelled vans begin work in the authority’s road maintenance fleet. Air quality in the UK is a serious problem. A joint study between Lancet Countdown and the Royal College of Physicians last year found that 44 cities in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-hydrogen-revolution 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-hydrogen-revolution Tue, 08 May 2018 11:15:00 GMT The current council tax system should be replaced with a progressive property tax that places surcharges on additional homes, a leading think tank has said. In a report ‘A new generational contract’ published today by the Resolution Foundation, the think tank argues replacing council tax with a new taxing system will allow the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increase-charges-on-second-homes-in-council-tax-revamp-report-says 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increase-charges-on-second-homes-in-council-tax-revamp-report-says Tue, 08 May 2018 10:00:00 GMT The first-ever joint meeting of two Suffolk councils this week has led to the approval of a much-anticipated merger, which could almost halve the number of councillors operating in the area. Waveney and Suffolk Coastal councils were given the government go-ahead to create a ‘super council’ in February, and met earlier this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-suffolk-council-merger-to-be-put-into-law-in-very-near-future 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-suffolk-council-merger-to-be-put-into-law-in-very-near-future Fri, 04 May 2018 12:15:00 GMT The Conservatives have held off a Labour surge on key London councils in last night’s local elections, with both parties benefitting from a nosedive in the UKIP vote. The elections, deemed to be Theresa May’s first test of national popularity since the national elections last year, showed Labour failing to take main targets in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mixed-results-for-labour-and-conservative-in-local-elections 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mixed-results-for-labour-and-conservative-in-local-elections Fri, 04 May 2018 09:45:00 GMT A bespoke agreement with the European Union allowing two-way free movement for skilled public-sector workers alongside lower skilled posts is seen as “the ideal solution,” a new report has claimed. The findings, released today by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s Brexit Advisory Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-brexit-deal-required-for-public-sector-staff-mix-says-brexit-commission 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-brexit-deal-required-for-public-sector-staff-mix-says-brexit-commission Thu, 03 May 2018 17:00:00 GMT The Home Office has “no means of monitoring progress” of its anti-modern slavery crackdown or if it is achieving value for money, a chilling new report has found. The review, ordered by the Commons and released yesterday, claimed that the government does not have the data to understand the complexities of the crime, nor does... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-unable-to-monitor-progress-of-modern-slavery-crackdown-committee-report-finds 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-unable-to-monitor-progress-of-modern-slavery-crackdown-committee-report-finds Thu, 03 May 2018 14:30:00 GMT A leading charity has today revealed that the majority of young homeless (or at risk of homelessness) people who reached out to local government were not met with “positive actions”, leading to their homelessness not “being successfully prevented or dealt with.” The freedom of information request from homeless... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-homeless-youth-turned-away-by-local-authorities-due-to-lack-of-funding-report-says 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-homeless-youth-turned-away-by-local-authorities-due-to-lack-of-funding-report-says Thu, 03 May 2018 12:30:00 GMT Plans to scrap all six councils in Somerset could save the area between £18m and £28m a year, it has been claimed. Conservative leader of Somerset County Council, David Fothergill, has asked for work to begin on looking into how a possible unitary model could be feasible. Such an arrangement would see one single tier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-to-scrap-six-councils-in-major-merger-could-save-28m-a-year 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-to-scrap-six-councils-in-major-merger-could-save-28m-a-year Wed, 02 May 2018 16:15:00 GMT This year’s National Apprenticeship Awards, which seeks to reflect the quality of apprenticeships across all sectors, is now open for entries. The fifteenth iteration of the successful event, led by the National Apprenticeship Service, features new categories such as Recruitment Excellence, which will recognise employers who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/applications-now-open-for-this-years-national-apprenticeship-awards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/applications-now-open-for-this-years-national-apprenticeship-awards Wed, 02 May 2018 15:30:00 GMT An agreement has been reached between the leadership of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire county councils to discuss a “strategic alliance” in an effort to unify the region’s voice. Although any sort of devolution deal would be quite a way off, this agreement is the first step in an ambitious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-midlands-councils-agree-strategic-alliance-in-first-step-towards-devolution- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-midlands-councils-agree-strategic-alliance-in-first-step-towards-devolution- Wed, 02 May 2018 15:15:00 GMT The Cabinet Office has granted £1.5m in funds to the Local Governments Association that will be used to carry out a “stocktake” of cyber security arrangements in all councils across England. Cyber-crime is seen by many as a ‘growing threat’ to the security of confidential data and information for the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-association-to-receive-15m-in-funding-from-whitehall-to-tackle-cyber-criminals 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-association-to-receive-15m-in-funding-from-whitehall-to-tackle-cyber-criminals Tue, 01 May 2018 17:00:00 GMT Ten thousand English community councils will undergo a “new vision” for the sector following Britain’s departure from the European Union, with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to consider proposals at the trade body’s annual conference this autumn. The national parishes body will assess where the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-to-reinvent-parish-authorities-after-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-to-reinvent-parish-authorities-after-brexit Tue, 01 May 2018 16:45:00 GMT Alcohol dependency services are at a crisis point and which is “undoubtedly” a result of a lack of funding from central government, a new survey has warned.  In a report from Alcohol Research UK and Alcohol Concern, the survey, which received 154 completed responses from medical professionals and service users, found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/substance-abuse-and-addiction-services-decline-with-lack-of-funding- 870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/substance-abuse-and-addiction-services-decline-with-lack-of-funding- Tue, 01 May 2018 15:15:00 GMT Former communities, local government and housing secretary Sajid Javid has been appointed as home secretary, replacing Amber Rudd – who resigned yesterday due to the ongoing Windrush scandal. Javid’s appointment was announced by Theresa May’s office this morning, where the new Home Office secretary’s first order of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-replaced-after-leaving-local-government-post-to-join-home-office 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-replaced-after-leaving-local-government-post-to-join-home-office Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:45:00 GMT David Reilly, head of cities & regions at the Carbon Trust, reports on the findings from this year’s Low Carbon Cities Conference. Each year, in advance of the Carbon Trust’s Low Carbon Cities Conference, we reach out to delegates asking them about their current progress on sustainability, the commitments they have made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-not-just-a-matter-of-more-money 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-not-just-a-matter-of-more-money Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT PSE’s Seamus McDonnell looks at the reactions of councils and the government to the Grenfell Tower fire, from the immediate aftermath to the most recent developments. In March this year, the Metropolitan Police announced that one of Grenfell Tower’s fire doors – meant to hold out flames for at least 30 minutes –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-legacy-of-grenfell 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-legacy-of-grenfell Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT Cornwall Council has called on the government to devolve more powers to the area as part of its proposed plans to deal with the expected impact of Brexit. It is estimated that Cornwall earns £1.2bn in exports to the European Union, with around 66% of its exports going to the trade block, which is well above the national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-reliant-council-drafts-ambitious-post-brexit-plan-to-create-20000-jobs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-reliant-council-drafts-ambitious-post-brexit-plan-to-create-20000-jobs Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:15:00 GMT Chris Painter, professor emeritus at Birmingham City University, examines Theresa May’s survival prospects given earlier experiences of post-1945 UK premiers operating in the shadow of dominant predecessors. During 2018, most of Theresa May’s political energy and capital will be expended on the next phase of tough Brexit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shadow-prime-ministers-and-political-longevity 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shadow-prime-ministers-and-political-longevity Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:15:00 GMT The north east will be granted new funds and decision-making powers by the government after local councillors finally voiced their unanimous support for plans to create a North of Tyne Combined Authority. The plans – which were scrapped in September 2016 after some councils voted against the proposal, and was further delayed two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-agrees-devolution-deal-after-two-year-delay 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-agrees-devolution-deal-after-two-year-delay Mon, 30 Apr 2018 10:30:00 GMT A devolution deal extending across the whole of the East Midlands is being explored, council leaders have confirmed. It is hoped that the deal would provide balance across the Midlands Engine (ME) area to match the clout of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire County Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-midlands-explores-devolution-deal-to-match-clout-of-wmca 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-midlands-explores-devolution-deal-to-match-clout-of-wmca Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:15:00 GMT A major funding boost is needed to get T levels off the ground, according to a report published today. According to the Resolution Foundation’s report ‘Technical Fault’, the proportion of people earning a degree by their late 20s has almost trebled from 14% of those born in the late-60s to 38% of those born in the early... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neglected-majority-of-young-people-are-badly-let-down-by-education-system 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neglected-majority-of-young-people-are-badly-let-down-by-education-system Fri, 27 Apr 2018 15:00:00 GMT Councils cannot set maximum budget levels when calculating the cost of people’s care, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said. The advice was issued after an investigation found that Wiltshire Council operated a policy of placing people into bands and paying in line with those bands, regardless of need. The ombudsman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warned-against-capping-personal-care-budget-under-care-act 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warned-against-capping-personal-care-budget-under-care-act Fri, 27 Apr 2018 15:00:00 GMT There has been a “lack of transparency” around the failure of some institutions to protect children from sexual abuse, it has been revealed. The Independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has published its interim report, in which it calls for society’s reluctance to discuss the issue to be addressed. The lack of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-warns-of-lack-of-transparency-around-child-sexual-abuse-failures 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-warns-of-lack-of-transparency-around-child-sexual-abuse-failures Fri, 27 Apr 2018 08:30:00 GMT The mix of staff recruited by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to carry out its Brexit work lacks the required level of expertise, the public accounts committee has warned. The department has recruited almost 90% of the staff that it needs, but the committee has expressed concern that there is a lack of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beis-in-parallel-universe-around-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beis-in-parallel-universe-around-brexit Thu, 26 Apr 2018 16:45:00 GMT Early mental health interventions in primary schools could generate “significant economic benefits”, according to an independent analysis.  The study, by charity Pro Bono Economics, found that for every £1 invested in the mental health of primary school pupils, there is a potential societal return of £6.20 through... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-mental-health-support-could-deliver-259m-economy-boost 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-mental-health-support-could-deliver-259m-economy-boost Thu, 26 Apr 2018 16:45:00 GMT A new report says that the sharing of personal data across public services could bring significant improvements to the quality of service for individuals and communities. The report, ‘Data for Public Benefit’, was published jointly by Involve, the Carnegie UK Trust and Understanding Patient Data (DUP). It identifies both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sharing-of-personal-data-could-benefit-public-services- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sharing-of-personal-data-could-benefit-public-services- Thu, 26 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT The number of people living in unsupported temporary accommodation (UTA) is almost ten times higher than official figures, research has shown. Research carried out by Justlife, ‘Lifting the lid on hidden homelessness: A new analysis,’ reveals that in the last 12 months, there were over 51,500 individuals and families living in bed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-homeless-must-be-recognised-in-government-figures-says-charity 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-homeless-must-be-recognised-in-government-figures-says-charity Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:30:00 GMT Research carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy has exposed the “utter inadequacy” of the laboratory tests currently used to check the safety of building materials. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) commissioned the Fire Protection Association (FPA) to carry out a series of controlled experiments in which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/utter-inadequacy-of-fire-safety-tests-exposed 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/utter-inadequacy-of-fire-safety-tests-exposed Wed, 25 Apr 2018 15:30:00 GMT The Barnett Formula would not be a suitable way to allocate replacement funding after Brexit, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has argued. The Scottish Parliament’s finance and constitution committee is seeking views on how EU funding for agriculture, economic development and innovation may be replaced following Brexit. IFS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barnett-formula-unsuitable-for-funding-allocation-after-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barnett-formula-unsuitable-for-funding-allocation-after-brexit Wed, 25 Apr 2018 13:00:00 GMT Weak accountability increases the risk of failure of public services, the Institute for Government (IfG) has warned. An IfG report, ‘Accountability in modern government,’ says that this failure may be through financial mismanagement, chronic underperformance or the collapse of services. The report, published yesterday, finds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-accountability-risks-collapse-of-public-services 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-accountability-risks-collapse-of-public-services Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:45:00 GMT The government has not taken sufficient steps to assess the financial effects of the so called “staircase tax” on local authorities, the housing, communities and local government committee has warned. The Non-Domestic Rating (Property in Common Occupation) Bill would mean that businesses that own one or more adjoining floors with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delays-to-business-rate-reforms-mean-councils-face-financial-cliff-edge 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delays-to-business-rate-reforms-mean-councils-face-financial-cliff-edge Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:15:00 GMT The first citizens’ assembly commissioned by Parliament will come together to consider the best way to fund adult social care. The Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care will be formed by 50 people who have been chosen to reflect the makeup of the wider population. Building on existing public engagement, the assembly is being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-parliament-commissioned-citizens-assembly-to-consider-adult-social-care-funding 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-parliament-commissioned-citizens-assembly-to-consider-adult-social-care-funding Mon, 23 Apr 2018 12:45:00 GMT The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, announced on Saturday at the Welsh Labour party conference that he will step down from his position. He will stand down in the autumn so that a new first minister can be selected by the end of the year. The Welsh Labour leader had been under pressure after the death of Carl Sargeant, who was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-first-minister-carwyn-jones-to-step-down 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-first-minister-carwyn-jones-to-step-down Mon, 23 Apr 2018 12:45:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is set to invest almost £200m in improving the city’s roads. The cash strapped city council has agreed to borrow £185m at low interest rates to fund the programme over a 25-year period after government cuts have left it unable to deal with a backlog of repair works. The rest is being raised by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-borrow-nearly-200m-to-fix-roads 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-borrow-nearly-200m-to-fix-roads Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:30:00 GMT No local authority in Britain has switched to a fully renewable energy supplier, according to new research. Nine out of 10 councils are supplied by one of the “Big Six” or an oil supermajor, at a cost of over £863m. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by energy supplier, Bulb, found that councils, including some who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-reduce-energy-bills-by-switching-from-big-six 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-reduce-energy-bills-by-switching-from-big-six Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:15:00 GMT Blockchain technology has the potential to make government services more efficient, Matt Hancock has said. Speaking at a Law Society event last week, the digital, culture, media and sport secretary explained that already digitalising government services in the UK has saved billions for taxpayers. Governments that embrace emerging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blockchain-could-give-more-transparency-to-data-use 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blockchain-could-give-more-transparency-to-data-use Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:15:00 GMT John Craig, chief executive of Care City, on a new GP system that automatically creates a social prescription based on patient information. Social circumstances are around twice as significant to people’s health as medicine. But, paradoxically, the evidence for medical interventions is stronger. While we know that social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-revolution-in-social-prescribing 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-revolution-in-social-prescribing Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT Tom Stannard, deputy spokesperson for economic prosperity and housing at Solace, considers the future potential of the apprenticeship levy a year into its creation. The apprenticeship levy, which came into force in April 2017, is part of the government’s wider commitment to increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships in an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-levy-retrain-without-pain 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-levy-retrain-without-pain Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT Reporting from the LGA’s Annual Public Health Conference 2018, PSE’s Sacha Rowlands considers the age-old question: are longer lives necessarily better lives, or do we still have some way to go to achieve true health equality? This year, our treasured NHS celebrates its 70th birthday. If it was a woman living in the south... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-we-moving-closer-to-health-equality 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-we-moving-closer-to-health-equality Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT Paul Swinney, head of policy and research at Centre for Cities, argues that Birmingham must focus on addressing its skills deficit in order to thrive economically.  For much of the late 20th century, Birmingham struggled to shake off its post-industrial hangover. Globalisation took a heavy toll on the city’s car and metal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prioritising-skills-in-birmingham 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prioritising-skills-in-birmingham Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT There might still be a lawful route to legally challenge the government’s decision to merge councils across Dorset, Christchurch Borough Council has claimed. In board papers released ahead of a meeting on 24 April, the local authority revealed that “a more recent point of law has emerged” that could provide a way through... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-merger-could-be-at-risk-as-christchurch-finds-new-route-to-legal-challenge 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-merger-could-be-at-risk-as-christchurch-finds-new-route-to-legal-challenge Fri, 20 Apr 2018 11:45:00 GMT The planned vote on 17 April on the North of Tyne devolution deal was suspended for a second time, giving the current combined authority’s plans for devolution yet another delay. The deal first fell apart back in September 2016 when four councils south of the River Tyne –  Sunderland, County Durham, South Tyneside and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-devolution-deal-suffers-another-setback- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-tyne-devolution-deal-suffers-another-setback- Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:15:00 GMT Local councils should be empowered to confiscate properties belonging to criminal landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants, MPs said today. The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said today in a new report that vulnerable tenants need greater protection from landlords who unreasonably increase rent, harass them and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-be-able-to-confiscate-criminal-landlords-properties-mps-say- 454,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-be-able-to-confiscate-criminal-landlords-properties-mps-say- Fri, 20 Apr 2018 09:30:00 GMT The leader of St Helen’s Council has resigned to protect his local authority while police investigate a “possible data breach.” It is believed that the allegations, which Barrie Grunewald has described as “spurious,” are related to sharing information on the messaging platform WhatsApp, although the nature of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-steps-down-amidst-data-breach-probe 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-steps-down-amidst-data-breach-probe Thu, 19 Apr 2018 16:15:00 GMT Brian Reynolds, One Public Estate (OPE) programme director at the LGA, outlines the successes of the scheme so far and argues that even more could be achieved if greater flexibility, skills and regulatory powers were baked into the system. OPE is a national programme jointly delivered by the Cabinet Office Government Property Unit (GPU)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-symbiotic-approach 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-symbiotic-approach Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT This year will provide the opportunity to develop conversations about local government finance in order to ensure councils stop running on empty, explains Jennifer Glover, policy researcher at the LGiU. In the wake of a very underwhelming Spring Statement, local government must start looking ahead to the Autumn Budget as a matter of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-start-preparing-for-the-autumn-budget-now 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-start-preparing-for-the-autumn-budget-now Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT Phil Rumens, chair of the LocalGov Digital Steering Group and digital services manager for West Berkshire Council, urges local authorities to make use of the Local Government Digital Service Standard (LGDSS) in order to exploit the full opportunities of technology in public services. The greatest strength of local government is that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-common-digital-direction 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-common-digital-direction Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT London’s new Work and Health Programmes (WHPs), which have now gone live, will help thousands more people get into work across the capital, notes Cllr Claire Kober OBE, chair of London Councils. London is a vibrant, international city, with strong economic growth and a high overall rate of employment. But too many people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employment-support-must-work-for-all 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employment-support-must-work-for-all Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT Matthew Sparkes, deputy director for financial services at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), on the public sector benefits of the brand-new Spend Analysis and Recovery Services framework. Every year, government bodies including central departments, local authorities, universities, schools, NHS trusts and arm’s-length bodies are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/get-what-you-pay-for-and-only-pay-for-what-you-get 447,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/get-what-you-pay-for-and-only-pay-for-what-you-get Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT The incoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will significantly change the way organisations share information in a wholly positive way, writes Damion Nickerson, engagement manager at the Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing (CEIS). When the clock struck midnight on 31 December 2017, the world sat down and took stock of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-do-new-regulations-affect-information-sharing 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-do-new-regulations-affect-information-sharing Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT Ahead of the government’s green paper, Margaret Willcox OBE, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, says we must find a solution to the social care market that applies to all adults equally. As we emerge from a winter that has seen a greater pressure on health and social care than any previous ones, what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-must-not-compromise 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-must-not-compromise Thu, 19 Apr 2018 14:45:00 GMT North Somerset Council has been forced to repay a man it wrongly charged for care at home when he was discharged from hospital after an amputation, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) has revealed. The council repaid the man’s family £722.40 for fees they should not have paid and was ordered to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-wrongly-forced-amputee-to-pay-for-care-charges- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-wrongly-forced-amputee-to-pay-for-care-charges- Thu, 19 Apr 2018 12:00:00 GMT Andrew Hudson is to lead an independent review into the processes and procedures underpinning the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s business rates governance. The former director general for public services has previously held the position of chief executive of the Valuation Office Agency and has worked in local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-public-services-director-general-to-lead-business-rates-review- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-public-services-director-general-to-lead-business-rates-review- Thu, 19 Apr 2018 10:15:00 GMT Powys County Council has appointed a new acting chief executive to support it with transformation and improvement work. Dr. Mohammed Mehmet has been awarded the position, having previously been the chief executive of Denbighshire County Council. Council leader, Cllr Rosemarie Harris, announced the appointment at a full meeting of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-appoints-new-acting-chief-exec 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-appoints-new-acting-chief-exec Wed, 18 Apr 2018 15:30:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been fined £120,000 for unlawfully sharing the personal details of the owners of vacant properties in the borough. The data breach came in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request from some media outlets who sought to highlight the inequality in the region between those who could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-fined-120000-for-personal-data-breach- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-fined-120000-for-personal-data-breach- Wed, 18 Apr 2018 14:30:00 GMT The fire that consumed Grenfell Tower would not have spread beyond the flat of origin had the original façade of the building not been re-clad, a report has concluded. According to the report, leaked to the London Evening Standard, the cladding material and insulation were combustible, and there were “deficiencies” in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-must-urgently-change-rules-in-light-of-leaked-grenfell-findings 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-must-urgently-change-rules-in-light-of-leaked-grenfell-findings Wed, 18 Apr 2018 11:45:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has accepted a sale and leaseback of its One Angel Square headquarters for £64m. The council says that the sale and leaseback of the building will help to fund the transformation of services and governance in the county in partnership with district and borough councils. Last year’s financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-northamptonshire-sells-hq-for-64m-to-avoid-far-more-service-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-northamptonshire-sells-hq-for-64m-to-avoid-far-more-service-cuts Tue, 17 Apr 2018 17:00:00 GMT The introduction of the levy around this time last year has actually diminished the quality of apprenticeships, with the government now running the risk of dishing out £600m on courses that are incorrectly labelled as apprenticeships, Reform has argued. Almost 40% of the apprenticeship standards approved by the government since 2012... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/govt-risks-wasting-600m-of-apprenticeship-cash-on-rebadged-training-courses 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/govt-risks-wasting-600m-of-apprenticeship-cash-on-rebadged-training-courses Tue, 17 Apr 2018 16:45:00 GMT Ashford Borough Council has adopted a corporate property management strategy to handle its portfolio of assets. The council says that the strategy has been prepared against a backdrop of “unprecedented change” in local government, with revenue support grant funding to reach zero by 2019-20. Over the past five years, the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-adopts-corporate-strategy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-adopts-corporate-strategy Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have joined for a new housing project. According to CCN, the project will explore how county councils and unitary authorities are innovating to deliver much needed housing, supported by the right infrastructure. It is expected to provide insight into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-project-to-tackle-housing-shortage 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-project-to-tackle-housing-shortage Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT Troubled Northamptonshire County Council has appointed a new leader at a full council meeting last week. Cllr Matthew Golby, who was elected to the council in 2009, was selected as leader of the cash-strapped council on 10 April. He became cabinet member for learning, skills and education in 2014 before taking on the children’s services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-northamptonshire-appoints-new-leader 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-northamptonshire-appoints-new-leader Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT Christopher Gallagher, public sector – SAS, says it’s imperative that organisations have the most experienced data scientists at hand. The Civil Service is feeling immense Brexit stress. Making the right decisions, analysing the ‘best interests’ of the nation as a whole, as well as discrete segments of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-complexities-of-brexit-and-the-hunt-for-exceptional-data-scientists 439,870,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-complexities-of-brexit-and-the-hunt-for-exceptional-data-scientists Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT A new tool for CCGs and councils to support improving outcomes through integrated commissioning has been unveiled yesterday. The ‘Integrated commissioning for better outcomes framework 2018’ (ICBO) has been developed from the ‘Commissioning for better outcomes framework 2015,’ and has been updated in order to reflect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhscc-and-lga-launch-joint-tool-to-support-integrated-commissioning 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhscc-and-lga-launch-joint-tool-to-support-integrated-commissioning Fri, 13 Apr 2018 13:00:00 GMT UK business are suffering more online attacks than ever before as criminals adapt to digital advances and launch emerging threats such as cloud storage theft and cryptojacking, it has been revealed. In a stark report released to mark this year’s three-day CYBERUK 2018 summit in Manchester Central, the National Cyber Security Centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/basic-approach-to-cyber-security-no-longer-enough-to-tackle-growing-threat 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/basic-approach-to-cyber-security-no-longer-enough-to-tackle-growing-threat Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT A non-statutory inquiry will give victims of child sexual exploitation in Telford and Wrekin the opportunity to give evidence in private and encourage other victims to come forward, it is hoped. Telford and Wrekin Council has announced its plans to publish a report outlining the next steps to hold an inquiry into historic and current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/telford-council-to-investigate-historic-and-current-child-sex-abuse-in-town- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/telford-council-to-investigate-historic-and-current-child-sex-abuse-in-town- Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT The ‘no detriment’ clauses in the 100% business rates retention pilots mean that it is not possible to establish how councils would respond to falls in income if the policy is rolled out, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. Its new report, ‘100% business rate retention pilots: what can be learnt and at what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-pilots-a-strategic-central-move-to-push-for-controversial-reforms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-pilots-a-strategic-central-move-to-push-for-controversial-reforms Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:30:00 GMT Councils are being forced to place more people in unstable temporary accommodation as they struggle to find proper housing for homeless people in their area, according an annual report. Since 2010 the estimated number of rough sleepers in England has soared by 169%, and there were 19,000 more annual homelessness acceptances in 2016-17 than in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homeless-families-in-unstable-housing-could-top-100000-by-2020 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homeless-families-in-unstable-housing-could-top-100000-by-2020 Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:00:00 GMT A recently-resigned Rochdale council leader has been suspended by the Labour Party and is facing a police investigation after an official child abuse inquiry found he lied under oath during the hearing. The document, made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), argued Richard Farnell “ultimately had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-rochdale-council-leader-lied-under-oath-to-child-sex-abuse-inquiry 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-rochdale-council-leader-lied-under-oath-to-child-sex-abuse-inquiry Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:45:00 GMT The government must ensure that unexpected costs arising from fire safety work are met, the LGA has argued today. The comments come after housing and communities secretary Sajid Javid published new legislation to strengthen fire testing of cladding systems for consultation. Improving building safety has been a hot topic since the Grenfell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-presses-for-cash-as-javid-unveils-new-building-safety-proposals 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-presses-for-cash-as-javid-unveils-new-building-safety-proposals Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT A councillor leading the investigation into two suspended officers at Cheshire East Council has himself been suspended. Conservative Cllr Howard Murray was asked to step down after concerns were raised over his behaviour whilst serving as chair on the authority’s Investigation and Disciplinary Committee (IDC) – which was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ceo-misconduct-investigation-leader-suspended-for-concerning-actions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ceo-misconduct-investigation-leader-suspended-for-concerning-actions Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:00:00 GMT A West London council will become the first in the UK to ban the public from protesting outside an abortion clinic following complaints of intimidation. In a controversial move, Ealing councillors unanimously voted to implement a ‘safe zone’ around the Marie Stopes clinic after women claimed they were being harassed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-adopts-anti-abortion-safe-zone-protest-ban-in-uk-first 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-adopts-anti-abortion-safe-zone-protest-ban-in-uk-first Wed, 11 Apr 2018 16:15:00 GMT Homebuyers in West Dorset are benefitting from faster land searches after a council implemented new measures. West Dorset District Council put an improvement plan in place in 2016 to deal with a backlog of applications for conveyancing searches. The high volume of requests was blamed on the backlog but new measures have improved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-cuts-waiting-times-for-land-searches-by-8-weeks 438,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-cuts-waiting-times-for-land-searches-by-8-weeks Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:30:00 GMT Intelligence and cyber security organisation, GCHQ is to set up a new base in Manchester, it has been announced. Although the exact location of the base has not been revealed, chiefs say it will place the city “at the heart of the nation’s security.” The announcement comes almost a year after the city was shook by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gchq-to-open-new-base-to-put-manchester-at-the-heart-of-uk-security 454,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gchq-to-open-new-base-to-put-manchester-at-the-heart-of-uk-security Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:00:00 GMT Councils should have the powers and funding to enter the premises of home-schooled children to ensure they are being taught in suitable conditions, the LGA has argued. The recommendation follows news that the Department for Education (DfE) will be implementing a series of measures to make sure home-schooled children are receiving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-powers-to-crack-down-on-bad-home-schooling-says-lga- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-powers-to-crack-down-on-bad-home-schooling-says-lga- Wed, 11 Apr 2018 12:45:00 GMT Glasgow City Council has committed to delivering more than 800 homes at the city’s Sighthill Transformational Regeneration Area (TRA). The council has signed the agreement with Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and Keepmoat Homes to deliver the homes in the £250m Sighthill TRA, which is the biggest regeneration scheme of its type... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-to-deliver-1000-homes-in-biggest-regeneration-scheme-outside-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-to-deliver-1000-homes-in-biggest-regeneration-scheme-outside-london Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:45:00 GMT Public service union Unison has confirmed that it has now accepted the LGA’s pay offer. In January the union’s pay committee rejected the proposals before putting it to a members consultation. The two-year pay offer, covering the period April 2018 to March 2020 and affecting hundreds of thousands of employees, will see those... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-pay-deal-to-be-implemented-as-unison-accepts-offer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-pay-deal-to-be-implemented-as-unison-accepts-offer Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:15:00 GMT Rogue landlords are being forced out of the sector as new banning orders and a national database of offenders are brought in. Landlords convicted of housing, immigration and other criminal offences, such as leasing overcrowded properties, fire and gas safety offences and unlawful eviction, will all be put on the new database. Councils will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/database-to-help-councils-crack-down-on-rogue-landlords-goes-live 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/database-to-help-councils-crack-down-on-rogue-landlords-goes-live Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:00:00 GMT A new charge on development could be introduced to contribute £2m a year towards Brighton and Hove’s infrastructure. Developers will have to pay a financial contribution to the council when they want to build new homes, shops or student accommodation, depending on the size of the development. Residents and businesses are being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brighton-council-seeks-views-on-new-2m-infrastructure-levy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brighton-council-seeks-views-on-new-2m-infrastructure-levy Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:00:00 GMT Two Suffolk district councils have put their merger plans on hold until a review of the local government structure has been carried out. Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils have previously argued that the preferred option for the area is to dissolve the existing local authorities and replace them with a new single district council in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-councils-put-merger-plans-on-hold-until-2020 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-councils-put-merger-plans-on-hold-until-2020 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 10:15:00 GMT Environment, agriculture and fisheries, designed to function within the EU, are no longer fit for purpose outside the Union according to a study by Institute for Government (IfG). The report says that once the UK leaves the European Union, the four governments, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Westminster, must go back to the drawing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-devolved-policy-will-be-under-serious-strain-after-brexit-says-ifg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-devolved-policy-will-be-under-serious-strain-after-brexit-says-ifg Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:45:00 GMT Today, the UK’s tax on sugary drinks came into effect as part of the government’s flagship anti-obesity policy. This new tax comes into effect as obesity-related illnesses continue to put a strain on the NHS and public health at large. There was an 18% increase in the last year for conditions caused or complicated by obesity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-on-sugary-drinks-will-help-ease-obesity-epidemic 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-on-sugary-drinks-will-help-ease-obesity-epidemic Fri, 06 Apr 2018 10:45:00 GMT Following the announcement that chief executive Dorcas Bunton is to retire on 31 May, councillors of Derbyshire Dales District Council will next week consider whether or not to axe the top role.  Bunton, has worked in the public sector for 39 years, stated: “I am very fortunate in retiring from local government at Derbyshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-considers-axing-chief-executive-role 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-considers-axing-chief-executive-role Fri, 06 Apr 2018 09:15:00 GMT Public sector procurement professionals have voiced a swathe of concerns regarding Brexit, with almost half arguing that they are unable to prepare for it – despite its major implications for the sector – because future trade arrangements are still unclear. The findings, included in a CIPS survey, also revealed that 32% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-public-sector-procurement-leads-still-not-preparing-for-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-public-sector-procurement-leads-still-not-preparing-for-brexit Thu, 05 Apr 2018 17:15:00 GMT The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has called for more details on funding and addressing the skills gap brought about by Brexit. In a letter to housing, communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid, the chair of the committee, Clive Betts, demanded more government engagement with local government on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/betts-asks-javid-to-formalise-local-government-engagement-on-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/betts-asks-javid-to-formalise-local-government-engagement-on-brexit Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:00:00 GMT South Oxfordshire District Council leader Cllr John Cotton is to step down, he has announced. In a statement on Twitter, the councillor confirmed “with some sadness” that he would not be submitting his name for the upcoming Conservative Group elections. Last month Cotton was left “deeply disappointed” after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-south-oxfordshire-leader-resigns-ahead-of-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-south-oxfordshire-leader-resigns-ahead-of-elections Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:45:00 GMT Being able to optimise the purchase, deployment and maintenance of software within any organisation is already a difficult process. Add to that the utilisation and disposal of the applications across a public sector organisation, and suddenly the problem becomes more difficult to execute efficiently. With GDPR approaching, many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/save-30-on-your-it-spend-with-sam 435,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/save-30-on-your-it-spend-with-sam Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT With a higher number and higher quality of apprenticeships on offer than ever before, 2018 is set to be a monumental year for training. Sue Husband, director of the National Apprenticeship Service, explains how apprenticeships are helping more people to progress in work and life. Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for people to earn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-apprenticeships-work 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-apprenticeships-work Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:45:00 GMT The average household is to see its council tax bill increase by 5.1%, the government has announced. According to the latest government figures, 148 out of 152 authorities plan on utilising some or all of the 3% adult social care precept when setting their council tax, accounting for £30 of the average Band D council tax bill this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/households-to-be-hit-with-51-council-tax-increase 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/households-to-be-hit-with-51-council-tax-increase Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:30:00 GMT Simon Edwards, director of County Councils Network (CCN), calls on Whitehall to harness the opportunity to reform the local government funding system for the better. As the sector continues on a journey towards a new methodology to fund local authorities, colleagues from across the sector met to discuss how we can speak with one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-funding-getting-it-right 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-funding-getting-it-right Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:30:00 GMT Colin Copus, professor of local politics at the Faculty of Business and Law, Local Governance Research Unit at De Montfort University, and Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence, consider the options for improving accountability in local public services. The post-war orderly arrangements for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bringing-order-to-chaos 447,433,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bringing-order-to-chaos Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:30:00 GMT Kathy Nothstine, lead for future cities in Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, explains how a new scheme will help local authorities harness the use of drones to improve public service delivery. The technology enabling unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs, or drones – to perform a variety of functions has advanced rapidly in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seizing-the-opportunity-to-shape-drone-usage 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seizing-the-opportunity-to-shape-drone-usage Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:30:00 GMT Oxford City Council has formed a wholly-owned social enterprise which will be responsible for delivering the council’s statutory services. The enterprise, Oxford Direct Services Ltd (ODS), will continue to deliver the statutory services currently provided to residents and businesses by the council’s direct services operations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-council-forms-own-enterprise-as-private-income-nears-legal-limits 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-council-forms-own-enterprise-as-private-income-nears-legal-limits Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:15:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council will use its general and earmarked reserves in order to achieve a balanced budget this year, the struggling authority has revealed. This announcement comes following the council’s decision to postpone the sale and lease back of its headquarters, One Angel Square, due to the likely reform of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failing-northamptonshire-to-empty-all-reserves-in-order-to-balance-books-this-year 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failing-northamptonshire-to-empty-all-reserves-in-order-to-balance-books-this-year Wed, 04 Apr 2018 10:30:00 GMT Kath O’Dwyer, acting chief executive of Cheshire East Council, assesses the importance of the women in the authority’s workforce. After speaking at a Cheshire East Council event on International Women’s Day, I started to think about just how much of an impact women make to the workplace in Cheshire East. Cheshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/women-are-scaling-the-heights-at-cheshire-east-council 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/women-are-scaling-the-heights-at-cheshire-east-council Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:00:00 GMT SPONSORED INTERVIEW Grant Caley, UK & Ireland chief technologist at NetApp, speaks to PSE’s Luana Salles about the benefits of moving to a hybrid cloud model to manage data flexibly and seamlessly. In a world shifting toward digital transformation, data has become the lifeblood of organisations looking to drive change and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-at-the-heart-of-digital-transformation 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-at-the-heart-of-digital-transformation Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:30:00 GMT SPONSORED INTERVIEW PSE’s Josh Mines chats to Martin de Martini, CIO of Y Soft, about what the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will mean for the public sector and how it manages its physical information. GDPR, the regulation on everyone’s lips, is finally here, and it’s no surprise that the public sector is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gdpr-the-public-sector-scarecrow 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gdpr-the-public-sector-scarecrow Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:30:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Hannah Bennett, marketing executive at Audit Partnership, the latest named supplier on the Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS’s) Spend Analysis and Recovery Services II framework, provides an insight into spend recovery and the resulting benefits. If your organisation is one of the many now considering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-your-organisation-considering-a-spend-recovery-audit 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-your-organisation-considering-a-spend-recovery-audit Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:30:00 GMT Stronger management procedures and new leadership arrangements are being put in place at Northumberland County Council’s development company, it has been revealed. The move follows a highly critical report to the council’s audit committee, which identified “a number of financial irregularities” at Arch, a wholly owned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/management-at-northumberland-cc-subsidiary-shaken-up-after-scathing-reports-of-financial-irregularities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/management-at-northumberland-cc-subsidiary-shaken-up-after-scathing-reports-of-financial-irregularities Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:30:00 GMT NHS employers would like to see more flexibility over how they can spend their levy fund, a report has revealed. The report, ‘The apprenticeship levy study: NHS trusts,’ produced by BPP University, Health Education England, the Education Skills Funding Agency and Trendence UK, surveyed 175 trust on their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-demands-flexibility-over-how-it-spends-apprenticeship-levy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-demands-flexibility-over-how-it-spends-apprenticeship-levy Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:15:00 GMT Sajid Javid has invited councils in Northamptonshire to submit a proposal for a single tier of local government. Addressing Parliament yesterday, the housing, communities and local government secretary explained that this invitation comes following consideration of the independent inspection report on Northamptonshire County Council. Javid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-unitary-authority-not-an-option-for-troubled-northamptonshire-cc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-unitary-authority-not-an-option-for-troubled-northamptonshire-cc Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT Thousands of properties across England could be brought back into use as new legislation is introduced to allow local authorities to double the rate of council tax on empty homes. It is hoped that the new rules, which will allow councils to levy additional charges on properties that are left empty for two years or more, will help to fix the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-new-taxation-powers-to-tackle-empty-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-new-taxation-powers-to-tackle-empty-homes Wed, 28 Mar 2018 10:45:00 GMT According to a King’s Fund and National Housing Federation Report, ‘Housing and health: Opportunities for sustainability and transformation partnerships,’ the cost of poor housing to the NHS is £1.4bn a year. Cold homes can lead to chronic diseases such as lung and heart disease and poor mental health, as well as heart... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-teaming-up-with-nhs-to-create-better-homes-to-improve-health 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-teaming-up-with-nhs-to-create-better-homes-to-improve-health Tue, 27 Mar 2018 17:00:00 GMT A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will fundamentally change the criminal justice system (CJS) in London, the justice secretary has announced. David Gauke signed the MoU with London Councils and the mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) yesterday. The agreement will change the way the criminal justice and offender... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gauke-announces-ambition-for-criminal-justice-devolution-in-the-capital 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gauke-announces-ambition-for-criminal-justice-devolution-in-the-capital Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT A national focus is needed to tackle the “chronic shortage” of homes to support the ageing population, the LGA has said. The call comes in response to a report by charity Independent Age, which claims that older private renters are “invisible” in policy decisions on housing and age-related issues. The report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/older-private-renters-invisible-in-policy-making-decisions- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/older-private-renters-invisible-in-policy-making-decisions- Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:00:00 GMT Three local authorities are facing action from the government over failing to produce a local plan. In a statement to Parliament today, Sajid Javid said that he had written to 15 local planning authorities to commence the process of intervention, warning them that they needed to produce a plan by 31 January. From those councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-councils-facing-intervention-from-gov-after-failing-to-produce-local-plan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-councils-facing-intervention-from-gov-after-failing-to-produce-local-plan Mon, 26 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT Experts have warned that economies in local areas are currently “broken” due to a disconnect between prosperity and wage increases. The findings unearthed by Localis found that this relationship between productivity and wages varied considerably across the country, with some of the worst disparity found in the south. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-economies-broken-as-economic-prosperity-races-ahead-of-wages 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-economies-broken-as-economic-prosperity-races-ahead-of-wages Mon, 26 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Ben Eagling, of License Dashboard, looks into why it is so important for public sector organisations to be able to account for their technology assets in order to fall in line with incoming GDPR regulations. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect on 25th May 2018. Organisations are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/using-software-asset-management-as-a-key-enabler-for-gdpr-compliance 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/using-software-asset-management-as-a-key-enabler-for-gdpr-compliance Mon, 26 Mar 2018 11:30:00 GMT Two councils in the south west of England are set to merge in April 2019 after Sajid Javid approved plans to create a new district council in the two areas. Following the MHLG secretary ‘minding to implement’ the merger back in November 2017, Taunton Deane Borough and West Somerset Councils will soon form into a single... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-approves-council-merger-in-west-of-england 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-approves-council-merger-in-west-of-england Mon, 26 Mar 2018 09:45:00 GMT The Welsh Government has revealed plans this week to reduce the number of authorities in the country to just 10. Ministers say the plans would make “larger, stronger” councils and the government has launched a consultation on the strategy, which would consist of both voluntary and mandatory integration. Similar plans were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-announces-plans-to-cut-the-number-of-councils 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-announces-plans-to-cut-the-number-of-councils Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:00:00 GMT An error in payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) means that it will need to pay between £570m to £830m more than expected by the end of 2022-23, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Since 2011, the department has underpaid an estimated 70,000 people who transferred to the Employment and Support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/error-means-dwp-esa-payments-could-be-paying-out-830m-more-than-expected-by-2022-23 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/error-means-dwp-esa-payments-could-be-paying-out-830m-more-than-expected-by-2022-23 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:00:00 GMT Jeremy Hunt has outlined seven key principles that he says will guide the Department of Health and Social Care’s thinking ahead of the long awaited social care Green Paper. He said that the “rotating cast” of care workers have no time to build the relationships that come with proper continuity of care. Therefore, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hunt-announces-seven-principles-to-underpin-social-care-green-paper 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hunt-announces-seven-principles-to-underpin-social-care-green-paper Wed, 21 Mar 2018 16:30:00 GMT Sajid Javid has called for an independent review of the processes that led to an overpayment of business rates to local councils. In a letter to Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Javid confirmed that the department should not seek repayment from local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-attempts-to-claw-back-business-rates-overpayments-would-have-significant-negative-impact- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-attempts-to-claw-back-business-rates-overpayments-would-have-significant-negative-impact- Wed, 21 Mar 2018 12:45:00 GMT The government should devolve more powers to English regions, according to Greater Manchester’s metro mayor. Andy Burnham, the city region’s mayor, made the call for greater local control before the housing, communities and local government committee, which met at Manchester University on Monday. He warned the committee that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-devolution-needed-for-a-smooth-brexit-burnham-tells-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-devolution-needed-for-a-smooth-brexit-burnham-tells-government Wed, 21 Mar 2018 11:00:00 GMT Extra government funding for councils to increase their falls prevention strategies would reduce hospital admissions, according to the LGA. Falls cost the NHS more than £2bn a year, and the number of hospital admissions of an older person following a fall is set to rise to almost 1,000 a day by the end of the decade. This prediction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-close-funding-gap-to-prevent-falls-among-older-people 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-close-funding-gap-to-prevent-falls-among-older-people Tue, 20 Mar 2018 16:45:00 GMT The Greater London Authority (GLA) continues to have a significant gender pay gap, new data has revealed. According to the latest figures, the GLA Group has a gender pay gap due to a lack of women in senior roles. Yesterday saw the publication of gender pay for all City Hall staff and the LGA’s functional bodies, for the second year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-city-halls-progress-with-closing-gender-pay-gap-barely-noticeable 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-city-halls-progress-with-closing-gender-pay-gap-barely-noticeable Tue, 20 Mar 2018 16:30:00 GMT Council tax should be abolished as it is too similar to poll tax, according to a new report, published today. ‘Home Affairs,’ by the Resolution Foundation, argues that council tax functions like poll tax, which it was introduced to replace. Poll tax was abolished in 1991, in part due to the lack of fairness of a flat rate tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-should-be-scrapped-due-to-inequality-in-current-system-say-experts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-should-be-scrapped-due-to-inequality-in-current-system-say-experts Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT The mayor of London has committed to a new £600,000 integration strategy, which will specifically look at bringing young people and families close to the community. Sadiq Khan launched the new measures earlier this week in response to claims that the capital needed to become a more socially integrated city. While he called the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-commits-600000-to-tackle-barriers-to-social-integration- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-commits-600000-to-tackle-barriers-to-social-integration- Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:45:00 GMT Councils could receive tough new powers to punish rogue landlords, with measures set to go in front of Parliament today. Under the new laws, those found in breach of overcrowding and living conditions regulations would be subject to fines as high as £30,000, levied directly by local authorities. It comes as part of a central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-considers-giving-councils-new-powers-to-punish-unscrupulous-rogue-landlords- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-considers-giving-councils-new-powers-to-punish-unscrupulous-rogue-landlords- Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE XMA, one of the UK’s leading providers of technology products, services and solutions to the public sector, discovers how it really is possible to save energy, money – the world, even – one monitor at a time… Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to achieve ever-changing, newly set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-a-mission-impossible-possible 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-a-mission-impossible-possible Mon, 19 Mar 2018 11:30:00 GMT The Labour mayor of the London Borough of Newham has been deselected by his party after more than two decades in the role. Sir Robin Wales, the current longest serving mayor in Britain, will be replaced by Rokhsana Fiaz, who is backed by many in the Labour party, including the influential left-wing group Momentum. Fiaz has been a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britains-longest-serving-mayor-deselected-in-favour-of-momentum-backed-candidate 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britains-longest-serving-mayor-deselected-in-favour-of-momentum-backed-candidate Mon, 19 Mar 2018 10:30:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Ben Eagling of License Dashboard discusses the advantages of using Software Asset Management (SAM) in the education sector to ensure compliance in both higher and further education. When compared to businesses, software licensing in the education sector is often less costly.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/software-asset-management-in-the-education-sector 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/software-asset-management-in-the-education-sector Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:30:00 GMT More than two in five adults who have worried about the welfare of a child have not reported their concerns, new research has revealed. In a recent survey, over a quarter of adults said that they had been concerned about the welfare, neglect, or abuse of a child, but 42% of them did not inform somebody with child protection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-to-be-done-to-build-public-confidence-in-reporting-suspected-child-abuse 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-to-be-done-to-build-public-confidence-in-reporting-suspected-child-abuse Fri, 16 Mar 2018 16:15:00 GMT The proportion of local authority maintained secondary schools in deficit has nearly trebled in four years, a new report has revealed. ‘School funding pressures in England,’ published today by the Education Policy Institute, found that whilst the number of local authority secondary schools in deficit reduced from 14% in 2010-11 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-secondary-schools-in-deficit 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-secondary-schools-in-deficit Fri, 16 Mar 2018 15:30:00 GMT The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (GCGP LEP) is the latest example of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) devolving powers to LEPs in a manner “characterised by both complexity and confusion.” The comments come from the Public Accounts Committee, which says that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wholly-unacceptable-that-central-gov-does-not-have-clear-answer-to-benefits-of-leps 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wholly-unacceptable-that-central-gov-does-not-have-clear-answer-to-benefits-of-leps Fri, 16 Mar 2018 14:00:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Ben Eagling of License Dashboard discusses the importance of using Software Asset Management (SAM) in contract renewals to improve planning and save money through preparation. Effective Software Asset Management (SAM) ensures no license goes unused, and no user goes unlicensed. But it is just... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/using-sam-to-seal-the-best-deal 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/using-sam-to-seal-the-best-deal Fri, 16 Mar 2018 10:30:00 GMT The leader of Northamptonshire County Council has announced her resignation after a government report recommended the impoverished authority should be split into two smaller unitary councils. Heather Smith said it “wasn’t an easy decision” to leave the council in such difficult times but cited the “personal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leader-resigns-after-whitehall-report-calls-for-failing-council-to-be-split-up 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leader-resigns-after-whitehall-report-calls-for-failing-council-to-be-split-up Fri, 16 Mar 2018 09:00:00 GMT Oldham Council is to launch its search or a development partner to deliver its £350m Town Centre Masterplan. The northern council will start its procurement exercise this summer, subject to cabinet approval on 26 March, to secure a partner to work with and deliver its scheme to transform the town over a 10 to 15-year period. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oldham-council-launches-search-to-for-partner-in-350m-masterplan 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oldham-council-launches-search-to-for-partner-in-350m-masterplan Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:00:00 GMT The housing, communities and local government secretary has set out ambitious trials across five British councils, to tackle the root causes of poor integration in Britain. Over the next two years, Sajid Javid has committed £50m to the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper, which seeks views on the government’s proposals to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-pinpoints-five-authorities-with-integration-plan- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-pinpoints-five-authorities-with-integration-plan- Thu, 15 Mar 2018 09:45:00 GMT A West Midlands council leader has called on the Home Office to conduct an independent investigation into child sex exploitation after a series of shocking allegations came to light in recent days. Telford and Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies urged Whitehall to step in to ensure any review is fully independent and will not come under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-council-calls-on-whitehall-for-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-council-calls-on-whitehall-for-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry Thu, 15 Mar 2018 09:45:00 GMT Councils cannot outsource the responsibility for the services they provide, the local government and social care ombudsman (LGO) has clarified. Giving evidence to the public administration and constitutional affairs committee this week, Michael King described the issues that his office finds during investigations into councils’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-complaints-masked-by-complexity-of-outsourcing-arrangements 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-complaints-masked-by-complexity-of-outsourcing-arrangements Wed, 14 Mar 2018 15:30:00 GMT Philip Hammond has invited proposals from cities across England for the remaining £840m from the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund, announced in the Autumn Budget. The cash will help local authorities to deliver on their local transport priorities. Andrew Allen, from the Campaign for Better Transport, welcomed the confirmation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-invites-bids-for-840m-of-essential-transport-cash 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-invites-bids-for-840m-of-essential-transport-cash Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:45:00 GMT The next business rates revaluation has been brought forward to 2021, Philip Hammond has announced. In his Spring Statement yesterday, the chancellor said that the revaluation would be brought forward by a year, from 2022. The triennial revaluations, which were announced in the Autumn Budget, will now begin from 2021. Hammond said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/triennial-business-rate-revaluation-brought-forward-to-2021 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/triennial-business-rate-revaluation-brought-forward-to-2021 Wed, 14 Mar 2018 11:30:00 GMT The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has called for an urgent consultation on the future of local government funding following the chancellor’s Spring Statement. In his speech today, Philip Hammond was positive about the UK economy, reporting that it has grown every year since 2010, with an additional three million jobs, lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-struggling-to-balance-the-books-with-no-knowledge-of-how-spending-will-work-from-2020- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-struggling-to-balance-the-books-with-no-knowledge-of-how-spending-will-work-from-2020- Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:00:00 GMT The West Midlands has committed to deliver 215,000 homes by 2030-31 in a deal with the chancellor and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Philip Hammond announced the £350m deal, which will be facilitated by a £100m grant from the Land Remediation Fund, in his Spring Statement today. The housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-strikes-350m-government-housing-deal 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-strikes-350m-government-housing-deal Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:00:00 GMT Families that are “just about managing” will be hit by the biggest year of benefit cuts since 2012, the Resolution Foundation has warned. Research by the foundation found that benefit changes set to save around £2.5bn will “significantly squeeze” incomes of these families. The changes, which come into effect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/struggling-families-set-to-be-hit-hardest-by-highest-benefit-cuts-in-five-years 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/struggling-families-set-to-be-hit-hardest-by-highest-benefit-cuts-in-five-years Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:45:00 GMT The cost of Brexit preparations for the six most affected government departments will reach £900m in 2018-19, a new report warns. The Institute for Government’s report, published yesterday, ‘Costing Brexit: What is Whitehall spending on exiting the EU?’ examines Whitehall’s spending on leaving the EU. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-brexit-preparations-set-to-hit-900m-across-six-gov-departments-next-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-brexit-preparations-set-to-hit-900m-across-six-gov-departments-next-year Tue, 13 Mar 2018 11:00:00 GMT Sajid Javid has today announced that he is minded to approve plans which would see a large unitary authority created from the six existing authorities in Buckinghamshire. Under the current proposal Buckinghamshire County Council would be merged with the smaller councils of Wycombe, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Aylesbury Vale and High... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-minded-to-approve-unitary-plans-for-buckinghamshire 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-minded-to-approve-unitary-plans-for-buckinghamshire Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:30:00 GMT The government has pledged to “be more creative” with planning policy after a new policy was revealed today giving rural planners more flexibility. Housing minister Dominic Raab launched the measures, which will allow councils to permit developments of up to five homes on former agricultural sites, rather than the current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-aims-for-rural-housing-boost-with-creative-new-planning-rules 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-aims-for-rural-housing-boost-with-creative-new-planning-rules Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:00:00 GMT Every council in Scotland and Wales has committed to raising taxes, with every single Scottish authority increasing their share by the maximum 3%. The issue was settled last week when the last Welsh council, Pembrokeshire, announced a massive 12.5% rise. It is the first time in a decade that all of Scotland’s 32 councils have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-to-increase-in-every-scottish-and-welsh-authority 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-to-increase-in-every-scottish-and-welsh-authority Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:30:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council could be in for further financial trouble after officials revealed government queries over the use of ring-fenced funding. Public Health England (PHE) bosses have opened discussion with the council’s new director of public health in relation to funding received between 2015 and 2017 that may have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cash-strapped-northamptonshire-hit-with-public-health-funding-inquiries 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cash-strapped-northamptonshire-hit-with-public-health-funding-inquiries Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Council has unveiled a huge new 'trasnformative' scheme which will see it create between 5,500 and 7,000 new jobs in the centre of the city by the end of 2019. ‘Heart of the City II’ is a further development on the city’s previous plans, with the latest work heavily influenced by a 2015 public consultation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-to-create-more-than-5500-jobs-with-transformative-city-centre-development 2899,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-to-create-more-than-5500-jobs-with-transformative-city-centre-development Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:45:00 GMT ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Craig Taylor of Phoenix Software discusses the importance of considering Software Asset Management (SAM) at every stage of your cloud migration to better monitor costs, manage the project, and maintain compliance. Change isn’t easy. From introducing new ways of working, managing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-sam-into-every-cloud-project 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-sam-into-every-cloud-project Fri, 09 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT Brighton & Hove City Council has committed to a new scheme this week which will allow staff to choose which pronoun is used to described them. The #MyPronounsAre campaign is part of the upcoming Trans Day of Visibility, set for 30 March, and will give each member of staff a range of name badges which can be worn to show others how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brighton-council-introduces-mypronounsare-campaign-to-allow-staff-to-choose-name-badges 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brighton-council-introduces-mypronounsare-campaign-to-allow-staff-to-choose-name-badges Fri, 09 Mar 2018 11:30:00 GMT Islington Council is to become the first council in the UK to appoint a ‘women and girls champion.’ The council, with Plan International UK, has announced a commitment to create the new role today at its ‘International Women’s Day’ event. The post will give a councillor the responsibility of working to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-becomes-first-to-appoint-women-and-girls-champion 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-becomes-first-to-appoint-women-and-girls-champion Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:30:00 GMT A sustainable social care system is key to a sustainable NHS, the LGA has argued in response to NHS England’s latest delayed transfers of care (DToC) figures – which revealed a total of 152,300 delayed days in January. Of all of the delays that month, 33% were attributable to social care, although this was down slightly from 35%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-must-be-given-parity-with-nhs-to-avoid-delayed-transfers-of-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-must-be-given-parity-with-nhs-to-avoid-delayed-transfers-of-care Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:30:00 GMT Pembrokeshire County Council has approved a whopping 12.5% increase in council tax today as the authority aims to tackle a £16m funding gap. The decision was made at a full council meeting, where councillors also agreed a full budget for the year and a 2018-22 financial plan. The tax hike represents a rise of £110 each... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-to-plug-critical-16m-funding-gap-with-125-tax-rise 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-to-plug-critical-16m-funding-gap-with-125-tax-rise Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:00:00 GMT The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has criticised local and central government measures on children’s mental health, urging for more cooperation between health and care organisations. In a new review of the state of children’s care in the UK, the inspectorate said there needs to be more done to deal with “crisis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-calls-on-councils-deal-with-childrens-mental-health-crisis-points 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-calls-on-councils-deal-with-childrens-mental-health-crisis-points Thu, 08 Mar 2018 14:45:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has today warned central government that the state of local authority finances is “not sustainable” as lack of funding cuts away at services. In a new report on the financial future of councils, the watchdog has laid bare the issues and claims that many authorities have been forced to begin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-councils-financial-situation-not-sustainable 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-councils-financial-situation-not-sustainable Thu, 08 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT Manchester City Council spends 71% of its procurement spending with local companies, according to new research. The analysis by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) revealed that in 2016-17 the council spent around £320m on goods and services from Manchester businesses. This figure was just over 50% a decade ago. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchesters-social-value-procurement-boosts-local-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchesters-social-value-procurement-boosts-local-economy Wed, 07 Mar 2018 16:45:00 GMT The north west’s cabinet leads for children’s services have written an open letter to Philip Hammond calling for funds to address the “growing crisis” in children’s social care. In the letter, signed by councillors from 20 local authorities across the north west, Barry Kushner of Liverpool City Council said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-warn-of-growing-crisis-in-north-west-childrens-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-warn-of-growing-crisis-in-north-west-childrens-services Wed, 07 Mar 2018 16:30:00 GMT Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the Metrolink tram system to begin providing monthly reports after a ‘serious incident’ involving overhead lines. The report will publish statistics on the Metrolink’s performance, including punctuality and cancellations, which Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnham-calls-for-monthly-tram-reports-after-serious-incident 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnham-calls-for-monthly-tram-reports-after-serious-incident Wed, 07 Mar 2018 15:30:00 GMT The majority of council leaders and chief executives expect Brexit to have “negative or very negative” consequences” on their local economies, with very few optimistic about the results. A survey by thinktank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) found that as many as 61% of bosses believe there will be a negative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/majority-of-council-bosses-braced-for-negative-consequences-of-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/majority-of-council-bosses-braced-for-negative-consequences-of-brexit Wed, 07 Mar 2018 15:30:00 GMT Eight out of 10 complaints about Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP) investigated by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) are upheld, Michael King has revealed. Speaking at a conference yesterday, King said that out of nearly 140 cases that the ombudsman had investigated in detail, eight out of 10 of those were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-upholds-80-of-education-and-health-care-plan-complaints 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-upholds-80-of-education-and-health-care-plan-complaints Wed, 07 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT Mandatory reporting would not address the current challenges in protecting children in the UK, the LGA has argued. The comments come following the government’s response to the consultation, ‘Reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect,’ which stated that there is not currently a case for the introduction of a mandatory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-receive-child-protection-referral-every-49-seconds 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-receive-child-protection-referral-every-49-seconds Tue, 06 Mar 2018 17:00:00 GMT Success at tackling youth crime will be threatened unless funding in this area is maintained, the LGA has recently warned. Councils have not yet received their youth justice grant allocations for 2018-19, despite having to set budgets within two weeks, which the LGA says is causing concern. Youth offending teams (YOTs) have seen a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youth-offending-teams-see-funding-cuts-as-youth-knife-crime-rises 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youth-offending-teams-see-funding-cuts-as-youth-knife-crime-rises Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:45:00 GMT A majority of councils have backed a new One Yorkshire agreement today, which would see the issue of devolution dealt with in the county after a long and difficult process. In total, 18 out of 20 authorities have put their names to the deal, with only Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council withholding their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-one-yorkshire-devo-deal-submitted-by-all-but-two-authorities-in-region 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-one-yorkshire-devo-deal-submitted-by-all-but-two-authorities-in-region Tue, 06 Mar 2018 13:00:00 GMT MPs will receive a pay increase of 1.8% for 2018-19, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has revealed. The pay rise will bring their overall basic salary to £77,379 from 1 April 2018. Committee chairs will also receive an extra 1.8% from the start of the new financial year, bringing their additional payments up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-receive-18-pay-boost-in-coming-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-receive-18-pay-boost-in-coming-year Tue, 06 Mar 2018 10:45:00 GMT On the first day of National Apprenticeship Week 2018 (NAW 2018), the director of the National Apprenticeship Service, Sue Husband, challenges some of the key myths around the apprenticeship levy. NAW 2018 takes place from 5 to 9 March. It will be a week-long celebration of apprenticeships in England designed to showcase how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-levy-five-myths-busted 452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-levy-five-myths-busted Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:45:00 GMT Karl Wilding, policy director at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), argues that diverse membership in charities and local government is central to a healthy society. As national champions of volunteering, NCVO knows that getting people active in their communities is vital to the health of our society. Over 14... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-a-more-diverse-society 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-a-more-diverse-society Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:45:00 GMT Kerry Bishop, apprenticeship and qualification development manager at the LGSS (pictured), provides an insight into how the organisation is supporting its partner councils to invest in their employees through the apprenticeship levy. LGSS is in a unique position of working alongside its three partner authorities, Cambridgeshire County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-our-future-leaders 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-our-future-leaders Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:45:00 GMT Theo Blackwell, London’s first-ever chief digital officer (CDO), speaks to PSE’s Luana Salles about the role he plays in ensuring the capital remains responsive to the growing and global cyber security threat. London mayor Sadiq Khan has a bold vision: to make the capital the world’s smartest city, retaining its status... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-london-safe 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-london-safe Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT After some mostly positive findings in last year’s National Building Information Modelling (BIM) Report, PSE’s Luana Salles considers what the future holds for the industry. In 2017, just a year after the government’s BIM mandate took effect across the public sector, the NBS discovered that BIM adoption had reached a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-next-for-bim- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-next-for-bim- Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT North Yorkshire County Council has been criticised by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) for communication failures which led to two families being given “confusing and conflicting” information on the care of their relative. The ombudsman received two complaints about the council related to the amount... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-county-council-panned-for-confusing-and-conflicting-care-errors 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-county-council-panned-for-confusing-and-conflicting-care-errors Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT Future government plans for voter ID measures have been branded “unnecessary” and “over-bearing” after Electoral Commission figures showed that the issue was being overexaggerated. In 2017, there were only 28 cases of ‘personification’ in polling stations, with only one resulting in a prosecution out of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-attacked-for-draconian-voter-id-measures 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-attacked-for-draconian-voter-id-measures Mon, 05 Mar 2018 10:45:00 GMT A raft of new government housing and planning measures due to be announced today have come under heavy criticism from councils. It comes after Sajid Javid told The Sunday Times that he would be using new legislation to start “breathing down” the necks of local authorities if they did not keep up with housing targets. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-government-over-unhelpful-and-misguided-planning-laws 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-government-over-unhelpful-and-misguided-planning-laws Mon, 05 Mar 2018 09:45:00 GMT Historic underfunding of adult social care is impacting on inpatient services, the LGA has warned. The remarks come following today’s release of the National Audit Office’s report: ‘Reducing emergency admissions,’ which revealed that emergency admissions grew by 24% from 2007-08 to 2016-17. Between 2013-14 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-urges-for-social-care-to-have-equal-footing-to-nhs-to-close-funding-gap 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-urges-for-social-care-to-have-equal-footing-to-nhs-to-close-funding-gap Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:00:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council is the only local authority that the Department of Health and Social Care has concerns about when it comes to delivering its statutory care responsibilities, MPs have heard. Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care told the public accounts committee that other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dhsc-concerned-about-northamptonshires-ability-to-meet-statutory-responsibilities 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dhsc-concerned-about-northamptonshires-ability-to-meet-statutory-responsibilities Fri, 02 Mar 2018 15:45:00 GMT Business rate implementation of public health may be delayed if risks to core health funding are not mitigated, a Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) minister has argued. Speaking at yesterday’s LGA/ADPH annual public health conference and exhibition 2018, the under-secretary for public health and primary care, Steve Brine... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-retention-poses-some-risk-to-core-ph-funding-says-dhsc-minister 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-retention-poses-some-risk-to-core-ph-funding-says-dhsc-minister Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:30:00 GMT The apprenticeship policy is not reaching its full potential, the LGA has warned today. Since the launch of the government’s Apprenticeship Levy seven months ago, there have been 131,500 fewer apprenticeships started, according to the latest figures. Between April and November 2017 there were 195,200 apprenticeships started, which is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-reforms-to-complex-apprenticeship-system-needed-to-meet-its-full-potential 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-reforms-to-complex-apprenticeship-system-needed-to-meet-its-full-potential Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:15:00 GMT DfE minister Anne Milton MP says apprenticeships are a great way to make sure our public sector has the skills it needs. An apprentice is a way for businesses to improve their skills base, attract diverse talent and encourage new ways of working. Last April we introduced the apprenticeship levy so employers could plug skills gaps... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-reforms-driving-sector-skills-success 452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-reforms-driving-sector-skills-success Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:00:00 GMT There are not enough resources for health and social care providers to continue providing services as they always have done, a member of the LGA’s health and wellbeing board has warned. Speaking yesterday at the LGA/ADPH annual public health conference and exhibition 2018, Cllr Jonathan McShane, cabinet member for health, social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-prevention-means-continuation-of-vicious-circle-of-pressure-on-hospitals 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-prevention-means-continuation-of-vicious-circle-of-pressure-on-hospitals Fri, 02 Mar 2018 10:30:00 GMT Rising pressures and increasing complexity of services could see council tax increase by the highest proportion in 14 years across the country. More than 95% of councils say they are set to increase tax, after the government allowed for a 3% rise without a local referendum. The numbers come from a survey by the Chartered Institute of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-rises-could-be-highest-in-14-years 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-rises-could-be-highest-in-14-years Thu, 01 Mar 2018 16:15:00 GMT London mayor Sadiq Khan is determined to tackle the growing shortage of digital skills in the capital through a new scheme that aims to inspire young people to form part of the next generation of tech talent. The initiative, set to launch today, will try to motivate youngsters to join the booming digital, tech and creative industries in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khans-7m-scheme-to-inspire-next-generation-of-digital-talent-amid-skills-gap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khans-7m-scheme-to-inspire-next-generation-of-digital-talent-amid-skills-gap Thu, 01 Mar 2018 12:00:00 GMT An employment support programme designed to help residents land sustained employment has today been launched across the capital. The Work and Health Programme (WHP) in London will be split into four sub-regional groups of boroughs that will focus on providing tailored support to disabled people, those with long-term health conditions, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exciting-devolved-work-and-health-programme-launched-across-london 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exciting-devolved-work-and-health-programme-launched-across-london Thu, 01 Mar 2018 10:00:00 GMT Northamptonshire County Council has revised its budget proposals after auditors advising that its plans may be unlawful. Last week KPMG issued an advisory notice to the cash-strapped council highlighting concerns about its proposed budget and an “overreliance on the use of capital receipts.” As a result, the council held... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/revised-northamptonshire-budget-includes-regrettable-proposals-in-light-of-severe-challenges 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/revised-northamptonshire-budget-includes-regrettable-proposals-in-light-of-severe-challenges Wed, 28 Feb 2018 15:30:00 GMT The future economic success of Birmingham will be “seriously constrained” unless action is taken to address its skills gap, a think tank has warned. A report published by Centre for Cities today has revealed that Birmingham faces a number of significant skills challenges which, if left unaddressed, will adversely affect the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-skills-gap-crucial-to-birminghams-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-skills-gap-crucial-to-birminghams-economy Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:30:00 GMT Councils should form local public accounts committees according to the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE). The call comes following the publication of the report ‘Bringing order to chaos. How does local government hold to account agencies delivering public services?’ based on research carried out for APSE by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/study-recommends-the-formation-of-local-public-accounts-committees 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/study-recommends-the-formation-of-local-public-accounts-committees Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:30:00 GMT Waltham Forest and Brent are to be crowned the first ever London Boroughs of Culture by mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Khan announced the winners of the London Borough of Culture competition, entered by 22 boroughs, earlier today. Waltham Forest will be the inaugural borough to be awarded the title in 2019, followed by Brent in 2020. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waltham-forest-and-brent-to-be-londons-first-boroughs-of-culture 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waltham-forest-and-brent-to-be-londons-first-boroughs-of-culture Tue, 27 Feb 2018 17:15:00 GMT The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Warren Morgan, has taken the decision to step down from his position noting pressure from local left-wing groups. Morgan, who represents the Labour and Cooperative group, has been leader of the authority for three years and said the opportunity had been the “privilege of his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brighton-city-council-leader-becomes-third-to-step-down-citing-left-wing-pressure 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brighton-city-council-leader-becomes-third-to-step-down-citing-left-wing-pressure Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:45:00 GMT Communities and housing secretary Sajid Javid has officially given the green light to longstanding plans for a major merger of Dorset’s nine councils. In a ministerial statement, the secretary of state announced that he had decided to implement the plan, following on from comments in December where he indicated that he was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/historic-day-for-dorset-as-javid-green-lights-council-merger- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/historic-day-for-dorset-as-javid-green-lights-council-merger- Tue, 27 Feb 2018 15:45:00 GMT A multi-million pound fund to transform the UK’s coastal communities opened for its next round of bids yesterday. The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) aims to transform communities through investment in jobs, skills and local businesses, and to date 500 new businesses have been created, supporting over 5,500 extra jobs. Berry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bidding-opens-for-40m-funding-to-boost-coastal-communities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bidding-opens-for-40m-funding-to-boost-coastal-communities Tue, 27 Feb 2018 12:45:00 GMT New funding to speed up planning decisions and deliver new homes has been announced by housing minister Dominic Raab. The funding, totalling £15.8m, is the first wave of the Planning Delivery Fund, which aims to support local authorities with high housing needs to plan for new homes and infrastructure. The first wave has been split... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-to-speed-up-delivery-of-new-homes-announced 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-to-speed-up-delivery-of-new-homes-announced Tue, 27 Feb 2018 12:15:00 GMT A joint review into Newcastle City Council has found that the authority’s reaction to reports of sexual exploitation of both children and adults was deserving of its “independent national recognition.” The report, completed between the Newcastle Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children boards, referred to events... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-praised-for-swift-reaction-to-sexual-exploitation-of-vulnerable-residents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-praised-for-swift-reaction-to-sexual-exploitation-of-vulnerable-residents Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week 2018 in March, Sue Husband, director at the National Apprenticeship Service, explains how the public sector can remain fit for the future by investing in skills. Apprenticeships are at the heart of the government’s drive to equip people of all ages with the skills that employers need. They... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-apprenticeships-work-for-the-public-sector 452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-apprenticeships-work-for-the-public-sector Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:45:00 GMT Councils have warned that they will have to reduce services in the coming year despite an increase in the level they can charge for council tax and the use of the social care precept. Nearly every authority in the country with social care responsibilities has plans to implement the 3% precept, which is expected to generate more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-councils-under-severe-funding-pressures--and-tax-rises-will-not-save-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-councils-under-severe-funding-pressures--and-tax-rises-will-not-save-services Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:30:00 GMT Although austerity has been a barrier to adopting Building Information Modelling (BIM), continued investment in these tools can greatly benefit the public sector and its clients, writes Alan Muse, global director of built environment at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In a divided political world, all are agreed that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bim-reaping-the-rewards 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bim-reaping-the-rewards Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT Acting chief executive of Cheshire East Council, Kath O’Dwyer, reflects on how a simple change in approach has begun to reap real dividends for the organisation. Training and developing your staff is a principle that should be at the core of every organisation. But maintaining the momentum and seizing the opportunities can be tough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-approach-to-training 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-approach-to-training Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:30:00 GMT Neil Sinclair, chief operating officer at the London Digital Security Centre (LDSC), on the ways that his organisation is combatting cybercrime across the capital by working alongside the mayor and local businesses. Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing areas of crime in the UK. A recent report published by the anti-virus firm Norton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staying-safe-online 447,454,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staying-safe-online Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:30:00 GMT Cllr Peter John OBE, deputy chair of London Councils and executive member for business, skills and Brexit, says greater flexibility and local control over the apprenticeship levy could be the difference between a policy that fails to deliver and a policy that transforms skills. London boroughs take pride in fulfilling our role as leaders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-most-of-the-apprenticeship-levy 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-most-of-the-apprenticeship-levy Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:30:00 GMT Trials of the first connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on public roads are set to take place in Oxfordshire after Whitehall officials agreed a deal between local firms and the county and district councils. The project is being led by Innovate UK – a government body answering to the Department of Business, Energy, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-receive-funding-for-exciting-autonomous-vehicles-plan 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-receive-funding-for-exciting-autonomous-vehicles-plan Mon, 26 Feb 2018 09:30:00 GMT Councils are struggling to take an integrated approach to education in areas where high numbers of secondary schools are academies, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. The report has found that the government is taking longer than intended to convert a large proportion of the underperforming schools that it believes will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-mean-councils-struggling-to-take-integrated-approach-to-education 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-mean-councils-struggling-to-take-integrated-approach-to-education Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:30:00 GMT Leaders and mayors representing Core Cities UK have met with the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier this week. The Brussels meeting saw leaders of the 10 largest urban areas outside London discuss how the shared interests of their cities, local communities and businesses can best be met following Brexit. The Core Cities urban areas have a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-leaders-press-for-domestic-post-brexit-agenda-after-meeting-with-barnier 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-leaders-press-for-domestic-post-brexit-agenda-after-meeting-with-barnier Fri, 23 Feb 2018 12:15:00 GMT A consultation focusing on the adult social care workforce has been launched by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in partnership with workforce development charity Skills for Care. The consultation will seek views on how to address the challenges that the workforce faces, including recruitment and retention, professional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dhsc-seeks-views-on-addressing-care-workforce-challenges 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dhsc-seeks-views-on-addressing-care-workforce-challenges Fri, 23 Feb 2018 09:30:00 GMT Piali Das Gupta, head of policy at Solace, looks over the final local government finance settlement and argues that it does not do enough to support struggling council services. The fortnight before Christmas has become a rather anxious time for councils as we wait for the provisional local government finance settlement to be published.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-unsettling-finance-settlement 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-unsettling-finance-settlement Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMT Nigel Houlden, head of technology policy at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), looks at how organisations can win back public trust by fully understanding and acting on existing and upcoming cyber security regulations. There are people who don’t trust you with their personal data. That’s one finding from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-protection-by-design 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-protection-by-design Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMT The local government finance settlement must enable counties to continue to be the engines of the English economy by providing a fairer funding approach, says Philip Atkins, vice-chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN) and leader of Staffordshire County Council. As we begin to finalise our budgets for next year, we were given some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-golden-opportunity 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-golden-opportunity Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMT Mark Collin, group director of Ventures at ThoughtWorks, discusses how governments can learn from a bottom-up, citizen-focused approach to digitally transform their cities. It’s clear that interest in digital cities is on the rise, and may soon become a mainstream focus for governments to improve life for citizens in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/citizen-centric-cities-for-a-better-tomorrow 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/citizen-centric-cities-for-a-better-tomorrow Thu, 22 Feb 2018 17:15:00 GMT The government must listen to council proposals to improve the apprenticeship levy in order to maximise its potential, argues Cllr Sir Richard Leese, chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board and deputy mayor of Greater Manchester. When the apprenticeship levy was announced in April 2017, the LGA, which represents over 370 councils in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/richard-leese-making-the-apprenticeship-levy-a-success 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/richard-leese-making-the-apprenticeship-levy-a-success Thu, 22 Feb 2018 17:00:00 GMT Steve Skelton, head of policy at Stockport Council, outlines the local authority’s distinctly different approach to digital transformation. Stockport is changing. We’re reinvigorating our town centre through strong partnerships and a £1bn investment programme; we’re creating new relationships and opportunities as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-by-design 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-by-design Thu, 22 Feb 2018 16:30:00 GMT For social prescribing schemes to work well, different sectors of health and social care services must work together with input from local councils, the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has said. Chair of the college, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, welcomed schemes across the country where organisations are working together to implement social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-input-can-really-help-social-prescribing-initiatives 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-input-can-really-help-social-prescribing-initiatives Thu, 22 Feb 2018 15:15:00 GMT The chance to build a strong partnership between local government and the NHS to the benefit of communities is “the greatest opportunity in 70 years” and would “change everything,” top healthcare leaders have claimed. Professor Keith Willett, the director for acute care at NHS England and the country’s top... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/existing-schemes-prove-strong-ties-between-councils-and-nhs-would-change-everything 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/existing-schemes-prove-strong-ties-between-councils-and-nhs-would-change-everything Thu, 22 Feb 2018 12:45:00 GMT Hampshire County Council remains “strongly opposed” to any arrangement that would split the county, the council leader has stated. In a letter to the county’s 11 district council leaders, Cllr Roy Perry has reiterated his stance on proposals to form a combined authority. He has proposed that the September 2015 bid for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hampshire-leader-mayoral-combined-authority-would-devastate-services-and-divide-county 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hampshire-leader-mayoral-combined-authority-would-devastate-services-and-divide-county Thu, 22 Feb 2018 11:30:00 GMT Auditors at KPMG have issued an advisory notice to the struggling Northamptonshire County Council warning that it should not sign off its proposed budget because it may be unlawful. The notice cautions that the proposals set out by the council are likely to cause a loss or deficiency, and will be in breach of the Local Audit and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cash-strapped-northamptonshire-warned-budget-proposals-may-be-breaking-the-law- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cash-strapped-northamptonshire-warned-budget-proposals-may-be-breaking-the-law- Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:45:00 GMT The Welsh government’s tone is too often “hectoring” and “arrogant,” the local government minister has stated. In a blog post, Alun Davies said that the government should apologise, change its approach, and join the debate over the future of local government “with a degree of humility.” Outlining... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/arrogant-welsh-government-should-apologise-and-set-a-new-tone 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/arrogant-welsh-government-should-apologise-and-set-a-new-tone Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:30:00 GMT UK councils have been hit by over 98 million cyber-attacks in the past five years, an investigation has revealed. An investigation by campaign group Big Brother Watch found that the extent of cyber security threats faced by councils amounts to a whopping 37 cyber-attacks every minute. Between 2013 and 2017, 29% of local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-37-cyber-attacks-a-minute--but-over-half-of-breaches-go-unreported 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-37-cyber-attacks-a-minute--but-over-half-of-breaches-go-unreported Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT Four metro mayors have written an open letter to the prime minister calling for more investment in brownfield sites in their cities. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Street, mayor of West Midlands, Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, and Ben Houchen, Tees Valley mayor, have met today in Birmingham to discuss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-call-on-pm-to-review-criteria-for-allocation-of-housing-funding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-call-on-pm-to-review-criteria-for-allocation-of-housing-funding Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:15:00 GMT The House of Commons should vote as soon as possible on whether to continue with the parliamentary boundary review, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has argued. In its report, ‘Parliamentary boundary reviews: What next?’ the committee has recommended that the government should not wait until... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-told-to-vote-on-boundary-review-as-soon-as-possible 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-told-to-vote-on-boundary-review-as-soon-as-possible Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:30:00 GMT Half of all children assessed as “in need of extra help” by council protection teams have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, the LGA has warned. The Queen’s Speech saw the announcement of a comprehensive package of reform around domestic violence, and the LGA has said that this must be centred on a shift to housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-all-children-in-need-of-extra-help-experience-or-witness-domestic-violence 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-all-children-in-need-of-extra-help-experience-or-witness-domestic-violence Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:30:00 GMT PSE’s Josh Mines talks to Stephen Crompton, CTO at GroupBC, and Stuart Bell, the company’s sales and marketing director, about how Building Information Modelling is set to transform the construction industry. Building Information Modelling, or BIM for short, is transforming the construction landscape in both the public and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bim-digitising-the-public-sector 451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bim-digitising-the-public-sector Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:15:00 GMT The NHS plays a part in keeping the country well – but when it comes to places and their people, local government has a major role to fulfil. PSE’s Luana Salles hears from Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England (PHE), on what truly matters to keeping England healthy. Duncan Selbie has an impressive track... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/duncan-selbie-the-energy-of-devolution 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/duncan-selbie-the-energy-of-devolution Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:00:00 GMT Seven members of staff at Cardiff Council have been arrested on suspicion of fraud. A council spokesperson confirmed that eight people were arrested on Wednesday as part of the investigation, of which seven were council workers, who allegedly work in the waste management service. All eight people have now been released on bail.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seven-council-staff-members-arrested-in-fraud-investigation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seven-council-staff-members-arrested-in-fraud-investigation Mon, 19 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT Scottish councils have today asked for additional resources to pay for future public sector pay increases. The government in Scotland last year pledged to lift the unpopular 1% cap on public sector wages, and today Cosla, the local government group in the country, has said that extra cash must be built into the core of future budgets to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-demand-money-for-future-pay-increases 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-demand-money-for-future-pay-increases Mon, 19 Feb 2018 10:30:00 GMT A trial to use hydrogen-powered vans to carry out road works in Sheffield has been announced by the city’s council. The scheme will see Amey, which is delivering Sheffield City Council’s Streets Ahead programme to upgrade pavements, roads, lighting and bridges in the area, use two hydrogen-powered vans to carry out works over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-council-launches-trial-to-use-hydrogen-vehicles-in-road-maintenance-fleet 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-council-launches-trial-to-use-hydrogen-vehicles-in-road-maintenance-fleet Mon, 19 Feb 2018 10:00:00 GMT Joe Anderson, mayor of Liverpool and leader of Liverpool City Council, discusses how the authority’s newly formed company Foundations is working to improve the state of housing in the region. It’s hardly surprising that for the first time since the slum clearances in the 1950s and 1960s there is palpable public anger at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fixing-the-broken-housing-market 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fixing-the-broken-housing-market Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:15:00 GMT Lord Porter CBE, chairman of the LGA, analyses the expected impact of the final local government finance settlement on councils of all shapes and sizes. This year looks set to be another busy and challenging year for local government with core central government funding to councils being further reduced by half over the next two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-porter-uncharted-waters 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-porter-uncharted-waters Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:15:00 GMT House prices in county areas have risen by three times the rate of those in London over the last year, prompting the County Councils Network (CCN) to call for greater powers to rural councils. The latest pricing figures show an increase of 5.9% in 2017, compared to 2% in the capital and an average of 4.9% in metropolitan areas and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-urge-government-to-step-in-amid-rocketing-house-prices 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-urge-government-to-step-in-amid-rocketing-house-prices Fri, 16 Feb 2018 15:30:00 GMT The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has today hit out at the Council of the Isles of Scilly for its belated response to a report highlighting injustices caused by the authority’s faults. The original complaint report was issued in August of last year but the ombudsman chose not to publish details in order to protect the family... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-disappointed-with-councils-response-to-family-injustice 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-disappointed-with-councils-response-to-family-injustice Fri, 16 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT Councils have warned that more than 420,000 homes in England are still waiting to be built despite planning permission already being granted. The figures have risen since last year, with 60,000 more approved homes ready to be started. LGA officials said the numbers show that councils need to be given greater power to deal with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-want-power-to-push-developers-on-420000-unbuilt-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-want-power-to-push-developers-on-420000-unbuilt-homes Fri, 16 Feb 2018 09:30:00 GMT Work has started on a project that will see 40 new affordable rental homes delivered in north Manchester. The homes will be built with council funding and a £1.4m grant from the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme - the first time that grant funding has been made available for five years. The 40 two bed homes will be built... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-council-starts-work-on-40-new-affordable-homes- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-council-starts-work-on-40-new-affordable-homes- Thu, 15 Feb 2018 17:30:00 GMT The Mayor of London has announced a £140m investment to boost the capital’s economy. The cash will go into a brand-new investment fund to support projects such as business space, transport infrastructure, and schemes to increase new housing. Most of the funding is a direct result of the landmark devolution deal agreed for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-unveils-140m-of-landmark-devolution-funding 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-unveils-140m-of-landmark-devolution-funding Thu, 15 Feb 2018 17:15:00 GMT Brighton and Hove City Council will struggle without a change in national policy, its leader has warned. The council’s services cost almost £2.1m to run each day, and when the initial budget proposals for 2018-19 were released last November, Cllr Warren Morgan, the leader of the council, raised concerns that local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rising-costs-putting-councils-in-serious-difficulty-says-brighton-and-hove-boss 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rising-costs-putting-councils-in-serious-difficulty-says-brighton-and-hove-boss Thu, 15 Feb 2018 15:30:00 GMT Windsor council has withdrawn its plans to fine rough sleepers, following backlash from the public. In a report, ‘Rough sleeping support and anti-social behaviour strategy,’ Windsor and Maidenhead Council suggested the introduction of a fixed penalty notice of £100 for persistent rough sleepers and begging, reduced to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/windsor-council-withdraws-proposal-to-fine-homeless 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/windsor-council-withdraws-proposal-to-fine-homeless Thu, 15 Feb 2018 11:30:00 GMT One in seven children of public sector workers will be living in poverty by the end of next month, a trade unions have warned. Research by the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) revealed that since 2010, public sector pay restrictions and in-work benefit cuts have pushed an extra 150,000 children below the breadline. By the end of the financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-restrictions-pushing-families-of-public-sector-workers-below-poverty-line 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-restrictions-pushing-families-of-public-sector-workers-below-poverty-line Thu, 15 Feb 2018 11:00:00 GMT Sadiq Khan has announced another £60m is to go into London policing from 2019. 1,000 extra officers will be funded from business rates in a bid to reduce the impact of government cuts. It follows a similar announcement in December that saw Khan proposing a 5.1% tax increase to go straight back into financing the Metropolitan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-policing-to-be-given-extra-60m-to-fund-more-officers 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-policing-to-be-given-extra-60m-to-fund-more-officers Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:30:00 GMT David Willett, corporate director at The Open University, describes how the apprenticeship levy can help public sector organisations unlock leadership potential in a volatile environment. It’s no secret that the public sector landscape, just as with the commercial industry, is in a state of flux. The changing technological, economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-power-of-apprenticeships 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-power-of-apprenticeships Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:15:00 GMT A new licencing scheme to help improve the condition of privately rented homes in Nottingham has been given the green light by the government. The scheme is the largest outside of London and will see landlords in selected areas of the city apply for a licence from the council. As part of this, they will have to meet certain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-unveils-largest-landlord-licencing-scheme-outside-of-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-city-council-unveils-largest-landlord-licencing-scheme-outside-of-london Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:15:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has approved plans for a 21-storey building in Croydon with up to 100% affordable housing. The building, which will be constructed off-site, meaning that homes and their components are built to specification in factories and then dropped in place on-site, will be one of the tallest schemes of its kind. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-gives-green-light-to-21-storey-off-site-constructed-housing-project-in-croydon 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-gives-green-light-to-21-storey-off-site-constructed-housing-project-in-croydon Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:30:00 GMT Councils in Sussex have joined forces to encourage households to save money on their energy bills. Residents across Sussex can now buy gas and electricity through the council energy partnership, Your Energy Sussex, which aims to help more people to switch and save money. Figures released by Ofgem showed that more than half of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sussex-councils-join-forces-to-form-new-public-energy-partnership 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sussex-councils-join-forces-to-form-new-public-energy-partnership Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT Up to 370 jobs are set to go at Aberdeen City Council, the authority’s leaders have announced today. Around 230 full-time jobs will be cut and 140 vacant positions removed in a bid to save £10m in 2018-19. The council hopes the cuts to the full-time jobs will be made through voluntary redundancies. Angela Scott... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-braces-for-loss-of-up-to-370-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-braces-for-loss-of-up-to-370-jobs Wed, 14 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT Fresh legal proceedings are to commence against Fife Council over the non-payment of equal pay settlements for over 60 workers, GMB has announced. Yesterday the union notified council leaders of the planned legal action, after had been pressing them for months over the reasons for the failure to pay out claims. The claims, many of which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-faces-legal-action-over-outstanding-equal-pay-awards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-faces-legal-action-over-outstanding-equal-pay-awards Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:00:00 GMT There is enough space on brownfield land to build at least a million new homes, research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has found. The analysis of Brownfield Land Registers reveals that over two thirds of these homes could be deliverable within five years, and many of these sites are in areas that have a high need for housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/space-on-brownfield-land-to-build-up-to-one-million-new-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/space-on-brownfield-land-to-build-up-to-one-million-new-homes Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:45:00 GMT A tax on vacant land could be introduced in Wales in plans to be announced today by the government. The new tax would apply to land where permission to build has been granted (or land that is within a local development plan) but where no work has been carried out. In October 2017, the Welsh government announced a shortlist of four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/landowners-in-wales-face-tax-in-welsh-government-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/landowners-in-wales-face-tax-in-welsh-government-plans Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has revealed its plans to invest in housing and social care despite needing to make savings of £53m in its 2018-19 budget. In its proposed financial plan for next year, England’s biggest council has said that it will invest £30.4m into adult social care. Over the next four years it also plans to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-to-make-cuts-of-53m-in-next-year-in-bid-to-balance-books 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-to-make-cuts-of-53m-in-next-year-in-bid-to-balance-books Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:00:00 GMT Heroin could soon be prescribed to drug addicts under plans set out by the West Midlands police and crime commissioner. David Jamieson announced the proposals this morning in a bid to tackle the cost of drugs to public services, and reduce drug-related crime and deaths. According to the report heroin could be given, in a medical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prescribed-heroin-could-be-part-of-west-midlands-anti-drug-plans 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prescribed-heroin-could-be-part-of-west-midlands-anti-drug-plans Mon, 12 Feb 2018 16:30:00 GMT City of Westminster Council, which is responsible for one of the wealthiest boroughs in London, has put forward plans to allow certain residents to pay a voluntary council tax. The policy would mean people living in Band H properties will be asked to pay double the rates normally charged by the council on a voluntary basis. It has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-borough-tables-voluntary-contribution-tax-plans-for-richest-residents 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-borough-tables-voluntary-contribution-tax-plans-for-richest-residents Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:15:00 GMT The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has had to take down its website as a “precautionary measure” against hackers, who have infected hundreds of government computers with a program that mines cryptocurrency. The Student Loans Company, Scottish NHS helpline, and the websites of both Manchester City Council and Camden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-forced-to-take-down-its-website-amid-cryptocurrency-hacker-fears 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-forced-to-take-down-its-website-amid-cryptocurrency-hacker-fears Mon, 12 Feb 2018 11:45:00 GMT Four Seasons Health Care, one of Britain’s largest care home operators, has been given a £70m lifeline to keep services running in the face of a deteriorating financial situation. The company, which runs around 300 homes across the country, has an estimated net debt of more than £500m and has been struggling in the face... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-uk-care-provider-receives-70m-lifeline-loan 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-uk-care-provider-receives-70m-lifeline-loan Mon, 12 Feb 2018 10:15:00 GMT A public consultation on plans for a lower future housing target for Leeds has kickstarted today. The consultation on changes to the Core Strategy, which was adopted in 2014 and underpins all development in the city, will run for six weeks. Changes include a reduction in the housing target from 70,000 new homes between 2012 and 2028 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-consults-on-plans-to-reduce-housing-targets 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-consults-on-plans-to-reduce-housing-targets Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:15:00 GMT Plans to create two new major councils in Suffolk have received approval from the government this week. Housing and communities secretary Sajid Javid announced in December that he was “minded to” agree to the proposals, which would form two new single district councils called East Suffolk and West Suffolk. Now, in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-super-council-mergers-get-government-go-ahead 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-super-council-mergers-get-government-go-ahead Fri, 09 Feb 2018 12:30:00 GMT A £2bn housing scheme run by Haringey Council has been given the green light by the High Court, despite local opposition. The Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) was criticised by residents who said they had not been properly consulted on the decision, which was discussed in the authority’s cabinet rather than open... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-backs-controversial-2bn-haringey-housing-development 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-backs-controversial-2bn-haringey-housing-development Fri, 09 Feb 2018 12:15:00 GMT Sheffield City Council has published its budget proposals, which it claims will meet the challenge of a £44m funding gap next year. In order to meet the funding gap, which it says is due to further austerity cuts and rising demand for essential council services, the council proposes to save £3m through renegotiations on its Veolia... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-publishes-proposals-to-meet-44m-funding-gap 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-publishes-proposals-to-meet-44m-funding-gap Thu, 08 Feb 2018 14:00:00 GMT The Department of Health and Social Care is not doing enough to support a sustainable social care workforce, a report has claimed. The National Audit Office’s (NAO) report on the adult social care workforce in England argues that workers feel undervalued and have limited opportunities for career progression. In 2016-17 around half of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britains-social-care-a-ticking-time-bomb 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britains-social-care-a-ticking-time-bomb Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT Around 80% of councils are concerned about their own financial stability following Northamptonshire County Council’s announcement of the first major authority spending ban in 20 years. The latest State of Local Government Finance Survey – released by the LGiU and MJ – suggests that economic uncertainty is rife among... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-across-the-uk-fear-for-financial-stability-after-northamptonshire-collapse 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-across-the-uk-fear-for-financial-stability-after-northamptonshire-collapse Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:30:00 GMT The shadow communities secretary has called on his government counterpart to resign, following allegations that he “knowingly misled” parliament when publishing the provisional local government finance settlement. Labour’s Andrew Gwynne said he had received correspondence from Sajid Javid which confirmed that officials... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opposition-demands-javid-resignation-over-finance-settlement-errors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opposition-demands-javid-resignation-over-finance-settlement-errors Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:30:00 GMT Weymouth could see the establishment of a new town council by April 2019. Members of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee has recommended that the council approves the potential change. The recommendation comes following two rounds of consultation, which showed high support for maintaining a local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-weymouth-town-council-could-be-established-by-april-2019- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-weymouth-town-council-could-be-established-by-april-2019- Wed, 07 Feb 2018 17:30:00 GMT Candidates standing at local elections will no longer be required to publish their home address on ballot papers, the prime minister has announced. Speaking in Manchester yesterday, Theresa May said that the idea of the open public sphere was in danger due to “a tone of bitterness and aggression” that had entered public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-election-candidates-will-no-longer-have-to-share-home-address-with-voters 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-election-candidates-will-no-longer-have-to-share-home-address-with-voters Wed, 07 Feb 2018 15:30:00 GMT CQC inspectors have heaped praise on Plymouth’s health and social care system for its “clearly articulated, long-established vision of integration.” Specifically looking at the link between local government social care responsibilities and NHS facilities, an investigation found that leaders had committed to a joined-up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regulator-praises-shining-examples-of-care-integration-in-plymouth 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regulator-praises-shining-examples-of-care-integration-in-plymouth Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:30:00 GMT Transforming into a unitary authority could be the last option left to the debt-ridden Northamptonshire County Council. Councillors suggested that only “significant local government reorganisation” could save the authority from a £78m funding gap set to develop between 2019-20 and 2021-22. The news comes after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-tables-unitary-plans-to-combat-bleak-financial-position 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-tables-unitary-plans-to-combat-bleak-financial-position Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:15:00 GMT The housing and communities secretary has today revealed details of this year’s local government finance settlement, including £150m of extra funding for adult social care. Sajid Javid made the announcement this morning, while also unveiling a further £31m for rural services, almost double the amount detailed in draft... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-javid-announces-150m-of-social-care-funding 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-javid-announces-150m-of-social-care-funding Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:00:00 GMT Women who successfully campaigned for the right to vote and changed the public and political landscape have been commemorated in a list of more than 100 pioneers. On the centenary of certain women winning the right to vote, the first 45 names to be commemorated have been revealed, with the remainder to be announced on International... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/womens-rights-campaigners-commemorated-by-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/womens-rights-campaigners-commemorated-by-councils Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:15:00 GMT Councils who were using failed construction and services giant Carillion are expected to be hit with a 20% hike in services charges to cover the company’s losses. The increase is being overseen by PwC, at the request of the Official Receiver, and has been implemented to reflect the cost of services and construction work left... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-be-hit-with-20-fee-rise-to-cover-carillion-deals 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-be-hit-with-20-fee-rise-to-cover-carillion-deals Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:00:00 GMT A district council in Cambridgeshire has announced that it will be able to cover around 10% of its yearly budget in 2018-19 through its own housing company. South Cambridgeshire District Council set up Ermine Street Housing in 2011 and is expecting the firm to generate £1.7m of income over the next year. Officials say the extra... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-authority-to-plug-part-of-4m-cash-gap-with-council-owned-housing-firm 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-authority-to-plug-part-of-4m-cash-gap-with-council-owned-housing-firm Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:00:00 GMT Developers should build up instead of out, Sajid Javid has announced. The housing, communities and local government secretary said: “The opportunity for new homes is not always an empty plot, or the redevelopment of a derelict site.” He explained that, as set out in the White Paper, ‘Fixing our broken housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-urges-developers-to-build-up-not-out- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-urges-developers-to-build-up-not-out- Tue, 06 Feb 2018 13:00:00 GMT A “game-changing” new association of seven south Essex councils has officially been formed after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties involved. The new Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) consists of the Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Essex County, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-essex-councils-form-joint-association-in-momentous-move 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-essex-councils-form-joint-association-in-momentous-move Tue, 06 Feb 2018 10:45:00 GMT “Severe financial challenges” have led a major county council to issue a section 114 notice, meaning that stringent spending controls will be implemented with immediate effect. In a statement, Northamptonshire County Council said that no new expenditure was permitted, with the exception of statutory services for safeguarding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-becomes-first-council-in-20-years-to-issue-major-spending-ban 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-becomes-first-council-in-20-years-to-issue-major-spending-ban Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:15:00 GMT Council business has been suspended at a town’s local authority after all 10 of its Conservative councillors resigned due to “bullying, abuse and harassment” from members of the public. Jane Pearce, who was chair of the party and a councillor at Desborough Town Council in Northamptonshire, stepped down two weeks ago... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bullying-abuse-and-harassment-all-10-tory-councillors-resign-from-12-person-council 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bullying-abuse-and-harassment-all-10-tory-councillors-resign-from-12-person-council Mon, 05 Feb 2018 09:30:00 GMT Croydon Council has challenged the government’s award to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). The borough, which claims to look after the second highest number of UASC in the UK, has been awarded less than 2% of a national fund to support unaccompanied children. In the past 10 years, Croydon has accommodated more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/croydon-given-just-2-of-asylum-seekers-fund-despite-being-key-gateway-borough 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/croydon-given-just-2-of-asylum-seekers-fund-despite-being-key-gateway-borough Mon, 05 Feb 2018 09:00:00 GMT The leader of Harlow Council has become the second councillor this week to speak about issues with left-wing campaign group Momentum after quitting his post. Jon Clempner, who was leader of the Labour-controlled council until 11 January, claims there was an “active campaign” against his leadership both on social media and at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-council-leader-quit-because-of-partys-active-campaign-against-him 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-council-leader-quit-because-of-partys-active-campaign-against-him Fri, 02 Feb 2018 15:45:00 GMT Unite has hit out at county council plans to take over key family and children services from a local NHS partnership. Somerset County Council put forward plans to bring some services currently run by Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in-house by 2019. But the union fears that the changes could mean staff pay could be in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-attacks-county-plan-to-take-over-children-and-family-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-attacks-county-plan-to-take-over-children-and-family-services Fri, 02 Feb 2018 12:45:00 GMT Right to Buy (RTB) is in the midst of a “fire sale”, which could see the scheme become untenable if the current rate of sales continues. Councils have warned that RTB has made it difficult for them to replace housing stock because they only keep a third of the receipts. Analysis from the LGA suggests that authorities are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-risks-destroying-itself-with-35bn-of-discounts 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-risks-destroying-itself-with-35bn-of-discounts Fri, 02 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT Senior government ministers have denied that the massive downturn in recent profits which has hit Capita is not comparable to the recent failure of Carillion. The public sector services powerhouse has been under increasing pressure in recent days after shares plummeted nearly 50% following profit warnings. The company is thought to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/capita-situation-is-not-another-carillion-says-cabinet-office-minister 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/capita-situation-is-not-another-carillion-says-cabinet-office-minister Thu, 01 Feb 2018 17:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association is backing a private members bill to introduce a national legal register of taxi drivers, it has announced. The register will allow local authorities to know when a driver seeking a licence in their area has previously been banned or refused a licence elsewhere. A few councils in England have already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-national-taxi-driver-database-to-combat-outdated-laws 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-national-taxi-driver-database-to-combat-outdated-laws Thu, 01 Feb 2018 16:45:00 GMT A levy on workplace parking is to be considered in Manchester, as councillors try to reduce air pollution. The move has been backed by transport group Campaign for Better Transport (CfBT), which pointed to a similar scheme in Nottingham that has proved successful. The levy is one of several measures put forward to deal with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-councillors-urged-to-consider-levy-against-parking-commuters 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-councillors-urged-to-consider-levy-against-parking-commuters Thu, 01 Feb 2018 16:30:00 GMT The government has today announced the details of housing infrastructure projects which will receive more than £860m in combined funding. ‘Marginal Viability Funding’ – a section of the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) – will be allocated to 133 different singular or lower-tier authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-fund-announced-for-133-council-housing-projects 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-fund-announced-for-133-council-housing-projects Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has been questioned by police under caution in relation to an ongoing fraud investigation. Lancashire Constabulary is thought to have quizzed the mayor towards the end of last year, specifically as part of an inquiry surrounding the joint venture between BT and Lancashire County Council, which saw the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-grilled-by-police-under-caution-over-fraud-probe 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-grilled-by-police-under-caution-over-fraud-probe Thu, 01 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT England will have lost 230,000 social homes by 2020, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has predicted. In just five years, over 150,000 of the most affordable rented homes have already been lost across the country, an analysis by the institute has revealed. The CIH is arguing that if it is to fix the country’s broken housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-focus-on-affordability-to-fix-broken-housing-market-says-cih 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-focus-on-affordability-to-fix-broken-housing-market-says-cih Wed, 31 Jan 2018 16:15:00 GMT The standards and practices at a unitary authority in the north west have been questioned after a report found examples of “bullying and inappropriate behaviour” from staff and bosses. Cheshire East Council was subject to an LGA investigation into its behavioural practices after officials called for a review last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-cheshire-east-council-hit-with-bullying-and-inappropriate-behaviour-claim 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-cheshire-east-council-hit-with-bullying-and-inappropriate-behaviour-claim Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:15:00 GMT The number of secondary school teachers has been falling rapidly since 2010, it has been revealed. A report by the public accounts committee has shown that since 2012 more teachers have been leaving the profession for reasons other than retirement. Although the overall number of teachers has risen, the number of secondary school teachers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crisis-brewing-in-secondary-education-mps-warn 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crisis-brewing-in-secondary-education-mps-warn Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:30:00 GMT Clive Betts, chair of the communities and local government committee, has again written to the chair of the independent review of building regulations and fire safety. The letter to chair Dame Judith Hackitt, comes following her response to issues previously raised by committee members. Betts previously wrote to Hackitt on 9 January 2018... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clive-betts-says-concerns-have-been-quickly-dismissed-in-post-grenfell-review 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clive-betts-says-concerns-have-been-quickly-dismissed-in-post-grenfell-review Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:15:00 GMT The leader of Haringey Council will stand down from her post at the local elections in May, following a dispute with Labour over a controversial housing project. Council leader Cllr Claire Kober has today written to her chief executive Zina Etheridge, to confirm her decision to stand down as ward councillor for Seven Sisters, leader of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/haringey-council-leader-to-step-down-following-labour-housing-row- 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/haringey-council-leader-to-step-down-following-labour-housing-row- Wed, 31 Jan 2018 09:30:00 GMT A council in the north west of England has applied to the national water regulator for a license to deal directly with United Utilities on water and sewage. Blackpool Council says it will achieve savings of nearly £200,000 in the first three years after taking charge of services, with £50,000 expected in the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-west-authority-aims-to-be-first-in-the-country-to-take-local-control-over-water-supply 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-west-authority-aims-to-be-first-in-the-country-to-take-local-control-over-water-supply Wed, 31 Jan 2018 08:30:00 GMT The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), an independent government advisory committee, is to open consultation on ethical standards in local government. The CSPL will review the structures and practices of all authorities in the country in an attempt to improve standards. The consultation is specifically aimed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-help-safeguard-democracy-with-review-into-ethical-standards-in-local-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-help-safeguard-democracy-with-review-into-ethical-standards-in-local-government Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT Publicly funded occupations are expected to increase to half of jobs in cities by 2030, analysis by the Centre for Cities has revealed. Whilst automation and globalisation have impacted on private sector jobs in some areas, in 29 out of 62 cities across Britain, public sector jobs have increased by over 20% in the last 60 years. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/globalisation-and-automation-increase-reliance-on-public-sector-jobs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/globalisation-and-automation-increase-reliance-on-public-sector-jobs Tue, 30 Jan 2018 14:45:00 GMT The government should clamp down on companies installing telephone boxes on England’s high streets without permission in order to cheaply advertise to consumers, the LGA has said. Current regulations allow companies to install telephone boxes without planning permission, but councils claim that they are increasingly becoming an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/companies-using-phone-boxes-to-smuggle-advertising-onto-high-streets-lga-warns 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/companies-using-phone-boxes-to-smuggle-advertising-onto-high-streets-lga-warns Tue, 30 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT Today’s latest round of Ofsted reports has exposed failing children’s services in two separate authorities. Sandwell MBC has been lambasted by inspectors despite plans from the government to have services for children and young people transferred from the council to a specific trust after serious concerns about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-authorities-blasted-for-inadequate-childrens-services 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-authorities-blasted-for-inadequate-childrens-services Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:00:00 GMT The Welsh Government has revealed plans to extend voting powers in council elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. Following a period of consultation, the National Assembly has decided to put forward proposals which would see younger people and foreign nationals legally resident in Wales able to vote in local authority elections. Welsh... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-to-extend-council-votes-to-16-and-17-year-olds 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-to-extend-council-votes-to-16-and-17-year-olds Mon, 29 Jan 2018 12:00:00 GMT The UK and Welsh governments have come to a decision on new devolved tax powers for Wales paid directly to the National Assembly, the first new taxes for 800 years. Following a discussion period between the two parties, stamp duty land tax and landfill tax will both be replaced in April, with the equivalent Welsh taxes taking their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-formally-agree-on-first-welsh-devolved-taxes-in-800-years 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-formally-agree-on-first-welsh-devolved-taxes-in-800-years Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:30:00 GMT Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) has seen its children’s service reach a ‘good’ level for the first time since the revelations of tragic child sexual abuse unfolded in the town. Ofsted today announced an “impressive” improvement in the ratings for children in need of help, as well as protection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scandal-hit-rotherham-council-sees-impressive-turnaround-in-childrens-service 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scandal-hit-rotherham-council-sees-impressive-turnaround-in-childrens-service Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT Residents in Norwich could see their combined council tax increase by an average of nearly £100 a year if three separate tax increases are approved. The city is affected by tax changes from the county council, city council and the local police and crime commissioner (PCC), which are all putting forward tax hike plans. Norfolk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norwich-city-residents-could-be-hit-by-three-pronged-100-tax-hike 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norwich-city-residents-could-be-hit-by-three-pronged-100-tax-hike Mon, 29 Jan 2018 09:45:00 GMT A report into Barnet Council’s children’s services has recommended that Essex County Council take control as a leadership partner, after it found “systemic failures.” The review was commissioned after an Ofsted report filed in July 2017 concluded that children’s services were ‘inadequate’ in all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-to-take-lead-after-systemic-failures-in-barnet-childrens-services- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-to-take-lead-after-systemic-failures-in-barnet-childrens-services- Fri, 26 Jan 2018 12:00:00 GMT The LGA has attacked central government today after it emerged that Whitehall would be spending 52 times more money on the national road network than it would give councils to deal with the same issues locally. For every mile, the government is expected to spend about £1.1m on maintaining the national road network, while it has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-hits-out-at-government-over-12bn-road-funding-gap 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-hits-out-at-government-over-12bn-road-funding-gap Fri, 26 Jan 2018 10:15:00 GMT Councils in England have been “doing everything they can” to prevent and solve homelessness despite numbers rising for the seventh year in a row. The latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show that there has been a 15% rise in the number of people sleeping rough in autumn 2017... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-tragedy-persists-as-figures-rise-for-seventh-year 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-tragedy-persists-as-figures-rise-for-seventh-year Fri, 26 Jan 2018 09:30:00 GMT Plans to allow councils to increase tax by a further 1% are only likely to cover a tenth of the money lost to counties through central government budget cuts. The claim comes from the County Councils Network (CCN), which says the measures are likely to raise around £105m in stark comparison to £1bn lost through funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-tax-hike-powers-will-only-meet-10-of-costs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-tax-hike-powers-will-only-meet-10-of-costs Thu, 25 Jan 2018 16:45:00 GMT Scotland’s auditor has highlighted “serious concern” over the finance situation of Clackmannanshire Council, who is facing having to find £29m worth of savings over the next three years from a £118m annual budget. The country’s smallest mainland council has high levels of deprivation, a report from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/auditor-voices-serious-concern-over-finances-of-scottish-council 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/auditor-voices-serious-concern-over-finances-of-scottish-council Thu, 25 Jan 2018 12:15:00 GMT Leeds City Council has this week decided to call in contingency plans to deal with the recent collapse of construction giant Carillion, who has left a contract it was delivering for the authority unfinished. The council awarded the contract for the Leeds city centre cycle Superhighway City Connect 2 (phase 1) to Carillion in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-council-calls-in-bank-bond-to-deal-with-contract-left-unfinished-after-carillion-collapse 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-council-calls-in-bank-bond-to-deal-with-contract-left-unfinished-after-carillion-collapse Thu, 25 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT A British housing charity is hoping to address community issues brought up after the Grenfell Tower tragedy by developing a new commission. Shelter launched the social housing commission today, with ex-Labour leader Ed Miliband and former Conservative cabinet minister Baroness Warsi both serving as commissioners. It comes as research... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-charity-to-hold-a-mirror-up-to-society-with-social-housing-commission 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-charity-to-hold-a-mirror-up-to-society-with-social-housing-commission Wed, 24 Jan 2018 17:00:00 GMT The Health Select Committee and the Communities and Local Government Committee have launched a joint inquiry today on the long-term funding of social care. Once completed, the inquiry is expected to influence the outcome of the government’s much-anticipated social care green paper, now only likely to be released in summer this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-invite-views-on-joint-inquiry-into-long-term-funding-to-inform-social-care-green-paper 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-invite-views-on-joint-inquiry-into-long-term-funding-to-inform-social-care-green-paper Wed, 24 Jan 2018 14:45:00 GMT UNISON has followed Unite in moving to reject the 2% pay increase offered to public sector workers. The union’s pay committee voted to turn down the proposals and, although they will now be put to a members’ consultation, it is likely other members will follow suit. UNISON boasts the largest council staff membership of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/largest-council-union-set-to-reject-2-council-pay-offer 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/largest-council-union-set-to-reject-2-council-pay-offer Wed, 24 Jan 2018 14:30:00 GMT A report into children’s health from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has prompted concerns that council care funding is not sufficient to continue vital services. The LGA said authorities across the country were facing a £2bn total funding gap by 2020 after central government funding was cut by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-action-over-fears-2bn-care-funding-gap-will-hit-children- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-action-over-fears-2bn-care-funding-gap-will-hit-children- Wed, 24 Jan 2018 09:45:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has agreed a deal to terminate its contract with Carillion this week after the company’s collapse earlier this month. The agreement involves a £10.6m net payment for all the services already completed by Carillion LGS Ltd – a smaller company run by Carillion – which has and will bring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-pays-out-10m-to-get-out-of-carillion-contract 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-pays-out-10m-to-get-out-of-carillion-contract Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:30:00 GMT Shropshire Council has announced that it will be offering voluntary redundancy to all non-teaching staff employed by the authority in a bid to plug a £59.3m budget gap. Launched earlier this week, the measure is part of a wider financial strategy which includes cutting non-core services and changing tax and precept levels. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midlands-council-offers-voluntary-redundancy-to-plug-60m-gap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midlands-council-offers-voluntary-redundancy-to-plug-60m-gap Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT The leader of Wakefield Council has publicly come out in support of the One Yorkshire devolution deal, meaning 18 of the 20 local authorities in the area now back the deal. Initially in favour of a city region devolution agreement, Cllr Peter Box, leader of Wakefield Council, has decided to back the wider Yorkshire plans in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-yorkshire-devo-gets-major-push-as-wakefield-council-leader-commits-to-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-yorkshire-devo-gets-major-push-as-wakefield-council-leader-commits-to-deal Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:45:00 GMT Ofsted has improved the rating of children’s services at Norfolk County Council, removing it from intervention measures for the first time in five years. Most of the services provided by the council were rated as ‘requires improvement’ by the regulator, and the authority received that rating as an overall score, showing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-increase-in-the-pace-of-change-found-in-norfolk-council-childrens-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-increase-in-the-pace-of-change-found-in-norfolk-council-childrens-services Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT The government’s Welsh secretary Alun Cairns is set to table plans for a “Western Powerhouse” similar to the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine agreements already in place. Encompassing an area between Bristol and South Wales, the plans would be aimed at improving economic circumstances and creating growth. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-to-call-for-western-powerhouse-to-rival-other-devo-deals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-to-call-for-western-powerhouse-to-rival-other-devo-deals Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT The Treasury Select Committee has today called on the government to scrap the controversial Housing Revenue Account cap. Generally opposed by local authorities, the cap stops councils from borrowing more than a fixed amount of money for housebuilding and development. However, with the government keen to chase its 300,000 homes-a-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-committee-calls-for-end-to-borrowing-cap-to-unleash-council-potential 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-committee-calls-for-end-to-borrowing-cap-to-unleash-council-potential Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:15:00 GMT Advertisement feature Rafael Cortes, head of marketing at Foehn, discusses what cloud service providers can do to deliver innovative solutions for their clients. At some time or other, we’ve all met those over-used phrases that have been repeated so often that their meaning becomes distorted. “With all due respect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-can-cost-conscious-organisations-benefit-from-an-imaginative-provider 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-can-cost-conscious-organisations-benefit-from-an-imaginative-provider Mon, 22 Jan 2018 09:45:00 GMT Nottinghamshire County Council’s leader has today apologised for historical sex abuse that took place in the authority’s children’s homes, admitting that the organisation had “failed” some of the children entrusted into its care. It follows a case in 2016 where Andris Logins, who worked in Nottinghamshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-apologises-for-historical-child-sex-abuse-case-that-left-dreadful-stain-on-authority 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-apologises-for-historical-child-sex-abuse-case-that-left-dreadful-stain-on-authority Fri, 19 Jan 2018 10:15:00 GMT Current permitted development rights that allow offices to be converted into housing without permission are detrimental to local economies and should be scrapped, councils have today stated. Research carried out by the LGA found that since 2015, more than 30,500 housing units in England had been converted from offices to flats without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-action-must-be-taken-on-rate-of-offices-being-converted-into-new-towns 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-action-must-be-taken-on-rate-of-offices-being-converted-into-new-towns Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:30:00 GMT Devolution, combined authorities and elected mayors are where “the most energy is” and is where we should be focusing on if we want to create healthy communities, the boss of Public Health England (PHE) has argued. Speaking exclusively to PSE ahead of his keynote speech at New NHS Alliance’s summit on health creation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/selbie-devolution-not-nhs-is-where-most-energy-is-for-health-creation 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/selbie-devolution-not-nhs-is-where-most-energy-is-for-health-creation Thu, 18 Jan 2018 09:15:00 GMT The chief executive of Eden District Council is set to leave the authority after seven years in his position. Dr Robin Hooper will leave in May this year following a period in which he turned around the economic state of the council, steering it to “financial success.” Initially appointed on an interim basis, Hooper was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ceo-who-helped-make-council-a-financial-success-to-leave-after-seven-years 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ceo-who-helped-make-council-a-financial-success-to-leave-after-seven-years Wed, 17 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT The District Councils Network (DCN) has tabled plans with the government for a 2% ‘prevention’ council tax precept aimed at raising an extra £25m. As part of its submission to the Local Government Finance Settlement, the organisation said there needs to be changes to the reportedly “unfair” council tax system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-demand-25m-tax-hike-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-demand-25m-tax-hike-powers Wed, 17 Jan 2018 12:30:00 GMT Transport for the North (TfN) has published its long-awaited Strategic Transport Plan which includes plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), a network connecting the north’s six biggest cities. However, the organisation, which will become England’s first sub-national statutory body in April, has not been gifted powers to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfn-hit-by-criticism-as-it-launches-70bn-strategic-transport-plan 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfn-hit-by-criticism-as-it-launches-70bn-strategic-transport-plan Tue, 16 Jan 2018 16:45:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has approved plans to begin sharing transactional services with neighbouring Northumbria County Council, a move expected to save around £1.8m. A single workforce of over 400 people will be created, with all the affected staff able to submit their views to a further consultation. Newcastle’s cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-councils-to-combine-services-into-400-strong-workforce 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-councils-to-combine-services-into-400-strong-workforce Tue, 16 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT A full review of the health and care system in Wales has recommended largescale changes to provide better services for people. The document, commissioned by the Welsh Government, says change needs to happen quickly if there is to be a model of “seamless” health and care developed. While it does acknowledge that change has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-review-says-a-different-system-of-health-and-care-is-needed 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-review-says-a-different-system-of-health-and-care-is-needed Tue, 16 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has agreed a deal in principle to develop a £180m transport hub, encompassing the city’s train and bus services. The plan is expected to cost £180m in total, with £40m coming from CCR City Deal funding and the rest sought from the UK Government, Welsh Government, and the private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-capital-region-agrees-plans-for-180m-transport-hub 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-capital-region-agrees-plans-for-180m-transport-hub Tue, 16 Jan 2018 14:30:00 GMT The government could be about to extend powers to councils allowing them to fine people who use unauthorised disposal companies. Following a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), authorities would be able to implement direct fines, saving money on court costs and forcing homeowners to look at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-get-new-powers-to-crack-down-on-57m-fly-tipping-concerns 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-get-new-powers-to-crack-down-on-57m-fly-tipping-concerns Mon, 15 Jan 2018 11:15:00 GMT The National Industrial Sector Committee of Unite, one of the country’s largest unions, has unanimously voted to reject the 2% pay offer made to council workers. Following the decision, the union will open a consultative ballot of all its ‘green book’ members, although the recommendation will be to reject the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-public-sector-union-to-reject-2-pay-offer 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-public-sector-union-to-reject-2-pay-offer Mon, 15 Jan 2018 11:15:00 GMT An annual government review into devolution deals across the UK has found that no new agreements were reached between April 2016 and March 2017, with only one application made. While there has been the continuation of previous devolution plans during this period, only the North of Tyne group actually made a move to create a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deadlock-feared-as-government-admits-no-deals-made-last-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deadlock-feared-as-government-admits-no-deals-made-last-year Mon, 15 Jan 2018 10:15:00 GMT Ministers from the Departments for Transport, and Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy have urged councils to take their share of a £4.5m funding pot to be put towards electric car charging points. Transport minister Jesse Norman, said the UK’s transport industry was on the verge of an “electrical revolution”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pleads-with-councils-to-make-the-most-of-45m-electric-charge-point-funding 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pleads-with-councils-to-make-the-most-of-45m-electric-charge-point-funding Fri, 12 Jan 2018 15:30:00 GMT Housing and communities secretary Sajid Javid has this week launched a new agency aimed at helping the government reach its ambitious 300,000 homes a year target. The new organisation, named Homes England, will be gifted new land buying powers so that it can focus on securing space for housebuilding in areas where people want to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-takes-aim-at-300000-a-year-target-with-new-housing-agency 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-takes-aim-at-300000-a-year-target-with-new-housing-agency Fri, 12 Jan 2018 11:15:00 GMT Tony McArdle, chair of the Association of County Chief Executives (ACCE), is stepping down from his role as CEO of Lincolnshire County Council after more than 12 years. The authority announced this week that McArdle would hand over his responsibilities after a council meeting in February, although it is not clear who will assume the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-council-boss-and-powerful-county-advocate-steps-down 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-council-boss-and-powerful-county-advocate-steps-down Fri, 12 Jan 2018 10:30:00 GMT The government’s formal consultation on the relative needs and resources of local government finances is aiming to create a “whole new system,” Sajid Javid has stated this week. Speaking at the LGA’s Finance Conference yesterday, the newly reappointed housing and communities secretary said that the thinking behind... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-for-new-lg-finance-system-not-just-a-paper-exercise 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-for-new-lg-finance-system-not-just-a-paper-exercise Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:30:00 GMT Communities and housing secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed he will be appointing an inspector to carry out an investigation into Northamptonshire CC because of fears it is not meeting its “best value duty.” The council has been shrouded in controversy recently after one of its affiliated authorities, Daventry District Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northamptonshire-council-finances-to-be-investigated-by-dclg 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northamptonshire-council-finances-to-be-investigated-by-dclg Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:30:00 GMT Cabinet Office bosses have launched a new Shared Services Strategy for Government today, aimed at improving the integration of civil services and saving money. The strategy involves moving to new cloud-based technology, promoting simpler back office processes across departments supported by automation, and meeting the needs of end users... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-new-shared-services-strategy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-new-shared-services-strategy Wed, 10 Jan 2018 17:00:00 GMT Local government must maintain the responsibility for adult social care, Lord Gary Porter has cautioned. The warning comes following the prime minister’s reshuffle, which saw health secretary Jeremy Hunt have social care added to his job title. This caused some commentators to speculate about whether social care could be about to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-must-remain-responsibility-of-local-government-warns-lga-head 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-must-remain-responsibility-of-local-government-warns-lga-head Wed, 10 Jan 2018 14:15:00 GMT Sajid Javid has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building homes for the country. Speaking yesterday at the LGA’s finance conference, the secretary of state – who, since Theresa May’s Cabinet reshuffle, now also has housing duties as part of his core portfolio – said that his new title reflects that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fixing-broken-market-is-my-top-priority-says-javid-in-first-speech-as-housing-secretary 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fixing-broken-market-is-my-top-priority-says-javid-in-first-speech-as-housing-secretary Wed, 10 Jan 2018 10:45:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has today issued a contract notice for its new FM Management Marketplace. Using the terms of the new Public Sector Contract, this latest framework is aimed at cutting time and costs associated with procurement, while focusing on simplification and increasing opportunities available to small and medium... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccs-brings-up-contract-notice-for-new-12bn-sme-focused-fm-marketplace 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccs-brings-up-contract-notice-for-new-12bn-sme-focused-fm-marketplace Tue, 09 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT The leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, faces a vote of no confidence after suggesting homeless people should be removed from the area before this year’s royal wedding. Cllr Simon Dudley was heavily criticised after his comments, with more than 1,000 people signing a petition condemning his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/windsor-council-could-lose-leader-after-aggressive-begging-comments 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/windsor-council-could-lose-leader-after-aggressive-begging-comments Tue, 09 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT Education secretary Justine Greening has resigned from her position following a major cabinet reshuffle. The former transport secretary left her post after being reportedly offered the job of work and pensions secretary, a role which could be seen as a demotion. In her place, Damian Hinds has become the education secretary, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greening-resigns-from-government-following-chaotic-reshuffle 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greening-resigns-from-government-following-chaotic-reshuffle Tue, 09 Jan 2018 09:30:00 GMT The mayor of London and London Councils are working with NHS organisations and regional health and care leaders across the capital to bring about changes in a new devolution deal signed with Jeremy Hunt. The deal will give devolved powers to the capital’s health system, giving Londoners more control over decisions that affect them in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-collaborate-with-nhs-to-drive-health-improvements-through-devo-deal 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-collaborate-with-nhs-to-drive-health-improvements-through-devo-deal Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:30:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has held his position in the cabinet following today’s reshuffle, but has been given more responsibility over housing. In an unexpected move from prime minister Theresa May, Javid has officially become secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, suggesting he will have greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greening-could-be-on-way-out-in-new-year-cabinet-reshuffle 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greening-could-be-on-way-out-in-new-year-cabinet-reshuffle Mon, 08 Jan 2018 14:15:00 GMT Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council have put forward a planning application on proposals to build a £25m transport hub. The facility will be aimed at the development of new ‘very light rail’ technology as an alternative to regular ‘heavy’ rail travel and traditional ‘metro’ transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dudley-council-puts-forward-plans-for-25m-facility-to-develop-very-light-rail-technology- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dudley-council-puts-forward-plans-for-25m-facility-to-develop-very-light-rail-technology- Mon, 08 Jan 2018 12:00:00 GMT Auditing giant KPMG has stepped down from its project management role in the Grenfell Tower inquiry after campaigners raised concerns that the appointment created a conflict of interest. Although the firm said it was confident there was no conflict of interest present in the situation, it conceded its position because of fears that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kpmg-steps-down-from-grenfell-inquiry-over-conflict-of-interest 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kpmg-steps-down-from-grenfell-inquiry-over-conflict-of-interest Mon, 08 Jan 2018 10:30:00 GMT Andy Street, mayor of the West Midland’s Combined Authority (WMCA), has proposed a £7.5m yearly tax increase across the region, partly to pay for the running costs of his own office. The policy would account for a £12 annual increase on a band D property on top of the rates set by member councils – as the combined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/street-pushes-for-75m-tax-hike-to-fund-running-of-mayors-office-and-transport-schemes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/street-pushes-for-75m-tax-hike-to-fund-running-of-mayors-office-and-transport-schemes Mon, 08 Jan 2018 09:45:00 GMT Islington Borough Council has announced proposals to invest £57m in the construction of new council homes and scrap council tax for foster carers. The council also stated that it plans to save £32m in 2018-19 and £17m in 2019-20, through measures including not filling vacant posts across children’s services, the chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/islington-tables-plans-to-leave-council-posts-vacant-as-part-of-49m-savings-drive 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/islington-tables-plans-to-leave-council-posts-vacant-as-part-of-49m-savings-drive Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:30:00 GMT West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is backing two flood alleviation schemes, it has announced almost immediately after Storm Eleanor wreaked havoc across the UK. It is hoped that the plans will help to reduce the risk of flooding for hundreds of homes and businesses across Leeds City Region and protect land for new development. These... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-to-invest-over-4m-in-new-flood-defence-schemes 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-to-invest-over-4m-in-new-flood-defence-schemes Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:15:00 GMT Local authorities will soon be able to increase planning fees by 20% as part of a long-awaited move, the DCLG’s chief planner has confirmed. In a letter, Steve Quartermain said that the hike can be applied from 17 January. The regulations to introduce the increase in planning fees were made in December 2017, and also include a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-be-able-to-hike-planning-fees-by-20-this-month 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-be-able-to-hike-planning-fees-by-20-this-month Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:00:00 GMT The leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council has this week written to Thames Valley Police calling for a crackdown on homelessness and “aggressive begging” in Windsor ahead of the royal wedding. In his letter to police and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfield, Simon Dudley, the leader of the authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-council-leader-calls-for-end-to-aggressive-begging-before-royal-wedding 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-council-leader-calls-for-end-to-aggressive-begging-before-royal-wedding Thu, 04 Jan 2018 16:45:00 GMT Central Bedfordshire Council has revealed its plans to bridge the gap between the funding the council needs and its predicted income. In the next year the council says it plans to spend £190m on public services, with over half being spent on adult social care and children’s services. However, continuing financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-looks-to-balance-books-through-138m-saving-measures 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-looks-to-balance-books-through-138m-saving-measures Thu, 04 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) has taken over control of housing from the area’s controversial tenant management organisation (TMO). The board of the TMO unanimously agreed to transfer its powers to RBKC following criticism it received in the wake of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire last year. Prime minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grenfell-council-to-take-direct-control-of-homes-from-troubled-tmo 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grenfell-council-to-take-direct-control-of-homes-from-troubled-tmo Thu, 04 Jan 2018 15:15:00 GMT Christchurch Borough Council is preparing to take legal action if plans to merge a number of councils in Dorset are fully approved by the DCLG. In November last year, communities secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that he was minded to agree to the plans, which would see two unitary authorities created in place of the current two-tier system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-threatens-legal-action-over-proposed-merger 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-threatens-legal-action-over-proposed-merger Thu, 04 Jan 2018 12:45:00 GMT Councils will be handed new powers to crack down on rogue landlords who rent overcrowded or sub-standard properties. Housing and planning minister Alok Sharma, announced the measures – still subject to parliamentary clearance – which will mean landlords renting homes occupied by 5 or more people from more than 1 separate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-receive-greater-powers-to-deal-with-rogue-landlords 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-receive-greater-powers-to-deal-with-rogue-landlords Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:45:00 GMT Croydon Council has today asked the government to provide more funding for its £10m sprinkler programme as it tries to improve fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The council has sent a letter to housing minister Alok Sharma in an attempt to obtain a face-to-face meeting and discuss the “unprecedented... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-looks-to-government-for-aid-with-unprecedented-fire-safety-funding-gap 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-looks-to-government-for-aid-with-unprecedented-fire-safety-funding-gap Wed, 03 Jan 2018 14:30:00 GMT Many of Britain’s poorest people are missing out on benefits to which they are entitled, a report published this week has claimed. According to the report, “Falling through the cracks,” unemployed or very low earners are missing out on at least £73 per week. The paper, by the Resolution Foundation, found that around... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forgotten-unemployed-missing-out-on-needed-benefits 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forgotten-unemployed-missing-out-on-needed-benefits Wed, 03 Jan 2018 12:15:00 GMT NHS England is to work with local authorities and housing developers across the country as part of a scheme to expand the number of affordable homes available. This month, it will be inviting applications for housing developers and associations to join a national network that will seek to improve the health of the nation by applying the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-to-unite-councils-and-housebuilders-in-new-healthy-living-framework 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-to-unite-councils-and-housebuilders-in-new-healthy-living-framework Tue, 02 Jan 2018 12:15:00 GMT A whopping 11,000 houses across the UK have been empty for at least 10 years, figures from the Liberal Democrats show. Only one in 13 councils in England and Wales used powers to take control of vacant properties in spite of a widely-reported national housing crisis and rising homelessness. In addition to the 11,000 properties which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-scandal-as-most-councils-not-using-legal-powers-to-take-over-empty-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-scandal-as-most-councils-not-using-legal-powers-to-take-over-empty-homes Tue, 02 Jan 2018 11:00:00 GMT Public sector representatives feature heavily in the Queen’s latest New Year’s Honours list, with chief executives, police bosses and social care leaders all receiving tributes. Hull’s City of Culture 2017 bid was strongly represented as Martin Green, chief executive and director of the campaign, receiving a CBE, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-chiefs-and-care-leaders-recognised-in-new-years-honours-list 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-chiefs-and-care-leaders-recognised-in-new-years-honours-list Tue, 02 Jan 2018 10:30:00 GMT Labour’s shadow minister for employment has attacked the government’s Universal Credit policy, arguing it is forcing councils to “pick up the pieces” and prepare for further damage. Margaret Greenwood said councils across the country are having to commit resources from their own budgets to provide additional rent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-universal-credit-directly-hitting-councils 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-universal-credit-directly-hitting-councils Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:45:00 GMT The LGA has heavily criticised the government for its “short-sighted” stance on public health grants. Health minister Lord O'Shaughnessy announced yesterday that the funding for such grants would total over £16bn between 2015 and 2020, but the LGA says this is a cut of more than £500m across that period. Its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-government-over-counterproductive-public-health-grant-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-government-over-counterproductive-public-health-grant-cuts Fri, 22 Dec 2017 12:15:00 GMT The Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority have approved plans for a £7.5m investment into the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park (TAMP). The investment will be the first time the north east authority has used the new borrowing powers agreed by the chancellor. The money will be used to remediate the land as well as for infrastructure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-approves-plans-for-22m-manufacturing-park-development- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-approves-plans-for-22m-manufacturing-park-development- Fri, 22 Dec 2017 12:15:00 GMT Andrew Walker, policy researcher at the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), argues councils must be supported to develop good connectivity that goes beyond building new infrastructure. The push to build more houses is important, and this year’s Autumn Budget revealed some outlines of how the government will seek to make this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-connected-communities 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-connected-communities Fri, 22 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation, considers whether budget constraints and growing demand are actually having a major impact on the work of police forces. The police service was bitterly disappointed that the chancellor said nothing about police funding in the recent Budget. We will see whether there is any better news when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-police-say-they-are-under-pressure-are-they-right- 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-police-say-they-are-under-pressure-are-they-right- Fri, 22 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT PSE’s Josh Mines speaks to Dan Griffiths, projects and programmes manager at Cheshire East Council’s Skills & Growth Company, about how the ELENA project is set to transform heating networks in the area. Rising prices of gas and electricity are creating fuel poverty in local areas, and giving councils another major problem... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-communal-heating-in-cheshire 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-communal-heating-in-cheshire Fri, 22 Dec 2017 09:45:00 GMT Laura Bell of National Voices, the coalition of health and care charities, analyses the state of person-centred care and whether government rhetoric has matched reality. For the last 20 years, policymakers have been talking about delivering ‘person-centred’ care – care that focuses on what’s important to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/person-centred-care-is-it-really-happening- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/person-centred-care-is-it-really-happening- Fri, 22 Dec 2017 09:15:00 GMT PSE’s Seamus McDonnell hears from former care minister Paul Burstow about the opportunities that digitisation can bring to the health market once analogue services are switched off. By 2025, analogue services in the UK will be switched off and almost completely replaced by digital connections. What does this mean for the millions of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-care-sector-must-embrace-the-digital-switch- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-care-sector-must-embrace-the-digital-switch- Thu, 21 Dec 2017 17:00:00 GMT Flaws aside, sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) are our best hope of restructuring the health and care sector. Paul Carey-Kent, policy manager of health, social care & welfare reform at CIPFA, considers what must be done to ensure the opportunity doesn’t slip through the net. The recent Budget announcement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-integration-a-tall-order- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-integration-a-tall-order- Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:45:00 GMT As part of Bristol City Council’s ambition to build a burgeoning and inclusive digital community, Alex Minshull, its city innovation, sustainability and civil protection service manager, runs through the exciting innovations taking place across the region. Bristol City Council has steadily been building its reputation as a key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-just-shipshape-bristol-the-uks-smartest-city 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-just-shipshape-bristol-the-uks-smartest-city Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:45:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus professor at Birmingham City University, critically evaluates public service markets in the context of a current albeit faltering UK premiership less dogmatically opposed to the role of the state. Markets at their best bring greater efficiency, responsiveness and customer satisfaction. However, unlike the abstract... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-markets-over-prescribed-medicine- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-markets-over-prescribed-medicine- Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:30:00 GMT Businesses planning to use the apprenticeship levy to fund executive training courses, such as MBAs and other senior-level training, have been hit by plans for a new cap. Introduced by the Institute for Apprenticeships, a government agency created by the Department for Education (DfE), the cap means that no more than £18,000 can be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firms-using-apprenticeship-levy-to-fund-senior-courses-hit-with-new-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firms-using-apprenticeship-levy-to-fund-senior-courses-hit-with-new-cap Thu, 21 Dec 2017 14:45:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today proposed a 5.1% tax increase – the highest raise allowed by government. Khan says all additional money raised will go to the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade to make up for central government cuts. On Tuesday last week, the government announced that it would be allowing a policing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-floats-51-tax-hike-to-fund-police-and-fire-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-floats-51-tax-hike-to-fund-police-and-fire-services Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:30:00 GMT A local authority in Yorkshire is expected to face a £43m annual budget gap over the next three years. Doncaster Council has confirmed that there will an additional 153 job reductions as it tries to balance the books against reduced central government funding. Ros Jones, mayor of the authority, said “savage”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-43m-budget-deficit-to-inflict-153-more-job-losses 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-43m-budget-deficit-to-inflict-153-more-job-losses Thu, 21 Dec 2017 09:45:00 GMT The DCLG is outperforming most government departments in terms of the gender pay gap, with just a 5.9% difference between men and women – considerably less than most other agencies. Women represent around 48% of the department’s employees, which is also relatively high, but are still underrepresented at both junior and senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gender-pay-gap-dclg-revealed-as-one-of-the-best-performing-departments 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gender-pay-gap-dclg-revealed-as-one-of-the-best-performing-departments Wed, 20 Dec 2017 17:30:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has announced a compromise which could lead to Doncaster and Barnsley councils joining the One Yorkshire devolution deal. Javid said the two authorities – which had previously forced a deadlock on future devolution plans – would be allowed to join if they agreed to a more limited deal with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-opens-door-to-future-yorkshire-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-opens-door-to-future-yorkshire-devo-deal Wed, 20 Dec 2017 17:15:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government’s attitude to reducing homelessness has been “unacceptably complacent,” the Public Accounts Committee has said. In a report published this week, the committee has argued that the department has not shown enough urgency in addressing the growing crisis of homelessness across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-light-touch-failed-to-address-shameful-homelessness 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-light-touch-failed-to-address-shameful-homelessness Wed, 20 Dec 2017 10:30:00 GMT In a major overhaul of funding, communities secretary Sajid Javid announced today that local authorities will now be able to increase council tax by 3% each year without a referendum. Javid also said plans to scrap the revenue support grant (RSG) and raise business rate retention to 100% by 2020 would be put on hold, instead opting to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finance-settlement-javid-unveils-3-tax-ceiling-but-drops-business-rates-2020-target 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finance-settlement-javid-unveils-3-tax-ceiling-but-drops-business-rates-2020-target Tue, 19 Dec 2017 17:15:00 GMT Bristol City Council mayor Marvin Rees has apologised after a report found evidence of “institutional racism” in an investigation into the death of Bijan Ebrahimi. The disabled Iranian refugee was beaten to death and set on fire by neighbour Lee James in July 2013. James has since been jailed for life, but an independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-council-apologises-after-institutional-racism-unearthed-in-murder-report 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-council-apologises-after-institutional-racism-unearthed-in-murder-report Tue, 19 Dec 2017 14:15:00 GMT The current regulatory system responsible for ensuring fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is “not fit for purpose,” an independent review has found. The review, led by Dame Judith Hackitt, was commenced following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, in which 71 people were killed. Yesterday saw the publication of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-accused-of-being-off-pace-at-every-stage-of-response-to-grenfell-tower 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-accused-of-being-off-pace-at-every-stage-of-response-to-grenfell-tower Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT Under the current Universal Credit (UC) proposals there will be a million children in poverty who do not receive free school meals, says the Children’s Society. As UC has been rolled out, all families in receipt of the benefit have been eligible for free meals, but the government plans to introduce means testing which would create a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uc-proposals-will-leave-one-million-poverty-stricken-children-without-school-meals 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uc-proposals-will-leave-one-million-poverty-stricken-children-without-school-meals Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT Transport secretary Chris Grayling has suggested that local bus services could be replaced with an ‘Uber-style’ system. In comments made during an October meeting between Grayling and LGA officials, the secretary explained that service provision would be changing over the coming years. Speaking with Lord Porter, chairman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grayling-buses-could-be-replaced-with-uber-style-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grayling-buses-could-be-replaced-with-uber-style-services Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:30:00 GMT Chris Boardman, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) cycling and walking commissioner, has called for a 10-year £1.8bn infrastructure fund to be created for the region. The former gold medal winning cyclist presented his ‘Made to Move’ report to authority leaders last week in a bid to improve air... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boardman-calls-on-gmca-to-give-15bn-to-cycling-and-walking 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boardman-calls-on-gmca-to-give-15bn-to-cycling-and-walking Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:30:00 GMT Sheffield City Region (SCR) bosses have confirmed a consultation on major transport plans expected to grow the local economy by £500m. The Transport Strategy aims to increase the number of people able to get to work and education on public transport within 30 minutes. Transport for the North (TfN) – which is set to become... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-opens-consultation-on-500m-growth-plan 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-opens-consultation-on-500m-growth-plan Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT The Mental Health Network has published a briefing outlining the benefits of appropriate supported housing as a mental health intervention. The paper, “Innovation in housing, care and support,” outlines the potential to deliver savings as well as improved outcomes through partnership working with NHS services, CCGs and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-quality-significantly-affects-mental-health-outcomes- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-quality-significantly-affects-mental-health-outcomes- Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:45:00 GMT With the nation facing significant public health challenges, councils across England are taking a design-led approach to address issues at both a local and national level, focusing on shaping new models based on prevention, writes the Design Council’s Abid Gangat. Design Council’s Design in the Public Sector Programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-led-by-design 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-led-by-design Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:30:00 GMT Tom Palmer, project design engineer at Essex County Council (ECC), on a new scheme currently underway that will significantly reduce local flood risks by using an innovative approach to leaky dams. The Kingsmoor area of Harlow in Essex has historically experienced flooding, with properties internally damaged and access to roads cut off.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-innovative-approach-to-flood-risk 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-innovative-approach-to-flood-risk Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:15:00 GMT The UK’s progress in strengthening cyber security measures since the national strategy came out has been encouraging, but more needs to be done to tackle the lingering issue of skills, says Talal Rajab, head of cyber and national security at techUK. It’s no exaggeration to say that 2017 was the year that cyber was brought... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-cyber-security-strategy-one-year-on 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-cyber-security-strategy-one-year-on Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:15:00 GMT Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, outlines what must be done to ensure all levels of government are resilient and safeguarded against the growing threat of cyber-attacks. Businesses and organisations are at an increasing risk of cyber-attacks, and councils are among these potential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-confidence-in-the-digital-world 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-confidence-in-the-digital-world Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:00:00 GMT Debbie Brown, director of service reform at Salford City Council, discusses the authority’s major digital ambitions to get everyone – even some of the most socially excluded groups in the region – online. Alice can now Skype her family in Australia while John is learning how to manage his arthritis and is getting helpful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-you 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-you Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:00:00 GMT Eddie Copeland, director of government innovation at Nesta, argues central government must have clarity of vision to ensure the smart city agenda isn’t heavily focused on technology, but rather on existing urban challenges. For years the UK has had a slightly dysfunctional relationship with the term ‘smart city.’ Much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/does-the-uk-need-a-cohesive-smart-city-strategy 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/does-the-uk-need-a-cohesive-smart-city-strategy Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:00:00 GMT Dan Clarke, programme manager at Cambridge County Council, explains how Smart Cambridge has evolved since it was established in August 2015 by the local city deal, and reveals what’s coming next. Cambridge has made it into Britain’s top 10 smartest cities for the first time this year, showing the rapid progress of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-cambridge-makes-rapid-progress 447,438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-cambridge-makes-rapid-progress Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:00:00 GMT The government has to encourage a culture change within local councils in order to improve the quality of overview and scrutiny plans. The Communities and Local Government Commons Select Committee found that scrutiny is not always independent of the executive, and this could stop councils improving the quality of services. Following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-encourage-council-scrutiny-culture-change 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-encourage-council-scrutiny-culture-change Fri, 15 Dec 2017 11:45:00 GMT A London council has proposed to stop paying sick pay for the first three days in a bid to save money. The GMB has called Hillingdon Council’s proposal an “affront to its hard-working employees.” Keith Williams, GMB’s senior organiser, said that the council has seen “massive” cuts since 2010 due to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-to-cut-sick-pay-in-cash-saving-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-to-cut-sick-pay-in-cash-saving-bid Fri, 15 Dec 2017 11:30:00 GMT The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has announced a major overhaul of the region’s transport network. Burnham said problems with transport in the north could “no longer be ignored” as he announced the creation of a Strategic Transport Board, which will monitor projects and ensure decisions are made in line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnham-announces-major-2018-gmca-transport-overhaul 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnham-announces-major-2018-gmca-transport-overhaul Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:45:00 GMT London Councils has called on the government to enable London boroughs to boost their homeless services. The group, which represents the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, wants to see the government properly fund the expansion of their homelessness prevention and support services, as described in the Homelessness Reduction Act, due... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-call-on-whitehall-to-urgently-expand-homelessness-services- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-call-on-whitehall-to-urgently-expand-homelessness-services- Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:15:00 GMT Purbeck District Council is to withdraw its opposition to the reorganisation of Dorset’s councils. This week the council has agreed to write to Sajid Javid, communities and local government secretary, to inform him of its decision. The council previously voted not to support the submission of the case to form two unitary councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-strengthened-as-authority-withdraws-opposition 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-merger-strengthened-as-authority-withdraws-opposition Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT Devolution needs to start from the bottom up, Andrew Gwynne has argued. Speaking at the National Association of Local Councils conference yesterday, Labour’s shadow communities and local government secretary explained that it is his belief that town and parish councils really matter when it comes to making a difference in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolve-more-powers-to-town-and-parish-councils-argues-gywnne 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolve-more-powers-to-town-and-parish-councils-argues-gywnne Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:00:00 GMT The human error of council employees is a major threat to data security, an expert has warned. Speaking at the National Association of Local Councils’ conference yesterday, Andy Hall, cyber and technology specialist, said that over half of all of local council data breaches are due to employee error, such as leaving an unencrypted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staff-are-weakest-link-in-cyber-security-expert-warns 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staff-are-weakest-link-in-cyber-security-expert-warns Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:30:00 GMT Adrian Prandle, director of economic strategy and negotiations at the National Education Union (NEU), questions the stark lack of announcements around education funding and staffing in this year’s Autumn Budget. Back in July, education secretary Justine Greening unveiled a £1.3bn two-year funding package for schools across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-we-taking-a-risk-on-education 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-we-taking-a-risk-on-education Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT PSE’s Josh Mines reports from the Social Value Conference 2017, where mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street explained how social value is benefitting his region. One of the values behind the combined authorities that have been set up over the last two years lies in driving equal and diverse growth throughout the UK’s city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-inclusive-growth-in-the-west-midlands 438,446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-inclusive-growth-in-the-west-midlands Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT The new Facilities Management (FM) Marketplace will be an opportunity to streamline the process of buying key services whilst propping up new entrants and SMEs, writes John Kenny, head of workplace, commercial specialist (FM and Property) at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). In January 2018, CCS, the UK’s largest public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/introducing-the-facilities-management-marketplace 447,433,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/introducing-the-facilities-management-marketplace Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has become the country’s first local authority to fully exploit the benefits of robotics in social care by introducing an unconventional new staff member to its team, reveals Sharon Houlden, its director of adult services and housing. The words ‘local government’ and ‘exciting’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meet-pepper-the-social-care-robot 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meet-pepper-the-social-care-robot Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT Luke Sibieta, research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Education Policy Institute, takes a look at the impact of the apprenticeship levy so far since its introduction in May. From May this year, all large employers have had to pay the apprenticeship levy, which equates to 0.5% of payroll bills in excess of £3m.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quality-not-quantity-is-what-matters 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quality-not-quantity-is-what-matters Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT PSE’s Seamus McDonnell reports from the King’s Fund Annual Conference 2017 in London, which covered the latest developments in integration, prevention, and the future of health and social care during 29-30 November. Against the backdrop of increasing service pressures, limited funding and a major workforce crisis, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-kings-fund-annual-conference-2017-looking-to-the-future 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-kings-fund-annual-conference-2017-looking-to-the-future Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT A lack of appropriate social care funding will see at least 1,400 people with dementia stuck in hospital over the Christmas period, despite being well enough to go home. Research from the Alzheimer’s Society shows dementia patients will be forced to wait 10 times longer in hospital wards than people with other illnesses. The problem... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safety-being-jeopardised-as-care-cuts-to-leave-many-stranded-in-hospital-at-christmas 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safety-being-jeopardised-as-care-cuts-to-leave-many-stranded-in-hospital-at-christmas Wed, 13 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT Today’s Right to Buy figures, released by the government, underline the need for authorities to be allowed to borrow more money to build and buy homes. The LGA has also once again said that councils need to be able to keep 100% of receipts from Right to Buy sales in order to ensure they own enough housing to keep the scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/figures-show-councils-must-buy-new-homes-or-rtb-will-grind-to-a-halt 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/figures-show-councils-must-buy-new-homes-or-rtb-will-grind-to-a-halt Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:45:00 GMT Government inquiries have racked up a £639m bill over the last 30 years but the process for following up on recommendations is not good enough. These are the findings of an Institute for Government report which said only six of the 68 inquiries that have taken place since 1990 have been properly followed up on. The institute... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-not-following-up-on-inquiries-in-spite-of-639m-bill 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-not-following-up-on-inquiries-in-spite-of-639m-bill Wed, 13 Dec 2017 12:00:00 GMT At a time when local government is looking to squeeze extra value from procurement, original thinking can make all the difference. PSE’s Josh Mines reports from the National Social Value Conference 2017, where delegates heard all about the benefits social value can bring for the public sector. “Doing good is good... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-social-value-conference-2017-doing-something-revolutionary 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-social-value-conference-2017-doing-something-revolutionary Wed, 13 Dec 2017 09:45:00 GMT The social care green paper will address issues around the housing needs of older people, Alok Sharma has stated this week. Speaking at a communities and local government committee meeting yesterday, the housing and planning minister explained that it is important to ensure that more homes are built that older people would want to move into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-green-paper-to-address-improving-housing-for-the-elderly 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-green-paper-to-address-improving-housing-for-the-elderly Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:00:00 GMT The first West Midlands Railway services were launched this weekend, signalling the start of local control over rail franchises. The franchise, which controls all the routes in the region, is operated by a joint venture of three train companies called West Midlands Trains, but the management of the network is split between a consortium of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-trains-launched-in-west-midlands-transport-management-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-trains-launched-in-west-midlands-transport-management-deal Tue, 12 Dec 2017 14:00:00 GMT The GMB and Unite unions have put forward claims for a 5% pay increase for public sector craftworkers. The deal would see tens of thousands of workers have their hours set at 35 a week, while receiving an additional day’s holiday. It is aimed at ‘Red Book’ workers, who were not affected by the 2% pay rise offered to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-table-5-pay-justice-claim-for-council-craftworkers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-table-5-pay-justice-claim-for-council-craftworkers Tue, 12 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT Councils will receive £8.7m funding to improve public services, stimulate economic growth and free up land for new homes, the government has announced. The funding has been allocated from the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, a partnership between the Cabinet Office and the LGA. The initiative will benefit 56 council-led... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-awarded-87m-from-one-public-estate-fund-to-drive-estates-efficiency 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-awarded-87m-from-one-public-estate-fund-to-drive-estates-efficiency Tue, 12 Dec 2017 11:45:00 GMT Getting security wrong during the transition from paper to digital could mean a loss of public confidence in new services, argues Graeme Stewart, director of public sector at Fortinet UK&I. From ransomware attacks against the NHS, to cyber-attacks on parliamentary email accounts, it’s safe to say that it’s been a bad year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cyber-security-needs-to-fight-back 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cyber-security-needs-to-fight-back Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:15:00 GMT Manchester City Council is set to approve the installation of sprinkler systems in 36 of its high-rise blocks, in response to the Grenfell Tower fire. The work will begin following the implementation of high-level fire risk assessments, which aims to ensure compartmentation of flats – designed to contain fire within an individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-fit-sprinkler-system-in-36-high-rise-blocks 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-to-fit-sprinkler-system-in-36-high-rise-blocks Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:30:00 GMT Rochdale Borough Council leader Richard Farnell has stepped down following widespread negative reaction to the controversial evidence he gave at the national child abuse inquiry. In a letter of resignation presented to councillors last week, Farnell blamed a “persistent campaign from a small minority of extremist members” for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-quits-over-extremist-campaign-after-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-claims 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-quits-over-extremist-campaign-after-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-claims Mon, 11 Dec 2017 10:45:00 GMT The LGA has voiced funding fears over the loss of nearly half of local authority funding between 2010 and 2020. Councils had been expecting to receive 100% of business rates by this point, but the policy has been repeatedly pushed back, suffering when the Local Government Finance Bill was not fully reintroduced after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-heading-towards-funding-cliff-edge-as-cash-could-be-halved-by-2020 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-heading-towards-funding-cliff-edge-as-cash-could-be-halved-by-2020 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT Jen Rae, head of innovation policy at Nesta, says the aims in the government’s new Industrial Strategy are ambitious, but will require a shift in policymaking in order to be realised in full. Last Monday saw the long-awaited launch of the UK’s new Industrial Strategy, the government’s plan for prosperity and growth in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whole-of-government-must-act-together-to-fulfil-the-ambition-of-the-industrial-strategy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whole-of-government-must-act-together-to-fulfil-the-ambition-of-the-industrial-strategy Mon, 11 Dec 2017 09:15:00 GMT Eight months on from the government’s announcement of major training reforms, Anne Milton, minister for apprenticeships and skills at the Department for Education (DfE), tells PSE’s Luana Salles about the extraordinary benefits that the new apprenticeship levy can bring to the public sector. When I ask Anne Milton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fantastic-opportunity-awaits-you 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fantastic-opportunity-awaits-you Mon, 11 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), reflects on the lessons learned during the first year of the government’s new agency. I am proud of what the NCSC (pictured) has done in its first year to protect the public sector, including: Our cyber experts received 1,131 incident reports, with 590... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ncsc-a-new-and-adventurous-agenda 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ncsc-a-new-and-adventurous-agenda Mon, 11 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT With homelessness on the rise across the country, politicians in central and local government are desperately looking for new solutions. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, tells PSE’s Josh Mines about his plans to stamp out rough sleeping in the region. Homelessness, as Andy Burnham tells me, is “a crisis unfolding in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/andy-burnham-the-crisis-unfolding-in-front-of-our-eyes 451,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/andy-burnham-the-crisis-unfolding-in-front-of-our-eyes Sun, 10 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT Cllr Sue Baxter, chair of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), demands that the government responds to the changing landscape in public service delivery by offering local authorities much greater freedoms. There are encouraging signs from the chancellor on his vision for the future of the economy, devolution and handing more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-chancellor-missed-a-localism-trick 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-chancellor-missed-a-localism-trick Sun, 10 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT Nicola Yates, CEO of Future Cities Catapult, advocates for a smarter public sphere that stays ahead of the technology curve rather than entirely reactive to market developments. The ‘smart city’ rose to prominence as a marketing concept from global technology companies that saw an opportunity to sell digital transformation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-smart-city-concept 447,433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-smart-city-concept Sun, 10 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT Joanne Roney OBE, chief executive of Manchester City Council, speaks to PSE’s Luana Salles about the region’s pioneering plans for growth and reform. Were it not for her Birmingham birth certificate, one might be excused for thinking Joanne Roney is a northerner through and through. Not only has she solidified her local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/this-is-manchester-we-do-things-differently-here 451,436,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/this-is-manchester-we-do-things-differently-here Sun, 10 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT The government has decided to scrap its £72,000 planned care cap, health minister Jackie Doyle-Price has announced. The care cap, which was going to be implemented from 2020, would have seen a limit on the amount that people in England would have to pay towards their social care costs.  Doyle-Price confirmed plans for a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-scrap-planned-72000-care-cap 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-scrap-planned-72000-care-cap Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) will be extended to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis has announced. The voluntary scheme, which supports local authorities to transfer the care of unaccompanied children to another local authority, was introduced in July 2016. Since its introduction it has seen over 500 unaccompanied... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-transfer-scheme-extended-to-whole-of-uk 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-transfer-scheme-extended-to-whole-of-uk Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is to deliver 10,000 new homes across the city through its own authority led housing company. A report to the council’s cabinet next Friday will recommend the creation of the authority’s own ethical housing company in a big shake up of the city’s housing market. The city needs an additional 27,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-launch-ethical-housing-company-to-meet-local-need 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-launch-ethical-housing-company-to-meet-local-need Fri, 08 Dec 2017 14:00:00 GMT The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had praise for the relationship between councils and health services in Hartlepool as it continued its programme of 20 targeted reviews of integrated care. The report, released today, looked into the increasingly important integration of health and care services, particularly between Hartlepool Borough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-health-and-care-review-praises-proactive-integrated-hartlepool-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-health-and-care-review-praises-proactive-integrated-hartlepool-services Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:45:00 GMT Chief executive of Hoopers Genealogists, Kevin Edmondson, reflects on how the increasing number of public health funerals and recent changes to the Government Legal Department’s (GLD’s) policy on unclaimed estates affect the public sector. As these changes put extra pressure on already overstretched local authorities and NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tracing-next-of-kin 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tracing-next-of-kin Fri, 08 Dec 2017 10:15:00 GMT NHS Digital has announced a £1.4m pot that will be available for councils to tackle delayed discharge issues, as well as help along integration plans from hospitals into local authority care processes. Delayed transfers of care are a consistently reported issue in the health and care sector. The National Audit Office (NAO) reported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-releases-delayed-discharging-funding-to-councils 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-releases-delayed-discharging-funding-to-councils Thu, 07 Dec 2017 11:15:00 GMT The government must urgently bring forward funding for planning departments so that local authorities can process applications effectively, councils have warned today. The LGA says councils will have missed out on £70m by the end of the financial year as they had been expecting to increase planning fees by 20% from July. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-planning-departments-set-to-miss-out-on-70m-by-end-of-year 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-planning-departments-set-to-miss-out-on-70m-by-end-of-year Thu, 07 Dec 2017 10:15:00 GMT The government must make changes to the business rates system if the UK is to push forward with devolution plans. The current system would reinforce economic disparity between cities rather than allow struggling areas to reinvent themselves, argued the Centre for Cities think tank. In a briefing released today, the organisation has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-could-create-city-inequality-if-business-rates-are-not-reformed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-could-create-city-inequality-if-business-rates-are-not-reformed Thu, 07 Dec 2017 09:30:00 GMT An additional £1.4bn will be made available for children and young people’s mental health over five years, a new green paper has said. The paper, ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’, sets out to deliver on the ambitions set out in 2015’s ‘Future in mind’ and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pledges-14bn-for-young-peoples-mental-health-in-green-paper 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pledges-14bn-for-young-peoples-mental-health-in-green-paper Thu, 07 Dec 2017 09:30:00 GMT A new report on the Northern Powerhouse devolution project has highlighted the need for a more ‘people centred’ plan. Based on issues discussed at the first-ever People’s Powerhouse event this year, the ‘Putting the People in the Powerhouse’ report – co-authored with IPPR North – has put forward a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-calls-for-people-centred-northern-powerhouse 433,2899 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-calls-for-people-centred-northern-powerhouse Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT The LGA has today urged the government to explained how it plans to replace the current EU Structural Funds after Brexit. The local authority representative says an £8.4bn funding gap will open in local communities immediately after the UK leaves the EU. In its manifesto the government has said it would create a UK Shared... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-demand-clarity-on-84bn-brexit-funding-gap 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-demand-clarity-on-84bn-brexit-funding-gap Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:30:00 GMT An Electoral Commission report has concluded that changes need to be made to the electoral system to combat future risks following the 2017 general election. The commission gave credit to returning officers for dealing with an unexpected election announcement and said the majority of elections were well-run. However, there were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-implement-electoral-reform-in-future-general-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-implement-electoral-reform-in-future-general-elections Wed, 06 Dec 2017 12:15:00 GMT Urgent action is needed to protect vital early years services, Barnardo’s has warned. Research by the charity has revealed that funding in some areas has reduced by almost 50% since 2010. Figures from the Department for Education show that over the last six years, children’s centres have had funding slashed from £1.2bn to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-years-services-see-funding-halved-since-2010- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-years-services-see-funding-halved-since-2010- Tue, 05 Dec 2017 17:30:00 GMT Local government employers have announced a two-year pay offer for council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which goes above the 1% pay cap for the first time since 2013. The deal is expected to affect over 1 million people and gives those on salaries starting at £19,430 a 2% increase in pay on 1 April 2018, with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-million-council-employees-get-2-pay-offer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-million-council-employees-get-2-pay-offer Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT The government has opened the first £11m of a £25m fund intended to help councils gain the skills and capacity they need to deliver high quality housing growth at scale. The new ‘Planning Delivery Fund’ is aimed at encouraging more innovation in the design of new housing developments, including offering design... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-sets-aside-25m-to-support-housing-design-quality 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-sets-aside-25m-to-support-housing-design-quality Tue, 05 Dec 2017 14:30:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) has set out its position on the Fair Funding Review amidst concerns that the network has been “misrepresented by some in the local government sector.” It has set out its position in relation to three key areas of advocacy in response to the “factually incorrect” portrayal in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-reiterate-position-on-fair-funding-review-following-misrepresentation 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-reiterate-position-on-fair-funding-review-following-misrepresentation Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:45:00 GMT London mayor Sadiq Khan today announced the capital’s first dedicated ‘international ambassador,’ tasked with promoting investment opportunities. Prominent Indian businessman Deepak Parekh will take up the position, prompting Khan to call for a closer relationship between London and India. The role of the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-mayor-appoints-parekh-as-first-international-ambassador 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-mayor-appoints-parekh-as-first-international-ambassador Mon, 04 Dec 2017 11:00:00 GMT Plans to create a West Suffolk council by combining Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council have received initial approval from Sajid Javid. The communities and local government secretary said he was “minded to” approve the merger, which was first proposed in May this year. The plan is intended to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-compelling-west-suffolk-council-consolidation-plan-gets-initial-dclg-stamp 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-compelling-west-suffolk-council-consolidation-plan-gets-initial-dclg-stamp Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:15:00 GMT A proposal to merge two Somerset councils has received initial approval from the secretary for communities and local government. Sajid Javid said he was “minded to” implement the locally led merger between Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset District Council, in Somerset. The secretary of state said the plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-minded-to-approve-somerset-councils-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-minded-to-approve-somerset-councils-merger Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT More funding is needed to sustain the current model of care home provision, a report has found. The Competition and Markets Authority’s ‘Care homes market study’ discovered that in order to meet the expected substantial increase in care needs, “significant reforms” are needed to the sector. The report also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-reforms-needed-to-meet-increasing-care-needs-cma-finds 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-reforms-needed-to-meet-increasing-care-needs-cma-finds Fri, 01 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT Authorities, care providers and CCGs must work closely with the NHS to make health devolution work, says the chief executive of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSC). Speaking at the King’s Fund’s annual conference in London yesterday Jon Rouse took health officials through the processes of Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rouse-health-devolution-means-taking-decisions-collectively-to-avoid-tensions 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rouse-health-devolution-means-taking-decisions-collectively-to-avoid-tensions Fri, 01 Dec 2017 14:15:00 GMT HIV services should look to specialties that have undergone organisational change as the problems faced are often relatable, it has been suggested. Speaking the day before World AIDS day, Alex Baylis, assistant director of policy at the King’s Fund said yesterday: “A lot of the issues in HIV services are generalisable to other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/biggest-challenge-to-hiv-services-is-merging-the-boxes-experts-warn 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/biggest-challenge-to-hiv-services-is-merging-the-boxes-experts-warn Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT An expert from the King’s Fund has this week warned that integrated care systems like sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) are only “part of the journey” that local government and NHS organisations have to take towards driving better population health. Speaking during the first day of the King’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kings-fund-sector-must-grow-beyond-integrated-care-as-stps-only-part-of-the-journey 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kings-fund-sector-must-grow-beyond-integrated-care-as-stps-only-part-of-the-journey Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:45:00 GMT A major transport operator has become the first private sector employers to consolidate its funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in a landmark £1bn decision. FirstGroup, which operates bus and train services across the country, has successfully consolidated its pension schemes’ assets within the LGPS, a move... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-giant-becomes-first-to-consolidate-lgps-assets-under-one-1bn-pot 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-giant-becomes-first-to-consolidate-lgps-assets-under-one-1bn-pot Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:45:00 GMT The UK’s current ‘civic core’ –the people who participate in activities such as responding to consultations about local services, engaging in democratic processes or playing a direct role in decision-making by becoming a councillor – is predominantly “prosperous, highly educated and older,” and needs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-civic-core-needs-diversity-boost-to-keep-public-services-afloat 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-civic-core-needs-diversity-boost-to-keep-public-services-afloat Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:15:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has confirmed this week that it will extend the G-Cloud 9 framework until May 2019 despite some concerns from suppliers. The government agency said it had not taken the decision lightly, but needed more time to develop the new framework, G-Cloud 10. The work is being completed in association with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccs-extends-g-cloud-9-until-2019 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccs-extends-g-cloud-9-until-2019 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 17:00:00 GMT Business secretary Greg Clark’s announcement of the much-anticipated UK industrial strategy has created some disagreement from local authority experts. Specifically, the decision to give local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) primary control over strategic economic planning has been criticised, with some commentators saying it will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/industrial-strategy-should-give-growth-powers-to-councils-over-leps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/industrial-strategy-should-give-growth-powers-to-councils-over-leps Wed, 29 Nov 2017 15:00:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has proposed a raft of changes to the capital’s planning rules in the latest draft London Plan. Included in the draft is an ambitious target for councils as Khan aims to build 65,000 homes every year – roughly double the current housebuilding rate. This will be achieved through the removal of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-aims-to-double-rate-of-housebuilding-in-draft-london-plan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-aims-to-double-rate-of-housebuilding-in-draft-london-plan Wed, 29 Nov 2017 15:00:00 GMT Two officers from Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council have been suspended following the results of a review into almost 1,500 people who were unable to vote in the general election. The constituency – which saw the successful Labour MP win by just 30 votes – was mired in controversy after nearly 1,000 potential electors were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staffordshire-council-ceo-suspended-following-general-election-controversy 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staffordshire-council-ceo-suspended-following-general-election-controversy Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:30:00 GMT Councils have today urged the government to completely lift the housing borrowing cap to allow more homes to be built. Cllr Nick Forbes, senior vice-chair of the LGA, appeared before the House of Commons’ Treasury Select Committee to make the argument that councils needed the extra funds. Last week’s Autumn Budget saw the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-councils-must-borrow-to-build 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-councils-must-borrow-to-build Tue, 28 Nov 2017 15:15:00 GMT West Berkshire Council has proposed funding cuts to its Citizens Advice in an effort to continue running other services on current government investment. The authority will also join a number of other councils in charging for garden waste collection, a move it says could generate £900,000 a year, with households paying a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/berkshire-council-to-cut-citizens-advice-funding-in-10m-savings-drive 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/berkshire-council-to-cut-citizens-advice-funding-in-10m-savings-drive Tue, 28 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT Rising numbers of people are being threatened with prison over late council tax payments, with 4,800 people taken to court in 2016-17. Data seen by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme has shown the extent to which people are being pushed by councils to pay their taxes or face jail time. The figures, from the Institute of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-receive-prison-threats-due-to-late-council-tax 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-receive-prison-threats-due-to-late-council-tax Mon, 27 Nov 2017 16:30:00 GMT The mayor of the new North of Tyne devolution deal will have reduced powers compared to equivalent metro mayors in other parts of the country. Following the initial Budget announcement last week, it has been revealed that the new mayor will not have a veto on combined authority decisions and there is no mention of the combined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-600m-north-of-tyne-devo-deal-could-see-underpowered-mayor 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-600m-north-of-tyne-devo-deal-could-see-underpowered-mayor Mon, 27 Nov 2017 12:00:00 GMT Authorities across England have documented record £819m in profits through parking operations over the past year. The figure has risen by 10% on 2015-16, when it hit a £740m high, and is 40% higher than the numbers recorded just four years ago in 2012-13. Research from the RAC Foundation indicated that England’s 353... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-receive-record-800m-parking-haul-this-year 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-receive-record-800m-parking-haul-this-year Mon, 27 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT Gateshead Council has committed to designing and building its first council homes in 30 years as part of a project to build 11,000 new homes by 2030. After holding meetings last week, the authority has brought forward plans to build affordable housing for both sale and rent, as well as commercial space. Initial proposals have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tyne-and-wear-authority-to-build-first-council-homes-in-30-years 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tyne-and-wear-authority-to-build-first-council-homes-in-30-years Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:30:00 GMT The work of social care is on everyone’s agenda. You see it mentioned in reports, on the front pages of mainstream newspapers, as well as in speeches from ministers. The main question that everyone is asking is, how can we improve services for those who need them the most? The answer is something we’re all working towards, argues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quality-matters-in-adult-social-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quality-matters-in-adult-social-care Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:15:00 GMT The government has released figures showing that 13,400 social housing properties were sold last year under Right to Buy, an increase of 10% on 2015-16. There was a total of 23,100 sales of social housing across both local authorities and private registered providers (PRPs), which accounts for 0.6% of the four million in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sales-of-social-housing-increase-10-on-last-year-as-right-to-buy-takes-hold 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sales-of-social-housing-increase-10-on-last-year-as-right-to-buy-takes-hold Fri, 24 Nov 2017 14:45:00 GMT Councils will be able to claim back over 80% of the money they spend on temporary accommodation after the government announced new reforms to the Universal Credit system. As part of the £1.5bn support package announced in this week’s Autumn Budget, the DWP has revealed it will look to prevent losses of £70m by allowing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/authorities-given-powers-to-recoup-80-of-temporary-accommodation-spending-in-70m-uc-reform 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/authorities-given-powers-to-recoup-80-of-temporary-accommodation-spending-in-70m-uc-reform Fri, 24 Nov 2017 14:30:00 GMT Britain is heading for the longest period of falling living standards since records began, the Resolution Foundation has warned this week. In its analysis of the Autumn Budget, the Foundation found that real household disposable income is set to fall for an “unprecedented 19 successive quarters between 2015 and 2020.” With... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-standards-set-to-fall-for-longest-period-yet--think-tank-says- 433,436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-standards-set-to-fall-for-longest-period-yet--think-tank-says- Fri, 24 Nov 2017 11:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Region (SCR) will begin to assess applications for new housing schemes as part of an £8m pilot project across the area. The Housing Fund closed applications last week after receiving a high number of proposals for new projects to get underway by the end of the year. The project was launched in September to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-announces-major-housing-pilot 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-city-region-announces-major-housing-pilot Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:15:00 GMT Hammersmith and Fulham Council (H & F) have launched “ethical debt collections” service in a bid to reduce costs to residents. The council are working with a private firm on the joint venture, setting out to both improve the way debtors are treated and save money on the cost of bailiffs. The move is part of an effort... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-to-launch-ethical-debt-collection-for-residents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-to-launch-ethical-debt-collection-for-residents Thu, 23 Nov 2017 14:00:00 GMT Suffolk County Council has been hit by criticism from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) after a woman was wrongly charged for care she never received. Care providers, arranged by the council, incorrectly logged hours of arrival and departure then charged a full price despite not delivering the assessed needs. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-told-to-reimburse-suffolk-woman-charged-for-care-she-never-received 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-told-to-reimburse-suffolk-woman-charged-for-care-she-never-received Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:45:00 GMT It’s been a busy day in the PSE office. Philip Hammond’s Autumn Budget included a number of interesting announcements, ranging from new devolution deals and housing measures to changes to business rates. This year’s Statement was described well by Lord Bob Kerslake, who said it had been a “mixed bag” for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-centric-deeply-disappointing-and-a-nightmare--criticisms-pile-against-the-budget 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-centric-deeply-disappointing-and-a-nightmare--criticisms-pile-against-the-budget Wed, 22 Nov 2017 17:15:00 GMT The government has announced that business rates will be reduced by changing the basis from the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the lower Consumer Price Index (CPI). Originally the switch was set for 2020 but plans have been brought forward by two years to April 2018. Changing from RPI to CPI means the annual inflationary uplift of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rate-announcement-does-not-solve-council-funding-uncertainty 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rate-announcement-does-not-solve-council-funding-uncertainty Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:45:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has attacked Philip Hammond’s Budget, calling it the “most anti-London Budget in a generation.” In a furious statement, Khan criticised the chancellor’s failure to announce any new policing measures after a year where the UK was hit by a number of terrorist attacks, including four in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-attacks-hammond-describing-budget-as-most-anti-london-in-a-generation- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-attacks-hammond-describing-budget-as-most-anti-london-in-a-generation- Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:15:00 GMT First-time house-buyers will no longer have to pay stamp duty on the first £300,000 of a home’s value, chancellor Philip Hammond has announced in today’s Autumn Budget as part of a raft of new housing measures. The move comes as part of the government’s commitment to deliver 300,000 new homes a year in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/raft-of-new-housing-measures-sadly-fall-short-of-council-need 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/raft-of-new-housing-measures-sadly-fall-short-of-council-need Wed, 22 Nov 2017 15:15:00 GMT The chancellor has today U-Turned on the controversial Universal Credit policy, as he announced a £1.5bn package that will be used to deal with issues created by the roll-out. In particular, the fund will be put towards cutting down the waiting time for payments by one week, from six down to five. This decision will come as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-releases-15bn-to-support-roll-out-of-uc-in-budget-u-turn- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-releases-15bn-to-support-roll-out-of-uc-in-budget-u-turn- Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:45:00 GMT The government has agreed a second devolution deal “in principle” with the West Midlands mayor and combined authority to address local productivity barriers, and has also committed to looking into further devo deals across the country. Delivering his much-anticipated Autumn Statement today, chancellor Philip Hammond said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/second-devo-deal-for-west-midlands-approved-as-more-on-the-way 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/second-devo-deal-for-west-midlands-approved-as-more-on-the-way Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:15:00 GMT Union bosses have warned that a total of £48bn has been taken from public sector pay wage budgets since the government took over in 2010, with £8.5bn this year. Research by the TUC shows that England’s 50 poorest parliamentary constituencies alone have seen a combined loss in spending power of £3bn since 2010, or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-cap-has-taken-85bn-from-the-public-sector-this-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-cap-has-taken-85bn-from-the-public-sector-this-year Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:15:00 GMT Communities minister Sajid Javid has spoken of the potential for new combined authorities to be set up in the future which do not have a single mayor. Speaking at the County Councils Network (CCN) conference yesterday, Javid mentioned the possibility of new kinds of authorities as he discussed the positive impact of embracing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-hints-at-non-mayoral-combined-authorities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-hints-at-non-mayoral-combined-authorities Tue, 21 Nov 2017 12:45:00 GMT Over half of councils are expected to overspend on their adult social care budgets this year, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has claimed. With each council exceeding their budgets by up to almost £21m, ADASS has urged for the long-term reform of adult social care to be brought forward. Despite a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mounting-pressures-lead-councils-to-overspend-on-social-care-by-21bn 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mounting-pressures-lead-councils-to-overspend-on-social-care-by-21bn Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:15:00 GMT Central government funding per resident in county authorities was almost 50% below large cities last year, with councils saying the situation could quickly deteriorate, new research released today by the County Council Network (CCN) has found. In response to the findings, the CCN has called on the government to end the ‘postcode... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-inequalities-could-destroy-public-services-in-rural-areas 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-inequalities-could-destroy-public-services-in-rural-areas Mon, 20 Nov 2017 11:45:00 GMT The government has today announced that it will release £1.7bn of extra funding for cities ahead of Wednesday’s Budget. Prime minister Theresa May made the announcement, which includes £250m for the West Midlands region to be used to make the area more attractive to new businesses through financial schemes and improved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-growth-investment-includes-17bn-city-transport-fund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-growth-investment-includes-17bn-city-transport-fund Mon, 20 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT A report suggesting that scrapping district councils could save £2.9bn a year has prompted anger from the District Councils Network (DCN). Research, carried out by independent think-tank ResPublica, has suggested that a switch away from two-tier authorities to single unitary bodies could be a more efficient use of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-and-districts-clash-over-reports-suggestion-to-scrap-two-tier-authorities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-and-districts-clash-over-reports-suggestion-to-scrap-two-tier-authorities Mon, 20 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT The government has quietly delayed publication of its much-anticipated social care green paper. The document, which was initially expected this autumn, will now be published by summer 2018, first secretary Damian Green has said in a written statement. Whilst the green paper is awaited, councils find themselves facing a “perfect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-quietly-pushes-back-social-care-green-paper-to-summer-2018 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-quietly-pushes-back-social-care-green-paper-to-summer-2018 Fri, 17 Nov 2017 15:15:00 GMT A deal to give London unprecedented devolved powers over health and care has been signed by officials today. The agreement includes calls for the NHS to sell off unused land and buildings in the capital and reinvest the money in community and public services, with surplus land being marked for housing. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-london-health-devolution-deal-will-focus-on-asset-sell-off 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-london-health-devolution-deal-will-focus-on-asset-sell-off Fri, 17 Nov 2017 14:30:00 GMT Higher council employee wages would save the Treasury money, Unison has claimed. New research published by the major union has argued that the government would save half of the cost of the pay rise called for in the 2018 pay claim put to the LGA in May this year. The union has repeatedly called for a 5% pay rise and the real living wage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-overdue-council-pay-rise-to-cost-treasury-just-half-of-original-estimate- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-overdue-council-pay-rise-to-cost-treasury-just-half-of-original-estimate- Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has written to the leaders of 15 local authorities that have failed to produce a Local Plan, as required by the housing white paper. The white paper, 'Fixing our broken housing market', published in February, requires councils to develop a plan to meet their housing needs with their communities, or to work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/justify-your-lack-of-housing-plans-or-face-intervention-javid-tells-15-councils 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/justify-your-lack-of-housing-plans-or-face-intervention-javid-tells-15-councils Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT Nottingham and Derby city councils have been accused of “secret and underhand” plans to expand their boundaries without proper consultation with residents or other authorities. The concerns have come from the leaders of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils, who fear that large areas of both counties could be swallowed up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-attack-city-council-secret-and-underhand-boundary-takeover-plot 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-attack-city-council-secret-and-underhand-boundary-takeover-plot Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT Councils have urged the government to speed up the devolution process and counteract the spread of funding coming from over 70 different centralised sources. The LGA said individual localised funding pots would create much less confusion and allow councils to spend more effectively and promote growth across the UK. Currently, more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-government-must-speed-up-devolution-to-fight-funding-mayhem 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-government-must-speed-up-devolution-to-fight-funding-mayhem Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:00:00 GMT Bath and North East Somerset Council (BNES) announced it needs to make £16m of savings over the next two years due to government funding cuts and rising demand. Its staff have been informed that 15% of the 2,000-strong workforce will lose their jobs by 2020 as part of the cutbacks. The council said it has already made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somerset-council-plans-to-cut-300-jobs-over-next-two-years 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somerset-council-plans-to-cut-300-jobs-over-next-two-years Thu, 16 Nov 2017 11:15:00 GMT The government will reclassify housing associations as private organisations in an attempt to encourage further borrowing and increase housebuilding in the country. Debt related to these bodies – which could be as high as £70bn – will therefore be removed from the government’s balance sheet. Announced today by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-associations-classified-as-private-in-bid-to-fix-markets-many-faults 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-associations-classified-as-private-in-bid-to-fix-markets-many-faults Thu, 16 Nov 2017 10:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has announced a new chief executive, joining the authority from private-sector giant KPMG. Joanna Killian, former Essex County Council chief, will be subject to Full Council approval before taking over the organisation from outgoing boss David McNulty. Leaving her role in Essex in 2015, the new chief executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-giant-government-lead-named-new-surrey-council-ceo 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-giant-government-lead-named-new-surrey-council-ceo Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:45:00 GMT Outdated housing laws are old, with variable enforcement, and in “desperate need” of reform, a report commissioned by influential charity Shelter has concluded. The report, ‘Closing the gaps: Health and safety in the home,’ comes five months after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which killed at least 80 people in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/victorian-housing-laws-in-a-mess-post-grenfell-study-finds 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/victorian-housing-laws-in-a-mess-post-grenfell-study-finds Wed, 15 Nov 2017 16:45:00 GMT London Councils has called for local services to be properly funded in order to “pave the way” for long-term finance reform ahead of next week’s Autumn Budget. By 2020 it is expected that London boroughs will have suffered a 63% real-terms cut in funding since 2010. Yet the capital’s population is growing twice as fast... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/give-us-cash-to-pave-way-for-long-term-finance-reform-councils-say 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/give-us-cash-to-pave-way-for-long-term-finance-reform-councils-say Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:00:00 GMT Plans to redevelop Croydon town centre have been approved by the council and could bring in as many as 7,000 jobs and 1,000 new homes. The £1.4bn proposal for the Whitgift Shopping Centre, put forward by the Croydon Partnership, was unanimously given the green light by London Borough of Croydon’s planning committee last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/croydon-council-approves-major-14bn-town-centre-redevelopment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/croydon-council-approves-major-14bn-town-centre-redevelopment Wed, 15 Nov 2017 12:00:00 GMT The use of bailiffs by local authorities has risen by 14% in two years, new research has shown. The research, by the Money Advice Trust, found that in 2016-17 councils passed over £2.3m debts were passed to bailiffs. The increase in the use of bailiffs comes despite government guidance which states that bailiffs should only be used... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-use-of-bailiffs-jumps-by-14-in-just-two-years 436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-use-of-bailiffs-jumps-by-14-in-just-two-years Wed, 15 Nov 2017 11:15:00 GMT The best way to solve the social care crisis would be by encouraging a single commissioning process whereby local authorities and NHS trusts pool resources and budget. Speaking to PSE during a visit to Manchester, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s outgoing national medical director, said the approach he had seen in the city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-adopt-exemplary-manchester-single-commissioning-process 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-adopt-exemplary-manchester-single-commissioning-process Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT Homes designed to meet the needs of older people are being incorrectly used to house under-65s with disabilities. Figures revealed by the MS Society show that 3,300 people across the country are living in care accommodations without the correct facilities to deal with their needs. In addition, a survey from the disabilities charity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-embarrassed-as-thousands-of-disabled-adults-stuck-in-old-peoples-homes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-embarrassed-as-thousands-of-disabled-adults-stuck-in-old-peoples-homes Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:15:00 GMT The Mayors of London and Greater Manchester have joined forces to call for an end to the police funding crisis. The pair have written to chancellor, Phillip Hammond, urging him to use the coming Autumn Budget to end the real-terms cuts that have hit police budgets since 2010, which they argue jeopardise public safety. Both cities have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayors-implore-chancellor-to-end-worrying-police-cuts-in-budget 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayors-implore-chancellor-to-end-worrying-police-cuts-in-budget Tue, 14 Nov 2017 12:15:00 GMT The Right to Buy (RTB) scheme will “grind to a halt” if local authorities are not given more financial powers in the upcoming Autumn Budget, the LGA has warned. Currently, councils can only keep a third of receipts from homes sold under RTB and are prevented from borrowing to make up the shortfall. Consequently, just one third... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rtb-restrictions-force-councils-to-sell-off-enough-homes-to-house-oxford 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rtb-restrictions-force-councils-to-sell-off-enough-homes-to-house-oxford Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:30:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has put forward proposals to slash funding by £13m in the next year, alongside plans to raise council tax. The council also says that 40 jobs are likely to become redundant, as leaders outlined plans to meet spending targets while maintaining funding on essential services. Proposals are part of a wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-considers-cutting-40-jobs-amid-13m-spending-decrease 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-considers-cutting-40-jobs-amid-13m-spending-decrease Mon, 13 Nov 2017 11:00:00 GMT Now in its second year, the New NHS Alliance (NNHSA) 2017 Excellence in Health Creation Awards is still open for entries. The awards celebrate the work of individuals and organisations that are leading the way in delivering health creating practices. The winners will be announced by heath secretary Jeremy Hunt, at the New NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jeremy-hunt-to-announce-excellence-in-health-creation-awards-winners 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jeremy-hunt-to-announce-excellence-in-health-creation-awards-winners Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT A proportion of disabled people in the UK are struggling to vote in general elections because of a lack of available information and accessibility around polling stations. The Electoral Commission used evidence from people with physical and learning disabilities, as well as those living with mental illness, and discovered that some people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elections-in-uk-becoming-increasingly-inaccessible-to-disabled-people 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elections-in-uk-becoming-increasingly-inaccessible-to-disabled-people Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:00:00 GMT An increase of 1% to National Insurance (NI) contributions could bring in £5bn of funding to help bolster the struggling social care sector. Older people’s charity Independent Age found that a countrywide increase in tax would be the most “progressive and politically achievable” option to help councils fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-insurance-increase-of-1-could-generate-5bn-for-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-insurance-increase-of-1-could-generate-5bn-for-social-care Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:00:00 GMT Advertisement feature Christopher Gallagher, territory manager at SAS, explains how big data can be used by the public sector to find innovative solutions to common problems.  I have been really impressed by the work of Visual.ONS – the team at the Office for National Statistics, who are responsible for exploring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/visualons-how-to-compete-with-the-big-data-aggregators 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/visualons-how-to-compete-with-the-big-data-aggregators Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:15:00 GMT Catherine Bright, Smarter Digital Services (SDS) manager, explains how a partnership of 12 councils across Kent and Surrey are jointly funding a responsive, independent, not-for-profit consultancy to help them to achieve their digital ambitions. We all know the digital landscape has shifted considerably over the last few years. Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-smarter-approach-to-digital-transformation 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-smarter-approach-to-digital-transformation Fri, 10 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Sam Ulyatt, strategic category commercial director at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), on how a new framework can help public sector organisations manage their estates, identify savings and release unwanted assets. The UK’s largest public procurement organisation has announced the award of a commercial framework to reduce the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-on-estates 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-on-estates Fri, 10 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Dundee City Council is leading the way in boosting electric vehicle (EV) uptake in Scotland, writes Rebecca Wallace from the local authority’s fleet team. Dundee is in the midst of an exciting new development in the city. In August, planning permission was granted for three new EV charging hubs. They are to be introduced in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-forward-a-healthier-scotland 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-forward-a-healthier-scotland Fri, 10 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Clare Moore, senior specialist of valuation and disposals at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), explains how public sector bodies looking to streamline their procurement process can benefit from the new Delivery Partner Panel 3 (DPP3). On 31 July, the HCA announced the housing developers and contractors on its DPP3. DPP3 is for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-for-business 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-for-business Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT In an age of austerity, council leaders are always looking to squeeze everything they can from finite budgets. Trafford Council CEO Theresa Grant explains to PSE’s Josh Mines how social value can offer local authorities an innovative new way to deliver services.  Social value is a simple concept that is transforming the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-a-fresh-way-of-approaching-investment 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-a-fresh-way-of-approaching-investment Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT Ceredigion County Council’s energy efficiency project manager, Graeme Lane, offers an insight into maximising the delivery of energy efficiency funding for homes in the region. Identifying an area in need is the first step to qualification for many projects and funding opportunities. Getting to grips with your housing stock data and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-retrofit-in-ceredigion 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-retrofit-in-ceredigion Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:30:00 GMT A massive 92% of local authorities are failing to deliver enough affordable housing for residents, as rents continue to rise. The IPPR, the progressive policy think tank, has demanded more government spending to reach local councils in order to combat the growing housing crisis. In a new report, the organisation shows that there is a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-8-of-councils-deliver-enough-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-8-of-councils-deliver-enough-affordable-housing Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:15:00 GMT The government should give drivers more tools to check whether their vehicle will be subject to certain emissions standards. Concerns follow the announcement by London mayor Sadiq Khan of the toxicity charge and future low-emissions zone, as well as other cities considering the possibility of implementing such policies. Some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dcla-should-provide-drivers-with-a-simple-way-to-check-emissions-councils-say 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dcla-should-provide-drivers-with-a-simple-way-to-check-emissions-councils-say Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:45:00 GMT Heather Henry RN MBA, Queens nurse and chair of the New NHS Alliance looks into the issue of health inequality.  Health inequality is like the many-headed hydra of Greek mythology: no matter how many heads you cut off, the beast of rising illness is still coming to get you. It’s time to reconsider the weapons we use to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-paradigm-for-public-health 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-paradigm-for-public-health Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:15:00 GMT A further £18m will be available to councils across England as part of a wider government project to help alleviate the negative effects of migration. Housing, education and health services are all under increasing pressure from dealing with the introduction of migrant populations into communities. The money will be used... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/migration-fund-offers-latest-18m-payment-to-fund-local-integration 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/migration-fund-offers-latest-18m-payment-to-fund-local-integration Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:00:00 GMT Almost 60p in every pound of council tax could be spent on caring for children and adults by 2020, according to local councils. Figures from the Local Government Association suggest that council budgets are becoming increasingly strained by the rising demand for adult social care and children’s services. In 2010-11 41p of every pound... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-to-cost-60-of-council-tax-by-2020 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-to-cost-60-of-council-tax-by-2020 Fri, 10 Nov 2017 12:15:00 GMT In the past year UK council pension schemes have invested over £16bn on fossil fuels, an increase of £23.5bn since 2015. Despite pressure from sustainability groups and the public the figure is similar to 2016 and represents around 5.5% of overall pension investment. The research was completed by Fossil Free UK – a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/authority-pension-schemes-invested-16bn-on-fossil-fuels-in-2017 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/authority-pension-schemes-invested-16bn-on-fossil-fuels-in-2017 Thu, 09 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has released new plans to begin lowering emissions in the city as part of its clean air project. The ‘Breathe Liverpool’ initiative will involve the installation of 100 electrical car charging points across the city centre in car parks, supermarkets, leisure centres, and on streets. Council figures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breathe-liverpool-initiative-will-see-100-new-car-charging-points-across-city 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breathe-liverpool-initiative-will-see-100-new-car-charging-points-across-city Thu, 09 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT Christchurch Borough Council will hold a local referendum on joining the proposed Dorset unitary authority. The authority has long been opposed to the merger and is launching the postal vote as a direct response to communities secretary Sajid Javid confirming that plans were being discussed. Proposals will see nine councils replaced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-opposed-to-dorset-authority-merger-plans-local-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-opposed-to-dorset-authority-merger-plans-local-referendum Thu, 09 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT Teenagers face a wide variety of serious problems and children’s services are not properly funded to deal with them. Following a report from the Children’s Society, the LGA has urged central government to give more money to local services that support children. Surveys from the charity suggest that as many as 700,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-government-must-close-funding-gap-to-keep-children-safe 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-government-must-close-funding-gap-to-keep-children-safe Wed, 08 Nov 2017 16:30:00 GMT Planned benefit cuts will expose low-income households to the risk of future recessions, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). When the cuts are fully in place, if the falls in earnings that were seen between 2007-08 and 2011-12 were repeated again, the poorest 30% would see their net earnings fall by 53p for every... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-cuts-expose-low-income-families-to-future-recessions 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-cuts-expose-low-income-families-to-future-recessions Wed, 08 Nov 2017 14:15:00 GMT The number of homeless people in Britain has increased by 13,000 in just one year, a report by Shelter has shown. The report, ‘Far from alone: Homelessness in Britain in 2017,’ is an extensive review of issues across the county. The charity analysed official rough-sleeping, temporary accommodation and social services figures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homeless-tragedy-as-more-than-300000-people-on-the-streets 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homeless-tragedy-as-more-than-300000-people-on-the-streets Wed, 08 Nov 2017 14:15:00 GMT Dorset’s plans to create two new unitary authorities have won conditional government approval. Secretary of state for communities and local government, Sajid Javid, has said that he is “minded to” implement the proposals, aimed at improving local government in Dorset. The plans will see nine councils replaced by two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-to-approve-strong-and-prosperous-dorset-council-merger 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-to-approve-strong-and-prosperous-dorset-council-merger Wed, 08 Nov 2017 13:00:00 GMT Two London councils have been warned that court action could be brought against them if they do not reduce the frequency that they publish their internal newspapers. Communities secretary, Sajid Javid, has issued directions to the London Boroughs of Hackney and Waltham Forest, who both publish their newspapers fortnightly, despite a code... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-accused-of-breaking-publicity-rules 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-accused-of-breaking-publicity-rules Tue, 07 Nov 2017 16:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has announced a new proposal for a flexible ICT partnership. The new plans, which could save the council £43m by 2020-21, will go to the council’s cabinet on 14 November. According to the council’s budget, it should deliver savings of £11.5m in 2017/18. The proposal outlines the findings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-ict-partnership-could-save-birmingham-43m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-ict-partnership-could-save-birmingham-43m Tue, 07 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Former Welsh communities secretary and Labour minister, Carl Sargeant, has been found dead this morning. North Wales Police have confirmed that Sargeant was found dead at his home at Connah’s Quay earlier today. Sargeant, 49, this week left his role as Wales’ cabinet secretary for communities and children following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sacked-welsh-communities-secretary-found-dead-at-home 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sacked-welsh-communities-secretary-found-dead-at-home Tue, 07 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT Government debt has continued to grow since the financial crisis, the National Audit Office has today reported. The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) found net liabilities of £1,986bn in 2015-16, of which £1,261bn was debt from borrowing, equating to around £47,000 per UK household. This borrowing has increased by 61%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-debt-rises-to-47000-per-household 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-debt-rises-to-47000-per-household Tue, 07 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT Jane Lumb, head of energy and sustainability policy at Nottingham City Council, discusses a new housing procurement approach being trialled in the region to radically improve the energy efficiency of older homes. There is little doubt that many of Britain’s homes need to improve their energy efficiency. A 2015 study by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-energiesprong-approach 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-energiesprong-approach Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT Cambridgeshire is one of a small number of local authorities leading the way with the development and delivery of an integrated energy strategy, write Sheryl French and Cherie Gregoire from the county council. Cambridgeshire council’s ambitious Corporate Energy Strategy will change the way services are designed. More importantly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-an-integrated-housing-market 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-an-integrated-housing-market Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:00:00 GMT Piali Das Gupta, head of policy at Solace, outlines the unique ways in which councils are addressing the country’s housing shortage, such as via collaborative partnerships or new models of development. For decades, Britain has not been building enough homes to keep up with household growth. Successive governments have introduced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joining-forces-in-the-housing-market 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joining-forces-in-the-housing-market Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:45:00 GMT Rob Ashelford, senior innovation programmes manager at Nesta, describes how councils across the UK can learn from the early successes of collaborative schemes between public and third sector bodies in Wales. From fiscal constraints to growing demand, the public sector faces acute pressures to adapt. Public servants must reimagine the way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trying-something-new 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trying-something-new Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:45:00 GMT Vicky Kingston, strategic director for energy at Local Partnerships, a joint venture between the Treasury and the LGA, considers the role that councils can play in the success and future expansion of the energy sector. Local authorities play a pivotal role in the development of regional energy resilience, lowering household energy bills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harnessing-your-energy-potential 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harnessing-your-energy-potential Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT Alun Davies has been appointed cabinet secretary for local government and public services following a reshuffle prompted by the removal of communities secretary Carl Sargeant. Davies returns to the cabinet for the first time since 2014, when he was removed from the post of environment secretary after putting pressure on staff to reveal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-welsh-local-government-secretary-appointed-amid-carl-sargeant-controversy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-welsh-local-government-secretary-appointed-amid-carl-sargeant-controversy Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT The DCLG has launched a new inquiry on 100% business rate retention after the policy failed to get through the Commons when the general election was called earlier this year. This inquiry will continue from the original study into business rates, reviewing plans to add to council’s responsibilities in return for the retention of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-into-100-business-rate-retention-launched-to-deal-with-2020-uncertainty 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-into-100-business-rate-retention-launched-to-deal-with-2020-uncertainty Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:00:00 GMT Devolution of powers to county councils could help deal with future labour and skills shortages, says the County Councils Network (CCN). A report from think tank Localis, supported by the CCN, suggests that nine out of 10 locations most at risk of a worker crisis are rural county areas. The study puts future problems down to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-councils-should-be-given-greater-powers-to-deal-with-local-labour-shortages 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-councils-should-be-given-greater-powers-to-deal-with-local-labour-shortages Mon, 06 Nov 2017 10:30:00 GMT London authorities will introduce an ‘Ultra-low Emission Zone’ (ULEZ) to replace the recently launched T-charge in 2019. Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that the charge will work in addition to the congestion charge but will be active 24 hours a day all week – not just on weekdays. Money raised through the charge will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-announces-worlds-tightest-emission-charges-for-2019 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-announces-worlds-tightest-emission-charges-for-2019 Mon, 06 Nov 2017 10:00:00 GMT The New NHS Alliance (NNHSA) has announced that health secretary Jeremy Hunt will be a Keynote Speaker at its 2017 Action Summit being held at the Royal College of General Practitioners on 6 December 2017. Hunt joins 25 top-class speakers including those from the housing, local government and emergency service sectors at the event - which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/join-secretary-of-state-jeremy-hunt-to-consider-the-health-and-economic-benefits-of-health-creation- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/join-secretary-of-state-jeremy-hunt-to-consider-the-health-and-economic-benefits-of-health-creation- Mon, 06 Nov 2017 09:30:00 GMT The Welsh cabinet secretary for communities and children has left his role over allegations against his “personal conduct.” Carl Sargeant said he was contacted today by first minister, Carwyn Jones, who told him about the claims. The secretary has stepped down from his position while an investigation takes place, although... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-communities-secretary-quits-role-over-personal-conduct-allegations 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-communities-secretary-quits-role-over-personal-conduct-allegations Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT The government is working to simplify procurement contracts as a reaction to complaints about the process of buying goods and services across the public sector. Proposals involve simplifying the contract terms and focusing on a user-led system built through testing with the CCS and contract users. There will also be a move towards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-simplify-public-sector-buy-and-supply-contacts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-simplify-public-sector-buy-and-supply-contacts Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT One in every 10 council workers are receiving a salary that is below the national living wage according to UNISON. The public workers union has called on the government to increase council funding to a level where every worker can receive a living wage. This news comes ahead of the announcement of a new minimum living wage, expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shocking-figures-reveal-that-one-in-10-council-workers-receive-below-living-wage 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shocking-figures-reveal-that-one-in-10-council-workers-receive-below-living-wage Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:45:00 GMT Councils have warned minsters that reducing housing allowance for renters is likely to drive many people out of their homes and onto the street. Low-income families in the private rented sector would see their benefits stay at the same level despite an 11% increase in rents across England over the past five years. A new survey of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-allowance-freeze-could-see-spike-in-homelessness-among-private-renters 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-allowance-freeze-could-see-spike-in-homelessness-among-private-renters Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:30:00 GMT The government has today launched a compliance scheme to aid social care providers who may have incorrectly underpaid care workers. Employers can opt-in to the scheme to give them up to a year to pay off the wages, but councils say the plan is not enough. The Social Care Compliance Scheme (SCCS) gives providers an extra three months... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dh-announcement-on-sleep-in-shift-pay-for-care-workers-does-not-end-uncertainty 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dh-announcement-on-sleep-in-shift-pay-for-care-workers-does-not-end-uncertainty Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:15:00 GMT Doncaster and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough councils may put the question of devolution in the region to a public vote. The decision to join either the Sheffield City Region or the wider Yorkshire agreement could go to a community poll if the councils agree. The devolution deal in Yorkshire has divided local councils with some opting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-consider-opening-poll-on-south-yorkshire-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-consider-opening-poll-on-south-yorkshire-devo-deal Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:45:00 GMT Spending and control of more than £100bn of key public services – including the NHS – should be devolved to 38 “super councils”, according to new research released today. A report from think tank Reform, has suggested that NHS England be scrapped completely, with control of its services distributed to 38 new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-tank-suggests-handing-100bn-of-public-funding-to-38-super-councils- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-tank-suggests-handing-100bn-of-public-funding-to-38-super-councils- Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:15:00 GMT Child poverty is set to rise across the UK if the government continues with its controversial plans for Universal Credit and benefits. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed that absolute child poverty would increase most in the North East, Wales, Northern Ireland and the West Midlands. Figures come from today’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-benefits-plans-to-force-12-million-more-children-into-poverty-by-end-of-parliament 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-benefits-plans-to-force-12-million-more-children-into-poverty-by-end-of-parliament Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:45:00 GMT Council heads at Caerphilly County Borough Council have received a payout of almost £300,000 following allegations of misconduct. In a Full Council meeting yesterday, it was agreed that deputy chief executive, Nigel Barnett, and head of legal services, Dan Perkins would cease to be employed by the council as of 31 October 2017. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-bosses-receive-300000-pay-out-to-bring-matters-to-close-after-pay-scandal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-bosses-receive-300000-pay-out-to-bring-matters-to-close-after-pay-scandal Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:15:00 GMT With the challenge of Brexit and growing pressures on public services, it is more important than ever that a series of ambitious reforms to the Civil Service modernises the way government works, argues Julian McCrae, deputy director at the Institute for Government (IfG). Government projects fail when key activities – from contract... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-professionalise-whitehall 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-professionalise-whitehall Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Helen Andrews Tipper, senior manager of cities and regions at the Carbon Trust, on why clean energy infrastructure needs better citizen engagement. There are currently more questions than answers about the future of our energy system, but one thing is certain: it will require an unprecedented level of input from stakeholders. Those... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-power 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-power Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:00:00 GMT Margaret Willcox, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), looks ahead at the upcoming Autumn Budget to assess what needs to be done to fix the ailing social care market. Apparently one of the most watched programmes on Channel 4 this year featured a group of young children spending time with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-eyes-on-the-budget 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-eyes-on-the-budget Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT The six metro mayors will meet with Sadiq Khan in London today to discuss plans to increase the pace of regional and city devolution. The group will meet for the first time to argue that cities and metropolitan regions have become the main drivers of economic progress in Britain, despite it being one of the most centralised countries in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-ever-mayoral-meeting-urges-government-to-speed-up-devolution-to-secure-prosperity 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-ever-mayoral-meeting-urges-government-to-speed-up-devolution-to-secure-prosperity Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT In May, Liverpool City Council launched a new not-for-profit energy company to tackle fuel poverty in the region. Here, its cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Cllr Steve Munby, explains why. Fuel poverty has always been an issue in Liverpool, but austerity and the impact of welfare reform mean that some families are really struggling to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leccy-competing-with-the-big-six 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leccy-competing-with-the-big-six Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:45:00 GMT A draft bill that could see letting fees banned and significant fines handed out to agencies that impose extra costs on tenants has been introduced to parliament today. It is hoped that the draft Tenant Fees Bill will help renters by ending costly upfront payments. Tenants are unaware of the true costs of renting a property, with charges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-drafts-bill-to-ban-letting-fees 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-drafts-bill-to-ban-letting-fees Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:30:00 GMT Unreasonable requirements placed on single parents by Universal Credit are driving more to debt and poverty, a charity has warned today. The message follows a report from national charity Gingerbread which argued that the criteria to claim the benefits are often “impossible” for people to fulfil. UC represents the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-placing-impossible-bind-on-single-parents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-placing-impossible-bind-on-single-parents Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:30:00 GMT Councillors in Newtownabbey and Antrim have voted to outsource bin collections, something that unions argue will mean a number of workers being made unemployed. The GMB has argued that this decision will mean 50 jobs being cut by the authority. It has criticised the council for making “so called savings,” by privatising a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-waste-collection-privatisation-to-lead-to-50-job-losses-gmb-claims 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-waste-collection-privatisation-to-lead-to-50-job-losses-gmb-claims Wed, 01 Nov 2017 11:15:00 GMT The government must spend money on sustainable modes of transport if the UK is to tackle the high number of cities with air quality in breach of guidelines. According to a joint study between Lancet Countdown and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) there are 44 cities in the UK in breach of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-sustainable-transport-funding-needed-with-44-cities-above-air-quality-guidelines 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-sustainable-transport-funding-needed-with-44-cities-above-air-quality-guidelines Tue, 31 Oct 2017 17:15:00 GMT Universal credit needs to be relaunched if it is to be successful in the future, a review published today by a leading think tank has argued. The review, by Resolution Foundation, claims that the system is currently at risk of failing those most in need, as it negatively effects the most disadvantaged in society. It expresses concerns at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/experts-call-for-reform-of-not-fit-for-purpose-universal-credit- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/experts-call-for-reform-of-not-fit-for-purpose-universal-credit- Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:00:00 GMT Councils have applauded the government’s decision to review fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) as a move which could protect those vulnerable to gambling addictions. The machines currently allow users to spend up to £100 in one game but new legislation would limit that deposit to somewhere between £2 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fixed-odds-betting-review-will-protect-vulnerable-people-from-harm 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fixed-odds-betting-review-will-protect-vulnerable-people-from-harm Tue, 31 Oct 2017 14:15:00 GMT Local authorities lack the resources to support children services and support young people in need, a survey by the National Children’s Bureau has revealed. The survey of lead members from 101 local authorities found that councillors felt that they were unable to meet their statutory duties to children or support ‘children in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-raise-concern-about-provision-for-children-in-need 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-raise-concern-about-provision-for-children-in-need Tue, 31 Oct 2017 12:30:00 GMT Victims of domestic abuse should be a priority for social housing, guidance published today has stated. The guidance drawn up by the DCLG clarifies that local authorities should prioritise victims of domestic abuse living in safe accommodation, such as a refuge when placing residents into social housing. It also makes it clear that victims... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prioritise-domestic-abuse-victims-government-guidance-says 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prioritise-domestic-abuse-victims-government-guidance-says Mon, 30 Oct 2017 17:15:00 GMT A mass switch to LED streetlights could save councils across the UK over £200m a year, climate charity 10:10 Climate Action has claimed. The charity is urging councils to make the change, saying that this would reduce carbon emissions by 600,000 tonnes a per - the equivalent of removing 400,000 cars from the road. Compared to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-save-over-200m-a-year-by-switching-to-led-streetlights 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-save-over-200m-a-year-by-switching-to-led-streetlights Mon, 30 Oct 2017 17:15:00 GMT Scottish people are to be given a greater say in how council funds are used following a policy agreement between the government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). By 2021, plans will see residents given a choice over £100m of authority spending, or 1% of overall funding. Council leaders, along with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-to-take-democracy-closer-to-the-people-with-participatory-budgeting 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-to-take-democracy-closer-to-the-people-with-participatory-budgeting Mon, 30 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT Derby City Council could employ a new ‘director of corporate resources’ on £155,000 a year despite increasing cuts and many authorities combining roles to save cash. The council recently changed its management structure to save money, but new proposals are based on a review which suggested they need to build capacity at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/derby-could-hire-new-manager-on-155000-despite-senior-level-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/derby-could-hire-new-manager-on-155000-despite-senior-level-changes Mon, 30 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT London’s housing supplies are not equipped to deal with a rapidly rising population, and demand cannot be met while council borrowing is capped, businesses in the capital have today warned. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has recently called on central government to lift the Housing Revenue Account Borrowing cap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-drop-housing-cap-to-support-rising-london-population-businesses-say 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-drop-housing-cap-to-support-rising-london-population-businesses-say Mon, 30 Oct 2017 11:00:00 GMT Councils have called on the government to increase funding to fire services in order to protect elderly people, who are more at risk of an accident. In the last two years there has been a 22% increase in the number of over-65s who have died in in fire-related incidents. Government funding for these services will fall by around 38%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-elderly-people-at-risk-if-fire-service-funding-is-not-increased 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-elderly-people-at-risk-if-fire-service-funding-is-not-increased Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT Lancashire County Council has decided to stop buying from providers who use halal meat that was not stunned while it was slaughtered. The authority chose to take the meat out of circulation for the 27 schools and 12,000 children in the area who currently go to schools which serve halal food. Leader Geoff Driver told the council on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-bans-schools-from-using-abhorrent-non-stunned-halal-meat 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-bans-schools-from-using-abhorrent-non-stunned-halal-meat Fri, 27 Oct 2017 15:45:00 GMT Almost half of people needing care are left waiting for a bed due to systemic failures and disparity in quality across the care home system. Due to a lack of availability in homes, 48% of people who arranged care for themselves or a loved one said there were no places in at least one home they had chosen, according to consumer champion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-homes-reaching-crisis-point-with-lack-of-spaces-and-systemic-failures 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-homes-reaching-crisis-point-with-lack-of-spaces-and-systemic-failures Fri, 27 Oct 2017 14:45:00 GMT Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), and Phil Brennan, head of APSE Energy, discuss the opportunities for councils to invest in property assets for income generation and to develop greener local economies. It surprises many that local authorities are already very active in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bricks-mortar-money 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bricks-mortar-money Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:00:00 GMT Professor Sue Arrowsmith, director of the Public Procurement Research Group at the University of Nottingham and author of a report for the European Parliament on Brexit and procurement, analyses how public procurement is expected to change as we leave the EU. As with so many aspects of Brexit, we simply don’t know yet what its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-procurement-under-brexit 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-procurement-under-brexit Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:00:00 GMT Tom Garrod, chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Digital Innovation and Efficiency Committee, on how the local authority is harnessing the power of technology to improve services for residents and businesses. “I came to Norfolk for the quality of life, but I stayed for the superfast broadband.” OK, to be honest I... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-should-all-expect-a-good-quality-of-digital-life 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-should-all-expect-a-good-quality-of-digital-life Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, provides an update of the several innovative electric vehicle (EV) and chargepoint connection schemes taking place across the country. Month after month, we are seeing record levels of electric car and van registrations, demonstrating that public appetite for plug-in EVs is rapidly growing. Go Ultra Low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exemplars-in-the-electric-car-revolution 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exemplars-in-the-electric-car-revolution Fri, 27 Oct 2017 10:15:00 GMT Young people in England are waiting up to 18 months to receive help for their mental health problems, and are finding it increasingly difficult to access the services they need. These are the findings of the first phase of a government commissioned review of children and young people’s mental health services, which has uncovered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failing-mh-services-leading-children-to-wait-18-months-for-treatment 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failing-mh-services-leading-children-to-wait-18-months-for-treatment Fri, 27 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT Mental health conditions could cost the UK economy as much as £99bn a year and the public sector is well placed to help the issue, research released today has argued. A report – commissioned by the prime minister –  has suggested that 300,000 people with long-term mental health problems lose their job every year.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-to-lead-the-way-in-driving-better-mental-health-in-the-workplace 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-to-lead-the-way-in-driving-better-mental-health-in-the-workplace Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:00:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has accused the government of “dragging its feet” over emergency service terror funding. Officials say there have been 11 attacks in the city since Khan took over – four at Westminster, London Bridge and Borough Market, Finsbury Park and on the London Underground at Parsons Green and a further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-urges-government-to-step-up-on-terror-planning 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-urges-government-to-step-up-on-terror-planning Thu, 26 Oct 2017 10:45:00 GMT Integration of health and social care in Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, is working particularly effectively according to the latest CQC report. The announcement is the second of 20 targeted local system reviews looking specifically at the transition of care for older people in communities and collaboration between local authorities and NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regulator-applauds-mature-partnership-in-second-local-care-system-review 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regulator-applauds-mature-partnership-in-second-local-care-system-review Thu, 26 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT Rented social housing will not be part of the future housing benefit cap after the prime minister announced changes to the controversial policy. Theresa May announced the new plans yesterday in Prime Ministers Questions, saying that the government was reacting to the negative outcry from local authorities and care providers. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-housing-allowance-u-turn-provides-crucial-certainty-for-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-housing-allowance-u-turn-provides-crucial-certainty-for-councils Thu, 26 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT The City of Edinburgh Council has proposed a specialised parking charge for diesel cars. A three-month consultation period will be held on the issue to give residents a chance to put forward their own thoughts. The council argue that diesel cars are more suited to long distance travel and should not be used within city limits. It has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-proposes-diesel-car-parking-charge 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-proposes-diesel-car-parking-charge Wed, 25 Oct 2017 17:00:00 GMT Swindon Borough Council has warned that it could get rid of over 400 jobs in order to account for a lack of funding from central government. The council has called the scheme the ‘Swindon Programme’ and maintains that it is about changing roles and reorganising funds in order to meet responsibilities and run services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swindon-borough-council-considers-axing-400-jobs-to-cover-30m-funding-gap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swindon-borough-council-considers-axing-400-jobs-to-cover-30m-funding-gap Wed, 25 Oct 2017 15:45:00 GMT Social care spending by local authorities has risen in real terms for the first time since 2010, according to an NHS Digital report. England’s annual spending has increased by £556m in the last year despite a minimal change in activity says today’s Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report. Overall expenditure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-spending-sees-05bn-real-term-rise-for-first-time-since-2010 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-spending-sees-05bn-real-term-rise-for-first-time-since-2010 Wed, 25 Oct 2017 13:00:00 GMT Councils are paying their staff excessive mileage allowance payments, according to a report released yesterday. The research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) found that staff are receiving millions more than they should be entitled to. Employees using their own vehicles for business journeys can be reimbursed by their employers to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-drastically-overspending-on-mileage-allowance-payments- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-drastically-overspending-on-mileage-allowance-payments- Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT Devolution, restructuring and widespread service reform: from a journalist’s perspective, it’s never been a more exciting time to report on the public sector. That’s why I could not be more thrilled to be taking over the reins at PSE at this key juncture. There could not be a feature that more perfectly encapsulates this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/take-a-moment-to-celebrate 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/take-a-moment-to-celebrate Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:15:00 GMT Malcolm Harbour CBE, chair of the LGA expert group on innovation in public procurement, reports on the findings and recommendations of their first report. This is the fourth article in a series that began at the end of 2016, driven by the LGA’s National Advisory Group for Local Government Procurement (NAG) initiative to encourage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/encouraging-innovation-in-local-government- 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/encouraging-innovation-in-local-government- Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT Michael Kenny, professor of public policy at the University of Cambridge and the co-director of the British Academy’s ‘Governing England’ programme, considers the impact of Brexit on devolved administrations and combined authorities. Is Brexit likely to result in a new consolidation of power at the heart of the British... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-back-control 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-back-control Wed, 25 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), says counties need extra money in the upcoming Budget if the government is to succeed in tackling major domestic challenges. The lifting of the police pay cap has added to the intrigue surrounding the lead-up to the Autumn Budget, as it signals that the government may begin to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-ease-austerity 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-ease-austerity Wed, 25 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT The controversial Universal Credit (UC) system has forced more families into visiting food banks and has caused rent arrears to soar in its pilot borough. Southwark Council, the first to roll out the scheme, turned to the Smith Institute to create a report on the effects of the new system on tenants. The investigation –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-responsible-for-rising-rent-arrears-and-food-bank-use-pilot-council-warns 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-responsible-for-rising-rent-arrears-and-food-bank-use-pilot-council-warns Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:15:00 GMT Access to walking infrastructure is not a priority for developers building new homes, according to a report by the Local Government Information Unit and the Ramblers. The report, “Building Connected Communities,” found that nine out of 10 councils say that access to a walking infrastructure is important for new development.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/walking-infrastructure-not-a-priority-for-developers-lgiu-argues 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/walking-infrastructure-not-a-priority-for-developers-lgiu-argues Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:15:00 GMT Last week’s Supreme Court decision over foster child abuse in Nottinghamshire could have implications for councils across the country. The court found that the council was “vicariously liable” and will be ordered to pay damages for the physical and sexual abuse suffered by a woman while she was in foster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supreme-court-ruling-could-lead-to-more-claims-against-councils 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supreme-court-ruling-could-lead-to-more-claims-against-councils Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:30:00 GMT Over 50% of Conservative Party councillors surveyed in a recent poll have said that central government funding cuts made it harder for their council to support services for children and young people. Research published by charity Action for Children, questioned 500 councillors from the Conservative Party on how cuts have affected their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-half-of-conservative-councillors-concerned-about-children-service-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-half-of-conservative-councillors-concerned-about-children-service-cuts Mon, 23 Oct 2017 16:30:00 GMT It’s time we take the politics out of devolution to ensure deals are dictated by local need, writes Mike Cherry, national chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). One in three people in England now live in a combined authority (CA) region. Following their election in May, the six CA mayors across the country are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-devolution-revolution-work 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-devolution-revolution-work Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT David Pearson, Nottinghamshire County Council’s corporate director of adult social care and public health and the sustainability and transformation partnership (STP) lead for the region, argues that all bodies in the health and care sector need to learn to walk in each other’s shoes and work together effectively to bring about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/united-we-stand-divided-we-fall 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/united-we-stand-divided-we-fall Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT Ahead of the King’s Fund annual conference in November, Dr Durka Dougall, the organisation’s senior consultant, says the health and care sector now has the chance to join up population health and prevention in order to improve services for those who need them. Relentless headlines paint a formidable yet familiar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-opportunity-to-join-two-agendas 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-opportunity-to-join-two-agendas Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal, dispels the six big myths surrounding social value ahead of the national conference taking place in Birmingham on 14 November. There is no doubt that the Social Value Act 2012 is transforming the relationship between the public sector and business. It is hard to argue against doing more with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bridging-the-gap 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bridging-the-gap Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:15:00 GMT Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer reflects on his first six months in office, from the successes already achieved to the remaining challenges ahead. Being elected as the first mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was a tremendous honour. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is a remarkably productive and beautiful part... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-james-palmer-a-remarkable-chance-to-do-things-differently 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-james-palmer-a-remarkable-chance-to-do-things-differently Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:15:00 GMT In 2016 five million public sector workers were paid less than the equivalent private sector staff, according to figures obtained by the GMB. The figures come from a freedom of information request by the union, which showed that the affected members of staff receive 0.6% less than their counterparts in the private sector. It is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-million-public-sector-workers-paid-less-than-private-sector-counterparts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-million-public-sector-workers-paid-less-than-private-sector-counterparts Mon, 23 Oct 2017 10:45:00 GMT The LGO has criticised the “disproportionate burden” put on the families of children with special educational needs (SEN). In its first 100 investigations into the 2014 Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP), the complaints watchdog found that the transition from the SEN Statement system to the new policy saw some families... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-finds-significant-problems-with-care-for-special-needs-children 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-finds-significant-problems-with-care-for-special-needs-children Mon, 23 Oct 2017 10:15:00 GMT London’s new £10 ‘T-Charge’ has been launched today, in an effort to drive down air pollution in the capital. The fee will be coupled with the pre-existing congestion charge – meaning people driving certain vehicles will be hit with £21.50 cost to drive in the city centre. The new policy will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-introduces-10-toxic-vehicle-charge-to-tackle-london-air-pollution 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-introduces-10-toxic-vehicle-charge-to-tackle-london-air-pollution Mon, 23 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT Nearly a quarter of school children in reception classes in England are overweight – and the figure goes up to almost a third by year six. A study from the NHS Digital’s National Child Measurement Programme found that the prevalence of obesity has increased since 2015-16 for reception, but remained similar in year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obesity-in-schools-continuing-to-rise 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obesity-in-schools-continuing-to-rise Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:15:00 GMT Instances of fly-tipping have reached one million over the past year and the problem is becoming more and more common. Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that there has been a 7% increase in incidents compared to last year. Councils have urged the government to allow more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-hard-hitting-powers-to-tackle-soaring-fly-tipping-rates 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-hard-hitting-powers-to-tackle-soaring-fly-tipping-rates Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:00:00 GMT Local authority smoking cessation services have suffered increasing cuts across the country, a new study has suggested. Charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says it has uncovered a “deeply concerning” decrease in the funding to “life-saving” services in the sector. The report is based on 2014, 2015 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deeply-concerning-cuts-to-local-stop-smoking-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deeply-concerning-cuts-to-local-stop-smoking-services Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is set to award its wholly-owned company a major £7m contract for maintenance of parks and green spaces. A report to the cabinet this week has recommended that the £6.8m annual arrangement is handed to Liverpool Street Scene Services Ltd – currently the operator of refuse, recycling and street... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-takes-back-7m-parks-deal-from-private-firm 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-takes-back-7m-parks-deal-from-private-firm Fri, 20 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT Central government spending props up failing services and does not deal with underlying problems, a new study has suggested. The ‘Performance Tracker’ – published today by the Institute for Government (IfG) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – reported that, amongst other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifg-budget-needs-tough-and-urgent-policies-on-schools-and-social-care 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifg-budget-needs-tough-and-urgent-policies-on-schools-and-social-care Thu, 19 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT County authorities could suffer from a funding gap of £2.5bn by 2021, a new report released today has suggested. Analysis suggests that rising demand across the 37 county councils has contributed to a growing “black hole” between funding and application. The figures – provided by the County Councils Network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-face-mammoth-25bn-funding-black-hole-by-2021 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-face-mammoth-25bn-funding-black-hole-by-2021 Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:15:00 GMT Only six of London’s 33 councils have the appropriate level of cyber protection for emails, it has been revealed. New figures released this week show that a huge majority of local authorities in the capital are at risk of fake online correspondence. The fear is that replying to certain malicious emails, which appear to be from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-six-of-33-london-councils-safe-from-cyber-attacks 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-six-of-33-london-councils-safe-from-cyber-attacks Thu, 19 Oct 2017 09:15:00 GMT The LGA has urged the government to divert more funding into cyber defence and computer infrastructure for local authorities and businesses. Councils say online attacks against businesses have risen by 52% in the last quarter and are predicted to increase even more in the future. The group has urged chancellor Philip Hammond to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-demand-more-cash-to-improve-cyber-security 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-demand-more-cash-to-improve-cyber-security Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:30:00 GMT The LGA says a new report on delayed transfers of care (DTOCs) show that the government must allocate more funds to social care services in the Autumn Budget. An Age UK study found that almost four million bed days have been lost since 2011 due to problems putting patients into community care once they have received hospital treatment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-four-million-lost-bed-days-shows-social-care-reform-must-come-sooner 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-four-million-lost-bed-days-shows-social-care-reform-must-come-sooner Wed, 18 Oct 2017 12:45:00 GMT Westminster has launched a ‘Brexit and Local Government’ inquiry into the effect that leaving the European Union will have on councils. The Communities and Local Government Committee has launched the investigation to decide which of the EU’s current powers could be handed down to local authorities. There is expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-assess-unclear-brexit-impact-on-local-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-assess-unclear-brexit-impact-on-local-government Wed, 18 Oct 2017 10:45:00 GMT A recent study has suggested that the government’s latest plans to cap mental health supported housing provision could come £80 a week short of what is needed. Charity Rethink Mental Illness said that in five out of six case studies of mental health benefits, the proposed plan offered less than the money required for a person... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-shortfall-on-housing-benefit-could-hit-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-shortfall-on-housing-benefit-could-hit-councils Tue, 17 Oct 2017 17:15:00 GMT The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is imploring the government to begin serious work on school budgets. The independent union has sent letters to every single MP setting out four reasons for school funding being at a “breaking point.” The group’s statement deals with the increase in employer pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/naht-urges-westminster-to-confront-school-budget-crisis 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/naht-urges-westminster-to-confront-school-budget-crisis Tue, 17 Oct 2017 17:15:00 GMT A report on public procurement in Wales has found that there is “clear scope for improvement” on how authorities procure services at a national and local level. Last year, Welsh public bodies spent around £6bn on procurement, and the review, written by the Wales Audit Office (WAO), specified a number of key areas where... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/several-notable-procurement-failures-highlighted-by-auditor-in-wales 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/several-notable-procurement-failures-highlighted-by-auditor-in-wales Tue, 17 Oct 2017 13:00:00 GMT Tower Hamlets council has recently confirmed that the former site of a popular gay bar, the Joiners Arms, must include an LGBT+ club for the next 25 years. Many people will be pleased to note that the council voted unanimously to ensure that any demolition of the building would only be approved if a late-night venue was built to replace... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-taking-steps-to-reverse-the-decline-of-lgbt-venues 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-taking-steps-to-reverse-the-decline-of-lgbt-venues Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has submitted a £200m bid to the government seeking funding for public services and greater devolution in the region. The Autumn Budget submission includes calls for a £100m investment in housing for the Leeds City Region which would be used to increase the rate of construction and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-makes-ambitious-but-deliverable-200m-devolution-bid 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-makes-ambitious-but-deliverable-200m-devolution-bid Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT St Helens Council has been ordered to pay £3.5m in equal payment claims by the Employment Tribunal. The case has been ongoing for a number of years, going through the Employment Appeal Tribunal before the council chose not to take proceedings to the Court of Appeal. The recipients of the claims were members of the GMB union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/st-helens-council-pays-out-35m-to-workers-in-equal-payment-claim 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/st-helens-council-pays-out-35m-to-workers-in-equal-payment-claim Mon, 16 Oct 2017 10:45:00 GMT A “quiet revolution” in council housebuilding could see homes built by local authority housing companies (LHCs) deliver up to 15,000 extra homes a year by 2022. In a new report published today by the Smith Institute, it has been revealed that councils are not waiting for the government to give the go-ahead to build new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-housing-companies-driving-quiet-revolution-in-local-building 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-housing-companies-driving-quiet-revolution-in-local-building Mon, 16 Oct 2017 09:45:00 GMT Low-income households are disproportionately affected by rent increases, an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed. The number of people living in private rented accommodation in Britain has more than doubled since the mid-1990s, with 19% of the population renting privately. This increase is more marked in 25- to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-rent-increases-disproportionately-affect-low-income-households 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-rent-increases-disproportionately-affect-low-income-households Fri, 13 Oct 2017 15:45:00 GMT West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has launched an investigation after mistakenly publishing the details of 1,400 vulnerable people online. The data was published as part of the council’s practice of disclosing all spending above £100. However, the identities of carers, foster carers and disabled people under the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-of-1400-vulnerable-people-spilled-online-by-council 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-of-1400-vulnerable-people-spilled-online-by-council Fri, 13 Oct 2017 15:45:00 GMT A £3.8m fund has been handed to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) by prime minster Theresa May to go towards tackling the growing homelessness problem in the area. In a flash visit to Manchester only a week after the Conservative Party conference took place there, the PM held a meeting with metro mayor Andy Burnham to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-38m-to-tackle-gm-homelessness-insignificant-within-whole-system 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-38m-to-tackle-gm-homelessness-insignificant-within-whole-system Fri, 13 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT Councils have revealed that there is a record number of children in care right now, with 90 a day entering the system last year. The LGA says figures show 72,670 children in the care system in 2016/17 compared with 70,440 the year before, representing the biggest annual rise in seven years. The organisation, which represents 370... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-of-children-in-care-climbs-to-record-high-lga-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-of-children-in-care-climbs-to-record-high-lga-warns Thu, 12 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has called for greater powers to be given to city leaders and city regions, arguing that “democracy is at a crossroads.” In a new report released today, the group argues that councils have very little certainty surrounding funding past 2020, and with the government’s business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgiu-moots-mayors-senate-to-drive-city-devolution-agenda 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgiu-moots-mayors-senate-to-drive-city-devolution-agenda Thu, 12 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT A Southwark Council worker who helped one of the 21/7 London terrorists escape the capital has been sacked. Mulumebet Girma was employed as a trainee assistant at the council in 2013, but was removed from her position when her role in the plot, which saw her spend five years in jail, came to the surface. She did declare an unspent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-sacks-employee-who-helped-21-7-terrorist-escape-london 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-sacks-employee-who-helped-21-7-terrorist-escape-london Thu, 12 Oct 2017 09:15:00 GMT Ahead of the King’s Fund Annual Conference (29-30 November) on population health and prevention, Dr Jane Collins, chief executive of Marie Curie, explains why dying well is a public health issue. The idea that how people die can and should be seen as a public health issue is one that might seem strange to many people. After all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dying-well-is-a-public-health-issue 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dying-well-is-a-public-health-issue Thu, 12 Oct 2017 08:45:00 GMT Welsh local authorities will receive £4.2bn to spend on key services in 2018-19, it has been confirmed. Announcing the provisional settlement, Mark Drakeford, local government secretary, explained that his priority is to try to protect councils from the worst of the cuts passed to Wales by the UK Government. The provisional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/key-council-services-to-receive-42bn-boost-in-wales 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/key-council-services-to-receive-42bn-boost-in-wales Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:45:00 GMT Warwickshire County Council has today been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) after it was revealed that the families of foster children were having to fund school transport. The investigation found that foster parents caring for children who attended schools beyond the statutory walking distance had been told... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-scolds-county-council-for-disadvantaging-foster-children-in-area 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-scolds-county-council-for-disadvantaging-foster-children-in-area Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:30:00 GMT A tower block that failed safety tests following the Grenfell Tower tragedy is to be taken over by Slough Borough Council. The council has confirmed that it is to take over the freehold of the building, with detailed negotiations to take place this week. Nova House, a privately-owned residential block in Slough, is a former six-story... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-take-over-building-that-failed-post-grenfell-safety-tests 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-take-over-building-that-failed-post-grenfell-safety-tests Wed, 11 Oct 2017 08:45:00 GMT The government is to challenge society to “explain or change” inequalities experienced by people from different backgrounds, Theresa May has today stated. The new ‘Ethnicity Facts and Figures’ website, launched today, will publish the findings of a ground breaking audit of public services, which was ordered shortly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/society-must-explain-or-change-disparities-amongst-ethnicities-says-may 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/society-must-explain-or-change-disparities-amongst-ethnicities-says-may Tue, 10 Oct 2017 15:15:00 GMT Councils fear that the social care sector faces a ‘perfect storm’ if historic underinvestment continues into the future, the LGA has stated. In response to regulator the CQC’s State of Care report, the LGA has asserted that the research is yet another warning of the precarious state of social care in England. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-predicts-perfect-storm-for-social-care-following-cqc-report 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-predicts-perfect-storm-for-social-care-following-cqc-report Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:45:00 GMT A former local government leader has been appointed NHS England’s new national learning disability director. Ray James, the former national president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and long-standing executive director of health housing and adult social care at the London Borough of Enfield has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-local-government-leader-appointed-as-nhs-england-director 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-local-government-leader-appointed-as-nhs-england-director Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:15:00 GMT The ‘One Yorkshire’ full county devolution deal will not be considered by DCLG, despite the breakdown of the South Yorkshire deal last month. Ahead of Keighley MP John Grogan debating the possibility of the deal in Parliament tomorrow, a statement from DCLG suggested that the government was “absolutely clear” that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-absolutely-clear-that-pan-yorkshire-devo-deal-will-not-be-considered 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-absolutely-clear-that-pan-yorkshire-devo-deal-will-not-be-considered Mon, 09 Oct 2017 11:45:00 GMT The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) says successive governments’ failure to sustainably fund social care is leaving millions of people at risk of losing support. The warning comes as part of a report by the national body, which represents not-for-profit disability support providers, suggesting that social care has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-provide-strong-sustainable-plan-for-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-provide-strong-sustainable-plan-for-social-care Mon, 09 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT Sarah Fraser, head of Willmott Dixon Foundation, outlines the benefits of a strong commitment to social value when it comes to working with public sector organisations and leveraging greater value from contractors. A couple of years ago, one of my colleagues spoke at a social value event. She concluded her presentation with some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/purpose-with-profit-a-contractors-perspective-of-social-value 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/purpose-with-profit-a-contractors-perspective-of-social-value Mon, 09 Oct 2017 10:45:00 GMT One of the UK’s largest public sector unions has launched a consultative ballot to find the views of its members on whether to take industrial action over the government’s controversial 1% pay cap. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union’s ballot, which will run until 6 November, is asking members to give their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-to-ballot-members-over-striking-against-public-pay-cap 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-to-ballot-members-over-striking-against-public-pay-cap Mon, 09 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT The secretary of state for exiting the European Union, David Davis, has met with the three metro mayors of the northern combined authorities accompanied by minister Steve Baker, who will lead on future engagement with the regions during negotiations with the EU. The meeting in York gave them the opportunity to discuss future trading... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-mayors-fear-london-centric-brexit-despite-constructive-meeting 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-mayors-fear-london-centric-brexit-despite-constructive-meeting Mon, 09 Oct 2017 08:45:00 GMT The National Cyber Security Centre has released a report (NCSC) detailing its achievements over the last 12 months and how it works to protect against cyber-attacks. With more devices connected to the internet than there are people, there is an ever-increasing cyber security threat. The NCSC has brought together MI5 and GCHQ to operate as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/590-significant-cyber-threats-in-last-year 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/590-significant-cyber-threats-in-last-year Fri, 06 Oct 2017 12:15:00 GMT Prime minister Theresa May has announced plans to invest an additional £2bn into affordable housing. Speaking during the last day of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, May pledged to invest a total of almost £9bn into affordable housing, building homes for social rent in parts of the country where the need is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-is-on-its-way-as-may-pledges-2bn-for-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-is-on-its-way-as-may-pledges-2bn-for-affordable-housing Thu, 05 Oct 2017 08:00:00 GMT Newcastle has become the latest council to sign up to the Citizen’s Advice Council Tax Protocol, pledging to collect debt in a fair and responsible manner. Local authorities have a legal obligation to collect council tax, but each year scores of families struggle to pay. The protocol, developed by Citizen’s Advice, debt advice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-latest-to-adopt-moral-duty-council-tax-protocol 436,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-latest-to-adopt-moral-duty-council-tax-protocol Wed, 04 Oct 2017 15:30:00 GMT The Welsh Government has announced a progressive tax regime which it argues will support first-time buyers in stepping onto the property ladder. The new rates and bands, which are Wales’ first taxes in almost 800 years, will be introduced at the start of the new tax year. Land transaction tax (LTT) will replace stamp duty, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-welsh-tax-in-800-years-gives-first-time-buyers-a-leg-up 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-welsh-tax-in-800-years-gives-first-time-buyers-a-leg-up Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:00:00 GMT The Scottish Government has announced an effective ban on fracking following “overwhelming public support.” The announcement that the Scottish Government will not support the development of unconventional oil and gas in Scotland comes following a four-month public consultation, which received over 60,000 responses. Almost all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-government-takes-decisive-action-to-ban-fracking 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-government-takes-decisive-action-to-ban-fracking Wed, 04 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT Norfolk County Council has today outlined how it will restructure to “meet its challenges” by closing off little-used council buildings and move services where they are most needed. In order to meet tight financial targets, the authority said it would be targeting services that residents need the most, but would cut down... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cc-looks-to-bring-services-into-fewer-buildings-to-find-125m-savings 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cc-looks-to-bring-services-into-fewer-buildings-to-find-125m-savings Tue, 03 Oct 2017 15:30:00 GMT The government has been slammed this week for its decision to go forward with the roll-out of Universal Credit, which critics argue is leading to many vulnerable people in England being unable to pay their bills. Speaking at the Conservative conference yesterday, work and pensions secretary David Gauke said he would give cash advances to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/critics-slam-decision-to-press-ahead-with-roll-out-of-failing-uc-scheme 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/critics-slam-decision-to-press-ahead-with-roll-out-of-failing-uc-scheme Tue, 03 Oct 2017 14:30:00 GMT A combined authority has welcomed chancellor Philip Hammond’s announcement of a £400m injection for northern transport, but argued that funding will have to run into the billions to have a strong impact. Leaders of authorities in the north have recently criticised the government for failing to give the region suitable funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-400m-for-northern-transport-a-helpful-start-but-must-go-further 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-400m-for-northern-transport-a-helpful-start-but-must-go-further Tue, 03 Oct 2017 12:15:00 GMT Prime minister Theresa May has promised an additional £10bn to support the Help to Buy scheme in order to let another 135,000 people get on the housing ladder. May announced the cash on BBC’s Andrew Marr show as the Tory Party conference kicked off in Manchester, adding that details about where the money would come from would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mays-10bn-help-to-buy-revival-like-throwing-petrol-on-a-bonfire- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mays-10bn-help-to-buy-revival-like-throwing-petrol-on-a-bonfire- Mon, 02 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT Greater restrictions are needed on gambling advertising on both TV and social media to curb the risk of young people being negatively affected, councils have warned. A statement from the LGA warned that huge rises in gambling advertising, including during sports events also watched by children, is leading to more young people falling into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-urgently-restrict-gambling-advertising-councils-argue 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-urgently-restrict-gambling-advertising-councils-argue Mon, 02 Oct 2017 10:00:00 GMT Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer has this week written to the LEP in his area suggesting a new model of local governance that would bring the organisation under a “single umbrella” with the combined authority (CA). In a letter to the Greater Cambridgeshire Greater Peterborough LEP (GCGP), Palmer warned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-looks-to-bring-unfit-lep-under-combined-authority-single-umbrella- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-looks-to-bring-unfit-lep-under-combined-authority-single-umbrella- Mon, 02 Oct 2017 09:30:00 GMT The average house price in England is now almost eight times the average salary, the LGA has warned. According to government figures, house prices have risen by a fifth in 10 years. In 2000 the average house price was 3.96 times the average income, whereas last year it had climbed to 7.72 times the average wage. In the south east... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-home-ownership-unrealistic-dream-as-prices-rise-to-8-times-income 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-home-ownership-unrealistic-dream-as-prices-rise-to-8-times-income Fri, 29 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT Officers at Ryedale District Council are working on a business case that will look at the possibility of sharing a site with other organisations as part of a long-term ambition to create a new shared public services and voluntary sector hub. The estates reform would make it easier for organisations to work collaborative and deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-moots-co-location-idea-in-bid-to-work-together-more-efficiently 441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-moots-co-location-idea-in-bid-to-work-together-more-efficiently Fri, 29 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT Business rates retention could leave counties worse off rather than make them more financially self-sufficient, with the funding gap widening over time and threatening to reach £700m by 2029 – on top of any existing gap at that point. The findings come as part of independent analysis commissioned by the County Councils Network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-options-needed-as-rates-retention-to-leave-counties-worse-off 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-options-needed-as-rates-retention-to-leave-counties-worse-off Fri, 29 Sep 2017 10:30:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has decided to terminate its contract with the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) – the body responsible for the Grenfell Tower building. At a council meeting last night, the authority voted unanimously to end the arrangement, following accusations that it had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-council-ends-contract-with-tmo 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-and-chelsea-council-ends-contract-with-tmo Thu, 28 Sep 2017 11:00:00 GMT London Councils has warned that increasing demand from residents and inadequate funding from central government have led to an increasing number of services being placed on the critical list. Ahead of the Autumn Statement later this year, the organisation has warned of the threats that a lack of funding will pose to already struggling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fix-broken-funding-system-to-plug-15bn-gap-london-councils-say 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fix-broken-funding-system-to-plug-15bn-gap-london-councils-say Thu, 28 Sep 2017 10:15:00 GMT The government has published a consultation on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) setting out terms for voluntary exit and voluntary redundancy which are less generous than those that were quashed by a court ruling in August. The new consultation proposes a maximum salary of £80,000 on which an exit payment can be based... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-civil-service-exit-pay-plans-remove-hard-won-protections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-civil-service-exit-pay-plans-remove-hard-won-protections Thu, 28 Sep 2017 10:00:00 GMT Drivers from outside the UK have racked up over £1m in parking fines over the past year in Westminster, the city council has today revealed. French drivers were by far the worst offenders, clocking in £356,000 in fines last financial year, with people from Qatar coming in second at £191,105. Motorists from France also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drivers-from-abroad-rack-up-1m-in-unpaid-council-parking-fines 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drivers-from-abroad-rack-up-1m-in-unpaid-council-parking-fines Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Councils have today called on the government to plug its funding gap of £5.8bn by 2019-20 by providing funding to keep services which are “at tipping point.” In its submission for the Autumn Budget, the LGA argued that the government would urgently need to reverse 10 years’ worth of underfunding that had seen core... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-challenge-government-to-plug-6bn-gap-by-2019-20 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-challenge-government-to-plug-6bn-gap-by-2019-20 Thu, 28 Sep 2017 08:30:00 GMT Bradford Council has been told to review more than 500 benefit applications after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) found delays in the authority’s process. The Ombudsman unearthed the problem after an investigation into a single complaint sent to Bradford Metropolitan District Council over how long it was taking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bradford-told-to-review-over-500-benefit-appeals-by-lgo 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bradford-told-to-review-over-500-benefit-appeals-by-lgo Wed, 27 Sep 2017 14:45:00 GMT A former Leicester City Council employee has been prosecuted and fined for unlawfully obtaining sensitive data of vulnerable people while working at the authority. In its report, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that Nilesh Morar took sensitive information about users of the council’s adult social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ex-leicester-council-employee-prosecuted-for-illegally-taking-sensitive-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ex-leicester-council-employee-prosecuted-for-illegally-taking-sensitive-data Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:45:00 GMT Councillors will vote tomorrow on proposed plans for a management restructure of South Ribble Borough Council. The exact plans have not yet been revealed, but the authority has said that it could mean savings of over £400,000 a year and will see the development of further shared services between the council and its neighbor, Chorley... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-vote-on-restructure-that-could-save-400k-a-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-vote-on-restructure-that-could-save-400k-a-year Tue, 26 Sep 2017 15:00:00 GMT Fire Door Safety Week has kicked off with the release of information revealing that since the Grenfell disaster only 10% of social landlords have been in direct contact with their tenants to discuss fire safety measures. In total, 40% of renters have said that their escape routes are not clear, and 39% reported that they had seen fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-all-council-landlords-silent-after-grenfell-tragedy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-all-council-landlords-silent-after-grenfell-tragedy Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:00:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has issued a best practice research guide saying that a close relationship between local authorities and housing associations is essential in order to meet the country’s stark housing need. ‘Building Bridges’ explores the tensions between the two groups, such as day-to-day cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-together-key-to-affordable-housing-crisis-solution-guide-says 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-together-key-to-affordable-housing-crisis-solution-guide-says Tue, 26 Sep 2017 12:30:00 GMT The GMB has criticised the government’s choice to defer the decision of ending the public sector pay cap until the Autumn Budget on 22 November, arguing that this is “too long to wait”. The pay cap has already seen public sector workers miss out on £9,000 in below-inflation pay increases since 2010. The union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/november-too-late-for-pay-cap-decision-gmb-says 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/november-too-late-for-pay-cap-decision-gmb-says Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT Few will disagree with the statement that the current landscape of local government is one that has been shaped by seven years of Tory influence. Harsh austerity measures have seen pressures on council-run services, as well as the NHS, mount sharply as demand increases. The resurgence of the Labour Party in June’s snap election... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-would-local-government-look-under-a-labour-government- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-would-local-government-look-under-a-labour-government- Mon, 25 Sep 2017 11:15:00 GMT Councils have this week declared that outdated taxi laws need to be urgently reformed following Transport for London’s (TfL’s) decision to revoke taxi giant Uber’s trading license in the capital. TfL made the decision amidst concerns about the safety of cabs working for Uber, as well as questions over the ‘gig... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-tfl-uber-decision-shows-need-for-urgent-reform-of-outdated-taxi-laws 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-tfl-uber-decision-shows-need-for-urgent-reform-of-outdated-taxi-laws Mon, 25 Sep 2017 10:30:00 GMT District councils have today called on government to allow them to raise council tax by 2% to invest in prevention measures aimed at easing pressure on health and social care services. Ahead of Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has said that authorities need the ‘prevention... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/districts-ask-to-increase-council-tax-by-2-to-invest-in-prevention 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/districts-ask-to-increase-council-tax-by-2-to-invest-in-prevention Mon, 25 Sep 2017 10:00:00 GMT Councils are failing to meet their obligations to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care as set out in the Care Act 2014. New research published by the Red Cross called ‘Prevention in Action 2017’ has found that although there are positive examples of change on a local level, this is not happening at the pace and scale to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-falling-short-of-preventive-care-obligations- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-falling-short-of-preventive-care-obligations- Fri, 22 Sep 2017 15:30:00 GMT Cheshire East Council is to be investigated by police following allegations that air quality data collected by the local authority had been deliberately altered.   Back in August, the organisation apologised after incorrect statistics about air quality in the area had been submitted to Defra and admitted that there had been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-faces-police-probe-over-tampering-of-air-quality-data 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-faces-police-probe-over-tampering-of-air-quality-data Fri, 22 Sep 2017 12:30:00 GMT Significant concern has been raised about the progress of sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) today as new research found that almost none of the footprints are achieving joint working between local government and health organisations.  The survey, conducted by CIPFA and iMPOWER, asked organisations involved with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-all-stp-bodies-reporting-poor-joint-working 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-all-stp-bodies-reporting-poor-joint-working Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:15:00 GMT Strikes by refuse workers in Birmingham have this week been called off after the union won an important High Court ruling. Unite has called off the strike as a judge granted an interim injunction to stop Birmingham City Council handing redundancy notices to striking workers. Union members had been striking for three hours on a daily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-bin-strikes-called-off-following-key-high-court-ruling 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-bin-strikes-called-off-following-key-high-court-ruling Thu, 21 Sep 2017 10:30:00 GMT The public sector will face major recruitment and retention issues if pay restraints, which are pushing wages to historically low levels, are continued by the government, experts have today warned. Publishing a report making the case for the public sector pay cap to be eased out by the government, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-public-sector-faces-recruitment-chaos-if-pay-cap-is-not-dropped 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-public-sector-faces-recruitment-chaos-if-pay-cap-is-not-dropped Thu, 21 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Essex County Council has officially been appointed to make major improvements in the children’s social care services at Worcestershire County Council. At the start of the year, an Ofsted report rated the services for both looked-after children and those needing help and protection as ‘inadequate’ for the second year in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/essex-cc-called-in-to-fix-inadequate-worcestershire-care-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/essex-cc-called-in-to-fix-inadequate-worcestershire-care-services Thu, 21 Sep 2017 09:30:00 GMT A wide-ranging, top-to-bottom green paper on social housing is to be brought forward by the government, Sajid Javid has this week announced. Speaking at the National Housing Federation conference yesterday, the communities secretary vowed to return to a time “when social housing was valued” through the completion of the green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fundamental-rethink-on-social-housing-needed-as-javid-brings-forward-green-paper 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fundamental-rethink-on-social-housing-needed-as-javid-brings-forward-green-paper Wed, 20 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT The government must improve its system for valuing the costs and benefits of its infrastructure to improve the delivery of key projects, experts have today revealed.   In a report called, ‘How to value infrastructure: Improving cost benefit analysis’, the Institute for Government (IfG) makes the case for the government to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-benefit-analysis-of-government-infrastructure-misused-and-poorly-communicated- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-benefit-analysis-of-government-infrastructure-misused-and-poorly-communicated- Wed, 20 Sep 2017 12:45:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s improvement panel is to stay at the city, despite the authority telling the DCLG that it no longer required its services last month. The council had previously written to Sajid Javid to recommed that the panel, who were called in to drive forward with major financial improvements at the cash-strapped and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-recalls-improvement-panel-following-serious-setbacks- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-recalls-improvement-panel-following-serious-setbacks- Wed, 20 Sep 2017 11:30:00 GMT New rules have been announced this week by local government minister Marcus Jones to stop people convicted of serious crimes from being able to serve on local councils. DCLG said that the changes are being brought in to ensure “those who represent their communities are held to the highest possible standards”. At the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rules-brought-in-to-prevent-convicted-criminals-serving-in-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rules-brought-in-to-prevent-convicted-criminals-serving-in-councils Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has this week suspended its chief executive Ged Fitzgerald, the authority has announced. Back in May Fitzgerald “stepped aside” from his role due to financial irregularities into a £5m contract for services that he was a part of whilst working at Lancashire CC. But following a council meeting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-ceo-ged-fitzgerald-suspended-by-city-council- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-ceo-ged-fitzgerald-suspended-by-city-council- Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:45:00 GMT South Yorkshire’s devolution deal took a serious knock today after a statement from the Sheffield City Region (SCR) revealed that two councils, Barnsley and Doncaster MBC, have refused to back the plans. Though there has not yet been any official confirmation that the authorities have dropped out of the deal, a statement from SCR... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-devolution-in-doubt-as-councils-clash-over-next-steps 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-devolution-in-doubt-as-councils-clash-over-next-steps Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT Mandatory voter ID checks will be piloted across five areas in England next year, it was revealed over the weekend. The move has been taken to crack down on electoral fraud through voter impersonation, which has more than doubled between 2014 and 2016. Woking, Gosport, Bromley, Watford and Slough have volunteered to take part in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voter-id-checks-to-be-trialled-in-five-english-areas-next-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voter-id-checks-to-be-trialled-in-five-english-areas-next-year Mon, 18 Sep 2017 11:00:00 GMT Councils have this week criticised the government’s new funding system for schools, which they argue is “not sustainable in the long term”. It follows the Department for Education (DfE) announcing new measures to “put an end to the historic postcode lottery” for schools funding by ensuring that money is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-funding-system-for-schools-not-sustainable-in-long-term- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-funding-system-for-schools-not-sustainable-in-long-term- Mon, 18 Sep 2017 10:00:00 GMT Five years on from the introduction of the Social Value Act, Alison Ramsey, frameworks co-ordinator at Scape Procure, reflects on the key questions that prompted the legislation’s introduction. The Social Value Act was an important landmark. It decisively addressed the need for major public projects led by all public bodies to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-do-we-deliver-true-social-and-economic-value-for-the-community 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-do-we-deliver-true-social-and-economic-value-for-the-community Mon, 18 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Workers at a job centre in Sheffield have today stepped up their action against their employer with another week of strikes starting today. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will walk out to protest the closure of the Eastern Avenue job centre, which they argue is a vital service for unemployed, sick and disabled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-urges-rethink-on-job-centre-closure-plans-with-further-strike-action 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-urges-rethink-on-job-centre-closure-plans-with-further-strike-action Mon, 18 Sep 2017 09:15:00 GMT The entirely male cabinet at the Liverpool City Region (LCR) have this week been urged to give up their seats by the Women’s Leadership Group (WLG) in a drive towards a more gender inclusive authority. Writing in an open letter, the WLG argued that it was “appalled” that the new LCR cabinet was made up entirely of men... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/male-lcr-cabinet-urged-to-give-up-their-seats-for-female-nominees 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/male-lcr-cabinet-urged-to-give-up-their-seats-for-female-nominees Fri, 15 Sep 2017 15:00:00 GMT Councils leaders have today criticised the government for setting “last minute, unrealistic and unachievable targets” for reducing delayed transfers of care (DTOC). New figures from NHS England for July and August showed that DTOCs had actually gone down from 184,578 in July 2016 to 181,692. This amounts to a daily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-dtoc-reduction-targets-counterproductive-to-easing-pressure-on-nhs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-dtoc-reduction-targets-counterproductive-to-easing-pressure-on-nhs Fri, 15 Sep 2017 14:15:00 GMT The DCLG has this week launched a consultation on a new way of assessing housing need to ensure local areas are given the appropriate funding to drive housebuilding. The measures will mean that more homes are built in areas where it is unaffordable, based on average earnings in the area. It would also, according to the government, boost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-sceptical-of-major-dclg-reform-to-assess-housing-need- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-sceptical-of-major-dclg-reform-to-assess-housing-need- Fri, 15 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT The major devolution deal set for the Sheffield City Region (SCR) should move forward by undertaking a public consultation to be launched next week, it has been argued. Releasing its delayed update on the deal, the combined authority (CA) said that a consultation should be launched on 20 September and last for six weeks until 31 October... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stalled-sheffield-devolution-to-move-forward-with-public-consultation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stalled-sheffield-devolution-to-move-forward-with-public-consultation Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:15:00 GMT Children are having to fall deeper into crisis before they are offered any help from local services, a survey of social workers released this week has shown. The research, conducted by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC), surveyed 1,600 social workers in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-slipping-deeper-into-crisis-before-being-offered-help 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-slipping-deeper-into-crisis-before-being-offered-help Thu, 14 Sep 2017 10:15:00 GMT Councils have this week expressed serious concern that they will not be able to maintain high service quality under the current rate of budget cuts from central government. Research conducted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) looked at surveys from the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) and PwC to get a clear picture of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-raise-service-quality-concerns-as-budget-pressures-start-to-bite 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-raise-service-quality-concerns-as-budget-pressures-start-to-bite Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:30:00 GMT Blackpool Council has today announced that it has struck a £4.25m deal to buy back the airport site, bringing the land back into public ownership for the first time in 13 years. Previously, the authority had sold the site for £13m in 2004, but now previous owners Balfour Beatty will hand over the rights to operating company... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackpool-council-takes-back-control-of-airport-in-4m-buy-out 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackpool-council-takes-back-control-of-airport-in-4m-buy-out Wed, 13 Sep 2017 15:45:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has this week confirmed that a further five functions will return to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council following significant progress made by the authority. Earlier in the year, Javid stated his intention to return powers including community safety and waste collection back to the council. He has now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-strides-forward-being-made-in-rotherham-as-javid-returns-more-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-strides-forward-being-made-in-rotherham-as-javid-returns-more-powers Wed, 13 Sep 2017 12:30:00 GMT The government has failed to evaluate the full extent of how its welfare reforms will impact on homelessness, a new report released by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. In the study, the DCLG was also slammed for failing to publish a cross-government strategy to prevent and tackle homelessness, although it did say that it had now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-slammed-for-light-touch-approach-to-tackling-homelessness 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-slammed-for-light-touch-approach-to-tackling-homelessness Wed, 13 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT The government has today confirmed that it will lift the 1% public sector pay cap for rank and file police officers in 2017-2018. It will also lift the pay cap for the wider public sector over the next year. Police officers will be given a pay award worth a total of 2% to each officer in 2017 and 2018. The award will consist of a 1%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lifting-of-pay-cap-for-police-officers-will-satisfy-no-one- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lifting-of-pay-cap-for-police-officers-will-satisfy-no-one- Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:00:00 GMT The leader of a Scottish council has been cleared of corruption charges in what he described was a “failed smear attempt” and a waste of police time. Cllr Jim Logue, who heads North Lanarkshire Council, was cleared of any wrongdoing as part of a Police Scotland investigation into allegations of corruption in council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leader-cleared-of-corruption-charges-by-police 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leader-cleared-of-corruption-charges-by-police Tue, 12 Sep 2017 12:15:00 GMT Cllr John Clancy has decided to resign as leader of Birmingham City Council and head of the city’s Labour group with immediate effect amidst what he called endless “frenzied media speculation” about the city’s ongoing waste staff row. In a shocking statement, the leader, who has been in place since December 2015... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-leader-resigns-over-ongoing-bin-staff-dispute 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-leader-resigns-over-ongoing-bin-staff-dispute Tue, 12 Sep 2017 11:00:00 GMT Just eight social housing buildings in England that are over 18 metres tall have passed a key safety cladding systems test – in contrast with the stark 165 towers that were deemed not to comply with proper fire regulations. In a statement to Parliament, communities secretary Sajid Javid said the Building Research Establishment (BRE)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-eight-council-housing-buildings-pass-key-fire-safety-tests 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-eight-council-housing-buildings-pass-key-fire-safety-tests Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:45:00 GMT Birmingham City Council will tap into an innovative contractor system to deliver 107 new homes for social rent on small sites such as redundant garages and former pubs in what the authority promises to be “a win for the economy”. During a meeting tomorrow, the city council’s cabinet is expected to approve the two-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-to-build-100-social-homes-on-former-pubs-and-garages 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-to-build-100-social-homes-on-former-pubs-and-garages Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:15:00 GMT A Basildon councillor has been left frustrated at the failure of communities secretary Sajid Javid to respond to a letter concerning council finances sent to him 10 weeks ago. Cllr Gavin Callaghan, the authority’s Policy and Resources Committee chairman, sent the letter to the DCLG in July and followed up on the request on 16 August... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-slams-javid-for-empty-rhetoric-and-radio-silence-on-council-finances 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-slams-javid-for-empty-rhetoric-and-radio-silence-on-council-finances Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Advertisement Feature: Christopher Gallagher, Public Sector – SAS, reveals the key to building richer pictures of society and the economy faster, more accurately and at a lower cost. As someone who is passionate about the role data plays in society, I fully understand the importance of the role the Census plays for England and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-the-census-meaningful-again 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-the-census-meaningful-again Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:15:00 GMT The government has today been slammed for “lacking ambition” in driving gender equality in Whitehall, as Downing Street rejected six proposals to improve women’s representation in the Commons and local government. The Women and Equalities Committee suggested the proposals in January, which included setting a domestic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-lacks-ambition-to-fix-gender-imbalance-as-six-proposals-rejected 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-lacks-ambition-to-fix-gender-imbalance-as-six-proposals-rejected Fri, 08 Sep 2017 12:30:00 GMT A London borough council has been sharply criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) after two brothers with learning difficulties saw care and support packages removed without their mother being told why. The Ombudsman’s investigation of Lewisham Council found that their mother was not involved sufficiently with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-criticised-for-poor-handling-of-childrens-complaint 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-criticised-for-poor-handling-of-childrens-complaint Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:15:00 GMT Two top officials at Cheshire East Council (CEC) will remain suspended from their duties following allegations of misconduct. Mike Suarez, CEO of the local authority, was suspended in April, while Bill Norman, the council’s director of legal services and monitoring officer, was relieved of his duties in July. During that time... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-officials-remain-suspended-over-officer-conduct- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-officials-remain-suspended-over-officer-conduct- Fri, 08 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Public sector organisations have been encouraged to save millions on the cost of specialist IT expertise by buying through a new Crown Commercial Service (CCS) procurement framework. The CCS has also confirmed that it has this week awarded its new Technology Services 2 framework, with SMEs representing more than 60% of the total numbers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-it-procurement-framework-aims-to-save-public-sector-180m- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-it-procurement-framework-aims-to-save-public-sector-180m- Thu, 07 Sep 2017 10:45:00 GMT A number of key government projects, including Universal Credit and the Intercity West Coast franchise competition, failed due to a lack of professionalism from civil servants, experts have today argued. The Institute for Government (IfG) report, called ‘Professionalising Whitehall’, also argued that the government must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-civil-service-professionalism-leading-to-major-project-failures- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-civil-service-professionalism-leading-to-major-project-failures- Thu, 07 Sep 2017 10:15:00 GMT A major council in the north has this week announced that it is considering pushing for £45m worth of savings to keep its fragile financial position afloat in the future. Lancashire County Council will hold a cabinet meeting next week to work out where the savings will come from through a “detailed review of service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-forced-to-slash-45m-to-fix-extremely-challenging-finances 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-forced-to-slash-45m-to-fix-extremely-challenging-finances Thu, 07 Sep 2017 09:30:00 GMT A major union has today announced that it will ballot its public sector members nationwide over potential strike action to push for breaking the much-maligned cap on salaries. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) has taken the decision to ballot its members to gauge willingness to take part in industrial action against the pay cap and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-announces-nationwide-public-sector-strike-ballot-over-pay-cap-row 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-announces-nationwide-public-sector-strike-ballot-over-pay-cap-row Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:45:00 GMT Residents are increasingly paying additional fees for council-run services that are already funded through tax, a leading think tank has today stated. The research gathered by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA), which analysed 22 services, found that as a proportion of their total service expenditure, councils’ total sales, fees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/additional-fees-for-council-services-on-the-rise-think-tank-finds 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/additional-fees-for-council-services-on-the-rise-think-tank-finds Wed, 06 Sep 2017 12:15:00 GMT Further devolution to Yorkshire could be on the table and considered by the government, but only after the delayed Sheffield City Region (SCR) deal has been concluded, PSE has been told. Earlier this week, a consortium of leaders in the county pledged their colours to pursuing a pan-Yorkshire devolution deal, including two members of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-further-yorkshire-devolution-on-table-but-must-follow-scr-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-further-yorkshire-devolution-on-table-but-must-follow-scr-deal Wed, 06 Sep 2017 09:30:00 GMT The government has intervened and taken over Croydon’s children’s services after an Ofsted report revealed “widespread and serious failures” that have left some at risk of “significant harm”. Following the publication of the damning report, the Department for Education (DfE) issued a direction to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-takes-over-croydon-childrens-services-after-serious-failures- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-takes-over-croydon-childrens-services-after-serious-failures- Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:45:00 GMT The FDA union has called on the government to take “concrete action” to end the controversial public sector pay cap after senior Whitehall sources hinted at the possibility of the policy being dropped. This week, national press cited anonymous senior sources that claimed key departments were at odds over plans to lift the cap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concrete-action-better-than-unnamed-promises-over-public-sector-pay-lift 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concrete-action-better-than-unnamed-promises-over-public-sector-pay-lift Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:30:00 GMT Dermot Ryan, programme director at NHS Digital for the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), talks to PSE about the importance of moving to the new supplier framework and outlines the next steps in the migration process. Achieving a truly digital health and social care system is a huge challenge. It’s not only about encouraging NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-quiet-revolution 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-quiet-revolution Mon, 04 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT Dr David Beech, lecturer in people management at Salford Business School, argues that continuous renewal and progress is fundamental to effective leadership in uncertain times. We know a lot about what leadership is, what leaders do and how they do it. Yet embedding continuous improvement, innovation and change in the day-to-day practices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/effective-leadership-in-uncertain-times 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/effective-leadership-in-uncertain-times Mon, 04 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT Graeme McDonald, managing director of Solace, discusses the importance of taking time out to focus on learning, especially in the ever-changing landscape of the sector. Squeezing on to my packed commuter train on the way into Westminster recently, I reflected on the five-year anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I was fortunate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refocusing-professional-development 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refocusing-professional-development Mon, 04 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT Ian Moore, CEO of the Fire Industry Association (FIA), discusses the wider lessons of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and what measures and assessments local authorities need to have in place to protect their estate and buildings. Somehow it seems to take a really horrendous disaster to highlight a problem. Grenfell Tower in Kensington... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/support-for-councils-following-grenfell 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/support-for-councils-following-grenfell Mon, 04 Sep 2017 15:15:00 GMT Council leaders in Yorkshire have pledged their colours to progress a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ One Yorkshire devolution deal with the government. Following a meeting last week, local authority leaders, including those from Barnsley and Doncaster, supported this ambitious approach to devolution. And those present unanimously... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-reaffirm-commitment-to-one-yorkshire-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-reaffirm-commitment-to-one-yorkshire-devo-deal Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities are being invited to put forward sustainable and collaborative proposals to retain their business rates growth locally as the DCLG prepares for the second round of pilots. From April 2018, the government will launch another series of pilots that will see a handful of economic areas retain 100% of their business rates... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-bid-for-new-tranche-of-business-rates-retention-pilots 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-bid-for-new-tranche-of-business-rates-retention-pilots Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:45:00 GMT Economic growth opportunities are being missed across England because of the stalled devolution process, which has left many areas in limbo, it has been claimed. Today marks two years since the government’s deadline for devolution deals to be submitted, which saw over 30 proposals from towns, cities and counties sent into the DCLG.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-demands-devolution-report-release-as-stalled-process-missing-vital-opportunities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-demands-devolution-report-release-as-stalled-process-missing-vital-opportunities Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:30:00 GMT Unite has threatened to resume daily strike action after Birmingham City Council leader Cllr John Clancy issued a “deeply provocative” letter confirming he would press ahead with redundancies in the waste collection department. The union had originally called off the strike after a productive conversation with local authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-set-for-daily-strikes-after-council-confirms-redundancies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-set-for-daily-strikes-after-council-confirms-redundancies Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:15:00 GMT Local government leaders have ramped up the pressure on the government to urgently bring forward its Housing White Paper commitment to allow councils to increase planning fees. The LGA has also called for a fair and transparent scheme of local fee setting, to allow councils to recover actual costs. Nationally-set planning fees were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-dclg-to-lift-planning-fees-freeze 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-dclg-to-lift-planning-fees-freeze Fri, 01 Sep 2017 10:45:00 GMT Nottinghamshire County Council has been fined £70,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) following a serious data protection breach that left vulnerable people’s personal information online for five years. Despite the Data Protection Act requiring organisations to keep personal data secure, the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-fined-70000-over-inexcusable-personal-data-breach 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-fined-70000-over-inexcusable-personal-data-breach Fri, 01 Sep 2017 10:15:00 GMT A London local authority has finally taken action to close a significant loophole which meant thousands of landlords were dodging paying any council tax despite renting their flats out to tourists and visitors. Islington Council noticed that student flats, of which there are more than 4,000 in the borough, were being given a block council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/islington-closes-loophole-that-left-thousands-with-accidental-tax-break 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/islington-closes-loophole-that-left-thousands-with-accidental-tax-break Thu, 31 Aug 2017 12:15:00 GMT A council has been slapped with a £10,000 fine after pleading guilty to health and safety failings which led a worker to suffering serious injuries and distress while on the job. Joseph Poterala, a 55-year-old employee of West Lothian Council, was painting the outside of a council home in July 2013 when the ladder he was on slid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-fined-10k-for-easily-preventable-health-and-safety-failing 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-fined-10k-for-easily-preventable-health-and-safety-failing Thu, 31 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT Peter Wells, head of policy at the Open Data Institute, explains why the need to strengthen our data infrastructure has never been more important. Data is infrastructure. Like roads that help us navigate to a destination, data helps us navigate to a decision. And like roads, data is most useful and powerful when connected to other data.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-government-with-data 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-government-with-data Wed, 30 Aug 2017 15:15:00 GMT Caroline Nugent, president of the Public Services People Managers’ Association (PPMA) and director of HR & OD at oneSource, London Boroughs of Havering & Newham (pictured), on why the public sector remains a unique place where people can put their skills and knowledge to work and take responsibility for solving big... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opportunity-knocks-why-the-public-sector-is-the-place-to-work-right-now 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opportunity-knocks-why-the-public-sector-is-the-place-to-work-right-now Wed, 30 Aug 2017 15:00:00 GMT The Grenfell Tower disaster revealed a number of sizeable flaws in building health and safety regulations in the UK. PSE’s Josh Mines talks to Dr Karen McDonnell, occupational health and safety policy adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), about what councils can do to ensure safety concerns don’t... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-revisit-community-engagement-and-rebuild-trust 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-revisit-community-engagement-and-rebuild-trust Wed, 30 Aug 2017 15:00:00 GMT A year after the UK voted to leave the EU and months since Article 50 was triggered, it’s still unclear what direction Brexit is going to take. PSE’s Josh Mines reports from the Public Sector Show about what the opportunities and consequences could be for the public sector post-Brexit. Over a year on, and despite an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-opportunity-or-a-self-inflicted-wound 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-opportunity-or-a-self-inflicted-wound Wed, 30 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT Dionne Lowndes, digital lead at Staffordshire County Council, explains how an innovative partnership in the area aims to develop an integrated strategy providing services for the ‘Digital Citizen’. Digital is a means for us to achieve the outcomes that we seek for our citizens, for them to be prosperous, healthy and secure.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-first-digital-always 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-first-digital-always Wed, 30 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Council has announced a move to make its authority meeting more accessible to the wider public so that residents can watch and participate in important debates and decisions. As part of a pilot scheme set to be launched in September, Sheffield will make changes to its monthly full council meeting, held on the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-launches-pilot-to-make-council-meetings-shorter-and-more-accessible 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-launches-pilot-to-make-council-meetings-shorter-and-more-accessible Wed, 30 Aug 2017 12:15:00 GMT Birmingham residents and council workers could face further strike misery as a row between the authority’s senior management and its waste collection employees shows no sign of slowdown, despite a seemingly mutual agreement having been reached a couple of weeks ago. In a report presented to the city council’s Cabinet at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-faces-more-strikes-as-waste-staff-cuts-could-be-key-to-lawful-budget 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-faces-more-strikes-as-waste-staff-cuts-could-be-key-to-lawful-budget Tue, 29 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT A local authority has committed to undertaking a full investigation after an internal payroll process failure left almost 60% of its school employees without their salaries last week. Essex County Council said in a statement that around 20,000 school staff from a total of 35,000 were not paid on Friday as intended, which left the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/essex-commits-to-full-probe-after-system-failure-leaves-20000-without-pay 439,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/essex-commits-to-full-probe-after-system-failure-leaves-20000-without-pay Tue, 29 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT Derbyshire County Council’s CEO has left his position this month after the local authority decided to abolish the post, and that of two other top-tier executives, in a move to save the cash-strapped organisation £300,000. After starting at the authority in 2007 as the director of environmental services, Ian Stephenson became... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-abolishes-ceo-position-in-bid-to-save-300000 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-abolishes-ceo-position-in-bid-to-save-300000 Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT Rt Hon Hazel Blears, chair of Social Investment Business and a leading member of the National Advisory Board for Global Impact Investment, discusses the importance of achieving social, economic and environmental impact through procurement.  Sometimes it’s not the great tones of lengthy legislation that make the biggest changes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-public-pound-count 433,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-public-pound-count Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:00:00 GMT Rob Driver, head of public sector at techUK, outlines how central and local government can fully embrace the transformational power of digital technology to deliver the promise of the ‘Smarter State’. The last decade has seen an increased understanding of the importance of digital transformation within government in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaping-the-smarter-state 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaping-the-smarter-state Mon, 28 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT The general consensus in local government is that health localism is a force for good. But have we taken a moment to listen to the voices of the people outside town halls? PSE reports. Simon Stevens is one of the few national health leaders who spent a chunk of his career working as a councillor. Perhaps due to his days at the London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-is-health-devolution-for 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-is-health-devolution-for Mon, 28 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT As Oldham Council looks to transform the health of its population, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, chief executive of the local authority, explains how the borough and its staff have begun to practice what they preach. Transforming health outcomes is among the highest priorities for councils across the country. From working more closely with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fit-to-serve 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fit-to-serve Mon, 28 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT PSE’s Josh Mines reports from Public Sector Show 2017, where DCLG director general for local government and public services Jo Farrar (pictured) discussed the importance of localism in driving integration and sustainability in communities. Localism is a topic that is hot on the agenda for the public sector. With vitally important... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-solutions-to-local-problems 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-solutions-to-local-problems Mon, 28 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT Local authorities and other public sector organisations have spent a whopping £1.2bn with SMEs on cloud and digital services since 2012, meaning almost half of digital spend is being invested in smaller companies. In new figures published by the Cabinet Office, it was revealed that the public sector spend has continued to grow for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-bodies-go-local-as-over-1bn-spent-on-digital-services-with-smes 438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-bodies-go-local-as-over-1bn-spent-on-digital-services-with-smes Fri, 25 Aug 2017 10:45:00 GMT Dundee City Council has promised to take action to prevent large-scale fraud from happening again after one of its former employees was jailed for five years for stealing more than £1m from the authority. Mark Conway, 52, a former IT officer, admitted to defrauding the council of £1,065,085 between August 2009 and May last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pledges-preventive-action-after-being-defrauded-of-1m 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pledges-preventive-action-after-being-defrauded-of-1m Fri, 25 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT Major concerns have been raised today about home care in England, as a report revealed issues with a number of areas in the sector. The report, drawn up by Healthwatch, talked to 3,415 people, families and frontline staff across 52 local areas involved with home care in England to get a picture of the state of the sector. And though... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-care-in-fragile-state-as-some-workers-lack-basic-skills-and-common-sense 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-care-in-fragile-state-as-some-workers-lack-basic-skills-and-common-sense Thu, 24 Aug 2017 10:45:00 GMT Nottingham City Council has announced it will use a new set of legal powers aimed at stamping out rogue landlords and agents in the area. Changes made to the Housing and Planning Act 2016 have allowed the council to issue Civil Penalty notices up to a maximum fine of £30,000 – which will hit dishonest landlords hard by taking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-cracks-down-on-rogue-landlords-with-harsh-housing-penalties 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-cracks-down-on-rogue-landlords-with-harsh-housing-penalties Thu, 24 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT A new framework created by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) could save public sector organisations £35m over the next four years, it has been revealed this week. The Estates Professional Services framework (RM3816) is aimed at saving organisations such as councils, NHS trusts, schools, emergency services and housing associations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-to-save-35m-under-new-place-based-estates-framework 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-to-save-35m-under-new-place-based-estates-framework Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:30:00 GMT Carl Fillery, chief executive of Boundless, says public sector overtime could be damaging if employees can’t take control.  Boundless recently conducted a study comparing weekend working habits in the public and private sector, which made for enlightening reading. Results pointed to acute pressure on public sector staff to stay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-weekend-working-dragging-you-down-youre-not-alone 452,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-weekend-working-dragging-you-down-youre-not-alone Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:15:00 GMT Apprenticeship numbers created by London boroughs has grown for the sixth year in a row, data published today has revealed. In a statement from London Councils, the group said that over 2,000 new apprentices were hired by boroughs and their supply chains in 2016-17 – taking the total figure created since 2009 up to more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-in-london-boroughs-soars-for-sixth-year-in-a-row 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-in-london-boroughs-soars-for-sixth-year-in-a-row Thu, 24 Aug 2017 08:30:00 GMT New guidelines unveiled this week has urged councils to help adults in care have more control over day-to-day tasks like cooking and cleaning. The new measures drawn up by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) say that adults who need social care should feel in control and be able to live life in the way they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-give-adults-in-care-greater-control-over-their-lives 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-give-adults-in-care-greater-control-over-their-lives Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) has today issued a stark warning to councils that too often they are dealing with waste collection complaints in the wrong way. In a new report ‘Lifting the lid on bin complaints’, the Ombudsman revealed that 81% of its complaint investigations into council waste and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-scolds-lg-for-washing-hands-of-waste-collection-services 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-scolds-lg-for-washing-hands-of-waste-collection-services Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT Jennifer Glover, policy researcher at the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), says gender representation is monitored in other sectors – so why not local government? In other sectors, a harsh light is being shone on gender representation and concrete steps are being taken on a national and organisational level. The 2010 Davies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-must-scrutinise-gender-in-local-government 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-must-scrutinise-gender-in-local-government Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:15:00 GMT A number of factors are placing increasing strain on the Civil Service and wider public sector. But speaking at the Public Sector Show, Rupert McNeil (pictured), chief people officer at the Cabinet Office, claims that we should also see the opportunities presented by adversity. The Civil Service is facing some choppy waters ahead. Brexit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-a-diverse-civil-service 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-a-diverse-civil-service Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:00:00 GMT Newcastle City Council CEO Pat Ritchie explains how the area's City Deal is providing ambitious places with the funding they need to drive inclusive growth locally. I’m certain anyone who hasn’t visited Newcastle for a while can’t help but be impressed by the pace and scale of new development being delivered right in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-learning-from-a-city-deal 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-learning-from-a-city-deal Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT Taking digital government to the next level requires strong leadership from everyone in the sector, argues Daniel Thornton, programme director at the Institute for Government. Today the four most valuable companies in the world are digital businesses. Five years ago, only one was digital – the rest were oil and investment companies.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-innovation-transforming-services-data-and-organisations 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-innovation-transforming-services-data-and-organisations Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT Union members and campaigners in Scotland have won a second victory in an equal pay dispute against Glasgow City Council. Earlier this year, the Court of Session gave female workers at the authority permission to go ahead with action to demand equal pay from their employer. And now, the Court has ruled Glasgow council failed to show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-staff-hail-victory-in-landmark-equal-pay-ruling 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-staff-hail-victory-in-landmark-equal-pay-ruling Tue, 22 Aug 2017 15:45:00 GMT Counties have urged the government to drop plans to take vital social care funding away from authorities that fail to deliver “undeliverable” delayed transfer of care (DTOC) targets. The County Councils Network (CCN) revealed that it has written to health secretary Jeremy Hunt asking him to drop the proposals, which will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-urges-hunt-to-drop-undeliverable-social-care-targets 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-urges-hunt-to-drop-undeliverable-social-care-targets Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT Islington Council in London has successfully prosecuted a letting agent for falsely issuing renters “sham licenses” that suggested residents had no right to challenge eviction, in the first trial of its kind in England. The ‘sham license’ was issued instead of a tenancy agreement by the agent, and also gave no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-borough-wins-first-of-its-kind-legal-battle-against-letting-agent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-borough-wins-first-of-its-kind-legal-battle-against-letting-agent Tue, 22 Aug 2017 11:45:00 GMT Dawn Baxendale, chief executive of Southampton City Council, talks about the city’s ambitions and the importance of its Master Plan, which has given investors greater confidence to commit their money to the area. We have ambitious plans for our city. Along with our partners we have delivered almost £2bn worth of development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-all-part-of-the-master-plan 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-all-part-of-the-master-plan Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT Over the years, the NHS has become known for its love of restructuring. But are sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) promising enough to stick around? PSE’s Luana Salles reports. For almost 30 years, the NHS has worked on the principle of isolation, with each part of the system doing its own thing and assuming that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-more-promising-system-shake-up 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-more-promising-system-shake-up Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT While the government still deliberates the feedback to its industrial strategy consultation, the independent Industrial Strategy Commission has identified a number of key foundational themes to make it a success. PSE’s David Stevenson reports. As PSE went to press, we were still waiting for the government’s response to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/now-more-than-ever-we-need-long-term-strategic-economic-management 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/now-more-than-ever-we-need-long-term-strategic-economic-management Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT Chris Langer, scheme intelligence manager at CIRAS and BACP registered counsellor, explains how effective training can help break the mental health taboo in the workplace. Organisations often appear to be making the right noises about mental health, but there is a mountain to climb to instil a culture that promotes open discussion. Mental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/speaking-up-for-mental-health-first-aid-training 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/speaking-up-for-mental-health-first-aid-training Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT New reforms will make voting for people with visual impairments easier, as authorities will now be able to use records of voters to assist them with voting – provided the person’s consent has been given to do so. This will mean that people with visual impairments will have access to wider services which will assist them with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reforms-to-make-voting-easier-for-visually-impaired-people- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reforms-to-make-voting-easier-for-visually-impaired-people- Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:15:00 GMT A lack of diversity in local government authorities has been starkly revealed today in a new study which found that only 33% of councillors and 17% of council leaders in England are currently women. In combined authorities, the situation was found to be even worse: on the new boards only 4% of constituent members are women and all six are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-3000-female-councillors-needed-to-achieve-lg-gender-parity 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-3000-female-councillors-needed-to-achieve-lg-gender-parity Mon, 21 Aug 2017 10:30:00 GMT Councils have once again sent warnings about the sluggish rate of housebuilding in England as it was revealed that the average new home will have to last 2,000 years if the current rate of housebuilding and replacement continues. In new analysis published by the LGA, it was found that due to this lack of new builds, existing homes must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broken-housing-market-means-cost-of-repairs-as-steep-as-new-builds 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broken-housing-market-means-cost-of-repairs-as-steep-as-new-builds Mon, 21 Aug 2017 09:30:00 GMT A London council has been slapped with a £70,000 fine after it failed to keep up to 89,000 people’s information secure on its parking ticket system website. Islington Council’s Ticketviewer System allows people to see a CCTV image or video of parking offences they have been accused of. However, due to a design fault, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-borough-slapped-with-70000-fine-for-data-protection-mishap 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-borough-slapped-with-70000-fine-for-data-protection-mishap Fri, 18 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT Councils have called for a more efficient “lighter touch” system for procurement after the UK leaves the European Union. In a statement, the LGA said that this could include giving local authorities greater power to use local suppliers, as well as specify a minimum local living wage for their supplier employees. At the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-lighter-touch-to-public-procurement-after-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-lighter-touch-to-public-procurement-after-brexit Fri, 18 Aug 2017 11:30:00 GMT Sheffield City Council (SCC) has this week won a High Court battle granting it an injunction to stop campaigners trespassing on its land in protest of it felling trees. The authority had been locked in a court battle with campaigners, including its own Green councillor Alison Teal, over them taking direct action by standing inside safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-wins-high-court-battle-to-stop-campaigners-protesting-tree-felling- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-wins-high-court-battle-to-stop-campaigners-protesting-tree-felling- Thu, 17 Aug 2017 10:15:00 GMT Unite has “hailed victory” in its dispute with Birmingham City Council over refuse worker jobs being cut, and has suspended its current industrial action. The union’s members announced the strike action in June after it was revealed that the authority would slash 122 refuse collection jobs, a claim that Birmingham City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-hails-victory-as-birmingham-bin-strike-called-off 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-hails-victory-as-birmingham-bin-strike-called-off Thu, 17 Aug 2017 10:15:00 GMT Salford Council is looking to borrow £25m to ensure aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding on its buildings is safe for residents. An emergency meeting will take place on Wednesday 23 August to authorise the council to use its borrowing power to provide the temporary cash. However, it is unclear at this stage whether the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-council-to-borrow-25m-to-ensure-tower-block-safety 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-council-to-borrow-25m-to-ensure-tower-block-safety Thu, 17 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT New planning rules have today been set out by the mayor of London that will allow for a major increase to the number of affordable developments in the capital. Plans in Sadiq Khan’s Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) will aim to raise affordable housing levels by offering developers of private land a ‘fast track’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-reveals-new-rules-to-fast-track-affordable-housing-developments 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-reveals-new-rules-to-fast-track-affordable-housing-developments Wed, 16 Aug 2017 16:00:00 GMT The UK will need to make room for an additional 71,000 care home places by 2025 to keep up with growing demand, a new study has suggested. Researchers at the University of Newcastle came up with the projection based on studying various figures related to social care and the ageing population in the UK. It also found that there will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/71000-extra-care-home-places-needed-by-2025-to-keep-up-with-demand 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/71000-extra-care-home-places-needed-by-2025-to-keep-up-with-demand Wed, 16 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT The first-ever online resource to help councils develop innovative ways of investing in local culture under increasingly stretched budgets has today been released by the LGA and Arts Council England. Named ‘Culture Hub: good practice in cultural services’, the resource highlights interesting and innovative case studies from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-lga-tool-shares-innovative-ways-councils-can-fund-arts-and-culture 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-lga-tool-shares-innovative-ways-councils-can-fund-arts-and-culture Wed, 16 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT PSE’s Luana Salles reports from the first-ever People’s Powerhouse, a northern conference shaped around the values of inclusion, diversity and hope. This year’s Northern Powerhouse Conference, the second instalment of an event dedicated to discussing the north’s industry and economy, suffered a backlash of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-this-powerhouse-and-let-the-people-in 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-this-powerhouse-and-let-the-people-in Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:30:00 GMT Joseph Ernst-Herman, director of utilities and fuels at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), discusses the launch of the new Demand Side Response (DSR) framework to help the public sector reduce energy costs. With public sector organisations collectively taking up around 10% of the total energy use in the UK each year, getting the best... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-reduce-energy-costs 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-reduce-energy-costs Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:00:00 GMT Following the Brexit vote, Cllr Philip Atkins OBE, County Councils Network (CCN) vice-chairman and leader of Staffordshire County Council, has called on the government to empower counties to help build a more prosperous country during what will undoubtedly be a challenging period. In a short space of weeks, the local government sector has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-in-the-challenging-times-ahead 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-in-the-challenging-times-ahead Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:30:00 GMT Chris Painter, Professor Emeritus at Birmingham City University, assesses the aftermath of yet another election shock. Theresa May could not resist mouth-watering polling numbers in her favour, announcing an election in April 2017 well before the designated year of 2020. There was also an element of opportunism – against an already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-2017-general-election-from-landslide-to-precipice 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-2017-general-election-from-landslide-to-precipice Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:00:00 GMT PSE’s Luana Salles and Josh Mines report from this year’s Health+Care show, which served to highlight that isolated working is now a thing of the past. The health and care landscape as we know it is radically changing. Rather than focusing on institutions, organisations are increasingly teaming up with others to design... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-down-silos-at-healthcare 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-down-silos-at-healthcare Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:30:00 GMT A children’s charity has this week raised concerns that vulnerable children are being overlooked by the current care system. In its report “Revolving door: Are vulnerable children overlooked?” charity Action for Children found that over 180,000 children referred to social services did not meet the threshold to receive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/underfunding-leading-to-vulnerable-children-being-overlooked- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/underfunding-leading-to-vulnerable-children-being-overlooked- Tue, 15 Aug 2017 16:00:00 GMT Business leaders across South Yorkshire have today penned a letter to four local authorities urging them to reconsider plans to push for a pan-Yorkshire devolution deal. At the start of the month, 17 councils in Yorkshire caused a stir when they declared their ambition to unite behind a renewed devolution deal for the whole county, rather... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-business-leaders-voice-concern-over-pan-yorkshire-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-business-leaders-voice-concern-over-pan-yorkshire-devo-deal Tue, 15 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT Union members in Birmingham have this week warned that its dispute could continue until Christmas if the council does not attempt to reach a fair settlement. The strikes, which were first tabled by Unite back in June are in protest of Birmingham City Council’s decision to axe jobs, a claim that the authority has refuted. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-refuse-worker-strike-could-continue-until-christmas- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-refuse-worker-strike-could-continue-until-christmas- Tue, 15 Aug 2017 12:00:00 GMT KYOCERA discusses the need for public sector organisations to focus on printers and multi-functional devices as part of preparations for the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It’s no secret the UK’s public sector is facing increasing pressure. There’s a growing demand for public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-printing-the-public-sectors-gdpr-blindspot 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-printing-the-public-sectors-gdpr-blindspot Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:30:00 GMT Over two-thirds (70%) of small firms in England support devolution, but more transparency is needed if further deals are to be beneficial for local economies. This is one of the findings from a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which asked its members for their views on devolution.   Around 64% of respondents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-reform-needed-around-local-devolution-business-engagement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-reform-needed-around-local-devolution-business-engagement Mon, 14 Aug 2017 10:45:00 GMT Nearly two in three people renting in England never expect to buy their own property as they fear they will not be able to afford it. The shocking figures in the latest English Housing Survey also saw a rise in renters saying that affordability will stop them from owning their own home, up to 70% compared to 2008-09 when the figure stood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-in-three-renters-never-expect-to-own-a-property 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-in-three-renters-never-expect-to-own-a-property Mon, 14 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT A London council has cut off the gas supply to a number of high-rise tower blocks in its area to ensure the safety of its residents. Following the Grenfell Tower disaster back in June, residents of the Ledbury Towers, overseen by Southwark Council, raised concerns about cracking in the buildings. But after sending in structural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southwark-council-cuts-off-gas-in-tower-blocks-amidst-national-safety-concerns 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southwark-council-cuts-off-gas-in-tower-blocks-amidst-national-safety-concerns Mon, 14 Aug 2017 09:30:00 GMT Following the recent Grenfell Tower tragedy, Lord Porter, chairman of the LGA, argues that if the public are going to have faith in the safety testing process then everything must be out in the open — and this needs to happen as soon as possible. The fire at Grenfell Tower has been an unimaginable tragedy and it continues to be a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-openness-after-grenfell 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-openness-after-grenfell Mon, 14 Aug 2017 08:00:00 GMT The LGA’s One Public Estate (OPE) programme director, Brian Reynolds, tells PSE’s Luana Salles about the scheme’s unique partnership between Whitehall and local government just as its sixth round of funding kicks off. When we spoke to Bruce Mann, former executive director of the Cabinet Office’s Government Property... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/central-meets-local-in-one-public-estate 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/central-meets-local-in-one-public-estate Mon, 14 Aug 2017 07:30:00 GMT To tackle the challenges faced by our public services, we need to learn to think like a system and act like an entrepreneur, argues Ian Burbidge, associate director (public services and communities) at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). How do we deliver 21st-century public services in a world characterised by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/altered-states- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/altered-states- Mon, 14 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMT In the tumultuous age of Brexit, devolution, diversity and localism, there was plenty on the Public Sector Show 2017 agenda to talk about. PSE’s Josh Mines reports from a busy day at ExCel London.  While topics ranging from Brexit to digital resilience and diversity were all discussed at the Public Sector Show 2017, a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-most-from-the-public-sector-in-a-time-of-adversity 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-most-from-the-public-sector-in-a-time-of-adversity Mon, 14 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMT A lot has happened since the last edition of PSE was published. In particular, the snap general election delivered an astounding result that many of the pollsters and political experts could not have predicted when Theresa May initially called for it back in April. Chris Painter, Professor Emeritus at Birmingham City University, provides... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-reflection 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-reflection Mon, 14 Aug 2017 06:30:00 GMT Claire Mansfield, head of research at the New Local Government Network (NLGN), Lucy Terry, senior researcher at the organisation, Barry Pirie, a former PPMA president, and current PPMA president Caroline Nugent, discuss the findings of the recent ‘Outside the Box: The Council Workforce of Tomorrow’ report. The workforce is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thinking-outside-the-box-for-the-workforce-of-tomorrow 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thinking-outside-the-box-for-the-workforce-of-tomorrow Mon, 14 Aug 2017 04:30:00 GMT An influential social care director in England has today called on councils to work with NHS trusts and be “equal partners” in order to drive better care outcomes across the country. A blog by David Pearson, director of adult social care in Nottinghamshire County Council and lead for the region’s sustainability and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strong-equal-partnership-essential-between-councils-and-nhs-trusts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strong-equal-partnership-essential-between-councils-and-nhs-trusts Fri, 11 Aug 2017 14:45:00 GMT Dundee City Council has officially given the green light to plans that will see an electric vehicle (EV) charging hub built in a currently vacant yard at the centre of town. The package, part of a £1.86m award granted to the city by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), will include solar canopies, charging points and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dundee-green-lights-new-ev-charging-hub-as-part-of-quiet-revolution 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dundee-green-lights-new-ev-charging-hub-as-part-of-quiet-revolution Fri, 11 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT Councils in the capital have this week been invited by the mayor to bid for a fund to drive digital connectivity throughout London’s boroughs. Writing in a letter to the 33 local authorities, Sadiq Khan also announced ambitions to transform connectivity in the capital, including delivering 4G across the Underground network by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-urges-councils-to-bid-for-400m-digital-connectivity-cash-pot- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-urges-councils-to-bid-for-400m-digital-connectivity-cash-pot- Fri, 11 Aug 2017 12:00:00 GMT Rough sleeping is likely to rise by around three quarters in the next decade, a new report from a major homelessness charity has today warned. New analysis ‘Homelessness projections: Core homelessness in Great Britain’, undertaken by Heriot-Watt University on behalf of Crisis, has underlined the severity of the housing crisis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-set-to-soar-by-76-over-the-next-decade 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-set-to-soar-by-76-over-the-next-decade Thu, 10 Aug 2017 10:45:00 GMT A major new report has revealed concerns about the state of care homes in England, including issues with poor environments, a lack of activities and not enough care being taken by staff to maintain residents’ dignity. The report, called ‘What’s it like to live in a care home?’, was drawn up by representatives from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concern-raised-as-dignity-and-choice-not-being-preserved-in-care-homes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concern-raised-as-dignity-and-choice-not-being-preserved-in-care-homes Thu, 10 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities in the West Midlands have welcomed new investment in transport in the region as the contract for the new rail franchise in the area was awarded by the Department for Transport (DfT). West Midlands Trains Ltd, a partnership between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd, will run the new West Midlands... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/street-hails-west-midlands-rail-franchise-award-as-game-changer-for-region 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/street-hails-west-midlands-rail-franchise-award-as-game-changer-for-region Thu, 10 Aug 2017 09:15:00 GMT An English local authority has this week launched a scheme to help SMEs in its region develop effective business strategies and grow a culture of innovation at their organisation. Northamptonshire County Council has started up its ‘Northamptonshire Growth Hub’, which provides a series of workshops that help business leaders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-launches-growth-hub-to-drive-sme-innovation- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-launches-growth-hub-to-drive-sme-innovation- Wed, 09 Aug 2017 15:45:00 GMT A council has been told to apologise and pay compensation after it wrongly banned a man from visiting his partner’s elderly mother while she was in a care home. An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that Nottinghamshire County Council had failed to go through the correct procedures before it made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-man-wrongly-banned-from-visiting-care-home 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-man-wrongly-banned-from-visiting-care-home Wed, 09 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT Councils exceeded their children’s social care budgets by £605m last year, prompting leaders to warn that the sector is currently at a “tipping point”. In analysis from the LGA, it was also found that this overspend was happening during a time of unprecedented demand for services, as more than 170,000 children were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-surpass-childrens-social-care-budgets-by-605m-last-year 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-surpass-childrens-social-care-budgets-by-605m-last-year Wed, 09 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT A commission that brings together business and educational leaders, as well as training providers and stakeholders, to develop policies to prepare young people for modern employment has been launched by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The Skills Commission will shape policy and improve skills provision for young people in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-ca-launches-commission-to-reduce-skills-gap-in-region 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-ca-launches-commission-to-reduce-skills-gap-in-region Tue, 08 Aug 2017 16:30:00 GMT Operators of essential services could face considerable fines if they do not put robust cyber security measures in place in their organisation. In a statement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), it was revealed that fines could be as large as £17m if the measures, which are open to consultation, are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/service-operators-could-face-17m-fines-for-inadequate-cyber-security 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/service-operators-could-face-17m-fines-for-inadequate-cyber-security Tue, 08 Aug 2017 12:45:00 GMT Councils have today warned residents to be alert to criminals looking to extort money from them, as it was revealed that more than two scams and attempted scams are now being reported to authorities every day. The LGA said that scams reported to the organisation ranged from fake online dating profiles to disability parking badge sites and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scammers-costing-residents-10bn-a-year-lga-warns 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scammers-costing-residents-10bn-a-year-lga-warns Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:45:00 GMT The government has announced a £15m tranche of funding available for Northern towns and cities to improve the tech, creative and cultural industries in their region. The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund will give councils the chance to “help build a lasting regional legacy from the Great Exhibition of the North”, DCLG... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-reveals-15m-fund-to-boost-northern-tech-and-creative-industries 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-reveals-15m-fund-to-boost-northern-tech-and-creative-industries Mon, 07 Aug 2017 10:15:00 GMT A local authority has warned residents to be on their guard against cyber criminals after it revealed that thieves using a false council email address had been trying to extort money from people. Guildford Borough Council has warned that someone using a false @guildford.gov.uk domain name, going by the name HMRC Gov UK, had contacted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-warns-residents-of-malicious-email-scam 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-warns-residents-of-malicious-email-scam Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT The independent panel working with Birmingham City Council has recommended that it will step back after it concluded that major improvements had been delivered in the authority. DCLG placed the panel into the authority back in 2015 in a bid to improve the way it drives forward with “major reforms” in the area. But a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-improvement-panel-to-step-back-but-finances-still-extremely-challenging- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-improvement-panel-to-step-back-but-finances-still-extremely-challenging- Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:15:00 GMT Theresa Grant, CEO of Trafford Council, explains how local authorities in the Greater Manchester area are making every penny of public spend provide that little bit more value for money. ‘Prisoners in Forest Bank Prison in Salford are being given the opportunity to gain an NVQ qualification thanks to a local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-social-value-in-public-sector-procurement 440,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-social-value-in-public-sector-procurement Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:00:00 GMT The biggest development of homes for the private rental sector being built in Wembley is to receive a £65m cash injection from DCLG. The extra funds are expected to unlock 7,600 additional new, high-quality homes at the Wembley Park development in Brent, North West London. At least 6,800 of these homes will be for rent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wembley-park-rental-development-gets-65m-dclg-boost 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wembley-park-rental-development-gets-65m-dclg-boost Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has today elected Bradford Council leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe as its new chair. This follows the previous chair Cllr Peter Box last week stepping down from the role to lead the Key Cities Group. Cllr Hinchcliffe said that she aimed to build on the huge amount that had been done to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-wyca-chair-promises-to-press-for-meaningful-yorkshire-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-wyca-chair-promises-to-press-for-meaningful-yorkshire-devolution Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority Andy Street has this week met with prime minister Theresa May to set out the case for a second devolution deal for the region. Last week, business secretary Greg Clark confirmed that negotiations were due to start, aiming to build on the £1bn devolution deal that was reached back in 2015... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/street-presents-case-for-second-midlands-devo-deal-to-pm 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/street-presents-case-for-second-midlands-devo-deal-to-pm Fri, 04 Aug 2017 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities have today warned that sexual health services are at a “tipping point” as services have been forced to cope with increasing demand and severe budget cuts. In a statement by the Local Government Association (LGA), it was reported that in 2016 there were 2,456,779 new attendances to clinics, a considerable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sexual-health-services-at-tipping-point-warns-lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sexual-health-services-at-tipping-point-warns-lga Thu, 03 Aug 2017 10:30:00 GMT Councils have today been awarded a £75m tranche of funding to go towards improving the state of England’s bridges, junctions and flood defences. A total of 19 projects being led by local councils will share the fund, which are looking to cut congestion, reduce journey times and improve the reliability of roads across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-handed-75m-fund-to-boost-transport-infrastructure 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-handed-75m-fund-to-boost-transport-infrastructure Thu, 03 Aug 2017 10:00:00 GMT A county council has launched an innovative system to give residents a say on major issues in their area and give people a more important role in the authority’s decision-making progress. West Sussex CC has this week launched ‘Your Voice – The People’s Panel’, which is an online community of people who have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-launches-new-system-to-give-residents-a-voice-in-decision-making 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-launches-new-system-to-give-residents-a-voice-in-decision-making Thu, 03 Aug 2017 09:15:00 GMT Councils received the most complaints about education and children’s services last year, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has today revealed. In its release of data about local government complaints for 2016-17, adult social care received the next highest amount of complaints, followed by planning. The highest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-council-complaints-in-2016-17-relate-to-education-and-childrens-services 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-council-complaints-in-2016-17-relate-to-education-and-childrens-services Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT A council has apologised after it admitted that incorrect data that was used to form reports on air quality in the area had been subject to “deliberate and systematic manipulation”. In a statement, Cheshire East Council said that due to the tampering the security of its air quality data had been exposed to unacceptable risk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-air-quality-data-was-deliberately-altered 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-air-quality-data-was-deliberately-altered Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:00:00 GMT A group of 17 councils in Yorkshire have this week declared their ambition to unite behind a renewed devolution deal for the whole of the county. In a statement, the councils said that leaders had unanimously agreed to form a “coalition of the willing” to push towards a deal that involves the whole area. Sheffield City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-form-coalition-of-the-willing-to-push-full-county-devo-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-councils-form-coalition-of-the-willing-to-push-full-county-devo-deal Wed, 02 Aug 2017 10:45:00 GMT A number of schemes aiming to supply disadvantaged people and long-term jobseekers with specialist support to get back into work have today been launched by the six Combined Authorities. The programmes are expected to help over 18,000 people, including disabled and older people, tackle long-term barriers to work and progression. Up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cas-unveil-major-pilots-to-break-down-barriers-to-work 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cas-unveil-major-pilots-to-break-down-barriers-to-work Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:30:00 GMT A £54m package to enable councils to release unused or surplus land for housing has today been launched by the DCLG in partnership with the One Public Estate (OPE). The government will provide £45m of the cash through its new Land Release Fund, and will work with the OPE – a partnership between the LGA and the Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-opens-sixth-funding-round-of-one-public-estate 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-opens-sixth-funding-round-of-one-public-estate Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:30:00 GMT Local government needs to try to engage in at least another 100 co-location schemes with other public sector bodies by 2020 given their simplicity and cost-saving potential, PSE has been told. Speaking to us shortly before the launch of the sixth phase of the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, the scheme’s director at the LGA, Brian... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-needs-at-least-100-more-co-location-plans-by-2020 438,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-needs-at-least-100-more-co-location-plans-by-2020 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 08:45:00 GMT Councils have this week warned that costs of any major remedial work to replace and remove dangerous cladding from buildings must be met by the government. It follows the DCLG announcing an independent review of building regulations and fire safety after the Grenfell Tower tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 80... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-concerned-with-significant-cost-of-replacing-building-cladding 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-concerned-with-significant-cost-of-replacing-building-cladding Mon, 31 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT Councils have once again called on the government to draw up robust plans to replace £8.4bn worth of EU funding available to local authorities that will be lost after Brexit. In a new report, ‘Beyond Brexit’, the LGA said it is vital for the government to commit to replacing vital EU regeneration funding, that has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-robust-plans-needed-to-replace-84bn-eu-funding-shortfall-post-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-robust-plans-needed-to-replace-84bn-eu-funding-shortfall-post-brexit Mon, 31 Jul 2017 09:45:00 GMT A new £85.9m fund has today been announced by mayor of London Sadiq Khan designed to improve and transform town centres and neighbourhoods across the capital. Called the New Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, it focuses particularly on encouraging walking, cycling and the use of public transport, and is aiming at making residents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-called-to-bid-for-86m-neighbourhood-transformation-fund 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-called-to-bid-for-86m-neighbourhood-transformation-fund Mon, 31 Jul 2017 09:15:00 GMT A guide released today by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) and Local Trust has outlined how councillors can promote and better define collaboration with residents in the community. The report’s findings use eight case studies in England to identify how councillors can better support resident-led projects by facilitating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-advised-to-take-decision-making-out-of-town-hall 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-advised-to-take-decision-making-out-of-town-hall Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:30:00 GMT There are “reasonable grounds” to suspect Kensington Borough Council is guilty of corporate manslaughter for its role in the death of at least 80 people after the Grenfell Tower fire, Scotland Yard has revealed. In a letter to survivors and families of victims of the blaze, the police said that the authority and the Kensington... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-could-be-tried-for-corporate-manslaughter-after-grenfell-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-could-be-tried-for-corporate-manslaughter-after-grenfell-fire Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:15:00 GMT A new strategy has today been launched that aims to make economic growth in Leeds as inclusive as possible for all its residents. The consultation draft for the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy was recently approved by senior councillors, and now businesses and stakeholders will be invited to give their thoughts on the plans. The new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-city-centre-to-double-in-size-as-part-of-new-growth-strategy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-city-centre-to-double-in-size-as-part-of-new-growth-strategy Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:15:00 GMT Catch22’s new chief reform officer, Pamela Dow, who used to be the Ministry of Justice’s director of strategy, gives her perspective on what can be done to improve the way public services are designed and delivered.  A good friend of mine and brilliant former colleague, Gabriel Milland, recently wrote an article on why... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-good-enough-for-government-good-enough-for-us 436,446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-good-enough-for-government-good-enough-for-us Fri, 28 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT A major council has today slammed the government’s Clean Air Strategy that was released yesterday, branding it “woefully inadequate”. The £3bn strategy, designed to control pollution generated by cars in Britain, outlined a number of initiatives to drive environmental stability, including a £225m fund to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-hits-back-at-whitehalls-woefully-inadequate-clean-air-strategy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-hits-back-at-whitehalls-woefully-inadequate-clean-air-strategy Thu, 27 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT The families of around one in four care home residents are being forced to pay ‘top-up fees’ even though care for their loved one is supposed to be free. In the latest ‘Behind the headlines’ report by Age UK, it was revealed that almost 50,000 families in the UK are having to pay fees which are meant to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-having-to-pay-extra-stealth-tax-for-state-funded-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-having-to-pay-extra-stealth-tax-for-state-funded-social-care Thu, 27 Jul 2017 09:45:00 GMT All cities in the UK are looking set to see a fall in economic output regardless of whether a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ Brexit is delivered, experts have today warned – but more prosperous regions will be hit harder than others. In findings released by think tank Centre for Cities and the Centre for Economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-uk-cities-set-for-economic-downturn-regardless-of-hard-or-soft-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-uk-cities-set-for-economic-downturn-regardless-of-hard-or-soft-brexit Thu, 27 Jul 2017 09:15:00 GMT Leader of Wakefield Council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) Cllr Peter Box has today been named chair of the Key Cities Group, an organisation dedicated to promoting growth in 21 cities across the UK. Cllr Box has stated that he will be stepping down as chair of the combined authority to concentrate on his new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chair-of-wyca-steps-down-to-lead-key-cities-group 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chair-of-wyca-steps-down-to-lead-key-cities-group Wed, 26 Jul 2017 15:45:00 GMT The leader of Wiltshire Council will be part of the taskforce undertaking the independent review of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. Communities secretary Sajid Javid today announced details of the taskforce, which will also include Aftab Chugtai, chair of the West Midlands Police Independent Advisory Group; Javed Khan, CEO of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-leader-to-head-up-independent-grenfell-taskforce 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wiltshire-council-leader-to-head-up-independent-grenfell-taskforce Wed, 26 Jul 2017 14:15:00 GMT Talks for a devolution deal for the West Midlands are now set to start, business secretary Greg Clark confirmed earlier this week. Speaking at an event at the University of Birmingham on Monday, the secretary of state for revealed that negotiations will soon begin between West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the government with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/negotiations-set-to-begin-for-second-west-midlands-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/negotiations-set-to-begin-for-second-west-midlands-devo-deal Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:00:00 GMT The DCLG has today announced ambitions to crack down on “unfair abuses” that could ban new-builds being sold as leaseholds and restrict ground rents to as low as zero. The proposals have been raised to deliver a fairer, more transparent system for buyers. Ground rents have doubled over the course of 10 years, often making... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-considers-banning-unfair-leaseholds-on-new-builds- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-considers-banning-unfair-leaseholds-on-new-builds- Tue, 25 Jul 2017 15:30:00 GMT A council has today announced that it found savings of £70,000 through the installation of solar powers on its public buildings and offices.  Herefordshire Council installed the eco-friendly technology on 15 of its buildings over the last three years, and has found that since then, the panels have generated 370,000kWh of green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-yields-70000-savings-by-installing-solar-power-on-buildings 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-yields-70000-savings-by-installing-solar-power-on-buildings Tue, 25 Jul 2017 12:45:00 GMT A county council has this week taken the innovative step of setting up a Digital Innovation and Efficiency Committee in order to push towards better digital connectivity. Norfolk CC said that the committee will lead on the authority’s work to build digital infrastructure that will serve the area’s growing technology... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norwich-cc-sets-up-digital-committee-to-drive-tech-innovation 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norwich-cc-sets-up-digital-committee-to-drive-tech-innovation Tue, 25 Jul 2017 12:00:00 GMT We all know the difficulties associated with moving to a new town – not knowing your way around, having to integrate into the community and meeting new people. But for those moving to the UK from abroad this process can be even harder, as people have to adjust to a new language and a foreign culture. That’s why a new project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-uk-cities-inclusive-and-welcoming-for-newcomers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-uk-cities-inclusive-and-welcoming-for-newcomers Mon, 24 Jul 2017 10:45:00 GMT County councils have today called on the government to hand them a greater role in planning and development in order to tackle ‘nimbyism’ in local areas. The County Councils Network (CCN) said that residents, businesses and MPs often block plans for new housing developments as they are not supported with the necessary funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-demand-greater-role-in-creating-local-housing-strategies 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-demand-greater-role-in-creating-local-housing-strategies Mon, 24 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT Borrowing in the public sector was £2bn higher in June than it was at the same time last year, figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown. Net borrowing went up by £1.9bn up to £22.8bn in the current financial year when compared with the same period in 2016. Of this sum total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-soars-by-2bn-in-one-year-ons-finds 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-soars-by-2bn-in-one-year-ons-finds Mon, 24 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT Councils are currently having to find homes for the equivalent of a secondary school’s worth of homeless children every month, shocking new figures have revealed. The LGA has warned that local authorities are providing temporary housing for 120,540 children with their families in England – an increase of 32,650 (37%) since the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-having-to-house-over-900-homeless-children-every-month 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-having-to-house-over-900-homeless-children-every-month Mon, 24 Jul 2017 09:30:00 GMT The UK has a “fragmented” product safety and recall system that is putting people’s lives in danger, a major consumer watchdog has this week warned. Findings from Which? stated that major changes are needed to improve the system, including the establishment of a national body to deal with product recalls. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watchdog-slams-local-product-recall-systems-as-not-fit-for-purpose- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watchdog-slams-local-product-recall-systems-as-not-fit-for-purpose- Fri, 21 Jul 2017 16:15:00 GMT A deal worth £1.1bn to drive investment and address inclusion in the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland area was yesterday signed by the UK and Scottish governments. The deal was signed by first secretary of state and minister for the Cabinet Office, Damian Green; Keith Brown, the Scottish government cabinet secretary for Economy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-region-given-11bn-boost-to-drive-investment-and-inclusion 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-region-given-11bn-boost-to-drive-investment-and-inclusion Fri, 21 Jul 2017 12:45:00 GMT A London council has this week celebrated a landmark judgement which could see it recover up to £1.3m in regulatory and enforcement costs. Westminster City Council has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Simply Pleasures Ltd over licensing fees paid to operate a sex shop in the area. The company had argued that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-wins-landmark-supreme-court-battle-to-recoup-13m-licensing-costs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-wins-landmark-supreme-court-battle-to-recoup-13m-licensing-costs Fri, 21 Jul 2017 12:00:00 GMT Over half of older people receiving care at home have unmet needs, a report from a key think tank and a number of social care organisations has today found. Funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research and conducted by Ipsos MORI in partnership with a number of other social care charities, the report warns that many older people are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-people-in-care-at-home-have-unmet-needs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-people-in-care-at-home-have-unmet-needs Thu, 20 Jul 2017 11:15:00 GMT Leeds City Council has this week backed plans to introduce a major new scheme to provide residents with low cost, more environmentally-friendly energy. At a meeting on Monday, councillors endorsed plans to create a “district heating network” for the city that will use heat created from the council’s Recycling and Energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-gives-green-light-to-eco-friendly-energy-system-for-22000-homes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-gives-green-light-to-eco-friendly-energy-system-for-22000-homes Thu, 20 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has today announced that it is “exploring options” to set up a local government mutual to reduce the huge amounts that councils currently spend on insurance. The mutual would support authorities to improve risk management through sharing best practice between different local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lg-mutual-mooted-to-reduce-650m-a-year-council-insurance-costs 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lg-mutual-mooted-to-reduce-650m-a-year-council-insurance-costs Thu, 20 Jul 2017 09:45:00 GMT Councils have today joined other organisations in calling on the government to launch an “urgent and immediate” review of building regulations following the Grenfell Tower disaster. It follows a number of safety organisations, including the British Safety Council and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, penning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-join-call-for-immediate-review-of-building-regulations-after-grenfell-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-join-call-for-immediate-review-of-building-regulations-after-grenfell-fire Wed, 19 Jul 2017 16:45:00 GMT Care providers are not going through proper processes, forcing vulnerable people into situations against their will, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has today revealed. In a new report, ‘The Right to Decide’, the Ombudsman stated that “very real concerns” were highlighted that people in care are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-poor-social-care-practice-letting-down-vulnerable-adults- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-poor-social-care-practice-letting-down-vulnerable-adults- Wed, 19 Jul 2017 15:30:00 GMT County councils have today called for a “new deal” to reshape the government’s relationship with rural England and grant a greater devolution of powers to these areas. Releasing its blueprint for the next five years called ‘A New Deal For Counties’, the County Councils Network (CCN) outlines the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-calls-for-new-deal-on-devolving-powers-to-counties 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-calls-for-new-deal-on-devolving-powers-to-counties Wed, 19 Jul 2017 14:15:00 GMT A union has today called for an end to the 1% public sector pay “straitjacket” to end, warning that the government’s review of Senior Civil Service pay will only have an impact if this happens. It follows ministers responding to the Senior Salaries Review Body’s (SSRB’s) report into changes to wages for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-of-senior-civil-service-pay-not-possible-within-straitjacket-of-1-pay-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-of-senior-civil-service-pay-not-possible-within-straitjacket-of-1-pay-cap Tue, 18 Jul 2017 16:45:00 GMT A decision on Sheffield City Region’s devolution deal will be put on hold until September, the authority has today announced. The action was taken as leaders from Barnsley and Doncaster said they wanted to consider their position and whether there were other options to pursue with regards to a devolution deal for the region. At... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-devo-hits-latest-setback-as-plans-are-put-on-hold-until-september 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-devo-hits-latest-setback-as-plans-are-put-on-hold-until-september Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:00:00 GMT The LGA has today unveiled a new scheme to support councils with solving local housing problems called the Housing Advisers Programme. The programme pays for an independent expert who will help local authorities deliver specific projects to plan and build new houses, reduce homelessness or generate savings or revenues. It’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-launches-scheme-to-help-councils-fix-housing-problems 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-launches-scheme-to-help-councils-fix-housing-problems Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:45:00 GMT County councils have today warned that the £1.3bn funding announced for schools yesterday is positive in the short term, but that more needs to be done to redress inequalities in funding across the country. Yesterday, education secretary Justine Greening announced a tranche of £1.3bn to support the UK’s ailing schools in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-claim-13bn-school-boost-falls-flat-of-addressing-chronic-underfunding 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-claim-13bn-school-boost-falls-flat-of-addressing-chronic-underfunding Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:30:00 GMT A number of influential safety organisations have called on politicians for a ‘change on mindset’ on health and safety regulation following the Grenfell Tower fire. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Safety Council (BSC) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-change-of-mindset-on-safety-regulations-following-grenfell-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-change-of-mindset-on-safety-regulations-following-grenfell-fire Mon, 17 Jul 2017 10:30:00 GMT Basildon Borough Council will undertake a review of its senior management posts ahead of a major change in the structure of the authority. Ahead of the review, Basildon’s chief executive Bala Mahendran has made the decision to step down from his post, with effect from 31 July. In May, the authority made the decision to move to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-to-review-senior-management-ahead-of-move-to-committee-model 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-to-review-senior-management-ahead-of-move-to-committee-model Mon, 17 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT Unions have today slammed chancellor Philip Hammond for showing “arrogant contempt” to public sector workers after he reportedly said that they were “overpaid”. In a report leaked by the Sunday Times yesterday, five sources confirmed that he had made the comments during a cabinet meeting over austerity. Asked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-hit-back-at-chancellor-describing-public-sector-workers-as-overpaid- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-hit-back-at-chancellor-describing-public-sector-workers-as-overpaid- Mon, 17 Jul 2017 09:30:00 GMT The government has today been criticised by two major organisations for its new drug strategy that aims to safeguard the vulnerable and stop substance misuse. Released today by the Home Office, the strategy explains how the government will tackle the evolving drug problem in the UK. In particular, it highlights that reducing demand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lg-picking-up-the-bill-for-national-anti-drug-policy-not-an-option 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lg-picking-up-the-bill-for-national-anti-drug-policy-not-an-option Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:15:00 GMT A ‘groundbreaking’ report has today been released by Public Health England (PHE) detailing the health profile of England, finding that people in the most deprived areas had the lowest life expectancy on average. PHE revealed that males in the most deprived tenth of areas can expect to live nine fewer years compared to those in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorest-communities-live-in-good-health-for-20-years-less-than-rich-counterparts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorest-communities-live-in-good-health-for-20-years-less-than-rich-counterparts Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:45:00 GMT A record £1.7bn deal has been struck to deliver 50,000 new homes in London. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that the deal between City Hall, London councils and housing associations would see new, affordable housing constructed in every borough in the capital. Councils and housing associations have made the commitment in response to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-strikes-17bn-deal-to-deliver-50000-affordable-homes-in-capital 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-strikes-17bn-deal-to-deliver-50000-affordable-homes-in-capital Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:15:00 GMT It’s no wonder that there was a strong backlash against devolution from the very beginning given that the entire process looked like it was being shaped by the same “old thinking, old voices, and the old men in suits”, mayor of Greater Manchester (GM) Andy Burnham has argued. In an emphatic keynote speech at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnham-early-backlash-against-devolution-is-wholly-unsurprising 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnham-early-backlash-against-devolution-is-wholly-unsurprising Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMT Clive Betts has been re-elected as the chair of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Select Committee. MPs voted in a secret ballot yesterday for who would lead up each of its select committees, and Betts beat fellow Labour candidate David Lammy by 335 votes to 229. The Sheffield South East MP will take up his position as chair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/betts-re-elected-as-chair-of-clg-committee 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/betts-re-elected-as-chair-of-clg-committee Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT Local government has been sharply criticised for its poor record for gender inclusion, as a report released today has found that only 4% of authorities have a maternity leave policy in place for councillors. This is one of a number of shocking discoveries revealed in the final report of the Fawcett Society’s Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lg-gender-inclusion-going-backwards-as-counties-wont-be-equal-until-2065 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lg-gender-inclusion-going-backwards-as-counties-wont-be-equal-until-2065 Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT A London Borough has today stated its desire to become “one of the best places to do business” in Europe as it launched its ambitious Industrial Strategy. Hammersmith & Fulham Council today released the plans, ‘Economic Growth for Everyone’, which set out a number of measures to drive enterprise, innovation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-borough-has-big-aims-to-be-best-in-europe-for-business 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-borough-has-big-aims-to-be-best-in-europe-for-business Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:15:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has defended comments he made at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference last week by saying that “good friends are honest and open with each other”. Speaking at a summer reception hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Local Government, Javid acknowledged comments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-defends-lga-comments-that-went-down-like-a-bucket-of-cold-sick- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-defends-lga-comments-that-went-down-like-a-bucket-of-cold-sick- Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:15:00 GMT Local councils have today criticised central government after it was revealed that public health services such as sexual health clinics and services reducing harm from smoking, alcohol and drugs will have to be cut by £85m this year by local authorities. In findings released by health think-tank the King’s Fund today which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-slam-whitehalls-short-term-approach-to-public-health-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-slam-whitehalls-short-term-approach-to-public-health-cuts Wed, 12 Jul 2017 10:45:00 GMT Ending the public sector pay cap will cost the government almost £10bn a year by 2021-22, an influential economic think-tank has revealed. Research published by the Resolution Foundation looked into what the cost and effects of ending austerity measures like the 1% cap would be. It found that the price tag of the much-maligned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ending-public-sector-pay-cap-to-cost-10bn-a-year-experts-find 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ending-public-sector-pay-cap-to-cost-10bn-a-year-experts-find Tue, 11 Jul 2017 14:30:00 GMT The LGA has today released its National Technological and Digital Procurement Category Strategy that will support councils make the right choices in procuring contracts for IT services. It will help authorities assist and promote value for money, economic growth, wider service delivery and social value through the procurement of digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-unveils-strategy-to-support-successful-it-service-procurement 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-unveils-strategy-to-support-successful-it-service-procurement Tue, 11 Jul 2017 14:00:00 GMT A quarter of unpaid carers have not had a day off in five years, a new survey by an influential social care charity has today revealed. In the Carer’s UK report, ‘State of Caring 2017’, it was also noted that 40% of carers had not had a break in over a year, sparking concern from the organisation that home carers were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-third-of-carers-anxious-that-further-service-cuts-are-on-their-way 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-third-of-carers-anxious-that-further-service-cuts-are-on-their-way Tue, 11 Jul 2017 12:00:00 GMT A charity has today called on the government to pause the Universal Credit (UC) roll out after it found that a third of people who had applied for money under the new scheme were waiting more than the six weeks it should usually take to receive the first payment. Citizens Advice conducted a survey of 800 people who had sought help through... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uc-should-be-paused-as-system-remains-beset-with-problems 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uc-should-be-paused-as-system-remains-beset-with-problems Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMT Meeting the target of rolling out 100% business rates retention nationally by 2019-20, which was set out by the last government, is now “unrealistic,” London Councils has stated. In a report that will be discussed at a full committee meeting tomorrow, the body said that the previous government’s aim to meet this deadline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/roll-out-of-100-business-rates-retention-to-lg-by-2019-20-unrealistic- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/roll-out-of-100-business-rates-retention-to-lg-by-2019-20-unrealistic- Mon, 10 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT The UK’s Civil Service has been rated the fourth most effective in the world in the Institute for Government’s (IfG’s)first international index of the sector worldwide. Collaborating with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, the think tank drew together a wealth of existing data in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-civil-service-rated-fourth-in-the-world-for-effectiveness 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-civil-service-rated-fourth-in-the-world-for-effectiveness Mon, 10 Jul 2017 09:30:00 GMT Small businesses have demanded that the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, should push councils to get on with distributing the £300m business rates relief fund that has seen a “shambolic delay”. The cash was made available in the Budget in March, but the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned that many local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-javid-to-sort-out-shambolic-delay-of-business-rates-relief-fund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-javid-to-sort-out-shambolic-delay-of-business-rates-relief-fund Fri, 07 Jul 2017 16:15:00 GMT Councils have today called on the government to give fines handed out to mobile operators for poor service or connectivity to local authorities. At the moment, fines given to companies by regulator Ofcom go back into the Treasury coffers – with no guarantee that the money will go back into improving the connectivity of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hand-fines-levelled-at-mobile-operators-to-councils-lga-argues 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hand-fines-levelled-at-mobile-operators-to-councils-lga-argues Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:30:00 GMT Councils have been told to watch out for five key ‘warning signs’ of financial pressure, including a rapid decline in reserves, in order to build resilience into all aspects of planning and operations. The message has been sent by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) which has released guidance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warned-to-look-out-for-five-key-financial-warning-signs- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warned-to-look-out-for-five-key-financial-warning-signs- Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:15:00 GMT Two influential leaders from the NHS and local government are firmly at odds with the government’s decision to outline ‘expectations’ – in other words, targets – of how much areas will have to reduce the amount of delayed transfers of care (DTOCs) that occur in their interface between health and social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-and-council-bosses-at-odds-over-divisive-better-care-fund-targets 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-and-council-bosses-at-odds-over-divisive-better-care-fund-targets Thu, 06 Jul 2017 12:45:00 GMT Council should “worry quite a lot” about the growing amount of ‘journalism black spots’ emerging across the country as local newspapers and news outlets are shut down and communities become increasingly alienated from their relevant authorities as a result – a phenomenon which poses a significant threat to social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-news-black-spots-threaten-social-cohesion-and-democracy-councils-told 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-news-black-spots-threaten-social-cohesion-and-democracy-councils-told Thu, 06 Jul 2017 10:30:00 GMT New plans unveiled by the Department of Transport (DfT) this week have explained how local areas will benefit from increased investment in local roads and transport infrastructure. The Transport investment strategy announced by the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has set out the government’s long-term approach, explaining how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-hail-welcome-change-in-direction-by-dft-in-new-transport-strategy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-hail-welcome-change-in-direction-by-dft-in-new-transport-strategy Thu, 06 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT More than a fifth of adult social care services are not up to standard as a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report today revealed that over 4,000 services in England are rated as Requires Improvement or Inadequate. Though the majority of services were found to be providing Good or Outstanding care, the regulator has repeated warnings that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-one-in-five-adult-social-care-services-not-up-to-scratch 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-one-in-five-adult-social-care-services-not-up-to-scratch Thu, 06 Jul 2017 09:30:00 GMT The introduction of combined authorities has led to the structure of local government becoming too complicated to drive real change, an independent review has found. In a report released today by the National Audit Office (NAO), the new CAs were described as having “inherently complex structures” that had been added to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/structure-of-cas-too-complex-to-drive-real-change-warns-nao 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/structure-of-cas-too-complex-to-drive-real-change-warns-nao Thu, 06 Jul 2017 08:30:00 GMT There has never been a more important time for the local government voice to be heard by Whitehall, to ensure more powers are returned to local areas, Lord Kerslake has stated. During his speech at the LGA’s conference, after being re-elected as the association’s president, the Peer added that the sector has a key role in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kerslake-devolution-must-go-further-than-deals-already-agreed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kerslake-devolution-must-go-further-than-deals-already-agreed Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:15:00 GMT The DCLG will be intervening in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) following the authority’s handling of the Grenfell Tower incident a few weeks ago. In a statement to MPs in the Commons today, communities secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that an independent taskforce would be sent in to advise the council on dealing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-to-intervene-in-kensington-following-grenfell-tower-disaster 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-to-intervene-in-kensington-following-grenfell-tower-disaster Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:45:00 GMT Following the recent Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, which led to the resignation of the CEO and leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, local government is facing a “looming crisis” in public trust, the communities secretary has stated. Speaking at this week’s LGA Annual Conference yesterday, Sajid Javid said that, as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-lg-must-rebuild-refresh-and-reinforce-public-trust 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-lg-must-rebuild-refresh-and-reinforce-public-trust Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:15:00 GMT The CQC has been instructed to undertake a programme of local system reviews of health and social care in 12 failing local authority areas by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health. Inspectors will target areas that are failing to provide enough home care spaces and community care services in an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspectors-sent-to-12-struggling-local-areas-to-improve-health-and-social-care-systems 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspectors-sent-to-12-struggling-local-areas-to-improve-health-and-social-care-systems Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:00:00 GMT Lord Porter, the Conservative chairman of the LGA, has today called for an end to austerity as he warned that by 2020, local government will have lost 75p of every £1 of core central government funding that it had spent in 2015. The LGA chair also repeated calls for local government to be allowed to keep all of the £26bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-porter-councils-to-lose-75p-of-every-1-of-whitehall-cash-by-2020 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-porter-councils-to-lose-75p-of-every-1-of-whitehall-cash-by-2020 Tue, 04 Jul 2017 12:45:00 GMT A fund worth £2.3bn with the potential to unlock 100,000 new homes in high-demand areas has today been officially launched by the DCLG. Speaking at the LGA Conference, attended by PSE, communities secretary Sajid Javid explained that the money would be used to support vital infrastructure projects that will open the door for more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-launches-23bn-fund-to-boost-infrastructure-and-drive-housebuilding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-launches-23bn-fund-to-boost-infrastructure-and-drive-housebuilding Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:30:00 GMT By 2020 the Civil Service aims to be the most inclusive employer in the UK, delegates at the recent Public Sector Show were told. During his thought-provoking presentation, Rupert McNeill, chief people officer at the UK Civil Service, stated that the service was dedicated to becoming more inclusive and creating environments where a wide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-aims-to-be-most-inclusive-employer-by-2020 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-aims-to-be-most-inclusive-employer-by-2020 Mon, 03 Jul 2017 11:30:00 GMT Councils leaders have warned of a “rental logjam” as new data suggests that one in seven private renters were forced to spend half their income on rent. Analysis carried out by the LGA found that 14% of residents in privately rented accommodation were spending half of their total income on rent – contrasting hugely with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-affordable-housing-leading-to-rental-logjam-warns-lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-affordable-housing-leading-to-rental-logjam-warns-lga Mon, 03 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT Union members in Scotland have this week marked an important victory as ministers in Holyrood stated that the 1% pay cap on public sector pay would be lifted. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, finance secretary Derek Mackay said that the government recognised that “the time is up for the 1% pay cap”. It comes after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-ministers-pledge-to-lift-1-public-sector-pay-cap- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-ministers-pledge-to-lift-1-public-sector-pay-cap- Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:30:00 GMT Michelle Atkinson, commissioning manager at Leeds City Council, explains how the local authority has changed its approach to commissioning homecare services in the city. In Leeds, a framework arrangement was in place with 32 providers registered on the Home Care framework. The contract was due to expire in October 2015. Given the complex... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-our-commissioning-approach 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-our-commissioning-approach Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:30:00 GMT The time has come for councils to adopt a ‘changemaking’ culture in order to drive a radical reinvention in local government, argues Adam Lent, director at the New Local Government Network (NLGN). Local government is a strange place these days. Council chief executives and leaders seem to oscillate permanently between near... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reinventing-local-government 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reinventing-local-government Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:30:00 GMT Kevin Dicks, the chief executive of Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council, and Clare Hudson, programme manager at the LGA, talk to PSE about how shared management can act as a springboard for transformation and improve service delivery for local authorities. “Shared management represents a viable and interesting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stronger-together 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stronger-together Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMT Kerry Hallard, the president of the Global Sourcing Association, argues that despite some highly-publicised cases of breakdowns in public sector outsourcing, the relationship has generated much success. The public sector and the sourcing industry relationship is a bit like a celebrity marriage; it faces ongoing intense scrutiny by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing-a-marriage-that-must-work 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing-a-marriage-that-must-work Mon, 03 Jul 2017 06:00:00 GMT A major £6.1bn programme of road improvements has been announced today by the government as part of a wider £23bn upgrade to the country’s road network.  The programme will offer motorists shorter journey times, as well as reduced congestion and increased capacity, something that is hoped to improve passenger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-reveals-61bn-programme-to-improve-major-roads 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-reveals-61bn-programme-to-improve-major-roads Fri, 30 Jun 2017 15:15:00 GMT The government has indicated that it will start “increasingly scrutinising” local authority performance and look at putting in incentives – or non-incentives – to encourage them to “step up to the mark” when it comes to effective health and care integration. Speaking at yesterday’s major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-threatened-with-non-incentives-to-move-health-integration-forward 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-threatened-with-non-incentives-to-move-health-integration-forward Fri, 30 Jun 2017 12:30:00 GMT New guidelines have been published today to improve air quality across England and reduce the impact that pollution can have on vulnerable people. Developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE), the measures could introduce bylaws to introduce ‘no vehicle idling’ zones... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-advised-to-introduce-no-idling-zones-to-tackle-air-pollution- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-advised-to-introduce-no-idling-zones-to-tackle-air-pollution- Fri, 30 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT Simon White of Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) argues that the UK can be at the forefront of innovative mobility solutions if the government encourages better data sharing in the transport sector. By the end of 2020 there will be over 50 billion connected devices globally collecting over 2.3 zettabytes of data each year. Data gathered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harnessing-data-sharing-in-transport 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harnessing-data-sharing-in-transport Fri, 30 Jun 2017 09:00:00 GMT Keith Smith, public sector business development manager at Virgin Media Business, tells PSE’s Luana Salles that health and social care organisations must kick-start the move to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) immediately in order to reap the most benefits from their new suppliers. After more than a decade in operation, N3... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-hscn-is-the-realisation-of-industry-best-practice 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-hscn-is-the-realisation-of-industry-best-practice Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:30:00 GMT Paul Morton, tax director at the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS), outlines the importance of his organisation’s work in bringing a systematic approach to taxation and expands on what the future holds. The OTS is the adviser to government on simplifying the UK tax system. Although we are based within the Treasury, we have an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenging-tax-complexity 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenging-tax-complexity Fri, 30 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT The drive to cut costs has invoked an efficient and sustainable entrepreneurial spirit at Birmingham City Council (BCC) that is now set to play a major part in the local authority’s future, writes Ken Lyon, its head of commercialism. Funding cuts to local authorities and particularly those serving large cities are well documented... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commit-to-thinking-differently 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commit-to-thinking-differently Fri, 30 Jun 2017 06:30:00 GMT Shared services between councils have found £643m in overall efficiency savings, but best practice must move beyond local authority boundaries now to be delivered in the wider public sector, the LGA has today said. In its latest shared services map, the organisation revealed that there are now 486 individual shared service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-push-for-shared-services-with-wider-public-sector-says-lga 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-push-for-shared-services-with-wider-public-sector-says-lga Thu, 29 Jun 2017 11:00:00 GMT The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have confirmed the appointments of their CEOs this week, with the pair’s combined salaries costing the authorities £300,000 overall. Martin Whiteley was confirmed for the £150,000 position by Cambridgeshire mayor James... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-combined-authorities-reveal-new-ceos-at-cost-of-300000 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-combined-authorities-reveal-new-ceos-at-cost-of-300000 Thu, 29 Jun 2017 10:30:00 GMT County Councils have this week slammed Whitehall’s inability to engage with local government on how Brexit will affect their communities and businesses. Speaking at the Public Sector Show in London, director of the County Councils Network (CCN) Simon Edwards sharply criticised the government’s handling of Brexit, saying that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-still-no-place-at-the-table-for-local-government-a-year-on-from-brexit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-still-no-place-at-the-table-for-local-government-a-year-on-from-brexit Thu, 29 Jun 2017 10:00:00 GMT Unison has claimed that the government’s decision to reject a Labour Party amendment to end the 1% public sector pay cap is an ‘insult’ to those working in the sector. The amendment to the Queen’s Speech, which also called for more funding for emergency services, was defeated in the Commons with 323 MPs opposing it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refusal-to-end-pay-cap-an-insult-to-public-sector-workers 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refusal-to-end-pay-cap-an-insult-to-public-sector-workers Thu, 29 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT The Department for Education (DfE) has become the first government department to publish its gender pay gap, revealing a 5.3% difference between male and female employees. Compared to the UK’s national gender pay gap of 18.1%, which is the lowest since records began in 1997, it is significantly lower. The department has also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greening-promises-to-close-dfes-53-gender-pay-gap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greening-promises-to-close-dfes-53-gender-pay-gap Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:30:00 GMT Despite the extra social care money introduced in the Spring Budget, only a staggering 7% of directors are confident that planned savings for 2019-20 will be met, with even less than that feeling at all optimistic about the future financial situation of the health and care economy in their area. Other similarly eye-watering findings were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-pile-more-pressure-on-may-for-urgent-social-care-reform 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-pile-more-pressure-on-may-for-urgent-social-care-reform Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:00:00 GMT Two of the largest public sector unions have given their backing to an amendment tabled by Labour which calls for more funding for the emergency services and an end to the sector’s 1% pay cap. Unison and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) stated that there is now an “unarguable case” to lift the pay cap from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-back-labour-amendment-to-end-public-sector-pay-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-back-labour-amendment-to-end-public-sector-pay-cap Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:00:00 GMT Private sector board members in the Sheffield Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) have signalled their continued support for the region’s devolution – which has faced a series of setbacks in recent months – by promising to do everything possible to help politicians grasp this “once-in-a-generation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-lep-politicians-must-stay-focused-on-next-step-of-stalled-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-lep-politicians-must-stay-focused-on-next-step-of-stalled-devo-deal Tue, 27 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Bristol City Council is set to sell houses on the private market for the first time as part of an innovative development model designed to reinvest sale proceeds to build more social homes. A new housing development planned for south Bristol, which could be completed by 2020 subject to permissions, is proposing to build a mixed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-to-sell-houses-on-the-private-market-for-the-first-time 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-to-sell-houses-on-the-private-market-for-the-first-time Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:30:00 GMT A union has announced it will campaign for the divestment of its local government pensions away from fossil fuels over the next five years. Unison argues that the measures will be taken to reduce carbon emissions by moving pension funds away from coal, gas and oil. Not only this, but the union said that investment in fossil fuels... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-commits-to-divesting-scottish-lg-pension-funds-away-from-fossil-fuels 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-commits-to-divesting-scottish-lg-pension-funds-away-from-fossil-fuels Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:45:00 GMT Andy Street the first West Midlands metro mayor has revealed who will head up the different portfolios in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).   At the WMCA’s Annual General Meeting, councillors from a number of smaller authorities in the area were given the responsibility for a number of key areas within the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/street-unveils-majority-labour-leadership-team-for-wmca- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/street-unveils-majority-labour-leadership-team-for-wmca- Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:30:00 GMT The government has this week revealed that 60 buildings with cladding similar to Grenfell Tower across 25 local authority areas have failed combustibility tests. These include a number of areas in London, such as Barnet, Islington and Brent as well as Doncaster, four buildings in Manchester and five in Sunderland. In one area, Camden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-fire-safety-broken-as-tower-blocks-in-25-areas-fail-combustibility-tests 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-fire-safety-broken-as-tower-blocks-in-25-areas-fail-combustibility-tests Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:00:00 GMT Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA expert group on this subject, justifies the need to integrate commissioning into innovative procurement and identifies existing cases of best practice. This is the third article in a PSE series (see Dec/Jan 17... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovation-in-commissioning-services 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovation-in-commissioning-services Mon, 26 Jun 2017 08:00:00 GMT Paul Winyard, senior policy officer at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), explains why it’s fundamental that the third sector has a seat at the devolution table in order to develop a shared sense of ambition. The devolution process has the potential to radically alter how public money is spent and how councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/engaging-the-voluntary-sector-how-to-make-devolution-a-success 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/engaging-the-voluntary-sector-how-to-make-devolution-a-success Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:30:00 GMT Mark Hall, Chief Assurance Officer at Redcentric, discusses NHS Digital’s project, the new Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) and what benefits it will deliver when it replaces the N3 national private network. In short, HSCN is the new data network for health and care organisations replacing the existing N3 private network, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hscn-the-enabler-for-a-more-joined-up-public-sector 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hscn-the-enabler-for-a-more-joined-up-public-sector Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:30:00 GMT Six months on from the announcement of the government’s National Cyber Security Strategy, Talal Rajab, head of programme – cyber and national security at techUK, analyses its approach so far and the extent of its impact on the public sector. With the modernisation of public services being the cornerstone of the UK’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-impact-of-the-cyber-security-strategy-on-the-public-sector 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-impact-of-the-cyber-security-strategy-on-the-public-sector Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT A local authority is looking to relocate out of its local offices and move towards flexible working practices in a bid to save money. Gloucester City Council has today announced that it has started talks with the county council about relocating their staff to the county headquarters, Shire Hall. The city council currently occupy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucester-city-considers-co-locating-with-county-council- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucester-city-considers-co-locating-with-county-council- Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:30:00 GMT A new partnership proposal that is expected to yield £43m worth of savings by 2020-21 for Birmingham City Council has been revealed. Plans that are due to go to the council’s cabinet on June 27 will keep core service contracts in place until 2021 and will focus on implementing the council’s ICT and Digital strategy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-reveals-ict-partnership-to-deliver-43m-savings- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-reveals-ict-partnership-to-deliver-43m-savings- Fri, 23 Jun 2017 12:30:00 GMT The government acted unlawfully by trying to block councils from pursuing divestment boycotts and sanctions against Israel through their pensions schemes, a court has ruled. Last week, PSE reported that campaigners for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) had launched a legal battle against the government as it argued that Sajid Javid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-rules-government-blocking-of-pension-divestment-boycotts-unlawful 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-rules-government-blocking-of-pension-divestment-boycotts-unlawful Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:45:00 GMT Barry Loveday, reader in criminal justice administration at the University of Portsmouth, considers the role that the new metro mayors will have on policing and local service delivery. How significant the arrival of the new directly-elected mayors for the metro areas will prove to be remains an open question. However, what the elections... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-governance-and-service-delivery-in-the-21st-century 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-governance-and-service-delivery-in-the-21st-century Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:30:00 GMT There have been a lot of opportunities for democratic participation in the UK recently – a referendum, local elections, six new metro mayors and now a snap general election, all within the last 12 months, reflects Tony Armstrong, chief executive at Locality. But beyond these frequent trips to the polling station, how are the citizens of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-localism 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-localism Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:00:00 GMT PSE’s Luana Salles outlines everything health and care organisations need to know to prepare for the switch from the legacy N3 to a new, interoperable connectivity network with a rich offer of suppliers. The NHS is undergoing major transformation. With ambitious visions including the sustainability and transformation plans (STPs)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-supplier-network-fit-for-an-integrated-sector 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-supplier-network-fit-for-an-integrated-sector Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT Mick Endsor, a research associate at the International Centre for Security Analysis at King’s College London, explains why open source intelligence could be a valuable tool in the fight for public sector organisations to detect fraud and hold fraudsters to account. Are public sector organisations making the most of the vast amounts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maximising-scarce-resources 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maximising-scarce-resources Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT Ian Featherstone, fleet advice manager at the Energy Saving Trust (EST), explains why managing the grey fleet can help determine if electric vehicles (EVs) can be used cost-effectively as pool cars. EST has worked with fleets for many years identifying where energy, emissions and cost can be stripped out to increase efficiency and save... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-grey-fleet-the-key-to-unlock-electric-vehicle-use 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-grey-fleet-the-key-to-unlock-electric-vehicle-use Fri, 23 Jun 2017 06:30:00 GMT Two councils were accused of fundamentally failing to support a man through the care planning process by not taking an overview of his needs and working together to determine the best outcome – instead leaving him in limbo for over three years after he suffered from a stroke. According to the Local Government and Social Care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-councils-accused-of-fundamental-failures-in-care-planning-process 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-councils-accused-of-fundamental-failures-in-care-planning-process Thu, 22 Jun 2017 10:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council has resigned from his £187,000-a-year role after growing criticism over the local authority’s response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In his resignation statement, Nicholas Holgate claimed that the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, had called for his resignation on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-denies-forcing-out-kensington-ceo-following-grenfell-tower-tragedy- 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-denies-forcing-out-kensington-ceo-following-grenfell-tower-tragedy- Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:15:00 GMT Key figures across local government and the health sector have sharply criticised yesterday’s Queen’s Speech for its blatant lack of information around fundamental issues, such as devolution, business rates retention and social care reform. Jonathan Carr-West, the chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-dragged-councils-into-whitehall-uncertainty-as-key-laws-dropped 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-dragged-councils-into-whitehall-uncertainty-as-key-laws-dropped Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:15:00 GMT Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority will meet in mid-July to discuss the future of the area’s devolution deal after two lower-tier councils decided to withdraw their applications to become full members of the authority. The decision by Chesterfield Borough Council and Bassetlaw District Council is a further blow to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-cr-to-consider-devo-next-steps-in-mid-july-after-councils-pull-out-of-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-cr-to-consider-devo-next-steps-in-mid-july-after-councils-pull-out-of-bid Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Council CEO Ged Fitzgerald has been re-released on bail until 23 August as police continue their investigation into allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and intimidate witnesses. Last month, Fitzgerald temporarily stood down from the position at the local authority and head of paid service for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-ceo-re-released-on-bail-as-police-probe-continues 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-ceo-re-released-on-bail-as-police-probe-continues Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT A handful of local authorities have announced that they will be retrofitting sprinklers in their high-rise tower blocks in the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire that took place last week. Sheffield City Council, Croydon Council and Southampton City Council have all confirmed that they will be rolling out sprinklers as soon as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/handful-of-councils-move-to-fit-sprinklers-on-high-rises-after-grenfell-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/handful-of-councils-move-to-fit-sprinklers-on-high-rises-after-grenfell-fire Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:45:00 GMT A consultation has been launched this week to garner opinions about major changes to the way children’s services are delivered in Birmingham. The city council is consulting on a new structure that will bring together the current health visiting service and children’s early years’ service to create local ‘early... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-consult-on-proposals-to-radically-reform-childrens-services- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-consult-on-proposals-to-radically-reform-childrens-services- Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:45:00 GMT Authorities and social housing providers have this week been instructed to check if their buildings have been refurbished using Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) after the Grenfell Tower tragedy that killed at least 74 people. This is so tests can be carried out on the cladding to ensure it is still safe for residents. Though exact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-dclg-orders-councils-to-list-buildings-with-cladding-similar-to-grenfell-tower 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-dclg-orders-councils-to-list-buildings-with-cladding-similar-to-grenfell-tower Tue, 20 Jun 2017 12:45:00 GMT Public sector managers have today called on the chancellor Philip Hammond, and new minister for the Cabinet Office, Damian Green, to urgently withdraw and revise the Treasury’s pay remit guidance for 2017-18. In a letter written by the FDA –  which represents senior managers and professionals in public service – the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-third-of-civil-servants-looking-to-leave-posts-as-soon-as-possible- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-third-of-civil-servants-looking-to-leave-posts-as-soon-as-possible- Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:30:00 GMT A number of local government leaders and figures have been named in the Queen’s 2017 Birthday Honours list. The list recognises the achievements of people across a number of different sectors by handing out awards for services to their respective fields. All in all, 1,109 people received an award this year, as 554 (50%) of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-celebrated-in-queens-birthday-honours-list-2017 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-celebrated-in-queens-birthday-honours-list-2017 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:30:00 GMT Unions have this week submitted a pay claim to local government leaders in an effort to narrow the growing gap between decreasing wages and the rising cost of living. A statement from three unions, Unison, Unite and GMB – who represent more than 1.6 million local government workers in the UK – have called on their employers to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-unions-demand-5-worker-pay-increase 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-unions-demand-5-worker-pay-increase Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:15:00 GMT Messages of support and solidarity have once again been sent to London following another incident that has been classed as terror related. In the early hours of this morning (19 June), a van ploughed into a group of people who had left Finsbury Park Mosque. The group were helping an elderly man who had collapsed on the pavement when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-leaders-voice-support-for-islington-after-finsbury-park-terror-attack 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-leaders-voice-support-for-islington-after-finsbury-park-terror-attack Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:30:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urgently written to the prime minister, Theresa May, outlining serious concerns with the local handling of the Grenfell Tower incident, urging her to take action to reassure and support “terrified” residents. Following the fire that has now claimed the lives of at least 58 people, Khan has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-calls-on-may-to-reassure-terrified-high-rise-residents-after-grenfell-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-calls-on-may-to-reassure-terrified-high-rise-residents-after-grenfell-fire Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT Cllr John Clancy (pictured centre), leader of Birmingham City Council, explains why the Industrial Strategy is a priority for the UK’s Core Cities. Our 10 Core Cities make up a quarter of the UK economy. They are often the places where deals get done and things are made. They are vital to our success as a nation, but we only use a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-chance-to-rewire-our-approach-to-local-growth 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-chance-to-rewire-our-approach-to-local-growth Mon, 19 Jun 2017 08:30:00 GMT As part of an investigation with the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), Cllr Theo Blackwell, Camden Council’s cabinet member for finance, technology & growth, considers the role that active senior leadership plays in digitally transforming councils. Since 2010 Camden Council has been on a huge journey to understand the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/senior-leaders-as-agents-of-digital-transformation 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/senior-leaders-as-agents-of-digital-transformation Mon, 19 Jun 2017 08:30:00 GMT While many local government observers speculated that ‘devolution was dead’ following the publication of the three main parties’ manifestos, there was still some significant commitments for the sector, explains James Maker, head of policy and communications at the County Councils Network (CCN). The Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-horizon-for-devolution 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-horizon-for-devolution Mon, 19 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT Following the appointment of the University of Birmingham to deliver a major national public health leadership programme, Belinda Weir, director of leadership at its Health Services Management Centre (HSMC), considers the demands on public sector leaders and the need for focused development support. The unprecedented challenges facing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-public-health-leaders-will-be-system-leaders 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-public-health-leaders-will-be-system-leaders Mon, 19 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT An emergency scheme has been activated to support the immediate response operation following the Grenfell Tower incident in West London. Called the Bellwin scheme, the fund was originally set up by DCLG to help authorities deal with the immediate costs following a disaster of emergency in their area that involves danger to life or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-activates-emergency-disaster-fund-after-grenfell-tower-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-activates-emergency-disaster-fund-after-grenfell-tower-fire Fri, 16 Jun 2017 15:00:00 GMT Refuse workers at Birmingham City Council are considering taking industrial action against the authority after it claimed that 122 waste collection jobs will be cut in the next two weeks. But the council stated it refutes this - arguing that the jobs are not going and the proposals, which are still out to consultation, will regrade... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workers-consider-strikes-as-birmingham-council-axes-fifth-of-refuse-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workers-consider-strikes-as-birmingham-council-axes-fifth-of-refuse-jobs Fri, 16 Jun 2017 12:30:00 GMT A pledge has been signed by NHS and council leaders in Surrey to move forward with a health devolution deal for the area – the second after Greater Manchester. The agreement lays out a “roadmap” towards devolution, and explains how partners will work together to improve the health outcomes of residents in the Surrey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-cc-signs-pledge-to-deliver-health-devo-deal- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-cc-signs-pledge-to-deliver-health-devo-deal- Fri, 16 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Writing on behalf of the Public Service Transformation Academy, a not-for-profit organisation established to deliver a not-for-profit organisation established to deliver the Cabinet Office's Commissioning Academy, Richard Field reflects on the success of the Commissioning Academy so far. This summer the Commissioning Academy is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioning-academy-five-years-on-and-thriving 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioning-academy-five-years-on-and-thriving Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:00:00 GMT Following on from the success of the 2015 report, the European Institute for Combatting Corruption and Fraud (TEICCAF) published the Protecting the English Public Purse 2016 earlier this year. The report once again highlighted the excellent work that is being undertaken by counter fraud professionals across the country, explains Mark Grimley... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/continuing-to-protect-the-public-purse 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/continuing-to-protect-the-public-purse Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT At a time of stretched funds, it’s time the NHS stops dragging its feet on council-backed Total Transport pilots, argues Jonathan Bray, director of Urban Transport Group. Stand on any street corner and it won’t be too long before some form of public sector-funded collective transport vehicle passes by. Be it regular public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-the-nhs-to-get-on-board-total-transport- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-the-nhs-to-get-on-board-total-transport- Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT As PSE went to press, we were days away from finding out which political party or parties would be leading the country following Theresa May’s decision to call a snap general election for 8 June.  Whoever enters the door at No.10, irrelevant of their political colour, is faced with serious challenges, from social care to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenges-remain 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenges-remain Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:45:00 GMT Official media partner PSE reports from this year’s European iteration of the Shared Services & Outsourcing Week (SSOW), which took place in Manchester from 15-18 May. This year’s edition of the SSOW, of which PSE was an official media partner, was built on the premise that the shared services market “stands on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-services-outsourcing-week-taking-the-leap 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-services-outsourcing-week-taking-the-leap Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:45:00 GMT Dorset council leaders have today vowed to push ahead with plans for the Future Dorset local government reorganisation proposals. Statements from six councils – Dorset County, Bournemouth Borough, Borough of Poole, North Dorset District, West Dorset District and Weymouth & Portland Borough – said that the authorities will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-councils-reignite-ambition-for-reorganisation-plans-after-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-councils-reignite-ambition-for-reorganisation-plans-after-election Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities must be “hard wired” into the governance and practical arrangements of sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) in order to give them democratic legitimacy to deliver effective local change. According to Jim Mackey, CEO of NHS Improvement speaking at Confed17 yesterday, the next phase of STPs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-give-stps-democratic-legitimacy-to-make-effective-change 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-give-stps-democratic-legitimacy-to-make-effective-change Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT Unite has today slammed Manchester City Council after it “abdicated” responsibility for the treatment of construction workers by a sub-contractor under the authority’s remit. The council had recently sublet a contract for the construction and repair of social housing and public buildings to private sub-contractor Mears.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-council-slammed-by-unite-for-abdicating-worker-pay-responsibility 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-council-slammed-by-unite-for-abdicating-worker-pay-responsibility Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:00:00 GMT Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), explores the impact of austerity on neighbourhood services, and warns of the consequences of this continuing downward trajectory in funding which risks falling to a 60-year low. In 2016, APSE published a groundbreaking report exploring the context... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neighbourhood-services-truly-the-politics-of-place 447,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neighbourhood-services-truly-the-politics-of-place Thu, 15 Jun 2017 07:30:00 GMT Campaigners have today begun a legal battle to fight a government ban on council pension schemes withdrawing investment from companies associated with Israel. The group, called the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), said that communities secretary Sajid Javid may have acted unlawfully by attempting to restrict ethical divestment from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaigners-take-dclg-to-court-over-right-to-ethical-divestment-of-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaigners-take-dclg-to-court-over-right-to-ethical-divestment-of-pensions Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:15:00 GMT A council has this week been given an enforcement notice to urgently improve the data protection training it offers to staff in a bid to tighten up standards. Medway Council in Kent has been given six months to roll out mandatory data protection training to its staff by regulator the ICO, and has also been told to provide refresher... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/medway-told-to-roll-out-data-protection-training-urgently-by-ico 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/medway-told-to-roll-out-data-protection-training-urgently-by-ico Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:45:00 GMT A fire has ripped through a council building this morning, killing at least six people and destroying the homes of hundreds more. The Grenfell Tower building, situated in Kensington in West London, is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kensington and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kensington-council-warned-of-criminally-lax-safety-standards-years-before-grenfell-tower-fire 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kensington-council-warned-of-criminally-lax-safety-standards-years-before-grenfell-tower-fire Wed, 14 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Mark Hall, Chief Assurance Officer at Redcentric, discusses NHS Digital’s project, the new Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) and what benefits it will deliver when it replaces the N3 national private network. In short, HSCN is the new data network for health and care organisations replacing the existing N3 private network, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hscn-the-enabler-for-a-more-joined-up-public-sector 439,870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hscn-the-enabler-for-a-more-joined-up-public-sector Wed, 14 Jun 2017 09:45:00 GMT Keith Smith, public sector business development manager at Virgin Media Business, tells PSE’s Luana Salles that health and social care organisations must kick-start the move to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) immediately in order to reap the most benefits from their new suppliers. After more than a decade in operation, N3... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-hscn-is-the-realisation-of-industry-best-practice 439,870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-hscn-is-the-realisation-of-industry-best-practice Wed, 14 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT Over £1.75bn is set to be allocated to councils in Scotland as part of a bid to drive construction of affordable housing in the country. Today, for the first-time details about the extent and timeframe of the funding have been released by the Scottish government. Next year, £532m will be made available to local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-receive-175bn-to-invest-in-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-receive-175bn-to-invest-in-affordable-housing Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:45:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outlined ambitions to make London the world’s leading ‘smart city’ as he opened London Tech Week. At the launch, Khan said technology was essential to solving many of the biggest economic, social and environmental challenges facing the city including air pollution, housing and the future of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-sets-out-plans-to-make-london-a-world-leading-smart-city- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-sets-out-plans-to-make-london-a-world-leading-smart-city- Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT A council has this week been slapped with a £100,000 fine by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after a cyber-attack exposed sensitive personal information about its employees to hackers. Over 30,000 emails were downloaded from mailboxes of people working for Gloucester City Council in July 2014, some containing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-hit-with-100000-fine-for-serious-oversight-with-data-protection 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-hit-with-100000-fine-for-serious-oversight-with-data-protection Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT Following the appointment of the University of Birmingham to deliver a major national public health leadership programme, Belinda Weir, director of leadership at its Health Services Management Centre (HSMC), considers the demands on public sector leaders and the need for focused development support. The unprecedented challenges facing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-public-health-leaders-will-be-system-leaders 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-public-health-leaders-will-be-system-leaders Tue, 13 Jun 2017 08:45:00 GMT Workers at a jobcentre in Sheffield will strike for five days this week as part of an ongoing campaign against the planned closure of the centre. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at the Sheffield Eastern avenue jobcentre will go on strike from today (Monday 12 June) until Friday in opposition to the closure of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-launches-five-day-strike-to-fight-closure-of-sheffield-jobcentre- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-launches-five-day-strike-to-fight-closure-of-sheffield-jobcentre- Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:45:00 GMT A council in the south west has apologised after it failed to include the votes of 6,587 people from its count in its final declaration. Plymouth council said that though votes were counted correctly in the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency, the final figure was incorrect as votes from one ‘mini count’ area were not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-over-6000-votes-not-included-in-final-count 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-apologises-after-over-6000-votes-not-included-in-final-count Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:00:00 GMT Sajid Javid has retained his position in the cabinet as communities secretary following Thursday’s general election which saw the Tory’s lose their majority in the House of Commons. The minister won a decisive victory in his Bromsgrove constituency, taking 33,493 votes, beating his Labour opposition Michael Thompson by 16,573... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nlgn-rebuilding-council-trust-should-be-priority-as-javid-remains-at-dclg 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nlgn-rebuilding-council-trust-should-be-priority-as-javid-remains-at-dclg Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT Niall Dickson, chief executive of NHS Confederation, talks to PSE’s Josh Mines ahead of Confed2017 about the organisation’s 10-point manifesto for the NHS, which includes a call for a white paper on social care reform. It’s clear that 2017 will be remembered as a significant year for the NHS. A stressful winter due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fork-in-the-road-for-health-and-social-care 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fork-in-the-road-for-health-and-social-care Mon, 12 Jun 2017 08:00:00 GMT Andrew Carter, the recently-appointed chief executive of Centre for Cities, argues that the new government will only succeed if it focuses on implementing policies that are adaptable to place-based needs. Throughout the short-lived election campaign, leaders of the parties were clear in their pledges to introduce policies that benefit the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-policies-wont-fix-local-problems 433,450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-policies-wont-fix-local-problems Mon, 12 Jun 2017 08:00:00 GMT Council experts have predicted a “rocky ride” ahead as further devolution of English regions hinges almost entirely on who will champion it as chancellor and communities secretary – while putting a pin on the project in the wake of Brexit will leave local government “more fragmented than ever”. In its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rocky-ride-ahead-as-devolution-risks-slumping-to-bottom-of-to-do-list 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rocky-ride-ahead-as-devolution-risks-slumping-to-bottom-of-to-do-list Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:45:00 GMT Several Conservative ministers have failed to retain their seats in last night’s general election, as Theresa May failed to increase the party’s majority ahead of Brexit – instead leading to a hung Parliament. Among the casualties for the Tories was housing minister Gavin Barwell, which will be a blow for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-minister-loses-seat-as-may-falls-short-of-majority 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-minister-loses-seat-as-may-falls-short-of-majority Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:15:00 GMT Proposals to bring the planning teams of two councils together have moved forward this week as one of the authorities approved a decision for the merger. Members of Cherwell District Council’s executive voted in favour of a final business case to joint manage development proposals with another authority, South Northamptonshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-save-150000-by-merging-planning-teams 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-save-150000-by-merging-planning-teams Fri, 09 Jun 2017 08:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester’s health and social care system will start, from this year and into the next, to really see service changes materialise before the first signals of the impact of devolution emerge at the back end of next year, one of the system’s bosses has revealed. Speaking this week at a King’s Fund summit on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-signals-of-manchester-stp-impact-due-next-year-as-lcos-take-root 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-signals-of-manchester-stp-impact-due-next-year-as-lcos-take-root Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:15:00 GMT Councils have been criticised for poor commissioning and weak inspection that prolonged the suffering of people living at Atlas Project Team care homes in Devon. This week, 13 people running the homes, which catered for people with severe learning disabilities, were convicted on a number of charges including health and safety offences as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-criticised-for-missing-warning-signs-at-abusive-devon-care-homes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-criticised-for-missing-warning-signs-at-abusive-devon-care-homes Thu, 08 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT In this seemingly never-ending election period, the local elections of 4 May already seem a long time ago. But, wrapped up in the midst of the general election, the locals provided a set of astonishing results, explains Dr Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU). The Tories gave birth to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-work-now-begins-for-the-new-metro-mayors 447,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-work-now-begins-for-the-new-metro-mayors Thu, 08 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT On the same day that the British public head to the polls to cast their vote in the general election, a major voting reform group has stated that one in four seats in the UK have been held by the same party since the Second World War. Research by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) has revealed that a total of 170 seats have not changed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/general-election-one-in-four-uk-seats-held-by-same-party-since-1945 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/general-election-one-in-four-uk-seats-held-by-same-party-since-1945 Thu, 08 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT Cuts to council budgets have led to a sharp drop in the number of pest control issues responded to by local authorities, it has today been revealed. A Freedom of Information (FoI) investigation by the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) has found that the number of pest problems councils dealt with fell by 22% last year. All but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-cuts-lead-to-alarming-drop-in-pest-control-responses- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-cuts-lead-to-alarming-drop-in-pest-control-responses- Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:15:00 GMT Police will be present at the polling stations in Tower Hamlets tomorrow in an effort to combat electoral fraud during the general election. The measure has been put in place by watchdog the Electoral Commission after the area was hit by allegations of fraud during its mayoral election in 2014. Voters in Bethnal Green and Bow and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-to-patrol-outside-tower-hamlets-polling-stations 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-to-patrol-outside-tower-hamlets-polling-stations Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:45:00 GMT A council in Essex has been fined £150,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after it published sensitive information about a family. Basildon Borough Council was found guilty of breaching the Data Protection Act when it published personal information about a family in planning documents which were visible on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-fined-150000-after-familys-sensitive-data-published-online-for-six-weeks- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-fined-150000-after-familys-sensitive-data-published-online-for-six-weeks- Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:30:00 GMT A new partnership between the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) and the 50/50 Climate Change Project has been announced today in an effort to drive the fund’s engagement with companies on green issues and climate risk. The Climate Change Project works with 50 of the largest public companies and pension funds with large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lapff-enters-new-partnership-to-improve-engagement-on-climate-risk 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lapff-enters-new-partnership-to-improve-engagement-on-climate-risk Tue, 06 Jun 2017 15:30:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today warned that up to 12,800 constables could be taken off the street if the Conservatives come into power, despite the capital being hit by its second terrorist attacks in three months. Khan claimed that the Metropolitan Police was not only facing cuts of £400m, but could face further losses of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-met-could-lose-over-12000-officers-under-tory-spending-plans 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-met-could-lose-over-12000-officers-under-tory-spending-plans Tue, 06 Jun 2017 13:00:00 GMT A ‘New Deal’ has this week been launched by Labour in a bid to win votes by setting out the party’s plan to fix the housing crisis. Labour has promised to give priority to those let down most by failings in the housing market that have seen private rentals become increasingly unaffordable and the market-led housing model... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-unveils-housing-reforms-to-reverse-seven-years-of-failure- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-unveils-housing-reforms-to-reverse-seven-years-of-failure- Tue, 06 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today vowed that the capital will stand united after the terrorist incident on Saturday evening that killed seven people and injured many more. In a statement yesterday, he also announced that a vigil would be held at Potters Fields Park, just around the corner from the restaurants and pubs near London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-london-stands-united-against-terror- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-london-stands-united-against-terror- Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:15:00 GMT St Albans City and District Council has begun its search for a new chief executive to lead the council forward on a number of large-scale initiatives in the area. These include two multi-million transformation projects in the district, including a £18m sports and arts hub in Harpenden and a £7.75m investment to build a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/st-albans-council-starts-hunt-for-ceo-to-deliver-multi-million-pound-projects 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/st-albans-council-starts-hunt-for-ceo-to-deliver-multi-million-pound-projects Mon, 05 Jun 2017 10:45:00 GMT Planned strike action across local government in Scotland will not go ahead as a ballot of Unison members failed to reach guidelines for voter turnout that would allow workers to take industrial action. The union balloted its 70,000 members on whether to walk out over the 1% cap on public sector pay, and although 62.7% voted in favour of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-council-worker-strike-scuppered-by-low-turnout- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-council-worker-strike-scuppered-by-low-turnout- Mon, 05 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT Voters have reported being disillusioned and frustrated with the election system, as a survey has found that a third of people think that their vote won’t count in the upcoming general election. And half of those who said this also stated that it was because the same person gets in every time, whilst a fifth added that they feel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/efs-warns-of-electoral-deserts-as-third-of-public-feel-their-vote-wont-count 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/efs-warns-of-electoral-deserts-as-third-of-public-feel-their-vote-wont-count Mon, 05 Jun 2017 09:45:00 GMT Almost all local authorities are currently failing to enforce new rules that force letting agents to display hidden fees to tenants. Since 2015, letting agents have been required by law to clearly state any agency fees to prospective tenants.  But a Freedom of Information (FoI) investigation by the National Approved Letting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-councils-fail-to-enforce-estate-agents-displaying-hidden-letting-fees- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-councils-fail-to-enforce-estate-agents-displaying-hidden-letting-fees- Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:15:00 GMT Issues with the diversity of the Civil Service have today been raised by the Institute for Government (IfG), which has found that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are underrepresented in the sector. Even though the Civil Service has continued to employ a higher number of BAME people, rising from 4% in 1988 to 9% in 2010 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minorities-still-woefully-underrepresented-in-civil-service-ifg-finds 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minorities-still-woefully-underrepresented-in-civil-service-ifg-finds Fri, 02 Jun 2017 14:30:00 GMT A fifth of British voters will be voting tactically next Thursday, a survey by the Electoral Reform Society has today stated. Voters were asked about their intentions when heading for the polls next week, and 20% stated that they will vote for a candidate or party who are positioned to keep out someone they disliked. This compares to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fifth-of-brits-will-opt-for-lesser-evil-and-vote-tactically-on-8-june 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fifth-of-brits-will-opt-for-lesser-evil-and-vote-tactically-on-8-june Fri, 02 Jun 2017 12:15:00 GMT Public sector workers take more time off due to issues with mental health than their private sector counterparts, a leading charity has today stated. In a survey conducted by mental health organisation Mind, 12,000 workers across the public and private sector were asked about their experience with mental health in the office. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-mental-health-forcing-half-of-public-sector-workers-to-take-time-off 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-mental-health-forcing-half-of-public-sector-workers-to-take-time-off Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:45:00 GMT The severity of the crisis facing adult social care has today been emphasised by an influential think tank which has stated that none of the main political parties come close to addressing or even recognising the sector’s need for funding. With only a week to go before polls open for the snap general election, the Centre for Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/experts-predict-bleak-future-for-social-care-as-main-party-pledges-fall-short 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/experts-predict-bleak-future-for-social-care-as-main-party-pledges-fall-short Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT The recently elected Tees Valley mayor has announced the leadership team who will support his tenure as head of the combined authority. Chairing his first meeting of the combined authority, mayor Ben Houchen, who won the 4 May election by a margin of just over 2,000 votes – made more than 130 appointments to combined authority and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/houchen-hard-work-starts-here-as-mayor-announces-tees-valley-leadership-team 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/houchen-hard-work-starts-here-as-mayor-announces-tees-valley-leadership-team Thu, 01 Jun 2017 09:30:00 GMT A local council has been fined just under £50,000 after an apprentice in its employment severed his hand on the blade of a lawnmower. This week, Nottingham Crown Court ruled that Nottingham City Council was in breach of safety regulations after a 22-year-old apprentice working on site at a local school seriously injured his hand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-fined-nearly-50000-after-apprentice-severs-finger-on-lawnmower 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-fined-nearly-50000-after-apprentice-severs-finger-on-lawnmower Wed, 31 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT Birmingham City Council could be facing strikes from its refuse collection workers who have today started voting in a ballot to decide whether to take action against their employers. The dispute is over accusations of financial mismanagement by council leaders who, according to union officials, have overspent in this area by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-faces-strikes-after-claims-of-10m-service-overspend-despite-budget-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-faces-strikes-after-claims-of-10m-service-overspend-despite-budget-cuts Wed, 31 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT An influential doctors’ group has today expressed concern about the effect that Brexit may have on the nation’s public health. A statement released by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh, alongside other public health experts, warned that changes to the political landscape in Europe and the effect of the UK’s vote... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doctors-warn-governmental-paralysis-of-brexit-a-threat-to-public-health- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doctors-warn-governmental-paralysis-of-brexit-a-threat-to-public-health- Wed, 31 May 2017 12:30:00 GMT A council in Essex has this week voted to switch to a committee system in order to make the authority “more democratic and effective”. This will mean that instead of having a leader and Cabinet system, Basildon Council’s elected members will be appointed to committees to take decisions for the authority. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/basildon-council-switches-to-more-democratic-committee-model- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/basildon-council-switches-to-more-democratic-committee-model- Tue, 30 May 2017 17:15:00 GMT Workers in the UK are having to pay almost half of their salary to keep up with ‘sky-high’ private rents, housing charity Shelter has found. In findings released today, it was revealed that low-paid workers earning between £16,000-£23,000 per year were finding themselves paying 44% of their income to live in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workers-shelling-out-almost-half-of-their-salary-to-pay-sky-high-rents- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workers-shelling-out-almost-half-of-their-salary-to-pay-sky-high-rents- Tue, 30 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT Both the Conservatives and Labour are failing to clearly explain to voters what consequences their public spending policies will have on the country, an analysis has today warned. It comes from financial experts at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who say that both parties have not done enough to be transparent with the public to spell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consequences-of-policy-promises-not-clear-to-voters-ifs-experts-find 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consequences-of-policy-promises-not-clear-to-voters-ifs-experts-find Tue, 30 May 2017 12:15:00 GMT Conservative plans to reduce spending on schools would lead to a 7% real-terms cut for the education sector between 2015-16 and 2021-22, according to experts from the Institute of Fiscal Studies. In an observation, which looked at the consequences of each of the education spending pledges from the main political parties, the IFS stated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tories-will-take-education-spending-back-to-2010-levels-warns-ifs 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tories-will-take-education-spending-back-to-2010-levels-warns-ifs Fri, 26 May 2017 15:00:00 GMT Almost all local councils have now repurposed their websites to present a responsive or mobile site when accessed on a smartphone. In a survey conducted in April and May 2017 by Better Connected, who analyse the digital performance of local public services, 89% of councils were found to have optimised their sites to be used on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-all-council-websites-now-optimised-for-mobile-devices 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-all-council-websites-now-optimised-for-mobile-devices Fri, 26 May 2017 12:00:00 GMT Local leaders in Manchester have heaped praise on the public after £4.1m was raised in support of survivors of the terrorist attack on Monday in just 48 hours. Two of Manchester’s biggest football clubs as well as countless members of the public donated to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund that will help those affected by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-leaders-thank-public-for-41m-donations-to-attack-fund 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-leaders-thank-public-for-41m-donations-to-attack-fund Fri, 26 May 2017 11:00:00 GMT A social investment fund worth £4.5m has this week been launched by charity Homeless Link to tackle the issue in local areas. The fund will support housing agencies and social enterprises across England to reduce homelessness and is one of very few sector-specific funds in existence. Money will be given out over the next three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-develops-45m-fund-to-tackle-homelessness- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-develops-45m-fund-to-tackle-homelessness- Thu, 25 May 2017 10:30:00 GMT The leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, has sent a powerful message of defiance in the face of the most terrible terrorist attack the city has ever seen. He vowed to not let “fear and division” win as he sent a powerful statement about the solidarity and unity that the city was showing during this dark time... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leese-vows-fear-and-division-wont-win-following-terror-attack 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leese-vows-fear-and-division-wont-win-following-terror-attack Thu, 25 May 2017 10:15:00 GMT The chief executive of Liverpool City Council has been forced to temporarily step down from his role after he was arrested due to financial problems with tendering contracts to BT. In a statement released by the local authority, Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson confirmed that Ged Fitzgerald had been released on bail, and that both of them had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-ceo-temporarily-steps-aside-following-arrest- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-ceo-temporarily-steps-aside-following-arrest- Thu, 25 May 2017 09:30:00 GMT Councils have almost unanimously announced this week that local areas are severely in need of affordable homes. In a survey conducted by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) with the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), 166 councils were asked how big the problem of building affordable houses was in their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-all-councils-facing-severe-or-moderate-housing-problem 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-all-councils-facing-severe-or-moderate-housing-problem Wed, 24 May 2017 15:15:00 GMT Local government will have to be able to borrow money to fund the Conservative’s new plans for social care, a key public finance body has stated. In the Conservatives manifesto released last week, Theresa May stated that her party would change the current social care system so that people with assets worth more than £100,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-be-allowed-to-borrow-to-fund-tory-social-care-reform 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-be-allowed-to-borrow-to-fund-tory-social-care-reform Wed, 24 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, a G-Cloud provider since 2012, reminds us it’s vital to choose a cloud phone system supplier that can also deliver expert advice and technical support. The arrival of G-Cloud 9 marks the latest iteration of the innovative and influential Digital Marketplace platform for government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g-cloud-9-choosing-the-right-supplier-for-your-cloud-communications 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g-cloud-9-choosing-the-right-supplier-for-your-cloud-communications Wed, 24 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT England’s metro mayors have rallied around Manchester after it suffered the worst attack in its history. Around 10.30pm on Monday evening, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in the foyer of the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert from pop-star Ariana Grande. Speaking to the BBC, mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-rally-around-manchester-after-terror-attack- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-rally-around-manchester-after-terror-attack- Wed, 24 May 2017 12:30:00 GMT A handbook to help councillors plan their neighbourhoods has been launched by a key local government organisation.   The publication, called ‘The Good Councillor’s Guide to Neighbourhood Planning’ has been released by the National Association of Local Councils in Association with Locality, a network of ... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neighbourhood-planning-handbook-launched-for-councillors 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neighbourhood-planning-handbook-launched-for-councillors Mon, 22 May 2017 10:30:00 GMT Conservative targets to achieve a budget surplus for public sector borrowing by 2025 have been described as “disappointing” by a key economic think tank. In analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), it was found that the last time net borrowing was in surplus was around 16 years ago, during 2000-01 – meaning that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-plans-to-achieve-budget-surplus-by-2025-slammed-as-disappointing- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-plans-to-achieve-budget-surplus-by-2025-slammed-as-disappointing- Mon, 22 May 2017 10:00:00 GMT County councils have welcomed the decision taken by the three main political parties to drop plans that would stop areas without a directly elected mayor asking for devolution deals. In a statement released by the County Councils Network (CCN), the organisation said it fully supported the decision from the Conservatives, Labour and Lib... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-back-pledges-to-scrap-arbitrary-elected-mayors-for-devo-deals- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-back-pledges-to-scrap-arbitrary-elected-mayors-for-devo-deals- Mon, 22 May 2017 09:45:00 GMT The benefits system is causing a large number of people suffering with mental health problems to be made even more unwell, a new survey has found. In research conducted by charity Mind, around 3,000 people with mental health problems were asked about how being ‘sanctioned’ – having financial support cut or stopped... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/punitive-benefit-cuts-pushing-mental-health-sufferers-further-into-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/punitive-benefit-cuts-pushing-mental-health-sufferers-further-into-poverty Mon, 22 May 2017 09:00:00 GMT Experts have slammed the Conservatives manifesto pledge to make voters have to show ID to be able to vote in elections across the UK. The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said that the decision, which Theresa May’s party says is being brought in to stop voter fraud, is “overbearing and counterproductive”. May’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mandatory-voter-id-checks-like-using-a-sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mandatory-voter-id-checks-like-using-a-sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut- Fri, 19 May 2017 14:00:00 GMT The Conservative Party’s plan to only increase public sector pay by 1% for the next two years is at risk of “seriously exacerbating” existing recruitment problems, economists have said. In analysis published today, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) looked at what each of the main political parties were planning to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-tory-public-sector-pay-cap-plan-will-seriously-exacerbate-recruitment-issues 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-tory-public-sector-pay-cap-plan-will-seriously-exacerbate-recruitment-issues Fri, 19 May 2017 12:00:00 GMT Plans for a unitary authority in Oxfordshire look set to remain on the table as Ian Hudspeth, a major advocate of the proposals, has retained his place as leader of the Oxfordshire County Council. At a vote on Tuesday, Hudspeth allegedly struck a deal with two independent councillors to win a majority in the council by 33 votes for and 15... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-unitary-advocate-remains-head-of-county-council 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-unitary-advocate-remains-head-of-county-council Thu, 18 May 2017 10:45:00 GMT The gap in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) has been cut down to £37bn from £47bn in 2013, the LGPS advisory board has revealed. In the annual LGPS report released this week, which aggregates information supplied in the 91 fund annual reports, it was found that as of 31 March 2016, liabilities for the LGPS were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-deficit-cut-by-10bn-over-three-years-but-still-worth-37bn- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-deficit-cut-by-10bn-over-three-years-but-still-worth-37bn- Thu, 18 May 2017 10:15:00 GMT Warnings have been sent about the crumbling state of social care as a key health organisation today stated that one in four social care staff were leaving the profession every year. This is despite the fact that demand for services continues to rise year-on-year whilst funding in the sector fails to keep up with an ageing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mass-exodus-of-social-care-workers-threatening-systems-future 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mass-exodus-of-social-care-workers-threatening-systems-future Thu, 18 May 2017 09:45:00 GMT Civil Service workers and ministers are currently “not even close” to being ready to negotiate new global trading relationships, according to the Institute for Government (IfG). In a report called ‘Taking Back Control of Trade Policy’ the IfG has warned that even though a new trade department has been established... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-not-even-close-to-being-ready-for-post-brexit-trade 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-not-even-close-to-being-ready-for-post-brexit-trade Wed, 17 May 2017 16:30:00 GMT A third of people over the age of 80 are receiving inadequate care and support to carry out essential tasks such as washing and dressing, a leading charity has today warned. Research conducted by Age UK found that around 30% of over 80s had unmet care needs and did not receive any support with activities of daily living (ADLs). More... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/third-of-over-80s-receiving-inadequate-support-with-daily-activities 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/third-of-over-80s-receiving-inadequate-support-with-daily-activities Wed, 17 May 2017 16:15:00 GMT In a world of increasingly post-truth discourse, influential local government groups have come together to launch guidance for council scrutineers aimed at helping them make evidence-based decisions and counter so-called ‘fake news’. The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace), the Centre for Public Scrutiny... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guide-teaches-councils-to-combat-fake-news-with-evidenced-decisions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guide-teaches-councils-to-combat-fake-news-with-evidenced-decisions Wed, 17 May 2017 11:30:00 GMT Labour has described itself as the “party of devolution,” in its manifesto announced by leader Jeremy Corbyn today that lays out a number of ambitious targets for the party if elected to government. This follows a think-tank last week stating that the new metro mayors would need to work with London mayor Sadiq Khan to restart... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-claims-to-be-party-of-devolution-in-ambitious-manifesto 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-claims-to-be-party-of-devolution-in-ambitious-manifesto Tue, 16 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has pledged to put an end to the government’s 1% public sector pay cap and uprate wages in line with inflation, a commitment that is in line with Labour’s pledges according to its leaked manifesto. Farron, who accused the Conservatives of treating health workers “like dirt” at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-join-labour-in-pledge-to-scrap-1-public-sector-pay-cap 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-join-labour-in-pledge-to-scrap-1-public-sector-pay-cap Tue, 16 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT The two newly-elected metro mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region have launched a call for the government to prioritise infrastructure investment in the north, namely by committing to build an east-west rail link across the region, known as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), before work begins on the capital’s Crossrail 2... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-mayors-call-for-transport-investment-priority-over-london 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-mayors-call-for-transport-investment-priority-over-london Tue, 16 May 2017 11:15:00 GMT The newly elected mayors of the West Midlands and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authorities have announced their choices for deputy mayors. And the mayors have selected deputies who are entirely white men, meaning that the vast majority of people appointed to leadership positions so far in the six new combined authority are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-appoint-whitewashed-leadership-teams 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-appoint-whitewashed-leadership-teams Mon, 15 May 2017 11:00:00 GMT Four unions have demanded parliamentary candidates to pledge to opposing school funding cuts that are expected to rise to £3bn a year by 2020. The National Union of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the National Association of Head Teachers and the GMB have joined forced to ask politicians running for office to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-urge-politicians-to-address-3bn-education-funding-crisis 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-urge-politicians-to-address-3bn-education-funding-crisis Mon, 15 May 2017 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities are facing a £2bn funding gap to support vulnerable children by 2020, councils have warned the government, with the LGA claiming that in many areas services are being pushed to “breaking point”. Analysis released by the LGA has suggested that the shortfall in cash for these services is likely to grow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-at-breaking-point-as-sector-faces-2bn-funding-gap 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-at-breaking-point-as-sector-faces-2bn-funding-gap Mon, 15 May 2017 09:30:00 GMT Ensuring economic growth that works for everybody should be a “number one” priority for the incoming metro mayors, a key social policy research centre charity has found. In its second Annual Growth Monitor, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) collaborated with the University of Manchester to create a tool that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-inclusive-growth-should-be-top-priority-for-metro-mayors 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-inclusive-growth-should-be-top-priority-for-metro-mayors Fri, 12 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT The 1% cap on public sector pay will cost the UK economy a total of £16bn in lost wages by 2020, a leading trade union has stated. Analysis released by the GMB has suggested that the policy of capping public sector workers at 1% – below the rate of inflation – will cost the UK economy hugely over the next five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cruel-public-sector-pay-cap-to-cost-economy-16bn-in-lost-wages 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cruel-public-sector-pay-cap-to-cost-economy-16bn-in-lost-wages Fri, 12 May 2017 14:15:00 GMT A third of low-earning renters in Britain have been forced to borrow money to cover the cost of their rent, new research released today by Shelter has found. New figures from a survey conducted by the housing charity showed how many people were being driven into debt to keep up with rising rental payments as half a million people on low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/third-of-low-earning-tenants-borrowing-to-keep-up-with-rent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/third-of-low-earning-tenants-borrowing-to-keep-up-with-rent Fri, 12 May 2017 12:15:00 GMT Efforts to improve public health in the UK are being undermined by an “inconsistent approach” to using evidence-based measures, and continued cuts to budgets mean we are now facing a “ticking time bomb”, according doctors’ leaders. In its manifesto, A Vote for Health, the BMA slammed successive governments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-going-backwards-with-inconsistent-approach 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-going-backwards-with-inconsistent-approach Thu, 11 May 2017 10:30:00 GMT Only a third of council members have a clear understanding of how an accountable care system (ACS) – NHS England’s chosen model to take forward sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) – work, raising a red flag around the potentially dangerous exclusion of local authorities from these vital reform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-a-third-of-councils-understand-how-accountable-care-systems-work 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-a-third-of-councils-understand-how-accountable-care-systems-work Thu, 11 May 2017 09:45:00 GMT The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has put its backing behind Labour’s pledge to invest heavily in education infrastructure – around £8.4bn a year by 2020-21. However, the organisation raised concern about how the party will go about financing the plan, by putting up corporation tax to 26% from 19% – meaning it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-warns-of-trade-off-implementing-labours-bold-education-funding-promise 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-warns-of-trade-off-implementing-labours-bold-education-funding-promise Wed, 10 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT Following last week’s county council elections, the Conservative Party and Mansfield Independent Forum have entered into a coalition to run Nottinghamshire CC. After the votes were cast, the Conservatives won 31 of the 66 seats on the council, making them the largest party. However, it was short of the 34 seats required for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservative-led-coalition-to-run-nottinghamshire-cc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservative-led-coalition-to-run-nottinghamshire-cc Wed, 10 May 2017 14:15:00 GMT The newly formed Birmingham Children’s Trust has appointed Andy Couldrick as its first CEO to head up services in the city. It follows news last year that responsibilities for children’s care services will be handed to the voluntary trust after years of poor Ofsted inspections. The trust is expected to be fully set up by April... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wokingham-boss-to-oversee-new-birmingham-childrens-trust 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wokingham-boss-to-oversee-new-birmingham-childrens-trust Wed, 10 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT The leaders of Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury local authorities have put forward ambitious plans to create a new single council that would lead on all services in West Suffolk. The plan, intended to drive prosperity in the region by building on the already-successful partnership working between the two councils, would mean a single body... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-propose-single-council-merger-for-west-suffolk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-propose-single-council-merger-for-west-suffolk Tue, 09 May 2017 12:00:00 GMT Even if the short-term pressures facing the social care and health system at present are fixed, the pace of funding growth for the sector will need to accelerate beyond 2020 and take a greater share of the GDP if we are to keep pace with demand, the Health Foundation has argued. In the first of three briefing papers planned for before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-foundation-new-government-must-give-social-care-greater-gdp-share 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-foundation-new-government-must-give-social-care-greater-gdp-share Tue, 09 May 2017 11:15:00 GMT The local authority that had planned to hike its council tax by an enormous 15% in order to fight against social care cuts – in a move that has since raised suspicions of a “sweetheart deal” with the DCLG – has underspent its total budget by almost £7m, Cabinet papers have revealed. Earlier this year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/after-divisive-15-council-tax-rise-plans-surrey-underspends-by-7m 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/after-divisive-15-council-tax-rise-plans-surrey-underspends-by-7m Tue, 09 May 2017 10:15:00 GMT The current housebuilding system is “too slow” and the rate of delivery of new homes is a “major problem” for the government to address, a leading think-tank has said. In its report called ‘Building Homes Faster? A Commentary on the government’s plans for increasing the pace of development’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/market-led-model-failing-to-deliver-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/market-led-model-failing-to-deliver-affordable-housing Mon, 08 May 2017 11:00:00 GMT England’s six new metro mayors have been called on to join forces with London mayor Sadiq Khan around a fresh devolution agenda to improve public services and infrastructure in their respective city-regions. The call comes from think tank IPPR North, which also repeated the need for central government to offer the mayoral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metro-mayors-must-work-with-khan-to-reboot-devolution-revolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metro-mayors-must-work-with-khan-to-reboot-devolution-revolution Mon, 08 May 2017 10:30:00 GMT Newly-elected mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has now selected his leadership team, including Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese as one of his deputy mayors. The appointment comes after Sir Richard last year said in a blog post on Manchester City Council’s website that the mayoral model was a “step backwards, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/despite-mayoral-criticisms-leese-joins-burnhams-top-team 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/despite-mayoral-criticisms-leese-joins-burnhams-top-team Mon, 08 May 2017 09:45:00 GMT The Conservatives and Labour were successful in today's mayoral elections, though Corbyn's party has lost significant ground in the local elections.  Andy Burnham has now been elected as first GM metro mayor with a huge margin of 63% of the vote.  Earlier in the day, Conservative Tim Bowles was elected as the first West of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservatives-take-lead-in-mayorals-as-labour-falters-in-locals- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservatives-take-lead-in-mayorals-as-labour-falters-in-locals- Fri, 05 May 2017 15:00:00 GMT Councils have today laid out a 10-point plan that they believe competing political parties should follow in order to boost vital local services for residents as they prepare for the snap election on 8 June. On the day that votes for the local and mayoral elections are being counted in the UK, the LGA has published a list of priorities for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-next-government-must-empower-councils-with-10-policy-promises 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-next-government-must-empower-councils-with-10-policy-promises Fri, 05 May 2017 12:15:00 GMT Local councils have today thrown their support behind a campaign designed to make advertising for broadband speed more transparent and honest for UK consumers. Responding to a consultation launched by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) on tougher standards for broadband companies advertising their services, the LGA has stated it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-tougher-standards-for-broadband-advertising 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-tougher-standards-for-broadband-advertising Thu, 04 May 2017 15:30:00 GMT London Assembly has this week opened applications for the first chief digital officer in the capital. The digital officer will work in the Mayor’s Office convening GLA officials, the Smart London Board, local authorities and technology sectors to encourage collaboration and the adoption of common standards around data and service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-assembly-seeking-applicants-for-capitals-first-chief-digital-officer 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-assembly-seeking-applicants-for-capitals-first-chief-digital-officer Thu, 04 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT Financial pressures are restricting the ability of schools to support children suffering with mental health problems, MPs have this week warned. In a joint inquiry conducted by the Health Committee and the Education Committee, it was concluded that schools and colleges were struggling to find the time and money to devote to improving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-whole-school-approach-to-tackling-mental-health-problems 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-whole-school-approach-to-tackling-mental-health-problems Thu, 04 May 2017 10:15:00 GMT Residents in Liverpool are more aware of cuts to local council services than people living in three other major English cities, according to a new poll. Conducted by YouGov and released by charity Power to Change, the survey looked into how local people living in Birmingham, London, Liverpool and Manchester experienced cuts and how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-residents-hardest-hit-by-council-austerity-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-residents-hardest-hit-by-council-austerity-cuts Wed, 03 May 2017 14:45:00 GMT Britain’s politicians have been told to hone in on a small number of clear promises that address the key issues facing the UK at the moment. The Institute for Government (IfG) this week released their guidelines for what the competing political parties should contain in their manifestos, which will set out the blueprint for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifg-urges-politicians-to-focus-on-five-key-issues-in-drawing-up-manifestos 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifg-urges-politicians-to-focus-on-five-key-issues-in-drawing-up-manifestos Wed, 03 May 2017 12:45:00 GMT A sound Industrial Strategy must be built on further devolution of powers at regional and local levels to allow decision-makers to quickly respond to problems in their area, according to Core Cities UK. In its response to the Industrial Strategy consultation, the organisation, which represents the UK’s 10 core cities, called on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-government-must-make-devolution-more-than-a-soundbite 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-government-must-make-devolution-more-than-a-soundbite Wed, 03 May 2017 12:30:00 GMT The monopoly that large volume homebuilders have over the property market must be tackled in order to fix the “broken” state of housing in the UK, an influential committee of MPs has stated. Another change that was suggested was also removing or raising caps on councils’ Housing Revenue Accounts that limit the ability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-calls-for-changes-to-council-borrowing-cap 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-calls-for-changes-to-council-borrowing-cap Tue, 02 May 2017 11:30:00 GMT The upcoming mayoral elections represent a watershed moment in the history of British democracy, reports PSE’s Luana Salles.  On 4 May, voters across six regions will take to the polls to decide who should captain their public services until 2020.  As part of the elections, the DCLG has kick-started the ‘Our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-watershed-moment-in-british-democracy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-watershed-moment-in-british-democracy Tue, 02 May 2017 10:45:00 GMT Annual reports and accounts of government departments are currently failing in their purpose of explaining to the public and Parliament the purpose and effectiveness of government spending, MPs have today warned. It was found that accounts were not designed for the purpose of democratic scrutiny, meaning that the fiscal goings on within... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-told-to-improve-failing-departmental-accounts- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-told-to-improve-failing-departmental-accounts- Tue, 02 May 2017 10:45:00 GMT The Civil Service must be absolutely clear about its “mission and role” and the principles upon which it is based in anticipation of the challenges being raised by Brexit, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has today stated. The committee of MPs also urged the new government to consider the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-must-be-clear-about-its-mission-and-role-ahead-of-brexit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-must-be-clear-about-its-mission-and-role-ahead-of-brexit Tue, 02 May 2017 10:00:00 GMT The government has been criticised for ‘lacking ambition’ in tackling the UK’s housing crisis, MPs have today warned. Despite acknowledging that the market in England is broken, the government was slammed for relying on an existing market dominated by only a handful of private developers, making property unaffordable for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-slammed-for-lack-of-ambition-in-tackling-housing-crisis 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-slammed-for-lack-of-ambition-in-tackling-housing-crisis Fri, 28 Apr 2017 15:30:00 GMT The six mayors of the newly established combined authority areas have been told to adopt a ‘Digital First Mind-set’ when they take office after elections take place on 4 May. At the launch of techUK – the UK’s IT industry association – publication Digital Devolution: A Guide for Mayors, the elected mayors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-mayors-encouraged-to-embrace-digital-devolution- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-mayors-encouraged-to-embrace-digital-devolution- Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:30:00 GMT MPs have slammed the government for the failure of the Better Care Fund (BCF) to achieve any of its objectives, adding that it was unconvinced that STP planning could succeed where the BCF had failed in integrating health and social care services. In a report released by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), it was also found that STP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-slam-bcf-as-complicated-ruse-to-transfer-cash-to-local-government 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-slam-bcf-as-complicated-ruse-to-transfer-cash-to-local-government Fri, 28 Apr 2017 11:30:00 GMT David Hawkins, operations director at the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), on why ISO 44001 is a new evolution in collaborative working. The past 12 months have seen seismic changes both across Europe and the US. Brexit will undoubtedly create challenges for both the public and private sectors, which will place pressures on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaborative-working-is-the-key-to-the-future-at-home-and-abroad 450,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaborative-working-is-the-key-to-the-future-at-home-and-abroad Fri, 28 Apr 2017 07:30:00 GMT Dave Pearson, director of transport services at West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), explains how a partnership approach is encouraging more people to use public transport and improve air quality in the region. Reducing carbon emissions from transport is a high priority for the WYCA and the five district councils of Bradford... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-integrated-approach-to-greening-public-transport 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-integrated-approach-to-greening-public-transport Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT Tracie Evans, chief operating officer at Haringey Council, reflects on the importance of innovative change and improving the relationship between staff and senior management in these times of austerity. Since joining Haringey Council four years ago, Tracie Evans, the local authority’s chief operating officer, says there has been a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-engagement-and-trust 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-engagement-and-trust Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT If new mayors want to improve the life chances of their communities, help the most vulnerable and trailblaze public service reform, then criminal justice transformation and ‘whole-place’ pooling of public service budgets must be priorities, argue former communities secretary Hazel Blears and Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlocking-the-combination-to-criminal-justice-reform 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlocking-the-combination-to-criminal-justice-reform Fri, 28 Apr 2017 05:30:00 GMT Kevin Kewin, a senior adviser in the Care and Health Improvement Programme at the LGA, explains how social care can be transformed through the use of information and technology. The funding pressures facing social care, and the NHS, have been prominent in media headlines in recent years. This is understandable in a context of rapidly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-to-support-integration 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-to-support-integration Fri, 28 Apr 2017 03:30:00 GMT Following the recent Smart Essex Digital Summit, which was hosted by Essex County Council, David Wilde, executive director and chief information officer at the local authority, tells PSE why, in order to prepare for the challenges of the future, his council will ensure that digital plays a central role in the way it delivers public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/putting-digital-at-the-heart-of-service-delivery 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/putting-digital-at-the-heart-of-service-delivery Fri, 28 Apr 2017 03:00:00 GMT The UK’s leading political parties have today been reminded to not forget about the local elections with a week to go before voters go to the polls to choose who represents their interests at council level. Today, the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) alongside the County Councils Network (CCN) have told politicians to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-polls-must-not-be-forgotten-in-fog-of-general-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-polls-must-not-be-forgotten-in-fog-of-general-election Thu, 27 Apr 2017 15:15:00 GMT A not-for-profit energy company has been set up in Liverpool that aims to save residents hundreds of pounds and tackle fuel poverty in the area. Named the Liverpool Energy Community Company, or LECCY for short, the organisation is hoping to provide a cheaper alternative for gas and electricity in Liverpool besides the Big Six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-led-energy-company-aims-to-tackle-fuel-poverty-in-liverpool 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-led-energy-company-aims-to-tackle-fuel-poverty-in-liverpool Thu, 27 Apr 2017 10:00:00 GMT An online database to ‘name and shame’ criminal landlords will soon be established in the capital by mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The measures have been put in place to crack down on the number of landlords renting sub-standard properties to tenants, with many people paying huge rents to live in squalid, cramped... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-to-launch-first-of-its-kind-criminal-landlord-database-in-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-to-launch-first-of-its-kind-criminal-landlord-database-in-london Thu, 27 Apr 2017 09:30:00 GMT More needs to be done to reduce the number of beds in mental health hospitals for people with a learning disability, and greater levels of funding and support are required when moving them into community care, according to an influential group of MPs. In a report released today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) stated that while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-support-patchy-for-people-with-learning-disabilities- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-support-patchy-for-people-with-learning-disabilities- Wed, 26 Apr 2017 17:00:00 GMT Concern has been raised that the government’s system of funding to build new schools and create places is “poor value for money,” the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has today stated. In the ‘Capital funding for schools’ report, the committee said that the Department for Education (DfE) is paying well over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-government-spending-over-the-odds-on-creating-free-schools- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-government-spending-over-the-odds-on-creating-free-schools- Wed, 26 Apr 2017 15:15:00 GMT Sexism in local government is “commonplace,” as more than a third of female councillors reported experiencing sexist comments from colleagues, a survey from the Fawcett Society has revealed. Startlingly, one in 10 women also said they had experienced sexual harassment from fellow councillors. On top of this, 43% of the 2,300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sexism-commonplace-across-local-government 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sexism-commonplace-across-local-government Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:30:00 GMT Older people are missing out on £3.5bn in unclaimed benefits despite almost one in four over-65s finding it difficult to make ends meet, charity Age UK has today announced. Research from the charity found that millions of older people who were eligible for benefits, including Pension Credit, were not claiming the money they were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/older-people-miss-out-on-35bn-in-unclaimed-benefits 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/older-people-miss-out-on-35bn-in-unclaimed-benefits Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:45:00 GMT The Government Property Unit (GPU) has made little progress towards its objective of creating a shared and integrated estate since it was set up in 2010, the National Audit Office (NAO) has today stated. In a report released today, called ‘Progress on the government estate strategy’, the NAO found that although the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-little-progress-has-been-made-in-achieving-gpu-ambitions 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-little-progress-has-been-made-in-achieving-gpu-ambitions Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:15:00 GMT Areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out to single people, couples and families have seen a 16.85% increase in the number of people being referred to foodbanks – more than double the national average. In a report drawn up by charity Trussell Trust, called Early Warnings: Universal Credit and Food Banks, it was found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/switch-to-universal-credit-doubles-number-of-referrals-to-foodbanks- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/switch-to-universal-credit-doubles-number-of-referrals-to-foodbanks- Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:45:00 GMT Ahead of this year’s mayoral elections, Lord Kerslake, the former head of the Civil Service, tells PSE’s David Stevenson why the arguments for devolution remain as compelling as they always have. In February, Lord Kerslake published his independent review of the Treasury to consider how it should work to promote and manage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maintaining-the-momentum-for-further-devolution 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maintaining-the-momentum-for-further-devolution Tue, 25 Apr 2017 09:30:00 GMT Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, explains why the public sector has the potential to shape and accelerate the UK automotive market to be entirely ultra-low emission. The public sector is more plugged in to electric vehicles (EVs) than ever before – with fleet EV purchases accounting for approximately two-thirds of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-can-lead-the-uk-to-an-ultra-low-emission-future 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-can-lead-the-uk-to-an-ultra-low-emission-future Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT Dr Daniel Dresner, information and cyber security governance lecturer at the University of Manchester, explains how the public sector’s approach to cyber security is improving. The public sector’s approach to cyber security governance in the past could be summed up like many school reports: ‘getting better, but room for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-period-of-inevitable-risk 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-period-of-inevitable-risk Tue, 25 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT Charles Cotton, performance and reward adviser to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), analyses the financial wellbeing of those working in the public sector. In 2016, the CIPD produced a report on employee wellbeing, showing the positive impact that this could have on organisations. Our publication also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employee-financial-wellbeing-in-the-public-sector 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employee-financial-wellbeing-in-the-public-sector Tue, 25 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT Alison McKenzie-Folan, deputy chief executive, director customer transformation at Wigan Council, explains why local authorities, as digital leaders, must set a positive example and demonstrate what can be achieved when you embed trust in the workplace. In early March, I was asked to talk at the national Share Digital conference. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wigan-council-embracing-digital-transformation 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wigan-council-embracing-digital-transformation Tue, 25 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT Shane Green, programme manager for business intelligence & open data, and Sudip Trivedi, head of data & analytics and connectivity — Business Partner for Place at Camden Council, discuss the importance of using data analytics to improve service delivery. Over the last few years, Camden Council has been on a significant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/using-data-to-enhance-public-services 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/using-data-to-enhance-public-services Tue, 25 Apr 2017 06:00:00 GMT The allocation for the £300m package promised in the Spring Budget to ease pressure on small businesses hit hardest by changes to business rates has been released by the DCLG. This comes after reports that the fund had been pushed back until after the snap election, a fact that PSE has learnt is not the case. DCLG has told councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-announce-allocation-for-300m-business-rates-relief-fund-amidst-confusion 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-announce-allocation-for-300m-business-rates-relief-fund-amidst-confusion Mon, 24 Apr 2017 11:15:00 GMT Emma Hartley, head of campaigns at the Electoral Commission, discusses the importance of a collaborative approach to engage voters ahead of this year’s elections.  It’s vital that voters can easily participate in every type of election so that democracy can work. One of the challenges for the Electoral Commission when new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/engaging-voters-ahead-of-mays-elections 436,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/engaging-voters-ahead-of-mays-elections Mon, 24 Apr 2017 10:45:00 GMT Plans to replace part of the existing communications system for the emergency services could strike a “major, potentially catastrophic blow to the ability of our emergency services to carry out their job and keep citizens safe”, according to the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The government intends to exchange... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-plans-to-replace-emergency-services-comms-pose-catastrophic-risk-to-public-safety 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-plans-to-replace-emergency-services-comms-pose-catastrophic-risk-to-public-safety Mon, 24 Apr 2017 10:15:00 GMT Local councils and other public sector organisations have been warned to do proper background research before switching to the cloud or internet data systems in a new report released this week. Research conducted by Brunel University found that while moving to the cloud proved beneficial to authorities, the switch was often made too... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warned-to-plan-before-switching-to-cloud-based-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warned-to-plan-before-switching-to-cloud-based-data Mon, 24 Apr 2017 09:30:00 GMT Council chief executives have welcomed the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, saying that they agree with the government’s plans to build a stronger economy and fairer society and the opportunity it offers to unlock further devolution. The report Building our Industrial Strategy – which the government released in January this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ceos-welcome-industrial-strategy-to-drive-devolution- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ceos-welcome-industrial-strategy-to-drive-devolution- Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:45:00 GMT Less than a fifth of council procurement budgets in Scotland are spent on small or medium sized enterprises (SME), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed. This has led the organisation to call on Scottish councils to pledge an increase in spending for local firms, stating that Scotland’s 32 local authorities should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-target-local-smes-with-procurement-spend 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-target-local-smes-with-procurement-spend Fri, 21 Apr 2017 14:15:00 GMT Councillors across the country are not “digital dinosaurs” and generally hold strong and positive views about technology and data, a new report has announced. The ‘Start of the possible’ research, conducted by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), asked 800 locally-elected council representatives 17 open... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgiu-councillors-not-digital-dinosaurs-but-skills-gap-still-an-issue 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgiu-councillors-not-digital-dinosaurs-but-skills-gap-still-an-issue Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:15:00 GMT Peter Sloman, chief executive of Oxford City Council, argues that pursuing devolution rather than restructuring local government in the county is better for the area’s economy. This year is likely to be dominated by the debates around the triggering of Article 50 and the initiation of formal negotiations to secure a strong future... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devolution-will-boost-uk-economy 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devolution-will-boost-uk-economy Fri, 21 Apr 2017 08:00:00 GMT A renewal of the UK’s infrastructure – from telecommunications to energy, roads and buildings – rightly sits as one of the pillars of the government’s Industrial Strategy. But how can we ensure the infrastructure of tomorrow is fit for the future? Matthew Bell, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clean-growth-and-the-role-of-uk-infrastructure 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clean-growth-and-the-role-of-uk-infrastructure Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:30:00 GMT Despite its many brilliant female leaders, the Northern Powerhouse often forgets to shout about the women working tirelessly to transform the region. But this is all about to change, Donna Hall, chief executive of Wigan Council, tells PSE’s Luana Salles. According to the Fawcett Society, only 12% of council leaders and 13% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-peoples-powerhouse-breaking-the-mould 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-peoples-powerhouse-breaking-the-mould Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT Cllr Kevin Davis, London Councils executive member for health and leader of Kingston Council, celebrates the work being done in the capital to integrate health and social care, but argues there is still a long way to go. It is no secret that London boroughs, along with councils across the rest of the country, are facing huge pressures in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shouting-about-health-and-care-integration-in-the-capital 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shouting-about-health-and-care-integration-in-the-capital Fri, 21 Apr 2017 06:00:00 GMT From May 2018, a new piece of data protection legislation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will apply in the UK. Ian Inman, group manager for public services at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), outlines changes needed in the public sector and how the regulator can help. Social service care records, contact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-modern-law-for-an-increasingly-digital-world 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-modern-law-for-an-increasingly-digital-world Fri, 21 Apr 2017 02:30:00 GMT Peter Clark, chief executive at Oxfordshire County Council, and David Hill, chief executive of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, make the case for a unitary authority in the region. We did it – the bid is printed, boxed and sent.  In mid-March our three councils submitted a joint unitary proposal to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-council-for-a-better-oxfordshire 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-council-for-a-better-oxfordshire Fri, 21 Apr 2017 01:30:00 GMT One in five adults have suffered from mental health problems due to pressures from housing over the last five years, new research released by Shelter has revealed. The charity’s findings found that 21% of adults had suffered from issues like long-term stress, anxiety and depression due to some kind of housing problem in the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-five-suffering-severe-mental-health-issues-due-to-housing-problems 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-five-suffering-severe-mental-health-issues-due-to-housing-problems Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:00:00 GMT Andrew Walker, policy researcher at the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), discusses the importance of the upcoming mayoral elections.  Local elections are fast approaching, and there are some really key ones to look out for this year, not to mention new directly-elected mayors in some of our biggest cities. LGiU will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-significant-change-to-british-democracy-is-approaching 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-significant-change-to-british-democracy-is-approaching Thu, 20 Apr 2017 10:30:00 GMT The six new mayors of England’s newly formed combined authorities must work together across their regions to drive a new wave of devolution, a report released by IPPR North has stated. In the report, called ‘England’s New Leaders: How Mayors Can Transform Their Cities’, a ‘menu’ of 30 key policies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-collaboration-between-mayors-essential-to-secure-more-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-collaboration-between-mayors-essential-to-secure-more-devolution Thu, 20 Apr 2017 10:15:00 GMT Christchurch councillors in Dorset have voted to defer a referendum on local government reorganisation until after the snap general election on 8 June. The news was announced this week by the council who say that due to possible changes to cabinet members and government policies on local government that could come about as a result of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-council-postpones-reorganisation-referendum-until-after-general-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-council-postpones-reorganisation-referendum-until-after-general-election Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:45:00 GMT An issue with a car parking app used by many local councils caused users to see the personal details of other people on the app, including information about vehicle registration and names. The app is used in 230 towns across the country by councils including Richmond, Milton Keynes, Lewisham and Westminster, and allows users to register... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/error-with-car-parking-app-used-by-councils-causes-serious-data-breach 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/error-with-car-parking-app-used-by-councils-causes-serious-data-breach Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:00:00 GMT A huge majority of 93% of top positions in all six of the newly-formed combined authorities will be held by white men, prompting claims that English devolution is at risk of becoming a “play thing of the old boys’ club”, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) has today warned. In its report, ‘From City Hall to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/combined-authorities-risk-being-old-boys-club-as-93-of-leaders-are-white-men 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/combined-authorities-risk-being-old-boys-club-as-93-of-leaders-are-white-men Wed, 19 Apr 2017 14:15:00 GMT Around 30,000 more people were forced to wait in hospital while their care was transferred into the community in February 2017 compared to the same month a year ago, figures released by NHS England have revealed. There were almost 185,000 delayed days in February 2017 compared to 158,131 in February last year, and the number of delayed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-squeeze-leaves-thousands-more-patients-stranded-in-hospital-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-squeeze-leaves-thousands-more-patients-stranded-in-hospital-care Wed, 19 Apr 2017 12:30:00 GMT Chris Painter, Professor Emeritus at Birmingham City University, examines recent political shocks and their implications for the context in which public servants operate. Few signature public governance or public service reforms are so far associated with the Theresa May premiership. Reviving expansion of selective grammar schools is one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-populism-and-public-service 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-populism-and-public-service Tue, 18 Apr 2017 09:00:00 GMT Reading Buses, the innovative operator wholly owned by the local borough council, has become the first town-wide contactless bus network outside London. PSE reports. Reading Buses, the council-owned organisation that strives to reduce car dependency for visitors and residents, has become the first independent operator to go 100%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stepping-up-to-londons-contactless-bus-network 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stepping-up-to-londons-contactless-bus-network Tue, 18 Apr 2017 09:00:00 GMT Kamal Bechkoum, professor of computing and head of the Business and Computing School at the University of Gloucestershire, discusses the benefits and challenges of the Internet of Things (IoT) for businesses. The IoT is a phenomenon regarded by many analysts as one of the principal emerging industries of the new millennium. A growing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iot-and-cybersecurity-tomorrows-threats-today 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iot-and-cybersecurity-tomorrows-threats-today Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:30:00 GMT Professor Eugene Milne, director of public health at Newcastle City Council and joint editor of the Journal of Public Health, on why we need a relationship between the NHS and public health provision that recognises the need for collaboration in tackling smoking. Smoking is a blight on the lives of millions of people. It is the largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-the-time-to-pass-the-buck-on-tackling-smoking 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-the-time-to-pass-the-buck-on-tackling-smoking Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:30:00 GMT Alison Whitney, deputy director for digital government at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), explains how the organisation will be working closely with the public sector to build a more safe and secure digital environment. The NCSC was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in February with a clear aim: to make the UK the safest place to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyber-security-is-a-strategic-risk-management-issue 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyber-security-is-a-strategic-risk-management-issue Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:30:00 GMT Carolyn Wilkins OBE, CEO of Oldham Council, discusses the important role local government can play in enabling and empowering people to tell their own positive stories. In Oldham, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve in our role as corporate parents. A few years ago, we introduced the ‘Children’s Champions’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/our-stories-should-be-strengths-on-which-we-build 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/our-stories-should-be-strengths-on-which-we-build Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT Peter Unwin CB, chief executive of The Whitehall & Industry Group (WIG), formerly director general at DEFRA, explains why learning from other sectors provides a unique contribution to both individual career success and the success of organisations. This year, as every year, thousands of talented people will embark on their career. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avoid-the-perils-of-groupthink-by-learning-from-other-sectors 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avoid-the-perils-of-groupthink-by-learning-from-other-sectors Tue, 18 Apr 2017 06:30:00 GMT Clive Betts MP, chair of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee, reflects on the social care funding released in this year’s Spring Budget and the government’s much-anticipated Green Paper. While it is welcome news that the chancellor has recognised that the struggling adult social care sector needs extra funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-social-care-funding-misses-the-point 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-social-care-funding-misses-the-point Thu, 13 Apr 2017 09:00:00 GMT Grainne Siggins, national policy lead and trustee at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS), talks to PSE about the National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) recent report on health and social care integration. In February, the NAO released its report into health and social care integration. In summary, it stated that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bcf-not-the-be-all-and-end-all-to-integration 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bcf-not-the-be-all-and-end-all-to-integration Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:00:00 GMT On 1 March the government finally published its much-anticipated UK Digital Strategy. Its aim is to “create a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone”. That’s ambitious stuff. Eddie Copeland, director of government innovation at Nesta, asks what we should make of its provisions for the public sector. On... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-uk-digital-strategy-big-ambitions-small-details 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-uk-digital-strategy-big-ambitions-small-details Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:00:00 GMT PSE reports from this year’s Carbon Trust Public Sector Conference. One of the key messages to come out of this year’s Carbon Trust Public Sector Conference was that the sector needs to highlight the importance and business case for moving to a low-carbon economy. Speaking at the event, which attracted over 200 attendees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lead-by-example-on-carbon-reduction 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lead-by-example-on-carbon-reduction Thu, 13 Apr 2017 07:30:00 GMT Vivek Kotecha, research officer at the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI), looks at the challenges facing privatised social care. Patients were assured that they would have more choice and a better quality of care when adult social care was gradually privatised in the 1990s. However, more than two decades on, the policy of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-shortcomings-of-privatised-adult-social-care-why-has-it-failed 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-shortcomings-of-privatised-adult-social-care-why-has-it-failed Thu, 13 Apr 2017 07:30:00 GMT Yvonne Gallagher, director of digital value for money at the National Audit Office (NAO), discusses the digital skills gap in the public sector. The NAO recently published a report on the ‘Capability gap in the Civil Service’ where we highlighted digital skills gaps. The report updated some of the survey findings in our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-address-the-digital-skills-gap 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-address-the-digital-skills-gap Thu, 13 Apr 2017 06:00:00 GMT Design Council’s director of growth and innovation, Ellie Runcie, on how design can enable service transformation and why London is next to benefit from the successful Design in the Public Sector programme. It has been nearly two years since we launched Design in the Public Sector – an intensive 16-week programme, funded by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adopting-design-to-tackle-service-challenges 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adopting-design-to-tackle-service-challenges Thu, 13 Apr 2017 02:00:00 GMT The government is ‘minded’ to order an official inquiry into changes to library provisions in Lancashire which saw 29 libraries closed by the council, raising concerns that the authority made the decision before it had fully consulted residents in the local area. The culture secretary, Karen Bradley, had previously said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decision-to-close-lancashire-libraries-was-predetermined-letter-claims 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decision-to-close-lancashire-libraries-was-predetermined-letter-claims Wed, 12 Apr 2017 14:45:00 GMT A quarter of public sector workers think that Brexit will increase their workload, and two in five have reported that their work-life balance is worse than it was a year ago, a survey conducted by Boundless in collaboration with PSE has found. The survey of 920 people working in the public sector found that a large proportion of staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-warn-of-worsening-work-life-balance-post-brexit 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-warn-of-worsening-work-life-balance-post-brexit Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:45:00 GMT Solace has been appointed Graeme McDonald to the new role of managing director, and will oversee the society and its commercial recruitment arm, Solace in Business. McDonald joined Solace in 2011 and before his promotion was the director of Solace. He had previously racked up 15 years of experience working in local government, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-appoints-graeme-mcdonald-as-first-md 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-appoints-graeme-mcdonald-as-first-md Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT Mott MacDonald has been selected to provide multidisciplinary services on a framework agreement for a number of schemes involved with the Greater Cambridge City Deal (GCCD). The company will provide services for transport planning, business case development and structural landscape and building design services for the framework. On... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mott-macdonald-selected-to-deliver-services-for-cambridge-city-deal 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mott-macdonald-selected-to-deliver-services-for-cambridge-city-deal Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:45:00 GMT The government has now officially triggered Article 50, formally starting the process of Britain’s exit from the EU. How this will affect local government, the wider public sector and the Civil Service remains to be seen, but the likelihood of it being plain sailing with the enormity of the task ahead seems rather unlikely.  It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-watershed-moment-in-british-politics 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-watershed-moment-in-british-politics Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:30:00 GMT Huge disparity has been revealed in the quality of care homes across the country by a new Independent Age report that looked into the number of providers that had been rated poorly in inspections. The study looked into the proportion of care homes that were performing badly (receiving ratings of ‘required improvement’ or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enormous-variation-in-social-care-quality-reinforces-need-for-urgent-funding-review 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enormous-variation-in-social-care-quality-reinforces-need-for-urgent-funding-review Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:15:00 GMT Sunderland City Council spent over £1.6m on the pay of just three of its senior employees in 2015-16, data released by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has found. In its tenth ‘Town Hall Rich List’, it was also found that over 2,000 council employees cashed in pay checks of over £100,000 nationwide last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunderland-council-spent-16m-on-pay-of-just-three-employees-in-2015-16 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunderland-council-spent-16m-on-pay-of-just-three-employees-in-2015-16 Tue, 11 Apr 2017 12:30:00 GMT Litterers could be slapped with fines of up to £150 or face community service as part of a new government drive to crackdown on rubbish covering the country’s roads, pavements and green areas. The guidance released today in the government’s litter strategy for England has recommended that the most serious litterers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/litterers-to-face-heavy-fines-or-community-service-under-new-strategy 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/litterers-to-face-heavy-fines-or-community-service-under-new-strategy Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:30:00 GMT Concern has been raised by London Councils over the government’s new levy to boost apprenticeship opportunities in the UK, saying that the policy’s lack of flexibility could lead to councils not being able to spend their allocation and it being “reabsorbed” by government after two years. The levy, which came into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-raises-concern-over-inflexible-apprenticeship-levy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-raises-concern-over-inflexible-apprenticeship-levy Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:00:00 GMT How will the DCLG be promoting this year’s mayoral elections? As we gear up to devolve crucial powers and funding to six of the country’s regions, we’ve created a campaign to help raise awareness of the mayoral elections on 4 May. The ‘Our Mayor’ campaign involves social media, outdoor advertising and radio... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/60-seconds-with-local-growth-minister-andrew-percy 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/60-seconds-with-local-growth-minister-andrew-percy Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:15:00 GMT Pressure being placed on schools from heavy cuts to funding is having a detrimental effect on the quality of education in the UK, a survey published by two teachers’ unions has revealed. The warning comes just a week after the government announced a £2.4bn investment to go towards creating more school places and improving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-cuts-having-detrimental-impact-on-education-standards 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-cuts-having-detrimental-impact-on-education-standards Mon, 10 Apr 2017 09:45:00 GMT Two senior executives at an Essex council have agreed to leave the authority in anticipation of their jobs being rolled into one in a bid to save over £400,000. Harlow Council’s chief executive, Malcolm Morley, and chief operating officer, Graham Blanchett, will both leave their posts to be replaced by a single managing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-combines-two-executive-roles-to-save-over-400000 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-combines-two-executive-roles-to-save-over-400000 Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:15:00 GMT Councils can now bid for a share of the £490m put aside by central government to improve the nation’s roads. Starting yesterday, funding from the National Productivity Investment Fund will be available for a variety of local roads projects to be completed between 2018 and 2020 that are designed to tackle congestion. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-invited-to-bid-for-share-of-490m-road-investment-fund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-invited-to-bid-for-share-of-490m-road-investment-fund Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:45:00 GMT Councils have today called on the government to crack down on rogue landlords by closing a legal loophole that allows landlords to exploit the system and put tenants at risk. The LGA warned that landlords are using the loophole to convert properties into multiple tiny “units” which are marketed as self-contained flats and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-demands-jail-sentences-for-worst-rogue-landlords- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-demands-jail-sentences-for-worst-rogue-landlords- Fri, 07 Apr 2017 13:00:00 GMT The government will review the spending model of its current Troubled Families programme with local councils, the first annual report of the controversial scheme has revealed. The programme was first introduced in 2012 and ran until 2015, costing an estimated £1bn to implement – including just under £500m from central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-to-consult-councils-on-spending-model-for-troubled-families-scheme 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-to-consult-councils-on-spending-model-for-troubled-families-scheme Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:00:00 GMT Around 59% of households – a total of 16 million nationwide – experienced problems with their broadband last year, a survey conducted by consumer champion Which? has revealed. Of those affected, three in 10 said the issues made it more difficult to perform simple tasks like paying bills or accessing online banking, whilst 19%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/60-of-households-report-poor-broadband-speeds-despite-700m-council-investment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/60-of-households-report-poor-broadband-speeds-despite-700m-council-investment Thu, 06 Apr 2017 10:15:00 GMT New legislation has come into force today that will allow councils to fine rogue landlords up to £30,000 in an effort to crackdown on exploitative rental practices in the UK. Landlords found guilty of malpractice, including failing to fix problems that could cause tenants health problems, harassing or using violence against renters... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-given-power-to-fine-rogue-landlords-30000-for-malpractice 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-given-power-to-fine-rogue-landlords-30000-for-malpractice Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:45:00 GMT Twelve new ‘Enterprise zones’ have gone live today, the DCLG has announced – in an effort to drive the local economy in more regions across the country. Enterprise zones were announced in the Autumn Statement in 2015 by then chancellor George Osborne and are designed to help entrepreneurs set up and grow their businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-announces-establishment-of-12-more-enterprise-zones- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-announces-establishment-of-12-more-enterprise-zones- Wed, 05 Apr 2017 15:30:00 GMT Council spending on social care per adult fell by 11% in real terms between 2009-10 and 2015-16, while one in 10 councils have cut their social care budgets by more than a quarter, a report released today by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed. The figures, put together by the IFS alongside the Health Foundation, analysed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-tenth-of-councils-cut-social-care-spending-by-25-warns-ifs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-tenth-of-councils-cut-social-care-spending-by-25-warns-ifs Wed, 05 Apr 2017 14:45:00 GMT Council leaders have welcomed a new report by the House of Lords Select Committee released today that slammed successive governments for failing to have a long-term view of the future of social care and the NHS. The ‘Long-term Sustainability of the NHS and Adult Social Care’ report called on the government to set up an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-lords-report-highlights-vital-need-to-secure-future-of-social-care- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-lords-report-highlights-vital-need-to-secure-future-of-social-care- Wed, 05 Apr 2017 11:45:00 GMT The proper implementation of digital ‘dashboards’ to help staff filter and use large amounts of data more easily could massively improve public services, a report by think tank Demos has revealed. Data dashboards, of which 800 have been created so far for central government civil servants, summarise big data and provide staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-missing-out-on-digital-dashboards-potential-due-to-poor-implementation 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-missing-out-on-digital-dashboards-potential-due-to-poor-implementation Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:45:00 GMT Brexit will have a “immeasurable” effect on the running of public services in the UK, but could also provide a “catalyst for much needed reform,” the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has claimed. In its ‘The Brexit Balance Sheet: Weighing Up the Public Sector Crisis’ report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-brexit-has-potential-to-spark-radical-reform-in-public-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-brexit-has-potential-to-spark-radical-reform-in-public-services Tue, 04 Apr 2017 12:45:00 GMT Council leaders have today hit back at a House of Lords Select Committee report that described the formation of licensing committees as “a mistake”, recommending that they are taken over by planning committees instead. In a statement, the LGA has now said that dissolving licensing committees would be an unnecessary move and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-ill-advised-lords-call-to-scrap-licensing-committees- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-at-ill-advised-lords-call-to-scrap-licensing-committees- Tue, 04 Apr 2017 12:15:00 GMT The richest half of the population will benefit from four fifths of the cuts to tax and benefits that the government will introduce this week, a report by the Resolution Foundation has revealed. In plans that are set to be implemented on Thursday 6 April, over £2bn will be cut from income tax from policies such as the personal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-cuts-and-tax-changes-to-hit-poorest-third-of-households-hardest 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-cuts-and-tax-changes-to-hit-poorest-third-of-households-hardest Mon, 03 Apr 2017 11:15:00 GMT Local authorities have responded to the government’s framework on how the £2bn earmarked for adult social care over the next three years will be used, arguing that the money is a good step in the right direction but is by no means a long-term solution to the problems facing the sector. The framework, released on Friday, set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-is-about-more-than-freeing-up-hospital-space-councils-warn 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-is-about-more-than-freeing-up-hospital-space-councils-warn Mon, 03 Apr 2017 10:15:00 GMT Bournemouth Borough Council have formally voted to remove the chief executive role from the council, and will pay out almost £400,000 to the outgoing CEO in costs including a £63,000 redundancy pay package. The story confirms news reported by PSE last week that the local authority was holding a vote to decide on the future of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bournemouth-bc-to-pay-out-400000-as-ceo-position-made-redundant 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bournemouth-bc-to-pay-out-400000-as-ceo-position-made-redundant Mon, 03 Apr 2017 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities should be kept at the frontline of decision-making when it comes to changing EU legislation after Brexit, council leaders have today told the government. Responding to the White Paper on the Great Repeal Bill that the government released yesterday, the LGA has called on the government to not allow Brexit to cause a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-councils-must-be-central-to-legislative-decisions-during-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-councils-must-be-central-to-legislative-decisions-during-brexit Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:00:00 GMT A new International Standard for Collaborative Business relationships was launched this week at the Shard, as the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW) alongside the Warwick Business School and British Standards Institute (BSI) made the announcement to an audience of 100 representatives from the public and private sector. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/international-standard-for-collaborative-working-in-business-launched- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/international-standard-for-collaborative-working-in-business-launched- Fri, 31 Mar 2017 14:30:00 GMT Councils, unions and NHS bodies have joined together in welcoming the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee’s report into adult social care that called for an urgent review of adult care to be undertaken immediately. MPs on the committee welcomed Phillip Hammond’s announcement of £2bn over three years for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-leaders-call-for-central-role-in-social-care-review 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-leaders-call-for-central-role-in-social-care-review Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:00:00 GMT The full extent of the UK’s adult social care crisis was outlined today in a Communities and Local Government Select (CLG) Committee report which called for a full review of the sector by the government.   The committee’s inquiry into adult social care began at the start of 2017 and has highlighted major problems with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-urgent-all-options-on-the-table-review-of-crumbling-social-care-system 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-urgent-all-options-on-the-table-review-of-crumbling-social-care-system Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:00:00 GMT Cuts to public health services are “short-sighted,” and represent a false economy, a report published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found. It also found that the £200m cuts to public health funding in the UK would actually cost eight times more than that in the long run – a total of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-likely-to-cost-wider-economy-16bn-in-the-long-term 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-likely-to-cost-wider-economy-16bn-in-the-long-term Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:15:00 GMT The Government Digital Service (GDS) requires further clarity about its remit and accountabilities to continue being effective in the future, a report released today by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. The NAO’s report, called Digital Transformation in Government, studied the early impact of the GDS across government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-reports-mixed-success-in-early-days-of-gds 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-reports-mixed-success-in-early-days-of-gds Thu, 30 Mar 2017 10:30:00 GMT The government must act to provide the Civil Service with the resources it needs to cope with significant challenges posed by Brexit, two unions have warned after Theresa May triggered article 50, formally kick-starting the process of Britain’s exit from the EU. In separate statements, public sector unions the FDA and Public and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-woefully-underprepared-for-brexit-as-article-50-triggered 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-woefully-underprepared-for-brexit-as-article-50-triggered Thu, 30 Mar 2017 09:45:00 GMT We talk to Mark Lloyd, who has been chief executive of the LGA since November 2015. Prior to taking on this role, he had been the CEO at Cambridgeshire County Council from 2008 and Durham County Council from 2005. What are the biggest challenges facing local government in the next 12 months? Councils and councillors deserve a standing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/60-seconds-with-mark-lloyd 436,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/60-seconds-with-mark-lloyd Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:45:00 GMT Education standards at schools in England are at risk of spiralling further into decline should the Department for Education continue with its harsh series of funding cuts coupled with unrealistic efficiency targets, a report released by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. The report slammed the department, arguing it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-does-not-understand-severity-of-declining-school-standards-say-pac 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-does-not-understand-severity-of-declining-school-standards-say-pac Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:15:00 GMT Councils should be able to use extra cash raised from the change to 100% business rates retention to prop up underfunded local services, the LGA has today told central government. The announcement was in response to a National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) report on business rates that underlined a number of “clear risks”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-councils-should-use-business-rates-retention-to-prop-up-struggling-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-councils-should-use-business-rates-retention-to-prop-up-struggling-services Wed, 29 Mar 2017 15:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has given notice to withdraw its membership from the Local Government Association (LGA) and County Councils Network (CCN), PSE has today learned. This development follows leader Cllr David Hodge resigning last week as leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group after the so-called ‘NickiLeaks’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-cc-gives-notice-to-withdraw-membership-from-lga-and-ccn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-cc-gives-notice-to-withdraw-membership-from-lga-and-ccn Wed, 29 Mar 2017 14:15:00 GMT Councils lack clear strategies for managing demand for social care services and insufficient data to analyse how best to use resources and improve services for patients, including better assessment and signposting for patients at first point of contact, a report by the Institute for Public Care (IPC) has found. The findings recommended... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-look-to-resolve-social-care-enquiries-at-front-door 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-look-to-resolve-social-care-enquiries-at-front-door Tue, 28 Mar 2017 15:45:00 GMT A total of one in six local roads in the UK may need to be replaced in the next five years, Asphalt Industry Alliance’s (AIA’s) annual ALARM survey has revealed, deepening existing council concerns for the state of the country’s roads. In the report, which aims to take a “snapshot” of the condition of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sixth-of-local-roads-will-need-replacing-within-five-years-warns-alarm-survey 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sixth-of-local-roads-will-need-replacing-within-five-years-warns-alarm-survey Tue, 28 Mar 2017 14:15:00 GMT Cambridge and Peterborough’s new metro mayor must focus on introducing a congestion charge, addressing low skill levels and developing a housing and business needs plan when they take office in May, a new report by Centre for Cities has said. The analysis from the think tank described one “quick policy win” that would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/targets-set-out-for-cambridge-peterborough-mayor-to-address-regions-unique-challenges- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/targets-set-out-for-cambridge-peterborough-mayor-to-address-regions-unique-challenges- Tue, 28 Mar 2017 12:00:00 GMT Greater engagement is needed between councils and charities for both parties to get the most from future devolution, local authority leaders have stated.  The call comes following a consultation from the Charities Select Committee that said that the third sector needed strong support from government, regulators and their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-charities-must-be-part-of-the-devolution-conversation- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-charities-must-be-part-of-the-devolution-conversation- Mon, 27 Mar 2017 11:15:00 GMT The cost of progressing Sheffield City Region’s (SCR’s) stalled devolution deal with another public consultation will cost the authority over £100,000, a document from the CA has revealed. The document asked the SCR’s executive managing director to enter into the requisite contractual arrangement to deliver the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/progressing-sheffields-stalled-devo-deal-to-cost-over-100k 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/progressing-sheffields-stalled-devo-deal-to-cost-over-100k Mon, 27 Mar 2017 10:45:00 GMT “Robust action” is needed to tackle the growing problem that councils are facing with addressing childhood obesity, a report released today by the Health Select Committee has warned. In the report, ‘Childhood obesity: follow-up’, the committee said that the introduction of regulations designed to reduce unhealthy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tougher-measures-and-clear-goals-needed-to-curb-child-obesity-warn-mps 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tougher-measures-and-clear-goals-needed-to-curb-child-obesity-warn-mps Mon, 27 Mar 2017 10:15:00 GMT The chief executive position at Bournemouth Borough Council could be made redundant later this week, as the authority will vote on the matter at a full council meeting this Friday. The decision to no longer have a CEO comes as the council prepares to replace Dorset’s nine councils with two unitary authorities by April 2019, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bournemouth-council-to-vote-on-making-ceo-role-redundant- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bournemouth-council-to-vote-on-making-ceo-role-redundant- Mon, 27 Mar 2017 09:30:00 GMT The Civil Service is failing to keep pace with the growth of the challenges it is facing, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. In a new report, ‘Capability in the Civil Service’, the NAO called on the government to prioritise more important projects, activities and transformation programmes and put the brakes on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-understaffed-civil-service-unable-to-cope-with-current-workloads 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-understaffed-civil-service-unable-to-cope-with-current-workloads Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:15:00 GMT Referrals of potential victims of modern slavery soared by 78% from 2014 to 2015, prompting councils to warn that greater awareness was needed from the public to spot the signs of exploitation that can lead to workers living in squalid conditions and earning as little as £1 an hour. Figures released by the LGA revealed that despite... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/modern-slavery-referrals-to-authorities-skyrocket-78-in-one-year 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/modern-slavery-referrals-to-authorities-skyrocket-78-in-one-year Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:00:00 GMT Proposals to form a unitary Oxfordshire council have been formally submitted to the DCLG by three councils in the region, Oxfordshire County Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council. The plans, ‘A new council for a Better Oxfordshire’, will seek to combine the six authorities in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-controversial-oxfordshire-unitary-bid-submitted-to-dclg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-controversial-oxfordshire-unitary-bid-submitted-to-dclg Fri, 24 Mar 2017 12:00:00 GMT ‘Pooling’ of local authority resources in London for piloting the 100% business rates retention scheme has the potential to yield a number of key benefits, including unlocking access to further devolution in the capital, a London councils report has revealed. The report, which looked into the Spring Budget and 100% business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-pilot-pooling-to-drive-further-devolution-in-capital 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-pilot-pooling-to-drive-further-devolution-in-capital Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:15:00 GMT Key projects in the government’s road investment strategy are at risk of cancellation if “decisive action” is not taken by the summer to develop a realistic approach to delivering road maintenance targets, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. The report, which looked into progress being made on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-decisive-action-needed-to-keep-at-risk-road-investment-projects-afloat 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-decisive-action-needed-to-keep-at-risk-road-investment-projects-afloat Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:15:00 GMT The government’s green paper on social care may be the “last chance” to fix an overstretched system, and councils should be given “full flexibility” to decide where the £2bn worth of additional central government funds is allocated, the LGA has stated. In chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Spring Budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-green-paper-last-chance-to-fix-ailing-system- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-green-paper-last-chance-to-fix-ailing-system- Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:45:00 GMT Councils in London will work with design experts as part of a new programme aiming to help authorities address problems with homelessness, homecare and help for looked-after children, amongst other social issues. The Design Council programme, called Design in the Public Sector, will last for 16 weeks in order to support six local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-join-design-council-scheme-to-address-major-social-issues 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-join-design-council-scheme-to-address-major-social-issues Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:00:00 GMT The government’s industrial strategy should be driven and led at a local level by handing space and powers to leaders to allow them to dictate policy “from the front”, a new report by Localis has argued today. The research, titled ‘The Making of an Industrial Strategy’, was published to act as a ‘road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localis-industrial-reform-must-be-driven-and-led-at-local-level- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localis-industrial-reform-must-be-driven-and-led-at-local-level- Wed, 22 Mar 2017 15:45:00 GMT Most decision-making powers will now be returned to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council by the DCLG, a statement by communities secretary Sajid Javid has announced.  Around two years ago, in February 2015, the government put in place five commissioners to exercise all executive functions at the council following major failings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-returns-most-powers-to-rotherham-council 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-returns-most-powers-to-rotherham-council Wed, 22 Mar 2017 12:45:00 GMT Rob Levene, managing director of Bloom, explains why opening up procurement is important to the UK public sector.  Procuring products and services by the UK public sector is big business. The central government procurement budget is estimated to be worth £40bn. So it is no surprise that procurement is a subject that generates a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-opening-up-procurement-matters-to-the-uk-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-opening-up-procurement-matters-to-the-uk-public-sector Wed, 22 Mar 2017 10:30:00 GMT A county council has been fined £60,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after files containing sensitive information about children was left in a cabinet which donated to a second-hand shop. The regulator was alerted to the mishap by Norfolk County Council after a member of the public found a bundle of social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-cc-fined-60k-for-sending-files-to-second-hand-shop 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-cc-fined-60k-for-sending-files-to-second-hand-shop Tue, 21 Mar 2017 15:30:00 GMT Councils are facing “a whole new dimension” of issues with children’s social care due to the increasingly complex and difficult challenges stemming from online grooming and refugee children, a report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Children has revealed. The inquiry into children’ social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-funds-driving-challenges-to-childrens-care-to-a-whole-new-dimension 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-funds-driving-challenges-to-childrens-care-to-a-whole-new-dimension Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:00:00 GMT Many councils have considerable work to do to in order to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will come into force in May 2018, a survey conducted by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has revealed. The ICO questioned councils at the end of last year about the effectiveness of information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-improve-data-protection-practices-to-comply-with-gdpr 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-improve-data-protection-practices-to-comply-with-gdpr Tue, 21 Mar 2017 12:15:00 GMT “Ambitious reform” is urgently needed to ensure as many people as possible are able to exercise their right to vote in the future, a report by the Electoral Commission, the body who independently oversee elections, has stated. Looking at a snapshot of the electoral register in December 2016, the Commission found that while the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/automatic-registration-key-to-boosting-election-turnout 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/automatic-registration-key-to-boosting-election-turnout Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:15:00 GMT Housing affordability has worsened in all of the England and Wales local authority districts over the last 20 years, as the median price paid for residential property soared by 259%, a new report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. Using information from the House Price Statistics for Small Areas, the ONS calculated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-now-unaffordable-in-all-council-areas-as-prices-soar-to-8-times-earnings 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-now-unaffordable-in-all-council-areas-as-prices-soar-to-8-times-earnings Mon, 20 Mar 2017 10:45:00 GMT Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s £800m devolution deal, which will see the region receive greater powers to run their area, has been given the green light by the DCLG. At a visit to the Boathouse Business Centre in Wisbech, communities secretary Sajid Javid announced the news that significant funding would be put into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-peterborough-800m-devo-deal-approved 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-peterborough-800m-devo-deal-approved Mon, 20 Mar 2017 10:00:00 GMT While some sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) have considered the financial impact on social care in the changing landscape, many have not, Grainne Siggins, national policy lead & trustee at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS) has told PSE. Rising social care costs, she argued, are one of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-connection-needed-between-bcf-and-stps-argues-adass 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-connection-needed-between-bcf-and-stps-argues-adass Mon, 20 Mar 2017 09:00:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, says that with G-Cloud’s increasing popularity and standardised offerings, it’s vital to choose a provider that also delivers expert advice and technical support.  While the G-Cloud is set for version 9 launch in May, attention in some quarters still focuses on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/your-g-cloud-experience-is-as-good-as-the-vendor-you-use 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/your-g-cloud-experience-is-as-good-as-the-vendor-you-use Mon, 20 Mar 2017 08:45:00 GMT Health problems in countryside communities are being eclipsed by an “idyllic” image painted by government statistics, a report published by the LGA and Public Health England (PHE) has revealed. The report, called ‘Health in rural areas’, looked into the health of residents of rural communities and seeks to debunk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-in-rural-communities-not-idyllic-picture-postcard-scene-warn-lga-and-phe 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-in-rural-communities-not-idyllic-picture-postcard-scene-warn-lga-and-phe Sat, 18 Mar 2017 01:00:00 GMT Full powers will now be returned to Tower Hamlets as the government announced it was removing all its commissioners from the area. Rights such as grant making, procurement and the sale of property were removed from the council in 2014 after malpractice was identified in the council’s mayoral elections from then mayor Lutfur... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/full-council-powers-returned-to-tower-hamlets 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/full-council-powers-returned-to-tower-hamlets Fri, 17 Mar 2017 14:15:00 GMT The jury is out on how some of the new metro mayors will be received when they are elected in May, Lord Kerslake has told PSE, as many of them have been “grudgingly accepted” as part of securing new devolutionary funding and powers. Speaking to us after his recent review of the Treasury, he said: “I think it will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kerslake-jury-is-out-on-how-grudgingly-accepted-devo-mayors-will-be-received 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kerslake-jury-is-out-on-how-grudgingly-accepted-devo-mayors-will-be-received Fri, 17 Mar 2017 09:15:00 GMT Around £1.5m worth of funds will be put towards transformative Arts and Heritage projects in Greater Manchester, as it was announced that the region had been selected as a national pilot area for Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England’s Great Place Scheme. The scheme will hand £1,489,255 –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenlight-given-for-15m-gm-arts-and-heritage-funding 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenlight-given-for-15m-gm-arts-and-heritage-funding Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:15:00 GMT The new Tees Valley metro mayor has been recommended three major priorities to focus on when they take office after 4 May to make the devolved region a success, a report by Centre for Cities has outlined today. The think identified a number of areas that needed urgent work, including responding to the Teeside Steelworks (SSI) closure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-must-prioritise-high-and-persistent-unemployment-from-day-one 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-mayor-must-prioritise-high-and-persistent-unemployment-from-day-one Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMT A new grant to tackle homelessness that will provide £402m over the next two years and allow councils “more control and flexibility” over budgets was announced yesterday by the government. In a parliamentary statement by communities minister Marcus Jones MP, it was revealed that the grant, called the Flexible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jones-replaces-dwp-fee-with-new-homelessness-grant-to-allow-councils-flexibility 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jones-replaces-dwp-fee-with-new-homelessness-grant-to-allow-councils-flexibility Thu, 16 Mar 2017 10:15:00 GMT Councils could be at risk of failing to fulfil their duties of protecting school children under new rules and funding arrangements that will see £600m worth of grants cut from budgets, local authorities have warned today. Local councils have a statutory obligation to fulfil to schools, including undertaking staff checks, managing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-education-grants-could-leave-five-million-children-at-risk-says-lga 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-education-grants-could-leave-five-million-children-at-risk-says-lga Thu, 16 Mar 2017 09:30:00 GMT Around 98% of authorities, or 483 out of 492 authorities in the UK, have agreed to join the national auditor appointment scheme, according to news released by LGA. The scheme, which will be run by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA), will involve one of the largest procurements of audit services ever undertaken in the United... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-98-of-authorities-to-join-national-auditor-appointment-scheme 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-98-of-authorities-to-join-national-auditor-appointment-scheme Wed, 15 Mar 2017 17:15:00 GMT “Endless tinkering” with government policy and reorganisation has done damage to regional devolution deals, a report by Institute for Government (IfG) has warned, arguing that the current government’s lack of support for devolution could signal “yet another change of direction in the drive for regional governance that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deals-damaged-by-endless-tinkering-by-central-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deals-damaged-by-endless-tinkering-by-central-government Wed, 15 Mar 2017 17:00:00 GMT Public sector pay is in decline and likely to continue decreasing for the next few years, the Resolution Foundation’s forecast taken from ONS’s figures for Q4 have today revealed, with unions arguing there is now an “overwhelming and unarguable” case to end pay cap to prevent a further decline in living... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-wages-in-sharp-decline-as-real-pay-levels-fall 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-wages-in-sharp-decline-as-real-pay-levels-fall Wed, 15 Mar 2017 12:45:00 GMT The bid to turn Oxfordshire into a unitary authority has been formally approved by Oxfordshire County Council, opening the doors for the authority to submit the proposal to DCLG later this year. The proposal, called ‘A new council for a better Oxfordshire’, plans to abolish the two-tier structure made up of six councils in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-to-submit-controversial-unitary-bid-to-dclg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-county-council-to-submit-controversial-unitary-bid-to-dclg Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:45:00 GMT Deep funding cuts have pushed councils to reduce or entirely withdraw over 500 bus routes across England and Wales in 2016-17, meaning some areas will soon become “transport deserts” where there is no public transport at all, campaigners have warned – urging Parliament to fix this with the Bus Services Bill. The latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-services-bill-last-hope-to-fix-threat-of-transport-deserts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-services-bill-last-hope-to-fix-threat-of-transport-deserts Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:00:00 GMT Although national media attention tends to focus elsewhere, public health and community services have actually been hit the hardest by the slowdown in NHS funding since 2010-11, an influential think tank has found as part of a major investigation. In its report, the King’s Fund revealed that contrary to popular opinion, acute and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-hardest-hit-by-nhs-cuts-despite-going-under-the-radar 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-hardest-hit-by-nhs-cuts-despite-going-under-the-radar Tue, 14 Mar 2017 12:30:00 GMT Alexandra Jones will step down after six years as the chief executive of Centre for Cities to move to the government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as director of Industrial Strategy. It was also confirmed that current deputy CEO Andrew Carter will step in to fill Jones’s position, bringing his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/centre-for-cities-ceo-to-step-down-after-six-years-at-helm 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/centre-for-cities-ceo-to-step-down-after-six-years-at-helm Mon, 13 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMT The London Metropolitan Police has been accused of “major failings” in investigating election corruption by the Tower Hamlets mayor, as the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee called for a new review into the police’s investigation. The committee believes that more could have been done to investigate allegations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/met-accused-of-major-failings-in-probing-tower-hamlets-corruption-scandal 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/met-accused-of-major-failings-in-probing-tower-hamlets-corruption-scandal Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:45:00 GMT Establishing clear lines of accountability to deliver health and social care integration is going to be one of the major challenges facing the sector going forward, the chair of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has told PSE – adding that GM devolution is a “halfway house towards it, but still leaves some of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/betts-gm-devo-deal-a-halfway-house-to-aligning-health-and-social-care 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/betts-gm-devo-deal-a-halfway-house-to-aligning-health-and-social-care Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:45:00 GMT The pay gap between workers in the public and private sector has fallen back to “pre-crisis levels” due to the squeeze on public sector pay and pensions since 2010, a report by the Institute for fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed. The review funded by the Office of Manpower Economics, said that during the financial crisis, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-gap-between-public-and-private-sector-falls-back-to-pre-crisis-levels- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-gap-between-public-and-private-sector-falls-back-to-pre-crisis-levels- Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:45:00 GMT Social care housing developments in Manchester are at risk due to a shortfall within financial models created by the uncertainty of the government’s proposed change to housing benefit for supported housing, a city council report has outlined. The report, published on 8 March 2017, warned that developments that could provide housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-extra-care-housing-schemes-at-risk-due-to-benefit-changes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-extra-care-housing-schemes-at-risk-due-to-benefit-changes Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:15:00 GMT More than 3,000 council-maintained road bridges in the UK are substandard and not fit to carry the heaviest vehicles now seen on the country’s roads, according to a report by the RAC Foundation. The study, which analysed data from 199 of the 207 local highway authorities in Britain, has led to an urgent call from councils for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rac-report-outlines-chronic-need-for-greater-investment-in-local-roads 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rac-report-outlines-chronic-need-for-greater-investment-in-local-roads Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:30:00 GMT Private communications between Whitehall and Surrey County Council published today have revealed possible collusion between the authority and government surrounding Surrey being given extra funding in return for calling off its referendum proposing a 15% tax raise. When the council U-turned on its decision at the start of last month, it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-surrey-letters-reignite-possibility-of-secret-deal-between-council-and-dclg- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-surrey-letters-reignite-possibility-of-secret-deal-between-council-and-dclg- Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:15:00 GMT Councils have urged the government to further devolve powers for education funding to local government following the chancellor’s promise in the Spring Budget to open 500 new free schools by 2020. Philip Hammond also announced that £320m would be made available to fund up to 140 new schools, including independent-led, faith... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spring-budget-further-education-devolution-needed-to-fix-broken-school-estate 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spring-budget-further-education-devolution-needed-to-fix-broken-school-estate Thu, 09 Mar 2017 10:45:00 GMT The treasury has today unveiled its Midlands Engine strategy following the Spring Budget that outlines the government’s planned investment in the region building on work already being implemented from the modern Industrial Strategy. The policy will inject £392m into the Midlands infrastructure from the Local Growth Fund to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midlands-engine-strategy-outlines-390m-investment-boost-for-region 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midlands-engine-strategy-outlines-390m-investment-boost-for-region Thu, 09 Mar 2017 10:00:00 GMT Local government leaders have responded to the social care provision announced by Phillip Hammond in the Spring Budget yesterday by saying that though the money will be welcome for struggling services, it still does not come close to plugging the funding gap of a system that is close to collapse. It has been predicted that adult social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-slam-budget-as-hammond-commits-bare-minimum-to-social-care- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-slam-budget-as-hammond-commits-bare-minimum-to-social-care- Thu, 09 Mar 2017 09:30:00 GMT A £690m competition was launched today to allow local authorities across England to tackle urban congestion and get local transport networks back on the move. The initiative was announced by Phillip Hammond in the Spring Budget as the chancellor explained his spending plans for the coming year, going on to explain that the transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-launches-690m-competition-to-tackle-urban-congestion 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-launches-690m-competition-to-tackle-urban-congestion Wed, 08 Mar 2017 16:00:00 GMT An additional £2bn has been committed for social care by chancellor Phillip Hammond in the Spring Budget to be distributed over the next three years, with £1bn to be made available in 2017-18. The news will likely come as a disappointment for many care providers, as it falls some way below the estimated £1.5bn required... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2bn-social-care-uplift-will-buy-some-time-but-not-enough-in-long-term- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2bn-social-care-uplift-will-buy-some-time-but-not-enough-in-long-term- Wed, 08 Mar 2017 14:45:00 GMT Local authorities will be handed funding to support £300m of discretionary business rates relief, chancellor Philip Hammond has revealed in today’s Spring Budget as part of a string of property tax announcements. Councils will be able to use the money to provide support to “individual hard cases” in their local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-handed-300m-business-rates-relief-for-individual-hard-cases 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-handed-300m-business-rates-relief-for-individual-hard-cases Wed, 08 Mar 2017 14:00:00 GMT Whitehall should not sign any other devolution deals unless organisations can prove that the voluntary sector was involved in the development of these plans, as well as how it can be involved in the implementation process, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has argued In a report, the charity representative body... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turn-down-devolution-deals-unless-plans-involve-third-sector-whitehall-told 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turn-down-devolution-deals-unless-plans-involve-third-sector-whitehall-told Tue, 07 Mar 2017 16:00:00 GMT A new scheme was today launched to push for greater diversity in the fire and rescue service in an attempt to shake off its outdated image. The LGA, which represents all fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales, launched the report: ‘An Inclusive Service: The 21st Century Fire and Rescue Service’ at the its fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-greater-diversity-in-whitewashed-fire-and-rescue-services- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-greater-diversity-in-whitewashed-fire-and-rescue-services- Tue, 07 Mar 2017 15:45:00 GMT Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to acquiesce to widespread pressures and announce a £1.3bn injection in the social care sector in tomorrow’s Spring Budget – a move which, if confirmed, would be in line with the priorities of more than three-quarters of MPs. Media sources have been widely reporting that Hammond is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spring-budget-hammond-expected-to-unveil-13bn-social-care-boost 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spring-budget-hammond-expected-to-unveil-13bn-social-care-boost Tue, 07 Mar 2017 14:30:00 GMT Councils across the country are increasingly reliant on business rates payments from London businesses, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, funded by the Local Government Finance and Devolution consortium, has found. The report announced that even though the business rates revaluation that is set to take effect this April is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-councils-increasingly-reliant-on-londons-business-rates-revenue- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-councils-increasingly-reliant-on-londons-business-rates-revenue- Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMT English households will face an average increase in council tax of 4%, the highest hike in tax rates since 2007-08, a report published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed. The annual review of council tax was based on a survey which questioned 320 of the 446 authorities in England and Wales... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/households-face-highest-council-tax-rise-in-a-decade-as-las-tackle-social-care-shortfall 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/households-face-highest-council-tax-rise-in-a-decade-as-las-tackle-social-care-shortfall Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:15:00 GMT A lack of affordable housing is leading to councils spending £2m a day on temporary accommodation for homeless families, a report by the LGA has warned. This revelation also comes just after the Chartered Institute for Housing (CIH) published its own review of the crisis facing the UK’s property market which announced that only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-on-hammond-to-address-huge-discrepancy-in-affordable-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-on-hammond-to-address-huge-discrepancy-in-affordable-housing- Mon, 06 Mar 2017 09:45:00 GMT The chancellor must bring forward £1.5bn worth of funding from the Better Care Fund (BCF) in order to prop up the social care sector for the year ahead, the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) has announced. In a scathing report published by the committee, the government was also told to commit to closing the funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-demand-15bn-social-care-injection-in-spring-budget 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-demand-15bn-social-care-injection-in-spring-budget Sat, 04 Mar 2017 08:00:00 GMT A revised proposal to abolish Oxfordshire’s two-tier structure and replace it with one unitary council has been published today by three Oxfordshire councils, but this has still divided opinion across local government in the region. The draft will be subject to decision making by Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/revised-unitary-plans-published-for-oxfordshire-but-remain-divisive- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/revised-unitary-plans-published-for-oxfordshire-but-remain-divisive- Fri, 03 Mar 2017 15:15:00 GMT Adult social care in England is facing a funding gap of at least £2bn, and requires new money from the government to be “robust” enough for STPs to meet targets in providing and improving community care, a report by charity the Health Foundation has revealed. The report released today analysed plans to reform health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/starved-social-care-services-putting-stps-at-risk 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/starved-social-care-services-putting-stps-at-risk Fri, 03 Mar 2017 13:00:00 GMT Devolution of health powers could be the key to improving care outcomes for London authorities, but councils must do more to present and explain local integration initiatives to the capital’s population, a new report has revealed. The London Councils report, detailing how devolution could be used as an enabler for driving health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-urged-to-develop-full-narrative-for-health-and-social-care-integration 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-urged-to-develop-full-narrative-for-health-and-social-care-integration Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:45:00 GMT More than half of local councils saw a drop in the proportion of children given their first choice of secondary school, a report on secondary school figures revealed, fuelling evidence that councils were finding it increasingly difficult to accommodate for a growing number of pupils. The figures, analysed by the Press Association, were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-making-it-harder-for-councils-to-provide-first-choice-school-places 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-making-it-harder-for-councils-to-provide-first-choice-school-places Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:00:00 GMT The LGA has called on the government to not forget that adult social care does not only cater for elderly people – in fact, more than 40% of the budget is spent on adults aged between 18-64, with 35% being spent on people with learning disabilities alone. During a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing earlier this week about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickup-huge-scope-of-social-care-duties-means-better-care-fund-is-not-enough 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickup-huge-scope-of-social-care-duties-means-better-care-fund-is-not-enough Thu, 02 Mar 2017 10:30:00 GMT From 1 April, most business and public sector organisations will be able to choose which company supplies their water. Crown Commercial Service is bringing the largest public sector water framework agreement to the UK market. Working alongside five other major buying organisations, the agreement is the first of its kind. Sam Ulyatt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccs-to-launch-largest-public-sector-water-framework-agreement-in-the-uk 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccs-to-launch-largest-public-sector-water-framework-agreement-in-the-uk Thu, 02 Mar 2017 09:15:00 GMT Almost 150,000 NHS and adult social care workers are at risk of losing the right to live and work in the UK due to uncertainty around immigration laws following Brexit. In analysis published by Trades Union Congress (TUC) today, it was revealed that the UK’s health and social care sectors could be seriously affected by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/150000-social-care-and-nhs-jobs-at-risk-following-brexit 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/150000-social-care-and-nhs-jobs-at-risk-following-brexit Wed, 01 Mar 2017 16:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council officially announced its budget for 2017-18 last night at its full council meeting, saying that £550m will be committed to public services for adults and children in the region. The news comes days after Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel warned that the council would be “at risk” should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-reduces-planned-2017-18-cuts-but-finance-challenges-remain-difficult- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-reduces-planned-2017-18-cuts-but-finance-challenges-remain-difficult- Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:45:00 GMT The government has announced its long-awaited post-Brexit digital strategy designed to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of technology and innovation by supporting schemes to improve the digital skills of the workforce. As part of the strategy, four million digital training opportunities are going to be introduced in an effort to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-strategy-to-keep-uk-at-cutting-edge-of-digital-skills- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-strategy-to-keep-uk-at-cutting-edge-of-digital-skills- Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:30:00 GMT Liz Welton, chair of the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO), tells PSE’s David Stevenson why there are lots of opportunities for public sector procurement professionals to become transformational change agents in the future. Back in 2014, the National Procurement Strategy (NPS) for local government in England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-transformational-change-through-procurement- 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-transformational-change-through-procurement- Wed, 01 Mar 2017 08:00:00 GMT Over the next few months, the Government Digital Service (GDS) wants to get a better understanding of how local government and the wider public sector are transforming their services in order to provide the right support at the right time. PSE’s Luana Salles reports. More than 36,000 public sector organisations currently use the GDS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-marketplace-reaching-far-and-wide-in-the-public-sector 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-marketplace-reaching-far-and-wide-in-the-public-sector Wed, 01 Mar 2017 06:30:00 GMT The way we work is changing. As a profession, we must be ready to embrace it, writes James Driver on behalf of the Association for Project Management (APM). The environment in which project professionals must deliver projects is changing. Uncertainty across the political and global arena, combined with new technologies and demand for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-embrace-change 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-embrace-change Wed, 01 Mar 2017 06:30:00 GMT Carl Haggerty, a co-founder of LocalGov Digital and chair of its Steering Group, tells PSE that the only way to harness the true power of technology in the public sector is to fundamentally rethink why local authorities exist in the first place. Although the private sector tends to take most of the credit, the public sector has actually... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-identity-crisis-of-local-government 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-identity-crisis-of-local-government Wed, 01 Mar 2017 05:30:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and health at Sevenoaks District Council, argues that if the government is really serious about combating homelessness they will work with councils as an enabler, and fully fund the work of local government as it tries to achieve the impossible. Homelessness is a terrible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-cannot-solve-homelessness-through-legislation-alone 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-cannot-solve-homelessness-through-legislation-alone Wed, 01 Mar 2017 01:00:00 GMT The proposed devolution deal for the Oxfordshire region has hit an obstacle as a feud between the county council and the region’s district councils over a unification deal has caused disagreement. Previously, a devolution deal was being drawn up for Oxfordshire that would have devolved powers for transport, education and housing to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devolution-deal-dead-as-councils-wage-unitary-row 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devolution-deal-dead-as-councils-wage-unitary-row Tue, 28 Feb 2017 17:30:00 GMT A UK-wide study has found that children in the country’s poorest areas are at least 10 times more likely to be involved in the child protection system than those in the most affluent areas, a statistic that has highlighted the state of inequality with children’s services in the UK. The research, conducted by seven universities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-in-poor-areas-10-times-more-likely-to-be-in-cash-strapped-care-system 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-in-poor-areas-10-times-more-likely-to-be-in-cash-strapped-care-system Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:30:00 GMT A report published today by the Institute for Government (IfG) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) looking into the pressures being placed on public services has concluded that adult social care is being pushed to “breaking point” – and recommended the creation of an independent body to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obr-for-public-spending-needed-to-improve-finance-planning-in-struggling-sectors 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obr-for-public-spending-needed-to-improve-finance-planning-in-struggling-sectors Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:45:00 GMT Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA Task and Finish Group on this subject, considers how the new Industrial Strategy is a great opportunity for local government to back the extension of procurement innovation support more widely across the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-challenges-for-innovative-procurement 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-challenges-for-innovative-procurement Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:45:00 GMT Lincolnshire County Council has dropped plans to hold a public referendum into forming a unitary authority system for the region after a lawyer said it would be “unlawful” to hold the vote on the same day as local elections. The latest news comes after a legal challenge to the council found that a proposed “cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-drops-planned-referendum-on-council-unitary-amidst-legal-trouble 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-drops-planned-referendum-on-council-unitary-amidst-legal-trouble Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:30:00 GMT An independent review of Birmingham City Council’s financial progress has revealed that though plans for the coming year are “robust”, continuation of any overspending into 2017-18 or 2018-19 could put the council’s financial sustainability “at risk”. In a letter updating the communities secretary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-finance-plans-now-robust-but-at-risk-if-overspending-culture-continues 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-finance-plans-now-robust-but-at-risk-if-overspending-culture-continues Mon, 27 Feb 2017 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities are being asked to solve too many problems whilst delivering a range of social care priorities without a proper understanding of what can be achieved, a PAC report has revealed today. The report called on NHS England and the Department of Health (DH) to set out a transparent recovery plan to halt the decline of health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hillier-nhs-social-care-review-needed-by-july-as-sticking-plaster-fixes-not-value-for-money 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hillier-nhs-social-care-review-needed-by-july-as-sticking-plaster-fixes-not-value-for-money Mon, 27 Feb 2017 10:30:00 GMT Dr Mark Begbie, business development director at CENSIS, the Scottish Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems, explores how Glasgow is leading the way in transforming how we use technology to improve connectivity. Just over 200 years ago, Glasgow was on the cusp of becoming one of the world’s leading industrial centres, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-points-the-way-forward-for-iot-future 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-points-the-way-forward-for-iot-future Mon, 27 Feb 2017 07:30:00 GMT Richard Elliott, head of policy, partnerships and research at Manchester City Council, and Nick Chrissos, head of innovation and project delivery director at CityVerve, explain how the innovative ‘citizen-centred’ project aims to understand and tackle what matters to the city and its citizens. The concept of a smart city is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-a-global-blueprint-for-smart-cities- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-a-global-blueprint-for-smart-cities- Mon, 27 Feb 2017 05:30:00 GMT Design Council’s communications manager, Chris Finnegan, explains how an innovative new partnership between health and social care professionals, social entrepreneurs and the public could help tackle the growing concern of how best to develop sustainable later-life care and improve our experience of ageing. Today, for the first time... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-later-life-care 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-later-life-care Mon, 27 Feb 2017 05:30:00 GMT Terese Bird, educational designer at Leicester Medical School, University of Leicester, discusses the future of higher education, virtual reality (VR) and education apps. After almost 20 years working to shape university teaching and learning with the help of technology, I believe that as the 21st century progresses, many aspects of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teaching-in-the-21st-century-what-comes-next 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teaching-in-the-21st-century-what-comes-next Mon, 27 Feb 2017 05:00:00 GMT New figures released by the government have shown that the number of new build homes has continued to rise to its highest level since 2007, but council leaders have warned that the rate of builds is failing to keep up with rising demand.   However, responding to the government’s report, the LGA warned that there is considerable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-new-homes-data-positive-but-still-failing-to-meet-growing-housing-need 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-new-homes-data-positive-but-still-failing-to-meet-growing-housing-need Fri, 24 Feb 2017 14:00:00 GMT Plans put forward for a devolution deal to join together 15 councils in Lancashire in a combined authority will still go ahead, despite two councils withdrawing their support. All of Lancashire’s authorities besides Wyre had agreed to the deal which would see powers devolved to the region from Whitehall, until Wednesday when Fylde... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-still-pushing-for-devo-deal-despite-two-councils-withdrawing-support 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-still-pushing-for-devo-deal-despite-two-councils-withdrawing-support Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:15:00 GMT The Patients Association has stated that reports to change the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) role to regulate council management of social care are “promising, but not enough” to save a system in crisis. According to recent reports, the regulator will be asked to oversee the use of additional funds for adult... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-reform-promising-but-not-enough-to-save-failing-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-reform-promising-but-not-enough-to-save-failing-social-care Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:00:00 GMT HS2 will be the “catalyst” in driving economic growth in the West Midlands as the eagerly anticipated high-speed rail link was given Royal Assent in Parliament today. However, Camden Council, which represents one of the most affected areas along the entire route and home to HS2’s proposed London terminus of Euston Station... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-divided-as-hs2-bill-set-for-royal-assent 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-divided-as-hs2-bill-set-for-royal-assent Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:15:00 GMT Local councils face “significant challenges” in providing enough places in schools as they struggle to maintain the condition of school estates whilst funds are diverted to open free schools. In a report drawn up by the National Audit Office (NAO), it was found that a further 231,000 primary places and 189,000 secondary places... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-significant-risk-in-fixing-deteriorating-school-estate 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-significant-risk-in-fixing-deteriorating-school-estate Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:30:00 GMT Concern has been voiced by the National Children’s Bureau that government and local authority services for children with complex needs are insufficient to cater for a growing number of children and families requiring specialist care. This worry was detailed in a report released yesterday that said the number of children with complex... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/services-failing-children-with-complex-needs-as-national-data-not-fit-for-purpose 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/services-failing-children-with-complex-needs-as-national-data-not-fit-for-purpose Thu, 23 Feb 2017 09:45:00 GMT Mark Pawsey (pictured), the MP for Rugby and the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for District Councils, explains why he hopes the group’s work will strengthen the case for districts as local government becomes an increasingly important driver of the UK’s future success. The role of local government in helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaping-the-future-of-local-government-through-districts- 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaping-the-future-of-local-government-through-districts- Thu, 23 Feb 2017 07:00:00 GMT Barney Smith, CEO at Bristol Is Open, explains how the innovative project can help make cities more liveable and sustainable. Bristol is the eighth largest city in the UK and a popular place to study and work. With a steady influx of people, it also faces challenges around congestion, pollution and city planning. The smart city concept is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-the-booming-smart-city 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-the-booming-smart-city Thu, 23 Feb 2017 04:30:00 GMT Andrew Walker, policy expert on devolution at the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), explains why devolution in England needs a shot in the arm to get it back on track. It is clear that the government, under Theresa May, is far more lukewarm when it comes to devolving power to city-regions and combined authorities than under David... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/where-next-for-devolution 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/where-next-for-devolution Thu, 23 Feb 2017 04:30:00 GMT Nothing less than a ‘whole-place’ pooling of public service budgets and devolution of criminal justice system powers to local level can create the conditions for community transformation, argue former communities secretary Hazel Blears and Lord Patel, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission. Reform of the Criminal Justice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/and-justice-for-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/and-justice-for-all Thu, 23 Feb 2017 01:30:00 GMT Learning analytics make use of the data generated as we learn and teach in order to improve learning and teaching. Rebecca Ferguson, a senior lecturer from The Open University, identifies key areas for action to help your institution make use of analytics effectively. Online engagement, assignments, attendance and exam results –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/introducing-learning-analytics 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/introducing-learning-analytics Thu, 23 Feb 2017 01:30:00 GMT With only a few weeks left until public sector organisations across England can choose their water services retailer, it’s time to make sure you know what your options are, writes Helen Robinson-Gordon, head of communications for Retail Market Opening at Ofwat. At the moment, unless you are an organisation which uses more than 50... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opening-up-water-options 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opening-up-water-options Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:30:00 GMT A number of northern council CEOs and senior councillors have united in calling for more powers to be devolved to northern councils to maximise the economic benefits of the Northern Powerhouse plan and give control to local authorities to determine their own budgets. The message came from council CEOs sitting on a panel at the Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-leaders-call-for-further-devolution-from-out-of-touch-whitehall 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-leaders-call-for-further-devolution-from-out-of-touch-whitehall Wed, 22 Feb 2017 15:15:00 GMT STPs must look to move away from “jargon and technical language” in order to clearly explain their purpose and rationale to lay readers, a report by the King’s Fund has revealed. The review into STPs also stated that a “huge effort is now required to make up lost ground” to engage, consult and explain the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-council-engagement-effort-on-stps-needed-to-make-up-lost-ground 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-council-engagement-effort-on-stps-needed-to-make-up-lost-ground Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:45:00 GMT If Greater Manchester (GM) was a single unitary authority, it would be ranked in the bottom third nationally for its social care user satisfaction – and around 77% of local authorities with social care responsibility would be spending more on their services than the devolved region. In board papers published ahead of a meeting this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-80-of-councils-spend-more-on-social-care-than-devolved-gm 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-80-of-councils-spend-more-on-social-care-than-devolved-gm Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:15:00 GMT Local authorities have reacted angrily as communities secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that the local government settlement would see £240m being transferred from the New Homes Bonus put back into adult social care funding – but made no new money available for social care. In the settlement, Javid said the move of money would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spring-budget-last-hope-for-social-care-after-hugely-disappointing-council-settlement 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spring-budget-last-hope-for-social-care-after-hugely-disappointing-council-settlement Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:45:00 GMT As PSE went to press, the government had just released its Industrial Strategy green paper, which has an ambitious aim to “improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth across the whole country”.  Overall, the strategy was welcomed across the public sector. However, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/untapped-potential- 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/untapped-potential- Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:45:00 GMT Taking a ‘business as usual’ approach will not allow Manchester to hit its 80% carbon reduction targets by 2050, Tony Lloyd, the region’s interim mayor has said today at the Carbon Trust’s Public Sector Conference. Addressing a jam-packed room of delegates, which featured attendees from more than 200 organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-mayor-business-as-usual-wont-work-to-deliver-2050-carbon-targets 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-mayor-business-as-usual-wont-work-to-deliver-2050-carbon-targets Tue, 21 Feb 2017 12:30:00 GMT London’s current and former mayors offer important lessons on the opportunities – and potential pitfalls – the new metro mayors will face, argues Alexandra Jones, chief executive of Centre for Cities. In May this year, new metro mayors will take office in some of England’s biggest cities, armed with the largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-englands-new-metro-mayors-can-learn-from-ken-boris-and-sadiq 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-englands-new-metro-mayors-can-learn-from-ken-boris-and-sadiq Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:15:00 GMT Business leaders have hit out at the DCLG’s planned changes to business rates that are set to be voted at the next revaluation on 1 April, arguing that a clause in the proposed changes is “potentially illegal”. In a letter signed by 13 employers’ groups, including the British Retail Consortium (BRT) and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outrage-from-employers-groups-at-illegal-changes-to-business-rate-appeals 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outrage-from-employers-groups-at-illegal-changes-to-business-rate-appeals Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:15:00 GMT Andy Fullard, interim information and technology director at Birmingham City Council, outlines how the local authority’s ambitious new five-year ICT and Digital (ICTD) Strategy will support the way in which local services will be provided in the future, as the organisation continues to undergo major changes between now and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birminghams-unique-approach-for-redesigning-ict-and-digital-services- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birminghams-unique-approach-for-redesigning-ict-and-digital-services- Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Mark Chambers, CEO of Naace, the association for education technology, discusses technology in learning and how to overcome the challenges of implementation. Technology has permeated almost every aspect of modern life: how we work, how we communicate and how we manage day-to-day tasks. So it’s no surprise that we’re also using... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failure-to-launch-the-challenges-in-implementing-education-technology 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failure-to-launch-the-challenges-in-implementing-education-technology Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Cllr Anne Western, County Councils Network (CCN) spokeswoman for economic growth and leader of Derbyshire County Council, argues that the success of the government’s Industrial Strategy depends on whether the potential of counties is tapped into. The government’s new Industrial Strategy green paper opens with the aspiration to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tapping-into-county-potential-key-to-industrial-strategy-success 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tapping-into-county-potential-key-to-industrial-strategy-success Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:45:00 GMT The social housing sector has enjoyed a “solid year” of investment underpinned by strong in-year financial performance, the 2016 Global Accounts of private registered providers published by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has revealed. The report gives an overview of the financial status of the social housing sector for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-hails-solid-year-of-investment-for-social-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-hails-solid-year-of-investment-for-social-housing Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:15:00 GMT Planning is at the heart of responding to climate change, but new research finds many local authorities have deprioritised key policy actions vital to our collective future, says Dr Hugh Ellis, head of policy at the Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA). The planning system has the potential to make a major contribution to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-for-climate-change 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-for-climate-change Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:15:00 GMT Sandra Booth, Pro-Vice Chancellor at University of Cumbria, considers the challenges and opportunities for the project management (PM) profession to deliver lasting transformational change in regional economic development and local engagement. Cumbria LEP’s vision is simple: to create one of the fastest growing economies in the UK.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-catalyst-for-regional-development 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-catalyst-for-regional-development Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:00:00 GMT A total of 147 of England’s 151 authorities responsible for social care are thought to be considering or have approved a council tax rise of 1.99% to fund the UK’s failing social care system – but this will not be enough to save a system in desperate need of central government funding, local leaders claim. In a statement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-still-at-risk-despite-nearly-all-councils-raising-tax 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-still-at-risk-despite-nearly-all-councils-raising-tax Mon, 20 Feb 2017 09:45:00 GMT Local government leaders and chief executives are being urged to boycott all-male panels in events, such as the upcoming Northern Powerhouse Conference, with Wigan Council boss Donna Hall telling PSE that she and her colleagues are “sick, tired and fed up” of relentless ‘male and pale’ platforms. In an open letter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-urged-to-boycott-all-male-panels-as-local-gov-women-sick-and-fed-up 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-urged-to-boycott-all-male-panels-as-local-gov-women-sick-and-fed-up Mon, 20 Feb 2017 08:45:00 GMT Three labour-led Scottish councils have again voted to freeze the basic rate of Council Tax for another year. South Lanarkshire confirmed the news on Thursday that it would not be increasing tax for their residents for the ninth year in a row, even though they could have raised the rate by up to 3%, as two other councils, Inverclyde and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-vote-to-freeze-basic-council-tax-for-another-year- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-vote-to-freeze-basic-council-tax-for-another-year- Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has stated that around 300 jobs would be cut while protecting frontline services as much as possible as the authority attempts to plug a £90m funding gap by 2020. The news comes from a council meeting document outlining the mayor’s budget proposal for 2017 to 2020, which will be considered by the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-axe-300-jobs-to-plug-90m-funding-gap 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-council-to-axe-300-jobs-to-plug-90m-funding-gap Fri, 17 Feb 2017 13:30:00 GMT It is of vital importance that investment in the conventional rail network continues over the next 20 years during the development of HS2 to ensure that West Yorkshire becomes “truly HS2-ready” and the project’s benefits can be realised from the get-go, regional leaders have said. In board papers published ahead of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-hs2-can-only-be-as-good-as-local-rail-connections-make-it 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-hs2-can-only-be-as-good-as-local-rail-connections-make-it Fri, 17 Feb 2017 13:30:00 GMT A proposal to borrow £30m to support the development of an innovation district in Glasgow was approved by the City Council today. The council’s executive committee agreed to a Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) scheme to fund the growth of two of the city’s regions. TIF schemes use future revenue from tax to finance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-to-borrow-30m-to-fund-innovation-district-in-city-centre 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-to-borrow-30m-to-fund-innovation-district-in-city-centre Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:00:00 GMT The LGA has welcomed the DCLG’s consultation on the move towards 100% business rates retention reform in local councils that was launched yesterday, but reiterated that the move must be “fundamentally underpinned” by a proper needs assessment. In a statement, the association said it was glad that the government was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-proper-needs-assessment-must-underpin-100-business-rates-retention 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-proper-needs-assessment-must-underpin-100-business-rates-retention Thu, 16 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Social care for the elderly has moved from being “limited” to “invisible”, the NHS Confederation has stated today, adding that a complete redesign of the system is needed on top of extra government funding. Responding to a report released today by Age UK, which said that social care for the frail and elderly is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-social-care-redesign-needed-to-save-system-from-complete-collapse- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-social-care-redesign-needed-to-save-system-from-complete-collapse- Thu, 16 Feb 2017 10:00:00 GMT Richard Rugg, managing director of programmes at the Carbon Trust, looks at the opportunities and challenges facing sustainability in the public sector over the next 12 months. As we come up towards our annual Public Sector Conference, I usually take a moment to reflect on the year gone by and the progress made in in the UK, as well as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-public-sector-sustainability-priorities-for-2017 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-public-sector-sustainability-priorities-for-2017 Thu, 16 Feb 2017 09:45:00 GMT A devolution deal between Warrington and Cheshire took a step forward today as plans were approved by Warrington Borough Council’s executive board. The proposed plans would create a sub-regional partnership between the borough council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council. Following the approval, formal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warrington-devo-deal-moves-forward-as-final-plans-are-approved- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warrington-devo-deal-moves-forward-as-final-plans-are-approved- Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:30:00 GMT A West Yorkshire leader has demanded that devolution proposals for the Leeds City Region be ‘clarified’ and reignited by communities secretary Sajid Javid after plans submitted 18 months ago were not acted upon. In a letter to Javid penned by Cllr Peter Box, he appealed for the deal to be reignited, arguing the region was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-yorks-leader-demands-clarity-over-devolution-ready-leeds-region 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-yorks-leader-demands-clarity-over-devolution-ready-leeds-region Wed, 15 Feb 2017 15:30:00 GMT The UK would benefit from further Treasury powers being devolved away from Whitehall, a report by former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake has claimed. The report did also state that further devolution would also require changes to the way the Treasury is run. Despite this, the report concluded that a total break-up of the Treasury... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kerslake-devolving-treasury-powers-from-whitehall-vital-for-uk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kerslake-devolving-treasury-powers-from-whitehall-vital-for-uk Wed, 15 Feb 2017 14:30:00 GMT The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a wing of intelligence agency GCHQ, was today officially opened by the Queen to act as an “operational nerve centre” in London to protect the country against cyber-attacks. The NCSC was launched in October 2016 to work with public and private sector organisations to create cyber... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-cyber-security-centre-nerve-centre-officially-opened-in-london 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-cyber-security-centre-nerve-centre-officially-opened-in-london Tue, 14 Feb 2017 16:30:00 GMT Oxford City Council has launched an online petition against what it perceives are “disastrous” plans by the region’s county council to abolish all six existing authorities to create a new unitary. The ‘One Oxfordshire’ proposal, first pitched by the region’s county council in January, was initially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-launches-petition-against-massive-threat-of-one-oxfordshire-plan 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-launches-petition-against-massive-threat-of-one-oxfordshire-plan Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:00:00 GMT Councils will now be legally forbidden from boycotting companies and countries unless restrictions have already been put in place by central government, new DCLG plans have outlined. The move, which will force councils by law to stop locally-imposed boycotts and treat all suppliers fairly and in line with government policies, comes after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-legally-banned-from-boycotting-suppliers-after-israel-scandal 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-legally-banned-from-boycotting-suppliers-after-israel-scandal Tue, 14 Feb 2017 11:45:00 GMT The government has revealed its delayed digital transformation strategy which sets out its plan to establish a “whole-government approach” to transformation across the public sector by 2020. Josh Mines reports. The report outlined key goals for a “digitally enabled transformation”, that will look to transform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delayed-strategy-to-take-whole-government-approach-to-digital-transformation 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delayed-strategy-to-take-whole-government-approach-to-digital-transformation Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is set to regain the majority of its powers, almost two years after the government appointed commissioners to oversee the local authority after an investigation into child sexual exploitation found it ‘not fit for purpose’, the communities secretary has announced. Following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-signals-plan-to-return-majority-of-powers-back-to-rotherham 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-signals-plan-to-return-majority-of-powers-back-to-rotherham Mon, 13 Feb 2017 10:00:00 GMT High-performing council-maintained schools should be able to overstep existing “bureaucratic barriers” and take over failing academies, particularly the ‘orphan schools’ who cannot find a sponsor because they are deemed unviable, the LGA has argued. Given that 91% of council schools are now rated as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-allow-best-council-schools-to-take-over-struggling-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-allow-best-council-schools-to-take-over-struggling-academies Mon, 13 Feb 2017 10:00:00 GMT In the early days of office, the new West Midlands mayor must quickly focus on cutting down on car use and encouraging other forms of transport as a quick-win policy before focusing on longer-term priorities, such as boosting skills and raising the region’s international prestige, a think tank has said. In a report – one of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-mayor-must-hit-ground-running-with-quick-win-transport-fixes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-mayor-must-hit-ground-running-with-quick-win-transport-fixes Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:30:00 GMT The government’s plan to integrate health and social care services across England by 2020 is at “significant risk” due to progress being slower and less successful than had been hoped, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. The auditor advised that the Better Care Fund, the government’s main integration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-no-compelling-evidence-that-health-and-social-care-integration-works 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-no-compelling-evidence-that-health-and-social-care-integration-works Wed, 08 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Surrey County Council has performed a last minute climbdown on its plan to raise council tax by 15%, instead recommending a rise of just under 5% at its full 2017-18 budget meeting. The council had considered holding a referendum on the rise, arguing that “relentless” central government cuts and rising demand put the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-abandons-15-council-tax-rise-plan-in-hopes-of-whitehall-social-care-fix 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-abandons-15-council-tax-rise-plan-in-hopes-of-whitehall-social-care-fix Wed, 08 Feb 2017 09:00:00 GMT The government has announced plans to reduce unfairness and increase diversity in the housing market, admitting that the current system is “broken”. In its much-anticipated housing white paper, published today, the DCLG outlined several measures intended to speed up and facilitate housebuilding while making house ownership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-paper-marks-policy-shift-from-ownership-to-rent-in-bid-to-save-broken-market 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-paper-marks-policy-shift-from-ownership-to-rent-in-bid-to-save-broken-market Tue, 07 Feb 2017 16:15:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council’s pursuit of a single unitary authority for the region is looking more likely after two district councils which previously opposed the idea have made a U-turn, coming out in support of the proposal. Last month, the county council unveiled a proposal to abolish all six existing councils in the region to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-branded-fickle-for-u-turn-over-unitary-reform-plans 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-councils-branded-fickle-for-u-turn-over-unitary-reform-plans Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:30:00 GMT The Civil Service Commission has announced controversial special measures relaxing the Civil Service’s recruitment rules in order to help it tackle the burden of dealing with Brexit, leading to criticism from public service unions. In new guidance issued by the commission, it confirms that it has agreed with the government to relax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fda-warns-of-cheerleader-civil-servants-under-brexit-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fda-warns-of-cheerleader-civil-servants-under-brexit-plans Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:45:00 GMT The government’s ambitions for devolution have stalled and need rebooting, particularly in non-metropolitan areas, according to a new report by the IPPR North. The think tank’s report, ‘Rebooting devolution’, said that a lack of clarity from the start of the devolution process means deals have “run into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-framework-needed-to-reboot-stalled-devolution-deals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-framework-needed-to-reboot-stalled-devolution-deals Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:00:00 GMT Councils in England should be fairer in how they handle parking fines issued to drivers, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has said. In its latest report, ‘Fairer Fines,’ the LGO concluded that some drivers are being treated unfairly by councils regarding parking penalties, highlighting problems such as failing to tell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-parking-enforcement-should-be-fair-to-all 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-parking-enforcement-should-be-fair-to-all Mon, 06 Feb 2017 09:45:00 GMT The government has announced the latest instalment of its Local Growth Fund, awarding £650m to 11 local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) across London, the south east and east of England. The communities secretary, Sajid Javid, confirmed that 8 LEPs from London and the south east will receive £492m to support local jobs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-awards-650m-local-growth-funding-to-leps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-awards-650m-local-growth-funding-to-leps Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:30:00 GMT The government must recruit more skilled staff to handle rapidly growing threats to the country’s cyber security, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said. In its latest report, the committee said that the government has dilly-dallied over developing a co-ordinated approach to cyber security despite it being one of the top four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-government-must-raise-its-game-on-cyber-security 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-government-must-raise-its-game-on-cyber-security Fri, 03 Feb 2017 15:45:00 GMT Surrey County Council’s proposal to raise its council tax by an enormous 15% has been backed unanimously by the authority’s cabinet. The tax rise will now be considered by the full council on 7 February followed by a public referendum on 4 May if the council approves of the plan. The decision, which must be put to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-cc-cabinet-backs-referendum-on-15-council-tax-rise 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-cc-cabinet-backs-referendum-on-15-council-tax-rise Fri, 03 Feb 2017 12:00:00 GMT Local government pension schemes (LGPS) have been haemorrhaging money to external fund managers and are rapidly running out of cash to meet pensions, a think tank has claimed. A review undertaken for the Centre for Policy Studies revealed that over the last decade, assets placed in the LGPS have underperformed the major UK and global... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-wastes-up-to-9bn-on-unnecessary-fund-managers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-wastes-up-to-9bn-on-unnecessary-fund-managers Thu, 02 Feb 2017 11:15:00 GMT Social care requires £1bn of emergency funding in this year’s Budget in order to stabilise the market, or else some services are at risk of failing, directors of social care have warned. In its representation for the 2017 Budget, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said that urgent funds distributed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-needs-1bn-boost-or-councils-at-risk-of-failing-statutory-duties 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-needs-1bn-boost-or-councils-at-risk-of-failing-statutory-duties Thu, 02 Feb 2017 10:30:00 GMT Aberdeen City Council is currently investigating an incident in which its website was hacked last weekend. On Saturday night (28 January) a group called Team System Dz took control of the homepage of the council’s website for around three hours. However, the council quickly regained control of the website and said that it had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-launches-urgent-investigation-after-website-hack 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aberdeen-city-council-launches-urgent-investigation-after-website-hack Thu, 02 Feb 2017 09:30:00 GMT Leaders and mayors from the UK’s 10 Core Cities are determined to build on the legacy of “visionary city reformer” Joseph Chamberlain by striving to design successful, inclusive places in a post-Brexit world. Gathering this week at Highbury Hall, the former home of Chamberlain – who is renowned in local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-on-chamberlains-visionary-legacy-in-brexit-talks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-on-chamberlains-visionary-legacy-in-brexit-talks Thu, 02 Feb 2017 09:15:00 GMT Interim Greater Manchester mayor Tony Lloyd has urged the prime minister, Theresa May, to bring the north of England into the Brexit discussion, accusing her of “snubbing” the region. The prime minister has refused to discuss Brexit with northern leaders despite regularly visiting Wales and Scotland to meet with the leaders of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-mayor-accuses-may-of-snubbing-the-north-in-brexit-talks 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-mayor-accuses-may-of-snubbing-the-north-in-brexit-talks Wed, 01 Feb 2017 17:00:00 GMT Dorset councils have obtained a mandate to go ahead with their proposals to change the county’s local government structure. The plans, which would see Dorset’s current nine councils replaced with two new unitary authorities, have now been considered by all nine councils with six of them supporting the plans. Councillors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-councils-agree-to-proceed-with-unitary-reforms 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-councils-agree-to-proceed-with-unitary-reforms Wed, 01 Feb 2017 15:15:00 GMT Greater Manchester and London have been handed £100m to develop and deliver localised versions of the government’s new Work and Health Programme in an effort to help thousands of disadvantaged people gain work. Whitehall confirmed that London will receive £72m and Greater Manchester £28m over the course of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-and-london-handed-100m-work-and-health-programme-powers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-and-london-handed-100m-work-and-health-programme-powers Wed, 01 Feb 2017 14:30:00 GMT The government’s future accommodation contracts used to house asylum seekers must address the challenges in securing housing in other local authority areas, especially where there is limited availability or where housing is expensive, councils have said in response to a damning committee report. The Home Affairs Committee today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/handful-of-councils-bearing-the-brunt-as-refugees-concentrated-in-most-deprived-areas 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/handful-of-councils-bearing-the-brunt-as-refugees-concentrated-in-most-deprived-areas Tue, 31 Jan 2017 14:30:00 GMT The government has suffered a harsh blow to its ambitious plan to create three million apprenticeships by 2020, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warning that employers will have a big incentive to simply re-label existing training schemes – all while the actual quality of apprenticeships plummet under the strain of excessively... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-cavalier-apprenticeship-target-for-public-sector-must-be-dropped 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-cavalier-apprenticeship-target-for-public-sector-must-be-dropped Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:00:00 GMT Smoking is costing local authorities and individuals an enormous £1.4bn in social care costs to cover the growing needs of people with smoking-related illnesses, a parliamentary report has found. The research, conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and published following an inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smoking-creates-760m-annual-social-care-bill-for-cash-strapped-councils 442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smoking-creates-760m-annual-social-care-bill-for-cash-strapped-councils Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:45:00 GMT London should be given further devolution powers equivalent to other global cities to lead the way in the country post-Brexit, according to a new report drawn up for the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan. The study by the London Finance Commission, reconvened at Khan’s request last summer after the EU Referendum, said that London should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-backs-proposals-for-greater-financial-devolution-in-the-capital 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-backs-proposals-for-greater-financial-devolution-in-the-capital Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is planning to propose an ambitious pan-Yorkshire devolution deal which would involve a single mayor overseeing an assembly of several combined authorities, similar to the Greater London Assembly. The proposal being considered by the WYCA, which represents towns and cities in the Leeds City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-bites-the-bullet-and-floats-two-pan-yorkshire-mayoral-devo-deal-models 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-bites-the-bullet-and-floats-two-pan-yorkshire-mayoral-devo-deal-models Mon, 30 Jan 2017 10:30:00 GMT The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for District Councils held the first meeting of its inquiry into collaboration and devolution this week. The meeting saw the cross-party panel of MPs and peers taking evidence from councils involved in particularly innovative partnerships with other councils. Mark Pawsey MP, chair of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/districts-committed-to-innovative-and-collaborative-ways-of-working-says-appg-chair 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/districts-committed-to-innovative-and-collaborative-ways-of-working-says-appg-chair Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:30:00 GMT Opposition to the Solent Combined Authority devolution deal means that it is “highly unlikely” to go ahead, council leaders have claimed. Solent local authorities including councils in Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight applied to the government last October looking to create a new mayoral combined authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solents-1bn-devolution-deal-highly-unlikely-with-fresh-opposition 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solents-1bn-devolution-deal-highly-unlikely-with-fresh-opposition Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:15:00 GMT The recent local government financial settlement will leave over two-thirds of councils scrabbling for unexpected savings in 2017-18, pushing them towards a ‘financial tipping point’, council chiefs have warned. As councils prepare to set their budgets for next year, the LGA has urged government to reverse its unexpected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flawed-local-government-settlement-leaves-councils-at-financial-tipping-point 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flawed-local-government-settlement-leaves-councils-at-financial-tipping-point Fri, 27 Jan 2017 12:30:00 GMT The number of rough sleepers in England has increased by 16% in the past year, over double the figure declared in 2010, new figures have revealed. DCLG statistics on rough sleepers in autumn 2016 revealed that local authorities estimated 4,134 rough sleepers on a single night in 2016, up from 3,569 in 2015 and 1,768 in 2010. Of all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-numbers-skyrocket-by-16-in-last-year 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-numbers-skyrocket-by-16-in-last-year Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, CEO of Locality, discusses how new guidance for councillors and commissioners on taking a ‘Keep it Local’ approach to public services can save money and achieve better outcomes.  This year is going to be a crucial year for local authorities. Years of shrinking budgets and rising demand mean pressure is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-it-local-a-five-step-guide- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-it-local-a-five-step-guide- Thu, 26 Jan 2017 11:00:00 GMT The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has agreed to take part in the government’s 100% business rates retention pilot despite it being “less ambitious in scope” than originally planned, saying it would put the region “at the front of the queue” for further devolution powers. In the local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-business-rates-pilot-less-ambitious-in-scope-than-planned 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-business-rates-pilot-less-ambitious-in-scope-than-planned Thu, 26 Jan 2017 10:45:00 GMT The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (SCRCA) has revealed that it is liable to take a financial hit of around half a million pounds due to its failed devolution consultation. Last December the High Court upheld Derbyshire County Council’s (DCC’s) application for a judicial review of the consultation, ruling that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffields-botched-unlawful-devo-consultation-likely-to-cost-500k 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffields-botched-unlawful-devo-consultation-likely-to-cost-500k Thu, 26 Jan 2017 10:00:00 GMT The government has changed the date for public sector organisations to capture data surrounding the gender pay gap to 31 March 2017, instead of 5 April, following its consultation on the potential regulations. Under current proposals the government is considering making it mandatory under the Equalities Act 2010 for any public sector body... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-changes-gender-pay-gap-capture-date 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-changes-gender-pay-gap-capture-date Wed, 25 Jan 2017 17:30:00 GMT Lincolnshire is the latest of England’s county councils to propose a new unitary authority as a way to spur savings in the region. Its leaders plan to hold a public referendum on the proposal, which would involve scrapping the county’s eight district and county councils to make a unitary system of governance.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/another-county-looking-for-savings-in-new-unitary-council-proposal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/another-county-looking-for-savings-in-new-unitary-council-proposal Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:15:00 GMT Self-funding care home residents are paying a “care tax” to keep the system afloat due to a £1.3bn shortfall in adult social care funding, analysts have revealed. The healthcare market intelligence provider LaingBuisson has found that residential care homes are currently charging fees of between £590 and £648... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-home-crisis-leaves-self-funders-footing-13bn-bill 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-home-crisis-leaves-self-funders-footing-13bn-bill Wed, 25 Jan 2017 14:00:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) committee has launched an inquiry into how the actions of local government are overviewed and scrutinised. The committee will consider how effectively overview and scrutiny arrangements are working in England and how able local communities are to contribute to and monitor the work of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-probe-council-scrutiny-arrangements-after-high-profile-scandals 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-probe-council-scrutiny-arrangements-after-high-profile-scandals Wed, 25 Jan 2017 08:45:00 GMT The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has criticised the government for failing to act on the country’s “ineffective” flood protection measures, leaving communities across England at risk. EFRA’s previous flood prevention report, published last November, recommended that the government take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-defras-ineffective-response-to-flood-prevention-report 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-defras-ineffective-response-to-flood-prevention-report Tue, 24 Jan 2017 15:45:00 GMT Councils have responded to the government’s new green paper setting out the UK’s industrial strategy by asking for greater freedom and funding to deliver its aims. The strategy outlines the government’s commitments to future developments in housing, economic growth, skills training and digital connectivity, along with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-greater-freedom-and-funding-to-deliver-industrial-strategy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-greater-freedom-and-funding-to-deliver-industrial-strategy Tue, 24 Jan 2017 14:15:00 GMT The LGA is currently developing a self-assessment diagnostic to help new mayoral combined authorities (CAs) assess their own functioning, rather than being subject to a Whitehall-imposed performance management regime. The measure, mentioned in an LGA Leadership Board report on combined authorities and elected mayors in England, is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-risks-being-undermined-if-whitehall-tries-to-performance-manage-mayors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-risks-being-undermined-if-whitehall-tries-to-performance-manage-mayors Mon, 23 Jan 2017 12:15:00 GMT The upcoming apprenticeship target of 2.3% for the public sector workforce, due to come into force in April, will be based on headcount rather than full-time equivalent (FTE) – a move the LGA has branded as disappointing. In its response to the apprenticeship consultation, first opened in January 2016, the Department for Education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-slam-disappointing-move-to-base-apprenticeship-target-on-headcount 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-slam-disappointing-move-to-base-apprenticeship-target-on-headcount Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:45:00 GMT School budgets are edging closer to breaking point as the number of schools in deficit has doubled since 2015, a union of school leaders has warned. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) survey of 1,102 school leaders found growing concern about financial pressures, with 98% of schools losing funding and nearly three-quarters... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budgets-edging-closer-to-breaking-point-as-fifth-of-schools-now-in-deficit 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budgets-edging-closer-to-breaking-point-as-fifth-of-schools-now-in-deficit Mon, 23 Jan 2017 10:45:00 GMT The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has announced that Eamonn Boylan will be recommended as its new chief executive. The GMCA has confirmed that its Resources Committee will recommend Boylan’s appointment to the full combined authority this Friday (27 January 2017). Subject to the GMCA's approval, Boylan will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmca-appoints-new-chief-executive 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmca-appoints-new-chief-executive Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:45:00 GMT The new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has been named as Rob Behrens. Behrens, who was selected from a shortlist of five candidates, was approved for the role in a pre-appointment hearing held by two parliamentary select committees last week, the Health committee and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rob-behrens-approved-as-parliamentary-and-health-service-ombudsman 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rob-behrens-approved-as-parliamentary-and-health-service-ombudsman Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:30:00 GMT Job centres do not help enough unemployed people get back to work, hence why employment and skills funding should be devolved to councils for an integrated place-based strategy instead, the LGA has said. Analysis by the Learning and Working Institute of figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that just under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-of-job-centres 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-of-job-centres Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:30:00 GMT Surrey County Council has proposed raising its council tax by an enormous 15% in a bid to defend the county’s social care and children’s services. The county will now need to hold a referendum on the proposals as the proposed rise is above central government’s cap of 3.99%. The announcement marks another local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surrey-cc-proposes-referendum-on-15-council-tax-rise 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surrey-cc-proposes-referendum-on-15-council-tax-rise Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:00:00 GMT Oxfordshire’s lower-tier councils have lambasted their county council’s ‘One Oxfordshire’ proposal, calling it the “wrong proposal at the wrong time”. Yesterday Oxfordshire County Council announced a proposal to abolish all six existing councils in the county to create a new unitary authority for all of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-brand-countys-unitary-bid-a-disaster-for-oxfordshire 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-brand-countys-unitary-bid-a-disaster-for-oxfordshire Fri, 20 Jan 2017 12:15:00 GMT Nine government organisations have been named among the top 100 employers for LGBT staff, making up a substantial part of this year’s list. The Top 100 Employers list, drawn up by the LGBT equality charity Stonewall, found the National Assembly for Wales to be the most inclusive government employer, ranking it in joint fifth with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-organisations-named-top-employers-for-lgbt-staff 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-organisations-named-top-employers-for-lgbt-staff Thu, 19 Jan 2017 11:45:00 GMT Welfare reform has been slammed by a Glasgow MP following reports that the roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) is exacerbating homelessness and affecting council services. Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, questioned DCLG ministers in the House of Commons earlier this week after a Glasgow City Council Integration Joint Board report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-blames-uc-for-negative-impact-on-homelessness-services 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-blames-uc-for-negative-impact-on-homelessness-services Thu, 19 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT While housing has become more affordable for existing homeowners, it has in contrast become less affordable for first-time buyers – and social housing rents have been growing faster than earnings for over 15 years, experts have found. A National Audit Office (NAO) overview of the housing market has found that housebuilding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-urged-to-stop-housing-decline-as-250000-social-homes-could-be-lost 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-urged-to-stop-housing-decline-as-250000-social-homes-could-be-lost Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:15:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has proposed the abolition of all six of the county’s councils in order to create one new unitary authority for Oxfordshire. The ‘One Oxfordshire’ proposals would involve slashing the number of councillors in the county by almost two-thirds, from 282 councillors to between 100 and 125, and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-unveils-multi-million-pound-saving-unitary-proposal 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-unveils-multi-million-pound-saving-unitary-proposal Thu, 19 Jan 2017 09:00:00 GMT The communities secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed the start of a ‘phased’ return of powers to Tower Hamlets council, enabling councillors to once again award grants to local not-for-profit organisations for the first time since December 2014. Javid confirmed last December that the council has made ‘significant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-praises-vote-of-confidence-as-dclg-returns-grant-making-powers 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-praises-vote-of-confidence-as-dclg-returns-grant-making-powers Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:45:00 GMT Councils have been awarded an extra £48m of funding to help expand homeless provision, but they have already warned that this may prove insufficient to tackle the problem. The funding announced by the government aims to help councils meet the costs of measures which are likely to be introduced under Conservative MP Bob... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-welcome-48m-homelessness-provision-but-remain-cautious 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-welcome-48m-homelessness-provision-but-remain-cautious Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:15:00 GMT Public sector workers including midwives, teachers and social workers are set to lose thousands of pounds from their pay packet by 2020, new analysis has revealed. Data published by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has shown that some workers will face real pay losses of over £3,000 due to government restrictions on public pay, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-face-real-pay-cut-of-93-by-2020 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-face-real-pay-cut-of-93-by-2020 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:00:00 GMT The government’s current tax policy system must be changed in order to reduce taxpayer confusion and cut down on errors, experts have said. ‘Better budgets: making tax policy better’, a joint report published today by the Institute for Government (IfG), the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Institute for Fiscal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-policy-system-is-not-fit-for-purpose-experts-say 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-policy-system-is-not-fit-for-purpose-experts-say Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:15:00 GMT HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will not use another third-party provider to review and correct tax credit payments after its disastrous contract with Concentrix, a new report has said. The National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) report into the failed contract revealed HMRC’s decision that the potential risk to customer service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-risks-of-outsourcing-hmrc-tax-credits-outweighed-the-benefits 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-risks-of-outsourcing-hmrc-tax-credits-outweighed-the-benefits Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:30:00 GMT Local authority chief executives have warned that the government’s commitment to deliver greater funding certainty to councils has been “complicated” by the government’s decision to use the New Homes Bonus (NHB) to fund social care. In its response to the provisional 2017-18 local government finance settlement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ceos-cast-doubt-on-ability-of-nhb-to-fund-social-care 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ceos-cast-doubt-on-ability-of-nhb-to-fund-social-care Tue, 17 Jan 2017 14:30:00 GMT Westminster City Council has announced plans to send homeless families to live in temporary accommodation to properties as far away as the West Midlands. In a cabinet member’s report on the council’s homelessness policies, the local authority has said that rising homelessness, complete with housing benefit cuts and rent rises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-council-may-send-homeless-families-to-coventry 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-council-may-send-homeless-families-to-coventry Mon, 16 Jan 2017 12:30:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, highlights some cost-saving possibilities in the company’s Buyer’s Guide to Cloud Phone Systems for the public sector.  The rise of cloud phone systems  As central funding dries up and cloud services experience a rising tide of popularity, more and more government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-phone-systems-redefine-public-sector-costs 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-phone-systems-redefine-public-sector-costs Mon, 16 Jan 2017 11:30:00 GMT England’s county leaders have warned that the “fundamental mismatch” between funding and demand for social care has put councils at a “significant crossroads” when it comes to guaranteeing the sustainability of statutory services. In its local government finance settlement submission, the County Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-funding-mismatch-has-put-council-services-at-significant-crossroads 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-funding-mismatch-has-put-council-services-at-significant-crossroads Mon, 16 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT The government should set out its Brexit plans by mid-February in the form of a White Paper and hold a parliamentary vote on the final deal, parliament’s cross-party Brexit committee has stressed. The first report by the Exiting the European Union Committee (EEUC), the parliamentary committee created to scrutinise Brexit, also calls... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-committee-urges-government-to-set-out-plans-by-mid-february 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-committee-urges-government-to-set-out-plans-by-mid-february Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:30:00 GMT Ensuring the construction of new houses and offices, introducing a congestion charge and tackling the crisis in social care should be top priorities for the new Greater Manchester mayor when they are elected in May, according to a new report. The report, published by the urban think-tank Centre for Cities, sets out three policy points... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-gm-mayor-must-mean-business-from-day-one-and-needs-quick-policy-wins 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-gm-mayor-must-mean-business-from-day-one-and-needs-quick-policy-wins Mon, 16 Jan 2017 09:45:00 GMT Planned government reforms to the New Homes Bonus (NHB) will have a “disproportionate” impact on district councils, limiting both the incentive for growth and the funding to support it in smaller communities, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has said. In its consultation response to the provisional local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-reforms-disproportionately-punish-district-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-reforms-disproportionately-punish-district-councils Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:30:00 GMT Councils have welcomed the government’s allocation of £1.2bn of funding for them to spend on upgrading streets in 2017-18, but warned that “substantially more” is needed to bring the country’s road network up to scratch. Today the government published information on how councils should spend the £1.2bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-allocates-12bn-roads-funding-but-councils-say-more-needed 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-allocates-12bn-roads-funding-but-councils-say-more-needed Fri, 13 Jan 2017 13:00:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned that the government faces a “significant challenge” in hitting its pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020, largely echoing the National Audit Office’s report from last September. While the PAC has praised local and national government for their work to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-councils-still-need-more-clarity-in-settling-syrian-refugees 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-councils-still-need-more-clarity-in-settling-syrian-refugees Fri, 13 Jan 2017 12:45:00 GMT London Councils has warned against the capital’s local government finance settlement, advising that the ability to raise social care precepts of up to 3% will still “do nothing” to address the region’s £200m annual funding gap by 2019-20. In an executive committee meeting set for early next week, borough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fattened-precept-will-still-do-nothing-to-address-london-social-care-gap 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fattened-precept-will-still-do-nothing-to-address-london-social-care-gap Thu, 12 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services (PCS), the biggest union for Civil Service staff, has joined calls for a new pay agreement for staff in Whitehall by stressing that lower-grade employees must also be represented in any deal. Last week, the professional union the FDA – which represents senior civil servants – asked the Senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-calls-for-treasury-to-loosen-purse-strings-on-1-pay-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-calls-for-treasury-to-loosen-purse-strings-on-1-pay-cap Thu, 12 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT Parents and charities have further criticised the Scottish government’s plans to reform the school system, saying it would make no ‘meaningful’ progress on narrowing the country’s attainment gap. The criticisms echoed comments made by the Scottish teachers’ union, the Education Institute of Scotland, earlier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-slam-scottish-education-plans-to-lessen-council-responsibilities 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-slam-scottish-education-plans-to-lessen-council-responsibilities Thu, 12 Jan 2017 11:30:00 GMT London boroughs are expected to agree a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding health devolution with national partners early this year, which would be buttressed by individual agreements in pilot areas, London Councils’ executive committee has revealed. In board papers released ahead of a committee meeting on 17 January... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-health-devolution-mou-due-imminently 436,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-health-devolution-mou-due-imminently Thu, 12 Jan 2017 10:45:00 GMT Almost 450 jobs are under threat at Sefton Council as it becomes the latest authority to lay out the stark measures needed to deal with central government cuts. The council said that it will have lost 51% of government funding between 2010 and 2020, and has already made £169m worth of savings and must find a further £64m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sefton-to-axe-up-to-450-jobs-as-government-funding-slashed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sefton-to-axe-up-to-450-jobs-as-government-funding-slashed Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:30:00 GMT A waste contract intended to run until 2036 could be cancelled early as Sheffield City Council struggles to balance its budget, potentially putting 180 jobs at risk. The council said the contract with Veolia, signed in 2001, no longer offered value for money. It will discuss implementing alternate arrangements at a cabinet meeting on 18... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-council-considers-cancelling-waste-contract-20-years-early 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-council-considers-cancelling-waste-contract-20-years-early Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:00:00 GMT Councillors have lamented the lack of local democracy in house planning, with a majority warning that the system leans too far in the favour of housing developers at the cost of local communities, a survey has revealed. A survey of over 1,200 ward councillors in England carried out by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-lament-lack-of-localism-in-planning-system 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-lament-lack-of-localism-in-planning-system Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT Michael King’s appointment as the new Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has been confirmed by the communities and local government secretary, Sajid Javid. King is replacing Dr Jane Martin, who plans to retire, as head of the body responsible for resolving complaints from the public about local councils and the services they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/michael-king-confirmed-as-new-local-government-ombudsman 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/michael-king-confirmed-as-new-local-government-ombudsman Wed, 11 Jan 2017 10:15:00 GMT Almost 90% of social workers in England believe that regulation of their work should stay independent of government, according to a new poll of the profession. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) surveyed 1,100 of its members and found that 74% supported the creation of a new bespoke regulator for the profession, while only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/basw-nine-out-of-ten-social-workers-want-an-independent-regulator 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/basw-nine-out-of-ten-social-workers-want-an-independent-regulator Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:45:00 GMT Political parties should be told to ensure that by 2030 45% of all MPs and councillors are female or be forced to do so under new legislation, a parliamentary report has argued. The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has called on the government to set minimum quotas for the number of women in Parliament and local government if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/women-should-make-up-45-of-councillors-and-mps-by-2030 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/women-should-make-up-45-of-councillors-and-mps-by-2030 Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:30:00 GMT HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff may have to move long distances in order to keep their jobs as part of its ongoing reorganisation, and will inevitably increase uncertainty among the workforce,  the government spending watchdog has found. The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) estimates that around 38,000 staff may be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-warns-hmrc-against-uncertainty-caused-by-office-closures 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-warns-hmrc-against-uncertainty-caused-by-office-closures Tue, 10 Jan 2017 14:45:00 GMT Oxfordshire counties and LEPs should apply for a devolution deal as soon as possible, according to the Oxford City Council Devolution Review Group. May’s government has been accused of backing away from the former government’s commitment to devolution, with key devo deals in areas such as the North East and Sheffield currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devo-deal-should-be-sought-as-soon-as-possible 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devo-deal-should-be-sought-as-soon-as-possible Tue, 10 Jan 2017 13:00:00 GMT Children are at risk of being segregated in education because of a lack of council oversight, the head of a government review into integration has said. Dame Louise Casey’s review attracted controversy when it was published in December, arguing that British society has become more segregated by culture and ethnicity aided by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/casey-schools-regulation-going-in-the-opposite-direction-in-fighting-segregation 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/casey-schools-regulation-going-in-the-opposite-direction-in-fighting-segregation Tue, 10 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT The rising cost of social care could eventually force Welsh councils to merge despite these plans being dropped just last October, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has said. The WLGA's chief executive Steve Thomas warned that the costs Welsh councils will face for social care will double over the next 15 years from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-lga-social-care-costs-may-force-councils-to-merge-after-all 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-lga-social-care-costs-may-force-councils-to-merge-after-all Mon, 09 Jan 2017 11:15:00 GMT A staff freeze has been introduced at Devon County Council as local authorities propose increasingly radical measures to try to relieve financial pressures. The council announced last week that it will not hire any more permanent staff, apart from roles which it has a statutory responsibility to fulfil. Devon is set to overspend by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/will-we-see-more-staff-freezes-to-meet-the-financial-challenge 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/will-we-see-more-staff-freezes-to-meet-the-financial-challenge Mon, 09 Jan 2017 11:00:00 GMT Councils have warned they face a ‘tipping point’ in their efforts to maintain local roads, as the repair bill for potholes is estimated to reach £14bn. According to statistics from the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s (AIA) annual ALARM survey, the total cost of repairing potholes has risen from £9.8bn in 2012 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warn-of-tipping-point-year-for-potholes 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warn-of-tipping-point-year-for-potholes Mon, 09 Jan 2017 10:30:00 GMT Daventry District Council is proposing to make an unusual call for government intervention in Northamptonshire County Council over its financial stability. The move comes after the county proposed removing all councils in the area – the county council included – and a brand new local government structure introduced. A report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-floats-unusual-and-undesirable-request-for-county-intervention 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-floats-unusual-and-undesirable-request-for-county-intervention Mon, 09 Jan 2017 10:15:00 GMT Scotland’s main teaching union has warned against government plans to reform the influence of councils in the country’s education system, saying that it would be a “significant distraction” from the needs of the sector. The comments came as the Scottish government closed a consultation period on plans to introduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-teaching-union-warns-against-distraction-of-governments-school-reforms 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-teaching-union-warns-against-distraction-of-governments-school-reforms Mon, 09 Jan 2017 09:45:00 GMT Smaller council-maintained schools will face an unfair burden because of the apprenticeship levy, and should be exempt in the same way that small academies and faith schools will be, the LGA has stated. As it stands, the levy will apply to council schools with a wage bill of under £3m, but not academies or religious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-small-council-maintained-schools-to-be-exempt-from-apprenticeship-levy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-small-council-maintained-schools-to-be-exempt-from-apprenticeship-levy Fri, 06 Jan 2017 12:45:00 GMT Council leaders have supported calls by MPs for the prime minister to reach a cross-party agreement on the future of health and social care, while stressing that any funding solution must be “fair and sustainable”. Earlier today the chairs of the Health, Public Accounts, and Communities and Local Government committees wrote to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-back-calls-for-cross-party-deal-on-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-back-calls-for-cross-party-deal-on-social-care Fri, 06 Jan 2017 12:15:00 GMT Housing providers can now apply for a share of a £7bn fund to increase the number of affordable homes available for residents, the communities secretary Sajid Javid has announced. The fund means housing associations, local authorities and private developers in England will be able to bid for funding to build shared ownership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-opens-applications-for-7bn-affordable-homes-fund 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-opens-applications-for-7bn-affordable-homes-fund Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:45:00 GMT Stagnant wages are demoralising the Civil Service at the time when its expertise is most needed to deliver Brexit, professional union the FDA has warned. In its submission to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB), the FDA included the results of a survey which showed that 94.4% of its members believed the current pay structures were not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-90-of-senior-civil-servants-believe-pay-structures-not-fit-for-purpose 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-90-of-senior-civil-servants-believe-pay-structures-not-fit-for-purpose Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:30:00 GMT Dr Charlotte Snelling, a researcher at IPPR, and Ed Turner, senior lecturer and head of politics and international relations at Aston University, look at the lessons the UK can learn from Germany in tackling the country’s housing crisis. The UK faces significant challenges in providing sufficient housing, at a price people can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lessons-from-germany-to-fix-the-uks-housing-crisis 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lessons-from-germany-to-fix-the-uks-housing-crisis Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMT Helen Milner, chief executive of Good Things Foundation, formerly the Tinder Foundation, expands on the organisation’s recent claims that protecting libraries at all costs could be holding the sector back, and that those which fail to serve communities need to close – with funding being channelled to those mindful of community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-libraries-are-better-than-others 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-libraries-are-better-than-others Fri, 06 Jan 2017 04:30:00 GMT Cllr Martin Tett, leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and transport spokesman at the LGA, reflects on the ever-growing pothole repair backlog and what actions must be taken to tackle this issue. As leader of a county council, I am acutely aware that potholes and the condition of our roads are one of the public’s main local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-investment-and-collaboration-needed-to-tackle-pothole-repair-backlog 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-investment-and-collaboration-needed-to-tackle-pothole-repair-backlog Fri, 06 Jan 2017 03:00:00 GMT Three House of Commons select committee chairs have urged the prime minister, Theresa May, to reach a cross-party agreement on the future of health and social care funding in a letter sent today. The letter, sent by the chairs of the Health, Public Accounts, and Communities and Local Government Committees, argues the need for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-urged-to-reach-swift-agreement-on-health-and-social-care-funding 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-urged-to-reach-swift-agreement-on-health-and-social-care-funding Fri, 06 Jan 2017 00:30:00 GMT Plymouth City Council has agreed a policy offering more support for empty home owners, enabling more of the city’s empty homes to be brought back into occupation. The council has agreed the Empty Homes Financial Assistance Policy, which allows owners of empty homes to apply for financial assistance up to £50,000 per unit of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plymouth-provides-more-support-to-get-empty-homes-back-into-use 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plymouth-provides-more-support-to-get-empty-homes-back-into-use Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:00:00 GMT Substantial immigration powers should be devolved to the UK’s nations and regions, with devolved governments or city-regions setting quotas and creating local integration plans, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Social Integration has advised. In an interim report, the group of MPs and peers also said that migrants should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-propose-substantial-devolution-of-immigration-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-propose-substantial-devolution-of-immigration-powers Thu, 05 Jan 2017 11:00:00 GMT The FDA has urged government ministers to take to the airwaves to defend the integrity and impartiality of the Civil Service following criticism of the UK’s outgoing EU ambassador. Dave Penman, the union’s general secretary, made the comment following the sudden resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers, the head of UK Representation to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-integrity-not-being-defended-as-eu-ambassador-resigns 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-integrity-not-being-defended-as-eu-ambassador-resigns Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:45:00 GMT Local government is undergoing a crisis of stressed and dissatisfied workers due to the effects of public sector cuts, which could lead to a mass exodus of staff, a new report has revealed. A survey of over 2,200 Unison members working in councils and schools found rising stress levels in almost three quarters of respondents due to low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-cuts-culture-could-lead-to-mass-exodus-of-council-staff 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-cuts-culture-could-lead-to-mass-exodus-of-council-staff Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:15:00 GMT The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has urged councils to hold social care providers accountable after complaints that an elderly woman lost one-third of her body weight in a care home run by Wokingham Borough Council. The woman, Mrs X, who is in her nineties and suffers from aphasia, arthritis and osteoporosis, was admitted to Murdoch... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-councils-cannot-contract-out-accountability-for-care-home-services- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-councils-cannot-contract-out-accountability-for-care-home-services- Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:00:00 GMT Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds could be prevented from investing in infrastructure under new regulations, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has warned. The PLSA has published its response to a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) consultation, Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, on new regulations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fca-proposals-a-counterintuitive-threat-to-lgps-infrastructure-spend 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fca-proposals-a-counterintuitive-threat-to-lgps-infrastructure-spend Thu, 05 Jan 2017 00:30:00 GMT Councils have urged the secretary for culture, media and sport to clarify whether Britain will still host the European Capital of Culture in 2023 after it leaves the European Union. On 1 December Cllr Martin Tett and Cllr Ian Stephens, the LGA board chairs for the economy, environment, housing and transport and for culture, media and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-clarity-on-european-capital-culture-bids-post-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-clarity-on-european-capital-culture-bids-post-brexit Wed, 04 Jan 2017 15:30:00 GMT Cardiff is looking to become the first local education authority in Wales to trial a co-ordinated approach to secondary school admissions, offering parents more clarity when applying to schools. Currently, the council has separate school application processes running alongside one another for local authority schools, faith schools and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-proposes-new-co-ordinated-school-admissions-process 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-proposes-new-co-ordinated-school-admissions-process Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:30:00 GMT The worst of service cuts at Manchester City Council have been avoided after the local authority was able to reduce its budget deficit. In October, Manchester council announced that it would need to make significant service cuts in order to meet a budget deficit thought to reach between £40m and £75m. However, the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-avoids-worst-jobs-and-service-cuts-with-airport-cash-boost 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-avoids-worst-jobs-and-service-cuts-with-airport-cash-boost Wed, 04 Jan 2017 12:30:00 GMT A scheme to give every citizen a universal basic income (UBI) is set to be piloted by two Scottish councils as they have started to investigate trial schemes this year. The initiative, in which benefits will be replaced by a single, unconditional payment regardless of earned income, is currently being considered by Glasgow and Fife... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-considering-universal-basic-income-trials 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-considering-universal-basic-income-trials Wed, 04 Jan 2017 12:15:00 GMT The Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has stressed that Wales needs “full and unfettered” access to the European single market in order to retain investment in the country. Jones’s comments came as he travelled to Norway to learn more about its links with the EU as UK ministers prepare to begin negotiations with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-minister-stresses-welsh-need-for-full-access-to-single-market 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-minister-stresses-welsh-need-for-full-access-to-single-market Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:15:00 GMT PSE reports on the latest announcements around electric vehicles, including new funding in the Autumn Statement and further commitments from cabinet ministers to expanding the sector. Following new funding promises for electric vehicles (EVs) from chancellor Philip Hammond in his Autumn Statement last month, business secretary Greg Clark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evs-at-the-heart-of-industrial-strategy-plans 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evs-at-the-heart-of-industrial-strategy-plans Wed, 04 Jan 2017 07:30:00 GMT Matthew Evans, executive director of techUK’s SmarterUK programme, discusses the need for the government to deliver a coherent digital strategy that demonstrates the importance of smart cities that local government and the technology industry can collaborate on to succeed. Smart cities have the potential to create a better quality... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlocking-smart-capabilities-for-local-authorities 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlocking-smart-capabilities-for-local-authorities Wed, 04 Jan 2017 07:30:00 GMT Bracknell Forest Homes is applying digital mapping in new ways to improve internal processes and, in some cases, introduce completely new ways of operating. Andrew Keljarrett, its business improvement manager, outlines how the housing association is using a GIS (Geographic Information System) as part of its digital transformation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-transformation-in-social-housing-with-smart-mapping 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-transformation-in-social-housing-with-smart-mapping Wed, 04 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMT Previously part of the Government Digital Service (GDS) transformation programme, Natalie Taylor now works at London’s City Hall as senior manager for Digital Transformation. She gives PSE an update on the changes taking place at the Greater London Authority (GLA) and how it is implementing the Local Government Digital Service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/standardising-digital-transformation-across-the-capital 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/standardising-digital-transformation-across-the-capital Wed, 04 Jan 2017 07:00:00 GMT Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) recently won Socitm’s Innovation Award for its ‘Right Here Right Now’ programme. Alan Evans, head of transformation, and Maryvonne Hassall, computer services manager at the local authority, give PSE an update on the work and future development plans. Like many local authorities in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spearheading-digital-and-structural-change 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spearheading-digital-and-structural-change Wed, 04 Jan 2017 05:00:00 GMT The poorest children in wealthy local authorities are falling behind on key development goals compared to their richer peers by the age of five, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found. Analysis from the charity showed that the local authorities with the worst performance were Bath and North East Somerset, Rutland, Cumbria... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-development-a-life-chances-postcode-lottery- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-development-a-life-chances-postcode-lottery- Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:30:00 GMT Dorset councils will begin to meet this week to formally debate and scrutinise proposals to change the county’s local government structures. This Thursday (5 January 2017), Poole council will discuss a report setting out the evidence for local government reorganisation, in the first of 24 public meetings across Dorset’s nine... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-debates-to-change-dorset-local-government-structure-begin 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-debates-to-change-dorset-local-government-structure-begin Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:30:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has ruled out holding a referendum on increasing council tax by up to 10% following public feedback, the city’s mayor has announced. An online budget simulator launched by the council last November found that 57% of participants were against a rise in council tax above the government’s 4.99% limit, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-and-service-cuts-expected-as-liverpool-rules-out-council-tax-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-and-service-cuts-expected-as-liverpool-rules-out-council-tax-referendum Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:15:00 GMT New homes are being delayed because of excessive requirements in the planning system, and ‘spurious’ council conditions, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has warned. According to the HBF’s latest Housing Pipeline report, planning permission for 289,011 homes was granted in the 12 months from September 2015-16, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housebuilders-call-for-ban-on-spurious-council-planning-conditions 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housebuilders-call-for-ban-on-spurious-council-planning-conditions Tue, 03 Jan 2017 12:30:00 GMT The Green Party’s candidate for May’s Greater Manchester mayoral contest died suddenly on New Year’s Day, leaving open who the party will field in the inaugural election. Deyika Nzeribe, 50, was a community activist who had previously served as chair of the party’s Manchester branch and stood in several local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tributes-flood-in-as-truly-heroic-green-candidate-for-gm-mayor-dies 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tributes-flood-in-as-truly-heroic-green-candidate-for-gm-mayor-dies Tue, 03 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT Thousands of new starter homes for first-time buyers will be built on brownfield sites in 2017, the government has announced, but the plans have been criticised by council leaders and charities for not going far enough. Thirty areas across England will receive funding to build the new developments from the government’s £1.2bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/subsidised-starter-homes-project-criticised-for-being-unaffordable 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/subsidised-starter-homes-project-criticised-for-being-unaffordable Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:45:00 GMT Paul Bell, national officer for local government at Unison, looks at the long-term impact of Brexit on public sector procurement, and what councils should be doing to plan ahead for the period of uncertain change. The decision of the UK’s electorate to leave the EU undoubtedly presents massive challenges for local government.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-united-approach-for-local-government-procurement-post-brexit 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-united-approach-for-local-government-procurement-post-brexit Wed, 28 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Cllr Roger Phillips, chair of the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, analyses the opportunities and challenges facing the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in the short to medium term, and the plans to create eight multi-billion common investment vehicles. The LGPS is unique in the public sector in that it is the only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-long-and-winding-path-to-reform 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-long-and-winding-path-to-reform Wed, 28 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Cllr Kieran Quinn, leader of Tameside Borough Council and chair of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF), outlines the social value benefits and commercial returns that can be achieved by LGPS funds investing in infrastructure. Britain is suffering from chronic underinvestment in infrastructure. From housing to communications... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/picking-up-the-infrastructure-investment-gauntlet 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/picking-up-the-infrastructure-investment-gauntlet Wed, 28 Dec 2016 07:00:00 GMT Neil Sellstrom, treasury and pensions advisor at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), discusses the need for firm governance structures in Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) investment pooling arrangements. The pooling of LGPS assets is expected to begin by April 2018, and while full details of how they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-investment-pools-must-have-firm-governance-structures 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-investment-pools-must-have-firm-governance-structures Wed, 28 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT Carrie Deacon, programme manager in Nesta’s Innovation Lab, explains how commissioners can move people power from the periphery to the heart of service design. Many are now convinced that the public services we inherited from our grandparents, in which people are passive consumers of public services, are unsuitable and unsustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-action-as-an-organising-principle-for-public-services 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-action-as-an-organising-principle-for-public-services Wed, 28 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT Paul Ward, head of ICT strategy, systems and development for Coventry City Council, explains how the local authority is using the Local Government Digital Service Standard (LGDSS) to deliver more user-friendly services. Coventry City Council, like many other local government organisations across the country, is on a transformation journey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgdss-an-important-key-in-the-transformation-toolkit 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgdss-an-important-key-in-the-transformation-toolkit Mon, 26 Dec 2016 09:00:00 GMT Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, talks to PSE’s David Stevenson about the opportunity the public sector has in increasing electric vehicle (EV) take-up. There is a government aspiration that by 2040 every new car in the UK will be an ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV), and while this is still the trajectory industry is working... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-a-lead-on-ev 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-a-lead-on-ev Mon, 26 Dec 2016 08:30:00 GMT The current approach to employability in many areas is simply failing, according to new research. But Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), explains how there are huge opportunities to make local employment services better for business and better for local communities. The Autumn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-local-systems-of-employability-support 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-local-systems-of-employability-support Mon, 26 Dec 2016 08:00:00 GMT Philip Atkins, vice-chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN) and leader of Staffordshire County Council, reflects on the challenges and opportunities presented by the chancellor’s Autumn Statement. While it’s fair to say the initial reaction to the Autumn Statement from local government was less than positive, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-statement-highlights-growth-opportunities-for-counties 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-statement-highlights-growth-opportunities-for-counties Mon, 26 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Leading MPs have urged Theresa May to consider health and social care jointly after the prime minister announced a review of problems in the sector. In an appearance before the Liaison Committee, which is made up of the heads of the House of Commons select committees, the prime minister admitted there were “pressures” on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-dismisses-calls-for-health-and-social-care-funding-to-be-integrated 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-dismisses-calls-for-health-and-social-care-funding-to-be-integrated Fri, 23 Dec 2016 12:00:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to waive the rents of children's centres run by community groups for up to one year if paying rent would mean that they face closure.  The proposals form part of the council’s transformation of children’s centres set to be implemented in March next year in a bid to meet its £6m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-cc-to-waive-childrens-centre-rents-for-one-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-cc-to-waive-childrens-centre-rents-for-one-year Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:15:00 GMT Rough sleepers are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence and 15 times more likely to have suffered verbal abuse than members of the general public, new research has revealed. Homelessness charity Crisis’s survey of 458 recent or current rough sleepers in England and Wales revealed that almost 8 out of 10 (77%)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-condemn-violence-and-abuse-against-rough-sleepers 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-condemn-violence-and-abuse-against-rough-sleepers Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:45:00 GMT Peers have passed an order granting further devolved powers to Greater Manchester, despite critics arguing that it is not accompanied by sufficient resources to use the powers. The order, which was passed by the House of Lords yesterday, places a duty on the new Greater Manchester mayor, due to be elected in May, to prepare a spatial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lords-grant-gm-more-devolution-powers-despite-resources-warning 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lords-grant-gm-more-devolution-powers-despite-resources-warning Thu, 22 Dec 2016 11:15:00 GMT An integrated approach to investigating complaints about health and social care has led to significant benefits, according to a new report by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). Published today, the report discovered that many of the problems experienced by patients have been caused... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsmen-reveal-benefits-of-integrated-complaints-investigations 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsmen-reveal-benefits-of-integrated-complaints-investigations Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT The government has confirmed that it will lay regulations to enable Wandsworth and Richmond Upon Thames councils’ proposal to merge their pension funds as part of a cost-saving measure. The two London boroughs announced in January 2015 that they planned to enter shared staffing arrangements with the aim of achieving £10m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wandsworth-and-richmond-pension-fund-merger-authorised 438,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wandsworth-and-richmond-pension-fund-merger-authorised Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT The comptroller and auditor general has criticised the accuracy and fairness of the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) group financial statements, because of irregularities in how the department monitors academy finances. Sir Amyas Morse issued the judgement on the 2015-16 finances, marking three consecutive years of adverse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-accounts-lack-truth-and-fairness-says-auditor-general- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-accounts-lack-truth-and-fairness-says-auditor-general- Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:30:00 GMT The successful bidders for new national funding to reduce homelessness have been announced. In a visit to Thames Reach Employment Academy in Southwark yesterday, prime minister Theresa May and the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, revealed the distribution of the new funding, which totals £50m. May said: “In the run up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-of-new-homelessness-prevention-funding-announced 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-of-new-homelessness-prevention-funding-announced Thu, 22 Dec 2016 09:00:00 GMT Chief Inspector Rob Hill of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and head of service for the Prevention and Enforcement Service (PES), explains how the new service is helping to deliver a joined-up approach to tackle crime and quality of life issues in the area. Partnership working is a well-worn phrase, but for Peterborough’s Community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prevention-enforcement-service 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prevention-enforcement-service Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:30:00 GMT Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA Task and Finish Group on this issue, outlines how public bodies can embed innovation in spite of tight budgets. For many in the public sector, ‘innovation’ is not synonymous with ‘public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/putting-innovation-at-the-heart-of-public-procurement 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/putting-innovation-at-the-heart-of-public-procurement Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:30:00 GMT It’s time councils leave uncertainty behind and take the plunge into full-scale digitisation, argues Martyn Wallace, the chief digital officer of the new Scottish Local Government Digital Office. Luana Salles reports. Martyn Wallace concluded his interview with PSE with a thought perhaps more fitting at the very start of any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/human-by-default 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/human-by-default Thu, 22 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, assesses the impact of the public service reform paradigm that dominated the period from 1979 to 2016.  At the turn of another turbulent year – with the new May premiership still finding its bearings – this is an opportune... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-in-the-thatcher-blair-and-cameron-eras- 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-in-the-thatcher-blair-and-cameron-eras- Thu, 22 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Niraj Saraf, Connected Cities Mission lead for Innovate UK, explains how learning from the UK is helping other countries, including India, develop their smart city programmes. The global need for radical solutions to city challenges is becoming ever clearer. Over the last few years Innovate UK has made significant progress in developing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connected-cities-mission-to-india 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connected-cities-mission-to-india Thu, 22 Dec 2016 07:00:00 GMT Action is needed to deliver more council-built housing as affordable housing has plummeted, according to the final report of the LGA Housing Commission. Research by the LGA found that home ownership among the younger generation has more than halved in recent years, with only 20% of 25-year-olds owning their own home compared to 46% in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-council-homes-desperately-needed-as-ownership-figures-continue-to-fall 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-council-homes-desperately-needed-as-ownership-figures-continue-to-fall Thu, 22 Dec 2016 00:30:00 GMT The Welsh government has been given a “good” finance settlement from Westminster for 2017-18, better than many councils expected, the Welsh finance and local government secretary Mark Drakeford has confirmed. However, Drakeford again urged Welsh councils to use the next fifteen months to “think carefully” in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-settlement-better-than-councils-expected 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-settlement-better-than-councils-expected Wed, 21 Dec 2016 16:00:00 GMT The High Court has ruled that the process for deciding how some of the new Sheffield City Region’s mayoral powers would apply to Chesterfield was unlawful. The court upheld Derbyshire County Council’s application for judicial review of the process for reaching the decision. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-rules-sheffield-city-region-consultation-was-unlawful 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-rules-sheffield-city-region-consultation-was-unlawful Wed, 21 Dec 2016 15:00:00 GMT The winners of £25m of funding to help local people with learning disabilities live in their own homes have been announced. The Department of Health fund will be used to adapt existing houses and create new accommodation. Measures to make it easier for people with learning disabilities to live on their own include shared ownership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-awarded-share-of-25m-disabilities-fund 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-awarded-share-of-25m-disabilities-fund Wed, 21 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced plans for a £50m fund to help homeless people move on from hostels and refuges and back into long-term accommodation. The ‘move-on’ housing fund will provide two-year tenancies to homeless people ready for independent living. The housing funding is available to housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-announces-50m-move-on-fund-to-house-the-homeless 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-announces-50m-move-on-fund-to-house-the-homeless Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:45:00 GMT Plans to downgrade A&E and maternity services at Lincolnshire’s hospitals as part of the region’s sustainability and transformation plan (STP) have been condemned by the county council. Lincolnshire County Council unanimously passed a motion condemning plans to downgrade the A&E at Grantham Hospital at a meeting last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-unanimously-passes-motion-against-lincolnshire-stp-hospital-closures 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-unanimously-passes-motion-against-lincolnshire-stp-hospital-closures Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:30:00 GMT Eight West Cornwall town councils are working together with the region’s rescue and police services to launch a ‘groundbreaking’ CCTV project to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The brainchild of Hayle Town Council, the Town Council CCTV project will see a total of 80 cameras installed in eight towns: Camborne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-councils-launch-collaborative-cctv-project 454,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-councils-launch-collaborative-cctv-project Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:45:00 GMT The specialist child poverty unit (CPU) within the Civil Service has been abolished, it has emerged. In response to a written question by Dan Jarvis, the MP for Barnsley Central, Damian Hinds, the work and pensions minister, said that the CPU’s main function had been to support ministers in fulfilling the income-related targets in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-admits-to-abolishing-child-poverty-unit 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-admits-to-abolishing-child-poverty-unit Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:45:00 GMT Fracking will be allowed to take place in North Yorkshire after the High Court ruled that the county council acted lawfully when it approved a fracking application earlier this year. North Yorkshire County Council had approved energy company Third Energy’s controversial application to frack an existing well in the village of Kirby... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-backs-north-yorkshire-cc-over-fracking-decision 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-backs-north-yorkshire-cc-over-fracking-decision Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:00:00 GMT The flagship Troubled Families Programme prioritised ‘tick in a box’ results over delivering a meaningful impact and suffered from severe delays in publishing its evaluation, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found. The programme, which was announced by David Cameron following the 2011 riots and ran until 2015, was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/misleading-to-claim-troubled-families-programme-worked 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/misleading-to-claim-troubled-families-programme-worked Tue, 20 Dec 2016 15:15:00 GMT Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is seeking to establish a deal to secure surplus public land for homes for emergency workers. The Harris Review, published in October, warned that there could be a “significant impact” in the event of a major terrorist attack in London because fire, police and NHS workers would not be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-seeks-surplus-land-deal-to-build-homes-for-key-workers 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-seeks-surplus-land-deal-to-build-homes-for-key-workers Tue, 20 Dec 2016 14:00:00 GMT Alexandra Jones, Centre for Cities CEO, explains why failing to address skills gaps is the missing piece of the chancellor’s recent Autumn Statement productivity plan. In Theresa May’s first weeks as prime minister, she outlined her ambition to address the economic divides suggested by the EU Referendum result by building... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-skills-gaps-is-the-missing-piece-of-the-autumn-statement 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-skills-gaps-is-the-missing-piece-of-the-autumn-statement Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:15:00 GMT PSE considers the recent housing announcements in the Autumn Statement and analyses what is needed in the upcoming white paper to ensure councils have all the tools necessary to tackle the crisis. As PSE went to press, central government was due to publish an eagerly anticipated housing white paper, which organisations believed offered a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-white-paper-time-to-go-one-step-further 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-white-paper-time-to-go-one-step-further Tue, 20 Dec 2016 08:00:00 GMT Jim McMahon, Labour’s shadow minister for local government and devolution, talks to PSE’s David Stevenson about the need to radically rethink how public services are funded and how the country is governed. A national framework for English devolution should be established, which ensures that the public are part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mcmahon-i-worry-that-the-public-are-not-part-of-the-devolution-conversation 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mcmahon-i-worry-that-the-public-are-not-part-of-the-devolution-conversation Tue, 20 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT As the chancellor stood at the despatch box in late November, the public sector waited with bated breath at what support would be given to those that are working under extreme pressure. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, Philip Hammond didn’t deliver any early Christmas presents for local government. And it is unlikely that we will see... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-early-christmas-presents 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-early-christmas-presents Tue, 20 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Professor Simon Joss FRSA is co-director of the International Eco-Cities Initiative at the University of Westminster, which provides research and consultancy on urban innovation. He explains why smart cities are at a crossroads between technological innovation and local engagement. Interest in the smart city has grown rapidly across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-cities-at-a-crossroads- 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-cities-at-a-crossroads- Tue, 20 Dec 2016 07:30:00 GMT Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and health at Sevenoaks District Council, discusses how district councils can play an important part in making sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) work through their housing role. Across the country various footprints (made up of clinical commissioning groups and upper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-need-a-place-at-the-stp-planning-table 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-need-a-place-at-the-stp-planning-table Tue, 20 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT Jo Miller, the recently-elected president of Solace, talks to PSE about the need for championing great public services and ensuring inclusion at every level. Public services and public leadership, done well, helps places and people thrive, and we need to celebrate, not denigrate that, Solace’s new president has told... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-president-mandate-champion-diversity-and-celebrate-great-public-services 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-president-mandate-champion-diversity-and-celebrate-great-public-services Tue, 20 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT Recycling rates in the UK have fallen for the first time on record, prompting calls for a new tax on packaging as the country now faces an uphill task to meet its EU targets. Official statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that the rate of household recycling – the amount of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-rates-in-uk-fall-for-first-time-on-record 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-rates-in-uk-fall-for-first-time-on-record Mon, 19 Dec 2016 17:15:00 GMT The mayor of London Sadiq Khan is looking to raise council tax for the first time in nine years in order to support the Metropolitan Police (Met) following the cut in local government funding last week. The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee’s Pre-Budget Report, which scrutinises Khan’s draft 2017-18 budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-looks-to-raise-london-council-tax-for-first-time-in-nine-years 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-looks-to-raise-london-council-tax-for-first-time-in-nine-years Mon, 19 Dec 2016 16:30:00 GMT Scottish council chiefs have refused to endorse the Scottish government’s reduction to the core local government settlement, despite Holyrood’s draft budget potentially giving them £240m more to work with next year. Last Thursday Scotland’s finance secretary Derek Mackay outlined the 2017-18 local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-reject-reduction-to-local-government-funding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-reject-reduction-to-local-government-funding Mon, 19 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT The controversy about how different communities can and should co-exist in 21st century Britain received a boost over the weekend as communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid suggested public sector workers should swear an oath of allegiance to British values. The oath was among the recommendations in the Casey Review, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/would-you-swear-an-oath-to-british-values-as-part-of-a-public-service-job 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/would-you-swear-an-oath-to-british-values-as-part-of-a-public-service-job Mon, 19 Dec 2016 10:30:00 GMT Lambeth Council has publicly apologised and paid out tens of millions of pounds in compensation  after a new report revealed the abuse suffered by thousands of children in its Shirley Oaks care homes, which was one of the biggest care homes in the UK. The pay-outs are understood to total around £40m, far exceeding the £13... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lambeth-council-to-pay-tens-of-millions-to-shirley-oaks-survivors 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lambeth-council-to-pay-tens-of-millions-to-shirley-oaks-survivors Mon, 19 Dec 2016 10:00:00 GMT Salford City Council is due to make further budget and jobs cuts as it struggles to cope with the impact of national funding reductions. The council announced that it is opening a consultation on the best way to deliver £15.8m efficiency savings in 2017-18. In addition, 133 council jobs are due to go, although 109 of those can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salford-council-to-axe-over-130-jobs-as-it-aims-to-find-16m-savings 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salford-council-to-axe-over-130-jobs-as-it-aims-to-find-16m-savings Mon, 19 Dec 2016 10:00:00 GMT Warnings that further public health cuts would be a false economy have been rejected by the Department of Health (DH) in its response to a report from the Health Select Committee. The September report warned that public health services since 2012 have suffered from ongoing spending cuts and a failure to embed public health across national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-rejects-key-public-health-recommendations 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-rejects-key-public-health-recommendations Mon, 19 Dec 2016 09:15:00 GMT The government must make clear what it is trying to achieve through devolution to taxpayers and service users, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said in a new report. The PAC’s new report, ‘Devolution in England: governance, financial accountability and following the taxpayer pound’, has highlighted the continued... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-devolution-not-a-miracle-cure-for-central-government- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-devolution-not-a-miracle-cure-for-central-government- Sun, 18 Dec 2016 08:30:00 GMT Combined authorities should adopt a “no wrong door” approach to dealing with complaints, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has recommended in new guidance. The regulator argued that as each combined authority is created or expands, they should establish an integrated complaints system. In particular, it stressed the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/combined-authorities-urged-to-adopt-no-wrong-door-complaints-attitude 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/combined-authorities-urged-to-adopt-no-wrong-door-complaints-attitude Fri, 16 Dec 2016 15:00:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) committee is set to examine the government’s new plans to address the funding shortfall facing adult social care. Sajid Javid announced a number of initiatives to boost social care in his local government finance settlement this week including allowing councils to raise the social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-to-examine-and-press-ministers-on-900m-social-care-plans 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-to-examine-and-press-ministers-on-900m-social-care-plans Fri, 16 Dec 2016 14:45:00 GMT Dorset’s nine councils have confirmed that they support replacing the region’s current governance arrangements with two unitary authorities. A consultation found that almost three-quarters of 17,000 residents support the restructuring, described as a measure to help the councils balance their budgets. Following a meeting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-councils-announce-collective-support-for-major-restructuring 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-councils-announce-collective-support-for-major-restructuring Fri, 16 Dec 2016 14:00:00 GMT Child protection services are failing to show improvement despite promises from the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver reforms, leaving many children at risk of harm, the Public Accounts Committee has argued in a new report. The DfE admitted that child protection services weren’t good enough in 2010, when it commissioned the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unacceptably-slow-reforms-leaving-children-at-risk-warn-mps 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unacceptably-slow-reforms-leaving-children-at-risk-warn-mps Fri, 16 Dec 2016 12:15:00 GMT Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is seeking further support in its plans to tackle homelessness by drawing from all areas of the government’s £40m homelessness schemes. The combined authority was recently successful in its bid to become a ‘homelessness prevention trailblazer’ area, a DCLG scheme which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmca-submits-integrated-bid-to-tackle-disgraceful-levels-of-homelessness 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmca-submits-integrated-bid-to-tackle-disgraceful-levels-of-homelessness Fri, 16 Dec 2016 09:30:00 GMT The communities secretary Sajid Javid has announced major changes to the New Homes Bonus following a government consultation, introducing a new 0.4% national baseline for housing growth and the eventual pay-out of the scheme over four years rather than six. In his local government finance settlement speech in the Commons yesterday, Javid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/districts-urge-javid-to-reduce-04-growth-baseline-for-new-homes-bonus 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/districts-urge-javid-to-reduce-04-growth-baseline-for-new-homes-bonus Thu, 15 Dec 2016 16:30:00 GMT Relationship support services should do more to reach out to economically disadvantaged families, with a significant lack of provision in the public sector compared to other countries, a new report by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) suggests. The report, ‘Inter-parental relationship support services available in the UK:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-should-offer-more-relationship-support-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-should-offer-more-relationship-support-services Thu, 15 Dec 2016 14:30:00 GMT As well as making the expected announcement on increasing the social care precept, Sajid Javid revealed that London, Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region have reached agreement on 100% business rates pilots in his local government finance settlement. Speaking in the Commons this morning, the communities secretary also noted that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-outlines-business-rates-roadmap-with-new-pilot-announcements- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-outlines-business-rates-roadmap-with-new-pilot-announcements- Thu, 15 Dec 2016 13:00:00 GMT As previously indicated by PSE, communities secretary Sajid Javid has decided to allow councils to bring forward a planned increase in the social care precept, meaning local authorities will be able to raise a 3% care levy in the next two years rather than the expected 2%. Speaking about the local government finance settlement at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-revolt-as-900m-social-care-boost-a-regressive-short-term-sticking-plaster 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-revolt-as-900m-social-care-boost-a-regressive-short-term-sticking-plaster Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT The crisis in social care can only be addressed with a different relationship between health services and councils, which doesn’t undermine the role of local authorities, the chair of NHS Confederation has stated. In an appearance before the Communities and Local Government Committee, Stephen Dorrell said that the consequence of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-not-be-undermined-as-a-partner-in-local-health-provision 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-not-be-undermined-as-a-partner-in-local-health-provision Thu, 15 Dec 2016 08:45:00 GMT Transferring schools funding from councils to Whitehall cannot be properly implemented in the period allowed, councils have warned. Education secretary Justine Greening finally announced the new formula in a House of Commons speech, where she confirmed that the Department for Education (DfE) will introduce the new funding for schools in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-implement-delayed-schools-funding-formula-simply-isnt-long-enough 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-implement-delayed-schools-funding-formula-simply-isnt-long-enough Thu, 15 Dec 2016 08:45:00 GMT Plans for new banning orders to stop rogue landlords and property agents from operating have been set out by the government today. The banning orders would be put in place when rogue landlords commit ‘serious offences’ against tenants. A consultation is seeking views on which offences should be subject to the orders, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-new-banning-orders-to-stop-rogue-landlords 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-new-banning-orders-to-stop-rogue-landlords Wed, 14 Dec 2016 16:45:00 GMT Small charities will be offered opportunities to secure public sector contracts under a new Public Services Programme announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The department will develop a Public Services Incubator, which will support charities in building relationships with commissioners and other providers and study the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dcms-establishes-programme-to-promote-small-charity-commissioning 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dcms-establishes-programme-to-promote-small-charity-commissioning Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:45:00 GMT The DCLG has handed back licensing powers to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council with immediate effect in a move welcomed by the local authority. The communities secretary Sajid Javid wrote to the council’s chief executive yesterday (13 December) to confirm the decision, enabling the council to again make decisions on licensing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-regains-control-of-taxi-licensing-powers 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-regains-control-of-taxi-licensing-powers Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT Schools will have to make £3bn efficiency savings by 2019-20, but the Department for Education (DfE) has not provided sufficient support to help them achieve it, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). The schools’ budget is protected in real terms, but does not provide funding per pupil to rise in line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-ministers-failing-to-support-schools-to-make-3bn-cuts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-ministers-failing-to-support-schools-to-make-3bn-cuts Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:30:00 GMT The existing “triple-lock” pension policy should be replaced with a “triple-guarantee” to ensure income, housing and care for an ageing population, the chief executive of NHS England said yesterday. In an appearance before the House of Lords NHS Sustainability Committee yesterday, Simon Stevens argued there was a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/replace-pension-triple-lock-with-triple-guarantee-nhs-chief-says 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/replace-pension-triple-lock-with-triple-guarantee-nhs-chief-says Wed, 14 Dec 2016 08:45:00 GMT The south east is seeking to gain its own statutory transport body, newly released board papers reveal. Papers from an East Sussex County Council board meeting say that plans for Transport for the South East (TfSE) are developing “in parallel” with the region’s devolution deal. Although they are not dependent on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-publish-plans-for-transport-for-the-south-east-statutory-body 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-publish-plans-for-transport-for-the-south-east-statutory-body Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:30:00 GMT Central government has not achieved value for money from Crown Commercial Service (CCS) deals, with the Cabinet Office “severely” underestimating the difficulty of implementing joint buying practices across government, the National Audit Office (NAO) has reported. The CCS is directly responsible for buying around £2.5bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccs-slammed-by-nao-for-severely-underestimating-joint-buying-difficulties 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccs-slammed-by-nao-for-severely-underestimating-joint-buying-difficulties Tue, 13 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT Almost 90% of local authorities believe that government housing targets are unattainable due to a lack of planning resources, a new joint research report has concluded. The report, jointly made by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), is the first to draw upon experience from both local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-department-cuts-make-housing-targets-impossible-lgiu-finds 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-department-cuts-make-housing-targets-impossible-lgiu-finds Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT Further cuts to council funding would be “disastrous”, the head of Scottish local authorities has said ahead of the Scottish government’s Budget this week. Speaking ahead of a special council leaders’ meeting due to take place in Edinburgh on Tuesday, David O'Neill, president of the Convention of Scottish Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-funding-cuts-would-be-disastrous-for-scotland-councils-warn-ahead-of-budget 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-funding-cuts-would-be-disastrous-for-scotland-councils-warn-ahead-of-budget Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:45:00 GMT A new north east devolution deal, centred on Newcastle, should be introduced now that the previous devolution deal has fallen through, the city’s business leaders have told Theresa May. Key figures in Newcastle, including local business chiefs and university chancellors, have written to the prime minister calling on her to reinstate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-leaders-urge-may-to-offer-new-north-east-devolution-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-leaders-urge-may-to-offer-new-north-east-devolution-deal Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT The government is considering plans to allow councils to increase council tax precepts in order to relieve the social care crisis, it is understood. Local councils have suffered more than a 40% reduction in government grants since 2010, leading experts to warn that the social care system could “topple over at any moment”. That... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-considering-council-tax-precept-rise-to-save-adult-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-considering-council-tax-precept-rise-to-save-adult-social-care Mon, 12 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT Women’s access to contraception could be under threat as over a quarter of councils have cut services or are considering doing so, new research from the Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) shows. Of the councils responding to Freedom of Information requests from the AGC, 14% said they have closed or will close services providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-councils-plan-to-cut-contraceptive-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-councils-plan-to-cut-contraceptive-services Mon, 12 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT Unemployment in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) region is higher than average and should be the top priority of the region’s first elected mayor, the Resolution Foundation argued in a new report. The region has an employment rate of 64.5% compared to the 71% average for other city-regions, and is the only city-region... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-west-midlands-mayor-urged-to-tackle-huge-task-of-unemployment 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-west-midlands-mayor-urged-to-tackle-huge-task-of-unemployment Mon, 12 Dec 2016 10:00:00 GMT Underpayment of benefits to those entitled to them reached a record rate in 2015-16 of £1.7bn, meaning that 1% of benefits went unpaid, DWP figures have revealed. Nearly 65% of underpaid benefits – £1bn a year – were the result of inaccurate information being provided by claimants, with Employment and Support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-benefit-underpayment-reaches-record-high-of-almost-2bn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-benefit-underpayment-reaches-record-high-of-almost-2bn Mon, 12 Dec 2016 09:15:00 GMT The government’s industrial strategy must boost northern regions in order to soften the economic dangers of Brexit, IPPR North has argued in a major new report. The ‘State of the North 2016’ report warned that “dark clouds” are gathering for the north as it faces a potential economic downturn at a time when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-northern-post-brexit-strategy-to-fend-off-dark-clouds 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-northern-post-brexit-strategy-to-fend-off-dark-clouds Mon, 12 Dec 2016 00:30:00 GMT Sure Start early-years centres closed at an unprecedented rate in the past year, the government has revealed. A written question by Dan Jarvis, the Labour MP for Barnsley North, revealed that 156 Sure Start centres closed in 2015, compared to 85 in 2014. There were no closures in 2010, but the rate has been growing every year since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sure-start-closures-almost-double-in-one-year 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sure-start-closures-almost-double-in-one-year Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT Abuse of power for sexual gains by police officers has been revealed as a serious problem in a new report. The latest annual overview of police legitimacy from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) looked at the problem for the first time. Data was imperfect because of different forces’ recording processes, but the review found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-corruption-fears-as-436-claims-of-police-sexual-abuse-revealed 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-corruption-fears-as-436-claims-of-police-sexual-abuse-revealed Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Sajid Javid has announced a new £32m fund to help regenerate the country’s dilapidated estates, furthering the government’s commitment to regeneration this year. The £32m, launched by the DCLG, will be set aside for viabilities assessments, planning and community engagement. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-announces-additional-32m-fund-for-estate-regeneration 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-announces-additional-32m-fund-for-estate-regeneration Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:30:00 GMT The surplus cash that councils have gained from overseeing parking charges and penalty notices in England has reached a record high of £756m, the RAC Foundation has reported. In 2015-16, England’s 353 local authorities generated a combined ‘profit’ of £756m from their on- and off-street parking activities, 9%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-boost-as-councils-collect-record-750m-surplus-from-parking-charges 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-boost-as-councils-collect-record-750m-surplus-from-parking-charges Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:00:00 GMT Council services in Birmingham are set to suffer cuts of nearly £340m as the local authority warned it is facing its greatest financial challenge ever. Birmingham City Council has opened a six-week public consultation into the plans, which involve cutting services by £50.6m in 2016-17 and £337.7m cumulatively by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-plans-for-340m-cuts-to-meet-greatest-financial-challenge-ever 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-plans-for-340m-cuts-to-meet-greatest-financial-challenge-ever Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities still spend less than 1% on average of their public health budget on tackling mental health issues, with some spending nothing at all, according to new figures. The mental health charity Mind contacted all 152 local authorities using Freedom of Information Act requests to find that the proportion of councils’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-councils-still-spending-negligible-amounts-on-mental-health 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-councils-still-spending-negligible-amounts-on-mental-health Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been urged by the London Assembly to divest all remaining council pension fund investments away from fossil-fuelled industries to show that London is “serious” about tackling climate change. Khan pledged to “take all possible steps” to do this in his election manifesto, and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-pressed-to-divest-council-pension-funds-from-fossil-fuel-industries 437,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-pressed-to-divest-council-pension-funds-from-fossil-fuel-industries Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT Devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are at risk of being excluded from the Brexit process under the current system, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has warned in a new report. The committee found that the Scottish and Welsh governments have reported different experiences... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-administrations-must-not-be-an-afterthought-in-brexit-talks 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-administrations-must-not-be-an-afterthought-in-brexit-talks Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:15:00 GMT Cash-strapped councils across England, Scotland and Wales cut funding for local libraries by £25m last year in further woes for the sector, the Charted Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has reported. The institute’s annual library survey revealed that not only have council-run libraries experienced a decline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-libraries-lose-more-funding-and-visitors-in-five-year-trend-of-decline 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-libraries-lose-more-funding-and-visitors-in-five-year-trend-of-decline Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:00:00 GMT Newcastle City Council has announced plans for a radical restructuring of its management team, including the abolition of two senior posts, as it struggles to balance its budget. This week, the council’s constitutional committee approved the restructuring plans, which are based around three directorates: people, places and resources... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/newcastle-unveils-management-shake-up-to-save-500000 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/newcastle-unveils-management-shake-up-to-save-500000 Wed, 07 Dec 2016 15:15:00 GMT Health visitors have warned that cuts in local authority health budgets are causing them to have unsafe workloads, leading to safeguarding concerns, a new survey has revealed. The State of Health Visiting Survey, an annual survey carried out by the Institute of Health Visitors (IHV), found that 85% of health visitors say that their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-visitors-warn-budget-cuts-are-putting-safeguarding-at-risk 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-visitors-warn-budget-cuts-are-putting-safeguarding-at-risk Wed, 07 Dec 2016 15:00:00 GMT Dorset residents have given their “clear backing” for the county’s proposals to reduce its number of local councils, although there remains criticism that not enough people were consulted. The results of a public consultation led by Dorset’s nine local councils – Reshaping your Councils, which ran from 30... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-residents-support-plans-to-reduce-council-numbers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-residents-support-plans-to-reduce-council-numbers Wed, 07 Dec 2016 14:15:00 GMT There is an increasing risk that the CQC will have to notify local authorities that care providers are failing to meet their legal responsibilities, unless the social care crisis is addressed, the regulator’s chief executive has said. David Behan told the Health Select Committee yesterday that some care homes are approaching level 6... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increasing-risk-cqc-will-have-to-notify-councils-of-failing-care-providers 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increasing-risk-cqc-will-have-to-notify-councils-of-failing-care-providers Wed, 07 Dec 2016 14:00:00 GMT The London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP)’s budget is set to be cut by 10% as part of wider public health cuts. The London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee was asked to endorse the cuts at a meeting yesterday. The London Borough of Lambeth commissioned the LHPP in 2014 on behalf of all local authorities in the capital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-wide-hiv-prevention-programme-to-face-10-budget-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-wide-hiv-prevention-programme-to-face-10-budget-cuts Wed, 07 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT The Welsh government has already invested over £1bn from the latest round of its EU structural funding into regional schemes, the Welsh finance secretary Mark Drakeford has confirmed. Drakeford made the announcement as the Welsh government continues to pressure Westminster to promise it future regional funding. Welsh officials are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-invests-1bn-in-eu-funding-but-seeks-westminster-brexit-guarantees 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-invests-1bn-in-eu-funding-but-seeks-westminster-brexit-guarantees Tue, 06 Dec 2016 17:30:00 GMT The government has announced that suburban rail services may not be devolved to London after all, frustrating the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan. Earlier this year, the government signed a prospectus which stated suburban services operated by Southern, Southeastern and South West Trains could be devolved to Transport for London (TfL) in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-frustrated-as-grayling-halts-london-train-devolution-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-frustrated-as-grayling-halts-london-train-devolution-plans Tue, 06 Dec 2016 16:15:00 GMT The Children’s Commissioner for England has launched a new year-long project to find out why children in the north of England are falling behind their southern counterparts. The project, ‘Growing Up North’, calls for regeneration heads, such as those involved in devolution deals, to use the opportunities presented by new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-commissioner-aims-to-bridge-north-south-divide-in-life-chances 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-commissioner-aims-to-bridge-north-south-divide-in-life-chances Tue, 06 Dec 2016 15:45:00 GMT Council children’s services are nearing a “tipping point” as rates of referrals for suspected abuse continue to rise without a corresponding increase in funding, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has warned. The latest Safeguarding Pressures report from the ADCS showed that in 2015-16... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-at-tipping-point-as-austerity-agenda-continues 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-at-tipping-point-as-austerity-agenda-continues Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:45:00 GMT The Local Government Ombudsman and the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman will be abolished and replaced with a single Public Service Ombudsman under draft legislation laid before Parliament. The government agreed to the proposal following a consultation last year. Michael King, the preferred candidate to become the new LGO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legislation-published-to-create-single-public-service-ombudsman- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legislation-published-to-create-single-public-service-ombudsman- Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:15:00 GMT Employment and health services for individuals suffering from obesity and drug and alcohol addiction should be delivered using a joint approach, a major new review from Professor Dame Carol Black has recommended. Professor Black’s review rejected proposals for jobseekers to have their benefits stopped if they refuse treatment for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fresh-approach-needed-to-integrate-health-and-employment-services-review-finds 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fresh-approach-needed-to-integrate-health-and-employment-services-review-finds Tue, 06 Dec 2016 11:45:00 GMT The Welsh government is hitting its targets as it prepares to assume devolved responsibilities for taxation, but the project will require careful supervision, the Welsh government auditor has said. The auditor general for Wales, Huw Vaughan Thomas, has said that while plans for the transition are going smoothly, there are still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-on-track-for-fiscal-devolution-says-auditor-general 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-on-track-for-fiscal-devolution-says-auditor-general Mon, 05 Dec 2016 17:30:00 GMT Brighton and Hove council has announced plans to cut 140 jobs and raise council tax by nearly 4% in an attempt to save £24m over the 2017/18 financial year. The council’s budget proposals for 2017/18 to 2019/20 aim to make £51m cuts over the next three years, following the £97m already cut since 2011/12, with 300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brighton-and-hove-announces-swingeing-cuts-to-save-24m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brighton-and-hove-announces-swingeing-cuts-to-save-24m Mon, 05 Dec 2016 17:00:00 GMT The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has warned Holyrood that further cuts to local government funding next week will have “severe” consequences for jobs across Scotland, as the Scottish government prepares to announce its spending plans for the next year. Scottish councils have been forced to cut 7,000 jobs in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-scottish-council-jobs-at-risk-if-further-funding-cuts-go-ahead 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-scottish-council-jobs-at-risk-if-further-funding-cuts-go-ahead Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:45:00 GMT The current chief executive of Wakefield Council will take over the helm at Manchester City Council, replacing Sir Howard Bernstein as he retires after a 45-year career. Joanne Roney has headed Wakefield since 2008, and before that worked as director of housing at Kirklees Council and executive director with responsibility for housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/replacement-for-manchesters-sir-howard-bernstein-revealed 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/replacement-for-manchesters-sir-howard-bernstein-revealed Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:30:00 GMT Plans to abolish Christchurch Borough Council and East Dorset District Council as part of a local government reorganisation have been condemned for their lack of transparency by a local MP. Proposals are currently being discussed to replace the nine Dorset councils with two unitary authorities, following a public consultation which ran... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-mp-condemns-inadequate-and-untruthful-consultation-on-council-reform-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-mp-condemns-inadequate-and-untruthful-consultation-on-council-reform-plans Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT Research by a social care services directory has revealed a huge rise in the cost of adult social care, yet the number of services rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ has fallen. TrustedCare found that the price of a week in a care home has risen by almost 25% over the last year, from an average of £557.86 a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/large-rise-in-social-care-costs-over-last-year-despite-drop-in-quality 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/large-rise-in-social-care-costs-over-last-year-despite-drop-in-quality Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT Councils have welcomed government proposals to increase the hourly funding rate delivering 15 hours of free childcare to three- and four-year-olds – but are concerned that the increase will not be enough with the government planning to double its early years provision. The government has also committed to double its current offer of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-cautious-over-free-childcare-funding-increase 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-cautious-over-free-childcare-funding-increase Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT More action is needed from central and local government to tackle widespread divisions between different communities, according to a major review of integration and opportunity in Britain. The review, by Dame Louise Casey, argued that social divisions have increased as a result of social changes. Immigration into Britain has doubled, from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/casey-review-urges-action-to-address-social-integration-as-issues-allowed-to-fester 442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/casey-review-urges-action-to-address-social-integration-as-issues-allowed-to-fester Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:15:00 GMT The competition watchdog has launched a market study into adult social care to review care homes’ treatment of residents and how well they work. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) study will assess how the UK’s 430,000 care home residents and their relatives have found the experience of choosing a care home, explore... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cma-launches-market-study-into-adult-social-care-sector 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cma-launches-market-study-into-adult-social-care-sector Fri, 02 Dec 2016 15:00:00 GMT A new report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has cast significant doubt on HMRC’s ability to safely cut staff and funding, given the failures of previous reforms. The ‘HM Revenue & Customs performance in 2015–16’ report warned that HMRC “faces an enormous challenge” in balancing its plans to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-warn-hmrc-cuts-could-lead-to-disastrous-customer-service-decline 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-warn-hmrc-cuts-could-lead-to-disastrous-customer-service-decline Fri, 02 Dec 2016 15:00:00 GMT The borough council of Tower Hamlets may soon be given back its authority over best value duty, the DCLG confirmed today. Communities secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that Tower Hamlets council has made ‘significant progress’ on the improvement plan outlined by his predecessor Eric Pickles in December 2014 after it was found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-outlines-plans-for-tower-hamlets-to-regain-control-of-some-functions 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-outlines-plans-for-tower-hamlets-to-regain-control-of-some-functions Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:45:00 GMT Local authorities have been urged to consider using their libraries when delivering other public services in line with a new vision for the library sector, the civil society minister Rob Wilson has announced. ‘Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021’, a new strategy produced by the Libraries... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-strategy-encourages-councils-to-use-libraries-as-community-hubs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-strategy-encourages-councils-to-use-libraries-as-community-hubs Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT Teachers have welcomed the government announcement that £190m will be spent on school improvement, but have raised concerns that a new £140m ‘strategic school improvement fund’ will detract from schools’ key work. The education secretary Justine Greening announced that two funds will be poured into schools: a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teachers-welcome-140m-school-improvement-fund-but-demand-more-details 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teachers-welcome-140m-school-improvement-fund-but-demand-more-details Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:30:00 GMT More than 2,000 new homes for private rent will be built in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham after the DCLG announced £45m of funding. The money, from the new Home Building Fund, will provide 995 homes in Manchester, 744 in Leeds and 323 in Birmingham, and create £400m in development income and up to 1,500 construction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-injects-45m-into-2000-private-rental-homes-in-key-cities 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-injects-45m-into-2000-private-rental-homes-in-key-cities Fri, 02 Dec 2016 11:00:00 GMT Secondary school pupils in the north of England and the Midlands are less likely to succeed in school than their peers in the south and east, Ofsted’s annual report has revealed. In 2016, the percentage of secondary schools judged good or outstanding rose to 78%, compared to 74% in 2015. However, the proportion of pupils who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-chief-warns-of-widening-north-south-education-gap- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-chief-warns-of-widening-north-south-education-gap- Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:45:00 GMT Homelessness in England now affects over a quarter of a million people, a report released for Shelter’s 50th anniversary has revealed. The charity used a combination of official statistics and Freedom of Information requests to produce the most comprehensive figures on homelessness yet, which put the total number at almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homelessness-now-affecting-over-250000-in-modern-day-housing-crisis 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homelessness-now-affecting-over-250000-in-modern-day-housing-crisis Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:45:00 GMT The health watchdog NICE has called on councils to consider a raft of new measures including lowering speed limits and redesigning speed bumps in a bid to reduce air pollution. The guidance also encourages businesses and transport companies to encourage ‘smooth’ driving from lorry and bus drivers to help reduce unnecessary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-watchdog-urges-councils-to-redesign-speed-bumps-to-cut-pollution 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-watchdog-urges-councils-to-redesign-speed-bumps-to-cut-pollution Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:30:00 GMT The public sector union Unite has launched a campaign to safeguard the jobs and services of staff at Newham Borough Council after the local authority proposed £1.8m cuts to the pay of its workers. The council plans to re-hire its workforce on lower-paid contracts and significantly slash overtime pay in the New Year, despite no cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unite-slams-proposed-18m-axe-to-newham-council-staff-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unite-slams-proposed-18m-axe-to-newham-council-staff-pay Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:30:00 GMT The social housing regulation work of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will be established as a separate function, the DCLG has announced. The recommendation, made in a Tailored Review of the HCA that was published yesterday, is intended to allow a stronger focus on the HCA’s primary objectives of housing delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-consults-on-separating-social-housing-functions-from-hca 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-consults-on-separating-social-housing-functions-from-hca Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:15:00 GMT A national framework for English devolution should be drawn up, but decisions over the requirement for a mayor should be made locally and not demanded by central government, Labour’s shadow minister for local government and devolution has told PSE. In an exclusive interview, Jim McMahon said that the government should not demand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-national-framework-for-devolution-needed-says-mcmahon 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-national-framework-for-devolution-needed-says-mcmahon Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:30:00 GMT Three-quarters of the public think spending on local services is more important than national infrastructure, according to a new survey from the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE). Among the 1,500 respondents, 62% did not think enough of their tax was spent on services in their local area, and 77% said the government should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-quarters-of-public-want-more-of-their-tax-spent-locally 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-quarters-of-public-want-more-of-their-tax-spent-locally Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:30:00 GMT There is no evidence that benefits sanctions succeed in encouraging jobseekers to find work, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has found, leading to accusations that the DWP is “operating almost blind” in helping the vulnerable. The ‘Benefit sanctions’ report said that 24% of people on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-accused-of-operating-almost-blind-on-jobseeker-sanctions 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-accused-of-operating-almost-blind-on-jobseeker-sanctions Wed, 30 Nov 2016 14:30:00 GMT Senior figures in Greater Manchester have joined the growing chorus warning that the city’s landmark health reforms could be held back by the uncertain state of social care funding. Sir Howard Bernstein, the outgoing chief executive of Manchester City Council, told the House of Lords NHS Sustainability Committee hearing that he had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-cuts-will-gnaw-away-at-gm-integration-plans 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-cuts-will-gnaw-away-at-gm-integration-plans Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:15:00 GMT Public sector workers report higher rates of job satisfaction than average, but also higher rates of stress, according to the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) Employee Outlook Report for autumn 2016. For the first time, public sector workers reported the highest rate of job satisfaction in the survey. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-job-satisfaction-and-stress-both-higher-among-public-sector-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-job-satisfaction-and-stress-both-higher-among-public-sector-workers Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:45:00 GMT The government should consider ringfencing £4m to help data scientists sift through local councils’ ‘data goldmines’ and improve their services, an innovation charity has said. The innovation foundation Nesta said that by using 1% of the government’s £450m digital budget to place analysts and scientists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-scientists-should-be-embedded-in-local-councils 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-scientists-should-be-embedded-in-local-councils Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:45:00 GMT The controversial STPs would be more likely to succeed if there was proper engagement with local councils and communities, the chief executive of the LGA has told the Communities and Local Government Committee. In a social care hearing organised by the committee, Mark Lloyd said there was a “spectrum” of STPs, from areas of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stps-will-meet-opposition-due-to-lack-of-council-involvement 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stps-will-meet-opposition-due-to-lack-of-council-involvement Tue, 29 Nov 2016 16:45:00 GMT Many Scottish councils risk exhausting their reserves unless they successfully balance continued deep cuts to services and rising demand, the nation’s local government watchdog has said. In its 2016-17 financial overview, the Accounts Commission predicted that over a third of Scotland’s 32 councils will face a funding gap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotlands-local-authorities-face-bleak-future-says-spending-watchdog 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotlands-local-authorities-face-bleak-future-says-spending-watchdog Tue, 29 Nov 2016 15:15:00 GMT The mayor of London Sadiq Khan will allow private housebuilders to limit the amount of affordable housing in new developments to 35%, he announced in a new housing strategy. The measure, which allows developers to conceal revealing the profitability of their schemes to officials, is intended to increase the contribution made by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-mayor-agrees-35-affordable-homes-target-with-developers 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-mayor-agrees-35-affordable-homes-target-with-developers Tue, 29 Nov 2016 15:00:00 GMT BT has been ordered to legally separate from Openreach, its troubled broadband infrastructure programme, by regulator Ofcom. The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee raised the possibility of a separation in July, when it published a report criticising Openreach for failing to reach remote areas and thwarting other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofcom-orders-openreach-to-legally-split-from-bt 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofcom-orders-openreach-to-legally-split-from-bt Tue, 29 Nov 2016 14:45:00 GMT The chair of London Councils has asked Londoners if they would be able to offer their empty homes to house Syrian families escaping violence in their home country. Speaking at the London Councils Summit this past weekend, Cllr Claire Kober OBE said there are not enough homes available to house families due to arrive under the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londoners-asked-to-rent-spare-homes-to-syrian-refugees 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londoners-asked-to-rent-spare-homes-to-syrian-refugees Tue, 29 Nov 2016 09:15:00 GMT Local authorities with high numbers of rough sleepers do not have enough specialist mental health services to cope with demand, a new report has revealed. The homelessness charity St. Mungo’s used a Freedom of Information request to ask health and local commissioners in 111 areas with 10 or more rough sleepers on any one night to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homelessness-charity-highlights-mental-health-crisis-facing-rough-sleepers 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homelessness-charity-highlights-mental-health-crisis-facing-rough-sleepers Tue, 29 Nov 2016 09:00:00 GMT The government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse has been questioned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) after last week’s Autumn Statement did not contain any specific funding for the region. The statement promised new borrowing powers for mayoral combined authorities such as the WYCA, but was criticised for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-criticises-lack-of-funding-and-social-care-plan-in-autumn-statement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-criticises-lack-of-funding-and-social-care-plan-in-autumn-statement Tue, 29 Nov 2016 01:00:00 GMT Trafford Council leader Cllr Sean Anstee has won the race to become the Conservative candidate in next year’s Greater Manchester mayoral election. The region’s youngest – and only Conservative – town hall leader, Cllr Anstee was selected ahead of Stephen Woods, chairman of Wythenshawe & Sale East Conservatives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trafford-council-leader-chosen-as-conservative-candidate-for-gm-mayor 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trafford-council-leader-chosen-as-conservative-candidate-for-gm-mayor Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:00:00 GMT Cornwall Council has warned that savings in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly sustainability and transformation plan (STP) may not be achieved because of cuts to its public health budget. Caroline Court, the interim director of public health at Cornwall Council, who represents the council on the STP project board, raised the concerns in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-put-cornwall-and-isles-of-scilly-stp-savings-at-risk- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-put-cornwall-and-isles-of-scilly-stp-savings-at-risk- Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:15:00 GMT A Nottinghamshire borough council has been investigated by police after it was potentially the site of a mass breach of data protection laws.  Police were notified in September after a confidential email sent to Broxtowe Borough Council which made allegations about a member of staff’s conduct was sent to all 730 staff. Police... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/borough-council-probed-in-potential-mass-data-breach 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/borough-council-probed-in-potential-mass-data-breach Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:15:00 GMT Families frequently lack the right information when finding residential care for an elderly relative as care homes do not collect enough information about their standards, the charity Independent Age has warned. A new report by the charity has found that despite the varying quality of residential care, the adult social care sector lacks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-homes-must-be-more-transparent-as-families-flying-blind 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-homes-must-be-more-transparent-as-families-flying-blind Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:00:00 GMT The Cornwall devolution deal could feature enhanced powers to tackle the region’s persistent problems with fuel poverty, according to papers seen by PSE. The documents, published ahead of a meeting of the council’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee tomorrow, ask for the local authority to approve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-seeking-additional-devolution-powers-to-tackle-fuel-poverty 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-seeking-additional-devolution-powers-to-tackle-fuel-poverty Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:00:00 GMT Glasgow has set the UK’s most ambitious job creation target to date, aiming to create 50,000 new jobs and a thousand new businesses by 2023, its city council has announced. The city will also aim to increase its number of tourists by an additional one million visitors each year, requiring 2,500 more hotel beds and potentially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-announces-most-ambitious-job-creation-target-in-the-uk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-announces-most-ambitious-job-creation-target-in-the-uk Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:00:00 GMT Birmingham’s controversial plan to build thousands of homes on green belt land to address the city’s housing crisis has been given the go-ahead by central government. Housing minister Gavin Barwell has agreed to allow the Birmingham Development Plan (BDP), which will aim to construct 51,000 homes – 6,000 of them by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birminghams-controversial-development-plan-given-green-light 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birminghams-controversial-development-plan-given-green-light Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:45:00 GMT All Greater London Authority (GLA) functional bodies will be required to produce plans to address the gender pay gap after an audit ordered by London mayor Sadiq Khan revealed female staff are consistently paid less. In July, Khan fulfilled a manifesto pledge to publish the gender pay gap data for GLA, which revealed an average gap of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gla-to-publish-equal-pay-plans-after-khan-reveals-significant-gender-gap- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gla-to-publish-equal-pay-plans-after-khan-reveals-significant-gender-gap- Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:45:00 GMT Increasingly poor health conditions for prison inmates could be prevented by devolving more powers to prisons, the British Medical Association (BMA) said yesterday. In February, David Cameron promised to create six new ‘reform prisons’ by the end of the year, with full autonomy over how they operate and spend their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reform-prisons-offer-chance-to-halt-rise-in-inmate-deaths-doctors-union-says 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reform-prisons-offer-chance-to-halt-rise-in-inmate-deaths-doctors-union-says Fri, 25 Nov 2016 10:45:00 GMT The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for district councils launched an inquiry yesterday to examine district councils’ opportunities for collaboration and devolution. The inquiry will seek to identify the best examples of collaboration from district councils, and what opportunities they provide for districts to gain further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-and-collaboration-inquiry-for-district-councils-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-and-collaboration-inquiry-for-district-councils-launched Fri, 25 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT Oldham Council has asked people to name its new Mitsubishi Fuso gritting machine, leading the council to be inundated with realistic – and unrealistic – suggestions. The highway team's competition – which is meant to be restricted to primary school children in the Oldham area – has received more than 2,300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oldham-council-asks-public-to-name-new-gritter 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oldham-council-asks-public-to-name-new-gritter Fri, 25 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT If the government wants to reinstate the consent requirement for local authorities seeking franchising powers under the new Bus Services Bill, then “much greater detail” of the transport secretary’s role is required. This is according to a new report from the Transport Select Committee, which stated that while the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-detail-needed-without-delay-on-bus-franchising-consent-powers- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-detail-needed-without-delay-on-bus-franchising-consent-powers- Fri, 25 Nov 2016 08:00:00 GMT The government will be spending an extra £2.6bn on tackling congestion and ensuring that the UK’s transport networks are fit for the future, the chancellor Phillip Hammond announced in yesterday’s Autumn Statement. The money will be taken from the government’s new National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF), which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-invest-26bn-on-fit-for-the-future-local-transport 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-invest-26bn-on-fit-for-the-future-local-transport Fri, 25 Nov 2016 06:00:00 GMT The process of setting up local care organisations (LCOs) as part of Greater Manchester’s (GM’s) health devolution is progressing smoothly, with Manchester being the latest of the region’s 10 localities to submit development proposals. LCOs, a term developed in GM to describe how the region will secure a “proactive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-submits-lco-bid-as-integrated-planning-moves-forward 870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-submits-lco-bid-as-integrated-planning-moves-forward Fri, 25 Nov 2016 01:30:00 GMT Significant issues with social care in Greater Manchester (GM) could ultimately destabilise the region’s transformational efforts over the next 18 months and put NHS savings at risk over the next four years. In board papers published ahead of a GM Health and Social Care (GMHSC) Partnership meeting today, Steve Wilson, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-could-undermine-gm-transformation-and-jeopardise-nhs-savings 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-could-undermine-gm-transformation-and-jeopardise-nhs-savings Fri, 25 Nov 2016 01:30:00 GMT Councils should to more to help people who may not identify themselves as carers access vital support, Carers UK has said in a new report. The charity carried out a survey of carers, which found that over half took over a year to recognise that they were a carer to an older or disabled loved one. Nearly a quarter took over five years, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-do-more-to-identify-and-support-carers 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-do-more-to-identify-and-support-carers Fri, 25 Nov 2016 01:00:00 GMT The government has committed to investing over £1bn by 2021 in rolling out full-fibre connections and building on future 5G communications, Phillip Hammond announced in this week’s Autumn Statement. The chancellor declared that the measures, supported by £740m from the government’s new National Productivity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-broadband-funding-boost-welcome-but-must-not-neglect-rural-areas 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-broadband-funding-boost-welcome-but-must-not-neglect-rural-areas Thu, 24 Nov 2016 17:00:00 GMT Building on its intention to move towards a single major yearly fiscal event, central government should use this opportunity to review the timing of the local government finance settlement and publish it “as soon as possible”, the LGA has urged. The association’s chairman, Lord Porter, argued that bringing the finance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ask-for-finance-settlement-as-chancellor-leaves-nothing-to-celebrate 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ask-for-finance-settlement-as-chancellor-leaves-nothing-to-celebrate Thu, 24 Nov 2016 09:15:00 GMT Mayoral combined authorities will be allowed to borrow money in order to “reflect their new responsibilities”, the chancellor announced in yesterday’s Autumn Statement. Philip Hammond said combined authorities would be able to borrow money to invest in economically productive infrastructure, subject to agreeing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-combined-authorities-promised-new-borrowing-powers- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-combined-authorities-promised-new-borrowing-powers- Thu, 24 Nov 2016 08:30:00 GMT Chancellor Philip Hammond announced yesterday that the government will begin negotiating a city deal with Stirling, meaning that every place in Scotland will now be on course to having a city deal. Hammond announced the deal in his Autumn Statement speech, following 18 months of campaigning from Stirling local government and business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stirling-offered-transformational-city-deal-in-autumn-statement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stirling-offered-transformational-city-deal-in-autumn-statement Thu, 24 Nov 2016 08:00:00 GMT Several councils and health bodies have expressed their disappointment at the lack of additional funding for public health in today’s Autumn Statement, calling it a ‘missed opportunity’ to address the current social care crisis affecting the elderly and disabled. Despite many voices throughout the health care sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-nhs-bemoan-missed-opportunity-to-fix-adult-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-nhs-bemoan-missed-opportunity-to-fix-adult-social-care Wed, 23 Nov 2016 17:00:00 GMT Promises by the chancellor to increase the National Living Wage (NLW) from next April could make the pressures on social care funding even more acute, health think tanks have warned. Philip Hammond delivered the Autumn Statement to Parliament today, in which he announced that the NLW will increase from £7.20 an hour to £7.50... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-wage-increase-to-add-several-hundred-million-to-care-costs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-wage-increase-to-add-several-hundred-million-to-care-costs Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:45:00 GMT The government has announced a range of housing infrastructure measures in order to keep Britain building homes, outlined by the chancellor Phillip Hammond in his Autumn Statement. Hammond has committed to spending £7.2bn on supporting the construction of new homes as part of a National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF), which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-statement-hammond-earmarks-72bn-for-housing-as-part-of-new-fund 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-statement-hammond-earmarks-72bn-for-housing-as-part-of-new-fund Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:15:00 GMT Greater London is set to receive new powers under devolution including responsibility for the Work and Health programme and its adult education budget, the chancellor Phillip Hammond announced in his Autumn Statement. Hammond confirmed that the government will be transferring to London its own budget for employment support services such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-statement-london-to-get-devolved-powers-over-adult-education 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-statement-london-to-get-devolved-powers-over-adult-education Wed, 23 Nov 2016 14:15:00 GMT Increased privatisation has caused the quality and staff conditions of adult social care to decline significantly over the last twenty years, a new report has found. The report by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI), ‘The failure of privatised adult social care in England: what is to be done?’, found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/privatised-adult-social-care-is-leading-to-plummeting-standards-chpi-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/privatised-adult-social-care-is-leading-to-plummeting-standards-chpi-warns Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:30:00 GMT Cambridge and Peterborough will be the latest region to elect a new mayor next year after seven local councils agreed a £800m devolution deal which will make it the first non-metropolitan devolved area in England. After months of negotiations, the new county-wide combined authority was confirmed last night (Tuesday 22 November) as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-non-metropolitan-devolution-deal-agreed 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-non-metropolitan-devolution-deal-agreed Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:45:00 GMT Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Economic Partnership (GBSLEP) has launched a strategy to add £29bn to Greater Birmingham’s economy by 2030, aiming to create 250,000 private sector jobs and make the region the major driver of the UK economy outside London. GBSLEP’s new plan, the ‘Strategic Economic Plan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-birmingham-launches-plan-to-create-250000-jobs-by-2030 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-birmingham-launches-plan-to-create-250000-jobs-by-2030 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 06:00:00 GMT Communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid has withdrawn the Norfolk and Suffolk devolution deal after it was rejected by local councils. Initial plans for an East Anglia devolution deal were rejected by Cambridgeshire County Council, leading the government to make two separate offers, one covering Suffolk and Norfolk and one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-and-suffolk-devolution-deal-latest-to-be-withdrawn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-and-suffolk-devolution-deal-latest-to-be-withdrawn Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:00:00 GMT One of the local councils piloting the roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) has written to the DWP asking for the immediate suspension of the housing benefit element of the system due to adverse effects on local residents, particularly homeless applicants. In a cross-party letter to work and pensions secretary Damien Green, Great Yarmouth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-pilot-council-calls-for-urgent-suspension-of-roll-out 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-pilot-council-calls-for-urgent-suspension-of-roll-out Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:00:00 GMT Lambeth Borough Council will make £46.5m efficiency savings by 2020 under a new plan to meet the cost of funding reductions. The council’s financial planning report for 2016-17 to 2019-20, due to go before the council cabinet on 28 November, says: “The council faces the most challenging time for local government and an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lambeth-lays-out-465m-savings-plan-to-meet-unprecedented-budget-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lambeth-lays-out-465m-savings-plan-to-meet-unprecedented-budget-cuts Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:30:00 GMT The Autumn Statement must offer a boost to Civil Service staff, the PCS has said, after the union published figures revealing that jobs have been cut by a fifth in the past five years. The union released figures showing that jobs in the Civil Service have fallen from 527,000 to 416,000 since 2010, a 21% cut which leaves the smallest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-calls-for-end-to-civil-service-staff-cuts-ahead-of-autumn-statement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-calls-for-end-to-civil-service-staff-cuts-ahead-of-autumn-statement Tue, 22 Nov 2016 12:45:00 GMT The government has scrapped a controversial plan to hike rents for better-off social housing tenants after it admitted that the policy would adversely affect working class families. Pay to Stay, the scheme which would have forced social housing tenants to pay more rent if their income was more than £30,000 per year outside London or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-u-turn-as-controversial-pay-to-stay-scheme-scrapped-by-government 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-u-turn-as-controversial-pay-to-stay-scheme-scrapped-by-government Tue, 22 Nov 2016 11:30:00 GMT Four-fifths of councils are struggling to meet the needs of older people in their area, according to the Family and Childcare Trust’s Older People’s Care Survey. The report found that four out of five local authorities, covering areas home to 6.4 million people aged over 65, said they did not have enough older people’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-out-of-five-councils-not-meeting-older-peoples-care-needs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-out-of-five-councils-not-meeting-older-peoples-care-needs Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:45:00 GMT Women have been left particularly financially vulnerable as a result of tax and benefits changes since 2010, new research shows. Analysis by the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) revealed that women in the lowest 20% of households stand to lose up to 15% of their individual income by 2020. A man in the top 10% of households, for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/does-austerity-have-a-greater-impact-on-women 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/does-austerity-have-a-greater-impact-on-women Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:30:00 GMT The government should focus on boosting economic growth in city-regions by investing in large-scale housing and transport projects in the Autumn Statement, think tank Centre for Cities has argued – as well as using the economic and industrial strategy to complement devo deals currently in place. The investment boost and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/large-scale-city-region-investment-vital-to-stop-graduate-brain-drain 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/large-scale-city-region-investment-vital-to-stop-graduate-brain-drain Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:30:00 GMT Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) has urged the government to use this week’s Autumn Statement to invest in local and sustainable transport. Ahead of the statement on Wednesday, CBT issued ‘Fix It First’, a briefing urging the government to prioritise small-scale investments such as local roads maintenance and public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaigners-welcome-autumn-statement-road-fund-but-urge-fix-it-first-approach 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaigners-welcome-autumn-statement-road-fund-but-urge-fix-it-first-approach Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT A survey of social housing providers found that almost all of them believe that the government’s housing policy needs to be improved, a new report has found. The new report, from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Solace and Civica, conducted independent research into over 100 housing providers and found that 94% believe that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-all-social-housing-providers-want-change-in-housing-policy-survey-finds 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-all-social-housing-providers-want-change-in-housing-policy-survey-finds Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:15:00 GMT The sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) lack robust plans to deliver savings and should make more use of integrated working, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has said. CIPFA reviewed nine of the STPs which have now been published, which between them contain plans for savings of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-capabilities-must-be-put-to-use-in-stp-joint-work-says-cipfa- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-capabilities-must-be-put-to-use-in-stp-joint-work-says-cipfa- Mon, 21 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT It is still costing local councils £6.4bn a year to deal with damaging social problems which might have been addressed more cheaply earlier on, a new report has revealed. The Early Intervention Foundation’s (EIF’s) most recent analysis found that nearly £17bn a year is spent in England and Wales on ‘late... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/late-intervention-still-costing-councils-64bn-per-year-but-spending-profile-shifts 454,442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/late-intervention-still-costing-councils-64bn-per-year-but-spending-profile-shifts Fri, 18 Nov 2016 16:00:00 GMT Liverpool residents are being urged to suggest where they think £90m of savings should be made and to give ideas on new sources of revenue as the cash-strapped city council rushes to maintain its services afloat – despite sharp reductions in central government funding. In a consultation launched yesterday, the council said it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-begs-residents-for-budget-ideas-as-mayor-admits-financial-dead-end 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-begs-residents-for-budget-ideas-as-mayor-admits-financial-dead-end Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:30:00 GMT The DCLG has an “alarming” lack of understanding of the risks and pressures of local authority budgets, as councils are driven into commercial activity in order to make up for spending cuts, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said in a damning report. The report argued that the department did not have a good understanding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-accused-of-alarming-lack-of-understanding-of-council-funding-pressures 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-accused-of-alarming-lack-of-understanding-of-council-funding-pressures Fri, 18 Nov 2016 09:00:00 GMT Bullying, harassment and discrimination is getting worse in Civil Service departments, it has been revealed, as the latest staff survey shows a marked lack of progress in tackling the problem. The results of this year’s annual People Survey, which gathers the views of staff across the Civil Service, revealed another year-on-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bullying-and-discrimination-in-civil-service-at-record-high-despite-hr-efforts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bullying-and-discrimination-in-civil-service-at-record-high-despite-hr-efforts Thu, 17 Nov 2016 11:45:00 GMT A major two-year review of how to make Britain’s economy fairer was announced by the IPPR today. The think tank said the new Commission on Economic Justice, which includes participation from the former head of the Civil Service Lord Kerslake, would look at ways to achieve sustainable growth and share the country’s prosperity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-big-bold-and-ambitious-change-in-new-commission-on-economic-justice 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-big-bold-and-ambitious-change-in-new-commission-on-economic-justice Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:45:00 GMT The number of older people who don’t receive sufficient social care has risen to a new high of 1.2 million, Age UK has revealed in a new report, with councils and NHS workers urging the government to take action as a result. The analysis reveals that since 2010, 383,900 more people over the age of 65 are now living with a level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-calls-for-autumn-statement-social-care-priority-as-unmet-needs-hit-record-high 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-calls-for-autumn-statement-social-care-priority-as-unmet-needs-hit-record-high Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT Think tank Localis has today joined the resounding chorus of organisations who argue that more housing would be built if councils were given devolved powers. Annual housing figures from the DCLG, released yesterday, show that there were 189,650 net additional dwellings (including new builds and changes of use) in 2015-16, an increase of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/duo-of-reports-urge-long-term-and-devolved-housing-strategy-ahead-of-white-paper 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/duo-of-reports-urge-long-term-and-devolved-housing-strategy-ahead-of-white-paper Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:15:00 GMT The government should use the forthcoming Autumn Statement to boost the economy and improve the sustainability of public services, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) argued. In its submission ahead of the Autumn Statement, CIPFA welcomed the government’s decision to abandon the target of eliminating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-statement-must-move-beyond-financial-annual-sticking-plaster--cipfa 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-statement-must-move-beyond-financial-annual-sticking-plaster--cipfa Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:45:00 GMT CCTV cameras are increasingly being switched off by cash-strapped councils, potentially leaving the public at greater risk, the surveillance camera commissioner has revealed.  Tony Porter, the surveillance camera commissioner, wrote in his annual report for 2015-16 that the tightening of local authority budgets has led to councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/you-are-not-being-watched-councils-targeting-cctv-for-savings-says-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/you-are-not-being-watched-councils-targeting-cctv-for-savings-says-report Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:30:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned Ealing Council to toughen up the way it protects personal information, after a social worker employed by the local authority left court records on the roof of her car and drove off. The documents lost in the incident this February included personal data and sensitive information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-tells-ealing-to-toughen-up-data-protection-as-court-bundle-lost 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-tells-ealing-to-toughen-up-data-protection-as-court-bundle-lost Wed, 16 Nov 2016 15:15:00 GMT Devolving more power to local authorities will help empower people following Brexit, the four major UK local government organisations have said. Local government leaders from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland signed a joint statement saying that constitutional decisions once the country leaves the EU should not be made solely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-councils-post-brexit-must-emphasise-local-powers-not-national-identity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-councils-post-brexit-must-emphasise-local-powers-not-national-identity Wed, 16 Nov 2016 15:15:00 GMT Plans for HMRC to drastically reduce its number of offices and staff could make it much harder for the department to do its job as a tax collector, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has warned. The Building Our Future programme will involve closing over 90% of HMRC’s 170 offices, replacing them with 13 regional centres... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-calls-for-end-to-drastic-hmrc-office-closure-and-job-cut-plans 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-calls-for-end-to-drastic-hmrc-office-closure-and-job-cut-plans Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:45:00 GMT The government is due to gain a surplus £2.4bn in business rates next year, which it should reinvest in addressing the crisis in social care, Unison has said. Social care is facing an estimated £2.3bn deficit by 2020. Recently, three health think tanks issued a report warning that councils could face legal action for failing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-urges-government-to-spend-business-rates-windfall-on-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-urges-government-to-spend-business-rates-windfall-on-social-care Wed, 16 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT Nottinghamshire County Council has given an energy company permission to explore for shale gas near the village of Misson, opening the possibility that the site may be fracked in the future. The council approved a planning application by iGas to drill two wells at the site by a majority vote of seven to four. The shale gas industry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-approves-potential-fracking-site 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-county-council-approves-potential-fracking-site Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:30:00 GMT Northern councils have praised the confirmation of the new HS2 Phase 2 route between Birmingham and the North of England, with Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield City Councils all welcoming the announcement. The new HS2 western leg will include two Manchester stops, travelling from Crewe to Manchester Airport then on to a new station to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-praise-northern-plans-for-hs2-but-still-crave-greater-clarity 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-praise-northern-plans-for-hs2-but-still-crave-greater-clarity Tue, 15 Nov 2016 16:45:00 GMT Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils yesterday gave their final endorsement to a £1bn devolution deal, which will see them working together on major transport projects, the local economy and housing. The three councils decided to plough ahead with the West of England devolution deal in June of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-of-england-councils-agree-to-1bn-devolution-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-of-england-councils-agree-to-1bn-devolution-deal Tue, 15 Nov 2016 14:30:00 GMT A proposed cut to the Education Services Grant (ESG) should be reversed so that councils can carry out their duties in supporting schools, the LGA has said. The government is planning to cut £600m from the grant, which currently involves spending of around £815m a year, from August 2017. It covers areas including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-reverse-600m-school-grants-cuts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-reverse-600m-school-grants-cuts Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:45:00 GMT A leaked Cabinet Office memo has found that Whitehall is struggling to cope with the amount of work generated by the EU referendum vote, claiming that there is ‘no common strategy’ among departments. The note, leaked to the Times and said to be dated 7 November, found that departments may need to hire an extra 30,000 civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaked-brexit-memo-no-common-strategy-and-not-enough-civil-servants 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaked-brexit-memo-no-common-strategy-and-not-enough-civil-servants Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT Children in Swindon are being failed by the council because of poor education standards in the town’s schools, Ofsted has said. Bradley Simmons, Ofsted’s regional director for the south west, published a letter to the council’s leaders, saying he was making it public after the council had given a “defensive”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swindon-council-accused-of-failing-children-at-every-stage 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swindon-council-accused-of-failing-children-at-every-stage Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:15:00 GMT The government should fund the Concessionary Fares Scheme to ease the financial pressures on bus services, which councils have been forced to cut by 12% in the past year, the LGA has said. The latest annual figures from the Department for Transport show that mileage for all council-supported bus services in England, excluding London, fell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-concessionary-fares-funding-after-12-bus-service-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-concessionary-fares-funding-after-12-bus-service-cuts Mon, 14 Nov 2016 10:45:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, explains how the public sector can protect jobs and deliver better for less through the transformation of services. Public sector cuts delivered by the last government show every sign of continuing. But despite the years of austerity and digital transformation, public bodies are still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cut-costs-not-jobs--three-ways-to-boost-your-frontline-services 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cut-costs-not-jobs--three-ways-to-boost-your-frontline-services Mon, 14 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT English regions will need elected mayors in order to be prioritised for local government funding, the Northern Powerhouse minister Andrew Percy has confirmed. The latest round of £1.8m growth funding will be focused on areas with mayors, confirming that mayors remain central to the government’s devolution proposals. There are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devo-cash-will-reflect-elected-mayor-stance-says-northern-powerhouse-minister 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devo-cash-will-reflect-elected-mayor-stance-says-northern-powerhouse-minister Mon, 14 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT A £700m contract to provide community health and adult social care services in Bath and North East Somerset has been formally approved for Virgin Care. The contract was endorsed by the board of Bath and North East Somerset CCG on 10 November, and then by the Conservative-majority Bath and North East Somerset Council later the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bath-and-north-east-somerset-awards-700m-integrated-care-contract-to-virgin 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bath-and-north-east-somerset-awards-700m-integrated-care-contract-to-virgin Mon, 14 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT Over half of public sector employers expect that restrictions on their ability to recruit EU nationals following the referendum result will have a negative impact on their work, a new survey shows. According to the latest quarterly Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) Group Labour Market Outlook report, 53% of public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-public-sector-predicts-negative-impact-with-eu-migrant-restrictions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-public-sector-predicts-negative-impact-with-eu-migrant-restrictions Mon, 14 Nov 2016 00:30:00 GMT The East West Rail Consortium, a group of councils and businesses in the heart of England, has welcomed confirmation from the transport secretary that the government is still committed to the project. Speaking at the CCN Annual Conference on Monday, Chris Grayling said that while devolution was “part of the solution” in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-welcome-dft-support-for-east-west-rail 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-welcome-dft-support-for-east-west-rail Fri, 11 Nov 2016 15:45:00 GMT The housing minister, Gavin Barwell, has announced an extra £18m of capacity funding to speed up house building on large brownfield sites, potentially creating thousands of new homes.  Councils will now be able to bid for a share of the ‘capacity fund’ which is designed to help tackle planning issues that can cause... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-18m-capacity-fund-launched-to-help-councils-turbo-charge-home-building 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-18m-capacity-fund-launched-to-help-councils-turbo-charge-home-building Fri, 11 Nov 2016 15:45:00 GMT New plans will be set out to boost sales of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in the forthcoming emissions reductions plan, the government has promised. The announcement was made in response to a report made by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), Sustainability in the Department for Transport, back in September. The report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-encourage-uptake-of-low-emission-vehicles 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-encourage-uptake-of-low-emission-vehicles Fri, 11 Nov 2016 14:30:00 GMT Current government plans for estate regeneration risk further leaving behind deprived communities in the north and the Midlands, a think tank has warned. This past January former prime minister David Cameron announced plans to demolish and redevelop ‘sink’ estates across the country to tackle deprivation, making available a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/estate-regeneration-plans-risk-deepening-north-south-divide 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/estate-regeneration-plans-risk-deepening-north-south-divide Fri, 11 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT New guidance intended to ensure local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) are run transparently and accountably has been published by the DCLG. The guidance said that LEPs must review, refresh and sign off on their local assurance framework to implement the new requirements, which will be a condition of funding for future Growth Deal grant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growth-deal-funding-dependent-on-new-transparency-arrangements-for-leps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growth-deal-funding-dependent-on-new-transparency-arrangements-for-leps Fri, 11 Nov 2016 11:00:00 GMT Liverpudlians may be asked to vote on whether they would accept a 10% increase in council tax to help ‘desperate’ Liverpool City Council maintain their social services, the mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has announced. The potential referendum, asking residents whether they would support a significant rise above the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/desperate-liverpool-considering-referendum-on-10-council-tax-rise 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/desperate-liverpool-considering-referendum-on-10-council-tax-rise Fri, 11 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT A legal ruling that NHS England, not local government, is responsible for commissioning HIV prevention drug PrEP has been upheld by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal rejected NHS England’s appeal against a High Court ruling in August that it has responsibility for the drug, which is taken by those with a heightened... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-england-appeal-against-prep-ruling-defeated 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-england-appeal-against-prep-ruling-defeated Thu, 10 Nov 2016 16:30:00 GMT Members of Newcastle city council have warned it is at risk of legal challenges because of social care and other services. Last month the council approved plans for £70m cuts over three years in order to balance its finances. But papers published ahead of a meeting of the council’s health scrutiny committee this afternoon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-challenge-fears-over-newcastle-council-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-challenge-fears-over-newcastle-council-cuts Thu, 10 Nov 2016 11:45:00 GMT A new generation of low emission buses is already saving 55,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year and saving £8m from health and environmental budgets, a new report has found.  A Green Bus for Every Journey, a report by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) which was commissioned by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greener-buses-expected-to-deliver-248m-social-benefit-savings-by-2020 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greener-buses-expected-to-deliver-248m-social-benefit-savings-by-2020 Thu, 10 Nov 2016 11:00:00 GMT Over three-quarters of county adult social care directors do not believe their local sustainability and transformation plan (STP) will deliver sustainable care, according to a new survey from the County Councils Network (CCN). The survey said that 77% of respondents described themselves as not very confident that the STPs would deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-stps-not-silver-bullet-to-sustainable-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-stps-not-silver-bullet-to-sustainable-social-care Thu, 10 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT Sajid Javid has defended the government’s Right to Buy extension policy in an appearance before the Communities and Local Government Committee. MPs asked the communities and local government secretary why his department had not produced an assessment of the financial impact of the policy, which was initially promised in the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-denies-right-to-buy-policy-is-a-work-in-progress 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-denies-right-to-buy-policy-is-a-work-in-progress Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:45:00 GMT Greater devolution in England is “more important than ever” but at times feels more like “de-centralised administration”, according to Solace’s new president Jo Miller. Speaking to PSE after her recent election win, the CEO of Doncaster Council said she would like to see devolution in England get a “bit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-boss-devolution-feels-more-like-de-centralised-administration 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-boss-devolution-feels-more-like-de-centralised-administration Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council will face a ‘mammoth’ task in balancing its 2017-18 budget after an enormous £49m overspend this financial year, its improvement panel has warned. The Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel (BIIP), tasked with supervising the council’s reform plan, has written a letter to the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-faces-mammoth-task-of-balancing-49m-overspend 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-faces-mammoth-task-of-balancing-49m-overspend Wed, 09 Nov 2016 15:45:00 GMT Civil Service staff will be paid less upon exiting their jobs from today (9 November) as the Cabinet Office introduced a revised compensation scheme despite opposition from the PCS. The trade union accused the government of “bad faith”, saying it had asked it to delay introducing the new payment scheme to give PCS time to hold... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-to-fight-on-as-ministers-impose-civil-service-compensation-cuts 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-to-fight-on-as-ministers-impose-civil-service-compensation-cuts Wed, 09 Nov 2016 15:30:00 GMT The Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) has called for a greater level of investment in poorer towns and cities to give them the prospect of “real growth” ahead of the government’s Autumn Statement. SIGOMA has asked the Treasury to ensure that the statement “fairly reflects” the impact of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/municipals-call-for-chancellor-to-ease-disproportionate-council-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/municipals-call-for-chancellor-to-ease-disproportionate-council-cuts Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:30:00 GMT A new approach to the role of work coaches in the Job Centre Plus (JCP) programme is needed as its approach shifts to helping more complex cases, the Work and Pensions Committee has said in a new report. The report said that changes such as the introduction of the Work and Health Programme and Universal Credit mean that JCP will deal with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-centre-plus-reforms-currently-front-loaded-for-failure-mps-say- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-centre-plus-reforms-currently-front-loaded-for-failure-mps-say- Wed, 09 Nov 2016 13:00:00 GMT Government borrowing is likely to increase by as much as £25bn above the predicted levels in a bid to cope with the financial fallout from Brexit, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said in a new briefing. The IFS warned that the UK’s vote to leave the European Union has led to predictions of increased inflation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-hammond-faces-25bn-black-hole-in-public-finances-by-2019- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-hammond-faces-25bn-black-hole-in-public-finances-by-2019- Tue, 08 Nov 2016 16:45:00 GMT Assets such as libraries, community centres and sports centres risk being lost without funding support for communities to take them over, Locality has warned. Councils currently own land and buildings worth £250bn, but Locality, a network of community-led organisations, warned that these are in danger of being closed, sold or cut as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-fund-for-community-ownership-needed-to-save-public-assets--locality 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-fund-for-community-ownership-needed-to-save-public-assets--locality Tue, 08 Nov 2016 14:15:00 GMT Three major health think tanks have urged the government to deliver more funding for social care in the Autumn Statement, saying that financial pressures are so acute that councils could face legal challenges for failing to meet their responsibilities. The joint briefing, from the King’s Fund, Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-action-warning-over-social-care-shortages-ahead-of-autumn-statement 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-action-warning-over-social-care-shortages-ahead-of-autumn-statement Tue, 08 Nov 2016 12:15:00 GMT Regardless of who is elected next year as mayor of Greater Manchester (GM), it is crucial that they fully support the region’s ongoing health and care programme, the new chief officer of GM Health and Social Care Partnership has said. In an exclusive interview with PSE about the region’s integration journey, Jon Rouse argued... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/incoming-manchester-mayor-must-care-about-health-devomanc-boss-argues 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/incoming-manchester-mayor-must-care-about-health-devomanc-boss-argues Tue, 08 Nov 2016 01:30:00 GMT The number of social housing properties recovered from ineligible tenants is declining, the Cabinet Office has warned in the 2016 National Fraud Initiative (NFI) report. The report said that there had been a “disappointing” 37% decrease in the number of social properties recovered from those in unlawful occupation through the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-reveals-disappointing-decrease-in-tackling-social-housing-fraud 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-reveals-disappointing-decrease-in-tackling-social-housing-fraud Mon, 07 Nov 2016 11:15:00 GMT The public should be encouraged to take responsibility for treating non-serious illnesses in order to reduce the pressures on the NHS, the LGA has said. In a new report ‘Helping People Look After Themselves’, the association noted that 20% of GP appointments are for minor conditions, such as back pain, headaches and colds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-deliver-culture-of-care-to-address-pressures-on-nhs 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-deliver-culture-of-care-to-address-pressures-on-nhs Mon, 07 Nov 2016 10:30:00 GMT The boss of the flagship health and social care devolution programme in Greater Manchester (GM) has backed calls for the government to prioritise social care if any extra cash is made available in this year’s Autumn Statement. In an exclusive interview with PSE at the GM Health and Social Care Partnership headquarters, Jon Rouse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-devomanc-boss-backs-council-calls-for-social-care-priority-in-autumn-statement 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-devomanc-boss-backs-council-calls-for-social-care-priority-in-autumn-statement Mon, 07 Nov 2016 10:15:00 GMT Meeting the needs of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) is creating increasing pressures on local authorities which government funding is failing to meet, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) said. In a new report, ADCS estimated that Home Office funding to help councils meet the needs of UASC covers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adcs-government-funding-for-child-asylum-seekers-wholly-inadequate 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adcs-government-funding-for-child-asylum-seekers-wholly-inadequate Mon, 07 Nov 2016 10:00:00 GMT Dr Jill Miller, research adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, looks at how the public sector is addressing employee wellbeing activity. The public sector are ahead of the game in promoting health and wellbeing at work, but as the sector with the highest absence levels, how can they further increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-public-sector-employers-can-get-maximum-impact-from-employee-wellbeing-activity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-public-sector-employers-can-get-maximum-impact-from-employee-wellbeing-activity Mon, 07 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT Dudley Council has announced a projection of £25m savings from its budget over the next three years, potentially impacting up to 170 FTE jobs. The council revealed the drastic medium-term measures in response to the £76m reduction in government funding since 2010, forecast to increase to over £92m by 2019-20. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dudley-to-save-25m-from-its-budget-but-over-100-jobs-at-risk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dudley-to-save-25m-from-its-budget-but-over-100-jobs-at-risk Fri, 04 Nov 2016 16:45:00 GMT Welsh councils have been told to use the next eighteen months to prepare for the “harder choices that lie ahead” as part of local government reform. In a speech at the Welsh LGA’s conference yesterday, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh local government secretary, called on local authorities to keep working with the Welsh Assembly to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drakeford-sets-out-timetable-for-welsh-council-reform 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drakeford-sets-out-timetable-for-welsh-council-reform Fri, 04 Nov 2016 16:15:00 GMT The DWP and HMRC need clearer plans to reduce fraud and error in the benefits and tax credits systems in the wake of the collapsed contract with Concentrix, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) declared today. A report published by the PAC also criticised the government’s delays in the roll-out of Universal Credit, which it now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-and-hmrc-told-to-tackle-benefit-fraud-and-error-after-concentrix-fiasco- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-and-hmrc-told-to-tackle-benefit-fraud-and-error-after-concentrix-fiasco- Fri, 04 Nov 2016 15:15:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has endorsed the government’s preferred candidate for the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and chair of the Commission for Local Administration of England (CLAE) in a report published today.   The designated candidate is Michael King, who has been in post as the chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-michael-king-as-local-government-ombudsman 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-michael-king-as-local-government-ombudsman Fri, 04 Nov 2016 11:00:00 GMT PSE looks at the major asks of a scathing report published by the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust, and how they could impact the upcoming Autumn Statement. There is no more burning injustice in Britain today than older people being denied the care they need to live independently, the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-social-care-pleas-falling-on-deaf-ears 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-social-care-pleas-falling-on-deaf-ears Fri, 04 Nov 2016 06:30:00 GMT Julian Smith, head of external affairs at the Association for Project Management, reflects on the recent Brexit vote and what this is likely to mean for Civil Service employees and project managers. After the shock of the Brexit vote and the resignation of the prime minister, the head of the Civil Service wrote to colleagues across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-can-the-civil-service-keep-calm-and-carry-on 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-can-the-civil-service-keep-calm-and-carry-on Fri, 04 Nov 2016 05:00:00 GMT PSE’s David Stevenson analyses the recent Environmental Audit Committee’s report into sustainability in the Department for Transport (DfT), and what this means for achieving sustainable transport targets. Although the DfT has taken “many positive steps” to meet the challenge of sustainability in the transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-we-meet-sustainable-transport-and-decarbonisation-targets 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-we-meet-sustainable-transport-and-decarbonisation-targets Fri, 04 Nov 2016 04:30:00 GMT Pete Jefferys, senior policy officer at Shelter, outlines how local authorities and smaller housebuilders could play a pivotal role in helping the government deliver more homes. As the months go by, the government’s target of a million homes by 2020 seems increasingly unlikely. Looking at the past decade, housebuilding peaked in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-housing-reform 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-housing-reform Fri, 04 Nov 2016 04:00:00 GMT Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for energy and sustainability, Cllr Alan Clark, tells PSE how the local authority has surpassed its climate change targets four years ahead of schedule. Recent central government statistics show that Nottingham has smashed its ambitious climate change targets four years early, putting it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hitting-2020-climate-change-targets-four-years-early 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hitting-2020-climate-change-targets-four-years-early Fri, 04 Nov 2016 02:30:00 GMT Support services for domestic abuse victims will receive a £20m boost via new council funding, communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid is expected to announce tomorrow. Councils will be able to bid for a share of the fund in order to deliver accommodation-based support in partnership with local organisations. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/javid-to-promise-20m-boost-for-womens-shelters--if-councils-collaborate 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/javid-to-promise-20m-boost-for-womens-shelters--if-councils-collaborate Thu, 03 Nov 2016 11:30:00 GMT Adult social care directors are facing a “perfect storm” of funding shortages and provider failures, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said as it published a new survey. Of the 129 out of 152 directors who responded to the survey, 62% had experienced residential and nursing home closures in the past... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-faces-perfect-storm-of-cash-shortages-and-provider-failures 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-faces-perfect-storm-of-cash-shortages-and-provider-failures Thu, 03 Nov 2016 11:15:00 GMT The London Assembly has backed a motion to seek devolved powers in order to improve standards of private rented accommodation. At a meeting yesterday, the Assembly voted in favour of a motion to press London mayor Sadiq Khan to emphasise powers over the private rented sector in his devolution negotiations with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-assembly-calls-for-devolved-powers-to-tackle-private-landlord-exploitation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-assembly-calls-for-devolved-powers-to-tackle-private-landlord-exploitation Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:15:00 GMT Creating 27 county unitary authorities could generate nationwide savings of nearly £3bn, a new report, conducted by consultancy firm EY for the County Councils Network (CCN), has revealed. Based on an assessment of data across the 27 two-tier authorities in England, EY’s financial analysis showed that replacing them with one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/establishing-county-unitary-authorities-could-save-29bn-a-year 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/establishing-county-unitary-authorities-could-save-29bn-a-year Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:00:00 GMT The LGA has urged the government to devolve responsibility for the new Work and Health Programme (WHP) further and faster across the country to help thousands of disadvantaged and disabled jobseekers into work. The association said the WHP, due to start in 2018 in London, Greater Manchester and other selected areas, should be accessible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urge-dwp-to-go-further-and-faster-with-devolving-whp 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urge-dwp-to-go-further-and-faster-with-devolving-whp Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:30:00 GMT Children and vulnerable adults are at risk of exploitation because of the government’s failure to adopt a recommendation on taxi licensing, the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC) has said. Back in August, as part of its report into the success of government interventions into Rotherham and Tower Hamlets councils, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-at-risk-because-of-deeply-concerning-dclg-stance-in-rotherham-taxi-fears 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-at-risk-because-of-deeply-concerning-dclg-stance-in-rotherham-taxi-fears Wed, 02 Nov 2016 12:45:00 GMT The government must work more quickly in selling its surplus public land to deliver its pledge of building 160,000 new homes by 2020, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said today. A new report released by the PAC recognised that progress has been made by the government, but raised concerns that the back-loaded nature of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-told-to-get-a-move-on-with-building-homes-in-land-disposal-plan 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-told-to-get-a-move-on-with-building-homes-in-land-disposal-plan Wed, 02 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT Extra funding for social care should be the “top priority” of the Autumn Statement to avoid a crisis in care for the most vulnerable, the King’s Fund said in response to the LGA’s 2016 report on the state of social care. In ‘Adult social care funding: 2016 state of the nation report’, the LGA said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-should-be-top-priority-for-autumn-statement 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-should-be-top-priority-for-autumn-statement Wed, 02 Nov 2016 11:30:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) has expressed concerns that the government’s plans to cut an education grant used for improving school services are equivalent to “back door academisation”. The Education Services Grant (ESG), used as a source of funding for human resources, welfare services, and special needs pupils, is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-grant-cuts-to-leave-counties-with-virtually-non-existent-improvement-budgets 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-grant-cuts-to-leave-counties-with-virtually-non-existent-improvement-budgets Wed, 02 Nov 2016 09:30:00 GMT The favoured candidate to be the next Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) said the organisation should be replaced with a single Public Services Ombudsman in a hearing before a Parliamentary committee today. Michael King, chief executive and accounting officer for the LGO, is the government’s preferred candidate to replace Dr Jane... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-candidate-backs-calls-for-once-in-a-generation-single-ombudsman 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-candidate-backs-calls-for-once-in-a-generation-single-ombudsman Tue, 01 Nov 2016 15:45:00 GMT Efforts to deliver more government services digitally are being held back by a lack of understanding among senior civil servants, a new report from the Institute for Government (IfG) said. The IfG estimated that between £1.3bn and £2bn could be saved by more efficient digital government – for example, providing a single... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-accused-of-tinkering-around-the-edges-of-digital-reforms 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-accused-of-tinkering-around-the-edges-of-digital-reforms Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:45:00 GMT Plans to build more affordable housing on land owned by Transport for London (TfL) have gained momentum after London mayor Sadiq Khan identified two new sites. At Fenwick South, near Clapham North station in Lambeth, there are plans to build a community centre and 55 new homes, all of which are social housing. There is no obligation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-promises-to-fast-track-affordable-housing-on-two-more-tfl-sites 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-promises-to-fast-track-affordable-housing-on-two-more-tfl-sites Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council leader, Cllr Chris Read, and Ian Thomas, the local authority’s strategic director of children’s services, discuss the importance of open and honest relationships to deliver change with government commissioners. In February last year, the government appointed a team of commissioners to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-genuine-partnership-approach-key-to-commissioner-turnarounds 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-genuine-partnership-approach-key-to-commissioner-turnarounds Tue, 01 Nov 2016 07:00:00 GMT Shortly after Energy for Edinburgh finished appointing a board of directors, PSE caught up with its chair, Cllr Adam McVey, to find out more about Scotland’s first council-owned operable energy services company (ESCo). Edinburgh City Council has achieved a landmark accomplishment by recently becoming the first local authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-glue-to-edinburghs-long-term-energy-vision 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-glue-to-edinburghs-long-term-energy-vision Tue, 01 Nov 2016 06:30:00 GMT Paul Dossett, partner and head of local government at Grant Thornton UK, looks at the implications of the Brexit vote on local government finance and what needs to be done to rise to the challenges ahead. While the implications of the recent Brexit vote are still unclear, voices in local government have been quick to express concern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-the-brexit-vote-means-for-local-government-finance 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-the-brexit-vote-means-for-local-government-finance Tue, 01 Nov 2016 06:00:00 GMT Tracy Jessop, assistant director of highways and transport at Norfolk County Council, explains how the local authority is using a geographic information system (GIS) to improve the school transport arrangements for almost 2,000 children with special needs, and help meet a cost-saving target of £500,000 this year. Visualising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-school-transport-for-vulnerable-children-through-gis-mapping 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-school-transport-for-vulnerable-children-through-gis-mapping Tue, 01 Nov 2016 05:30:00 GMT Members of the Health Select Committee have urgently called on the government to commit more funding to social care in the upcoming Autumn Statement in order to help mitigate the financial crisis facing the NHS. The five MPs, including Health Select Committee chair Dr Sarah Wollaston, repeated concerns in the latest CQC annual report that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/any-extra-autumn-statement-cash-must-go-to-social-care-first-mps-tell-chancellor 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/any-extra-autumn-statement-cash-must-go-to-social-care-first-mps-tell-chancellor Mon, 31 Oct 2016 11:45:00 GMT The much-criticised process for assessing whether disabled people are eligible for benefits could be overhauled, the government has promised. The Department for Work and Pensions is due to announce later today a new consultation on reforming the work capability assessment (WCA), which decides whether people are eligible for the employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/overhauling-welfare-what-to-expect-from-a-new-wca 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/overhauling-welfare-what-to-expect-from-a-new-wca Mon, 31 Oct 2016 11:45:00 GMT Greater integration of health and social care is needed in Birmingham to avoid a £721m shortfall, local health and care leaders have said as the area became the first sustainability and transformation plan (STP) footprint in the country to publish its draft plan. The plan said that in a ‘do nothing’ scenario, health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-stp-offers-whole-system-social-care-redesign-to-avoid-721m-hole 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-stp-offers-whole-system-social-care-redesign-to-avoid-721m-hole Mon, 31 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Fuel duty should be transferred to councils in the Autumn Statement in order to allow them to fix the road repair backlog, the LGA has argued. The LGA said that if the government allowed councils to keep 2p a litre of existing fuel duty, it would amount to £1bn a year of additional roads maintenance funding without increasing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/give-councils-small-share-of-fuel-duty-to-solve-road-repair-backlog-lga-says 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/give-councils-small-share-of-fuel-duty-to-solve-road-repair-backlog-lga-says Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:45:00 GMT Combined authorities will need a special and radical devolution deal to meet local residents’ need for new housing, think tank IPPR North has said – otherwise major cities risk a London-style housing crisis. The think tank said that at least 240,000 new houses a year need to be built in England, but only 155,000 were built... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayors-need-radical-devolved-powers-to-escape-london-style-housing-crisis 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayors-need-radical-devolved-powers-to-escape-london-style-housing-crisis Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:00:00 GMT The Homelessness Reduction Bill could receive additional funding from the government to deliver it, the MP behind the legislation said as it was debated in the House of Commons today. Bob Blackman MP, a vice-president of the LGA, introduced the Private Members Bill after the Communities and Local Government Committee, on which he sits... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackman-hints-at-good-news-about-extra-homelessness-funding 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackman-hints-at-good-news-about-extra-homelessness-funding Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:15:00 GMT Libraries should not receive a “get out of austerity-free card” and should close unless they can fulfil community needs by putting social inclusion before actual books, the head of a digital charity said this week. Helen Milner, chief executive of the Tinder Foundation, a charity which aims to help excluded people get involved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-that-fail-to-serve-communities-need-to-close-digital-charity-says 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-that-fail-to-serve-communities-need-to-close-digital-charity-says Fri, 28 Oct 2016 15:00:00 GMT The new regulator responsible for accrediting social workers has had its independence guaranteed by the government after protests from professional bodies. The regulator, established as part of the Children and Social Work Bill, was initially intended to be an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE), prompting protests from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-social-worker-regulator-will-be-independent-minister-promises 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-social-worker-regulator-will-be-independent-minister-promises Fri, 28 Oct 2016 13:00:00 GMT Controversial plans to convert all schools to academies, which were widely opposed by councils, have been abandoned by the Department for Education. Nicky Morgan, the then education secretary, backed down on plans to force all schools to convert to academies earlier this year. However, the Queen’s Speech in May included a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-wholly-abandons-academies-legislation-after-council-protest 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-wholly-abandons-academies-legislation-after-council-protest Fri, 28 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Emma Hart, engagement manager at the Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing, explains why there is a pressing need to ensure information sharing is seen as an integral part of professional practice to improve safeguarding. The Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing (the centre) has been supporting the Department for Education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-information-sharing-in-improving-safeguarding 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-information-sharing-in-improving-safeguarding Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:30:00 GMT Milton Keynes Council is one of only four local authorities to have been granted a share of the government’s £40m ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’ programme. Brian Matthews, head of transport innovation at the council, discusses the plans to make the city’s transport offering more sustainable. On-demand buses, free... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-shared-sustainable-mobility 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-shared-sustainable-mobility Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:00:00 GMT Community-led developments should not be overlooked in helping tackle the country’s housing crisis, argues Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality. Scale isn’t necessarily the answer when it comes to solving the housing crisis. It certainly isn’t the whole answer.  There’s no denying that, as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scaling-out-not-up 447,441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scaling-out-not-up Fri, 28 Oct 2016 04:30:00 GMT Rural and non-metropolitan areas should benefit from the same devolution deals as metropolitan areas, the LGA has told communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid. Cllr Mark Hawthorne, chair of the LGA People and Places Board, has written to Javid inviting him to a meeting to discuss “a practical way forward” for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-invite-javid-to-push-forward-with-non-metropolitan-devo-talks 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-invite-javid-to-push-forward-with-non-metropolitan-devo-talks Thu, 27 Oct 2016 11:00:00 GMT Better integration of health and social care could prevent over a quarter of hospital admissions, the LGA said today. The LGA commissioned consultants Newton Europe to conduct a review of health and social care in five areas (Kent, Pennine Lancashire, Greenwich, Swindon and Sunderland), which found that 26% of hospital admissions had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-care-integration-could-stop-a-quarter-of-hospital-admissions-lga-says 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-care-integration-could-stop-a-quarter-of-hospital-admissions-lga-says Thu, 27 Oct 2016 10:15:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has backed the Bus Services Bill, but warned that the ‘once in a generation’ opportunities it offers should not be reserved for combined authorities with elected mayors. When it was first published, the Bill only allowed devolved bus franchising powers to authorities with elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-urges-mps-to-back-bus-franchising-powers-for-non-mayoral-authorities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-urges-mps-to-back-bus-franchising-powers-for-non-mayoral-authorities Thu, 27 Oct 2016 09:45:00 GMT Four London councils, along with environmental charity Greenpeace, have confirmed they will launch a legal challenge to try to stop plans to build a third runway at Heathrow. The government finally announced its decision on airport expansion on Wednesday, but the councils argue it will make air pollution, noise pollution and transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-reunite-in-court-to-overturn-heathrow-expansion-plans 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-reunite-in-court-to-overturn-heathrow-expansion-plans Thu, 27 Oct 2016 09:30:00 GMT Older people are facing ‘devastating’ social care cuts, a charity has stated as annual figures from NHS Digital showed a continuing decline in spending. In 2015-16, councils spent £16.97bn on adult social care, a decrease from £17.04bn in 2014-15. Social care spending is 18% higher than in 2005-06, when the figure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/annual-data-lays-bare-devastating-impact-of-social-care-spending-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/annual-data-lays-bare-devastating-impact-of-social-care-spending-cuts Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:00:00 GMT County and borough councils are more likely to suffer a loss of income since the government introduced business rates retention compared to districts, according to a new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) into local government finance. The report said that, since 50% business rates retention was introduced in 2013-14, 119... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-reform-will-mean-significant-winners-and-losers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-reform-will-mean-significant-winners-and-losers Wed, 26 Oct 2016 12:30:00 GMT Neil Sellstrom, treasury and pensions advisor at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), discusses the opportunities and challenges of pooled assets for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). A year ago, at the Conservative Party Conference, the then chancellor, George Osborne, called for assets of the 89... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-wealth-funds-must-make-the-best-possible-return-on-assets 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-wealth-funds-must-make-the-best-possible-return-on-assets Wed, 26 Oct 2016 06:30:00 GMT Social care providers are not being paid enough by councils to stay in business, with state-funded homecare for the elderly facing a £513m funding gap, according to a new report from the United Kingdom Home Care Association (UKHCA). FOIs by UKHCA found just 10% of 208 British councils were paying their local providers an average... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-risks-warning-as-state-funded-homecare-faces-500m-shortfall 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-risks-warning-as-state-funded-homecare-faces-500m-shortfall Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:30:00 GMT The Homelessness Reduction Bill has received the backing of both the government and the Labour opposition as it passes through Parliament. The Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC) took the unusual step of sponsoring the private members bill from committee member Bob Blackman after publishing a report into the extent of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-and-opposition-promise-to-back-homelessness-reduction-bill 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-and-opposition-promise-to-back-homelessness-reduction-bill Tue, 25 Oct 2016 14:00:00 GMT The Isle of Wight Council executive has agreed to back plans for a Solent Combined Authority at a meeting last night. The decision means that the council will formally submit a request to the communities and local government secretary, Sajid Javid, to establish the combined authority, alongside Portsmouth and Southampton councils, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/isle-of-wight-executive-votes-to-stay-at-the-table-with-solent-ca 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/isle-of-wight-executive-votes-to-stay-at-the-table-with-solent-ca Tue, 25 Oct 2016 12:15:00 GMT New government regulations could interfere in the local government pension scheme (LGPS), unions have warned. Yesterday MPs held a Westminster Hall debate on the changes to the LGPS, which are due to come into force on 1 November, following a 106,000 signature petition from Unison. The proposals will create eight common investment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-stop-interfering-in-lgps-funds-after-commons-debate 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-stop-interfering-in-lgps-funds-after-commons-debate Tue, 25 Oct 2016 11:00:00 GMT The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the body tasked with upholding workers’ rights as part of its remit, is itself facing a strike on Wednesday as staff jobs are due to go following spending cuts. The strikes are led by Unite and the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union after staff were threatened with compulsory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ehrc-staff-prepare-to-go-on-strike-over-25-budget-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ehrc-staff-prepare-to-go-on-strike-over-25-budget-cuts Mon, 24 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Government departments and the Cabinet Office are failing to provide oversight of what arm’s-length bodies do or properly hold them to account, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. Overall, there are more than 460 arm’s-length bodies, spending around £250bn a year, varying from large bodies such as NHS England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-failing-to-hold-arms-length-bodies-to-account-mps-say 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-failing-to-hold-arms-length-bodies-to-account-mps-say Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:45:00 GMT The leader of Southampton City Council  says he is still confident that plans for a combined authority and Solent devolution will go ahead, as the Isle of Wight council executive decides whether to support it today (24 October). However, their decision was made harder after the full council voted against plans to join the combined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-leader-still-confident-despite-solent-deal-being-on-the-rocks 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-leader-still-confident-despite-solent-deal-being-on-the-rocks Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:30:00 GMT An unexpected increase in public sector borrowing in the past month will make achieving a budget surplus even harder, financial experts have warned. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that public sector net borrowing in September 2016 was £10.6bn, compared to £9.3bn in September... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-borrowing-increases-amid-worsening-economic-outlook 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-borrowing-increases-amid-worsening-economic-outlook Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:00 GMT Slough’s social care for children has grappled with a poor reputation since the infamous Ofsted 2014 report, which helped make the case for services to be transferred from the council to an independent trust. But this is all set to change under a brand new way of working, says Nicola Clemo, chief executive of Slough Children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reclaiming-slough-the-journey-to-outstanding-social-care http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reclaiming-slough-the-journey-to-outstanding-social-care Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:00 GMT Terry Espiner, head of UK healthcare at Cisco Ltd, explains how digital technology can help hospitals deliver the highest quality care while improving the patient experience. The UK population is expected to increase dramatically over the next 10 years, meaning healthcare professionals are faced with a difficult question: how can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-ways-to-build-a-better-healthcare-experience 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-ways-to-build-a-better-healthcare-experience Mon, 24 Oct 2016 08:30:00 GMT Following the DCLG’s consultation on 100% business rates retention, PSE provides an analysis of what each part of the local government spectrum is saying in response. Luana Salles reports. When PSE went to print, it had only been a few weeks since the DCLG’s 12-week consultation on 100% business rates retention had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-finding-the-line-of-best-fit 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-finding-the-line-of-best-fit Mon, 24 Oct 2016 07:30:00 GMT Jessica Studdert, deputy director of the New Local Government Network, discusses the need for a place-based approach to accountability to better align service activity and catalyse transformation. Public service innovators understand that future reform must shift from a collection of individual services tackling single issues to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-public-services-through-place-based-accountability 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-public-services-through-place-based-accountability Mon, 24 Oct 2016 06:30:00 GMT Tanja Groth, decentralised energy manager at the Carbon Trust, explains why the organisation has launched a District Heating Cashflow Quality Assurance Template to assist public sector bodies in their investment decision-making. Courtesy of the Round 6 delivery funding from the Heat Network Delivery Unit at the Department for Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heat-network-investments-getting-the-numbers-right 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heat-network-investments-getting-the-numbers-right Mon, 24 Oct 2016 06:00:00 GMT If the Bus Services Bill delivers on its promises, then it will give local government the powers to make the best use of existing subsidies to give the public a far better service than they get now, writes Jonathan Bray, director of the Urban Transport Group. If cities don’t work without good public transport, then one reason why... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-not-underestimate-the-potential-impact-of-the-bus-services-bill 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-not-underestimate-the-potential-impact-of-the-bus-services-bill Mon, 24 Oct 2016 02:00:00 GMT The Tees Valley devolution deal will be a flagship of successful devolution, leaders have promised following a meeting with the local government secretary Sajid Javid. The meeting comes almost a year after the combined authority signed the £450m devolution deal with then chancellor George Osborne. At the meeting, Javid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-leaders-promise-region-will-be-devolution-flagship 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-leaders-promise-region-will-be-devolution-flagship Fri, 21 Oct 2016 16:30:00 GMT HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will bring its handling of tax credits claims back in-house after complaints that Concentrix, the contractor to whom it outsourced the work, was unfairly denying complainants their money. HMRC awarded Concentrix the £75m contract with a remit to crack down on incorrect and fraudulent claims, but reports... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-ends-concentrix-contract-over-allegations-of-unfairly-withheld-benefits 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-ends-concentrix-contract-over-allegations-of-unfairly-withheld-benefits Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:45:00 GMT Government plans to cut funding for community pharmacies could lead to closures in remote areas, the LGA has warned. Following a consultation, the DH published plans to cut funding for community pharmacies, currently at £2.8bn a year, by 4% in 2016-17 and 3.4% in 2017-18. It will reduce the establishment payment, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-condemn-funding-cuts-to-vital-community-pharmacies 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-condemn-funding-cuts-to-vital-community-pharmacies Fri, 21 Oct 2016 14:30:00 GMT Lincolnshire’s devolution deal could be delayed or cancelled after Lincolnshire county council members voted against it. At a meeting yesterday, the council voted 43 to 17 against the deal, with five abstentions. The deal would have seen 10 Lincolnshire councils form a Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority, with an elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lincolnshire-devolution-in-doubt-after-county-council-votes-against-it 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lincolnshire-devolution-in-doubt-after-county-council-votes-against-it Fri, 21 Oct 2016 12:15:00 GMT Emily Bird, policy leader at the National Housing Federation (NHF), reflects on the challenges facing supported housing and the steps being taken to provide a sustainable future. Supported housing for vulnerable people is facing an uncertain future, with a new government funding model on the table. Yet at September’s Health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/steps-being-taken-to-secure-a-viable-future-for-supported-housing 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/steps-being-taken-to-secure-a-viable-future-for-supported-housing Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:00:00 GMT The London mayor has pledged that under his leadership, the capital’s City Hall and other mayoral bodies will ensure that all staff are paid the London living wage. Sadiq Khan said he was issuing the order after being informed by trade unions that 18 contracted cleaning and security staff at the London Transport Museum, which is run... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-city-hall-must-lead-by-example-on-living-wage 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-city-hall-must-lead-by-example-on-living-wage Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Licensing powers could now be restored to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) after the government accepted a recommendation from the council’s commissioner, saying services have improved in this area. Central government took over RMBC in February 2015 when it was found ‘not fit for purpose’ over its handling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioner-recommends-restoring-rotherham-licensing-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioner-recommends-restoring-rotherham-licensing-powers Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:00:00 GMT County councils could be more involved in local plans under a proposed amendment to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, the housing minister has said. Appearing before the committee scrutinising the Bill this week, Gavin Barwell said the amendments would enable the communities and local government secretary to invite a county council in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-could-have-greater-involvement-and-oversight-in-local-plans- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-could-have-greater-involvement-and-oversight-in-local-plans- Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:45:00 GMT David Pearson, honorary treasurer and former president at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), discusses the development of NHS-led sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) and the importance of embedding social care within them. Social care provides care, support and safeguards for those people in our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-integral-to-the-success-of-stps 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-integral-to-the-success-of-stps Thu, 20 Oct 2016 07:30:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and health at Sevenoaks District Council, looks at how district councils could help take the pressure off the NHS and social services by reducing hospital bed blocking. We keep reading in the press about how delays in discharging patients from hospital after treatment could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-district-councils-the-key-to-unlocking-hospital-bed-blocking 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-district-councils-the-key-to-unlocking-hospital-bed-blocking Thu, 20 Oct 2016 06:30:00 GMT Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), sets out how county leaders will respond to the chancellor’s upcoming Autumn Statement. During the summer months, speculation has been rife within local government on whether government will look to shift direction in a number of key policy areas. So, November’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clarity-needed-in-autumn-statement-after-summer-of-speculation 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clarity-needed-in-autumn-statement-after-summer-of-speculation Thu, 20 Oct 2016 06:30:00 GMT Katharine Knox, policy and research manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), on why we must make sure local areas have the powers, incentives and capacity to tackle poverty. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote and with austerity hitting people hard, poverty is no longer a peripheral issue, but one that demands attention and action... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-must-be-at-the-frontline-of-the-fight-against-poverty 450,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-must-be-at-the-frontline-of-the-fight-against-poverty Thu, 20 Oct 2016 03:30:00 GMT Funding for Welsh councils will increase for the first time since 2013-14, with a £3.8m increase in the 2017-18 funding settlement compared to last year. The cash increase is due to the introduction of a -0.5% funding floor, which means that many councils will receive a funding increase and no council will have to manage on less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-receives-first-funding-increase-since-2013 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-receives-first-funding-increase-since-2013 Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:30:00 GMT Lancashire County Council has turned down the government’s offer of a four-year funding settlement because it would leave the local authority “financially unstable” within the near future. The settlements were introduced by then communities and local government secretary Greg Clark last year to help councils plan ahead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-rejects-unsustainable-four-year-settlement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-rejects-unsustainable-four-year-settlement Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:15:00 GMT As the party conference season came to a close, the sector still wasn’t any clearer on the direction of travel for devolution and local government reform.  Instead, like last year, it appears that the chancellor’s Autumn Statement in November is likely to be the pulpit from which some clarity will hopefully be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clarity-still-needed-on-direction-of-travel 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clarity-still-needed-on-direction-of-travel Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:00:00 GMT Public sector workers could go on strike as part of a Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union campaign against plans to cut redundancy payments. The proposed offer from the Civil Service includes reducing the tariff for calculating exit payments from four weeks to three, capping exit and voluntary redundancy payments at 18... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-threatens-strikes-in-protest-at-cuts-to-redundancy-terms 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-threatens-strikes-in-protest-at-cuts-to-redundancy-terms Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:00:00 GMT A landmark scheme to deliver shared services in government has resulted in a loss to taxpayers because of widespread failures in Cabinet Office management, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said in a new report. The Cabinet Office Next Generation Shared Services Strategy was intended to provide shared back-office functions for up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-failed-to-address-critical-flaws-in-shared-services-scheme 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-failed-to-address-critical-flaws-in-shared-services-scheme Wed, 19 Oct 2016 13:45:00 GMT Councils are better at improving school standards than academy sponsors, the LGA has claimed after a new report highlighted there may be a lack of capacity and capability within the Civil Service to press ahead with the government’s school academisation agenda. Although 45% of sponsored academies have yet to receive a full Ofsted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-council-maintained-schools-outperforming-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-council-maintained-schools-outperforming-academies Tue, 18 Oct 2016 17:00:00 GMT Councils will be required to inspect more houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) to ensure they are following regulations on safe rented housing under new proposals from the DCLG Currently, mandatory licensing applies to HMOs of three or more storeys which are occupied by at least five people in at least two households. The government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-duties-proposed-for-councils-to-tackle-poor-quality-rental-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-duties-proposed-for-councils-to-tackle-poor-quality-rental-homes Tue, 18 Oct 2016 16:15:00 GMT Local authorities can bid for a share of £40m funding to help prevent people becoming homeless, the DCLG announced today. Councils will be able to bid, collaboratively or individually, for grants from the £20m Trailblazers Fund for new approaches to preventing homelessness. The funding, available until 2019, can be used... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-promises-40m-to-tackle-homelessness 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-promises-40m-to-tackle-homelessness Tue, 18 Oct 2016 15:00:00 GMT The Troubled Families programme, a flagship initiative of the last government, had no significant impact, the government’s own evaluation has found. The programme, launched in 2012, cost an estimated £1bn, including £450m from central government, and has helped an estimated 160,000 families. But an evaluation of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flagship-troubled-families-programme-had-no-significant-or-systemic-impact 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flagship-troubled-families-programme-had-no-significant-or-systemic-impact Tue, 18 Oct 2016 12:15:00 GMT The sugar levy on soft drinks should be distributed to councils in order to administer it among schools, the LGA has said. The government promised to introduce the levy as one of the commitments in its childhood obesity strategy, which was published after delays and criticised for not going far enough to address the problem. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-power-to-administer-soft-drinks-levy 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-power-to-administer-soft-drinks-levy Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Unitary councils are seeking permission from the LGA to form their own special interest group. Papers published for the LGA leadership board meeting on 19 October recommend approving the proposals, from Cllr Paul Bettison OBE, leader of Bracknell Forest Council. A group of councils may apply to form a special interest group in order... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-urged-to-approve-new-unitary-councils-network 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-urged-to-approve-new-unitary-councils-network Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:00:00 GMT London borough councils face a £2bn funding shortfall by 2020, London Councils has said in its submission to the Autumn Statement. It said the capital faces particular problems because of the size of its population, which is forecast to grow by 24% by 2039, twice the rate of the rest of the country. The capital’s population is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-warn-of-2bn-funding-gap-by-2020 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-warn-of-2bn-funding-gap-by-2020 Mon, 17 Oct 2016 10:30:00 GMT Councils in Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Kent are set to significantly reduce staff numbers and cut services as they struggle to cope with unprecedented financial pressures. Wolverhampton City Council has already issued an HR1 form to the government announcing its intention to cut up to 1,000 jobs through voluntary and compulsory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-jobs-could-go-as-more-councils-reveal-severe-budget-cuts 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-jobs-could-go-as-more-councils-reveal-severe-budget-cuts Mon, 17 Oct 2016 10:00:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, explains how public sector organisation can get the most out of the Digital Marketplace – the online marketplace for G-Cloud.  G-Cloud – the Government marketplace designed to support the public sector’s digital transformation – makes the procurement of cloud... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-transformation-getting-more-from-g-cloud 446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-transformation-getting-more-from-g-cloud Mon, 17 Oct 2016 07:30:00 GMT The Bus Services Bill has been amended in the House of Lords to remove a requirement for authorities other than combined authorities to apply to the transport secretary for bus franchising powers. The bill initially offered the powers, designed to introduce Transport for London-style transport services around the country, only to combined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lords-aim-to-put-bus-franchising-on-a-level-playing-field-for-all-councils 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lords-aim-to-put-bus-franchising-on-a-level-playing-field-for-all-councils Fri, 14 Oct 2016 16:15:00 GMT Social care services in Wales face an even more acute funding shortfall than in England, anaccording to new figures. A Health Foundation report, published yesterday, warned that the NHS in Wales could face a £700m funding shortfall by 2019-20, partly due to growing social care pressures, as reported in PSE’s sister title... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wlga-calls-for-social-care-investment-boost-in-wales 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wlga-calls-for-social-care-investment-boost-in-wales Fri, 14 Oct 2016 15:15:00 GMT Councils need more power over house building, South East England Councils (SEEC) has said as it revealed that it has lost £98m in council tax income due to houses not being built. In 2014-15, the South East had the highest number of additions to its housing stock of any region in England, with 28,360 new homes built. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-east-councils-losing-98m-a-year-on-unbuilt-houses 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-east-councils-losing-98m-a-year-on-unbuilt-houses Fri, 14 Oct 2016 14:30:00 GMT The Homelessness Reduction Bill has been formally endorsed by the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC), with cautions that it should not increase the financial burden on councils. After it published a recent report exposing the severity of the problem, the CLGC took the unusual step of sponsoring the bill, introduced as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-homelessness-reduction-bill 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-homelessness-reduction-bill Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Motorists made at least 31,483 claims against local councils for compensation after their vehicles were damaged by poorly maintained roads in 2015-16, new research from the RAC Foundation shows. This is the equivalent of one claim being made every 17 minutes, but councils only paid the compensation in 27% of cases, with the total cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-see-pothole-compensation-claims-increase-by-9-in-past-year 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-see-pothole-compensation-claims-increase-by-9-in-past-year Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:30:00 GMT The Bus Services Bill is a ‘missed opportunity’ because it places strict limits on councils other than combined authorities seeking bus franchising powers, the LGA said as the bill was debated in the House of Lords yesterday. The legislation initially only applied to combined authorities, but ahead of the debate, the DfT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/missed-opportunity-to-give-all-councils-automatic-bus-franchising-rights 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/missed-opportunity-to-give-all-councils-automatic-bus-franchising-rights Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:45:00 GMT Social care in England risks reaching “a tipping point” as the market becomes increasingly unsustainable, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned in its annual assessment of the health and social care sector. According to the ‘State of Care’ report, the number of older people receiving local authority funded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-approaching-a-tipping-point-warns-cqc 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-approaching-a-tipping-point-warns-cqc Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:00:00 GMT The government should fulfil its commitments on housing by including support for affordable housing in the Autumn Statement, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has stated. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid and chancellor Philip Hammond promised to fund up to 225,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-turn-housing-commitment-into-action-in-autumn-statement 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-turn-housing-commitment-into-action-in-autumn-statement Wed, 12 Oct 2016 17:00:00 GMT Measures to pilot the government’s new business rates devolution scheme in the West Midlands have received the backing of Birmingham city council. The government is offering combined authorities the chance to pilot complete business rates devolution in 2017-18, before it becomes mandatory in 2019-20. The other members of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-backs-business-rates-devolution-pilot-in-west-midlands 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-backs-business-rates-devolution-pilot-in-west-midlands Wed, 12 Oct 2016 16:00:00 GMT Council services in Manchester, Sheffield and Croydon are all facing further cuts as the local authorities struggle to balance their budgets, with hundreds of jobs at risk. For the first time, councils are able to set their budgets until 2020, allowing them to plan their savings measures further in advance. Manchester City Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hundreds-of-council-jobs-face-the-axe-as-budget-plans-published 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hundreds-of-council-jobs-face-the-axe-as-budget-plans-published Wed, 12 Oct 2016 15:30:00 GMT Improvement efforts in children’s services have failed to deliver their goals six years after they were introduced, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has stated. The Department of Education said it accepted that child protection services were not good enough in 2010, and committed to implementing the Munro... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-still-not-good-enough-despite-improvement-promises 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-still-not-good-enough-despite-improvement-promises Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:45:00 GMT Community and voluntary organisations should take control of local government assets after they are sold off, charities’ representative bodies have told the chancellor. The chief executives of a number of organisations, including the Charities Financial Group (CFG), Locality and Social Enterprise UK, have written to Philip Hammond... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-call-for-community-ownership-of-expected-council-asset-sell-offs- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-call-for-community-ownership-of-expected-council-asset-sell-offs- Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:15:00 GMT Planned library closures by Lancashire County Council to plug its severe funding shortfall are being investigated as a formal complaint by the government. Lancashire County Council announced the plans to close services, including libraries and children’s centres, at more than 100 sites in order to tackle its financial problems, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-investigating-complaints-about-lancashire-library-closures 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-investigating-complaints-about-lancashire-library-closures Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:15:00 GMT The social care system will need more funding as well as integrated care to be sustainable, sector leaders have told MPs. In an appearance before the Communities and Local Government Committee, Ray James, immediate past president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), said: “I don’t think there is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integration-alone-will-not-solve-challenges-of-social-care 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integration-alone-will-not-solve-challenges-of-social-care Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:45:00 GMT The Oldham MP Jim McMahon has been appointed as the new shadow minister for local government and devolution. The shadow cabinet was hit by mass resignations following the EU referendum, but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced the new reshuffle after defeating an electoral challenge to his leadership. McMahon, the former leader of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-shadow-local-gov-minister-promises-to-shift-power-from-the-few-to-the-many- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-shadow-local-gov-minister-promises-to-shift-power-from-the-few-to-the-many- Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Public sector chief executives and senior managers have elected the CEO of Doncaster council as their new president. Jo Miller won the election to replace Mark Rogers with 60.21% of the vote, defeating Trevor Holden, the chief executive of Luton council. Of the 956 full Solace members eligible to vote, 289 voted in a 30%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-elects-new-president 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-elects-new-president Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Richard Hatcher, criminal justice lead, UKI, Cisco, discusses the work of a transformational project to digitise policing and justice in Kent.  ‘Charity begins at home and justice begins next door,’ Charles Dickens famously wrote in Martin Chuzzlewit. Nothing like a bit of sobering Victorian social commentary to make a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enabling-secure-cloud-based-digital-justice-with-kent-police-to-improve-victim-experiences 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enabling-secure-cloud-based-digital-justice-with-kent-police-to-improve-victim-experiences Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:30:00 GMT Children’s services in Sandwell are to be transferred from the council to a newly formed trust as part of a government intervention to address concerns about the services. Justine Greening, the education secretary, has issued a directive instructing the council to develop plans to transfer children’s services to the trust by 1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sandwell-becomes-latest-met-to-lose-control-of-childrens-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sandwell-becomes-latest-met-to-lose-control-of-childrens-services Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:30:00 GMT Stress is the biggest concern for UK workers and is particularly prevalent in the public sector, the latest biennial Trades Union Congress (TUC) survey of union health and safety reps shows. Over 1,000 reps took part in the survey and were asked to name the top five hazards that affected their workforce. Public sector reps were more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuc-workplace-bullying-on-the-rise-in-highly-stressed-public-sector 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuc-workplace-bullying-on-the-rise-in-highly-stressed-public-sector Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:45:00 GMT Local government should have the final say in the planning process, councils have said after the communities and local government secretary upheld an appeal to allow fracking in Lancashire. Sajid Javid announced yesterday that he is upholding an appeal by company Cuadrilla to allow its application to drill for gas in the north west, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-have-final-say-on-fracking-as-javid-overturns-lancashire-veto 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-have-final-say-on-fracking-as-javid-overturns-lancashire-veto Fri, 07 Oct 2016 16:00:00 GMT The government should give councils more powers to build the levels of housing needed, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has told the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Statement on 23 November. The DCN called on the government to end the “great uncertainty” about the New Homes Bonus by guaranteeing it will remain at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/districts-call-for-greater-housebuilding-powers-in-autumn-statement 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/districts-call-for-greater-housebuilding-powers-in-autumn-statement Fri, 07 Oct 2016 15:30:00 GMT Liverpool should establish a trust in order to safeguard the city’s parks, a Strategic Green and Open Spaces Review Board established by mayor Joe Anderson has concluded. The review, chaired by actor, TV presenter and environmentalist Simon O’Brien, said that the trust was the only way to ensure sustainable funding for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-actively-considering-proposals-for-a-parks-trust 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-actively-considering-proposals-for-a-parks-trust Fri, 07 Oct 2016 14:30:00 GMT Shale gas drilling looks set to go ahead in the north west after Sajid Javid, the communities and local government secretary, overruled a decision by Lancashire County Council to reject plans for a fracking site in the area. Last June, the council rejected two applications from energy company Cuadrilla to engage in the controversial gas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking-in-lancashire-given-go-ahead-by-government 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking-in-lancashire-given-go-ahead-by-government Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Councils in England have been failing to provide social care clients and their carers with “desperately needed” assessment reviews, despite there being an expectation to do so under the Care Act, new figures from NHS Digital reveal. The figures show that in England in April 2015 – March 2016, just over half (55%) of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-falling-behind-on-desperately-needed-care-act-reviews 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-falling-behind-on-desperately-needed-care-act-reviews Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:30:00 GMT Dr Michael Dixon OBE, GP, former chair of NHS Alliance and former president of NHS Clinical Commissioners, discusses the role of technology in health and social care.  We talk plenty about re-organising health and social care and co-funding, but very little is done in practice. In the meantime, pressures from a growing ageing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fourth-age-of-care-transforming-care-through-technology 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fourth-age-of-care-transforming-care-through-technology Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:30:00 GMT Northern councils should form a single ‘all-star’ committee to defend their regional economic interests in the UK’s exit from the EU, the IPPR North has recommended. A report from the think tank says that the north of England includes over 70 local authorities and 11 LEPs, too many to negotiate individually with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-needs-all-star-brexit-negotiating-team 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-needs-all-star-brexit-negotiating-team Thu, 06 Oct 2016 10:45:00 GMT Children’s lungs are at risk because councils are failing to systematically monitor air quality near schools, according to the British Lung Foundation (BLF). Freedom of Information requests by the charity found that 182 of 322 councils, or 57%, did not have air quality monitors outside schools. Furthermore, 73 local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-half-of-councils-do-not-monitor-air-quality-outside-schools 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-half-of-councils-do-not-monitor-air-quality-outside-schools Thu, 06 Oct 2016 09:45:00 GMT Six areas identified as the most challenged when it comes to social mobility will form partnerships with councils, schools, early years providers, colleges, universities, businesses and charities to tackle childhood disadvantages, education secretary Justine Greening MP has announced. Speaking yesterday at the Conservative Party... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-60m-social-mobility-pilots-must-focus-on-graduate-led-workforce 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-60m-social-mobility-pilots-must-focus-on-graduate-led-workforce Wed, 05 Oct 2016 12:45:00 GMT The new Conservative government wants to put itself and the country on the path towards “the new centre ground of British politics”, prime minister Theresa May is set to say today to delegates at the Tory party conference. May will use her speech to push for a new approach that reflects the “good that government can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-pledges-path-towards-new-centre-ground-of-british-politics 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-pledges-path-towards-new-centre-ground-of-british-politics Wed, 05 Oct 2016 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities in Wales will not be forced to merge, but will undergo an “enhanced level of mandatory and systematic” collaborative working under new integration plans announced by the Welsh Government. The Draft Local Government Bill published in November last year floated the possibility of merging the 22 councils in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-forced-to-collaborate-under-fresh-local-government-reform-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-forced-to-collaborate-under-fresh-local-government-reform-plans Wed, 05 Oct 2016 11:00:00 GMT The government has been accused of having gone “walkabout” after failing to clarify its position on devolution so far at the Conservative Party Conference. In keynote speeches yesterday Philip Hammond, the chancellor, and Sajid Javid, the communities and local government secretary, laid out a number of commitments, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgiu-conservatives-have-gone-walkabout-on-devolution- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgiu-conservatives-have-gone-walkabout-on-devolution- Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:45:00 GMT Lord Porter, the chair of the LGA, has called on the government to guarantee EU funding for all local regeneration programmes. Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference yesterday, chancellor Philip Hammond promised that local areas with signed EU funding agreements when the UK exits the EU will receive replacement funding from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-pull-out-all-the-stops-to-guarantee-eu-funding-for-local-projects 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-pull-out-all-the-stops-to-guarantee-eu-funding-for-local-projects Tue, 04 Oct 2016 12:30:00 GMT John Lewis’ former managing director has insisted he can win the West Midlands mayoral election as the Conservative candidate next year. Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, Andy Street said: “On the last General Election results, we need just a 4% swing for victory. We can win here, we will win... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/will-the-west-midlands-elect-a-conservative-mayor 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/will-the-west-midlands-elect-a-conservative-mayor Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:45:00 GMT The funding promised in the National Flood Resilience Review is not sufficient to address flood defence needs, councils have warned. The LGA said that the damage from last winter’s floods included 6,586 homes and 897 businesses flooded in Cumbria and 2,090 homes and 533 businesses in Lancashire. Claims for damages caused by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-will-need-significantly-more-flood-support-than-promised-this-winter 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-will-need-significantly-more-flood-support-than-promised-this-winter Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT London businesses will provide an even greater share of business rates income as a result of a planned rates re-evaluation, new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows, with many other regions set to face a decrease. Business rates are currently assessed based on the 2008 value of properties, but this is due to change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-dependence-on-london-difficult-square-to-circle 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-business-rates-dependence-on-london-difficult-square-to-circle Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:15:00 GMT Initiatives to help children at risk of sexual exploitation need more commitment from local services to ensure they are implemented across the frontline, according to a new report. The report, from Ofsted, the CQC, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Inspectorate of Probation, is based on ‘deep dive inspections’ of child... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/progress-made-on-tackling-cse-but-frontline-practice-still-needs-to-improve 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/progress-made-on-tackling-cse-but-frontline-practice-still-needs-to-improve Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:45:00 GMT Building 100,000 social homes a year would save up to £320bn, new research says as Philip Hammond and Sajid Javid are due to announce more investment for housing at the Conservative party conference today. The research, conducted by City consultancy Capital Economics for the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), the Association of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-homes-investment-urged-as-javid-promises-moral-duty-funding 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-homes-investment-urged-as-javid-promises-moral-duty-funding Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:15:00 GMT The Help to Buy mortgage scheme has fulfilled its goals and will close to new loans by December this year, Philip Hammond has said. The scheme was introduced by former chancellor George Osborne to increase the availability of high loan to value (LTV) mortgages and help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder. In a letter to Mark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-help-to-buy-scheme-to-close-by-end-of-year 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-help-to-buy-scheme-to-close-by-end-of-year Fri, 30 Sep 2016 15:45:00 GMT A lack of community support is leading to carers increasingly taking loved ones to A&E for treatment, heaping further pressure on NHS services, according to a new report. A survey by Carers UK found that 9% of carers said they had used A&E or 999 services when a loved one was ill because they didn’t know where else to turn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carers-reluctantly-having-to-turn-to-ae-due-to-lack-of-support 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carers-reluctantly-having-to-turn-to-ae-due-to-lack-of-support Fri, 30 Sep 2016 15:00:00 GMT The Tees Valley Combined Authority has received £15m from the DCLG today as its first tranche of devolution funding. The money follows a devolution deal signed last October and is part of a planned £450m investment over the next 30 years. The combined authority will now produce proposals for how to invest the funding to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-receives-first-tranche-of-devolution-funding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-receives-first-tranche-of-devolution-funding Fri, 30 Sep 2016 12:30:00 GMT New figures show the homelessness crisis is continuing to grow, with local authorities accepting 10% more homelessness applications in the last quarter than a year ago. According to the latest DCLG statistics, councils accepted homelessness applications from 15,170 households in April to June 2016, 3% more than the previous quarter and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-need-to-address-factors-driving-up-homelessness- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-need-to-address-factors-driving-up-homelessness- Thu, 29 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Devolution in the north east could be restarted as Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland councils seek their own deal. Sajid Javid, the communities and local government secretary, withdrew the £900m devolution deal after four of the North East Combined Authority member councils - Sunderland, Durham, South Tyneside and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-back-on-the-table-as-trio-of-councils-seek-new-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-back-on-the-table-as-trio-of-councils-seek-new-deal Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:45:00 GMT The historic child sexual abuse inquiry has suffered a further blow after its senior lawyer was abruptly suspended last night. Ben Emmerson QC, counsel to the inquiry, has now been suspended and is under investigation. The inquiry has been through four chairs since it was established two years ago, with the most recent chair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-suffers-further-blow-as-lawyer-suspended 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-suffers-further-blow-as-lawyer-suspended Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:15:00 GMT The prime minister’s handling of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union risks leading to divisions, confusion and a £65m cost for the government, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. The IfG’s new briefing paper says that Theresa May’s decision to establish two new government departments for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-government-strategy-and-clarity-delaying-brexit-work- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-government-strategy-and-clarity-delaying-brexit-work- Thu, 29 Sep 2016 10:00:00 GMT Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications are at the highest since they began, prompting calls to the government to reduce the growing burden on councils. The latest figures from NHS Digital show that councils received almost 196,000 DoLS applications in 2015-16, the largest amount since they were introduced in 2009. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-urgent-dols-system-overhaul-as-applications-hit-record-high 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-urgent-dols-system-overhaul-as-applications-hit-record-high Wed, 28 Sep 2016 16:30:00 GMT Unions have been told to accept a reduction in public sector exit payments to avoid an even greater reduction, it has emerged. In a letter to union heads, Simon Claydon, the director of civil service workforce strategy and inclusion, made a formal offer, which includes reducing the tariff for calculating exit payments from four weeks to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-to-impose-further-caps-on-public-sector-exit-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-to-impose-further-caps-on-public-sector-exit-pay Wed, 28 Sep 2016 15:30:00 GMT Funding at Lancashire County Council will no longer be sustainable by 2020-21 even if it implements a rigorous programme of safety cuts, putting it at risk of government intervention, according to an independent review. The council recently revealed plans to close services, including library and youth services, at more than 100 sites in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-warned-of-intervention-risk-over-unsustainable-funding 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-warned-of-intervention-risk-over-unsustainable-funding Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:15:00 GMT Urgent action is needed to better integrate social care with health care and ensure it is sustainably funded, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has said in a new report into hospital discharges. The report said: “At a structural level, the historic split between health and social care means that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/political-maladministration-blamed-for-unsafe-hospital-discharges 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/political-maladministration-blamed-for-unsafe-hospital-discharges Wed, 28 Sep 2016 12:15:00 GMT Proposals to cut the members of London Borough of Croydon from 70 councillors to 60 have been opposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) as it opened an inquiry into the proposals. In a letter to Jo Negrini, chief executive of the council, to mark the opening of the consultation, Jolyon Jackson, CEO of the LGBC, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boundary-commission-advises-against-croydon-plans-to-cut-councillors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boundary-commission-advises-against-croydon-plans-to-cut-councillors Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:45:00 GMT Plans to devolve business rates must be fiscally neutral in the medium and long term, district and county councils have said in their responses to the DCLG’s consultation ‘Self-sufficient local government: 100% business rates retention’ . The proposals have raised concerns among councils about risks, such as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-must-be-fiscally-neutral-for-councils-in-long-term- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-must-be-fiscally-neutral-for-councils-in-long-term- Tue, 27 Sep 2016 15:30:00 GMT Regional councils are at the heart of housebuilding activity and need more powers to deliver the greater number of homes Britain needs, according to a new report. The report, from the Housing and Finance Institute (HFI), says that around 70% of new housebuilding activity takes place in regional local council areas, not metropolitan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devo-for-districts-calls-to-enable-regional-councils-to-deliver-more-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devo-for-districts-calls-to-enable-regional-councils-to-deliver-more-homes Tue, 27 Sep 2016 12:30:00 GMT Nurseries in London could be forced to close under proposals to introduce a universal basic funding rate for early years services, London Councils has warned. The government has brought in the proposals at the same time as promising 30 hours of free childcare for working parents, due to start in April 2017. However, London Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-funding-formula-could-lead-to-loss-of-early-years-services-in-london 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-funding-formula-could-lead-to-loss-of-early-years-services-in-london Mon, 26 Sep 2016 11:00:00 GMT James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, explains the challenges public sector IT managers face in implementing cloud technologies.  Think of all the department heads in your organisation. Now think about the consequences of each screwing up. Sales, production, HR, marketing – a glitch from any could leave a dent in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g-cloud-half-full-or-half-empty 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g-cloud-half-full-or-half-empty Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:45:00 GMT Public sector services and staff will be celebrated in a new campaign by Unison, launched today at a fringe event of the Labour party conference. ‘Public Service Champions’ will encourage members of the public to register their thanks to staff in health, education, home care and other services who have helped them on an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaign-aims-to-deliver-thank-you-for-public-service-champions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaign-aims-to-deliver-thank-you-for-public-service-champions Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:30:00 GMT Government proposals to convert all schools to academies will cost councils £320m, the LGA has warned. An LGA survey of its members found that if the government adopts the ‘sponsored’ method of multi-academy trusts, it will cost £320m because any debt built up by schools will remain with councils when they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-significant-financial-challenge-if-all-schools-convert-to-academies- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-significant-financial-challenge-if-all-schools-convert-to-academies- Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:30:00 GMT The departure of the devolution minister from the Treasury is “unlikely to dampen the speculation” that prime minister Theresa May is not prioritising the Northern Powerhouse, the LGiU’s chief executive has said – despite Localis arguing that it could give the flagship project “a new lease of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-of-northern-powerhouse-project-questioned-as-devo-minister-resigns 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-of-northern-powerhouse-project-questioned-as-devo-minister-resigns Mon, 26 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT Efforts to replace houses lost in the Right to Buy scheme are declining despite an increase in sales, according to the latest figures from the DCLG. The figures show that in the first quarter of 2016-17, there were 422 Right to Buy starts on sites and acquisitions by local authorities. This was the lowest since the first quarter of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-sales-increase-but-new-council-houses-decline 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-sales-increase-but-new-council-houses-decline Mon, 26 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT Mike Badham, Healthcare Solutions Architect for Cisco Systems Inc., discusses the importance of digital technology in the modern world of health and care provision, while exploring how a digital strategy can be the key to unlocking efficiencies.  It was Mahatma Gandhi who said ‘your health is your real wealth’. And... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finding-the-digital-pulse-of-health-and-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finding-the-digital-pulse-of-health-and-care Mon, 26 Sep 2016 01:00:00 GMT Councils will be able to keep their exemption from VAT on commercial waste collections following a High Court ruling. The High Court rejected the judicial review challenge from a commercial waste company yesterday. The LGA had previously warned that if the exemption had been lifted, waste collection charges would increase by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hail-huge-victory-on-waste-vat-exemption 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hail-huge-victory-on-waste-vat-exemption Fri, 23 Sep 2016 16:00:00 GMT Recommendations on the UK’s human rights record have not been implemented since 2012, a new report from the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) has said. The BIHR’s analysis shows that the UK government has failed to fully meet 81 out of 85 recommendations made by the United Nations (UN) in 2012 to improve domestic human... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regressing-government-fails-to-meet-81-of-85-human-rights-un-recommendations 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regressing-government-fails-to-meet-81-of-85-human-rights-un-recommendations Fri, 23 Sep 2016 15:00:00 GMT New government grants have been made available for public sector and charity organisations that can boost the volunteering capacity of older people. The three funds, worth a total of £4m, are the first to be funded by government through the second phase of the Centre for Social Action and will be managed by innovation charity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4m-public-sector-grants-launched-to-boost-older-peoples-volunteering 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4m-public-sector-grants-launched-to-boost-older-peoples-volunteering Fri, 23 Sep 2016 12:45:00 GMT Boosting the growth of cities in order to allow them to compete with their European counterparts should be a priority of the Autumn Statement, influential think tank Centre for Cities has said. Its latest report, ‘Competing with the Continent’, says that cities play a greater role in the UK economy than in equivalent European... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-statement-should-boost-cities-to-allow-them-to-compete-with-europe 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-statement-should-boost-cities-to-allow-them-to-compete-with-europe Thu, 22 Sep 2016 12:00:00 GMT HMRC’s plans to implement the Making Tax Digital (MTD) plan may need to be delayed to ensure a proper consultation, the chair of the Treasury Committee has said. A letter to chancellor Philip Hammond from Andrew Tyrie, the chair of the Treasury Committee, confirms that the Treasury wants to finish the consultation on Making Tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-hmrc-digital-changes-face-delays-in-light-of-leftover-concerns 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-hmrc-digital-changes-face-delays-in-light-of-leftover-concerns Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Social care services for county councils are facing widespread funding shortages despite new settlements from the government, according to the County Councils Network (CCN). The CCN’s response to the Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into social care said that funding in the 2015 Spending Review and the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-finance-settlement-will-not-address-social-care-concerns-counties-warn 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-finance-settlement-will-not-address-social-care-concerns-counties-warn Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT The devolution programme is currently based on the assumption that “no more money is needed” and should therefore be redrawn in order to ensure financially disadvantaged areas aren’t set even further back, a major report has said. The interim report from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-vote-shows-devolution-should-include-struggling-areas 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-vote-shows-devolution-should-include-struggling-areas Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:00:00 GMT A consultation into the powers of the new West Midlands elected mayor has found transport and employment are the top priorities for residents. The consultation received over 1,300 responses after it was launched in July, and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is now submitting its conclusions to the government. The proposal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-powers-most-important-priority-for-west-midlands-mayor-residents-say 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-powers-most-important-priority-for-west-midlands-mayor-residents-say Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:45:00 GMT Councils should be able to suspend the licences of businesses that refuse to pay their business rates, the LGA has said. Outstanding business rates’ debts include £1.47m for Newcastle City Council and £190,000 for South Norfolk council, of which £115,000 is attributed to just one business. Forest Heath and St... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/businesses-should-lose-licence-for-failing-to-pay-business-rates-councils-say 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/businesses-should-lose-licence-for-failing-to-pay-business-rates-councils-say Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:00:00 GMT The four-year local government funding settlement designed to give local authorities greater financial certainty is expected to receive a high take up, according to the consultation into the proposals. The four-year settlement packages were announced by Greg Clark, the then communities and local government secretary, last year after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-take-up-expected-for-four-year-council-funding-offer 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-take-up-expected-for-four-year-council-funding-offer Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:00:00 GMT Any limitations on migration after the UK leaves the European Union could make it impossible to fill the staffing gap in the care sector, according to a new report. The report, from Independent Age and the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC-UK), said that a zero net migration scenario will lead to a shortage of 1.1 million workers in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/limits-on-migration-could-lead-to-severe-care-worker-shortage 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/limits-on-migration-could-lead-to-severe-care-worker-shortage Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:15:00 GMT British society is becoming increasingly divided along age lines as younger people are unable to afford housing, a new report shows. The report, from the Intergenerational Foundation, shows that between 1981 and 2014 the median age of rural areas rose almost twice as rapidly as the median age of urban ones. It suggested this was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-policy-must-avoid-age-based-segregation-charity-warns 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-policy-must-avoid-age-based-segregation-charity-warns Tue, 20 Sep 2016 16:15:00 GMT All fire fighters in Greater Manchester risk losing their jobs unless they accept newly-revised 12-hour shift patterns as the service struggles to balance its dwindling budget. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority (GMFRA) has already cut 400 firefighters from the frontline in the past six years as a result of £28m spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-firefighters-pushed-to-agree-to-12-hour-shifts-in-cash-saving-bid 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-firefighters-pushed-to-agree-to-12-hour-shifts-in-cash-saving-bid Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:00:00 GMT Support for older patients after they were discharged from hospital led to a reduced rate of readmission and improved patients’ welfare, new research shows. The ‘Hospital to Home’ service in Leicester and Leicestershire led to 9.2% of patients aged over 75 being readmitted within 30 days, against 15% nationally. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-support-for-elderly-post-hospital-drives-down-readmission-pilot-shows 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-support-for-elderly-post-hospital-drives-down-readmission-pilot-shows Tue, 20 Sep 2016 14:00:00 GMT The Bus Services Bill will only succeed in its goal if it learns from previous legislation and offers local areas a simpler franchising process, the Urban Transport Group (UTG) has said. The Bill offers local combined authorities Transport for London-style control over bus franchising. In its latest policy paper, the UTG said that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlike-previous-acts-bus-services-bill-must-simplify-franchising-process- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlike-previous-acts-bus-services-bill-must-simplify-franchising-process- Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:15:00 GMT The Digital Transformation Strategy is being updated to meet the growing remit of the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the challenges of the UK’s forthcoming exit from the European Union. Kevin Cunnington, director general of the GDS, made the announcement as Ben Gummer, the new minister for the Cabinet Office, visited the GDS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-digital-transformation-strategy-to-meet-the-challenges-of-brexit- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-digital-transformation-strategy-to-meet-the-challenges-of-brexit- Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:45:00 GMT The public opinion of politicians is that they are less likely to be interested in representing their local area than in any other area, according to a new poll from the Institute for Government (IfG). In the survey of over 2,000 British citizens, which asked them to identify what they thought was the biggest priority for UK politicians... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-think-representing-local-area-is-lowest-priority-for-politicians-ifg-finds 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-think-representing-local-area-is-lowest-priority-for-politicians-ifg-finds Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:30:00 GMT A government announcement last week on funding for supported accommodation has been met with a mixed response, with charities warning it falls short of sustainable support for the sector. The government had temporarily suspended a new housing benefit cap for supported accommodation, which includes women’s shelters and housing for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disability-charities-warn-supported-housing-settlement-will-create-postcode-lottery 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disability-charities-warn-supported-housing-settlement-will-create-postcode-lottery Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:00:00 GMT Councils should be able to enter family homes to check up on home schooled children, the LGA has said amid concerns that home-schooled children are being sent to unsafe, illegal or extremist schools. Currently, councils only have the power to enter homes and other premises if they have specific concerns about a child’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-enter-homes-to-check-if-schooling-is-illegal-or-extremist-lga-says- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-enter-homes-to-check-if-schooling-is-illegal-or-extremist-lga-says- Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:15:00 GMT Atos has been commended for its performance in major government contracts in a Cabinet Office review. The Cabinet Office agreed to carry out the review following recommendations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after a report on the struggling General Practice Extraction Service (GPES), for which Atos was a key supplier. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-atos-contracts-found-to-be-within-normal-parameters-despite-criticism 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-atos-contracts-found-to-be-within-normal-parameters-despite-criticism Mon, 19 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse vision will be promoted by a new partnership, launched by former chancellor George Osborne. The Northern Powerhouse was one of the flagship policies of Osborne’s time in Number 11, with devolution deals granted to several northern cities. Supporters of the project have feared it will be undermined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-set-to-launch-northern-powerhouse-partnership 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-set-to-launch-northern-powerhouse-partnership Fri, 16 Sep 2016 15:00:00 GMT The uncertain status of supported accommodation has been resolved as the government announced new funding to protect it from the housing benefits cap. There were initially fears that the cap would threaten the future of the supported accommodation sector, which includes women’s refuges, homeless shelters and dementia accommodation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supported-accommodation-to-be-protected-from-benefits-cap-with-ring-fenced-funding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supported-accommodation-to-be-protected-from-benefits-cap-with-ring-fenced-funding Fri, 16 Sep 2016 01:00:00 GMT Communities should build their own houses as a solution to the housing crisis, Locality has said, as it announced funding to support the projects of 22 community housing groups across England. Locality, a national network of community organisations, will provide affordable, community-led housing start-up projects with two years of support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-20-community-groups-handed-cash-to-kick-start-housing-projects 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-20-community-groups-handed-cash-to-kick-start-housing-projects Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:30:00 GMT Manchester City Council’s chief executive, who spearheaded the city’s devolution programme, will retire next spring, ending one of the longest-running careers in local government. Sir Howard Bernstein has been Manchester City Council chief executive since 1998 after joining it as a clerk at the age of 18 in 1971. Some of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-howard-bernstein-announces-retirement-after-45-year-career 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-howard-bernstein-announces-retirement-after-45-year-career Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:45:00 GMT Emergency services are due to be communicating on a commercial 4G network by 2019 despite significant concerns about its safety. A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the government is trying to move the communications network used by police, fire and ambulance services from Airwave to the Emergency Services Network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warning-over-high-risk-new-emergency-services-network 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warning-over-high-risk-new-emergency-services-network Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:15:00 GMT Care for elderly people is failing to meet their needs because of cuts to local government spending, the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust have said in a scathing new report. Central government funding to councils has been cut by 37% in real terms in 2010-16, and spending on older people has fallen by 9%. The researchers found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-more-burning-injustice-than-failing-elderly-care-system 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-more-burning-injustice-than-failing-elderly-care-system Thu, 15 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT Voluntary sector leaders have said the devolution process should be reformed to ensure charities are properly represented as service providers. At the Devolution and Voluntary Sector Summit last week, leaders of 30 charities signed a statement of devolution principles. The charities argued that whilst the devolution process was valuable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-should-be-reset-to-include-voluntary-sector 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-should-be-reset-to-include-voluntary-sector Thu, 15 Sep 2016 08:30:00 GMT Plans to maximise the profits from the HS2 high-speed rail line have been unveiled by Birmingham City Council and Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP today. The Curzon Investment Plan is a 30-year plan to create 36,000 jobs, 4,000 new homes and 600,000sqm of commercial floor space on the 141ha site around Curzon Street Station, where HS2... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-becomes-first-council-to-capitalise-on-local-hs2-impact 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-becomes-first-council-to-capitalise-on-local-hs2-impact Wed, 14 Sep 2016 16:15:00 GMT Councils have come out against a new Bill intended to reduce homelessness, saying it will impose new duties on them without tackling the causes of the problem. The Homelessness Reduction Bill was introduced as a Private Members’ Bill by Bob Blackman MP, a member of the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC), after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adding-more-homelessness-duties-to-councils-not-the-answer-warns-lord-porter 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adding-more-homelessness-duties-to-councils-not-the-answer-warns-lord-porter Wed, 14 Sep 2016 15:15:00 GMT The EU Referendum shows the need for a clear legal framework for future referendums, the Electoral Commission has said. The commission’s report into how the referendum, which led to the UK voting to leave the European Union, was run concluded that it was successful overall. A survey of members of the public found that 77% said they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-referendum-shows-clear-legal-framework-needed-in-future 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-referendum-shows-clear-legal-framework-needed-in-future Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:15:00 GMT Councils should have greater responsibility for areas currently facing cuts, including public health, social care and transport, paid for by devolved business rates, the LGA has said. In its response to the DCLG consultation on proposals to devolve 100% control of business rates to councils by 2020-21, the LGA said: “At the outset... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-must-be-used-to-mitigate-cuts-says-lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-must-be-used-to-mitigate-cuts-says-lga Tue, 13 Sep 2016 17:00:00 GMT The resettlement programme for Syrian refugees may be put at risk because of difficulties finding sufficient accommodation and school places, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. In a new report, the NAO praised the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme’s “all hands on deck” approach, which had allowed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lacking-council-resources-a-risk-to-syrian-refugee-resettlement-success 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lacking-council-resources-a-risk-to-syrian-refugee-resettlement-success Tue, 13 Sep 2016 14:30:00 GMT Former prime minister David Cameron’s parliamentary career is over after he announced his resignation as an MP. Cameron resigned as prime minister after the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, which he had announced, led to a vote to leave. He said he will now also stand down as MP for Witney in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-cameron-stands-down-as-oxfordshire-mp 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-cameron-stands-down-as-oxfordshire-mp Tue, 13 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT The inquiry into historic allegations of child sexual abuse suffers from an “inherent problem” because its scope is too large, its former chair has said. Justice Lowell Goddard, who resigned in August, submitted a memo to the Home Affairs Select Committee setting out what she saw as the problems with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/departing-judge-says-child-abuse-inquiry-has-inherent-problem 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/departing-judge-says-child-abuse-inquiry-has-inherent-problem Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:45:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing & health at Sevenoaks District Council, looks at how District Councils can help to shape an environment that is conducive to mental wellbeing. Saturday 10 September was World Suicide Prevention Day. The World Health Organisation estimates that over 800,000 people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-seriously-underestimated-when-it-comes-to-mental-wellbeing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-seriously-underestimated-when-it-comes-to-mental-wellbeing Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Support for disabled people is in danger of “going backwards”, a campaign group has warned after uncovering a “postcode lottery” in London councils’ provision for disabled people following the abolition of the Independent Living Fund (ILF.) The ILF was established in 1988 with the intention of providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risk-of-going-backwards-on-disability-support 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risk-of-going-backwards-on-disability-support Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Devolution in Sheffield looks set to go ahead despite protests from two of the county councils involved, as members of the combined authority meet today. The Sheffield City Region (SCR) combined authority is to decide whether to ask Sajid Javid, the communities and local government secretary, to order the next stage of the devolution deal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-devolution-looks-set-to-go-ahead-despite-misconceived-challenge 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-devolution-looks-set-to-go-ahead-despite-misconceived-challenge Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:45:00 GMT London councils are seeking new powers over business rates devolution, arguing that otherwise they will be disadvantaged by the government’s approach. A new report, published by London Councils ahead of its executive meeting tomorrow, says that it is wrong for the government to set national standards on key areas of business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-opaque-national-approach-may-hold-back-london-business-rates-devolution 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-opaque-national-approach-may-hold-back-london-business-rates-devolution Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:00:00 GMT Council services, including library and children’s centres, will no longer operate at more than 100 buildings in Lancashire as the council seeks to meet a severe funding shortfall. Papers from the council cabinet meeting show that it will have to extract £40.7m from its reserves this year to meet its funding shortfall. It also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-to-close-services-at-more-than-100-sites 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-cc-to-close-services-at-more-than-100-sites Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:15:00 GMT New anti-flooding measures must be backed up by giving local councils control of funding, the LGA has said. The National Flood Resilience Review, published yesterday after delays, said the government would look at “strengthening the role of local partners” in natural flood management, but did not promise councils any new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-devolved-flood-defence-funding-after-defra-review- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-devolved-flood-defence-funding-after-defra-review- Fri, 09 Sep 2016 14:45:00 GMT Domestic violence campaigners have welcomed indications from the prime minister that women’s refuges could be exempt from a housing benefits cap which would force many to shut. Earlier this week, charity Women’s Aid published an analysis showing that the cap could force 67% of refuges in England and 69% of refuges in Wales to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-working-on-exempting-womens-refuges-from-housing-cap 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-working-on-exempting-womens-refuges-from-housing-cap Fri, 09 Sep 2016 14:15:00 GMT Devolution plans in the north east have been thrown into further doubt as the government withdrew the legislation behind them after they were rejected by local councils. The £900m scheme was rejected by the North East Combined Authority on Tuesday when four out of the seven member councils – Sunderland, Durham, South Tyneside... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/very-disappointing-that-north-east-devolution-deal-to-be-withdrawn 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/very-disappointing-that-north-east-devolution-deal-to-be-withdrawn Fri, 09 Sep 2016 11:45:00 GMT The new flood defence review from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has promised new investment and initiatives to help the UK deal with the increased risk of floods. The National Flood Resilience Review was announced in January after parts of the UK suffered devastating floods. The report, which was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defra-review-outlines-125m-for-temporary-flood-defences 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defra-review-outlines-125m-for-temporary-flood-defences Thu, 08 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Controversial proposals to privatise the Land Registry have been excluded from a new Bill which the government says will boost the number of homes being built. The Neighbourhood Planning Bill was originally due to contain the proposals when it was announced in the Queen’s Speech in May, but they were not mentioned when it was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-abandons-land-registry-privatisation-in-new-bill 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-abandons-land-registry-privatisation-in-new-bill Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:00:00 GMT Two West Country councils are to form a single local authority after plans were approved last night. Members of West Somerset District Council voted 21 to four in favour of a merger with Taunton Deane Borough Council. Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew, the Conservative leader of West Somerset council, urged members to back the decision... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taunton-deane-and-west-somerset-councils-to-merge-to-deliver-savings 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taunton-deane-and-west-somerset-councils-to-merge-to-deliver-savings Thu, 08 Sep 2016 09:30:00 GMT Along with optimising land usage and promoting co-location, a radical new report makes the case for rationalising all local NHS estate into one body. PSE’s Luana Salles reports. As with the rest of the public sector, estate management has been a key focus across the NHS in recent months. Whether that’s in the form of NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-crown-estate-of-health-and-care 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-crown-estate-of-health-and-care Thu, 08 Sep 2016 07:30:00 GMT PSE investigates the latest developments around full business rates retention locally and the prospect for further fiscal devolution. Over the next four years, local authorities will invest most of their energy and attention towards the government’s business rates devolution proposal. Consultations have been launched one after the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-time-to-make-local-voices-heard-on-fiscal-devolution 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-time-to-make-local-voices-heard-on-fiscal-devolution Thu, 08 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMT Many councils are seeking to deliver outcomes-based commissioning, but don’t know how to achieve this difficult goal. Ingrid Koehler, service innovation lead at the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), explains how a new project could help facilitate improvements in the home care sector. Although outcomes are generally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-outcomes-based-commissioning-for-home-care 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-outcomes-based-commissioning-for-home-care Thu, 08 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMT Local parks are bearing the brunt of funding cuts, the Heritage Lottery Fund has found in a new report. The State of the UK Public Parks 2016 report found that councils’ parks and green spaces budgets have been cut by around 18.4% or £240m. None of the local authorities surveyed said that they thought they would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warning-that-parks-are-not-a-luxury-as-report-reveals-extent-of-cuts- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warning-that-parks-are-not-a-luxury-as-report-reveals-extent-of-cuts- Wed, 07 Sep 2016 11:00:00 GMT Devolution plans for the north east have been put on hold after four out of the seven local authorities that make up the North East Combined Authority (NECA) voted not to press ahead with the plans. At a meeting of the NECA leadership yesterday, the councils voted against the proposals which include the contentious issue of electing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-out-of-seven-councils-vote-against-north-east-devolution-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-out-of-seven-councils-vote-against-north-east-devolution-plans Wed, 07 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT A cap on housing benefits could force two-thirds of shelters for domestic abuse victims to close unless they are exempted, new figures suggest. The charity Women’s Aid said that if domestic abuse refuges were not exempted from the government’s plans to cap housing benefit, 87% of refuges would have to reduce their level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-womens-shelters-risk-closure-under-housing-benefits-cap 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-womens-shelters-risk-closure-under-housing-benefits-cap Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:30:00 GMT Councils should be given new funding and powers as part of an ambitious strategy to tackle poverty, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has recommended. The foundation published a new manifesto on poverty today, which sets a target of ensuring that by 2030, less than 10% of the British population are in poverty at any one time and no one is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-be-given-new-powers-as-part-of-long-term-deal-on-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-be-given-new-powers-as-part-of-long-term-deal-on-poverty Tue, 06 Sep 2016 14:30:00 GMT The Bus Services Bill should include new powers to require local authorities to protect bus services in rural areas, the Campaign for Better Transport said. The campaign group said that the Bill should require local authorities to carry out an assessment of the need for public transport in their area to prevent them from cutting bus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-services-bill-should-ensure-councils-protect-rural-services- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-services-bill-should-ensure-councils-protect-rural-services- Tue, 06 Sep 2016 12:15:00 GMT How easy to read is your website? A new report suggests 82% of council websites could be confusing readers by failing to use plain English. VisibleThread analysed up to 100 pages on 191 local authority websites for factors such as ‘readability’, ‘passive language’, ‘long sentences’ and ‘word... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-80-of-local-authority-websites-fail-readability-guidelines 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-80-of-local-authority-websites-fail-readability-guidelines Mon, 05 Sep 2016 11:30:00 GMT Proposals to make it easier for local community groups to play a role in the planning system are to go ahead, the government has announced. The DCLG published the results of a consultation into proposed reforms to policy on neighbourhood plans, which are developed by community groups and, if they pass several stages of assessment, are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-press-ahead-with-neighbourhood-planning-reforms 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-press-ahead-with-neighbourhood-planning-reforms Mon, 05 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT Councils have pledged to help 20,000 Syrian refugees who will be resettled in Britain by 2020. The Home Office announced today that all 20,000 local authority places have now been found, one year after it promised to increase the number of refugees the country accepts following public pressure. In addition, it promised £10m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/places-for-20000-syrian-refugees-found-among-local-authorities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/places-for-20000-syrian-refugees-found-among-local-authorities Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:45:00 GMT The future of devolution in the north east could be in doubt, with both the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and Gateshead Council due to vote on it tomorrow. Gateshead was originally one of the seven constituent authorities who signed an agreement with the government to establish a devolution deal for the north east in October... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-in-doubt-ahead-of-key-meetings 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-in-doubt-ahead-of-key-meetings Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:30:00 GMT Sunderland local authority children’s services have improved in several areas, including ensuring a better future for care leavers, since being rated ‘inadequate’ last year and being taken over by a voluntary trust, Ofsted has said. An Ofsted inspection in July 2015 said that Sunderland children’s services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunderland-childrens-services-making-progress-since-inadequate-rating 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunderland-childrens-services-making-progress-since-inadequate-rating Mon, 05 Sep 2016 09:45:00 GMT Despite the political uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, Dr Alison Knight, head of places strategy at Cheshire West and Chester Council, explains why it is vitally important to keep leaders focused on plans for public sector estate reform. Strong leadership, political buy-in and good programme management are three of the vital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-continued-leadership-in-estate-reform 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-continued-leadership-in-estate-reform Mon, 05 Sep 2016 07:30:00 GMT Cllr Kieran Quinn, chair of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund and Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, and leader of Tameside MBC, discusses the changing landscape for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The future of the LGPS is at the centre of government plans to significantly alter the governance shape of the largest funded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-second-generation-lgps 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-second-generation-lgps Mon, 05 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMT Theresa May’s plans for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to take on the duties and responsibilities of fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) have not been without controversy. But what have localities been doing to ensure any decision made is beneficial? Paul Bullen, acting director for governance, operations and delivery at the Office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blurring-the-red-and-blue 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blurring-the-red-and-blue Mon, 05 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMT Kat Sellers, health partnershipco-ordinator at the National Housing Federation, runs through the many benefits of working alongside housing associations to combat homelessness and improve health outcomes for marginalised groups. It only talks a short walk through any major city to see that homelessness is on the rise. According to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-associations-proactive-and-reactive-to-homelessness 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-associations-proactive-and-reactive-to-homelessness Mon, 05 Sep 2016 06:30:00 GMT The chief executive of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has been appointed as the interim accountable officer of NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as part of plans to closer integrate the area’s health and social care services. Steven Pleasant’s appointment is part of Tameside’s Care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tameside-council-chief-executive-appointed-as-ccg-lead 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tameside-council-chief-executive-appointed-as-ccg-lead Fri, 02 Sep 2016 15:45:00 GMT As children around the country prepare to go back to school, the LGA has urged schools to do more to make it easier for parents to buy school uniforms. Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said: “Wearing school uniform can help children to feel part of a community and instils a sense of pride... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-school-uniforms-too-expensive 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-school-uniforms-too-expensive Fri, 02 Sep 2016 15:15:00 GMT Candidates for next year’s mayoral elections in Manchester and Liverpool have accused the new government of having “changed [its] tune” over the Northern Powerhouse. Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham, the Labour mayoral candidates in Manchester and Liverpool, gave a joint press conference, in which they called on prime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-candidates-say-may-must-honour-northern-powerhouse-promises 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-candidates-say-may-must-honour-northern-powerhouse-promises Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:15:00 GMT There are concerns about the safeguarding of data at Redbridge Council after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) conducted an audit into the council’s data protection processes. In the audit, the ICO gave the council an overall rating of ‘limited assurance’ after finding that it had a corporate subject... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/limited-assurance-about-data-safeguarding-at-redbridge-council 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/limited-assurance-about-data-safeguarding-at-redbridge-council Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:30:00 GMT Cllr Ian Stewart, cabinet member for Public Health and Community Services at Cumbria County Council, in his Libraries Taskforce blog, explains why we all must step up and meet the challenge of ensuring libraries are relevant to this day and age. Cumbria is a large rural county, internationally known for being the home of the Lake District... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-libraries-relevant-and-enhancing-community-wellbeing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-libraries-relevant-and-enhancing-community-wellbeing Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:30:00 GMT The debate around the EU membership referendum shows the need for more laws on future referendums, the Electoral Reform Society has said. In a new report, ‘It’s Good to Talk: Doing Referendums Differently After the EU Vote’, the society said that the referendum was conducted in an atmosphere of ignorance. Polling by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electoral-reform-society-slams-management-of-dire-eu-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electoral-reform-society-slams-management-of-dire-eu-referendum Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:15:00 GMT The Environmental Audit Committee has warned that the DfT risks missing key targets on making UK transport more sustainable in a new report. The report said that the department needs to spell out more clearly and in more detail its commitments, timetable and progress on sustainable transport, and give the transport sector more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-needs-greater-commitment-to-sustainable-transport-mps 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-needs-greater-commitment-to-sustainable-transport-mps Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities are struggling to deliver their new responsibility for public health services because of budget cuts and ‘fragmented’ leadership, the Health Select Committee has warned. Local authorities were given responsibility for public health under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. However, public health funding for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-creating-a-false-economy-and-risk-widening-inequalities 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-creating-a-false-economy-and-risk-widening-inequalities Thu, 01 Sep 2016 10:15:00 GMT Prison officer numbers are still at dangerously low levels despite government efforts to recruit more, a prisons’ charity has said. New analysis from the Howard League of Penal Reform shows that in 2016, there were 14,689 officers working in UK prisons, compared to 15,110 in 2015. Prison officer numbers fell from 17,190 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fall-in-prison-officer-numbers-has-created-toxic-cocktail 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fall-in-prison-officer-numbers-has-created-toxic-cocktail Wed, 31 Aug 2016 17:15:00 GMT The leader of Leeds city council is seeking a meeting with the prime minister and environment secretary amid concerns about delays to a review and new funding for flood defences. A national review of the nation’s flood defences was announced in January after Storm Desmond caused devastating floods across the north of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-council-leader-seeks-meeting-over-flood-defence-funding-as-review-delayed 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-council-leader-seeks-meeting-over-flood-defence-funding-as-review-delayed Wed, 31 Aug 2016 16:30:00 GMT Projects to foster growth in the Leeds City Region have met with challenges so far, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has admitted as it prepares a bid for more funding. A report prepared for a meeting of the WYCA investment committee says that the £109m from the government’s Local Growth Fund the authority has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-growth-deal-funding-needed-to-fill-gaps-in-current-projects-wyca 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-growth-deal-funding-needed-to-fill-gaps-in-current-projects-wyca Wed, 31 Aug 2016 15:00:00 GMT A new benefits claimants’ support scheme must be fully devolved to local councils in order to stop it from repeating the mistakes of its predecessor, the LGA has said. The Work and Health Programme, intended to help benefits claimants with disabilities and long-term health conditions find jobs, will replace the Work Programme next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-work-and-health-programme-to-be-devolved 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-work-and-health-programme-to-be-devolved Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:15:00 GMT Conor D’Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, looks at the potential impact of the National Living Wage (NLW) and apprenticeship levy on public sector employers and the importance of putting a plan in place. “A robot is after your job.” Sound familiar? The rise of the robots and the end of work seem to have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-prepared-is-the-public-sector-for-the-nlw 450,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-prepared-is-the-public-sector-for-the-nlw Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT David Buck, senior fellow, public health and inequalities at The King’s Fund, reflects on the need for inclusive transformation to deliver population health systems. While integrating care services is part of the journey to a transformed health system, it is not the destination. In light of this, we published a report last year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-integrated-care-and-towards-population-health-systems 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-integrated-care-and-towards-population-health-systems Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Helen Forrest Hall, policy lead: Defined Benefit at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, looks at the political and economic impact of Brexit on the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The old adage “may you live in interesting times” has felt like it is a curse rather than a wish of late. Since the result... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-you-live-in-exceptional-times http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-you-live-in-exceptional-times Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Speaking ahead of this year’s party conference season, Dave Penman, general secretary at the FDA Union, discusses the recent Brexit vote and the need to properly resource the Civil Service to deliver the government’s commitments. In order to deliver the government’s commitments following the UK’s vote to leave the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/resource-review-and-extra-funding-critical-for-civil-service-to-deliver-brexit 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/resource-review-and-extra-funding-critical-for-civil-service-to-deliver-brexit Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Cllr Gillian Keegan, director of Women2Win, explains why she is co-chairing a commission into women’s representation in local government and how people can get involved. The Fawcett Society and LGiU have launched a one-year commission supported by Barrow Cadbury Trust to examine the role of women across local government and identify... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-need-more-women-leaders-in-local-government 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-need-more-women-leaders-in-local-government Wed, 31 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT The prime minister has announced a new audit to review whether black and ethnic minority (BME) groups are suffering discrimination because of public services. A new dedicated Whitehall unit, situated in the Cabinet Office and reporting jointly to Sajid Javid, the secretary for communities and local government, and Ben Gummer, the minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-launched-to-reveal-difficult-truths-of-racial-discrimination-in-public-services 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-launched-to-reveal-difficult-truths-of-racial-discrimination-in-public-services Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:45:00 GMT The national living wage has led to an increase in pay for social care workers so far, but may not be sustainable in the long term, according to the Resolution Foundation. The national living wage, which increases minimum pay for workers aged over 25 to £7.20 an hour, was introduced in April. The Resolution Foundation report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risk-of-crunch-point-in-encouraging-national-living-wage-increase 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risk-of-crunch-point-in-encouraging-national-living-wage-increase Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:00:00 GMT A woman trying to escape an abusive ex-partner received inadequate support from Brent and Ealing councils when she tried to find new council housing, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has ruled. The woman, known as Ms X, first contacted Brent council in August 2014. She was a council housing resident in the borough who had just ended a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/domestic-abuse-victim-badly-let-down-by-brent-and-ealing-councils- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/domestic-abuse-victim-badly-let-down-by-brent-and-ealing-councils- Tue, 30 Aug 2016 10:30:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing & health at Sevenoaks District Council, argues that if Westminster is really serious about tackling homelessness it needs to set local government free to develop solutions. The House of Commons’ Communities & Local Government (CLG) select committee recently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-must-be-set-free-to-tackle-homelessness 446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-must-be-set-free-to-tackle-homelessness Tue, 30 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Plans to increase rent for high-income social housing residents could affect 70,000 households and generate new costs for councils, according to the LGA. The Pay to Stay policy, which is set to be introduced in April next year, requires high-income social tenants to pay rent closer to market rates. However, new analysis by Savills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-to-stay-an-expensive-distraction-from-vital-housebuilding-efforts 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-to-stay-an-expensive-distraction-from-vital-housebuilding-efforts Tue, 30 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT Fire and rescue authorities should work together in order to procure common equipment more cheaply, the Home Office has said. For the first time, the Home Office, which now controls fire services, has published transparency data on fire authority spending, revealing differences between regions. For example, when asked what they spent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-lot-more-to-be-done-on-cutting-procurement-costs-says-fire-minister 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-lot-more-to-be-done-on-cutting-procurement-costs-says-fire-minister Fri, 26 Aug 2016 16:00:00 GMT A Bill intended to tackle rising levels of homelessness which was proposed by a Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) member is to be examined by the committee. The CLG Committee published a major report into local authorities’ response to homelessness last week, which concluded that there is an “unacceptable”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-examine-homelessness-reduction-bill 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-examine-homelessness-reduction-bill Fri, 26 Aug 2016 15:00:00 GMT Academies are at risk of financial fraud without better oversight, councils have said as they called for restoration of their powers over school finances. The LGA said that it does not believe the Education Funding Agency (EFA) is capable of fulfilling its role of academy financing oversight. Earlier this year, the National Audit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-powers-to-prevent-financial-abuses-in-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-powers-to-prevent-financial-abuses-in-academies Fri, 26 Aug 2016 14:00:00 GMT Stephen Miller, research and evaluation manager at the Design Council, talks to PSE’s Luana Salles about the main barriers to embedding smart service design in local authority projects, and how to overcome them. At a time of financial constraints and growing demand, it is already clear to local authorities that they must start... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/design-first-act-later 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/design-first-act-later Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT Martin Ferguson, director of policy and research at Socitm, explains how simplifying, standardising and sharing digital transformation solutions could deliver better outcomes for public services across the country. “Simplify – Standardise – Share” is the call from the Local CIO Council (LCIOC), as it sets out its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/simplifying-and-sharing-digital-design-principles-for-the-future 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/simplifying-and-sharing-digital-design-principles-for-the-future Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT Cllr Paul Carter, chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN) and leader of Kent County Council, argues counties can offer the government both stability and solutions in a post-Brexit world. The vote to leave the European Union was the clearest marker yet that Westminster is completely disconnected from ordinary people.  As... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-can-help-deliver-the-post-brexit-agenda 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-can-help-deliver-the-post-brexit-agenda Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:15:00 GMT Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, former chair of the Mental Health Act Commission, makes the case for a radical new report that offers practical solutions to breaking integration barriers. How many times have we heard that if only we had full integration of health and social care, we would be able to improve the lives of those who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-and-innovation-will-break-down-barriers-to-health-and-social-care-integration 447,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-and-innovation-will-break-down-barriers-to-health-and-social-care-integration Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:00:00 GMT Anand Menon, professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London, reflects on the task ahead for the public sector after the nation’s vote to leave the European Union. Public servants have faced numerous challenges over the years, from stringent budget cuts implying the need for fewer people to carry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-collectively-is-key-to-delivering-optimum-post-brexit-outcome 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-collectively-is-key-to-delivering-optimum-post-brexit-outcome Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:00:00 GMT A new government policy of forcing pupils to retake English and Maths GCSEs has been linked to a sharp fall in GCSE results. As thousands of 16-year-olds around the country opened their results, it emerged that the percentage getting a C or above had fallen by 2.1%, the highest year-on-year fall since O-levels were abolished. Critics... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-education-policy-slammed-over-gcse-grades-drop 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-education-policy-slammed-over-gcse-grades-drop Thu, 25 Aug 2016 15:30:00 GMT Efforts to grow the UK’s economy must focus on investing in cities because of their key role in the UK’s economy, think tank Centre for Cities has said. In its latest briefing paper, ‘Trading Places’, it says that city centres make up 0.1% of the area of Britain but are home to 8.1% of businesses and 14.4% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/industrial-strategy-must-exploit-national-strengths-and-focus-on-cities- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/industrial-strategy-must-exploit-national-strengths-and-focus-on-cities- Thu, 25 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT Around 1,000 full-time staff at Bristol City Council may lose their jobs as the council faces a £29m budget deficit. The council is carrying out a consultation on the changes and has launched a scheme to let staff apply for voluntary redundancy. The affected staff will leave their jobs by the end of September. Labour’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-to-axe-1000-jobs-as-it-faces-huge-financial-burden 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-to-axe-1000-jobs-as-it-faces-huge-financial-burden Thu, 25 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT GMB has welcomed Harrow council’s support for a charter designed to guarantee the rights of terminally ill workers. Harrow is the first London council to sign the ‘Dying to Work’ charter, which commits employers to provide security of work, peace of mind and the right to choose the best course of action for terminally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-london-council-signs-dying-to-work-charter 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-london-council-signs-dying-to-work-charter Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT The newly-created West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has received its first £36.5m grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The WMCA submitted a bid for £8bn of funds last year. The deal it was ultimately granted is worth £1bn, still the biggest devolution deal so far. Its launch... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-receives-first-tranche-of-multi-million-devo-funding 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-receives-first-tranche-of-multi-million-devo-funding Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT The row over the burkini in France escalated today after images emerged of police apparently making a woman remove some of her clothing on a beach in Nice. Nice, along with several other French local authorities, has issued a ban on clothing which “overtly manifests adherence to a religion”. The ban has been seen as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-burkini-ban-could-it-happen-here 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-burkini-ban-could-it-happen-here Wed, 24 Aug 2016 16:30:00 GMT Plans to establish a combined authority in Lancashire have been opposed by local council leaders. Cllr Simon Blackburn, Labour leader of Blackpool Council and chair of the Lancashire shadow combined authority, is spearheading an initiative for the county to become the latest region to gain combined authority powers. He has said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-lancashire-combined-authority-under-attack-over-massive-financial-burden 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-lancashire-combined-authority-under-attack-over-massive-financial-burden Wed, 24 Aug 2016 15:45:00 GMT Local authorities should directly commission new homes in order to address the shortfall in affordable housing, the charity Shelter has said. In a new briefing paper, Shelter says that local and national governments should pilot building affordable homes, which can then be sold to local housing associations to manage. This should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-plans-a-very-weak-way-for-councils-to-change-land-use-for-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-plans-a-very-weak-way-for-councils-to-change-land-use-for-housing Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:45:00 GMT Affordable housing must be built on the land by Kidbrooke station after Transport for London (TfL) sells it, the London mayor has told the transport body. Sadiq Khan has issued a direction to TfL to ensure that, when it sells the land, at least 50% of any residential accommodation built on the site is used as affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-tells-tfl-to-release-land-for-affordable-housing 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-tells-tfl-to-release-land-for-affordable-housing Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:15:00 GMT UK households are increasingly in debt because of a real-terms decrease in wages, especially for public sector workers, the TUC has said. New research from the TUC shows that total unsecured debt for UK households (including credit cards, payday loans and student loans, but excluding mortgages), has risen from £48bn in 2012 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-freeze-and-wage-cap-forcing-public-sector-workers-into-debt-claim-unions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-freeze-and-wage-cap-forcing-public-sector-workers-into-debt-claim-unions Tue, 23 Aug 2016 16:30:00 GMT A single apprenticeship programme across the public sector could be the only way to maximise the benefits of the new apprenticeship levy, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has said. In a report published ahead of Friday’s board meeting, Cllr Sean Anstee, portfolio leader for work and skills, and Theresa Grant, portfolio... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-wide-programme-needed-to-maximise-apprenticeship-levy-benefits--gmca 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-wide-programme-needed-to-maximise-apprenticeship-levy-benefits--gmca Tue, 23 Aug 2016 14:45:00 GMT The government has insisted that it has no plans to abolish the introduction of elected mayors as part of devolution deals, which are opposed by officials from West Yorkshire and other combined authorities. The Times reported yesterday that, according to sources in Whitehall, new prime minister Theresa May is planning to end the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dlcg-insists-devo-mayors-will-remain-despite-west-yorkshire-pleas 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dlcg-insists-devo-mayors-will-remain-despite-west-yorkshire-pleas Tue, 23 Aug 2016 12:15:00 GMT The numbers of women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds being appointed to public bodies increased in the past year, but more progress is required, the Commissioner for Public Appointments has said. In 2015-16, there were 2,240 appointments and reappointments made by ministers and other public bodies. Of these, 45.4% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/great-deal-more-to-do-on-public-sector-diversity-despite-improvements 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/great-deal-more-to-do-on-public-sector-diversity-despite-improvements Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:15:00 GMT Net borrowing by local government increased in the first two months of this financial year, despite the public sector as a whole achieving a £1bn surplus. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that public sector net borrowing was at £23.7bn in April-July 2016, compared to £24bn at the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-borrowing-increases-in-response-to-grant-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-borrowing-increases-in-response-to-grant-cuts Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:15:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing & health at Sevenoaks District Council, reflects on the government’s missed opportunity for district councils to help tackle child obesity in its recently published strategy. It is a shame that the government’s recently published report on childhood obesity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-misses-a-trick-in-forgetting-council-role-to-tackle-childhood-obesity- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-misses-a-trick-in-forgetting-council-role-to-tackle-childhood-obesity- Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT Theft of badges designed to allow disabled drivers free parking has more than trebled in two years, new research from the LGA shows. There were just 656 reports of blue badges being stolen in 2013, but this rose to 1,756 in 2014 and then 2,056 in 2015. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of successful council prosecutions for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-people-robbed-of-independence-as-blue-badge-thefts-treble-since-2013 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-people-robbed-of-independence-as-blue-badge-thefts-treble-since-2013 Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Plans to make health and social care more sustainable are being held back because local councils are not being included as equal partners, council leaders in the south east have said. In a letter to health secretary Jeremy Hunt, the council leaders said that local government has not been an equal partner in initiatives to deliver greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-argue-co-chairing-of-stps-could-help-remedy-missed-opportunities 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-argue-co-chairing-of-stps-could-help-remedy-missed-opportunities Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Just half of those surveyed about the planned West of England devolution deal agree that establishing a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) would benefit the region, the results of a month-long public consultation exercise revealed. The consultation, which received 2,011 responses, confirmed just 55% of participants said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-of-england-devolution-model-backed-by-just-half-of-surveyed-public 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-of-england-devolution-model-backed-by-just-half-of-surveyed-public Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT Central government has faced strong criticism of its many estate schemes in recent years, but one in particular seems to steer clear of the backlash. Bruce Mann, executive director of the Government Property Unit (GPU), reveals the secret to One Public Estate’s success – just before its phase 4 kicks off. The vast public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-secret-to-the-success-of-one-public-estate 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-secret-to-the-success-of-one-public-estate Fri, 19 Aug 2016 15:15:00 GMT Lord John Krebs, chairman of the adaptation sub-committee of the Committee on Climate Change, discusses the unparalleled opportunity the public sector has on tackling climate change, especially through its estate. Public sector employees and property are often on the frontline when it comes to dealing with the impacts of extreme weather.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-acting-now-to-mitigate-climate-change-risk 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-acting-now-to-mitigate-climate-change-risk Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:45:00 GMT David Stevenson looks back at this year’s Health+Care Show, the largest national integrated care conference, and what challenges remain to delivering joined-up health and social care. This year’s Health+Care Show took place in the shadow of the UK’s vote to leave the EU, and just days before the NHS-led sustainability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-goal-of-seamless-care-integration 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-goal-of-seamless-care-integration Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:30:00 GMT PSE’s Rosemary Collins analyses the recent Home Affairs Select Committee report into the UK’s response to the migration crisis, and whether the public sector is doing enough to support Syrian refugees. The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ never proved truer than last September. The sight of the pictures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refugee-resettlement-are-we-doing-enough 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refugee-resettlement-are-we-doing-enough Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:15:00 GMT Tam Fry, patron of the Child Growth Foundation, spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum and expert advisory team member with Action On Sugar, writes for PSE about the government’s delayed child obesity strategy. Brexit will undoubtedly be David Cameron’s legacy, but if the NHS has to be rescued from collapse any time in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inaction-over-child-obesity-not-brexit-should-be-camerons-legacy 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inaction-over-child-obesity-not-brexit-should-be-camerons-legacy Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:00:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Birmingham City University, considers some potential implications of Theresa May’s new Cabinet and restructured Whitehall machine following the UK’s EU Referendum. The electrifying and unexpected EU Referendum result during the early hours of 24 June, first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/political-turmoil-in-cabinet-and-whitehall 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/political-turmoil-in-cabinet-and-whitehall Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:00:00 GMT The DCLG should work much more closely with local authorities to learn lessons from the interventions at Rotherham MBC and Tower Hamlets LBC to avoid similar failings happening elsewhere. According to the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee, which today published its report into the interventions at the local authorities, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/intervention-lessons-must-be-shared-so-councils-avoid-hitting-rock-bottom 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/intervention-lessons-must-be-shared-so-councils-avoid-hitting-rock-bottom Fri, 19 Aug 2016 11:15:00 GMT Despite good systems being in place that help manage and control finances, spending within tighter budgets is “proving to be a challenge” for some local authorities in Wales, the Welsh auditor has said, adding that there is still scope to improve how savings are made – especially in the context of austerity measures and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-must-strengthen-financial-planning-arrangements-in-light-of-brexit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-must-strengthen-financial-planning-arrangements-in-light-of-brexit Fri, 19 Aug 2016 11:15:00 GMT Since the last edition of PSE, the landscape facing the public sector has altered dramatically and brought with it a great deal of uncertainty – as if there wasn’t enough of that before.  Following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (well, the English and Welsh vote), we have a completely new-look government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-wave-of-uncertainty 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-wave-of-uncertainty Fri, 19 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Councils and residents in Oxfordshire will now have to work together to decide the best way forward for the region’s devolution after two reports recommended different political structures: one favoured three unitary councils working together through a combined authority, and the other preferred the sixth option of a “strategic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devo-model-still-unresolved-as-single-unitary-council-proposed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-devo-model-still-unresolved-as-single-unitary-council-proposed Thu, 18 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Suzanne Griffiths, project manager at Camden Council, discusses the early learning from the innovative Public Collaboration Lab project. There is a growing network of innovation labs, units and i-teams  supporting national governments and cities around the world to develop new policies and strategies to improve public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-from-camdens-public-collaboration-lab 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-from-camdens-public-collaboration-lab Thu, 18 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT MPs have called on the government to monitor local authorities and implement a code of practice to ensure they are meeting their statutory duties regarding homelessness, as it is “not acceptable that the level of support offered to vulnerable people can vary significantly across the country”. The Communities and Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/code-of-practice-needed-to-tackle-unacceptable-council-variation-in-homelessness-support 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/code-of-practice-needed-to-tackle-unacceptable-council-variation-in-homelessness-support Thu, 18 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT The government’s long anticipated – and much delayed – childhood obesity strategy has already been harshly criticised by councils and healthcare leaders for its “glaring omission” of many of the “key planks which an effective and comprehensive strategy would contain”, including measures to tackle junk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childhood-obesity-strategy-savaged-for-glaring-omission-of-key-targets 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childhood-obesity-strategy-savaged-for-glaring-omission-of-key-targets Thu, 18 Aug 2016 09:15:00 GMT Local authorities are asking for greater national co-ordination around the issue of refugees just a day before a delegation of senior councillors from the LGA set off to visit the ‘Calais Jungle’ migrant camp. The senior councillors will meet with the mayor of Calais and their European counterparts this Thursday to consolidate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-urge-greater-co-ordination-on-refugee-crisis-ahead-of-calais-camp-visit 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-urge-greater-co-ordination-on-refugee-crisis-ahead-of-calais-camp-visit Wed, 17 Aug 2016 15:15:00 GMT Leaders from major health organisations have come together to call on the government to halt deep cuts to health visitor posts in order to keep other public health problems, such as obesity, social exclusion and mental ill health, from escalating further. In a joint letter to the Times – signed by the CEOs of 11 health bodies, such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-health-visitors-could-have-irredeemable-effects-on-public-health-goals 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-health-visitors-could-have-irredeemable-effects-on-public-health-goals Wed, 17 Aug 2016 11:15:00 GMT England is in danger of introducing an apprenticeship system that would have worked well in the economy of the 1960s but is not fit for a 21st century workforce, the IPPR has said as part of a series of concerns surrounding the government’s reform plans for next year. In a briefing paper, the influential think tank said the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-reforms-not-fit-for-the-21st-century-warns-ippr 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-reforms-not-fit-for-the-21st-century-warns-ippr Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:15:00 GMT The design of the new business rates regime – with particular consideration to the retention system in two-tier areas – is “absolutely critical” to its success, the County Councils Network (CCN) has said as research revealed business rates income in urban areas “far outstrips” the amounts raised in rural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-will-fail-counties-without-critical-redesign-ccn-says 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-will-fail-counties-without-critical-redesign-ccn-says Tue, 16 Aug 2016 12:15:00 GMT Rachael Tiffen, head of the CIPFA Counter Fraud Centre, recently wrote for PSE about the new Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally strategy and the importance of strong leadership to enable change. In London, plans to turn up the heat of tackling criminal’s defrauding the capital’s councils have now taken a step forward, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turning-up-the-heat-to-tackle-fraud-in-the-capital 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turning-up-the-heat-to-tackle-fraud-in-the-capital Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT Bristol City Council has appointed Bristol Waste Company (BWC) to provide the city with an integrated waste service over the next 10 years. BWC, a limited company, wholly owned by Bristol Holding Company Limited, which is a company wholly owned by the local authority, will be responsible for the entire waste process including collection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-opts-for-integrated-waste-service 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-opts-for-integrated-waste-service Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:30:00 GMT Professor Alexis Jay has been appointed as the fourth chair of the government’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, and has said she is determined to make progress on all aspects of the programme’s work, including speaking to victims and survivors. The child protection expert, who led the independent inquiry into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-child-abuse-inquiry-chair-determined-to-make-progress-and-increase-momentum- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-child-abuse-inquiry-chair-determined-to-make-progress-and-increase-momentum- Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:00:00 GMT Councils need to ensure their housing departments have a flexible approach, especially when dealing with complex family circumstances, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGS) has said. Speaking after a family in Kent spent nearly three years in unsuitable accommodation, as Thanet District Council did not understand the severity of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-have-flexibility-to-meet-complex-housing-needs-says-lgo 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-have-flexibility-to-meet-complex-housing-needs-says-lgo Mon, 15 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT The government’s decision to honour existing projects reliant on EU funding and those signed-off by the Autumn Statement is a welcome move but “falls well short” of the full guarantees local authorities need, Lord Porter, chairman of the LGA has stated. Over the weekend, the chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced that EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-funding-commitment-falls-well-short-of-allaying-local-uncertainty-lord-porter 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-funding-commitment-falls-well-short-of-allaying-local-uncertainty-lord-porter Mon, 15 Aug 2016 09:15:00 GMT It is “irresponsible” for the government to press ahead with the problematic apprenticeship levy, especially in the midst of post-referendum economic uncertainty, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said as the DfE revealed further details of the tax. The CIPD’s head of public policy, Ben... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-blasted-for-irresponsible-apprenticeship-levy-as-further-details-revealed 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-blasted-for-irresponsible-apprenticeship-levy-as-further-details-revealed Fri, 12 Aug 2016 15:00:00 GMT Officers at the most senior level in a local authority, such as chief executives, should be appointed as electoral registration officers and returning officers and must undertake relevant training to ensure they have the necessary skills for the role, former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles MP has said in his much-anticipated review of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ceos-must-be-trained-on-skills-needed-to-tackle-electoral-fraud-says-pickles 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ceos-must-be-trained-on-skills-needed-to-tackle-electoral-fraud-says-pickles Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:45:00 GMT Sheffield City Region’s (SCR’s) devolution proposal has suffered another crushing blow as Nottinghamshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Alan Rhodes, accused the deal of “making no sense” in a letter to senior government ministers. As well as responding to the official SCR Combined Authority consultation, Cllr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-devo-plans-suffer-second-blow-as-county-leader-rejects-bassetlaw-membership 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-devo-plans-suffer-second-blow-as-county-leader-rejects-bassetlaw-membership Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:15:00 GMT The current Right to Buy (RTB) scheme needs “urgent reform” as councils are growing increasingly unable to replace homes sold under the programme – with the number of replaced houses falling by more than a quarter last year due to tight national restrictions, the LGA has warned. The association blamed “complex... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-needs-urgent-reform-as-councils-lag-behind-replacement-builds 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-needs-urgent-reform-as-councils-lag-behind-replacement-builds Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:30:00 GMT Prime minister Theresa May is being urged to announce an economic ‘stimulus package’ that inspires confidence post-referendum, as Scotland’s first minister injected another £100m into this year’s funding in order to motivate the economy. Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would bring forward the money to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-urged-to-follow-in-scotlands-steps-with-post-brexit-funding-guarantees 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-urged-to-follow-in-scotlands-steps-with-post-brexit-funding-guarantees Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT In its current form, ‘devo-health’ in Greater Manchester (GM) is closer to delegation than actual devolution and has so far just created a new level of bureaucracy as opposed to “simplifying the post-Lansley landscape”, new IPPR research has revealed. The influential think tank defined delegation in its report as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-health-deal-closer-to-delegation-than-devolution-as-centre-retains-power 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-health-deal-closer-to-delegation-than-devolution-as-centre-retains-power Thu, 11 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT Derbyshire County Council has decided to launch legal action against Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority over proposals to put some county council services in the hands of the city-region’s new mayor.  The county council’s leader, Cllr Anne Western, said the authority is seeking permission from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-facing-legal-action-over-flawed-and-unlawful-devolution-consultation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-facing-legal-action-over-flawed-and-unlawful-devolution-consultation Wed, 10 Aug 2016 15:15:00 GMT Advertised broadband speeds are often “misleading” and do not reflect the reality of services received across the country, especially in rural areas, according to council leaders. The LGA said that current rules allow providers to promote "up to" download speeds if they can demonstrate that just 10% of their customers can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-change-to-misleading-broadband-speed-adverts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-change-to-misleading-broadband-speed-adverts Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT As part of Greater Manchester’s devolution deal, three of the region’s major universities are working together to explore proposals to train more doctors in a new independent, international medical school. In a joint statement, the Manchester, Salford and Manchester Metropolitan universities said the proposals would extend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-universities-planning-devomanc-medical-school-to-train-more-doctors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-universities-planning-devomanc-medical-school-to-train-more-doctors Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:30:00 GMT The Labour Party has today named shadow home secretary Andy Burnham and West Midlands MEP Siôn Simon as its mayoral candidates in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands respectively. Leigh MP Burnham, who ran for Labour leadership last year and has remained in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow Cabinet ever since his nomination, won 51%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-names-west-midlands-and-greater-manchester-mayor-candidates 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-names-west-midlands-and-greater-manchester-mayor-candidates Tue, 09 Aug 2016 15:00:00 GMT Ten different police forces and the College of Policing have pocketed shares of a £23m fund designed to sponsor projects that will drive the transformation of policing in England and Wales, the new home secretary, Amber Rudd, has announced. The transformation fund, set up as part of last year’s Spending Review, is police-led... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ten-police-forces-bag-23m-collaborative-fund-to-transform-regional-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ten-police-forces-bag-23m-collaborative-fund-to-transform-regional-services Tue, 09 Aug 2016 11:30:00 GMT  Mike Gill, author of How to Survive Austerity, explains how local government managers can overcome some of the challenges facing the public sector, using seven ‘cherish’ steps.  Uncertainty seems to be an underlying theme at the moment – and as we know uncertainty is not often a good thing, particularly for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-seven-cherish-steps-to-survival 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-seven-cherish-steps-to-survival Mon, 08 Aug 2016 10:30:00 GMT Local council budgets for implementing trading standards has fallen to just under £2 per person whilst staffing has also dropped by over 50%, prompting accusations that the government is failing to protect consumers and businesses. Analysis by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) found that total spend has dropped from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-admit-deep-trading-standards-budget-cuts-placing-consumers-at-risk 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-admit-deep-trading-standards-budget-cuts-placing-consumers-at-risk Mon, 08 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Manchester City Council has defended proposed pay rises for its senior managers despite accusations that the above-inflation increases come at a time of “savage cuts”. The council proposed that the changes to the Strategic Management Team (SMT) pay, which would cost just over £50,000, were due to role changes to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-devo-council-defends-pay-rise-for-senior-managers 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-devo-council-defends-pay-rise-for-senior-managers Mon, 08 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Over 1,000 children in care in England are currently missing out on independent mentor support they may be entitled to by law, according to new research by Barnardo’s and the National Independent Visitor Development Project. Analysis of 149 local authorities revealed that over two-thirds of councils have a waiting list for children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-1000-children-in-care-missing-out-on-independent-mentor-support- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-1000-children-in-care-missing-out-on-independent-mentor-support- Mon, 08 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT Councils should create ‘local housing development funds’ – initially using money from local authority pension funds and then attracting secondary institutional investment – in order to help tackle the housing crisis, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has said in a report setting out 19 other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pension-funds-must-be-used-to-pay-for-local-housing-development-riba-says 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pension-funds-must-be-used-to-pay-for-local-housing-development-riba-says Mon, 08 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT Locally-based plans to improve services for patients with learning difficulties and autism have been published today. The transforming care partnerships (TCPs) bring together service users, their families, providers of services, CCGs, local authorities and NHS England specialised commissioning hubs. They are designed to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-plans-developed-to-improve-services-for-patients-with-learning-difficulties 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-plans-developed-to-improve-services-for-patients-with-learning-difficulties Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:30:00 GMT Private fostering agencies are offering foster carers large sums of money to leave councils and work for them, the president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has said. The ADCS said private agencies are recruiting carers with sums as large as £3,000. Dave Hill told the BBC: “Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adcs-head-calls-for-an-end-to-private-companies-taking-foster-carers 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adcs-head-calls-for-an-end-to-private-companies-taking-foster-carers Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:15:00 GMT Wandsworth and Richmond Upon Thames local authorities are proposing merging their pension funds as part of a cost-saving measure. The two London boroughs announced in January 2015 that they were planning to enter shared staffing arrangements, with an aim of achieving £10m savings. They now argue that one fund under one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wandsworth-and-richmond-open-consultation-on-pension-fund-merger 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wandsworth-and-richmond-open-consultation-on-pension-fund-merger Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:45:00 GMT The inquiry into historic allegations of childhood sexual abuse has suffered another setback after the third person to hold the office of chair resigned. Justice Lowell Goddard offered her resignation as chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Abuse to home secretary Amber Rudd yesterday. The day before, The Times newspaper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/third-chair-of-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-resigns 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/third-chair-of-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-resigns Fri, 05 Aug 2016 12:45:00 GMT Paul Carey-Kent, health and integration policy manager at CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, reflects on the increasing melt-down in the – social care sector and what it means for the NHS. Since 2010, local government has had to grapple with significant funding reductions. As social care is the largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/our-problem-is-your-problem-social-care-and-the-nhs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/our-problem-is-your-problem-social-care-and-the-nhs Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:30:00 GMT The government should increase public spending and abandon targets on achieving a surplus in order to avoid an economic crisis following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said. Today, Mark Carne, the governor of the Bank of England, is expected to announce a cut in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-investment-needed-to-prevent-brexit-downturn--ippr 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-investment-needed-to-prevent-brexit-downturn--ippr Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:30:00 GMT Homelessness and housing services in Scotland are facing growing financial pressures, a new report from Shelter Scotland has found. The charity carried out a survey of 15 local authorities, which revealed that the “key change” since 2012 had been a switch to fixed budgets for non-accommodation based homelessness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-face-increased-pressure-on-homelessness-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-face-increased-pressure-on-homelessness-services Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:30:00 GMT One-third of civil servants should be moved outside London as part of the devolution of powers to local areas, according to a new report from the Policy Exchange. The think tank says that the government’s current programme of devolution risks imposing responsibilities upon local authorities who do not have “the right set of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-civil-servant-capability-outside-london-holding-devolution-back 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-civil-servant-capability-outside-london-holding-devolution-back Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) have been defended by councils in response to planned protests across the country this weekend. Campaign group the Manifesto Club has announced that it is holding a series of ‘Protest PSPO’ events on 6 and 7 August. The group, which describes itself as an organisation which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-accuse-campaign-of-trivialising-anti-social-behaviour 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-accuse-campaign-of-trivialising-anti-social-behaviour Thu, 04 Aug 2016 09:45:00 GMT New data sharing technology could be used by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to track benefits’ recipients spending, Socitm has said, depending on the outcome of a new pilot. In a new briefing on blockchain, a data-sharing system first used in the Bitcoin online currency, Socitm, the representative organisation for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-trialling-use-of-blockchain-to-track-benefit-recipients-spending 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-trialling-use-of-blockchain-to-track-benefit-recipients-spending Wed, 03 Aug 2016 15:30:00 GMT HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) chief digital and information officer has announced that he will step down next month, shortly after a report said that consistent leadership is crucial to the success of a switch in IT systems. Mark Dearnley was responsible for overseeing the replacement of HMRC’s Aspire IT system with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-chief-digital-officer-to-leave-despite-warnings-over-aspire 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-chief-digital-officer-to-leave-despite-warnings-over-aspire Wed, 03 Aug 2016 14:30:00 GMT A ‘two-tier’ system is developing between local authorities who provide support for asylum seekers and those who do not, the Home Affairs Select Committee has said. Following public outcry at the pictures of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian refugee whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey after a boat he was travelling on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-warn-of-two-tier-system-for-council-support-of-refugees 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-warn-of-two-tier-system-for-council-support-of-refugees Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:30:00 GMT A new head of the organisation responsible for improving the digital capability of the public sector has been appointed. Kevin Cunnington was appointed to the Government Digital Service after three years as director of general business transformation at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), where he set up the Digital Academy, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-head-of-government-digital-service-appointed 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-head-of-government-digital-service-appointed Tue, 02 Aug 2016 16:30:00 GMT Allowing local government organisations to learn from each other is more effective than top-down government initiatives in improving services, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. IfG researchers spoke to those working in central government, local government and representative and professional bodies, and found them consistently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peer-to-peer-learning-needed-for-local-public-sector-reform--ifg 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peer-to-peer-learning-needed-for-local-public-sector-reform--ifg Tue, 02 Aug 2016 16:30:00 GMT Cities such as Manchester could soon see a housing crisis similar to that in London, the Resolution Foundation think tank has warned, adding that the new prime minister must come good on tackling the national housing deficit. Research from the Foundation shows that Greater Manchester has had the biggest drop in home ownership of any UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-cities-must-not-be-saddled-with-same-housing-crisis-as-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-cities-must-not-be-saddled-with-same-housing-crisis-as-london Tue, 02 Aug 2016 15:00:00 GMT A decision by NHS England to stop commissioning the anti-HIV medication PrEP on the grounds that it should be the responsibility of councils has been overturned. The High Court approved an application by the National AIDS Trust (NAT) for judicial review of NHS England’s decision to not include PrEP in the Clinical Priorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-ruling-overturns-nhs-england-refusal-to-commission-hiv-prevention 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-ruling-overturns-nhs-england-refusal-to-commission-hiv-prevention Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:00:00 GMT Police representatives have said that inspecting the force “must be about more than ticking boxes” as the government announced the appointment of a new HM Inspector of Constabulary. Matthew Parr, who was previously a rear admiral in the Royal Navy, was appointed to the post. The work entails overseeing police forces in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-hm-inspector-of-constabulary-asked-to-take-balanced-approach 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-hm-inspector-of-constabulary-asked-to-take-balanced-approach Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT The public sector is losing £78bn every year because of the cost of caring for the poorest in society, a new report has revealed. The research, conducted by Heriot Watt and Loughborough Universities for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that £69bn, or one-fifth of public sector spending, goes towards mitigating the effects... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-fifth-of-public-sector-spending-used-to-tackle-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-fifth-of-public-sector-spending-used-to-tackle-poverty Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:45:00 GMT Cllr Michelle Lowe, deputy leader and cabinet member for Housing & Health at Sevenoaks District Council, reflects on the lack of district council involvement in Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP).  Local NHS areas have been tasked to submit convincing strategies known as Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP) to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-are-the-missing-piece-of-the-stp-jigsaw 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-are-the-missing-piece-of-the-stp-jigsaw Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT Pothole damage to cars has more than doubled in the past decade, prompting warnings that the government and councils are maintaining national roads at the expense of local ones. New analysis from the motoring organisation RAC shows that 0.9% of damage reported by members in June 2015-16 was for pothole-related issues such as damaged shock... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growing-rate-of-pothole-damage-shows-local-roads-have-deteriorated-drastically 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growing-rate-of-pothole-damage-shows-local-roads-have-deteriorated-drastically Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:15:00 GMT The UK’s vote to leave the European Union has contributed to insecurity about employment that is particularly severe among public service workers, a new survey has found. The survey, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), shows that 61% of public sector employees said they felt pessimistic about the future... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-two-thirds-of-public-sector-workers-feeling-pessimistic-after-eu-vote 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-two-thirds-of-public-sector-workers-feeling-pessimistic-after-eu-vote Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:30:00 GMT The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has approved a bid for £109m from the Local Growth Fund 3. The money, from the £1.8bn DCLG fund, would be used to fund integrated infrastructure provision in the city-region’s spatial priority areas, including the enterprise zones, North Kirklees Growth Zone and Leeds South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wyca-submits-bid-for-109m-from-local-growth-fund 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wyca-submits-bid-for-109m-from-local-growth-fund Fri, 29 Jul 2016 16:15:00 GMT The number of complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) have increased over the past year, with children’s services and adult social care being the areas that attracted the most complaints. In its annual report, published today, the LGO said that it had received 19,702 complaints and enquiries in March 2015-16, an 8%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-complaints-increase-13-to-lgo-in-last-year 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-complaints-increase-13-to-lgo-in-last-year Fri, 29 Jul 2016 15:45:00 GMT Councils need reassurances that they will still receive the extensive funding they have been promised from the European Union, the LGA has said. The LGA warned that there is a danger that Whitehall could hold on to some of the £5.3bn EU funding local areas have been guaranteed until 2020 in the uncertainty following the referendum... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-seeks-government-guarantee-over-eu-funding-uncertainty- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-seeks-government-guarantee-over-eu-funding-uncertainty- Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:45:00 GMT The new minister responsible for the Northern Powerhouse has promised the programme will still go ahead under the new government. Andrew Percy began an official tour of the North yesterday, in which he will visit Hull, Manchester and Liverpool to see the Northern Powerhouse in practice. Percy has served as the MP for Brigg and Goole... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-minister-pledges-continued-commitment-to-northern-powerhouse 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-minister-pledges-continued-commitment-to-northern-powerhouse Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:15:00 GMT The new Government as a Platform digital programme has reached its next stage after GOV.UK Notify was launched in private beta on Tuesday. The service will be used to issue updates on student loans, lasting power of attorney, passports, voter registration, and the digital marketplace for small and medium sized businesses. GOV.UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-as-a-platform-notification-service-implemented 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-as-a-platform-notification-service-implemented Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is seeking a closer partnership with the private sector in order to increase the city’s housing capacity. In a new board paper, the GMCA said that it is seeking to establish a Greater Manchester Land Programme and reconsider the role of the social rented sector. It says that the Land... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-housing-strategy-unlikely-to-meet-targets-without-land-programme 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-housing-strategy-unlikely-to-meet-targets-without-land-programme Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:45:00 GMT Public sector institutions will not recover from being judged to be failing unless they are prepared to accept the problems and introduce culture-wide changes, according to a new study from the Institute for Government (IfG). The report, ‘Failing Well’, says that failing institutions are often marked by insularity and can only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/culture-change-needed-to-tackle-increasing-failure-risk-in-public-services 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/culture-change-needed-to-tackle-increasing-failure-risk-in-public-services Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT I’m sure you’ve seen all the headlines over the past few weeks confirming that Pokémon Go is the newest craze across the UK. It’s hard not to notice it when so many people have started stumbling into you when walking down the street because they’re too engrossed in their phones whilst playing Niantic’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-can-pokmon-go-do-for-your-council-and-community 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-can-pokmon-go-do-for-your-council-and-community Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT Plans by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to cut its personal tax staff by 34% by 2020-21 could lead to a return of the long delays on the phone customers experienced earlier this year. HMRC cut 5,600 staff in 2014-15, hoping to make up for the shortfall with a transfer to more digital services. However, call rates from customers remained... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-warned-over-34-staff-cuts-despite-call-rate-delays 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-warned-over-34-staff-cuts-despite-call-rate-delays Wed, 27 Jul 2016 17:00:00 GMT ‘Nothing should be ruled out’ in a new set of proposals designed to give London greater devolved powers following the EU referendum, the capital’s mayor has said. Sadiq Khan has commissioned Professor Tony Travers from the London School of Economics to reconvene the London Finance Commission – a group of political... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nothing-should-be-ruled-out-as-khan-seeks-greater-devolution-following-brexit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nothing-should-be-ruled-out-as-khan-seeks-greater-devolution-following-brexit Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT Pledges by the new mayor of London to look into improving provision of affordable homes for NHS workers should be expanded to other emergency service workers, a London Assembly member has said. Sian Berry, the Green candidate for mayor at the last election and the councillor for Highgate, submitted a written question to Sadiq Khan a week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-mayor-to-widen-affordable-london-housing-to-all-key-workers 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-mayor-to-widen-affordable-london-housing-to-all-key-workers Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:30:00 GMT The government’s commitment to supplying fast broadband across the country must be upheld, the LGA has said. The government under David Cameron pledged to create a universal service obligation (USO), giving everybody the legal right to request a broadband connection capable of delivering a minimum download speed of 10Mbps by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-on-government-to-enshrine-minimum-broadband-speed-in-law 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-on-government-to-enshrine-minimum-broadband-speed-in-law Wed, 27 Jul 2016 12:45:00 GMT The West Midlands local enterprise partnership (LEP) is seeking £426m in government and private sector funding for an ambitious growth programme. D2N2 – a partnership of local authorities, businesses and voluntary and community organisations in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – is bidding for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/d2n2-seeks-426m-from-government-and-partners-to-fund-growth 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/d2n2-seeks-426m-from-government-and-partners-to-fund-growth Tue, 26 Jul 2016 17:15:00 GMT A proposed merger between Sedgemoor District Council, West Somerset Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council has been rejected by Sedgemoor. Cllrs John Williams and Anthony Trollope-Bellew, the leaders of Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils, invited Sedgemoor to join their merger yesterday. However, Sedgemoor said the short... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sedgemoor-rejects-forced-merger-with-west-somerset-and-taunton-deane 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sedgemoor-rejects-forced-merger-with-west-somerset-and-taunton-deane Tue, 26 Jul 2016 14:30:00 GMT Ofcom has rejected calls for the Openreach broadband access programme to be taken away from BT despite widespread criticism of how the company has managed it. A recent report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee said that Ofcom should keep the option of taking Openreach away from BT “firmly on the table” after finding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/openreach-to-become-separate-company-but-stay-under-bt-control 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/openreach-to-become-separate-company-but-stay-under-bt-control Tue, 26 Jul 2016 13:00:00 GMT A flagship programme to help the long-term unemployed has failed and significant reforms will be needed for its successor, the Work and Health Programme, according to a new report from think tank IPPR North. The Work Programme has an average success rate of just 28% for getting participants into work, and this falls sharply when it comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/underfunded-work-programme-has-failed-to-reach-those-most-in-need 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/underfunded-work-programme-has-failed-to-reach-those-most-in-need Tue, 26 Jul 2016 09:00:00 GMT A smart ticketing initiative from West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has been criticised in an audit process. The Yorcard project was rated as ‘poorly controlled’, the lowest rating available, in an audit report to be discussed at a WYCA board meeting today. Yorcard is a joint venture established by WYCA and South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-yorkshire-smart-ticketing-scheme-given-data-protection-warning 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-yorkshire-smart-ticketing-scheme-given-data-protection-warning Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT The government has been accused of holding back the devolution agenda through its austerity policies and lack of truly devolved policies in a new report. The joint report, from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) and Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI), said that local authorities “must be bolder and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-be-bolder-and-break-free-from-centralised-and-austere-devolution 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-be-bolder-and-break-free-from-centralised-and-austere-devolution Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:45:00 GMT Similarly to the Greater Manchester model and building on sustainability and transformation plans (STPs), social care leaders across local authorities should make the case for total devolution of local health and care budgets – including by being able to implement a care precept above the 2% threshold, a think tank has argued in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lift-care-precept-above-2-cap-and-create-new-health-taxation-powers-leaders-say 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lift-care-precept-above-2-cap-and-create-new-health-taxation-powers-leaders-say Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:00:00 GMT The powers of Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) Ltd have been expanded to allow it to run a national scheme to make audit appointments on behalf of local authorities. PSAA is an independent, not-for-profit company established by the LGA, which initially took over the responsibilities of the Audit Commission following its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgas-psaa-appointed-as-national-audit-body-on-behalf-of-councils 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgas-psaa-appointed-as-national-audit-body-on-behalf-of-councils Mon, 25 Jul 2016 09:30:00 GMT Manchester’s bid for its own bus franchising powers is crucial to the city’s devolution, the chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, told PSE. The Bus Services Bill, which will allow combined authorities to establish Transport for London-style franchising bodies, was included in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-mayor-deal-would-collapse-without-bus-franchising-powers-says-tfgm-chair 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-mayor-deal-would-collapse-without-bus-franchising-powers-says-tfgm-chair Mon, 25 Jul 2016 09:30:00 GMT All public sector workers in customer-facing roles will now be required to speak fluent English, or English and Welsh in the case of bodies in Wales, under new legislation. The policy, a manifesto commitment from the Conservative party at the last election, has now passed into law after the Immigration Act 2016 received royal assent on 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-to-be-required-to-speak-fluent-english 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-to-be-required-to-speak-fluent-english Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:15:00 GMT A change of attitude is needed to stop the government from overcommitting itself to major projects it can’t deliver, the head of the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. Speaking at the Institute for Government last night, Sir Amyas Morse said: “We must start by not pretending that the Civil Service can deliver whatever... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-overcommitted-to-projects-which-suffer-from-optimism-bias--nao-head 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-overcommitted-to-projects-which-suffer-from-optimism-bias--nao-head Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:15:00 GMT Delayed discharges of elderly patients from hospital are being made worse because of local authorities’ problems with integrating services and funding social care, according to a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC report criticised the Department of Health and NHS England for a “poverty of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blaming-localities-for-poor-delayed-discharge-an-unacceptable-cop-out-pac-chair 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blaming-localities-for-poor-delayed-discharge-an-unacceptable-cop-out-pac-chair Fri, 22 Jul 2016 14:15:00 GMT The controversial Universal Credit benefits reforms have faced a further blow as the government announced that they will now not be fully implemented until 2022. Universal Credit was initially due to be rolled out by 2021, but the programme has faced criticism, with the Resolution Foundation warning that it risks delivering unsustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-full-implementation-delayed-until-2022 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-full-implementation-delayed-until-2022 Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:30:00 GMT Prime minister Theresa May’s new government is being urged by Leeds City Council leader Cllr Judith Blake to “consider a change of direction” in relation to local government funding, as the council warns of the need to reduce its workforce by up to 2,000 staff over the next four years in order to cope with cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-asks-for-change-of-funding-direction-as-2000-council-jobs-face-the-axe 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-asks-for-change-of-funding-direction-as-2000-council-jobs-face-the-axe Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:15:00 GMT Public services are suffering because the government lacks a coherent framework to support new plans, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. In two major new reports, published today, the NAO said that the 2015 Spending Review and single departmental plans are not making progress in holding departments to account. It said it was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deeper-cultural-change-needed-to-reform-departmental-plans 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deeper-cultural-change-needed-to-reform-departmental-plans Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT Tributes have been paid to Harold Bodmer, the president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), following his death yesterday. In a statement, Margaret Willcox, the vice-president of ADASS, and Ray James, the immediate past president, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the sad passing of our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tributes-paid-following-death-of-lovely-honourable-adass-president 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tributes-paid-following-death-of-lovely-honourable-adass-president Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT The Civil Service must do more to fill key appointments and improve the diversity of its recruits, the annual report from the Civil Service Commission has found. The commission’s independent report into Civil Service recruitment in 2015-16 shows that around 28,000 staff were recruited into the Civil Service in 2015-16, compared to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-pay-failing-to-attract-top-digital-and-commercial-talent- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-pay-failing-to-attract-top-digital-and-commercial-talent- Thu, 21 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT An initiative to make UK households more environmentally friendly failed because it was not properly tested, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said. The £240m Green Deal was intended to allow households to take out loans to finance energy efficiency measures in their homes, such as wall insulation. However, it provided... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-told-to-learn-from-blinkered-approach-to-failed-green-deal- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-told-to-learn-from-blinkered-approach-to-failed-green-deal- Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:15:00 GMT Trafford Council will be monitored over the timeliness of its responses to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced. The ICO said that the council had not responded to a significant number of requests within the required 20 working days. It is also reviewing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-reviewing-trafford-council-over-foi-performance 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-reviewing-trafford-council-over-foi-performance Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT The Work and Health programme in Manchester may not receive funding because of financial uncertainty from the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, the city’s council chief executive has said. Sir Howard Bernstein’s report to the council executive’s meeting on 27 July sets out the first assessment of the impact of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-employment-programmes-under-threat-following-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-employment-programmes-under-threat-following-brexit Wed, 20 Jul 2016 14:45:00 GMT The government needs to state whether non-UK residents have the right to remain and work in the UK following the country’s vote to leave the European Union, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said. The CIPD carried out a survey of employers, which found that 36% said non-UK employees had expressed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-urges-government-for-clarity-on-position-of-eu-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-urges-government-for-clarity-on-position-of-eu-workers Wed, 20 Jul 2016 12:30:00 GMT The fate of combined mayoral authorities is uncertain as members of the House of Lords pointed out that there are a number of unsolved questions about their powers and how much support they will receive from the new government. The House approved draft orders for the election of mayors in three combined authorities – Sheffield... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peers-raise-doubts-about-combined-authorities-and-devolution-under-new-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peers-raise-doubts-about-combined-authorities-and-devolution-under-new-government Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:45:00 GMT A broadband access scheme has failed to reach remote areas because of management failures by parent company BT, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee has said. The committee argued that Ofcom should keep the option of separating the Openreach programme from BT “firmly on the table”. The report said that although BT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-broadband-access-network-could-be-separated-from-bt-say-mps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-broadband-access-network-could-be-separated-from-bt-say-mps Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:00:00 GMT This month Foehn is publishing a ‘Top Tips’ guide to help the growing number of public sector organisations that have made the decision to move to a cloud phone system and want to ensure they get the most out of the financial and business benefits on offer.  But what if you’re one of the hundreds of IT managers in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-words-of-advice-for-changing-your-phone-system 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-words-of-advice-for-changing-your-phone-system Tue, 19 Jul 2016 08:30:00 GMT Solace has announced the appointment of a new interim chair as its existing chair prepares to stand down. Gavin Jones, chief executive of Essex county council, will become chair until the AGM in October, whilst Jane Robinson of Gateshead council, the existing chair, is leaving to work in the academic sector. Welcoming the appointment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-appoints-new-interim-chair 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-appoints-new-interim-chair Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:30:00 GMT Leaders of the north of England’s combined authorities have written jointly to Theresa May, inviting her to meet with them to ensure that they are involved in negotiating the UK’s exit from the European Union. In the letter, the combined authority leaders state their concern that the north will be ‘ignored’ between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-combined-authority-leaders-seek-brexit-meeting-with-may 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-combined-authority-leaders-seek-brexit-meeting-with-may Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:15:00 GMT Councils will have spent £505m on trying to tackle childhood and adult obesity by the end of next year, new figures from the LGA show. The LGA asked for reassurance from the new government that the delayed childhood obesity strategy is still on track in order to avoid the growing cost of obesity. Councils spent £238m on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-decision-on-delayed-childhood-obesity-strategy 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-decision-on-delayed-childhood-obesity-strategy Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:00:00 GMT Commissioning powers in Manchester are to be shared between the city council and the city’s three CCGs as part of a drive to better join-up health and social care. Papers published ahead of the Central Manchester CCG board meeting show that a joint commissioning board was established on 23 May and a joint commissioning executive on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-close-to-formal-integration-of-council-and-ccg-joint-commissioning- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-close-to-formal-integration-of-council-and-ccg-joint-commissioning- Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT New prime minister Theresa May’s decision to change the boundaries of government departments has been criticised for potentially creating an increased cost and the risk of job losses. After May formally took over from David Cameron as prime minister last week, it was announced that she was appointing David Davis in the new post of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warning-over-cost-and-job-losses-in-creation-of-new-government-departments 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warning-over-cost-and-job-losses-in-creation-of-new-government-departments Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:45:00 GMT New powers over house building for councils have failed to produce the needed level of affordable homes because of funding shortages in other areas, a new report says. The report, from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), says that councils have not been able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-has-choked-council-initiatives-to-build-affordable-homes- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-has-choked-council-initiatives-to-build-affordable-homes- Fri, 15 Jul 2016 14:45:00 GMT The Land Registry must remain in public ownership, the chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has said. Following a consultation on the government’s proposals to privatise the registry, Bernard Jenkin MP said: “The Land Registry must remain an essential arm of the state.” He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pacac-chair-opposes-privatising-essential-land-registry 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pacac-chair-opposes-privatising-essential-land-registry Fri, 15 Jul 2016 14:45:00 GMT One of Theresa May’s first moves as prime minister has been to abolish the government department responsible for energy and climate change, in a move condemned by environmental campaigners in the UK and internationally. As part of a widespread Cabinet reshuffle, May appointed Greg Clark, the former communities and local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaigners-condemn-decision-to-abolish-decc 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaigners-condemn-decision-to-abolish-decc Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:15:00 GMT Ministers should freeze the implementation of the Housing and Planning Act to avoid “further upheaval” from Whitehall on the fragile housing market, John Healey, Labour’s former shadow minister for housing and planning, has said. Speaking at the CIPFA Annual Conference, Healey, who stood down in the recent mass Shadow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/freeze-housing-act-implementation-to-avoid-further-upheaval-says-healey 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/freeze-housing-act-implementation-to-avoid-further-upheaval-says-healey Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:45:00 GMT Sajid Javid has been transferred from business secretary to communities and local government secretary, replacing Greg Clark, as part of a dramatic cabinet reshuffle on Theresa May’s first day as prime minister. Javid, the MP for Bromsgrove, is a former banker who entered politics in 2009. He has previously served as a financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sajid-javid-named-the-new-communities-secretary 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sajid-javid-named-the-new-communities-secretary Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:45:00 GMT Commercialisation of local government services in order to meet financial pressures is being held back by council leaders’ lack of experience, a new report warns. The joint report from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and Civica said that commercial initiatives such as Bristol Energy, an energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-commercial-initiatives-held-back-by-fear-and-lack-of-ceo-experience 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-commercial-initiatives-held-back-by-fear-and-lack-of-ceo-experience Thu, 14 Jul 2016 11:45:00 GMT Disadvantaged children are not receiving support in the earliest years because of a lack of a co-ordinated strategy in some local authorities, according to a new Ofsted report. Ofsted’s survey of local authorities found that although some local authorities had developed effective strategies for supporting disadvantaged children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-council-strategy-ambition-and-oversight-failing-children-says-ofsted 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-council-strategy-ambition-and-oversight-failing-children-says-ofsted Thu, 14 Jul 2016 11:30:00 GMT The first secretary for the UK’s exit from the European Union has been appointed by new prime minister Theresa May. David Davis, the MP for Haltemprice and Howden, was given the newly-created job after the UK voted in favour of leaving in last month’s referendum. Davis, an experienced politician who has long supported the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-davis-appointed-as-brexit-secretary 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-davis-appointed-as-brexit-secretary Thu, 14 Jul 2016 10:00:00 GMT The new prime minister Theresa May should work with councils to improve services and promote growth, the County Councils Network (CCN) said as she took office. May, the former home secretary, became leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister last night, replacing David Cameron, who resigned following the UK’s vote to leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-urged-to-work-with-councils-as-she-takes-office 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-urged-to-work-with-councils-as-she-takes-office Thu, 14 Jul 2016 09:45:00 GMT The new prime minister must work with local government to accelerate the devolution agenda and steer the UK through its exit from the European Union, Solace has said. Mark Rogers, president of Solace, which represents local authority chief executives and senior managers, wrote to Theresa May, congratulating her on becoming prime minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-urges-new-pm-to-accelerate-fiscal-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-urges-new-pm-to-accelerate-fiscal-devolution Thu, 14 Jul 2016 09:00:00 GMT Alexander Hitchcock, a researcher at the public services think tank Reform, discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the government’s Work and Health Programme. A new prime minister committed to public service reform has walked into 10 Downing Street. As home secretary, Theresa May showed that she would push hard for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field Thu, 14 Jul 2016 08:45:00 GMT Former business secretary Sir Vince Cable has said that local government should continue to fight for greater devolution and de-centralisation after the country voted to leave the European Union. Speaking at the CIPFA Annual Conference, Cable said that one of the healthy things, which started under the Coalition government and was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-continue-to-fight-for-greater-de-centralisation-post-brexit-says-cable 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-continue-to-fight-for-greater-de-centralisation-post-brexit-says-cable Wed, 13 Jul 2016 17:30:00 GMT Unite has renewed its pledge to work with the Labour group in the LGA to oppose local government cuts, warning that they are likely to continue under new prime minister Theresa May. David Cameron, who announced his resignation after the UK voted to leave the European Union last month, made his final appearance at Prime Minister’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unite-and-lga-labour-group-pledge-to-oppose-spending-cuts-as-may-takes-office 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unite-and-lga-labour-group-pledge-to-oppose-spending-cuts-as-may-takes-office Wed, 13 Jul 2016 16:15:00 GMT A scheme to dispose of public sector land in order to build new homes has released just 5-8% of the land needed to meet its goals by 2020. The DCLG land disposal scheme aims to release enough land to build 160,000 homes by the end of the decade. However, an interim report from the National Audit Office (NAO) shows that by March 2016... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-makes-slow-start-on-releasing-public-sector-land-for-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-makes-slow-start-on-releasing-public-sector-land-for-housing Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:45:00 GMT Greater progress needs to be made on improving services for elderly people through integrating health and social care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said. ‘Building bridges, breaking barriers: integrated care for older people’, a CQC review of health and social care in eight areas (Bristol, Cambridgeshire, Camden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stps-should-be-used-to-improve-integrated-care-for-elderly-people--cqc 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stps-should-be-used-to-improve-integrated-care-for-elderly-people--cqc Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:30:00 GMT Social care is facing a serious funding crisis despite the new council tax precept, this year’s Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) report warns. The survey shows that in the past year, 93% of councils implemented the social care precept, of whom 60% raised the maximum 1.99%. Despite this, it raised just... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-precept-insufficient-to-halt-ongoing-service-cuts 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-precept-insufficient-to-halt-ongoing-service-cuts Wed, 13 Jul 2016 11:45:00 GMT Two of the biggest devolved administrations in the north of England have promised to work together to promote growth in their regions following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Interim mayor of Manchester Tony Lloyd and mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said they would work together following concerns that the UK’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-and-liverpool-promise-new-partnership-following-brexit-vote 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-and-liverpool-promise-new-partnership-following-brexit-vote Tue, 12 Jul 2016 16:15:00 GMT The newly-elected chair of London Councils has called for greater devolution of powers to the capital following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Cllr Claire Kober, who has been leader of Haringey Council since 2008, was elected today at a meeting of the London Councils’ Leaders Committee, made up of leaders of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-devolution-vital-following-brexit-says-new-london-councils-chair 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-devolution-vital-following-brexit-says-new-london-councils-chair Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:45:00 GMT Creating a separate ministry to oversee Britain’s exit from the European Union could be too time-consuming and costly, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. The report comes as home secretary Theresa May (pictured attending a Cabinet meeting this morning) is due to take over from David Cameron as prime minister from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifg-ministry-for-brexit-should-be-housed-within-cabinet-office- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifg-ministry-for-brexit-should-be-housed-within-cabinet-office- Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:45:00 GMT The funding consequences for local government must not be secondary to the needs of businesses as the government considers increasing the frequency of business rates revaluations, the chair of London Councils has said. Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe said that while the organisation, which represents London’s 32 borough councils and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-consider-impact-of-business-tax-overhaul-on-vital-public-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-consider-impact-of-business-tax-overhaul-on-vital-public-services Mon, 11 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT Clive Betts MP, chair of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee, is to head a new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on local authority pension funds. The APPG, sponsored by the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF), has been established to discuss, amongst other things, the development of British wealth funds.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-pension-funds-appg-to-discuss-development-of-british-wealth-funds 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-pension-funds-appg-to-discuss-development-of-british-wealth-funds Mon, 11 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT Greater investment in productivity measures such as training and better technology will be crucial to the success of the National Living Wage (NLW) programme, especially as a result of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, a leading think tank has found. In a report published today – which includes the first major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investment-in-training-and-technology-vital-to-offset-nlw-impact-post-brexit 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investment-in-training-and-technology-vital-to-offset-nlw-impact-post-brexit Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:30:00 GMT Progress is being made on a tripartite agreement between the government, the new mayor of London and the capital’s boroughs as an attempt to tackle the city’s housing crisis, according to a new report from London Councils. In a Housing paper to be presented to the organisation’s Leaders’ Committee this week, it was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tripartite-agreement-floated-to-tackle-londons-housing-crisis- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tripartite-agreement-floated-to-tackle-londons-housing-crisis- Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:30:00 GMT Children’s services in Birmingham have not adequately improved despite concerns and there is still a risk of extremism being taught in schools, the head of Ofsted has said. In a letter to education secretary Nicky Morgan, Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Ofsted chief inspector, said that Ofsted’s latest monthly monitoring inspection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-childrens-services-still-not-up-to-standard--ofsted-head 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-childrens-services-still-not-up-to-standard--ofsted-head Fri, 08 Jul 2016 16:15:00 GMT The new franchised transport authorities set to be created under the Bus Services Bill should not threaten competition between different services, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said. In a blog post, Douglas Cooper, a project and inquiry director at the CMA, said: “The CMA welcomes the increased flexibility offered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-recommended-to-ensure-bus-services-bill-preserves-competition 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-recommended-to-ensure-bus-services-bill-preserves-competition Fri, 08 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT The new accreditation and regulation system for social workers is the best way of restoring confidence in the profession, the chief social worker for children and families has said. Speaking at the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) annual conference in Manchester, Isabelle Trowler urged colleagues to embrace the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accreditation-best-way-to-restore-confidence-in-social-work-says-trowler 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accreditation-best-way-to-restore-confidence-in-social-work-says-trowler Fri, 08 Jul 2016 15:00:00 GMT Local authorities’ obligation to act as a ‘corporate parent’ for children in care and support care leavers has been set out in a new strategy. Under the new strategy, the government will set out in law for the first time what it means for a local authority to be a good corporate parent. Councils will also have a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-sets-out-council-corporate-parent-responsibilities-for-care-leavers 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-sets-out-council-corporate-parent-responsibilities-for-care-leavers Fri, 08 Jul 2016 12:45:00 GMT Multi-academy trusts’ performance has been criticised in two different reports, prompting the LGA to stress that councils should not lose their role in delivering education. New analysis from the Sutton Trust shows that at eight out of the 39 sponsored academy chains, disadvantaged pupils on the pupil premium demonstrated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-reports-show-councils-should-be-education-improvement-partners 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-reports-show-councils-should-be-education-improvement-partners Thu, 07 Jul 2016 11:15:00 GMT Councils will lose less income on unnecessary business rates appeals under a new system, the DCLG has promised. The DCLG announced today that it is introducing a ‘check, challenge, appeal’ process, with three stages designed to check the facts are accurate and allow businesses to challenge the rateable value on which their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-to-introduce-business-rates-check-challenge-appeal-system- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-to-introduce-business-rates-check-challenge-appeal-system- Thu, 07 Jul 2016 10:45:00 GMT More must be done to support the economies of other cities than London, which is increasingly dominating tax income, think tank Centre for Cities has said. In a new report evaluating a decade of tax income from UK cities, Centre for Cities said that although the overall amount of economy tax has increased from £283bn to £317bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/centre-for-cities-uk-must-address-tax-inbalance-between-capital-and-other-cities- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/centre-for-cities-uk-must-address-tax-inbalance-between-capital-and-other-cities- Thu, 07 Jul 2016 10:00:00 GMT A conflict has emerged between the Education Select Committee and the government after the cross-party group of MPs refused to approve the appointment of Amanda Spielman, the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) preferred candidate, as Ofsted chief inspector. The committee said it was concerned Spielman didn’t understand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/education-select-committee-rejects-ofsted-chief-inspector-candidate 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/education-select-committee-rejects-ofsted-chief-inspector-candidate Thu, 07 Jul 2016 09:45:00 GMT Public authorities will be allowed to share personal data with other public sector bodies in specific circumstances under the Digital Economy Bill, which the government introduced to Parliament yesterday. The Bill will allow public agencies to share data with a valid reason, for instance through the Troubled Families Programme. Safeguards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-bill-will-allow-public-authorities-to-share-personal-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-bill-will-allow-public-authorities-to-share-personal-data Wed, 06 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT Councils will need new powers to support the building of affordable homes, which up to 5.4 million people will need by 2024, the LGA has said. Analysis from the Work and Learning Institute for the LGA shows that even if the country is able to achieve full employment by 2024 by upskilling 3.5 million people, 4 million people will still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renaissance-in-council-housebuilding-needed-to-meet-future-demand-says-lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renaissance-in-council-housebuilding-needed-to-meet-future-demand-says-lga Wed, 06 Jul 2016 15:00:00 GMT Councils’ ability to maintain their core services, such as education and cultural initiatives, have come into question as new figures show local government spending is set to fall by 1%, or £0.9bn, in this financial year. The figures, published today by the DCLG and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/expected-1bn-drop-in-council-spending-casts-doubt-on-sustainability-of-core-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/expected-1bn-drop-in-council-spending-casts-doubt-on-sustainability-of-core-services Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:00:00 GMT Local government representatives are being encouraged to take part in a new consultation on the government’s proposals to devolve full control of business rates, including suggestions for mitigating problems with the system. Leaders of pilot areas for the scheme have warned that the proposals could lead to a loss of income for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-reforms-to-appeals-system-essential-as-dclg-launches-business-rates-consultation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-reforms-to-appeals-system-essential-as-dclg-launches-business-rates-consultation Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:00:00 GMT There is no collective understanding of what type of oversight is cost effective and appropriate from government departments for arm’s-length bodies (ALBs), the National Audit Office (NAO) has said in a new report. The NAO carried out an audit of four departments and their relationships with ALBs – the Ministry for Justice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-collective-government-understanding-for-alb-oversight- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-collective-government-understanding-for-alb-oversight- Tue, 05 Jul 2016 16:30:00 GMT The role of local government and devolution deals is more important than ever following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, communities and local government secretary Greg Clark told the LGA conference today. In his speech, Clark praised local government’s ability to solve problems and deal with the unexpected in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clark-committed-to-devolution-with-much-bigger-role-for-local-post-brexit 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clark-committed-to-devolution-with-much-bigger-role-for-local-post-brexit Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT Social services must introduce more innovation and new ways of working to improve care of vulnerable children, education secretary Nicky Morgan has said, but county councils have warned that “change should not happen for the sake of change”. The new Children and Social Work Bill is designed to create a new ‘Power to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccn-changes-to-innovate-child-social-care-must-have-a-clear-objective 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccn-changes-to-innovate-child-social-care-must-have-a-clear-objective Tue, 05 Jul 2016 14:15:00 GMT Local government must have a seat at the table during the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union, Lord Porter, the LGA chairman, has said. On the opening day of the LGA’s annual conference, which is being held in Bournemouth, Lord Porter added that councils need to “be involved from the outset in deciding how EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-have-a-leading-role-in-eu-exit-talks-says-lord-porter 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-have-a-leading-role-in-eu-exit-talks-says-lord-porter Tue, 05 Jul 2016 10:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association’s annual conference and exhibition, due to start tomorrow, is a vital opportunity for local government leaders to get together and discuss the challenges they face. The event, which takes place from 5 to 7 July in Bournemouth, features speakers including communities secretary Greg Clark, National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-conference-comes-at-turbulent-time-for-local-government 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-conference-comes-at-turbulent-time-for-local-government Mon, 04 Jul 2016 10:45:00 GMT The draft legislation for a Bill giving combined authorities power over bus franchising will be published in spring next year. In response to a written question from Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, Andrew Jones, the transport minister, said that the department is currently working with stakeholders to prepare the draft secondary legislation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/draft-bus-services-bill-legislation-to-be-published-in-spring-2017 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/draft-bus-services-bill-legislation-to-be-published-in-spring-2017 Mon, 04 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT The newly formed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is seeking submissions for a consultation to define the scope of its powers. The devolved body, which combines Sandwell, Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils under the leadership of an elected mayor, was officially launched on 17 June after a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-opens-consultation-on-mayoral-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-opens-consultation-on-mayoral-powers Mon, 04 Jul 2016 10:15:00 GMT Carers are unable to access assessments of their needs from their council despite the passing of the Care Act, a survey from Carers Trust has found. The 2014 Act gives all disabled people and their carers a right to a legal assessment of their needs, but 65% of respondents in a survey of carers said they had not had an assessment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unsustainable-social-care-system-stymieing-ambitions-of-care-act 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unsustainable-social-care-system-stymieing-ambitions-of-care-act Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has abandoned his commitment to return government spending to a surplus by 2020, warning an economic downturn is likely following the UK’s vote to leave the EU. Last week’s referendum result has had a dramatic political and economic impact on Britain, leading to the UK losing its AAA credit rating and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-abandons-2020-spending-surplus-commitment- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-abandons-2020-spending-surplus-commitment- Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:30:00 GMT Health and social care needs to be integrated in Manchester to improve public services for the city, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has said. At a meeting yesterday, the GMCA’s health and social care strategic partnership board considered the results of a review into the city’s health and social care, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmca-publishes-new-integrated-care-plans 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmca-publishes-new-integrated-care-plans Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:30:00 GMT The Isle of Wight could join with Portsmouth and Southampton to form the latest devolved body in the country, with a deal worth an estimated £900m. The Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, together with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), will consider a governance review arguing in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-continue-for-solent-combined-authority-despite-hampshire-cc-refusing-to-join 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-continue-for-solent-combined-authority-despite-hampshire-cc-refusing-to-join Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:45:00 GMT Bath, Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils have voted in favour of putting the proposed £1bn West of England devolution deal forward for public consultation. After considering all the aspects of the complex deal, which is the largest in the country and worth more than £1,000 per head of population, the local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-move-forward-with-next-step-of-1bn-west-of-england-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-move-forward-with-next-step-of-1bn-west-of-england-devo-deal Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:15:00 GMT After last week’s warnings that devolution could “come to a standstill” following the Brexit vote, the government’s flagship scheme has suffered yet another hard-hitting blow in a new report – which highlighted a stark lack of accountability and contingency planning enveloping devo deals. The report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unclear-and-inconsistent-devo-process-poses-threat-to-2017-elections-warns-pac 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unclear-and-inconsistent-devo-process-poses-threat-to-2017-elections-warns-pac Fri, 01 Jul 2016 10:00:00 GMT Following reports of a rise in hate crimes following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, Amnesty International has urged local councils to make a commitment to condemn racism in their area. Initial police findings suggest that the rate of reported hate crimes was 57% greater in the four days following last week’s referendum than in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/amnesty-international-urges-councils-to-condemn-racism-following-eu-referendum-result 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/amnesty-international-urges-councils-to-condemn-racism-following-eu-referendum-result Thu, 30 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) should be used to deliver “a new vision” of integrated public services, with full local authority involvement, the chair of the NHS Confederation has said. Former health secretary Stephen Dorrell is the independent chair of the Birmingham and Solihull STP board, which is one of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-services-clearer-in-stps-led-by-local-authority-leaders 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-services-clearer-in-stps-led-by-local-authority-leaders Thu, 30 Jun 2016 11:45:00 GMT The UN has recommended that the UK government conducts a review of the impact of austerity measures on human rights. In its first report on the UK’s adherence to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural since 2009, the UN investigative committee said: “The Committee is seriously concerned about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/un-seriously-concerned-about-human-rights-impact-of-austerity 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/un-seriously-concerned-about-human-rights-impact-of-austerity Thu, 30 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT Funding must be transferred from acute care to community and preventative care in order to reduce the financial pressures on social care, the vice president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has said. Speaking at a debate at the Health+Care Conference in London, Margaret Wilcox warned that social care is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acute-care-resources-must-be-redirected-into-community-care-adass 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acute-care-resources-must-be-redirected-into-community-care-adass Thu, 30 Jun 2016 10:30:00 GMT The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called on the government to “move fast” on greater devolution for the capital, following last week’s EU referendum result. Speaking at The Times CEO Summit, he said that “we can't hang around for the outcome of the negotiations before we give Londoners more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-calls-for-government-to-move-fast-on-london-devolution- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-calls-for-government-to-move-fast-on-london-devolution- Wed, 29 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT The future of one of the recently proposed East Anglian devolution deals could be in doubt after two councils in Norfolk rejected it. Norwich City Council and Breckland Council voted not to back the plans, which include Norfolk and Suffolk, last night. But Babergh, Broadland and St Edmundsbury offered their backing to progress the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-anglian-devolution-in-doubt-as-two-councils-reject-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-anglian-devolution-in-doubt-as-two-councils-reject-plans Wed, 29 Jun 2016 13:15:00 GMT The High Court of Justice has dismissed claims of anti-Semitism against three councils after taking decisions to boycott goods produced in illegal settlements in the West Bank. Jewish Human rights Watch (JHRW) had sought a Judicial Review of decisions taken by Leicester City Council, Gwynedd Council, and the City and County of Swansea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-cleared-of-discrimination-over-israeli-goods-boycott 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-cleared-of-discrimination-over-israeli-goods-boycott Wed, 29 Jun 2016 12:45:00 GMT The political turmoil following Britain’s historic decision to leave the EU could provide an opportunity to revise existing devolution deals, the County Councils Network (CCN) has said. In a statement, the CCN said it would work with the LGA to ensure that local government is represented in negotiations with the EU following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brexit-could-provide-opportunity-for-new-models-of-devolution--ccn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brexit-could-provide-opportunity-for-new-models-of-devolution--ccn Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:00:00 GMT Children’s services at local authorities are failing vulnerable children, Ofsted has said, as its Social Care Annual Report shows that 24% of local authority children’s services were rated ‘inadequate’. The report shows that 24% of the 87 local authorities inspected were rated ‘inadequate’ and 49% were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-a-quarter-of-local-authority-childrens-services-inadequate 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-a-quarter-of-local-authority-childrens-services-inadequate Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:00:00 GMT Greater integration between health and social care, potentially including a new Department for Communities and Wellbeing, is needed, according to a new report. The report, ‘Breaking Barriers – Building a Sustainable Future for Health and Social Care’, says that financial accountability and budgets for health and social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-new-department-to-oversee-health-and-social-care-integration 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-new-department-to-oversee-health-and-social-care-integration Tue, 28 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Councils should do more to support working parents of children with disabilities, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has ruled after Kent County Council was required to pay £1,000 in compensation for stopping support payments to the mother of two disabled children. The woman received direct payments from Kent County Council, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-properly-support-carers-who-want-to-work-says-lgo 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-properly-support-carers-who-want-to-work-says-lgo Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:45:00 GMT Mike Gill, a partner at management consultancy Libre Advisory, and best-selling author of How to Survive Austerity, on why the public sector (as well as politicians) must become better at presenting itself in a way that is truly meaningful to the public Just deliver more for less. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it? But as we all know... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-demands-to-deliver-more-for-less 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-demands-to-deliver-more-for-less Mon, 27 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT The cabinet secretary has written to civil servants telling them “the task falls to us” to deliver a deal for the UK to leave the EU following last Thursday’s referendum. The 52% vote in favour of leaving has sent shockwaves through the political establishment, with David Cameron standing down as prime minister, Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-boss-calls-for-calm-and-commitment-to-carry-out-brexit-task 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-boss-calls-for-calm-and-commitment-to-carry-out-brexit-task Mon, 27 Jun 2016 11:00:00 GMT The Welsh government cabinet will meet this morning to discuss the implications of the UK’s vote to leave the EU for the country. The UK voted 52% in favour of leaving in Thursday’s referendum. This pattern was reflected in Wales, with 52.5% of voters supporting leaving against 47.5% wanting to stay. In Scotland and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-cabinet-to-meet-to-discuss-implications-of-eu-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-cabinet-to-meet-to-discuss-implications-of-eu-referendum Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:15:00 GMT British devolution risks coming “to a standstill” following the vote for the UK to leave the European Union, the CEO of think tank Centre for Cities has warned. Thursday’s referendum delivered a 52% vote in favour of leaving the EU, causing David Cameron to resign as prime minister and £120bn to be wiped off the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-could-come-to-a-standstill-following-brexit-says-centre-for-cities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-could-come-to-a-standstill-following-brexit-says-centre-for-cities Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has undertaken an emergency shadow cabinet reshuffle as the party has been hit by mass resignations, with MPs blaming the vote for Britain to leave the EU on his leadership of the campaign. The resignations began yesterday after Corbyn sacked Hillary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, following a turbulent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shadow-cabinet-in-meltdown-following-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shadow-cabinet-in-meltdown-following-brexit Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Saffron Passam, a researcher from Aberystwyth University, discusses a collaborative relationship with Joanne Hopkins, chair of the Home Office Women’s Network and senior sponsor to the Gender Equality Network, whose role includes responding to the priorities of gender, diversity, and inclusion matters. In a joint project, they seek to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-the-socio-economic-barriers-to-joining-the-civil-service 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-the-socio-economic-barriers-to-joining-the-civil-service Mon, 27 Jun 2016 08:45:00 GMT After today’s historical vote for the UK to leave the European Union, a number of England’s devolved bodies have raised concerns about the potential loss of funding. Cllr John Pollard, leader of Cornwall Council, said that, following the result of yesterday’s referendum, the council is seeking confirmation from ministers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-bodies-warn-about-loss-of-eu-funding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-bodies-warn-about-loss-of-eu-funding Fri, 24 Jun 2016 15:15:00 GMT Public sector trade unions said the historical vote for the UK to leave the EU showed how divided the country has become. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said the union would campaign to hold Leave campaigners to their promises about preserving workers’ rights and EU funding. “This also has to be a time for our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-say-referendum-shows-a-divided-nation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-say-referendum-shows-a-divided-nation Fri, 24 Jun 2016 15:15:00 GMT Scotland will begin preparing the legislation to seek another referendum on becoming independent after Britain voted to leave the EU. The referendum delivered an overall majority of 52% in favour of leaving, but Scotland was 62% in favour of remaining, with all 32 council areas voting in favour. Northern Ireland also voted 55% in favour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-preparing-legislation-for-independence-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-preparing-legislation-for-independence-referendum Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT Peter Cheese, chief executive of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, the professional body for HR and people development, says that the government must take time to assess the impact of the decision to leave the EU Now that the British people have had their say on Britain’s future relationship with the EU and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-must-avoid-hasty-decisions-to-protect-business-and-jobs-following-eu-vote-cipd 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-must-avoid-hasty-decisions-to-protect-business-and-jobs-following-eu-vote-cipd Fri, 24 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT David Cameron has announced his resignation as prime minister after the British public voted in favour of leaving the EU. The referendum was too close to call when polls opened yesterday, but the results delivered a decisive victory for Brexit, with 52% voting to leave against 48% voting to remain, on a 72.16% turnout. Cameron has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-cameron-resigns-after-uk-votes-to-leave-eu 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-cameron-resigns-after-uk-votes-to-leave-eu Fri, 24 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton, chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority and leader of Barnsley Council, talks to PSE about how work is progressing on the region’s £900m devolution deal. Last year PSE reported that Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton, and the Sheffield City Region LEP chair, sent a letter to the chancellor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-a-template-a-double-edged-sword 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-a-template-a-double-edged-sword Thu, 23 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT HM Revenue and Customs has now addressed its customer service issues but is anticipating a challenge in switching to online customer services, the organisation’s chief executive has told the Public Accounts Committee. When Jon Thompson appeared before the committee, Caroline Flint asked him what his biggest concern was among the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/biggest-challenge-for-hmrc-is-now-shift-to-digital-says-its-ceo 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/biggest-challenge-for-hmrc-is-now-shift-to-digital-says-its-ceo Thu, 23 Jun 2016 11:00:00 GMT The councillor who led the establishment of the North East Combined Authority (NECA) has stepped down after two years, allowing a new chair to be appointed.  In order to fulfil the goal of rotating chairmanship of the NECA among local councils, Cllr Paul Watson (pictured), leader of Sunderland City Council, will become the new chair.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chair-of-north-east-combined-authority-appointed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chair-of-north-east-combined-authority-appointed Thu, 23 Jun 2016 11:00:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, welcomes Sir Howard Bernstein’s pitch for place-based planning across Greater Manchester through a single commissioning hub – but argues neighbourhoods must remain the top priority. It’s encouraging to see Sir Howard Bernstein – the ‘architect of DevoManc’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bigger-is-not-always-best-when-it-comes-to-devolution-says-locality 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bigger-is-not-always-best-when-it-comes-to-devolution-says-locality Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:45:00 GMT Victoria Brambini, interim managing director of Scape Procure, looks at how a Brexit could impact on the sector. The ‘Remain’ and ‘Leave’ campaigns have been running at fever pitch ahead of today’s EU referendum, emotions are high, and it has become increasingly difficult to get beyond the two big issues for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-could-a-brexit-affect-the-public-sector- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-could-a-brexit-affect-the-public-sector- Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:30:00 GMT Homeless people are being prevented from registering as homeless by local authorities, homelessness minister Marcus Jones has told the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee. In a hearing last week, Helen Hayes MP, who sits on the committee, said that evidence to its homelessness inquiry, as well as from a mystery shopper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-local-authorities-unacceptably-gatekeeping-homelessness-services- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-local-authorities-unacceptably-gatekeeping-homelessness-services- Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:15:00 GMT London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has warned that the new national funding formula for schools, introduced in the Queen’s Speech, could mean that London schools would receive less money. Under the existing system, London schools receive the largest proportion of the dedicated schools grant, which could be lost under the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-warns-london-schools-could-lose-out-under-new-funding-formula 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-warns-london-schools-could-lose-out-under-new-funding-formula Thu, 23 Jun 2016 00:30:00 GMT Cornwall is making progress in its devolution project overall, but the status of several aspects of the devolution deal is uncertain. A paper submitted to a meeting of Cornwall Council’s audit committee shows that of the nine themes of the devolution deal, five are rated ‘amber’, meaning they are out of tolerance but the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-devolution-on-track-but-individual-projects-face-challenges 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-devolution-on-track-but-individual-projects-face-challenges Wed, 22 Jun 2016 17:00:00 GMT London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, will review the capital’s housing zone scheme to try to increase the availability of affordable housing. During a question time appearance before the London Assembly today (22 June), Khan, who was elected mayor last month, criticised his predecessor’s record on housing. He said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/khan-to-review-housing-zone-scheme-to-meet-affordable-housing-target 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/khan-to-review-housing-zone-scheme-to-meet-affordable-housing-target Wed, 22 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT Healthwatch England will cut staffing numbers and work more closely with local groups, a paper at today’s CQC board meeting says. The paper, from Susan Robinson, the acting national director, says that one of Healthwatch England’s three main priorities for the next year will be “reshaping the organisation, managing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healthwatch-england-to-reduce-staff-numbers-and-work-more-closely-with-local-groups 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healthwatch-england-to-reduce-staff-numbers-and-work-more-closely-with-local-groups Wed, 22 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT Local government workers are increasingly unhappy and stressed as funding cuts mean they face more work and financial difficulties, according to a new Unison survey. ‘Under Pressure, Underfunded and Undervalued’, a survey of 2,200 local government workers, found that 75% of respondents said their workload had increased in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-being-worked-into-ground-due-to-spending-cuts--unison 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-being-worked-into-ground-due-to-spending-cuts--unison Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Education cuts are making it harder to deal with pupils with behavioural problems and are putting school support staff increasingly at risk of assault, Unison has warned. A new survey from the union found that 53% of teaching assistants have experienced physical violence at school and 76% have witnessed it. In addition, 60% have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-cuts-leaving-support-staff-at-greater-risk-of-abuse-warns-unison 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-cuts-leaving-support-staff-at-greater-risk-of-abuse-warns-unison Tue, 21 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT Business rates reforms will fail and exacerbate inequality, a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says. The government is planning to devolve full control of business rates to councils by 2020, with the same basic framework as the current system but without a levy on disproportionate growth. This has already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-predicts-failure-for-business-rates-devolution-without-reforms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-predicts-failure-for-business-rates-devolution-without-reforms Tue, 21 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT Councils have warned about the growing dangers of online child abuse after new figures showed that the internet was used as a gateway in more than 3,000 sex crimes against children last year. The new figures, revealed by the NSPCC at its conference, ‘How safe are our children?’, were recorded following the introduction of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-warn-that-online-child-abuse-is-a-growing-concern- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-warn-that-online-child-abuse-is-a-growing-concern- Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Peter King, Partner at law firm Nockolds, analyses why county councils have not been enforcing deprivation of asset regulations as rigorously as they could be in recent years. The UK government spends around £10bn on care for the elderly every year. Despite this vast sum of money, local authorities are struggling to provide adequate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-losing-millions-by-failing-to-clamp-down-on-people-who-gift-assets-to-avoid-care-home-costs 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-losing-millions-by-failing-to-clamp-down-on-people-who-gift-assets-to-avoid-care-home-costs Mon, 20 Jun 2016 12:00:00 GMT A new agreement has been sought in the East Anglia devolution deal, with proposals being published for two separate deals. The new deals, worth £1.3bn, will create two separate East Anglia Combined Authorities, chaired by elected mayors, one for Suffolk and Norfolk and one for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. In addition, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-and-suffolk-separated-in-new-east-anglia-devolution-deals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-and-suffolk-separated-in-new-east-anglia-devolution-deals Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT The murder of Jo Cox is a shocking blow to public life in the UK. Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed outside Birstall public library, where she had been planning to run a constituency surgery, on Thursday. Thomas Mair, 52, an alleged far-right extremist suffering from mental health problems, was formally charged with the murder at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/remembering-jo-cox-mp 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/remembering-jo-cox-mp Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT Additional funding paid to schools with disadvantaged pupils is increasingly being used to cover funding cuts elsewhere, a new survey has found. The Sutton Trust survey showed that although the number of teachers saying their main priority for their pupil premium funding is offsetting budget cuts remains a minority, it has tripled in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-forced-to-use-pupil-premium-to-meet-funding-cuts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-forced-to-use-pupil-premium-to-meet-funding-cuts Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:30:00 GMT Libraries should be given more prominence in devolution deals in order to protect them from funding cuts, the LGA has proposed. The preliminary findings of Ambition for Libraries, a joint consultation by the LGA and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the future of libraries, are being presented to the LGA Culture, Tourism and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-offers-more-opportunities-for-preserving-libraries 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-offers-more-opportunities-for-preserving-libraries Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities could take on more of a leadership role for some traditional NHS functions, following their involvement in the formation of sustainability and transformation plans (STPs), the head of the health service has said. Speaking at the NHS Confederation annual conference, Simon Stevens, CEO of NHS England, said that in some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-take-over-more-health-functions-post-stps-says-nhs-boss 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-take-over-more-health-functions-post-stps-says-nhs-boss Mon, 20 Jun 2016 08:45:00 GMT All but two government departments experienced delays in responding to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests in January to March 2016, according to new analysis by the Institute for Government (IfG). The IfG found that only the Department of Health and the DCLG responded to all FoI requests within 20 working days. Four departments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-two-government-departments-responded-to-fois-on-time-in-last-quarter 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-two-government-departments-responded-to-fois-on-time-in-last-quarter Fri, 17 Jun 2016 16:00:00 GMT The order officially creating the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) came into force today. The devolved body, which combines Sandwell, Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, was officially approved on 7 June despite criticism from peers, with Lord Kennedy of Southwark calling it “disjointed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-officially-launched-after-delay 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-officially-launched-after-delay Fri, 17 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT The government has been urged to postpone introducing the apprenticeship levy by the Chartered Institute for Professional Development (CIPD) after new research showed that the majority of employers oppose it. A CIPD survey shows that, while 35% of employers said they supported the principles of the levy, 27% opposed it and 38%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-completely-overhaul-apprenticeship-levy-or-postpone-it 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-completely-overhaul-apprenticeship-levy-or-postpone-it Fri, 17 Jun 2016 14:30:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has endorsed Sir Edward Lister for the position of chair of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The DCLG, which is responsible for making the appointment, had put Sir Edward forward as its preferred candidate. Following a CLG Committee hearing on 14 June, where the cross-party... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-sir-edward-lister-as-hca-candidate 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-endorses-sir-edward-lister-as-hca-candidate Fri, 17 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT With a week to go to the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union and the polls favouring victory for the Leave campaign, the leaders of the UK’s major cities have repeated their warning that leaving could harm the economy. Core Cities, a group consisting of mayors and council leaders in Birmingham, Bristol... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-leaders-warn-of-grave-threat-of-brexit 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-leaders-warn-of-grave-threat-of-brexit Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:45:00 GMT Greater Manchester and other devolved regions across England have to move to develop a single integrated commissioning hub for all public services in order to focus on “real priorities” and place-based planning, Sir Howard Bernstein, the CEO of Manchester City Council, said. Speaking at the opening of the NHS Confederation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-commissioning-hub-and-place-based-approach-vital-to-devolution-aims-says-sir-howard 433,870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-commissioning-hub-and-place-based-approach-vital-to-devolution-aims-says-sir-howard Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:45:00 GMT The rise in employment and wages announced yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will be “short-lived” unless employers increase productivity to accommodate the costs of the National Living Wage (NLW), according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD). The ONS figures show that in the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wage-rise-to-be-short-lived-unless-productivity-boosts-to-meet-nlw-cost 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wage-rise-to-be-short-lived-unless-productivity-boosts-to-meet-nlw-cost Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT Flash floods could hit communities this week, wreaking havoc among homes and businesses, council leaders have warned. With heavy and thundery showers forecast for today, the LGA has advised that home and business owners need to be prepared. Flash flooding can lead to an inch of rain falling in just 15 minutes. It only takes 15cm of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-issue-flash-flood-warning 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-issue-flash-flood-warning Thu, 16 Jun 2016 00:30:00 GMT Any new system for assessing the share of business rates in the future should be designed around ‘place’ and delivering better outcomes for communities, rather than having a focus on institutions, the chairman of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has said. Responding to the Communities and Local Government (CLG)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-business-rates-system-must-focus-on-place-not-institutions-says-dcn-chair 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-business-rates-system-must-focus-on-place-not-institutions-says-dcn-chair Wed, 15 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Carl Fillery, CEO of Boundless (formerly CSMA Club), discusses the increasing financial and time pressures placed upon public sector workers and the importance of reclaiming your free time. A healthy public sector is essential for a healthy UK economy, but in recent times public sector employees have found themselves at the brunt of deep... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/providing-inspiration-for-a-better-work-life-balance 447,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/providing-inspiration-for-a-better-work-life-balance Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:45:00 GMT Key health and social care bodies have set out their vision for how services can be integrated by 2020, but warned it’s at risk because of funding shortages. ‘Stepping up to the place: The key to successful integration’ is a joint report from the LGA, NHS Confederation, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-integration-plans-at-risk-due-to-funding-shortages 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-integration-plans-at-risk-due-to-funding-shortages Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT For more than sixteen years, James Passingham, Chief Technical Officer at Foehn, has pioneered the development of communication systems using open source software. Here, James explains where government policy encouraging the use of open source is bearing fruit. It was some four years ago, with the founding of the Government Digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-source-software-finds-its-sweet-spot-in-the-public-sector- 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-source-software-finds-its-sweet-spot-in-the-public-sector- Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT Financial strategies across councils have started to shift from managing assets to generating savings, meaning schemes that do not fall under an ‘invest to save’ criteria are being written off as low priority – even if they are needed to maintain existing assets. In a scathing report on local government finance, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tight-budgets-mean-long-term-council-investment-no-longer-a-priority 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tight-budgets-mean-long-term-council-investment-no-longer-a-priority Wed, 15 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT A legal challenge has been launched by four councils to secure additional funding for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) assessments. The judicial review challenge from Liverpool, Shropshire, Richmond upon Thames and Nottinghamshire councils relates to the spiralling costs of assessments since the 2014 Cheshire West ruling in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-take-government-to-court-over-funding-for-dols-assessments 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-take-government-to-court-over-funding-for-dols-assessments Tue, 14 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT The National AIDS Trust has confirmed it will seek a judicial review of the decision by NHS England to stop funding HIV prevention drug PrEP, and is crowdfunding among supporters to raise money. NHS England confirmed on 1 June that it will not continue funding the drug on the grounds that it should be the responsibility of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-seeks-judicial-review-over-hiv-drug-provision-decision 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-seeks-judicial-review-over-hiv-drug-provision-decision Tue, 14 Jun 2016 14:45:00 GMT Prominent figures in the public sector have been rewarded as part of the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours. Martin Donnelly, permanent secretary to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), John Kingman, second permanent secretary to the Treasury, and Dr Malcolm McKibibn, permanent secretary to the Northern Ireland Civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-and-local-government-leaders-among-those-honoured-by-queen 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-and-local-government-leaders-among-those-honoured-by-queen Tue, 14 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT Problems with ensuring fair funding through the business rates system have been pointed out by councils following an interim report from the Communities and Local Government Committee. The report warned that many councils had raised concerns about losses they could suffer through appeals once they are wholly responsible for business rates... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warn-one-size-fits-all-approach-wont-work-for-business-rates-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warn-one-size-fits-all-approach-wont-work-for-business-rates-devolution Tue, 14 Jun 2016 12:00:00 GMT Sheryl French, project director, energy investment unit, at Cambridgeshire County Council, explains how the national RE:FIT programme has enabled the local authority to invest in energy-efficient measures to deliver future savings. Just over two years ago, Cambridgeshire County Council secured £15m of investment for energy-saving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investing-now-to-save-in-the-future 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investing-now-to-save-in-the-future Tue, 14 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Paul Hilton, senior project officer, infrastructure development at Sustrans, explains how the second round of the Sustainable Transport Delivery Excellence Programme is aiming to support sustainable transport solutions that enable increased levels of active travel across the country. With growth deals in their second year alongside a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/encouraging-and-delivering-active-travel-locally 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/encouraging-and-delivering-active-travel-locally Tue, 14 Jun 2016 09:30:00 GMT The appeals system as it exists poses a serious threat to the devolution of business rates, the Communities and Local Government Committee has warned. In its interim report on the proposals, the committee said that the appeals system was “often the very first issue raised in the written submissions and oral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-will-expose-councils-to-100-of-appeals-risk 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-devolution-will-expose-councils-to-100-of-appeals-risk Tue, 14 Jun 2016 08:30:00 GMT Edward Kunonga, director of public health at Middlesbrough Council, explains how a shared public health and literacy agenda is making a difference in Middlesbrough. The benefits of reading on health and wellbeing throughout people’s lives are very well documented. These range from improving emotional wellbeing to helping with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-place-based-response-to-tackling-low-literacy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-place-based-response-to-tackling-low-literacy Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT A new IT programme for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), designed to deliver savings, still faces significant obstacles to being delivered as planned, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. In a memorandum on the ongoing programme, the NAO said that the deliverability of HMRC’s programme to replace the Aspire system with a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concerns-remain-over-hmrc-aspire-programme 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concerns-remain-over-hmrc-aspire-programme Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT The government’s record on teacher training has been criticised in a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. The report said that the School Direct programme, created to provide locally-targeted teacher training, does not apply to 57% of schools, many of which are in rural and deprived areas. The Department for Education has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-failing-to-address-teacher-shortages-mps-say 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-failing-to-address-teacher-shortages-mps-say Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT Borough councils in London should be able to count the apprentices recruited in their supply chains towards their total apprenticeship figures, London Councils is expected to say in a letter to skills minister Nick Boles MP. The proposal, inspired by data from the last five years, is one of many suggestions that London Councils is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/merge-council-and-supply-chain-apprenticeship-figures-says-london-councils 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/merge-council-and-supply-chain-apprenticeship-figures-says-london-councils Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT Northern Powerhouse policy should pay more attention to the role of ‘small and medium sized cities’ (SMCs), according to a new report from think tank IPRR North. The report criticises the ‘agglomeration narrative’ that says that cities such as Manchester and Leeds are growing in counterbalance to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-cities-should-play-bigger-role-in-northern-powerhouse-delivery 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-cities-should-play-bigger-role-in-northern-powerhouse-delivery Mon, 13 Jun 2016 10:30:00 GMT As significant water market reforms edge ever closer, Adam Cooper, director of retail market opening at Ofwat, explains what these changes will mean for public sector bodies. From April 2017, if you buy water, wastewater (also known as sewerage) or both services for a business, charity or public sector property or a number of premises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-water-market-reforms-mean-for-the-public-sector 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-water-market-reforms-mean-for-the-public-sector Mon, 13 Jun 2016 09:30:00 GMT Housing associations can lead the way in developing a new and alternative approach to delayed hospital discharge for the NHS and local government, writes Patrick Vernon OBE, health partnership co-ordinator at the National Housing Federation (NHF). The recent ‘Discharging older patients from hospital’ report from the spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-an-alternative-approach-to-delayed-hospital-discharge 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-an-alternative-approach-to-delayed-hospital-discharge Fri, 10 Jun 2016 16:45:00 GMT The “broken” national mental health system means the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is developing its own integrated approach to mental health care. Today Norman Lamb MP, former minister for community and social care and chair of the WMCA Mental Health Commission, summarised the commission’s year-long work at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-recommends-integrated-approach-to-mental-health 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-recommends-integrated-approach-to-mental-health Fri, 10 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT The areas suffering from the greatest social care cuts are home to the greatest numbers of elderly people, adding to delayed transfer rates. The County Councils Network (CCN) reported that its members suffered 22% reductions in adult social care funding in 2013-16. This is despite the fact that counties are home to 55% of the elderly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-call-for-funding-reform-as-delayed-transfers-cost-nhs-300m 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-call-for-funding-reform-as-delayed-transfers-cost-nhs-300m Fri, 10 Jun 2016 15:45:00 GMT Civil servants are confused and anxious about the forthcoming Government as a Platform programme, a survey has found. A survey of 2,000 civil servants by software company Northgate Public Services found that 74% don’t fully understand the £450m programme to join up government digital services. It also found that only 41%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-quarters-of-civil-servants-dont-understand-government-as-a-platform 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-quarters-of-civil-servants-dont-understand-government-as-a-platform Fri, 10 Jun 2016 14:30:00 GMT Chantalle Thomson, analyst at The Carbon Trust, on why deregulation will create a moment of opportunity for public sector organisations to take charge of their water consumption. Monopolies are not usually known to provide their customers with the best deals, but at present organisations in England have no real choice on their local water... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-better-public-sector-water-management-provide-a-bucketful-of-savings 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-better-public-sector-water-management-provide-a-bucketful-of-savings Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:30:00 GMT Rosie Harper, programme manager for built environment at BSI, discusses how new flood protection guidance can help local authorities. Resilience, “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties”, is a term being used with increasing frequency, and is proving apt in the wake of widespread flooding which has affected the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-the-flood-performance-of-buildings 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-the-flood-performance-of-buildings Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:30:00 GMT Andrew Laird, director at Mutual Ventures, outlines how a new Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), the Health and Wellbeing Partnership, could help provide a new model for smaller providers to offer care services. There is little doubt that devolution will be the chief driver of public service reform for the remainder of this Parliament.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-model-for-smaller-providers-to-deliver-at-scale 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-model-for-smaller-providers-to-deliver-at-scale Thu, 09 Jun 2016 16:30:00 GMT Rebecca McCaffry, head of public sector research at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), shares her insights into how leaders can improve their decision-making procedures. We’re all familiar with complaints that the public sector is overly bureaucratic and fails to think laterally, resulting in decisions that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaders-are-struggling-to-make-the-right-decisions-at-the-right-time 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaders-are-struggling-to-make-the-right-decisions-at-the-right-time Thu, 09 Jun 2016 16:30:00 GMT Schemes to get the unemployed back into work should be devolved to councils, according to proposals due to be discussed by the LGA. The proposals, published ahead of a meeting of the LGA’s City Regions Board on 13 June, say that the LGA is due to approve a new deal with the DWP for local authorities to co-commission the Work and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-dwp-to-agree-disability-employment-scheme-devolution-pilots 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-dwp-to-agree-disability-employment-scheme-devolution-pilots Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:30:00 GMT Supported housing must be made permanently exempt from the housing benefit cap, the LGA has said, warning that the current uncertainty is damaging the market. The government announced in March that supported accommodation will be exempt from the cap on local housing allowance until April 2017, and is due to confirm whether this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uncertainty-over-supported-housing-damaging-the-market-councils-warn 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uncertainty-over-supported-housing-damaging-the-market-councils-warn Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT The Bus Services Bill risks being used by the government as a political manoeuvre to force more local authorities to accept elected mayors, peers have said. The Bill, which was announced in last month’s Queen’s Speech and received its second reading in the House of Lords yesterday, will allow combined authorities with an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buses-bill-designed-to-force-authorities-to-accept-elected-mayor-lords-warn 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buses-bill-designed-to-force-authorities-to-accept-elected-mayor-lords-warn Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:45:00 GMT Greater clarity and transparency is needed over local authority decisions to allow planning permission in high flood risk areas, and the DCLG should develop a detailed framework for councils by the end of the year, the Environmental Audit Committee has stated in a new report. The ‘Flooding: Cooperation across Government’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-needs-systematic-approach-for-new-builds-in-flood-risk-areas 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-needs-systematic-approach-for-new-builds-in-flood-risk-areas Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:15:00 GMT John Anderson, executive director of Kier Living, and Shamez Alibhai, head of Cheyne’s Social Property Impact Fund, run through the many benefits of a new £1bn housing fund that will help councils deliver more homes through an innovative alliance model. The government’s much-publicised goal of delivering 200,000 homes a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-more-flexible-approach-to-housebuilding 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-more-flexible-approach-to-housebuilding Thu, 09 Jun 2016 09:15:00 GMT Manchester’s three central hospitals are to be joined together in an ambitious healthcare plan after it was approved by Manchester City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board. The committee’s decision means that Pennine Acute NHS Trust, Central Manchester University Hospital NHS FT and University Hospital of South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-endorses-single-hospital-trust 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-endorses-single-hospital-trust Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:30:00 GMT Sandra Dinneen, chair of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) Chief Executive Group and CEO of South Norfolk District Council, explains how district councils are developing the public sector leaders of the future. The DCN represents 201 district councils in England at national level – through influencing central government and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-public-leaders-of-the-future 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-public-leaders-of-the-future Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT Local authority funding cuts to public health are adding to pressures on the health service, the chief executive of NHS England told the Health Select Committee yesterday. Simon Stevens said that although local authorities were extracting value for money from reduced funding, he did not know “whether the squaring of the circle can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mitigating-public-health-cuts-may-not-continue-indefinitely-nhs-england-ceo 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mitigating-public-health-cuts-may-not-continue-indefinitely-nhs-england-ceo Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:00:00 GMT Jovian Smalley, engagement manager at the Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing, explains how a new piece of work aims to tackle the information sharing challenges that exist around vulnerable children and families. Multi-agency working is central to providing co-ordinated support to vulnerable children and families. Effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-across-multi-agency-partnerships 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-across-multi-agency-partnerships Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:00:00 GMT London councils could demand full control of tax powers, subject to a successful pilot of business rates devolution. A statement of principles, which London Council leaders were asked to sign up to at a board meeting yesterday, says that full control of council tax powers is vital to offset loss of revenue due to London’s unique... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-to-seek-devolution-of-further-tax-powers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-to-seek-devolution-of-further-tax-powers Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:45:00 GMT Lou-Davina Stouffs, programme manager at Nesta, and Teo Firpo, researcher at the charity’s Innovation Growth Lab (IGL), report from the innovation and growth policy global conference. Despite the developments in technology and business models that we have witnessed over the past decades, our support programmes and policies for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-we-need-more-experimentation-in-innovation-and-growth-policy 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-we-need-more-experimentation-in-innovation-and-growth-policy Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:45:00 GMT Funding cuts and wage pressures will make it harder for local authorities to fulfil their Care Act obligations, and maximise the benefits of personal budgets, an influential committee of MPs has stated. In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that taking risks with personal care budgets is increasingly challenging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dh-told-to-review-impact-of-national-living-wage-on-social-care-by-november 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dh-told-to-review-impact-of-national-living-wage-on-social-care-by-november Wed, 08 Jun 2016 12:45:00 GMT A series of emerging obstacles in the sustainability and transformation plan (STP) drafting process across London means that fully formed plans might not be achievable by the end of June, despite a firm deadline pre-determined by NHS England. In its board papers from a meeting held yesterday, London Councils, which represents 33 borough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-flag-significant-difficulties-in-stp-pace-collaboration-and-capacity 870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-flag-significant-difficulties-in-stp-pace-collaboration-and-capacity Wed, 08 Jun 2016 12:30:00 GMT Graeme Swan, a partner in EY’s Government and Public Sector team, explains why a ‘fail fast and learn’ method approach to government project delivery is often unachievable in the public sector. Recent weeks have seen the spotlight intensify on government project delivery, with a report from the Public Accounts Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-failure-shouldnt-be-a-dirty-word-in-project-management 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-failure-shouldnt-be-a-dirty-word-in-project-management Wed, 08 Jun 2016 09:15:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has launched an inquiry into the financial sustainability of local authority social care. The inquiry will look at the quality and financial sustainability of care, including the impact of the 2015 Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement, including the 2% council tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-inquiry-launched-by-clg-committee 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-inquiry-launched-by-clg-committee Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:45:00 GMT PSE’s Rosemary Collins talks to Socitm’s new president, Geoff Connell, about the need for diversity in the sector’s IT workforce. As Geoff Connell celebrates becoming president of Socitm, he thinks it’s time for local government IT managers to get out of the monitor room and into redesigning services. He also wants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-value-of-diversity-in-the-it-workforce 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-value-of-diversity-in-the-it-workforce Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT Karina Nielsen, professor of work and organisational psychology at the Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, looks at how public sector bodies can restructure their workforce without damaging the health and wellbeing of employees. Most employees will experience at least one type of restructuring during their lives, and while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/everything-changes-and-nothing-stands-still 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/everything-changes-and-nothing-stands-still Tue, 07 Jun 2016 15:45:00 GMT The House of Lords passed a motion to create the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as a legal entity, despite concerns raised by many peers about its structure. The Lords approved an order to create the combined authority, consisting of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disjointed-and-confused-wmca-deal-passes-through-lords-despite-criticism 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disjointed-and-confused-wmca-deal-passes-through-lords-despite-criticism Tue, 07 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT Geldards LLP’s senior associate Owen Evans and partner Lowri Phillips outline what public bodies need to know ahead of significant data market reforms in 2018. The countdown to new EU data protection laws has begun. The General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) has now been published in the EU Official Journal and will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-general-data-protection-regulation-2016-whats-in-store-for-the-public-sector 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-general-data-protection-regulation-2016-whats-in-store-for-the-public-sector Tue, 07 Jun 2016 14:45:00 GMT A sustainable economy for the Tees Valley following the closure of the SSI Steelworks must be supported by the government, according to an independent report The report, from Conservative peer Lord Heseltine, says that the South Tees Development Corporation should be established and given control of the former steelworks site “as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-tees-development-corporation-should-be-established-as-soon-as-possible 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-tees-development-corporation-should-be-established-as-soon-as-possible Tue, 07 Jun 2016 12:15:00 GMT Andy Cooke, a programme management expert at PA Consulting Group, explains how those responsible for leading transformational change in local government can draw lessons about integrating teams from great musical conductors. Local government change projects have always been complex, involving many different stakeholders, and sometimes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-about-integration-from-musical-conductors 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-about-integration-from-musical-conductors Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:15:00 GMT Claire McCartney, research adviser - Resourcing and Talent Planning, at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, explains why public sector employers should consider redefining their approach to careers. The latest CIPD/Halogen Employee Outlook survey of over 2,000 employees shows that job satisfaction in the UK has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employees-cant-get-no-job-satisfaction 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employees-cant-get-no-job-satisfaction Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), explains why clarity is needed in the local government reorganisation debate. If devolution was the buzzword for councils in 2015, debate surrounding local government reorganisation has defined 2016 so far.  Back in December, the CCN warned that last-minute changes to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clarity-needed-over-reorganisation-discussions 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clarity-needed-over-reorganisation-discussions Mon, 06 Jun 2016 14:30:00 GMT More councils than ever have made their websites more accessible for mobile phone users, the final results of the annual Socitm Better Connected survey show. The survey found that 80% of councils now have websites specially purposed for mobile phones. Of these, 68% were rated as providing a good or very good experience, compared to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-improve-mobile-and-disability-web-accessibility 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-improve-mobile-and-disability-web-accessibility Mon, 06 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT Shared services are now ‘standard practice’, the LGA has said, as its updated shared services map shows their growth. The new map shows that the majority of local authorities share services in areas including business support, children and young people’s services and environmental protection. Examples of shared... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-services-are-now-standard-practice--lga 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-services-are-now-standard-practice--lga Mon, 06 Jun 2016 11:15:00 GMT Responsibility for contaminated soil clean-up is increasingly falling on councils, despite cuts from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), a new report from the Environmental Audit Committee has found. An estimated 325,000 sites in the UK, covering 300,000 hectares, are contaminated with substances including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ignoring-soil-contamination-issues-as-defra-cuts-funding 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ignoring-soil-contamination-issues-as-defra-cuts-funding Mon, 06 Jun 2016 10:45:00 GMT Employers are failing to support employees with caring responsibilities, although the public sector is significantly better than the private or voluntary, according to a new report. The report, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that 52% of public sector employers had a formal, written policy aimed at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-failing-to-support-growing-number-of-carer-employees 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-failing-to-support-growing-number-of-carer-employees Mon, 06 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT School summer holidays in Barnsley will be one week shorter from 2017-18, the council has announced. The council's new school holidays calendar reveals that it will cut summer holidays so that children only have August off, and will add the extra week to the autumn half term, which will run from 23 October to 5 November 2017. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barnsley-council-cuts-summer-holidays-by-a-week 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barnsley-council-cuts-summer-holidays-by-a-week Fri, 03 Jun 2016 16:15:00 GMT Carolyn Wilkins, the head of leadership development at Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and CEO of Oldham Council, tells PSE’s Luana Salles what councils can do to ensure staff remain healthy, productive and motivated as their job roles adapt to service changes. We’ve all seen the headlines: public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-council-jobs-keep-up-with-service-reforms 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-council-jobs-keep-up-with-service-reforms Fri, 03 Jun 2016 16:00:00 GMT Women are underrepresented in the most senior roles in the Northern Powerhouse, meaning that they could be excluded from key decision-making, new research from The Fawcett Society shows. The society found that women make up 40% of councillors in the Northern Powerhouse region, but they are not being promoted to more senior positions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-risks-becoming-just-another-boys-club 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-risks-becoming-just-another-boys-club Fri, 03 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT Joanne Segars, chief executive of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), discusses the biggest concerns for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). As readers will be only too aware, local government is under pressure like never before. Issues such as decentralisation, devolution and deficits are having an impact not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenges--opportunities-ahead-for-the-lgps 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenges--opportunities-ahead-for-the-lgps Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:30:00 GMT Millions of pounds worth of taxpayer money could be being wasted because the government is failing to keep track of how much it spends on externally commissioned research and when the research is published, a new report has found. The report, from charity Sense about Science, found that the UK government does not keep track of what it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-unable-to-say-how-its-research-budget-is-spent 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-unable-to-say-how-its-research-budget-is-spent Fri, 03 Jun 2016 13:00:00 GMT Privatising the Land Registry would make the property market more vulnerable to money laundering, tax evasion and other forms of abuse, MPs have warned in a letter opposing the proposals. The letter, written by Labour MP David Lammy to business secretary Sajid Javid and signed by 65 MPs, accuses the government of “an extremely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/privatising-land-registry-risks-money-laundering-abuse-mps-warn 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/privatising-land-registry-risks-money-laundering-abuse-mps-warn Fri, 03 Jun 2016 11:45:00 GMT Rachael Tiffen, head of the CIPFA Counter Fraud Centre, discusses the new Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally strategy and the importance of strong leadership to enable change. Over six years ago I sat in a room with a number of other civil servants at the National Fraud Authority, and we agreed that something had to be done to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-strategy-for-fighting-fraud-and-corruption-locally 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-strategy-for-fighting-fraud-and-corruption-locally Thu, 02 Jun 2016 17:00:00 GMT Greater Manchester’s police and crime commissioner and interim mayor, Tony Lloyd, writes for PSE about the region’s long devolution journey and the benefits it is starting to deliver at the local level. Greater Manchester (GM) took control of health and social care in our city-region on 1 April 2016. This is the first time a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-long-and-winding-road 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-long-and-winding-road Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:15:00 GMT Mark Duddridge, chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), discusses the importance of an evidence-based approach to devolution in order to navigate the challenges it brings. Devolution is hard. Just ask Gateshead. Or North Somerset. Or Norfolk. Or Yorkshire. In all these cases – and there are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/navigating-the-challenges-of-devolution 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/navigating-the-challenges-of-devolution Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:15:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, examines taken-for-granted assumptions shaping public governance and management. Putting nuances to one side, and acknowledging recent embellishments, a dominant discourse has framed public governance and reform of public services for nearly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-the-narrative 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-the-narrative Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:30:00 GMT Support for disabled people and carers has worsened since the introduction of the Care Act, according to FoI requests by charity Revitalise. The charity found that 55% of local authorities spent less on services for disabled people in the year since the Care Act came into force on 1 April 2015 than in the year before, with spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-exposes-tragedy-of-failed-care-act 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-exposes-tragedy-of-failed-care-act Thu, 02 Jun 2016 11:00:00 GMT Benjamin Taylor, CEO of the Public Service Transformation Academy (PSTA), which has taken over the running of the Cabinet Office’s Commissioning Academy, talks to PSE about the future of public sector commissioning. When PSE called Benjamin Taylor for our interview, we caught him in the middle of running a hack day in Cornwall.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioning-for-the-future 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioning-for-the-future Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT Government whistleblower protection policies will not be expanded despite a recommendation from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In its response to the PAC’s 2015-16 reports, the Cabinet Office said it would not introduce a specific requirement for the wider public sector and private and voluntary sector partners to have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-refuses-to-apply-whistleblowing-policies-to-wider-public-sector 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-refuses-to-apply-whistleblowing-policies-to-wider-public-sector Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT The results of the Local Government Association (LGA) Digital Expert Programme so far have been published in an interim evaluation. In March 2015, the LGA provided £390,000 funding to 27 digital projects involving 42 councils, with individual councils receiving grants of £10,000 and groups of councils being given £25,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-programme-helps-councils-save-money-through-digital-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-programme-helps-councils-save-money-through-digital-services Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:00:00 GMT Richard Norrie, Research Fellow at Policy Exchange, explains how a new project will attempt to quantify the extent of ethnic minority representation in the Civil Service. The idea of a glass ceiling is simple – you can see the top, but there is an invisible barrier preventing you from reaching it. In the debate on diversity, this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-there-a-glass-ceiling-for-ethnic-minorities-in-the-civil-service 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-there-a-glass-ceiling-for-ethnic-minorities-in-the-civil-service Thu, 02 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Health devolution could be a more effective solution to place-based health and social care integration than sustainability and transformation plans (STPs), despite the latter being hailed as the ideal solution to regional health systems, answers to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests have shown. In an investigation carried out to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-devolution-could-be-better-for-social-care-integration-than-stps 870,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-devolution-could-be-better-for-social-care-integration-than-stps Thu, 02 Jun 2016 09:30:00 GMT Manchester could soon have a Transport for London-style integrated public transport body, as the city’s transport leaders indicated they may adopt proposals in the Buses Bill. The bill will devolve control of bus franchising to local authorities with an elected mayor, allowing them to decide the routes, frequencies, timetables... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-proposes-devolved-bus-franchising 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-proposes-devolved-bus-franchising Wed, 01 Jun 2016 16:45:00 GMT Debbie Dansey, local government lead at TEICCAF (The European Institute for Combatting Corruption and Fraud) and national chair of the Local Authority Investigation Officers Group, explains why councils need to review their counter-fraud arrangements. In autumn last year, TEICCAF published the first ‘Protecting the English Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protecting-our-public-purse 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protecting-our-public-purse Wed, 01 Jun 2016 16:45:00 GMT Martin Reeves, CEO of Coventry City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), explains why the future is bright for the region as the plans to move powers from Westminster to the West Midlands gather pace. June is an exciting month for the WMCA as it started operating officially as a new body from 17 June, there are also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-wheels-in-motion-in-the-west-midlands 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-wheels-in-motion-in-the-west-midlands Wed, 01 Jun 2016 15:30:00 GMT John Pollard, leader of Cornwall Council, talks about the progress made in the first year of Cornwall’s devolution deal, and why the process needs to be seen as a system approach. Devolution suits Cornwall. We have a strong sense of our cultural identity and place, coupled with a long history of partnership working across a distinct... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-needs-to-be-seen-as-a-system-approach 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-needs-to-be-seen-as-a-system-approach Wed, 01 Jun 2016 15:00:00 GMT Strengthening the economies of key northern cities will be more important than large-scale investment in areas like rail, think tank Centre for Cities has said in a new report. The report compares conditions in the north of England to that of the Rhine-Ruhr and Randstad regions of Germany and the Netherlands, which the government has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-investment-should-focus-on-biggest-cities-centre-for-cities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-investment-should-focus-on-biggest-cities-centre-for-cities Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:45:00 GMT The government has made the Northern Powerhouse a top priority – but the initiative will only work if it focuses on boosting productivity in underperforming northern cities, chief executive of Centre for Cities Alexandra Jones argues. In the recent Queen’s Speech, the government reaffirmed its commitment to building the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/for-the-northern-powerhouse-to-succeed-the-government-must-focus-on-underperforming-city-regions 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/for-the-northern-powerhouse-to-succeed-the-government-must-focus-on-underperforming-city-regions Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:15:00 GMT Despite the process for English devolution being criticised as ‘piecemeal’ and lacking ‘clear objectives’, we are now starting to see the transfer of some powers and budgetary control from Whitehall to Town Halls.  In this edition of PSE we catch up with several devolution signatories, and while some admit the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-we-are-where-we-are 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-we-are-where-we-are Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:45:00 GMT The NHS refusal to overturn a decision to stop funding HIV prevention medication will “heap more pressure” on public health services by transferring the cost to them, the LGA has said. The NHS had agreed to review the decision to stop commissioning the drug PrEP, following a legal challenge from the National Aids Trust... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hiv-treatment-decision-will-heap-more-pressure-on-public-health--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hiv-treatment-decision-will-heap-more-pressure-on-public-health--lga Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:30:00 GMT Michael Checkley, sustainability and low carbon manager at Coventry City Council, and Cllr Jim O’Boyle run through the energy-efficient measures that helped set Coventry ahead of all other councils. Coventry City Council has recently been placed top of a national Local Authority Energy Index (LAEI) as a result of its work in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-lessons-from-the-top-of-the-index 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-lessons-from-the-top-of-the-index Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:45:00 GMT Annual accounts revealing the extent of the government’s overspend have been criticised for being incomplete and released without publicity. The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) for 2014-15, released last week after auditing from the National Audit Office (NAO), show that net expenditure (the shortfall between income and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disappointing-lack-of-attention-called-to-release-of-government-overspend-accounts 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disappointing-lack-of-attention-called-to-release-of-government-overspend-accounts Tue, 31 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT Council involvement in the ongoing and arguably momentous Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), designed to integrate health and social care across 44 ‘footprints’, has been inconsistent nationwide – with most areas locked out of leadership nomination discussions entirely. The STPs were pitched in December as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-two-thirds-of-councils-shut-out-from-stp-health-leadership-talks 870,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-two-thirds-of-councils-shut-out-from-stp-health-leadership-talks Tue, 31 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT The roads considered part of Britain’s strategic network should be almost doubled, according to a paper being discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the Local Government Association (LGA) environment, economy and housing board. The paper, based on research from the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, says that the 4,400 mile strategic road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-roads-should-be-part-of-strategic-network--lga-board 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-roads-should-be-part-of-strategic-network--lga-board Tue, 31 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT David Rees, head of local government services at PA Consulting Group, and Hazel Blears, chair of the Social Investment Business and former Salford and Eccles MP, discuss how social investment offers a practical solution during austere times. While this year's funding settlement figures have given local government increased certainty, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-investment-helping-to-fund-sustainable-futures 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-investment-helping-to-fund-sustainable-futures Tue, 31 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT Legal enforcement is needed to ensure social value is given priority in commissioning, according to a new report from Social Enterprise UK. The organisation submitted Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities in England, which found that 24% had a social value policy and 33% said they routinely considered social value in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-councils-still-failing-to-consider-social-value-in-procurement 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-councils-still-failing-to-consider-social-value-in-procurement Tue, 31 May 2016 10:00:00 GMT Spending cuts have left the criminal justice system “close to breaking point”, a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns. The report found that two-thirds of trials to the Crown Court are delayed or do not go ahead at all, and there was a backlog of 51,830 cases in September 2015. This led to vital work being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-justice-system-is-close-to-breaking-point--pac 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-justice-system-is-close-to-breaking-point--pac Fri, 27 May 2016 16:15:00 GMT Employees’ social and economic family background could be subject to scrutiny in a bid to make workplaces more diverse, under new measures proposed by the Cabinet Office. The government has opened a consultation on how to measure socio-economic background in the same way as existing diversity factors, such as race and gender, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-to-tackle-last-workplace-taboo-with-class-diversity-measures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-to-tackle-last-workplace-taboo-with-class-diversity-measures Fri, 27 May 2016 15:30:00 GMT Public sector employees who are compulsorily transferred to a private sector employer will be able to stay in their original pension schemes, under new government proposals. The proposed changes to the Fair Deal for Staff Pensions regulations of the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) will end the practice of offering workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-entitled-to-keep-pensions-after-transfer-under-proposed-reforms 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-entitled-to-keep-pensions-after-transfer-under-proposed-reforms Fri, 27 May 2016 15:00:00 GMT The government has denied accusations that its devolution process is failing to take into account the needs of communities in its response to a critical report. The DCLG said it was rejecting the  Communities and Local Government Committee recommendation for additional select committee scrutiny of devolution of specific powers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-will-not-increase-devolution-safeguards-despite-criticisms 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-will-not-increase-devolution-safeguards-despite-criticisms Fri, 27 May 2016 12:30:00 GMT The Department for Business and Skills (BIS) office in Sheffield will close by 2018, the department confirmed today. BIS said closing the office, located on St Paul’s Place, would “modernise” how they worked and save £350m by 2020. BIS officials had to walk through a picket line of striking workers to make the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bis-confirms-sheffield-office-closure- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bis-confirms-sheffield-office-closure- Thu, 26 May 2016 15:30:00 GMT Over 80% of local authority CEOs believe that some councils will fail to deliver essential services in the next three years, according to a new survey. The 2016 Local State We’re In survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also found that  86% believed some local authorities will get into serious financial trouble in the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-80-of-council-ceos-believe-essential-services-at-risk 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-80-of-council-ceos-believe-essential-services-at-risk Thu, 26 May 2016 10:45:00 GMT The Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is under threat because of the piecemeal way powers have been devolved, a new report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee has warned. The committee said that greater oversight of the devolution process as a whole is needed for the United Kingdom to remain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uks-piecemeal-devolution-has-left-union-under-threat-warn-lords 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uks-piecemeal-devolution-has-left-union-under-threat-warn-lords Thu, 26 May 2016 10:45:00 GMT Delayed transfer figures for elderly patients have been underestimating the true scale of the problem, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned in a new report. Official figures show that delayed transfers have increased by 31% in the past two years, from 0.87 million days in 2013 to 1.15 million days in 2015. However, the NAO said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/alarming-increase-in-delayed-transfers-of-elderly-patients 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/alarming-increase-in-delayed-transfers-of-elderly-patients Thu, 26 May 2016 09:15:00 GMT Nearly three-quarters of care homes rated ‘Inadequate’ by the CQC in the past two years have subsequently improved their performance. New analysis from the healthcare inspection body shows that out of 373 care homes rated inadequate between 1 October 2014 and 31 March 2016, 273 (73%), with 12,000 residents in total, have since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-homes-improve-performance-following-cqc-inadequate-rating 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-homes-improve-performance-following-cqc-inadequate-rating Thu, 26 May 2016 08:45:00 GMT The controversial Universal Credit benefits system has started to be fully implemented today, despite warnings from the Resolution Foundation about flaws in its design. Universal Credit is available to jobseekers with families as well as single job seekers in Bath, Newcastle, Bridgewater, Rugby and Lowestoft jobcentres from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warning-over-serious-design-flaws-as-universal-credit-rolled-out 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warning-over-serious-design-flaws-as-universal-credit-rolled-out Wed, 25 May 2016 16:30:00 GMT Privatisation of the Land Registry could lead to excessive control of public data, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The government has proposed creating NewCo, a privatised, vertically-integrated land registry, which supplies both monopoly public sector data and commercial products. In its submission to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/land-registry-privatisation-could-breach-competition-rules 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/land-registry-privatisation-could-breach-competition-rules Wed, 25 May 2016 15:15:00 GMT Ian Fishwick, commercial director at Innopsis, the public sector technology trade association, reviews the Public Accounts Committee report on government spend with SMEs.  When the Conservative government was re-elected, it announced that having beaten its target of 25% of government spend  to be with SMEs by the end of the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-spend-with-smes-a-review-of-the-pac-report 446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-spend-with-smes-a-review-of-the-pac-report Wed, 25 May 2016 15:00:00 GMT Customers to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) were forced to wait much longer on the phone after the service cut staff numbers, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report has found. The report says that in order to deliver £257m savings, HMRC reduced personal tax staff from 26,000 to 15,000 in 2010-15, hoping to make up the shortfall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-customer-service-collapsed-because-of-badly-timed-staff-cuts- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-customer-service-collapsed-because-of-badly-timed-staff-cuts- Wed, 25 May 2016 13:00:00 GMT Current digital services in local government cannot meet changing demand without greater innovation, Socitm, the LGA, Solace and the Local CIO Council have said in a joint paper. The paper says that the current ‘salami slice’ approach to digital services is not sustainable, and recommends greater devolution and integration to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-bodies-call-for-greater-digital-innovation 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-bodies-call-for-greater-digital-innovation Wed, 25 May 2016 12:15:00 GMT Birmingham council children’s services department is to be taken over by a voluntary trust after warnings were raised over the council’s failure to protect children. The department has been rated inadequate since 2008 and a May 2014 Ofsted inspection found that over a three month period, the cases of 145 children were closed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voluntary-trust-to-take-over-birmingham-childrens-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voluntary-trust-to-take-over-birmingham-childrens-services Tue, 24 May 2016 16:45:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) is inviting written submissions that can shed light on council takeover processes following the notorious Tower Hamlets corruption scandal and the Rotherham child sex abuse scheme. As part of the investigation, motivated by its previous report that dug into the large-scale child sexual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-post-scandal-tower-hamlets-and-rotherham-council-takeovers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-launched-into-post-scandal-tower-hamlets-and-rotherham-council-takeovers Tue, 24 May 2016 11:30:00 GMT Rehabilitation of offenders would be improved if the system was locally devolved, according to a new report. In their report, ‘Local offending, local solutions: devolving offender management’, Kevin Lockyer, a former prison governor and senior official at the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), and Richard Heys, an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/offender-management-should-be-devolved-and-made-competitive 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/offender-management-should-be-devolved-and-made-competitive Tue, 24 May 2016 10:30:00 GMT North Yorkshire County Council's planning committee has approved plans for Third Energy to undertake fracking for shale gas in Ryedale, despite local opposition. Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Northallerton’s County Hall, where the committee sat for two days and listened to over 100 speakers before deliberating the planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-yorkshire-cc-approves-controversial-fracking-plans-for-ryedale 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-yorkshire-cc-approves-controversial-fracking-plans-for-ryedale Tue, 24 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT Homeless families are being relocated out of their local area in London at an increasing rate, housing charity Shelter has warned, as it says that councils may be breaching their legal responsibilities to families. Shelter said that 49% of families placed in temporary accommodation by a London local authority in the past year were placed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-failing-to-meet-legal-responsibilities-on-relocating-homeless-families 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-failing-to-meet-legal-responsibilities-on-relocating-homeless-families Mon, 23 May 2016 11:45:00 GMT The United Nations is assessing whether the proposed cap on tax credit to families with two children breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In response to a letter from Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, Ibrahim Salama, director of the Human Rights Treaties Division at the UN, said that the United Nations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/un-to-investigate-tax-credit-cap-after-mp-raises-alarm-over-rape-clause 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/un-to-investigate-tax-credit-cap-after-mp-raises-alarm-over-rape-clause Mon, 23 May 2016 11:45:00 GMT The Labour group is the largest political group in the LGA following the latest local elections, but the Conservative Group will retain the chairmanship due to the way the votes are counted. Following the recent elections and return of Sheffield City Council to LGA membership, Labour has a slender 0.07% majority over the Conservatives in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-now-largest-group-in-lga-but-conservatives-retain-chairmanship 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-now-largest-group-in-lga-but-conservatives-retain-chairmanship Mon, 23 May 2016 11:15:00 GMT Over half of civil servants feel a lack of training is the biggest block to digital transformation of government services, according to a new survey. The survey of 1,235 civil servants, from European digital transformation company Sopra Steria, found that 53% said a lack of digital training for staff was the biggest barrier to moving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-training-biggest-barrier-to-digitisation-of-government-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-training-biggest-barrier-to-digitisation-of-government-services Mon, 23 May 2016 10:45:00 GMT Current devolution of powers to cities proposed by the government will not achieve its aims unless it is supported by full fiscal devolution, a new report warns. The report, carried out by city strategists Metro Dynamics for Core Cities UK, says that existing proposals to devolve business rates are welcome but do not go far... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-alone-are-not-enough-to-finance-devolution 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-alone-are-not-enough-to-finance-devolution Mon, 23 May 2016 10:00:00 GMT A new identity verification service will be implemented across government websites from next week, cabinet office minister Matt Hancock said yesterday as he announced new measures to safeguard data online. Hancock said that GOV.UK Verify will go live next week, and at the same time launched the new Data Science Ethical Framework. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hancock-launches-online-verification-service-and-data-protection-framework 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hancock-launches-online-verification-service-and-data-protection-framework Fri, 20 May 2016 16:15:00 GMT Cross-boundary unitary proposals between Oxfordshire, Cotswold and South Northamptonshire district councils have been abandoned following a consultation. Oxfordshire district councils announced that the PwC consultation into options for replacing Oxfordshire County Council with unitary authorities had found that a cross-boundary model... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-district-councils-rule-out-cross-border-option 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-district-councils-rule-out-cross-border-option Fri, 20 May 2016 12:45:00 GMT An outsourced shared services scheme from the Cabinet Office has not been properly implemented and has failed to achieve value for money, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a new report. Only two out of 26 organisations have signed up for the Next Generation Shared Services Strategy, and while the project has saved £90m, it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clear-leadership-needed-as-cabinet-office-scheme-fails-to-deliver-savings 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clear-leadership-needed-as-cabinet-office-scheme-fails-to-deliver-savings Fri, 20 May 2016 08:30:00 GMT Protection of vulnerable children is still suffering from a lack of co-operation between public agencies, the president of the Superintendents’ Association said today on the final day of the Police Federation conference. Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas called for more work to be done at government level to look at how a joined-up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agencies-still-need-better-co-operation-on-child-protection- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agencies-still-need-better-co-operation-on-child-protection- Thu, 19 May 2016 16:45:00 GMT Economic inclusion is as import as a growth in prosperity for measuring the success of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), a new study says. The study is based on the Inclusive Growth Monitor, a new tool developed by researchers from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the University of Manchester. It uses measures of prosperity such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-leps-failing-to-share-prosperity-benefits 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-leps-failing-to-share-prosperity-benefits Thu, 19 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT An Education for All Bill designed to reinforce the government’s plans to turn all schools into academies was included in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech. The Bill is designed to “move towards a system where all schools are academies”, and grants the government new legal powers to force schools in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-oppose-forced-backdoor-academisation-plans-in-new-education-bill 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-oppose-forced-backdoor-academisation-plans-in-new-education-bill Thu, 19 May 2016 10:00:00 GMT Andy Burnham MP, the shadow home secretary, has announced his intention to stand as Labour’s candidate for mayor of Manchester. Burnham was due to announce his candidacy in a speech at the Lowry in Salford tomorrow, but it was announced prematurely when a campaigning Twitter account, @Andy4Manchester, went live today. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/andy-burnham-to-stand-as-candidate-for-mayor-of-manchester 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/andy-burnham-to-stand-as-candidate-for-mayor-of-manchester Wed, 18 May 2016 16:45:00 GMT Councils’ responsibilities for children in care will be expanded under new measures announced in today’s Queen’s Speech. The Children and Social Work Bill will provide standards for how local authorities should act as a ‘corporate parent’ for children in care as they transition into adulthood, including a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-act-as-corporate-parent-for-children-in-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-act-as-corporate-parent-for-children-in-care Wed, 18 May 2016 16:00:00 GMT Power over bus services will be devolved to elected mayors and local transport authorities, it was confirmed at the State Opening of Parliament today. In the Queen’s Speech, in which the monarch sets out the government’s reform agenda, she announced the much-anticipated Bus Services Bill for England. The Bill will give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-combined-authorities-to-be-given-powers-over-bus-service-franchising 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-combined-authorities-to-be-given-powers-over-bus-service-franchising Wed, 18 May 2016 15:15:00 GMT The planning system will be simplified and proposals to devolve business rates will be developed under measures announced at today’s State Opening of Parliament. The Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech, includes measures to make the local government duty to support neighbourhood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-planning-and-business-rates-measures-announced-in-queens-speech 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-planning-and-business-rates-measures-announced-in-queens-speech Wed, 18 May 2016 15:00:00 GMT Despite efforts and reports of progress against its target, central government is still failing to remove competition barriers for SMEs, including by not identifying areas of spending where these businesses could bring the most benefit and not making public sector bidding opportunities clear. In a report yet more scathing than the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/attitude-change-needed-to-involve-sme-in-contract-bidding-says-pac 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/attitude-change-needed-to-involve-sme-in-contract-bidding-says-pac Wed, 18 May 2016 12:30:00 GMT The Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) has seen a rapid growth in the number of employers such as universities, charities and housing associations joining, but many underestimate the financial costs this places on them. According to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), the LGPS has grown rapidly in recent years to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-often-unprepared-for-costs-of-joining-lgps-despite-increased-membership 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-often-unprepared-for-costs-of-joining-lgps-despite-increased-membership Wed, 18 May 2016 12:00:00 GMT Children in care’s mental health problems are being proactively addressed before potential adoptions under a pilot scheme. The Pre-Adoption Service, introduced last year by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, allows social workers, foster carers and adoptive parents to meet a clinical psychologist before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joined-up-mental-health-approach-piloted-to-support-sheffield-adopted-children 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joined-up-mental-health-approach-piloted-to-support-sheffield-adopted-children Tue, 17 May 2016 15:45:00 GMT “Enormous challenges” are likely to confront the government as it tries to implement tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. The Queen will lay out the government’s legislative programme when she formally opens Parliament tomorrow, but the IfG said that it would have to tread... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-government-must-tread-carefully-to-avoid-more-u-turns 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-government-must-tread-carefully-to-avoid-more-u-turns Tue, 17 May 2016 15:00:00 GMT The youngest mayor in Britain, and possibly in the world, was elected last week, with 19-year-old Labour councillor Terence Smith being promoted from deputy mayor to mayor of Goole by a council vote. It may sound like a joke, but what Smith, who will serve for a year following the local elections at the start of the month, lacks in life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-we-need-more-19-year-old-mayors-like-gooles-terence-smith 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-we-need-more-19-year-old-mayors-like-gooles-terence-smith Mon, 16 May 2016 11:45:00 GMT Following fraud allegations over the use of funding for dredging Ramsgate Port by Thanet District Council, the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) has recommended that a criminal investigation could be carried out. Thanet council received funding from the European Rural Development Fund (ERDF) Managing Authority for a joint project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-investigation-could-take-place-into-thanet-council-fraud-allegations 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-investigation-could-take-place-into-thanet-council-fraud-allegations Mon, 16 May 2016 11:30:00 GMT Public sector employee wages are failing to keep up with the cost of living because of the requirement on employers to pay for the apprenticeship levy and national living wage, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said. CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook Survey found that median basic pay expectations in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-failing-to-keep-up-with-cost-of-living 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-failing-to-keep-up-with-cost-of-living Mon, 16 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT Members of automatic enrolment pensions schemes could find their savings in jeopardy because of the risk of pensions funds collapsing and competition from the new lifetime ISA, according to the Work and Pensions Committee. The committee’s latest report says that automatic enrolment, introduced by the Pensions Act 2008, has been a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/automatic-enrolment-pension-success-at-risk-due-to-regulatory-weaknesses 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/automatic-enrolment-pension-success-at-risk-due-to-regulatory-weaknesses Mon, 16 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT Procurement decisions by local councils will be more open to public scrutiny under proposed changes to the Local Government Transparency Code. The proposed changes to the code, part of which has been mandatory since October 2014, include a central database to record local authorities’ land and property assets, including the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-proposals-for-councils-to-publish-assets-and-procurement-data 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-proposals-for-councils-to-publish-assets-and-procurement-data Mon, 16 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT A one-day walkout will be held by policy staff at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) office in Sheffield in protest at plans to close the office and move it to London. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) will lead the strike on 19 May, which was backed by a 96% vote in favour from a 53% turnout among 150... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-bis-staff-to-strike-over-office-closure-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-bis-staff-to-strike-over-office-closure-plans Fri, 13 May 2016 15:45:00 GMT UK commitments to prevent corruption in government contracts were announced yesterday at London’s Anti-Corruption Summit. By October 2016, the government will implement the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) in the Crown Commercial Service’s operations and apply it to major projects, including HS2. A public register of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-contracts-to-be-opened-to-public-scrutiny- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-contracts-to-be-opened-to-public-scrutiny- Fri, 13 May 2016 14:45:00 GMT The controversial Housing and Planning Bill, now Act after receiving royal assent yesterday, will put the brunt of paying for social housing on councils, Lord Kerslake has warned. Lord Kerslake, president of the LGA and fervent critic of centrepiece elements in the Bill, added that the sums for paying for social housing in the Bill... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-warns-social-housing-sums-dont-add-up-as-housing-bill-passes 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-warns-social-housing-sums-dont-add-up-as-housing-bill-passes Fri, 13 May 2016 12:45:00 GMT A legal ruling against government proposals to exempt small developments from affordable housing rules has been overturned on appeal. A Court of Appeal ruling yesterday upheld the government decision to exempt developments of 10 houses or fewer from section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which enables local planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reading-and-west-berkshire-affordable-housing-ruling-overturned-on-appeal 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reading-and-west-berkshire-affordable-housing-ruling-overturned-on-appeal Thu, 12 May 2016 11:30:00 GMT A new devolution commission is needed to bring greater transparency to the whole process, researchers from the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University have said. The latest report from CURDS, ‘Decentralisation: Issues, Principles and Practice’ warned that current devolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commission-needed-to-solve-lack-of-clear-objectives-in-devolution 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commission-needed-to-solve-lack-of-clear-objectives-in-devolution Thu, 12 May 2016 11:15:00 GMT ‘Place poverty’ is a crucial and overlooked aspect of improving people’s life chances, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has said in a new report. The RTPI report argues that the traditional ‘people-based’ approach to welfare policies treats poverty as an individual issue and ignores the fact that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/look-at-place-to-solve-poverty-say-town-planners 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/look-at-place-to-solve-poverty-say-town-planners Thu, 12 May 2016 10:45:00 GMT The majority of residents in each of the five biggest city-regions due to introduce metro-mayors next May think the new mayor should have more power than an elected council leader. A Centre for Cities survey found that broad support for the idea that elected mayors should have more powers than elected council leaders in Liverpool city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/survey-finds-considerable-mandate-for-new-mayors-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/survey-finds-considerable-mandate-for-new-mayors-powers Thu, 12 May 2016 10:00:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has appointed Grant Thornton UK LLP to look at options for making local government more efficient, including unitary authority status. Grant Thornton, supported by an independent advisory group, will review all options to decide which one will ensure financial sustainability while improving services, providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-cc-appoint-grant-thornton-to-look-at-unitary-council-options 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-cc-appoint-grant-thornton-to-look-at-unitary-council-options Wed, 11 May 2016 15:45:00 GMT Charities can apply for grants from a £600,000 fund for HIV prevention initiatives, Public Health England announced today. The HIV Prevention Innovation Fund is aimed at projects from charities that are supported by local authorities, which focus on promoting diagnosis, reducing stigma, integrating HIV into wider sexual health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hiv-prevention-funding-to-be-given-to-charities 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hiv-prevention-funding-to-be-given-to-charities Wed, 11 May 2016 14:45:00 GMT Pension scheme investment decisions will remain under the control of local authorities, the government has insisted in response to a Unison petition on the government website which warns that proposed changes could breach European law. The petition, which has 73,509 signatures at the time of writing, calls on Parliament to debate the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-ignores-unison-concerns-about-pension-fund-regulation-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-ignores-unison-concerns-about-pension-fund-regulation-changes Wed, 11 May 2016 12:15:00 GMT Social care workers are at high risk of not being paid the minimum wage despite overall improvements in government enforcement, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. The NAO’s report says that although data on minimum wage breaches is marred by a lack of consistent measuring standards, the percentage of care workers who are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-wage-social-care-workers-at-high-risk-of-being-underpaid-nao 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-wage-social-care-workers-at-high-risk-of-being-underpaid-nao Wed, 11 May 2016 00:30:00 GMT Councils, schools and other public bodies should promote ‘active integration’, Trevor Phillips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said in a new pamphlet accusing British society of counter-productive ‘squeamishness’ over discussing ethnic tensions. In his pamphlet, Race and Faith: The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-bodies-should-have-duty-to-enforce-active-integration-trevor-phillips 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-bodies-should-have-duty-to-enforce-active-integration-trevor-phillips Tue, 10 May 2016 14:45:00 GMT After voters were turned away from Barnet polling stations during last week’s local elections, the chief executive of the council has left his post. The problems at Barnet occurred after hundreds of voters were told they weren’t on the electoral register. A council spokesperson said: “Following the events during the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barnet-ceo-leaves-by-mutual-agreement-after-elections-chaos 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barnet-ceo-leaves-by-mutual-agreement-after-elections-chaos Tue, 10 May 2016 12:15:00 GMT Local authorities have a moral responsibility to ensure homeless people are involved in their statutory duty to provide housing and other services, Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester City Council, told PSE at the launch of the city’s Homelessness Charter. Leese, who pledged a series of new measures on behalf of the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leese-councils-have-moral-responsibility-to-involve-homeless-in-service-design 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leese-councils-have-moral-responsibility-to-involve-homeless-in-service-design Tue, 10 May 2016 08:45:00 GMT Digital procurement from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is increasingly marginalised in the Civil Service, according to an annual survey. The survey of nearly 1,500 civil servants found only 6% said they had access to a wide range of suppliers, compared to 19% in 2015. Furthermore, 36% said they did not see the need for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-interest-in-digital-procurement-from-smes-declines 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-interest-in-digital-procurement-from-smes-declines Mon, 09 May 2016 11:30:00 GMT From today, councils in England and Wales will be able to fight fly-tipping by fining offenders up to £400 on the spot. The fixed-penalty notices will be issued by council enforcement officials for dumping of small-scale items such as broken furniture, old televisions and mattresses. According to a 2015 FOI request, fly-tipping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-new-on-the-spot-powers-to-fight-fly-tipping 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-new-on-the-spot-powers-to-fight-fly-tipping Mon, 09 May 2016 11:15:00 GMT As the final round of results from Thursday’s wide range of local and devolved elections came in it was revealed that London was set to have a Labour mayor. Sadiq Khan gained 44% in the first round of voting, meaning results had to go to a second round because he failed to gain over 50%. In the second round he beat Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-elected-mayor-of-london 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sadiq-khan-elected-mayor-of-london Mon, 09 May 2016 11:15:00 GMT The apprenticeship levy is “a step-in-the-dark” for councils, who need to prepare better to avoid unnecessary costs when it is introduced next year, according to a firm of apprenticeship experts. The levy, due to be introduced in April 2017, will require all public and private firms with wage bills of more than £3m to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warned-over-step-in-the-dark-apprenticeship-levy- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warned-over-step-in-the-dark-apprenticeship-levy- Mon, 09 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT The social care sector will not receive funding councils have said is urgently needed to help tackle severe shortfalls, the latest Department of Health guidance has confirmed. In guidance issued to all directors of adult social services in the country, the department said that councils will receive £138m revenue funding from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/department-of-health-will-not-bring-forward-better-care-funding 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/department-of-health-will-not-bring-forward-better-care-funding Mon, 09 May 2016 09:30:00 GMT Digital and joined-up government services must be used in local as well as national government, Socitm has said in a new briefing. Socitm argues that the Local Digital Coalition, established to inherit assets and resources from DCLG’s Local Digital Programme, is well-placed to see how the Government as a Platform initiative could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-as-a-platform-needs-to-be-extended-to-local-services--socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-as-a-platform-needs-to-be-extended-to-local-services--socitm Fri, 06 May 2016 16:00:00 GMT The government is abandoning its controversial plans to turn all schools into academies, instead only making it a requirement for underperforming schools. The government announced plans to turn every school in England into an academy in the March Budget, but the proposals were met with widespread protests from councils and concerns about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-climb-down-on-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-climb-down-on-academies Fri, 06 May 2016 15:45:00 GMT The social care crisis can never be tackled while the government delay implementing the Dilnot care cap, peers warned yesterday in a House of Lord debate. Lord Hunt of King’s Heath, a Labour peer, said that the postponement of the cap, which is designed to make care for elderly people more affordable, until at least 2020 was in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-branded-extraordinarily-complacent-over-elderly-care-cap-delay 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-branded-extraordinarily-complacent-over-elderly-care-cap-delay Fri, 06 May 2016 12:15:00 GMT The first results of the UK local elections show Labour councillors holding onto the majority of seats and its share likely to be up when counting concludes, but the party crucially slipped into third place in the Scottish parliament. With data from 62 of 124 councils now in, the Conservatives held 336 seats, gained 39 and lost 29... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pushed-to-third-place-in-scotland-but-hold-seats-in-england 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pushed-to-third-place-in-scotland-but-hold-seats-in-england Fri, 06 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT Paul Carter, chairman of the County Councils Network and leader of Kent County Council, discusses the need for Whitehall to work collaboratively with councils to deliver an improved education system. In my early days as Leader of Kent County Council, the then long-standing leader of Oxfordshire gave me some wise words of advice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-councils-arent-the-enemy-of-educational-reform 446,452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-councils-arent-the-enemy-of-educational-reform Thu, 05 May 2016 16:15:00 GMT Abolishing new lifetime tenancies will help social housing tenants from minority groups by reducing inequality, according to the Equality Impact Assessment from the DCLG. The government’s Housing and Planning Bill, currently being revised in Parliament, will require councils to grant future tenants fixed-term tenancies, which will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mandatory-fixed-term-tenancies-will-benefit-minority-groups--dclg 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mandatory-fixed-term-tenancies-will-benefit-minority-groups--dclg Thu, 05 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT David Cameron has partially backed down from his insistence that the UK will not take unaccompanied child refugees from Europe and is now going to talk to local authorities about a plan to accommodate them. In response to questions from Andrew Robertson, SNP MP, during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Cameron said that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-accepts-amendment-to-take-more-child-refugees 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-accepts-amendment-to-take-more-child-refugees Thu, 05 May 2016 11:00:00 GMT Polls across the country opened today to allow voters to choose new councils, mayors, police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and devolved bodies, but polling stations in Barnet have been hit by widespread problems. Hundreds of Barnet voters have claimed on Twitter that they were told they weren’t on the electoral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voters-turned-away-in-barnet-as-local-election-polls-open 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voters-turned-away-in-barnet-as-local-election-polls-open Thu, 05 May 2016 10:15:00 GMT The majority of the population believe European Union membership has a negative impact on public services despite public sector leaders feeling that this isn’t the case, according to new research from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) ahead of next month’s EU referendum. A survey by CIPFA found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-in-dark-over-tremendous-upheaval-brexit-would-cause-services 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-in-dark-over-tremendous-upheaval-brexit-would-cause-services Thu, 05 May 2016 08:30:00 GMT Unite members have rejected a 1% pay offer from Local Government Employers, although they concede that the deal will go ahead after being accepted by other unions. Fiona Farmer, Unite’s national officer for local government, said about 70,000 of the union’s local government members had refused to sign the two-year pay deal.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-rise-of-1-for-local-authority-workers-to-be-implemented-despite-unite-opposition 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-rise-of-1-for-local-authority-workers-to-be-implemented-despite-unite-opposition Wed, 04 May 2016 15:30:00 GMT The government’s Right to Buy extension could force councils to raise an average £26m a year by selling off council housing, Shelter has warned in a new report. The Conservatives said in their election campaign last year that enacting the policy would cost £4.5bn a year, and the revised Housing and Planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-could-cost-councils-26m-a-year-in-housing-sell-off- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-could-cost-councils-26m-a-year-in-housing-sell-off- Wed, 04 May 2016 14:45:00 GMT Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) reforms need safeguards to ensure that their investments remain primarily in the interests of members and not the interest of the government, peers said in a debate yesterday. Lord Whitty, a former Labour minister in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peers-call-for-safeguards-to-ensure-lgps-reforms-benefit-members 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peers-call-for-safeguards-to-ensure-lgps-reforms-benefit-members Wed, 04 May 2016 12:45:00 GMT Poor data and increasing complexity are undermining Parliament’s ability to hold the government to account, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. The PAC report criticises Departmental Accounting Officers (DAOs) for allowing projects to go unchallenged owing to the increasing complexity of projects and a lack of accurate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-is-failing-to-halt-over-spend-on-government-projects--mps 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-is-failing-to-halt-over-spend-on-government-projects--mps Wed, 04 May 2016 09:00:00 GMT The government’s education policies are under attack as parents of Year 2 children took them out of school today in protest against increased testing, an uncreative curriculum and academisation. Supporters of the ‘Let Our Kids Be Kids’ campaign are sharing pictures of their children enjoying a day of ‘fun... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parents-take-children-out-of-school-to-protest-educational-policy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parents-take-children-out-of-school-to-protest-educational-policy Tue, 03 May 2016 11:30:00 GMT A new public-private partnership has been launched to build 10,000 new homes around the country. The Housing Growth Partnership, backed by the Homes and Communities Agency and Lloyds Banking Group, announced the £1bn New Communities Partnership with Kier Living and the Cheyne Social Property Impact Fund today (3 May). It will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-ppp-announced-to-help-councils-build-new-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-ppp-announced-to-help-councils-build-new-homes Tue, 03 May 2016 11:15:00 GMT Flood damage could be easier to recover from if the government made it mandatory for new homes to be built with anti-flood measures, the LGA has said. Councils said that following the devastation caused to homes and communities by last winter’s floods it should be compulsory for developers to build new homes with measures including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-mandatory-anti-flood-measures-in-new-builds 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-mandatory-anti-flood-measures-in-new-builds Tue, 03 May 2016 10:30:00 GMT The Universal Credit benefits reform programme has “veered” away from its original purpose and risks delivering unsustainable benefits cuts for the most vulnerable, the Resolution Foundation has warned in a new report. The Foundation added that Stephen Crabb, the new work and pensions secretary, should “reclaim”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-has-veered-off-track-and-risks-delivering-unsustainable-benefit-cuts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-has-veered-off-track-and-risks-delivering-unsustainable-benefit-cuts Tue, 03 May 2016 10:30:00 GMT The shortage of people saving for retirement is not likely to be tackled by the government’s new lifetime ISA scheme, trade union Unison has warned. The lifetime ISAs (LISAs) were announced as a flagship policy in the March budget, designed to allow people aged 25 to 40 to save for a new home or retirement by receiving a 25%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lifetime-isa-is-not-an-alternative-to-pensions-unison-warns 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lifetime-isa-is-not-an-alternative-to-pensions-unison-warns Tue, 03 May 2016 09:30:00 GMT The number of empty homes is at its lowest since records began, although home ownership is continuing to decline, the latest figures show. The DCLG said that the number of empty homes has dropped from 318,642 in 2004 to 203,596 in 2015, the lowest number since records began. However, home ownership is still declining, from 62.8% in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-hail-reduction-in-empty-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-hail-reduction-in-empty-homes Fri, 29 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT Decapitalisation rates will continue to be prescribed by the government for the 2017 business rates revaluation, following a DCLG consultation. Of the 31 councils, ratepayers’ organisations, rating agents and professional bodies who responded to the consultation, 29 said the government should continue to prescribe the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-continue-prescribing-decapitalisation-rates-for-2017 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-continue-prescribing-decapitalisation-rates-for-2017 Fri, 29 Apr 2016 14:45:00 GMT Councils have called for an end to delays in tackling obesity as the latest figures show that over half of the population are overweight or obese. The new statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that in 2014 over a quarter of the population (26%) were obese, compared to 15% in 1993, and 3% were morbidly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-urgent-action-in-tackling-national-obesity-crisis 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-urgent-action-in-tackling-national-obesity-crisis Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:15:00 GMT In yet another harsh blow to the government’s flagship Housing and Planning Bill, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has dismissed plans to extend Right to Buy to housing associations as “entirely speculative”, unclear and financially uncertain. The committee’s latest report launched a scathing attack... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-policy-is-entirely-speculative-and-unclear-says-pac 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-policy-is-entirely-speculative-and-unclear-says-pac Fri, 29 Apr 2016 00:15:00 GMT The suspension of the chief constable of South Yorkshire police force after a jury ruled that the 96 Liverpool supporters who died in a crush 27 years ago were killed unlawfully is opening the force up to further scrutiny about historical failings. David Crompton was suspended last night six months before he was due to retire after it was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-police-face-further-questions-after-hillsborough-verdict 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-police-face-further-questions-after-hillsborough-verdict Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT The planned devolution deal for East Anglia suffered a scathing attack from the region’s own MPs yesterday. Stewart Jackson, the Conservative MP for Peterborough, secured the debate in Westminster Hall, saying that although he wasn’t opposed to devolution in principle, the government needed to explain its decision to announce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cross-party-east-anglia-mps-attack-out-of-the-blue-and-unwelcome-devo-deal- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cross-party-east-anglia-mps-attack-out-of-the-blue-and-unwelcome-devo-deal- Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:15:00 GMT Unison, the biggest public sector trade union, has decided to accept a two-year pay offer from local government employers following a meeting of its council representatives. Unison now follows GMB in accepting the offer, despite having originally rejected after a consultation with members in February. Unite is still considering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-becomes-second-union-to-accept-council-pay-offer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-becomes-second-union-to-accept-council-pay-offer Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT Clean air zones should be introduced in UK cities to tackle the problems caused by air pollution, according to a new report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee. The new report warned that air pollution is a “public health emergency”, linked to the early deaths of 40,000–50,000 people every year from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-councils-to-have-power-to-create-clean-air-zones 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-councils-to-have-power-to-create-clean-air-zones Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:15:00 GMT Hackers will be increasingly likely to target local government, who needs to be involved in preparing national cyber security strategies, Socitm has warned in a new policy briefing. The briefing says that although local government has not been a target for large-scale cyber-attacks so far, the risks are changing and growing as local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-prepare-cyber-security-strategies-in-face-of-growing-attack-threats 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-prepare-cyber-security-strategies-in-face-of-growing-attack-threats Thu, 28 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT Looked-after children with mental health problems are being failed by local authorities and health services, according to a new report from the Education Select Committee. The report found that despite almost half of all children in care meeting the threshold for mental health problems, they are consistently being denied treatment because... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-support-children-with-mental-health-problems-say-mps 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-support-children-with-mental-health-problems-say-mps Thu, 28 Apr 2016 00:30:00 GMT Another bid by the House of Lords to increase the number of asylum-seeking children allowed into the UK has been opposed by the LGA. Cllr David Simmonds, chair of the LGA’s refugee and migration task force, told the Guardian that he agreed with prime minister David Cameron in opposing the motion, which states that the UK government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-oppose-new-amendment-for-uk-to-take-in-more-child-refugees 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-oppose-new-amendment-for-uk-to-take-in-more-child-refugees Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT Business leaders in the north of England value foreign investment and support for transport over devolution of planning and business rates powers to build the Northern Powerhouse, a new survey has found. The survey of 245 delegates at February’s Northern Powerhouse International conference in Manchester, attended by PSE, found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-not-as-important-as-investment-in-building-northern-powerhouse-leaders-say- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-not-as-important-as-investment-in-building-northern-powerhouse-leaders-say- Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT Recommendations that funding to devolved bodies should be reconsidered in light of the growing push for English votes for English laws have been rejected by the government A recent report from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said that the newly introduced measures, which allow for a procedure to forbid MPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-decisions-to-devolved-bodies-will-continue-to-be-made-by-whole-parliament 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-decisions-to-devolved-bodies-will-continue-to-be-made-by-whole-parliament Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:00:00 GMT Blockchain technology is the next step in modernising government digital services, Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock said at a London digital conference. In his speech at King’s Cross station ahead of the opening of the Blockchain Workshop, organised by Digital Catapult, Hancock warned that government “cannot bury its head... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/next-step-in-government-digitilisation-is-blockchain-technology--hancock 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/next-step-in-government-digitilisation-is-blockchain-technology--hancock Wed, 27 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT Academies are less likely than council-controlled schools to be rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, the LGA has argued using new figures. LGA analysis of the grades achieved by schools under the more rigorous Ofsted inspection framework launched in October 2012 shows that 81% of council-maintained schools are rated as ‘good’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-run-schools-outperform-academies-and-must-retain-freedom-lga 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-run-schools-outperform-academies-and-must-retain-freedom-lga Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:30:00 GMT The maximum stakes on Fixed Odds Betting Machines (FOBMs) should be reduced and councils should have more powers to tackle gambling, the LGA has stated. Newham Council have proposed an amendment to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 which would lower the maximum £100 FOBM stake for a 20 second bet in line with the maximum stake... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-new-powers-to-tackle-gambling 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-new-powers-to-tackle-gambling Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT More control over pilot schemes to introduce greater competition into planning applications has been given to councils following an amendment agreed in the House of Lords. The pilot schemes, where planners can choose between a local authority and another ‘approved provider’ to process applications in some circumstances, are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/powers-to-remain-with-councils-in-planning-application-competition-pilots 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/powers-to-remain-with-councils-in-planning-application-competition-pilots Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT Keen to improve service delivery and value for money, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) have made significant productivity and efficiency gains since implementing a new cloud telephone system from Foehn.  Furthermore, since moving to the new system, PHSO is saving £50,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-organisations-deliver-better-service-for-less-cost-since-moving-telecoms-to-the-cloud 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-organisations-deliver-better-service-for-less-cost-since-moving-telecoms-to-the-cloud Tue, 26 Apr 2016 09:45:00 GMT IT leaders can be “enablers, innovators and shapers of business change” the new president of Socitm has said. Geoff Connell, who took over as president of the professional organisation for IT and digital professionals working in local public services at its spring conference, said that local government ICT staff should not be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-change-as-socitm-welcomes-in-new-leadership 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-change-as-socitm-welcomes-in-new-leadership Mon, 25 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT Senior civil servants will see their pay increase by 1% this year, as the government insisted more would be financially unjustifiable. Greg Hands MP, chief secretary to the Treasury, announced that the government are accepting the results of the report from the Senior Salaries’ Review Body (SSRB), which recommended the pay increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increasing-senior-civil-service-pay-by-more-than-1-financially-unjustifiable 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increasing-senior-civil-service-pay-by-more-than-1-financially-unjustifiable Mon, 25 Apr 2016 10:30:00 GMT County councils have stated their opposition to a “one-size-fits-all” approach to funding schools as part of the government’s plan to turn all schools in the country into academies. The government announced in last month’s Budget that they will turn all schools into academies and free schools by 2022, taking away... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-plan-could-leave-poorest-schools-short-of-funding-warns-ccn 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-plan-could-leave-poorest-schools-short-of-funding-warns-ccn Mon, 25 Apr 2016 10:15:00 GMT All government departments are required to immediately adopt a new standard for agreements with temporary staff and consultants and produce five-year workforce plans by the end of the year in order to “get a grip” on out-of-control employment spending. A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, published today, warns that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/departments-told-to-get-a-grip-on-temporary-staffing-spend 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/departments-told-to-get-a-grip-on-temporary-staffing-spend Mon, 25 Apr 2016 10:00:00 GMT Details of potential job losses from the closure of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) office in Sheffield have not been published despite a request from heads of two House of Commons committees. Last week Meg Hillier MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and Iain Wright MP, chair of the BIS committee, wrote to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bis-refuses-to-reveal-sheffield-job-loss-figures 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bis-refuses-to-reveal-sheffield-job-loss-figures Mon, 25 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT A scheme to resettle vulnerable children, including unaccompanied child refugees, aims to help 3,000 children by the end of this Parliament, the government confirmed today. James Brokenshire MP, minister for immigration, said in an appearance before the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee this week that the government were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-child-refugee-scheme-aims-to-help-3000-children 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-child-refugee-scheme-aims-to-help-3000-children Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:15:00 GMT Turning all schools in the country into academies risks hurting the most vulnerable pupils, the Conservative leader of West Sussex County Council has said in a letter to Nicky Morgan, the secretary for education. Cllr Louise Goldsmith wrote following a meeting on 15 April in which councillors expressed opposition to the plans, laid out in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-sussex-council-leader-writes-to-education-secretary-to-protest-academy-plans 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-sussex-council-leader-writes-to-education-secretary-to-protest-academy-plans Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:30:00 GMT Less than half of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) transport investment in the past year was in sustainable transport, Campaign for Better Transport has warned. FoI requests submitted by the campaign to 36 LEPs found that they spent £3.4bn on transport in the past year, of which £1.9bn (approximately 54%) was spent on new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaigners-criticise-lack-of-lep-investment-in-sustainable-transport 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaigners-criticise-lack-of-lep-investment-in-sustainable-transport Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT The London Grid for Learning (LGfL) Trust has appointed former London Borough of Camden chief information officer John Jackson as its chief executive. He writes for PSE about his ambitions to develop a SuperCloud to connect the public sector as a whole in the capital. The LGfL Trust is a community of 2,500 schools, academies and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connecting-the-capital-through-a-supercloud 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connecting-the-capital-through-a-supercloud Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT “Morale is fragile” among senior public sector staff because of limits on pay and pensions as a result of funding cuts, a new report has warned. The 38th Annual Report on Senior Salaries, which provides independent advice on pay for senior members of the civil service, judiciary and armed forces, says that although pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warnings-that-pay-limitations-could-lead-to-senior-staff-recruitment-problems 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warnings-that-pay-limitations-could-lead-to-senior-staff-recruitment-problems Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Gareth Harcombe, operational manager of energy and sustainability at City of Cardiff Council, explains how the authority used advanced technology to heat, insulate and even rescue its public buildings. The City of Cardiff Council has been supporting the development of some innovative new technologies that could help to increase the uptake... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rescuing-council-buildings-with-robots-and-wireless-tech 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rescuing-council-buildings-with-robots-and-wireless-tech Thu, 21 Apr 2016 14:15:00 GMT An environmentally friendly strategy for government ICT use has finished without being implemented in the majority of government departments, a new report has found. The annual report into the Greening Government strategy, which was introduced in 2011 and is due to finish this year, found that only 10 out of 24 departments have submitted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-sustainable-it-strategy-fails-to-help-environmental-impact 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-sustainable-it-strategy-fails-to-help-environmental-impact Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:15:00 GMT The Department for Education (DfE) does not know how much it is spending on academies, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said in a report on delays and shortcomings in the department’s finances. The DfE accounting officer was required to submit their accounts for the year by 30 November 2015, but did not do so and failed to admit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-failing-to-provide-clear-view-on-academy-spending 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-failing-to-provide-clear-view-on-academy-spending Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:00:00 GMT Provision of information about potential job losses following the closure of the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) office in Sheffield by the government has been “unsatisfactory and misleading”, chairs of two parliamentary committees have warned. Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), wrote to Martin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-on-bis-sheffield-job-losses-wholly-unsatisfactory 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-on-bis-sheffield-job-losses-wholly-unsatisfactory Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:30:00 GMT The government need to work with councils and clarify the long-term funding for a scheme intended to ensure unaccompanied child asylum seekers are fairly dispersed to different local authorities, the LGA has said. James Brokenshire MP, minister for immigration, appeared in front of the House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee inquiry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-clarification-on-funding-for-national-child-asylum-seeker-scheme--lga 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-clarification-on-funding-for-national-child-asylum-seeker-scheme--lga Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:00:00 GMT The new social care precept will benefit richer councils more than poorer ones, a former government minister admitted in a House of Lords question session. Viscount Younger of Leckie told the House of Lords that 144 out of 152 local councils introduced the precept, which is an optional 2% increase in council tax aimed specifically at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ex-minister-admits-social-care-precept-will-leave-poorer-councils-worse-off- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ex-minister-admits-social-care-precept-will-leave-poorer-councils-worse-off- Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:00:00 GMT Automatic deduction of trade union membership from public sector workers’ wages will no longer be abolished by the Trade Union Bill after the government added a clause in the House of Lords. Lord Bridges, parliamentary secretary to the Cabinet Office, said that the government had agreed to integrate an amendment into the Bill... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-back-down-on-public-sector-membership-fees-in-trade-union-bill 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-back-down-on-public-sector-membership-fees-in-trade-union-bill Wed, 20 Apr 2016 14:45:00 GMT The spending and timescale of devolution deals is growing and needs better oversight to ensure it is managed efficiently, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said in a new report. The report says that the scale and scope of English devolution deals has increased substantially in the past 18 months, from the initial deals with Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-oversight-needed-to-ensure-value-for-money-for-devolution--nao 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-oversight-needed-to-ensure-value-for-money-for-devolution--nao Wed, 20 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has supported the NHS’s announcement that it will look again at its decision to stop commissioning PrEP, a drug to prevent HIV infection. On 12 April the National Aids Trust (NAT) issued a legal challenge to the decision, announced on 21 March, to not include PrEP in the Clinical Priorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/responsibility-for-hiv-prevention-commissioning-belongs-with-nhs-not-councils--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/responsibility-for-hiv-prevention-commissioning-belongs-with-nhs-not-councils--lga Wed, 20 Apr 2016 11:45:00 GMT Homelessness and the need to place homeless people outside their local area are increasing because of high house prices, council officials told the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee yesterday. Jim Crawshaw, integrated service head for homeless and pre-tenancy services at Birmingham City Council, told the committee that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/higher-housing-prices-increasing-homelessness-and-out-of-boundary-placements 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/higher-housing-prices-increasing-homelessness-and-out-of-boundary-placements Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:00:00 GMT Norfolk County Council has brought in the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to examine its procedures relating to personal budgets for disabled people following a complaint from campaign group Equal Lives. SCIE signed a contract with Norfolk County Council in February to carry out an external audit of frontline services, with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-bring-in-external-auditor-after-personal-budgets-complaint 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-county-council-bring-in-external-auditor-after-personal-budgets-complaint Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:00:00 GMT The appointment of the UK’s first National Digital Adviser, who will expand the public sector’s role with the digital and technology industries, was announced today. Liam Maxwell, who was previously the government’s chief technology officer, will work with Matt Hancock, minister for the Cabinet Office, and Ed Vaizey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uks-first-national-digital-adviser-appointed 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uks-first-national-digital-adviser-appointed Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:45:00 GMT The chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, Cllr David Simmonds, discusses the future possibilities of shared services arrangements for councils. Since 2010, local government has managed to cope with the largest budget cuts in the public sector – over 40% of its central government grant – without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-shared-services 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-shared-services Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:15:00 GMT Vivien Holland, local government advisory director at Grant Thornton UK LLP, examines the potential of Joint Ventures for local authorities going forward. Local government is continuing to innovate and change as it looks for ways to protect frontline services. The changes are picking up pace as more local government bodies innovate by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joint-ventures-are-we-better-together- 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joint-ventures-are-we-better-together- Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT Steve Bishop, strategic director for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, talks to PSE’s David Stevenson about an innovative procurement contract aimed at saving five local authorities at least £50m over the next decade. There is an old rule of thumb that says there is ‘power in numbers’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-in-numbers 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-in-numbers Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT The government’s four-year financial settlements to local councils will not be affected by the need to make savings in the most recent Budget, Greg Clark has confirmed in response to a letter from Clive Betts MP, chair of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee. The fate of the settlements, which were offered last year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-year-settlements-will-be-unaffected-by-spring-budget-savings-clark-confirms 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-year-settlements-will-be-unaffected-by-spring-budget-savings-clark-confirms Tue, 19 Apr 2016 12:00:00 GMT The Civil Service is advertising a £100,000 a year programme director post for a new scheme to introduce cross-platforms for digital services. The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing the Government as a Platform programme, from the Government Digital Service (GDS), with a £15m annual budget. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-advertises-100000-a-year-digital-director-position 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-advertises-100000-a-year-digital-director-position Mon, 18 Apr 2016 11:15:00 GMT The criminal justice system needs much more work to ensure it can use IT to improve delivery of services, according to a new report. The joint report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) says that despite a drive for increased digitisation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-justice-system-failing-to-fully-implement-digitisation- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-justice-system-failing-to-fully-implement-digitisation- Mon, 18 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT Councils will be encouraged to remove excessive road signs under new powers from the government. New roundabout and layout signs will now have ‘remove by’ dates on the back so local authorities will have to remove them within three months. The government said the changes are necessary to reduce ‘eyesore’ road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-introduces-measures-to-remove-eyesore-road-signs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-introduces-measures-to-remove-eyesore-road-signs Mon, 18 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT As families around the country hear which primary school their child will be going to, the LGA has warned that councils will lose their power to ensure enough school places in future years under the academies plan. The LGA called for the government to ensure that councils retain their power to force schools to expand, which they are set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-row-reignites-on-national-primary-school-offer-day 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-row-reignites-on-national-primary-school-offer-day Mon, 18 Apr 2016 10:00:00 GMT Business rates devolution risks leading to “instability” for local authority incomes, according to a group set up to look at the proposals. Papers from the first meeting of the Local Government Association (LGA) and Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) joint steering committee, established to provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-will-need-income-safety-net-under-business-rates-devolution- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-will-need-income-safety-net-under-business-rates-devolution- Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) is launching a campaign to help improve public sector outsourcing. The campaign begins with a free Public Sector Day conference on 25 April, where attendees will be given free access to the NOA’s Outsourcing Life Cycle Model and its index for analysing outsourcing maturity. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-outsourcing-association-offers-services-to-help-public-sector-outsourcing 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-outsourcing-association-offers-services-to-help-public-sector-outsourcing Fri, 15 Apr 2016 16:15:00 GMT A social enterprise has taken over a Cabinet Office scheme to teach commissioning skills to public sector leaders. The Public Service Transformation Academy has been awarded a not-for-profit concession contract to run the Cabinet Office Commissioning Academy. The Academy was founded by former Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-commissioning-academy-to-be-run-as-not-for-profit 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-commissioning-academy-to-be-run-as-not-for-profit Fri, 15 Apr 2016 15:30:00 GMT HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are failing to prosecute wealthy tax evaders, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said in a new report. The report comes following the Panama Papers leak, which exposed widespread tax evasion by the wealthy around the world, and says that HMRC lacks a clear strategy for tackling tax evasion or measuring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-criticised-for-failing-to-prosecute-wealthy-tax-evaders- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-criticised-for-failing-to-prosecute-wealthy-tax-evaders- Fri, 15 Apr 2016 14:15:00 GMT Children are facing an oral health crisis, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned following figures showing that the cost of children’s tooth extractions in hospitals has increased by 61% in the past five years. Hospitals spent £35m on multiple tooth extractions for under 18s in 2014-15 compared to £21m in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-childrens-oral-health-crisis-as-tooth-extractions-increase-by-61 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-childrens-oral-health-crisis-as-tooth-extractions-increase-by-61 Fri, 15 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office’s (NAO’s)director of value for money, DCLG and Local Government, Aileen Murphie, discusses the need for careful planning to realise the vision for self-sustaining local government by 2020. Local government has seen significant funding reductions since 2010: we have estimated that local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/realising-the-vision-for-self-sustaining-councils http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/realising-the-vision-for-self-sustaining-councils Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT Chris Halward, director of professional development at the National Outsourcing Association (NOA), discusses the delicate balance of whether to outsource public services or not. In 2013 the National Audit Office estimated that the public sector, as a whole, spent £187bn with private sector providers, with over £80bn spent by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-isnt-a-simple-case-of-black-and-white 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-isnt-a-simple-case-of-black-and-white Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT One year before the new apprenticeship targets and levy come into force, Tom Storey, director at K10, outlines how public sector bodies should view the reforms as a procurement opportunity rather than a burden. Luana Salles reports. In a keynote speech delivered in Burton upon Trent in December last year, prime minister David Cameron set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shifting-the-paradigm-of-apprenticeship-procurement 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shifting-the-paradigm-of-apprenticeship-procurement Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT A failed environmental scheme to provide householders with loans to improve the energy efficiency of their homes has cost the government £25m. The not-for-profit Green Deal Finance company was founded in 2012 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), but had to rely on loans from the department to keep it financially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decc-must-be-more-realistic-about-scheme-design-in-light-of-green-deal-failure--nao 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decc-must-be-more-realistic-about-scheme-design-in-light-of-green-deal-failure--nao Thu, 14 Apr 2016 11:15:00 GMT Personalised social care will improve the lives of recipients of adult social care but challenges to implementing it include funding and lack of staff, witnesses told a Public Accounts Committee inquiry yesterday. David Pearson, director of adult social care at Nottinghamshire County Council, said that personalised care will allow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-cuts-will-make-it-harder-to-implement-personalised-social-care-mps-told 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-cuts-will-make-it-harder-to-implement-personalised-social-care-mps-told Thu, 14 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT Value for money and transparency are vital for devolved bodies to receive Single Pot funding under new DCLG guidelines. The Single Pot is allocated to devolved bodies to consolidate funding and reduce ring-fences, with the initial pot including allocations of the Local Growth Fund, consolidated multi-year transport settlements, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/value-for-money-and-transparency-needed-to-receive-single-pot-funding- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/value-for-money-and-transparency-needed-to-receive-single-pot-funding- Thu, 14 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT Local government cuts mean foster parents and social workers are struggling to provide enough care for looked-after children, a charity has warned following a survey of foster carers. The number of looked after children is at its highest since 1985, with 79% of children in care living with foster families. Despite this, almost all foster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foster-carers-face-council-cuts-as-children-in-care-reach-30-year-high 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foster-carers-face-council-cuts-as-children-in-care-reach-30-year-high Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT Tackling black market businesses can be done more effectively with joined-up working between local and national agencies, the results of a Department for Communities and Local Government pilot scheme suggest. The five Better Business Compliance Partnerships, which encouraged councils, national government, police and the Food Standards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pilot-joint-agency-approach-for-tackling-black-market-economy 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pilot-joint-agency-approach-for-tackling-black-market-economy Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT Council leaders who are already piloting the government’s scheme to fully devolve business rates have labelled it “unfair” at a Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee hearing. Joe Anderson, mayor of Liverpool, Richard Paver, treasurer of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and Sharon Gregory, group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-retention-is-unfair-pilot-scheme-leaders-warn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-retention-is-unfair-pilot-scheme-leaders-warn Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:30:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) has declared its opposition to privatising the Land Registry, warning that the “dangerous” plan is being driven by short-term political choice. In their submission to the government consultation on selling the registry, which lists ownership of land and property in England and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcsu-oppose-privatisation-of-land-registry 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcsu-oppose-privatisation-of-land-registry Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:00:00 GMT Tackling the capital’s housing crisis will require co-operation across all levels of government and a coherent devolution deal, according to the London Housing Commission’s final report. Its chair, Lord Bob Kerslake, writes for PSE on how this could be achieved. London faces an unprecedented and mounting challenge in housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-needs-a-new-deal-to-tackle-the-housing-crisis- 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-needs-a-new-deal-to-tackle-the-housing-crisis- Wed, 13 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Citizens’ assemblies can be used to encourage direct democratic participation in the devolution process, according to a new report published today. The research, conducted by the Electoral Reform Society on behalf of Democracy Matters reports the findings of two randomly chosen assemblies, one in the north and one in the south, who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-citizen-assemblies-to-encourage-democratic-participation-in-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-citizen-assemblies-to-encourage-democratic-participation-in-devolution Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:45:00 GMT An ‘unacceptable’ level of stillbirths and perinatal and infant deaths in the West Midlands needs a joint effort by local authorities and the NHS to promote better maternal health in order to tackle it, according to a new report from Public Health England (PHE). The latest report from PHE shows that although the stillbirth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-in-west-midlands-urged-to-do-more-to-address-infant-mortality-rates 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-in-west-midlands-urged-to-do-more-to-address-infant-mortality-rates Tue, 12 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT Councils will be able to decide the percentage of starter homes on a new housing development under an amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill that passed in the House of Lords yesterday. Lord Kerslake, president of the LGA, proposed amendments 8 and 9 to abolish measures in the Bill meaning that the communities secretary could prevent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/starter-homes-powers-to-be-devolved-to-councils-under-housing-bill-amendment 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/starter-homes-powers-to-be-devolved-to-councils-under-housing-bill-amendment Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:45:00 GMT The troubled borough of Tower Hamlets will still not receive full control of its local authority powers, the communities secretary has said in a letter to the new mayor. Government commissioners were given financial control of the council in late 2014 following a report that found governance problems and failure to comply with ‘best... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-commissioners-to-remain-in-place-as-clark-criticises-lack-of-progress 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-commissioners-to-remain-in-place-as-clark-criticises-lack-of-progress Tue, 12 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Following new homeless accommodation measures in the spring Budget, PSE’s Luana Salles assesses if the money is enough – and what can realistically be done to tackle rough sleeping. In his spring Budget, chancellor George Osborne promised another £115m for measures designed to tackle homelessness, with the lion’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-budgets-for-rough-sleepers 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-budgets-for-rough-sleepers Tue, 12 Apr 2016 12:30:00 GMT Up to 10,000 new houses and businesses will be built near railway stations under a new agreement between Network Rail and the Homes and Communities Agency. The first proposals under the scheme are to build up to 2,500 new homes near York station, to remodel the station layout and carpark at Taunton and to redevelop land by Swindon station... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-10000-new-homes-to-be-built-near-railway-stations 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-10000-new-homes-to-be-built-near-railway-stations Mon, 11 Apr 2016 17:15:00 GMT In 2014, Manchester City Council committed to tackle domestic violence by reshaping and streamlining major services. The local authority’s strategic director for adult social care, Hazel Summers, explains what this reform means for the city’s public bodies. Two years ago, 10 councils were handed up to £100,000 each to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-the-landscape-of-domestic-violence 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-the-landscape-of-domestic-violence Mon, 11 Apr 2016 14:15:00 GMT Heather Connolly, senior lecturer in employment relations in the Faculty of Business and Law at De Montfort University, analyses the experiences of local authority outsourcing in recent years. Local council outsourcing in Britain began under the Thatcher government in the 1980s as compulsory competitive tendering. New Labour continued on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-lessons-from-council-outsourcing-and-searching-for-alternatives 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-lessons-from-council-outsourcing-and-searching-for-alternatives Mon, 11 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT Cllr Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council and a spokesman for the County Councils Network (CCN), discusses the need for a joined-up approach to unlock housing and infrastructure developments across the country. The issues of housing construction, home ownership and planning reform transcend governments past and present... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-potential-to-unlock-housing-development-remains-unrealised 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-potential-to-unlock-housing-development-remains-unrealised Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:30:00 GMT The next phase of the One Public Estate initiative has begun, with grants of up to £500,000 available for council projects to use public sector assets more efficiently. The opportunity comes after the Government announced an additional £31 million in last November’s Autumn Statement to further expand the programme to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-500000-funding-available-in-one-public-estate-programme 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-500000-funding-available-in-one-public-estate-programme Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:00:00 GMT Proposed council tax reforms in Scotland show the need to reform the council tax system in England, the Resolution Foundation have said. A new report from the Foundation says that the Scottish reforms, which involve lifting the council tax freeze and increasing council tax for properties in bands E to H, will lead to the richest tenth of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-nations-taking-lead-on-positive-council-tax-reforms--resolution-foundation- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-nations-taking-lead-on-positive-council-tax-reforms--resolution-foundation- Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT A cross-party group of LGA leaders are backing amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords. In a letter to the Guardian, Cllr David Hodge, leader of the LGA Conservative Group, Cllr Sharon Taylor, deputy leader of the Labour group, Cllr Marianne Overton, leader of the Independent group, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-bill-could-unintentionally-increase-homelessness--lga-leaders 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-bill-could-unintentionally-increase-homelessness--lga-leaders Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT Council tax benefit reforms have proved more expensive and less efficient than the system they replaced, a government-commissioned review has warned. The local council tax support (LCTS), introduced in the Local Government Finance Act 2012, replaced council tax benefit (CTB) in order to devolve control over council tax reductions to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-benefit-reforms-have-led-to-increased-costs-and-arrears 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-benefit-reforms-have-led-to-increased-costs-and-arrears Mon, 11 Apr 2016 10:30:00 GMT Contracts worth £30m are being offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help unemployed people get back into work in London and the north. The contracts are for providing personalised packages of education and employment-related training to unemployed people who are not engaging with current employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-offer-30m-contracts-for-training-unemployed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-offer-30m-contracts-for-training-unemployed Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:30:00 GMT The first recipients of road maintenance funding distributed on the basis of efficiency were announced today. Highways authorities will receive £826m funding in 2016-17, of which £50m will be an incentive element to reward authorities who spend money efficiently. By 2018-19, over a quarter of highways funding will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highways-authorities-to-receive-more-funding-for-efficient-management 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highways-authorities-to-receive-more-funding-for-efficient-management Fri, 08 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT Demand for temporary staff is increasing in the public sector whilst demand for permanent staff is decreasing, the latest figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) show. In March 2016, the latest month for which figures are available, the public sector scored 53.8 for temporary vacancies on the Job Vacancies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increasing-demand-for-temporary-staff-in-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increasing-demand-for-temporary-staff-in-the-public-sector Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT The leader of Manchester City Council and chair of Core Cities UK, Sir Richard Leese, explains why the UK is better off in Europe. It’s a decision that is ultimately for the British people, but the leaders and mayors of the UK’s core cities are clear – we need to stay in Europe. From Birmingham to Brno, Manchester... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/our-future-lies-within-the-eu 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/our-future-lies-within-the-eu Fri, 08 Apr 2016 12:30:00 GMT Julie Simon, head of government innovation at Nesta, explains how UK councils can learn from international authorities to think more broadly about the possibilities that digital open up – beyond automated back offices and services. The next wave of digitisation will be less about channel shift and automating back offices and more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moving-beyond-digital-as-we-know-it 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moving-beyond-digital-as-we-know-it Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT Warren Smith, interim programme director of the Digital Marketplace at the Government Digital Service, writes for PSE about the development of a new framework, Digital Outcomes and Specialists. The Digital Marketplace is helping the public sector buy what it needs to deliver great digital services. We’re working alongside the Crown... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finding-teams-and-specialists-to-work-on-digital-projects 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finding-teams-and-specialists-to-work-on-digital-projects Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Anand Menon, professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London, looks at the potential impact of Brexit on public agencies in the UK. Everyone wants to know what Brexit might mean for them, and answers are in short supply. In part, this is because this has not been a Referendum campaign notable for its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-would-brexit-mean-for-uk-public-agencies 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-would-brexit-mean-for-uk-public-agencies Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:30:00 GMT Increased standardisation of data such as addresses would make it easier for local authorities to share services and save money, GeoPlace, a partnership between the LGA and Ordnance Survey, has said in a new report. In the report, ‘Everything happens somewhere: address and street data a common standard for digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-data-standardisation-a-must-to-transform-council-services- 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-data-standardisation-a-must-to-transform-council-services- Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:00:00 GMT As the EU referendum draws closer, the government has produced a leaflet explaining to the public why it believes Britain should vote to stay in Europe. The leaflets, which cost £9.3m to produce, will be distributed to households in England on 9-11 April and to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the week beginning 9... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/referendum-debate-grows-as-government-produce-pro-eu-booklet 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/referendum-debate-grows-as-government-produce-pro-eu-booklet Thu, 07 Apr 2016 11:15:00 GMT The first ‘deep dive’ inspection of children’s services has led to South Tyneside authorities being urged to improve their response to child sexual exploitation and missing children. ‘Deep dive’ inspections were introduced by Ofsted in January of this year following child sexual exploitations such as in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-deep-dive-inspection-raises-concerns-about-child-exploitation-in-south-tyneside 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-deep-dive-inspection-raises-concerns-about-child-exploitation-in-south-tyneside Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT Many retirees will experience the “nasty surprise” of finding that their state pensions under the new reforms are worth less than expected, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. IFS research shows that 61% of people retiring in the next four years will receive less than the £155.65 weekly state pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-warn-of-nasty-surprise-for-retirees-under-state-pension-reforms 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-warn-of-nasty-surprise-for-retirees-under-state-pension-reforms Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:45:00 GMT New pothole funding announced today is insufficient to address the road repairs backlog of local councils, the LGA has said. The government announced today that councils will receive £10m each year for the next five years from a £250m Pothole Repair Fund included in the most recent Budget, which aims to fix four million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pothole-funding-needs-to-be-230-times-larger-to-tackle-frustrating-problem--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pothole-funding-needs-to-be-230-times-larger-to-tackle-frustrating-problem--lga Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:15:00 GMT Every dementia patient should have a specialist adviser, the Alzheimer’s Society told PSE following a new Department of Health survey into the provision of services. The report found that 91% of CCGs and local authorities surveyed had a dementia adviser service. Services provided by dementia advisers include signposting to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-report-stresses-importance-of-dementia-advisers-for-patients--alzheimers-society 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-report-stresses-importance-of-dementia-advisers-for-patients--alzheimers-society Wed, 06 Apr 2016 16:30:00 GMT The childhood obesity strategy should contain a 1,000 day plan to encourage children to eat healthily from the beginning, councils have said. The strategy, already delayed, is due to be published in the summer, although the government included a new tax on sugary drinks in the most recent Budget. The suggestion from the LGA comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childhood-obesity-strategy-should-encourage-healthy-eating-in-first-1000-days--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childhood-obesity-strategy-should-encourage-healthy-eating-in-first-1000-days--lga Wed, 06 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT Government performance analysis methods are not actually being used to measure outcomes and are difficult for the public to understand, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said in a new report. Since 2010, every department has been required to produce a business plan to explain the outputs they want to produce, including ‘impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/departmental-business-plans-failing-to-properly-measure-performance--ifg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/departmental-business-plans-failing-to-properly-measure-performance--ifg Tue, 05 Apr 2016 17:15:00 GMT Councils are raising tax on low-income families as a result of central government cuts, new figures indicate. The research, conducted by the New Policy Institute and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that in 2016-17, 2.2 million families will have to pay an average of £169 additional council tax as a consequence of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-increase-tax-on-low-income-families-to-compensate-for-cuts 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-increase-tax-on-low-income-families-to-compensate-for-cuts Tue, 05 Apr 2016 15:45:00 GMT The successful bidders for a £560,000 Local Government Association (LGA) fund for digital schemes to transform local services have been announced. Of the 111 bids made, 34 received a share of the funding, to be allocated to digital solutions to troubled families, health and social care integration and welfare reform that can be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-receive-share-of-560000-fund-for-digital-schemes-to-improve-local-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-receive-share-of-560000-fund-for-digital-schemes-to-improve-local-services Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:15:00 GMT Influential council chief executives recently discussed the importance of devolving housing responsibility to local areas in the future in order to support the country’s economic development. David Stevenson reports from the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition. Future devolution of housing responsibility... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-devolution-a-major-key-to-unlocking-economic-development 436,441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-devolution-a-major-key-to-unlocking-economic-development Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Tiffany Cloynes, public services partner at Geldards LLP, reviews the changes made to business rates in this year’s March Budget and how these will impact councils over the coming years. Announcements about business rates in the March 2016 Budget look set to increase the challenges facing local authorities in managing their own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rate-changes-the-impact-on-councils-cannot-be-overestimated 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rate-changes-the-impact-on-councils-cannot-be-overestimated Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:15:00 GMT Ken Harrison, strategic lead of HeadStart Knowsley at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, explains the positive benefits mindfulness courses have delivered across the area. In Knowsley, we believe that helping young people to develop their emotional resilience skills enables them to better deal with difficult circumstances and make... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mindfulness-training 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mindfulness-training Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:15:00 GMT Chloë Carter, policy and advocacy manager at the British Red Cross, considers the Care Act one year on and asks why progress toward prevention remains slow and confused. Celebrated as the most significant reform of care and support in more than 60 years, it’s a year since the Care Act 2014 came into force in England. Replacing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prevention-is-better-than-cure-so-why-are-councils-dragging-their-feet 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prevention-is-better-than-cure-so-why-are-councils-dragging-their-feet Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:15:00 GMT Jo Griffin, lecturer at Dudley College and chair of the Board of Directors at St Nicholas Owen Catholic Multi Academy Company, reflects on the challenges and pitfalls of becoming an academy. This article considers the formation of a Multi Academy Company (MAC) comprising one secondary school and five primary schools, and some of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-journey-from-voluntary-aided-status-to-multi-academy-company 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-journey-from-voluntary-aided-status-to-multi-academy-company Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:15:00 GMT Philip Burgess, director general at the Salt Association, explains how local highways authorities have improved their operational efficiency to cope with big winter chills and moved away from a just-in-time supply system. Almost £250m worth of damage was caused to key infrastructure like roads, bridges and drainage systems by this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-winter-resilience 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-winter-resilience Mon, 04 Apr 2016 14:30:00 GMT Luke Raikes, a research fellow at IPPR North, examines how new metro mayors could transform their transport networks and unlock the economic potential of their city-regions. The shape of local public services has transformed since 2010, but next year it is the governance of these services that will change – and quite dramatically.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-metro-mayors-could-use-transport-policy-to-great-effect 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-metro-mayors-could-use-transport-policy-to-great-effect Mon, 04 Apr 2016 12:00:00 GMT Local authorities have paid out more than £220m in settlement payments over the last five years to just over 17,000 ex-employees, with many agreements including gagging orders, but the LGA says all payments were only authorised in the public interest. An FOI request, from BBC 5 Live Investigates, revealed that 17,571 council workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-pay-out-more-than-220m-to-ex-employees-in-settlement-agreements 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-pay-out-more-than-220m-to-ex-employees-in-settlement-agreements Mon, 04 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT Not enough people understand the new pensions system which comes into effect on Wednesday, according to a survey from consumer group Which? The survey of adults aged 50-64 found that although 68% of all respondents and 80% of those aged over 60 were aware of the changes, many were unclear on the details. Only 21% knew that the state... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/which-survey-finds-confusion-about-state-pension-reforms 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/which-survey-finds-confusion-about-state-pension-reforms Mon, 04 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT Almost two-thirds of councils are failing to provide a good online service for objecting to a planning application, according to a new survey from the Better Connected programme, organised by the Society for Information Management (Socitm). The survey rated 34% of councils as providing a good or very good service, but said that stumbling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-two-thirds-of-councils-failing-to-provide-a-good-online-planning-application-service 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-two-thirds-of-councils-failing-to-provide-a-good-online-planning-application-service Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:30:00 GMT Local authorities will receive support in unlocking the benefits of collaborative digital service transformation from a new coalition. The Local Digital Coalition has been formed to replace the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Local Digital Programme, which closed on 31 March. Coalition partners include Socitm, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-digital-coalition-launched-to-replace-department-for-communities-programme 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-digital-coalition-launched-to-replace-department-for-communities-programme Mon, 04 Apr 2016 09:45:00 GMT Advertorial Feature With the uptake of cloud computing and the advancements in browser technology, web applications and web services have become a core component of many business processes, and therefore a lucrative target for attackers. Over 70% of websites and web applications however, contain vulnerabilities that could lead to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/web-application-security-in-the-public-sector 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/web-application-security-in-the-public-sector Mon, 04 Apr 2016 08:30:00 GMT Locality’s CEO Tony Armstrong explains why engaged communities need to be at the heart of NHS England’s ‘healthy towns’ programme to unlock the benefits. Although NHS England’s ‘healthy towns’ initiative presents a really exciting opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of thousands of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healthy-towns-looking-beyond-the-bricks-and-mortar 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healthy-towns-looking-beyond-the-bricks-and-mortar Fri, 01 Apr 2016 12:45:00 GMT Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), discusses the upcoming local elections and the lack of transparent information available for voters. It’s surprisingly hard to find good-quality information about the forthcoming local elections taking place on Thursday 5 May. Voters may (or may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-for-the-count- 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-for-the-count- Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT Around 95% of councils in England will be taking advantage of the government’s new social care precept from 2016-17, DCLG figures have shown, as cities ready themselves for the largest increase in council tax in eight years. The figures, released yesterday, showed that 144 of 152 social care authorities will use all or some of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-councils-to-use-care-precept-as-tax-bills-see-highest-rise-in-8-years 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-councils-to-use-care-precept-as-tax-bills-see-highest-rise-in-8-years Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:45:00 GMT The £6bn devolution of health funding to Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a ‘significant step’ in joining up social care and health, and will hopefully pave the way for future deals, the chairman of the LGA has stated. Lord Porter (pictured) described the move as a “landmark transfer of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-health-devolution-should-be-a-blueprint-for-future-deals-lord-porter- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-health-devolution-should-be-a-blueprint-for-future-deals-lord-porter- Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:30:00 GMT The National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) needs a comprehensive overview before the end of this Parliament, the Committee for Communities and Local Government (CCLG) said in a report published today. The CCLG said that more ‘robust, objective and evidence-based policy monitoring, evaluation, and review’ of the NPPF is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-comprehensive-overview-of-planning-framework 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-comprehensive-overview-of-planning-framework Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:30:00 GMT Just three council leaders have been chosen in the latest round of overseers for a scheme meant to improve links between health and social care. In total, 41 of the local leaders for implementing the sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) in their area have now been named, leaving only three areas without a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-three-of-new-sustainability-and-transformation-leaders-from-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-three-of-new-sustainability-and-transformation-leaders-from-public-sector Thu, 31 Mar 2016 11:45:00 GMT A scheme to reduce government estate by allowing members of the public to request surplus government-owned land to be put up for sale has led to just six sales since it was introduced in January 2014, FoI requests by PSE show. The Right to Contest is a scheme which allows businesses, local authorities and members of the public to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exclusive-public-land-disposal-scheme-leads-to-just-6-sales 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exclusive-public-land-disposal-scheme-leads-to-just-6-sales Thu, 31 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT Continued EU membership will bring in jobs and investment for cities in the UK, Core Cities council leaders have said. Leaders and mayors of the UK Core Cities met in Nottingham to publicly declare their support for the UK’s continued membership of the EU in the referendum on 23 June. They say that the EU has created more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-back-staying-in-the-eu 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-back-staying-in-the-eu Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:45:00 GMT Greg Clark, the secretary for communities and local government, has confirmed that councils will receive “compensation in full” for business rates cuts revealed in the most recent Budget. In response to a letter from Clive Betts MP, chair of the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC), Clark said that councils will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clark-confirms-councils-will-receive-full-compensation-for-business-rates-cuts 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clark-confirms-councils-will-receive-full-compensation-for-business-rates-cuts Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:15:00 GMT Disability benefits assessments by private contractors suffer from “serious failings”, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned in a report. Charities such as Mind, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and the Disability Benefits Consortium told the committee that they’ve received complaints of claimants having to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contractors-still-falling-short-of-standards-on-disability-benefits-assessments-pac 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contractors-still-falling-short-of-standards-on-disability-benefits-assessments-pac Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:15:00 GMT British libraries may need to look into community management to survive as they face high rates of job losses and closures, community organisations network Locality has said. An investigation by the BBC showed that the number of jobs in British libraries has fallen by 25%, from 31,977 in 2010 to 24,044 now. In the same period, the number... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-need-community-management-to-survive-job-losses-and-closures--locality 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-need-community-management-to-survive-job-losses-and-closures--locality Wed, 30 Mar 2016 16:15:00 GMT Children’s homes are being increasingly left in the hands of private companies who risk criminalising young people by calling in the police unnecessarily, a prisons charity have warned. ‘Criminal Care’, the new report from the Howard League for Penal Reform, says that children in care are much more likely to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-home-providers-risk-criminalising-young-people-with-excessive-police-use 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-home-providers-risk-criminalising-young-people-with-excessive-police-use Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:45:00 GMT The National Living Wage, which is due to be introduced this week, will risk pushing social care funding into crisis, the LGA has warned. The LGA said that the cost of increasing the minimum wage to £7:20 an hour, which comes into effect on Friday, will be passed on to councils through increased contract costs to home and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-living-wage-risks-causing-care-funding-crisis--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-living-wage-risks-causing-care-funding-crisis--lga Wed, 30 Mar 2016 12:45:00 GMT A new strategy to tackle fraud and corruption has been published by the government today to provide advice to local councils. The Fraud Landscape review, published by the National Audit Office last month, warned that fraud costs the public sector £20.6bn a year. The guidelines, Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally 2016, offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-anti-fraud-and-corruption-strategy-for-local-councils-published 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-anti-fraud-and-corruption-strategy-for-local-councils-published Wed, 23 Mar 2016 17:30:00 GMT Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) suffer from a lack of oversight from the government, especially around Growth Deals, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. The NAO’s new report says that local government funding of LEPs has grown dramatically, from £1.5bn in 2010-15 to £12bn in 2015-21, via locally negotiated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-is-failing-to-scrutinise-lep-delivery-of-growth-deals--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-is-failing-to-scrutinise-lep-delivery-of-growth-deals--nao Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:30:00 GMT Cambridgeshire County Council decisively rejected devolution proposals laid out in the Budget in a council vote yesterday. Cambridgeshire County Council voted in favour of a motion from Liberal Democrat councillor Lucy Nethsingha stating that the devolution offer was ‘not acceptable in its current form’, with 64 votes in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-cc-vote-against-shotgun-wedding-budget-devolution-offer 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-cc-vote-against-shotgun-wedding-budget-devolution-offer Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:15:00 GMT Contract management by the government is failing to achieve value for money, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned in its latest report. The report says that the Cabinet Office has failed to do enough to challenge departments on their contracts spending, following a 2014 report warning that there are deep-rooted problems. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contract-management-by-government-still-failing-to-achieve-value-for-money-pac 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contract-management-by-government-still-failing-to-achieve-value-for-money-pac Wed, 23 Mar 2016 14:15:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark failed to answer questions about the impact of the government’s devolution of business rates to local councils in a House of Commons session. Clark confirmed that the devolution of business rates will mean £26bn income for councils. But when asked by Clive Betts, Labour MP for Sheffield South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clark-admits-government-hasnt-calculated-compensation-for-business-rates-reduction 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clark-admits-government-hasnt-calculated-compensation-for-business-rates-reduction Tue, 22 Mar 2016 16:45:00 GMT Nearly 2,500 academies have failed to sign up to new healthy school meal standards, the Local Government Association (LGA) has calculated. Regulations on healthy eating in schools introduced last year are compulsory for all schools except academies which opened between 2010 and 2014, who can impose them on a voluntary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-2500-academies-have-failed-to-adopt-healthy-school-meal-standards 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-2500-academies-have-failed-to-adopt-healthy-school-meal-standards Tue, 22 Mar 2016 15:30:00 GMT Social workers are facing increased pressure as they are given a more central role in providing social care, the Chief Social Worker for Adults has said in her annual report. Lyn Romeo says that new regulations introduced in the past year, including the Care Act, improvements to the application of the Mental Capacity Act and revisions to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staff-shortages-increasing-workload-pressure-on-social-workers 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staff-shortages-increasing-workload-pressure-on-social-workers Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT The resignation of work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has plunged the national government into crisis, with the growing divisions in the Conservative party expected to be on display this afternoon when prime minister David Cameron addresses MPs on the EU summit. Duncan Smith is now attacking the very programme of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iain-duncan-smiths-resignation-must-mark-a-new-start-for-disability-policy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iain-duncan-smiths-resignation-must-mark-a-new-start-for-disability-policy Mon, 21 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT Cyber security in the UK will receive a boost from a new agency, named today as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC will open in October with Ciaran Martin, currently director general cyber at GCHQ leading it, while Dr Ian Levy will move from being technical director of cyber security at GCHQ to technical director at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-cyber-security-centre-to-help-safeguard-against-hacking-attacks 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-cyber-security-centre-to-help-safeguard-against-hacking-attacks Mon, 21 Mar 2016 11:00:00 GMT Devolution implementation in the UK is ‘piecemeal and incoherent’, Lord Kerslake has warned as the long-awaited report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution is published today. The report says that devolution will happen at different paces for different nations and regions in the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-implementation-is-piecemeal-and-incoherent-lord-kerslake 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-implementation-is-piecemeal-and-incoherent-lord-kerslake Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:45:00 GMT A new director general for local government and public services has been appointed at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Jo Farrar will leave her current role as chief executive of Bath and North East Somerset Council to replace Helen Edwards, who is due to retire in July. Farrar is also policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-director-general-for-local-government-and-public-services-appointed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-director-general-for-local-government-and-public-services-appointed Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:00:00 GMT Pub owners have benefited from the Licensing Act 2003 more than local councils, in part due to misinterpretation of the law, a new report has warned. The report, released by the Institute of Alcohol Studies to look at the Act’s effects 10 years after it came into force on 24 November 2005, found that the legislation has failed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/licensing-act-has-put-significant-strain-on-councils-and-police-forces- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/licensing-act-has-put-significant-strain-on-councils-and-police-forces- Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities should be required to develop a local plan, the Local Plans Expert Group (LPEG) suggest in a new report that is now open for consultation. Less than a third of local authorities have an up-to-date plan for delivering sustainable development, according to LPEG. Local plans are also taking longer to develop, with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-opens-on-making-up-to-date-local-plans-a-legal-requirement 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-opens-on-making-up-to-date-local-plans-a-legal-requirement Fri, 18 Mar 2016 16:15:00 GMT Disabled people risk being left in unsuitable accommodation because of delays with grants from councils meant to help them adapt their homes, a new report from the Local Government Ombudsman warns. Research from Leonard Cheshire Disability, quoted in the report, found that 62% of councils are not funding agreed adaptations with disabled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-people-face-delays-in-home-adaptations-from-councils 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-people-face-delays-in-home-adaptations-from-councils Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:30:00 GMT The future of government projects could be threatened due to concerns about the Major Projects Authority’s (MPA’s) ability to deliver them and about its neutrality following a merger with Infrastructure UK, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. In a new report, the PAC says that since the MPA is meant to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/merger-threatens-major-projects-authoritys-ability-to-hold-government-accountable 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/merger-threatens-major-projects-authoritys-ability-to-hold-government-accountable Fri, 18 Mar 2016 13:15:00 GMT Yesterday’s Budget has angered public sector trade unions, who have warned the ‘smoke and mirrors’ financial measures will increase pressures on the sector through spending cuts and increased pensions contributions. After warning of cuts because of concerns about the stability of the global economy, chancellor George... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-unions-condemn-new-budget-pressures-on-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-unions-condemn-new-budget-pressures-on-pensions Thu, 17 Mar 2016 11:45:00 GMT Councils and charities have welcomed new funding to tackle homelessness announced in yesterday’s Budget, but warned that wider action to tackle the housing crisis is needed. The Budget includes £100m to provide at least 2,000 low-cost ‘second stage’ accommodation for those leaving hostel accommodation and domestic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warn-new-homelessness-measures-dont-go-far-enough 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warn-new-homelessness-measures-dont-go-far-enough Thu, 17 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT The planning system will become more streamlined under new measures announced in yesterday’s Budget. Chancellor George Osborne promised measures to speed up planning applications, including a more zonal planning approach, where local authorities use their local plans to signal their development strategy to reduce uncertainty about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-measures-to-speed-up-planning-process-in-budget 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-measures-to-speed-up-planning-process-in-budget Thu, 17 Mar 2016 10:45:00 GMT Councils will lose national government funding and suffer a significant reduction in income generated by small firm business rates by 2021, local authorities have warned following yesterday’s Budget. George Osborne told Parliament that by 2020, local councils will be 100% funded by locally raised revenue instead of government grants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-business-rates-relief-could-have-long-term-implications-for-council-income 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-business-rates-relief-could-have-long-term-implications-for-council-income Thu, 17 Mar 2016 10:00:00 GMT It “defies reason” that councils are being pushed out of the education landscape, the LGA has said in response to the government’s commitment to make every school an academy by the end of the decade. In today’s Budget, chancellor George Osborne outlined a string of radical educational reforms, the headline of which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-teachers-lash-out-at-forced-academisation-and-divisive-school-hours 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-teachers-lash-out-at-forced-academisation-and-divisive-school-hours Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:45:00 GMT Flood defences will receive £685m in extra funding, the chancellor announced in today’s Budget. George Osborne described the funding in Parliament as a £700m boost, but the published figures show £685m spending over the next four years – £80m in 2016-17, £200m in 2017-18 and £205m each in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chancellor-promises-685m-for-flood-defences 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chancellor-promises-685m-for-flood-defences Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:00:00 GMT Public sector pensions can only be sustainable if employer contributions rise by over £2bn by 2021, the chancellor announced in today’s Budget. George Osborne said that the decision had been made following a regular evaluation of the pension discount rate. The rise will not come into effect until 2019, when it will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employer-pension-contributions-to-rise-by-over-2bn-by-2021- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employer-pension-contributions-to-rise-by-over-2bn-by-2021- Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:45:00 GMT A string of new devolution deals and city deals have been announced by chancellor George Osborne in today’s Budget, including extended packages to counties and southern cities and addendums to existing agreements. Following six major packages in the last few years, the government today unveiled further mayoral agreements with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-mayoral-devo-deals-and-city-deal-unveiled-with-more-on-the-table 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-mayoral-devo-deals-and-city-deal-unveiled-with-more-on-the-table Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:30:00 GMT The chief executives of two major English councils have been nominated to lead major ‘sustainability and transformation plans’ (STPs) across 44 patches that seek to revolutionise the country’s health and care system. Sir Howard Bernstein, chief exec of Manchester City Council, and Mark Rogers, chief exec of Birmingham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-council-bosses-chosen-to-lead-transformative-nhs-and-care-plans 870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-council-bosses-chosen-to-lead-transformative-nhs-and-care-plans Wed, 16 Mar 2016 09:30:00 GMT Councils should become ‘digital by default’ by 2020, including by moving all transactional services online and fully digitising their back offices, a new Nesta report said today. The report, ‘Connected Councils’, sets out a vision of local government in 2025, at which point local authorities should already be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-become-entirely-digital-by-default-by-2020-nesta 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-become-entirely-digital-by-default-by-2020-nesta Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:00:00 GMT Meeting an apprenticeship target of 2.3% of the workforce and paying 0.5% of wage bills towards an apprenticeship levy will cost councils at least £600m per year, the LGA said, making a case for devolving these reforms. All large public sector bodies, including local government, will be forced to ensure apprentices make up at least... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolve-apprenticeship-levy-and-exempt-councils-from-23-target-lga-says 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolve-apprenticeship-levy-and-exempt-councils-from-23-target-lga-says Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT Community-led organisations network Locality has responded to the appointment of eight new commissioners to unlock dormant assets for charity, saying it is important that the new initiative benefits communities. The Dormant Assets Commission announced eight new commissioners from the business sector on Thursday, who will use their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dormant-assets-commission-should-talk-with-community-organisations--locality 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dormant-assets-commission-should-talk-with-community-organisations--locality Mon, 14 Mar 2016 12:00:00 GMT The first winners of new funding for small voluntary organisations helping disadvantaged people have been announced. The Local Sustainability Fund is a £20m Cabinet Office fund for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations with an income of £100,000 to £1.5m a year which provide vital services to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100-voluntary-organisations-gain-funding-to-provide-services-for-vulnerable-people 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100-voluntary-organisations-gain-funding-to-provide-services-for-vulnerable-people Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:15:00 GMT New tax cuts are not on target and will benefit already wealthy families the most, think-tank The Resolution Foundation has warned. The government has committed to raising the personal tax allowance (PTA) to £12,500 and the Higher Rate Tax threshold (HRT) to £50,000 by the end of the Parliament. But the Resolution Foundation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-tax-cuts-are-off-target-and-benefit-the-richest-most- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-tax-cuts-are-off-target-and-benefit-the-richest-most- Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:00:00 GMT Delayed care transfers nearly reached record levels in January 2016, prompting the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) to join the growing chorus of calls for the government to bring forward £700m of social care funding in this week’s budget. New figures show that there were 159,100 total delayed days... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bring-forward-social-care-funding-to-tackle-rising-care-transfer-delays-adass 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bring-forward-social-care-funding-to-tackle-rising-care-transfer-delays-adass Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:15:00 GMT Cutting local government spending further would be a false economy, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned in their submission to Wednesday’s budget. The LGA said that councils have faced real terms cuts of 40% in the last Parliament, and that increasing pressures on their budgets combined with the risk of the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-council-funding-to-prop-up-other-departments-is-a-false-economy-lga 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-council-funding-to-prop-up-other-departments-is-a-false-economy-lga Mon, 14 Mar 2016 09:30:00 GMT All assets sale proceeds can be spent by councils for three years from 1 April, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) announced today. The move is a bid to reduce the financial pressures on local councils, many of whom are now introducing the greatest council tax increase in eight years as well as cutting services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-spend-all-proceeds-from-selling-assets-in-financial-shake-up 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-spend-all-proceeds-from-selling-assets-in-financial-shake-up Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:15:00 GMT The biggest rises in council tax in eight years will be seen everywhere except London, new figures show. In a survey of councils, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) found that council tax in England outside Greater London will rise by an average 3.6%, or £54 for the average band D property, whereas the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-faces-highest-rise-in-eight-years-but-stays-frozen-in-london 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-faces-highest-rise-in-eight-years-but-stays-frozen-in-london Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:45:00 GMT Government whistleblowers are still not being supported by their employers, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned in a follow-up to a previous report calling for urgent action. The report says that the government’s response to its 2014 report, which warned of ‘appalling’ treatment of government whistleblowers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-departments-still-failing-to-support-whistleblowers-pac 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-departments-still-failing-to-support-whistleblowers-pac Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:15:00 GMT New action is being taken to tackle electoral fraud as the Electoral Commission braces itself for May’s local elections and the EU referendum. The measures come as the Commission released new figures showing that there were 481 cases of alleged electoral fraud in the UK in 2015, leading to four court proceedings, three of which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-measures-to-tackle-electoral-fraud 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-measures-to-tackle-electoral-fraud Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT Charities have warned against the impact of the government’s welfare reforms, as new research shows they will lead to the greatest loss of income in already struggling areas. The research, conducted by Sheffield Hallam University for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Oxfam, says that the greatest loss of income from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-reforms-will-hit-poorest-areas-worse-than-richest 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-reforms-will-hit-poorest-areas-worse-than-richest Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:15:00 GMT Sunday trading reforms that would have seen the power to set opening and closing times devolved to local councils suffered a defeat in the House of Commons last night. In a backbench rebellion, 27 Conservative MPs joined forces with Labour and the Scottish National Party (SNP), who revealed yesterday that they would not abstain from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunday-trading-changes-defeated-by-commons-rebellion 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunday-trading-changes-defeated-by-commons-rebellion Thu, 10 Mar 2016 10:45:00 GMT High pothole damage levels have led to the AA criticising local councils’ approach to road maintenance, but the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that this is because of a lack of funding. The results of an AA survey found that 39% of members had suffered damage caused by potholes to their cars, including their tyres... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-more-roads-funding-as-aa-criticises-pothole-damage-levels 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-more-roads-funding-as-aa-criticises-pothole-damage-levels Thu, 10 Mar 2016 10:30:00 GMT Another council has joined the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), allowing the parliamentary process to begin for it to be established on June 1. Sandwell council agreed to join Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, completing the WMCA. The WMCA was the first region outside the north of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wmca-to-go-ahead-as-sandwell-joins-six-other-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wmca-to-go-ahead-as-sandwell-joins-six-other-councils Thu, 10 Mar 2016 09:30:00 GMT Government efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through direct procurement needs more focus to succeed, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said in a new report. The report found that the role of SMEs in government procurement is growing, as they accounted for 27% (£12.1bn) of procurement spending in 2014-15... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-sme-procurement-is-improving-but-needs-more-focus--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-sme-procurement-is-improving-but-needs-more-focus--nao Wed, 09 Mar 2016 17:15:00 GMT Controversial Sunday trading proposals that would allow councils to set hours could be defeated in a House of Commons vote this afternoon after it was announced that the Scottish National Party (SNP) will not abstain from voting. The House of Commons will vote on the Enterprise Bill this afternoon, with SNP, Labour and some Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunday-trading-devolution-could-face-defeat-as-snps-to-vote-against-plans 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunday-trading-devolution-could-face-defeat-as-snps-to-vote-against-plans Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:30:00 GMT Problems in children’s services are being made worse by inadequate ratings from Ofsted, local councils have warned as they call for multi-agency inspections. The Local Government Association (LGA) warned that new analysis, conducted for the LGA by iMPOWER Consulting, showed that ‘inadequate’ ratings could inadvertently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-warns-inadequate-ratings-make-it-harder-to-improve-childrens-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-warns-inadequate-ratings-make-it-harder-to-improve-childrens-services Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:30:00 GMT Business rates devolution is not as attractive as it seems and raises concerns, three council officials responsible for finance told MPs today. In an appearance before the Communities and Local Government Committee, the council leaders warned that not enough is known about the government’s proposal to devolve 100% business rates to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-finance-leaders-warn-mps-about-risks-of-business-rates-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-finance-leaders-warn-mps-about-risks-of-business-rates-devolution Tue, 08 Mar 2016 17:15:00 GMT For International Women’s Day, the head of the Government Digital Service (GDS) has pledged that the service will boycott all-male panel discussions. In a blog post Stephen Foreshew-Cain promised to boost the role of women in ICT by making sure that no one from GDS will take part in a panel discussion of two or more people unless... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gds-head-marks-international-womens-day-by-pledging-boycott-of-all-male-panels 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gds-head-marks-international-womens-day-by-pledging-boycott-of-all-male-panels Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:45:00 GMT ‘Fast-growth cities’ need government support to help them grow as well as larger but less economically productive cities, according to a new independent report. The report, ‘Fast Growth Cities: The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead’, from charity Centre for Cities, says that Milton Keynes, Norwich, Cambridge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-agenda-should-include-smaller-cities- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-agenda-should-include-smaller-cities- Tue, 08 Mar 2016 13:00:00 GMT Major outsourcing company Atos is facing a review of all government contracts worth more than £10m a year by the Cabinet Office following heavy criticism from government and the public. The review was made following recommendations from a recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report into Atos’ role as a contracted supplier in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-review-all-contracts-with-atos-following-pac-report-into-it-failings 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-review-all-contracts-with-atos-following-pac-report-into-it-failings Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:15:00 GMT Adults need to implement lifestyle changes to avoid serious illness later in life, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said as it backs a new Public Health England campaign. The campaign, One You, aims to help adults include increased sleep, exercise and healthy eating in their lifestyles, as well as reducing smoking, drinking and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-supports-new-campaign-to-prevent-illness-through-lifestyle-changes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-supports-new-campaign-to-prevent-illness-through-lifestyle-changes Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:00:00 GMT ‘Radical’ action, including devolution, is necessary to solve London’s housing crisis, Lord Bob Kerslake has said. The final report from the London Housing Commission, published today, warns that London needs to build 50,000 houses each year to keep pace with its growing population, but that last year only 25,000 were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/radical-devolution-needed-to-tackle-london-housing-crisis-lord-kerslake 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/radical-devolution-needed-to-tackle-london-housing-crisis-lord-kerslake Mon, 07 Mar 2016 10:15:00 GMT Increased virtual services are important for reducing inefficiency and waste in public sector procurement, but reforms are needed to implement them effectively, according to a new report. In its paper ‘Cloud 9: The Future of Public Procurement’, the think tank Reform recommends e-procurement as a means of meeting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reforms-needed-to-implement-effective-public-sector-e-procurement- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reforms-needed-to-implement-effective-public-sector-e-procurement- Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:45:00 GMT New fraud and error avoidance guidelines have been provided in a blogpost on the National Audit Office (NAO) website after it was estimated that the problem costs the public sector £20.6bn each year. The NAO’s Fraud Landscape review, published last month, quotes figures from April 2013 showing that the country loses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-issues-safety-advice-as-fraud-costs-public-sector-20bn-each-year 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-issues-safety-advice-as-fraud-costs-public-sector-20bn-each-year Fri, 04 Mar 2016 16:00:00 GMT Asylum seeker housing in the UK will face a growing crisis in the next few years, with unacceptable accommodation and many local authorities failing to take enough asylum seekers, the Home Affairs Select Committee has said. The committee’s ‘The work of the Immigration Directorates’ report criticised the role of private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-do-more-to-support-asylum-seekers- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-do-more-to-support-asylum-seekers- Fri, 04 Mar 2016 12:45:00 GMT Red tape cutting initiatives worth £10bn announced by the government, including reducing regulation on care home inspections, have been welcomed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). According to the recent Cutting Red Tape review, residential care homes spend roughly 16 days a year dealing with inspections and 25 days a year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-cut-red-tape-on-care-regulation-environment-and-local-businesses 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-cut-red-tape-on-care-regulation-environment-and-local-businesses Fri, 04 Mar 2016 11:45:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has slammed the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) delivery programme as “an appalling Whitehall fiasco” owing to the inability of different agencies to work together. The report, into the failures of a scheme to create an IT system to make payments to farmers, says that relationships between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-denounces-cap-delivery-programme-as-an-appalling-whitehall-fiasco 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-denounces-cap-delivery-programme-as-an-appalling-whitehall-fiasco Thu, 03 Mar 2016 11:30:00 GMT Implementing personalised social care budgets is becoming a harder challenge for local authorities because of lack of funds, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned today. Responding to a National Audit Office (NAO) report, which looked into personalised commissioning in adult social care, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, the LGA’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-making-it-harder-to-implement-personalised-social-care-budgets-lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-making-it-harder-to-implement-personalised-social-care-budgets-lga Thu, 03 Mar 2016 11:15:00 GMT Scotland’s new financial powers have become clearer as the government announced reforms to council tax and social security. Yesterday Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, announced that from April next year the Scottish government will lift the council tax freeze and increase council tax for properties in bands E to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-announces-reforms-to-council-tax-and-social-security 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-announces-reforms-to-council-tax-and-social-security Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:15:00 GMT Elderly people could risk losing their homes in a ‘great British bungalow sell-off’, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) warned as the controversial Housing and Planning Bill was read in the House of Lords. The Bill aims to extend the Right to Buy for Housing Association tenants, but the Foundation warned that bungalows are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-warns-of-great-bungalow-sell-off-as-housing-bill-reaches-lords 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-warns-of-great-bungalow-sell-off-as-housing-bill-reaches-lords Thu, 03 Mar 2016 09:45:00 GMT The controversial housing benefit cap for supported accommodation will be suspended, but housing association representatives are still calling for it to be scrapped altogether. Lord Freud, the minister for welfare reform, announced in a written statement to Parliament that supported accommodation rent will gain a year-long exception from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-suspended-for-supported-accomodation 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-suspended-for-supported-accomodation Wed, 02 Mar 2016 15:00:00 GMT The housing crisis will not be addressed by the government’s Starter Homes initiative, according to over four-fifths of local councils. A joint survey of English local authorities from the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and the Association for Public Sector Excellence (APSE) found that 96% of councils have a severe or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-fifths-of-councils-say-starter-homes-are-not-affordable-housing 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-fifths-of-councils-say-starter-homes-are-not-affordable-housing Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:30:00 GMT A leading inequality expert told Parliament yesterday that although the problem is still severe in the UK, local authorities’ attitude towards solving it is “thrilling”. Professor Sir Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity at University College London, told the Health Select Committee that key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-optimism-to-tackle-inequality-thrilling--mps-told 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-optimism-to-tackle-inequality-thrilling--mps-told Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:15:00 GMT Northern cities are still suffering brain drain and decline despite Northern Powerhouse investment, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) have warned. The charity’s latest report finds that Rochdale is the most struggling city in the UK, and 10 of the country’s 12 most struggling cities are in the north. The study measures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-cities-still-face-decline-despite-powerhouse-investment 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-cities-still-face-decline-despite-powerhouse-investment Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:30:00 GMT New ‘healthy towns’ being introduced in the UK to encourage children to exercise and support elderly people through their environment could help radically reshape health and care services, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated.. The 10 towns, chosen from 114 applications for the government’s new Healthy Towns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-healthy-towns-can-help-radically-reshape-services--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-healthy-towns-can-help-radically-reshape-services--lga Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:00:00 GMT The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) will have its powers extended rather than limited despite opposition from local councils, an independent commission into the Act has ruled. The 2000 Act requires public bodies to disclose any information they hold to members of the public who ask for it within 20 working days, subject to limitations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foi-powers-to-be-extended-despite-lga-opposition- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foi-powers-to-be-extended-despite-lga-opposition- Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:45:00 GMT By Geoff Prowling: Head of Public Sector Business Operations, Telefónica (O2) UK  Before I joined O2, I spent 7 years as the Head of ICT Procurement for Leeds City Council. Many of the challenges I faced still affect public sector procurement today. Restrictive regulation, lengthy processes and confusing supplier pitches all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/o2s-public-sector-catalogue-my-journey-from-buyer-to-supplier- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/o2s-public-sector-catalogue-my-journey-from-buyer-to-supplier- Mon, 29 Feb 2016 11:45:00 GMT People suffering from neurological conditions are facing a lack of appropriate care from Scottish local authorities, with many not knowing where they are placed or placing them in inappropriate care such as old people’s homes. The charity Sue Ryder submitted FoI requests to every local authority and health board in Scotland, asking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neurological-patients-placed-in-old-peoples-homes-in-scotland-charity-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neurological-patients-placed-in-old-peoples-homes-in-scotland-charity-warns Mon, 29 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT Calls for local councils to gain more control over planning are growing as South East England Councils (SEEC) submitted evidence to the government arguing that they should be granted more powers. SEEC said in evidence to the Department for Communities and Local Government planning policy consultation that the government should give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-eastern-councils-join-calls-for-planning-devolution 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-eastern-councils-join-calls-for-planning-devolution Mon, 29 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT Sponsored Interview PSE speaks to Billy D'Arcy, managing director, Public Sector Business at O2, UK about an industry first public sector catalogue. Last summer, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) launched the wide-ranging Network Services Framework RM1045 across the public sector, including the NHS. The new agreement, which was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-digital-outcomes- 447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-digital-outcomes- Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:45:00 GMT The already delayed childhood obesity strategy has been pushed to the summer because there are still “a lot of different issues that need considering”, the government has admitted. A Department of Health spokesperson told the Guardian that the strategy, originally pencilled for December and then pushed to February or March... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ticking-time-bomb-childhood-obesity-strategy-delayed-to-summer 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ticking-time-bomb-childhood-obesity-strategy-delayed-to-summer Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:30:00 GMT Councils will not be able to fulfil their legal duty to offer every child a secondary school place unless the government gives them more power over school planning, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. The Department for Education predicts the secondary school population will hit 3.3 million by 2024 due to an increase in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-will-struggle-to-offer-every-child-a-school-place-without-more-powers-lga 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-will-struggle-to-offer-every-child-a-school-place-without-more-powers-lga Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:30:00 GMT As many as 100 NHS trusts are demanding a backdated business rates discount worth £1.5bn, saying they are entitled to it as charities. Property consultants Bilfinger GVA wrote to local authorities on behalf of their clients, saying they are charities instead of public sector-funded organisations, and are therefore entitled to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-trusts-demand-backdated-business-rates-discount-worth-15bn 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-trusts-demand-backdated-business-rates-discount-worth-15bn Fri, 26 Feb 2016 16:15:00 GMT David Cameron’s local county council is facing closure, with plans for the current two-tier system being replaced by four unitary councils following high-profile rows over funding. The devolutionary proposal from local authorities would see the abolition of Oxfordshire County Council, with its services transferring to four new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unitary-authority-proposal-could-see-oxfordshire-cc-abolition- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unitary-authority-proposal-could-see-oxfordshire-cc-abolition- Fri, 26 Feb 2016 16:15:00 GMT ‘Teacher brain drain’ means the government will need to offer incentives for educators to stay in British schools, the head of Ofsted said today. In his monthly commentary on British education, Sir Michael Wilshaw says that increasing numbers of teachers are being recruited into international branches of English public schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/incentives-needed-to-stop-growing-crisis-of-teacher-brain-drain-overseas-ofsted-chief- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/incentives-needed-to-stop-growing-crisis-of-teacher-brain-drain-overseas-ofsted-chief- Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:45:00 GMT Chief executives at five of the most powerful local authorities in the north have called on the government to “stop agonising” and devolve housing responsibilities in the future. Speaking during a panel session at the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition, John Mothersole, CEO at Sheffield City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stop-agonising-over-housing-and-devolve-it-say-council-ceos 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stop-agonising-over-housing-and-devolve-it-say-council-ceos Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:00:00 GMT Funding to Scotland will stay at the same level for the first six years after the passing of the Scotland Bill following a landmark deal between the UK and Scottish governments. Following months of negotiation between Scottish finance secretary John Swinney MSP and chief secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands MP, the two governments have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-budget-to-be-protected-as-historic-holyrood-deal-finally-reached 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-budget-to-be-protected-as-historic-holyrood-deal-finally-reached Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT Rough sleeping in England has increased by 30% in one year, new Department for Communities and Local Government figures show. The report, based on snapshot counts and estimates from all 326 local housing authorities in England, found that there were 3,569 rough sleepers in autumn 2015, compared to 2,744 last year. The 30% hike is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-in-england-skyrockets-by-30-in-one-year 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-in-england-skyrockets-by-30-in-one-year Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:15:00 GMT HIV support services are being cancelled altogether in many local authorities, charities have warned in a letter to health secretary Jeremy Hunt calling for a meeting to demand adequate council funding, effective commissioning and increased service access. The new national campaign, ‘Support people with HIV: Stop the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-campaign-calls-for-end-to-spending-cuts-to-hiv-support-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-campaign-calls-for-end-to-spending-cuts-to-hiv-support-services Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT A group of organisations representing shop owners, retailers, wholesale distributors and church leaders intend to launch a judicial review on the government’s proposals to devolve Sunday trading laws to councils. The group, working under the ‘Keep Sunday Special’ campaign, has already issued a “letter before... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/judicial-review-launched-into-sunday-trading-laws-devolution 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/judicial-review-launched-into-sunday-trading-laws-devolution Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:15:00 GMT The Northern Powerhouse’s success should be “measured in years, not months” the commercial secretary to the Treasury will say today at the opening of the UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition in Manchester. Lord O’Neill will say: “Cities in the north have a proud history and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-success-should-be-measured-in-years-not-months-lord-oneill 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-powerhouse-success-should-be-measured-in-years-not-months-lord-oneill Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:15:00 GMT Mindfulness training can help local authorities support people suffering from problems including unemployment and drug addiction but only with equity between professionals and course participants, according to a new report. The report, Mindful Nation UK, is published by the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group and advocates... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mindfulness-training-can-help-councils-tackle-unemployment-report- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mindfulness-training-can-help-councils-tackle-unemployment-report- Wed, 24 Feb 2016 15:30:00 GMT Prevention services under the Care Act 2014 are not being adequately implemented by local authorities, a new British Red Cross report has warned. The charity assessed all 151 Health and Wellbeing Boards’ strategies and judged that 56 did not have a strong understanding of prevention, with only 12 using the triple ‘prevent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-preventing-councils-from-implementing-care-act--british-red-cross 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-preventing-councils-from-implementing-care-act--british-red-cross Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:15:00 GMT Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said he considers the new mayoral format to be a “step backwards, a step down even” for the city, as he announced he will not be running for mayoralty next year. In a blog post published on the city council’s website yesterday, Sir Richard also criticised the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-model-step-backwards-for-greater-manchester-leese 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-model-step-backwards-for-greater-manchester-leese Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Mismanagement of taxpayers’ money including funding the collapsed charity Kids Company could have been avoided if senior civil servants were more accountable to Parliament, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has found. The report, Accountability to Parliament for Taxpayers’ Money, says that departmental Accounting Officers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-failing-to-hold-ministers-accountable-on-spending--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-failing-to-hold-ministers-accountable-on-spending--nao Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:00:00 GMT Financial pressures on councils such as the national living wage are leaving social care “at breaking point” despite the government’s new council tax precept, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Analysis by the LGA shows that 143 of England’s 152 social care authorities are considering or have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-is-at-breaking-point-despite-new-council-tax-precept-lga 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-is-at-breaking-point-despite-new-council-tax-precept-lga Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:15:00 GMT Business plans published for every Whitehall department on Friday have already been harshly criticised for giving civil servants a hard time while blocking the public from holding the government to account. The ‘single departmental plans’ were published last week after John Manzoni, Civil Service chief executive, argued they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-departmental-laundry-lists 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-departmental-laundry-lists Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Proposed pensions regulations in the public sector have been broadly welcomed by the body responsible for public sector pensions’ schemes, but the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has expressed concern that the government is going too far in terms of deregulation. In a letter to the DCLG, written as the consultation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-may-have-gone-too-far-in-pension-regulation-changes- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-may-have-gone-too-far-in-pension-regulation-changes- Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT There is a “critical need” to develop housing for people with learning disabilities and exempting them from the upcoming housing benefit cap in order to overturn the “poor or abusive treatment” of them in society, the latest Winterbourne View report has argued. Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the Association... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winterbourne-view-more-housing-and-benefit-cap-exemption-critical 441,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winterbourne-view-more-housing-and-benefit-cap-exemption-critical Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:15:00 GMT Mark Lloyd, the chief executive of the Local Government Association (LGA), stated on Twitter that “the LGA will maintain a position of neutrality” on the forthcoming referendum on whether Britain should stay in the EU. Recently, Lloyd told PSE that retaining councils as members of the LGA depends on representing them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-unimpressed-with-eu-deal-ahead-of-referendum-ippr 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-unimpressed-with-eu-deal-ahead-of-referendum-ippr Mon, 22 Feb 2016 09:30:00 GMT Plans to eliminate the government deficit could be threatened by a weaker economic outlook despite public finance being in surplus, experts have warned. Central government receipts were 3.4% in January 2015 than the previous January, but this is beneath the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) 3.8% forecast. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-likely-to-hit-80bn-ifs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-likely-to-hit-80bn-ifs Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:30:00 GMT Revitalisation plans for the Tees Valley following the closure of its steelworks will involve £80m funding and a new Mayoral Development Commission, the government announced. Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine visited PD Ports at Teesport today and said ministers and local partners would immediately start appointing members... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-development-corporation-launched-to-revitalise-tees-valley 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-development-corporation-launched-to-revitalise-tees-valley Fri, 19 Feb 2016 15:30:00 GMT Peers have formally backed several council arguments against elements of the government’s housebuilding strategy in a new report calling for greater local control over developments, a rethink on 1% rent cuts, and a review of national planning policies. The House of Lords’ National Policy for the Built Environment Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/current-housing-policies-unlikely-to-meet-crisis-demand--lords 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/current-housing-policies-unlikely-to-meet-crisis-demand--lords Fri, 19 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT Councils will compete to process planning applications and offer fast-track application services under new government proposals set out today. The proposals will allow the government to pilot a scheme in a number of areas where planning applications can be made either to the local authority or to another ‘approved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-compete-to-process-planning-applications-under-new-proposals 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-compete-to-process-planning-applications-under-new-proposals Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT Policing cuts risk undermining the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing, the police inspectorate has warned as 18 forces across the country were rated as ‘requiring improvement’. The latest Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) police effectiveness report graded one force as outstanding, 24 forces as good... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/continued-cuts-risk-undermining-effectiveness-of-neighbourhood-policing--hmic 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/continued-cuts-risk-undermining-effectiveness-of-neighbourhood-policing--hmic Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Starter homes will not be affordable for the majority of families who need them and the House of Lords should help ensure that councils have the means to supply houses for local needs, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated. New research from the LGA shows that discounted starter homes prices will be out of reach for all people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-starter-homes-still-out-of-reach-for-most-families--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-starter-homes-still-out-of-reach-for-most-families--lga Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:15:00 GMT Councils anticipate having to increase charging for services, dip into reserves and cut frontline services in the next financial year and want the government to go further on its commitment to financial devolution, new research shows. The 2016 State of Local Government Finance survey, conducted by think tank the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warn-of-cutting-services-despite-devolution-promises- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warn-of-cutting-services-despite-devolution-promises- Thu, 18 Feb 2016 09:45:00 GMT Business rates income is expected to rise to £23.5bn next year, new figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government show. The figures reveal that total non-domestic rates for local authorities are expected to be £23.1bn in 2015-16 and £23.5bn in 2016-17, and have been rising for the past three years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-forecast-business-rates-income-to-hit-235bn-by-2017 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-forecast-business-rates-income-to-hit-235bn-by-2017 Wed, 17 Feb 2016 16:15:00 GMT Further fire authority cuts could harm fire services, according to a new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. The report, released today, says that fire and rescue authorities have successfully absorbed 28% government cuts in 2010-16, leading to a 22% decline in deaths from fire, although prevention and protection activities have gone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-fire-authority-cuts-could-harm-services-pac 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-fire-authority-cuts-could-harm-services-pac Wed, 17 Feb 2016 15:30:00 GMT Council library book renewal services are still ‘marred’ by poorly integrated third party library systems, causing confusion for many users, according to a new survey. Better Connected reviewers using online library services found that areas which had improved since 2014 included being accessible from a Google search... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/co-ordination-still-lacking-between-library-and-council-websites 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/co-ordination-still-lacking-between-library-and-council-websites Wed, 17 Feb 2016 12:45:00 GMT Rebecca McCaffry, head of public sector research at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), discusses why integrated working has never been more critical.  The financial crisis of 2008 had far-reaching repercussions that we are still trying to manage today. Demand and strain on many local authorities increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-to-embrace-constant-evolution- 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-to-embrace-constant-evolution- Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Only 7% of public sector employees view their work environment as empowering, prompting calls for a national training programme for public sector managers, according to new research. The ‘Invigorating the Public Sector Revolution’ report, released by Solace and software, technology and outsourcing specialists Civica, also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-leadership-teams-criticised-as-only-7-of-staff-feel-empowered 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-leadership-teams-criticised-as-only-7-of-staff-feel-empowered Tue, 16 Feb 2016 17:00:00 GMT A competition for local authorities to receive grants to fund sustainable and accessible travel projects is now open. The Department for Transport has a £20m grant for sustainable travel in 2016-17 and is inviting bids for projects worth £350,000 - £500,000 from individual local transport authorities. For... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-offers-20m-for-local-authority-sustainable-travel-projects 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-offers-20m-for-local-authority-sustainable-travel-projects Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:15:00 GMT A child abuse whistleblowing helpline has been launched following complaints that workplaces aren’t doing enough to prevent child abuse. The helpline, which will be open from 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday and will delivered by the NSPCC on behalf of the Home Office, is for employees who are concerned about child protection at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-launches-new-helpline-for-employees-to-report-child-abuse- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-launches-new-helpline-for-employees-to-report-child-abuse- Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:45:00 GMT Leigh Whitehouse, joint chief executive at Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, explains how Government as a Platform can be the catalyst for changing the delivery of local public services for the better. The advent of austerity, more complex organisational delivery arrangements and the disruptive influence of rapid technological change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-as-a-platform-the-power-to-transform 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-as-a-platform-the-power-to-transform Tue, 16 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Public sector pay rise rates remain low but employment rates have improved, according to new research. The latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook (LMO) Survey report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that median basic pay expectations for wage growth in winter 2015-16 are at 1% in the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-rises-remain-low-but-employment-rates-have-improved--cipd 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-rises-remain-low-but-employment-rates-have-improved--cipd Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:00:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, explains why the role public bodies play in facilitating community-led housing should not be overlooked. As the Lords debate the ins and outs of the Housing and Planning Bill, its potential impact, especially on communities, remains very worrying. Affordable housing is increasingly under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blog-housing-bill-could-fracture-communities 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blog-housing-bill-could-fracture-communities Mon, 15 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT The last chance to consult on proposed government reforms to local authority pensions, which critics say will hinder their ability to ensure money is ethically invested, will close this Friday (19 February). The consultation, which opened on 25 November 2015, covers proposals to revoke and replace the Local Government Pension Scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-pension-reforms-consultation-to-close-this-week 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-pension-reforms-consultation-to-close-this-week Mon, 15 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities should work with the DCLG, the Department of Health, NHS England and the Treasury to explore the case for using NHS land to create more supported housing for vulnerable people with mental health issues, the much-awaited mental health taskforce said in its final report today. The taskforce, created last year to identify... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-use-nhs-land-to-build-supported-housing-mental-health-taskforce 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-use-nhs-land-to-build-supported-housing-mental-health-taskforce Mon, 15 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT The calorie content of food and drink should be given to customers in pub, restaurant and cinema chains to tackle childhood obesity, council leaders have stated. The Local Government Association (LGA) said that as part of the government’s new childhood obesity strategy, which is due to be announced this month, chains with more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/display-calorie-counts-in-restaurants-to-help-tackle-obesity--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/display-calorie-counts-in-restaurants-to-help-tackle-obesity--lga Mon, 15 Feb 2016 09:45:00 GMT Dr Andy Johnson, chief operating officer of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), reflects on the response to the recent flooding across the UK and why policymakers should prioritise flood recovery. It is time to reflect on the government’s response to the 2015-16 floods. Firstly, a strong and well-resourced flood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joining-up-local-flooding-policy 437,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joining-up-local-flooding-policy Sun, 14 Feb 2016 12:00:00 GMT Increased competition and deregulation will help local authorities improve bus services, transport minister Andrew Jones MP has stated as he introduced a new government Bill. Jones told the Transport Times UK Bus Summit 2016 that the aim of the Buses Bill is to give local authorities more choices and freedom in forming partnerships with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-buses-bill-will-allow-councils-more-choice--transport-minister- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-buses-bill-will-allow-councils-more-choice--transport-minister- Fri, 12 Feb 2016 14:45:00 GMT Paul Sayers, partner at Sayers and Partners LLP and senior fellow at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, as well as associate advisor for floods and droughts at WWF, explores the steps we must take towards a flood resilient society. The UK government has a vision to provide “an infrastructure network that is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-should-not-be-surprised 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-should-not-be-surprised Fri, 12 Feb 2016 12:00:00 GMT PSE talks to Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, about the new funding for eight cities and city-regions to improve their electric vehicle charging infrastructure and encourage take-up of the vehicles, and to Peter Mann, director of transport at Bristol City Council, which together with its neighbours was one of the areas that won... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-cities-can-do-to-boost-the-take-up-of-electric-vehicles 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-cities-can-do-to-boost-the-take-up-of-electric-vehicles Fri, 12 Feb 2016 11:45:00 GMT Kulveer Ranger, director of digital public services at Atos and former transport and digital advisor to the mayor of London, discusses how technology will shape the way London’s citizens engage with public services in the future. Londoners will vote for their next mayor on 5 May and in the run-up to what will be a very interesting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-on-the-precipice-of-digital-change 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-on-the-precipice-of-digital-change Fri, 12 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT Civil servants experienced “hardship and distress” due to problems with their pensions after the company that administers the pensions brought in changes, a new NAO (National Audit Office) report has found.  In September 2014, MyCSP, which administers Civil Service pension schemes to 1.5m current and former public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-failings-in-civil-service-pensions-administration- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-failings-in-civil-service-pensions-administration- Thu, 11 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT Helen Seechurn, director of resources at Burnley Council, and Charlie Bruin, CEO at Liberata UK, explain how a 10-year outsourcing contract will deliver transformational change to the local authority’s services. District councils continue to face massive austerity challenges. Burnley Council is no exception; it has faced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/towards-the-fully-digital-council--outsourcing-for-digital-change 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/towards-the-fully-digital-council--outsourcing-for-digital-change Thu, 11 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT A reform of alcohol policy and greater devolution are needed to combat alcoholism in Scotland, according to a new manifesto from the public body created to reduce the impact of alcohol-related harm. Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) has written personally to all members of the Scottish Parliament before May’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-greater-devolution-to-help-tackle-scotlands-alcohol-problem 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-greater-devolution-to-help-tackle-scotlands-alcohol-problem Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:30:00 GMT Public sector organisations across the UK are ‘largely unprepared’ for climate change risks, such as flooding, according to new research from the Carbon Trust.  An online survey, conducted between January and February, revealed that only 25% of respondents from across the public sector said their organisation have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-unprepared-for-climate-change-risks-carbon-trust 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-unprepared-for-climate-change-risks-carbon-trust Thu, 11 Feb 2016 07:00:00 GMT A children’s charity is working with the Department for Education to encourage local authorities to form strong partnerships with childminder agencies or consider becoming childminder agencies themselves. 4Children is holding information events for local authorities on how to successfully work with local childminder agencies at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-urged-to-work-with-childminder-agencies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-urged-to-work-with-childminder-agencies Wed, 10 Feb 2016 15:45:00 GMT Jack Hunter, a researcher at IPPR North, looks at how smaller charities are faring in the current climate, and how they can be helped to serving their communities. Sometimes, as the song goes, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone – and unless public leaders change the way they commission services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-public-bodies-can-help-small-charities-during-commissioning 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-public-bodies-can-help-small-charities-during-commissioning Wed, 10 Feb 2016 12:30:00 GMT England’s adult social care workforce has majorly shrunk every year over the past five years, with the number of jobs dropping by a staggering 25% overall since 2011, figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have shown. A new report summarising workforce trends in the struggling sector shows the number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staggering-25-drop-in-council-based-social-care-workforce 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staggering-25-drop-in-council-based-social-care-workforce Wed, 10 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT Ciara Eastell, president of the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL), writes about the importance of improving the digital infrastructure of libraries. In January this year SCL, with support from The Reading Agency, published a report on the need for a single digital presence for public libraries.  ‘Essential Digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-better-digital-future-for-libraries 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-better-digital-future-for-libraries Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:15:00 GMT Matthew Evans, executive director of SmarterUK, explains why strong local government leadership is vital to delivering the vision of smart cities. No two smart cities will or should look alike – just as no two cities’ transport or waste systems exactly map across each other.  But that is not to say that there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-building-blocks-for-smart-cities 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-building-blocks-for-smart-cities Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:15:00 GMT Targets on trainee teacher recruitment have been consistently missed despite costing the government and schools £677m, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Its research shows that the Department for Education and the National College for Teaching and Leadership fell below their 2015-16 target on trainee teacher recruitment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-consistently-missed-trainee-teacher-recruitment-targets--nao 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-consistently-missed-trainee-teacher-recruitment-targets--nao Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT The robustness of the funding model for the government’s Right to Buy (RTB) scheme for housing associations is “extremely questionable”, as are its plans for the future provision and sustainability of the scheme, MPs have said. As well as a lack of detail on how the government will meet its ambitious target of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-lacks-robust-funding-and-long-term-planning 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-lacks-robust-funding-and-long-term-planning Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT Local government spent £756m on outsourcing in 2015, with the total value of contracts signed by councils up 23% year-on-year, according to new research. The study, conducted by business process outsourcing (BPO) provider arvato and industry analyst NelsonHall, revealed that local government contracts accounted for 13% of the total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-on-outsourcing-rises-23-year-on-year-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-on-outsourcing-rises-23-year-on-year-report Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:30:00 GMT Information management expert David Haynes writes on the public sector implications of the collapse of the transatlantic ‘Safe Harbor’ data privacy rules, and what the future holds for public sector IT procurement in the light of recent changes. Globalisation of business has presented many challenges and some benefits for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dealing-with-personal-data-in-the-absence-of-safe-harbor 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dealing-with-personal-data-in-the-absence-of-safe-harbor Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Owen Evans, senior associate at Geldards LLP, advises public sector organisations on the shifting data protection situation as regards dealing with multinational IT firms. In early February, the European Commission and the US agreed the key components of a new framework that should permit personal data to be transferred to the US from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safe-harbor-agreement-to-be-replaced-by-eu-us-privacy-shield 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safe-harbor-agreement-to-be-replaced-by-eu-us-privacy-shield Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Bel Temel, payments manager for the London Borough of Bexley, explains how the council is tackling a sophisticated form of financial crime. Invoice fraud is on the rise, according to Financial Fraud Action UK. Unfortunately, this crime is sweeping across the UK, with the public sector no exception – and my own experience at Bexley... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/combating-invoice-fraud-in-the-public-sector- 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/combating-invoice-fraud-in-the-public-sector- Tue, 09 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Councils across England have had a significant share of their concerns addressed as communities secretary Greg Clark MP confirmed he will provide transitional cash to help authorities concerned about the phasing out of the revenue support grant (RSG).  As part of today’s final finance settlement, Clark announced the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finance-settlement-transitional-cash-for-revenue-grant-phase-out 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finance-settlement-transitional-cash-for-revenue-grant-phase-out Tue, 09 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT The government’s intention to give most public sector workers a 1% pay rise every year “may prove difficult to sustain” and will create difficulties for employers trying to recruit and retain high-quality and motivated staff, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. In its annual Green Budget, the influential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-brings-wages-to-lowest-level-in-25-years 433,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-brings-wages-to-lowest-level-in-25-years Mon, 08 Feb 2016 12:00:00 GMT The prime minister says the prison system needs reforming and has outlined changes that will be brought forward in the coming year, aimed at seeing prisoners as “assets to be harnessed” and not just liabilities to be managed. In a speech today, David Cameron will promise that six new ‘reform prisons’ will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-calls-for-major-prison-reform 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-calls-for-major-prison-reform Mon, 08 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT In five years we might be asking not whether metro-mayors are too powerful, but whether they are powerful enough, argues Alexandra Jones, chief executive of the Centre for Cities think tank, in this guest blog for PSE. Relinquishing control is never easy, particularly when you’re the most centralised state in the developed world.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-metro-mayors-matter-to-the-devolution-agenda 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-metro-mayors-matter-to-the-devolution-agenda Mon, 08 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT Rapid ICT sector changes mean local authorities are increasingly relying on external computer services, according to a new report. The ‘Shifting Sands: New Structures and Delivery Models’ study, published by the Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm), has found that the in-house ICT services model is becoming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ict-services-on-shifting-sands-as-outsourcing-rises--report 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ict-services-on-shifting-sands-as-outsourcing-rises--report Mon, 08 Feb 2016 11:15:00 GMT Nicola Underdown, head of engagement at the Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing, discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by devolution. Information is rightfully acknowledged as one of the major assets for those trying to improve outcomes for service users while also making the most effective use of the limited... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-does-devolution-mean-for-information-sharing 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-does-devolution-mean-for-information-sharing Mon, 08 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT Julian Smith, head of external affairs at the Association for Project Management (APM), writing here in a personal capacity, discusses some of Whitehall’s blunders down the years in this important field. The National Audit Office (NAO) is the watchdog for central government finances. Its recent report ‘Delivering major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-project-delivery-is-vital-in-the-public-sector 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-project-delivery-is-vital-in-the-public-sector Mon, 08 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT It is “astonishing” that senior ministers thinks councils are not suitable to run schools yet police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are, the largest teachers’ union has said in response to home secretary Theresa May’s controversial speech last week. In her speech to think tank Policy Exchange, May said she would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/astonishing-that-may-thinks-pccs-should-run-schools-but-not-councils--nut 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/astonishing-that-may-thinks-pccs-should-run-schools-but-not-councils--nut Mon, 08 Feb 2016 10:15:00 GMT ADVERTORIAL FEATURE James Passingham, chief technical officer at Foehn, explains why the communications company has produced a Buyer’s Guide to Cloud Phone Systems for the Public Sector. The rise of cloud phone systems As cloud adoption continues to grow in the public sector, more and more government bodies and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-phone-systems-in-the-public-sector 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-phone-systems-in-the-public-sector Mon, 08 Feb 2016 09:00:00 GMT A major union has opposed new redundancy tariff proposals for the public sector, which the government has opened for consultation. The proposed changes seek to make public sector redundancy payments more in line with the private sector with measures including setting a maximum tariff to calculate exit payments at three weeks pay per year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-opposes-unjustified-public-sector-redundancy-tariffs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-opposes-unjustified-public-sector-redundancy-tariffs Mon, 08 Feb 2016 09:00:00 GMT Local government must play an active role in the development of the country’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm) has stated.  In last year’s Autumn Statement, the chancellor announced the government would invest £1.9bn over five years in the UK’s cyber... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-play-active-role-in-national-cybersecurity-strategy--socitm- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-play-active-role-in-national-cybersecurity-strategy--socitm- Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:15:00 GMT Mike Wright, head of housing choice at Salix Homes, talks to PSE about how a £2m flagship centre in Salford will help young people transform their lives. Housing association Salix Homes has revealed plans to convert a disused homeless hostel in Salford into a state-of-the-art training centre with live-in accommodation to help young... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-futures-in-salford-through-revitalisation 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-futures-in-salford-through-revitalisation Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT Martin Swales, chief executive of South Tyneside Council and Solace spokesperson on economic prosperity and housing, discusses how local authorities are perfectly placed to work with central government to meet the country’s housing crisis. Housing supply and its affordability is one of the major social challenges that Britain faces... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/addressing-the-national-housing-challenge 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/addressing-the-national-housing-challenge Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:15:00 GMT Helen McKenna, senior policy adviser at The King’s Fund, analyses what the Spending Review means for health and social care. A few weeks before the government announced the Spending Review, Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, set out five tests against which he said he intended to judge the settlement. Failure against... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-sustainable-health-and-care-settlement-is-as-far-away-as-ever 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-sustainable-health-and-care-settlement-is-as-far-away-as-ever Thu, 04 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT More disadvantaged families have taken up free childcare places for their two-year-olds thanks to a new Liverpool City Council outreach programme that could hold lessons for other local authorities.  The council commissioned social enterprise Outreach Solutions to raise awareness of the scheme after fewer than 2,000 of the 3,129... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-campaign-succeeds-in-raising-awareness-of-free-childcare-places- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-campaign-succeeds-in-raising-awareness-of-free-childcare-places- Thu, 04 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT An inquiry into council-run children’s social care has been launched today (4 February) by the APPG for Children, just one day after children minister Edward Timpson MP claimed there is no direct link between the quality of these services and how much authorities spend on them. The APPG’s inquiry will examine how these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-into-childrens-services-as-minister-says-funding-and-quality-not-linked 435,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-into-childrens-services-as-minister-says-funding-and-quality-not-linked Thu, 04 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Fears raised by new research about upcoming £27m cuts to local bus services have prompted new calls from council leaders for fully funded concessionary fares. The research, from the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), focuses on cuts to supported bus services – services subsidised by local authorities because they are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-fully-funded-concessionary-bus-fares 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-call-for-fully-funded-concessionary-bus-fares Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:30:00 GMT Nicky Gavron AM, chair of the London Assembly Planning Committee, discusses the options for accommodating London’s growth. Up or out? That’s one of the biggest questions people think faces our capital – with London’s population projected to top 10 million by 2036.  But the London Assembly Planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bold-thinking-required-to-accommodate-londons-growing-population 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bold-thinking-required-to-accommodate-londons-growing-population Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities have warned that the unprecedented £200m in-year reduction of the ring-fenced public health grant to councils for 2015-16 is forcing public health services to use up their reserves and reduce or decommission services, an Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) survey has warned. The survey was distributed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-significantly-depleting-council-reserves-survey-warns 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-significantly-depleting-council-reserves-survey-warns Wed, 03 Feb 2016 15:30:00 GMT The UK government aims to reduce its offices by 75% and is introducing new measures requiring local authorities to publish information on surplus assets. Speaking today at the Government Property 2016 Conference, Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock MP launched the State of the Estate in 2014-15 report, which reveals that the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-government-to-reduce-offices-by-75-before-2023 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-government-to-reduce-offices-by-75-before-2023 Wed, 03 Feb 2016 14:00:00 GMT Whitehall has suffered a double barrage of criticism over its ongoing Universal Credit benefit reform programme in two major reports by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), both published today. The think tank’s report found that a series of pre-emptive cuts means introducing Universal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/double-whammy-of-universal-credit-attacks-against-dwp 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/double-whammy-of-universal-credit-attacks-against-dwp Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:00:00 GMT There has been a significant failure to set out clear and measurable objectives for devolution, rushed timetables for negotiation, and a lack of openness with the public about deals, MPs have found. In a report published today, the Communities and Local Government Committee said that the government must go further with its devolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-process-has-been-rushed-and-shady-mps-find 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-process-has-been-rushed-and-shady-mps-find Wed, 03 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT Richard Rugg, director of programmes at the Carbon Trust, explains how new money in the Spending Review could help public sector organisations reduce carbon emissions. When I looked at the details of the government’s Spending Review in November, I was struck by one announcement that seemed a bit out of the ordinary. It was a rare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-opportunities-to-lead-on-carbon-reduction 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-opportunities-to-lead-on-carbon-reduction Wed, 03 Feb 2016 12:00:00 GMT The first-ever mayor of Greater Manchester – the region which agreed the first devolution deal with the government – will be elected on 4 May 2017, Northern Powerhouse minister James Wharton has confirmed. The mayor, who will chair the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), will be tasked with providing the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/date-for-first-greater-manchester-mayoral-election-confirmed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/date-for-first-greater-manchester-mayoral-election-confirmed Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT Charles Cotton, performance and reward adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development, looks into the thorny issue of chief executive pay and the impact it has on the workforce. The growth in UK chief executive pay does not clearly correlate to personal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-gap-between-ceos-and-the-workforce-demotivates-employees 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-gap-between-ceos-and-the-workforce-demotivates-employees Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:45:00 GMT Two police and crime commissioners, Dr Alan Billings and Tony Lloyd, talk to PSE to discuss the challenges for local policing in their areas, and the general direction for emergency services. The chancellor used his last Autumn Statement to announce that there would be “no cuts” to police funding in the next financial year.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-cuts-continue-despite-government-rhetoric 454,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-cuts-continue-despite-government-rhetoric Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:45:00 GMT Barney Mynott, head of public affairs at the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA), talks to PSE about the opportunities and challenges in unlocking the devolution revolution. Devolution could be the key to empowering local communities and delivering real social change, but there are concerns it is becoming a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-the-voluntary-sector-help-deliver-the-devolution-revolution 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-the-voluntary-sector-help-deliver-the-devolution-revolution Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:30:00 GMT Directors of public health say they are “very disappointed” at the government’s failure to confirm funding for the coming financial year and the following one, despite their being just weeks to go until most set their budgets. The government has already announced an overall 9.7% cut in public health funding between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-planning-at-risk-as-councils-await-settlements 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-planning-at-risk-as-councils-await-settlements Tue, 02 Feb 2016 16:45:00 GMT Former DCLG senior civil servant and chief executive of South Tyneside Council, Irene Lucas CBE, is to take up the role of interim chief executive at Sunderland City Council. The council’s previous boss, Dave Smith, quit in August, not long after an Ofsted report gave children’s services in the city an ‘inadequate’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sunderland-city-council-announces-former-dclg-high-flyer-as-interim-chief-executive 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sunderland-city-council-announces-former-dclg-high-flyer-as-interim-chief-executive Tue, 02 Feb 2016 12:15:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Greenwich has become the first council to insist that developers whose planning applications do not meet affordable housing targets have to publish full and unredacted viability assessments. Up until now, developers who claim their plans would be economically unviable if they had to include 35% of affordable housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-bans-developers-from-keeping-their-affordable-housing-viability-studies-confidential 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-bans-developers-from-keeping-their-affordable-housing-viability-studies-confidential Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:45:00 GMT Geoffrey Bowden, general secretary of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), talks PSE through its new report on the quality of public sector procurement of language services. The ATC says there is a “critical shortage of skilled language professionals willing to work in the public sector”, because those procuring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/language-lessons 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/language-lessons Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:30:00 GMT The legal process by which councils take rogue landlords with illegal eviction backgrounds to court, which can often take more than a year, must be sped up, council leaders have said. While the government’s recent £5m cash grant to help councils tackle rogue landlords represents “good progress”, the legalities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/illegal-eviction-prosecution-process-must-be-sped-up--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/illegal-eviction-prosecution-process-must-be-sped-up--lga Mon, 01 Feb 2016 11:30:00 GMT While the repercussions of the collapse of major charity Kids Company are “far from played out”, one of them must be a radical change in Whitehall’s approach to charity regulation at every level, MPs have concluded. The defunct charity shut its doors in August last year after an “extraordinary catalogue of failures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-review-charity-grant-process-after-failures-at-kids-company 433,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-review-charity-grant-process-after-failures-at-kids-company Mon, 01 Feb 2016 11:00:00 GMT Scottish council leaders are urging authorities to reject the government’s “totally unacceptable” finance settlement for 2016-17, despite central threats to cut councils off if they defy the deal’s terms. Leaders at Cosla (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) voted by 21 to 7 on Friday (29 January) to reject... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cosla-urges-all-councils-to-reject-forceful-scottish-local-government-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cosla-urges-all-councils-to-reject-forceful-scottish-local-government-deal Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT Cllr David Finch, leader of Essex County Council, outlines a four-point plan to alleviate the pressures faced by shire counties following the recent financial settlement. The recent very vocal public reaction to the funding settlement offered by the government to county councils should have left no-one in any doubt of the degree of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/settlement-delivers-inadequate-level-of-protection-for-counties 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/settlement-delivers-inadequate-level-of-protection-for-counties Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:15:00 GMT Shifting council funding from central to local government by phasing out the revenue support grant will leave almost half of all local authorities struggling with “deeper than expected” cuts by the end of the decade, the LGA has said. Building on its response to the local government finance settlement, published two weeks ago... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/speed-of-central-grant-phase-out-will-cause-negative-cash-levels 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/speed-of-central-grant-phase-out-will-cause-negative-cash-levels Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:15:00 GMT This edition of PSE goes to press just as Storm Imogen begins to subside. This latest barrage of winter weather caused yet more disruption to transport and power networks, but thankfully less permanent damage than earlier storms in late 2015 and the beginning of this year.  The fourth and fifth ‘named storms’ of this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weather-warning 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weather-warning Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:15:00 GMT The extended Right to Buy scheme and Whitehall’s plans to sell high-value council homes to fund replacement homes will lead to a drop of at least 80,000 social rented homes, the LGA has said. Council leaders estimate that 66,000 of these council homes will be sold to tenants under the Right to Buy scheme by the end of the decade... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-means-80000-council-homes-will-not-be-replaced 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-extension-means-80000-council-homes-will-not-be-replaced Fri, 29 Jan 2016 14:15:00 GMT Short 15-minute social care visits can be appropriate in some circumstances, such as when carers are administering medication, if they form part of a wider care plan, the LGA has said – despite a scathing report calling the practice “heart-breaking and distressing”. The report, published today by Unison, blamed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/short-15-minute-home-care-visits-sometimes-appropriate--lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/short-15-minute-home-care-visits-sometimes-appropriate--lga Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT Nicky Gavron AM, chair of the London Assembly Planning Committee, discusses the options for accommodating London’s growth.  Up or Out? That’s one of the biggest questions people think faces our capital – with London’s population projected to top 10 million by 2036.  But the London Assembly Planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bold-thinking-required-to-accommodate-londons-growing-population- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bold-thinking-required-to-accommodate-londons-growing-population- Fri, 29 Jan 2016 09:00:00 GMT Sustainable devolution could be at risk due to weak central-local relations and poor understanding of who will lead the agenda in the medium and long term, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. Launching a guide designed to help central and local public servants make devolution deals work, the think tank said there are still a raft... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weak-local-central-relations-put-devo-deals-at-risk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weak-local-central-relations-put-devo-deals-at-risk Thu, 28 Jan 2016 12:15:00 GMT Whitehall should commission a national agency to systematically record the arrivals of refugee children, assess their needs and “disperse them fairly” between council areas, the LGA has said. It argued that it is not sustainable to ask a small number of port authority councils to look after thousands of young Syrian refugees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-refugees-must-be-dispersed-fairly--lga 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-refugees-must-be-dispersed-fairly--lga Thu, 28 Jan 2016 12:00:00 GMT The chancellor's planned 1% reduction to social housing rent will be deferred for 12 months for supported accommodation, the government has revealed in a U-turn during an Opposition Day debate yesterday at the Commons. Housing minister Brandon Lewis MP said the government’s plan to cut rents in the social housing sector, originally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-cap-and-1-rent-cut-deferred-by-a-year-for-specialist-housing 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-cap-and-1-rent-cut-deferred-by-a-year-for-specialist-housing Thu, 28 Jan 2016 10:30:00 GMT Most civil servants at central government departments are still failing to properly share data with councils, despite the calls for greater collaboration, according to new research.  A study of 4,400 UK civil servants, conducted by IT firm CGI, revealed that in December 2015, more than 70% of respondents said they share data with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-highlight-data-disconnect-with-local-government 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-highlight-data-disconnect-with-local-government Thu, 28 Jan 2016 09:45:00 GMT Aberdeen is set to receive £250m in a new city deal with the UK government in an effort to retain its status as the country’s oil and gas hub amid a growing jobs crisis in the industry. Prime minister David Cameron and Scottish secretary David Mundell MP will unveil the package today, marking Scotland’s second ever city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boost-for-struggling-oil-sector-with-504m-joint-aberdeen-city-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boost-for-struggling-oil-sector-with-504m-joint-aberdeen-city-deal Thu, 28 Jan 2016 09:30:00 GMT Councils in the south west have become the latest to join the devolution crusade, with politicians and business leaders having agreed to submit a prospectus to the government, parts of which include radical reforms to regional services. The bid is the culmination of months of work by council chiefs in Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-west-makes-a-devolution-bid-that-whitehall-cant-refuse 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-west-makes-a-devolution-bid-that-whitehall-cant-refuse Wed, 27 Jan 2016 16:45:00 GMT Whitehall has spelled out the terms of reference for its new National Flood Resilience Review, announced shortly after the devastating Storm Desmond battered the north of England in December. The review, led by minister for government policy Oliver Letwin MP, will focus on four key areas to assess how the country can better protect itself... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-flood-review-to-set-defence-strategy-beyond-six-year-planning 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-flood-review-to-set-defence-strategy-beyond-six-year-planning Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:15:00 GMT Councils and utility companies could be forced to pay up to £5,000 per day if roadworks are left in place over the weekend when no-one is actually working, the government has said. Under new rules being considered by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin, local authorities could also be charged hefty fines if they leave temporary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-face-5000-fee-per-day-for-weekend-roadworks 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-face-5000-fee-per-day-for-weekend-roadworks Wed, 27 Jan 2016 13:00:00 GMT Over 40% of specialist homes, including women’s refuges, dementia accommodation and veteran’s services, could be forced to close as a result of the government’s housing benefit cap planned for April. Figures from the National Housing Federation (NHF) revealed that more than 50,000 household could be affected over just... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-to-leave-thousands-of-specialist-homes-on-the-edge 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-to-leave-thousands-of-specialist-homes-on-the-edge Tue, 26 Jan 2016 16:45:00 GMT Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) could potentially create a single employer for police and fire staff as part of proposed legislation to integrate the police, fire and rescue and NHS ambulance services. Mike Penning, minister for policing, fire, criminal justice and victims, argued that the government’s proposals is about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcc-control-of-fire-brigades-needs-watertight-business-plan--lga 440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcc-control-of-fire-brigades-needs-watertight-business-plan--lga Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:45:00 GMT Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) wants to establish a data-sharing authority to break down the barriers stopping public services from sharing information. The authority, named GM-Connect, will enable better understanding of the risks, challenges and opportunities existent in the region, identifying patterns, trends and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-establish-smart-data-sharing-centre 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-establish-smart-data-sharing-centre Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:30:00 GMT The five housing associations taking part in the government’s pilot ‘voluntary Right to Buy’ scheme have launched the trial today (25 January), ahead of a potential country-wide roll-out in the summer. Applications for the pilot scheme opened across L&Q in London, Riverside in the Merseyside area, Saffron Housing in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-housing-associations-kick-off-right-to-buy-pilot 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-housing-associations-kick-off-right-to-buy-pilot Mon, 25 Jan 2016 12:00:00 GMT Rail services operating mostly or entirely within Greater London are set to come under public control as part of a new devolution agreement between the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL). The partnership, currently under consultation, would see TfL take over suburban rail services in the capital and lead on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-to-have-more-say-on-rail-as-tfl-takes-over-devolved-network 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-to-have-more-say-on-rail-as-tfl-takes-over-devolved-network Mon, 25 Jan 2016 12:00:00 GMT Councils are being warned to monitor playground equipment more regularly after environmental scientists discovered lead content up to 40 times greater than recommended across 50 playgrounds in southern England. Scientists from Plymouth University analysed the metallic content of paints on equipment in the playgrounds, some of which were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-levels-of-toxic-paint-in-playgrounds-put-children-at-risk 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-levels-of-toxic-paint-in-playgrounds-put-children-at-risk Mon, 25 Jan 2016 11:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP has returned responsibility for running some services to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council after central government took over the authority early last year, but warned that significant improvements are still necessary. Government-appointed commissioners recommended in their latest report that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-regains-some-powers-but-significant-challenges-remain 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-regains-some-powers-but-significant-challenges-remain Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:45:00 GMT The government needs to urgently address the housing crisis if it wants to reduce welfare spending and allow high-wage cities to continue to grow, think tank Centre for Cities has said. In its annual economy health-check report, Cities Outlook 2016, the think tank found that while cities with high wages have seen faster jobs growth, they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-crisis-undermining-low-welfare-high-wage-vision 436,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-crisis-undermining-low-welfare-high-wage-vision Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT The government will give 48 councils shares of a £5m fund to tackle rogue landlords by carrying out more raids, increasing property inspections, issuing more statutory notices and demolishing sheds and prohibited buildings. Unveiled by housing minister Brandon Lewis after touring run-down homes across the country, the fund is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rogue-landlord-crackdown-across-48-councils-with-new-5m-fund 435,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rogue-landlord-crackdown-across-48-councils-with-new-5m-fund Fri, 22 Jan 2016 14:15:00 GMT Some elements of the government's Housing & Planning Bill will be detrimental to existing housebuilding ambitions, instead hampering councils’ ability to invest in new affordable social homes, the LGA’s Conservative chair, Lord Porter, has said. Instead of helping boost the current housing supply, the Bill, set to get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-bill-measures-detrimental-to-council-ambitions--lord-porter 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-bill-measures-detrimental-to-council-ambitions--lord-porter Fri, 22 Jan 2016 12:30:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron has once again advised the Conservative leaders of his local council to “look again” at its budget proposals after the council’s leader announced £69m of planned savings for this Parliament. In a letter sent to Oxfordshire County Council, in response to its cabinet’s warning of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-asks-his-constituency-to-look-again-at-devastating-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-asks-his-constituency-to-look-again-at-devastating-cuts Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:30:00 GMT Thousands of blind and partially sighted elderly people have been entirely cut off from social care support, an investigation has found. There was a 36.5% drop in services to older people with visual impairment between 2009 and 2013, according to the analysis by the Age UK charity and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-with-sight-loss-entirely-cut-off-from-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-with-sight-loss-entirely-cut-off-from-social-care Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:30:00 GMT The Labour Party may have won a reprieve from a potential £6m cut, after the House of Lords backed, by 327 to 234, the appointment of a select committee to consider the impact of the Trade Union Bill on party funding. Labour’s Baroness Smith of Basildon first suggested an independent body to examine the sticking points in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-cross-party-reform-as-lords-back-probe-of-trade-union-bill 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-cross-party-reform-as-lords-back-probe-of-trade-union-bill Thu, 21 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT A wide-scale roll-out of community transport services across the UK could save between £400m to £1.1bn a year in reduced health and social care costs while stamping out loneliness and isolation amongst the elderly, a report has found. The analysis, written by Deloitte for the ECT community transport charity, assesses the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-transport-schemes-could-save-public-sector-up-to-1bn 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-transport-schemes-could-save-public-sector-up-to-1bn Thu, 21 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT The government is continuing to undervalue its public assets and over-rely on a small pool of expensive advisers and asset sales, MPs have found. In a report looking at the government’s sale of its share of Eurostar – as well as the delayed evaluation of construction of the high-speed link that connects London to the Channel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eurostar-sale-is-proof-government-still-undervaluing-public-assets 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eurostar-sale-is-proof-government-still-undervaluing-public-assets Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:00:00 GMT School governance arrangements must be redesigned and re-examined to reflect the growing number of academies in the country, the Education Committee has said. In a report into regional schools commissioners (RCSs), responsible for approving and monitoring academies and free schools in their region, the Committee warned that their role... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/confused-and-fragmented-school-governance-must-be-redesigned--mps 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/confused-and-fragmented-school-governance-must-be-redesigned--mps Wed, 20 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT Local government has been identified as the one of the best sectors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff, with several councils featuring amongst Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index Top 100 list for 2016. The Top 100 Employers list, created by the equality charity, compiles hundreds of submissions to the Index – a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-among-the-best-employers-for-lbgt-staff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-among-the-best-employers-for-lbgt-staff Tue, 19 Jan 2016 15:30:00 GMT Councils should take a “more structured approach” to their high streets by setting up town centre investment zones, designed to bring property owners and developers together to rejuvenate these areas, a report has said. The report, by expert group Fragmented Ownership Group – whose members are from Bond Dickinson, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stagnant-high-streets-need-a-new-approach-says-report 433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stagnant-high-streets-need-a-new-approach-says-report Tue, 19 Jan 2016 13:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP should consider providing transitional cash support to soften the depth of the expect ‘U-shaped’ funding curve as a result of the four-year local government finance deal, the LGA has said. In its response to the local government finance settlement 2016-17 consultation, the LGA said some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-u-shaped-funding-curve-in-four-year-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-u-shaped-funding-curve-in-four-year-deal Tue, 19 Jan 2016 11:30:00 GMT Elected city-region mayors should set up data offices with small expert teams responsible for using public and privately held data to create “smarter and more productive” cities, a think tank has said. Policy Exchange argued that most cities hold huge quantities of data that, if used effectively, could improve public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-region-mayors-must-set-up-data-offices-to-build-smarter-cities 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-region-mayors-must-set-up-data-offices-to-build-smarter-cities Mon, 18 Jan 2016 11:00:00 GMT Funding allocations for education should be delivered in five-year blocks to allow councils to devise long-term plans in face of increasingly at-risk school places, the LGA has said. As well as that, the body said local authorities should be handed back the power to build school themselves if necessary, ensuring they keep with their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/create-five-year-schooling-allocations-or-expand-academies--lga 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/create-five-year-schooling-allocations-or-expand-academies--lga Mon, 18 Jan 2016 10:45:00 GMT The £35m regeneration of Liverpool’s Lime Street has been given the green light after the High Court rejected a bid by SAVE Britain’s Heritage to overturn the project’s planning permission. The organisation had submitted an application for a judicial review of the scheme last month on the grounds that Liverpool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lime-street-scheme-gets-go-ahead-after-high-court-denies-heritage-plea 441,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lime-street-scheme-gets-go-ahead-after-high-court-denies-heritage-plea Mon, 18 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT Devolving the budget and responsibility for managing low-level offenders could address the “inherent flaw” embedded in the country’s criminal justice system, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said today. Describing what it dubbed a “hugely expensive and highly inefficient arm of the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolve-prison-budget-to-inspire-council-level-prevention-schemes--ippr 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolve-prison-budget-to-inspire-council-level-prevention-schemes--ippr Mon, 18 Jan 2016 10:00:00 GMT Civil servants have been told to use plain English and avoid acronyms when launching public consultations, to make them easier to understand and to answer. In the government’s updated ‘consultation principles’ document for 2016 – first published in 2012 to improve the way it consults by taking no a more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-told-to-consult-in-plain-english-and-with-a-purpose 438,446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-told-to-consult-in-plain-english-and-with-a-purpose Mon, 18 Jan 2016 09:15:00 GMT The cumulative impact of government grant and New Homes Bonus (NHB) reductions for local authorities that have been “brave enough” to promote housebuilding will be particularly acute, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) said. In its response to the local government finance settlement 2016-17 consultation, seen by PSE... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-central-grant-and-nhb-will-hurt-house-building-councils-dcn 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-central-grant-and-nhb-will-hurt-house-building-councils-dcn Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:30:00 GMT Children’s services staff at Oxford County Council are to be balloted for strike action over plans to shut services.  Proposals include closing all of the local authority’s 44 children centres and seven early intervention (EIS) hubs. This would see £8m removed from the children’s services budget, as part of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-childrens-service-staff-balloted-for-strike-over-cuts 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-childrens-service-staff-balloted-for-strike-over-cuts Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:00:00 GMT Cost pressures affecting public bodies are risking the quality of translation services, a survey has suggested – potentially creating further costs through medical misunderstandings, delays to court proceedings and other errors. There is now a “critical shortage’ of skilled language professionals willing to work in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/critical-shortage-of-translators-willing-to-work-in-cash-strapped-public-sector 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/critical-shortage-of-translators-willing-to-work-in-cash-strapped-public-sector Fri, 15 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT Guest blog by Locality's chief executive, Tony Armstrong. There was much in the prime minister’s speech on poverty and life chances this week to spark comment and controversy. But the key announcement, which was trailed in the Sunday press, was the plan to bulldoze 100 of the country’s ‘worst sink... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-must-not-be-forgotten-in-governments-regeneration-plans 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-must-not-be-forgotten-in-governments-regeneration-plans Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Public Health England has been chosen to chair the Commission for Health and Social care in the north east, the centrepiece in the region’s devolution deal. Duncan Selbie will take the lead in the North East Combined Authority commission, designed to look at how services are provided regionally and assess the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phe-boss-to-chair-north-east-health-and-social-care-devo-commission 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phe-boss-to-chair-north-east-health-and-social-care-devo-commission Thu, 14 Jan 2016 11:30:00 GMT Councils must provide better information to councillors so that they can scrutinise capital investment effectively, the Accounts Commission has said. The Scottish auditor argued that despite some progress in the field, councils need to improve further the way they manage major projects, including schools, roads, housing and flood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-improve-capital-investment-planning-despite-one-year-deal 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-improve-capital-investment-planning-despite-one-year-deal Thu, 14 Jan 2016 11:00:00 GMT Poor delivery partner engagement and unrealistic timetables for the government’s £150m Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) have been cited as the root causes for the programme’s failure, according to council leaders.  An LGA survey of the councils that took part in the MIP, which was launched to tackle ‘mobile... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failed-mobile-infrastructure-project-underspends-return-to-whitehall- 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failed-mobile-infrastructure-project-underspends-return-to-whitehall- Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT The controversial Housing and Planning Bill has passed its third reading in the Commons as the first legislation considered under the government’s ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (Evel) procedure. The procedure, designed to ban MPs from voting on laws that do not apply to them, was made law in October last year after a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-bill-passes-commons-through-english-votes-procedure 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-bill-passes-commons-through-english-votes-procedure Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:00:00 GMT The second round of the government’s Delivering Differently programme, this time focusing on young people, has come to an end with six winning local authorities. From the 23 councils that applied, the Cabinet Office chose the six that best showed a commitment to identifying new approaches to provide youth services in a more creative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-councils-to-reconfigure-youth-services-using-200000-fund 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-councils-to-reconfigure-youth-services-using-200000-fund Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:00:00 GMT Although Whitehall has reduced annual spending on consultants and temporary staff (C&TS) by £1.5bn, continuous hikes since 2011-12 – despite departments’ shrinking workforce – suggest measures were of a short-term reduction rather than a sustainable strategy to cut spend. In its latest report, the National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swollen-temporary-staff-pay-shows-unacceptable-short-term-planning--nao 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swollen-temporary-staff-pay-shows-unacceptable-short-term-planning--nao Wed, 13 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT Around 40% of English councils are scaling back budgets or recommissioning stop smoking services since public health transferred to local government in 2013, Cancer Research UK has found. In the second report of its kind, the organisation found that two in every five areas are cutting back funding across the 126 local authorities engaged... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-to-prioritise-stop-smoking-services-as-40-of-councils-cut-budgets 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-to-prioritise-stop-smoking-services-as-40-of-councils-cut-budgets Wed, 13 Jan 2016 12:00:00 GMT Local authorities and public sector contractors could be forced to shoulder £1bn extra costs in their LGPS bills through a “quirk of legislation”, global consulting firm Mercer has said. Through legislation, Whitehall could be able to share some of the cost of pension reform towards single tier state pension, expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uncertainty-over-quirk-with-public-sector-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uncertainty-over-quirk-with-public-sector-pensions Tue, 12 Jan 2016 16:00:00 GMT Councils are digging into local welfare provision underspends from 2013-14 to help finance schemes this year as a result of reduced funding from central government, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. Since 2013, both local and central government have reduced overall spending on discretionary support to help people meet urgent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-underspend-on-local-welfare-after-restricting-criteria 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-underspend-on-local-welfare-after-restricting-criteria Tue, 12 Jan 2016 08:45:00 GMT The government has failed to provide any clarity on what effect the introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) will have on elderly care providers.  Answering a parliamentary question today (11 January), care minister Alistair Burt said that representations had been made and were “fully considered” as part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-lacks-clarity-on-living-wage-impact-on-care-providers- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-lacks-clarity-on-living-wage-impact-on-care-providers- Mon, 11 Jan 2016 10:45:00 GMT The country is facing a looming national teaching crisis as a direct result of pay austerity and staff shortages, six unions have warned in a joint submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). Representing the “full spectrum” of the profession in England and Wales, the unions have come together to warn of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-and-recruitment-failures-risk-national-teaching-crisis-unions-warn 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-and-recruitment-failures-risk-national-teaching-crisis-unions-warn Mon, 11 Jan 2016 10:45:00 GMT The government’s Trade Union Bill is in danger of imposing “potentially unlawful” restrictions on everyone’s basic human right to strike, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).  Commenting ahead of the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords today (11 January), the Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trade-union-bill-could-breach-human-rights--ehrc 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trade-union-bill-could-breach-human-rights--ehrc Mon, 11 Jan 2016 10:45:00 GMT Nearly 100 run-down housing estates could be bulldozed to tackle entrenched poverty, prime minister David Cameron has announced. Cameron said dilapidated ‘sink estates’ can give rise to criminals and drug dealers by “designing in” these elements through “concrete slabs dropped from on high, brutal high-rise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-estates-set-for-demolition-to-design-out-poverty-cameron 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-estates-set-for-demolition-to-design-out-poverty-cameron Mon, 11 Jan 2016 10:00:00 GMT Scottish councillors elected in May 2017 could exercise a five-year term as a result of plans to extend elections by a year to avoid a clash with Westminster. Discussing a new Bill to alter the election dates, during its first reading, the Scottish Government’s business minister, Joe FitzPatrick MSP, proposed moving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councillors-could-serve-for-five-years-as-elections-delayed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councillors-could-serve-for-five-years-as-elections-delayed Mon, 11 Jan 2016 09:30:00 GMT The Local Government Pension Scheme 2014 (LGPS) should be overhauled and replaced with a more sustainable LGPS 2018 in order to “avoid crisis”, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has said. The think tank, which has previously branded the scheme a “national embarrassment” fuelled by “abysmally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-should-be-replaced-with-sustainable-2018-scheme-think-tank 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-should-be-replaced-with-sustainable-2018-scheme-think-tank Mon, 11 Jan 2016 09:15:00 GMT Outsourcing Department for Work and Pensions health and disability assessments has caused costs to soar by 65% in just a few months, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. These assessments, used to decide if people are eligible for benefits or to help those on long-term sick leave back into work, are an essential part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourced-dwp-assessment-costs-soar-under-poor-management 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourced-dwp-assessment-costs-soar-under-poor-management Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock is reportedly developing plans to introduce higher pay bands in the Civil Service for project manager jobs spanning finance and IT, designed to run major Whitehall contracts. The plan, originally floated by Civil Service chief John Manzoni last year, could raise the highest pay at the highest levels to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-consider-higher-pay-bands-for-new-civil-service-roles 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-consider-higher-pay-bands-for-new-civil-service-roles Thu, 07 Jan 2016 12:15:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP has been criticised for taking housebuilding powers away from public hands as a result of a series of amendments made to the government’s Housing and Planning Bill over the festive period, debated this week in a Commons motion that only concluded at 2am. At the centre of these amendments is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clark-slammed-for-late-night-housing-bill-privatisation-shift 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clark-slammed-for-late-night-housing-bill-privatisation-shift Thu, 07 Jan 2016 11:15:00 GMT Councils are calling for powers to charge developers full council tax for every unbuilt development in light of new research revealing that the number of homes given planning permission but left undeveloped have hit a record high, the LGA said. The study, carried out by construction firm Glenigan based on its construction project database... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-on-developer-penalties-to-fix-housing-bumper-backlog 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-on-developer-penalties-to-fix-housing-bumper-backlog Thu, 07 Jan 2016 10:00:00 GMT Former care minister Norman Lamb MP has proposed a cross-party commission to review the future funding and structure of social care and health services in the Commons yesterday, supported by a “21st century Beveridge commission”. Backed by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, a string of MPs, health leaders and Care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/former-care-minister-pitches-cross-party-care-reform 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/former-care-minister-pitches-cross-party-care-reform Thu, 07 Jan 2016 10:00:00 GMT One-third of the public sector projects due to be delivered in the next five years –most of which are designed to entirely transform the way services are delivered or accessed – may be completely unachievable, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. Looking into the progress of the Whitehall major project portfolio... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-third-of-major-public-sector-projects-could-be-unachievable--nao 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-third-of-major-public-sector-projects-could-be-unachievable--nao Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:45:00 GMT The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and 19 councils across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire want to create a single combined authority by March 2016, they revealed in the region’s first draft devolution deal. Their proposal is now known as the North Midlands devolution bid, following a request for a name-change from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/derbyshire-and-notts-set-out-combined-authority-devo-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/derbyshire-and-notts-set-out-combined-authority-devo-deal Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:45:00 GMT The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will hand over responsibility for fire and rescue authorities to the Home Office to support the “radical transformation” of how these services can collaborate with the police. Prime minister David Cameron confirmed that this transfer will see the Home Office’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-hands-over-fire-and-rescue-authorities-to-home-office 440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-hands-over-fire-and-rescue-authorities-to-home-office Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:30:00 GMT Implementing the new wage floor from April will be one of the first tests of economic leadership under devolved local governments, especially in city-regions with lower average pay, a think tank has said. Analysing the number of workers set to be affected by the national living wage (NLW) by 2020 in major city-regions, the Resolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-wage-will-be-first-economic-test-for-council-devolution 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-wage-will-be-first-economic-test-for-council-devolution Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:00:00 GMT The period allowed for each stage of the government’s proposed three-stage business rates appeal process must be “dramatically curtailed”, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has argued in its response to the Whitehall consultation. The consultation, which closed yesterday, hoped to gain views on plans to reform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lengthy-business-rates-appeals-process-must-be-dramatically-curtailed 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lengthy-business-rates-appeals-process-must-be-dramatically-curtailed Tue, 05 Jan 2016 14:15:00 GMT Whitehall has started distributing the £5m to help revive brownfield sites under the chancellor’s flagship Housing Zones scheme – despite claims that over a quarter of the earmarked areas are at significant risk of flooding. The 19 Housing Zones will bring councils together with private developers to deliver up to 34,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-starts-housing-zones-funding-despite-serious-flood-threats 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-starts-housing-zones-funding-despite-serious-flood-threats Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:00:00 GMT Home secretary Theresa May is being urged to ask the Inspectorate for Constabulary to investigate the under-representation of minority groups in the UK’s regional police forces after it emerged that 31 of 45 territorial forces appoint a greater proportion of white applicants than the population would suggest. According to a Guardian... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-police-appointments-disproportionately-white 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-police-appointments-disproportionately-white Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:30:00 GMT Successful council bids for around £7m of Department for Transport (DfT) funding announced yesterday will see almost 450 buses in England fitted with green technology to slash harmful emissions by up to 90%. The Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015, awarded to 18 local authorities, will pay for the retrofitting of 439 buses with new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buses-to-be-retrofitted-with-green-technology-across-18-councils 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buses-to-be-retrofitted-with-green-technology-across-18-councils Mon, 04 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT Whitehall will attempt to fast-track the building of affordable homes by directly commissioning small and medium-sized developers in what it called a “radical new policy shift not used on this scale since Thatcher and Heseltine started the Docklands”. Announcing the new policy today, prime minister David Cameron said direct... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-expands-plans-to-directly-commission-housebuilding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-expands-plans-to-directly-commission-housebuilding Mon, 04 Jan 2016 10:15:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron has released a further £40m to rebuild and improve flood defences in response to the devastation that Storm Eva caused across northern England, including grants to reimburse fire and rescue authorities’ excessive costs. Around a quarter of this cash will be used to improve the Foss Barrier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doubts-raised-over-sticking-plaster-40m-storm-eva-aid 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doubts-raised-over-sticking-plaster-40m-storm-eva-aid Mon, 04 Jan 2016 09:45:00 GMT Matthew Hancock, Cabinet Office minister in charge of Freedom of Information (FoI) laws, is opposed to any changes that could make it more difficult to obtain data, including introducing fees for requests or restricting access. Sources close to the Cabinet Office told the Times that Hancock was never keen to see any changes to existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foi-minister-opposes-any-law-changes--unlike-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foi-minister-opposes-any-law-changes--unlike-councils Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:30:00 GMT Councils are demanding more financial help to bear the brunt of the mammoth Syrian child refugee crisis after an investigation found that just ten councils have already spent nearly £200m in the past five years. The investigation, conducted by the Sun, surveyed ten local authorities to examine their expenditure on supporting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-demand-more-cash-to-handle-patchy-child-refugee-support 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-demand-more-cash-to-handle-patchy-child-refugee-support Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:15:00 GMT Public sector net borrowing was far higher than expected in November, jumping to £14.2bn, casting further doubts on the government’s cost-saving programme. Some forecasts predicted a figure closer to £11.8bn. Although borrowing tends to be higher in November than in other months, this is the highest level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deficit-target-in-doubt-as-november-borrowing-soars-beyond-forecast 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deficit-target-in-doubt-as-november-borrowing-soars-beyond-forecast Tue, 22 Dec 2015 14:30:00 GMT Tanya Nash, sustainable development team leader at Swansea Council, discusses how it has become one of the most sustainable public sector organisations in the UK. From April 2016, all public bodies in Wales will have to consider sustainable development in their decision making, from setting budgets and procuring goods to developing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strong-leadership-key-to-driving-sustainable-development-at-swansea 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strong-leadership-key-to-driving-sustainable-development-at-swansea Tue, 22 Dec 2015 11:00:00 GMT Christine Tate, head of corporate social responsibility at British Gas, writes for PSE. With winter firmly upon us, many public sector housing and healthcare professionals may be thinking how to help people stay warm and dry in their homes.  Fortunately, those working in local government are used to working in partnership with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-fuel-poverty--a-partnership-approach 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-fuel-poverty--a-partnership-approach Tue, 22 Dec 2015 10:45:00 GMT The Liverpool City Region’s devolution deal and public service reform will now be led by the city-region’s mayor after the chair of the combined authority, Cllr Phil Davies, decided to step down. Mayor Joe Anderson was unanimously considered the ideal candidate to step up to the role during a momentous time for the city-region... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-steps-up-to-city-region-chair-ahead-of-devolution 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-steps-up-to-city-region-chair-ahead-of-devolution Tue, 22 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Independent schools adviser Stephen Rayner discusses the practical challenges facing councils and schools surrounding the drive for more conversions to academies. Writing in the Daily Telegraph in August 2015, the prime minister confirmed his government’s intention that every school in England should “have the opportunity to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academisation-the-rhetoric-and-the-reality 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academisation-the-rhetoric-and-the-reality Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:45:00 GMT Westminster City Council has saved money and improved the efficiency of a major procurement exercise through the use of geospatial data. PSE talked to the council’s GIS lead, Peter Kohler. GIS – geographic information systems – once depended on highly technical software, specialist knowledge and teams with their own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-procurement-more-efficient-using-gis 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-procurement-more-efficient-using-gis Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:45:00 GMT If your children (or yourself) have been asking for a pair of hoverboards this Christmas, you might want to think again. The LGA has come out urging shoppers to stay away from the dangerous toy because of the significant fire risks it poses. The chair of its fire services management committee, Jeremy Hilton, said Trading Standards teams... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-to-the-future--safely 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-to-the-future--safely Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Parents and teachers may be given a specific point of contact at councils to raise concerns about a child under new government proposals to tackle radical ideology by tightening the reins on home schooling. According to media sources, education secretary Nicky Morgan asked officials to review home schooling amid fears that radicalised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-concerned-about-weak-local-oversight-of-home-schooling-and-radicalisation 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-concerned-about-weak-local-oversight-of-home-schooling-and-radicalisation Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Cuts to council spending power will be more evenly spread across this Parliament, rather than hitting poorer authorities harder as happened between 2010 and 2015, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).  Following the publication of the government’s ‘Provisional Local Government Funding Settlement’ it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-councils-to-be-spread-more-evenly-over-this-parliament-ifs 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-councils-to-be-spread-more-evenly-over-this-parliament-ifs Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT The government is to create a new single Public Service Ombudsman (PSO) designed to make it as “simple as possible” for UK citizens to pursue a complaint about public services.  It means that the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) will come under the remit of the new PSO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-create-single-public-service-ombudsman- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-create-single-public-service-ombudsman- Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) board member Kevin Parry will step up to the role of interim chair in the midst of the government’s extensive housing reforms, communities secretary Greg Clark MP has announced. Parry will lead the board from New Year’s Day after the current chair, Robert Napier, steps down at the end of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-hca-interim-chair-to-step-up-from-new-years-day 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-hca-interim-chair-to-step-up-from-new-years-day Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:30:00 GMT Eight Midlands-based local government pension funds are set to set up a £35bn multi-asset investment pool to deliver on the government’s cost-cutting proposals. The participating bodies include Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Cheshire Pension Fund, Shropshire County Pension Fund, West Midlands ITA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-councils-and-pension-funds-to-pool-35bn-lgps-assets 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-councils-and-pension-funds-to-pool-35bn-lgps-assets Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:30:00 GMT The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a “national embarrassment” fuelled by “abysmally ineffective” governance and an increasingly shrinking cash pot, notwithstanding Lord Hutton’s reforms in 2014, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has said. In a strongly-worded report looking into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-ineffective-and-a-national-embarrassment--think-tank 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-ineffective-and-a-national-embarrassment--think-tank Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:00:00 GMT Amid a series of reports suggesting homelessness is on the rise, the Communities and Local Government Committee has launched an investigation to examine the root causes behind this issue. It will seek evidence from points including the different causes of homelessness in households, steps taken to tackle the problem, the relationship... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-into-homelessness-launched-as-dclg-boosts-budget 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-into-homelessness-launched-as-dclg-boosts-budget Fri, 18 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT Core funding for local government, including income from retained business rates, revenue support grant and council tax, will fall by 6.1% in 2016-17, the LGA has said. In its more detailed response to the government’s four-year finance settlement revealed yesterday, the LGA’s chair, Lord Porter, said 2016-17 “looks set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-core-funding-to-drop-by-6-next-year-lga 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-core-funding-to-drop-by-6-next-year-lga Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:45:00 GMT Cllr David Simmonds CBE, who chairs the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board and is deputy chair of the LGA, explains the work going on at councils to improve procurement processes. The National Procurement Strategy for Local Government (NPS) was launched in July 2014, setting out recommendations for all councils in England to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-procurement-strategy--one-year-on 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-procurement-strategy--one-year-on Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Helen Williams, chief executive of Empty Homes, on why the organisation will be looking at how local authorities and housing providers are investing in empty properties. According to government statistics, there were over 200,000 homes classified as long-term empty (that is, empty for more than six months) in England, in the snapshot that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-empty-homes-into-affordable-alternatives 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-empty-homes-into-affordable-alternatives Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT The government has acceded to a key demand of local authorities and issued a four-year funding settlement available to "any council that wishes to plan ahead with confidence". Total funding for councils will fall by 2.8% in 2016-17 as part of the government’s four-year local government financial settlement, announced by communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-year-funding-settlement-for-local-government 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-year-funding-settlement-for-local-government Thu, 17 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT Calling the government’s approach to fiscal devolution “pretty limited”, the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has launched an investigation into the details of Whitehall’s proposal to denationalise business rates by 2020. The Committee said it will seek evidence on what responsibilities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commons-committee-launches-probe-into-pretty-limited-fiscal-devolution 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commons-committee-launches-probe-into-pretty-limited-fiscal-devolution Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:15:00 GMT Dr Netta Weinstein, senior lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, and Brian Quinn, advisor at Design Council Cabe, talk to PSE’s David Stevenson about the impact green spaces in urban areas can have on social cohesion and crime reduction. American biologist Dr Edward O. Wilson once said that “nature holds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-spaces-inviting-places 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-spaces-inviting-places Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Despite losing about £16bn every year through tax fraud, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has more complete information on its work done to tackle organised crime than tax evasion, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. In its report – the first in a series which will evaluate how effectively the department tackles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-loses-staggering-16bn-in-tax-fraud-every-year--nao 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-loses-staggering-16bn-in-tax-fraud-every-year--nao Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:00:00 GMT Public sector employment has hit an all-time low, with a 1.1% drop on the previous year. The latest figures, for September, show that public employment is 16% down on its peak in 2009. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also found that employment in local government was 12,000 lower than in June of this year at 2.257... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-hits-post-wwii-low 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-hits-post-wwii-low Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:00:00 GMT Councils in the UK have welcomed the first Syrian refugees arriving in the country as part of the government’s effort to resettle 20,000 vulnerable people from camps. This just meets prime minister David Cameron’s pledge to take in 1,000 refugees before Christmas, with more expected to arrive gradually over the next five years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-1000-syrian-refugees-welcomed-across-50-councils 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-1000-syrian-refugees-welcomed-across-50-councils Wed, 16 Dec 2015 15:00:00 GMT The number of requests for support sent to councils from people on the brink of homelessness has risen by nearly 50% in the last five years, homeless charity Shelter has found. Last year alone, councils received over 205,000 pleas for help from those facing the prospect of being forced out of their homes. During this period, 54,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-see-50-rise-in-homelessness-support-requests 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-see-50-rise-in-homelessness-support-requests Wed, 16 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT Local economies are facing “potentially serious consequences” from the declining financial health of further education (FE) colleges as a result of confused oversight, the Commons Public Account Committee (PAC) has said. The committee warned that the government’s funding and oversight bodies have been “desperately... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-see-looming-education-crisis-for-colleges 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-see-looming-education-crisis-for-colleges Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:15:00 GMT Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University and chair of governors at King Edward VI College Stourbridge, highlights the contradictory principles driving English education reform, focusing on the area-based reviews of the post-16 college sector. I have had cause in a number of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/post-16-education-market-driven-or-administered-reform- http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/post-16-education-market-driven-or-administered-reform- Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:45:00 GMT Richard Blyth, head of policy practice and research at the Royal Town Planning Institute, talks to PSE about the opportunities and challenges for faith groups in the planning system. Town planners have given their backing to a research briefing which calls for more understanding and dialogue between local planning authorities and faith... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-place-for-faith-in-the-planning-system 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-place-for-faith-in-the-planning-system Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT To create a sustainable system of local government funding, Whitehall must look into further devolving fiscal powers through land and property taxes and housing benefit, the Centre for Cities has argued in a report. The think tank said that while devolving business rates is a welcome step, local leaders must be given more control over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-land-and-property-tax-devolution-as-whitehall-prepares-2016-17-settlement 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-land-and-property-tax-devolution-as-whitehall-prepares-2016-17-settlement Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT There must be a collective effort to ensure the inspection system of children’s services helps drive improvement rather than simply “exacerbating existing problems”, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Responding to the government’s announcement on children’s services intervention, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-questions-effectiveness-of-inspection-system-for-childrens-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-questions-effectiveness-of-inspection-system-for-childrens-services Tue, 15 Dec 2015 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities, the Environment Agency and community planning groups will come together under a new Cumbrian Floods Partnership to consider what improvements are needed to the region’s defences. Announced by environment secretary Elizabeth Truss today, the partnership will look at upstream options for slowing key rivers to reduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbrian-flood-defences-and-critical-infrastructure-to-be-assessed 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbrian-flood-defences-and-critical-infrastructure-to-be-assessed Tue, 15 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Cllr Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council and the devolution spokesman for the County Councils Network, explains why the challenging Spending Review and upcoming local government settlement make devolution even more important. County devolution will be imperative if we are to achieve the goal of a ‘devolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-must-allow-counties-and-cities-to-evolve-together 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-must-allow-counties-and-cities-to-evolve-together Tue, 15 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT The government has awarded two contracts to deliver learning programmes for civil servants across the country from March 2016.  Two consortia headed up by the Hay Group and KPMG will work with Civil Service Learning, departments and professions to co-create “a more engaging learning offer”.  The value of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-contracts-awarded-to-deliver-new-learning-programmes-for-civil-servants 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-contracts-awarded-to-deliver-new-learning-programmes-for-civil-servants Mon, 14 Dec 2015 16:00:00 GMT Local government employees and civil servants could see the value of their pensions increase by up to 40%, despite recent reforms being introduced to cut down on public sector costs, according to research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).  The study compared the changes to deals for workers in six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-get-40-boost-from-pension-cuts-research-suggests- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-get-40-boost-from-pension-cuts-research-suggests- Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:30:00 GMT Local council leaders have called for a national database covering all housing-related convictions to crack down on “postcode” landlords switching from one area to another to avoid being licensed.  The Local Government Association (LGA) claims that serial criminal landlords who have already been blocked from operating by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-want-national-database-to-tackle-rogue-landlords- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-want-national-database-to-tackle-rogue-landlords- Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:00:00 GMT More than 100 councils in 24 partnerships will join together to use their assets more efficiently to deliver service transformation as part of the third phase of the One Public Estate programme.  The extension of the project, which is delivered in partnership between the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Cabinet Office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100-councils-join-next-wave-of-one-public-estate-initiative- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100-councils-join-next-wave-of-one-public-estate-initiative- Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT David Brown, the recently appointed chief executive of Transport for the North, explains why it is important the north speaks with a single, clear voice. He was talking to PSE’s David Stevenson. Transport for the North (TfN) can help take the burden off local authorities when seeking better transport deals and devolution, PSE has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfn-aims-to-take-the-burden-off-under-pressure-councils 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfn-aims-to-take-the-burden-off-under-pressure-councils Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT Children’s services judged inadequate by Ofsted will have to show ‘significant improvement’ within six months or be taken over by high-performing authorities, experts or charities.  Under new government proposals, which will be outlined by the prime minister today (14 December), ‘sharper triggers’ will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failing-childrens-services-face-takeover- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failing-childrens-services-face-takeover- Mon, 14 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT Imposing metro-mayors as part of devolution deals could be “retrogressive” in areas where they are clearly not going to work, according to Lord Kerslake.  The chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution said that the inquiry’s evidence has revealed “quite... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/imposing-mayors-as-part-of-devolution-may-be-retrogressive--lord-kerslake 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/imposing-mayors-as-part-of-devolution-may-be-retrogressive--lord-kerslake Fri, 11 Dec 2015 14:15:00 GMT Preventing councils from offering secure tenancies for life and instead setting a fixed period limit of between two to five years will create uncertainty and instability on a local level, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has said. MPs debated amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill yesterday, including limiting how long... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ending-lifetime-social-housing-could-risk-local-stability-and-right-to-buy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ending-lifetime-social-housing-could-risk-local-stability-and-right-to-buy Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:45:00 GMT PSE talks to those responsible for Sheffield City Region’s “ingenious” and bold demands in its devolution bid. Luana Salles reports. “We see devolution as a journey, not a single deal,” says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton, chair of Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, leader of Barnsley Council, and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-mover-advantage-a-city-region-getting-it-right 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-mover-advantage-a-city-region-getting-it-right Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:00:00 GMT Rail North could soon become the franchising arm of Transport for the North (TfN), PSE has been told.  David Brown, the former Merseytravel boss who was recently appointed chief executive of TfN, said it was great news that Rail North, an organisation he helped establish, would be jointly managing the new Northern and TransPennine... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rail-franchises-in-the-north-to-be-managed-from-the-north-not-london 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rail-franchises-in-the-north-to-be-managed-from-the-north-not-london Thu, 10 Dec 2015 10:30:00 GMT Peter Ware and Angela Konteas, from the government and infrastructure team at Browne Jacobson LLP, highlight the key aspects of devolution from a practitioner’s perspective and try to look ahead to the challenges that may need to be faced. Chancellor George Osborne is widely seen as responsible for the insistence on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-a-practitioners-perspective 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-a-practitioners-perspective Thu, 10 Dec 2015 10:00:00 GMT Councils are being urged to make their online public services more accessible in light of new research by Age UK showing that many older people are struggling to access vital support as a result of today’s shift to ‘digital by default’. Through surveys and research taken from the Office for National Statistics, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-by-default-public-services-not-suitable-for-all 439,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-by-default-public-services-not-suitable-for-all Thu, 10 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT Council leaders and the housing minister attended a National Custom and Self Build Association summit at Downing Street yesterday (9 December) to learn more about how they can support communities wanting to build their own homes. The meeting was held just before the minister announced that a new development of 122 homes has been selected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-seeks-permission-for-first-custom-build-housing-pilot 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-seeks-permission-for-first-custom-build-housing-pilot Thu, 10 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT The majority of council employees have been offered a two-year pay increase from April 2016 above the obligatory National Living Wage (NLW) threshold. The National Employers, who negotiate pay on behalf of 350 local authorities, made the offer to unions today, estimating that it will affect over one million employees in England, Wales and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-council-staff-offered-two-year-pay-rise 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-council-staff-offered-two-year-pay-rise Wed, 09 Dec 2015 16:15:00 GMT Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has awarded the long-awaited Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) franchises to Arriva and FirstGroup respectively, and confirmed they will be managed from Leeds rather than London. The Northern franchise contract will run for nine years, with the option for a year’s extension at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rail-devolution-boost-for-north-as-two-franchises-awarded 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rail-devolution-boost-for-north-as-two-franchises-awarded Wed, 09 Dec 2015 15:30:00 GMT Four health and social care agencies representing providers and commissioners across both sectors have invited communities secretary Greg Clark MP, chancellor George Osborne, the health secretary and other Whitehall departments to urgent talks in face of a “mounting care crisis”. The Association of Directors of Adult Social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-invited-to-crisis-talks-on-social-care-and-bcf 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-invited-to-crisis-talks-on-social-care-and-bcf Wed, 09 Dec 2015 14:30:00 GMT More than 100 council-run libraries closed down in 2014-15, the result of a £50m drop in funding, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) revealed. Its annual library survey showed that the number of libraries nationwide fell by almost 3% in one year, with visits dropping by nearly 4%. These have been on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/despite-closures-libraries-shifting-from-councils-to-volunteers 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/despite-closures-libraries-shifting-from-councils-to-volunteers Wed, 09 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP has lifted council tax and business rates bills requirements for the residents and businesses displaced by the flooding in the north of England. This afternoon, the chancellor also announced an extra £51m to support communities, providing councils with over £500 for each household and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-relief-for-flooded-areas-but-more-rain-on-its-way 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-relief-for-flooded-areas-but-more-rain-on-its-way Wed, 09 Dec 2015 12:30:00 GMT PSE’s Adam Hewitt reports from ‘The Future of the Northern Powerhouse and Local Government’ conference organised by the University of Salford and its subsidiary training company ONECPD. The Northern Powerhouse has relatively high name recognition, but actual understanding of what it is all about is significantly lower.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-devolution-and-the-northern-powerhouse-can-work-together 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-devolution-and-the-northern-powerhouse-can-work-together Wed, 09 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT John Manzoni, chief executive of the Civil Service and permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office, has said there is still a culture where whistleblowing is discouraged, but insists this is “changing” and that Whitehall is “on the right track”. Answering tough questions from MPs on the Commons Public Accounts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-unable-to-monitor-outsourcers-whistleblowing-policies 435,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-unable-to-monitor-outsourcers-whistleblowing-policies Tue, 08 Dec 2015 16:00:00 GMT The first Syrian refugees are set to arrive in Wales this week as a result of close collaboration between the government and its local authorities. Around 50 refugees will be directed to Torfaen, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly under the Syrian Resettlement Programme. The displaced victims, hailing directly from Lebanon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-50-syrian-refugees-to-arrive-in-four-welsh-counties-this-week 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-50-syrian-refugees-to-arrive-in-four-welsh-counties-this-week Tue, 08 Dec 2015 15:45:00 GMT The government is looking to dilute the definition of affordable housing to meet its ambitious goal of building 400,000 homes by 2020-21, both to buy and to rent. Under new proposals, the scope of ‘affordable housing’ would be amended to include products similar to low cost market housing or intermediate rent – such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-seeks-to-dilute-affordable-housing-definition-and-open-up-green-belt 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-seeks-to-dilute-affordable-housing-definition-and-open-up-green-belt Tue, 08 Dec 2015 12:45:00 GMT Councils can now apply to have 100% of their costs above threshold reimbursed after communities secretary Greg Clark opened the Bellwin scheme to mitigate the severe economic impact of Storm Desmond. The Bellwin scheme was created to give local authorities financial assistance in face of exceptional events, such as flooding. In 2013-14... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worst-affected-councils-to-recover-100-of-storm-desmond-costs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worst-affected-councils-to-recover-100-of-storm-desmond-costs Tue, 08 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT Lord Kerslake, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution, talks about the emerging themes from the inquiry. Devolution needs a “guiding set of principles”, PSE has been told, to avoid “retrogressive” steps like imposing a metro-mayor on a place not suited to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-more-unified-approach-needed-for-devolution-lord-kerslake 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-more-unified-approach-needed-for-devolution-lord-kerslake Tue, 08 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, which represents community organisations across the country, responds to the chancellor’s Spending Review. We’d been girding our loins for months, steeling ourselves for the inevitable swingeing cuts – prophesised as some of the most savage in living memory – but, when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-dangers-buried-in-the-spending-review 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-dangers-buried-in-the-spending-review Tue, 08 Dec 2015 09:30:00 GMT Joe Simpson, director of The Leadership Centre, an independent charity linked to the Local Government Association, writes for PSE on Systems Leadership, a new cultural paradigm. Over three years ago, a number of national bodies came together recognising that health, social care, public health and local government are going to have to work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/systems-leadership--the-only-show-in-town 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/systems-leadership--the-only-show-in-town Tue, 08 Dec 2015 09:15:00 GMT Large public sector bodies, including local government and the NHS, will be forced to employ 200,000 more apprentices by 2020, ensuring they make up at least 2.3% of each organisation’s workforce. Prime minister David Cameron will set out these rules today in a keynote speech that reiterates the government’s commitment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-bodies-forced-to-make-apprentices-23-of-workforce 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-bodies-forced-to-make-apprentices-23-of-workforce Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT Councils and partners will work with central government on the country’s first-ever national litter clampdown to ensure a joined-up approach to the growing issue. Whitehall announced the launch of the national strategy this weekend as part of its response to the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee’s inquiry on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-whitehall-team-up-for-first-national-litter-strategy 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-whitehall-team-up-for-first-national-litter-strategy Mon, 07 Dec 2015 11:30:00 GMT The vast majority of councils are confident that they will not reach a tipping point as a result of steep cuts to their budgets over this Parliament, despite most authorities already being as lean as possible in terms of back-office savings, new research has found. A study by professional services firm Grant Thorton of 133 councils in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/despite-confidence-most-councils-lack-financial-plans-and-partners-to-allay-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/despite-confidence-most-councils-lack-financial-plans-and-partners-to-allay-cuts Mon, 07 Dec 2015 11:30:00 GMT The first of five pilot housing associations to test the government’s voluntary Right to Buy scheme, confirmed in October, has begun the registration process for eligible tenants in the region. Saffron Housing will help inform the design and implementation of the reformed scheme, which will extend Right to Buy to housing association... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-housing-association-in-right-to-buy-pilot-opens-registration-process 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-housing-association-in-right-to-buy-pilot-opens-registration-process Mon, 07 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron will chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee this morning (7 December) to review the adequacy of existing flood defences after towns in north-west England were left under water after heavy rainfall in the weekend. The Environment Agency issued 46 warnings of severe flood warnings in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-grilled-on-flood-defences-after-record-rainfall-drowns-cumbria 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-grilled-on-flood-defences-after-record-rainfall-drowns-cumbria Mon, 07 Dec 2015 10:15:00 GMT Alan Leaman, CEO of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), looks into the detail of the Spending Review. George Osborne’s recent Spending Review contained a few surprises. But have the fundamentals really changed?  The first surprise was the unplanned £27bn that the Office for Budget Responsibility found for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-sudden-mood-of-plenty http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-sudden-mood-of-plenty Sun, 06 Dec 2015 09:15:00 GMT Devolved areas may be forced to elect a mayor even if one or more constituent councils disagree with the proposal, communities secretary Greg Clark has made clear in an amendment to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill. As part of a series of amendments set to be made to the Bill before it goes on to report stage in the Commons... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-regions-must-elect-mayors-even-if-one-or-more-councils-disagree 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-regions-must-elect-mayors-even-if-one-or-more-councils-disagree Fri, 04 Dec 2015 15:00:00 GMT The ongoing integration of health and social care services in Scotland, aided by its new integration authorities (IAs), must address significant risks before major reforms are carried out, the Accounts Commission and auditor general have said. Integration of services is one of the Scottish Government’s key policies to meet the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-risks-to-2016-health-and-care-integration-in-scotland 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-risks-to-2016-health-and-care-integration-in-scotland Fri, 04 Dec 2015 12:45:00 GMT Anthony Painter, director of policy and strategy at RSA, the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and co-author of ‘Safer Together: policing a global city in 2020’, discusses reform of the police service. Police forces were expecting a ferocious cut to their budgets in the run-up to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-duty-to-innovate 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-duty-to-innovate Fri, 04 Dec 2015 09:15:00 GMT Many councils are “still too slow” in identifying alternative methods of delivering leisure services as a way to dodge, or minimise, the impact of major cuts to local authorities in recent years, the Wales Audit Office has said today (3 December). According to the auditor, Welsh councils have reduced their spending on leisure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-urged-to-seek-alternative-savings-in-struggling-leisure-services 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-urged-to-seek-alternative-savings-in-struggling-leisure-services Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT In a tough competition against 22 other entries across 34 cities, Manchester has bagged the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) £10m fund, a government-led technology race to test better local services using innovative smart technology. Its CityVerve Project, led by Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, was declared... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-bags-10m-internet-of-things-fund-to-smarten-transport-health-and-culture 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-bags-10m-internet-of-things-fund-to-smarten-transport-health-and-culture Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:45:00 GMT Camden Council has agreed to a major package of assurances with HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport (DfT), including a £4m construction skills centre and oversight over Euston station redevelopments, in an effort to mitigate the high-speed rail programme’s impact on the area. In what the council understands is the largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-council-to-get-more-say-over-transport-in-major-dft-deals 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-council-to-get-more-say-over-transport-in-major-dft-deals Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:30:00 GMT Mark Lloyd, the new CEO at the Local Government Association (LGA), says that retaining councils as members depends on representing them effectively. As local authorities are likely to be faced with tough decisions to implement service reductions over the course of this Parliament, the LGA must ensure it is effective in representing its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-will-have-to-earn-its-corn-interview-with-mark-lloyd- 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-will-have-to-earn-its-corn-interview-with-mark-lloyd- Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT As well as placing extra cost burdens on councils, the government’s role in implementing the first phase of the Care Act has left local authorities in the dark as a result of uncertain demand and continuing budget reductions, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found. The committee expressed concern that the ‘new burdens... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-act-cost-burden-heaping-pressures-on-councils--pac 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-act-cost-burden-heaping-pressures-on-councils--pac Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:45:00 GMT Former MP and council leader Eric Ollerenshaw will chair a review on behalf of the DCLG to assess if local council tax support (LCTS) schemes are acting as a fair and effective system countrywide, and whether it should become part of Universal Credit payments in the future. The review will also examine how the reform of council tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-considers-adding-council-tax-support-to-universal-credit 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-considers-adding-council-tax-support-to-universal-credit Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:00:00 GMT A Housing Commission has been launched to explore how councils can enable the building of more homes across the country.  Set up by the Local Government Association (LGA), the Housing Commission will also look into how housing can boost jobs and growth and helping to meet the needs of an ageing population.  The Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-commission-to-examine-housing-supply- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-commission-to-examine-housing-supply- Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:45:00 GMT James Rawlins, senior consultant at Callcredit Information Group, proposes an innovative overhaul of the Single Person Discount review process. The cost to local authorities of incorrect single person discounts (SPDs) is huge. Estimates vary and the distinction between fraud and error complicates the picture. The last Audit Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/alerts-monitoring-will-radically-alter-how-spd-reviews-are-performed http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/alerts-monitoring-will-radically-alter-how-spd-reviews-are-performed Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT The government has launched a new £500,000 fund to support Community Organisers in helping mobilise residents to create positive change in their local areas. Twenty seven Community Organisers across England will benefit from the Community Organisers Mobilisation Fund, which will enable communities to shape the future of the places... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-500000-fund-for-community-organisers-launched 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-500000-fund-for-community-organisers-launched Wed, 02 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP has praised Sheffield’s controversial demand that any benefits won by other city-regions in their devolution deals must be retrospectively applied to its own deal as well, saying he “expects very much” this approach to continue. During a Communities and Local Government committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffields-devolution-demand-is-ingenious-and-exactly-what-the-government-wants 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffields-devolution-demand-is-ingenious-and-exactly-what-the-government-wants Tue, 01 Dec 2015 17:15:00 GMT Whitehall will be able to take back devolved health responsibilities from a local authority if it fails to deliver, care minister Alastair Burt MP has admitted. During a Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry on the government’s Devolution Bill yesterday (1 December), the care minister revealed that the secretary of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-could-take-back-devolved-budgets-without-consent-minister-admits 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-could-take-back-devolved-budgets-without-consent-minister-admits Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:45:00 GMT Inappropriate behaviour, “deep rifts” in working relationships and ineffective collaboration between the bodies responsible for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Delivery Programme undermined their ability to roll out a successful rural payments service, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. The auditor identified... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-collaboration-sank-defras-rural-payments-reform--nao 435,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-collaboration-sank-defras-rural-payments-reform--nao Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:15:00 GMT Cllr Andy Hull, executive member for finance and performance at the London Borough of Islington, explains why the council is determined to stick by the principles of the Living Wage even at a time of budget cuts. Across the UK, more than one in five workers earns less than the real Living Wage – a pay packet independently calculated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-lead-the-way-on-the-living-wage 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-lead-the-way-on-the-living-wage Tue, 01 Dec 2015 09:00:00 GMT As PSE was going to press, we were still awaiting the local government financial settlement. This has rarely made for happy reading in recent years.  With the number of rabbits-pulled-out-of-hats that George Osborne managed in the Spending Review, perhaps we should be more confident than usual about what the DCLG and Treasury have in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-notice 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-notice Tue, 01 Dec 2015 08:45:00 GMT Hamza Yusuf, head of finance at LB Hackney, writes for PSE on the need for creating a new narrative for government and the public sector. Everyone loves a story, particularly when it’s short enough to be digestible and follows a familiar pattern, but in the current political and economic climate, agreed conventions are being flouted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-narrative-for-government-and-the-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-narrative-for-government-and-the-public-sector Mon, 30 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT Council leaders have warned that cuts to public health budgets will have a “major impact” on the many prevention and early intervention services trying to combat child obesity.  Responding to a Health Select Committee report on obesity, which has called for a sugary drinks tax and more regulation, plus more powers for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-will-have-major-impact-on-councils-tackling-child-obesity 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-cuts-will-have-major-impact-on-councils-tackling-child-obesity Mon, 30 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Local authorities in Scotland must maximise the opportunities presented through pension funds and City Deals to improve local infrastructure, the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Regeneration Committee has recommended.  In its ‘Report on Pension Fund Investment in Infrastructure and City Deal Spend’, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-maximise-investment-in-local-infrastructure 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-maximise-investment-in-local-infrastructure Mon, 30 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Directors of children’s services are concerned that funding for councils to support local schools is “reducing further” and they will be faced with the reality of cutting “vital” frontline services.  During last week’s Spending Review, the chancellor announced that the school funding system is to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-school-funding-cuts-for-councils-a-concern--adcs- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-school-funding-cuts-for-councils-a-concern--adcs- Mon, 30 Nov 2015 11:00:00 GMT More than 100,000 public sector jobs are expected to be lost over the course of this Parliament, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).  Its ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’ notes that slow growth in cash spending and low annual wage growth suggest that “general government employment will fall by 0.1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100000-public-sector-jobs-to-go-in-this-parliament- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100000-public-sector-jobs-to-go-in-this-parliament- Mon, 30 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT During this week’s Spending Review the chancellor pledged to protect police funding in real terms over the next four years, but senior police figures worry that when the provisional grant allocations are announced the words could “ring a bit hollow.” George Osborne stated that there will be “no cuts in the police... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pccs-warn-pledge-to-protect-police-funding-could-be-misleading 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pccs-warn-pledge-to-protect-police-funding-could-be-misleading Fri, 27 Nov 2015 14:15:00 GMT The government’s decision to invest £1.8bn in digital transformation is too Whitehall-centric and is limited in its aspiration, Socitm, the professional association for IT and digital professionals working in local public services, has said.  During the chancellor’s Spending Review it was announced that over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-investment-boost-ignores-local-need--socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-investment-boost-ignores-local-need--socitm Fri, 27 Nov 2015 12:30:00 GMT The impact this week’s Spending Review will have on key council partners will be “critical to evaluate”, but what remains clear is that local government continues to bear its share of public sector constraint, according to Solace.  Mike Suarez, chief executive of Cheshire East Council and Solace deputy spokesperson... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-continues-to-bear-its-share-of-public-sector-constraint-solace- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-continues-to-bear-its-share-of-public-sector-constraint-solace- Fri, 27 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMT David Waboso CBE, director of capital programmes at London Underground (LU), is to become the new president of the Association for Project Management (APM).  Waboso will take over from Tom Taylor, who is standing down from the role after his three year term, in the new year.  Steve Wake, APM chairman, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-waboso-apm-lu 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-waboso-apm-lu Fri, 27 Nov 2015 08:30:00 GMT Council leaders have warned that an annual real-terms cut of 3.9% in their public health budgets over the next five years is “short-sighted” and will create a “false economy”.  During the chancellor’s Spending Review, it was revealed that although public health grants to local authorities will remain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-to-cut-public-health-by-4-a-year-short-sighted 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-to-cut-public-health-by-4-a-year-short-sighted Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:45:00 GMT Directors of adult social care services and council leaders say that they have “serious concerns” following the government’s spending review, which appears to “promise more than it delivers”.  The Spending Review creates a social care precept to give local authorities the ability to raise local taxes by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-services-remain-on-brink-of-collapse-despite-extra-investment- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-services-remain-on-brink-of-collapse-despite-extra-investment- Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT The chancellor has announced that the school funding system in England is to be overhauled and there are plans to make “local authorities running schools a thing of the past”.  In yesterday’s Spending Review, George Osborne said that he wanted to complete the schools revolution and help every secondary school become... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-overhaul-school-funding-and-remove-council-role 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-overhaul-school-funding-and-remove-council-role Thu, 26 Nov 2015 09:45:00 GMT In addition to retaining business rates, councils will be able to spend 100% of the receipts from the assets they sell in order to improve local services and reform projects. Chancellor George Osborne, who announced the move during his Spending Review today, said further details of how this will work will be set out by the DCLG alongside... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-asset-sales-receipts-while-mayors-gain-powers-over-business-rates-levy 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-asset-sales-receipts-while-mayors-gain-powers-over-business-rates-levy Wed, 25 Nov 2015 16:00:00 GMT As well as confirming the fact that councils will be able to raise council tax by up to 2% as part of a new social care precept, chancellor George Osborne has also announced social care funds for local government as part of the Better Care Fund. As part of his Spending Review, Osborne will pour £1.5bn into the Fund and make it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-councils-must-draw-health-and-social-care-integration-plans-by-2017 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-councils-must-draw-health-and-social-care-integration-plans-by-2017 Wed, 25 Nov 2015 15:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has committed to release public sector land in order to give way to 160,000 new homes, matched with a pledge to regenerate brownfield sites in the green belt and large council estates. In today’s Spending Review, Osborne vowed to double the overall housing budget to £2bn a year in an effort to meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-double-housing-budget-with-more-stamp-duty-and-public-land-sales 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-double-housing-budget-with-more-stamp-duty-and-public-land-sales Wed, 25 Nov 2015 14:45:00 GMT The government is going to consult on further “cross-public sector” action on payment terms, to reduce the costs of redundancy payouts and ensure greater consistency between workforces.  In the 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement document, it was noted that the government will continue to modernise the terms and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-review-public-sector-contracts-and-sick-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-review-public-sector-contracts-and-sick-pay Wed, 25 Nov 2015 14:00:00 GMT Ahead of today’s Spending Review, which is likely to see big cuts in spending for the police, social care, local government, further education, renewable energy and welfare, CEBR said “the prospects – which the chancellor may well know – are unappetising”.  According to the economics consultancy, weaker... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-faces-30bn-black-hole-by-next-parliament 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-faces-30bn-black-hole-by-next-parliament Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT Lord Kerslake has told MPs that Birmingham City Council is making progress on “all fronts” less than a year after he published a report criticising the local authority for lacking a clear vision for tackling “deep rooted” problems in the city.  During a Commons Local Government Committee evidence session this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-making-progress-on-all-fronts-lord-kerslake- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-making-progress-on-all-fronts-lord-kerslake- Wed, 25 Nov 2015 09:30:00 GMT Under the Draft Local Government Bill published today (24 November), the current 22 councils in Wales will be merged into eight or nine in order to find £650m of savings over a decade. Public services minister, Leighton Andrews, said the upfront costs of the government’s shake-up would cost between £97m and £246m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-shake-up-could-save-650m-but-threatens-2000-jobs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-shake-up-could-save-650m-but-threatens-2000-jobs Tue, 24 Nov 2015 17:15:00 GMT Only one in eight children who are sexually abuse are identified and supported because social services are largely geared towards people who self-refer or report abuse, the Children’s Commissioner and the co-chair of the Inquiry panel have claimed. Because of this, the true scale of child sex abuse in England over the two years to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-schools-and-police-must-improve-as-true-figures-of-child-abuse-see-nine-fold-rise 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-schools-and-police-must-improve-as-true-figures-of-child-abuse-see-nine-fold-rise Tue, 24 Nov 2015 12:45:00 GMT Changes to housing policy have been under the public spotlight in recent months as the government focuses its effort to tackle the country’s alleged housing crisis. This arguably peaked during the Conservative conference in October, when David Cameron promised to scrap planning rules that require property developers to build affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forced-to-buy-damaging-council-stock-and-growing-the-housing-benefit-bill 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forced-to-buy-damaging-council-stock-and-growing-the-housing-benefit-bill Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMT Councils are expected to make more use of social media to communicate with residents about weather forecasts, road conditions and gritting fleets, the LGA has said. Online communication will be an important tool during this year’s winter, with many councils – of the 95% that have an account – already setting up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-use-social-media-to-spread-gritting-info-lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-use-social-media-to-spread-gritting-info-lga Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:00:00 GMT The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has called for the Scotland Bill to be shelved until the devolution fiscal framework underpinning it is scrutinised, just a few days ahead of the Bill’s second reading. The Committee said MPs did not have the opportunity to inspect the framework before the Bill passed through the Commons... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shelve-hasty-scottish-devolution-until-fiscal-details-agreed--lords 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shelve-hasty-scottish-devolution-until-fiscal-details-agreed--lords Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities’ procurement processes could become safer and more transparent as part of the government’s plan to introduce open contracting in the public sector, the Government Digital Service (GDS) has revealed. Whitehall is currently looking into opening up government procurement and contract data in its third Open... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-contracting-could-make-councils-more-transparent-and-efficient-by-2016 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-contracting-could-make-councils-more-transparent-and-efficient-by-2016 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT Councils may be able to raise council tax by up to 2% to increase social care funding by around £2bn as part of economic changes in this week’s Spending Review. It is understood that chancellor George Osborne may open up the income source in areas facing a social care funding crisis. The move would represent both an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-raise-2bn-in-extra-council-tax-with-social-care-precept 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-raise-2bn-in-extra-council-tax-with-social-care-precept Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:45:00 GMT Healthy life expectancy rates vary gravely not just between the most and least deprived areas of the country, but also between the most and least deprived areas within local council areas, Public Health England (PHE) has revealed. A new Office for National Statistics (ONS) report produced in conjunction with PHE pointed to high... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stark-public-health-variation-within-councils-could-help-health-chiefs-refocus-efforts 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stark-public-health-variation-within-councils-could-help-health-chiefs-refocus-efforts Fri, 20 Nov 2015 14:30:00 GMT Communities secretary Greg Clark MP has issued a warning that councils are set to face further cuts in next week’s Spending Review after government figures showed local authorities now hold £22.5bn in non-ringfenced reserves. Whitehall claimed that this reserved cash represented a near 170% increase in real terms in the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-issues-stark-warning-of-further-council-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-issues-stark-warning-of-further-council-cuts Fri, 20 Nov 2015 13:00:00 GMT The current wave of devolution deals are being viewed as a “first stage” in a multi-layered process in strengthening the role of local government to lead communities, according to the new CEO of the Local Government Association (LGA).   Mark Lloyd, previously the chief executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, took... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-deals-first-stage-in-a-long-journey--interview-with-mark-lloyd 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-deals-first-stage-in-a-long-journey--interview-with-mark-lloyd Fri, 20 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Tim Pryce, head of public sector at The Carbon Trust, explains how cities and councils can lead the way on sustainability. Environmentalists have long been urging people to think globally and act locally in response to the challenge of climate change. This remains very good advice, as local government action will be an absolutely critical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-uk-needs-to-unleash-the-awesome-power-of-local-government-to-tackle-climate-change 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-uk-needs-to-unleash-the-awesome-power-of-local-government-to-tackle-climate-change Fri, 20 Nov 2015 09:15:00 GMT Council leaders, care companies and major charities will come together in London today (19 November) for social care crisis talks amid growing fears that several providers will be forced out of the market. Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, told the BBC that the meeting would be used to discuss contingency planning for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-care-providers-to-discuss-urgent-ways-out-of-care-crisis 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-care-providers-to-discuss-urgent-ways-out-of-care-crisis Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:30:00 GMT The former CEO of the British Property Federation, Liz Peace, will chair an independent panel commissioned by Whitehall to review if the community infrastructure levy (CIL) is meeting its intended objectives. The panel will assess whether the levy, an optional extra tax councils can charge on top of the main Section 106 development tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-to-review-council-use-of-community-infrastructure-levy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-to-review-council-use-of-community-infrastructure-levy Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:15:00 GMT Shutting district councils out of mainstream public health policy discourse is a mistake that urgently needs to be addressed given the role they can play in local health outcomes, the King’s Fund has found. In a report commissioned by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) and published today (19 November), the respected health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-are-public-healths-sleeping-giants-and-must-get-bigger-policy-role--kings-fund 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-are-public-healths-sleeping-giants-and-must-get-bigger-policy-role--kings-fund Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT Council leaders in regions signing devolution deals must give the public a say on what have so far been largely back-room agreements, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) has said. It cited this week’s deal in Merseyside as an example of a politically-driven deal, with councillors and government officials agreeing to elect a mayor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-ditch-back-door-devolution-and-give-public-a-say-ers 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-ditch-back-door-devolution-and-give-public-a-say-ers Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:00:00 GMT Elderly people who have had adaptations made to their home via the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) move into residential care around four years later than those who have not, an investigation has found. The study, by the national body for home improvement agencies Foundations, also showed that people who access the grant – managed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-evidence-that-home-adaptations-can-alleviate-pressures-on-council-budgets 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-evidence-that-home-adaptations-can-alleviate-pressures-on-council-budgets Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:45:00 GMT Restrictions on immigration and a failure to attract British workers will create a 200,000-staff workforce gap by the end of this Parliament, Independent Age has said today (18 November). In a report, the older people’s charity warned that if the sector continues as is, it could face a shortfall of one million workers in the next 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/relax-immigration-rules-to-fix-care-worker-shortage-urges-charity 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/relax-immigration-rules-to-fix-care-worker-shortage-urges-charity Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:30:00 GMT More than a fifth of public sector employers say they plan to cut the size of their workforce as a result of the introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW), according to new research.  The ‘Taking up the floor’ report, published by the Resolution Foundation and CIPD, revealed that despite making up 24% of all jobs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fifth-of-public-employers-forecast-living-wage-job-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fifth-of-public-employers-forecast-living-wage-job-cuts Wed, 18 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT The West Midlands has become the first region outside the north of England to sign a devolution deal including a metro-mayor, as it agreed to a major £1bn package today (17 November). Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) shadow board met with the chancellor in Coventry to close the deal, which, like most others... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-bags-largest-devolution-yet-in-major-1bn-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-bags-largest-devolution-yet-in-major-1bn-deal Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:45:00 GMT Further reductions in grants, council tax restrictions and inflationary cost and wage pressures mean that county councils face a £2.6bn black hole in their finances, according to Cllr Paul Carter, chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN). In his maiden speech to the CCN Annual Conference, Cllr Carter stated that this funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-councils-face-26bn-black-hole-in-finances-ccn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-councils-face-26bn-black-hole-in-finances-ccn Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:00:00 GMT Liverpool has become the fifth major northern city-region to sign up to a devolution deal after agreeing to a £900m package with the chancellor today (17 November). The agreement comes as part of the recent devolution momentum in the north, with deals already signed in Greater Manchester, Sheffield, the North East and Tees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-becomes-fifth-northern-city-to-sign-devolution-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-becomes-fifth-northern-city-to-sign-devolution-deal Tue, 17 Nov 2015 13:00:00 GMT More than 46,000 older people have been stripped of their ‘meals on wheels service’ in the last three years, representing yet another stark warning that the social care sector is threatening to crumble and crash. The findings, released to mark Meals on Wheels Week by the Malnutrition Taskforce, showed that spending on this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-week-left-to-rescue-or-destroy-the-crumbling-care-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-week-left-to-rescue-or-destroy-the-crumbling-care-sector Mon, 16 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMT Despite the government’s rhetoric around locally tailored deals, devolution deals come with a set of ‘unwritten rules’ that hinder successful agreements for counties, the IPPR has said today (16 November). When Whitehall opened up devolution proposals to any region willing to submit a workable plan by 4 September... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unwritten-rules-on-devolution-could-block-fruitful-deals--ippr 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unwritten-rules-on-devolution-could-block-fruitful-deals--ippr Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT Whitehall must undertake a fundamental review of how it makes grants to the voluntary sector by seeking advice from local authorities working in affected areas, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said. After condemning central government for its participation in the demise of the Kids Company charity, the Commons committee found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-should-get-councils-advice-before-handing-grants-to-charities-mps 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-should-get-councils-advice-before-handing-grants-to-charities-mps Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT Lord Adonis, who is leading the new £100bn National Infrastructure Commission, said the work of the budding Transport for the North (TfN) body will bring about transformational change by making the sum of the northern city regions more than their parts. At TransCity Rail North last week, hosted by PSE’s sister title RTM at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-transport-body-will-unlock-major-opportunities-for-city-regions-adonis 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-transport-body-will-unlock-major-opportunities-for-city-regions-adonis Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT Upcoming cuts to local authority budgets will force smaller charities across all sectors to club together to bid for government contracts and pool research if they want to survive, a think tank has said. NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) warned that local funding cuts expected in the Spending Review next week – especially with the DCLG... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-will-force-charities-to-merge-to-win-council-contracts-says-think-tank 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-will-force-charities-to-merge-to-win-council-contracts-says-think-tank Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT A massive housing shake-up could see Whitehall selling off its stake in housing associations in a multi-billion-pound effort to privatise the sector’s debt and revive the national market. The Financial Times reported that officials privy to chancellor George Osborne’s plans argued that the more radical the changes, the higher... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-considers-selling-off-public-stake-in-social-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-considers-selling-off-public-stake-in-social-housing Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT An initial analysis of the budget plans of 29 councils shows that 17 of them are floating to plans to cut nearly 12,000 posts, analysis from the GMB union has found, saying that these are just the “tip of the iceberg”. Glasgow City Council topped the 2016-17 cuts list, with 3,000 posts intended to go over the next two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-12000-council-jobs-already-threatened-by-2016-17-budget-cuts 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-12000-council-jobs-already-threatened-by-2016-17-budget-cuts Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:30:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has been urged in a damning report by the Work and Pensions Committee to put off tax credit reforms until the end of this Parliament, given that any benefits for those who would be helped will be dwarfed by the cuts. In a unanimous cross-party report, MPs found a number of fundamental flaws in Osborne’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-urge-osborne-to-shelve-tax-credit-cuts-in-light-of-damning-inquiry 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-urge-osborne-to-shelve-tax-credit-cuts-in-light-of-damning-inquiry Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron has been accused of breaking the ministerial code by offering Civil Service help to his Conservative constituency after an exchange of letters between him and the Oxfordshire County Council leader emerged yesterday (11 November). Letters between Cameron and county council leader Cllr Ian Hudspeth, revealed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-accused-of-code-breach-for-offering-oxfordshire-access-to-no-10-advisers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-accused-of-code-breach-for-offering-oxfordshire-access-to-no-10-advisers Thu, 12 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT The 65 councils with the most private rented stock will be able to bid for a share of a £5m Whitehall fund to tackle substandard housing and rogue landlords through greater raid powers. The government hopes the worst affected councils will use this money to increase inspections of properties, carry out more raids, initiate more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-handed-raid-powers-and-5m-to-stamp-out-poor-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-handed-raid-powers-and-5m-to-stamp-out-poor-housing Thu, 12 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT The wave of devolution deals being signed between Whitehall and local authorities cannot be based entirely on the perceived success of previous city deals, which in fact lacked robust scrutiny, evaluation and accountability, an inquiry has found. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report today (11 November) highlighting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlike-city-deals-devolution-must-have-accountability-and-scrutiny-pac 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlike-city-deals-devolution-must-have-accountability-and-scrutiny-pac Wed, 11 Nov 2015 12:30:00 GMT The former health secretary and current chair of NHS Confederation, Stephen Dorrell, has written a letter to the chancellor urging him to treat social care and health as a single sector and rescue dwindling public health budgets. In the letter, Dorrell said the recent trends of rising NHS budgets and sinking social care cash cannot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/divide-between-social-care-public-health-and-nhs-bad-economics-and-bad-social-policy 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/divide-between-social-care-public-health-and-nhs-bad-economics-and-bad-social-policy Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:15:00 GMT Government spending on old age and health will grow to more than twice the share allocated to education and economic development combined by the end of this Parliament, Resolution Foundation has found today (10 November). The think tank analysed state spending ahead of the chancellor’s Spending Review on 25 November, identifying... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-profile-to-shift-from-education-and-housing-to-health-and-old-age 433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-profile-to-shift-from-education-and-housing-to-health-and-old-age Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:45:00 GMT South Yorkshire residents have rejected the current Sheffield devolution package agreed to last month, instead opting for a Yorkshire-wide regional assembly as their preferred devolution model. In the UK’s first ever Citizens’ Assembly, residents called on their local politicians to turn down the government’s latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-opts-for-regional-assembly-over-latest-devolution-model 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-opts-for-regional-assembly-over-latest-devolution-model Tue, 10 Nov 2015 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities invest “close to nothing” on preventing mental health problems, with only 1% of their public health budgets going towards this, Mind has found today (9 November). Using figures obtained through FoI requests, the charity found that some areas do not plan to spend “a single penny” on preventing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-only-spend-1-of-public-health-budget-on-mental-health 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-only-spend-1-of-public-health-budget-on-mental-health Mon, 09 Nov 2015 12:15:00 GMT Today is Equal Pay Day. Despite the seemingly positive name, this not-so-celebratory date actually symbolises that, until the end of the year, women will be effectively working for free – thanks to the persevering gender pay gap. The gap stands at around 14.2% in the UK, with full-time working men earning £2.38 more per... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-may-be-transparent-but-women-are-still-working-for-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-may-be-transparent-but-women-are-still-working-for-free Mon, 09 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne will issue guidance to local authorities on wages and press on with payoff caps after an investigation revealed that almost 600 council chiefs earned more than the prime minister in 2013-14. The Daily Mail analysis, in association with the Taxpayers’ Alliance, looked at almost 6,000 FoI responses to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-rein-in-councils-with-new-guidance-on-hefty-wages-and-payoffs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-rein-in-councils-with-new-guidance-on-hefty-wages-and-payoffs Mon, 09 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Transferring control of firefighters from councillors to police and crime commissioners (PCCs) would “divert valuable resources” away from the sector’s important community work, the LGA has claimed. The association said Whitehall’s proposals to hand over control of firefighters to the bodies already tasked with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-and-not-pccs-should-oversee-fire-services-says-lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-and-not-pccs-should-oversee-fire-services-says-lga Mon, 09 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT Local authorities will be able to back community groups in applying for a share of £1.5m funding to transform underused sites into metropolitan ‘pocket parks’. The fund, made available today (9 November) by the DCLG, will draw inspiration from the small parks that emerged in New York during the 1960s as a green refuge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/underused-spaces-could-convert-into-pocket-parks-with-local-15m-fund 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/underused-spaces-could-convert-into-pocket-parks-with-local-15m-fund Mon, 09 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT The Treasury and three other departments – Communities and Local Government, Transport and Environment – have agreed to slash spending by 8% per year until the end of this Parliament, chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce today. According to media reports, the four departments are the first to agree to the steep... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-signs-up-to-30-budget-cuts-by-2020-signalling-more-pain-for-councils 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-signs-up-to-30-budget-cuts-by-2020-signalling-more-pain-for-councils Mon, 09 Nov 2015 09:30:00 GMT The Youth Justice Board has decided to press on with £9m in-year budget cuts to youth offending team (YOT) grants to meet a £13.5m savings target, despite councils warning the move would be counterproductive. As a result of cuts, more YOTs – who work with police, health and housing services, schools and local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youth-offending-team-funds-to-be-cut-by-9m-but-could-prompt-local-flexibility 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youth-offending-team-funds-to-be-cut-by-9m-but-could-prompt-local-flexibility Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:30:00 GMT Business rates should be reformed even further by allowing companies to self-assess their rateable value to keep councils from footing refund bills, the LGA has said today (6 November). The association said the recent shake-up of business rates makes it imperative for further devolution to protect authorities from the risk of appeals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-self-assessment-would-save-councils-175bn--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-self-assessment-would-save-councils-175bn--lga Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:45:00 GMT Care homes and councils should be required to introduce free or subsidised physical activity sessions for older people, a report launched by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has proposed today (5 November). This recommendation was the result of contributions from several health experts and charities, including former health minister Lord... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-homes-and-councils-should-provide-physical-activity-sessions-experts-say 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-homes-and-councils-should-provide-physical-activity-sessions-experts-say Thu, 05 Nov 2015 15:00:00 GMT Devon County Council is set to approve the creation of a new private organisation next week (11 November) to run its libraries, to ensure the service remains economically viable. The council’s cabinet will look into final plans for the library service, first agreed by councillors in March, to assess whether services should begin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devon-libraries-to-be-outsourced-to-private-company-owned-by-staff 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devon-libraries-to-be-outsourced-to-private-company-owned-by-staff Thu, 05 Nov 2015 11:15:00 GMT Although fire and rescue authorities have coped well with significant funding cuts since 2010, some will be forced to cut jobs and services and face the prospect of strikes by firefighters, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. In a report published today (5 November), the auditor revealed low-level stress signs beginning to emerge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shrinking-fire-authorities-losing-capacity-to-tackle-major-incidents 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shrinking-fire-authorities-losing-capacity-to-tackle-major-incidents Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:45:00 GMT Reductions to social rents largely represent a transfer from councils and housing associations to the exchequer, not to social tenants, who will actually see little or no direct benefit from the cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. The 1% annual reduction in social rents announced in the Summer Budget, effective from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-social-rent-will-transfer-cash-from-councils-directly-to-whitehall 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-social-rent-will-transfer-cash-from-councils-directly-to-whitehall Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:30:00 GMT The Department of Health has decided to press on with £200m cuts to the 2015-16 public health grants by reducing grants to each local authority by an equal percentage. The DH offered four options for the highly controversial in-year cuts: a flat rate of 6.2% applied to all, or three options of varied percentages based on different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dh-confirms-200m-public-health-cuts-through-62-flat-rate 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dh-confirms-200m-public-health-cuts-through-62-flat-rate Thu, 05 Nov 2015 08:45:00 GMT Nationally-set planning fees mean councils have covered one-third of the cost of all applications since 2012 despite private developers being willing to cover extra costs, the LGA has warned today (4 November). It claimed local authorities had to pay out £450m in the past three years as a result of recovering the full cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-developers-call-for-planning-fees-freedom 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-developers-call-for-planning-fees-freedom Wed, 04 Nov 2015 12:30:00 GMT Devolving powers to local authorities is not a solution to boosting public services unless it is accompanied by cautious reform on all levels of government, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said. While the institute argues that devolution is not the wrong policy, its project director, Jo Casebourne, said it must be met with new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-not-a-panacea-unless-public-services-are-reformed-ifg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-not-a-panacea-unless-public-services-are-reformed-ifg Wed, 04 Nov 2015 12:14:00 GMT To improve the country’s education standards, 1,500 teachers will be deployed to the most underperforming schools for three years as part of a new National Teaching Service (NTS). Announced today (3 November), the NTS is part of a series of reforms by education secretary Nicky Morgan to rescue schools lagging behind in the state... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failing-schools-to-be-rescued-by-1500-teachers-in-new-national-service 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failing-schools-to-be-rescued-by-1500-teachers-in-new-national-service Tue, 03 Nov 2015 16:45:00 GMT Nexus, the transport executive for the North East Combined Authority, had its proposal to introduce franchising across bus services in the Tyne and Wear region rejected by the government’s traffic commissioner after it failed to meet the necessary tests. The transport executive for the authority submitted a recommendation to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-public-control-of-bus-services-blocked-by-commissioner 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-public-control-of-bus-services-blocked-by-commissioner Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:45:00 GMT Under new legislative powers announced today (2 November), Whitehall will be able to intervene to ensure all councils have plans to join regional adoption agencies by 2017 so that all services are merged by the end of the decade. Councils will also be subject to more rigorous checks to their child care schemes under today’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-speed-up-early-adoption-schemes-and-draft-merger-plans-by-2017 453,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-speed-up-early-adoption-schemes-and-draft-merger-plans-by-2017 Mon, 02 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMT Local authorities must devise strategies to outline how they will respond to demographic changes and higher migration to inform central government how much funding they would need, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said today (2 November). In a report, the think tank published a four-step plan to ensure councils are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-devise-migration-strategy-before-getting-central-funding-ippr 436,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-devise-migration-strategy-before-getting-central-funding-ippr Mon, 02 Nov 2015 11:45:00 GMT  Councillors are elected by people on the street, not some council official, so they should be able to represent, freely, their electorate. Another restriction is where you have a political party using the whip on councillors.  1984 has long been here I am afraid. Re: Councillors should ignore ‘Stalinist’ ban on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-must-be-free-to-represent-their-electorate 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-must-be-free-to-represent-their-electorate Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:45:00 GMT Proposals put forward by local government minister Marcus Jones aim to streamline the process by which businesses check and challenge their rates bills. Jones said the ‘check, challenge, appeal’ process would end a “decades-long deadlock” caused by excessive amounts of speculative appeals that led to unnecessary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/check-challenge-appeal-system-to-streamline-business-rates-process 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/check-challenge-appeal-system-to-streamline-business-rates-process Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT Housing associations and some for-profit housing bodies registered with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will now be considered a part of the public sector – a switch expected to add £60bn to the sector’s net debt. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reclassified housing bodies – or private registered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-housing-associations-reclassified-as-public-bodies-adding-60bn-to-sector-debt 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-housing-associations-reclassified-as-public-bodies-adding-60bn-to-sector-debt Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:15:00 GMT Powers to run the Tower Hamlets borough council will be officially transferred from Whitehall back to its mayor tomorrow (31 October), communities secretary Greg Clark MP has announced. The government’s commissioners will hand over the power to directly run the council but will continue to carry out some functions – such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-to-regain-control-of-council-from-government-commissioners 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-to-regain-control-of-council-from-government-commissioners Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:15:00 GMT Two-thirds of local authorities are failing to provide adequate support to young care leavers and all councils are spending widely different amounts of money in the process, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found. The committee identified systemic weaknesses in the provision of local support for care leavers, finding that young... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wide-variation-in-costs-and-outcomes-suggests-systemic-weakness-in-council-care-support 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wide-variation-in-costs-and-outcomes-suggests-systemic-weakness-in-council-care-support Fri, 30 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne’s latest infrastructure drive, spearheaded by non-executive HS2 board member Lord Adonis, is set to be launched today (30 October) matched with a £100bn funding commitment from the government. The National Infrastructure Commission, announced earlier in October, will have a key role in identifying the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100bn-adonis-commission-to-help-shape-future-infrastructure 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100bn-adonis-commission-to-help-shape-future-infrastructure Fri, 30 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Three out of every 4 British people claim that they have been little affected by the effect of spending cuts despite the government’s economic austerity, Ipsos MORI research has revealed. General worry about the impact of cuts has also dropped from 61% in 2012 to 46% now. Other data from 2012 suggest that the amount of people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-preserving-public-satisfaction-with-services-despite-steep-cuts-ipsos-mori 433,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-preserving-public-satisfaction-with-services-despite-steep-cuts-ipsos-mori Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron has ordered an independent “root-and-branch” review into children’s residential care to improve service commissioning, delivery and regulation. The review will be headed by Sir Martin Narey, former head of the Prison and Probation Services in England and Wales and CEO of children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-launches-independent-root-and-branch-review-of-childrens-homes 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-launches-independent-root-and-branch-review-of-childrens-homes Thu, 29 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Nearly 2,000 cases have been handed over from the defunct Kids Company charity to local authorities, who are now reviewing details to determine what support is needed, a National Audit Office (NAO) investigation found today (29 October). Before the NAO launched an investigation into the failed charity in September, the LGA warned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-pick-up-nearly-2000-cases-from-defunct-kids-company 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-pick-up-nearly-2000-cases-from-defunct-kids-company Thu, 29 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT The shadow West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has submitted its final scheme and governance review to Whitehall, setting out proposals for the membership, geography, powers and executive arrangements of the emerging body. The governance review, coming almost two months after the body’s £8bn devolution bid submission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-sends-whitehall-final-scheme-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-sends-whitehall-final-scheme-bid Thu, 29 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT Camden Council has become the first organisation in the world to independently analyse the pay gap in its workforce by gender, disability and ethnicity. The information it has published online today (28 October) also broke down pay given to staff by job level. In terms of gender, women tended to receive less than men while working at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/global-first-as-camden-analyses-its-pay-gap-by-gender-disability-and-ethnicity 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/global-first-as-camden-analyses-its-pay-gap-by-gender-disability-and-ethnicity Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:15:00 GMT HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has no meaningful framework to tackle tax credit fraud and error during the transition to universal credit, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry has found today (28 October). And following a report from the National Audit Office in July, which identified that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-and-dwp-still-failing-to-cut-multi-billion-pound-benefits-fraud-and-error 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-and-dwp-still-failing-to-cut-multi-billion-pound-benefits-fraud-and-error Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:00:00 GMT Guest blog by legal expert Owen Willcox A number of local authorities are considering or have already spun out elements of their adult social care services to new vehicles owned and or managed by the existing staff teams. Although adult social care is probably best-positioned in such a model, the transition can be complex and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/untangling-knotty-spin-out-issues 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/untangling-knotty-spin-out-issues Wed, 28 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT Although all major city councils in the UK have disaster recovery (DR) plans in place, almost 40% have not tested their plans in the past 12 months. A Freedom of Information request issued on behalf of disaster recovery specialist Databarracks to major cities including Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-councils-failing-to-test-critical-disaster-recovery-plans-regularly 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-councils-failing-to-test-critical-disaster-recovery-plans-regularly Tue, 27 Oct 2015 14:30:00 GMT Downing Street will carry out a “rapid review” into ways of ensuring the Commons always has the final word on financial matters, after chancellor George Osborne’s tax credit reforms suffered a major defeat in the Lords yesterday (26 October). In a heated night of debate, peers voted by 289 votes to 272 to back... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-water-down-tax-credit-transition--but-vows-revenge-on-lords-blockage 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-water-down-tax-credit-transition--but-vows-revenge-on-lords-blockage Tue, 27 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Devolving business rates to local authorities will drive up council debt as a result of increased borrowing to invest in business development, credit agency Moody’s has found. Analysing the impact of chancellor George Osborne’s intention to devolve business rates growth to local authorities by the end of the decade, the agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolving-business-rates-to-councils-will-deepen-local-debt-credit-agency 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolving-business-rates-to-councils-will-deepen-local-debt-credit-agency Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Local government and Civil Service employers will no longer be able to see the names of graduate applicants under a new agreement to reduce potential discrimination, prime minister David Cameron will announce today (26 October). During a Downing Street roundtable later today, Cameron will bring organisations from both the public and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-civil-service-to-roll-out-impartial-name-blind-recruitment 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-civil-service-to-roll-out-impartial-name-blind-recruitment Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT In light of the imminent increase in public service outsourcing as a result of Spending Review cuts, the Institute for Government (IfG) has published an interactive guide to help local public servants better manage outsourced contracts. The organisation said that Whitehall will only be able to drive up efficiency for less cash if it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guide-combines-three-tier-practical-advice-on-managing-outsourced-deals-locally 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guide-combines-three-tier-practical-advice-on-managing-outsourced-deals-locally Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT Future devolution deals must be less “materially advantageous” than the agreement made for the Sheffield City Region earlier this month, city leaders have revealed in a letter to chancellor George Osborne. In the letter set to be presented at the city-region’s combined authority meeting today (26 October), council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nowhere-will-get-a-better-devolution-deal-than-sheffield-city-region-letter-says 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nowhere-will-get-a-better-devolution-deal-than-sheffield-city-region-letter-says Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities must get more effective powers to deter fly-tippers and should team up with major supermarkets to tackle the growing number of dumped trolleys, which cost councils up to £50m per year, the LGA has said. Citing government research released last week that revealed fly-tipping has risen again, the association warned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-more-powers-to-stop-fly-tippers-and-should-work-with-shops--lga 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-more-powers-to-stop-fly-tippers-and-should-work-with-shops--lga Mon, 26 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT Eleven prominent local authority and healthcare bodies, including the LGA and Solace, have penned a letter to chancellor George Osborne asking that the decision to slash £200m from the public health cash pot be scrapped. The leaders said this planned cut, announced in the Summer Budget, would directly impact on people and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eleven-public-body-ceos-urge-reversal-of-public-health-cuts-in-letter-to-chancellor 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eleven-public-body-ceos-urge-reversal-of-public-health-cuts-in-letter-to-chancellor Fri, 23 Oct 2015 16:15:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne is heading to the north east to sign off two of the region’s confirmed devolution deals with members of the North East and Tees Valley Combined Authorities today (23 October). It surfaced that a government deal with the North East Combined Authority was set to be signed earlier this week after they had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-and-tees-valley-authorities-to-sign-devolution-deals 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-and-tees-valley-authorities-to-sign-devolution-deals Fri, 23 Oct 2015 12:15:00 GMT The government must use the Spending Review to protect social care from further budget cuts and reinvest the £6bn earmarked to implement the delayed Dilnot reforms, the King’s Fund has said today (22 October). The think tank’s latest quarterly monitoring report found that harsh cuts to local authority social care budgets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-must-be-safe-from-cuts-and-receive-earmarked-dilnot-cash--think-tank 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-must-be-safe-from-cuts-and-receive-earmarked-dilnot-cash--think-tank Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:30:00 GMT School spending per pupil is likely to drop by around 8% in real terms during this Parliament, representing the first time since the mid-1990s that school spending has fallen, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. Although the government has offered English schools considerable spending protection, higher costs and increasing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-spending-per-pupil-to-drop-by-8-first-net-fall-since-mid-1990s 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-spending-per-pupil-to-drop-by-8-first-net-fall-since-mid-1990s Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Seven local authorities and two local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have come together under a landmark partnership set to spearhead economic growth in the north. The Northern Gateway Partnership is a collaboration between local authorities – Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Stafford, Staffordshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-leps-join-in-landmark-partnership-to-boost-regional-growth 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-leps-join-in-landmark-partnership-to-boost-regional-growth Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Public sector net borrowing has decreased by nearly 14% so far in this financial year compared with the same period in 2014, figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown. But while this was predominantly driven by a decrease of nearly £9bn in Whitehall borrowing, it was offset by an increase of £1.6bn in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uncertain-council-borrowing-hits-16bn-but-improves-in-september-ons 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uncertain-council-borrowing-hits-16bn-but-improves-in-september-ons Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT MPs are set to debate today (22 October) on controversial plans that would give English members a veto on Bills that only apply to England. The proposal, ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (Evel), is designed to ban MPs from voting on laws that do not apply to them, much like English MPs do not vote on issues devolved to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-set-to-debate-english-votes-for-english-laws-reform 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-set-to-debate-english-votes-for-english-laws-reform Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT The Commons Work & Pensions Committee is set to hold an urgent inquiry into the effects of the proposed tax credit cuts, as the government threatened constitutional retaliation against the House of Lords should they block the measure. The news also follows a heated debate in the Commons yesterday (20 October), after the opposition... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-inquiry-to-probe-effects-of-tax-credit-cuts-after-heated-commons-debate-and-lords-threats 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-inquiry-to-probe-effects-of-tax-credit-cuts-after-heated-commons-debate-and-lords-threats Wed, 21 Oct 2015 15:30:00 GMT Resources commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) and developed by national partners have been launched today (21 October) to help integrate housing, public health, environmental health and social care. They will help professionals in these sectors and in local authorities work together in reducing the impact of poor housing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phe-launches-resource-linking-housing-and-public-health-to-improve-health-and-social-care 441,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phe-launches-resource-linking-housing-and-public-health-to-improve-health-and-social-care Wed, 21 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT A police force has, for the first time ever, been found to be ‘inadequate’ after an inspection from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) – a symptom of wider deterioration in the sector due to an inability to forecast demand properly. A report from HMIC found that police forces face major challenges in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-cuts-set-to-destabilise-even-efficient-police-forces 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-cuts-set-to-destabilise-even-efficient-police-forces Wed, 21 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Even if councils stop providing eight vital services entirely, the cash saved would still not be enough to plug the potential £20bn funding hole threat posed by the upcoming Spending Review, the LGA has said. In its submission to the Spending Review, the LGA predicted that councils will face a shortfall of nearly £10bn by 2020... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slashing-vital-services-would-still-not-save-enough-cash-to-plug-looming-deficit-lga 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slashing-vital-services-would-still-not-save-enough-cash-to-plug-looming-deficit-lga Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Whitehall has placed a new statutory duty on local authorities to take action in preventing people from being drawn into terrorism, and will review what powers it has to intervene when councils fail to act. The rest of the public sector, including schools, NHS trusts and foundation trusts, police, probation services and prisons, are now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-under-new-legal-duty-to-tackle-extremism-or-home-office-will-intervene 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-under-new-legal-duty-to-tackle-extremism-or-home-office-will-intervene Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Giving cities greater control over the needs of local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) should be a top priority in the government’s devolution agenda, think tank Centre for Cities has said today (19 October). As part of an in-depth analysis into the recent growth of SMEs, the organisation said that small firms have a big... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-smes-grow-should-be-top-devolution-priority--think-tank 438,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-smes-grow-should-be-top-devolution-priority--think-tank Mon, 19 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT The Scottish government has asked to be excluded from the entire Trade Union Bill because it thinks the legislation will harm the relationship between public organisations and unions, affect employees’ right to strike and leave far too much scope for abuse. The Bill, which will tighten rules on strike action by setting thresholds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-wants-opt-out-from-trade-union-bill 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-wants-opt-out-from-trade-union-bill Mon, 19 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Local authority leaders are being encouraged to raise their concerns with Parliament on plans to set apprenticeship targets for councils and other public bodies.  A paper presented to the Local Government Association’s (LGA’s) People and Places Board today (19 October) notes that the plans should be opposed, as current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-criticise-centrally-imposed-apprenticeship-targets- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-criticise-centrally-imposed-apprenticeship-targets- Mon, 19 Oct 2015 11:15:00 GMT Devolution plans worth over £1bn for the north east region are expected to be signed this week, which will also see a metro-mayor elected in 2017. The North East Combined Authority – which represents County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland councils, as well as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-deal-set-to-be-signed-this-week-after-fruitful-talks 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-devolution-deal-set-to-be-signed-this-week-after-fruitful-talks Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT The LGA is calling on Whitehall to devolve the nationally fragmented sports budget to help tackle the growing issue of inactivity and obesity in England. In a new submission to the government, which is currently designing a new sports strategy, the LGA – representing 370 councils – said it was imperative that national funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-devolution-of-sports-budget-to-tackle-obesity-crisis 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-devolution-of-sports-budget-to-tackle-obesity-crisis Mon, 19 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT The recent decision to hand down powers over business rates to councils may be followed by further devolution of other similar central government grants, local government minister Marcus Jones MP has said. Following chancellor George Osborne’s announcement last week that local authorities will be able to keep 100% of their business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-hand-down-could-spark-further-devolution-of-whitehall-grants 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-hand-down-could-spark-further-devolution-of-whitehall-grants Fri, 16 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT Boosting productivity by reforming working habits and freeing up just one hour of public sector staff time each year could deliver savings of £72m, a new report by Deloitte and think tank Reform has found. The report looked into the “decade of recalibration” that the public sector faces, including adjusting to lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boosting-public-sector-productivity-and-freeing-up-time-could-save-72m-a-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boosting-public-sector-productivity-and-freeing-up-time-could-save-72m-a-year Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT MPs passed the updated Charter for Budget Responsibility by 320 votes to 258 yesterday (14 October), which means the public sector must now legally run a budget surplus every year once finances stabilise. Chancellor George Osborne, who put forward the proposition, believes the charter will provide economic stability and security to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-pass-charter-that-will-force-permanent-public-budget-surplus 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-pass-charter-that-will-force-permanent-public-budget-surplus Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT The CQC has deemed it a key concern that 10% of adult social care providers were rated as inadequate for safety, caused primarily by low staffing levels and poor medicines management. In its annual report on the state of health and social care in England – the first of which draws on findings from the reformed and more thorough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concerning-variation-in-safety-standards-of-care-providers--cqc 435,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concerning-variation-in-safety-standards-of-care-providers--cqc Thu, 15 Oct 2015 10:15:00 GMT The chair of London Assembly’s Budget & Performance Committee has told PSE that Transport for London’s (TfL’s) novel plans to raise more than a billion pounds by developing its property portfolio more commercially need to be watched carefully.  Speaking after a Committee meeting where Assembly members questioned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfls-novel-development-of-london-property-needs-careful-watching- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfls-novel-development-of-london-property-needs-careful-watching- Thu, 15 Oct 2015 10:00:00 GMT The Five Pancras Square building in Camden scooped an award for the best example of public sector construction yesterday (14 October). The community building was recognised for its innovative use of space, which boasts an art leisure centre, a library and Camden Council offices. It can serve over 225,000 Camden residents and take in as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camdens-five-pancras-square-bags-best-public-building-award 433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camdens-five-pancras-square-bags-best-public-building-award Thu, 15 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT The LGA is calling on the government and the NHS to rethink their approach towards prevention and invest £1bn in preventative adult social care and public health – especially in light of figures that show only 5% of the entire healthcare budget is spent on prevention schemes. Ahead of the upcoming Spending Review, the LGA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-and-public-health-schemes-need-1bn-lift-in-spending-review-lga 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-and-public-health-schemes-need-1bn-lift-in-spending-review-lga Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:45:00 GMT Public buildings commissioned the largest proportion of energy efficiency projects during the second quarter of 2015, overtaking offices for the first time since research into this began in 2012. The recent survey of 63 senior managers at supplier organisations, found that 21% of public buildings benefitted from energy efficiency upgrades... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-buildings-overtake-offices-in-energy-efficiency-focus-but-supplier-confidence-slumps 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-buildings-overtake-offices-in-energy-efficiency-focus-but-supplier-confidence-slumps Wed, 14 Oct 2015 13:00:00 GMT Public Health England, the LGA and the Association of Directors of Public Health have commissioned Leeds Beckett University to lead a programme to find new ways for councils to tackle obesity. The three-year programme will be funded by PHE to enable councils to make a major step in their approach towards obesity, which previous research... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-and-phe-team-up-in-new-locally-tailored-obesity-programme 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-and-phe-team-up-in-new-locally-tailored-obesity-programme Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:30:00 GMT Partners from six emergency services in Surrey and Sussex have been working together for nearly two years to co-design the way services are delivered. Linda Wood, programme manager of the Emergency Services Collaboration Programme, talks to PSE about some of the benefits already being felt across the region. As PSE went to press the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-change-through-emergency-service-collaboration 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-change-through-emergency-service-collaboration Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:00:00 GMT James Rawlins, senior consultant at Callcredit Information Group, looks at the evolving local authority fraud landscape and the next generation of fraud hubs. The fraud landscape in local authorities has changed significantly recently and we are now seeing staff transfer to the Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS). What does the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/super-hub-the-next-generation-of-counter-fraud-hub-for-the-new-public-sector-landscape 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/super-hub-the-next-generation-of-counter-fraud-hub-for-the-new-public-sector-landscape Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:45:00 GMT Barry Loveday, reader in criminal justice administration at Portsmouth University, considers the changing power-relations between police chief and elected PCCs; the impact of the Winsor Report; Labour’s failed blueprint; and the introduction of elected mayors to run the new city-regions in England and Wales. The success in the 2015... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-reform-the-changing-relationship-between-police-forces-and-local-government-in-england-and-wales 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-reform-the-changing-relationship-between-police-forces-and-local-government-in-england-and-wales Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:30:00 GMT Luana Salles reports on Resilience Direct. Resilience Direct was launched in April 2014 to revolutionise the way public authorities share information in both emergency planning and response, including during disruptive incidents like floods, fires and storms. It covers all category 1 and 2 responders: resilience officers or risk managers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-uk-safer-through-better-emergency-planning-and-response 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-uk-safer-through-better-emergency-planning-and-response Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:15:00 GMT PSE’s David Stevenson looks at how funding for subsidised bus services has been reduced over the last Parliament and what action PTEs are taking to maintain vital services. Nearly all public transport executive bodies outside London have had to reduce their funding for subsidised bus services in the last three financial years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-subsidy-funding-continues-to-fall-across-england-as-do-passenger-journeys 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-subsidy-funding-continues-to-fall-across-england-as-do-passenger-journeys Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:00:00 GMT The new, free British Red Cross emergency app is set to help people across the UK prepare for and deal with a huge range of crises. It features live updates about developing emergencies, and great features such as a personal alarm and strobe light. Just how devastating can these crises be? And what makes someone spend their time helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/when-people-run-from-burning-homes-im-waiting-to-help-them 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/when-people-run-from-burning-homes-im-waiting-to-help-them Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:00:00 GMT A three-year European project to improve the quality of public transport interchanges recently held its closing conference. PSE spoke to Stephen Wise, senior transport planner at Reading Borough Council, one of the UK participants in the programme. NODES – New Tools for the Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interchanges-of-the-future 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interchanges-of-the-future Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:45:00 GMT Alison O’Sullivan, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), talks to PSE about the challenges facing the sector. Ofsted’s use of single-word judgements for rating council-run children’s services is “inappropriate” and “burdensome”, the Association of Directors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-word-judgements-inappropriate-for-complex-childrens-services 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-word-judgements-inappropriate-for-complex-childrens-services Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:45:00 GMT Pascoe Sawyers, principal adviser for leadership and localism with the Local Government Association, discusses the importance of developing effective leaders to deliver a healthy democracy. Since the Local Government Association (LGA) launched its Leadership Programmes 15 years ago, it has seen thousands of elected and prospective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-the-lead 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-the-lead Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:45:00 GMT Our front cover photograph gets across well some of the key themes we’re covering in this edition, showing as it does protesters marching past Manchester Town Hall – austerity, devolution and public service reform. The marchers were there to make clear their feelings about government policy and cuts, as part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-and-power 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-and-power Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:30:00 GMT A new report by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) calls for central government departments and local authorities to seek assurance on the management of risk before undertaking major outsourcing projects. IIA chief executive Dr Ian Peters MBE explains more. As budget pressures continue, the need to boost efficiency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourcing-how-the-public-sector-can-better-manage-the-risks 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourcing-how-the-public-sector-can-better-manage-the-risks Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:30:00 GMT Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, and a member of PSE’s editorial board, poses fundamental questions about the likely impact on public services and governance of the first UK majority Conservative government to be elected for 23 years. Virtually every test of opinion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-and-governance-reform-post-2015-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-and-governance-reform-post-2015-election Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:30:00 GMT Housing minister Brandon Lewis has unveiled further details of the government’s decision to permanently allow disused offices to be converted into homes without planning permission. The move, announced by prime minister David Cameron yesterday as part of a string of reforms, will extend its due date past 30 May 2016, when the policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-planning-permission-needed-to-turn-offices-industrial-buildings-and-launderettes-into-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-planning-permission-needed-to-turn-offices-industrial-buildings-and-launderettes-into-housing Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT Mike Beaven, director of digital at Methods Digital, who was until recently the transformation director for the Government Digital Service, talks to PSE about the opportunities and challenges facing local government in delivering world-class digital services. David Stevenson reports. In the chancellor’s Spending Review document... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-down-cultural-barriers-to-deliver-digital-transformation 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-down-cultural-barriers-to-deliver-digital-transformation Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:15:00 GMT Gerry Clarkson CBE, leader of Ashford Borough Council and a former firefighter and CEO of the London Fire & Civil Defence Authority, argues that a hard-nosed business approach can net real revenue for under-pressure councils. Much has been written recently about financial pressures on local authorities, with the suggestion in some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-business-model-for-commercially-savvy-local-authorities-to-follow 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-business-model-for-commercially-savvy-local-authorities-to-follow Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:00:00 GMT Aylesbury Vale District Council’s Henry Allmand (housing development & strategy manager) and Kate Brewster (senior communications & marketing officer), explain an innovative new approach to the savings it needs to make. It seems quite amazing that just nine months ago we were starting our business case into whether an online... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-ball-rolling-on-a-council-lottery 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-ball-rolling-on-a-council-lottery Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:00:00 GMT Gail Scholes, lead officer at Robin Hood Energy, talks to PSE about the launch of the first council-owned not-for-profit energy supply company since nationalisation in 1948. In September the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) extended the timetable for its investigation into the energy market from December this year to June... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-council-run-energy-companies-help-tackle-fuel-poverty 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-council-run-energy-companies-help-tackle-fuel-poverty Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Matthew Ball, general manager at Greenredeem, discusses the challenges to increasing recycling rates in the UK. In July this year the Guardian reported that the UK may oppose new EU recycling targets, with a 70% waste reuse target for 2030. There is already major concern across the industry that the EU target of 50% by 2020 is a stretch... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/choice-and-access-to-recycling-facilities-the-key-to-hitting-the-2020-target 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/choice-and-access-to-recycling-facilities-the-key-to-hitting-the-2020-target Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Bristol mayor George Ferguson explains why the city is launching its own energy company. My mission is for Bristol to be an entrepreneurial, innovative and resilience-focused city. More than ever, local authorities are having to find new ways to maintain and develop their economic and social prosperity and to support the services they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/municipal-energy-as-a-force-for-social-good 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/municipal-energy-as-a-force-for-social-good Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council and Core Cities cabinet member for Transport, discusses why the Spending Review provides a golden opportunity to create a radically different framework for investment. A joined-up approach to infrastructure and investment is critical to the future success of the UK economy. As the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-deliver-a-devolved-joined-up-approach-to-investment 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-deliver-a-devolved-joined-up-approach-to-investment Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, the national network of community-led organisations, looks ahead to the Spending Review and what it could mean for local authorities and Locality’s member organisations. The forthcoming Spending Review will be one of the key moments of this Parliament and will set the tone and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turning-the-risk-of-asset-sell-offs-into-an-opportunity 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turning-the-risk-of-asset-sell-offs-into-an-opportunity Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Simon Parker, director of the New Local Government Network, discusses devolution and his four-pronged strategy for helping people take back power in Britain. Power is addictive. It works on the same parts of the brain as cocaine, and it has some of the same effects on those who wield it. And if power is like cocaine, then Westminster is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turning-the-tide-on-centralism 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turning-the-tide-on-centralism Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT A year ago, PSE reported on the publication of ‘A Guide to Integrated Assurance’ from the Association for Project Management (APM). Now, its authors are looking for case studies from organisations that have used the guide, to help others along the way. PSE caught up with Roy Millard, chair of the APM’s Assurance Specific... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/assurance-is-a-bigger-challenge-for-the-public-sector 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/assurance-is-a-bigger-challenge-for-the-public-sector Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT Louise Hart, author of ‘Procuring Successful Mega-Projects’ and a former project director for the establishment of major transport infrastructure contracts in Sydney and London, explains that the all-too-common descent of mega-projects into chaos and litigation can be prevented by making a better job of the procurement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mega-project-fiascos-are-they-avoidable 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mega-project-fiascos-are-they-avoidable Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT Julian Smith, head of external affairs at the Association for Project Management, though writing here in a personal capacity, explains why the devolution agenda will bring new challenges for project managers and directors. The public sector stands on the verge of the biggest constitutional shake-up for many years, as the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-of-the-most-ambitious-projects-of-the-next-decade-will-be-linked-to-devolution 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-of-the-most-ambitious-projects-of-the-next-decade-will-be-linked-to-devolution Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT Jo Beck, housing options and support service manager at Royal Borough of Greenwich, talks about the challenges facing councils in tackling homelessness. Royal Borough of Greenwich has become the first council in the country to be awarded the government’s Gold Standard for tackling and preventing homelessness. The programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-achieves-gold-standard-in-tackling-homelessness 442,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-achieves-gold-standard-in-tackling-homelessness Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT PSE talks to Peter Glynne, head of change and programme management at Westminster City Council, about the evolving roles and responsibilities of project managers in the public sector – and how they are perceived. The next five years will be a period of massive disruption and change for the whole public sector, but especially for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-change-management-is-changing 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-change-management-is-changing Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT Roy McNally, development manager for Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies and handyperson services, explains why improving and adapting people’s homes can make a vital contribution to health and care. It is now widely accepted that the only sustainable way to relieve pressure on the NHS and our social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-home-improvements-can-reduce-pressure-on-health-and-social-care 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-home-improvements-can-reduce-pressure-on-health-and-social-care Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT Ben Reynolds, deputy co-ordinator at Sustain, explains how local authorities in London are trying to tackle the growing challenge of food poverty. Food banks are getting a lot of press these days, and for good reason. Many argue they are an indicator of a deepening crisis with more people falling into food poverty. Others say their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serving-up-a-safety-net-how-local-authorities-are-helping-to-alleviate-food-poverty 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serving-up-a-safety-net-how-local-authorities-are-helping-to-alleviate-food-poverty Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT John Rhodes’ proposals to include housing within the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime attracted widespread interest (and criticism) if PSE’s inbox is anything to go by. Here, we give Rhodes – who chairs a new government-appointed expert panel on planning – the opportunity to explain his ideas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-as-national-infrastructure 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-as-national-infrastructure Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:00:00 GMT Ministers will be able to “top up” tax credits and child benefits as part of Holyrood’s “new era of devolution”, secretary of state for Scotland David Mundell MP has promised. He said the Scotland Bill, currently making its way through Westminster, will be a “game-changer” and will allow ministers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/game-changer-holyrood-devolution-will-open-up-benefit-top-up-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/game-changer-holyrood-devolution-will-open-up-benefit-top-up-powers Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT The government should increase its tobacco tax to 5% to fund yearly £300m anti-smoking schemes, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health said in its submission to the Spending Review. This would help tackle public health issues and alleviate demand on the NHS, according to the group. The changes would see the tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tobacco-tax-must-be-increased-to-support-preventative-public-health--appg 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tobacco-tax-must-be-increased-to-support-preventative-public-health--appg Mon, 12 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT The “funding gap” in adult social care must be plugged with cash earmarked for the delayed Care Act and spending reductions in other departments, the LGA and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have said today (12 October). In a joint submission to the government’s Spending Review, the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-way-to-close-social-care-funding-gap-is-to-use-care-act-cash-plus-savings 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-way-to-close-social-care-funding-gap-is-to-use-care-act-cash-plus-savings Mon, 12 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT Councils must create and deliver local plans for housebuilding in their area by 2017 or the government will do so for them, prime minister David Cameron has made “crystal clear” today (12 October). Government figures show only 65% of councils have “fully adopted” their published local plans, while 20% have not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-to-overrule-councils-that-fail-to-deliver-housebuilding-plans 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-to-overrule-councils-that-fail-to-deliver-housebuilding-plans Mon, 12 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT The roll-out of universal credit will make it “harder” to identify children eligible to benefit from the pupil premium, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found as it called for “urgent steps” to be taken to tackle inequalities within the scheme. The PAC said it was “very concerned” about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-to-worsen-pupil-premium-inconsistency-in-public-schools--pac 453,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-to-worsen-pupil-premium-inconsistency-in-public-schools--pac Fri, 09 Oct 2015 15:00:00 GMT Social housing tenants with combined incomes of over £30,000 (or £40,000 in London) will be required to pay rent above market levels, but local authorities will not be able to retain any of the extra cash. Under government proposals put forward today (9 October) by housing minister Brandon Lewis, social rents will increase if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-miss-out-on-extra-cash-from-higher-rent-proposal 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-miss-out-on-extra-cash-from-higher-rent-proposal Fri, 09 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT The small drop in full-time Civil Service employment in 2014-15 was almost entirely offset by new part-time workers, meaning overall employment remained stable, figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show. The figures, released today (8 October), show that there was a marginal decrease in the Civil Service staff pool of 0.1%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-employment-stabilises-though-with-part-timers-replacing-full-time-staff 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-employment-stabilises-though-with-part-timers-replacing-full-time-staff Thu, 08 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT District councils should take the reins on devolution to ensure it improves services and outcomes through better collaboration across the board, a report published by local government experts has recommended. The University of Birmingham’s Institute for Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) argues that two-tier working has “stood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/district-councils-should-take-key-role-in-devolution-proposals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/district-councils-should-take-key-role-in-devolution-proposals Thu, 08 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Innovate UK and Research Councils UK have launched a £2m competition for local authorities aimed at tackling “a spectrum of challenges posed by city living”. The competition is seeking applications from councils in consortia with businesses, researchers, community groups, service providers and charities to address the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovate-uk-and-researchers-offer-councils-2m-for-urban-living-competition 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovate-uk-and-researchers-offer-councils-2m-for-urban-living-competition Thu, 08 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT All 22 local authorities in Wales have agreed to take in Syrian refugees, communities minister Lesley Griffiths told assembly members in a meeting. When Wales held a summit to discuss this issue in September, attended by representatives from “key” public services, just 17 local authorities were willing to accommodate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-22-welsh-local-authorities-to-take-in-syrian-refugees 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-22-welsh-local-authorities-to-take-in-syrian-refugees Thu, 08 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT Councils will be able to bill property search agencies the “significant” costs of staff time spent producing information for property searches and other types of environmental information under a new European Court of Justice ruling. They will not, however, be able to pass on the costs of maintaining databases. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-other-public-bodies-can-charge-for-property-search-costs-in-landmark-ecj-ruling 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-other-public-bodies-can-charge-for-property-search-costs-in-landmark-ecj-ruling Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:30:00 GMT Parents who repeatedly allow their children to miss school will see their child benefit docked if they do not pay fines, prime minister David Cameron has announced. He said this will provide “tougher action” to tackle the “harm truancy does to a child’s chances in life”, as well as save councils money by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-avoid-legal-costs-of-taking-parents-of-truant-children-to-court 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-avoid-legal-costs-of-taking-parents-of-truant-children-to-court Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:30:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron promised scrapping planning rules that require property developers to build affordable homes for rent in his speech at the Conservative conference today (7 October). The pledge is part of a bid to increase the amount of homes for first-time buyers in an effort to shift from ‘generation rent’ to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-scraps-rules-that-require-developers-to-build-affordable-homes-for-rent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-scraps-rules-that-require-developers-to-build-affordable-homes-for-rent Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:15:00 GMT More than half of people who ask for help with care from their councils receive no help at all or are just given information about charities or similar groups instead, new figures show. There were around 5,000 new requests for adult social care support per day sent to councils during 2014-15, but almost half of these were either... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-people-who-request-social-care-get-no-direct-help 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-people-who-request-social-care-get-no-direct-help Wed, 07 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Although there has been a widespread if cautious welcome for yesterday's announcement by chancellor George Osborne that councils are to retain the business rates they collect and have more flexibility to lower their rates, there is concern it could "just be another hit on council budgets" and foster more uncertainty. Leader of Leeds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-decision-creates-further-uncertainty 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-decision-creates-further-uncertainty Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:30:00 GMT The Isle of Anglesey County Council has appointed two new assistant chief executives as part of a wider process to "streamline" its senior management, aiming to save at least £250,000 by scrapping the post of deputy chief executive, and three of its corporate director roles. The appointments of Annwen Morgan and Dr Caroline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-senior-posts-disappear-as-council-appoints-assistant-chief-executives-instead 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-senior-posts-disappear-as-council-appoints-assistant-chief-executives-instead Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:15:00 GMT Councils will be able to keep all the income generated from business rates in the future instead of sending them up to Whitehall, the chancellor has announced.  In George Osborne’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, he said that he was “embarking on the biggest transfer of power to our local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-26bn-business-rates-income-osborne- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-26bn-business-rates-income-osborne- Mon, 05 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT Single-party councils could be wasting almost £3bn a year through a lack of scrutiny of their procurement processes, according to a report by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). The study, by Cambridge University academic Mihály Fazekas, looked at the savings in contracting between single-party councils (or with a significant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-party-councils-waste-26bn-a-year-through-corrupt-procurement 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-party-councils-waste-26bn-a-year-through-corrupt-procurement Mon, 05 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT The number of children in custody may rise if further cuts of £9m to Youth Reoffending Teams (YOTs) are given the green light, the LGA has warned. Councils say the latest cuts are “unexpected” and will be implemented on top of the savings already identified by the Youth Justice Board for this financial year, threatening... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unexpected-cuts-to-youth-justice-system-could-mean-more-children-in-custody 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unexpected-cuts-to-youth-justice-system-could-mean-more-children-in-custody Mon, 05 Oct 2015 10:15:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne is set to create a ‘National Infrastructure Commission’, spearheaded by Labour’s Lord Adonis, to advise Whitehall on how to speed up British infrastructure spanning road, rail, housing and energy projects in the long term. Adonis, former Labour transport secretary and non-executive member of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-adonis-to-spearhead-osbornes-new-independent-national-infrastructure-commission 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-adonis-to-spearhead-osbornes-new-independent-national-infrastructure-commission Mon, 05 Oct 2015 10:15:00 GMT Unprotected departments face an average funding cut of around 27% by the end of this Parliament, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. In an outlook report for the upcoming Spending Review, the think tank found that plans to eliminate the deficit set out by chancellor George Osborne in the July Budget meant overall cuts of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-and-rates-may-help-councils-escape-27-drop-in-central-grant 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-and-rates-may-help-councils-escape-27-drop-in-central-grant Mon, 05 Oct 2015 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities will receive “additional funding” to assist with costs incurred in refugee resettlements, but it remains unclear how many years’ worth of expenses will be covered. In a letter published in the Times, Richard Harrington MP, minister for Syrian refugees, said that extra cash would be handed to councils to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-additional-funding-past-first-year-of-refugee-settlements 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-additional-funding-past-first-year-of-refugee-settlements Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:45:00 GMT The first ever public health leader has been appointed in Greater Manchester as part of its £6bn healthcare devolution deal involving the NHS and social care budgets. Wendy Meredith – now formally the director of population health transformation – will work with senior councillors and healthcare bosses to oversee and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-public-health-leader-to-take-reins-of-devolved-health-budget-in-greater-manchester 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-public-health-leader-to-take-reins-of-devolved-health-budget-in-greater-manchester Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:45:00 GMT George Osborne is set to sign a £900m devolution deal for the Sheffield City Region, including a directly elected mayor – the first of the 38 national bids submitted ahead of the Spending Review. Osborne will be in the city later today (2 October) to announce the deal following a month of “detailed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-region-set-to-sign-900m-devolution-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-region-set-to-sign-900m-devolution-deal Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:45:00 GMT Councils have agreed to close about 30 “redundant” public sector websites in collaboration with the Government Digital Service (GDS) to ensure the government’s digital presence is streamlined and in accordance to guidelines. The move follows an audit of all gov.uk domains belonging to local authorities, devolved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-agree-to-scrap-30-redundant-public-websites 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-agree-to-scrap-30-redundant-public-websites Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT Plans by the Metropolitan Police to outsource its services to the private sector present “huge risks” and could reduce the mayor’s flexibility in helping the police deal with funding reductions, the London Assembly has warned. In a report published yesterday (30 September), the assembly’s Budget & Performance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourcing-risky-met-deals-could-threaten-services-and-mayoral-accountability 454,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourcing-risky-met-deals-could-threaten-services-and-mayoral-accountability Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:45:00 GMT Directors of children’s services are worried that “essential services” will not be adequately funded in the future to cope with a sustained increase in demand, PSE has been told.  Alison O’Sullivan, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), told us that one of the biggest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-service-directors-worried-about-spending-review- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-service-directors-worried-about-spending-review- Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:30:00 GMT A lack of funding and government leadership is at fault for local authorities’ slow adoption of 20mph limits, according to a new study. The ‘GO 20’ research report, published by road safety charity Brake, suggests that although many councils recognise the cost of installing signage is likely to be outweighed in the long... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-red-tape-discouraging-councils-from-20mph-zones 433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-red-tape-discouraging-councils-from-20mph-zones Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:00:00 GMT Nottingham has seen the sharpest proportional increase in deprivation over the last five years, up by 8% to a total of 61 neighbourhoods amongst the most deprived decile nationally. Figures released yesterday (30 September) by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) indicated that the city rose from 25th most deprived... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-deprivation-levels-rise-sharply-while-london-boroughs-improve 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-deprivation-levels-rise-sharply-while-london-boroughs-improve Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:00:00 GMT Investment in new capacity in the publicly-funded care sector has “largely dried up”, with the first-ever net fall in beds. Between October 2014 and March 2015, 3,000 more beds in the elderly care sector ‘closed’ than ‘opened’. The research, led by healthcare analysts LaingBuisson, also found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-ever-net-fall-in-care-sector-beds-as-public-investment-dries-up 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-ever-net-fall-in-care-sector-beds-as-public-investment-dries-up Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:15:00 GMT Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are a “big pressure” for local councils, which have seen a tenfold increase in the number of cases received in the last year, and need to be fully funded, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).  Cllr Izzi Seccombe, the LGA’s portfolio holder for Community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-not-have-to-absorb-150m-dols-deficit-lga 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-not-have-to-absorb-150m-dols-deficit-lga Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT The number of homeless families in temporary accommodation outside their local authority district rose by 25% in June compared to the same time last year, according to a report by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Councils are also failing to offer permanent accommodation to homeless applicants, with 63% of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-rise-in-homeless-families-sent-to-temporary-housing-outside-their-district 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-rise-in-homeless-families-sent-to-temporary-housing-outside-their-district Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT Midland Main Line and TransPennine railway electrification works are set to restart under plans announced by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin today (30 September). The ‘unpause’ is part of Sir Peter Hendy’s work to reset Network Rail’s enhancements programme, which was going massively over-budget and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midland-main-line-electrification-unpaused-but-completion-delayed-by-three-years 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midland-main-line-electrification-unpaused-but-completion-delayed-by-three-years Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT The Labour Party is expected to solidify its support towards rail renationalisation plans today (29 September) after the National Executive Committee (NEC) proposes that the government should not wait until franchises expire before making services public. During today’s Labour conference, the NEC will put forward a statement on rail... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-to-back-renationalising-railways-and-vow-to-end-top-down-politics 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-to-back-renationalising-railways-and-vow-to-end-top-down-politics Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT Pursuing devolution plans and slashing debt may be hindered due to poor handling of financial information by local authorities, a credit agency has found. Fitch Ratings said local authorities cannot easily compare their finances with those of international councils because of variance in presentation and omission of certain details from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investment-in-devolution-and-debt-may-be-hindered-by-complex-council-accounts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investment-in-devolution-and-debt-may-be-hindered-by-complex-council-accounts Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT There has been a tenfold increase in the number of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications received by councils in the last year, according to new figures from the HSCIC.  Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015, local authorities received 137,540 DoLS applications – significantly more than the 13,700 made in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-see-tenfold-increase-in-dols-applications-costing-an-extra-172m 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-see-tenfold-increase-in-dols-applications-costing-an-extra-172m Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:15:00 GMT The responsibility of commissioning key public health childhood services, including health visitors and family nurses, will transfer to the hands of councils this Thursday (1 October). The “momentous” move forms the “final piece of the jigsaw” in the reshaping of public health services, originally commissioned and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/countdown-to-momentous-transfer-of-0-5-public-health-commissioning-to-councils 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/countdown-to-momentous-transfer-of-0-5-public-health-commissioning-to-councils Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:30:00 GMT Lord Kerslake, president of the Local Government Association, has called on leaders in the public sector to encourage “pride” and “civic duty” among its workforce to counteract the effect of government cuts.  Speaking at Odgers Interim’s Public Sector reception, the former leader of the Civil Service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workforce-pride-must-be-encouraged-to-counteract-cuts--kerslake 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workforce-pride-must-be-encouraged-to-counteract-cuts--kerslake Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:15:00 GMT Bus funding must benefit from a “total overhaul” in the upcoming Spending Review in order to halt the harsh effects of reduced services and slashed budgets nationwide, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. As part of a wider funding report, the LGA called for devolved powers, a package of budgetary reforms and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pressed-councils-call-for-total-overhaul-of-bus-funding-to-rescue-existing-schemes 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pressed-councils-call-for-total-overhaul-of-bus-funding-to-rescue-existing-schemes Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne and seven council leaders have announced a £24bn investment as part of the government’s ‘Northern Pitchbook’, designed to build and improve infrastructure and encourage regeneration projects across the north. Council leaders – including Michael Jones from Cheshire East Council, Joe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-benefit-from-24bn-regeneration-projects-across-the-north 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-benefit-from-24bn-regeneration-projects-across-the-north Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:45:00 GMT Unless fire and rescue services (FRS) can retain the capacity to invest in fire prevention work, which has resulted in a reduction of incidents, there will be an “inevitable rise in incidents” and “fire related deaths”.  This is according to a report presented to the Local Government Association’s Fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire-services-must-not-lose-capacity-to-invest-in-prevention-lga-committee-told- 870,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire-services-must-not-lose-capacity-to-invest-in-prevention-lga-committee-told- Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:30:00 GMT The National Housing Federation (NHF) is consulting its members on a voluntary agreement to extend Right to Buy to housing association tenants. The move was announced during the National Federation of Housing conference yesterday (24 September), where communities secretary Greg Clark said: “Your tenants share the same hopes and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhf-proposes-voluntary-agreement-to-extend-right-to-buy-to-housing-association-tenants 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhf-proposes-voluntary-agreement-to-extend-right-to-buy-to-housing-association-tenants Fri, 25 Sep 2015 11:30:00 GMT Local highways authorities receive significantly less maintenance cash per kilometre than national roads managed by Highways England, despite far more local roads than national being in “urgent need” of repair. A report by pteg, the Passenger Transport Executive Group, which represents six metropolitan transport bodies in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-roads-get-only-a-third-of-highways-funding-per-km-despite-need-for-urgent-repairs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-roads-get-only-a-third-of-highways-funding-per-km-despite-need-for-urgent-repairs Thu, 24 Sep 2015 11:15:00 GMT Government plans to release enough public land to build up to 100,000 new houses have been branded “wishful thinking dressed up as public policy” by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as it revealed that the DCLG does not record information on the number of houses built. In an inquiry into the government’s land... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-cornered-over-housing-crisis-as-it-lacks-any-record-of-land-disposal 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-cornered-over-housing-crisis-as-it-lacks-any-record-of-land-disposal Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:15:00 GMT The government must “spell out far more clearly” how much support will be provided to help councils deal with the “urgent” Syrian refugee issue after alleged discrepancies in Whitehall’s cash promises. In a letter to communities secretary Greg Clark MP, the chair of the Commons communities and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-challenge-clark-over-refugee-cash-for-councils 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-challenge-clark-over-refugee-cash-for-councils Thu, 24 Sep 2015 09:45:00 GMT The government’s High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project has reached a “major milestone” as chancellor George Osborne opened the bidding process for the first phase of construction works. During a five-day tour of China, Osborne invited suppliers to start bidding for seven new contracts with a combined value of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-opens-bidding-process-for-118bn-high-speed-rail-contracts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-opens-bidding-process-for-118bn-high-speed-rail-contracts Thu, 24 Sep 2015 09:30:00 GMT Recently South Tyneside Council warned that over the next four years up to 600 jobs could be lost at the organisation, and other local authorities are warning of redundancies as the government’s austerity measures start to bite.  But being able to accurately forecast or analyse how many redundancies may happen over the course... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-difficulty-in-quantifying-council-job-cuts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-difficulty-in-quantifying-council-job-cuts Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:00:00 GMT Public sector borrowing in August was £12.1bn, which was £1.4bn more than a year earlier, mostly because local authorities borrowed more than initially expected. Market economists had expected a drop in borrowing to £9bn, so were surprised at the figures, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-borrowing-up-by-more-than-2bn 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-borrowing-up-by-more-than-2bn Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:15:00 GMT Home care visits must last at least 30 minutes and be tailored the individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, NICE’s first guideline for the social care sector has recommended. The guidance states that home care visits to elderly patients should only last less than half an hour if the worker is known to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-care-visits-should-last-30-minutes-and-be-personalised--nice 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-care-visits-should-last-30-minutes-and-be-personalised--nice Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:00:00 GMT Guest blog by Ewan King, director of business development and delivery at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Winter is fast approaching. For the NHS, it is a time for a period of intense collective worry. How will the NHS cope with another difficult winter? When the focus at times like this is almost entirely on how we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/with-hospitals-going-on-red-alert-communities-can-help-take-the-strain- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/with-hospitals-going-on-red-alert-communities-can-help-take-the-strain- Wed, 23 Sep 2015 09:00:00 GMT A new £100m government programme based on the existing ‘Trouble Families’ initiative could reform poorly targeted spending, support the integration of local services and help vulnerable adults, a think tank has suggested. The Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has drafted plans for a new ‘Breaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-families-style-programme-could-reform-spend-on-social-exclusion--ippr 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-families-style-programme-could-reform-spend-on-social-exclusion--ippr Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:00:00 GMT The government’s construction ‘pipeline’, created to give the supply chain clarity over upcoming spending, is “incomplete, erratic and unreliable” according to a new review, which has found that projected spending worth billions of pounds has simply disappeared from it. Accountancy giant KPMG analysed the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-billion-pound-drop-in-public-spend-indicates-incomplete-and-unreliable-pipeline 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-billion-pound-drop-in-public-spend-indicates-incomplete-and-unreliable-pipeline Tue, 22 Sep 2015 12:30:00 GMT Jeremy Corbyn will unveil plans next week to renationalise the railways as his first official policy since becoming Labour leader. If he becomes prime minister at the next election, plans for a ‘People’s Railway’ would lead to a third of franchises being returned to public ownership by 2025. According to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/corbyn-pushes-ahead-on-renationalisation-even-as-network-rail-faces-full-privatisation 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/corbyn-pushes-ahead-on-renationalisation-even-as-network-rail-faces-full-privatisation Mon, 21 Sep 2015 11:00:00 GMT Bringing housing within the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime could “relieve hard-pressed local authority budgets”, a report co-commissioned by the chair of a new cross-industry government panel has found. The report, ordered by planning consultants Quod and law firm Bond Dickinson but carried out by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/let-housebuilders-bypass-full-planning-process--ministerial-adviser 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/let-housebuilders-bypass-full-planning-process--ministerial-adviser Mon, 21 Sep 2015 10:45:00 GMT A team of four diversity experts has been appointed by the Cabinet Secretary to help the Civil Service become “more representative of modern Britain”.  Sir Jeremy Heywood said the new advisers will work to challenge policies and provide advice to ministers and the leadership of the Civil Service to help make it become a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-diversity-advisers-to-help-civil-service-be-a-socially-inclusive-employer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-diversity-advisers-to-help-civil-service-be-a-socially-inclusive-employer Mon, 21 Sep 2015 09:30:00 GMT Another 25 JobCentre areas across England have started implementing universal credit today (21 September). The new all-in-one benefit is only being offered to single claimants applying for unemployment benefits as part of the first phase of its delayed nationwide roll-out. It will bring together six benefits and tax credits –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/another-24-areas-from-durham-to-reading-roll-out-universal-credit 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/another-24-areas-from-durham-to-reading-roll-out-universal-credit Mon, 21 Sep 2015 09:15:00 GMT Council leaders have backed calls from organisations representing consumers, providers and commissioners of adult social care services for the government to ensure “adequate and sustained” funding for services. In a united voice, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Care and Support Alliance (CSA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shortfall-in-social-care-funds-is-growing-by-700m-a-year-as-crisis-deepens 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shortfall-in-social-care-funds-is-growing-by-700m-a-year-as-crisis-deepens Mon, 21 Sep 2015 09:15:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee has blamed the Home Office’s “hands-off” approach to police forces for its hindered ability to deliver services, claiming it does not understand the true impact of cuts on local policing. In its first report of the new Parliament, looking at the financial sustainability of the 43 police... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-failures-cast-doubt-on-efficiency-of-local-police-forces 435,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-failures-cast-doubt-on-efficiency-of-local-police-forces Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office has launched an investigation into Kids Company to inspect the grounds on which Whitehall provided cash to the now-defunct charity. It will look into the funding it received from the government and how these grants were monitored, with a findings report expected in the autumn. The charity, which supported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-to-investigate-whitehall-relationship-with-defunct-kids-company 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-to-investigate-whitehall-relationship-with-defunct-kids-company Fri, 18 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT The “inexplicable” 80:20 split of New Home Bonus (NHB) cash allocated to two-tier areas should be reviewed to incentivise better growth and efficiency, the County Councils Network (CCN) has warned in its response to the Spending Review. County councils currently receive 20% of NHB money, which they argue will have negative net... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fundamentally-unfair-new-homes-bonus-disparity-must-be-rebalanced--ccn 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fundamentally-unfair-new-homes-bonus-disparity-must-be-rebalanced--ccn Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:45:00 GMT Scottish finance secretary and deputy first minister John Swinney MSP threatened to block additional devolved powers to Holyrood unless there was a fair deal on money. After the issue came up at Westminster yesterday during PMQs, Swinney discussed it in the Scottish Parliament, saying the devolution proposed in the 2015 Scotland Bill... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-threatens-to-pull-plug-on-holyrood-devolution-plans 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-threatens-to-pull-plug-on-holyrood-devolution-plans Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:00:00 GMT District councils have urged communities secretary Greg Clark MP to change “conflicting” housing policies, after new figures showed only one in eight properties sold under the Right to Buy scheme have been replaced in the last three years. The District Councils’ Network (DCN) warned that Clark risks cutting the supply... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failure-to-replace-right-to-buy-homes-prompts-call-for-shake-up 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failure-to-replace-right-to-buy-homes-prompts-call-for-shake-up Thu, 17 Sep 2015 09:30:00 GMT The House of Commons has backed £4.4bn plans to reduce the earnings level threshold above which tax credits are withdrawn from £6,420 to £3,850. MPs approved the motion, originally put forth by chancellor George Osborne, in a marginal victory of 35 votes during a 90-minute debate yesterday (15 September). This was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-back-controversial-44bn-tax-credit-cuts 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-back-controversial-44bn-tax-credit-cuts Wed, 16 Sep 2015 16:45:00 GMT Public sector employment in the UK is at its lowest level since the start of data collection in 1999, figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. The data, released today (16 September), showed that the public sector staff pool crashed by 16,000 from the first to the second quarter of the year – its lowest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bleak-future-ahead-for-public-sector-as-employment-continues-to-crash 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bleak-future-ahead-for-public-sector-as-employment-continues-to-crash Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:15:00 GMT Planning minister Brandon Lewis launched yesterday (15 September) a panel of experts to help streamline local planning processes by cutting down on the amount of time councils take to secure them. The eight-person group will consider how to simplify the plan-making process in order to provide greater assurances within communities in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cross-industry-panel-to-simplify-and-accelerate-local-planning-processes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cross-industry-panel-to-simplify-and-accelerate-local-planning-processes Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:45:00 GMT Claire Brennan, managing consultant and public sector specialist at Change Recruitment Group, which has offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, discusses the impact that finance professionals originally from the private sector are having in the public sector. Following the downturn in the economy and the onset of the age of austerity, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/retaining-financial-stars-is-crucial-for-the-public-sector 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/retaining-financial-stars-is-crucial-for-the-public-sector Wed, 16 Sep 2015 09:45:00 GMT ‘Health matters’, a new resource for public health professionals, will help support commissioning and service delivery across eight priority areas. The resource, launched today (15 September) at Public Health England’s (PHE’s) annual conference in Warwick, will bring together local and national level data, policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phe-launches-health-resource-to-support-commissioning-and-policymaking 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phe-launches-health-resource-to-support-commissioning-and-policymaking Wed, 16 Sep 2015 08:30:00 GMT Productivity and growth in the UK are being put at risk by a series of “persistent” policy issues that the current model of governance and existing institutions are unable to solve, a report by the Institute for Government (IfG) has found. The core issues is a lack of inadequate investment in infrastructure, such as railways... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-productivity-threatened-by-institutional-weaknesses-in-government-ifg 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-productivity-threatened-by-institutional-weaknesses-in-government-ifg Tue, 15 Sep 2015 15:30:00 GMT The controversial Trade Union Bill, which will tighten rules on strike action by setting thresholds for strike ballots, passed its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday (14 September). It was voted through by 317 votes to 284 after a heated six-hour debate in the chamber, during which Labour MPs dubbed it “draconian... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/draconian-trade-union-bill-clears-second-reading-in-commons 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/draconian-trade-union-bill-clears-second-reading-in-commons Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT The combination of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and high BMI is the biggest overall contributor to the total number of years lived with ill-health, new research shows. A new study published by the Lancet, funded by the Department of Health and led by Public Health England (PHE), found that potentially preventable risk factors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/study-shows-people-are-living-longer-but-with-more-public-health-issues-phe 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/study-shows-people-are-living-longer-but-with-more-public-health-issues-phe Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is probing the Ministry of Justice following concerns that the department is not responding to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests quickly enough. It will review its performance in relation to requests received between 1 September and 30 November 2015 after the statutory time limit of 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moj-under-watchdog-scrutiny-over-foi-delays 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moj-under-watchdog-scrutiny-over-foi-delays Mon, 14 Sep 2015 11:15:00 GMT David Cameron has appointed a cross-departmental minister to focus purely on the settlement of Syrian refugees in the UK. The prime minister said Richard Harrington MP has been appointed minister jointly at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the Home Office and the Department for International Development. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/richard-harrington-appointed-minister-for-syrian-refugees 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/richard-harrington-appointed-minister-for-syrian-refugees Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:30:00 GMT Nearly half of district councils across England want to join a combined authority, a survey has suggested.  A survey of the District Councils’ Network’s (DCN’s) 200 members revealed that 47% of districts would look to join a combined authority in an effort to “strengthen local economies” by playing their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-half-of-districts-looking-to-join-a-combined-authority- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-half-of-districts-looking-to-join-a-combined-authority- Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:00:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded a new contract to an American engineering and procurement company that intends to save the public sector £4.8m on office management services through smarter purchasing. The Facilities Management (FM) Assurance agreement, granted to Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), will offer a single... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-agreement-to-save-48m-on-public-sector-office-management-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-agreement-to-save-48m-on-public-sector-office-management-services Mon, 14 Sep 2015 09:45:00 GMT Jeremy Corbyn, elected leader of the Labour party on Saturday (12 September), has unveiled the first members of his shadow cabinet. Two of the top jobs went to John McDonnell MP, who ran Corbyn’s campaign and has been named shadow chancellor, and Andy Burnham MP, the new shadow home secretary – who came a distant second in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/corbyn-appoints-first-roles-in-labour-shadow-cabinet 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/corbyn-appoints-first-roles-in-labour-shadow-cabinet Mon, 14 Sep 2015 09:30:00 GMT Radical transformation proposals to integrate police, fire and rescue and ambulance services were detailed by prime minister David Cameron today (11 September). Measures included in a consultation paper published today, set to run until 23 October, seek to overhaul how the ‘blue light’ services work by encouraging tight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/emergency-services-will-be-forced-to-integrate--cameron 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/emergency-services-will-be-forced-to-integrate--cameron Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:15:00 GMT The high volume of devolution bids submitted to Whitehall means that proposals still at an early development stage could be “squeezed out” by those that are closer to implementation or more in line with government priorities, the LGA has warned. In its agenda report ahead of an executive meeting on 17 September, the LGA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-volume-of-devolution-bids-could-squeeze-out-some-councils--lga 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-volume-of-devolution-bids-could-squeeze-out-some-councils--lga Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:15:00 GMT Councils across England are now able to bid for a portion of a new £5m fund to fit buses with green technology. The Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015, launched yesterday (10 September), is providing councils with up to £500,000 shares of the total cash pot. The amount is deemed enough to retrofit hundreds of existing buses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-bid-for-share-of-5m-eco-friendly-bus-fund 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-bid-for-share-of-5m-eco-friendly-bus-fund Fri, 11 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT A total of 38 local areas across England have put in proposals for devolution deals, prime minister David Cameron has confirmed. Cameron disclosed the information as part of a keynote speech ahead of the Spending Review that will address the main principles that will underpin the next round of reforms and public spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-bids-submitted-by-38-areas-ahead-of-spending-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-bids-submitted-by-38-areas-ahead-of-spending-review Fri, 11 Sep 2015 12:45:00 GMT Guest blog by Billy D’Arcy, managing director for O2’s Public Sector Business.  The provision of government online services remains high on the government’s agenda, with the Conservative administration continuing its investment in adapting the way the public sector is engaging with citizens in our digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/addressing-citizens-digital-needs-why-we-should-see-this-as-an-opportunity- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/addressing-citizens-digital-needs-why-we-should-see-this-as-an-opportunity- Fri, 11 Sep 2015 11:30:00 GMT The implications for natural security could be “considerable” if the planned cuts to departments responsible for tackling illegal migration, organised crime and supporting UK diplomacy take place, according to Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). According to the think tank, steep reductions in spending would undermine the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-security-at-risk-under-potential-home-office--fco-budget-cuts--rusi 454,433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-security-at-risk-under-potential-home-office--fco-budget-cuts--rusi Fri, 11 Sep 2015 11:30:00 GMT The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has urged the government to loosen its “significant central control” of council tax. In its submission to the government’s spending review, the DCN advocates for council tax to be set locally, and fully endorses the Local Government Association’s call for the abolition of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/districts-councils-call-for-council-tax-control 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/districts-councils-call-for-council-tax-control Thu, 10 Sep 2015 11:00:00 GMT Millions of unemployed households eligible for benefits or tax credits will see a drop of more than £2,000 in their yearly earnings due to benefit and tax credit cuts, with no offset ‘compensation’ from the new national living wage, the IFS has revealed. The 8.4 million households also eligible for benefits that have at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-of-households-earnings-to-drop-despite-living-wage-ifs 433,442,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-of-households-earnings-to-drop-despite-living-wage-ifs Thu, 10 Sep 2015 10:15:00 GMT The government should take a “portfolio” view of the significantly higher number of financial institutions it now controls in order to oversee risks and assurances, the National Audit Office (NAO) has recommended. A portfolio approach would allow the government to provide oversight, identify and manage potential risk exposure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-should-supervise-soaring-number-of-financial-institutions--nao 435,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-should-supervise-soaring-number-of-financial-institutions--nao Thu, 10 Sep 2015 10:00:00 GMT Government proposals on strike laws are an ‘outdated response’ to industrial relations issues in the UK and could prove ‘counter-productive’, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).  In its submission to the consultation on proposals, which include plans for ballot thresholds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-strike-proposals-an-outdated-response-warns-cipd 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-strike-proposals-an-outdated-response-warns-cipd Thu, 10 Sep 2015 09:15:00 GMT A conference seeking to get behind the rhetoric of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and examine the reality is to be held at the University of Salford. The conference features senior public sector leaders from across Greater Manchester, exploring the economic, infrastructure and social consequences of the new policy towards the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exploring-the-future-of-the-northern-powerhouse 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exploring-the-future-of-the-northern-powerhouse Wed, 09 Sep 2015 16:15:00 GMT Long-term local road repairs will be impossible to carry out unless the government increases the budget for it, the LGA has warned. Cllr Peter Box, transport spokesman for the association representing councils across England in Wales, said the £1.2bn backlog of road repairs would take councils more than a decade to clear, squeezing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-road-repairs-impossible-without-consistent-funding--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-road-repairs-impossible-without-consistent-funding--lga Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT The National Children’s Bureau (NCB) is urging ministers and local health services to narrow the gap in public child health and renew strategies to tackle the issue after revealing a “shocking postcode lottery” in early development. Its research has found “startling variations” in child health nationwide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-services-must-tackle-shocking-child-health-postcode-lottery 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-services-must-tackle-shocking-child-health-postcode-lottery Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:45:00 GMT Public sector employers are predicting the need to cut posts rather than take on workers as a result of weakened nationwide confidence around the upcoming Spending Review, a Manpower employment survey has shown. It revealed that the public sector employment outlook has slipped to -1% for the first time since the end of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-to-see-job-cuts-in-q4-as-employment-confidence-slumps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-to-see-job-cuts-in-q4-as-employment-confidence-slumps Tue, 08 Sep 2015 12:30:00 GMT The 64 peers who did not speak at all in the House of Lords in the past year claimed nearly £1.3m in allowances and expenses, according to new research by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). It also surfaced that 30 ‘silent’ peers failed to speak during the whole of the last Parliament but claimed almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ers-calls-for-lords-reform-as-silent-peers-claim-13m-in-expenses 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ers-calls-for-lords-reform-as-silent-peers-claim-13m-in-expenses Tue, 08 Sep 2015 12:15:00 GMT The “chronic underfunding” of social care by councils could drive 24% of care providers out of the market and worsen the bed shortage crisis by 40,000 places, according to the National Care Association. It has pinpointed the “critical shortfall” in average state funding of about 8% for a typical care home placement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chronic-underfunding-of-social-care-could-drive-out-providers-and-worsen-bed-crisis 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chronic-underfunding-of-social-care-could-drive-out-providers-and-worsen-bed-crisis Mon, 07 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT The councils seeking to form the West Midlands Combined Authority have submitted their bid to the government, including demands for an £8bn devolved package of funds focused on transport, skills and growth. The seven councils are open to having an elected ‘metro mayor’ in return for the extra local powers, though say... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-submits-8bn-devolution-bid 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-submits-8bn-devolution-bid Mon, 07 Sep 2015 10:30:00 GMT Six organisations have been shortlisted for their local work to reshape public services, and have won funding to continue their work to put service users and communities “in the driving seat” of change. The ‘Enabling State’ competition was launched by Carnegie UK Trust after a two-year research programme that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-organisations-win-funds-for-reshaping-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-organisations-win-funds-for-reshaping-public-services Mon, 07 Sep 2015 10:15:00 GMT Money will be diverted from the UK’s international aid budget to help councils pay for the costs of settling thousands of Syrian refugees, the government says. Chancellor George Osborne said the money diverted from the £11.8bn aid budget will fund the refugees – especially orphans – for their first year in the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-get-emergency-funds-to-help-more-syria-refugees 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-get-emergency-funds-to-help-more-syria-refugees Mon, 07 Sep 2015 10:00:00 GMT New and more flexible approaches are needed in the way decision makers assess transport infrastructure plans in the light of devolution, a new report has suggested.  The ‘Full Speed Ahead’ report, published by PwC and the Smith Institute following roundtables with transport industry specialists, from councils and LEPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-new-approaches-in-devolved-transport-decision-making- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-new-approaches-in-devolved-transport-decision-making- Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:00:00 GMT Camden and Islington councils have proposed plans to merge their ICT teams by April 2016 in an attempt to save up to £4m per year.  Due to government cuts, the local authorities are expected to deliver a combined saving of up to £185m by 2018-19. A review by SOCITM earlier this year found “a clear alignment in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-and-islington-propose-shared-it-service 439,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-and-islington-propose-shared-it-service Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:15:00 GMT Council leaders have urged the government to devolve at least £60bn worth of funding to local areas over the next five years.  The call comes as cities and county areas across the country are set to meet today's (4 September) preliminary devolution deadline and submit deals to the chancellor.  One deal that was being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-pitch-for-at-least-60bn-in-devolved-funding- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-pitch-for-at-least-60bn-in-devolved-funding- Fri, 04 Sep 2015 11:45:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron has announced details of how the government will open 500 free schools during this Parliament. Cameron has pledged to deliver two ‘waves’ of new schools every year until 2020, aiming to create 270,000 school places countrywide. The first 18 projects of this have been given the green light with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-delivery-of-two-yearly-waves-of-new-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-delivery-of-two-yearly-waves-of-new-schools Thu, 03 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT Thousands of low-income families will be progressively worse off from April despite the planned increase in the minimum wage, according to a report by Unison published yesterday (2 September). The report shows that changes to tax credits will supersede the higher wages and personal tax allowances and leave families almost £2,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorer-homes-to-lose-money-with-new-wage-con-trick--unison 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorer-homes-to-lose-money-with-new-wage-con-trick--unison Thu, 03 Sep 2015 14:15:00 GMT Former prime minister Gordon Brown is to give evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution in the UK next week.  Mr Brown will attend a session of the APPG, which is being chaired by Lord Kerslake, on 8 September to give his expertise on the question of devolution in which he has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gordon-brown-to-give-evidence-devolution-inquiry 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gordon-brown-to-give-evidence-devolution-inquiry Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:45:00 GMT The performance of local authorities in Wales has continued to improve across many of their local services, despite councils facing significant budget cuts, new data has revealed.  Figures released by the Local Government Data Unit today reveal that in 2014-15 63% of comparable performance indicators have improved over the past year.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-continue-to-improve-services-despite-austerity-cuts- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-continue-to-improve-services-despite-austerity-cuts- Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:00:00 GMT The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) has expressed “deep concern and disappointment” about the government’s £200m cuts to public health budgets, urging it to “review and reverse its decision”. The ADPH has previously sent letters to chancellor George Osborne and prime minister David... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-directors-urge-reversal-of-200m-cuts-to-services 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-directors-urge-reversal-of-200m-cuts-to-services Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:30:00 GMT The new requirement for businesses bidding for government contracts to demonstrate a “clear commitment” to apprenticeships will add “red tape and bureaucracy to procurement opportunities”, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned. Dr Adam Marshall, BCC’s executive director of policy and external... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-to-be-yet-another-hoop-smes-have-to-jump-through 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-to-be-yet-another-hoop-smes-have-to-jump-through Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:00:00 GMT Only 8% of Britain’s public sector frontline workers have access to 4G connectivity, despite more than half of them saying it is “very or fairly” important to their organisation. New research by YouGov and Vodafone UK found that few workers – including police officers, district nurses and social workers – had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/less-than-1-in-10-public-sector-staff-benefiting-from-4g-connectivity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/less-than-1-in-10-public-sector-staff-benefiting-from-4g-connectivity Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:00:00 GMT Fly-tipping across England is continuing to rise, with the cost to councils escalating, new figures show.  A Freedom of Information request by the Press Association to more than 200 councils, who gave information for the past three financial years, highlighted that the number of incidents rose in 2014-2015 to 529,462 up from 527,777... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-money-going-on-fly-tipping-when-it-could-fund-critical-services--lga 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-money-going-on-fly-tipping-when-it-could-fund-critical-services--lga Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:45:00 GMT More male adult social care workers are needed to attend to the new demands of a longer-lived male population, according to Care England, which represents independent care providers. Its chief executive, Professor Martin Green, told BBC Radio 4 yesterday (31 August) that the government should be “much more systematic” in its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-male-carers-needed-to-match-ageing-population--care-england 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-male-carers-needed-to-match-ageing-population--care-england Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:45:00 GMT Upcoming Spending Review measures will pile an extra £10bn of pressure onto councils and local services, new LGA analysis revealed today (1 September). It has calculated that critical new government policies, to be announced in November and implemented over the next five years, will cost councils £6.3bn. They will also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-will-open-10bn-hole-in-council-budgets 436,441,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-will-open-10bn-hole-in-council-budgets Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:00:00 GMT Council leaders on Merseyside have agreed to submit a bid to the government by 4 September for devolved powers and funding, including the election of a mayor for the Liverpool City Region.  The city region combined authority – made up of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral – will draft proposals that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-to-submit-devolution-bid-ahead-of-spending-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-to-submit-devolution-bid-ahead-of-spending-review Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:45:00 GMT The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments will hinder the transformation of local government, penalise councils and make younger staff redundant, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executive and Senior Managers (Solace) has warned. It is “strongly opposed” to the new regulations outlined in the government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cap-on-exit-payments-will-hinder-councils-and-hamper-recruitment--solace 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cap-on-exit-payments-will-hinder-councils-and-hamper-recruitment--solace Fri, 28 Aug 2015 12:15:00 GMT Cllr Gary Porter, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), has been made a peer in the dissolution peerages list following the last general election. He is a long-serving councillor on South Holland District Council, and has been leader since 2003. Porter, who is the first councillor to chair both the LGA and the Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-chair-gary-porter-made-a-lord 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-chair-gary-porter-made-a-lord Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:15:00 GMT This may be a positive year for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), with some good news finally flowing in after the European Regional Development Fund open its doors to small local firms earlier this month. Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock announced today new “ambitious targets” to get more small businesses working... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smes-will-get-1-of-every-3-the-government-spends 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smes-will-get-1-of-every-3-the-government-spends Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:00:00 GMT The government is to consult on whether to extend the crime of ‘wilful neglect’ to social workers, teachers and councillors.  Earlier this year, the prime minister set out the idea of extending the criminal offence, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years, following the Rotherham child sex abuse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wilful-neglect-could-apply-to-public-sector-workers-who-fail-to-report-abuse 870,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wilful-neglect-could-apply-to-public-sector-workers-who-fail-to-report-abuse Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT The use of bailiffs by councils to collect debts has soared over the last two years, research by the debt charity Money Advice Trust has found. Local authorities in England and Wales used private bailiffs to collect council tax, parking debts, housing benefit overpayments and unpaid business rates over 2.1 million times last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-use-of-bailiffs-for-public-debt-collection-on-the-rise 435,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-use-of-bailiffs-for-public-debt-collection-on-the-rise Thu, 27 Aug 2015 09:15:00 GMT Councils and childcare providers are being urged to come forward with “innovative and flexible” ideas of how to deliver 30 weekly hours of free childcare from September 2016. The move comes shortly after reviews as to how the sector could increase average funding rates paid to providers. The government is now calling on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-propose-free-childcare-ideas- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-propose-free-childcare-ideas- Wed, 26 Aug 2015 15:45:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) announced plans to amalgamate data from different government departments and councils in order to assess the Troubled Families programme, which benefits from action and funding by various public services. To ensure the money is being used to “best effect” and current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-and-ons-launch-cross-party-scheme-to-assess-troubled-families-programme 435,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-and-ons-launch-cross-party-scheme-to-assess-troubled-families-programme Wed, 26 Aug 2015 12:15:00 GMT Not every public sector worker will be receiving the 1% pay rise promised to staff in the government’s Summer Budget, according to a letter sent to seven pay review bodies by the Treasury. Treasury chief secretary Greg Hands MP (pictured) said in the letter – addressed to representatives of the NHS, doctors and dentists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-public-sector-staff-to-miss-out-on-pay-rise-over-next-5-years 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-public-sector-staff-to-miss-out-on-pay-rise-over-next-5-years Wed, 26 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT Almost half of the adult social care services across the central region need to improve, according to recent reports by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspections, which focus on whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, rated 14 services as “requiring improvement” in a total of 37... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-half-of-social-care-providers-failing-in-central-region 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-half-of-social-care-providers-failing-in-central-region Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:45:00 GMT Finance ministers from all three UK devolved administrations issued a warning that austerity plans present “unnecessary risks to our public services” after a “deeply unfair” Summer Budget. In a joint statement to Treasury chief secretary Greg Hands MP, the ministers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-scottish-and-ni-finance-ministers-warn-against-too-fast-too-far-austerity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-scottish-and-ni-finance-ministers-warn-against-too-fast-too-far-austerity Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is calling for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to “properly resource the department” after it announced the hiring of 2,889 new staff less than two months after shedding 3,671 JobCentre Plus workers. DWP is advertising for 2,289 staff primarily for administrative roles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-blamed-for-casualisation-of-staff-after-june-shake-up 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-blamed-for-casualisation-of-staff-after-june-shake-up Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith MP is planning a sickness benefit shake-up to get one million more people with a disability or illness into work. Duncan Smith announced intentions during a speech yesterday (24 August) to overhaul the current system, which he has branded as too “binary” and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sickness-benefit-overhaul-to-achieve-a-more-personalised-approach 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sickness-benefit-overhaul-to-achieve-a-more-personalised-approach Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT Rural communities will see more devolution of power, more connectivity and starter home housebuilding as part of a new rural productivity plan. The government has vowed to encourage further devolution proposals in return “for strong and accountable local government”, such as by electing a mayor, in order to “boost rural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-key-element-of-rural-economy-boost 433,436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-key-element-of-rural-economy-boost Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:15:00 GMT The County Council Network (CCN) has warned that, despite a delay in the implementation of the Care Act part 2, local care markets will remain on the brink of collapse without government investment.  The CCN’s chair elect, Cllr Paul Carter, has written to health secretary Jeremy Hunt arguing there is growing evidence that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-care-markets-facing-financial-ruin-warn-county-councils- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-care-markets-facing-financial-ruin-warn-county-councils- Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:00:00 GMT Government plans for ballot thresholds in public services and to let employers to hire agency staff during strike action are ‘not fit for purpose’, according to the independent body appointed to scrutinise such proposals.  The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), appointed by the government in July, has said the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposals-for-public-service-strike-thresholds-not-fit-for-purpose 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposals-for-public-service-strike-thresholds-not-fit-for-purpose Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:00:00 GMT The upcoming Spending Review on 25 November will be a “litmus test” of whether the government is committed to investing in public health and prevention, a report by the King’s Fund has said. Despite public health bulletins featuring “prominently” in the NHS Five Year Forward View – which outlines that a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-will-be-governments-public-health-litmus-test--think-tank 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-will-be-governments-public-health-litmus-test--think-tank Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:00:00 GMT Planning Inspectorate (PINS) chief executive Simon Ridley will return to the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) as the new director general for devolution. Ridley, who acted as the director of local government finance at DCLG from 2010-14, will now take charge of ‘decentralisation and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-devolution-director-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-devolution-director-announced Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a new team of non-executive board members after a shake-up in June saw four top non-execs step down. Liz Doherty, Sir Martin Narey and Lizzie Noel will join the board alongside Sir Theodore Agnew, lead non-executive member taking over form Tim Breedon. The non-executive board had been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moj-appoints-non-exec-team-following-reshuffle 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moj-appoints-non-exec-team-following-reshuffle Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service (CSC) has signed a new ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) with Oracle, the government’s database provider, despite previous attempts to ditch the service. The MoU, a non-legal statement of intent, will extend services with Oracle over the next three years. The scope also now includes other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-extends-controversial-contract-with-oracle 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-extends-controversial-contract-with-oracle Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT Local roads, bus services and cycling could bear the brunt of “disproportionally” severe cuts as part of this autumn’s spending review, transport campaign groups have warned.  Signatories to a letter organised by the Campaign for Better Transport to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin warn that since major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-groups-fear-severe-spending-cuts-for-local-services- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-groups-fear-severe-spending-cuts-for-local-services- Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT South Tyneside Council has warned that up to 600 jobs could be lost as part of its plans to make further savings of at least £55m.  Since 2010 the local authority has saved over £120m and more than 1,000 staff have taken voluntary redundancy, but due to the anticipated reductions in the government grant further job losses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-600-jobs-could-be-axed-at-south-tyneside-council 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-600-jobs-could-be-axed-at-south-tyneside-council Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT Less than 3% of government procurement spend goes to small start-up companies, according to new analysis by open data experts Spend Network funded by Nesta. The research, part of an ongoing commitment to explore the role of government in supporting start-ups and innovation in the UK, looked at three years’ worth of procurement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-invests-less-than-3-of-procurement-cash-in-smes 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-invests-less-than-3-of-procurement-cash-in-smes Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT Education secretary Nicky Morgan has launched a literacy campaign seeking to enrol every eight year old at their local library, partly as a response to research proving strong reading skills help people succeed and enjoy better health. Morgan plans to give every child aged eight a library card as part of a ‘national mission’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-launches-auto-enrolment-literacy-campaign-despite-library-cuts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-launches-auto-enrolment-literacy-campaign-despite-library-cuts Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:15:00 GMT PSE’s Luana Salles investigates the aims and progress of a new programme championing the creation of ‘healthy places’. In 35 years, three in every five British men will be obese. Half of the women you know will follow suit. The mere prospect is a bitter pill to swallow – and to never exercise off – but the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/active-by-design 441,870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/active-by-design Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Oliver Robbins (pictured), director general of Civil Service Reform at the Cabinet Office, discusses the upcoming Civil Service Live events, what is on offer and how people can get involved. As cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service Sir Jeremy Heywood recently observed, the Civil Service has made huge strides in modernising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-live-the-biggest-learning-opportunity-of-the-year-for-civil-servants 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-live-the-biggest-learning-opportunity-of-the-year-for-civil-servants Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Mark Fisher (pictured), director of the Government Innovation Group and Office for Civil Society, based in the Cabinet Office, explains why all government departments since the end of June are offering a minimum of three days a year paid special leave for volunteering. There is a great tradition in this country of people devoting their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-volunteers-great-traditions-great-skills 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-volunteers-great-traditions-great-skills Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Debbie Simpson, a former senior civil servant who three years ago founded the Institute for Continuous Improvement in Public Services charity, has been recognised with a European-level award for her work. PSE caught up with her. ICiPS, the Institute for Continuous Improvement in Public Services, was founded in 2012 to help public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/continuous-improvement- 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/continuous-improvement- Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Cllr Julie Dore (pictured), leader of Sheffield City Council and the Core Cities cabinet member for finance and investment, talks to PSE about the need for a place-based settlement and comprehensive spending review. In late July the chancellor launched his ‘A country that lives within its means’ document, which outlines the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-place-based-spending-review- 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-place-based-spending-review- Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Digital economy minister Rt Hon Ed Vaizey MP (pictured) writes for PSE about the recently launched £10m Internet of Things demonstrator competition and how local authorities can get involved. It’s a fair bet, I think, that if you asked a cross section of the population what they understood by the expression ‘The Internet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-encouraged-to-take-lead-on-internet-of-things-initiatives- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-encouraged-to-take-lead-on-internet-of-things-initiatives- Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Sam Cox (pictured), knowledge officer for legal and welfare rights at the Alzheimer’s Society, responds to the Law Commission’s proposals for a framework to replace what it calls the “deeply flawed” Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). It is clear to the Alzheimer’s Society that the deprivation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-need-to-be-overhauled- 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-need-to-be-overhauled- Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Dr Lee Pugalis (pictured), Reader in Entrepreneurship and chair of the Research group for Economic Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (REDIE) at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, comments on the first comprehensive analysis of the planning roles of local enterprise partnerships. Since the birth of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hot-and-cold-spots-of-sub-national-strategic-development-and-planning-capacity 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hot-and-cold-spots-of-sub-national-strategic-development-and-planning-capacity Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT The Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme has launched an updated standard form of contract and procurement suite to aid both local authorities and contractors. Adam Hewitt spoke to Meg Booth, highways intelligence group manager at Devon County Council, one of the councils that’s helped to develop the new documents. HMEP, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-procurement-and-contract-management-in-the-highways-sector 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-procurement-and-contract-management-in-the-highways-sector Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Dr Onkar Sahota AM, chair of the London Assembly Health Committee, discusses the urgent need to integrate mental health services. David Stevenson reports. At any one time more than a million adults in London are estimated to have mental health problems, but getting access to the right care pathway and service is far too... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integration-vital-to-tackling-mental-health-in-the-capital- 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integration-vital-to-tackling-mental-health-in-the-capital- Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Dundee City Council is among a handful of public sector organisations shortlisted in the 2015 Low Carbon Champions Awards. PSE spoke to the council’s corporate fleet manager, Gary McRae. On 9 September, the 2015 Low Carbon Champions Awards will be announced at an event in Milton Keynes, during the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-the-drive-for-electric-fleets 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-the-drive-for-electric-fleets Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Q&A with Justin Tomlinson MP, minister for disabled people at the Department for Work & Pensions, who talks to PSE about the work of the government’s Disability Confident campaign. Q) The Disability Confident campaign has just celebrated its second anniversary. How do the scheme’s aims fit in with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-well-positioned-to-lead-the-way-on-disability-employment 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-well-positioned-to-lead-the-way-on-disability-employment Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT A slimmed-down, more efficient local government property estate will be a good vantage point from which to judge the effectiveness of the government’s drive to transform the public sector, argues Kristian Scholfield, senior associate solicitor within Geldards’ specialist public services team. Described as a “bloated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-land-councils-urged-to-let-go 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-land-councils-urged-to-let-go Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Tom Copley AM (pictured), chair of the London Assembly’s Housing Committee, explains why there is a lot of cross-party concern about the government’s plans to extend right-to-buy to housing associations in London. In the 2015 Queen’s Speech the new government set out its plans to “dramatically” extend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-extending-right-to-buy-could-damage-social-housing 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-extending-right-to-buy-could-damage-social-housing Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT As the House of Lords completed its third reading of the Cities & Local Government Devolution Bill, a new inquiry into decentralisation and devolution opened. PSE’s David Stevenson spoke to the inquiry’s chair Lord Kerslake, who is passionate about devolution. The Cities & Local Government Devolution Bill will be sent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-immense-challenge-to-empower-local-communities-and-cities 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-immense-challenge-to-empower-local-communities-and-cities Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT PSE has long been supportive of the ‘Keep it Local’ campaign, run by Locality – the membership body for community organisations. The thrust of the campaign is that some ‘common sense’ ideas actually have pernicious consequences, including the repeated drives to save money via economies of scale, standardisation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-levels 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-levels Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT In light of the ruling by the Supreme Court on UK air quality plans, Steve Rawson, head of retrofit engineering at Eminox, looks at options available to local authorities. When the Supreme Court justices made their ruling in May, the culmination of a five-year battle fought by ClientEarth, they were unanimous in their decision, saying:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/something-in-the-air 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/something-in-the-air Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Service delivery usually benefits when neighbourhood and community level organisations are in charge. But the current devolution debate is centred too much on cities and counties, says Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality. Devolution down from Whitehall is a good and welcome thing – but could be so much better. That’s a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-traps-in-the-devolution-debate 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-traps-in-the-devolution-debate Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT Nehal Davison (pictured), senior researcher at the Institute for Government, discusses how a new project will explore what attempts have been made to integrate public service delivery at a local level and make it more responsive to citizen needs. Everyone knows that public services are going to be hit hard over the next few years, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-needed-to-make-public-services-more-responsive-to-local-needs 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-needed-to-make-public-services-more-responsive-to-local-needs Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:30:00 GMT NHS public health staff are being advised to welcome e-cigarettes as a potential to help people quit smoking and tackle high smoking rates amongst those with mental health problems, after findings from a Public Health England (PHE) study released today (19 August). An independent review published by PHE concluded that e-cigarettes are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-staff-advised-to-promote-e-cigarettes 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-staff-advised-to-promote-e-cigarettes Wed, 19 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT Twelve political parties in Great Britain accepted almost £21m in donations between April and June, while six accepted almost £2m from public funds, according to new figures published by the Electoral Commission today (19 August). The first quarter of 2015, ahead of the general election, saw the largest total figure for any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-parties-cashed-in-almost-21m-in-donations-over-two-months 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-parties-cashed-in-almost-21m-in-donations-over-two-months Wed, 19 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT Tower Hamlets is set to appoint Will Tuckley as its new chief executive and head of paid services, having lured him to move across from the top job at Bexley in east London. Tower Hamlets Council members will receive a recommendation in a meeting next Wednesday to confirm the appointment of Tuckley. The council has had no permanent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-to-finally-appoint-top-job-role 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-to-finally-appoint-top-job-role Wed, 19 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT A new multi-agency partnership between the LGA and Public Health England (PHE) will seek to integrate fire & rescue services and the NHS in a move to carry out in-house health checks on elderly people. The LGA will work with NHS England and Age UK to improve the quality of life for people who would benefit from regular health checks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-agency-deal-to-integrate-fire-services-and-nhs 870,440,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-agency-deal-to-integrate-fire-services-and-nhs Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT A 67-acre site around King’s Cross Station will no longer be publicly-owned, as the government searches for a private buyer to redevelop the land as part of a multi-million pound deal, with all proceeds returning to the Treasury. The decision to sell the land in King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP) around the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sale-of-public-stake-in-345m-public-area-around-kings-cross-begins 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sale-of-public-stake-in-345m-public-area-around-kings-cross-begins Tue, 18 Aug 2015 12:30:00 GMT Young adults will lose benefits if they do not take up jobs, apprenticeships or unpaid work experience, while those under the age of 21 will no longer receive housing support. The measures are part of a new “no excuses” cross-government ‘earn or learn taskforce’ chaired by cabinet office minister Matt Hancock... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployed-young-claimants-to-lose-benefits-unless-they-attend-boot-camps 453,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployed-young-claimants-to-lose-benefits-unless-they-attend-boot-camps Tue, 18 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT By capping pay increases, whilst the cost of living is still rising, will drive increasing numbers on lower pay scales into the poverty bracket, meaning that they will have to claim tax credits and other benefits just to keep themselves within an adequate income level. What benefit then is there in freezing pay increases, if this just has to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-caps-are-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-caps-are-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT By increasing employee contributions in several unfunded public sector schemes, the government said it has saved £2.9bn.  The amount forms part of the government’s £18.6bn savings made in the last financial year through efficiency, reform and tackling fraud and error.  The schemes where the balance between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-pension-contribution-changes-save-government-3bn- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-pension-contribution-changes-save-government-3bn- Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:15:00 GMT East Sussex County Council has revealed intentions to scrap its ‘meals on wheels’ contract with single-provider Apetito.  Not only will this affect a number of staff jobs, but the service was used to deliver main meals and desserts directly to the homes of elderly people to ensure they were properly fed and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-services-do-and-dont-we-need 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-services-do-and-dont-we-need Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:15:00 GMT The government should incentivise economic growth through commuter tax benefits, which could potentially open up thousands more job opportunities for those living in smaller towns and more isolated cities, a new report has suggested.  The ‘On the Move’ report, from the right-of-centre Policy Exchange think tank, suggests... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commuters-should-get-tax-perks-to-get-to-better-jobs-think-tank 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commuters-should-get-tax-perks-to-get-to-better-jobs-think-tank Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT Emergency hospital admissions are down by more than a third in Cornwall, driven by an innovative campaign that helps to decrease people’s dependency on health and care services.  The ‘Living Well’ scheme, developed with Age UK, brings together people working in health, social care, the voluntary sector and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-care-cuts-hospital-admissions-in-cornwall-significantly 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-care-cuts-hospital-admissions-in-cornwall-significantly Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:00:00 GMT Councils are calling for more devolved powers to local education providers and construction employers in the face of a “growing mismatch” between the number of qualified housebuilders and the industry’s increasing demand for these skills. An analysis by the LGA showed that the government will not be able to fulfil its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/construction-skills-shortage-could-threaten-housing-goals 441,443,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/construction-skills-shortage-could-threaten-housing-goals Mon, 17 Aug 2015 09:45:00 GMT Croydon Council’s plan to introduce a controversial borough-wide licensing scheme for private landlords, costing hundreds of pounds per property, will go ahead after a legal challenge against it failed in the High Court.  The local authority faced a judicial review after Croydon Property Forum, an anonymous group of landlords... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/landlords-legal-bid-against-croydons-licensing-scheme-fails 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/landlords-legal-bid-against-croydons-licensing-scheme-fails Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT The poorest UK households are hit the hardest by taxes by having to contribute proportionately more than any other income group, research by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, compiled from Office of National Statistics data, has found today (14 August). While the top 10% of households paid a total of 34.6% of their gross income in taxes, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorest-hit-the-hardest-by-pernicious-tax-system 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorest-hit-the-hardest-by-pernicious-tax-system Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT Shale gas planning applications will be fast-tracked under a new government decision to override the influence of “slow and confused” councils with greater ministerial power over local administration. The measure, announced today (13 August), will give councils an ultimatum of 16 weeks to determine oil and gas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shale-gas-bids-to-be-fast-tracked-away-from-councils 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shale-gas-bids-to-be-fast-tracked-away-from-councils Thu, 13 Aug 2015 12:15:00 GMT Sir Eric Pickles has announced today (13 August) plans to review election fraud to determine what needs to be changed after a “wake-up call” from the recent election court ruling in Tower Hamlets. The Cabinet Office has appointed Pickles, the communities secretary from 2010-15, as the country’s ‘anti-corruption... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-to-probe-election-fraud-after-tower-hamlets-scandal 435,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-to-probe-election-fraud-after-tower-hamlets-scandal Thu, 13 Aug 2015 11:45:00 GMT Unemployment has continued to grow throughout the UK for the second month in a row, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). From April to June 2015, there were 25,000 more people unemployed than in January-March, amounting to a total of 1.85 million unemployed jobseekers. Unemployment has been on an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobless-total-grows-by-25000 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobless-total-grows-by-25000 Thu, 13 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has reiterated that the use of B&B accommodation by councils is not suitable to house young homeless people – even in an emergency.  Following an investigation into Lancashire County Council, after a vulnerable teenager with significant behavioural problems was housed by the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-warns-councils-not-to-house-young-people-in-bbs- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-warns-councils-not-to-house-young-people-in-bbs- Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:30:00 GMT The number of parents in England being prosecuted for their child skipping school has increased dramatically in the last year, new figures have revealed.  According to Ministry of Justice figures, obtained through an FoI request by the Press Association, in 2014 16,430 people were prosecuted for failing to ensure their children went... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-increase-in-parents-prosecuted-over-child-truancy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-increase-in-parents-prosecuted-over-child-truancy Wed, 12 Aug 2015 13:15:00 GMT The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned it will always take tough action against providers that deliver “unacceptable” care, the regulator’s chief inspector of adult social care has warned.  Last week, the CQC took legal action to stop The Old Village School Nursing Home, run by Old Village Care Limited, in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-will-always-take-tough-action-over-poor-care--sutcliffe- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-will-always-take-tough-action-over-poor-care--sutcliffe- Wed, 12 Aug 2015 13:00:00 GMT Council chiefs have stated that Ofsted plans to introduce new multi-agency child safeguarding inspections from this autumn lack “clarity” and could add “pressure” to already stretched services.  In a joint response the watchdog’s proposals on joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs), the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-chiefs-critical-of-ofsteds-multi-agency-child-safeguarding-inspections 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-chiefs-critical-of-ofsteds-multi-agency-child-safeguarding-inspections Wed, 12 Aug 2015 12:45:00 GMT Sensitive and confidential information is lost or stolen by councils an average of four times a day, a campaign group has found through Freedom of Information requests. The research, conducted by Big Brother Watch, found that local authorities recorded a total of 4,236 data breaches between April 2011 and 2014 – nearly 700 of which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-breach-data-protection-laws-four-times-a-day 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-breach-data-protection-laws-four-times-a-day Tue, 11 Aug 2015 17:15:00 GMT The government has launched a £26m housebuilding fund to support councils in delivering high-quality properties for first-time buyers. Communities secretary Greg Clark MP announced the fund as a boost to the government’s starter home initiative, which aims to help buyers under 40 buy their first home with a 20% discount off... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-starter-home-36m-fund-to-support-councils-in-housebuilding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-starter-home-36m-fund-to-support-councils-in-housebuilding Tue, 11 Aug 2015 17:15:00 GMT A series of further personnel changes have ensued in the Government Digital Service (GDS) after Mike Bracken stepped down from his leadership role on 3 August. Stephen Foreshew-Cain, the chief operating officer at GDS, will succeed Bracken as the new head of the service. Chris Ferguson, formerly the government’s Verify user... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gds-leader-revealed-as-three-others-quit 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gds-leader-revealed-as-three-others-quit Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:45:00 GMT Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn MP has proposed a ‘radical reboot’ of housebuilding by giving councils the tools to build and provide homes in order to meet their local affordable housing demands. In his housing manifesto, released last week, Corbyn said the most efficient way of achieving at least 240,000 new yearly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/corbyn-pledges-to-reverse-housing-crisis-through-radical-systemic-reboot 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/corbyn-pledges-to-reverse-housing-crisis-through-radical-systemic-reboot Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT The proportion of public sector employers planning a basic pay increase for staff has fallen again as uncertainty in the sector rises. But the number of employers planning a pay freeze has also fallen since Q1 (from 18% to 13%). In fact, nearly half of public sector employers (45%) are unsure whether their organisation will be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fewer-public-sector-employers-planning-pay-rises-for-staff 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fewer-public-sector-employers-planning-pay-rises-for-staff Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:15:00 GMT Almost half of London children are not ‘school ready’ by age five and will therefore struggle with literacy, numeracy, physical and social skills, a new report by Public Health England (PHE) has suggested today (10 August). Two in every five children – or nearly 40,000 – did not achieve a ‘good level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-half-of-kids-in-capital-not-school-ready-by-age-five 453,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-half-of-kids-in-capital-not-school-ready-by-age-five Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:00:00 GMT Almost all carers who are entitled to Carer’s Credit to fill gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record are not claiming it, the Department for Work and Pensions has revealed today (10 August). Just one in 20 carers eligible to receive the credit have signed up for it, meaning 95% of nationwide carers – or 190,000 people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-one-in-20-eligible-carers-claim-benefits-credit 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-one-in-20-eligible-carers-claim-benefits-credit Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:15:00 GMT Local authority leaders have called on the government to set up a council tax discount scheme for unpaid carers ‘playing a pivotal part in supporting the chronically-underfunded adult social care system’.  Under the Local Government Association’s (LGA’s) proposed scheme, carers who provide at least an hour of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-council-tax-reduction-scheme-for-unpaid-carers- 445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-council-tax-reduction-scheme-for-unpaid-carers- Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:45:00 GMT There seems to be another option, which would be that trade unions actually pay for the service to support direct deductions from pay. There would be income generation for employers as well as a simple way to make union payments. Why aren't the unions campaigning to get this type of amendment into the Bill? Re: Controversial law... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/check-off-abolition 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/check-off-abolition Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:45:00 GMT Bury has cut its landfill waste by nearly 4,000 tonnes and increased its recycling rate by over 10% since becoming the first council in the country to adopt a controversial three-weekly grey bin collection policy last year. Figures for May show that the borough’s households have produced 3,923 less tonnes of grey bin waste, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bury-recycling-rates-tops-charts-due-to-pioneer-scheme 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bury-recycling-rates-tops-charts-due-to-pioneer-scheme Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:15:00 GMT A judicial review will examine whether three top-tier councils are failing to comply with their legal duties by favouring in-house foster placements over those offered through voluntary sector providers. The Administrative Court has recently given the green light to proceed with the review after an application by the Nationwide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-to-investigate-claims-that-councils-failed-in-their-foster-duties 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-to-investigate-claims-that-councils-failed-in-their-foster-duties Fri, 07 Aug 2015 14:30:00 GMT Councils will help to “pick up the pieces” after the children’s charity Kids Company closed its doors yesterday evening, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.  The charity, which supported severely abused and traumatised children, closed its doors at 7pm after running out of money. Camila Batmanghelidjh... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-help-pick-up-the-pieces-after-kids-company-closure 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-help-pick-up-the-pieces-after-kids-company-closure Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:30:00 GMT Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and individual local firms will be able to apply for a share of the £2.6bn European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in a “major shift to more localised spending”. The funding supports research, innovation and business development in small to medium-sized enterprises while striving to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-and-smes-can-now-apply-for-eu-development-funding 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-and-smes-can-now-apply-for-eu-development-funding Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:15:00 GMT The “outdated practice” of automatically deducting trade union subscriptions from the salaries of public sector workers will be abolished under the Trade Union Bill. The government has announced the move today (6 August) as a way to “modernise the relationship between employees and their preferred trade unions”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversial-law-will-abolish-check-off-union-subs-in-public-sector 446,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversial-law-will-abolish-check-off-union-subs-in-public-sector Thu, 06 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT Comprehensive education will replace academies and free schools, while social care will be fully integrated into the NHS if Andy Burnham gets the chance to implement his plans as Labour leader. The MP for Leigh is the frontrunner in the betting markets to become the party’s next leader, and has unveiled his manifesto today. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burnham-pledges-to-scrap-academies-tuition-fees-and-social-care-costs 433,453,436,441,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burnham-pledges-to-scrap-academies-tuition-fees-and-social-care-costs Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:15:00 GMT Public authorities in Gloucestershire have submitted their bid to the government asking for greater control over the county’s economy, public sector and healthcare services. The document, entitled ‘We are Gloucestershire’, is backed by the county council, the six district councils, GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucestershire-pushes-for-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucestershire-pushes-for-devolution Wed, 05 Aug 2015 17:15:00 GMT Three county councils have united to fight for greater infrastructure investment as part of a groundbreaking strategic alliance to boost economic growth. The councils – Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire – decided to cooperate on this single issue, rather than create a formal combined authority or similar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-council-alliance-seeks-3bn-transport-investment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-council-alliance-seeks-3bn-transport-investment Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:45:00 GMT Mayors and local councils will be able to tailor Sunday trading rules to their regional needs under new government plans. A consultation has been launched today (5 August) into reforms that would allow shops and high streets to stay open for longer on Sundays to compete with online retailers and shopping centres. Councils will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-gain-control-over-sunday-trading-times 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-gain-control-over-sunday-trading-times Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:15:00 GMT Two councils have won a legal victory against government proposals calling for the exemption of small developers from contributing towards affordable housing. Reading Borough Council and West Berkshire Council joined forces earlier this year to block plans that allowed developments under 10 homes to be excused from Section 106 agreements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-win-housing-fight-to-overturn-s106-exemption 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-win-housing-fight-to-overturn-s106-exemption Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:15:00 GMT The quality of care assessment for vulnerable children and young people is improving despite key issues still persisting in common areas, according to an Ofsted survey published today (4 August). The good news follows a number of recent reports identifying generally poor-quality assessment across several councils. Quality assessment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/assessments-of-vulnerable-children-are-improving--ofsted 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/assessments-of-vulnerable-children-are-improving--ofsted Tue, 04 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT Councils are speaking out against £200m government cuts to public health after a long-awaited consultation on how the savings should be applied was unveiled on Friday (31 July). The month-long consultation asks councils to suggest how the cuts should be implemented. It suggests either a flat rate of 6.2% applied to all or varied... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-say-200m-public-health-cuts-make-no-economic-sense 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-say-200m-public-health-cuts-make-no-economic-sense Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:30:00 GMT Government proposals to overhaul the provision of language and translation services across the public sector could put these essential services at risk, the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) warned. Crown Commercial Services (CCS) has just finished consulting on a draft framework set to change current agreements covering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-proposals-will-wreck-translation-services-in-public-sector--atc 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-proposals-will-wreck-translation-services-in-public-sector--atc Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:15:00 GMT I wonder if George Osborne is prepared for some of the responses he might receive? Today I’ve emailed all public sector workers to ask for their views on how we can continue to do more with less. — George Osborne (@George_Osborne) August 3, 2015 The recent decision to increase MPs’ pay by 10%, from £67,060... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/curious-george 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/curious-george Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:30:00 GMT A new £3.1m fund has been launched to deliver an enhanced child sexual exploitation outreach service in Rotherham.  The funding, provided by the KPMG Foundation, the DfE, the DCLG and Rotherham Borough Council over the next three years, will pay for an extra 15 specialist workers to help those children who have been sexually... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-era-in-fight-against-child-sex-exploitation-in-rotherham- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-era-in-fight-against-child-sex-exploitation-in-rotherham- Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:45:00 GMT All public sector staff in customer-facing roles must be able to speak fluent English as of next month. Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock MP confirmed yesterday (2 August) that workers will need to attain at least ‘level 2’, equivalent to a C or above at GCSE. The requirement could increase depending on the nature of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/immigration-bill-will-demand-english-fluency-in-public-sector 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/immigration-bill-will-demand-english-fluency-in-public-sector Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:15:00 GMT Here in Cornwall, the unitary authority has made the decision to introduce charges to all at waste sites, on the grounds that the revenue generated exceeds the cost of responding to fly-tipping incidents. Needless to say, it is not an attitude which has been well received: however, every decision made is about money these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charging-at-waste-sites-increases-fly-tipping 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charging-at-waste-sites-increases-fly-tipping Mon, 03 Aug 2015 08:45:00 GMT High take-up rates of superfast broadband have activated a clause in the government’s contract with BT that mean the company will return £129m to the public purse, writes Poppy Murray. The money will be given to councils to reinvest in providing further superfast broadband coverage to even more homes and businesses, much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bt-returns-129m-to-councils-to-reinvest-in-superfast-broadband 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bt-returns-129m-to-councils-to-reinvest-in-superfast-broadband Sat, 01 Aug 2015 12:00:00 GMT Bernadette Kelly has been appointed as the Department for Transport’s new director general for the Rail Executive, replacing Clare Moriarty who is to taking over as permanent secretary at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).  Prior to her new appointment, Kelly was the director general for Business and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-names-new-rail-executive-boss 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-names-new-rail-executive-boss Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:15:00 GMT The government has launched a consultation on capping redundancy pay-offs for public sector workers at a maximum of £95,000. Plans to cap payments, which had been included in the Queen’s Speech in May, are moving from theory into reality after an announcement today (31 July) by chief secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-launched-on-public-sector-payouts-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-launched-on-public-sector-payouts-cap Fri, 31 Jul 2015 12:45:00 GMT Pursuing the devolution agenda completely on a model of city-based deals could mean that local empowerment and neighbourhood-level devolution get “missed out”, PSE has been told.  Lord Kerslake, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and now crossbench peer who is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neighbourhoods-not-just-cities-need-more-powers-lord-kerslake 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neighbourhoods-not-just-cities-need-more-powers-lord-kerslake Fri, 31 Jul 2015 04:00:00 GMT Bill Crothers has stepped down from his position as Whitehall’s chief commercial officer today (30 July). He is currently helping recruit his successor after deciding “that it is the right time to move to the next stage of his career”, but will continue acting as a commercial advisor in the future for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehalls-chief-commercial-officer-steps-down 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehalls-chief-commercial-officer-steps-down Thu, 30 Jul 2015 12:30:00 GMT A survey has revealed widespread stress, overwork and concern about pay among public sector workers. The poll of 1,274 public sector professionals indicated that 41% say their salary doesn’t cover the cost of living plus leisure activities. A separate clutch of private sector workers were also surveyed, but the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-fifths-of-public-sector-workers-say-pay-fails-to-cover-cost-of-living 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-fifths-of-public-sector-workers-say-pay-fails-to-cover-cost-of-living Thu, 30 Jul 2015 12:15:00 GMT Councillors and ambassadors from Bournemouth’s West Howe are looking for potential investors in a series of regeneration projects as part of a masterplan to revitalise the impoverished estate. The region – one of the most deprived in England, with 37% of residents living below the poverty line – has recently been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/groundbreaking-project-looks-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-through-urban-design 454,441,442,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/groundbreaking-project-looks-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-through-urban-design Thu, 30 Jul 2015 11:30:00 GMT Representatives from Great Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester City Council and Leeds City Council joined David Cameron and business secretary Sajid Javid yesterday (29 July) on a Northern Powerhouse-focused ‘trade mission’ to Asia. The four-day trip with the prime minister is an effort to boost investment in the north... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-embark-on-northern-powerhouse-trade-mission 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-embark-on-northern-powerhouse-trade-mission Thu, 30 Jul 2015 09:45:00 GMT Local authorities, commissioners and healthcare professionals have published draft guidelines designed to improve the care of people with learning disabilities by increasing community-based services. The programme is a joint effort between NHS England, the LGA, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-model-to-improve-learning-disability-services-lga 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-model-to-improve-learning-disability-services-lga Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:45:00 GMT Mark Lloyd has been appointed the new chief executive of LGA, taking over from Carolyn Downs, who is off to take the top job at Brent. He is currently the chief executive at Cambridgeshire County Council, where he focused on economic growth such as overseeing the £500m city deal. He also led the development and implementation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mark-lloyd-appointed-lga-chief-executive 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mark-lloyd-appointed-lga-chief-executive Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT District councils could be forced to scrap plans to build 42,000 new homes over the next 30 years as a result of cuts to social housing rents, according to new research released today. The survey and analysis by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) involving 73 stock-holding districts showed that government plans to cut rents by 1%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rent-cuts-could-threaten-plans-for-42000-new-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rent-cuts-could-threaten-plans-for-42000-new-homes Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities are urging retailers to provide ‘take back’ services after spending millions of pounds annually clearing up bulky waste and enforcing against record fly-tipping levels. Latest figures show that councils had to fork out £20m in half a million enforcement actions against fly-tipping in 2013-14 and spent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fly-tipping-levels-and-costs-at-a-record-high 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fly-tipping-levels-and-costs-at-a-record-high Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:00:00 GMT Factors within councils’ own control – not just demographics – account for most of the variation of recycling rates across the UK, research by resource efficiency experts WRAP has shown. WRAP identified these influencing factors as whether a local authority has a food waste collection or not and whether they had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-account-for-highest-variation-in-local-recycling 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-account-for-highest-variation-in-local-recycling Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:15:00 GMT One thousand children in care attend three or more schools within a single academic year while 10% of students move at least once a term during their GCSE year, new figures have shown. The report by think tank Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) revealed ‘shocking instability’ during the academic year 2013-14 for vulnerable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/education-for-children-in-care-shockingly-unstable-report 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/education-for-children-in-care-shockingly-unstable-report Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:15:00 GMT I can’t speak for all departments, but consumer protection nationally is way past the ‘pips squeaking’ phase, and in many authorities is essentially non-existent, leaving the most vulnerable consumers with no protection at all, and the risk of serious harm increasing across the board. Re: Councils face £7bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-left-for-councils-to-cut 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-left-for-councils-to-cut Mon, 27 Jul 2015 08:45:00 GMT The government will scrap funding for its unsuccessful flagship household energy Green Deal scheme as a result of low take-up, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Energy secretary Amber Rudd MP announced that the Green Deal home improvement fund, which works as a cash back scheme to install efficiency measures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-scraps-green-deal-scheme-funding 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-scraps-green-deal-scheme-funding Fri, 24 Jul 2015 12:15:00 GMT The eight shortlisted winners of a £20m fund to increase the number of local plug-in taxis have each received a government-backed feasibility study into environmentally-friendly travel opportunities in their area. The potential winners will receive ‘vital’ insight into how local authorities could use the fund to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-feasibility-study-to-boost-eight-shortlisted-taxi-scheme-bids 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-feasibility-study-to-boost-eight-shortlisted-taxi-scheme-bids Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:00:00 GMT Annual public sector borrowing has decreased by £6.1bn compared to the same period last year, an analysis by the Office for National Statistics has found. So far in this financial year the public sector has borrowed £25.1bn with the Office for Budget Responsibility expecting a total of £69.5bn until March 2016. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slow-but-sure-public-sector-borrowing-decrease 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slow-but-sure-public-sector-borrowing-decrease Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:00:00 GMT Boris Johnson has been pushing for greater devolved power for London councils by seeking extra powers over skills, criminal justice, transport and housing. Despite the mayor’s time at City Hall coming to an end in less than a year, he is still intent on meeting the pace set by recent autonomy deals for the regions of Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-presses-for-more-devolution-to-london 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-presses-for-more-devolution-to-london Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:15:00 GMT A quarter of local authorities have not even started making preparations to switch to universal credit and are frustrated  about the confusion surrounding the transition, according to a report by Ipsos MORI carried out on behalf of the DWP. Of the 145 council benefit managers surveyed, 25% reported not having started preparing while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quarter-of-frustrated-las-not-preparing-for-universal-credit 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quarter-of-frustrated-las-not-preparing-for-universal-credit Thu, 23 Jul 2015 09:30:00 GMT If government departments are made to find up to a further 40% of savings by 2020, local councils could be faced with a £7bn decrease to the local government finance settlement, it has been suggested.  Responding to the launch of the chancellor’s spending review yesterday, Cllr Gary Porter, chair of the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-face-7bn-shortfall-with-proposed-departmental-cuts 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-face-7bn-shortfall-with-proposed-departmental-cuts Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:45:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is “not on track” for delivering its spending review target for reducing fraud and error, the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed.  In its ‘Fraud and Error Stocktake’ report, the auditors found that, based on current estimates, the department has only been able... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-not-on-track-for-achieving-fraud-and-error-reductions- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-not-on-track-for-achieving-fraud-and-error-reductions- Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:45:00 GMT Government proposals to cut rents paid by social housing tenants by 1% a year will cost councils £2.6bn by the end of this government, new analysis by the LGA has revealed. The reduction, effective from 2016 and last for four years, would in effect increase councils’ costs by £234m in the first year to over £1bn by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-social-housing-rents-will-end-up-costing-councils-26bn--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-social-housing-rents-will-end-up-costing-councils-26bn--lga Tue, 21 Jul 2015 15:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has announced an additional £20bn in cuts in an effort to “finish the job of fixing public finances”, according to a government report released today (21 July). After announcing £12bn cuts from welfare and £5bn from addressing avoidance, evasion and imbalances in the tax system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-announces-another-20bn-in-departmental-cuts 436,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-announces-another-20bn-in-departmental-cuts Tue, 21 Jul 2015 12:30:00 GMT By Josie Cluer, public sector lead at transformation consultancy Moorhouse The Major Projects Authority (MPA) has just published its third Annual Report. There are distinct signs that it is beginning to improve the way Whitehall carries out major programme delivery. Under the traffic light system it uses to assess confidence in delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-cheers-for-the-mpa 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-cheers-for-the-mpa Tue, 21 Jul 2015 09:00:00 GMT I guess you're not alone. Here in the village of Robertsbridge 155 new homes have been imposed on us. Inevitably this means green field development and we are in an AONB! The only way forward it seems is to get a Neighbourhood Plan for your parish. This is a method of allowing residents to have their say and select the least worst result.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inappropriate-housing-developments 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inappropriate-housing-developments Mon, 20 Jul 2015 12:30:00 GMT MPs will be debating the highly controversial Welfare Reform and Work Bill today (20 July) in the House of Commons for the first time. Generally accepted provisions of the Bill include a duty to report annually on progress made towards full employment as well as made against the target creation of three million apprenticeships. It will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-welfare-reform-debate-will-define-fate-of-child-poverty 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-welfare-reform-debate-will-define-fate-of-child-poverty Mon, 20 Jul 2015 12:15:00 GMT Council spending has fallen by almost a third since 2010, with housing and planning suffering the biggest losses. Figures released today (20 July) by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) show that local authority per capita budgets in England decreased by 32%, adjusted for inflation. Housing alone saw a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-drops-by-32-under-cameron 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-drops-by-32-under-cameron Mon, 20 Jul 2015 12:00:00 GMT The system for supporting young people leaving foster or residential care in England is not “working effectively” and support varies widely between local authorities, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.  In its ‘Care leavers’ transitions to adulthood’ report, the NAO stated that since November... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-support-systems-for-care-leavers-not-working-effectively 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-support-systems-for-care-leavers-not-working-effectively Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:15:00 GMT The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) says the government’s decision to delay the cap on care costs at £72,000 until 2020 is “understandable and inevitable”.  In a letter to the Local Government Association, Alistair Burt MP, the minister of state for community and social care, said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delay-to-elderly-care-costs-cap-understandable-and-inevitable--adass 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delay-to-elderly-care-costs-cap-understandable-and-inevitable--adass Mon, 20 Jul 2015 09:45:00 GMT MPs have been told that the DCLG did not monitor housebuilding after it released land for development due to fears about the “burden” being put on developers.  Giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee this week, Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary at the DCLG, said that in the future the Department will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-criticised-for-failing-to-monitor-housebuilding- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-criticised-for-failing-to-monitor-housebuilding- Fri, 17 Jul 2015 16:15:00 GMT The government announced today (17 July) that the cap on elderly care costs will be pushed back from next April until 2020. The decision came after an LGA letter earlier this month sent to health secretary Jeremy Hunt and Osborne. It said it would be “deeply damaging to press ahead with a costly and ambitious reform programme if the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elderly-care-costs-cap-delayed-until-2020 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elderly-care-costs-cap-delayed-until-2020 Fri, 17 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) just confirmed that MPs will get a 10% pay rise bringing their salaries up to a whopping £74,000 – whether they like it or not. This is despite Cameron urging Ipsa not to proceed with the pay rise, which the authority argues is actually a ‘pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-will-be-forced-to-make-more-money 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-will-be-forced-to-make-more-money Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:00:00 GMT Cornwall is to become the first county to take over control of many local services from Whitehall, which is expected to bring “jobs and prosperity” to the area.  The Cornwall devolution deal will give the area control of bus services, adult skills and regional investment, and health and social services will also be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-first-county-to-win-devolution-deal 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-first-county-to-win-devolution-deal Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:15:00 GMT Council leaders have stated that student performance shouldn’t be judged on “short-term measures” such as exam league tables and Ofsted inspections, but instead on where people are finding employment or further learning opportunities once they have left school.  In last week's Budget, the government announced plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-collective-accountability-on-educational-success- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-collective-accountability-on-educational-success- Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:15:00 GMT There are “serious concerns” that the sale of additional affordable social housing stock in London, both housing association and local authority, could result in “considerable detriment” to the capital’s mixed and balanced communities.  This was one of the issues for consideration raised in a background... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-right-to-buy-extension-could-be-detrimental-to-mixed-communities 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-right-to-buy-extension-could-be-detrimental-to-mixed-communities Thu, 16 Jul 2015 10:45:00 GMT The proportion of children in poverty living in a working family has increased in the last five years, an Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report into living standards has revealed.  Despite rising employment between 2009-10 and 2013-14, which led to a rise in the number of children living with working parents, at the same time... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-study-63-of-children-in-poverty-live-in-working-families 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-study-63-of-children-in-poverty-live-in-working-families Thu, 16 Jul 2015 10:30:00 GMT SIG Building Systems is to build the groundbreaking Ladywell ‘pop-up’ village by March 2016, Lewisham Council has confirmed.  Designed by Rogers Stirk Habour + Partners architects, the moveable development, estimated to cost about £4.3m, will provide homes for 24 families and space for community and business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lewishams-pop-up-temporary-housing-solution-due-in-march-2016 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lewishams-pop-up-temporary-housing-solution-due-in-march-2016 Wed, 15 Jul 2015 14:45:00 GMT The number of people employed in the public sector is at an all-time low, according to this month’s report from the Office for National Statistics. With just 5.37 million public sector employees in March, it was the lowest figure since comparable records began in 1999. This accounts for less than 20% of people in employment. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-at-all-time-low 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-at-all-time-low Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:00:00 GMT The Government Digital Service and the Crown Commercial Service, working with techUK, are running a series of Digital Marketplace buyer and supplier events. The 14 free nationwide events in seven different cities in August and September will raise awareness of the Digital Marketplace, educate buyers in the public sector on how to find... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-digital-marketplace-buyer-and-supplier-events 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-digital-marketplace-buyer-and-supplier-events Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:15:00 GMT Rail and road transport projects across the UK have won tens of millions of pounds of EU funding under the Connecting Europe Facility scheme. Among the projects that will be part-funded by the European Commission is an upgrade of the signalling technology at Ashford International station, which will be upgraded to the ETCS (European Train... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-transport-projects-win-eu-funding 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-transport-projects-win-eu-funding Tue, 14 Jul 2015 14:30:00 GMT Half of the disadvantaged English families with two-year-olds entitled to free childcare through a government scheme are not using it. This is despite the fact that the costs of keeping a two-year-old in full-time nursery education have reached £918 a month or around £11,000 a year, according to the Family and Childcare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-disadvantaged-two-year-olds-are-not-benefiting-from-free-childcare- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-disadvantaged-two-year-olds-are-not-benefiting-from-free-childcare- Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:30:00 GMT The potential of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) is being held back by their “unclear status” and “unfamiliarity with town planning”, a new study by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has claimed.  LEPs are voluntary partnerships between local authorities and businesses set up in 2011 by central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-held-back-by-unclear-status--rtpi-report 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-held-back-by-unclear-status--rtpi-report Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:45:00 GMT Last week’s Summer Budget may not have outlined the government’s next round of cuts to councils and the public sector as a whole, but it did dish out punishment for the sector’s workers.  After the last five years of hardship I don’t think anyone expected a major reprieve, but for pay awards to be frozen at 1%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-misery-for-public-sector-workforce 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-misery-for-public-sector-workforce Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:45:00 GMT I have read your article and hope you can help. We live in Staffordshire Moorlands in Blythe Bridge and Forsbrook Parish. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have proposed sites on green belt land for housing development and we are in the consultation period at present. There is an action group and information is online but many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-belt-land-is-meant-to-stop-urban-sprawl 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-belt-land-is-meant-to-stop-urban-sprawl Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:30:00 GMT The Law Commission has unveiled its proposals for a framework to replace what it calls the “deeply flawed” Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).  As part of its consultation, launched last week, it states that DoLS are poorly understood, fail to take sufficient account of a person’s article 8 rights and are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/law-commission-lays-out-dols-replacement-in-consultation- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/law-commission-lays-out-dols-replacement-in-consultation- Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:30:00 GMT The new National Living Wage could cost councils £1bn a year and ultimately affect the quality of home and residential care, according to an analysis by the LGA, writes Luana Salles. The Living Wage for the over-25s across the UK was announced by chancellor George Osborne in the summer budget last week. Charity director at Age... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-living-wage-could-cost-councils-1bn-and-make-a-dent-in-social-care 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-living-wage-could-cost-councils-1bn-and-make-a-dent-in-social-care Mon, 13 Jul 2015 10:30:00 GMT The government has outlined proposals to introduce a new zonal system that will effectively give “automatic planning permission” on suitable brownfield sites across the country.  In George Osborne’s “Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation” document it was also noted that the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-unveils-major-reform-to-brownfield-land-development 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-unveils-major-reform-to-brownfield-land-development Fri, 10 Jul 2015 13:00:00 GMT Capping public sector pay increases at 1% for four years from 2016-17 could make it “harder to recruit and retain” quality workers, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.  Following the Summer Budget, the IFS stated that the promised budget balance, which has been shifted back to 2019-20 instead of 2018-19, in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cap-on-staff-pay-could-hinder-recruitment-and-retainment-ifs 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cap-on-staff-pay-could-hinder-recruitment-and-retainment-ifs Fri, 10 Jul 2015 12:30:00 GMT  The sexual abuse of children has left “permanent scars” not only on victims but on society as a whole, the chair of the Intendent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said.  Speaking during the opening of the Inquiry, Justice Lowell Goddard said the task ahead was “daunting” but provides a unique... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-has-left-permanent-scars 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-has-left-permanent-scars Thu, 09 Jul 2015 13:00:00 GMT The costs of delivering the government’s £12bn cuts to direct welfare must not simply be transferred to other public services and the third sector, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has warned.  During yesterday’s Summer Budget, the chancellor issued a wave of sweeping cuts to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-cut-costs-must-not-simply-transfer-to-other-services-cipfa 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-cut-costs-must-not-simply-transfer-to-other-services-cipfa Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:15:00 GMT The new chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed the move by the chancellor not to use his Summer Budget to further reduce in-year local government funding.  However, Cllr Gary Porter added that “councils will now be looking to the spending review in the autumn which will decide the future of our public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-spending-review-will-decide-future-of-public-services-lga- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-spending-review-will-decide-future-of-public-services-lga- Wed, 08 Jul 2015 17:15:00 GMT George Osborne has stated that the government is working towards devolution deals with the Sheffield City Region, Liverpool City Region, and Leeds, West Yorkshire and partner authorities as part of building a Northern Powerhouse.  He stated that the plans are to be agreed in parallel with the Spending Review. And if agreement is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-working-towards-further-devolution-deals- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-working-towards-further-devolution-deals- Wed, 08 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT The chancellor has announced that the government will only fund public sector workforces for a pay award of 1% for four years from 2016-17 onwards.  He said that this will save approximately £5bn and that the government expects pay awards to be applied in a “targeted manner” within workforces to support the delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-award-frozen-for-4-years 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-award-frozen-for-4-years Wed, 08 Jul 2015 14:00:00 GMT Thirty UK cities have signed a declaration calling on the government to take action on food poverty, warning that food banks are not the solution.  The cities, which represent more than 18 million citizens, are all members of the Sustainable Food Cities Network and want to see  “policy failures” addressed that have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-cities-call-on-government-to-tackle-food-poverty- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-cities-call-on-government-to-tackle-food-poverty- Wed, 08 Jul 2015 09:00:00 GMT More than 80% of public sector workers think that their organisations lack the expertise to implement cloud platforms, new research has revealed.  The Dods research study of more than 5,000 public sector workers, commissioned by Huddle, highlighted the single biggest barrier to using cloud computing is data security concerns (92%)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-raise-data-security-concerns-over-cloud-computing- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-raise-data-security-concerns-over-cloud-computing- Tue, 07 Jul 2015 15:00:00 GMT The chairman of the communities and local government select committee, which scrutinises local government, has called for a national inquiry into how more than 200 councils were sold £15bn of high interest loans.  Following a Channel 4 Dispatches programme last night, it was stated that around 240 local authorities have taken... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/betts-calls-for-inquiry-into-councils-15bn-lobo-loans 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/betts-calls-for-inquiry-into-councils-15bn-lobo-loans Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT More than one million older people are not receiving the home social care they need, according to new analysis by Age UK.  The charity revealed that this is 100,000 more than last year. The figures also highlight that nearly a third (31.1%) of all of those who have difficulty in carrying out one or more essential activities of daily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-a-million-missing-out-on-home-social-care- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-a-million-missing-out-on-home-social-care- Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:00:00 GMT Yesterday morning the chancellor said he had “found” the £12bn of benefit cuts promised in the Tory manifesto – but not all has been revealed.  During his interview on the Andrew Marr Show, George Osborne said the cap on the amount of benefits that can be claimed by one family will be reduced to £20,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-finds-12bn-benefit-cuts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-finds-12bn-benefit-cuts Mon, 06 Jul 2015 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities outside of London are calling for new powers to tackle the “spiralling” problem of car litter louts across the country.  Councils outside the capital are currently powerless in fining the nation’s car louts because as the law stands they must positively identify who has thrown the litter, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-change-in-powers-to-tackle-car-litter-louts- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-change-in-powers-to-tackle-car-litter-louts- Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:45:00 GMT The government has said it will commit £30m to speed up finding adoptive parents for children in care in England. The funding, which will be confirmed in this week’s Budget, will be used to pay for fees that councils are charged by adoption agencies or other local authorities for finding, assessing and matching an adoptive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-30m-to-speed-up-adoption-searches 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-30m-to-speed-up-adoption-searches Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:30:00 GMT A bid to create a West Midlands Combined Authority (WCMA) by April 2016, which has ambitious plans to save £35m a year in benefits, has officially been launched by seven metropolitan councils.  Within the ‘WCMA Growing the UK Economy Through a Midlands Engine’ document, the leaders of each local authority –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-bid-officially-launched 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-bid-officially-launched Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:00:00 GMT A fourth wave of strikes is set to hit Bromley Council over its plans to carry out a “mass privatisation” of services.  Unite members at Bromley’s adult services and transport workers will hold a two day strike starting at 00:01 hours on 7 July, and library staff will stage a three day strike from the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bromley-council-staff-to-hold-fourth-wave-of-strikes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bromley-council-staff-to-hold-fourth-wave-of-strikes Mon, 06 Jul 2015 09:15:00 GMT It's not just financial cost that matters. When an outsourced supplier goes bust or has a business interruption then the public sector *still* has to pick up the pieces (despite having reduced capability and capacity due to being cut). In the case of commissioned care providers, I strongly suspect that many have woeful plans for looking after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourcing-public-services-is-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourcing-public-services-is-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen Sun, 05 Jul 2015 10:45:00 GMT Council leaders in Leicestershire have announced proposals to create a combined authority to work together on major regional issues including economic growth, transport and planning. Leicester’s City Mayor, Leicestershire County Council’s leader and leaders of the seven district councils have agreed in principle the proposals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leicestershire-announces-combined-authority-to-make-devolution-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leicestershire-announces-combined-authority-to-make-devolution-bid Fri, 03 Jul 2015 15:45:00 GMT Communities Secretary Greg Clark MP told councils they are on the brink of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take power from government. Speaking at the Local Government Association annual conference in Harrogate, Clark called on all cities, towns and counties to be ambitious in their proposals to take power and resources away... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clark-tells-lga-conference-to-be-ambitious-in-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clark-tells-lga-conference-to-be-ambitious-in-devolution Fri, 03 Jul 2015 15:30:00 GMT The government has announced a shake-up at the top of the Civil Service, with two permanent secretaries stepping down. Ursula Brennan is to retire from her role as permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice during the summer recess, with Richard Heaton moving from his role as perm sec at the Cabinet Office to replace her. John... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-shake-up-two-perm-secs-step-down 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-shake-up-two-perm-secs-step-down Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:00:00 GMT More than one in five English local authorities expect to become part of a new combined authority governed by an elected mayor by 2020, according to a poll of council chief executives. The figure has risen since before the general election when a mere 12% told PwC they expected to integrate into a new combined authority with a metro mayor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-fifth-of-councils-expect-to-be-in-a-combined-authority-with-a-metro-mayor 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-fifth-of-councils-expect-to-be-in-a-combined-authority-with-a-metro-mayor Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:15:00 GMT Nearly all the cash reserves held by councils have been earmarked for specific investment or to manage future risk, according to a new survey from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). A poll of local authority chiefs found that while the headline levels of reserves held by local authorities have increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-cash-reserves-earmarked-for-future-use 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-cash-reserves-earmarked-for-future-use Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:30:00 GMT Councils are calling for high-performing local authority controlled schools to be able to sponsor struggling ones without having to go through academy status first. The Local Government Association says that more than 80% of council-maintained schools are rated as 'good' or 'outstanding' by Ofsted, but “bureaucratic barriers”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-powers-to-intervene-in-failing-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-powers-to-intervene-in-failing-schools Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:30:00 GMT A third runway should be built at Heathrow provided it meets with strict conditions on noise and air pollution, recommends the Airport Commission. The conditions suggested by the commission include a ban on night flights, legally binding caps on noise and air quality and legislation to rule out ever building a fourth runway. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/airport-commission-chooses-heathrow-for-new-runway 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/airport-commission-chooses-heathrow-for-new-runway Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT The government should know more about how much outsourced public services actually cost the companies who deliver them and how much profit they are making, according to a new National Audit Office report. The NAO has called for government to negotiate greater access to, and make better use of, open book accounting data. An NAO survey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-should-know-more-about-cost-of-outsourced-public-services-nao 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-should-know-more-about-cost-of-outsourced-public-services-nao Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:15:00 GMT The Court of Appeal has refused to give St Albans City & District Council permission to appeal the dismissal of its recent court challenge against the proposal for a strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) at Radlett.                   Last year, the council challenged the communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-refused-permission-to-appeal-radlett-freight-decision 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-refused-permission-to-appeal-radlett-freight-decision Tue, 30 Jun 2015 12:15:00 GMT Whitehall needs to devolve funding and responsibility over employment and skills to councils to help solve the demand for skills in the construction industry and meet the government’s ambitions for housebuilding, according to the Local Government Association. The new chair of the LGA, Conservative Cllr Gary Porter, is to use his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-skills-and-employment-powers-to-solve-housing-crisis 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-skills-and-employment-powers-to-solve-housing-crisis Tue, 30 Jun 2015 12:15:00 GMT The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has seen an “unprecedented” increase in the number of councils challenging its decisions and failing to comply with its recommendations, a new report has revealed. The LGO’s Annual Review of Local Government Complaints notes “a small but unprecedented increase in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unprecedented-rise-in-councils-challenging-ombudsman-decisions- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unprecedented-rise-in-councils-challenging-ombudsman-decisions- Tue, 30 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT Everyone in local government, including the media outlets that cover it, are gearing up for what is likely to be an important LGA Conference this year.  Held in Harrogate from 30 June to 2 July, the event is expected to pull in more than 1,200 delegates and, according to the LGA, “will be an excellent opportunity to take stock... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-hot-topic-at-lga-conference- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-hot-topic-at-lga-conference- Mon, 29 Jun 2015 11:45:00 GMT The government has set up a ‘hit squad’ to counter future public sector strikes as the Tories fear a summer of anti-austerity discontent, and is considering ending rules that prohibit agency workers from replacing strikers. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock MP said he has a team of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-sets-up-hit-squad-to-beat-public-sector-strikes 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-sets-up-hit-squad-to-beat-public-sector-strikes Mon, 29 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT Local enterprise partnerships have to be “at the heart” of any devolution proposals, according to the communities secretary. Speaking to the LEP Network last week, Greg Clark said that combined authorities are now following the same areas defined by LEPs as these represent the “true economic geography of our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-must-be-at-the-heart-of-any-devolution-deal--clark 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-must-be-at-the-heart-of-any-devolution-deal--clark Mon, 29 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT More than a third of children’s centres in England have been rated either as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.  Ofsted’s ‘Children’s centre inspection outcomes, January to March 2015’ report reveals that 10% of children’s centres were rated outstanding, 56%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-third-of-childrens-centres-requires-improvement-or-inadequate- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-third-of-childrens-centres-requires-improvement-or-inadequate- Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:45:00 GMT Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) should be required to sign up to a national minimum code of conduct, the Committee on Standards in Public Life has recommended.  In a new report – Tone from Top - leadership, ethics and accountability in policing – the Committee has called for greater safeguards in the accountability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pccs-should-sign-ethical-checklist-to-reassure-public 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pccs-should-sign-ethical-checklist-to-reassure-public Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:45:00 GMT Decisions made by Greater Manchester under their devolved health and social care powers could be overturned by the health secretary if he disagrees with them, according to a government minister. During a Lords committee discussion on the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, local government minister Baroness Williams was asked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-secretary-can-overrule-devolved-health-and-social-care-decisions 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-secretary-can-overrule-devolved-health-and-social-care-decisions Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:30:00 GMT Until the NHS is able to control its staffing costs, additional funding will not help, and pooling health and social care budgets will only transfer spending from social care into health care. Re: LGA calls for £5.2bn transformation fund for health and social care http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pooling-health-and-care-budgets-will-just-transfer-cash-to-nhs 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pooling-health-and-care-budgets-will-just-transfer-cash-to-nhs Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:00 GMT Councils in England are facing cuts of £3.3bn in central government funding, the Local Government Association (LGA) has claimed. The LGA's annual 'Future funding outlook report' warns councils will need to make further significant savings next year, equivalent to 12% of their total budgets. Using the most recent Office for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-claims-councils-face-33bn-in-funding-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-claims-councils-face-33bn-in-funding-cuts Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT The successful delivery of universal credit and HS2 are in doubt as the government’s Major Projects Authority (MPA) rates the schemes as amber/red in its latest assessment. The annual report from the MPA for 2014-15 detailed the costs and progress of all major government projects and rated them using a traffic light scheme. It found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-and-hs2-delivery-in-doubt--major-projects-authority- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-and-hs2-delivery-in-doubt--major-projects-authority- Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:30:00 GMT Plans by Bromley Council to spend close to £10.2m buying commercial property even as it proposes privatisation measures have come under severe criticism and are to be challenged next week.  The council is accelerating plans to privatise a number of services, including learning disabilities, which will go to Certitude. On 1 June... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-warned-over-property-plans-as-it-mulls-cutting-925-of-posts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-warned-over-property-plans-as-it-mulls-cutting-925-of-posts Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:00:00 GMT There has been a rise in the number of people moving between local authorities in England and Wales. There were about 2.85 million such moves from July 2013 to June 2014, according to the Office for National Statistics, which was 5% up on the previous year. The figures shows that there were also 55,500 moves from England and Wales to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rise-in-residents-moving-between-council-areas 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rise-in-residents-moving-between-council-areas Thu, 25 Jun 2015 10:00:00 GMT The government has confirmed that work on Midland Main Line electrification "will be paused" to allow struggling Network Rail to focus on the Great Western, which it calls the "top priority". In a statement to the Commons, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "Electrification of the Great Western Line is a top priority. And I... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reports-suggest-midland-main-line-electrification-under-threat 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reports-suggest-midland-main-line-electrification-under-threat Thu, 25 Jun 2015 09:30:00 GMT Two “current or former” Rotherham councillors are among those being investigated on suspicion of grooming and sexually exploiting girls as young as 12. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been investigating child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in Rotherham since the release of Prof Alexis Jay’s report last year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-among-rotherham-child-sexual-exploitation-suspects 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-among-rotherham-child-sexual-exploitation-suspects Wed, 24 Jun 2015 17:15:00 GMT The Local Government Association wants the business rates appeals system reformed so councils can defend the income they’ve generated. As part of its submission to the government's review of business rates, the LGA is calling for urgent reform of the appeals system, to “help protect vital local services supporting communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-want-reform-of-business-rates-appeal-system- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-want-reform-of-business-rates-appeal-system- Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:45:00 GMT A further £5.2bn is “urgently needed” to overhaul how social care and health services are provided, according to a new report from the Local Government Association. The new report, by Ernst and Young and commissioned by the LGA, calls on the government to use next month's Budget to divert £1.3bn a year into a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-52bn-transformation-fund-for-health-and-social-care 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-52bn-transformation-fund-for-health-and-social-care Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT For the second government running, the title of most pedantic minister goes to… Michael Gove! As education secretary he set out his “10 golden rules” for writing and grammar, including such advice as: “If in doubt, cut it out”; “In letters, adjectives add little, adverbs even less”; and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grammar-and-pedantic-ministers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grammar-and-pedantic-ministers Mon, 22 Jun 2015 12:30:00 GMT The Department for Education has made £4.5m of funding available for councils to form regional adoption agencies to help match children with adoptive parents quicker. Children and families minister Edward Timpson MP said that the money would help councils meet the costs of forming the new agencies. The government wants all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-receive-funding-to-form-regional-adoption-agencies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-receive-funding-to-form-regional-adoption-agencies Mon, 22 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT Thousands of jobs are to go at the two largest councils in Scotland as they deal with massive budget cuts. Edinburgh Council is to “transform its organisational structure” to become more efficient and help make £107m of savings over the next five years. The restructure is expected to lead to a reduction of 946 management... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-jobs-to-go-at-scotlands-two-biggest-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-jobs-to-go-at-scotlands-two-biggest-councils Mon, 22 Jun 2015 11:00:00 GMT Parks and green spaces in the capital are facing privatisation because councils can no longer afford to fund community groups and volunteers who maintain them, warns London Councils. Following the government’s recent in-year cuts announcement, the organisation – which represents London’s 32 boroughs and the City of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-green-spaces-face-privatisation 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-green-spaces-face-privatisation Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:45:00 GMT Isn't this a case of 'after the horse has bolted'? CIPFA have been 'banging on' about fraud for years but never 'grasped the nettle' until now. I can remember going to any number of events, organised by CIPFA, where fraud was the feature subject, there were interesting, experienced & knowledgeable speakers with an audience of senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-value-of-counter-fraud-training 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-value-of-counter-fraud-training Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports on the government’s plans to reform local government and devolve further powers to combined authorities and city-regions. As PSE was going to press, the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill was getting its second reading in the House of Lords.  The Bill – previously referred to as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cities-and-local-government-devolution-bill 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cities-and-local-government-devolution-bill Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:15:00 GMT Dean Langton, strategic director at Pendle Borough Council, explains how a consortium of councils is attempting to tackle fraud collectively. Last year the DCLG launched a £16m Counter Fraud Fund to support local authorities in reducing council tax reduction (CTR) fraud and error, with a consortium of 12 councils – led by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-the-cost-of-fraud-collectively 454,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-the-cost-of-fraud-collectively Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:15:00 GMT The leaders of the Greater Manchester health and social care devolution agenda spoke at the recent NHS Confederation annual conference in Liverpool to explain what they are doing and why. Adam Hewitt was there. “Why Greater Manchester? Largely because it’s our idea.”  Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grabbing-power 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grabbing-power Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:15:00 GMT Damien Venkatasamy, chair of techUK’s Public Services Board and general manager for CSC’s UK Public Sector business, discusses the importance of better engagement between government and industry to deliver digital by default. The Conservative Party manifesto commits this government to using tech to drive much-needed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-tech-industrys-top-four-issues-for-the-new-government 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-tech-industrys-top-four-issues-for-the-new-government Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT Maia Beresford, senior researcher at the New Local Government Network, explains how data is the key that can unlock the ability of councils to fully integrate and transform the services they offer local people. Our concept of what local government does and what it is for is changing rapidly. The return of a majority Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-services-through-data- 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-services-through-data- Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT Programme director Mike Broad sets the scene for this year’s Health+Care conference at the ExCeL in London, which will welcome visitors on 24 June. Health+Care returns to London’s ExCeL on 24-25 June 2015. More than 8,000 commissioners and health and social care providers will gather from across Europe to take part in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welcome-to-healthcare-2015 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welcome-to-healthcare-2015 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT PSE speaks to Cardiff’s Ross Maude, senior enterprise architect for IT at the council. The City of Cardiff Council is facing £124m in budget cuts over the next three years, but rather than simply look at stripping back services, the authority is using the challenge as an opportunity to transform itself and how it deals with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-embarks-on-a-journey-to-the-cloud 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-embarks-on-a-journey-to-the-cloud Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:45:00 GMT Dr Daniel Sturm, associate professor of economics at LSE, and Chris Wormald, head of the Civil Service Policy Profession and permanent secretary at the Department for Education, discussed the development of a new Executive Master of Public Policy (EMPP) degree to train future leaders of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has chosen to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/training-future-civil-service-leaders 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/training-future-civil-service-leaders Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:45:00 GMT A revised version of a successful framework for the provision of temporary staff to the public sector has now gone live. PSE spoke to David Maylin, category manager for professional services at ESPO, the UK’s largest public sector-owned purchasing organisation, which manages and monitors the framework. Nearly 180 organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/saving-money-on-temporary-staff 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/saving-money-on-temporary-staff Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:30:00 GMT Dr Andy Hopkirk, head of research at Socitm, discusses the need to allay data security concerns surrounding the cloud. Cloud services could become the norm for some public service providers but they must meet technological and economic imperatives, as well as satisfying safety and confidence concerns, PSE has been told.  A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/security-issues-still-shroud-cloud-services- http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/security-issues-still-shroud-cloud-services- Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:30:00 GMT Jennifer Wallace, head of policy at the Carnegie UK Trust, explains more about a competition to help initiatives that give communities and individuals greater control over the services that they use. For almost 20 years, successive governments have aimed to give more power to citizens and local communities. Policies such as community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-enabling-state 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-enabling-state Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:30:00 GMT The public sector is expected to face ongoing reductions in development resources. Ruth Stuart, learning & development research adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, talks about the challenges and potential opportunities to diversify. Half of public sector learning and development (L&D) professionals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenging-times-ahead-for-public-sector-ld- 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenging-times-ahead-for-public-sector-ld- Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT The head of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s Counter Fraud Centre, Rachael Tiffen, discusses how a new specialist qualification aims to help strengthen the counter fraud and corruption community in public services. The first cohort of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strengthening-the-counter-fraud-community 454,451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strengthening-the-counter-fraud-community Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT Joanne Segars, chief executive of the National Association of Pension Funds, discusses the importance of finding the right solutions to deliver a Local Government Pension Scheme that’s sustainable and affordable in the long term. Fresh from the general election, last month’s National Association of Pension Funds’ (NAPF)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-towards-a-lasting-and-sustainable-local-government-pension-scheme 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-towards-a-lasting-and-sustainable-local-government-pension-scheme Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT The leader of Hull City Council has called for a Yorkshire Combined Authority. Steve Brady (right) has started the charge after he was met with a tepid reaction from neighbours in Lincolnshire regarding a combined authority for Humberside. Brady said: "Yorkshire has a combined population of more than five million. That's more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hull-leader-calls-for-yorkshire-combined-authority 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hull-leader-calls-for-yorkshire-combined-authority Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:10:00 GMT PSE talks to Cheshire East’s Cllr Les Gilbert, cabinet member for communities, about the authority’s counter-fraud focus and deterrence-based communications strategy. In the year to 31 March 2015, Cheshire East Council prosecuted 63 cases of fraud relating to housing benefit, council tax benefit and council tax support –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-enforcing-council 454,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-enforcing-council Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:00:00 GMT Paul Dossett, head of public sector audit at Grant Thornton UK LLP, looks at the impact welfare reforms are having on local authorities. With its commitment to deliver a further £12bn in welfare cuts, the Conservative Party laid down the gauntlet for welfare provision in the UK. With the Conservatives now in government and drawing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/easing-the-burden-the-impact-of-welfare-reform 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/easing-the-burden-the-impact-of-welfare-reform Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:00:00 GMT Payment by results (PbR) schemes are “hard to get right, risky and costly for commissioners”, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. The NAO estimates that the government’s PbR schemes now account for at least £15bn of public spending, however it found that neither the Cabinet Office nor the Treasury currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-payment-by-results-schemes-are-risky-says-nao 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-payment-by-results-schemes-are-risky-says-nao Fri, 19 Jun 2015 16:00:00 GMT Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission, discusses a new online resource designed to help providers improve their services. Skills for Care and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) have developed an online resource – Care Improvement Works – to give managers, owners and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-adult-social-care-information-to-drive-up-standards 435,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-adult-social-care-information-to-drive-up-standards Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at Crisis, says a recent Supreme Court judgment will significantly change the way councils assess homeless people’s vulnerability when deciding whether local authorities have a duty to house them. In May, the Supreme Court ruled on a long-running legal challenge to the way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/landmark-ruling-to-increase-homeless-support-workload-for-councils 442,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/landmark-ruling-to-increase-homeless-support-workload-for-councils Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT Hannah Laurison, campaign coordinator at Sustainable Food Cities, discusses the aims of the ‘Beyond the Food Bank’ campaign and how local and central government can help tackle food poverty across the country. In response to recent Trussell Trust figures showing that more than one million people – including almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-food-poverty-across-the-country 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-food-poverty-across-the-country Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT Christina Pond, executive director for core contracts and policy at Skills for Health, considers the importance of the new Care Certificate and the role it plays within workforces. Earlier this year the Care Certificate was introduced for all new healthcare assistants and social care support workers. It sets out the introductory skills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-care-certificate-and-workforce-optimisation 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-care-certificate-and-workforce-optimisation Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT Mark Stamper, youth employment manager at Newcastle City Council and Generation NE project lead, explains how a new programme aimed at progressing young people into sustained employment could also help strengthen the region’s call for further devolution. Despite recent reductions, the percentage of 16-24 year olds not in education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlocking-opportunities-by-tackling-youth-unemployment- 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlocking-opportunities-by-tackling-youth-unemployment- Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive’s interim director general, David Young, discusses how the city is attempting to transform public transport access and affordability to deliver economic growth to the region. Following last year’s £320m Growth Deal and Sheffield devolution agreement, the future of transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accessibility--affordability 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accessibility--affordability Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:30:00 GMT Ciara Eastell, president of the Society of Chief Librarians, talks about a training programme that has managed to improve the digital skills of more than 80% of the public library workforce. We have always recognised that public libraries are a key partner in ensuring people can confidently navigate life-critical resources online, and it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-the-digitally-literate-library-workforce- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-the-digitally-literate-library-workforce- Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:30:00 GMT Professor Lee Miles of Loughborough University, a leading international expert in the field of international crisis management, examines the growing need for societal resilience. As programme director of the Masters in International Crisis Management at Loughborough University, I organised a special seminar recently on the Ebola outbreak... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-ebola-helping-to-shape-societal-resilience 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-ebola-helping-to-shape-societal-resilience Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:30:00 GMT A new Birmingham Business School study has found that a commercial approach is the best way to adapt to myriad changes in NHS procurement. Professor Joe Sanderson, senior lecturer in procurement and supply management, who led a team from Birmingham Business School and the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/to-keep-ahead-of-changes-in-procurement-simply-think-commercially 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/to-keep-ahead-of-changes-in-procurement-simply-think-commercially Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:30:00 GMT Emily Bird of the National Housing Federation says social landlords can be in the vanguard of innovation on health and wellbeing. Shortly after David Cameron was re-elected as prime minister, a group of charities wrote to him urging ‘bolder steps’ to deal with a rapidly ageing population.  The 16 organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creative-and-cost-effective-ways-to-integrate-housing-health-and-care 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creative-and-cost-effective-ways-to-integrate-housing-health-and-care Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:15:00 GMT Sam McCaffrey speaks to Cllr Pete Lowe, leader of Dudley council, about plans for a combined authority in the region. Since the announcement of the first big devolution deal for Greater Manchester, other regions have rushed to be the next authority to receive equivalent wide-ranging powers. Deals have been announced for the Sheffield City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/full-steam-ahead-for-the-west-midlands-combined-authority 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/full-steam-ahead-for-the-west-midlands-combined-authority Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:15:00 GMT Graeme McDonald, director of Solace, discusses the opportunities and challenges in delivering self-sufficiency across the local government sector. The Queen’s Speech has already signalled a significant change in pace in the reform of local public services. The Cities & Local Government Bill (more on page 67) has raised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/real-hope-for-realigning-public-services 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/real-hope-for-realigning-public-services Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:15:00 GMT The current funding system for local government is “inconsistent, unstable and uncertain”, according to senior finance officers from 36 local authorities. They believe a new funding model is required that provides local government with more autonomy, places its financial stability in its own hands and addresses the dual needs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-funding-system-inconsistent-and-unstable- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-funding-system-inconsistent-and-unstable- Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT Meg Hillier MP is to chair the Public Accounts Select Committee, it has been announced, as the winners of the elections for the House of Commons Select Committee chairs are revealed. Hillier has big shoes to fill as she takes over from Margaret Hodge MP who was known for her ferocity in taking on everyone from ministers to multinationals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/select-committee-chairs-announced--hillier-takes-over-at-pac 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/select-committee-chairs-announced--hillier-takes-over-at-pac Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT The complaints and redress system for public services is confusing, scattered and poor value for money, the National Audit Office has found. Over many years, government has established independent ombudsman and complaints bodies in various parts of the public sector, each with different legislative provisions, protocols and powers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-complaints-system-confusing-and-poor-value-for-money 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-complaints-system-confusing-and-poor-value-for-money Thu, 18 Jun 2015 09:45:00 GMT Almost a third of local authorities are cutting the budgets of local Healthwatch groups, some by up to 50%, the health and care watchdog has warned. The national body, Healthwatch England, has said that areas being hit include a third of the country’s troubled health economies and cover half of hospitals in special... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-three-councils-cut-funding-to-healthwatch-groups 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-three-councils-cut-funding-to-healthwatch-groups Thu, 18 Jun 2015 08:45:00 GMT Nearly 80% of all complaints to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) are about the NHS in England, a new report has revealed. The other 20% of complaints the service receives concern government departments and their agencies, such as the Border Force, DVLA and HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The report contains... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/80-of-public-sector-ombudsman-complaints-are-about-nhs 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/80-of-public-sector-ombudsman-complaints-are-about-nhs Wed, 17 Jun 2015 17:15:00 GMT The Welsh government has published plans to reduce the number of local authorities in Wales from 22 to eight or nine. The minister for public services, Leighton Andrews AM, has set out his vision for how local government should look, with two different proposals. One includes nine authorities with the other reducing the number to eight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-proposes-massive-reduction-in-number-of-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-proposes-massive-reduction-in-number-of-councils Wed, 17 Jun 2015 12:45:00 GMT There will likely not be enough jobs in the private sector for all those caught in the next wave of public sector cuts, according to new research. A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that the public workforce is set to fall by up to 800,000 by 2018-19, compared to a drop of 375,000 from 2010 to 2014. Due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-enough-private-sector-jobs-for-upcoming-public-sector-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-enough-private-sector-jobs-for-upcoming-public-sector-cuts Tue, 16 Jun 2015 16:30:00 GMT Lord Kerslake has been announced as president elect of the Local Government Association (LGA). The crossbench peer and former permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was knighted in 2005 for services to local government and was made a Lord in March this year. In addition to serving at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-named-president-elect-of-lga 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-named-president-elect-of-lga Tue, 16 Jun 2015 12:30:00 GMT Three county councils in the south east have written to the communities secretary asking to begin negotiations for devolved powers. In a letter dated 11 June, the leaders of Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex councils do not stipulate what exact powers they are seeking but say they are interested in a fiscal devolution deal. The letter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-east-councils-make-joint-devolution-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-east-councils-make-joint-devolution-bid Mon, 15 Jun 2015 12:45:00 GMT The government might be making a move to further ‘protect’ green belt land from travellers. James Wharton MP, the communities minister, was asked in Parliament about the government’s advice to councils to make provision for a 3% annual increase in gipsy and traveller household numbers. He said: “Well, it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-to-continue-to-make-life-harder-for-travellers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-to-continue-to-make-life-harder-for-travellers Mon, 15 Jun 2015 12:30:00 GMT Local government is in the eye of a "perfect storm" of cuts and privatisation, according to the largest public sector union. Paul Gilroy, part of the Unison’s local government’s service group executive, told members attending the union’s conference in Glasgow that cuts to local government services, attacks on terms and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-in-perfect-storm-of-cuts-says-unison 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-in-perfect-storm-of-cuts-says-unison Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:45:00 GMT A combination of “unrealistic expectations and “political interference” are changing the nature of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), a new report has warned. The Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned a study, taking in the views of board chairs and partner agencies, which found that the original... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unrealistic-expectations-and-political-interference-affecting-safeguarding-boards 453,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unrealistic-expectations-and-political-interference-affecting-safeguarding-boards Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:45:00 GMT The public would like the ability to complain direct to the Ombudsman, a new survey has shown. Currently, anyone who is not happy with the way a public service has handled a complaint must go through their MP before the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) can look at it, but new research has found that 59% of people would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-supports-right-to-complain-direct-to-ombudsman- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-supports-right-to-complain-direct-to-ombudsman- Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:15:00 GMT This is absolutely correct. Libraries have to move forward into a digital age and have the competitive advantage by being at the heart of the community, already in a position of trust and responsibility. They can be innovative in their thinking in order to become a national treasure. Re: Libraries must become more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-have-to-move-forward-into-a-digital-age 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-have-to-move-forward-into-a-digital-age Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:30:00 GMT The Core Cities UK cabinet have had a “positive” meeting on devolution with the new secretary of state for communities and local government today.  The leaders and mayors of the UK’s 10 Core Cities met with Greg Clark in London, and PSE has been told that the talks have given a “real boost” to the urban... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-uk-hold-positive-devolution-talks-with-greg-clark 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-uk-hold-positive-devolution-talks-with-greg-clark Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:00:00 GMT Local authorities in Wales have been told they could deliver annual savings of up to £151m, prior to any local government mergers.  A KPMG report commissioned by the minister for public services, Leighton Andrews, revealed that in 2013-14 councils collectively spent around 5.9% (£470m) of their total expenditure on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-could-save-up-to-151m-by-cutting-admin-costs 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-could-save-up-to-151m-by-cutting-admin-costs Fri, 12 Jun 2015 15:00:00 GMT Labour’s John Biggs has become the new mayor of Tower Hamlets, in an election called after his predecessor was removed from office for corruption.  In April Lutfur Rahman, who beat Biggs in last year’s election, was found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices over his election, which the High Court declared... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labours-john-biggs-named-new-tower-hamlets-mayor- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labours-john-biggs-named-new-tower-hamlets-mayor- Fri, 12 Jun 2015 11:15:00 GMT Town hall bosses at Preston City Council are continuing to reduce staff levels in an attempt to balance the local authority’s books.  Back in 2014, the Labour-run council agreed to a three-year savings plan, expected to total approximately £3.5m, and cut approximately 74 jobs.  So far at least 41 people have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/preston-council-continues-redundancy-plans-to-balance-books- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/preston-council-continues-redundancy-plans-to-balance-books- Thu, 11 Jun 2015 12:15:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned the Department of Health that it "may have underestimated the cost to local authorities” in introducing the first phase of the Care Act. In a new report examining the implementation, the NAO said that while it had gone well, there were uncertainties over the level of demand that councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dh-underestimated-cost-of-care-act-to-councils-warns-nao 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dh-underestimated-cost-of-care-act-to-councils-warns-nao Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:45:00 GMT The NHS could save up to £5bn a year by 2019-20 through a variety of efficiency measures, provided there is political and managerial commitment to take the necessary steps and funding to make this happen, an independent review has suggested.  Lord Carter’s ‘Review of Operational Productivity in NHS providers’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-can-save-up-to-5bn-a-year-through-efficiencies--lord-carter-review- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-can-save-up-to-5bn-a-year-through-efficiencies--lord-carter-review- Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:15:00 GMT The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the professional regulator for veterinary surgeons and nurses in the UK, was recently recognised as one of the best places to work in the country by the Great Place to Work Foundation – one of the few public sector organisations to earn this accolade. Chief executive Nick Stace explains... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-investing-in-staff-engagement-benefits-all 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-investing-in-staff-engagement-benefits-all Thu, 11 Jun 2015 09:15:00 GMT Gary Porter is to become the next chair of the Local Government Association. The leader of South Holland District Council will take up the role on 30 June after nobody else put themselves forward for the role. Surrey County Council leader David Hodge, and former Cheshire West & Chester Council leader Mike Jones had both been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservative-councillor-gary-porter-to-be-next-lga-chair 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservative-councillor-gary-porter-to-be-next-lga-chair Wed, 10 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT The Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb is calling together council leaders in the Cardiff area to work on a City Deal for the region. The meeting – to be held tomorrow (11 June) – will bring together the local authority leaders who collectively make up the region. They include: Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-pushing-forward-city-deal-for-cardiff 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-secretary-pushing-forward-city-deal-for-cardiff Wed, 10 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT Select committees need to recognise that long-term impact can be as important as short-term change and get better at reflecting on their own successes and failures, a new report has suggested. The latest report from the Institute for Government looks at the impact select committees have on government and how the committees measure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/select-committees-must-reflect-on-own-success-and-failure-says-ifg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/select-committees-must-reflect-on-own-success-and-failure-says-ifg Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:00:00 GMT Councils and housing associations are likely to be among the hardest hit by the forthcoming hike to the minimum threshold for a creditor’s bankruptcy petition. It was announced in January that from October 2015, creditors must be owed a minimum of £5,000 before they can start bankruptcy proceedings to pursue that debt. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-be-hit-hard-by-hike-in-bankruptcy-threshold 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-be-hit-hard-by-hike-in-bankruptcy-threshold Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:30:00 GMT It seems that impartiality for the Civil Service is being thrown out of the window for the upcoming EU referendum. Ministers have decided to remove the clause instituting a purdah in the run-up to the vote from the EU Referendum Bill, due to go before MPs this week. It’s a bold, and starkly political move, that opens the door... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-waves-goodbye-to-civil-service-impartiality- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-waves-goodbye-to-civil-service-impartiality- Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT The Civil Service will not be expected to abide by purdah rules in the run-up to the EU referendum, it has been revealed. The news comes as David Cameron has also warned ministers that he expects them to back any deal that he negotiates with European Union, or be sacked from the government. Whitehall was bound by purdah, rules... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-purdah-for-civil-service-in-eu-referendum-vote 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-purdah-for-civil-service-in-eu-referendum-vote Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:15:00 GMT Councils are calling for the government to return key powers over careers advice, skills and national engagement programmes to them, as councils have a better track record of getting young people into work, education or training than Whitehall. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils have reduced 16- to 18-year-old... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neets-at-risk-of-being-left-behind-by-government-warns-lga 453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neets-at-risk-of-being-left-behind-by-government-warns-lga Mon, 08 Jun 2015 10:15:00 GMT Universal credit (UC) contains “many flaws” and is in need of major reform if it is not to treat working families as “second class savers”, an independent review of the scheme has found. A new report from the Resolution Foundation has found that working families moving onto UC could be treated more harshly than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-families-could-become-second-class-savers-under-universal-credit 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-families-could-become-second-class-savers-under-universal-credit Mon, 08 Jun 2015 10:15:00 GMT London Assembly’s Transport Select Committee is to explore the challenges facing the capital’s rail network and how devolution of control to the mayor might help address these. At this week’s meeting, the Committee will discuss the terms for investigating further rail devolution, which has seen TfL control London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-assembly-set-to-push-for-more-national-rail-services-to-be-given-to-tfl- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-assembly-set-to-push-for-more-national-rail-services-to-be-given-to-tfl- Mon, 08 Jun 2015 10:00:00 GMT The case for proportional representation is overwhelming in a supposedly fair and democratic country. I speak as a Labour councillor in south-west England, sitting on a unitary authority where Labour polled in the high teens percentage vote across the district, but got just three seats (6%) out of 50. The Tories meanwhile polled just over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-case-for-proportional-representation-is-overwhelming 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-case-for-proportional-representation-is-overwhelming Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:15:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) took an “unlawful and unacceptably long time” to pay the new personal independence payments (PIPs) to two unnamed disabled people, a high court judge has ruled. The two claimants, known as Ms C and Mr W, had claimed because of the magnitude of the DWP had breached common law and human... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-rules-that-pips-delays-are-unlawful 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-rules-that-pips-delays-are-unlawful Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:45:00 GMT The Civil Service faces a major skills and talent shortage in the future as it focuses on minimising staffing levels through reducing recruitment, the National Audit Office has warned. In a new report the NAO said that central government must also do more to help departments plan for reductions in the workforce. The report found that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-faces-skills-shortage-due-to-reduction-in-recruitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-faces-skills-shortage-due-to-reduction-in-recruitment Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT The London Assembly (LA) has called on the mayor of London to support a debate on electoral reform for elections to the House of Commons.  The LA proposed a motion, which was agreed with 11 votes in favour and five against, after it was claimed that Boris Johnson made an ‘inaccurate’ statement on LBC in May saying that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-assembly-calls-on-boris-to-support-a-debate-on-electoral-reform 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-assembly-calls-on-boris-to-support-a-debate-on-electoral-reform Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:15:00 GMT More councils could be forced to merge or outsource their adoption functions to speed up the placement process. The government says the powers in the new Education and Adoption Bill “would only be used if councils failed to take action quickly enough”. It says there are no barriers to councils working together to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-with-slow-adoption-services-will-have-to-merge-or-outsource-them 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-with-slow-adoption-services-will-have-to-merge-or-outsource-them Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:45:00 GMT More than £1bn will be taken out of social care budgets in 2015-16 because of cuts in council funding, making the whole sector ‘unsustainable’, a report published by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Service (ADASS) has warned. The sixth annual ADASS budget survey, completed by 147 directors of adult social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-at-risk-as-councils-forced-to-cut-another-1bn-says-adass 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-at-risk-as-councils-forced-to-cut-another-1bn-says-adass Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:45:00 GMT Waltham Forest council has been fined a total of £66,000 for failing to manage asbestos which exposed members of staff and visiting contractors to the potentially lethal dangers of asbestos.  The hazardous material, which the council knew was present in the Town Hall basement, was identified in a survey commissioned by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waltham-forest-fined-66000-for-putting-employees-at-asbestos-risk 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waltham-forest-fined-66000-for-putting-employees-at-asbestos-risk Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:45:00 GMT Libraries must become “enterprising and risk-taking” fundraisers if they are to remain afloat, a new report says. A research paper from community network Locality has urged libraries to become “more enterprising” to cover the combined pressures of declining borrowing rates and mounting austerity measures. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-must-become-more-risk-taking-fundraisers-says-report 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-must-become-more-risk-taking-fundraisers-says-report Wed, 03 Jun 2015 16:15:00 GMT Local authorities could make more use of intranets in response to funding cuts, according to Socitm. The public service IT association has released a briefing paper, ‘Better connected intranets: is this now, at last, the time to engage?’, that suggests council intranets may finally come into their own as an important tool for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-make-more-use-of-intranets-in-the-face-of-austerity 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-make-more-use-of-intranets-in-the-face-of-austerity Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:45:00 GMT As many as a thousand schools in England, including all those rated inadequate by Ofsted, will be turned into academies, under new government plans. The Education and Adoption Bill will “sweep away bureaucratic and legal loopholes” that previously prevented schools from being improved, according to the education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-turn-all-failing-schools-into-academies- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-turn-all-failing-schools-into-academies- Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:45:00 GMT Tony Lloyd has been selected as the interim mayor of Greater Manchester to serve until an election for the position in 2017. The police and crime commissioner was chosen over Lord Smith, the leader of Wigan Council and the current chair of the combined authority, after two hours of deliberations. The decision was made by a panel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-selects-interim-mayor 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-selects-interim-mayor Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:45:00 GMT Kingston Council is to vote on groundbreaking new proposals to give voters the power to sack their local councillor if they fail to meet a set of standards. Under the Royal Borough’s proposals, a number of scenarios could trigger a petition calling for a by-election. They include: if a councillor’s attendance at meetings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kingston-to-give-voters-opportunity-to-sack-bad-councillors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kingston-to-give-voters-opportunity-to-sack-bad-councillors Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT A third wave of strikes is set to hit Bromley Council as workers walk out over plans to privatise services. Members of Unite are to walk out on a series of selective strikes from 10-20 June over plans that the union claim will see the Conservative-led authority become a “commissioning council”, reducing the council workforce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-strikes-to-hit-bromley-council 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-strikes-to-hit-bromley-council Mon, 01 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT This year’s general election led to the most disproportionate result in history, so why do we persist with an outdated model of representation? The Electoral Reform Society has published an analysis of the results, which show that more people than ever aren’t represented by the party they voted for. Some of the headline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-most-disproportionate-election-in-history 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-most-disproportionate-election-in-history Mon, 01 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT Care market conditions in England’s counties seem ‘unsustainable’ even before the new demands of the Care Act reforms come into effect, new research suggests.  A report to the County Councils Network’s (CCN’s) Executive Committee this week says that over the past five years, with increasing demand and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-care-market-conditions-unsustainable- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-care-market-conditions-unsustainable- Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:15:00 GMT Lord Kerslake, the former head of the Civil Service, is to publicly criticise the Conservative plan to extend the Right to Buy scheme to housing association tenants. Ahead of his maiden speech in the House of Lords on Tuesday, Lord Kerslake will warn that the plans, which were in the party’s manifesto, will do nothing to address the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-to-publicly-criticise-extending-right-to-buy-plans 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-kerslake-to-publicly-criticise-extending-right-to-buy-plans Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:30:00 GMT UPDATED 12.30pm, 1 June The rail strikes planned for this week and next have now been called off while the unions involved consider a fresh offer. An Acas spokesperson said: "After four days of intensive talks, Acas has helped Network Rail, RMT, TSSA and Unite formulate a set of revised proposals that the trades unions will now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rail-strike-talks-enter-fourth-day 433,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rail-strike-talks-enter-fourth-day Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:30:00 GMT Teenagers in foster care are being moved to new homes too often, according to new research. A survey from The Fostering Network found that two in five (40%) of fostered teenagers are already living with their third foster family since coming into care. It also found that a quarter of fostered teenagers are living with at least their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teens-in-foster-care-moved-too-often 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teens-in-foster-care-moved-too-often Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:30:00 GMT  What a really interesting article. It is good to see such innovation from the public sector. I look forward to seeing more examples of council owned business models. Re: In business http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-minded-councils 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-minded-councils Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:15:00 GMT Demand for staff will far outstrip availability in the next few years for both the NHS and social care, warns a report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). According to the report, Skills and Performance Challenges in Health and Social Care, progression bottlenecks could limit the supply of workers with the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/massive-staff-shortages-predicted-for-nhs-and-social-care 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/massive-staff-shortages-predicted-for-nhs-and-social-care Fri, 29 May 2015 15:45:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has called for the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to use the “hard lessons” it learned from implementing its recent programme of welfare reforms to improve how it manages change and anticipates risk. According to the report, despite some important and high-profile failings, such as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-calls-on-dwp-to-learn-hard-lessons-from-high-profile-failures 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-calls-on-dwp-to-learn-hard-lessons-from-high-profile-failures Fri, 29 May 2015 14:15:00 GMT Will Fensom, head of architecture, security & configuration at Essex County Council, gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities involved in moving to a cloud-enabled flexible working infrastructure. Three years ago, Essex County Council set out on organisation-wide project to give our 10,000 employees ‘any time, any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/essex-county-council-looks-to-the-cloud-for-it-mobility 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/essex-county-council-looks-to-the-cloud-for-it-mobility Fri, 29 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has backed government plans to merge all public service ombudsmen into one organisation, saying it will provide better value for money and improved public services. The plan to merge the ombudsmen was included as a draft Bill in the Queen’s Speech. It involves merging the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phso-backs-plans-for-single-public-services-ombudsman- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phso-backs-plans-for-single-public-services-ombudsman- Thu, 28 May 2015 17:00:00 GMT An auditor has released a report in the public interest after finding a council unlawfully increased parking fees to help fund other services. The report, from Grant Thornton, followed a complaint about North Dorset District Council’s 2012-13 accounts. The objection stated that the council had increased its parking charges for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-found-to-have-unlawfully-increased-parking-fees 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-found-to-have-unlawfully-increased-parking-fees Thu, 28 May 2015 16:30:00 GMT Unions have attacked the government’s plans to cap redundancy payments for public sector workers, confirmed in the Queen’s Speech. The cap, which forms part of the Enterprise Bill, will limit redundancy deals for outgoing public sector staff to under £100,000. It has been sparked by high-profile stories of senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-claim-redundancy-cap-shows-government-doesnt-honour-agreements 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-claim-redundancy-cap-shows-government-doesnt-honour-agreements Thu, 28 May 2015 16:15:00 GMT Extending right to buy to social housing tenants, devolving powers to cities and restricting the rights of public sector workers were among the highlights of the Queen’s Speech this morning. The government set out its legislative agenda in the monarch’s address that marked the official opening of Parliament.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-contains-new-restrictions-on-public-sector-workers 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-contains-new-restrictions-on-public-sector-workers Wed, 27 May 2015 15:45:00 GMT One thing has become clear in the few weeks since the general election returned a shock Conservative majority: this new single-party government is determined to assault the rights of workers, especially those in the public sector. The Queen’s Speech is set to be full of policies that will be to the detriment of public sector workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-assault-on-the-public-sector-employee 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-assault-on-the-public-sector-employee Tue, 26 May 2015 15:00:00 GMT Source: Catherine Absolutely not! The pension is an entitlement for your old age for yourself, earned after years of hard work and paying national insurance and tax. The Carer's allowance, pitiful as it is, is to cover for the job you are doing caring for someone else in your retirement, something you shouldn’t have to do at that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carers-allowance-and-pension-not-the-same 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carers-allowance-and-pension-not-the-same Tue, 26 May 2015 14:30:00 GMT Redundancy payments for public sector workers are to be capped below six figures under new legislation to be included in the Queen’s Speech. The proposal to ban ‘golden parachutes’ for those in the public sector was in the Conservative manifesto and will be form part of the Enterprise Bill, which is also going to feature... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-to-cap-public-sector-redundancy-payments-included-in-queens-speech 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-to-cap-public-sector-redundancy-payments-included-in-queens-speech Tue, 26 May 2015 12:45:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government is searching for a new director general to take charge of ‘decentralisation and local growth’. The newly created job, which comes with a salary of up to £130,000 per year, will work with the Treasury and BIS in “leading and driving forward the decentralisation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-to-hire-director-general-for-devolution- 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-to-hire-director-general-for-devolution- Tue, 26 May 2015 12:30:00 GMT Tower Hamlets Council has claimed that its upcoming election for mayor “will have some of the most robust anti-fraud measures ever used in the UK”. The election was triggered when the previous mayor, Lutfur Rahman, was found guilty of corrupt and illegal election practices. It will take place on 11 June and also includes a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-sets-out-strategy-to-combat-election-fraud 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-sets-out-strategy-to-combat-election-fraud Tue, 26 May 2015 12:30:00 GMT Performance related pay is to be extended in the Civil Service and there will be an improved push for diversity, according to the new minister for the Cabinet Office. Matt Hancock MP gave his first speech since taking over from Francis Maude as the politician in charge of Civil Service reform last week. Speaking at the Institute for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-minister-prioritising-diversity-and-performance-related-pay- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-minister-prioritising-diversity-and-performance-related-pay- Tue, 26 May 2015 11:45:00 GMT The new ministerial team at the Department for Communities and Local Government has been named, and responsibilities finalised, so who is doing what? PSE is here with the answer. Greg Clark – Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Secretary of State is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-does-what-at-the-dclg 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-does-what-at-the-dclg Thu, 21 May 2015 16:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association has responded to the government’s Cities Devolution Bill with its own white paper calling for councils to be given two years to form groups or combined authorities and the end to the imposition of elected mayors. The LGA is willing to work with the new government but said that continuing to make cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-without-mayors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-without-mayors Thu, 21 May 2015 16:15:00 GMT Health secretary Jeremy Hunt MP and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham MP – the current favourite to be next Labour leader – have both confirmed that they are to speak at The Commissioning Show in London next month. The show is part of the even bigger Health+Care  event, for which PSE is the media partner. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hunt-and-burnham-to-speak-at-healthcare- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hunt-and-burnham-to-speak-at-healthcare- Wed, 20 May 2015 15:30:00 GMT Coventry has moved a step closer to joining Birmingham and local authorities in the Black Country in forming a new West Midlands combined authority. A report recommending that Coventry joins the new authority will be put to the city council’s cabinet and then a full meeting of the council, after Labour councillors agreed to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coventry-poised-to-join-other-west-midlands-councils-in-combined-authority 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coventry-poised-to-join-other-west-midlands-councils-in-combined-authority Wed, 20 May 2015 13:00:00 GMT Margaret Hodge MP has announced that she has decided not to return as chair of the Public Accounts Committee. The MP for Barking spent five years as head of the committee through the last Parliament, but will now move on to seek “new challenges”. Her time as chair will see her remembered for her ferocity in taking on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hodge-to-stand-down-as-pac-chair 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hodge-to-stand-down-as-pac-chair Wed, 20 May 2015 12:45:00 GMT Theresa May is to announce £15m of funding to provide extra beds in hospitals and care homes to keep people detained under the Mental Health Act out of police cells. She will also announce that a new policing and sentencing bill, to be included in the Queen’s Speech, will ban the use of police cells to hold those under 18 with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-secretary-announces-plans-to-keep-the-mentally-ill-out-of-police-cells 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-secretary-announces-plans-to-keep-the-mentally-ill-out-of-police-cells Wed, 20 May 2015 11:00:00 GMT Five party leaders and more than 477,000 people have signed a petition calling for voting reform after the general election resulted in huge disparities between votes cast and MPs elected. UKIP, the Lib Dems, the Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru all put aside their ideological differences to stand together on the issue and demand that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukip-lib-dems-greens-snp-and-plaid-cymru-join-forces-on-electoral-reform- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukip-lib-dems-greens-snp-and-plaid-cymru-join-forces-on-electoral-reform- Tue, 19 May 2015 12:30:00 GMT Dealing with the £47bn deficit will be the ‘defining issue’ of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) over the next couple of years, Joanne Segars, chief executive of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) will say today.  Speaking at the NAPF Local Authority Conference, as the new Parliament convenes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dealing-with-councils-47bn-pension-deficit-a-defining-issue--napf 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dealing-with-councils-47bn-pension-deficit-a-defining-issue--napf Tue, 19 May 2015 09:30:00 GMT Over the weekend, health education secretary Nicky Morgan revealed the government’s push to improve schools with the forthcoming Queen’s Speech setting out a series of new measures.  Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Morgan stated: “Our big priorities will be to speed up the process for tackling failing schools;... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-looking-in-wrong-place-to-tackle-social-injustice--nut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-looking-in-wrong-place-to-tackle-social-injustice--nut Mon, 18 May 2015 11:45:00 GMT Thousands of disabled adults across England have been the victim of sexual abuse in the past two years, figures have shown. Information from 106 councils shows that there were 4,748 reports of sexual abuse against adults with disabilities since 2013. The BBC sent FOI requests to 152 councils with adult social services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-disabled-adults-sexually-abused-in-last-two-years 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-disabled-adults-sexually-abused-in-last-two-years Mon, 18 May 2015 11:45:00 GMT Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire county councils are to join forces to seek devolved powers to boost economic growth. A report to be heard before Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet this week will press government to “break down barriers” to bring increased prosperity to the region. The counties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-counties-join-forces-for-growth-deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-counties-join-forces-for-growth-deal Mon, 18 May 2015 11:15:00 GMT Carer's Allowance and pension are both replacement for work benefits. You would effectively be claiming twice to receive both. Re: New online Carer’s Allowance application system http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carers-allowance 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carers-allowance Mon, 18 May 2015 11:00:00 GMT Cumbria County Council's children’s services department has been rated inadequate by Ofsted inspectors for the third time in four years. Both the authority’s chief executive Diane Wood and Cllr Anne Burns, who has had responsibility for children’s services since 2011, offered their resignations in the wake of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-childrens-services-rated-inadequate-for-the-third-time-in-four-years 435,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-childrens-services-rated-inadequate-for-the-third-time-in-four-years Mon, 18 May 2015 10:45:00 GMT The County Councils Network (CCN) and District Councils Network (DCN) have issued their first joint statement highlighting concerns that a narrow focus on empowering city areas would threaten to create a two-speed approach to local government and public sector reform.  The statement warns that the new Conservative government will not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-government-warned-against-two-speed-devolution-by-englands-heartlands- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-government-warned-against-two-speed-devolution-by-englands-heartlands- Mon, 18 May 2015 10:45:00 GMT The Civil Service could lose as many as 100,000 more jobs over the course of this Parliament, according to the head of the union for senior managers in public services. Dave Penman, head of the FDA, quoted the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) analysis of the autumn statement, saying that only 40% of the total cuts for 2010-20 had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-to-100000-civil-servants-could-lose-their-jobs-in-the-next-five-years 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-to-100000-civil-servants-could-lose-their-jobs-in-the-next-five-years Mon, 18 May 2015 10:45:00 GMT Edinburgh council officials were treated to lap dances and drinks in return for awarding lucrative building contracts, a court has heard. Former Edinburgh Council employees Charles Owenson and James Costello were given hospitality including corporate seats at Hibs and Hearts football grounds, meals and bar crawls. They took the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-officials-bribed-with-lap-dances-by-builders- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-officials-bribed-with-lap-dances-by-builders- Fri, 15 May 2015 16:45:00 GMT George Osborne has invited more cities to bid for devolved powers but has insisted they must come with a directly elected mayor. The powers on offer to combined authorities with an elected mayor will cover transport, housing, planning, policing and public health. The chancellor will also announce that the Queen’s Speech will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-mayor-no-devolution-says-osborne 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-mayor-no-devolution-says-osborne Fri, 15 May 2015 16:30:00 GMT A council in the midlands is considering running libraries and GP services out of the same premises to protect services amid 30% spending cuts. The proposal was put forward at a recent meeting of Shropshire Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board, and would see new “health hubs” that would offer general library services and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/midlands-council-considers-co-locating-libraries-and-gp-services 438,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/midlands-council-considers-co-locating-libraries-and-gp-services Wed, 13 May 2015 09:30:00 GMT NHS England has launched 16 new ‘Liaison and Diversion’ (L&D) teams, ensuring that half the country is now covered by the service for vulnerable people in police custody and the courts. The L&D teams are a new service to make sure people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities or other vulnerabilities such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sixteen-new-liaison-and-diversion-teams-launched 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sixteen-new-liaison-and-diversion-teams-launched Tue, 12 May 2015 16:00:00 GMT Councils have saved nearly £500m through sharing services since 2012, according to new research by the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA’s latest shared services map found that councils have made £462m of savings since the map was first compiled in 2012. Some £105m of the total was saved over the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-save-nearly-500m-through-shared-services 436,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-save-nearly-500m-through-shared-services Tue, 12 May 2015 12:15:00 GMT Council taxpayers in Bedfordshire have ‘emphatically’ voted against the county’s police and crime commissioner’s (PCC’s) bid to increase the council tax precept by 15.85%.  A total of 207,551 people voted against the proposal, with only 91,086 in favour. The turnout was 64.1%.  A breakdown of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/emphatic-no-vote-in-first-ever-council-tax-referendum- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/emphatic-no-vote-in-first-ever-council-tax-referendum- Mon, 11 May 2015 17:00:00 GMT Greg Clark has replaced Eric Pickles as communities secretary in a major change of direction for the DCLG. Clark, who previously served as universities minister and cities minister, is an advocate of decentralisation and power to cities. He is expected to be a strong ally to George Osborne in future deals like the devolution of powers and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-out-clark-in-at-the-dclg 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-out-clark-in-at-the-dclg Mon, 11 May 2015 15:00:00 GMT Employment prospects in the public sector have continued to improve marginally for Q2 but wage growth remains subdued, according to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).  The organisation’s latest Labour Market Outlook report highlighted that over the past three months employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-expectations-rise-for-q2-but-pay-remains-subdued- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-expectations-rise-for-q2-but-pay-remains-subdued- Mon, 11 May 2015 10:45:00 GMT Michael Gove is set to return to prominence as justice secretary in the first major change announced for David Cameron’s first all-Conservative cabinet. Gove, who served as education secretary until July 2014, when he was moved to a less high-profile role as chief whip, will also serve as Lord Chancellor. He is a former... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-as-justice-secretary-first-surprise-of-new-cabinet- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-as-justice-secretary-first-surprise-of-new-cabinet- Mon, 11 May 2015 10:30:00 GMT It is clear from your chart that under current lending rules, the market is over-priced. The question remains as to how the London and south-east market can be damped down. In the northern areas, the cost of new housing should in theory be affordable if labour costs are lower. But they are still not affordable. Politicians have said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solutions-to-the-cost-of-housing-crisis 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solutions-to-the-cost-of-housing-crisis Mon, 11 May 2015 10:15:00 GMT The Conservatives have strengthened their hold on England’s councils following last Thursday’s elections, making significant gains in local authorities that were previously under ‘no overall control’ – in many cases winning overall majorities.  Councils including the Borough of Poole, High Peak... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservatives-strengthen-hold-on-local-government 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservatives-strengthen-hold-on-local-government Mon, 11 May 2015 10:00:00 GMT Guest blog by Tim Vanstone, head of Breaking the Cycle The impact of substance misuse tears families apart, disrupts communities and continues to be a burden on economies. There is a lot of evidence to show that children and young people can be influenced by their parents’ substance misuse and are much more likely to develop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-the-cycle-of-intergenerational-substance-misuse 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-the-cycle-of-intergenerational-substance-misuse Mon, 11 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT The Conservatives will form the next government with a working majority, and so are in a position to put their manifesto into action. Some of the party’s plans could result in big changes to the public sector. Below is a summary of their manifesto pledges: “We will legislate to ensure that every public sector worker... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservatives-win-election-their-public-sector-policies-in-full 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservatives-win-election-their-public-sector-policies-in-full Fri, 08 May 2015 15:00:00 GMT David Cameron says he will lead a government for “one nation” but will implement as fast as he can the devolution deals that all parties agreed for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Speaking outside 10 Downing Street after visiting Buckingham Palace, Cameron said: “I have always believed in governing with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-will-deliver-devolution-promises-as-fast-as-he-can 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-will-deliver-devolution-promises-as-fast-as-he-can Fri, 08 May 2015 14:30:00 GMT Councils have begun to change hands as the local election results are counted, following on from the surprise general election outcome. With 65 of 279 councils having declared, most have seen no change in political control. But North Warwickshire was gained by the Conservatives from Labour, Watford has gone from Lib Dem control to no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-election-results-flow-in 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-election-results-flow-in Fri, 08 May 2015 14:15:00 GMT The vicar who challenged a magistrates’ court and council over the £125 cost of a council tax summons has won his case in the High Court. PSE reported on the start of the case, which arose in August 2013, when Reverend Paul Nicholson was ordered to pay £125 costs to Haringey Council for obtaining a liability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vicar-wins-high-court-battle-over-council-tax-summons 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vicar-wins-high-court-battle-over-council-tax-summons Thu, 07 May 2015 17:00:00 GMT The first ever referendum on a council tax increase is being held today in Bedfordshire. The referendum has been triggered by Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner Olly Martins, who wants a massive 15.8% increase in his council tax precept. The Coalition introduced requirements for any authority that wants to increase rates by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-ever-council-tax-referendum-held-today-in-bedfordshire 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-ever-council-tax-referendum-held-today-in-bedfordshire Thu, 07 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT PSE is proud to announce the launch of our new app, available for Apple and Android devices, that gives you access to the magazine for free. You can find it in the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching ‘Public Sector’. The app lets you download and read the complete magazine on the go, on your smartphone or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-pse-app-allows-you-to-read-the-magazine-for-free 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-pse-app-allows-you-to-read-the-magazine-for-free Thu, 07 May 2015 09:30:00 GMT Millions of people have started casting their votes in the 2015 general election and, just as importantly, the local elections.  Polls opened at 7am at about 50,000 polling stations, with more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities.  As well as 161 councils having all of their seats up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-start-casting-their-votes-in-local-and-general-election 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-start-casting-their-votes-in-local-and-general-election Thu, 07 May 2015 09:15:00 GMT The Welsh government needs to be more transparent about the costs and benefits of voluntary council mergers, and how they will be scrutinised, according to a committee of Welsh Assembly members. The assembly’s finance committee has published a report on the provisions in the Local Government (Wales) Bill, expressing concerns that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-transparency-and-scrutiny-needed-of-welsh-voluntary-council-mergers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-transparency-and-scrutiny-needed-of-welsh-voluntary-council-mergers Wed, 06 May 2015 15:45:00 GMT A London council has sent a letter to its housing tenants offering them cash incentives to move to Birmingham. The letter, from Wandsworth Council, states that the authority has “a number of private sector properties within the areas either directly within or near the surrounding areas of Birmingham”. It adds that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-council-tries-to-pay-tenants-to-move-to-birmingham 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-council-tries-to-pay-tenants-to-move-to-birmingham Wed, 06 May 2015 14:45:00 GMT We’re just days away from the election and it appears the Lib Dems are the party most vying for public sector votes, underlining their efforts in red. The newly centrist party, who today said they’d negotiate first with the party who held the most seats after their election (or anyone else who gives their diminishing number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ready-steady-vote 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ready-steady-vote Tue, 05 May 2015 12:30:00 GMT The next UK government must lay out policies to tackle an “inherited crisis” of in-work poverty in Scotland, campaigners have stated. Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland and Unison have come together and called for investment in the social security system and say there must not be a race to the bottom on skills, pay and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-to-tackle-in-work-poverty-crisis-in-scotland http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-to-tackle-in-work-poverty-crisis-in-scotland Tue, 05 May 2015 12:00:00 GMT A researcher who supplied the council and police with reports detailing the child sexual exploitation problem in Rotherham was told that “it was awful but burglary and car crime were policing priorities”. Previously unseen reports from 2003 and 2006 show that the council and police in Rotherham were warned of a “very... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-police-prioritised-burglary-and-car-crime-over-child-abuse- 454,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-police-prioritised-burglary-and-car-crime-over-child-abuse- Tue, 05 May 2015 10:45:00 GMT With the gap between house prices and wages still growing, the next government needs an apolitical, long-term housing strategy, engaging both public and private sectors, research from KPMG has reiterated. The company says the next government must do more to unlock public sector ‘land banks’ – surplus land that could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apolitical-long-term-housing-strategy-needed--kpmg 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apolitical-long-term-housing-strategy-needed--kpmg Tue, 05 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT Interesting article which highlights people's distrust of managers' ability to monitor performance fairly. This is not surprising as my view is that 'all performance measures and targets are flawed, some are useful'. Also disappointing is the finding that many employees feel their organisations are not doing a good job and that they get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-and-feedback-in-the-public-sector 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-and-feedback-in-the-public-sector Tue, 05 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT Pay increases for public sector workers has been announced as the final Lib Dem red line policy in any coalition negotiations. The red line policies are six non-negotiable points that the Liberal Democrats insist must be agreed to as part of any coalition talks in the next government. PSE previously reported that the Lib Dems had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-rises-made-a-lib-dem-red-line-for-post-election-talks 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-rises-made-a-lib-dem-red-line-for-post-election-talks Tue, 05 May 2015 09:45:00 GMT Cloud computing is either already in use or being piloted by almost 90% of local public service providers despite ‘underlying’ concerns about security, a new report from Socitm has revealed.  The ‘IT Trends Survey: Cloud computing services’ report found that 66% of respondents have some applications in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-computing-use-growing-in-public-services-despite-security-concerns- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-computing-use-growing-in-public-services-despite-security-concerns- Fri, 01 May 2015 16:45:00 GMT A vicar is challenging the London Borough of Haringey in the High Court over its £125 cost for a council tax summons. The judicial review began yesterday at The Royal Courts of Justice on a case that dates back to August 2013, when Reverend Paul Nicolson asked Tottenham magistrates, who gave the council permission to increase the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vicar-challenges-council-over-cost-of-council-tax-summons 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vicar-challenges-council-over-cost-of-council-tax-summons Fri, 01 May 2015 13:00:00 GMT The Electoral Commission has removed Tower Hamlets First (THF), the party led by disgraced mayor Lutfur Rahman, from the register of political parties. The decision comes after the commission considered the judgement issued in the High Court finding Rahman guilty of corrupt and illegal election practices and ordering his removal from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-first-removed-from-party-register 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-first-removed-from-party-register Fri, 01 May 2015 12:45:00 GMT A shortage of medical staff for detainees in the East of England is putting lives at risk, a health worker has warned. The BBC is reporting that a health worker, who asked not to be named, told them staffing numbers are so low they are struggling to meet the needs of detainees. Medical services for detainees in the area are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/medical-staff-shortage-risking-lives-of-detainees 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/medical-staff-shortage-risking-lives-of-detainees Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:45:00 GMT Cardiff Council is embarking on a digital transformation to streamline services and introduce more self-service options for residents. Over the next three years the authority is moving its IT systems into the cloud. The scheme is intended to improve customer services, streamline council processes and deliver significant cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cardiff-council-embarks-on-digital-transformation 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cardiff-council-embarks-on-digital-transformation Thu, 30 Apr 2015 11:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles has sent in two more commissioners to oversee the running and governance of Tower Hamlets LBC, while proposing additional intervention powers.  Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Chris Allison and Alan Wood, director of children’s services at Hackney LBC, will join the existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-calls-in-more-commissioners-at-tower-hamlets 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-calls-in-more-commissioners-at-tower-hamlets Wed, 29 Apr 2015 17:30:00 GMT Receipts and invoices submitted by MPs in support of expenses claims must be published in full, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Three judges in the court dismissed an appeal by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) which overseas Westminster expenses. It is understood the ruling could set a wide precedent for all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-rules-mps-expenses-receipts-should-be-published 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-rules-mps-expenses-receipts-should-be-published Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT The LGA has launched a new digital hub to provide guidance to council communication teams on using social media. Located on the Local Government Association website, Digital Councils includes guidance on all elements of social media from getting to grips with Twitter and other social networks to building a digital strategy. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-launches-social-media-hub-for-councils 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-launches-social-media-hub-for-councils Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:15:00 GMT The UK is in breach of its United Nations human rights commitment to provide people with adequate homes due to the housing crisis, according to a coalition of leading charities. The group, Just Fair, includes charities such as Crisis, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Save the Children and Unicef UK. In a new report they say that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-accuse-uk-of-breaching-un-human-rights-on-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-accuse-uk-of-breaching-un-human-rights-on-housing Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:15:00 GMT Councils across the UK have come together to demand “urgent action” on devolution by whoever forms the next government. In a joint statement issued ahead of the general election, the local government associations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have called on politicians to grasp "the opportunity to revive our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-more-local-devolution-from-next-government 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-more-local-devolution-from-next-government Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:15:00 GMT Cuts to social care have become so dire that over the course of the next parliament around 1.4 million people could die in hospital when their preference would be to die at home. This is the finding of Marie Curie and a coalition of charities who warn that unless action is taken by the next government, people at the end of life will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-cuts-forcing-people-to-die-in-hospital 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-cuts-forcing-people-to-die-in-hospital Mon, 27 Apr 2015 12:00:00 GMT If councils fail to understand and harness the power of data they risk making themselves irrelevant to their citizens, according to a new report. A paper released by New Local Government Network (NLGN) and prepared by Socrata today found that most local authorities are not taking full advantage of the data they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-risk-irrelevance-if-they-fail-to-harness-the-power-of-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-risk-irrelevance-if-they-fail-to-harness-the-power-of-data Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:45:00 GMT Socitm has appointed Nadira Hussain, who runs the 'One Oracle' shared service for seven London councils, as the organisation’s new president. The appointment was confirmed at the Socitm spring conference last week. Hussain has two decades experience in operational and strategic ICT and corporate services roles within London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nadira-hussain-appointed-new-socitm-president 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nadira-hussain-appointed-new-socitm-president Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:00:00 GMT Cornwall Council is to become a living wage employer as it increases the pay of its lowest paid workers from minimum wage to £7.85 an hour. The council is funding the increase for 1,800 of its lowest-paid workers, which began this month, by instituting a pay freeze for other staff until 2017. The living wage is based on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-council-funds-living-wage-with-pay-freeze-for-higher-earning-staff- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-council-funds-living-wage-with-pay-freeze-for-higher-earning-staff- Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:45:00 GMT Seems a tad unreasonable to win a case AND then face costs! Surely North Somerset will bite the bullet and accept they didn't do what they should and let it ride before wasting even more public money on another court session. Re: Council taken to Supreme Court over youth services cuts http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-costs-after-youth-service-cuts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-costs-after-youth-service-cuts Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:45:00 GMT The Tower Hamlets mayoral election case highlights how the election petition system is “obsolete and unfit for purpose”, according to the judge who found Lutfur Rahman guilty of corrupt and illegal practices. In his judgement, Judge Richard Mawrey QC said that the case made clear, more than any other he had tried, “the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-case-highlights-obsolete-and-unfit-election-petition-system 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-case-highlights-obsolete-and-unfit-election-petition-system Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Twenty-five building contractors have been included in the £4bn housing and general building framework for public sector organisations across all London boroughs. The London Construction Programme’s Major Works Construction Framework Agreement covers five sub-regions of London and will be open to all 33 London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-of-4bn-london-public-sector-construction-framework-announced 441,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-of-4bn-london-public-sector-construction-framework-announced Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Charles Cotton, adviser for performance and reward at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, talks to PSE about employee attitudes towards pay and pensions in the public sector. David Stevenson reports. Between December 2013 and December 2014, about 53% of UK employees received some form of salary increase, up marginally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-still-rejected-by-public-sector 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-still-rejected-by-public-sector Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:30:00 GMT Is there any hope of getting more evidence into political debates running up to May? Jonathan Breckon, head of the Alliance for Useful Evidence, explores the issues. Surely inconvenient statistics and research go out the window when it comes to election time. It is much easier at this stage to promise some future billions on housing or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stats-facts-and-evidence-in-the-general-election 450,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stats-facts-and-evidence-in-the-general-election Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:30:00 GMT Councils are failing to adapt the homes of disabled people within the one year legal limit, a new report from the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability has found. The report, ‘The Long Wait for a Home’, shows that nearly two thirds (62%) of councils failed to carry out necessary adaptations on homes within the legal one year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-make-homes-safe-for-disabled-people 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-make-homes-safe-for-disabled-people Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:15:00 GMT The National Crime Agency (NCA) has criticised a catalogue of police failings that allowed criminals to sexually abuse more than 1,400 children in Rotherham over a 16-year period, in a new review of operations. It has also recommended a review of three further South Yorkshire Police operations, only one of which resulted in prosecutions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nca-review-criticises-police-failings-over-rotherham-abuse 454,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nca-review-criticises-police-failings-over-rotherham-abuse Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:15:00 GMT Will Nixon runs PM Training, which helps young people into apprenticeships and is part of social regeneration business the Aspire Group, of which he is deputy CEO. Both the Conservative and Labour parties have put forward potential reforms to the benefit system for young people aged 18 to 21 who are not in employment, education or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-the-individual-neet-not-the-neet-problem- 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-the-individual-neet-not-the-neet-problem- Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:00:00 GMT The government has responded to the Public Accounts Committee’s report on housing benefit fraud, on which MPs said the Department for Work & Pensions was making “little progress”. Adam Hewitt reports. The government has agreed with all of the recommendations of the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on tackling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reducing-fraud-and-error-in-housing-benefit-payments 454,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reducing-fraud-and-error-in-housing-benefit-payments Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:00:00 GMT Carl Fillery is chief executive of CSMA Club, the membership organisation that offers discounts, deals and leisure experiences for people working in the public sector. He told PSE how much the organisation has changed since its foundation in 1923, and what it offers people today. Carl Fillery has led CSMA Club for a year, helping to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-best-kept-secret-in-the-public-sector 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-best-kept-secret-in-the-public-sector Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:00:00 GMT Rachel Tiffen, head of CIPFA’s Counter Fraud Centre, discusses how a new partnership could help public services in the fight against fraud and cyber-attacks. David Stevenson reports. Last year the Audit Commission’s final ‘Protecting the Public Purse’ report revealed that local government bodies detected 3% fewer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-joined-up-approach-to-tackling-fraud-in-the-public-sector 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-joined-up-approach-to-tackling-fraud-in-the-public-sector Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:30:00 GMT Colin Angel, policy and campaigns director at the United Kingdom Homecare Association, talks to PSE about the under-funding of homecare services for older people across the country. David Stevenson reports. Most councils failed to pay the recommended minimum price for homecare of £15.74 an hour last year, a report from the United... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-fund-the-minimum-wage-in-the-uk-homecare-sector 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-fund-the-minimum-wage-in-the-uk-homecare-sector Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Sarah Stopforth, assistant researcher at the New Local Government Network, writes about how local government has an essential role to play in coordinating and supporting national initiatives aimed at decarbonising the country’s economy. Low carbon is the only way that growth in local economies can be put on a sustainable setting.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-carbon-for-sustainable-growth 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-carbon-for-sustainable-growth Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Ralph Collett, managing director of CloserStill Media’s Medical Group, discusses the world of healthcare commissioning and the upcoming Health+Care show in London. PSE is the official media partner for the show. Commissioning entered the health lexicon under the previous administration as a means of expressing a new and more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health--care-2015 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health--care-2015 Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT With the general election looming, Tim Pryce, head of public sector at the Carbon Trust, looks at the public sector’s sustainability performance, asking whether it is enough to meet the UK’s sustainability ambitions. Over the past five years it has often been repeated that the current government is aiming to be the UK’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-this-the-greenest-public-sector-ever-in-the-uk 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-this-the-greenest-public-sector-ever-in-the-uk Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT James Rawlins, senior consultant at Callcredit Information Group, looks at the most efficient way to tackle debt and fraud by embracing modern technology. Taking a more holistic approach to debt and fraud and targeting resources more effectively and efficiently will enable the public sector to keep pace with the changing landscape, minimise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-need-to-embrace-data-sharing-and-modern-technology-to-reduce-debt-and-fraud- 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-need-to-embrace-data-sharing-and-modern-technology-to-reduce-debt-and-fraud- Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Des Kelly OBE, executive director at the National Care Forum, discusses whether the next couple of years will make or break the adult social care sector. David Stevenson reports. One the eve of the chancellor’s final budget, prior to the dissolution of Parliament, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) issued... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-or-break-time-for-adult-social-care- 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-or-break-time-for-adult-social-care- Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Andrew Grant, chief executive of Aylesbury Vale District Council, explains how his authority is tackling central government cuts by operating in a more businesslike way. It’s a story we’re now all very familiar with – five years of unprecedented government funding reductions, and more still to come, which are creating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-model-approach-to-transforming-public-services 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-model-approach-to-transforming-public-services Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT The Centre for Local Economic Strategies is a think tank that says it not just thinks, but does. PSE went to meet its chief executive of 12 years, Neil McInroy. The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) is based in Manchester, but its perspective and influence is national. Being based outside of London does give it a different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-the-conversation 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-the-conversation Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT In this second article on the Coalition’s public service reforms, Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, considers underpinning narratives. Coalition Public Service Reforms: Part 2 – Pivotal Themes By Professor Chris Painter In the first part of this evaluation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-public-service-reforms-part-2-pivotal-themes 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-public-service-reforms-part-2-pivotal-themes Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT A PSE investigation looks into the true extent of cuts faced by children’s centres in the last five years, with many local authorities having to tighten the purse strings for these vital services. David Stevenson reports. Local authorities across England have reduced their funding for children’s centres by nearly a third on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-funding-for-childrens-centres-cut-by-a-third-under-coalition 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-funding-for-childrens-centres-cut-by-a-third-under-coalition Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT Councils could play a key role in integrating health and social care at the local level, providing they are empowered to do so, a new report has concluded.  The study – Unblocking: Securing a health and social care system that protects older people – by Localis, highlighted that the “institutional” and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-councils-hold-the-key-to-integrating-health-and-social-care 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-councils-hold-the-key-to-integrating-health-and-social-care Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT Many local authorities have been exploring the use of joint ventures and subsidiary businesses in recent years, either to shift costs or as a potential source of revenue. But Commercial Services, wholly owned by Kent County Council, has been around for nearly 70 years, and is today a £400m business across four divisions. PSE spoke to its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-business 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-business Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT In October, we met with Stephen Curtis, director of the then newly launched Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing. Six months on, we caught up with him again to find out how breaking barriers to information sharing is transforming public services. Starting the way we mean to go on  “The appetite from local places to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-sharing-insight--six-months-on 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-sharing-insight--six-months-on Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT Paul Hughes, director and public sector governance lead at Grant Thornton UK LLP, outlines the findings of recent research. Local government in the UK can and should be proud of the way it has withstood the challenge of austerity to date. It has shown a commendable capacity to innovate in the face of increased financial pressures and is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-harbour-real-doubts-over-value-of-scrutiny-committees 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-harbour-real-doubts-over-value-of-scrutiny-committees Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT David Innes, a research economist, and Gemma Tetlow, a programme director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, look at how cuts to local government spending in England have been unequal over the course of the last Parliament. Local government spending in England has been cut by more than a fifth over this Parliament, as the Coalition... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorest-areas-see-the-largest-cuts-to-local-government-spending-a-trend-that-looks-set-to-continue 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorest-areas-see-the-largest-cuts-to-local-government-spending-a-trend-that-looks-set-to-continue Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT The mayor of Tower Hamlets has been found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices over his election, which the High Court has now declared ‘void’. Election commissioner Richard Mawrey QC, who sat as a judge at the High Court, concluded that the mayoral election for the east London borough should be re-run after Lutfur Rahman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-guilty-of-corrupt-election-practices 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-mayor-guilty-of-corrupt-election-practices Thu, 23 Apr 2015 14:45:00 GMT Public sector institutions in Lancashire have been taking part in an innovative project over the last 18 months to stop their spending ‘leaking out’ of the local economy. The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) has been working with Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Constabulary and several... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anchor-institutions-using-spending-clout-to-boost-local-economy 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anchor-institutions-using-spending-clout-to-boost-local-economy Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:15:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats would put an end to five years of pay cuts for public sector workers if they are in power after the election, Nick Clegg has said. He has called for an end to real-terms cuts to their pay, arguing that it is time for public sector employees to share the benefits of economic recovery. Clegg said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-promise-end-to-public-sector-pay-cuts 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-promise-end-to-public-sector-pay-cuts Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:45:00 GMT Almost half of the adult social care providers inspected in a fresh wave of Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports have been rated as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’, it has been revealed. Since October 2014, CQC began to roll out its new inspection regime for adult social care services across England with an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fresh-wave-of-adult-social-care-inspections-highlight-national-problem 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fresh-wave-of-adult-social-care-inspections-highlight-national-problem Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:15:00 GMT A senior council officer at Derby City Council has been officially dismissed following a 10-month suspension. The council has confirmed that strategic director for resources Roger Kershaw was dismissed with effect from 16 April. Kershaw has appealed against the decision. An email from Labour council leader Ranjit Banwait, seen by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/derby-council-sacks-long-suspended-senior-officer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/derby-council-sacks-long-suspended-senior-officer Tue, 21 Apr 2015 17:15:00 GMT North Somerset Council has been taken to the Supreme Court by a service user unhappy with cuts the authority made to youth services. The Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge to a decision by the Court of Appeal not to give Aaron Hunt any relief despite ruling that a 70%-plus council cut to youth services was unlawful. Hunt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-taken-to-supreme-court-over-youth-services-cuts 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-taken-to-supreme-court-over-youth-services-cuts Tue, 21 Apr 2015 15:30:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to allow local authorities to charge double the amount of council tax on second homes to ensure local residents aren’t priced out of the property market. The proposal comes as part of the party’s new countryside charter to help such areas thrive. Nick Clegg said that he wants to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-to-allow-local-authorities-to-charge-double-council-tax-on-second-homes 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-to-allow-local-authorities-to-charge-double-council-tax-on-second-homes Tue, 21 Apr 2015 12:30:00 GMT A council is considering giving staff time off to vote as it looks for ways to improve election turnout way below the national average. For Derby City Council, which elects a third of its councillors every year, the average turnout was 39.2% in 2011 and 34% in 2014. But, in wards such as Mackworth and Sinfin it was a little over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-consider-giving-employees-time-off-to-vote 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-consider-giving-employees-time-off-to-vote Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:30:00 GMT Members of the Unite union who are employed by Bromley Council are to stage a second wave of strikes over what they call the local authority’s “mass privatisation” plans. Earlier this month staff from libraries, parks and adult services held strike action over two days over plans to outsource services and replace... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bromley-council-workers-to-stage-further-strike-action-over-mass-privatisation- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bromley-council-workers-to-stage-further-strike-action-over-mass-privatisation- Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT It is interesting that the Civil Service cuts affect predominantly the most junior grades. In the social services department I work for, the biggest percentage decrease is in senior managerial posts. Re: A further 25,000 job cuts needed to meet Civil Service reform plans – IfG http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-affecting-junior-civil-service-grades 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-affecting-junior-civil-service-grades Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT With increased pressure on public services it is a “worrying trend” that overall employment in the sector has reached its lowest level since 1999, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has said. The latest UK Labour Market statistics from the ONS highlighted that as of December 2014 there were 5.4 million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worrying-trend-as-public-sector-employment-reaches-lowest-level- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worrying-trend-as-public-sector-employment-reaches-lowest-level- Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:30:00 GMT The National Archives and the Local Government Association (LGA) have published a new series of 13 case studies illustrating what work councils can do to transform local archive services “despite a background of continuing austerity”. Jeff James, keeper and chief executive of the National Archive, stated that local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-local-archives-in-an-age-of-austerity- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-local-archives-in-an-age-of-austerity- Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:30:00 GMT Welsh government plans to reorganise local authorities have been described as "wrong in principle, unduly prescriptive and unworkable in practice" in a council report. In February the Welsh government put a white paper, Reforming Local Government - Power to Local People, out to consultation, detailing its plans to make changes to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-report-calls-welsh-local-authority-reform-plans-wrong-in-principle 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-report-calls-welsh-local-authority-reform-plans-wrong-in-principle Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:15:00 GMT A local agency able to commission both new schools and places across maintained, academy and free schools is needed, the NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers) has claimed.  The comment came as more than half a million families discovered which primary schools their children will attend in September. Early estimates suggested... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/head-teachers-call-for-local-agency-to-commission-school-places 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/head-teachers-call-for-local-agency-to-commission-school-places Fri, 17 Apr 2015 16:30:00 GMT The future of health and social care has to combine “integration” with a “sustainable financial” settlement for both, the new president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Service has said. In his inaugural speech at the ADASS spring seminar, Ray James (pictured) said that in order to create a system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integration-wont-solve-all-financial-woes-says-new-adass-chief 870,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integration-wont-solve-all-financial-woes-says-new-adass-chief Fri, 17 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT Two Labour veterans are set to go head-to-head in the race to become the interim mayor of Greater Manchester. Wigan council leader and current chair of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Lord Peter Smith and police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd have emerged as the only two candidates to put their names forward for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-candidates-put-themselves-forward-for-interim-gm-mayor-role 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-candidates-put-themselves-forward-for-interim-gm-mayor-role Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:15:00 GMT The Foreign Office permanent secretary, Sir Simon Fraser, has announced he will step down in July after five years in the job. Sir Simon joined the FCO in 1979, rising to the top job in 2010. While at the department he specialised in Europe, international economic policy and the Middle East. He served in Baghdad, Damascus, Paris and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foreign-office-permanent-secretary-to-step-down-in-july 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foreign-office-permanent-secretary-to-step-down-in-july Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:45:00 GMT With pressure on government expenditure unlikely to abate any time soon, devolution can help drive maximum value for every taxpayer pound, the head of Localis, the leading local government think tank, has stated. Alex Thomson added that the devolution of power to councils and communities forming a prominent theme in each of the main... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-will-bring-maximum-value-for-every-taxpayer-pound 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-will-bring-maximum-value-for-every-taxpayer-pound Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:45:00 GMT To help councils recruit the best young talent, the Local Government Association (LGA) has signed up to Plotr, a government-supported, education-led careers website. The LGA will fund the creation of a Local Government World platform within the website that will showcase the range of careers and opportunities that councils have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-to-promote-local-government-careers-with-plotr-deal 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-to-promote-local-government-careers-with-plotr-deal Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:45:00 GMT The flagship Tory policy of extending Right to Buy to housing associations could see the government embroiled in a legal battle likely to cost the tax payer millions. PSE has already reported that the Chartered Institute of Housing believes the policy is likely to make the country’s housing crisis worse rather than better, but now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-associations-to-sue-tories-over-right-to-buy- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-associations-to-sue-tories-over-right-to-buy- Wed, 15 Apr 2015 16:00:00 GMT More power over revenue and spending will be given to councils, along with a right to demand devolution from Whitehall, if the Lib Dems form part of the next government. Nick Clegg launched his party’s manifesto today and it includes plans to use the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance to reform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-get-more-power-over-revenue-and-spending-if-lib-dems-win-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-get-more-power-over-revenue-and-spending-if-lib-dems-win-election Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:15:00 GMT Quentin Maxwell-Jackson, an independent management consultant and research associate at the liberal CentreForum think tank, says the factors that result in success or failure in public services are similar whether the deliverer is public or private. The public debate about how to achieve better public services has unhelpfully been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-public-services--lets-forget-ideology-and-learn-from-past-mistakes 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-public-services--lets-forget-ideology-and-learn-from-past-mistakes Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:00:00 GMT A key Conservative manifesto pledge to extend the Right to Buy to housing associations won’t solve the country’s housing crisis and is more likely to make it worse, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).  The comment comes as David Cameron launched his party’s 2015 manifesto, where he said it was his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extending-right-to-buy-wont-solve-housing-crisis-cih- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extending-right-to-buy-wont-solve-housing-crisis-cih- Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:00:00 GMT After thousands of passengers faced further chaos and disruption at London Bridge station yesterday, the Royal Borough of Greenwich is demanding action from Network Rail to end the “ongoing misery” and “uncertainty” of rail travel during its redevelopment.  Rail bosses have, once again, apologised to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-council-demands-network-rail-ends-london-bridge-misery 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-council-demands-network-rail-ends-london-bridge-misery Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:00:00 GMT Council budgets could be squeezed even further in a post-election spending round, as ministers are likely to protect the country’s defence budget due to political pressure, the former head of the Civil Service has suggested.  Lord Kerslake, who was until recently the permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protected-defence-spending-could-leave-councils-at-risk-warns-kerslake- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protected-defence-spending-could-leave-councils-at-risk-warns-kerslake- Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:00:00 GMT With just a week left for people to get registered to vote ahead of the General Election, the Electoral Commission has made a massive social media push to remind everyone. Today millions of Twitter users in Great Britain will see a notification in their newsfeed encouraging them to register to vote and providing information on how to do... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/have-you-registered-to-vote 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/have-you-registered-to-vote Mon, 13 Apr 2015 12:00:00 GMT Pupils across Wales who are eligible for free school meals (FSMs) –  a measure of deprivation – are statistically less likely to achieve five A*-C GCSEs, including English or Welsh and maths (Level 2+), new data has revealed.  The figures, compiled by the Welsh Government, break down the country’s four regional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-figures-highlight-poverty-link-to-poor-gcse-performance-in-wales- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-figures-highlight-poverty-link-to-poor-gcse-performance-in-wales- Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:45:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has seen the largest decrease in staff numbers compared to any other ministry since 2010, analysis by the Institute for Government (IfG) has revealed.  The organisation’s Whitehall Monitor shows that in the last five years, the DCLG workforce has shrunk by 35%. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-further-25000-job-cuts-needed-to-meet-civil-service-reform-plans-ifg- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-further-25000-job-cuts-needed-to-meet-civil-service-reform-plans-ifg- Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT The next Government has been called on to put an early action plan approach at the centre of work undertaken during the first 100 days in office or risk the future of important public services.  The call comes from a new collection of essays by respected thinkers, advisers and commentators, which set out practical steps for the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-next-government-to-set-out-serious-early-action-plans 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-next-government-to-set-out-serious-early-action-plans Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT The Conservative’s pledge to raise the inheritance tax threshold on family homes to £1m would “disproportionately” benefit higher income earners, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.  David Cameron has promised that if his party is elected on 7 May, he would cut inheritance tax so that parents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-pledge-to-cut-inheritance-tax-disproportionate-ifs- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-pledge-to-cut-inheritance-tax-disproportionate-ifs- Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT So let’s hand over a terms and conditions of employment matter to a group of politically motivated councillors seeking revenge for some issue they felt wasn’t dealt with the way they wanted. You couldn’t make it up if you tried. Another Pickles irrelevance. Re: Councils gain power to dismiss senior officers through... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-of-designated-independent-person-protections-for-senior-council-officers 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-of-designated-independent-person-protections-for-senior-council-officers Mon, 13 Apr 2015 09:30:00 GMT The Conservatives have unveiled plans to give half of the UK’s workforce three day’s paid leave to volunteer each year, including those in the public sector.  Revisiting the Big Society theme from the 2010 election, David Cameron is to announce that every public sector worker and anyone working in a company with at least... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-paid-volunteering-leave-for-public-sector 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-paid-volunteering-leave-for-public-sector Fri, 10 Apr 2015 12:15:00 GMT Mapping loneliness in local areas could help councils meet their obligations under the new Care Act to reach out to people experiencing isolation, it has been suggested.  This comes after new research, published by Campaign to End Loneliness and University of Kent, concluded that councils and local services should use existing data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/loneliness-maps-could-help-councils-meet-care-act-obligations- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/loneliness-maps-could-help-councils-meet-care-act-obligations- Fri, 10 Apr 2015 12:15:00 GMT Labour has pledged this week to devolve more powers on skills, transport and housing to every city or county region in England, if it wins this year’s general election.  The party has promised to give back £30bn of funding over five years from Whitehall. Additionally, the shadow communities secretary, Hilary Benn, said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pledges-greater-local-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pledges-greater-local-devolution Thu, 09 Apr 2015 10:30:00 GMT There is ‘clear evidence’ that food banks are opening in areas experiencing greater cuts in spending on local services and central welfare benefits and higher unemployment rates, an academic study has concluded.  The Oxford University research shows emergency food aid is most concentrated in areas where there are high... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rise-in-food-banks-linked-to-cuts-in-welfare-spending 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rise-in-food-banks-linked-to-cuts-in-welfare-spending Thu, 09 Apr 2015 10:30:00 GMT Approximately 500,000 more people were summoned to court last year over unpaid council tax, after the government scrapped council tax benefit (CBT), which protected many families from paying it.  The Coalition abolished CBT in 2013, replacing it with a new council tax support scheme (CTS) administered locally with a 10% smaller... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-council-tax-court-cases-increase-by-more-than-500000 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-council-tax-court-cases-increase-by-more-than-500000 Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:15:00 GMT Councils should retain 100% of receipts generated by Right to Buy sales if they are to raise funds to replace homes that are sold in their area, a report has claimed.  The research by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) and the Local Government Association (LGA) recommends that the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-councils-to-retain-right-to-buy-receipts- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-councils-to-retain-right-to-buy-receipts- Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:00:00 GMT Savings and productivity increases will require less focus on individual NHS organisations’ performance, and much more on looking at the health system holistically, a new report has concluded.  The Health Foundation’s study – Hospital finances and productivity: in a critical condition? – highlights that in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-pressures-not-demand-the-main-reason-the-nhs-is-struggling- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-pressures-not-demand-the-main-reason-the-nhs-is-struggling- Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:00:00 GMT Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA), the independent company established to take on responsibilities related to local public audit following the Audit Commission’s closure yesterday, is now up and running.  The PSAA was formed to take on a number of transitional responsibilities until at least 2017, including the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commissions-successor-psaa-up-and-running 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commissions-successor-psaa-up-and-running Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:00:00 GMT The public would prefer a higher council tax for homes left empty or a new council tax band on homes valued over £2m rather than a mansion tax, according to a new poll. YouGov polled over 2,000 adults on behalf of the HomeOwners Alliance and 70% said they would like to see higher council tax for empty homes, while an additional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-prefer-higher-council-tax-over-mansion-tax 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-prefer-higher-council-tax-over-mansion-tax Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on the next government to devolve at least £15bn of employment and skills funding to local areas. In the final report of the LGA’s ‘Realising Talent' series, developed with the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, it sets out a series of new proposals that describe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-of-employment-and-skills-funding 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-devolution-of-employment-and-skills-funding Tue, 31 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT The housing shortage is a myth! If you care to take a  survey of all the recent housing projects  you will find that the majority are for second/holiday homes. Most of these stand empty for 50 weeks a year. It is a scandal when working people cannot get a house. This area of North Norfolk is a developer's paradise. Every tiny... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-housing-shortage-is-a-myth 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-housing-shortage-is-a-myth Mon, 30 Mar 2015 11:45:00 GMT Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith revealed over the weekend that “no decisions” have been made on where to make further benefit cuts.  Earlier this month, the chancellor outlined in his budget that the Conservatives, should they win the general election, would aim to cut £12bn from the welfare budget by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-cuts-are-coming-we-just-dont-know-from-where 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-cuts-are-coming-we-just-dont-know-from-where Mon, 30 Mar 2015 11:30:00 GMT Joining forces to buy bin lorries and wheelie bins could save councils across England up to £70m per year, it has been estimated.  A DCLG commissioned report, carried out by Local Partnerships, a joint agency of the Local Government Association and the Treasury, has revealed that savings of up to 10% on vehicles and 35% on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-waste-management-buying-could-save-up-to-70m-per-year- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-waste-management-buying-could-save-up-to-70m-per-year- Mon, 30 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT The Crown Commercial Service has renewed its multi-billion pound electricity contract which will see EDF Energy continue to supply its services to thousands of public buildings and sites across central and local government.  The four-year agreement, worth £1bn annually, covers around 8,000 sites including schools, the NHS, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edf-awarded-multi-billion-pound-public-sector-electricity-contract 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edf-awarded-multi-billion-pound-public-sector-electricity-contract Mon, 30 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT Three-quarters of MPs from across the political spectrum believe that adult social care funding from the government in the next Parliament should be protected in the same way as NHS funding.  A survey for the Local Government Association (LGA) by ComRes found that 35% of MPs ‘strongly agreed’ on this topic and two-fifths... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-back-call-for-protecting-adult-social-care-funding 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-back-call-for-protecting-adult-social-care-funding Mon, 30 Mar 2015 10:15:00 GMT Only one in five workers expect their pay to rise by 2% or more this year, with public sector expectations significantly lower than this on average, according to new figures.  A survey of 973 workers by Ipsos Mori for financial information firm Markit highlighted that workers across the country expect to see earnings rise by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employees-forecasting-pay-increases-below-1 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employees-forecasting-pay-increases-below-1 Mon, 30 Mar 2015 10:15:00 GMT Tower Hamlets LBC has received a letter from the DCLG proposing to direct the council to establish a new senior officer position designated as head of paid service, the holder of which is to have direct or indirect line management responsibility for all the authority’s staff.  As part of the proposed direction, the appointment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-proposes-changes-in-its-direction-to-tower-hamlets- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-proposes-changes-in-its-direction-to-tower-hamlets- Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:15:00 GMT A trio of government commissioned reports have come back criticising the Civil Service on the barriers facing officials from minority groups. The three separate reports, commissioned by the Cabinet Office last year, highlight concerns among civil servants that Whitehall’s leadership has not done enough to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trio-of-reports-criticises-civil-service-barriers-to-diversity 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trio-of-reports-criticises-civil-service-barriers-to-diversity Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:15:00 GMT The government has passed new legislation that will allow senior officers in local authorities to be dismissed by a vote of the full council. Included in the change are Section 151 officers and those holding other senior posts in local government. Under the previous system, councils were required to appoint a ‘designated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-gain-power-to-dismiss-senior-officers-through-council-vote 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-gain-power-to-dismiss-senior-officers-through-council-vote Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:15:00 GMT More than a third of councils have refused funding from the government to freeze council tax over the next year. The Department for Communities and Local Government today announced that 64% of authorities had taken the government’s freeze grant, which is based on the equivalent of a 1% increase in rates. Offers of funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-of-councils-refusing-funding-to-freeze-council-tax-rises 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-of-councils-refusing-funding-to-freeze-council-tax-rises Fri, 27 Mar 2015 14:00:00 GMT Councils have proposed a new type of banning order to help stop the grooming of children for sex. The Local Government Association (LGA) and children’s charity Barnardo’s are calling for the introduction of “disruption orders”, which would give social workers and police a way of intervening in child sexual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-new-powers-to-stop-child-grooming 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-new-powers-to-stop-child-grooming Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:00:00 GMT West Berkshire Council has launched a judicial review against the government, claiming it has failed to meet a commitment to fully fund the costs of introducing the Care Act. The council claims it has been left with a funding gap of £3m. It said that after performing “extensive modelling” of the likely impact of new Care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-launches-judicial-review-of-government-over-care-act-funding 436,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-launches-judicial-review-of-government-over-care-act-funding Thu, 26 Mar 2015 12:45:00 GMT Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has set out plans to trial a new transparency clause in public sector contracts. Setting out changes in response to an Institute for Government report that called for an increased openness, Maude said the government would work with suppliers to craft a "mutually binding contractual clause on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-transparency-rules-for-government-contracts 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-transparency-rules-for-government-contracts Wed, 25 Mar 2015 16:00:00 GMT The government has not yet made a “convincing case” for the £50bn HS2 railway, a report from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee has concluded. It was noted that the government has based its justification for HS2 on two factors: increased rail capacity and rebalancing the UK economy. But the Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-yet-to-make-convincing-case-for-hs2--lords-report 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-yet-to-make-convincing-case-for-hs2--lords-report Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:45:00 GMT An interesting global education conference is coming up next month, examining topics like print vs digital in delivering education, and who is best-placed to commission the content: tge public sector or private publishers? The ‘What Works? Successful Education Policies, Resources and Technologies’ conference is on Thursday 16... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-driving-forces-behind-education-policy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-driving-forces-behind-education-policy Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:00:00 GMT By the end of the decade, 60% of council tax will be spent caring for the elderly, vulnerable adults and vulnerable children, the Local Government Association has warned. New analysis published by the LGA breaks down how every £1 of council tax is allocated by councils. It shows that even with people paying similar levels of council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-to-swallow-60-of-council-tax-by-2020 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-to-swallow-60-of-council-tax-by-2020 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:30:00 GMT Salford City Council is to form a staff-owned company to deliver adult social care and protect it from future budget cuts. A proposal for the not-for-profit company to be set up, and for the 400 staff who currently run the services to be transferred to it, was approved unanimously by the council cabinet earlier today. Other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salford-council-to-form-independent-company-to-run-adult-social-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salford-council-to-form-independent-company-to-run-adult-social-care Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:15:00 GMT A broad independent review of the government’s controversial benefit sanctions is needed, say MPs, amid concerns they are unfair, disproportionately applied and cause severe financial hardship. Sanctions are financial penalties, stopping claimants’ benefit payments for at least four weeks for breaches of jobcentre conditions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/committee-urges-review-of-dwp-benefit-sanctions 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/committee-urges-review-of-dwp-benefit-sanctions Tue, 24 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT The decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the appeal of Titina Nzolameso against Westminster City Council over out-of-borough housing is going to send ripple effects through authorities across the country. The court was unanimous in its ruling so there is sure to be no wriggle room. While the full implications will not be known until... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supreme-court-decision-could-impose-an-unreasonable-burden-on-councils 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supreme-court-decision-could-impose-an-unreasonable-burden-on-councils Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:00:00 GMT A committee of MPs has criticised the UK and Scottish governments for failing to ensure Civil Service impartiality during the independence referendum. The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) said advice from the permanent secretary to the Treasury on a currency union should not have been published and also questioned the use of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-civil-service-partiality-in-scottish-independence-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-civil-service-partiality-in-scottish-independence-referendum Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:30:00 GMT The Supreme Court has overturned a decision by Westminster City Council to house a resident out of the borough, in a ruling likely to have wide implications for local authorities. The court unanimously upheld an appeal from Titina Nzolameso, a single mother who had lived in the Westminster for four years in a four bedroom home, relying on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supreme-court-ruling-has-implications-for-councils-housing-people-far-afield 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supreme-court-ruling-has-implications-for-councils-housing-people-far-afield Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:45:00 GMT The evidence is clear that our high streets are doomed and no more so than in the suburbs where parking is prohibitive and public transport is slow or limited. The added burden of a business rate that is based on a theoretical ideal can only become the death knell for the remaining retailers, with the exception of charity shops. Footfall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-rates-are-an-added-burden-for-struggling-high-streets 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-rates-are-an-added-burden-for-struggling-high-streets Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT Design should be a “central pillar of government policy” and civil servants should receive basic design training, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended. The All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group (APDIG) has launched a new manifesto that calls on all political parties to provide greater support for the design... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-should-be-trained-in-design-mps 438,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-should-be-trained-in-design-mps Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT Select committees should take on the additional task of legislative scrutiny and members should receive a £10,000 pay rise, a think tank has recommended. Reform, which examines public service improvement, has released a new report suggesting that “weak parliamentary scrutiny of government bills threatens the quality of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/select-committee-mps-should-get-more-work-and-a-pay-rise-says-think-tank 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/select-committee-mps-should-get-more-work-and-a-pay-rise-says-think-tank Mon, 23 Mar 2015 10:45:00 GMT Downing Street has defended changes to the Civil Service Code that gags over 440,000 government employees by not letting them speak to the media without ministerial permission. The Code has been updated with an extra line which reads: “Ensure you have Ministerial authorisation for any contact with the media.” The Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/downing-street-defends-civil-service-gag-order 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/downing-street-defends-civil-service-gag-order Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:30:00 GMT Councillors in Scotland need better training and for the jargon to be cut out of reports so that they can better scrutinise borrowing arrangements, auditors have said. Borrowing is a major source of funding for Scottish councils to invest in key services like schools or roads. A new report from the Accounts Commission says that councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councillors-need-better-training-to-scrutinise-borrowing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councillors-need-better-training-to-scrutinise-borrowing Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:30:00 GMT Plans for farmers to switch to online-only claims for EU subsidies have been suspended after “performance problems” with a new multi-million pound IT systems could not be resolved. The new £154m system is not to be completely abandoned, but will be used only for farmers to register and download forms to print out.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-repeat-it-failure-for-defra-it-suspends-the-new-online-farm-subsidies-claim-system 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-repeat-it-failure-for-defra-it-suspends-the-new-online-farm-subsidies-claim-system Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:15:00 GMT The implementation of a national Housing Finance Institute announced in the Budget yesterday marks an “important” step in tackling the country’s overall shortage in housing supply, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.  As well as being given the opportunity to work with the government to develop the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-finance-institute-to-tackle-housing-supply-shortage--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-finance-institute-to-tackle-housing-supply-shortage--lga Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:30:00 GMT Public sector employees feel undervalued and think their pay does not match their performance, according to a new study. The poll of 1,200 public and private sector workers, commissioned by civil service and public sector membership group CSMA Club, found that 69% of those in the public sector feel less valued by society than 10 years ago... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-feel-undervalued-and-underpaid 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-feel-undervalued-and-underpaid Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:15:00 GMT The Government Digital Service (GDS) will expand its remit and start working with councils to develop local digital services. The plans, outlined in the chancellor’s Budget documentation, mark a massive expansion of the GDS, which had previously focused only on central government departments. The Treasury stated that its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-digital-service-to-start-working-with-councils-on-local-services 439,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-digital-service-to-start-working-with-councils-on-local-services Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:45:00 GMT Delivering public sector projects on time, on budget and with the full set of intended benefits has always been a demanding business. So would a move to more transparency improve or hinder project performance and de-risk projects? Alexander Budzier, a lecturer on the MSc for Major Programme Management at Saïd Business School, a lecturer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risk-related-transparency-a-double-edged-sword 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risk-related-transparency-a-double-edged-sword Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:00:00 GMT The chancellor has finalised plans to abolish progression pay across the Civil Service. The plans were announced in yesterday’s Budget document. It states: “Since Autumn Statement 2014, the government has made good progress in driving efficiency across a number of areas. Budget 2015 confirms that proposals have been agreed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/progression-pay-in-the-civil-service-to-be-scrapped 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/progression-pay-in-the-civil-service-to-be-scrapped Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:30:00 GMT The government is to conduct a broad review of business rates, with some areas to retain 100% of any additional business rate growth beyond expected forecasts, the chancellor has stated.  During his final Budget before the general election, George Osborne announced pilot schemes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and, subject to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-2015-government-to-review-business-rates-for-councils 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-2015-government-to-review-business-rates-for-councils Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:15:00 GMT More than 2,000 people joined the ‘Homes for Britain’ rally yesterday in the heart of Westminster to call on politicians to end the country’s housing crisis within a generation.  The campaign brought together all those who believe everyone has a right to a decent affordable home with people from more than 300... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homes-for-britain-puts-housing-firmly-on-election-radar 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homes-for-britain-puts-housing-firmly-on-election-radar Wed, 18 Mar 2015 13:00:00 GMT West Yorkshire’s devolution deal to give the Leeds city region more control over its own affairs has been branded “disappointing” ahead of its expected unveiling in today’s Budget. The agreement includes greater control of the region’s skills funding and a lead role in how it supports local businesses. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-devolution-deal-disappointing 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-devolution-deal-disappointing Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:15:00 GMT The Civil Service needs to carry out an “honest appraisal” of the skills it lacks or else costly failures like the botched award of the West Coast Main Line franchise will continue to happen, a cross-party group of MPs has said. The Public Administration Select Committee said that the service also needs to look at its ability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-skills-gap-causing-costly-failures-says-pasc 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-skills-gap-causing-costly-failures-says-pasc Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:15:00 GMT There was a “worrying and wasteful lack of co-ordination” between inquiries into the Trojan Horse affair, according to MPs, who also severely criticise Ofsted and question the reliability and robustness of the education watchdog’s judgments. A report published today by the Education Select Committee said that apart from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-ofsted-and-wasteful-overlapping-inquiries-into-trojan-horse 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-ofsted-and-wasteful-overlapping-inquiries-into-trojan-horse Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT Social care should be free at the end of life, according to a new report from the Health Select Committee. The report from the cross-party group of MPs examined the state of end of life care and found there was "unacceptable variation" in the care received by people in England. End-of-life care is defined as people expected to die... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-should-be-free-at-the-end-of-life-says-health-committee 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-should-be-free-at-the-end-of-life-says-health-committee Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:30:00 GMT The bedroom tax is causing ill-health, depression, stress, anxiety and hunger on those tenants affected by it, a new study suggests. Academics at the University of Newcastle and local public health officials conducted a qualitative study via interviews and a focus group with 38 social housing tenants and 12 service providers. It took... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-leaving-social-tenants-unwell-depressed-and-hungry 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-leaving-social-tenants-unwell-depressed-and-hungry Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:16:00 GMT Herefordshire Council’s funding for children’s centres has dropped by nearly 80% in the last five years, and now two of its sites have been heavily criticised by Ofsted.  A PSE investigation into the state of children’s centres across England revealed that Herefordshire had the largest funding reduction for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hard-hit-childrens-centres-in-herefordshire-criticised-by-ofsted 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hard-hit-childrens-centres-in-herefordshire-criticised-by-ofsted Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT The care and support minister will announce today that £1.6m government funding will be provided for a training scheme to fast-track graduates into mental health social work.  The Think Ahead programme aims to attract 80 to 100 recruits into mental health roles at a time when NHS and local councils are facing an increasing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mental-health-social-worker-programme-given-16m-funding-boost- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mental-health-social-worker-programme-given-16m-funding-boost- Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT The government has launched a “radical” review into Business Rates in England to look at making changes to a system that the CBI calls “outmoded, clunky and regressive”. The Treasury said that the review, first announced in December’s Autumn Statement, "paves the way for changes" to the current system, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-launches-radical-review-of-clunky-and-regressive-business-rates 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-launches-radical-review-of-clunky-and-regressive-business-rates Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT Guest blog by Adrian Nolan, associate director at the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) think tank. Employment support, in its current form, is not working. This is something that many agree on, and there have been countless articles and reports in recent years articulating how the Work Programme, the government’s flagship... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employment-support--something-needs-to-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employment-support--something-needs-to-change Mon, 16 Mar 2015 09:00:00 GMT The concern I have, when considering how we build sufficient new homes to alleviate the current shortage, is how the inhabitants of new homes in rural areas get to work, get to school, get to hospital, get to the doctors, dentist, opticians, get to shops, get to the motorways, get to the airport, etc. Most rural areas are connected by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-and-public-services-in-rural-areas 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-and-public-services-in-rural-areas Mon, 16 Mar 2015 09:00:00 GMT Councils have been forced to water down local regulations on licensing private landlords as part of reforms introduced by the government.  Since 2010, local councils have had the power to licence landlords across an entire borough or jurisdiction in order to combat issues such as anti-social behaviour in so-called ‘hotspot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-water-down-licensing-on-private-landlords 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-water-down-licensing-on-private-landlords Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:15:00 GMT Council tax increases in Wales are expected to raise an extra £100m for local government, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).  The results of its annual Welsh council tax survey have revealed that local authorities across the country will raise their council tax for an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-tax-increases-raise-extra-100m-for-public-services 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-tax-increases-raise-extra-100m-for-public-services Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:15:00 GMT Pay awards for nearly a million public sector workers will increase by 1% in 2015-16, Treasury officials have announced.  It was revealed that the armed forces, teachers, prison service staff, independent GPs and dentists, senior military and the judiciary will benefit from the award.  However, Police and Crime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-award-1-increase- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-award-1-increase- Thu, 12 Mar 2015 14:00:00 GMT Far too many civil servants are buying first class travel tickets and expensive ‘anytime’ flexible fares, a National Audit Office (NAO) investigation has shown. Noting that “inappropriate travel expenditure can seriously damage reputations”, the NAO has revealed that in 2013-14, central government departments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-spending-too-much-on-expensive-rail-and-air-travel--nao 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-spending-too-much-on-expensive-rail-and-air-travel--nao Wed, 11 Mar 2015 15:45:00 GMT A shortlist of 12 cities and regions bidding for a share of a £35m fund for ultra-low-emission vehicles (ULEVs) has been revealed by the government. That funding, under the Go Ultra Low scheme, sits alongside an additional £30m for councils and bus operators to replace older vehicles with greener alternatives. The 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shortlisted-cities-announced-for-green-vehicle-scheme 433,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shortlisted-cities-announced-for-green-vehicle-scheme Wed, 11 Mar 2015 14:30:00 GMT More than 100 plug-in cars and vans are to join the government’s vehicle fleet as part of its commitment to green transport, ministers have stated.  Fifteen government departments and agencies, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and the Home Office, will benefit from adding 140 ultra-low emission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-departments-expand-eco-friendly-fleets 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-departments-expand-eco-friendly-fleets Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:30:00 GMT Public sector hiring intentions have risen to their highest level in four years, a poll of employers has suggested.  The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey revealed that with an outlook of +12%, hiring intentions in the public sector are double the national average for the second quarter of 2015.  The report – based... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-hiring-intentions-at-highest-level-in-four-years 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-hiring-intentions-at-highest-level-in-four-years Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:30:00 GMT Child social care in more than three-quarters of local authorities inspected by Ofsted last year have been rated “inadequate” or “requires improvement”.  The watchdog has now completed inspections of almost a third of all local authorities in England, under the single inspection framework which it introduced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-critical-of-council-run-childrens-services- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-critical-of-council-run-childrens-services- Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT The Treasury has been accused of failing to learn key lessons from the financial crash in 2007-08, by a senior group of MPs.  A new Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) report notes an “urgent gap” in the Treasury’s preparedness if a future financial crisis occurred as a “consequence of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-accuse-treasury-of-not-learning-lessons-from-financial-crash- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-accuse-treasury-of-not-learning-lessons-from-financial-crash- Mon, 09 Mar 2015 16:00:00 GMT The Coalition’s record of starting and delivering affordable housing project through Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) programmes is poorer than the previous government.  This is according to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH’s) UK Housing Review 2015, which revealed that, judged against performance under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalitions-record-on-affordable-housing-worse-than-labours 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalitions-record-on-affordable-housing-worse-than-labours Mon, 09 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could see its staff numbers cut by more than a third in the next five years, according to senior civil servants.  It was noted, though, that if Labour won the election the staff reduction would be less but still substantial, with 20,000 full-time equivalent employees facing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-workforce-could-shrink-by-more-than-a-third 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-workforce-could-shrink-by-more-than-a-third Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:30:00 GMT I have read your article about the shortage of paramedics in the UK. I am a British citizen who lived and worked in the USA for the last 15 years and I received my paramedic qualifications over in the USA, but found that transferring it for use in the UK is difficult. Due to it not being seen by the HCPC, it requires up to 16 weeks and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-a-job-as-a-paramedic-is-tough-despite-shortage 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-a-job-as-a-paramedic-is-tough-despite-shortage Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:15:00 GMT The first eight sites across England where projects will blend health and social care funding have been named by the Local Government Association (LGA) and NHS England.  Demonstrator sites as part of the Integrated Personal Commissioning (IPC) programme, which will provide 10,000 people with complex needs with greater power to decide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eight-areas-to-blend-health-and-social-care-budgets-under-new-pilot 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eight-areas-to-blend-health-and-social-care-budgets-under-new-pilot Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:00:00 GMT Listening to a commercial radio station this week, I couldn’t help but notice that the ad breaks seemed dominated by government and public sector announcements. From grants for businesses that hire apprentices to money for superfast broadband, to a police warning to people who take drugs and drive, armed forces recruitment and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/news-agenda 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/news-agenda Mon, 09 Mar 2015 09:45:00 GMT Fire services and councils have reiterated their calls for a lower drink drive limit and mandatory smoke alarms in private rented properties to be among the next government’s priorities in its first 100 days. The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) and the Local Government Association (LGA) released their ‘Making our nation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire-chiefs-call-for-lower-drink-drive-limit-and-mandatory-smoke-alarms 435,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire-chiefs-call-for-lower-drink-drive-limit-and-mandatory-smoke-alarms Mon, 09 Mar 2015 09:15:00 GMT The government has unveiled proposals to strengthen the rights of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions. Launched by care minister Norman Lamb, ‘No voice unheard, no right ignored’ includes measures such as the right to challenge decisions about their care, the right to be treated close to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-rights-for-people-with-mental-health-conditions 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-rights-for-people-with-mental-health-conditions Fri, 06 Mar 2015 15:00:00 GMT More than 1,500 households in the capital with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) are receiving some form of support from London boroughs at an annual cost of over £25m, new figures have revealed.  NRPF refers to people who are subject to immigration control and have no entitlement to public funds.  However, under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/households-with-no-one-to-turn-to-costing-london-boroughs-over-25m- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/households-with-no-one-to-turn-to-costing-london-boroughs-over-25m- Fri, 06 Mar 2015 14:45:00 GMT Drivers are to get a 10-minute grace period after a parking ticket runs out before they can be fined under new government plans. It is one of several changes, expected to take effect later this month, which include new restrictions on the use of CCTV cars issuing automatic fines. The new laws, which the government say are to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-give-drivers-10-minute-grace-period-in-council-car-parks 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-give-drivers-10-minute-grace-period-in-council-car-parks Fri, 06 Mar 2015 13:00:00 GMT The government should commit to devolving a £15bn transport funding package over 10 years to local authorities ‘to make the Northern Powerhouse a reality’, according to IPPR North.  The think-tank has produced its ‘Transport for the North’ report, the launch of which PSE attended in Manchester... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-for-the-north-should-get-15bn-devolved-funding--ippr-north- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-for-the-north-should-get-15bn-devolved-funding--ippr-north- Thu, 05 Mar 2015 16:00:00 GMT Nearly 100 senior civil servants have been fired for breaking Treasury rules by being paid ‘off the books’ through companies. The Department of Health and Ministry of Defence have also been fined a combined total of £1.5m for failing to adhere to the Treasury guidelines in regards to staff tax arrangements. The rule... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/94-senior-civil-servants-fired-for-breaking-treasury-tax-rules 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/94-senior-civil-servants-fired-for-breaking-treasury-tax-rules Thu, 05 Mar 2015 11:45:00 GMT Devolution to non-metropolitan areas could put a million more people in work and generate £8.7bn for the economy, according to a new report. The Independent Commission on Economic Growth and the Future of Public Services in Non-Metropolitan England argues that devolution to England's non-metropolitan areas is essential for economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-devolution-focused-too-much-on-major-cities 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-devolution-focused-too-much-on-major-cities Thu, 05 Mar 2015 10:15:00 GMT PSE is heading to the launch of IPPR North’s flagship ‘Transport for the North’ report today, which we’ve been told provides a blueprint for how the north can move towards an integrated transport system.  We’ve been told this would cover three northern regions, which would ultimately be responsible for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-blueprint-for-an-integrated-transport-system-in-the-north 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-blueprint-for-an-integrated-transport-system-in-the-north Thu, 05 Mar 2015 09:15:00 GMT English counties are calling for the devolution of health and social care budgets in the wake of the Devo Manc agreement. An inquiry by the County All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), in associating with the County Council Network, has found that nearly eight in ten counties in the UK feel their existing funding pressures in adult social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counties-call-for-devolution-of-health-and-social-care 436,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counties-call-for-devolution-of-health-and-social-care Wed, 04 Mar 2015 16:15:00 GMT Only 28 councils out of more than 200 surveyed is paying the recommended minimum price or higher for home care for the elderly. The UK Homecare Association (UKHCA) sent FOI requests to 211 councils, and other bodies responsible for social care, and the 206 responses showed that just one in seven councils paid the minimum price of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-underpaying-for-homecare-for-the-elderly- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-underpaying-for-homecare-for-the-elderly- Wed, 04 Mar 2015 13:00:00 GMT A cross-party group of MPs and Peers has called for the end to the indefinite detention of migrants, calling the current system “expensive, ineffective and unjust”. The all-party parliamentary group into the use of immigration detention warned that too many people are being unnecessarily detained, with some remaining in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/indefinite-detention-of-migrants-is-expensive-ineffective-and-unjust-say-mps 436,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/indefinite-detention-of-migrants-is-expensive-ineffective-and-unjust-say-mps Tue, 03 Mar 2015 12:45:00 GMT Councillors, teachers and social workers in England and Wales who fail to protect children from sexual exploitation could face up to five years in prison under new proposals being unveiled by the prime minister.  The government will consult on extending the new criminal offence of ‘wilful neglect’, first introduced in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jail-for-public-officials-who-neglect-child-sex-abuse 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jail-for-public-officials-who-neglect-child-sex-abuse Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:30:00 GMT Scotland’s Devolution Committee has “unanimously” recommended that a draft Order to see the powers allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote in future Scottish elections should be transferred to the Scottish Parliament. In November 2014, the Smith Commission called on the UK Parliament to devolve the relevant powers to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vote-for-16-17-year-olds-in-scotland-a-step-closer- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vote-for-16-17-year-olds-in-scotland-a-step-closer- Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:30:00 GMT More than 350 young people have been groomed and sexually assaulted over 15 years in Oxfordshire, a new report into the failures by police and social services is expected to disclose. The victims, mostly girls, come predominantly from Oxford, making the city synonymous with the like of Rotherham and Rochdale as the latest area in Britain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serious-review-shows-over-350-young-people-sexually-abused-in-oxfordshire 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serious-review-shows-over-350-young-people-sexually-abused-in-oxfordshire Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:15:00 GMT Almost half of all local authority websites do not hold sufficient data about councillors, according to Socitm’s latest Better Connected report. The annual survey, now in its seventeenth year, revealed that 46% of UK councils failed to meet the Better Connected standard for identifying local authority representatives. Over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/democracy-sections-of-council-websites-underperforming--socitm- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/democracy-sections-of-council-websites-underperforming--socitm- Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:30:00 GMT More than two-thirds of UK businesses agree that councils should be able to set business rates locally, according to a new a poll. The Local Government Association (LGA) surveyed 500 firms and found 68% of businesses across the UK agree that business rates should be set locally in discussion with local businesses. Just 7% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/businesses-back-council-control-of-business-rates 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/businesses-back-council-control-of-business-rates Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:30:00 GMT Government figures have revealed that rough sleeping in England has risen by 55% since 2010, with 2,744 people having slept rough on any one night last year. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) statistics show a 14% rise in rough sleeping on last year, which the charity Crisis says is caused by a combination of cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-in-england-risen-55-since-2010 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rough-sleeping-in-england-risen-55-since-2010 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:30:00 GMT I welcome any attempt to improve disability training of course, but sometimes I wish that people would just look around them and see all the barriers that exist. Then maybe they could actually work to remove them instead of writing more well-intentioned articles. Re: Calls for enhanced disability training to tackle negative attitudes http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disability-training 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disability-training Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:45:00 GMT The deal to devolve the entire £6bn NHS budget of Greater Manchester to local control was signed today by the chancellor, George Osborne. This trailblazing move sees NHS England, 12 NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, 15 NHS providers and 10 local authorities agree a framework for health and social care – with plans for joint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-nhs-devolution-deal-to-start-in-april 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-nhs-devolution-deal-to-start-in-april Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:30:00 GMT The government has agreed a new devolution package for Wales, which David Cameron said “removed the last remaining barriers” to an income tax referendum. Cameron unveiled the proposals with Nick Clegg at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff today, following months of cross-party negotiations. They include guaranteed minimum funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-devolution-package-agreed-for-wales 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-devolution-package-agreed-for-wales Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:00:00 GMT “Very little progress” has been made on Universal Credit with only 0.3% of eligible claimants on the scheme despite £700m being spent on development. The criticism comes in a report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee, which found that only 18,000 people were claiming the new benefit by October 2014, even though... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/03-of-eligible-claimants-use-universal-credit-as-mps-criticise-progress 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/03-of-eligible-claimants-use-universal-credit-as-mps-criticise-progress Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:15:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s Counter Fraud Centre (CCFC) is working with BAE Systems Applied Intelligence to develop counter-fraud services and solutions for the public sector. The aim of the alliance is to “revolutionise” how public sector organisations use technology to identify and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-and-bae-to-develop-counter-fraud-services-for-the-public-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-and-bae-to-develop-counter-fraud-services-for-the-public-sector Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:15:00 GMT Councils nearly walked away from the Better Care Fund when it was redesigned last year with a bigger bias towards the NHS. The revelation has been made in a report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee examining the preparations for the implementation of the flagship reform. The Fund was paused and redesigned following the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-better-care-fund-nearly-caused-councils-to-quit-the-scheme 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-better-care-fund-nearly-caused-councils-to-quit-the-scheme Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:45:00 GMT   There is no national shortage of nurses or doctors requiring labour from outside of Europe, but there are no longer enough paramedics for the UK’s needs, according to a new report. Government advisors have recommended that paramedics should, for the first time, be added to the shortage occupation list (SOL), which would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-ever-national-shortage-of-paramedics--but-not-of-nurses 870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-ever-national-shortage-of-paramedics--but-not-of-nurses Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT Andy Finlay, performance and operations manager at West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, explains how one electric vehicle has enabled the trust to make significant costs savings.  West Middlesex University Hospital has saved close to £25,000 after launching an electric pool car scheme.  Prior to introducing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-middlesex-hospital-cuts-travel-costs-by-40-with-one-ev 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-middlesex-hospital-cuts-travel-costs-by-40-with-one-ev Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:30:00 GMT Councils in Greater Manchester are to take control of the region’s entire £6bn health and social care budget, as NHS powers are passed down from government under the latest wave of devolution for the area.   Manchester City Council confirmed that the 10 local authorities, 12 clinical commissioning groups and 14 NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-get-control-of-its-entire-6bn-nhs-budget 436,870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-get-control-of-its-entire-6bn-nhs-budget Wed, 25 Feb 2015 12:00:00 GMT A joint open data initiative will allow people for the first time to track money spent by local authorities and central government on social enterprises.  Delivered by Social Enterprise UK and the Cabinet Office, the data release will make it easier to understand the range of products and services that social enterprises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-data-initiative-a-game-changer-for-the-social-enterprise-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-data-initiative-a-game-changer-for-the-social-enterprise-sector Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:45:00 GMT The government’s ‘lax approach’ to regulating private higher education providers has led to £3.84m of public money being given to ineligible EU students in the form of student loans and grants, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has stated.  The committee’s latest report – Financial support for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-criticises-lax-oversight-of-private-higher-education-expansion- 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-criticises-lax-oversight-of-private-higher-education-expansion- Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:45:00 GMT Firefighters are to hold a further strike tomorrow in their bitter dispute over pensions.  The 24-hour industrial action, from 7am on Wednesday 25 February, comes after the FBU claims that MPs had been misled by a government minister in a Parliamentary debate on firefighter pensions.  A letter sent to FBU members, seen by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighters-set-for-24-hour-strike-tomorrow-in-pensions-row- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighters-set-for-24-hour-strike-tomorrow-in-pensions-row- Tue, 24 Feb 2015 09:30:00 GMT Councillors at North Dorset District Council have approved an agreement to establish a ‘tri-council’ partnership with two neighbouring authorities. The partnership with West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is expected to deliver £6m in savings by 2020 through the “shared delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tri-council-partnership-approved-for-dorset 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tri-council-partnership-approved-for-dorset Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:45:00 GMT In a welcome development, the Home Office have announced that police will no longer be able to access journalists’ phone records to uncover their sources without first gaining the permission of a judge. It is a move that is wholeheartedly approved of by those of us here at PSE. Protecting sources is critical to press freedom, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-guidelines-to-protect-press-freedom 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-guidelines-to-protect-press-freedom Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:30:00 GMT The mayor of London is in line for more powers as George Osborne announced plans devolve control over skills, planning and commuter train franchises. Speaking at the Tate Modern with Boris Johnson to launch the long-term economic plan for London, the chancellor said the creation of a London mayor had given the city “a powerful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-over-skills-planning-and-commuter-trains-promised-for-london-mayor 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-over-skills-planning-and-commuter-trains-promised-for-london-mayor Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:30:00 GMT Cumbria County Council is to cut 1,800 jobs over the next three years and raise council tax by 1.99% to meet a budget shortfall of £84m. The council is making the changes to "mitigate the impact of cuts" and protect frontline services, but unions have deemed the losses “horrific” and said they would make delivering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-council-to-cut-1800-jobs-as-part-of-budget-savings 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-council-to-cut-1800-jobs-as-part-of-budget-savings Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:00:00 GMT Basic errors and a failure to learn have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of people suffering from mental health conditions detained in psychiatric hospitals, prisons and police cells in England and Wales, according to a new Inquiry.  Carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the Inquiry covered the period... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hundreds-of-mental-health-deaths-in-detention-avoidable- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hundreds-of-mental-health-deaths-in-detention-avoidable- Mon, 23 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT 'Dynamic Benefits', the report which first proposed a more generous Universal Credit than the present scheme, actually makes mores sense as the case for the Green Party's Citizens' Universal INCOME. Persuasion, not force. UC is a mean-spirited, partial UI, totally unsuited to compulsion. Re: Concerns about Universal Credit support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-is-a-mean-spirited-and-partial-version-of-universal-income 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-is-a-mean-spirited-and-partial-version-of-universal-income Mon, 23 Feb 2015 09:30:00 GMT Paul Connolly, director of the Management Consultancies Association Think Tank, discusses its new report, ‘Local Government – Time for Reinvention’, based on the views of the UK’s leading consultants – experts in local government – working with councils the length and breadth of the country. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-localism-right 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-localism-right Mon, 23 Feb 2015 09:15:00 GMT Mark Bayley, corporate manager for standards and learning at Cheshire East Council, and Cllr Rachel Bailey, cabinet member for safeguarding children and adults, discuss the importance of partnership working in bridging school attainment gaps.  Since its creation six years ago, Cheshire East Council has been working hard to drive up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-partnership-working-the-key-to-tackling-school-attainment-gaps- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-partnership-working-the-key-to-tackling-school-attainment-gaps- Fri, 20 Feb 2015 17:15:00 GMT Plans to begin the outsourcing pf all services and make cuts of £68m have been approved by Northamptonshire County Council in the biggest shake-up of the authority in 125 years. Over the next five years, the council will outsource its services to mutual companies. The vast majority of the council's 4,000 staff will also move to four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-start-outsourcing-all-services-and-drastically-reduce-workforce- 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-start-outsourcing-all-services-and-drastically-reduce-workforce- Fri, 20 Feb 2015 17:15:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has provided a £6m funding boost to the Community Rights programme, and awarded six new contracts.  The contracts, which will support communities in using the Community Rights in 2015 to 2016, have been awarded to Locality, Co-operatives UK and The Community Development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-awards-new-contracts-to-support-community-rights-programme 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-awards-new-contracts-to-support-community-rights-programme Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:45:00 GMT Universal Credit could leave women vulnerable to domestic abuse, a cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned. The Joint Committee on Human Rights has released a report that says the much troubled welfare reform, which was rolled out nationwide this week, could expose women to financial control – a coercive form of domestic abuse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-raises-domestic-abuse-fears 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-raises-domestic-abuse-fears Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT The government has given planning consent to develop the world’s largest offshore wind farm, which is expected to support up to 900 green jobs in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.  Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B wind projects will include up to 400 wind turbines, around 130km off the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-welcomes-approval-of-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-welcomes-approval-of-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm- Wed, 18 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT Public sector employment has fallen to its lowest figure since comparable records began, according to the latest labour market statistics. Overall figures show that Britain’s employment rate is at the joint highest level since records began in 1971, however in contrast public sector employment is shrinking. There were 5.41 million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-at-record-low 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-at-record-low Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:30:00 GMT The funding model for local government in England is no longer fit for purpose and in need of urgent reform, ministers are warned today. Councils are on a “cliff edge” due to past and upcoming cuts and services such as adult and child social care face crisis unless local authorities are given the freedom to decide their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-on-cliff-edge-as-local-government-funding-model-not-fit-for-purpose 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-on-cliff-edge-as-local-government-funding-model-not-fit-for-purpose Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:45:00 GMT Sex-and-relationships education (SRE) should be given statutory status so that all state schools in England have to teach it, MPs have said in a report. The Commons Education Committee's inquiry looked into actions taken by the government to improve personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), of which SRE is a part, following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sex-and-relationships-education-should-be-mandatory-in-state-schools--mps 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sex-and-relationships-education-should-be-mandatory-in-state-schools--mps Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT A council in Cumbria has been fined £120,000 after two women were killed by reversing bin lorries, and must now review its policies. South Lakeland District Council was prosecuted at Carlisle Crown Court after an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found it had failed to tackle risks from reversing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-lakeland-council-pleads-guilty-in-bin-lorry-deaths 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-lakeland-council-pleads-guilty-in-bin-lorry-deaths Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT Council leaders says that if the government does not safeguard social care funding in next month’s Budget, as it has been doing for the NHS, another crisis in A&E departments will be “unavoidable”.  The Local Government Association (LGA) claims that without adequate funding, elderly and disabled people could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-social-care-funding-to-be-protected-in-next-budget 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-social-care-funding-to-be-protected-in-next-budget Mon, 16 Feb 2015 13:00:00 GMT Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey has, once again, expressed hope that the Government Digital Service could play a role in helping councils “go digital”.  The Conservative minister hasn’t ruled out the possibility of sharing a single digital platform for local government, despite Socitm saying that the idea should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-local-government-digital-platform-to-rule-them-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-local-government-digital-platform-to-rule-them-all Mon, 16 Feb 2015 13:00:00 GMT Council leaders in Scotland have threatened legal action against the government over the “imposition” of a budget deal by Holyrood forcing them to maintain current teacher staffing levels. The Scottish finance secretary, John Swinney, has warned he will withhold up to £51m in education funding unless all 32 Scottish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-threaten-government-with-legal-action-over-education-funding 453,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-threaten-government-with-legal-action-over-education-funding Mon, 16 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT A new online court system that would allow judges to adjudicate civil cases from home and for the Ministry of Justice to sell off much of its court estate is being proposed by the body responsible for modernising the justice system. A new report from the Civil Justice Council is calling for a radical shake-up of how the civil justice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/online-court-system-to-allow-judges-to-adjudicate-from-home-by-2017 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/online-court-system-to-allow-judges-to-adjudicate-from-home-by-2017 Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:45:00 GMT The government has started its national roll-out of Universal Credit (UC), but there are concerns about the amount of support for those being transferred onto the new system.  Citizens Advice has warned that while the government is working with local authorities to develop ‘Universal Support’ for UC claimants, it has only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concerns-about-universal-credit-support-following-national-roll-out- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concerns-about-universal-credit-support-following-national-roll-out- Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT Well said Christine Blower. I have said for years that class intakes differ from year to year, thus performance-related pay is a non-starter. To monitor progress in simplistic terms is almost impossible. Children are not little pots where education is poured into them. They are all individuals with many differing needs and are taught... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/payment-by-results-in-education 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/payment-by-results-in-education Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:00:00 GMT The inquiry into historic child sex abuse in England and Wales should widen its scope to look at the entire UK, MPs are urging. It should look at cases in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where Westminster might hold material relevant to the case, a Home Affairs Committee report said. It cites claims of abuse at Kincora Boys' Home in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-should-cover-whole-of-uk-say-mps 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-should-cover-whole-of-uk-say-mps Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:15:00 GMT Failing to intervene early to protect young people from the impact of damaging social problems is costing the government £17bn a year, with councils picking up the largest share, according to new research. The new Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) analysis shows council services (£6.5bn) are having to pick up the largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/late-intervention-efforts-cost-local-government-65bn-annually- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/late-intervention-efforts-cost-local-government-65bn-annually- Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:00:00 GMT Tory plans to give away council houses for free to people who come off benefits have been dismissed as “a genuinely stupid idea” by experts. DWP secretary Iain Duncan Smith is pushing to include the policy in the Conservative manifesto, which would see council tenants be “gifted” their homes if they get a job and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-plan-to-give-away-council-houses-dismissed-as-genuinely-stupid 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-plan-to-give-away-council-houses-dismissed-as-genuinely-stupid Fri, 13 Feb 2015 12:00:00 GMT The CQC has issued guidance on the use of hidden cameras to monitor the care of older people in hospitals and care homes. Aimed at families, carers and people who use health and care services, the leaflet sets out things for them to consider when thinking of using recording equipment as well as explaining other steps that can be taken to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-publishes-guidance-on-the-use-of-hidden-cameras-to-monitor-care 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-publishes-guidance-on-the-use-of-hidden-cameras-to-monitor-care Thu, 12 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT Five councils in the Tees Valley are to press ahead with plans to establish a combined authority after a majority of the public supported the idea in a consultation. Councils in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar say the authority would allow Tees Valley to gain greater power and national influence. They are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tees-valley-combined-authority-plans-receive-public-support 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tees-valley-combined-authority-plans-receive-public-support Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office is investigating claims that Capita used a major government contract to short-change small companies, forcing many out of business. Twelve companies have come together to accuse Capita of abusing its position in administering a £250m contract to provide civil service learning and development training at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-investigating-capita-over-training-services-contract 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-investigating-capita-over-training-services-contract Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:00:00 GMT Local authorities need long-term investment in health and social care integration to free-up hospital beds and address the crisis in A&E departments, London Councils has said. The warning comes as the government announced, nationally, that local authorities would receive £37m to help combat the rise in demand for home care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-calls-for-sustainable-adult-social-care-funding 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-calls-for-sustainable-adult-social-care-funding Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:30:00 GMT The mayor of Liverpool has described a situation of “asylum apartheid”, claiming poorer northern cities have to look after asylum seekers while their richer southern counterparts do not. Joe Anderson warned of "community cohesion" problems as a result of the government's private contractor Serco sending too many to some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-criticises-system-of-asylum-apartheid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-mayor-criticises-system-of-asylum-apartheid Wed, 11 Feb 2015 16:00:00 GMT Flood defences in England face a £600m budget shortfall as the government has failed to attract enough private sector investment, MPs have warned.  In response to devastating floods last year across much of the country ministers announced an ambitious programme of flood defence improvement. More than 1,400 projects are to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/environment-committee-questions-defra-funding-plans-for-flood-defence 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/environment-committee-questions-defra-funding-plans-for-flood-defence Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:30:00 GMT A delegation of 48 politicians from across the UK has been formally appointed to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) – the EU’s political assembly of local and regional authorities.  Proposed by the UK government, and approved by the Council of the EU, the members will join national delegations from all EU member... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-selected-to-represent-uk-local-government-in-eu 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-selected-to-represent-uk-local-government-in-eu Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:15:00 GMT Only a quarter of local authorities are set to freeze or lower their council tax this year, figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have revealed.  It has been highlighted hat 114 councils and police authorities will take up the offer of the government’s “freeze” grant, with only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-quarter-of-local-authorities-to-freeze-or-lower-council-tax- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-quarter-of-local-authorities-to-freeze-or-lower-council-tax- Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:30:00 GMT A former Home Office researcher has claimed that her warnings about child sexual exploitation in Rotherham were suppressed in 2002 by intimidation and a “bullying culture” at the council. Last August an independent inquiry revealed that at least 1,400 children in the Rotherham area had been sexually abused over a 16-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-mbc-suppressed-child-sex-exploitation-report-in-2002 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-mbc-suppressed-child-sex-exploitation-report-in-2002 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:00:00 GMT Thank you for this information, it is interesting to see how other LAs are managing these budget reductions. Newcastle City Council has had to take a 36% cut to Sure Start and related services. After many months of deliberation and extensive consultations we have agreed a new model of investment of £7.5m, which includes £400k... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-centre-closures-and-budget-cuts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-centre-closures-and-budget-cuts Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:30:00 GMT New research has highlighted the truly collaborative nature of local government, with many of England’s smallest parish councils coming together to share services and save money. At times it is easy for us to focus our attention on the trials, tribulations and collaborative successes of upper-tier councils. But new research by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-key-across-all-local-government- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-key-across-all-local-government- Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:15:00 GMT Home secretary Theresa May is set to announce an independent review of the welfare of immigrants held in detention centres today. The review, to be led by former prisons and probation ombudsman Stephen Shaw, will be wide-ranging and will look into whether “improvements can be made to safeguard the health and wellbeing of detainees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-to-announce-review-into-welfare-of-detained-immigrants 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-to-announce-review-into-welfare-of-detained-immigrants Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:15:00 GMT Social media users who spread racial hatred online could be blocked from sites such as Twitter and Facebook under proposals to tackle rising anti-Semitism. The All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into anti-Semitism wants the Crown Prosecution Service to examine if prevention orders, similar to those used to restrict sex offenders’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-racists-to-be-banned-from-social-media 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-racists-to-be-banned-from-social-media Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:15:00 GMT As part of the second phase of the government’s flagship Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), approximately £2bn will be invested in rebuilding or refurbishing buildings at 277 schools across England. The government has also published details of how more than £4bn will be allocated between 2015 and 2018 to schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/277-schools-to-share-in-2bn-makeover-programme 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/277-schools-to-share-in-2bn-makeover-programme Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT The UK’s largest cities outside London have called for the creation of a new Devolution Agency within 100 days of the next government coming to power, alongside Scottish-style tax powers to encourage growth. A new study shows that devolution of such powers could generate an extra £222bn and 1.3 million jobs by 2030. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-lay-out-devolution-timetable-for-england 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-lay-out-devolution-timetable-for-england Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT Brighton and Hove City Council is set to hold England’s first referendum on increasing council tax, after the authority proposed a hike of 5.9% in its new budget. Any rise above 1.99% requires a local referendum, which critics of the policy say has little chance of succeeding. The minority Green Party administration will need the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brighton-to-hold-englands-first-council-tax-referendum- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brighton-to-hold-englands-first-council-tax-referendum- Fri, 06 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT CCGs are not providing enough places of safety for the mentally unwell, leading to the scandal of police cells having to be used as a substitute, MPs have said. The Home Affairs Committee has released a report into policing and mental health in which they conclude that CCGs are failing in their duty to provide enough health-based places... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ccgs-failing-in-their-duty-to-provide-safe-places-for-the-mentally-unwell 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ccgs-failing-in-their-duty-to-provide-safe-places-for-the-mentally-unwell Fri, 06 Feb 2015 15:45:00 GMT Sir David Higgins is to review redevelopment options for Leeds station to prepare it for HS2, the chancellor has announced. The chair of HS2 Ltd warned in a report last year that by the time HS2 arrives in the city, the existing Leeds station will have reached capacity, raising questions over where to house services using a proposed new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-higgins-to-look-at-redevelopment-options-for-leeds-station 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-higgins-to-look-at-redevelopment-options-for-leeds-station Fri, 06 Feb 2015 15:30:00 GMT Elections on weekends, online voting and being able to register to vote on election day itself are some of the “radical changes” proposed by MPs to get more people to vote. The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has published a new report on voter engagement calling for the next Parliament to take their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-suggest-weekend-elections-and-online-voting-to-increase-engagement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-suggest-weekend-elections-and-online-voting-to-increase-engagement Thu, 05 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT Rotherham council is to come under central government control following the resignation of its entire cabinet in the wake of an investigation that deemed the authority “not fit for purpose”. Communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced that he will send in commissioners to take over all the council’s executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-takes-control-of-rotherham-following-scathing-report 436,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-takes-control-of-rotherham-following-scathing-report Thu, 05 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT The cabinet of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council will resign en masse after an independent investigation found the whole council is “not fit for purpose”. Louise Casey was tasked with inspecting the council by communities secretary Eric Pickles following the Jay Report, which exposed at least 1,400 children in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/entire-rotherham-cabinet-resigns-as-report-finds-council-not-fit-for-purpose 436,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/entire-rotherham-cabinet-resigns-as-report-finds-council-not-fit-for-purpose Wed, 04 Feb 2015 15:00:00 GMT The government has failed in its pledge to move people with learning disabilities out of hospital and into community care, the National Audit Office has found. A commitment to move people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour out of mental health hospitals and into the community was made in the wake of the Winterbourne View... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-failed-to-keep-winterbourne-view-promise 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-failed-to-keep-winterbourne-view-promise Wed, 04 Feb 2015 12:15:00 GMT The death rate in England and Wales is around a third higher than normal for this time of year, Office of National Statistics figures show. Some 28,800 deaths were registered in the fortnight ending 23 January, 32% higher than the average for that period over the last five years (21,859). The ONS suggested that the flu virus and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/death-rate-a-third-higher-than-normal 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/death-rate-a-third-higher-than-normal Wed, 04 Feb 2015 12:00:00 GMT Nearly a fifth of Brits do not feel confident working alongside a disabled colleague, new research has revealed.  The survey of 2,046 adults, commissioned by the Disability Matters Consortium , found that over 80% believe there should be more training in the workplace to ensure employees feel confident about working with disabled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-enhanced-disability-training-to-tackle-negative-attitudes- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-enhanced-disability-training-to-tackle-negative-attitudes- Wed, 04 Feb 2015 11:45:00 GMT Upper tier authorities are to receive an additional £74m in the final Local Government Finance Settlement, to assist them in “dealing with pressures on local welfare and health and social care”.  Local government minister Kris Hopkins made the announcement late yesterday evening and said the extra funding had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-cash-for-welfare-funding-a-partial-victory-for-councils- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-cash-for-welfare-funding-a-partial-victory-for-councils- Wed, 04 Feb 2015 10:45:00 GMT Councillors in Wales will only be allowed to serve for a limited number of electoral terms under new proposals from the Welsh government. Public services minister Leighton Andrews has published a white paper with a number of proposed measures to reinvigorate local government, including a 25-year cap on service as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-in-wales-could-be-restricted-by-term-limits 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-in-wales-could-be-restricted-by-term-limits Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:15:00 GMT English MPs are to be given a veto over legislation that applies only in England, including setting income tax rates, under Tory proposals for ‘English votes for English laws’ unveiled today. Leader of the Commons, William Hague, was asked to come up with the solution to the West Lothian question, and after outlining a number... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-mps-to-get-veto-over-english-only-legislation-under-tory-plans 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-mps-to-get-veto-over-english-only-legislation-under-tory-plans Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:45:00 GMT The leader of Redcar & Cleveland Council, George Dunning, has been deselected by the Labour Party. Deputy leader Sheelagh Clarke and councillors Mark Hannon and Vic Jefferies have also been deselected ahead of the local elections in May. A recent leaked internal Labour report found the local group was "dysfunctional" with "serious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-senior-councillors-deselected-by-labour-after-serious-failings-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-senior-councillors-deselected-by-labour-after-serious-failings-review Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:00:00 GMT New restrictions on background checks for taxi drivers are putting children at risk, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Police forces are no longer providing information to councils on criminal investigations involving prospective taxi drivers because of a dispute between the Home Office and police on whether it is lawful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/restrictions-on-taxi-driver-background-checks-putting-children-at-risk 454,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/restrictions-on-taxi-driver-background-checks-putting-children-at-risk Tue, 03 Feb 2015 10:30:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee says it should be easier for people to preserve local pubs and other assets, build community housing, shape local services and bring public land back into use.  The recommendation comes after the cross-party Committee said the results of the government’s Community Rights... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-powers-for-communities-to-save-local-assets- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-powers-for-communities-to-save-local-assets- Tue, 03 Feb 2015 09:30:00 GMT Counties’ growth plans are accelerating faster than their city counterparts, despite the authorities receiving a third less funding per capita in the government’s latest £1bn funding round for local growth deals, according to the County Councils Network (CCN).  Following the expanded Growth Deals announcement last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-growth-plans-accelerating-faster-than-cities--ccn- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-growth-plans-accelerating-faster-than-cities--ccn- Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT More than £800m is being wasted each year on students who drop out of post-16 education because their schools and colleges are more interested in getting ‘bums on seats’ than on guiding them to the right courses, council leaders have claimed.  The latest figures show 178,100 16-18-year-olds failed to complete all or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teenage-dropouts-cost-800m-a-year--lga 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teenage-dropouts-cost-800m-a-year--lga Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT Some local authorities across England have had to cut their funding for children’s centres by more than two-thirds in the past five years, an investigation by PSE's David Stevenson has found.  Responses so far to FoI requests to the 151 single-tier and county councils in England responsible for children’s social care show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-years-of-severe-cuts-for-childrens-centre-services 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-years-of-severe-cuts-for-childrens-centre-services Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT More devolution of powers and budgets from Whitehall offers councils the chance to tackle poverty and inequality by ‘doing things differently’.  A new report – The Local Double Dividend – published by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), argues that if councils are to deliver change for the better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-devolution-could-reduce-poverty-and-inequality- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-devolution-could-reduce-poverty-and-inequality- Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT Bristol City Council’s Cabinet is voting tomorrow on plans to be the first council in the country to launch a municipal energy company. The proposal is to establish ‘Bristol Energy’, as well as a ‘sovereign’ wealth trust, along similar lines as the Shetland Islands. The council is planning to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-to-create-uks-first-municipal-energy-company 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-to-create-uks-first-municipal-energy-company Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT Well done Mr Justice Gilbart, I agree with your judgement re: the breach of human rights and equality laws by this government in the case of two Romany Gypsy ladies. Eric Pickles can make decisions about the green belt just to suit himself without any thought for how it affects people. I do hope some of the Gypsy and Traveller planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/traveller-sites-and-equality 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/traveller-sites-and-equality Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:00:00 GMT Guest blog by David Boyle, co-director of the New Weather Institute co-op and think-tank, which imagines working and community lives that are ‘more humane, more reasonable and more effective’. In this article, he tackles the conceptual barriers between local and national thinking on economic recovery. The trouble... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-responsibility-for-local-economic-recovery 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-responsibility-for-local-economic-recovery Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:45:00 GMT David McCullough, chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, talks to PSE about the innovative way that volunteers are helping ease the pressure on hospitals facing rising patient re-admissions and delayed discharges. Many hospitals across England declared major incidents in late 2014 and early 2015 as they struggled to cope with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-volunteers-help-bridge-the-divide-between-health-and-social-care 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-volunteers-help-bridge-the-divide-between-health-and-social-care Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT Companies House is on a digitisation journey, aiming to replace paper-based processes with electronic ones. PSE spoke to its senior analyst programmer, Chris Morgan Companies House, an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), is responsible for registering and publishing company information, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-journey-from-paper-to-digital 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-journey-from-paper-to-digital Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT A national review has concluded that councils will be central to delivering a successful step-change in housebuilding across England. PSE’s David Stevenson reports Local authorities should become ‘housing delivery enablers’, assessing the need to provide homes in their areas that their residents want and need, in order... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-culture-of-housebuilding--the-elphicke-house-review 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-culture-of-housebuilding--the-elphicke-house-review Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:45:00 GMT Tom Papworth, senior research fellow at the Adam Smith Institute, a think tank advocating market solution to policy problems, discusses how reforming the green belt could help tackle the country’s housing crisis. Voltaire once quipped that the Holy Roman Empire was not holy, was not Roman and was not an empire. In light of the fact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neither-green-nor-belts-it-is-time-to-rid-ourselves-of-a-harmful-anachronism 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neither-green-nor-belts-it-is-time-to-rid-ourselves-of-a-harmful-anachronism Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:45:00 GMT Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), discusses the benefits of protecting green belt land, and how using brownfield sites can help tackle the country’s housing crisis The green belt is good, positive planning. It stops urban sprawl and encourages the vital regeneration of our largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-protecting-green-belt-land 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-protecting-green-belt-land Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:45:00 GMT Bill Davies, research fellow at IPPR North, explains why an extension of the empty homes premium would help bring more houses onto the market. A decade ago, former Bank of England economist Kate Barker set out the scale of mismatch between supply and demand for new homes in England. Ten years on, our population has grown further but our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxing-empty-homes 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxing-empty-homes Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:30:00 GMT Jeff Endean, manager of Lewisham Council’s Housing Matters programme, explains how the local authority is aiming to tackle the borough’s housing crisis through innovation. Over the last 18 months, Lewisham Council has had a ten-fold increase in the number of families placed in temporary accommodation to nearly 600, costing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lewisham-targets-housing-crisis-with-pop-up-village 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lewisham-targets-housing-crisis-with-pop-up-village Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:15:00 GMT Barbara Harbinson, chief executive of Halifax Opportunities Trust, discusses how her charity successfully won a competitive tender to deliver children’s centre services for one West Yorkshire council. Calderdale Council announced in April 2014 that two local childcare providers had won contracts to run its 21 children’s centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/preparation-the-key-for-charities-looking-to-take-on-council-services 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/preparation-the-key-for-charities-looking-to-take-on-council-services Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:15:00 GMT David Young, SYPTE deputy interim director general, discusses how the transport executive aims to deliver savings of £7.6m for 2015-16 and the difficulty in shielding customers from the cuts. David Stevenson reports. At the beginning of the year, the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority passed public transport budget proposals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-austerity-is-hitting-public-transport-users-in-south-yorkshire 451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-austerity-is-hitting-public-transport-users-in-south-yorkshire Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:00:00 GMT Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), examines the hidden truth of this year’s Local Government Finance Settlement. This long Parliament has now seen almost five years of cuts and reducing budgets for public services. Public servants across all sectors have become used to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-a-lesson-in-obfuscation 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-finance-settlement-a-lesson-in-obfuscation Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:00:00 GMT Paul Dossett, head of local government at Grant Thornton UK LLP, discusses how local authorities are evolving to cope with the challenges of austerity. With regular reports in the press about councils being forced into dire cutbacks and brutal service reductions, you could be forgiven for thinking that the sky is about to fall in on local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rising-to-the-challenge 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rising-to-the-challenge Sun, 01 Feb 2015 15:30:00 GMT The borough councils of West London have worked together in partnership since 1998 to get better outcomes for nearly two million West Londoners. Director of the West London Alliance, Dan Gascoyne, outlines some recent successes. The West London Alliance (WLA) partners are committed to working together, sharing investment, purchasing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-london-alliance- 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-london-alliance- Sun, 01 Feb 2015 15:15:00 GMT In this first of two articles evaluating the Coalition’s public service reforms over the last five years, as we prepare for the May 2015 general election, the focus is on four policy sectors where it particularly claims to have left its mark: education, health, policing and welfare. By Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-public-service-reforms-part-1-intentions-and-outcomes 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-public-service-reforms-part-1-intentions-and-outcomes Sun, 01 Feb 2015 14:45:00 GMT As you will have seen, Public Sector Executive has undergone an extensive redesign to improve the look and feel of the magazine, to signpost readers to our articles more easily and to make our content as attractive and engaging as possible. We hope you enjoy the new look and continue to find something of value in these pages, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-start-a-fresh-outlook 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-start-a-fresh-outlook Sun, 01 Feb 2015 14:30:00 GMT Paul Dossett, head of local government at Grant Thornton UK LLP, discusses how local authorities are evolving to cope with the challenges of austerity.  With regular reports in the press about councils being forced into dire cutbacks and brutal service reductions, you could be forgiven for thinking that the sky is about to fall in on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rising-to-the-challenge 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rising-to-the-challenge Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:15:00 GMT Jon Collins, chief executive of the Restorative Justice Council, says restorative justice works – but must be delivered to a high standard. When it’s done right, restorative justice changes lives. It offers victims the opportunity to meet and communicate with their offenders, giving them a voice and a chance to explain the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-it-right-restorative-justice 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-it-right-restorative-justice Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:00:00 GMT At what level is an aspiring project manager judged to have become a ‘professional’? Deb Boyce, writing on behalf of the Association for Project Management, reports. How do you define a professional project manager – and how do you know if you and your organisation’s expectations meet that definition? It can be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-professional-pieces-fit 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-professional-pieces-fit Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:00:00 GMT It has been two years since the Social Value Act came into force, and Social Enterprise UK held a Summit to discuss progress. PSE spoke to deputy chief executive Nick Temple after the event. “People always think these things will move quicker than they do – I vividly remember one social enterprise ringing us up two weeks after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-summit 451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-summit Sun, 01 Feb 2015 10:00:00 GMT A major new piece of research by APM looks at the reasons for project success. APM’s James Simons explains. Project failure has been widely reported, researched and speculated over, with commentators the world over looking to provide a single definitive answer to an age-old problem: why do projects fail? But what if we took the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lets-not-get-hung-up-on-the-f-word 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lets-not-get-hung-up-on-the-f-word Sun, 01 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT Two senior project management professionals from the public sector are helping to create and deliver a new series of modules designed for a wide audience. PSE spoke to HMRC’s David Richardson, and Rob Blakemore from the Home Office, both of whom have roles with the Association for Project Management. As PSE was going to press, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/project-leadership-in-the-civil-service--learning-lessons-and-spreading-good-practice 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/project-leadership-in-the-civil-service--learning-lessons-and-spreading-good-practice Sun, 01 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT The Commission on the Voluntary Sector & Ageing is soon to publish its report and recommendations. PSE spoke to its chair, Lynne Berry OBE, who has been a chair, chief executive, trustee and non-executive director across many public and third sector bodies since an early career in social work. Demographic changes will profoundly alter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-role-of-volunteers-in-the-future-of-care 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-role-of-volunteers-in-the-future-of-care Sun, 01 Feb 2015 09:45:00 GMT The government has released £12m of extra funding to councils to help get people out of hospital and ease the pressure on the NHS. Hospitals have been facing unprecedented levels of demand this winter as A&E departments overflow with patients, leading to as many as 16 hospitals to declare major incidents. One of the major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-releases-extra-funding-for-social-care-to-ease-nhs-pressures 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-releases-extra-funding-for-social-care-to-ease-nhs-pressures Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:30:00 GMT The Integrated Care and Support Pioneers programme, set up to test new ways to join up care, has been expanded into 11 new areas, the Department for Health has announced. Launched in December 2013, the five-year programme aims to make health and social care services work together to provide better support at home and earlier treatment in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/11-new-integrated-care-and-support-pioneers-announced 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/11-new-integrated-care-and-support-pioneers-announced Fri, 30 Jan 2015 14:15:00 GMT There are ‘significant gaps’ in the Department for Education’s (DfE’s)  knowledge of performance in individual schools,  and its ‘light touch’ approach means that problems in some schools can go undetected until serious damage has been done, MPs have warned.  The cross-party Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-lacks-effective-insight-into-schools--pac 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-lacks-effective-insight-into-schools--pac Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:30:00 GMT If the government continues with its plans to scrap local welfare funding, it could put around 50,000 people at risk of becoming homeless costing an additional £380m a year, warns the Local Government Association. According to research from the LGA, when the government withdraws its £172m annual funding for local welfare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-local-welfare-funding-puts-50000-at-risk-of-homelessness 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-local-welfare-funding-puts-50000-at-risk-of-homelessness Thu, 29 Jan 2015 17:00:00 GMT The government wants developers to be given automatic planning permission to build on 90% of brownfield land that currently lacks permission by 2020.  Councils can grant local development orders, which grant automatic planning permission to specific types of development in a defined area, to encourage developers to build without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-aims-to-alter-threshold-for-under-performing-planning-authorities 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-aims-to-alter-threshold-for-under-performing-planning-authorities Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:30:00 GMT Insurance companies have no plans to introduce products to help people plan for their care needs in old age, it has been revealed. A BBC investigation spoke with 17 major insurance companies who said there was not enough interest in such policies amongst the public. Creating a market for care insurance was a key pillar in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/insurance-companies-show-no-interest-in-care-insurance 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/insurance-companies-show-no-interest-in-care-insurance Thu, 29 Jan 2015 09:45:00 GMT At present there is “no convincing evidence” that academies raise standards either for disadvantaged children or overall, a report from the Education Select Committee (ESC) into England's school system has stated.  However, the Committee does say it is clear that academisation has led to greater competition, challenging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-convincing-evidence-that-academies-raise-standards- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-convincing-evidence-that-academies-raise-standards- Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:30:00 GMT Councils will have to divert more than a billion pounds from services like fixing potholes and running libraries and museums to deal with the rising cash ‘crisis’ in elderly care funding, council leaders have stated.  Analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England, revealed that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-diverting-1bn-to-cover-crisis-in-care-funding- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-diverting-1bn-to-cover-crisis-in-care-funding- Wed, 28 Jan 2015 13:30:00 GMT Further cuts to council funding could threaten the viability of some statutory services provided by local authorities, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned.  Launching its latest report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that over the last five years councils have had to cope with funding reductions of around 37%, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-warn-over-future-threat-to-council-services- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-warn-over-future-threat-to-council-services- Wed, 28 Jan 2015 13:30:00 GMT Families with young children have been hit harder than any other household type under the Coalition’s cuts, despite early rhetoric highlighting the importance of the ‘foundation years, according to new research.  The study, carried out by LSE, The University of Manchester and University of York, highlighted that real... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youngest-children-worst-hit-by-coalitions-selective-cuts--report-finds- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youngest-children-worst-hit-by-coalitions-selective-cuts--report-finds- Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:30:00 GMT Voluntary merger proposals by six Welsh councils have been rejected by Leighton Andrews, the public services minister.  Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, and Conwy and Denbighshire, had suggested pairing up in response to an appeal for voluntary mergers, following the Williams Commission that called for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-merger-plans-rejected 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-merger-plans-rejected Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:30:00 GMT There should be a moratorium on fracking in the UK to prevent possible breaches of carbon budgets in the 2020s and beyond, the cross-party Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has concluded.  The MPs’ report, ‘Environmental risks of fracking’, argues that any large-scale extraction of shale gas in the UK is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-a-moratorium-on-fracking-in-the-uk- 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-a-moratorium-on-fracking-in-the-uk- Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT Our new-build village in Lincolnshire has missed out on up to £5,000 p.a. from an average 100 new houses each year over the past 10 years because the district council do not pass on council tax for new residents until the following April. The portion of council tax due is paid in advance and then only for residents on the Electoral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/passing-on-council-tax-to-parishes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/passing-on-council-tax-to-parishes Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT A Labour council in London is set to become the first in the country to offer business rates discounts to companies who agree to pay workers the living wage. Firms in the borough of Brent will be offered discounts of up to £5,000 off their business rates if they become living wage accredited employers, paying all workers at least... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-cut-business-rates-for-businesses-that-pay-living-wage 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-cut-business-rates-for-businesses-that-pay-living-wage Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:30:00 GMT Drivers have successfully claimed more than £3m in compensation for pothole damage across the UK in the last year, with the number of applications to highways authorities up 5%. But an FoI investigation by the RAC Foundation found that councils refused most claims, agreeing to pay out in less than a quarter (23%) of cases. Of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-refuse-most-pothole-damage-compensation-claims- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-refuse-most-pothole-damage-compensation-claims- Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT People should be able to vote online by the 2020 general election, John Bercow has suggested. The Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy, set up to explore how Parliament could better use digital technology, has concluded that there is  a “growing appetite” for internet voting among the public. Bercow told... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-democracy-commission-calls-for-online-voting-in-2020-election 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-democracy-commission-calls-for-online-voting-in-2020-election Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT Ferelith Gaze, head of public affairs at NHS Providers, discusses what is needed from day one of the next government and beyond for the NHS. We are all prey to systemic amnesia, and in the final 100 days before the 2015 General Election, we need to be mindful of the particular vulnerability of the NHS to political soul searching.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-capital-idea-clarity-and-stability-for-the-nhs-in-a-time-of-political-uncertainty 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-capital-idea-clarity-and-stability-for-the-nhs-in-a-time-of-political-uncertainty Mon, 26 Jan 2015 09:30:00 GMT A new review to “streamline” the "inefficient, time consuming and... very expensive" justice system in England has recommended financial penalties for private security firms delivering prisoners to court late and changes to the right to opt for trial by jury. Lord Justice Leveson, who also conducted the inquiry into phone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leveson-recommends-ways-to-make-justice-system-more-efficient- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leveson-recommends-ways-to-make-justice-system-more-efficient- Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 GMT The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) and the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) have formed a new partnership that will allocate up to £500m to invest in infrastructure opportunities. The agreement will allow the local government pension funds of both cities to increase their investment in “much needed” UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-funds-form-500m-joint-infrastructure-partnership- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-funds-form-500m-joint-infrastructure-partnership- Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 GMT The government has named the members of the independent improvement panel being sent in to help Birmingham City Council improve how it delivers ‘vital reforms’ to deliver better services for local residents. Local government secretary Eric Pickles named John Crabtree OBE, a former High Sheriff of the West Midlands and former... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/members-of-birmingham-cc-improvement-panel-named 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/members-of-birmingham-cc-improvement-panel-named Thu, 22 Jan 2015 11:45:00 GMT Tens of thousands of teenagers have fallen “off the radar” with no information available on whether they are in education, employment or training and councils and the government must do more to keep track of them, MPs have warned. The Public Accounts Committee said that 148,000 out of two million 16 to 18 year olds are not in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100000-teenagers-off-the-radar--mps 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100000-teenagers-off-the-radar--mps Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:30:00 GMT Eric Pickles has been illegally discriminating against Romany Gypsies by using ministerial powers to personally decide planning applications about whether they should be allowed to settle on green belt land, the High Court has ruled. Mr Justice Gilbart, sitting in London, said both human rights and equality laws were breached by Pickles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-rules-pickles-illegally-discriminated-against-gypsies-and-travellers- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-rules-pickles-illegally-discriminated-against-gypsies-and-travellers- Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:30:00 GMT Ofsted has a “blinkered” approach to inspecting children's services, which fails to assess the work of “crucial agencies”, the Local Government Association has warned. The current inspection arrangements by Ofsted do not assess the contribution of agencies such as health and the police, instead focusing narrowly on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-has-a-blinkered-approach-to-inspecting-childrens-services--lga 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-has-a-blinkered-approach-to-inspecting-childrens-services--lga Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 GMT Hundreds of school staff, including teachers, are being suspended because of government child protection guidance. According to public sector union Unison, more than 300 staff are thought to have been suspended after they complied with requirements to disclose if they are living with someone who has been convicted for a violent or sexual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hundreds-of-school-staff-suspended-as-a-result-of-dfe-safeguarding-guidance 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hundreds-of-school-staff-suspended-as-a-result-of-dfe-safeguarding-guidance Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:00:00 GMT Bett, the world's leading learning technology event, has kicked off its four-day run today at the ExCel in London. About 35,000 people are expected to attend the event, which has now been running for over 30 years. One of the highlights of the show is expected to be education secretary Nicky Morgan. Speaking ahead of Bett, she said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bett-show-kicks-off-four-day-run-at-london-excel 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bett-show-kicks-off-four-day-run-at-london-excel Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:45:00 GMT Oxfordshire County Council has released a report calling for a county-wide unitary authority to save up to £32.5m a year, but the county’s second-tier councils have rejected the proposals. One city councillor called them "an ill-disguised bid to grab the carefully managed resources of the districts to plug holes in [the county... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-calls-for-county-wide-unitary-authority 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-council-calls-for-county-wide-unitary-authority Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:00:00 GMT The UK government has been named the most open and transparent in the world for the second year running by the World Wide Web Foundation. Founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the web, the World Wide Web Foundation publishes the Open Data Barometer, which aims to uncover the prevalence and impact of open data initiatives around the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-named-most-open-and-transparent-government-in-the-world 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-named-most-open-and-transparent-government-in-the-world Tue, 20 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT In the last nine years the number of blind and partially sighted people receiving social care has almost halved, new research has revealed.  Compiled by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the ‘Adult Social Care Data: Year ending 31 March 2014, England’ report highlights that for all groups the number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-services-for-the-blind-cut-by-half-in-a-decade- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-services-for-the-blind-cut-by-half-in-a-decade- Tue, 20 Jan 2015 10:15:00 GMT A review into child sexual exploitation has been opened by Telford and Wrekin Council. In 2012 seven men were jailed for various offences, including trafficking of vulnerable girls, following a major investigation into abuse. This latest review has been prompted by events that occurred in Rotherham, according to Cllr Kevin Guy, chair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/telford-launches-review-into-child-sexual-exploitation- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/telford-launches-review-into-child-sexual-exploitation- Mon, 19 Jan 2015 15:30:00 GMT The Muslim Council of Britain has compared the government to the “far right” after a letter sent by Eric Pickles to Muslim leaders seemed to suggested that they were “inherently apart from British society”. In his letter, the communities secretary asked them to “explain and demonstrate how faith in Islam can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/muslim-council-objects-to-pickles-letter-says-ministers-are-like-far-right 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/muslim-council-objects-to-pickles-letter-says-ministers-are-like-far-right Mon, 19 Jan 2015 11:30:00 GMT Lewisham Council has unveiled plans for an innovative ‘pop-up’ village, providing temporary homes for 24 families and space for community and business use.  Developed in collaboration with architect practice Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP), the temporary scheme, estimated to cost about £4.3m, would be located... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-unveils-pop-up-temporary-housing-solution-to-cut-waiting-list- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-unveils-pop-up-temporary-housing-solution-to-cut-waiting-list- Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT Council leaders are warning that they do not have enough money in their public health budgets to tackle obesity once mandatory services, such as sexual health and drug and alcohol services, have been paid for.  The Local Government Association (LGA), which speaks on behalf of councils in England and Wales, stated that health problems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-lack-funding-to-tackle-obesity--lga- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-lack-funding-to-tackle-obesity--lga- Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) is hosting a free event on 2 February 2015, which will help participants access a set of digital tools allowing them to easily analyse, re-use, link and compare local authority data.  Open to councillors and officers from English local authorities and fire and rescue services, the ‘LG... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-to-improve-your-local-authority-digital-literacy- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-to-improve-your-local-authority-digital-literacy- Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT Balfour Beatty has been appointed by Scape Group as the sole provider to a new four-year, £1.5bn national civil engineering and infrastructure framework for public works. The framework will provide a variety of services ranging from minor road repairs to facilitating new bridges and major road projects. It is operated by Scape... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15bn-public-works-civil-engineering-contractor-appointed 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15bn-public-works-civil-engineering-contractor-appointed Mon, 19 Jan 2015 09:45:00 GMT A surprising article in that implementation of change is usually done at a much lower level than Permanent Secretary or the Senior Civil Service. I can't think of a time when a Permanent Secretary has been instrumental and linked in to change to the extent that if they moved departments it would make a difference. Re: Senior civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-permanent-secretaries-in-whitehall 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-permanent-secretaries-in-whitehall Mon, 19 Jan 2015 09:00:00 GMT Ofsted plans to inspect some schools twice on the same day to test the reliability of its own inspectors’ findings. The education watchdog will pilot the double inspections this term, which will see inspectors compare their findings to see if they have reached the same conclusions. If the pilot proves successful, the method... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-to-inspect-schools-twice-on-the-same-day 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-to-inspect-schools-twice-on-the-same-day Fri, 16 Jan 2015 17:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has agreed to sell NEC Group, including the NEC Exhibition Halls, the Genting Arena, the International Convention Centre (ICC) and the Barclaycard Arena, to LDC for £307m. LDC – the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group – was selected after an extensive sale process, the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-to-sell-the-nec 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-to-sell-the-nec Fri, 16 Jan 2015 16:30:00 GMT MPs are ‘sceptical’ about whether HS2 can “deliver value for money for the taxpayer”.  The influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said they were “not convinced” that the current crop of expensive transport infrastructure projects overseen by the Department for Transport (DfT) are part of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pac-sceptical-on-whether-hs2-can-deliver-value-for-money 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pac-sceptical-on-whether-hs2-can-deliver-value-for-money Fri, 16 Jan 2015 11:15:00 GMT Sheffield City Council is set to cut 200 jobs and raise council tax by 1.99% as part of an effort to make savings of £63m. Since 2010 the council says it has seen its funding from government cut by 50% and has had to make cuts of £240m. A rising population as well as increased demand in need for school places and social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-council-to-cut-200-jobs-and-raise-council-tax 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-council-to-cut-200-jobs-and-raise-council-tax Thu, 15 Jan 2015 15:00:00 GMT A major fire has broken out at the offices of South Oxfordshire District Council, the result of a suspected arson attack. The building in Crowmarsh Gifford has been ablaze since 3.15am. Eyewitnesses say they saw a car crash into the front of the building, others said gas canisters were seen being thrown into the reception area of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-fire-at-offices-of-south-oxfordshire-district-council 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-fire-at-offices-of-south-oxfordshire-district-council Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:15:00 GMT A third of councils spent less than 40% of their local welfare allocation on direct financial assistance for vulnerable people last year, with almost half the £178m set aside by ministers for the schemes left unspent, a study has found. Just 400,000 awards were made to claimants in England, a 75% fall compared to the final year of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-local-welfare-funding-left-unused-by-councils 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-local-welfare-funding-left-unused-by-councils Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:00:00 GMT Public sector bodies around the world invest vast sums of money each year on new or replacement assets such as buildings, equipment and facilities. With so much demand for capital investment it is essential that we make the right choices and demonstrate value for money. A vital activity is the scrutiny, via business cases, of what is proposed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-business-cases-tm-what-difference-do-they-make 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-business-cases-tm-what-difference-do-they-make Thu, 15 Jan 2015 09:00:00 GMT North east council leaders have warned that care services for vulnerable children could be the next victim of ‘savage’ local government funding cuts.  The Association of North East Councils (ANEC) and the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) met with MPs yesterday to discuss the challenges facing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-could-be-next-funding-cut-victim--anec- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-could-be-next-funding-cut-victim--anec- Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 GMT The government has reiterated that principal authorities should pass on all council tax support funding to parish and town councils. Following a meeting with local government minister Kris Hopkins MP, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) said it was pleased the government ‘in principle’ believes the funding from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-pass-on-parish-funding 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-pass-on-parish-funding Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 GMT The government’s plans to restore weekly bin collections have suffered a knockback, with the only council taking part in its £250m scheme reversing its decision. The communities secretary, Eric Pickles, had set aside the fund to allow local authorities to run weekly services rather than fortnightly. In 2012, the DCLG awarded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/have-government-plans-for-weekly-bin-collections-been-rubbished 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/have-government-plans-for-weekly-bin-collections-been-rubbished Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 GMT Local authorities across the country are spending billions of pounds on agency and interim staff and consultants, and even re-hiring former staff they had made redundant.  An investigation by the Times found that since 2010, councils have spent £5bn on consultants and agency staff, including former employees. Five councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-spend-billions-on-agency-staff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-spend-billions-on-agency-staff Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 GMT Thousands of bus drivers have gone on strike today in London as part of a campaign for a single agreement governing pay and conditions across all of the capital’s bus companies. Nine bus companies across Greater London have been affected, but TfL say 30% of busses are currently running as members of Unite, which represents more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-bus-drivers-strike-in-london-for-equal-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-bus-drivers-strike-in-london-for-equal-pay Tue, 13 Jan 2015 11:45:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) must do more to “get to grips” with housing benefit fraud and error, after more than £1.4bn in overpayments were made last year, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says. The influential group of MPs added that in 2013-14, overpayments increased to 5.8% of housing benefit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-making-little-progress-in-tackling-housing-benefit-fraud- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-making-little-progress-in-tackling-housing-benefit-fraud- Tue, 13 Jan 2015 09:45:00 GMT The cost of creating places for the extra 880,000 school pupils expected in England by 2023 could push schools to the breaking point, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Official government figures, published last year, project that by 2023 there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England's schools – up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-face-breaking-point-over-places-for-new-pupils 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-face-breaking-point-over-places-for-new-pupils Tue, 13 Jan 2015 09:30:00 GMT The chief executive of Derby City Council has taken voluntary redundancy just a few months after signing a three-year contract extension with the authority. In a statement the council said it is reviewing and reducing the number of senior management roles, as part of which Adam Wilkinson took voluntary redundancy to “look for a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planned-tory-reform-of-public-sector-severance-payments-still-needs-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planned-tory-reform-of-public-sector-severance-payments-still-needs-work Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:30:00 GMT Half of councils in England and Wales have withdrawn or reduced bus services in their area due to funding cuts, a Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) report has revealed. The ‘Buses in Crisis’ report, based on Freedom of Information requests to all 110 local transport authorities in England and Wales,  shows that in total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buses-in-crisis-as-councils-cut-services- 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buses-in-crisis-as-councils-cut-services- Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT The government has launched a £1m fund that it says will help councils “crack down” on unauthorised development and ensure that everyone plays by the planning rules. Open to all local planning authorities in England, the time-limited Planning Enforcement Fund provides a grant contribution to councils for securing a court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fund-to-fight-unauthorised-development- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fund-to-fight-unauthorised-development- Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT The number of unemployed people not claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has passed the one million mark for the first time, with many “falling through the cracks” in national work schemes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated. Council leaders said the latest employment figures in December highlighted the growing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployed-falling-through-cracks-in-national-work-scheme--lga- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployed-falling-through-cracks-in-national-work-scheme--lga- Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT More than two-thirds of MPs believe higher council tax bands are a better way to reform property rates than a mansion tax. A poll of 150 MPs by ComRes, commissioned by the British Property Federation (BPF), revealed that 69% of MPs believe additional higher-rate council tax bands would be a better way to reform annual property taxes on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-mps-prefer-council-tax-reform-to-labours-mansion-tax 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-mps-prefer-council-tax-reform-to-labours-mansion-tax Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:30:00 GMT The Conservatives have announced manifesto plans to curb the ability of public sector unions to call a strike, in what Lib Dem business secretary Vince Cable has dubbed “a brutal attempt to strangle the basic rights of working people in this country”. Under the plans, which will be included in the Tory manifesto, industrial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tories-public-sector-union-proposals-would-effectively-end-the-right-to-strike 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tories-public-sector-union-proposals-would-effectively-end-the-right-to-strike Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:15:00 GMT The analogy with Tesco, with all the problems it is having currently, is to say the least, unfortunate. It sounds like efficiency savings by another name. More human and community contact, not less, surely has to be the way forward to ensure accountability, transparency and community buy-in to council policies? I thought local communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-at-edinburgh-council 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-at-edinburgh-council Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT City of Edinburgh Council has announced a reorganisation of services and a cut of up to 1,200 jobs as it looks plug a budget gap of £67m over the next three years. However the council, which employs about 19,000 people, said it hopes to avoid compulsory redundancies and some of the reduction in roles would be addressed through the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-to-cut-1200-jobs-and-bring-in-tesco-style-self-service 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-to-cut-1200-jobs-and-bring-in-tesco-style-self-service Fri, 09 Jan 2015 15:00:00 GMT It “beggars belief” that a third of SMEs do not get paid within 30 days of invoicing public sector clients, according to Margaret Hodge MP. The influential chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) points the finger at the Cabinet Office for failing to ensure departments pay businesses on time. Her remarks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-late-payments-to-smes-beggar-belief 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-late-payments-to-smes-beggar-belief Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:45:00 GMT Blackpool Council is to cut 300 jobs “across the board” as it makes budget cuts of £40m over the next two years. The council said that every service it provides will have to find savings but some areas, such as children’s social services and libraries, are to be protected. Overall savings of £25.2m in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackpool-council-to-axe-300-more-jobs-as-budget-cuts-bite 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackpool-council-to-axe-300-more-jobs-as-budget-cuts-bite Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:00:00 GMT Sir Bob Kerslake’s replacement as the permanent secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has been revealed.  Melanie Dawes, who has been the director general of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat in the Cabinet Office since October 2011, was chosen following an open... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-permanent-secretary-for-dclg-appointed- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-permanent-secretary-for-dclg-appointed- Thu, 08 Jan 2015 15:15:00 GMT The crisis facing the NHS as hospitals struggle to cope with the massive rise in demand will not be solved until social care services are adequately funded, the Local Government Association has warned. Health and social care services support the elderly and vulnerable in the community and help them stay out of hospital longer, but they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-crisis-can-only-be-solved-when-social-care-is-adequately-funded 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-crisis-can-only-be-solved-when-social-care-is-adequately-funded Thu, 08 Jan 2015 10:15:00 GMT Local authorities only place a child or young person into care when there is ‘clear evidence’ that they will suffer significant harm if action is not taken, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has told PSE.  The response comes after recent DfE figures highlighted that councils with the highest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-in-council-care-and-deprivation-figures-closely-linked-adsc- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-in-council-care-and-deprivation-figures-closely-linked-adsc- Thu, 08 Jan 2015 09:30:00 GMT A council leader in Cheshire is facing calls to resign after it emerged that he had council staff write personal tweets attacking political opponents. A Freedom of Information request by BBC Radio Stoke has uncovered 50 pages of emails of “suggested” draft tweets written for Cheshire East council leader Michael Jones by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-leader-had-impartial-council-officers-send-political-tweets 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-east-council-leader-had-impartial-council-officers-send-political-tweets Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:15:00 GMT Permanent secretaries and senior civil servants should be required to stay in post long enough to see through key policies and programmes and only be allowed to move before they are delivered under exceptional circumstances, according to a new report from the Better Government Initiative (BGI). The group, whose executive committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/senior-civil-servants-should-stay-in-post-to-see-through-key-policies 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/senior-civil-servants-should-stay-in-post-to-see-through-key-policies Wed, 07 Jan 2015 14:45:00 GMT The north-east’s biggest council expects to have to making savings in excess of £250m by 2019 due to government cuts, it has announced. Durham County Council says it will have to make even tougher cuts and savings after performing a detailed analysis of the chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Whilst the Autumn Statement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/savings-exceeding-250m-needed-by-durham-county-council 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/savings-exceeding-250m-needed-by-durham-county-council Wed, 07 Jan 2015 14:00:00 GMT Council leaders in Merseyside cannot agree on plans for a new metro mayor for the region as part of a devolution deal. Mayor Joe Anderson of Liverpool has accused several other council leaders in the region of bringing the area into “disrepute” after they demanded a referendum on the issue of the new mayor. Anderson... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/merseyside-councils-bicker-over-metro-mayor 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/merseyside-councils-bicker-over-metro-mayor Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:30:00 GMT Rotherham’s child sex abuse victims are expected to be awarded up to £3.4m in compensation, but the council is unsure where it will find the money to pay them, describing the situation as “hugely complex”. So far 34 women are suing Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and South Yorkshire Police, the latest coming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-unsure-where-to-find-money-to-pay-sex-abuse-victims 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-unsure-where-to-find-money-to-pay-sex-abuse-victims Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:00:00 GMT Many councils in England are preparing to demand higher council tax payments from low-income households to help compensate for a £1bn funding shortfall from the government, according to the Local Government Association. The LGA say that the gap between the cost of protecting discounts and the money provided by central government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/low-income-households-to-foot-the-bill-for-shortfall-in-local-government-funding 436,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/low-income-households-to-foot-the-bill-for-shortfall-in-local-government-funding Tue, 06 Jan 2015 10:45:00 GMT How the Dutch central government embraced social media to improve its dialogue with citizens – guest blog by Kurt Goldman. Digital transformation has become integral for public sector organisations, given that the majority of citizens expect to be able to access public services online and interact with public bodies in the same way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connecting-with-168-million-people-via-140-characters 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connecting-with-168-million-people-via-140-characters Mon, 05 Jan 2015 11:15:00 GMT The Conservatives will cap public sector redundancy payments if they win the general election in May. In a new manifesto pledge, the Tories will commit to capping pay-outs at £95,000 for workers in the public sector. Only those earning less than £27,000 will be exempt from the cap. Treasury minister Priti Patel MP said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservatives-pledge-to-cap-public-sector-redundancy-payments- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservatives-pledge-to-cap-public-sector-redundancy-payments- Mon, 05 Jan 2015 11:00:00 GMT Local authorities with the highest proportion of children in care in 2014 were predominantly northern, new figures reveal. In a top 10 list of councils with the highest proportion of children in care, Blackpool topped the list with 152 children in care per 10,000, followed by Wolverhampton with 136. One of the few southern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-councils-have-highest-proportion-of-children-in-care- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-councils-have-highest-proportion-of-children-in-care- Mon, 05 Jan 2015 11:00:00 GMT Members of the Low Pay Commission are split on whether to recommend a 50p-an-hour pay rise to the national minimum wage. The increase would see its level rise to £7 an hour. It increased from £6.31 an hour to £6.50 last October and a new rate will come into force in October this year. The commissioners, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/low-pay-commission-split-on-minimum-wage-rise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/low-pay-commission-split-on-minimum-wage-rise Mon, 05 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT Local authorities will have 13 weeks to make a decision on applications to create a ‘neighbourhood area’, with this reduced to eight weeks where applications follow a parish boundary. The new measures are part of a raft of proposals announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to speed up and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neighbourhood-planning-process-to-speed-up 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neighbourhood-planning-process-to-speed-up Mon, 05 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT More than 135,000 children will be entitled to free school meals in Scotland starting today, at a cost of £95m to the Scottish government. All pupils in Primary 1 to Primary 3 will receive free school lunches, which the SNP say is expected to save the families of every eligible child at least £330 per year. The move is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-gives-free-school-meals-to-all-primary-1-3-children 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-gives-free-school-meals-to-all-primary-1-3-children Mon, 05 Jan 2015 10:00:00 GMT A complete lack of leadership is especially evident in the Revenues & Benefits department, where redundancies have neutered the capacity to deal with the public effectively. Thousands of pounds have been squandered on unnecessary and premature redundancies in benefits, while a team of agency staff (15 I believe) are being paid to plug the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-key-birmingham-council-departments 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-key-birmingham-council-departments Mon, 05 Jan 2015 09:00:00 GMT The reorganisation of home care services in Powys ran into difficulty because of problems including poor communication and staffing issues, according to an independent review. In April last year Powys council cut its list of around 20 providers to four, leading to complaints of neglect from service users and their families. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-communication-and-staffing-issues-led-to-powys-home-care-problems 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-communication-and-staffing-issues-led-to-powys-home-care-problems Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:30:00 GMT Taxpayers are waiting twice as long on the phone to contact the HMRC helpline for tax inquiries, child benefits and tax credits, compared to the same month last year. Official figures published by HM Revenue and Customs show that average waiting times for its contact centre telephone queues reached 10 minutes and 53 seconds in September... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxpayers-waiting-twice-as-long-on-phone-to-contact-hmrc 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxpayers-waiting-twice-as-long-on-phone-to-contact-hmrc Fri, 02 Jan 2015 13:30:00 GMT The £6bn of funding for councils to fix potholes announced by the Department for Transport is not enough to “bridge the overall funding gap” according to the Local Government Association, which says “there is still a very long way to go to bring the nation’s roads up to scratch”. The transport secretary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/6bn-funding-for-potholes-not-enough-says-lga 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/6bn-funding-for-potholes-not-enough-says-lga Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:45:00 GMT As part of last week’s Sieghart Review into public libraries in England it was recommended that a ‘national taskforce’ should be established to help develop library services to make sure they are fit for the 21st century.  The government has now set up the taskforce which will be chaired by Dr Paul Blantern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sieghart-review-prompts-new-national-libraries-taskforce- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sieghart-review-prompts-new-national-libraries-taskforce- Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Three-quarters of councils are dimming their street lights or switching them off completely to save money, according to Labour party research. FOI requests were submitted to 150 English councils and 50 out of the 141 that responded said they were switching off some streetlights, while 56 were dimming some, 42 councils were taking both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-councils-switching-off-street-lights-to-save-money 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-councils-switching-off-street-lights-to-save-money Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council will see its spending power cut by the equivalent of £160 per dwelling, the most of any core cities in England, the local authority’s leader has warned. Following last week’s Local Government Financial Settlement announcement by Kris Hopkins, the already under-pressure authority said its spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-hit-birmingham-hardest-of-all-core-cities- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-hit-birmingham-hardest-of-all-core-cities- Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT The home secretary will disband the panel set up to investigate allegations of historical child sex abuse, reports suggest. Theresa May has written to panel members detailing three potential plans for its future. One involves turning it into a statutory inquiry, the other two involving scrapping the current panel and setting up either a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-secretary-to-scrap-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-panel 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-secretary-to-scrap-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-panel Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT A ‘playground morality’ persists in some quarters of the public sector, where whistleblowers are seen as ‘disloyal renegades’ who get the treatment they deserve, Sir Jeremy Heywood, cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service, has admitted. But, writing on the Civil Service blog, he stated that “We owe a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-whistleblowers-seen-as-disloyal--sir-jeremy-heywood 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-whistleblowers-seen-as-disloyal--sir-jeremy-heywood Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT I find it totally unacceptable how senior officers, Assistant Directors and Directors appear to move from authority to authority with these high five- and six-figure pay-offs and pension contributions, loss of office payments, without being individually identified to the public due to their employment contracts – even when it could quite... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-offs-for-senior-council-staff 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-offs-for-senior-council-staff Mon, 22 Dec 2014 09:15:00 GMT Local authorities need council tax freedom to meet local needs, the County Councils Network (CCN) has stated. Responding to yesterday’s local government settlement, which will see councils in England face an overall cut of 1.8% in their spending power next year, CCN’s chairman Cllr David Hodge added that even though the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-councils-suffering-cuts-need-extra-powers-to-transform-services- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-councils-suffering-cuts-need-extra-powers-to-transform-services- Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:30:00 GMT The use of interim managers in the public sector has reached its highest level since 2009, according to new figures from the Interim Management Association (IMA). During the third quarter of 2014, the percentage of interims in the public sector stood at 49, up from the 40 recorded in Q2. It also represents an almost even split with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-interim-manager-numbers-highest-in-four-years- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-interim-manager-numbers-highest-in-four-years- Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:30:00 GMT Many girls who offend are being sexually exploited and youth offending teams are failing to provide protection for them, inspectors warned yesterday. The finding comes is a joint report by HM Inspectorate of Probation, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, Care and Social Service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youth-offending-teams-failing-to-protect-at-risk-girls-from-exploitation 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youth-offending-teams-failing-to-protect-at-risk-girls-from-exploitation Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:30:00 GMT Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire county councils have banded together to propose the creation of the first non-metropolitan combined authority. The plan, published earlier this week, would see the councils build upon the joint working between LEPs in the counties to create a new authority that can take on responsibilities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxon-bucks-and-northants-propose-combined-authority 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxon-bucks-and-northants-propose-combined-authority Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:45:00 GMT Councils in England will face an overall cut of 1.8% in their spending power next year, local government minister Kris Hopkins has stated.  Speaking in Parliament, he said “as planned, we have kept the overall reduction to 1.8% – lower than last year and one of the lowest levels of reduction under this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-power-to-be-cut-by-18- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-power-to-be-cut-by-18- Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:00:00 GMT Public libraries are on the brink of ‘absolute disaster’ and need to take inspiration from coffee shops to avoid large-scale closures, an independent inquiry’s report has recommended.  Commissioned jointly by the culture and communities departments (DCMS and DCLG) in February, the Independent Library Report for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-libraries-on-brink-of-disaster--sieghart-inquiry- 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-libraries-on-brink-of-disaster--sieghart-inquiry- Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles has had his plans to force all councils and police authorities to hold a referendum if they want to raise council tax rise by more than 1% blocked by an alliance of the Lib Dems and Theresa May, PSE can exclusively report. Yesterday we reported how Pickles was facing opposition to his plans, but sources... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-and-may-block-pickles-council-tax-move 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-and-may-block-pickles-council-tax-move Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:15:00 GMT Commissioners have now been sent into the ‘failing’ London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the local government secretary has confirmed.  Eric Pickles told Parliament that following a PwC report last month, which highlighted that the borough was failing in its best value duty, the government will now be intervening at the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioners-sent-in-to-tower-hamlets- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioners-sent-in-to-tower-hamlets- Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:00:00 GMT The home secretary is to announce changes to the Mental Health Act to ensure mentally ill teenagers will no longer be held in police cells when they should be in a hospital bed. The review of mental health laws in England and Wales will also ensure that police cells are used only as a ‘place of safety’ for adults when their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mentally-ill-teenagers-will-no-longer-be-held-in-police-cells 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mentally-ill-teenagers-will-no-longer-be-held-in-police-cells Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:00:00 GMT The £2.7bn given to councils to spend on public health is not always being spent where it is most needed, the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. Core responsibility for public health shifted from the old PCTs back to local government under the Health and Social Care Act, with Public Health England (PHE) meant to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/questions-raised-over-effectiveness-of-public-health-spending- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/questions-raised-over-effectiveness-of-public-health-spending- Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:00:00 GMT Mental health and disability charities have called on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to publish its internal reviews into suicides, which may have been linked to benefit changes.  A peer review is triggered when suicide or alleged suicide is “associated with a DWP activity”. The latest calls come after a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/should-dwp-publish-inquiries-on-benefit-claimant-suicides 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/should-dwp-publish-inquiries-on-benefit-claimant-suicides Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:30:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles wants to force all councils and police authorities to hold a referendum if they want to raise council tax rise more than 1%, but his idea is opposed by the home secretary and Lib Dems. Pickles is planning to announce the lower threshold for 2015-16 tomorrow (Wednesday), as part of the local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-faces-opposition-over-referendums-on-council-tax-rises-above-1 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-faces-opposition-over-referendums-on-council-tax-rises-above-1 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:30:00 GMT Children are sleeping in cars, on the street and in drug-dens because councils are failing to protect them, according to a homeless children’s advocacy charity. These failures to comply with legal duties to protect teenagers are leaving this vulnerable group homeless and at risk from abuse, says a new report from Coram... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-accuses-councils-of-failing-to-protect-vulnerable-children 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-accuses-councils-of-failing-to-protect-vulnerable-children Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT The government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has to do more to protect against “unsustainable” development in England, an influential group of MPs have said. In the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee’s ‘Operation of the National Planning Policy Framework’ report, the MPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nppf-must-do-more-to-protect-against-unsustainable-development--mps- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nppf-must-do-more-to-protect-against-unsustainable-development--mps- Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT The government is to invest a further £12m in four pilot ‘trailblazer’ schemes that are testing whether better coordinated mental health and employment services could help patients with mental health conditions return to work.  The schemes, which were previously announced as part of the Growth Deals agreements in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/12m-more-for-mental-health-back-to-work-trailblazer-pilots- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/12m-more-for-mental-health-back-to-work-trailblazer-pilots- Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:00:00 GMT The government says it is “unacceptable” when councils pay off senior staff instead of investigating misconduct and under-performance. In response to the ‘Local government Chief Officers’ remuneration’ report,  published in September by the Commons Communities & Local Government Committee, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-senior-staff-pay-offs-unacceptable-government 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-senior-staff-pay-offs-unacceptable-government Mon, 15 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Empowering local communities to take greater responsibility for their day-to-day affairs can only be welcomed, particularly in Scotland, which lags behind the English model. However, as positive as the Letwin speech is, I won't be holding my breath north of the border where there seems to be a distinct reluctance to share any real power... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-a-distinct-reluctance-to-share-real-power-with-communities 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-a-distinct-reluctance-to-share-real-power-with-communities Mon, 15 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT City regions should keep more of the savings they make by reducing unemployment and poverty, a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has recommended.  The call comes as Sheffield has become the second northern city to agree a devolution deal with Whitehall that will see more powers over transport, skills, housing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cities-should-keep-more-of-savings-made-from-tackling-unemployment- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cities-should-keep-more-of-savings-made-from-tackling-unemployment- Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT Local authorities are worried they will lack resources to address the challenges that arise from an ageing population, according to IPPR North.  Its latest research paper, ‘Silver cities: Realising the potential of our growing older population’, promotes a positive, long-term and integrated response to ageing in cities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-lack-resources-to-cope-with-ageing-population--ippr-north- 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-lack-resources-to-cope-with-ageing-population--ippr-north- Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT Britain’s most senior police officer has warned that cuts to police and other public services will put public safety at risk unless the next government pushes through ‘radical structural reforms’ to cut back-office costs.  Writing in the Guardian, Scotland Yard commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe stated that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/met-commissioner-calls-for-radical-merger-of-police-forces 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/met-commissioner-calls-for-radical-merger-of-police-forces Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT The UK’s first ‘municipal bonds agency’ has moved a step closer, with 48 councils signed up to become investors. The Local Government Association (LGA) says the new agency will give councils a ‘viable lending alternative’ to the Treasury-controlled Public Works Loans Board (PWLB), from which authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-pool-resources-to-make-borrowing-cheaper-for-one-another 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-pool-resources-to-make-borrowing-cheaper-for-one-another Mon, 15 Dec 2014 09:30:00 GMT Roger Evans AM, chair of the London Assembly and the policing committee’s lead member on body-warm cameras, talks to PSE about the ongoing roll-out of this technology for the Metropolitan Police. Police being issued with body-worn cameras is one of those rare beasts: a policy that virtually everyone agrees with. Police forces and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-recording 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-recording Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:30:00 GMT Just over six months ago, Leicester City Council implemented new systems for its adult and children’s social care teams to improve reporting. Project manager Ashok Popat tells PSE that information-sharing is much better than it was. A £2.8m overhaul of social care IT systems in Leicester is proving a good investment, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-in-social-care 870,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-information-sharing-in-social-care Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:30:00 GMT David Eardley, a senior manager at public sector business advisers and accountants firm Scott-Moncrieff, explores the change coming to health and councils in Scotland. According to John Swinney, Scotland’s deputy first minister, “the balance between acute, primary and social care is the meat and drink of the sustainability of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-question-of-trust-health-and-social-care-integration-in-scotland 447,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-question-of-trust-health-and-social-care-integration-in-scotland Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:00:00 GMT Mark Johnson, head of public services at specialist law firm Geldards LLP, discusses the governance, accountability and practicalities of joint ventures involving public sector organisations. Joint ventures are emerging as a popular way for local authorities to deliver services while responding to tough budget cuts. Recently the London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joint-ventures-on-the-rise 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joint-ventures-on-the-rise Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:00:00 GMT There is a need for a bigger-than-local approach when it comes to UK growth and development, particularly when it comes to infrastructure, writes Amanda Clack, senior vice president at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The devolution of powers to UK cities certainly isn’t a new notion. However, it has come into sharp... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bigger-than-local 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bigger-than-local Sat, 13 Dec 2014 15:45:00 GMT George Osborne said something interesting during his Autumn Statement. “Six months ago people would have said it was completely impossible to get the 10 local authorities of Greater Manchester to come together with the government to agree a major devolution of power to the city and the creation of a new directly elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trust-in-town-halls 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trust-in-town-halls Sat, 13 Dec 2014 15:15:00 GMT Pat Ritchie and Sir Derek Myers, co-chairs of the Service Transformation Challenge Panel, outline the main recommendations of their groundbreaking report. Public services have been through innumerable efficiency drives and public service reform agendas at various times and in various contexts. But what we are currently facing is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-need-to-take-a-much-more-radical-approach 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-need-to-take-a-much-more-radical-approach Sat, 13 Dec 2014 14:00:00 GMT PSE’s Sam McCaffrey reports from the annual summit of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and senior managers. If there was a recurring theme running through this year’s Solace Summit in Liverpool, it was ‘change’. Rising demand and plummeting funding means the public sector cannot continue as it has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-summit-2014 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-summit-2014 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:30:00 GMT Jo Broomfield is helping to transform the Rural Payments Agency to ensure the massive IT failures of the past decade are not repeated when changes to Common Agricultural Policy payments come in next year. PSE spoke to him, and Steve French of Hitachi Solutions Europe, a key supplier. In the mid-2000s, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-almost-unrecognisable-common-agricultural-policy-payments-from-disaster-area-to-digital-exemplar 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-almost-unrecognisable-common-agricultural-policy-payments-from-disaster-area-to-digital-exemplar Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT Anthony Oliver, Westminster City Council’s chief procurement officer, describes a new online procurement system that’s attracting interest from a number of councils. Procurement in the public sector is one of those things you not only have to get right; you have to be seen to get it right – and prove it. So, a new system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/by-the-public-sector-for-the-public-sector 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/by-the-public-sector-for-the-public-sector Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT John Hodges, assistant chief fire officer at Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, tells PSE how two Fire Transformation Fund bids could help enable ‘significant’ savings for the local emergency services. In a bid to deliver ‘significant’ savings, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enabling-savings-in-emergency-services-through-co-location 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enabling-savings-in-emergency-services-through-co-location Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT Andy Rickell, CEO of Action on Disability and Work UK and a government adviser on disability issues, talks about the barriers and challenges for disabled people entering the professions. By very definition in traditional thought, the term ‘disabled’ applied to an individual implies that they are incompetent in some aspect of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/professionally-disabled 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/professionally-disabled Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT The new Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing has hit the ground running and has big ambitions. PSE heard from its director, Stephen Curtis, and head of dissemination Holly-Marie Draper. Public services could be more user-focused, effective and cheaper to deliver if public organisations and agencies improved their information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-sharing-its-about-people-not-databases 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-sharing-its-about-people-not-databases Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:30:00 GMT Chris Gill, a lecturer in administrative justice at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, is programme leader for the MSc Dispute Resolution and leads on the provision of short training courses for public service complaint handlers. He argues that better complaints handling in the public sector has the potential to improve services – but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-public-services-complaints-as-a-strategic-issue 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-public-services-complaints-as-a-strategic-issue Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:30:00 GMT Elizabeth Mahoney, project manager of Super Connected Cardiff at Cardiff City Council, discusses the latest achievements and developments of the programme. In 2012, the UK government announced that Cardiff was to be one of the first 10 cities to become ‘super-connected’ as part of its multi-million pound investment in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connecting-cardiff-with-wi-fi- 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connecting-cardiff-with-wi-fi- Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT A survey of 1,000 UK construction professionals this year revealed that BIM adoption has increased from 13% in 2011 to 54% in 2014 – but too many estates managers assume it is ‘not for them’, argues chartered building surveyor Allan Hunt BSc MRICS, who has more than 20 years’ experience on major construction and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/facing-the-bim-juggernaut-a-step-by-step-approach-to-adoption 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/facing-the-bim-juggernaut-a-step-by-step-approach-to-adoption Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Adrian Dobson, director of practice at the Royal Institute of British Architects, talks to PSE about how confidence levels for workload forecasts in the public sector have started stabilising. Architectural practices are becoming more optimistic about a more predictable pipeline of public sector construction expenditure, a recent survey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-construction-pipeline-becoming-more-predictable-for-architects 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-construction-pipeline-becoming-more-predictable-for-architects Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT Helen Andrews Tipper, public sector energy programmes manager at the Carbon Trust, discusses the opportunities and obstacles facing local authorities in developing heat networks. The government released its first Heat Strategy in early 2012. It set out the approach that would be taken to address the challenge of providing low carbon heat... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-local-authorities-making-enough-progress-in-delivering-low-carbon-heat 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-local-authorities-making-enough-progress-in-delivering-low-carbon-heat Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:15:00 GMT South Yorkshire’s newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, talks to PSE’s David Stevenson about how he aims to tackle the issue of child sexual exploitation in the region. Three months on since the Jay Report revealed that at least 1,400 children in Rotherham had been sexually exploited over a 16-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/listening-to-victims-and-those-on-the-frontline-not-just-the-police 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/listening-to-victims-and-those-on-the-frontline-not-just-the-police Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:15:00 GMT Skills Gateway is a new, free service to help match public sector organisations wanting to develop their workforce with the correct training providers. Its operations manager, Angie Took, spoke to PSE’s David Stevenson. Sir Richard Branson once said: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/skills-gateway-supercharging-staff-with-a-new-training-provider 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/skills-gateway-supercharging-staff-with-a-new-training-provider Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:15:00 GMT PSE’s David Stevenson reports from Socitm’s annual conference in Manchester. The next government could help deliver a culture of ‘digital by design, open by default’ for public services – but not through a ‘one-size-fits-all’ method like the Government Digital Service (GDS), according to Socitm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socitm-conference-collaboration-will-drive-digital-forward-in-public-services 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socitm-conference-collaboration-will-drive-digital-forward-in-public-services Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:00:00 GMT Sheffield has agreed a devolution deal with Whitehall that will see more powers over transport, skills, housing and economic development transfer to the city region’s combined authorities. The deal is the second devolution package for a combined authority after last month’s agreement with Greater Manchester, however unlike... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-second-city-region-in-england-to-get-major-devolution-package 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-second-city-region-in-england-to-get-major-devolution-package Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:00:00 GMT The NHS in Birmingham must share the blame for the city’s consistent failures to protect children, the council’s children’s commissioner has claimed. Former health minister Lord Norman Warner was appointed commissioner in line with the recommendation of a 2013 review by economist Julian Le Grand and Alan Wood, director... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-in-birmingham-is-simply-not-pulling-its-weight-in-protecting-children 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-in-birmingham-is-simply-not-pulling-its-weight-in-protecting-children Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:45:00 GMT The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has urged policy makers to give city regions greater influence over national rail and road networks.  Within its ‘Transport for Growth: Unlocking the Potential in City Regions’ report, the professional association  called for “an accelerated process” of power... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-control-over-rail-links-for-city-regions-ice- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-control-over-rail-links-for-city-regions-ice- Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:45:00 GMT The local government workforce accounts for half of public sector Working Tax Credit (WTC) expenditure, despite it making up only a quarter of the public sector workforce, research from the New Policy Institute has revealed. The number of local government workers receiving WTCs is equivalent to the retail sector and second only to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-workers-receive-for-half-of-public-sector-working-tax-credit-expenditure 455,445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-workers-receive-for-half-of-public-sector-working-tax-credit-expenditure Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester Police (GMP) must improve on “significant delays” in the investigation of a number of child protection cases and become more consistent in the way it deals with child sexual exploitation, according to a report from the police watchdog. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) looked at the force's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-police-must-improve-child-protection--hmic 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-police-must-improve-child-protection--hmic Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:00:00 GMT Key figures involved in the Edinburgh Trams project have refused “point blank” to co-operate with the inquiry into what went so wrong. Lord Hardie, speaking publicly for the first time in his role as head of the trams inquiry, said after initially contacting key figures on the project, some had “refused point... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/key-figures-refuse-to-co-operate-with-edinburgh-tram-inquiry-as-council-mulls-expansion 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/key-figures-refuse-to-co-operate-with-edinburgh-tram-inquiry-as-council-mulls-expansion Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Government back-to-work schemes are ineffective and damaging to those with mental health problems, according to campaigners. The charity Mind is calling for people with mental health problems to be taken off government back-to-work schemes and moved onto a specialist programme. Research by the charity has found that support provided... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-to-work-schemes-damaging-for-people-with-mental-health-problems 445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-to-work-schemes-damaging-for-people-with-mental-health-problems Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT The CQC ordered the immediate closure of a care home in Surrey after inspectors found residents were “at significant risk of harm”. Police officers assisted the CQC with the closure of Merok Park Nursing Home in Banstead on Tuesday after a comprehensive inspection from the care watchdog that took place on 28 November and 1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-orders-immediate-closure-of-unsafe-and-dirty-nursing-home- 435,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-orders-immediate-closure-of-unsafe-and-dirty-nursing-home- Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has announced plans to cut a further 6,000 jobs by 2018 and reduce a wide range of services as it scrambles to make savings of more than £300m. The UK’s largest authority said that it expects its workforce to be down to 7,000 by the end of the 2017-18 financial year, compared to 20,000 in 2010. Around 1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-announces-massive-cuts-and-6000-jobs-to-go-by-2018 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-announces-massive-cuts-and-6000-jobs-to-go-by-2018 Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:15:00 GMT Whitehall has become over-reliant on a small number of ‘quasi-monopoly’ suppliers for the provision of public services, the Public Accounts Committee has warned. In addition some contractors “simply have not shown an appropriate duty of care to the taxpayer and users of public services”, a new report into contract... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-over-reliant-on-a-quasi-monopoly-of-suppliers 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-over-reliant-on-a-quasi-monopoly-of-suppliers Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:15:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has a year to “improve its performance” or face further intervention, the local government secretary, Eric Pickles, has stated.  His comments come after the release of Sir Bob Kerslake’s independent review into the local authority, which found that Birmingham residents and businesses are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-has-12-months-to-improve-its-performance--pickles- 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-has-12-months-to-improve-its-performance--pickles- Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT Building new schools, hospitals and care homes next to air pollution hotspots should be made illegal to help reduce the tens of thousands of deaths caused by particulate pollution, according to a new report from MPs. The Environmental Audit Committee argues air pollution is a ‘public health crisis’ causing nearly as many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/air-pollution-now-a-public-health-crisis 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/air-pollution-now-a-public-health-crisis Mon, 08 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT Problems with benefits are the single biggest cause for the huge rise in food banks, according to a new report from a cross-party group of MPs and church leaders. The all-parliamentary inquiry into hunger and food poverty, led by the Labour MP Frank Field and the Bishop of Truro, Tim Thornton, also mentions an income squeeze and excessive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/problems-with-benefit-payments-to-blame-for-rise-in-hunger 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/problems-with-benefit-payments-to-blame-for-rise-in-hunger Mon, 08 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office (CO) approved a £12.38m spend on a business case assessment of the options for a new set of IT services.  As part of its IT transformation project, which will include a new official security tier, the CO is building a new enterprise IT service for its official information to replace its legacy service, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-spends-124m-on-it-services-business-case-assessment- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-spends-124m-on-it-services-business-case-assessment- Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT Government plans to ‘modernise’ parish polls are “long overdue”, according to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).  The polls are sometimes used to make purely political points about national policy issues, such as whether Britain should leave the European Union, which a parish council cannot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-plans-money-saving-restrictions-on-parish-polls 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-plans-money-saving-restrictions-on-parish-polls Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT A lot of us donate to charities throughout the year, dropping 50p in a donation box here and there; but do we ever consider that this money could be used fraudulently?  Almost all collections are genuine, but some people do try to abuse the generosity of others for their own financial gain.  Encouraging the public to give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/donating-to-charity-have-you-done-your-background-check- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/donating-to-charity-have-you-done-your-background-check- Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT The proposed 'improvement' affecting the Manchester to Sheffield link will only affect a short distance and bring relief to one of the three communities that have been blighted by traffic for 60 years. The previous plan (preparations cost £6 million in 2008!) that linked the M67 to the A628 east of Tintwistle brought relief to three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-roads-investment 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-roads-investment Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT Victims of alleged sex abuse have written to Theresa May saying they are going to pull their support for the historic sex abuse inquiry as they believe in its current form it is “not fit for purpose”. The letter is another blow to the inquiry, which has already seen two women appointed by May to lead the investigation stand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sex-abuse-victims-to-withdraw-support-from-inquiry-unless-its-given-more-powers 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sex-abuse-victims-to-withdraw-support-from-inquiry-unless-its-given-more-powers Fri, 05 Dec 2014 12:45:00 GMT Councils have been forced to divert more than £22m of local taxpayers' money to pay the costs of schools converting to the academy status, according to figures released by the Local Government Association. However, the Department for Education issued an unusually firm response: “The LGA is wrong.” It says councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-dfe-to-pick-up-the-bill-for-academy-conversions 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-dfe-to-pick-up-the-bill-for-academy-conversions Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Single-tier authorities are facing greater financial challenges than their county and district counterparts, because of their responsibility for demand-led statutory services such as social care, according to a new analysis.  Grant Thornton’s fourth annual report on the financial resilience of the local government sector in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-tier-authorities-are-in-the-most-financial-trouble--survey- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-tier-authorities-are-in-the-most-financial-trouble--survey- Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:15:00 GMT Community and parish council power is the solution to the “problems in the fabric of our society”, according to the minister for government policy, Oliver Letwin MP.  Speaking at the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) conference, Future Local, Letwin added that if there was more investment in this area then... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parish-power-the-solution-to-the-problems-in-our-society--letwin- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parish-power-the-solution-to-the-problems-in-our-society--letwin- Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:15:00 GMT The next government will find it much harder to keep public sector pay down, especially if there is a boost in private sector wages, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has stated.  Public sector pay freezes and below-inflation rises have been a central plank of the Coalition’s deficit-reduction strategy, but the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-will-be-much-harder-to-keep-public-sector-wages-down-as-economy-recovers--ifs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-will-be-much-harder-to-keep-public-sector-wages-down-as-economy-recovers--ifs Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:45:00 GMT The government will provide cash rewards to councils that reduce the amount of money lost through fraud and error in housing benefit, it has been announced.  Within the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, it was revealed that the government will establish a new Housing Benefit Fraud and Error local authority incentive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-cash-rewards-for-tackling-housing-benefit-fraud- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-receive-cash-rewards-for-tackling-housing-benefit-fraud- Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT A million more public sector jobs will be lost during the next Parliament, according to a new report from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR). The government has already reduced the number of public sector workers by almost a fifth (250,000) from 2011 to mid-2014, but the latest set of forecasts from the OBR predicts this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obr-warns-a-million-public-sector-jobs-will-be-lost-by-2019 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obr-warns-a-million-public-sector-jobs-will-be-lost-by-2019 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT The government has unveiled plans that could mean it directly commissions, builds and even sells homes on public sector land.  Unveiled in the National Infrastructure 2014 document, a pilot programme on a government-owned former RAF base in Northstowe, near Cambridge, will see the Homes and Communities Agency leading the development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-unveils-plans-to-build-and-sell-homes-on-public-sector-land 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-unveils-plans-to-build-and-sell-homes-on-public-sector-land Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:45:00 GMT At the moment there is a tidal wave of councils looking to merge functions and create combined authorities.  For the most part, though, this had been spearheaded by authorities in urban areas. However, Derbyshire County Council, along with the Derby City Council and the eight district councils, have started talks.  In doing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-combined-authorities-to-the-counties 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-combined-authorities-to-the-counties Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:45:00 GMT Councils cannot radically improve their services without simultaneously innovating in their financial planning procedures that allocate resources to deliver these services, according to the New Local Government Network (NLGN).  In its latest report, ‘Smart Budgeting: Integrating Finance and Strategic Planning for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nlgn-calls-for-local-government-financial-planning-overhaul- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nlgn-calls-for-local-government-financial-planning-overhaul- Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:45:00 GMT The United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has called for a ‘radical’ rethink on the commissioning of services for people receiving care at home.  Responding to the Burstow Commission’s report ‘Key to Care’ on the future of the homecare workforce, it also states that changes to the terms and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/radical-rethink-on-care-at-home-required--ukhca 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/radical-rethink-on-care-at-home-required--ukhca Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:30:00 GMT In George Osborne’s final Autumn Statement before next year’s general election, the chancellor stated that his ‘door is open’ to cities gaining greater devolutionary powers – though this was dismissed as “warm words but nothing of substance” by critics.  Osborne’s statement on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/door-is-open-for-greater-city-devolution--osborne- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/door-is-open-for-greater-city-devolution--osborne- Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:30:00 GMT Mayor of London Boris Johnson has set out plans for London to invest in over 500 extra buses and spend £200m on bus priority schemes in London. London’s bus network carries 6.5 million passengers a day but with its population growing faster than any other European city, investment is needed to keep pace. To respond to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500-more-buses-for-london-plus-200m-of-bus-priority-schemes 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500-more-buses-for-london-plus-200m-of-bus-priority-schemes Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:45:00 GMT More than 1,400 flood defence schemes are to receive funding to protect at least 300,000 homes in the next six years, according to plans announced by the Treasury.  The National Infrastructure Plan 2014 includes details of the projects set to benefit from the £2.3bn capital funding committed in last year’s spending round... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-announces-flood-defence-projects-to-share-23bn- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-announces-flood-defence-projects-to-share-23bn- Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:45:00 GMT The new online Carer’s Allowance application system has launched today, replacing an “outdated” and “difficult to complete” online system, the government has announced. The new system for England, Scotland and Wales has been developed by the Government Digital Service and the Department for Work and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-online-carers-allowance-application-system 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-online-carers-allowance-application-system Tue, 02 Dec 2014 11:00:00 GMT Stephen Dorrell is facing accusations of a conflict of interest since he announced his intention of standing down as an MP at the general election, in favour of taking a job with accountancy firm KPMG. Dorrell, who is a former health secretary under John Major, stood down as the chairman of the health select committee in June and will now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorrells-conflict-of-interest-appears-to-be-much-ado-about-nothing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorrells-conflict-of-interest-appears-to-be-much-ado-about-nothing Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:45:00 GMT George Osborne is set to use his Autumn Statement on Wednesday to announce an extra £2bn of funding to bolster and transform the NHS. The chancellor is expected to say the money will be used to buy new services and facilities that will help transform the NHS making it more efficient for taxpayers and more effective for patients. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-announce-2bn-extra-funding-for-nhs-in-autumn-statement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-announce-2bn-extra-funding-for-nhs-in-autumn-statement Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:45:00 GMT A tunnel under Stonehenge and transforming roads into ‘smart motorways’ are among the projects in the government’s £15bn Road Investment Strategy, the details of which were announced by the Department for Transport and the Treasury today. Money for the new initiative, which covers investment lasting up to 2021, was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-plans-for-15bn-road-investment-strategy 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-plans-for-15bn-road-investment-strategy Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:30:00 GMT Up to 300,000 disabled people will be left on housing waiting lists this winter, with many of them having to ‘make do’ in accommodation that does not meet their needs, a new report has revealed.  The ‘No Place Like Home’ study by Leonard Cheshire Disability found that 84% of councils have ‘no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-deliver-disabled-friendly-homes 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-failing-to-deliver-disabled-friendly-homes Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:45:00 GMT A series of council-led anti-fraud projects have been given a share of £16m funding to clamp down on social housing tenancy cheats, business rates evasion, procurement fraud and social care and health tourism.  The DCLG revealed the successful bidders to the Counter Fraud Fund, which included a partnership in south west London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-names-successful-bidders-to-counter-fraud-fund 435,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-names-successful-bidders-to-counter-fraud-fund Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:45:00 GMT Potentially tens of thousands spent on bidding for a share of a measly £5m fund! Why bother? Re: Developing a bid for Pickles’ recycling rewards fund http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-rewards-fund 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-rewards-fund Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:45:00 GMT Immigrants from the EU will have to work in Britain for four years before they are eligible to claim benefits, David Cameron proposed in a major speech on immigration today. In addition, jobseekers arriving from Europe will be denied all out-of-work benefits and could be deported if they are still unemployed after six months. Cameron also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-proposes-four-year-ban-on-in-work-benefits-for-new-eu-migrants 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-proposes-four-year-ban-on-in-work-benefits-for-new-eu-migrants Fri, 28 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT The government has announced the names of 73 successful bidders for the Transformation Challenge Award, with a total of £89.4m to be distributed. The fund is for projects that will improve public services while cutting costs. All of the successful bids were submitted by partnerships aimed at eliminating duplicated services and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-of-transformation-challenge-award-announced 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-of-transformation-challenge-award-announced Fri, 28 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT A total of £4.55bn in council tax and business rates went unpaid at the end of 2013/14, according to figures published by the Audit Commission. The local spending watchdog said local authorities in England gathered on average 97% of the council tax they were owed in 2013-14, down 0.4% on the previous year. Rates varied from 91.7% up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-fail-to-collect-455bn-in-council-tax-and-business-rates 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-fail-to-collect-455bn-in-council-tax-and-business-rates Thu, 27 Nov 2014 16:15:00 GMT Strong performing councils should be given greater flexibility over how services are delivered and funded, and a £5bn transformation fund should be created from existing pots of cash, according to a new report from the independent Service Transformation Challenge Panel. The panel was chaired by former and current local authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/panel-calls-for-councils-to-get-greater-flexibility-to-deliver-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/panel-calls-for-councils-to-get-greater-flexibility-to-deliver-services Thu, 27 Nov 2014 12:30:00 GMT Scotland is to be given the power to set income tax rates and bands, giving its parliament control over an estimated £14bn, according to the report from the Smith Commission published today. Lord Smith of Kelvin was appointed by PM David Cameron to make recommendations on which powers should be devolved to Scotland following the No... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smith-commission-recommends-devolving-income-tax-control-to-scotland 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smith-commission-recommends-devolving-income-tax-control-to-scotland Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:45:00 GMT The upfront costs of local government mergers in Wales could cost as much as £268m, a new report by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed.  Commissioned by the Welsh Local Government Association, SOLACE Wales and the Society of Welsh Treasurers, the study stated that the cost would be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-mergers-could-cost-268m- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-local-government-mergers-could-cost-268m- Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT Three Devon councils are to work more collaboratively to deliver ‘joined-up’ decision making on key issues such as planning, housing, resources and infrastructure.  Exeter City Council, Teignbridge District Council and East Devon District Council signed the agreement to come together as ‘The Greater Exeter, Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devon-councils-to-collaborate-on-key-decisions- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devon-councils-to-collaborate-on-key-decisions- Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:30:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) twin-track approach to rolling out its ‘live service’ while simultaneously developing its new ‘digital service’, means Universal Credit may not be value for money regardless of how it is implemented and the cost of doing so.  This was the conclusion of the National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-may-not-prove-value-for-money--nao- 435,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-may-not-prove-value-for-money--nao- Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:30:00 GMT A South Yorkshire-wide campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the signs of child sexual exploitation, following the recent Rotherham scandal highlighted by the Jay report.  The ‘Spot the Signs’ campaign includes a series of posters with 14 different signs that a young person is a victim of sexual exploitation.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaign-to-tackle-child-sexual-exploitation-in-south-yorkshire- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaign-to-tackle-child-sexual-exploitation-in-south-yorkshire- Tue, 25 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT Alison Porter has resigned as chief executive of the LEP Network amid claims she was overwhelmed by a job that was bigger than expected, under-resourced and had a lack of Whitehall support. A leaked letter signed by Alex Pratt, chair of the LEP Network, made the claims that coordinating the 39 LEPs around the country had become too much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-funding-and-ceo-resignation-could-see-lep-network-revert-to-whitehall- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-funding-and-ceo-resignation-could-see-lep-network-revert-to-whitehall- Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:45:00 GMT As Britain braces for the first sub-zero temperatures this winter it has been revealed that council budgets for gritting roads are down by an average of 24% across England. The East Midlands has seen the most cuts, with road gritting budgets down by 43.5%, followed by London who has seen cuts of 37%. The other areas worst hit include the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-grit-budgets-down-by-almost-a-quarter-as-first-sub-zero-temperatures-hit-britain 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-grit-budgets-down-by-almost-a-quarter-as-first-sub-zero-temperatures-hit-britain Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:00:00 GMT Cllr David Sparks is stepping down as leader of Dudley Council – in part to concentrate on his role as chair of the Local Government Association. He has quit with immediate effect as leader of the Labour Group, and his position as council leader will end at the next full council meeting next week. He took over as LGA chair in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-chair-david-spark-quits-dudley-leader-role 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-chair-david-spark-quits-dudley-leader-role Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT NHS workers, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, radiographers, administrators, cleaners and managers will be manning picket lines today as hundreds of thousands of staff stage a fresh strike in a dispute with the government over pay. Members of nine unions – Unison, Unite, GMB, Ucatt, Managers in Partnership, the Royal College... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-staff-stage-second-mass-strike-in-as-many-months-over-pay 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-staff-stage-second-mass-strike-in-as-many-months-over-pay Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT Glasgow City Council is to increase the ‘Glasgow Living Wage’ from £7.65 to £7.85 to be in line with the national living wage. The new rate will apply to the council’s 19,500 staff and a further 41,500 workers across the city. The largest local authority in Scotland will make the change from April next year.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-council-to-increase-glasgow-living-wage-and-favour-firms-who-pay-it 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-council-to-increase-glasgow-living-wage-and-favour-firms-who-pay-it Mon, 24 Nov 2014 11:15:00 GMT Councils say the government must simplify its emergency funds for flood-ravaged areas to ensure this year is better than last. Last winter saw the wettest autumn and winter for 250 years and caused about £3bn worth of damage. To aid recovery the government announced 14 different flood relief funding pots, worth almost £450m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-simplify-distribution-of-flood-funds 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-simplify-distribution-of-flood-funds Mon, 24 Nov 2014 11:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown is to stand down as an MP at the next general election to focus efforts on his charity work in Africa, according to reports. The former PM, who already describes himself as an ‘ex-politician’, is expected to announce the decision in the next few days. There has been no official confirmation but senior Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gordon-brown-to-stand-down-as-mp 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gordon-brown-to-stand-down-as-mp Mon, 24 Nov 2014 09:45:00 GMT Many district authorities fought hard to break away from counties to become unitary. If the powers of ‘super counties’ are taking decision-making up a notch and away from neighbourhoods, then this cannot be good for local people, nor properly accountable and democratic local government. If, on the other hand, the new counties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-merger-proposals 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-merger-proposals Mon, 24 Nov 2014 09:30:00 GMT High-speed rail (HSR) can be the cornerstone for a step change in the integration and improvement of regional infrastructure in the UK, according to a new report by the Independent Transport Commission (ITC).  The study – ‘Ambitions and Opportunities: Understanding the Spatial Effects of High Speed Rail’ –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-speed-rail-can-deliver-regeneration-benefits--itc- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-speed-rail-can-deliver-regeneration-benefits--itc- Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:15:00 GMT Specialist refuges are turning away nearly a third of domestic abuse referrals due to a lack of space, according to the latest research by Women’s Aid.  The charity’s annual survey on domestic violence services highlighted that in England one in six specialist refuges have been closed since 2010 due to funding cuts and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refuges-turning-away-domestic-abuse-victims-due-to-lack-of-space-womens-aid- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refuges-turning-away-domestic-abuse-victims-due-to-lack-of-space-womens-aid- Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:15:00 GMT UKIP has secured its second elected MP at Westminster after Mark Reckless won yesterday’s Rochester and Strood by-election.  Despite the Conservative party promising to “throw the kitchen sink” at the by-election to win the seat, and the PM, David Cameron, visiting the constituency five times during the campaign... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukips-reckless-wins-rochester-and-strood-by-election 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukips-reckless-wins-rochester-and-strood-by-election Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:15:00 GMT The polls are open in the Rochester and Strood by-election where it is widely expected that UKIP candidate, and former Conservative MP, Mark Reckless will comfortably keep the seat. Reckless would become UKIP’s second MP in Westminster and he has further unsettled the Tories with claims that two other members of his former party are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/polls-open-in-rochester-and-strood-by-election 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/polls-open-in-rochester-and-strood-by-election Thu, 20 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT Seven men have been ordered by the High Court to stay away from young girls after Birmingham City Council became the first local authority to use a civil injunction to protect vulnerable children from sexual exploitation. In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, Mr Justice Keehan granted long-term orders that prevent the men from approaching... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-uses-civil-injunction-to-protect-vulnerable-children-from-sexual-exploitation 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-uses-civil-injunction-to-protect-vulnerable-children-from-sexual-exploitation Thu, 20 Nov 2014 14:45:00 GMT A Church of England (CofE) school in Tower Hamlets previously graded as outstanding is to be placed in special measures by Ofsted for failing to protect pupils from Islamic extremism. Sir John Cass’s Foundation and Redcoat school, in Stepney, east London, is believed to have failed for not safeguarding and monitoring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-cofe-school-failed-to-protect-pupils-from-islamic-extremism--ofsted- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-cofe-school-failed-to-protect-pupils-from-islamic-extremism--ofsted- Thu, 20 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT A Supreme Court challenge on how councils decide which homeless people are judged ‘vulnerable’ enough for rehousing could address a ‘longstanding injustice’ that has seen many turned away in the past, according to Crisis and Shelter.  As the law stands in England, when a person comes to their council as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supreme-court-case-could-address-injustice-of-council-homeless-assessments--charities 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supreme-court-case-could-address-injustice-of-council-homeless-assessments--charities Thu, 20 Nov 2014 12:30:00 GMT Funding for councils to deal with flooding has been cut by a third, despite warnings from the National Audit Office earlier this month that half of Britain’s flood defence systems are being maintained at a “minimal level” and are like to “deteriorate faster” due to government budget cuts. County councils and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flood-funding-for-councils-cut-by-a-third 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flood-funding-for-councils-cut-by-a-third Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:45:00 GMT Lord Browne will step down as the lead non-executive director for both the government and the Cabinet Office in January 2015. The former BP chief executive is the most senior business figure in the government and was appointed by David Cameron in 2010 to drive efficiency and inject more business acumen into the civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-browne-to-step-down-from-whitehall-post 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-browne-to-step-down-from-whitehall-post Wed, 19 Nov 2014 12:15:00 GMT The DCLG has a ‘limited’ understanding of local council financial sustainability and the impacts of funding cuts on their services, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).  In a new report – The Impact of Funding Reductions on Local Authorities – auditors stated that by 2015-16 government funding to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quarter-of-top-tier-councils-made-unplanned-service-cuts-to-balance-the-books 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quarter-of-top-tier-councils-made-unplanned-service-cuts-to-balance-the-books Wed, 19 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT The funding system for England's universities of tuition fees and repayments is the "worst of both worlds", says an independent study. A report from the Higher Education Commission says the current university funding system is unsustainable because of the high number of students who will never be able to afford to pay off their loans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/englands-tuition-fees-system-worst-of-both-worlds-says-higher-education-commission- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/englands-tuition-fees-system-worst-of-both-worlds-says-higher-education-commission- Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:45:00 GMT The circumstances found within Rotherham council that allowed over 1,400 children in the area to be sexually abused over 16 years are likely to be found in other local authorities, an inquiry from the Communities and Local Government Committee has found. The report warns that the circumstances found within Rotherham MBC, such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/circumstances-that-led-to-rotherham-child-abuse-exist-in-other-councils 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/circumstances-that-led-to-rotherham-child-abuse-exist-in-other-councils Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT Over a quarter of sexual offences and a third of violent crime reported to the police each year are not recorded as crimes, with over 800,000 offences going unrecorded annually, according to an inquiry by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). HMIC says that it is “inexcusably poor” that 19% of all crime goes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-fail-to-record-800000-offences-a-year-including-a-quarter-of-sexual-crimes- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-fail-to-record-800000-offences-a-year-including-a-quarter-of-sexual-crimes- Tue, 18 Nov 2014 11:30:00 GMT The chair of Serco has fallen on his sword, taking “ultimate responsibility” for the string of “operational mis-steps” that have hit the business, announcing he will step down. Alastair Lyons, who has been in the role since 2010, insisted he was not sacked but said he will leave the company – which is among... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sercos-chair-resigns-takes-blame-for-crisis 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sercos-chair-resigns-takes-blame-for-crisis Mon, 17 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT Eight hundred defence workers have started a four-day strike today, in a dispute over pay. Members of Unite who work for the Defence Support Group, which maintains, repairs and procures equipment for the Ministry of Defence, will walk out in protest over an offer of a 1% pay rise. The union claims that the offer represents a real... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/800-mod-staff-take-part-in-four-day-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/800-mod-staff-take-part-in-four-day-strike Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:30:00 GMT Conwy and Denbighshire are moving closer to becoming the first Welsh councils to merge as part the Assembly’s plan of voluntary mergers, with the deadline for expressions of interest in the scheme approaching fast. The two county councils are set to meet and vote on formally registering their interest in the merger with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-two-welsh-councils-move-closer-to-voluntary-merger 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-two-welsh-councils-move-closer-to-voluntary-merger Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:15:00 GMT Local authorities in Gloucester are looking to form a new partnership between city and county councils through senior staff, having shared roles between the two. One new proposed shared post would act as managing director and head of the paid service at Gloucester City Council, accountable to the city’s leader and cabinet as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucester-councils-propose-the-sharing-of-senior-staff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucester-councils-propose-the-sharing-of-senior-staff Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:00:00 GMT Some council social care departments have had five times as many Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications in the first half of this year as in the entirety of 2013-14. This is putting significant strain on councils, both in terms of manpower and money. David Stevenson reports. During the first quarter of this financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguard-applications-sucking-up-time-money-and-expertise 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguard-applications-sucking-up-time-money-and-expertise Mon, 17 Nov 2014 10:30:00 GMT The government-supported childcare scheme provides invaluable support to working parents struggling with the spiralling costs of childcare, but with so many children eligible for this scheme, it is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. With childcare now regularly outstripping even mortgage expenditure as the biggest strain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-free-childcare-scheme-is-facing-chronic-underfunding 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-free-childcare-scheme-is-facing-chronic-underfunding Mon, 17 Nov 2014 08:45:00 GMT In yet another twist on a long and winding road that Theresa May finds herself on in her quest to nominate an acceptable head of the independent child abuse inquiry, she has been snubbed by the chair of the Home Affairs Select committee Keith Vaz. May, trying to pass the political hot potato, asked the committee to put forward three names... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-attempts-to-pawn-off-decision-to-select-child-abuse-inquiry-chair 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-attempts-to-pawn-off-decision-to-select-child-abuse-inquiry-chair Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:30:00 GMT In yet another twist on a long and winding road that Theresa May finds herself on in her quest to nominate an acceptable head of the independent child abuse inquiry, she has been snubbed by the chair of the Home Affairs Select committee Keith Vaz. May, trying to pass the political hot potato, asked the committee to put forward three names... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-attempts-to-pawn-off-decision-to-select-child-abuse-inquiry-chair 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-attempts-to-pawn-off-decision-to-select-child-abuse-inquiry-chair Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:30:00 GMT Council workers have voted to accept a pay offer put forward by the Local Government Association, heading off the possibility of further strikes. Members of Unison, Unite and the GMB agreed to a two-year deal worth an average of 2.35%, having rejected an earlier 1% offer. Local authority workers walked out in July and threatened... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-workers-accept-improved-pay-offer-from-lga 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-workers-accept-improved-pay-offer-from-lga Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:00:00 GMT Local authority spending on agency social workers has increased by nearly a third in just one year, with it now costing £1.8m per council. FOI requests by Community Care found that the average UK council spent £1.2m on agency workers in children’s services and £647,247 in adults’ services in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-on-agency-social-workers-increases-by-a-third-costing-18m-per-council 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-on-agency-social-workers-increases-by-a-third-costing-18m-per-council Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:00:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has issued a call for evidence on how it could have scrutinised local government and the DCLG more effectively during this parliament. The cross-party group of MPs is inviting submissions from those who have had an interest in its work since 2010, with the responses feeding into a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clg-committee-calls-for-views-on-its-own-effectiveness- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clg-committee-calls-for-views-on-its-own-effectiveness- Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:15:00 GMT Birmingham council has unveiled a 20-year, £4bn vision for improving transport in the city, including a wide-ranging network of rapid transit buses and trams. Birmingham Connected, formerly the Birmingham Mobility Action Plan, also includes details for reopening rail lines and building two new stations, as well as more ambitious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-unveils-20-year-4bn-public-transport-vision 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-unveils-20-year-4bn-public-transport-vision Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:30:00 GMT A package of guidance for social landlords to help them prepare themselves and their tenants for Universal Credit has gone live today, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced. The support pack has been designed to give social landlords practical advice on how to ensure their tenants are prepared for the new benefit. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-announces-universal-credit-guidance-for-social-landlords 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-announces-universal-credit-guidance-for-social-landlords Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:15:00 GMT The north of England contributes more to the economy than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined but is losing out on investment because government spending is skewed towards London and Scotland, a think tank has claimed. In a report published today IPPR North renewed calls for increased infrastructure spending in the north and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-england-contributes-more-to-economy-than-devolved-nations-combined 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-england-contributes-more-to-economy-than-devolved-nations-combined Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT Scotland has benefited from £1bn of extra funding due to a flaw in the Barnett formula, a new study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed. The report says that the treatment of business rates by the formula, which calculates changes in the block grant based on UK government spending decisions, “might be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-benefits-by-1bn-due-to-barnett-formula-flaw-ifs 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-benefits-by-1bn-due-to-barnett-formula-flaw-ifs Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:45:00 GMT Greater Manchester has become the first region to use European funding to develop a new, free skills service for public service providers.  The Greater Manchester Skills Gateway aims to build on the sector’s success by giving companies complimentary access to a pool of over 250 training providers.  The organisation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-skills-gateway-aims-to-boost-public-sector-business 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-skills-gateway-aims-to-boost-public-sector-business Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:00:00 GMT Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has been ‘released’ from government control, the communities secretary has announced. The local authority, which has been overseen by the DCLG since 2010, was taken over shortly after an Audit Commission report highlighted “serious failings” in its corporate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doncaster-council-out-of-special-measures 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doncaster-council-out-of-special-measures Wed, 12 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT Margaret Hodge is set to lead Southwark’s new Early Action Commission that aims to bring together services to prevent harmful social issues before they become problems. The commission, which is the first of its kind, will look at how the council, NHS, police and voluntary sector, can work together to prevent problems that damage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/margaret-hodge-to-lead-pioneering-early-action-commission-in-southwark 438,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/margaret-hodge-to-lead-pioneering-early-action-commission-in-southwark Wed, 12 Nov 2014 12:45:00 GMT In a landmark ruling the European Court of Justice has ruled that Germany can refuse welfare benefits to EU migrants if they have never held a job in the country. The ruling could set an EU-wide precedent on ‘benefit tourism’ and has been welcomed by members of the government and opposition in the UK, who believe it could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-court-makes-landmark-ruling-on-benefit-tourism 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-court-makes-landmark-ruling-on-benefit-tourism Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association has called for the chancellor to devolve control of business rates to councils in a bid to “help small firms and save high streets”. Councils are concerned that many of the small firms and businesses that do most of their trade on the high street rather than online are unfairly penalised by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-chancellor-to-devolve-control-of-business-rates 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-chancellor-to-devolve-control-of-business-rates Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT The Better Care Fund will not deliver even a third of the planned £1bn savings as early preparations were “inadequate” and “did not match the scale of the ambition”, a new report from the National Audit Office has found, leading MPs to brandish the scheme a “shambles”. The £5.3bn Fund, drawn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-care-fund-will-deliver-less-than-a-third-of-planned-savings-nao- 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-care-fund-will-deliver-less-than-a-third-of-planned-savings-nao- Tue, 11 Nov 2014 10:45:00 GMT Millions of veterans are missing out on vital council support, such as priority housing, school places for children and jobs, because data on them is ‘patchy’, council leaders have warned. It was stated that it is increasingly difficult for councils to map the armed forces community, particularly veterans, living in their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-of-veterans-missing-out-on-vital-support--lga- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-of-veterans-missing-out-on-vital-support--lga- Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government should introduce five-year spending plans to match the length of fixed-term parliaments, and institute independent assessment of its infrastructure strategies, according to former cabinet secretary Lord (Gus) O’Donnell. In a recent speech to the Royal Statistical Society on ‘evidence-based policy making in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-should-introduce-five-year-spending-plans--lord-odonnell- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-should-introduce-five-year-spending-plans--lord-odonnell- Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:30:00 GMT Health and wellbeing boards (HWBs), run by councils and health representatives, have a unique role in joining up health and care commissioning – but are not the appropriate bodies to take on the full responsibilities for health budgets. That is the verdict of NHS Clinical Commissioners (NHSCC), which represents clinical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hwbs-should-not-take-on-full-responsibilities-for-health-budgets-say-ccgs 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hwbs-should-not-take-on-full-responsibilities-for-health-budgets-say-ccgs Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:30:00 GMT David Cameron is set to announce a £15bn plan that would improve more than 100 of Britain’s problem roads by the end of the decade. The prime minister will make the announcement today in a speech to the Confederation of British Industry, where he will outline the Conservatives’ five-year roads investment strategy should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-15bn-roads-revolution-under-a-tory-government--cameron- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-15bn-roads-revolution-under-a-tory-government--cameron- Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:15:00 GMT Quangos and other arm’s length government bodies are “unaccountable, confused and neglected”, the Public Administration Select Committee has found. In a report released today, the committee calls for the government to produce a clear “map of state” setting out the roles and responsibilities of quangos and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quangos-unaccountable-confused-and-neglected-says-mps-report 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quangos-unaccountable-confused-and-neglected-says-mps-report Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:00:00 GMT What a crazy world we live in. Maggie Thatcher got rid of the Greater Manchester Council, the people voted against having a mayor. What sort of democracy do we have? Re: Greater Manchester to get a mayor in return for devolution package http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayoral-referendums 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayoral-referendums Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:30:00 GMT Council leaders in the West Midlands are the latest to plan a combined authority for their region, which would act as a “lynchpin for the national economic recovery” and create a “Midlands Powerhouse”. Greater Manchester’s combined authority working since 2011 is widely believed to have contributed to its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-a-lynchpin-for-economic-recovery 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-combined-authority-a-lynchpin-for-economic-recovery Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:30:00 GMT The government launched its new Digital Marketplace yesterday to help the public sector buy IT services from a wide range of suppliers through one digital storefront. The launch concludes months of preparation at Government Digital Services (GDS), the division of the Cabinet Office tasked with managing the G-cloud framework and the Cloud... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-new-digital-marketplace-for-public-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-new-digital-marketplace-for-public-sector Fri, 07 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT Local authorities will have to publish details on staff who spend time working on union duties rather than frontline services, after new rules came into force. The new transparency code announced by Eric Pickles means all councils have to publish details on the number of public sector staff who spend some of their working week on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-publish-details-of-staff-union-work 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-publish-details-of-staff-union-work Fri, 07 Nov 2014 15:45:00 GMT There are so many potholes in Britain’s roads that they have caused damage to one in six drivers’ cars over the last 12 months, according to new research from Liverpool Victoria. Councils in areas worst hit by last year’s winter storms have seen claims for pothole damage rise by 23% while compensation claims as a whole... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-six-drivers-have-had-cars-damaged-by-potholes--12bn-repair-backlog 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-six-drivers-have-had-cars-damaged-by-potholes--12bn-repair-backlog Fri, 07 Nov 2014 14:30:00 GMT Companies delivering the government’s flagship Work Programme have, on average, spent less than half of what they originally promised on getting harder-to-help claimants, such as those with disabilities, into work, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The cross-party Committee of MPs argued that instead contractors have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-work-programme-failing-harder-to-help-claimants--pac- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-work-programme-failing-harder-to-help-claimants--pac- Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:00:00 GMT Council leaders across the UK have come together calling for an ‘urgent’ meeting with the government to set out a deal on devolution for their communities.  In a letter sent to William Hague, chair of the Cabinet Committee looking at devolved powers, following the Scottish independence referendum, the local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-council-leaders-unite-in-call-for-devolution-talks- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-council-leaders-unite-in-call-for-devolution-talks- Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:00:00 GMT Unions have joined care minister Norman Lamb in demanding that illegally low wages in the homecare sector are “stamped out”. During a Westminster Hall debate yesterday, Lamb said: “It appears that 220,000 people in the care sector are being paid below the minimum wage. That situation is completely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lamb-promises-crackdown-on-care-firms-paying-illegal-wages 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lamb-promises-crackdown-on-care-firms-paying-illegal-wages Thu, 06 Nov 2014 10:15:00 GMT A new report has suggested that 82% of people in England support the devolution of more powers to local areas, while 66% would like to see English votes for English laws in Westminster. The survey on devolution, commissioned by the BBC, involved 3,000 adults in England and shows two-thirds support further devolution. Its results have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/82-of-people-in-england-support-devolution-to-local-areas 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/82-of-people-in-england-support-devolution-to-local-areas Wed, 05 Nov 2014 17:15:00 GMT Half of Britain’s flood defence systems are being maintained at a “minimal level” and are like to “deteriorate faster” due to government budget cuts, according to a new report from the National Audit Office. The NAO said that spending on flood prevention is “insufficient” and has been cut by 10%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-flood-defence-systems-maintained-at-minimal-level-nao 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-flood-defence-systems-maintained-at-minimal-level-nao Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:00:00 GMT The communities secretary is appointing three commissioners to take over financial control of Tower Hamlets Council, following a PwC report that found governance problems and a ‘failure to comply’ with best value duties. Eric Pickles told Parliament that he was writing to the local authority with a proposed package... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-appoints-commissioners-to-take-financial-control-of-tower-hamlets 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-appoints-commissioners-to-take-financial-control-of-tower-hamlets Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:30:00 GMT The Treasury has been accused of pumping out “propaganda” in its Annual Tax Summary breakdowns. By combining unemployment and sickness benefits with public sector pensions under the general heading ‘welfare’, the letters are “party political propaganda masquerading as neutral information” according to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-says-public-sector-pensions-are-welfare-other-pensions-are-not 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-says-public-sector-pensions-are-welfare-other-pensions-are-not Tue, 04 Nov 2014 09:15:00 GMT Home Office minister Norman Baker has quit over policy, blaming his boss Theresa May’s attitude and his department’s lack of regard for evidence-based policy. Baker, Lib Dem MP for Lewes, had three-and-a-half years at the Department for Transport where he said the atmosphere was much more “collegiate” than at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baker-quits-as-home-office-minister-blaming-theresa-may 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baker-quits-as-home-office-minister-blaming-theresa-may Tue, 04 Nov 2014 08:45:00 GMT Manchester rejected the idea of a directly-elected mayor in a referendum two years ago – but now is getting one anyway because a stitch-up deal by politicians who don’t care what the public want. That’s one viewpoint – the other is that the last referendum didn’t make clear the advantages, was focused just on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ask-a-silly-question 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ask-a-silly-question Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:30:00 GMT The home secretary is to consult victims before appointing a new chair of the troubled child abuse inquiry after Fiona Woolf, the second person appointed to the post, resigned amid speculation about her links to Lord Leon Brittan. Theresa May is to make a statement today to MPs in which she will promise to personally consult... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-to-consult-with-victims-before-appointing-new-child-abuse-inquiry-chair 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-to-consult-with-victims-before-appointing-new-child-abuse-inquiry-chair Mon, 03 Nov 2014 11:30:00 GMT Approximately 90,000 children in Britain will spend this Christmas homeless, according to new research by Shelter.  The housing charity released the research while launching an emergency appeal in response to the figures.  The number of families living in B&Bs has almost doubled in three years, which Shelter said was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/90000-children-in-uk-will-be-homeless-this-christmas--shelter- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/90000-children-in-uk-will-be-homeless-this-christmas--shelter- Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:00:00 GMT Only a fifth of managers in the public sector would give their organisation top marks for ethical behaviour, which is half as many as those in PLCs, according to new research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).  In its new report ‘The Moral DNA of Performance’, it was found that public sector and large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-public-sector-managers-say-their-employers-have-poor-ethical-standards- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-public-sector-managers-say-their-employers-have-poor-ethical-standards- Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:00:00 GMT Greater Manchester is set to receive a multi-billion pound package of devolution from the government, in return for agreeing to institute a directly elected mayor for the region. George Obsorne announced the plans this morning. They were finalised on Friday after the region’s 10 council leaders met in a private session to thrash out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-get-a-mayor-in-return-for-multi-billion-pound-devolution-package 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-manchester-to-get-a-mayor-in-return-for-multi-billion-pound-devolution-package Mon, 03 Nov 2014 09:45:00 GMT Well done Cambridge. If there is a problem and there is now legislation that can fix it quickly without a complicated process that's brilliant. It's unfortunate that having ASBOs became a badge of honour; let's hope the new scheme is more effective, quickly, to bring about a culture change and progress. Re: Cambridge council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/use-of-community-protection-notice-against-a-tesco 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/use-of-community-protection-notice-against-a-tesco Mon, 03 Nov 2014 09:00:00 GMT Guy Levin, executive director at Coadec, discusses how the next government should commit to driving forward ‘digital government’ in the UK. The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) is a non-profit organisation that campaigns for policies to support digital startups in the UK, and with just nine months to go until the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-forward-digital-government 438,446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-forward-digital-government Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:15:00 GMT A new set of professional standards is to be introduced for children’s social work in England to help restore confidence in the service, the education secretary has announced. Nicky Morgan, speaking at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Manchester, said the changes will drive culture change and refocus on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-set-of-standards-to-be-developed-for-childrens-social-work 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-set-of-standards-to-be-developed-for-childrens-social-work Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:00:00 GMT The NHS has a responsibility to help councils cope with a “tough financial settlement” in working together to deliver services to vulnerable people, the health secretary has said. Speaking at the National Children and Adult Services conference in Manchester yesterday, Jeremy Hunt said that the NHS was prioritised by having its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-has-a-responsibility-to-help-councils-financially--health-secretary 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-has-a-responsibility-to-help-councils-financially--health-secretary Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:15:00 GMT Labour has retained the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) position with more than 50% of the vote following the by-election after Shaun Wright’s resignation from the post.  Wright resigned from the position last month in the wake of the Rotherham child abuse scandal.  He will be replaced by Dr Alan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-wins-south-yorkshire-pcc-election 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-wins-south-yorkshire-pcc-election Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:15:00 GMT Child sexual exploitation has become the social norm in parts of Greater Manchester, according to an inquiry report ordered in the wake of the Rochdale grooming scandal. Inquiry chairwoman Ann Coffey MP said systematic grooming of boys and girls remains a “real and ongoing problem”, a year after Greater Manchester Police was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-sexual-exploitation-a-social-norm-in-parts-of-greater-manchester- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-sexual-exploitation-a-social-norm-in-parts-of-greater-manchester- Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association has called for the government to launch an “urgent review” of Ofsted after a series of leaks and dramatic U-turns on inspection judgements brought into question the watchdog’s objectivity and credibility. The LGA said public confidence in Ofsted has been undermined by its habit of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-urgent-review-of-ofsted 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-urgent-review-of-ofsted Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT John Manzoni, the new chief executive of the Civil Service, is to stand down from his second job as a director of a major drinks company next summer, after MPs and more than 70 leading medical professionals and charities called for him to do so. In a letter to the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, the signatories say they believe it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-chief-succumbs-to-pressure-to-stand-down-from-second-job 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-chief-succumbs-to-pressure-to-stand-down-from-second-job Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:15:00 GMT A controversial new Home Office report has found that there is “no obvious link” between tough drug laws and the number of people who use them. Examining drug laws from 11 different countries, the groundbreaking document contradicts 40 years of almost unbroken official political rhetoric that only harsher penalties can tackle... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-report-finds-no-link-between-punitive-drug-laws-and-levels-of-use 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-report-finds-no-link-between-punitive-drug-laws-and-levels-of-use Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT The Better Care Fund is to be boosted to £5.3bn a year to help join up health and social care services, the government announced last night. The extra £1.5bn, on top of the original £3.8bn, is reportedly to come from more pooling of local budgets – it is not new money. Local government secretary Eric Pickles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-care-fund-boosted-to-53bn-to-deploy-18000-community-workers 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-care-fund-boosted-to-53bn-to-deploy-18000-community-workers Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:30:00 GMT Services for elderly and disabled residents are in danger of spiralling into crisis as a new analysis reveals that local authorities will face a £4.3bn funding ‘black hole’ by the end of this decade. An examination of town hall funding by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-to-face-43bn-funding-black-hole-by-2020 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-to-face-43bn-funding-black-hole-by-2020 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 16:30:00 GMT Private companies have been announced the preferred bidders for more than half of the probation services to be privatised, despite justice secretary Chris Grayling’s claims that charities and the voluntary sector would be at the “forefront of a new fight against reoffending”. Two outsourcing companies, Sodexo and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-companies-win-more-than-half-of-probation-contracts 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-companies-win-more-than-half-of-probation-contracts Wed, 29 Oct 2014 16:30:00 GMT The Department for Transport made major rail project decisions that lacked common sense and used unrealistic analysis, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO). The NAO report, released today, says that the DfT did not query why its original analysis that HS2 would bring £2.40 benefit for every £1 spent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-made-decisions-that-lack-common-sense--nao- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-made-decisions-that-lack-common-sense--nao- Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:30:00 GMT Public health commissioning arrangements should change so that local authorities co-commission alongside CCGs, according to Jeremy Hunt. Giving a keynote address at the Best Practice Show in Birmingham last week, the health secretary called for CCGs to become ‘Accountable Care Organisations’ and to expand their role from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-co-commission-public-health-with-ccgs--hunt 870,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-co-commission-public-health-with-ccgs--hunt Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:15:00 GMT West Midlands Police has six weeks to improve child protection after an inspection from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found staff had a “general lack of understanding” about the extent of child sexual exploitation. Inspectors said the force had a weak response to complex or prolonged child protection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-police-given-six-weeks-to-improve-child-protection 454,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-police-given-six-weeks-to-improve-child-protection Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:15:00 GMT Local authorities in England spend “unacceptably low” amounts on public mental health, according to new research from Mind, the mental health charity. The charity found that on average only 1.36% of the public health budget is spent on mental health. The annual spend by local authorities on preventing physical health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-spend-unacceptably-low-amount-on-public-mental-health 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-spend-unacceptably-low-amount-on-public-mental-health Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT Redundancy payments given to NHS managers, civil servants and local government workers will have to be repayed if they are rehired, under new plans announced by the government. The new measure, included in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill currently going through Parliament, will require individuals earning more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-to-be-stripped-of-redundancy-payments-if-rehired-within-a-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-to-be-stripped-of-redundancy-payments-if-rehired-within-a-year Tue, 28 Oct 2014 11:00:00 GMT PSE attended the Socitm annual conference last week, and one of the key issues that kept arising was the importance of planning ‘now’ for change in the future.  Throughout the conference a host of speakers highlighted how important digital will be for local government, and the larger public sector, going... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-must-re-think-digital-business-models 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-must-re-think-digital-business-models Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:15:00 GMT Cambridge City Council has threatened a local Tesco store with a community protection notice (CPN) if it does not deal with its litter problem. CPNs are a new power introduced this year under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The store was accused by a councillor of continually ignoring requests to clear up the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridge-council-threaten-tesco-store-with-community-protection-notice 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridge-council-threaten-tesco-store-with-community-protection-notice Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT Fiona Woolf could be ordered to testify in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee again over new evidence emerging about her links to Lord Brittan. Woolf was under fresh pressure to resign as chair of the government’s child abuse inquiry over the weekend, as the Mail on Sunday claimed to have documents that revealed she had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/woolf-faces-further-questions-from-mps-over-links-to-lord-brittan 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/woolf-faces-further-questions-from-mps-over-links-to-lord-brittan Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT The Jobcentre Plus network is about to undergo a digital revamp as the government invests in new equipment such as biometric software, PC workstations and free wi-fi. Old-fashioned ‘signing-on’, job cards in windows and ‘Full Monty-style dole queues’ will be consigned to the past as the new equipment starts to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobcentres-set-for-digital-upgrade 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobcentres-set-for-digital-upgrade Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:45:00 GMT Britain’s pensioners are at greater risk of poverty during retirement than the majority of other European countries due to the UK having one of the least generous state pensions in the continent.  A study from the International Longevity Centre UK looked at how much of the typical income of someone in the workforce the state... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-pension-one-of-the-least-generous-in-europe 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-pension-one-of-the-least-generous-in-europe Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:30:00 GMT Plans to develop HS3, a high speed rail link connecting northern cities, which will “significantly reduce” journey times across the region, have been backed by the government.  In Sir David Higgins’ latest report – ‘Rebalancing Britain: from HS2 towards a national transport strategy’ – it has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs3-line-vital-for-improving-east-west-connectivity-higgins- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs3-line-vital-for-improving-east-west-connectivity-higgins- Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:30:00 GMT I was one of the 23 Pembrokeshire opposition councillors who voted against giving our chief executive Bryn Parry Jones a ‘golden goodbye’. Your necessarily brief report didn’t mention the many reasons councillors lost confidence in our chief executive. Not least, that in the wake of the pension fiasco, allegations were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chief-executive-pay-off 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chief-executive-pay-off Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:45:00 GMT Proposals by the Local Government Association (LGA) to relax the rules that prevent parents from taking children out of school in term-time and give more discretion back to headteachers have been rejected by those in the education sector and the government.  The LGA, represents councils in England and Wales, wants headteachers to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-proposals-to-scrap-ban-on-term-time-holidays-rejected- 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-proposals-to-scrap-ban-on-term-time-holidays-rejected- Fri, 24 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT Local government minster Kris Hopkins has criticised a minority of local authorities for failing to pass sufficient money down to parish councils.  He will be writing to 31 councils in particular who intend to pass none of their council tax support funding to their parishes.  However, Hopkins praised the majority of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minority-of-councils-criticised-over-parish-funding- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minority-of-councils-criticised-over-parish-funding- Fri, 24 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT The proportion of homeowners in an area can negatively impact housing planning decisions, according to research by the Institute for Government (IfG).  Following the publication of the Lyons Housing Review last week, IfG tested the theory that planning decisions in England are being distorted in favour of current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-decisions-distorted-in-favour-of-current-homeowners 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-decisions-distorted-in-favour-of-current-homeowners Fri, 24 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT Fraud detection rates by councils in England are at their highest level in 25 years, according to a new report by the Audit Commission. The report – Protecting the Public Purse 2014: Fighting Fraud Against Local Government – revealed that £188m of fraud was detected by local authorities in 2013-14, a ten-fold increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-detecting-record-levels-of-fraud--audit-commission 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-detecting-record-levels-of-fraud--audit-commission Thu, 23 Oct 2014 10:30:00 GMT Education secretary Nicky Morgan has been ordered by MPs to write to the chief inspector for schools to clarify Ofsted’s powers to inspect academy chains. Morgan has clashed with the chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, over Wilshaw’s belief that Ofsted should be given additional powers to inspect and grade management of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/education-secretary-ordered-by-mps-to-clarify-ofsted-powers 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/education-secretary-ordered-by-mps-to-clarify-ofsted-powers Wed, 22 Oct 2014 17:00:00 GMT Devolution of tax, planning and transport powers from Whitehall to the 15 largest UK cities could boost economic output by £79bn a year, according to a new report from the City Growth Commission. The report says that ‘Devo Met’ should run parallel to ‘Devo Max’ for Scotland and calls for draft legislation to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolving-powers-to-cities-will-boost-uk-growth- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolving-powers-to-cities-will-boost-uk-growth- Wed, 22 Oct 2014 16:00:00 GMT The next government could help deliver a culture of ‘digital by design, open by default’ for public services – but not through a ‘one-size-fits-all’ method like the Government Digital Service (GDS), according to Socitm president Nick Roberts.  Speaking to about 350 delegates at the Society’s annual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-will-drive-digital-forward-in-public-services-socitm-conference- 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-will-drive-digital-forward-in-public-services-socitm-conference- Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:00:00 GMT Practical things that can be done to minimise the risk to health this winter are spelled out today in the 2014 Cold Weather Plan for England. It is estimated that every year there are more than 25,000 excess winter deaths in England, many of which are preventable. The plan, which is published by Public Health England, the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/advice-for-councils-to-cut-winter-risks--cold-weather-plan-launched 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/advice-for-councils-to-cut-winter-risks--cold-weather-plan-launched Tue, 21 Oct 2014 16:45:00 GMT Theresa May has announced her appointments to the Independent Inquiry Panel that will look into child sexual abuse within institutions. The panel is to consider whether, and to what extent, public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. New members Sharon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-office-announces-panellists-for-child-sex-abuse-inquiry 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-office-announces-panellists-for-child-sex-abuse-inquiry Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:30:00 GMT Parliament is set to debate whether voters should have the “power of recall”, allowing the public to deselect an MP if they are found guilty of serious wrongdoing. The government’s plans say an MP should be unseated if 10% of voters sign a petition, after the MP is sent to jail or given a prolonged Commons... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-debate-voter-recall-powers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-debate-voter-recall-powers Tue, 21 Oct 2014 11:30:00 GMT Out with ASBOs and in with CBOs (Criminal Behaviour Orders). From today, as part of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, local authorities and police will be provided with more powers to deal with offenders. Under the new CBOs there will be increased powers, banning offenders from aggressive begging, constant verbal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-with-old-asbos-and-in-with-cbos 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-with-old-asbos-and-in-with-cbos Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:00:00 GMT A severance deal worth £330,000 has been agreed for Pembrokeshire chief executive Bryn Parry-Jones to quit his job following two police investigations and a no confidence vote from his council over his taking cash payments in lieu of pension contributions. Councillors voted 29-23 in favour of the deal at a meeting in Haverfordwest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pembrokeshire-council-agrees-330000-severance-deal-for-chief-executive- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pembrokeshire-council-agrees-330000-severance-deal-for-chief-executive- Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:00:00 GMT Fire and rescue authorities across England have been awarded a share of a £75m fund to help improve frontline services. In total, 37 projects have been given money from the Fire Transformation Fund – announced last March by the DCLG – which is expected to save taxpayers over £300m. Amongst the winning bids... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-of-75m-fire-transformation-fund-revealed- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-of-75m-fire-transformation-fund-revealed- Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:30:00 GMT Both male and female Civil Service employees will be entitled to full parental pay and support from April 2015, the deputy prime minister is to announce this week. The change means that fathers will now be able to benefit from enhanced pay for shared parental leave – if both parents decide to divide the time up – as mothers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equal-parental-leave-pay-for-civil-service-employees 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equal-parental-leave-pay-for-civil-service-employees Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:15:00 GMT MPs are calling for an “urgent” investigation into whether public officials sought to cover up the Rotherham child abuse scandal, after a researcher claimed files set to be passed to the Home Office were stolen from her office. The Home Affairs Select Committee released its second report into the Rotherham scandal, where in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-investigation-into-rotherham-child-abuse-cover-up 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-investigation-into-rotherham-child-abuse-cover-up Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:00:00 GMT I think on-the-spot fines are well overdue. Most of the problems faced in my ward are during the annual student change-over. They place their unwanted items next to refuse bins; this results in bin scavengers ripping open their sacks and rifling the contents, scattering the rest over the public highways. Also, some unscrupulous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fly-tipping-powers 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fly-tipping-powers Mon, 20 Oct 2014 09:15:00 GMT Fraud and mistakes in housing benefit have led to overpayments costing £1.4bn, a jump of 40% in the last three years, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).  In its report the NAO strongly criticises the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for failing to tackle the problem earlier by cracking down on councils who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fraud-and-mistakes-in-housing-benefit-costs-14bn--nao- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fraud-and-mistakes-in-housing-benefit-costs-14bn--nao- Fri, 17 Oct 2014 17:15:00 GMT The LGA has “insufficient contact” with councils on a daily basis, according to its chairman Cllr David Sparks. He made the revelation during a Q&A session at the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) Summit in Liverpool, which PSE attended yesterday. Cllr Sparks said: “I’m acutely aware... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-has-insufficient-contact-with-councils-on-a-daily-basis- 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-has-insufficient-contact-with-councils-on-a-daily-basis- Fri, 17 Oct 2014 17:00:00 GMT The fourth funding round of the DECC’s Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU) has been launched, with local authorities in England and Wales being encouraged to bid.  Under the HNDU terms, councils can apply for funding to support several projects and/or project development stages. Support can be awarded for initial heat mapping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fourth-funding-round-opens-for-local-heat-networks- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fourth-funding-round-opens-for-local-heat-networks- Fri, 17 Oct 2014 13:00:00 GMT Under a Labour government councils would be given greater powers to give ‘local’ first-time buyers priority access to purchase new homes as they go on sale.  Ed Miliband has set out the proposals following a Labour-commissioned housing review by Sir Michael Lyons, which sets out a plan for building 200,000 new homes by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-promises-councils-greater-powers-in-housing-review- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-promises-councils-greater-powers-in-housing-review- Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT The new Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing, launched with support from four government departments, will help in the delivery of better public services. The transformation of public services is already seeing local authorities explore new ways of delivering services, but information sharing remains a barrier for many in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-information-sharing-centre-to-transform-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-information-sharing-centre-to-transform-public-services Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT Tens of thousands of Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members took to the streets yesterday in a dispute over pay.  The union said its members took the 24-hour strike action because since 2010, taking into account pay cuts and monthly pension contribution increases, many civil servants have suffered a 20% cut in their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tens-of-thousands-of-pcs-members-take-part-in-24-hour-pay-strike- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tens-of-thousands-of-pcs-members-take-part-in-24-hour-pay-strike- Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT Scotland is set to have its first-ever female first minister after Nicola Sturgeon was confirmed as the only candidate to replace Alex Salmond as leader of the Scottish National Party. Currently the deputy leader, Sturgeon is set to take over leadership at the party’s conference next month. She is expected to be elected first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nicola-sturgeon-to-become-scotlands-first-female-first-minister- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nicola-sturgeon-to-become-scotlands-first-female-first-minister- Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:30:00 GMT From December the prime minister will be able to make permanent secretary appointments from a candidate shortlist prepared by an independent panel, under new rules announced today. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) currently recommends only one candidate to the PM, who has the right to either accept or reject them. Under the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-reforms-allow-pm-to-select-permanent-secretaries-from-shortlist 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-reforms-allow-pm-to-select-permanent-secretaries-from-shortlist Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:15:00 GMT Welfare reform minister Lord Freud has offered an “unreserved apology” after it emerged he had told a fringe meeting at the recent Tory conference that some disabled people were “not worth” the minimum wage. Labour called for Freud to be sacked after he suggested in a Q&A session that some people with mental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-freud-apologises-for-saying-disabled-people-arent-worth-minimum-wage 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-freud-apologises-for-saying-disabled-people-arent-worth-minimum-wage Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:15:00 GMT Fundamental changes to local government both operationally and constitutionally are inevitable if the sector is to remain relevant by 2020, according to new research from Grant Thornton UK LLP.  Produced in collaboration with the University of Birmingham's Institute for Local Government Studies (INLOGOV), the Vision 2020 report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-inevitable-for-councils-in-response-to-cuts--vision-2020 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-inevitable-for-councils-in-response-to-cuts--vision-2020 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 15:30:00 GMT The Labour party has announced its intention to boycott cross-party discussions on ‘English votes for English laws’, calling the issue a “Westminster stitch-up”. The announcement came in a Commons debate today on devolution following the no vote in the Scottish referendum. As the debate opened, Labour announced it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-to-boycott-committee-on-english-votes-for-english-laws 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-to-boycott-committee-on-english-votes-for-english-laws Tue, 14 Oct 2014 17:00:00 GMT The schools at the heart of the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal have failed to address problems with unbalanced curriculums and the segregation of girls and boys in the classroom, according to Ofsted. Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of schools, sent a letter to the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, in which he says “very... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-raises-concerns-about-trojan-horse-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-raises-concerns-about-trojan-horse-schools Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:15:00 GMT A bullying and sexist culture promoted by the former leader of Rotherham council made it difficult for staff to raise concerns about child sexual exploitation, MPs have been told. Roger Stone resigned as Rotherham’s Labour council leader in the wake of the Jay Report, which brought to light that 1,400 children in Rotherham had been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bullying-and-sexist-culture-at-council-contributed-to-child-exploitation-scandal 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bullying-and-sexist-culture-at-council-contributed-to-child-exploitation-scandal Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:15:00 GMT The new chief executive of the Civil Service must resign from his £100,000-a-year second job as a director in the alcohol industry, the chair of the House of Commons health select committee has said. Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, who is a GP, said that the new chief executive, John Manzoni, must resign immediately from his role... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-civil-service-chiefs-second-job-a-complete-disgrace--health-committee-chair 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-civil-service-chiefs-second-job-a-complete-disgrace--health-committee-chair Mon, 13 Oct 2014 17:15:00 GMT School commissioners will be given power to remove governors and headteachers in failing state schools if the Conservatives win the next general election, David Cameron has announced. The proposals, which will be included in the Torey election manifesto, will see more powers given to the eight regional school commissioners appointed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-commissioners-should-have-power-to-fire-headteachers--pm 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-commissioners-should-have-power-to-fire-headteachers--pm Mon, 13 Oct 2014 11:15:00 GMT Local authority chief executives and senior managers will be flocking to Liverpool this week for the annual Solace Summit.  The theme for this year’s summit is ‘Leading Local Solutions’ which will see sessions delivered by leaders within both the public and private sectors.  On the Summit’s opening... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solace-summit-leading-local-solutions- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solace-summit-leading-local-solutions- Mon, 13 Oct 2014 11:00:00 GMT Council chiefs are calling for greater powers to tackle the growing problem of fly-tipping, which is costing taxpayers millions.  The Local Government Association (LGA) wants councils to have the “flexibility” to issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for some cases, such as dumping broken furniture, old... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-tackling-worst-ever-fly-tipping-as-lga-demands-more-powers 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-tackling-worst-ever-fly-tipping-as-lga-demands-more-powers Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:00:00 GMT About 400,000 NHS staff, including paramedics, nurses, midwives, occupational therapists and hospital managers, have walked out this morning as part of the biggest strike the health service has faced in 32 years. The action is being taken by members of six unions over the government’s refusal to give all workers a recommended 1% pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-staff-stage-biggest-strike-the-health-service-has-seen-in-32-years 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-staff-stage-biggest-strike-the-health-service-has-seen-in-32-years Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:00:00 GMT More than 90% of care homes and hospitals across England have aspects of “variable” or “poor care”, according to a major review of dementia care by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).  The regulator inspected 129 care homes and 20 hospitals, looking at four areas in delivering care: how people's care needs were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/variable-dementia-care-putting-patients-at-unnecessary-risk-cqc- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/variable-dementia-care-putting-patients-at-unnecessary-risk-cqc- Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:00:00 GMT The number of Underground stations, particularly in central London, with step-free access is still pitifully low. How many of the rail and Underground stations that have been made step-free have nothing to do with TfL but more to do with DfT? Re: LU confirms £75m fund for step-free access http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/step-free-access-in-london 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/step-free-access-in-london Mon, 13 Oct 2014 08:45:00 GMT Business Change Manager Gill Terry describes how public sector organisations can benefit from adopting the CHAMPS2 business change method to achieve holistic, transformational change in service delivery. The priority now for the public sector is not just to survive the long-term future of budget constraints, but to also try to benefit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-transformational-change-and-holistic-service-redesign-with-the-champs2-method- 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-transformational-change-and-holistic-service-redesign-with-the-champs2-method- Mon, 13 Oct 2014 07:00:00 GMT Hugo Pickford-Wardle, chief innovation officer at digital consultancy Matter, talks about the growing importance of digital in the public sector and delivering savings for local authorities and their citizens. Local and central government are migrating services to digital channels in an effort to improve service provision for citizens and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-citizen-centred-savings-with-digital 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-citizen-centred-savings-with-digital Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:45:00 GMT Dr Nigel Goddard, director of the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, is to lead a team of researchers who will investigate various ways of reducing energy consumption in public sector buildings. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are to investigate the interactions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-driven-research-into-public-sector-energy-reduction 437,446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-driven-research-into-public-sector-energy-reduction Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:30:00 GMT Rob Crumbie, marketing and communications manager at Greenredeem, the rewards scheme that incentivises recycling, explores the impact of government recycling incentive funds. Eric Pickles recently announced there would be a new £5m recycling incentive fund for local councils. With this announcement, countless local authorities will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-a-bid-for-pickles-recycling-rewards-fund-what-can-local-authorities-learn-from-the-2012-recycling-fund 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-a-bid-for-pickles-recycling-rewards-fund-what-can-local-authorities-learn-from-the-2012-recycling-fund Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:15:00 GMT Martin Samphire, chair of the Association for Project Management’s (APM) Governance Specific Interest Group, tells PSE about the fundamental principles of delivering good governance on change/projects. David Stevenson reports. Good governance is a term being used more and more often in the public and private sectors. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-deliver-good-governance 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-deliver-good-governance Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:00:00 GMT Locality, the umbrella organisation representing community renewal and neighbourhood action groups, has appointed a new CEO to take over from Steve Wyler. PSE spoke to Tony Armstrong, the new man in charge. Locality is a network of more than 700 community-led organisations and 200 associate partners, formed in 2011 from the merger of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-by-default 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-by-default Sun, 12 Oct 2014 15:45:00 GMT Many councils are worried about the costs of implementing the Care Act, especially in London where costs are even higher and there are unique demographic challenges. PSE spoke to Hillingdon council leader Cllr Ray Puddifoot, London Councils’ executive member for adult social care. The Care Act was notable for its relatively easy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-costs-of-care 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-costs-of-care Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:15:00 GMT PSE’s Sam McCaffrey was in Whitehall for the launch of the latest update on Civil Service reform, with Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood and Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude MP. In June 2012 David Cameron wrote in the foreword to the government’s Civil Service Reform Plan that it was about “harnessing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-reform--a-progress-update 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-reform--a-progress-update Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT Mark Johnson, partner at public services law firm Geldards LLP, considers the new rules for procuring public contracts. The European Commission has been on a mission to overhaul the Procurement Directives since 2011. Their professed aim: to modernise and simplify, to open up contracts to SMEs and to allow procuring authorities to make... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-procurement--new-regulations-bring-a-few-surprises 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-procurement--new-regulations-bring-a-few-surprises Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:00:00 GMT Education policy expert Stephen Rayner questions the governance and autonomy of academy schools and explores the mismatch between expectations and capacity in local authorities’ education role. Political background In 2000, when City Academies were introduced by David Blunkett, the New Labour education secretary, they were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academy-schools-and-the-structural-reform-of-education 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academy-schools-and-the-structural-reform-of-education Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:45:00 GMT Alex Thomson, chief executive at Localis, talks to PSE about the changing mentality of local authorities in dealing with their land and assets — a theme endorsed by housing minister Brandon Lewis MP. David Stevenson reports. Local authorities appear to be moving away from the mentality of simply selling buildings and land for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-looking-to-redevelop-their-estate--not-just-sell-it-off 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-looking-to-redevelop-their-estate--not-just-sell-it-off Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:45:00 GMT Alan Wood, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, gives his thoughts on how local authorities can attempt to safeguard child social care in the future. David Stevenson reports. Without creativity and imagination in the delivery of children’s social services, councils will face a stark choice: cutting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creative-thinking-to-take-childrens-services-forward-interview-with-alan-wood 451,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creative-thinking-to-take-childrens-services-forward-interview-with-alan-wood Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:45:00 GMT John Cameron, head of the NSPCC helpline, discusses the need for a culture change in the way government, local authorities and agencies tackle sex abuse and exploitation. The shocking report by Professor Alexis Jay that found that more than 1,400 young people were intimidated, sexually exploited and deeply harmed in Rotherham over a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/culture-change-needed-to-tackle-child-sex-abuse 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/culture-change-needed-to-tackle-child-sex-abuse Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:45:00 GMT Sir Simon Fraser, Head of the Diplomatic Service, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, and Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Champion, explains more about the Talent Action Plan. The heart of the Civil Service ethos is our commitment to delivering the highest quality public service for British people and providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-clear-statement-of-intent-on-diversity-in-the-civil-service 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-clear-statement-of-intent-on-diversity-in-the-civil-service Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:30:00 GMT New research shows that the government is spending £300m on failed family reunifications every year. Lisa Holmes, director at Loughborough University’s Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR), discusses the latest findings and the need to rethink the support provided to these families. Every year more than 10,000 children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/family-support-rethink-needed-for-children-returning-home-from-care 442,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/family-support-rethink-needed-for-children-returning-home-from-care Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:30:00 GMT Nicola Hughes, senior researcher at the Institute for Government, discusses the importance of thinking through party pledges to deliver major policy goals after the next general election. The UK’s political parties are gearing up for a close race at the 2015 general election. The pledges they put forward to the public must appeal to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-programme-for-effective-government 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-programme-for-effective-government Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:15:00 GMT Paul McFarlane of the Employment Lawyers Association says the government has created confusion and set itself an impossible task with its proposals to claw back public sector managers’ exit payments. In the foreword to its consultation paper, ‘Recovery of public sector exit payments’, the government stated: “It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recovery-of-public-sector-exit-payments 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recovery-of-public-sector-exit-payments Sun, 12 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT Professor Alexis Jay’s report into the abuse in Rotherham grabbed the national headlines and forced a number of high-profile resignations. It’s also prompted a flurry of new inquiries and investigations, all aimed at finding out just how our systems let the children of that town down so badly – and how to prevent it ever... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/where-the-buck-stops 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/where-the-buck-stops Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT Cllr Lisa Trickett, cabinet member for a green, smart and sustainable city at Birmingham City Council, discusses the development of a new cycle hire scheme, which the local authority hopes will help make cycling a key part of the transport mix in the city. A new cycle hire scheme has been launched in Birmingham as part of a £140,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birminghams-cycle-revolution-picks-up-speed 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birminghams-cycle-revolution-picks-up-speed Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:30:00 GMT Today marks the deadline for Scottish political parties to submit their views on how powers should be devolved from Westminster to Holyrood, following the No vote in the referendum on Scottish independence. The submissions from the SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens to Lord Smith of Kelvin’s Scotland Devolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-political-parties-submit-devolution-plans-to-smith-commission 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-political-parties-submit-devolution-plans-to-smith-commission Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:45:00 GMT UKIP has won its first seat at Westminster with the victory of former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell in the Clacton by-election. Carswell swept to victory in Clacton following a collapse in the Tory vote. He won with 21,113 votes (59.66%) ahead of Conservative candidate Giles Watling on 8,709 votes. The Conservative vote fell from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carswell-wins-clacton-by-election-to-become-first-elected-ukip-westminster-mp 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carswell-wins-clacton-by-election-to-become-first-elected-ukip-westminster-mp Fri, 10 Oct 2014 15:15:00 GMT Unison, Unite and GMB have suspended strike action for local government and school support workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which was due to take place on 14 October.  The three unions made the decision collectively so they could consult their members on new proposals put forward by the Local Government Association... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-suspend-council-strikes-as-lga-pay-offer-considered 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-suspend-council-strikes-as-lga-pay-offer-considered Fri, 10 Oct 2014 12:30:00 GMT The government may hold a local public inquiry into the decision by Sheffield City Council to turn over the running of half the city’s libraries to community volunteers following funding cuts. Culture minister Ed Vaizey recently wrote to the leader of Sheffield council, Julie Dore, to request information on how it was planning to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-may-intervene-in-volunteer-takeover-of-sheffield-libraries- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-may-intervene-in-volunteer-takeover-of-sheffield-libraries- Thu, 09 Oct 2014 17:30:00 GMT A children’s social care commissioner has been appointed for Rotherham MBC by the education secretary, after a warning that there is a “widespread and serious failure in the council’s ability to help and protect children and young people” from Ofsted. Malcolm Newsam, a former director of children’s services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-childrens-services-commissioner-for-rotherham 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-childrens-services-commissioner-for-rotherham Thu, 09 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT Proposals to ‘pool’ public sector pensions into one pot by London mayor Boris Johnson, which he claims would allow government to cut taxes as well as finance major building projects, have received mixed industry reaction. Johnson says there are more than 39,000 public sector pension funds in England – each with its own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mixed-reaction-to-boris-johnsons-pension-pooling-proposal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mixed-reaction-to-boris-johnsons-pension-pooling-proposal Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:15:00 GMT Ofsted is to introduce more frequent, but shorter, inspections of schools to ensure standards are maintained at ‘good’ schools, the education regulator announced today as it launched a consultation on the changes. The head teachers union, NAHT, was sharply critical of Ofsted’s announcement, saying the regulator is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-to-introduce-more-frequent-inspections-of-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-to-introduce-more-frequent-inspections-of-schools Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:15:00 GMT Council leaders in Wales believe a ‘tipping point’ may have been reached after the government revealed funding cuts averaging 3.4%. Public services minister Leighton Andrews announced that total funding through the Revenue Support Grant for councils totals £4.124bn, which represents a decrease of 3.4% on what they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-funding-has-reached-tipping-point--wlga- 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-funding-has-reached-tipping-point--wlga- Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:00:00 GMT The EU has approved a new £16bn nuclear power station at Hinckley Point in Somerset, allowing the coalition government to commit to 35 years of financial support for the controversial infrastructure project. EDF Energy is due to build the plant after the European Commission gave formal state aid approval, on the condition of some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hinckley-point-nuclear-plant-receives-eu-approval 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hinckley-point-nuclear-plant-receives-eu-approval Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:45:00 GMT The £198.9m Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Deal has been signed by Greg Clark, minister for universities, science and cities, and local authority leaders. The deal secures £48.9m of government funding, as well as a further £150m of additional investment from local partners and the private sector. It is expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-and-isles-of-scilly-200m-growth-deal-signed- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-and-isles-of-scilly-200m-growth-deal-signed- Wed, 08 Oct 2014 13:00:00 GMT A government plan intended to bring empty offices back into use has led to some existing businesses being served with eviction notices, town hall leaders have warned. But the government has accused councils of simply wanting to “hammer” developers  with “punishing development taxes”. ‘Permitted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-and-businesses-evicted-under-government-planning-rules 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-and-businesses-evicted-under-government-planning-rules Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:45:00 GMT Reform to Scotland’s civil courts is expected to be passed by MSPs, despite concerns changes may restrict access to justice. Members are debating the Court Reform (Scotland) Bill today as it passes through the final stage of parliamentary scrutiny. The reforms will see the Court of Session, Scotland’s top civil court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-set-to-reform-civil-courts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-set-to-reform-civil-courts Tue, 07 Oct 2014 16:30:00 GMT Homeowners across the UK are to be offered an additional £100m to fund energy-saving home improvements, after the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund burned through £120m earlier this summer. Energy secretary Ed Davey announced the top-up during his speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference in Glasgow this morning. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-secretary-announces-100m-for-home-energy-efficiency-at-lib-dem-conference 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-secretary-announces-100m-for-home-energy-efficiency-at-lib-dem-conference Tue, 07 Oct 2014 15:00:00 GMT The government must do more to stop citizens being fooled by “copycat” websites that can lead internet users to paying for free public services, MPs say. The transport select committee said the government “must do more” to alert motorists especially to the websites, which charge for services such as applying for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-do-more-to-stop-copycat-websites 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-do-more-to-stop-copycat-websites Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:45:00 GMT Business secretary Vince Cable is to announce a £1.06 an hour pay rise for the lowest paid apprentices in his speech to the Lib Dems’ party conference in Glasgow today. The change is backed by Conservatives and could come into effect next October if backed by regulators. Cable will write to the Low Pay Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cable-to-announce-pay-rise-for-apprentices 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cable-to-announce-pay-rise-for-apprentices Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:45:00 GMT A railway line through the "brain-belt of Britain" will be built to serve new garden cities, Nick Clegg has announced. The deputy PM, who accused the Tories earlier this year of adopting a ‘nimby’ approach to housebuilding, will say that the plan will help to create an extra 50,000 new homes in an area of intense demand for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-proposes-garden-cities-railway- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-proposes-garden-cities-railway- Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:45:00 GMT Government departments will move out of Whitehall and into the London suburbs, according to the new Government Estate Strategy. Cabinet minister Francis Maude MP announced plans last week to reduce the number of government buildings in central London from the 143 there were in 2010 to just 23 by 2020. The move is expected to save... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-move-out-of-whitehall-by-2020 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-move-out-of-whitehall-by-2020 Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:45:00 GMT Council chiefs are calling on the government to reconsider scrapping the £347m Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) fund from April next year. A survey of local authorities in England, carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA), found that 75% expect they will have to reduce support offered next year if government funding is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-local-welfare-assistance-fund-misjudged-lga 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-local-welfare-assistance-fund-misjudged-lga Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:45:00 GMT  It is important that government realise that the swingeing local government cuts are dramatically affecting leisure service provision. Leisure services are at the forefront locally in the fight against obesity and other physical-inactivity related conditions. Many local authorities are running GP referral schemes, physical activity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obesity-and-leisure-services 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obesity-and-leisure-services Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:30:00 GMT Guest blog by Anna Galliford Has the time finally come for a real commitment to integrating our health and social care systems? Can families look forward to a future where they aren’t told, ‘Sorry, that’s not my department; you need to speak to someone else?’ A future where support workers don’t spend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-together-the-integration-of-health-and-social-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-together-the-integration-of-health-and-social-care Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:15:00 GMT Local authorities will need to set out, and be more open, with regards to their spending of parking profits and how they tackle fraud under the updated Local Government Transparency Code.  The new measures, ushered in by local government minister Kris Hopkins, also mean that councils must publish details of their existing waste... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/expanded-council-transparency-code-to-go-live-in-november- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/expanded-council-transparency-code-to-go-live-in-november- Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:00:00 GMT Councils should not reduce the amount they pay for care home placements and leave families to find the difference where there are funding agreements already in place for a particular level of care, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has stated.  The LGO, Dr Jane Martin, has advised councils that they cannot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgo-warns-councils-over-care-payment-cuts- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgo-warns-councils-over-care-payment-cuts- Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:00:00 GMT Lots more London Underground stations are to be made step-free to help disabled passengers, thanks to a new £75m match-funding scheme.  The fund will enable the installation of new lifts at about 12 more stations over the next 10 years, in addition to the 28 LU and London Rail stations that TfL had previously committed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lu-confirms-75m-fund-for-step-free-access 433,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lu-confirms-75m-fund-for-step-free-access Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:00:00 GMT The prime minister has appointed the first ever chief executive of the civil service: John Manzoni, the previous head of the Major Projects Authority. Manzoni, whose 30 years of experience in the private sector includes time as CEO of BP Downstream and Talisman Energy, steps into a role that was created in the wake of Sir Bob Kerslake... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-appoints-first-ever-chief-executive-of-the-civil-service 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-appoints-first-ever-chief-executive-of-the-civil-service Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:30:00 GMT A Cabinet Office review which could potentially extend the Social Value Act has been welcomed by the Social Economy Alliance (SEA), the campaign group for social enterprises and cooperatives.  The review will help to decide if the Act should be extended, for instance, to cover contracts for goods and works as well as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-review-of-social-value-act-welcomed- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-review-of-social-value-act-welcomed- Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:15:00 GMT Local government unions are meeting today with employers and the Local Government Association (LGA) to discuss the latest pay proposals.  Last week the LGA put forward a ‘long-term’ proposal to increase council worker pay by 2.2%, providing the unions called off the strike action set for Tuesday, 14... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-meeting-lga-to-discuss-pay-offer 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-meeting-lga-to-discuss-pay-offer Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:30:00 GMT There have been nearly double the number of ‘deprivation of liberty’ (DoL) applications in England in the first quarter of 2014-15 as in the entire year of 2013-14, figures show. Since 2009, care homes and hospitals have had to seek authorisation from their local authority if they need to deprive an individual who lacks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/21600-deprivation-of-liberty-applications-in-just-three-months 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/21600-deprivation-of-liberty-applications-in-just-three-months Thu, 02 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT David Cameron has closed his party’s conference in Birmingham with a pair of tax-cutting pledges aimed at the higher and lower ends of the income spectrum. He pledged a further increase in the personal allowance for income tax to £12,500 from £10,500 – a direct lift of a Lib Dem pledge – and a rise in the 40p... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-closes-conference-with-tax-cut-promises 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-closes-conference-with-tax-cut-promises Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:30:00 GMT The number of local government employees earning the national minimum wage (NMW) has been labelled a “disgrace” by the UK’s largest union Unite.  From 1 October the NMW has gone up from £6.31 to £6.50 an hour. But Unite, which represents 80,000 members in local authorities, said it was disgraceful that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-minimum-wage-disgraceful--unite- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-minimum-wage-disgraceful--unite- Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:00:00 GMT Public health commissioning responsibilities for children aged 0-5 will transfer from NHS England to local authorities on 1 October 2015, a year today. This includes the commissioning of the 0-5 Healthy Child Programme, the national public health programme based on best knowledge/evidence to achieve good outcomes for all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-public-health-commissioning-switches-to-councils-a-year-today 870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-public-health-commissioning-switches-to-councils-a-year-today Wed, 01 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMT Guest blog by Andy Rickell, CEO of Action on Disability and Work UK By very definition in traditional thought, the term ‘disabled’ applied to an individual implies that they are incompetent in some aspect of their abilities compared to non-disabled people. Conversely, the word ‘professional’ implies a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/professionally-disabled 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/professionally-disabled Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Department for Education (DfE) has approved 35 new free school applications. This new raft of approvals takes the total number of free schools currently in the pipeline to 112, which is expected to create around 200,000 additional school places. Free schools are brand new state-funded schools that are independent of local council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-gives-approval-for-35-new-free-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-gives-approval-for-35-new-free-schools Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:00:00 GMT An innovation and collaboration centre to rapidly advance the UK’s best digital ideas relating to data and the economy is set to open in November. Located at Kings Cross in London, the Digital Catapult Centre will provide entrepreneurs, SMEs, researchers and corporate organisations with a space to meet and collaborate on development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-catapult-centre-set-for-launch-in-november 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-catapult-centre-set-for-launch-in-november Tue, 30 Sep 2014 12:15:00 GMT The roll-out of Universal Credit will be accelerated across the country, work and pensions secretary Ian Duncan Smith announced at the Conservative party conference. Duncan Smith said he promised to “finish what we started” – but under a new boss. Howard Shiplee, who had been in charge of the Universal Credit programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/roll-out-of-universal-credit-to-be-accelerated 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/roll-out-of-universal-credit-to-be-accelerated Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:15:00 GMT Benefits will be paid onto smartcards that will stop claimants using them to pay for cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or gambling, the work and pensions secretary has announced. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, Ian Duncan Smith said that benefits should help support families rather than feed “destructive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-benefits-smartcards-to-protect-claimants-from-destructive-habits 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-benefits-smartcards-to-protect-claimants-from-destructive-habits Tue, 30 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT Council spending on tackling obesity is set to reach over £127m this year, a 21% increase on the previous year’s figures when councils in England spent £105m, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).  The Association, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, added that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-on-obesity-up-21--lga- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-on-obesity-up-21--lga- Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:30:00 GMT Local government unions are to meet with employers and the Local Government Association (LGA) this week – following a new pay proposal.  In a letter to local authority chief executives and finance directors last week, the LGA’s head of workforce, Sarah Messenger, said the organisation was willing to propose a pay offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-council-pay-offer-still-in-the-balance 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-council-pay-offer-still-in-the-balance Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:45:00 GMT Eric Pickles has launched a new £400m programme to boost the building of new rental homes, which he claims will help hard-working people later upgrade into home ownership. He states that the new ‘Rent to Buy’ scheme provides more flexibility for people who want to rent affordably now, save for a deposit, and then either... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/will-the-new-rent-to-buy-scheme-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/will-the-new-rent-to-buy-scheme-work Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:30:00 GMT Conflating local government reform with the national issues which arise from devolution to Scotland and Wales is not helpful to either. Local government reform should stand (or fall) on its own. It is neither credible nor desirable that either existing or new local government authorities in England should enjoy powers equal to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-reform-should-stand-on-its-own 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-reform-should-stand-on-its-own Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT The Chancellor George Osborne is to scrap the 55% ‘death tax’ applied to defined contribution pension pots left by those aged 75 or over when they pass away.  This will be at the heart of his message during the Conservative Conference in Birmingham, where he will try to calm the nerves of delegates following the defection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-scrap-pension-death-tax- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-scrap-pension-death-tax- Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:30:00 GMT Two high-profile resignations on the eve of the Conservative Conference in Birmingham have led to questions about a ‘crisis’ in the Tory party.  On Saturday Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless announced that he would be defecting to UKIP. He is the second Tory MP to defect to UKIP after Clacton MP Douglas Carswell did... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/resignation-and-defection-at-conservative-conference 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/resignation-and-defection-at-conservative-conference Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:15:00 GMT The former head of the civil service, Sir Bob Kerslake, has warned that the timetable for the controversial universal credit is “undeliverable” and that public sector cuts may last five more years. Sir Bob’s remarks were made in a speech to the Institute of Government. In it he said that the timetable for the universal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-says-universal-credit-is-undeliverable 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-says-universal-credit-is-undeliverable Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:30:00 GMT Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) is to lose its agency status and be brought into the Home Office, home secretary Theresa May has announced today. The HMPO has been blamed for summer chaos as a backlog of passport applications reached nearly 550,000 in June. The move will make it directly accountable to ministers. After... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/passport-office-to-lose-agency-status 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/passport-office-to-lose-agency-status Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:30:00 GMT The government is facing 72 hours strike action next month as civil servants and public sector workers join NHS staff in planned walkouts. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will stage a 24-hour walkout on Wednesday 15 October. The union expects 250,000 of its members to take part in the action. This will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-face-72-hours-of-public-sector-strikes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-face-72-hours-of-public-sector-strikes Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:00:00 GMT From 1 October 2014, suppliers will be required to comply with the new Cyber Essentials controls if bidding on government contracts that involve handling sensitive and personal information. The scheme, which was launched in June, is the first recognised cyber security assurance certification suitable for all business to adopt. Among the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyber-security-compliance-required-for-government-suppliers- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyber-security-compliance-required-for-government-suppliers- Fri, 26 Sep 2014 12:45:00 GMT A new report is calling for £3bn to be invested by the government in a range of 'green retrofit' improvements for existing roads. The report, by environment and transport groups including Campaign for Better Transport and Campaign to Protect Rural England, calls for the £3bn to be invested over the next five years and included... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/3bn-needed-for-green-highways-improvements- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/3bn-needed-for-green-highways-improvements- Thu, 25 Sep 2014 16:00:00 GMT Sir Mike Tomlinson has been appointed Education Commissioner to oversee Birmingham schools following the Trojan Horse scandal. He will work jointly with Birmingham City Council to oversee improvements to the standards of education in the city. His appointment follows Peter Clarke’s report into allegations of extremism in Birmingham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-appoints-education-commissioner-to-oversee-birmingham-schools 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-appoints-education-commissioner-to-oversee-birmingham-schools Thu, 25 Sep 2014 12:30:00 GMT Bad behaviour at schools with poor leadership is losing pupils an hour of learning a day, according to a new Ofsted report. The report, ‘Below the radar: low-level disruption in the country’s classrooms’, finds that low-level and persistent disruptive behaviour is impeding children’s learning and damaging life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-schools-leading-to-disruptive-behaviour-ofsted 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-schools-leading-to-disruptive-behaviour-ofsted Thu, 25 Sep 2014 11:15:00 GMT The former director of children’s services at Rotherham, Joyce Thacker, has been asked by MPs for a “full explanation” as to why she omitted key information when giving evidence to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. The Times has reported that Thacker did not tell the committee that she prevented the ethnicity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-official-must-explain-discrepancy-in-testimony-mps 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-official-must-explain-discrepancy-in-testimony-mps Wed, 24 Sep 2014 15:15:00 GMT The planned Dudgeon offshore wind farm off the coast of Norfolk is expected to support 450 jobs and create enough electricity to power up to 410,000 homes.  It has just been announced that Abu Dhabi-owned green energy giant Masdar will invest £525m for a 35% stake in the planned wind farm, joining Norwegian partners Statoil and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dudgeon-offshore-wind-farm-to-power-up-to-410000-homes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dudgeon-offshore-wind-farm-to-power-up-to-410000-homes Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT Transport for London has announced that the new 24-hour Tube services at weekends will start on 12 September next year. Passengers will be able to take the ‘Night Tube’ on Friday and Saturday nights on the Jubilee, Victoria and most of the Piccadilly, Central and Northern lines. It is expected to cut night time journey times... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfl-announces-start-date-for-24-hour-weekend-tube-service 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfl-announces-start-date-for-24-hour-weekend-tube-service Wed, 24 Sep 2014 12:45:00 GMT The minister for public services, Leighton Andrews AM, told the Welsh Assembly today how he plans to modernise and merge local authorities in Wales. Andrews told assembly members that the Welsh government’s aim is to bring about fundamental and lasting change with new voluntarily merged authorities in place by April 2018. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-urges-councils-to-merge-voluntarily- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-urges-councils-to-merge-voluntarily- Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:15:00 GMT The British Property Federation (BPF) has warned that the new ‘mansion tax’ proposal from Ed Miliband would “simply abdicate responsibility for necessary council tax reform”. Miliband announced the mansion tax on homes valued over £2m in his keynote address today at the Labour party conference. The tax is to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/property-industry-lashes-out-at-milibands-new-mansion-tax-proposal 436,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/property-industry-lashes-out-at-milibands-new-mansion-tax-proposal Tue, 23 Sep 2014 16:45:00 GMT Ed Miliband has announced a £2.5bn fund for the NHS at the Labour party conference. He says the fund will help pay for 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 5,000 more care workers and 3,000 more midwives. It will be financed by a new levy on tobacco companies, a £1.1bn clampdown on tax avoidance, including by hedge funds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-announces-new-25bn-time-to-care-fund-for-nhs 870,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-announces-new-25bn-time-to-care-fund-for-nhs Tue, 23 Sep 2014 16:00:00 GMT Ed Balls is to tell the Labour Party’s annual conference in Manchester he intends to extend the current 1% cap on increases to child benefit, which is expected to end in 2016, for another year.  The shadow chancellor’s plans would mean a further fall in real-term value for families receiving the benefit, during the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/balls-ing-up-benefits 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/balls-ing-up-benefits Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:15:00 GMT I find it interesting that the Home Office and Ministry of Justice have such low numbers of BME staff in senior positons. They have spent probably millions of pounds on staff development programmes to ‘equip’ BME staff to move up in the organisations. It is clear that these programmes are not effective and the same old... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-ethnic-diversity-in-private-sector-management-than-public 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-ethnic-diversity-in-private-sector-management-than-public Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:15:00 GMT The head of children’s services at Rotherham Council, Joyce Thacker, has stepped down from her role in the wake of the Jay Report. The council announced the move on Friday, saying she was leaving “by mutual agreement, with immediate effect”. The announcement comes following the revelation that she has been off work sick... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-head-of-childrens-services-resigns-in-wake-of-abuse-scandal 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-head-of-childrens-services-resigns-in-wake-of-abuse-scandal Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:15:00 GMT Councils in England have joined Ed Miliband in calling for a Constitutional Convention to thrash out devolution across the UK, including to local authority level. The calls for the convention come in the aftermath of Scotland electing to stay part of the UK in the independence referendum. While campaigning for the referendum vote, all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-backs-calls-for-a-constitutional-convention-on-devolution 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-backs-calls-for-a-constitutional-convention-on-devolution Mon, 22 Sep 2014 11:15:00 GMT London could face riots unless more affordable public transport is provided for the poorest commuters, the Transport for London commissioner has warned. Sir Peter Hendy said low-paid workers now lived on the outskirts of the capital rather than in inner-city neighbourhoods, and that there could be "social unrest" if they could not easily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-faces-transport-riots-by-2030-warns-tfl-commissioner- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-faces-transport-riots-by-2030-warns-tfl-commissioner- Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:15:00 GMT Labour kicked off its party conference in Manchester yesterday, its last full gathering before the 2015 general election. Party leader Ed Miliband got things started when he delivered an unexpected speech to a gathering outside the Midland Hotel. He said that the country “doesn’t work for most people” and insisted that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-kicks-off-labour-party-conference 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-kicks-off-labour-party-conference Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:15:00 GMT It’s a familiar scene, the accountant waving pages of illegible numbers and complicated graphs at a largely bemused audience. Engaging disinterested operational staff with finance can be challenging in any organisation, but, with £20 billion worth of efficiency savings expected by 2015, the NHS finance profession has more incentive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/without-better-finance-partnership-we-have-no-hope-of-meeting-efficiency-targets 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/without-better-finance-partnership-we-have-no-hope-of-meeting-efficiency-targets Mon, 22 Sep 2014 07:00:00 GMT Alex Salmond is to stand down as Scotland’s first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party after failing to secure a win for the ‘yes’ campaign in yesterday’s Independence referendum.  He told a press conference that although he believes this is an “exciting situation” for Scotland with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/alex-salmond-to-resign-as-first-minister- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/alex-salmond-to-resign-as-first-minister- Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:45:00 GMT People with long-term medical conditions should have more control over the services they receive and more help to manage their conditions from home, a new report from the Institute of Public Policy and Research (IPPR) says. The report, written by Catherine McDonald, is based on a survey of 2,500 people living with long-term... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-with-long-term-conditions-should-have-more-independence-ippr-report 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-with-long-term-conditions-should-have-more-independence-ippr-report Fri, 19 Sep 2014 14:30:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched a public consultation on a draft Code of Practice for the auditing of local public bodies.  Under the remit of the new proposals, the NAO stated that the Code needs to preserve the independence of auditors and their ability to exercise professional judgement, based on their understanding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-launches-code-of-practice-consultation-for-local-public-audits 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-launches-code-of-practice-consultation-for-local-public-audits Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT Scotland has elected to stay in the United Kingdom, as 55% of Scots voted ‘No’ in yesterday’s independence referendum. David Cameron has declared a “clear result” with ‘No’ receiving 2,001,926 votes, compared to 1,617,989 for ‘Yes’. The prime minister says that result has settled the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-votes-no-in-independence-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-votes-no-in-independence-referendum Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT Following the ‘no’ vote in yesterday’s Scottish independence referendum, the prime minister has stated that greater devolution will be delivered not just to the Scots but the rest of the UK. Speaking outside Downing Street this morning, David Cameron said that the three pro-union parties made clear commitments on further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-delivered-swiftly-across-uk-says-cameron 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-to-be-delivered-swiftly-across-uk-says-cameron Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:30:00 GMT The polls are open in Scotland as voting gets underway on the referendum for Scottish independence. They close tonight at 10pm with the final results expected Friday morning at about 6am. Today’s vote marks the first time that 16 and 17-year-olds are eligible to have their say on a national issue. Polls leading up today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/polls-open-in-scottish-independence-vote 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/polls-open-in-scottish-independence-vote Thu, 18 Sep 2014 11:45:00 GMT Sir Bob Kerslake has refused to rule out recommending to ministers that Birmingham City Council should be broken up into smaller authorities. Sir Bob was asked about splitting up the council and he said he could not “leave the issue unexplored”. As previously reported by PSE, Sir Bob, who is the Department for Communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kerslake-wont-rule-out-break-up-of-birmingham 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kerslake-wont-rule-out-break-up-of-birmingham Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:45:00 GMT Less than 40% of those who have tried to claim Personal Independence Payment have actually got the money or been rejected, with the majority still waiting. Data released by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that of the 529,400 cases registered between April 2013 and the end of July 2014, just over 206,000 had been awarded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-pip-claimants-still-waiting-for-a-verdict-after-16-months 870,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-pip-claimants-still-waiting-for-a-verdict-after-16-months Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:45:00 GMT Guest blog by Debra Maxwell Say the words ‘channel shift’ to anyone involved in the delivery of public services and you may be met with a furrowed brow and pained expression. That’s because the phrase has taken lofty connotations. As a result, much of the discussion around the government’s digital by default agenda... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/channel-shift-doesnt-need-to-start-with-seismic-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/channel-shift-doesnt-need-to-start-with-seismic-change Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:15:00 GMT Arrangements between Academy schools and sponsors could be open to conflicts of interest, new research published by the Education Select Committee has revealed. The research, carried out by the Institute of Education at the University of London, examined the potential for conflicts of interest to arise in the relationship between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academy-schools-open-to-conflicts-of-interest-mps- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academy-schools-open-to-conflicts-of-interest-mps- Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT The Labour Party is planning to cancel the majority of its party conference next week if the Yes campaign wins the Scottish referendum on Thursday, according to the Huffington Post. Anonymous senior Labour sources have told HuffPost UK that all speeches and fringe events would be cancelled, with the exception of the keynote address by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-party-to-cancel-conference-if-scotland-votes-yes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-party-to-cancel-conference-if-scotland-votes-yes Wed, 17 Sep 2014 11:30:00 GMT More than £200m has been paid in grants to three councils for waste management projects in the last 15 years, even though key facilities have yet to be built. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that “lax” and “poorly drafted” Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding agreements, signed off under the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-scandalous-pfi-schemes-for-failing-waste-projects 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-scandalous-pfi-schemes-for-failing-waste-projects Wed, 17 Sep 2014 11:30:00 GMT A further 6,000 workers at Birmingham City Council could lose their jobs due to the severity of public service cuts, council leader Sir Albert Bore has revealed. Since 2010, the local authority’s workforce has declined from 20,000 to 13,000 but by 2018 Sir Albert believes this number will have to fall even further, to approximately... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-to-cut-6000-more-jobs-by-2018 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-to-cut-6000-more-jobs-by-2018 Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:15:00 GMT The Church of England has agreed to a deal that will see its schools pay all employees a living wage. The National Society, which promotes and resources the schools on behalf of the church, reached a deal with trade union Unison that will see C of E schools receive living wage accreditation Nearly all of the 4,700 C of E schools are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/church-of-england-schools-to-pay-living-wage-to-all-staff 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/church-of-england-schools-to-pay-living-wage-to-all-staff Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:45:00 GMT Shaun Wright, the South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner, has resigned today in the wake of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal, having repeatedly refused to do so in recent weeks. As previously reported by PSE, Wright was the councillor responsible for children's services at Rotherham Council from 2005 to 2010, when he received... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-pcc-shaun-wright-finally-quits-over-rotherham 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-yorkshire-pcc-shaun-wright-finally-quits-over-rotherham Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:00:00 GMT The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £34m of funding for part of Bristol’s controversial Metrobus project. The funding is for the south-west section of the network, creating a new bus service along a 2.5-mile segregated busway from Long Ashton Park and Ride site. The busway follows former rail routes and will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-grants-34m-funding-to-controversial-bristol-metrobus- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-grants-34m-funding-to-controversial-bristol-metrobus- Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:30:00 GMT There should be a “powerful independent watchdog” to hold the government to account for its record on poverty, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has said. In a report released this week, the JRF calls for the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to be required to monitor and forecast levels of poverty, and for the Social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jrf-calls-for-watchdog-to-hold-government-to-account-on-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jrf-calls-for-watchdog-to-hold-government-to-account-on-poverty Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:30:00 GMT How Shell can help you stay ahead in fuel card fraud’s global race For fleet operators, where fuel can already account for up to 30 per cent of running costs, the need to ensure the security of fuel card payments has therefore never been greater – or more important. Among fleet businesses, the number of fuel card payments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fuelling-the-fight-against-fraud 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fuelling-the-fight-against-fraud Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:00:00 GMT The referendum on Scottish independence is almost here: in just three days’ time, people living in Scotland will start casting votes and we will find out whether or not we shall stay a ‘United Kingdom’. Now in the home stretch, both campaigns are slinging accusations at the other as they try to find an edge in the race.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-the-bbc-biased-against-scottish-independence- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-the-bbc-biased-against-scottish-independence- Mon, 15 Sep 2014 12:00:00 GMT The government plans to introduce new measures to crack down on unauthorised travellers’ sites. Under the current system, if a council wants to move travellers on from an unauthorised site set up without planning permission, it must ‘meet the needs’ of the travellers being moved on. This can be costly and often means no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-cuts-protections-for-travellers-to-tackle-unauthorised-sites 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-cuts-protections-for-travellers-to-tackle-unauthorised-sites Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:15:00 GMT Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of Liverpool City Council, is to be quizzed by political leaders in the city about his actions when he was in charge at Rotherham from 2001-03, when children were being sexually exploited but the council failed to act.   The meeting was announced by Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson after he consulted with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-chief-executive-faces-questions-over-rotherham-failings 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-chief-executive-faces-questions-over-rotherham-failings Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:45:00 GMT Councils must seek better ‘market information’ to make sure they are not paying over the odds for their senior staff, the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee says.  Most councils have kept pay down for senior staff in the recent tough economic years, after dramatic 75% pay rises for senior council staff in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-not-pay-senior-staff-over-the-odds-mps-warn- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-not-pay-senior-staff-over-the-odds-mps-warn- Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:30:00 GMT Greater Manchester should get total control over all its public spending and an elected mayor as a ‘blueprint’ area for further devolution of budgets and powers, according to a think tank.  The study, ‘Devo Max - Devo Manc: Place-based public services’, from centre-right think tank ResPublica, argues that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-should-lead-local-authority-devolution-respublica 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-should-lead-local-authority-devolution-respublica Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT Our council, of which I am a councillor, has approved the building of a waste transfer station within a few hundred metres of houses and I would be failing in my position as a ward councillor not to inform the people of our ward of the disaster of living near to this site. I was elected to represent the people of my ward and will continue... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parish-councillors-being-stopped-from-speaking-to-the-media 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parish-councillors-being-stopped-from-speaking-to-the-media Mon, 15 Sep 2014 09:00:00 GMT The next government could face a penalty clause of £300m-£400m if it tries to cancel the controversial probation privatisation contracts. The Labour Party has pledged to scrap the Ministry of Justic (MoJ) contracts that outsource probation services should they win the next general election. But there are warnings that they may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enalty-clause-of-up-to-400m-if-probation-contracts-cancelled 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enalty-clause-of-up-to-400m-if-probation-contracts-cancelled Fri, 12 Sep 2014 15:45:00 GMT The UK’s most senior civil servant, Sir Jeremy Heywood, has rejected claims by Alex Salmond that the Treasury leaked market-sensitive information about the future of Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS’s) plans to relocate its headquarters to London in the event of a Scottish vote for independence.  Scotland’s first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-rejects-salmonds-attack-on-treasury-rbs-leak 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-rejects-salmonds-attack-on-treasury-rbs-leak Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT Transport for London is to hold a special ‘Access All Areas’ exhibition to highlight new innovations that will help more older and disabled people to use its network. The free event, to be held on 2 October at ExCel London, aims to raise awareness of the new innovations TfL are investing in to improve accessibility and also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfl-to-hold-event-highlighting-access-innovations-for-older-and-disabled-passengers 433,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfl-to-hold-event-highlighting-access-innovations-for-older-and-disabled-passengers Fri, 12 Sep 2014 12:45:00 GMT There is significantly less ethnic diversity in public sector leadership roles across the UK than with senior roles in FTSE 100 companies, a new study has revealed.  The Green Park Public Service Leadership 5,000 survey, commissioned by executive recruitment consultancy Green Park, breaks down public service leadership by gender... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-leadership-less-ethnically-diverse-than-private 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-leadership-less-ethnically-diverse-than-private Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:00:00 GMT Guest blog by Guy Jelley The public sector has always been expected to achieve best practice in governance and compliance, but meeting the challenge is a complex business. Guy Jelley is an expert in managing complex financial, IT and infrastructure projects in the public arena. He suggests that, by introducing governance automation into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/automated-governance-a-pathway-to-improved-performance 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/automated-governance-a-pathway-to-improved-performance Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:30:00 GMT Council-owned bus firm Reading Buses won Low Carbon Vehicle Operator of the Year at an awards ceremony last night for its innovative – and potentially risky – investment in gas-powered buses. The judges at the LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards said: “Reading Buses’ was a particularly impressive entry demonstrating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-owned-bus-firms-scoops-low-carbon-award 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-owned-bus-firms-scoops-low-carbon-award Thu, 11 Sep 2014 11:45:00 GMT Solace, which represents local authority chief executives, has welcomed the appointment of Louise Casey to lead the independent inspection of Rotherham council. Casey, who has held a number of senior government roles centring on anti-social behaviour and troubled families, has been appointed by communities secretary Eric Pickles to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/louise-casey-to-lead-new-rotherham-investigation 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/louise-casey-to-lead-new-rotherham-investigation Thu, 11 Sep 2014 10:30:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a new consultation on proposals that would give social tenants the ‘right to move’. The scheme is aimed at helping current social tenants who need to relocate for work or training. Under current rules they pushed to the back of waiting lists in the new local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-tenants-who-relocate-for-work-to-get-more-housing-rights 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-tenants-who-relocate-for-work-to-get-more-housing-rights Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:45:00 GMT One hundred exceptional school leaders are to be recruited to help turn around some of England’s most challenging schools, the Department for Education announced today. The government’s Talented Leaders programme aims to recruit the nation’s best headteachers and match them with schools facing the toughest challenges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-seeks-100-headteachers-to-overhaul-most-challenging-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-seeks-100-headteachers-to-overhaul-most-challenging-schools Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:00:00 GMT Councils in England have said that plans set out to boost the powers of Holyrood in the event of a ‘no’ vote in the Scottish independence referendum should be replicated for local authorities across the UK. The call from the Local Government Association (LGA) comes after the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-want-greater-powers-after-scottish-devolution-pledge 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-want-greater-powers-after-scottish-devolution-pledge Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:45:00 GMT The NHS could take over the controversial Work Capability Assessments when Atos stops performing the tests next year, a leading Liberal Democrat MP has suggested. David Laws, MP for Yeovil and a minister at both the education department and the Cabinet Office, made the suggestion yesterday and it is to be included in the list of possible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-could-take-over-work-capability-assessments-from-atos-laws 870,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-could-take-over-work-capability-assessments-from-atos-laws Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:45:00 GMT The government has published a shortlist of 165 smaller housing developments that could benefit from a share of the £525m Builders Finance Fund. The fund, launched in April, is intended to help unlock “shovel ready” sites of between 15 and 250 homes that have the support of the local community but need help to get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-publishes-shortlist-for-525m-builders-finance-fund 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-publishes-shortlist-for-525m-builders-finance-fund Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:45:00 GMT The Department of Health has announced that local authorities’ public health funding will remain the same as last year in real terms, at £2.79bn. A further £5m in funding is to be made available as part of the Health Premium Incentives Scheme (HPIS), designed to reward local authorities that make improvements to their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dh-announces-public-health-funding-to-remain-the-same-as-last-year 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dh-announces-public-health-funding-to-remain-the-same-as-last-year Tue, 09 Sep 2014 12:30:00 GMT Martin Kimber, the chief executive at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), is to step down after a recent report exposed the scale of child sex abuse in the South Yorkshire town.  In a statement it was confirmed that Kimber, who joined the local authority in 2009, will leave the council at the end of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-chief-executive-quits-after-abuse-failings 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-chief-executive-quits-after-abuse-failings Tue, 09 Sep 2014 11:15:00 GMT I don’t think this had anything really to do with multiculturalism. That was just a convenient excuse to hide behind. Both the council and police are still hiding. This could do with a full public inquiry. Of course, South Yorkshire Police don’t usually behave like this…oh wait, yes they do, as any football fan can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-inquiry 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-inquiry Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT The squeeze on public sector pay and the prospect of further strike action will dominate the agenda at this week’s TUC Congress in Liverpool. When the Congress opened on 7 September, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said that “the key message of this year's Congress is Britain needs a pay rise”. She added... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-to-dominate-tuc-congress-agenda 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-to-dominate-tuc-congress-agenda Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:15:00 GMT Almost three-quarters of would-be home owners believe they are trapped in a rental “black hole”, according to a new survey from the Local Government Association (LGA). Approximately 70% of respondents in a national poll carried out by the LGA, which represents almost 400 local authorities in England and Wales, said they were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/would-be-home-owners-stuck-in-rental-black-hole-lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/would-be-home-owners-stuck-in-rental-black-hole-lga Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:15:00 GMT City regions should be given the powers to revalue council tax as well as pool and allocate central government revenue without ring-fencing, according to a new report by the City Growth Commission. The commission, established by the Royal Society of Arts, which has been taking evidence over the last 10 months, stated that over-centralised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-cities-should-have-greater-financial-control-says-devolution-report- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-cities-should-have-greater-financial-control-says-devolution-report- Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT London is facing double the shortfall in funding to prepare for the implementation of the Care Act than previously thought, London Councils has warned. The organisation estimates that London boroughs will need £90m to ensure appropriate systems and infrastructure are set up to implement the changes to adult and social care, due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-shortfall-puts-care-act-at-risk-london-councils 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-shortfall-puts-care-act-at-risk-london-councils Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT Commuter rail fares in England will be frozen in-line with inflation for a further year into 2015, the chancellor George Osborne has announced. This means that no regulated fares, including season tickets and anytime singles, will rise by more than 2.5% from January. Before the changes were made, train operating companies (TOCs) could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regulated-rail-fares-frozen-again--osborne- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regulated-rail-fares-frozen-again--osborne- Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:00:00 GMT The civil service is to become one of the most female-friendly employers in the country, the Cabinet Office has pledged. Measures have been laid out in the government’s Talent Action Plan: Removing barriers to success, published today. They include the adoption of a new entitlement to Shared Parental Leave, which will allow civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-to-become-one-of-the-most-female-friendly-employers-in-the-country 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-to-become-one-of-the-most-female-friendly-employers-in-the-country Fri, 05 Sep 2014 16:45:00 GMT Sir Bob Kerslake has launched a call for evidence today at the start of his independent review into Birmingham City Council. The review, which is to be completed by the end of the year, is set to look into the operation, culture and structure of corporate governance at the council. It will also make a series of recommendations on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independent-review-of-councils-governance-and-culture-starts-in-birmingham 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independent-review-of-councils-governance-and-culture-starts-in-birmingham Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:00:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions’ £75m Flexible Support Fund has funded 250 groups across the country helping jobseekers into work, as ONS figures show 820,000 more people are in a job compared with 12 months ago. Youth unemployment has also tumbled by 206,000 over the last year, the largest annual fall since record began... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-support-fund-helps-people-find-work-through-local-schemes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-support-fund-helps-people-find-work-through-local-schemes Thu, 04 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT Two out of three small business owners don’t know what a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is, new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has shown. Although the research was of members in Greater Manchester and North Cheshire, it is thought the results indicate a nationwide lack of knowledge about the role of LEPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-small-business-owners-dont-know-what-a-lep-is- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-small-business-owners-dont-know-what-a-lep-is- Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:45:00 GMT Ordnance Survey is to compile and release data on publicly accessible green spaces for free. Deputy PM Nick Clegg says the move will allow development of software and apps to help people enjoy every corner of the countryside. The plans will see a new map created of every publicly accessible green space in England and Wales and will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-spaces-data-release-to-allow-app-development- 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-spaces-data-release-to-allow-app-development- Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:30:00 GMT Home secretary Theresa May has forecast that future spending cuts will necessitate further integration of the police, fire and ambulance services. In a speech to think tank Reform, she will praise the creativeness of delivering change across government through greater integration of services not only in her department, but in health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doing-more-with-less-a-great-success--may- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doing-more-with-less-a-great-success--may- Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government is considering carrying out an independent investigation of Rotherham Council, after a report last week uncovered the severity of child abuse in the South Yorkshire town, home secretary Theresa May has said. Speaking in the Commons, she said that the secretary of state for communities and local government, Eric Pickles, is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-considering-its-own-investigation-into-rotherham-council- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-considering-its-own-investigation-into-rotherham-council- Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:15:00 GMT Volunteers contribute approximately £34bn to public services each year by giving their time to support their community, according to a new report by innovation foundation Nesta. Within the ‘People Helping People’ report, examples of ‘social action’ volunteering include reading to pupils in schools or holding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/volunteers-contribute-34bn-to-public-service-delivery--nesta- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/volunteers-contribute-34bn-to-public-service-delivery--nesta- Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government has turned down a proposal for a share of business rates to go to parish and town councils, which have accused ministers of ignoring local economic development despite their ‘localism’ rhetoric. The proposal, from Sevenoaks Town Council, received support from over 400 local and national bodies including the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-rejects-proposal-to-share-business-rates-with-parish-and-town-councils 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-rejects-proposal-to-share-business-rates-with-parish-and-town-councils Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:00:00 GMT Councils must get a properly funded ‘Local Government Digital Service’ and more powerful in-house digital teams – not a single website for local government. That is the main message of new briefing document from Soctim, ‘Collaborating and sharing digital assets: towards a local government digital service?’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-properly-funded-local-government-digital-service--soctim- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-properly-funded-local-government-digital-service--soctim- Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:15:00 GMT Cornwall Council has proposed to devolve at least £34m of services to town and parish councils in its proposals to save £196m over the next four years.  The council says the unprecedented scale of the savings required means that all areas of the local authority are affected by the draft proposals.  However, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cornwall-seeks-savings-through-parish-council-devolution-plans 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cornwall-seeks-savings-through-parish-council-devolution-plans Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:30:00 GMT The government’s programme to ensure that every single child in the first three years of school is eligible for a free school lunch has been officially launched this week by deputy PM Nick Clegg. It means that 1.89 million children in reception, year one and year two at 16,500 schools will be able to eat a free, nutritious meal at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-meals-programme-starts- 453,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-meals-programme-starts- Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:30:00 GMT The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is “making inquiries” as to whether disciplinary action should be taken against staff at Rotherham Council, following last week’s report revealing the extent of child exploitation in the town.  The regulator has the power to strike off or suspend social workers if they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hcpc-investigating-rotherham-social-workers- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hcpc-investigating-rotherham-social-workers- Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT This is not about selling the open register to companies (not all of whom require it for marketing purposes) but denying a right of access granted by Parliament. Information from the electoral register is used to prevent fraud and pursue people who fail to pay their debts to others. It will allow debtors to proliferate and help deny redress to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/junk-mail-and-the-open-register 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/junk-mail-and-the-open-register Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT Approximately 80% of London parents would support their local council having greater influence over all schools, including free schools and academies, in their area to find more school places or expand, according to a new YouGov poll.  Carried out on behalf of London Councils, which represents the capital’s 33 local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-parents-support-greater-school-role-for-councils- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-parents-support-greater-school-role-for-councils- Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT A new right could allow local residents and businesses to raise-up a petition that will force councils to review the use of yellow lines and ‘unfair’ parking charges, local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced.  Following a consultation on what it calls “over-zealous” parking enforcement the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-right-to-review-council-parking-policies- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-right-to-review-council-parking-policies- Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT Senior academics in Scotland have voiced fears about losing university funding if the country votes ‘yes’ in the upcoming independence referendum.  As well as potentially losing top scientists from institutes, the academics have warned that they believe universities could lose out on billions of pounds in funding and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-academics-warn-of-independence-risks-to-funding 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-academics-warn-of-independence-risks-to-funding Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT Unison is to call for a moratorium on further public sector job cuts across all service areas at this year’s Trade Union Congress in Liverpool.  The trade union, which represents more than 1.3 million members, has called for the General Council to develop a campaign to ensure that the future of public services is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-calls-for-an-end-to-public-sector-job-cuts- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-calls-for-an-end-to-public-sector-job-cuts- Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 GMT A new £5m recycling fund is being made available to councils offering weekly bin collections, the DCLG has announced today. According to the government, the extra funding will help local authorities increase their recycling rates, by giving incentives – such as shopping vouchers and loyalty rewards – to households that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-launches-controversial-5m-recycling-fund- 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-launches-controversial-5m-recycling-fund- Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Local government appears to be less ‘elitist’ when compared other parts of society, according to a new report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (SMPCP). The headline figures in the article highlight that the UK is run by an ‘over-representation’ of those educated at independent schools and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-less-elitist-than-other-parts-of-society--smpcp- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-less-elitist-than-other-parts-of-society--smpcp- Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Out of school childcare is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to find, with many parents faced with a stark postcode lottery of prices and availability, a new report from the Family and Childcare Trust has revealed. The trust’s analysis concluded that across England, Scotland and Wales two fifths (40%) of councils had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/postcode-lottery-for-affordable-childcare- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/postcode-lottery-for-affordable-childcare- Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles has revealed new plans that could put pressure on councils to provide more parking spaces alongside new homes. These proposals come just months after the announcement that reforms about local parking policies would be added to the government’s Deregulation Bill. These reforms included introducing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pressure-on-councils-to-provide-more-parking 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pressure-on-councils-to-provide-more-parking Thu, 28 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT No council employee will face disciplinary action following the sexual exploitation of more than 1,400 children in Rotherham over a 16-year period, the local authority’s chief executive has said. Martin Kimber, the chief executive of Rotherham Council, stated that there was not “enough evidence” to take action, despite... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-disciplinary-action-for-council-staff-over-rotherham-abuse 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-disciplinary-action-for-council-staff-over-rotherham-abuse Thu, 28 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published a report which highlights the ‘need for improvement’ in how local authorities comply with data protection laws. Reports Abigail Lillicrap. ICO processed16 local authority audits last year and none of them achieved high assurance in their ‘overall assurance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-improve-data-protection-compliance-ico- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-improve-data-protection-compliance-ico- Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:30:00 GMT Councils have been using funds from their own ‘tightly squeezed’ budgets to fill a £1bn shortfall in funding for new school places, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Three-quarters of councils who responded to a LGA survey said they did not receive enough government funds to create the new school places... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-highlights-1bn-shortfall-in-new-school-places-funding 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-highlights-1bn-shortfall-in-new-school-places-funding Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:30:00 GMT South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner, Shaun Wright, is facing calls to resign following the publication of a report into child abuse in Rotherham. The study, published on Tuesday, revealed that at least 1,400 children in the Rotherham area had been sexually exploited over a 16 year period. Wright was responsible for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-child-abuse-scandal-ignored-since-2005--independent-inquiry-reveals- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-child-abuse-scandal-ignored-since-2005--independent-inquiry-reveals- Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:30:00 GMT Council leaders are calling on the government to scrap a law which forces local authorities to hand over personal details of voters to junk mail companies. Under the current system, the names and addresses of up to 28 million people appear on the open version of the electoral register which any business or individual is legally entitled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ban-junk-mail-companies-from-accessing-electoral-role-lga- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ban-junk-mail-companies-from-accessing-electoral-role-lga- Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Plans for local authorities to take over the responsibility of commissioning public health services for children aged 0-5 have been welcomed by council chiefs. The government has said that, from 15 October 2015, it will be ‘mandating to local authorities’ five universal elements of the Healthy Child Programme for 18... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-chiefs-welcome-new-commissioning-responsibilities-for-young-children- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-chiefs-welcome-new-commissioning-responsibilities-for-young-children- Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Police forces across the country have agreed to publish all outcomes of controversial stop and search measures by their officers, following the launch of a new Home Office scheme. Forty three forces across England and Wales - including The Metropolitan Police Service – have signed up to the Best Use of Stop and Search code of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forces-sign-up-to-stop-and-search-code-of-conduct- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forces-sign-up-to-stop-and-search-code-of-conduct- Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Bus and train regulation across the country should be moved to powerful regional transport bodies, modelled on Transport for London (TfL), a new report has claimed. Published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the study ‘Greasing the Wheels: Supporting and Improving Britain's Rail and Bus Services’ says that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-stronger-regional-transport-powers- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-stronger-regional-transport-powers- Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Scottish first minister Alex Salmond staged a fight back in the final TV debate against Better Together head Alistair Darling ahead of September’s Scottish referendum. After clashing on topics such as oil revenues, currency and the future of nuclear weapons, a snap poll of 505 voters in Scotland, conducted for the Guardian by ICM... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salmond-outperforms-darling-in-final-debate-but-does-it-change-anything 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salmond-outperforms-darling-in-final-debate-but-does-it-change-anything Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT This is interesting, as much of the work appears to be what I used to call prevention; when I was a social worker, this was the task of our specialist family teams, who have been scrapped and replaced with social care staff who only deal with statutory work. It's amazing what goes around comes around! Re: How Surrey’s Family... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-family-support-programme-in-surrey 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-family-support-programme-in-surrey Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Seven local authorities have been accused of breaching publicity rules designed to protect the free press through the publication of their newssheets. The DCLG has asked Enfield, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Luton, Medway, Mid Devon and North Somerset councils to explain, within the next fortnight, what they now plan to do to ensure compliance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seven-councils-accused-of-publicity-code-breach- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seven-councils-accused-of-publicity-code-breach- Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:30:00 GMT The number of children in council care in England has risen by 12% in the last four years, with overall costs calculated at £3.4bn, according to new research by the Audit Commission. Its report – ‘Councils’ Expenditure on Looked After Children: Using Data from the Value for Money Profiles Tool’ –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-of-children-in-council-care-up-12- 870,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-of-children-in-council-care-up-12- Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:45:00 GMT Councils that commission social care employers that ‘flout’ National Minimum Wage (NMW) laws should be named and shamed, according to Unison. The union has called on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to start naming local authorities that don’t pay the minimum wage – something it has recently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/name-and-shame-councils-whose-care-providers-flout-minimum-wage 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/name-and-shame-councils-whose-care-providers-flout-minimum-wage Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT The first wave of projects to benefit from the government’s £1bn large infrastructure fund, which is aimed at unlocking or accelerating the provision of more than 200,000 new homes across the country, has been announced. Communities secretary Eric Pickles published the shortlist of 36 large-scale housing projects in line to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-wave-of-projects-to-build-200000-new-homes-revealed 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-wave-of-projects-to-build-200000-new-homes-revealed Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Glasgow has formally signed a £1.13bn City Deal with the UK and Scottish governments, which will bring significant infrastructure investment to the area. The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Infrastructure Fund, which remains the flagship proposal of the deal, will be used to take forward up to 20 infrastructure schemes across the city... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-signs-1bn-infrastructure-city-deal- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-signs-1bn-infrastructure-city-deal- Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Approximately 60% of English councils do not know how many children in their area are likely to suffer from neglect, according to new Action for Children research. Based on a freedom of information request to 80 local authorities – just under 50% of the total number of councils in England – the majority (48) had no data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-councils-have-no-system-to-collect-child-neglect-data 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-councils-have-no-system-to-collect-child-neglect-data Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Councils and schools have had to divert funds from their budgets to help deliver the government’s free school meal policy, despite promises it would be fully-funded, a new study has revealed. Local authorities had been given £150m from central government to fund essential capital work – such as building new kitchens... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-funding-school-meals-shortfall-lga- 453,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-funding-school-meals-shortfall-lga- Tue, 19 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT The government’s Troubled Families Programme has been expanded to help more children from struggling homes get a better chance in life, the DCLG has stated. Communities secretary Eric Pickles has outlined that work will begin later this year in the 51 best performing local authorities to help more troubled families who cost the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-troubled-families-programme-expanded- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-troubled-families-programme-expanded- Tue, 19 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT The Hertfordshire CC Locality Budget scheme gives each of 77 county councillors £100,000/year (£10k for community projects and £90k for highways local schemes) with strong emphasis on local member involvement – including with parish/town Councils. What member involvement would there be with the BCC proposed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-cc-services-to-be-devolved-to-parishes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buckinghamshire-cc-services-to-be-devolved-to-parishes Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:15:00 GMT Council staff who are not being allowed to see how their jobs were assessed in a recent pay review are to appeal the changes, according to the union representing them. Unison said 1,100 staff at Derby City Council are planning to appeal, though the council is not confirming that. Some of the union’s members are struggling to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/confusion-over-pay-review-appeals-for-1100-council-staff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/confusion-over-pay-review-appeals-for-1100-council-staff Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT A hired team conducting welfare surveys on an Ayrshire housing estate were “forced to flee” when suspicious residents accused them of being paedophiles for asking questions about children. The Daily Record reported that Ayrshire council was carrying out the £46,000 survey as part of a Scottish government-backed project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-welfare-surveyors-confronted-for-asking-questions-about-children 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-welfare-surveyors-confronted-for-asking-questions-about-children Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT A district-level council thought to be the only one in the country to have to contribute funds towards its rail services is going to have to keep paying for even longer because of a Department for Transport decision. Cannock Chase Council pays £10,000 a year towards the running of additional ‘incremental’ services on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-keep-subsidising-rail-services-after-dft-decision 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-keep-subsidising-rail-services-after-dft-decision Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT Changes to welfare and pensions will cost pensioner households a total of £6.38bn a year, according to an economic analysis commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The annual cash losses are caused by a range of government policies and decisions, including the change from RPI to CPI to calculate the uprating of benefits... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-has-broken-pledge-to-protect-pensioners--tuc 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-has-broken-pledge-to-protect-pensioners--tuc Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT There have been stories over the past few days of the outrageous and amusing freedom of information requests some councils have had to tackle. The LGA media team know that they are doing – a press release drily quoting the statistics on the number of freedom of information requests officers have to deal with would not have got much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/here-be-dragons 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/here-be-dragons Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT Buckinghamshire Business First (BBF), the collective not-for-profit voice of businesses in the county, has successfully crowdfunded £25,000 to support a ‘big society’ initiative to assess the current arrangement of its local authorities. Following a two month campaign, the donated money will be used to commission an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/businesses-raise-25000-to-review-two-tier-local-government-in-bucks 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/businesses-raise-25000-to-review-two-tier-local-government-in-bucks Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:00:00 GMT The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has called for parish and town councils to receive a minimum payment of £20,000 from fracking companies as part of government proposals for underground drilling for shale gas. NALC has set out its views in response to the government’s consultation on Underground Drilling Access... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-wants-20000-fracking-payments-for-parish-councils- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-wants-20000-fracking-payments-for-parish-councils- Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:00:00 GMT Nottinghamshire CC has called on the government to rethink its approach to funding for shire councils in the future. The call comes after a Society of County Treasurers study revealed that, between 2008-09 and 2012-13, there was a big difference in average government grant funding for local services, depending on the type of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-cc-calls-for-rethink-on-shire-council-underfunding- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottinghamshire-cc-calls-for-rethink-on-shire-council-underfunding- Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:00:00 GMT Councils across the country are being encouraged to team up with developers and bid for government funding to build thousands of new homes on previously-developed land. The bidding criteria for a share of the government’s £200m Housing Zone initiative has been published, with the government hoping to create 10 housing zones on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-invites-council-bids-for-brownfield-housing-zones 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-invites-council-bids-for-brownfield-housing-zones Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT Councils in Scotland should be given greater powers to fund the money they spend from local taxation, a new report by the Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy has stated. The Commission, set up by local government Cosla, has spent a year gathering evidence and producing its report on finding ways to give local communities more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-should-be-given-greater-powers--report-reveals- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-should-be-given-greater-powers--report-reveals- Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT Nearly a third of older people between 65 and 89 now have unmet social care needs, new research from Age UK has revealed. The research claims that nearly 900,000 (31.1%) older people who have difficulty in carrying out some essential activities of daily life, such as getting out of bed, washing, using the toilet or eating, do not receive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-needs-for-many-elderly-unmet-age-uk- 870,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-needs-for-many-elderly-unmet-age-uk- Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT The success of the government’s Care Act will ultimately depend on it ensuring the new burdens faced by local councils are fully understood and resourced, Solace has stated. Jo Farrar, a Solace spokesperson and chief executive of Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “This is particularly crucial where the reforms are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-resource-councils-for-care-act-changes-solace- 870,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-resource-councils-for-care-act-changes-solace- Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:30:00 GMT A complete overhaul of children’s mental health services is needed if young people are to receive better care and support, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Long NHS waiting times mean councils have to use stretched budgets to pay for services to plug the gap to get young people the urgent treatment they require... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-seek-childrens-mental-health-services-overhaul 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-seek-childrens-mental-health-services-overhaul Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:15:00 GMT Councils are set to get more control over the roadworks in their areas, instead of utility companies getting permits straight from the transport secretary. A consultation has been launched by the DfT to explore the option of giving local authorities the direct power to introduce a street works ‘permit scheme’, which means... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-be-given-greater-control-over-street-works- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-be-given-greater-control-over-street-works- Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:15:00 GMT More than 2,000 youth workers have lost their jobs and 350 youth centres have been closed over the last two years as a result of government cuts, new research by Unison has revealed. Based on FoI data collected from local authorities across the UK, and a survey of Unison members working in youth services, the study highlights that since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-cuts-significantly-affecting-youth-services-unison- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-cuts-significantly-affecting-youth-services-unison- Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT A new law that limits what councils and housing associations can charge leaseholders for future repair, maintenance and improvement works are to come into force this week. Outside London the maximum level of charges will be levied at £10,000 in any five year period, with a cap of £15,000 for the capital. The introduction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-rule-limits-council-repair-charges- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-rule-limits-council-repair-charges- Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT The Scottish government is offering emergency financial support to local authorities to help deal with the costs of flood damage across the country. Ministers made the decision to activate the Bellwin Scheme, which provides special financial assistance to local authorities who have been faced with an undue financial burden as a result of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-offers-extra-flood-support-for-councils- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-offers-extra-flood-support-for-councils- Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT The Scottish Independence referendum on 18 September is just over a month away, and the debate has certainly been hotting up. People must remember to register to vote, and vote, otherwise what has all the talk been for over the last 18 months. Last week, Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond and former chancellor of the exchequer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voter-registration-deadline-day-looming-for-scottish-independence-referendum 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voter-registration-deadline-day-looming-for-scottish-independence-referendum Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:30:00 GMT The north of England needs infrastructure projects capable of genuinely transforming the economy, a new Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North report says. Authors Ed Cox and Bill Davies argue that the way the government spends money is out of balance. Despite OECD research showing that money wisely invested in weaker... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/great-northern-infrastructure-plan-needed-to-transform-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/great-northern-infrastructure-plan-needed-to-transform-economy Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT From today parents who cannot agree to organise and pay their own child maintenance without government help will be charged an additional fee. The DWP says that the introduction of the fee is designed to encourage separated couples to come to their own financial arrangements. In the future, if the state manages maintenance payments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fees-go-live-for-child-maintenance-service 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fees-go-live-for-child-maintenance-service Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT Bucks County Council (BCC) is proposing to give parish councils greater powers as part of a new ‘clusters’ initiative it plans to implement. The parish council clusters – of between five and 20 authorities – would manage services in each parish, rather than through the county council. BCC has been working with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parish-council-clusters-could-manage-county-council-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parish-council-clusters-could-manage-county-council-services Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT Since it is an international requirement for all vehicles and drivers to be legally registered in their home countries, and for such documents to be carried whenever abroad, why couldn't the immigration authorities at car ferries and docks require ‘visitors’ to simply complete a basic vehicle visitor form (VVF) that identifies the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-parking-fines-by-foreign-drivers 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-parking-fines-by-foreign-drivers Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government is to double the size of its Commissioning Academy programme to meet an ambitious target of 1,500 participants by 2016. Launched in April 2013, the Academy is designed to help commissioners in public sector organisations develop the practical skills and judgment to design different ways to provide services and manage new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-commissioning-academy-to-double-in-size 440,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-commissioning-academy-to-double-in-size Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT Guest blog by Wan Mak, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics, Sodexo UK and Ireland According to Public Health England, two-thirds of the UK’s population are failing to reach the minimum recommended levels of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week. Aside from the fact that physical activity can help treat or prevent over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employee-wellbeing-step-it-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employee-wellbeing-step-it-up Mon, 11 Aug 2014 09:15:00 GMT A ‘digital bill of rights’ is needed in each country, including the UK, campaigners say. The Law Society has backed the idea, which is to be raised in a speech by its president Andrew Caplen before the American Bar Association tomorrow (Saturday). Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Al Gore are among the high-profile backers of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-a-digital-bill-of-rights-backed-by-law-society 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-a-digital-bill-of-rights-backed-by-law-society Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:15:00 GMT Housing association could save £285m on repairs and maintenance by overhauling their purchase and management procedures. The analysis was undertaken by MindMetre Research, which says that materials supply and management efficiency are key to authorities’ ability to meet budgets and provide high quality service to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-associations-urged-to-overhaul-purchase-and-management-procedures 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-associations-urged-to-overhaul-purchase-and-management-procedures Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:00:00 GMT Seven councils are sharing nearly £1m of extra government funding for their sustainable transport schemes, including those encouraging cycling, walking and public transport use. The £900,000 tops up cash made available through the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Transport minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-government-funding-for-sustainable-transport 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-government-funding-for-sustainable-transport Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:00:00 GMT Camden Council has committed to ensuring that its lowest paid members of staff will receive a minimum earnings guarantee of at least £20,000, as recognition of the high costs faced by staff in London. In July, the local authority’s leader announced that she would be deleting the lowest pay spine at the council. Cllr Sarah... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-council-to-introduce-20000-minimum-wage-guarantee- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-council-to-introduce-20000-minimum-wage-guarantee- Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Approximately nine out of 10 councils in England and Wales are worried that inadequate government funding could jeopardise vital reforms to the adult social care system under the Care Act. This is according to a Local Government Association (LGA) survey of 152 councils with responsibility for adult social care, which revealed that 134... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inadequate-funding-could-jeopardise-care-act-reforms--councils-warn 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inadequate-funding-could-jeopardise-care-act-reforms--councils-warn Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Think tank New Economy has been appointed by the DCLG to help support local authorities looking to redesign their public services while generating cost savings. The package of support will centre upon councils that are planning to bid for the next round of the government’s Transformation Challenge Award, a fund which is available to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-economy-to-help-support-local-government-redesign 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-economy-to-help-support-local-government-redesign Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council have taken over ownership of their 25-year private finance initiative (PFI) waste contract, just three years into the £2bn deal. Waste from across Lancashire goes to two waste processing facilities at Thornton and Farington, which were introduced in response to the central government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-take-over-2bn-waste-pfi-contract- 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-take-over-2bn-waste-pfi-contract- Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT Twenty councils have been selected to take part in the second phase of the One Public Estate programme, which uses land and property released by government to boost economic growth and regeneration. Councils will join the Cabinet Office and Local Government Association's (LGA) programme that encourages sharing services, reducing running... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-public-estate-programme-expands 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-public-estate-programme-expands Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT Local government secretary Eric Pickles has passed a Parliamentary order allowing the press and public to film and digitally report from all public meetings of local government bodies. The new ‘right to report’ law builds on Margaret Thatcher’s Private Members’ Bill from 1960, which allowed for the written... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-extends-right-to-report- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-extends-right-to-report- Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT The government plans to make its transparency code mandatory for parish councils with an annual turnover not exceeding £25,000 have moved a step closer. Following a government consultation, which asked whether the code should be mandatory, approximately 75% of respondents supported the government’s proposal. Not a surprise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transparency-code-for-small-parish-councils-edges-closer 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transparency-code-for-small-parish-councils-edges-closer Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMT Foreign Office minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has resigned from the government over its policy on Gaza.  The former chair of the Conservative Party tweeted: “With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza.”  An... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baroness-warsi-resigns-as-foreign-office-minister-over-gaza 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baroness-warsi-resigns-as-foreign-office-minister-over-gaza Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:30:00 GMT More than 2,100 council employees are earning in excess of £100,000 a year, according to new research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and 542 are on more than £150,000.  In the eighth Town Hall Rich List, there were at least 2,181 council employees who received total remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2012-13... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nearly-550-council-employees-earning-more-than-150000 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nearly-550-council-employees-earning-more-than-150000 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:45:00 GMT A coalition of major northern cities has published a new £15bn transport plan, which it believes could deliver benefits including journey times up to 55% on a more interconnected rail network.  Launched by an alliance of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield, the report ‘One North: A Proposition for an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-cities-set-out-15bn-transport-improvement-plan- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-cities-set-out-15bn-transport-improvement-plan- Tue, 05 Aug 2014 09:45:00 GMT Our district is largely on shifting sand beds, with water supply underneath. The thought that the frackers could be let loose on us by a county council who will only see the pound signs not the danger, scares the hell out of me. Re: Energy companies bid for fracking licences http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking-licensing 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking-licensing Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT It isn’t always the case that we at PSE agree with the DCLG. However, in its new Technical Consultation on Planning it has been proposed that local planners could be given greater control on the development of payday loan and betting shops. It doesn’t matter which area of the country you travel to, down every high street the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/halting-the-proliferation-of-payday-loan-shops 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/halting-the-proliferation-of-payday-loan-shops Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:15:00 GMT Ten coastal towns have received a share of the government’s £8.5m Coastal Communities Fund, designed to stimulate the local economies and help with essential repairs in areas affected by the winter storms. Some of the money will go towards helping restore coastal paths in Cornwall and Victorian Arches in Portsmouth, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coastal-towns-receive-funding-boost- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coastal-towns-receive-funding-boost- Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:00:00 GMT Council spending will have fallen by nearly 30% per capita in real terms over the course of the current parliament, an analysis of expenditure by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed. The data, complied as part of the 2014-15 Revenue Account... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-per-head-falls-by-30-since-2010- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-per-head-falls-by-30-since-2010- Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:45:00 GMT The government is failing to support UK businesses developing innovative low carbon technologies, the cross-party Energy and Climate Change Committee has warned. In its latest report – Energy and Climate Change - Second Report – the committee of MPs say there is a “mismatch” between the resources allocated by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-failing-to-support-green-innovators--mps- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-failing-to-support-green-innovators--mps- Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:45:00 GMT Councils are writing off millions of pounds worth of unpaid parking fines every year because they are unable to trace drivers of foreign vehicles, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). A third of councils, in a new LGA poll, reported that thousands of tickets issued to vehicles registered outside the UK are being ripped up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-fines-by-foreign-drivers-costing-councils-millions--lga- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-fines-by-foreign-drivers-costing-councils-millions--lga- Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:45:00 GMT David Hoare, a businessman and trustee of the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), has been appointed the new chair of Ofsted. Hoare, who joined the struggling AET chain in January, will take up his new post in September. He will replace Baroness Sally Morgan, after former education secretary Michael Gove decided not to re-appoint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academy-trustee-appointed-new-ofsted-chair- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academy-trustee-appointed-new-ofsted-chair- Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT The number of new homes registered by the public sector in the last quarter decreased by 11% compared to last year, according to new figures from the National House Building Council (NHBC). During the period under review, registrations by local authorities and housing associations in the period April-June fell to 9,331 – down from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-housing-registrations-fall-11-in-q2-nhbc- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-housing-registrations-fall-11-in-q2-nhbc- Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:15:00 GMT Public sector whistleblowers have been shockingly treated, and departments have sometimes failed to protect some people from being victimised, in the past, an influential group of MPs have stated. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published its ninth report of the session, which examined the subject of whistleblowing, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-calls-for-better-whistleblower-protection- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-calls-for-better-whistleblower-protection- Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:00:00 GMT Over the years negative, hostile behaviour towards women at work has generally been deemed overt sexism and therefore unacceptable. However, the subtle and no less insidious sexism continues to fester in the background, says Snéha Khilay, a professional development consultant and trainer. There are comments and behaviours, whether made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unconscious-bias-its-all-in-the-subtleties 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unconscious-bias-its-all-in-the-subtleties Fri, 01 Aug 2014 12:00:00 GMT Dr Liam Sutton, the University of Bradford’s head of knowledge transfer, talks about how a new programme of investment will help transform the city into a digital health innovation leader. Bradford is hosting a £12m investment programme to cement the city as a leader in digital health innovation in the UK. A partnership bid led... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-health-innovation-boosted-in-bradford 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-health-innovation-boosted-in-bradford Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, discusses a major new report into customer service standards in the public sector. Customer satisfaction is falling. It has been falling for 18 months across all sectors of the economy, including the public sector. But the public sector – most of it at least –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-customer-services-right-in-tight-times 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-customer-services-right-in-tight-times Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government has announced £5m funding to ‘lead by example’ to introduce more electric cars and vans across its fleets. PSE interviewed transport minister Baroness Kramer. All government car fleets, beginning with the Government Car Service, are to get funding to introduce plug-in cars and vans. The £5m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-the-electric-charge-plug-in-cars-for-government-fleets 437,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-the-electric-charge-plug-in-cars-for-government-fleets Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:45:00 GMT David Pearson, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, talks to PSE about the challenges and opportunities facing social services in England. Social care is a statutory, demand-led service – but one where cuts can have particularly devastating effects on the wellbeing of society’s most vulnerable people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-a-better-paid-better-trained-social-care-workforce 451,870 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-a-better-paid-better-trained-social-care-workforce Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:30:00 GMT England’s ‘Core Cities’ are becoming increasingly confident and aggressive in their calls for more powers, freedoms and budgetary control. Government rhetoric has long been on their side, and indeed as PSE was going to press the chancellor, George Osborne, turned up in Manchester to endorse the One North infrastructure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stones-still-unturned 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stones-still-unturned Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:45:00 GMT Mirco Tonin and Michael Vlassopoulos, senior lecturers at the Economics Department of the University of Southampton, discuss their research on differences between public and private sector employees. Understanding the characteristics of the workforce is an essential element for an effective management in virtually any organisation. This is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-public-sector-workers-different 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-public-sector-workers-different Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:30:00 GMT Crossrail took the ‘Excellence in the Public Sector’ crown at the Investors in People Awards. After the ceremony, PSE caught up with the project’s head of organisational effectiveness, Rob Jones. Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure project – introduced to many more people in recent weeks thanks to a major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-a-railway 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-a-railway Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:30:00 GMT Amongst the speakers at this year’s RWM in partnership with CIWM event is Joanna Dixon, community recycling officer at Croydon Council, who has a tough message to get across on England’s slowing progress towards hitting a 70% recycling rate. Recycling has shifted up the agenda in recent years, and is much more embedded culturally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/targeted-engagement-to-boost-recycling-re-use-and-waste-reduction 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/targeted-engagement-to-boost-recycling-re-use-and-waste-reduction Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:30:00 GMT Mark Rowney, research fellow at IPPR, explores the issues involved in cutting waste and stopping it going to landfill. At the end of July, West Sussex County Council gave permission for a new incinerator to be built in Ford. This is a step in the wrong direction, but the council are not entirely to blame. They do not have the tools necessary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watching-the-nations-wasteline 447,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watching-the-nations-wasteline Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:30:00 GMT Philippa Davies, corporate director of resources at Wyre Council, discusses an innovative mobile service. There are many communities in the UK where access to online services is limited by location or age. How does a forward-looking council broaden its services without excluding those who are most in need of support? Wyre Council serves a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-mobile-solution-serving-the-whole-community 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-mobile-solution-serving-the-whole-community Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:15:00 GMT As the West Midlands Contractor Framework (WMCF) comes to a close this month, Tony Hyde, chairman at Thomas Vale, explains to PSE how working as part of a collaborative, local-first regional framework has helped to deliver important cost-savings for the public sector while creating award-winning public facilities. Improving public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-the-cost-of-competitive-tendering 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-the-cost-of-competitive-tendering Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:15:00 GMT Ruth Puttick, principal researcher on public and social innovation at Nesta, and co-author of the new Nesta and Bloomberg Philanthropies i-teams report, explains its findings. The argument for innovation in government is largely won. Most would agree that faced with fiscal pressures, rising demands, and complex problems, governments have no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-i-teams-creating-a-new-experimental-government 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-i-teams-creating-a-new-experimental-government Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:15:00 GMT A new report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life says ethical standards should be incorporated into contractual and monitoring arrangements for private companies and third sector bodies delivering outsourced services. PSE spoke to committee member Sheila Drew Smith OBE, a former economic adviser at the Treasury and former partner with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ethical-standards-for-private-sector-deliverers-of-public-services 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ethical-standards-for-private-sector-deliverers-of-public-services Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:00:00 GMT Jane Lethbridge, director of the Public Services International Research Unit  at the University of Greenwich, discusses public sector outsourcing and its effects. In the last two years, the UK public sector has spent almost twice as much on outsourcing as the commercial sector, according to a new study by Information Services Group (ISG)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing-failing-in-its-objectives 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing-failing-in-its-objectives Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:00:00 GMT Researchers Emma Norris and Marc Kidson at the Institute for Government talk to PSE about a new study that helps to identify the principles behind delivering effective policy implementation. Over the years successive governments have struggled to translate policy ideas into effective change on the ground. So why is good policy implementation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lessons-to-learn-in-policy-implementation 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lessons-to-learn-in-policy-implementation Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:45:00 GMT John Williams, a founder of national learning disability charity FitzRoy, recently won the Outstanding Contribution Award at the National Learning Disabilities Awards for transforming the face of social care services for people with learning disabilities in England. He describes the obstacles he overcame in the 1960s and 70s to stop the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-must-ensure-people-with-learning-disabilities-have-their-rights-protected- 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-must-ensure-people-with-learning-disabilities-have-their-rights-protected- Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:45:00 GMT Dr Jenny Peachey, policy officer at the Carnegie UK Trust, explains how public libraries are reinventing themselves. The vital link between libraries and learning has been well-established for more than a century. Libraries have a remarkable and proud legacy of widening equality of opportunity by providing access to knowledge, information and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-have-untapped-potential-to-influence-social-policy-and-improve-wellbeing 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-have-untapped-potential-to-influence-social-policy-and-improve-wellbeing Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:30:00 GMT Earlier this year, Scottish colleges officially became public sector bodies. This switch presents some benefits for these institutions. However, it also throws up some real challenges, particularly in the complex area of financial management, argues David Eardley, a senior manager in the public sector team at Scott-Moncrieff, business advisors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-colleges-examine-a-new-financial-challenge 447,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-colleges-examine-a-new-financial-challenge Fri, 01 Aug 2014 09:30:00 GMT Housing minister Brandon Lewis has launched the government’s £3m ‘Site Delivery Fund’ in an attempt to tackle planning-related delays that can prevent development starting on housing sites. The fund, which is available across the two years 2014-15 and 2015-16, is designed to provide short-term capacity support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bids-invited-for-3m-fund-to-tackle-housing-delays- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bids-invited-for-3m-fund-to-tackle-housing-delays- Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Potential changes to the rules which govern how local authorities safeguard people receiving care and support could generate a ten-fold increase in assessments, drive costs up by at least £88m and lead to longer waiting times, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. It and the Association of Directors of Adult Social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-safeguarding-rules-could-cost-88m-a-year--lga- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-safeguarding-rules-could-cost-88m-a-year--lga- Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Public sector provider National Savings & Investment (NS&I) has been selected by the government to operate its Tax-Free Childcare accounts, working with HMRC. Following a consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within the Tax-Free Childcare scheme – which the government is committed to introducing in autumn 2015... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nsi-to-operate-governments-tax-free-childcare-accounts 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nsi-to-operate-governments-tax-free-childcare-accounts Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT A tribunal has ordered Bromley Council in south-east London to pay more than £64,000 in compensation to 18 of its staff who were offered cash incentives to sign new contracts that would have taken them out of existing collective bargaining agreements. One letter written by the council offered £200 to staff who signed new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-must-compensate-workers-asked-to-sign-away-their-rights 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-must-compensate-workers-asked-to-sign-away-their-rights Wed, 30 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Commissioners of services in the public sector can get a wealth of guidance and information on social value using a new online portal. The portal aggregates information and best-practice from across all sectors with practical 'how-to' articles, case studies and videos. The site also includes a 'mythbuster' guide in response to concerns of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-online-guidance-on-social-value-for-commissioners 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-online-guidance-on-social-value-for-commissioners Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:15:00 GMT As someone who rides to/from work each day and has suffered two accidents, one of which was a hit and run, I can definitely say that it is more than infrastructure we need, though this is obviously welcome. Drivers’ attitudes have to change. Driving too close to cyclists – or overtaking then braking violently in front of a cyclist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cycling-safety 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cycling-safety Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT There’s still time to subscribe to PSE in time to receive our August/September 2014 edition, which is promising to be a great issue. Interviewees and contributors include Association of Directors of Adult Social Services president David Pearson, transport minister Baroness Kramer, Institute of Customer Service chief executive Jo... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/get-it-while-its-hot 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/get-it-while-its-hot Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Passport Office staff are on a 24-hour strike today in protest at job cuts that have caused deep backlogs.  The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) called the strike, which ends at midnight, but the Home Office said it could threaten people’s holidays. The number of full-time equivalent Passport Office staff stood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/passport-office-staff-strike-over-cuts-and-pay-disparity 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/passport-office-staff-strike-over-cuts-and-pay-disparity Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT The property industry says there are flaws in the proposed new affordable flood insurance scheme that could see flat-owners and many others left out. ‘Flood Re’, or the Flood Reinsurance Scheme, will be a not-for-profit entity, owned and managed by the insurance industry but set up via legislation. The detail on the plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unworkable-flood-re-insurance-scheme-will-exclude-millions 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unworkable-flood-re-insurance-scheme-will-exclude-millions Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Fracking licences will be handed out for the first time in six years following a bidding process that starts today. Companies who win a licence will still need planning permission and environmental permits to extract shale gas via fracking, which the government says “has the potential to provide us with greater energy security, jobs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-companies-bid-for-fracking-licences 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-companies-bid-for-fracking-licences Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT The RAC’s comprehensive annual report into motoring reveals widespread anger and concern about parking charges and potholes. RAC Report on Motoring 2014 says that 67% of motorists feel parking restrictions are becoming more stringent, while the authors note: “Motorists are well and truly caught in the crossfire when it comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/potholes-and-parking-charges-top-motorists-concerns 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/potholes-and-parking-charges-top-motorists-concerns Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT The coalition government’s programme to tackle youth unemployment across the country is to be wound up a month ahead of schedule, following claims that it has failed to meet its aims. Championed by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, the £1bn you contract incentive scheme was launched in 2012 with employers being offered a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalitions-youth-unemployment-programme-to-end-early 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalitions-youth-unemployment-programme-to-end-early Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:00:00 GMT There are ‘significant variations’ between the best and worst performing academy chains in England, with regards to the results and improvement of their disadvantaged pupils, according to a new report from the Sutton Trust. On average, the improvement for disadvantaged pupils in attaining 5A*C GCSEs, including English and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-variation-in-success-of-academies- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-variation-in-success-of-academies- Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:30:00 GMT Funds totalling nearly £1.3bn have been allocated to boost the construction of affordable homes across England. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has earmarked £886m for 160 housing providers while Mayor of London Boris Johnson, under the Mayor’s Housing Covenant for 2015-18, is handing over £404m to 54... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-homes-construction-receives-13bn-funding-boost- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-homes-construction-receives-13bn-funding-boost- Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:30:00 GMT Local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships will play a vital role in unlocking the regeneration and growth opportunities HS2 has to offer, according to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. In his response to the independent HS2 Growth Taskforce’s report, published in March, it was stated that “planning for HS2... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-key-to-unlocking-hs2-regeneration--mcloughlin- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-key-to-unlocking-hs2-regeneration--mcloughlin- Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:30:00 GMT On average troubled families – which are being helped by local authorities to turn their lives around – suffer from nine different serious problems, according to a new independent report from the government’s Troubled Families programme. In particular it highlighted that many families have significant problems with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-silver-bullet-for-addressing-troubled-families-issue 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-silver-bullet-for-addressing-troubled-families-issue Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:30:00 GMT Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has stated that the government is “determined to drive up public sector productivity” through the expansion of new spin-out companies part-owned by staff. Speaking at a Downing Street reception, he will describe how 100 mutuals are delivering nearly £1.5bn of public services, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maude-expects-public-service-mutuals-growth- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maude-expects-public-service-mutuals-growth- Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT Local government and school support workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are to hold a second day of strike action later this year. Following the industrial action taken on 10 July, which saw about a million public service workers walk out in an increasingly bitter dispute over pay, Unison has announced further action for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/second-day-of-strike-action-called-for-local-government-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/second-day-of-strike-action-called-for-local-government-workers Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT There should be a “fundamental redesign” of the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because of “grave” flaws in the current system, the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has said. The Committee has recommended that the ESA redesign should aim to ensure that the process properly identifies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fundamental-redesign-of-disability-benefits-system-needed--mps- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fundamental-redesign-of-disability-benefits-system-needed--mps- Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:00:00 GMT Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council could come out from government control nearly a year ahead of schedule, communities secretary Eric Pickles has revealed. The local authority, which has been overseen by the DCLG since 2010, was taken over shortly after an Audit Commission report highlighted “serious failings” in its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-control-of-doncaster-council-to-end-early--pickles- http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-control-of-doncaster-council-to-end-early--pickles- Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT England’s eight largest cities have launched an aggressive push for greater devolution of powers and budgets as part of a new campaign backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson. The Local Voices campaign, headed by the Core Cities Group, highlights where greater freedom has benefited the cities of Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-greater-devolution-of-powers 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/core-cities-call-for-greater-devolution-of-powers Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:00:00 GMT Local councils should consider pooling together different transport budgets held by health, social services and other departments to improve transport provision to isolated communities, MPs on the cross-party Transport Select Committee have said. The MPs want to see a large-scale pilot of a ‘total transport’ scheme, which they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-total-transport-pilot-scheme-for-isolated-communities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-total-transport-pilot-scheme-for-isolated-communities Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:00:00 GMT I've been a town councillor for 31 years and a district councillor for 20 years. No-one has ever, and will never, stop me talking to the press if I want to. Over the years I have had very good relationships with the various reporters we have had in our area. Along with others, I think Eric Pickles is a clown – but he is right on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-should-not-stop-councillors-talking-to-the-press 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-should-not-stop-councillors-talking-to-the-press Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Three councils are planning to form a recruitment agency to help deliver their children’s social care services through the provision of locum social workers, it is reported. Northamptonshire and two other councils are examining the legal issues that would arise from creating the agency, but officers are hopeful that the innovative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-plan-to-launch-their-own-social-worker-agency 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-plan-to-launch-their-own-social-worker-agency Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT From 2017, central government will commit to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food, in an attempt to reduce waste through food reduction. Newly appointed environment secretary Elizabeth Truss revealed that this will be done through a new, simplified food and drink buying standard. The Plan for Public Procurement, which was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-public-sector-food-waste-through-new-buying-standard- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-public-sector-food-waste-through-new-buying-standard- Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT The construction headquarters of HS2 are to be located in Birmingham, bringing up to 1,500 highly paid jobs to the city. HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for the project, said that while some jobs would move from London to its new premises, many would be new roles. The new facility is also expected to be the largest-ever public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-construction-hq-will-be-in-birmingham 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-construction-hq-will-be-in-birmingham Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Ed Miliband has set out Labour’s plans to review what he calls the ‘failed’ railway franchising system in the UK, and allow public sector operators to compete to run services, if his party wins the next general election. This is a move that hasn’t been welcomed by all party delegates, many of whom were calling for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-promise-to-review-failed-rail-franchising-system 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-promise-to-review-failed-rail-franchising-system Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Teachers, doctors and social workers are to be given extra training to help identify and assist girls at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). New guidance about the practice, which will be unveiled this week by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg at the Girl Summit, being hosted by the government and the United Nations Children's Fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-to-be-given-training-on-fgm 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-staff-to-be-given-training-on-fgm Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Specialist resin systems supplier Resin Surfaces Limited (RSL) was brought in to help with the multi-million pound refurbishment of Manchester’s Central Library. The Library recently re-opened to enthusiastic reviews following a three-year refurbishment. RSL’s brief was to provide a modern flooring solution that complemented... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iconic-landmark-refurbished-with-state-of-the-art-resin-flooring 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iconic-landmark-refurbished-with-state-of-the-art-resin-flooring Mon, 21 Jul 2014 07:00:00 GMT Proposed changes to audit regulations for England’s 10,000 parish councils are ‘overly complex’, the Audit Commission has warned. Responding to the DCLG’s consultation on local audit regulations, the Commission suggests that the proposals will place a ‘much greater’ burden on parish councils and their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-calls-for-rethink-on-parish-council-audi 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-calls-for-rethink-on-parish-council-audi Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government should make it “easier and cheaper” for local authorities to bring in lower speed limits to reduce the number of cycling fatalities on the country’s roads, the Transport Select Committee has stated. Launching a report examining how roads can be made safer for cyclists, Louise Ellman MP, chair of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-make-roads-safer-for-cyclists--transport-select-committee- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-make-roads-safer-for-cyclists--transport-select-committee- Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT Young adults leaving the care system in England should not be placed in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), and should have the right to stay in care until they are 21, say MPs. These were two recommendations of the Education Select Committee in its report - Into Independence: Not Out of Care – which looked into the options for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-bb-ban-for-young-care-leavers 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-bb-ban-for-young-care-leavers Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT Almost half of local authorities in England fail to routinely inform children’s centres about new births in their area, a new report by the Children’s Society has found. Despite this being a breach of government guidance, the Society’s ‘The Right Start’ study, based on FoI request responses from 147 councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-laws-confusing-councils-on-sharing-birth-data- 439,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-laws-confusing-councils-on-sharing-birth-data- Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Local authorities must address IT skills gaps in their organisations to increase efficiency and maximise the benefits of recent technology investments. A new BT white paper – Public Services: Delivering the Next Generation of Change – revealed that more than three quarters of local government authorities have embraced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-address-it-skills-gap--bt- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-address-it-skills-gap--bt- Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:15:00 GMT Local authority budget cuts are ‘disproportionately’ affecting councils in the north of England and those in the most deprived areas. Research by the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) revealed that councils in the North West have experienced an average reduction of £234.76 per person, followed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-cuts-disproportionately-affecting-northern-councils 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-cuts-disproportionately-affecting-northern-councils Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:15:00 GMT Mayor of London Boris Johnson has called on the government to extend its plans to accelerate the release of disused public land to London, in order to unlock new development to help meet the capital’s housing needs. Since taking on almost 700 hectares of surplus public land in 2012, the Mayor has already moved 87% of it into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boris-leads-charge-on-public-sector-land-grab- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boris-leads-charge-on-public-sector-land-grab- Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government is set to announce that in the future failing care homes could be put into ‘special measures’ in an extension of the scheme that regulates poor-performing hospitals. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to make the announcement, which is part of the government’s response to the Stafford Hospital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failing-care-homes-risk-special-measures-under-new-proposals 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failing-care-homes-risk-special-measures-under-new-proposals Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:15:00 GMT Outdated infrastructure and over-centralised decision making is restricting city growth, particularly in the north of England, and costing the UK billions of pounds, a new report from the RSA City Growth Commission has claimed. In its third report, the Commission has called for a revamp of transport, housing and broadband provision, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-growth-restricted-by-outdated-infrastructure 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-growth-restricted-by-outdated-infrastructure Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:00:00 GMT Complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) about benefits and council tax increased by 26% in the last year, and had the highest ‘uphold rate’ of any type of complaint at 49%, new figures have revealed. In its review of local government complaints for 2013/14, the LGO stated that it recognised that there have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-complaints-on-the-rise--lgo 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-complaints-on-the-rise--lgo Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:30:00 GMT The Information Commissioner has called for stronger powers, more sustainable funding and a clearer guarantee of independence in order for the data regulator to do its “job properly, and represent people properly”. At the launch of the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) annual report, Christopher Graham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-commissioner-calls-for-greater-powers- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-commissioner-calls-for-greater-powers- Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:30:00 GMT Brandon Lewis has been promoted to minister of state at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) as part of David Cameron’s wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle.  Lewis, who was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state at the DCLG in September 2012, Tweeted that he was “honoured to be made Minister of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-demoted-in-cabinet-reshuffle- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-demoted-in-cabinet-reshuffle- Tue, 15 Jul 2014 11:00:00 GMT Sir Bob Kerslake, head of the Home Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), is leaving his post amid the government’s highly political reshuffle. A former chief executive of Sheffield City Council, Kerslake on social media has been described as a ‘first rate civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-to-go-as-reshuffle-continues 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-to-go-as-reshuffle-continues Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:00:00 GMT Various key players have been forecasting this monetary shortfall for some years. The people who run care services have been saying the same thing for years before that. Yet successive governments have introduced various initiatives which, although intending to drive up standards, merely do the opposite. One of the most annoying things... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-crisis 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-crisis Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:00:00 GMT The government should focus on individual fund performance within the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with plans to bring poorly-performing funds up to standard, rather than focusing purely on how to reduce costs, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has stated. Within the DCLG’s recent consultation – Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-savings-not-the-overall-solution-for-local-government-pensions-napf 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-savings-not-the-overall-solution-for-local-government-pensions-napf Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities will be given greater powers to stage motor sports events on public roads, as long as relevant safety considerations are undertaken, following a government consultation. Prime minister David Cameron announced the news during the official opening of a new Formula One Williams factory in Oxfordshire. Councils already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-get-powers-to-stage-motor-sports-events 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-get-powers-to-stage-motor-sports-events Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government has outlined plans to allow – for the first time – the public in England to see the value of council housing stock assets, in an effort to increase ‘transparency’. Proposals put forward in a consultation by the DCLG, would require councils to publish the most recent and subsequent valuations of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-wants-greater-transparency-on-council-home-values 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-wants-greater-transparency-on-council-home-values Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Calls from the LGA to make schools accountable to local education trusts, rather than Whitehall, have been given something of a sucker-blow. Speaking to the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools, said that local authorities do not write to him often enough to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-head-delivers-sucker-blow-to-lga-school-accountability-calls 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-head-delivers-sucker-blow-to-lga-school-accountability-calls Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:45:00 GMT Councils are calling for at least a fifth of the current value of VAT on fast food, soft drinks and confectionary to be ringfenced for local areas to tackle the growing levels of obesity in their areas. As part of what has been called an ‘Obesity Action Fund’, the Local Government Association (LGA), which took over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-call-for-cut-of-fast-food-vat-to-tackle-obesity 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-call-for-cut-of-fast-food-vat-to-tackle-obesity Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Tax increases or further spending cuts will be needed in the future to help meet the costs of the UK’s ageing population, the financial watchdog has warned.  Projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have revealed that population ageing will put upward pressure on public spending.  Within its Fiscal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ageing-population-putting-pressure-on-public-spending--obr- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ageing-population-putting-pressure-on-public-spending--obr- Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:45:00 GMT The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has proposed a ‘wider’ Asset & Liability Management (ALM) Partnership solution to deal with the issues raised by the government’s recent consultation on Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS). Sir Merrick Cockell, deputy chairman of the LPFA, has stated that the DCLG’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lpfa-proposes-partnership-model-for-local-government-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lpfa-proposes-partnership-model-for-local-government-pensions Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:45:00 GMT Union leaders have labelled yesterday’s public sector strike action over pay as an “overwhelming success”, with more than one million workers reported to have attended picket lines. In total, more than 1,200 picket lines were set up in front of town halls, council depots and schools across England, Wales and Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-brand-strike-action-overwhelming-success 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-brand-strike-action-overwhelming-success Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:45:00 GMT Public service contracts could be ‘reserved’ for social enterprises under plans outlined by Labour, to ensure they are not “locked out” of contracts by the same few big companies. Chi Onwurah MP, Labour’s shadow minister for social enterprises, told an event hosted by Collaborate and E3M that Labour would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-vows-to-open-up-procurement-contracts-to-social-enterprises 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-vows-to-open-up-procurement-contracts-to-social-enterprises Thu, 10 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Local government secretary Eric Pickles has called on councils and the newspaper industry to ‘work together’ to bring municipal statutory notices into the 21st century era. Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) annual conference, he stated that statutory notices are an important way of ensuring that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-calls-for-new-approach-on-statutory-notices 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-calls-for-new-approach-on-statutory-notices Thu, 10 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT More than one million public sector workers will go on strike today in protest over pay, pensions and working conditions. Members of six unions – National Union of Teachers (NUT), Fire Brigades Union (FBU), Unison, Unite, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), and the GMB – will take part in what is expected to be the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-take-to-the-streets-for-nationwide-strike 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-take-to-the-streets-for-nationwide-strike Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:15:00 GMT Schools should be held accountable to local education trusts rather than Whitehall, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. Under new plans, the Association is calling on the next government to establish local education trusts, “stripping away the existing bureaucracy” around schools to create one point of contact for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-local-education-trusts-to-oversee-all-school 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-local-education-trusts-to-oversee-all-school Wed, 09 Jul 2014 12:45:00 GMT Changes to the Better Care Fund (BCF) undermine the original, localist ambitions of the fund and will result in cuts to vital adult social care services. This is according to Graeme McDonald, director of Solace, who stated that by creating a national programme office – requiring health providers to submit a round of detailed plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-better-care-fund-undermine-the-whole-scheme-solace 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-better-care-fund-undermine-the-whole-scheme-solace Wed, 09 Jul 2014 12:30:00 GMT Local authorities should be given greater powers over their finances, and be released from the “fiscal grip” of Whitehall, the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) has stated. In its new report - 'Devolution in England: the case for local government' – the CLG Committee calls for the transfer of a range of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-should-be-given-greater-financial-freedom-clg 435,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-should-be-given-greater-financial-freedom-clg Wed, 09 Jul 2014 12:30:00 GMT Millions of people could be trapped in a future unemployment ‘twilight zone’ unless councils are given greater powers to tackle the issue in their areas, the incoming chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) has claimed.  Cllr David Sparks, who will address the LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Bournemouth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localised-job-support-key-to-tackling-future-unemployment--new-lga-chair 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localised-job-support-key-to-tackling-future-unemployment--new-lga-chair Tue, 08 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Proposed plans to cut a further £200m from school funding will put extra pressure on the ability of councils to support improvement and accountability in schools, local authority chiefs have claimed.  The Local Government Association (LGA) says it has protested to the Department for Education (DfE) over the cuts proposed to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-chiefs-oppose-proposed-cuts-in-education-services-grant 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-chiefs-oppose-proposed-cuts-in-education-services-grant Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Following claims of a child sex abuse ring operating in some of the country’s most powerful organisations, including at Westminster, in the 1980s the home secretary Theresa May is expected to announce plans for an “independent and authoritative” review.  This comes after a Home Office investigation last year found... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-to-outline-wide-ranging-review-into-child-abuse 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-to-outline-wide-ranging-review-into-child-abuse Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT Up to £1bn of the Better Care Fund will be allocated to local areas to spend on out-of-hospital services according to the level of reduction in emergency admissions they achieve, the government has revealed.  Changes to the government's £3.8bn fund following a review mean that up to £400m will be used to effectively... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reducing-local-ae-admissions-linked-to-extra-better-care-funding- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reducing-local-ae-admissions-linked-to-extra-better-care-funding- Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:30:00 GMT The government has laid out its plans in a series of ‘Growth Deals’ to invest £12bn in local economies providing funds to support training, jobs, housing development, superfast broadband networks and infrastructure projects.  In the first wave of projects, the Cabinet Office has agreed to invest £6bn in local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-wave-of-12bn-government-growth-deals-announced- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-wave-of-12bn-government-growth-deals-announced- Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:15:00 GMT The government will ‘not budge’ on changes to pay and pensions for public sector workers, and new laws could be proposed to curb industrial action in the future, Francis Maude has stated.  Ahead of this week’s public sector strikes on 10 July, which include council staff, teachers, firefighters and civil servants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-will-not-budge-on-public-sector-pay-maude- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-will-not-budge-on-public-sector-pay-maude- Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:15:00 GMT I wouldn't want to return to weekly collections. I don't always need them fortnightly for my recycling and often for the general waste. Wheelie bins are huge and if you wash and squash, they don't fill up so fast. What happened to localism Eric? Let the people decide this, locally. Re: Pickles drawing up plans to force councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bin-collections 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bin-collections Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:45:00 GMT Housing associations could help save the NHS £6bn over 25 years if they worked together to use surplus land for supported housing, a new report argues. The study, ‘NHS surplus land for supported housing: Why now and what are the possible cost savings?’, by left-leaning think tank the Smith Institute, says supported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/use-surplus-nhs-land-for-supported-housing--think-tank 441,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/use-surplus-nhs-land-for-supported-housing--think-tank Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:15:00 GMT Adults social care in England is no longer able to absorb the pressures of rising demand and falling budgets. The annual budget survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) shows that councils have had to make cuts of 26% in their social care budgets (£3.53bn), once inflation and demographic pressures are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crisis-in-adult-social-care-as-budgets-fall-further 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crisis-in-adult-social-care-as-budgets-fall-further Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:00:00 GMT The Adonis Growth Review is recommending major devolutions to the cities and counties of England to boost growth, with “serious responsibility for planning and delivering infrastructure, including planning transport, housing and training”. The proposals could see £30bn devolved from central to local government over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cautious-welcome-from-lga-for-adonis-30bn-devolution-plans 433,436,441,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cautious-welcome-from-lga-for-adonis-30bn-devolution-plans Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:15:00 GMT More than a third of public sector organisations have been hit by a ‘distributed denial of service’ (DDoS) cyber-attack in the last year, research suggests. In a survey of public sector IT decision makers, 36% of respondents said their organisation was hit by a DDoS attack in the last year. The attacks often take the form of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyber-attackers-becoming-more-sophisticated 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyber-attackers-becoming-more-sophisticated Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:45:00 GMT How interesting that the support for this nonsense seems to come from clerks. There seems to be a breed of parish and town council clerks (a minority fortunately) who think it is their job to run the show. And what about councillors (at any level) issuing newsletters to residents? Or publishing a website? Or posting on Facebook (or even... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/backlash-over-guidance-on-parish-councillors-speaking-to-press 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/backlash-over-guidance-on-parish-councillors-speaking-to-press Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT The absolute necessity of weekly bin collections is something of an article of faith for Eric Pickles, sections of the press and, if online newspaper comment sections are to be believed, a good section of the British public. But the key, surely, is not so much the ‘black bin’ collections (mine is grey, black is for glass and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-of-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-of-time Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:15:00 GMT The Conservatives are planning a manifesto pledge to force weekly bin collections, reports suggest. If the party wins the next election, the councils that have moved to fortnightly waste collections, saying it boosts recycling rates, will be forced to go back to weekly. Communities secretary Eric Pickles wants ‘minimum service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-drawing-up-plans-to-force-councils-collect-bins-weekly 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-drawing-up-plans-to-force-councils-collect-bins-weekly Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:06:00 GMT From today, all employees who have clocked up 26 weeks at their job have the right to ask to work flexibly. This right previously only applied to the parents with children under the age of 17 (18 if the child is disabled) and certain carers. Acas, the workplace dispute and advice service, has launched new guidance to help employers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-ask-for-flexible-working-from-today 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-ask-for-flexible-working-from-today Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:04:00 GMT New guidance to improve local authorities’ budget-making processes and financial scrutiny has been launched in Cardiff. The Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) and Grant Thornton said the ‘Raising the Stakes: financial scrutiny in challenging times’ guidance will offer practical advice to Welsh councillors and officers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-guidance-to-dismiss-myths-about-budget-setting-and-scrutiny 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-guidance-to-dismiss-myths-about-budget-setting-and-scrutiny Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:02:00 GMT Falling budgets and rising demand are opening up a £5.8bn black hole in local authorities’ funding by the end of 2015/16, according to an analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA). The savings to be made by April 2015 to balance the books amount to 12.5% of council budgets, if services are to be maintained by 2013/14... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-care-fund-failure-would-be-catastrophic-for-an-entire-generation 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-care-fund-failure-would-be-catastrophic-for-an-entire-generation Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:00:00 GMT Government plans to introduce a ‘grace period’ for motorists to park on double-yellow lines have been dropped in what the Local Government Association (LGA) calls a “victory for common sense”. Earlier this week, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) released the response to its consultation on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dropping-double-yellow-line-grace-period-a-victory--lga 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dropping-double-yellow-line-grace-period-a-victory--lga Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) “did not sufficiently protect consumers’ interests” when it awarded, without competition, £16.6bn worth of early contracts to eight renewable generation projects, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. In 2013, the DECC launched the Final Investment Decision... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-criticises-decc-over-16bn-renewable-energy-contracts- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-criticises-decc-over-16bn-renewable-energy-contracts- Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT The government has released a package of funds worth more than £100m to help boost the supply of new homes in all areas of the country. Unveiled by Eric Pickles at the Chartered Institute for Housing (CIH) conference, the communities secretary highlighted that more than £53m will be made available to “accelerate”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-funding-package-to-boost-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-funding-package-to-boost-housing Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT Nicole New of responsible tourism charity Hidden Britain explains how public sector bodies can help boost tourism and local economies. Investing public sector time in tourism could be a resourceful way to bring economic development into an area. The best way to draw out economic impacts is to collaborate. The public sector can become a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-steps-to-tourism-partnerships-for-the-public-sector 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-steps-to-tourism-partnerships-for-the-public-sector Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:45:00 GMT Crossrail won the ‘Excellence in the Public Sector’ category at the inaugural Investors in People Awards this week, beating strong competition from Chelmsford City Council, the DVLA and City of Edinburgh Council. PSE’s Roy Rowlands was a judge for the category and presented awards at the ceremony, Investors in People... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investors-in-people-awards-recognise-public-sector-excellence 438,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investors-in-people-awards-recognise-public-sector-excellence Thu, 26 Jun 2014 14:15:00 GMT Mark Beatson, chief economist at the CIPD, talks to PSE about the organisation’s latest Labour Market Outlook and what it could mean for the public sector. While the number of people employed in the public sector looks set to continue falling, the scale of the fall is considerably less than in recent years, according to the CIPD’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reprieve-for-public-sector-recruitment 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reprieve-for-public-sector-recruitment Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:45:00 GMT Dr Ian Elliott, lecturer in business and programme leader for Public Services Governance at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, argues that public service leaders should be sensitive to the past – not beholden to it. The European election results have been announced. The comment and analysis goes on. What does this mean for the main... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/does-leadership-matter 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/does-leadership-matter Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:30:00 GMT David Owen, chief executive of GFirst LEP, tells PSE how investing in a new transport hub will be a ‘keystone’ in the regeneration of Gloucester. GFirst LEP, Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership bringing together businesses to make the county more successful, has made a conditional offer of £3m to fund a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-hub-to-help-transform-gloucester 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-hub-to-help-transform-gloucester Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:15:00 GMT Cllr Carl Maynard, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, tells PSE how targeted investment and the local authority’s Highways Asset Management Plan will help ‘weather-proof’ the county’s roads for the future. Many of the UK’s road networks were severely affected during the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weather-proofing-highways-for-the-future 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weather-proofing-highways-for-the-future Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:15:00 GMT Cory Laywood, HR, pay and benefits manager at Leicester City Council, discusses the success of a new low carbon salary sacrifice car scheme for the local authority’s employees. Leicester City Council has launched a new low carbon salary sacrifice car scheme, which is generating lots of interest, take-up and potentially national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-car-salary-sacrifice-scheme-gaining-momentum 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-car-salary-sacrifice-scheme-gaining-momentum Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:45:00 GMT Work is now underway on Leeds’ £50m Flood Alleviation Scheme, which includes a system of moveable weirs never before used in the UK. David Stevenson reports. Work on the new £50m Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) in Leeds, which will protect hundreds of business and thousands of homes in the city against a 1-in-75 year flood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leeds-pressing-ahead-with-cutting-edge-flood-defence-scheme 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leeds-pressing-ahead-with-cutting-edge-flood-defence-scheme Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:45:00 GMT Councils have been called on to take sensible steps to clamp down on high street harassment by fundraisers, but through negotiation rather than outright bans. Local government minister Brandon Lewis MP has set out a ‘get-tough message’ on tackling so called fundraising ‘charity muggers’ or ‘chuggers’.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-told-to-clamp-down-on-high-street-fundraisers 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-told-to-clamp-down-on-high-street-fundraisers Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT Philip Atkins, Staffordshire County Council leader, talks to PSE’s David Stevenson about the opportunities that a new energy recovery facility will bring to the region. Staffordshire County Council says a new state-of-the-art energy recovery facility will save the region’s taxpayers about £250m over the next 25 years, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-recovery-efforts-enhanced-in-staffordshire 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-recovery-efforts-enhanced-in-staffordshire Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT Richard Beeby, programme director for ‘Project Angel’ at Northamptonshire County Council, discusses how moving 2,000 staff from 12 sites to one central HQ will save more than £50m. Northamptonshire County Council has won planning permission to transform derelict land in the heart of Northampton into a new HQ and office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northampton-targets-massive-savings-with-new-hq- 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northampton-targets-massive-savings-with-new-hq- Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT HM Treasury has launched a consultation to underpin the government’s proposals on stopping high paid public sector employees keeping redundancy payments when they come back to the same part of the public sector within a short period of time. The ‘Recovery of Public Sector Exit Payments’ consultation will be seeking views... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-to-tackle-exit-payments-for-public-workers-returning-to-similar-job 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-to-tackle-exit-payments-for-public-workers-returning-to-similar-job Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT They say ‘good things come to those who wait’ and it feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for legislation to establish a competitive water market in England, argues Bob Wilson, director of Anglian Water Business, who explains how rather than waiting the company has been actively shaping the market and laying the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/twenty-years-in-the-making 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/twenty-years-in-the-making Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT Patsy Mellor, assistant director of public access at Milton Keynes Council, discusses the benefits of adopting a Customer Contact Platform to improve productivity across its services. David Stevenson reports. Two years ago Milton Keynes Council took the strategic decision to implement a comprehensive review of its customer services. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-online-take-up-through-ccp- 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-online-take-up-through-ccp- Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:15:00 GMT The Barker Commission seems set to make radical recommendations in its final report on health and social care integration later this year. PSE spoke to commission member Julian Le Grand, professor of social policy at LSE and former senior policy adviser to Tony Blair. On 24 April, the Barker Commission – more formally, the King’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/merging-health-and-social-care 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/merging-health-and-social-care Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:15:00 GMT The Gazette, the newspaper that serves as the official public record for the UK, has a new website and digital interface that makes it much easier for local authorities and other public bodies to place statutory notices for free – instead of paying to advertise in local newspapers. PSE spoke to The Gazette’s business and operations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-take-notice 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-take-notice Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:15:00 GMT The Family Support programme in Surrey showcases partnership working at its best, writes Sean Rafferty, head of Surrey Family Services. The Family Support programme, which is Surrey’s response to the national Troubled Families initiative, aims to support vulnerable families and provide better outcomes whilst also saving public money.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-surreys-family-support-programme-is-inspiring-further-integration-of-services 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-surreys-family-support-programme-is-inspiring-further-integration-of-services Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT Gill Terry of Birmingham City Council describes how other public sector organisations could benefit from adopting the council’s own approach to achieving radical service redesign and transformational change. The priority now for the public sector is not just to survive the long-term future of budget constraints, but to also try to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supporting-successful-public-sector-reform-with-a-proven-approach-to-transformational-service-redesign 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supporting-successful-public-sector-reform-with-a-proven-approach-to-transformational-service-redesign Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT Matt Humphrey and Sarita Adams from Baker Tilly Consulting explore some practical issues when considering collaborative working. The benefits of hindsight uring the last few years, in virtually every local authority, tables were cleared whilst management teams gathered around to manipulate and examine service reconfiguration scenarios that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration--the-bigger-reward 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration--the-bigger-reward Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT The Public Service Transformation Network has formed a ‘Service Transformation Challenge Panel’ made up of experts from across the public and private sectors to seek out the best examples of change in service delivery from across the country and report back to the government. PSE spoke to panel co-chair Pat Ritchie, chief executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redesigning-services-without-new-money 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redesigning-services-without-new-money Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT David E Hawkins, operations director at the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), looks back on a busy year – and ahead to the future. What a difference a year makes. Since our article in PSE in July 2013, the term ‘collaboration’ seems to be included in most (if not all) government statements. In many cases... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-is-the-answer-but-what-was-the-question 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-is-the-answer-but-what-was-the-question Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT Andrew Wolstenholme OBE, chief executive of Crossrail, discusses the latest developments on the largest construction project in Europe and gives his opinion on the benefits of collaborative working. Less than five years after works began on Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure project has reached the halfway point of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaborative-crossrail 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaborative-crossrail Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT Andrew Carter, deputy director at the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth, discusses the public sector’s role in boosting business and aiding growth. The What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth recently published its second evidence review, on business advice and mentoring policies. We were interested in whether programmes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finding-out-what-works 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finding-out-what-works Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT Sarah Messenger, head of workforce at the Local Government Association, talks about the re-launched standards for employers of social workers and the impact they are likely to have. David Stevenson reports. The re-launched standards for employers of social workers better reflect the changing context within which public services are being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/updated-employer-standards-deliver-clarity-for-social-workers 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/updated-employer-standards-deliver-clarity-for-social-workers Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:15:00 GMT At the most recent meeting of PSE’s editorial board, when the discussion turned to ‘transformation’, one member remarked how fed up they are with that word and how it’s impossible to get away from. There’s some truth in that, of course, and the term probably is over-used to describe some changes in service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-buzzwords 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-buzzwords Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:00:00 GMT Central government departments that fund local authorities no longer get clarity on how that money gets spent, warns a new National Audit Office report, writes Abigail Lillicrap. This is as a result of the increased flexibility given to local authorities by the Department for Committees and Local Government (DCLG) since 2010. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/central-government-lacks-evidence-on-what-happens-to-money-spent-by-councils 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/central-government-lacks-evidence-on-what-happens-to-money-spent-by-councils Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:15:00 GMT Improving customer service in the UK public sector will need a “shared vision” to be successful, according to the Institute of Customer Service, writes Abigail Lillicrap. Its new report, ‘Citizens and Customers: Further Building the Case for Customer Service in the Public Sector’, based on responses from 6,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-among-worst-performing-sectors-for-customer-service 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-among-worst-performing-sectors-for-customer-service Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:15:00 GMT Following yesterday’s decision by council and school support staff to strike on July 10 after voting in favour of industrial action in a row over pay, the coalition is facing the prospect of the largest wave of strike action to be taken since it came into office. With the GMB and Unite unions expected to announce the results of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-facing-huge-public-sector-strikes 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-facing-huge-public-sector-strikes Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:30:00 GMT Local authorities must be transparent over remuneration and pay for council chief executives, the local government minister Brandon Lewis has said. Speaking in front of the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee, Lewis stated that it was “right” for councils to look at the packages they pay senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-be-transparent-over-senior-staff-pay--lewis 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-be-transparent-over-senior-staff-pay--lewis Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:30:00 GMT The DWP says most councils under-spent their allocation of cash to help people adapt to welfare reforms, and three-quarters did not apply for money from a £20m top-up fund. Almost two-thirds (63%) of councils paid out less than their total Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) allocation to tenants, leaving £13.3m left over, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-not-spending-welfare-reform-adaptation-cash 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-not-spending-welfare-reform-adaptation-cash Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:30:00 GMT Public sector union Unison says its local government and school support workers have voted 'yes' to strike action over the offer of a 1% pay deal, which came following a three-year pay freeze. The vote result was: For: 49,836 (58.7%) Against: 35,062 (41.3%) But Unison has not announced the turnout. The union's national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yes-vote-on-local-government-strike-action 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yes-vote-on-local-government-strike-action Mon, 23 Jun 2014 15:45:00 GMT The priority now for the public sector is not just to survive the long-term future of budget constraints, but to also try to benefit from it through innovation and by transforming traditional models of service delivery that are designed around the needs of people. Public sector reform must therefore address several areas, including health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supporting-successful-public-sector-reform-with-a-proven-approach-to-transformational-service-redesign 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supporting-successful-public-sector-reform-with-a-proven-approach-to-transformational-service-redesign Mon, 23 Jun 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government will make it illegal for councils to issue penalty charge notices to drivers using just closed circuit television (CCTV) ‘spy cars’ that currently patrol roads for on-street parking enforcement. One of a range of measures used to rein in ‘over-zealous’ parking enforcement practices, the ban will now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-be-banned-from-widespread-use-of-cctv-spy-cars 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-be-banned-from-widespread-use-of-cctv-spy-cars Mon, 23 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT The attempt by the body representing parish and town councils to ban elected councillors from speaking to journalists without prior written consent from their town clerk is dangerous, wrong-headed, and, yes, Stalinist. We at PSE have plenty of issues with Eric Pickles’ record as a Cabinet minister, but he has stood firm in defence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-is-right 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-is-right Mon, 23 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT New guidance from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) that tries to ban parish councillors from speaking to journalists without prior permission from officials has been castigated in the strongest terms by the government.  NALC has written to 9,000 parish and town councils urging them to adopt the guidelines into their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-should-ignore-stalinist-ban-on-media-contact-pickles 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-should-ignore-stalinist-ban-on-media-contact-pickles Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT Public sector borrowing in May was £13.3bn, up £4.6bn from the same month last year when it was £8.7bn, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed. The Public Sector Finances, May 2014 report estimates that the monthly deficit increased due to there being no transfers from the Bank of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-up-46bn-in-may 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-up-46bn-in-may Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT Plans to allow licensed drivers to let other people use their vehicle when they are off-duty – without any checks being carried out – could be ‘devastating’, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Relaxing minicab licensing under the Deregulation Bill, which is at the Report Stage in Parliament, could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/relaxing-minicab-licensing-laws-could-be-devastating-lga 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/relaxing-minicab-licensing-laws-could-be-devastating-lga Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT Well it’s taken a long time for officialdom to conclude that someone has to be held accountable for their actions. If it has to be this drastic to be an effective deterrent, so be it. However, my main fear is that this will become a witch hunt of NHS staff. [With] many failures we have heard about in recent headlines, blame falls... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-offence-of-wilful-neglect 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-offence-of-wilful-neglect Mon, 23 Jun 2014 09:45:00 GMT Universal Credit will be rolled out across the north west of England from Monday, but the total number of jobcentres offering the flagship scheme will still only total 90 – one in eight of the total across Britain. The rollout will begin with the jobcentres in Altrincham, Hyde, Stalybridge and Stretford offering the benefit, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-expanded-into-north-west 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-expanded-into-north-west Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:30:00 GMT The Cambridge City Deal, which could see up to £1bn pumped into the city’s transport network, has been signed with the government. Following intensive negotiations with Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, The University of Cambridge and the Greater Cambridge Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-deal-opens-up-billion-pound-investment-in-cambridge 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-deal-opens-up-billion-pound-investment-in-cambridge Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:15:00 GMT All 148 local authorities that applied for funding through the government’s £168m Repair the Pothole Fund have been successful and will receive a share of the extra money, the DfT has revealed. However, a greater share is being provided to a number of ‘model’ authorities that were able to demonstrate best practice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/every-council-that-bid-for-pothole-cash-gets-a-share 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/every-council-that-bid-for-pothole-cash-gets-a-share Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:15:00 GMT Guest Blog by the DVLA’s HR director, Phil Bushby. On 13 December 2011, DVLA announced a public consultation exercise called ‘Transforming DVLA Services’. We knew we could serve our customers better and more efficiently by centralising services at our Swansea office and by providing more choice and flexibility around how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-good-people-practices-and-staff-communication 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-good-people-practices-and-staff-communication Fri, 20 Jun 2014 09:30:00 GMT Anglesey County Council’s education services have been lifted out of special measures by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales (Estyn) after making ‘good progress’ in improving standards.  The local authority’s services had been placed into special measures in May 2012 after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/angleseys-education-services-lifted-from-special-measures 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/angleseys-education-services-lifted-from-special-measures Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:45:00 GMT The Audit Commission has called for “improved quality” and “accuracy” in grant and subsidy claims and returns by local authorities. This comes after 78% of councils’ claims to the grant-paying body for housing benefit subsidies for 2012-13 were challenged by the Audit Commission’s appointed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-calls-for-improved-accuracy-in-grant-claims 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-calls-for-improved-accuracy-in-grant-claims Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:45:00 GMT Welsh councils that want to merge voluntarily will have their first elections a year later in a bid to avoid “uncertainty”, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) conference in Llandudno has been told. Speaking to delegates, local government minister Lesley Griffiths stated that there needs to be “much more than a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-mergers-offer-no-silver-bullet--wlga 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-mergers-offer-no-silver-bullet--wlga Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:45:00 GMT The eight successful bids for the government’s £10m innovation fund to explore ways to take superfast broadband to the most remote and hardest to reach places in the UK have been announced. The shortlisted pilots will explore how to expand coverage in remote areas, using fixed wireless and satellite technologies, a social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winning-bids-for-governments-10m-broadband-fund-announced 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winning-bids-for-governments-10m-broadband-fund-announced Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:45:00 GMT The biggest threat to public sector data comes from its employees, a new survey has revealed. The PHS Data Solutions survey, carried out by Ingenium, found that out of 141 senior public sector managers, 83% said they were most concerned about internal loss or misuse, with just 10% worried about the external threat posed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employees-biggest-threat-to-public-sector-data-breaches 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employees-biggest-threat-to-public-sector-data-breaches Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:00:00 GMT The government should make sure future spending reviews are more transparent allowing the public to see that they are “fair” and improve “equality of opportunity” for everyone. This is according to a new progress report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which stated that significant improvements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-fairness-still-needed-in-government-spending-decisions--ehrc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-fairness-still-needed-in-government-spending-decisions--ehrc Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:00:00 GMT The government has yet to demonstrate that its Help to Buy scheme provides value for money and it increases taxpayers’ exposure to risk, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has stated. Under the Scheme, the DCLG makes equity loans available to buyers financing up to 20% of the purchase price of newly-built properties that cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-to-buy-scheme-increases-risk-for-taxpayers--pac 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-to-buy-scheme-increases-risk-for-taxpayers--pac Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised three local authority PFI (Private Finance Initiative) waste contracts with regards to a “lack of clarity” relating to the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved.  The government auditors examined the contract by Defra in PFI contracts entered into and managed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defra-gave-good-support-to-unclear-pfi-deals--nao- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defra-gave-good-support-to-unclear-pfi-deals--nao- Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:45:00 GMT Commissioners of public services must ensure that ethical standards are adhered to and operated by all third-party service providers in contractual arrangements, a new review has stated.  The Committee on Standards in Public Life’s report – Ethical standards for providers of public services – argues that while much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ethical-standards-should-apply-to-all-public-service-providers- 435,440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ethical-standards-should-apply-to-all-public-service-providers- Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:45:00 GMT The idea of creating a single website that brings together information and services for all local government users in the way that GOV.UK does for central government is “ill-conceived” and should “not be attempted”, Socitm has said.  The association, for IT and digital leaders working in local public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-local-government-website-ill-conceived--socitm- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-local-government-website-ill-conceived--socitm- Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:45:00 GMT There are places such as ATM machines and local supermarkets for example where the need to observe for 5-10 minutes to determine loading gives drivers all the time they need. Enforcement officers cannot be everywhere, so realistically much longer. A continuous stream of people stopping is, in effect, parking – despite double yellow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parking-enforcement 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parking-enforcement Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:15:00 GMT If you were suffering from a rapidly and debilitating terminal illness, such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), would you expect to be charged for personal care? In Scotland there are some local authorities charging terminally-ill patients for this care when they should get it for free, according to charity MND Scotland. People diagnosed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/when-should-terminally-ill-patients-pay-for-care-never 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/when-should-terminally-ill-patients-pay-for-care-never Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:05:00 GMT Local government chiefs are calling for tougher fines and a more streamlined prosecution system to take on ‘rogue’ landlords who exploit tenants by letting sub-standard properties. The Local Government Association (LGA) says most landlords are reputable, but a “criminal minority” view fines as ‘operating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-want-tougher-powers-to-tackle-rogue-landlords 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-want-tougher-powers-to-tackle-rogue-landlords Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:03:00 GMT The government reduced the size of its estate by another 500,000 sq m in 2013, saving £240m on running costs compared to a 2009-10 baseline, the Cabinet Office has said. The latest State of the Estate Report highlights that since 2010, the government has reduced the size of its estate by 2 million sq m, saving a cumulative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-continues-reducing-size-of-public-sector-estate 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-continues-reducing-size-of-public-sector-estate Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:02:00 GMT Public sector organisations are missing out on potential savings of more than £7bn thanks to inefficiencies caused by ‘poor staff connectivity’ and ‘digital technology on the move’. According to a new study by O2 and the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr), many public bodies are still facing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-digital-connectivity-costing-public-sector-billions 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-digital-connectivity-costing-public-sector-billions Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:01:00 GMT Unpaid overtime amongst part-time workers in schools and councils has become commonplace and is “exploitative”, trade union Unison has stated. A survey of more than 2,600 part-time workers – who make up around 60% of all employees in local government and schools – revealed that nearly two-fifths of respondents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-overtime-commonplace-for-part-time-council-employees--unison 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-overtime-commonplace-for-part-time-council-employees--unison Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT Approximately 1,060 armed forces personnel are to be made redundant in the fourth and final round of Ministry of Defence (MoD) cuts.  As a result, 995 service personnel will leave the Army, 55 will go from the RAF and 10 will go from the Royal Navy.  However, this announcement comes just after the National Audit Office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mod-cuts-1060-armed-forces-jobs-in-defence-review 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mod-cuts-1060-armed-forces-jobs-in-defence-review Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:15:00 GMT More than two-thirds of council leaders believe that some local authorities will get into financial difficulties within the next 12 months, a new PwC report has revealed.  The ‘Local State We’re In’ report also suggests that nine out of 10 council leaders and chief executives believe that some local authorities will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-facing-financial-crisis-survey-shows 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-facing-financial-crisis-survey-shows Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:02:00 GMT There has been a surge in councils applying for Copyright Licensing Agency Limited (CLA) licences in the wake of legal action taken against Brighton & Hove City Council last year.  In the last 12 months, 46 UK councils have applied for a licence. During the CLA’s legal action against Brighton & Hove it claimed that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/upsurge-in-council-cla-licences-after-brighton-legal-action- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/upsurge-in-council-cla-licences-after-brighton-legal-action- Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:45:00 GMT The biggest change to electoral registration in almost 100 years is underway with the start of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER) and online registering.  The new initiative will replace the current system where one person in each household registers everyone to vote with a requirement for people to register... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transition-to-individual-electoral-registration-begins- 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transition-to-individual-electoral-registration-begins- Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:30:00 GMT A new funding pot of £65m from across Whitehall is being offered to local authorities to tackle homelessness.  The funding is being invested across five programmes. Launched today, there is the Help for Single Homeless Fund, which aims to improve services for single people facing the prospect of homelessness.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-boosts-funding-to-tackle-homelessness- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-boosts-funding-to-tackle-homelessness- Tue, 10 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT Public sector hiring intentions have risen to +8% in the third quarter of 2014, a 6 percentage point jump compared to the previous quarter, according to new figures from ManpowerGroup.  Based on responses from 2,101 UK employers, the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey revealed that there is likely to be more demand for public-facing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-hiring-intentions-up-in-q3 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-hiring-intentions-up-in-q3 Tue, 10 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for a return of school accountability to local councils, stating that the current system is “confusing and fragmented”.  Following the publication of Ofsted’s reports into allegations about an Islamic extremist ‘Trojan Horse’ operation taking place within... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/return-school-accountability-to-local-authorities--lga 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/return-school-accountability-to-local-authorities--lga Tue, 10 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT Public sector employment figures fell by 11,000 between December 2013 and March 2014, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).  The drop escalates to 103,000 when the reclassification of Lloyds Banking Group plc is included. The bank was included in the public sector data from December 2008 to December... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-figures-continue-to-fall- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-figures-continue-to-fall- Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:30:00 GMT Public sector consulting continued its modest recovery in 2013, with revenue growth of around 3%, new data from the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) has revealed. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, public sector spend on consulting amounts to around half of what it was before the economic downturn. So, it is very... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/modest-recovery-continues-in-public-sector-consulting 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/modest-recovery-continues-in-public-sector-consulting Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT More than 20 million meals were given out by food banks and food aid charities in the last year, a 54% increase on the previous 12 months, according to a new report. The study by Oxfam, Church Action on Poverty and The Trussell Trust, ‘Below the Breadline’, suggests that a “storm of changes” to the social security... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-reforms-making-food-poverty-worse-charities 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-reforms-making-food-poverty-worse-charities Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:30:00 GMT Ofsted will publish reports later today triggered by an alleged operation by Muslim fundamentalists to “take over” state schools in Birmingham. The government received the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ letter in late 2013, which claimed to be a template illustrating how state schools could be taken over and pushed into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-to-publish-reports-on-trojan-horse-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-to-publish-reports-on-trojan-horse-schools Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT Unpredictable funding for the Highways Agency and councils for road maintenance could lead to a loss of public value, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In its report – ‘Maintaining strategic infrastructure: roads’ – the NAO stated that funding pressures on highways authorities have encouraged efficiency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpredictable-road-funding-means-works-cannot-be-planned-sensibly 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpredictable-road-funding-means-works-cannot-be-planned-sensibly Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT Industrial action is being threatened by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union if the current passport ‘backlog’ is not addressed by the Passport Office. In a letter to Paul Pugh, chief executive at the Passport Office, reproduced below, the PCS blames the backlog crisis on “major job cuts and office closures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-threatens-strike-action-over-passport-office-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-threatens-strike-action-over-passport-office-cuts Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:15:00 GMT I am not surprised. Councils are having to do far more with far less. With the drop in funding and the increase of newer and more expensive medicines and procedures, coupled with an increasing aging population, it is no wonder that there are more complaints. I am just surprised that it hasn’t been much higher than 14%. The tipping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-complaints 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-complaints Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:00:00 GMT Much of the software used by local authorities to support duties like planning, housing and social care services is not currently available on the government’s G-Cloud, Socitm says.  The public sector ICT representative body added that while local government has to date made less use of the G-Cloud than central government, it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g-cloud-fails-to-offer-councils-support-in-key-areas-socitm- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g-cloud-fails-to-offer-councils-support-in-key-areas-socitm- Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:30:00 GMT Tobacco control campaigner Ailsa Rutter has been awarded a World Health Organisation (WHO) World No Tobacco Day medal in recognition of her work in tackling smoking in the north east.  She is the only person in the UK to win the award, and was interviewed by PSE just over a year ago.  Rutter, who set up Fresh – the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-tobacco-control-campaigner-wins-who-award- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-tobacco-control-campaigner-wins-who-award- Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:30:00 GMT Local Government Association (LGA) chief executive Carolyn Downs has backed NHS Confederation calls for a long-term, multi-year funding settlement for the health service – and said local government should get one too. Speaking on a panel with care minister Norman Lamb MP at the NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-and-councils-need-multi-year-funding-settlements-lga 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-and-councils-need-multi-year-funding-settlements-lga Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:15:00 GMT The Metropolitan Police has stated that following a “thorough” assessment of complaints about electoral malpractice in relation to the borough of Tower Hamlets there is “no evidence that any criminal offences have been committed”. The borough was facing an investigation by the Electoral Commission after local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-responds-to-electoral-malpractice-claims 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tower-hamlets-responds-to-electoral-malpractice-claims Thu, 05 Jun 2014 12:15:00 GMT The Audit Commission has called on councils to ensure they have a “strategic approach” to managing assets and property after finding around £2.5bn of ‘surplus’ assets. The Managing Council Property Assets report, which considers local authorities’ management of the land and buildings that they own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-improve-property-management 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-improve-property-management Thu, 05 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT Limiting pay-offs to public sector staff, capping the overall welfare bill and speeding up the delivery of infrastructure projects all made it into yesterday’s Queen’s Speech. A total of 11 bills and three draft bills were laid out by the monarch at the start of the last parliamentary session before next year’s general... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-aims-to-limit-public-sector-pay-offs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-aims-to-limit-public-sector-pay-offs Thu, 05 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT The government’s G-Cloud framework has yet to take off in county councils with only a small proportion  investing their IT spend in the two-year old initiative, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests have revealed. In the last financial year, the UK’s county councils spent almost £440m on all aspects of IT, a figure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g-cloud-take-up-slow-in-county-councils--foi-reveals- 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g-cloud-take-up-slow-in-county-councils--foi-reveals- Wed, 04 Jun 2014 12:45:00 GMT Funding for local transport schemes must be distributed more equally across the country rather than being so London-centric, otherwise some parts of the UK may get left behind, according to MPs on the Transport Select Committee. In its ‘Local transport expenditure: Who decides?’ report, the committee looked closely at the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-funding-too-london-centric--mps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-funding-too-london-centric--mps Tue, 03 Jun 2014 12:00:00 GMT In more than a third of English council areas the number of homes that have been empty for more than six months is on the rise, according to new analysis from the charity Empty Homes Agency. Although the number of long-term empty properties (vacant for more than six months) has fallen to 232,600 out of 635,127 empty properties as a whole... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empty-homes-figures-rising-in-a-third-of-local-authorities 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empty-homes-figures-rising-in-a-third-of-local-authorities Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:45:00 GMT Councils could spend up to 40% of their overall budgets on care for older and vulnerable people by 2020, as demand for these services increases across the country, according to analysis from the Local Government Association (LGA). But in order to deal with this growing demand, the body, which represents 415 local authorities, has called... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-five-year-commitment-on-social-care-funding 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-five-year-commitment-on-social-care-funding Tue, 03 Jun 2014 11:45:00 GMT Guest blog by Nicole New of responsible tourism charity Hidden Britain. Investing public sector time in tourism could be a resourceful way to bring economic development into an area. Hidden Britain is a tourism charity working across the UK to show communities how tourism can be used as a tool in western economies. The best way to draw... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-steps-to-tourism-partnerships-for-the-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-steps-to-tourism-partnerships-for-the-public-sector Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:00:00 GMT Glasgow is to spell out its vision for a breakaway organisation for the Scottish councils that have quit Cosla, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. Glasgow, Aberdeen and South Lanarkshire have totally disengaged from Cosla, with five other councils having issued notices to quit. The eight councils have been told they would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breakaway-councils-to-spell-out-post-cosla-vision 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breakaway-councils-to-spell-out-post-cosla-vision Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:45:00 GMT The Future High Streets Forum says local leadership is the ‘recipe for success’ – but has warned that a lack of sustainable funding for change and improvement could imperil some projects. The new report by the Forum, ‘Good leadership: Great High Streets’, is based on an analysis of four of the ‘Portas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/revitalising-failing-high-streets-depends-on-local-leadership 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/revitalising-failing-high-streets-depends-on-local-leadership Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:00:00 GMT The LGA and CIPFA have launched an independent commission on how to overhaul local government finance, saying there is an “urgent need for change”. The Independent Commission on Local Government Finance will be chaired by Darra Singh, partner in the Government and Public Sector team at EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young).... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/successive-governments-let-the-public-down-over-council-finance 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/successive-governments-let-the-public-down-over-council-finance Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:00:00 GMT Some European powers back to National; some National powers back to Local Government. Trust the people – or at least give us a chance. Local government (including councillors) in 2014 is not the same as local government in 1984, when powers were being taken away and SOLACE banned from speaking out. Re: Greater devolution to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-of-powers 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-of-powers Mon, 02 Jun 2014 09:15:00 GMT More than 1,600 directly employed staff in Whitehall are paid below the living wage, according to new figures from the Smith Institute. The study – ‘Setting a fair pay standard: the government as a living wage employer’ – revealed that the overall cost to the public purse of paying Whitehall’s lowest paid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-take-lead-as-living-wage-employer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-take-lead-as-living-wage-employer Mon, 02 Jun 2014 09:15:00 GMT Four councils in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire are set to develop a joint working partnership in a move to save more than £55m over the next decade.  Leaders at Cotswold, Forest of Dean and West Oxfordshire District Councils and Cheltenham Borough Council have set out their ‘2020 Vision for Joint Working’ plan for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-plan-new-vision-for-joint-working 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-plan-new-vision-for-joint-working Fri, 30 May 2014 13:45:00 GMT Wolverhampton City Council has been ordered to provide adequate data protection training to its staff, following a series of failures.  The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was taking the enforcement action following a series of warnings dating back over two years.  ICO’s action comes after an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-critical-of-wolverhampton-council-data-security- 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-critical-of-wolverhampton-council-data-security- Fri, 30 May 2014 13:45:00 GMT A cap on spending for both sides of the Scottish independence debate has come into force today as the formal ‘referendum period’ has been entered.  The Electoral Commission, the watchdog policing the independence referendum, stated that the period will run for 16 weeks, until the close of the poll on Thursday 18 September... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-referendum-spending-cap-begins- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-referendum-spending-cap-begins- Fri, 30 May 2014 13:45:00 GMT The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has started a 12-week public consultation on its proposals to change the number of councillors elected to each council. The review will look at each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, and is proposing 15 of the country's councils should have fewer elected representatives on them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-on-councillor-numbers-in-scotland-underway 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-on-councillor-numbers-in-scotland-underway Thu, 29 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT The government has signed off £23m for infrastructure development to ‘open up’ access to four more enterprise zones across the country. Local growth minister Kris Hopkins stated that the funding will bring more jobs to Bristol, Manchester, New Anglia and Leicestershire as part of the government’s long-term economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-funding-opens-up-access-to-more-enterprise-zones 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-funding-opens-up-access-to-more-enterprise-zones Thu, 29 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT Cllr David Sparks is to officially succeed Sir Merrick Cockell as chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) when his term of office comes to an end in July this year. Sparks, who was nominated by the LGA Labour group as its candidate for the role after last week’s local election results, stated that “these are crucial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-lga-chair-calls-for-one-unified-voice-approach 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-lga-chair-calls-for-one-unified-voice-approach Thu, 29 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT The number of complaints relating to adult social care in the last year has increased by 14%, according to new figures from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).  The LGO’s report – Review of Adult Social Care Complaints 2013 – highlighted the impact that people feel when services let them down. In 2013 the LGO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-social-care-complaints-increase-14-in-2013--lgo- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-social-care-complaints-increase-14-in-2013--lgo- Wed, 28 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT More than 1.3 million people have accepted an offer to attend an NHS Health Check in the last 12 months, a 9.5% increase compared to the previous year, according to new figures from Public Health England (PHE). Out of the eligible population, 2.82 million people across all 152 local authorities in England were offered an NHS Health Check... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-health-checks-up-95-phe- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-health-checks-up-95-phe- Wed, 28 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT Voters in Scotland have been provided with two competing claims about the costs and benefits of independence, as the battle for ‘yes/no’ votes deepened today.  Both chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond presented their financial cases to the Scottish public in separate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-independence-rivals-both-claim-they-benefit-scots- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-independence-rivals-both-claim-they-benefit-scots- Wed, 28 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT Over the weekend history was made because, for the first time in over a century, a national election in the UK was not won by either the Conservatives or Labour.  As we saw during last week’s local elections, UKIP made significant gains. But this success was dwarfed by their victory in the European elections.  Of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/election-history-made-in-the-uk-but-what-does-it-mean- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/election-history-made-in-the-uk-but-what-does-it-mean- Tue, 27 May 2014 10:30:00 GMT Decisions on critical services like housing, social care, health and education should be made locally, a new Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned opinion poll has revealed.  Of the nearly 2,000 respondents, around 60% stated that they ‘agree’ decisions should be made at a local authority level, rather than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-devolution-to-local-authorities-wanted-by-public--lga-poll- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-devolution-to-local-authorities-wanted-by-public--lga-poll- Tue, 27 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT Council tax arrears has become the number one debt problem faced by many households across the country, according to one charity.  Between January and March 2014, Citizens Advice revealed that 27,000 people with a council tax arrears problem got help from the charity - a 17% increase on the same period last year.  Up until... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/households-in-council-tax-arrears-increasing-citizens-advice- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/households-in-council-tax-arrears-increasing-citizens-advice- Tue, 27 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT An independent inquiry has been launched to investigate the future role of non-metropolitan areas and their potential for supporting balanced economic growth.  Non-metropolitan areas account for roughly half of England's economy and population. This means that their economic contribution, and their growth potential, is as significant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-to-investigate-future-role-of-non-metropolitan-areas 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-to-investigate-future-role-of-non-metropolitan-areas Tue, 27 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT The coalition government has established more than 500 teaching schools, which work with ‘struggling’ educational establishments to get them back on track, a year ahead of schedule.  In 2010 the government committed to establishing a network of 500 teaching schools by March 2015. This has been surpassed as the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teaching-schools-delivered-ahead-of-schedule--dfe- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teaching-schools-delivered-ahead-of-schedule--dfe- Tue, 27 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT At last some common sense has prevailed (I hope). For some years, we in the care industry have been waiting with empty beds for those in hospital we know shouldn't be there and who would benefit from a little more TLC, whether it be permanent or temporary. However, one of the things that concerns me is that the government are setting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-act 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-act Fri, 23 May 2014 16:30:00 GMT The Law Commission has called for local councils to have greater powers over taxis and private hire vehicles in an effort to develop a simpler, more modern set of national standards. Following its three-year review, the Law Commission has also recommended that local licensing authorities should have the power to impound vehicles used in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/law-commission-calls-for-greater-council-control-over-taxis- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/law-commission-calls-for-greater-council-control-over-taxis- Fri, 23 May 2014 12:30:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s children’s services department is continuing to fail the ‘most vulnerable’ children within the city, a new Ofsted investigation has revealed. The watchdog made an overall judgment of the services saying, once again, they were ‘inadequate’, adding that the Local Safeguarding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-childrens-services-inadequate--ofsted 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-childrens-services-inadequate--ofsted Fri, 23 May 2014 10:45:00 GMT UKIP and Labour have been the major winners so far following yesterday’s local elections, but the full political picture will not be clear until early next week. Most results in the 161 English councils that were being contested are still to come, but 63 councils have declared showing that Labour has gained 102 seats, while UKIP has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukip-gain-ground-following-local-elections 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukip-gain-ground-following-local-elections Fri, 23 May 2014 10:45:00 GMT More than two-thirds of people remain ‘fairly satisfied’ with the way councils have run their services over the last two years, a Local Government Association (LGA) report has revealed. The Evaluation of Sector-led Improvement report, which ran over a two-year period up until early 2014, highlighted that local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/residents-satisfied-with-council-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/residents-satisfied-with-council-services Thu, 22 May 2014 11:30:00 GMT Women often face "sexist, offensive and derogatory remarks" putting them off entering local politics, a new report from theFawcett Society has revealed. Ahead of today’s European and Local Elections, the report – Sexism and Local Government – highlighted that women make up only 32% of local councillors in England and 24%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/women-face-sexism-in-local-politics-fawcett-society 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/women-face-sexism-in-local-politics-fawcett-society Thu, 22 May 2014 11:30:00 GMT Public sector finances worsened in April 2014 with the government having to borrow £11.5bn to cover the gap between revenues and spending, £1.9bn more than the year before, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). One of the biggest reasons for this higher figure in April was apparently a 6.8% drop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-increases-in-april 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-increases-in-april Thu, 22 May 2014 11:15:00 GMT Local government and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are holding protests today about this year’s 1% pay offer, ahead of an official strike ballot this week. More than 600,000 Unison members are being balloted.   The lunchtime protests “will highlight the dire state of local government pay and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protests-today-over-local-government-and-school-support-pay 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protests-today-over-local-government-and-school-support-pay Wed, 21 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT Socitm, the society for public sector IT management, is challenging top teams in local public services to ‘take the digital test’. The organisation has published its ‘Do you do digital?’ guide, and now created an interactive test to allow individuals to assess their organisation’s corporate commitment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/test-your-organisations-digital-capability--socitm 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/test-your-organisations-digital-capability--socitm Tue, 20 May 2014 10:30:00 GMT It seems strange that in these times where working together with other agencies is seen as best practice, discussions on safeguarding are not undertaken with the providers of care to vulnerable people, only the inspecting and regulatory bodies.  Do these bodies really believe that the providers with their wealth of experience and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safeguarding-vulnerable-adults 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safeguarding-vulnerable-adults Mon, 19 May 2014 11:15:00 GMT Blue badge fraud prosecutions have doubled in the last three years following a concerted effort by councils to crack down on dishonest motorists using the free parking passes.  Analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed that unscrupulous fraudsters have even been caught using a dead relative’s pass or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blue-badge-fraud-prosecutions-on-the-rise--lga- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blue-badge-fraud-prosecutions-on-the-rise--lga- Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Although the major political debate for the last few weeks and months has been Europe and, to a large extent, who will come out on top following the European elections on May 22, please don’t forget something just as important…the local elections.  At times it is easy to forget that the local elections are taking place... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-forget-the-local-elections 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-forget-the-local-elections Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Ahead of this week’s local and European parliamentary elections, a Labour MP has demanded that at least one local authority should be prosecuted for not visiting voters’ homes when updating the electoral register.  Council officials are meant to go door-to-door to make sure the lists are accurate, but Chris Ruane, MP for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-missed-off-voter-lists-due-to-lackadaisical-councils--mp 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-missed-off-voter-lists-due-to-lackadaisical-councils--mp Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Public sector buying professionals are ‘missing out’ on time and money savings by not taking advantage of online purchasing, new research has revealed.  Analysis by YPO, the largest public sector buying organisation in the UK, established and owned by 13 local authorities, highlighted that nearly nine out of ten public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-professionals-missing-out-on-online-purchasing- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-professionals-missing-out-on-online-purchasing- Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Plaid Cymru has stated that Wales is missing out on an opportunity to create thousands of jobs, which could be stimulated by spending a larger amount of taxpayer money on public procurement within the country.  The national party of Wales claims that only half of public procurement spending goes to companies based in the country, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-public-procurement-could-stimulate-jobs--plaid-cymru 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-public-procurement-could-stimulate-jobs--plaid-cymru Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT After passing through the House of Lords, the government’s Care Bill has received royal assent, becoming law on May 14, and bringing with it sweeping reform for care and support across the country.  Under the legislation, there are provisions in place for delivering a minimum eligibility threshold – a set of criteria that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-bill-becomes-law- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-bill-becomes-law- Fri, 16 May 2014 13:00:00 GMT Vast amounts of money earmarked for promoting economic growth across the country remains unspent, with little money actually reaching businesses, a new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report has claimed.  After the abolition of the Regional Development Agencies, the DCLG and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalitions-policies-on-boosting-regional-growth-failing-pac- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalitions-policies-on-boosting-regional-growth-failing-pac- Fri, 16 May 2014 13:00:00 GMT Investors in People has announced the shortlist for its inaugural awards, including the final four candidates for the Excellence in the Public Sector category.  That award is to be presented on the night by Roy Rowlands, business development director at Public Sector Executive magazine, who is also one of the judges.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/excellence-in-the-public-sector-award--shortlist-announced 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/excellence-in-the-public-sector-award--shortlist-announced Thu, 15 May 2014 12:30:00 GMT Exploitative working conditions for care workers in the UK means that there is a risk that they will only be able to deliver a rushed, poor quality service, a new Labour-commissioned report has revealed.  The Kingsmill Review, conducted by Baroness Kingsmill, said the pressure that 15-minute care slots place on carers means they are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-calls-for-improved-carer-working-conditions- 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-calls-for-improved-carer-working-conditions- Thu, 15 May 2014 12:30:00 GMT One of the Birmingham schools linked with a potential operation by Muslim fundamentalists to “take over” state schools has insisted there is “no extremism, of any kind” at the institution. Tahir Alam, chairman of governors at Park View academy, stated that there was no segregation of boys and girls or assemblies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-due-on-trojan-horse-allegations-of-birmingham-school-extremism- 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-due-on-trojan-horse-allegations-of-birmingham-school-extremism- Wed, 14 May 2014 13:15:00 GMT The government should help meet the cost of clearing up brownfield land to kick-start the redevelopment of derelict land across the country’s towns and cities to stimulate regeneration, a new paper published by Civitas – the Institute for the Study of Civil Society – has argued.  Within the paper it has suggested... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brownfield-regeneration-needs-better-government-support--civitas- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brownfield-regeneration-needs-better-government-support--civitas- Tue, 13 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Howard League for Penal Reform has renewed its call for outsourcing companies G4S and Serco to be barred from bidding for government business until a major fraud investigation into their practices has been completed.  The companies are being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and have agreed to repay a total of more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fresh-calls-to-bar-g4s-and-serco-from-public-sector-contracts- 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fresh-calls-to-bar-g4s-and-serco-from-public-sector-contracts- Tue, 13 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT Pensioners hoping to benefit from the government’s care cap could be in for a shock as most will pay double the fee limit, because many costs are not included, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) has warned.  There are three types of care costs: daily living costs; local authority set care costs; and top-up care costs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/few-to-benefit-from-care-cost-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/few-to-benefit-from-care-cost-cap Mon, 12 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Everyone wants to feel they are getting a “fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work” but, unfortunately, for many – be they in the public or private sector – this doesn’t seem to be the case at times.  Only last month Unison balloted its local government members in England, Wales and Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-freeze-disillusionment- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-freeze-disillusionment- Mon, 12 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Many workers on a zero-hours contract feel excluded from the sense of “security, fairness and trust” that’s associated with permanent contracts of employment, a new Acas study has revealed.  The discussion paper – ‘Give and take? Unravelling the true nature of zero-hours contracts’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zero-hour-contracts-leave-many-feeling-insecure--acas- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zero-hour-contracts-leave-many-feeling-insecure--acas- Mon, 12 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT UK public sector IT jobs have begun to recover, accounting for 11% of all new IT consultancy roles, research suggests. Although jobs in this area have not yet returned to the pre-2010 peak where 30% of all new IT roles were in the public sector, there is now a steady upward trend being experienced. In 2012, the figure was just... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-it-jobs-in-recovery 439,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-it-jobs-in-recovery Mon, 12 May 2014 10:45:00 GMT Councils across England are facing a financial “tipping point” and services like leisure facilities, children's centres and pothole repairs are likely to bear the brunt of funding cuts over the next two years, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated. Fees and charges will rise, and reserves will shrink, its research shows... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-facing-financial-tipping-point-lga 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-facing-financial-tipping-point-lga Mon, 12 May 2014 10:30:00 GMT Sir Merrick is correct that greater awareness is needed. And there are so many more ways of raising dementia among young people beyond the excellent 'Dementia Diaries' from Kent and 'Tuned into Dementia' from York. Check out also the work in Liverpool and Plymouth – more details at www.dementia4schools.org.uk Re: LGA chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/raising-awareness-of-dementia 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/raising-awareness-of-dementia Mon, 12 May 2014 08:30:00 GMT CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) have launched a new network promoting the use of Integrated Reporting (IR) across the public sector. The new network will help identify and address key sector specific aspects for IR and facilitate the application of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-launches-public-sector-integrated-reporting-network 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-launches-public-sector-integrated-reporting-network Fri, 09 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT Health and care workers and organisations have been given new guidelines on the ways they must work together to prevent abuse and safeguard adult social care.  The new CQC document – ‘Safeguarding Adults – Roles and Responsibilities in Health and Care Service’ – highlights that putting the person at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cqc-aims-to-clarify-roles-in-safeguarding-vulnerable-adults 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cqc-aims-to-clarify-roles-in-safeguarding-vulnerable-adults Fri, 09 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT The financial management of some free schools is ‘not up to scratch’ and overly reliant on whistleblowers when problems should have been identified through their own audit and review processes, a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has stated.  Currently there are 174 free schools in England, which operate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-financial-auditing-of-free-schools-required--pac- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-financial-auditing-of-free-schools-required--pac- Fri, 09 May 2014 14:45:00 GMT Care agencies should ensure that carers they recruit can speak English before placing them in vulnerable people’s homes, a government adviser has said.  Dr Shereen Hussein, of King's College London's Social Care Workforce Research Unit and a scientific adviser to the Department of Health, added that poor language skills could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agencies-must-ensure-carers-can-speak-english- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agencies-must-ensure-carers-can-speak-english- Wed, 07 May 2014 11:45:00 GMT Passenger and freight traffic must be better coordinated across the UK’s road and rail infrastructure to deliver future prosperity, the Transport Committee has stated.  Launching two reports – one examining the proposed planning policy framework for nationally significant road and rail infrastructure projects and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rail-and-road-planning-must-be-joined-up--mps- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rail-and-road-planning-must-be-joined-up--mps- Wed, 07 May 2014 11:30:00 GMT Councils need greater powers to tackle the growing number of rogue landlords who force tenants to live in sub-standard housing, according to the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents almost 400 councils in England and Wales.  The Association noted that councils work with many good private landlords, but it is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-greater-powers-to-tackle-rogue-landlords--lga 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-greater-powers-to-tackle-rogue-landlords--lga Fri, 02 May 2014 14:15:00 GMT Firefighters across England and Wales have staged a five-hour walk out today as part of industrial action over pensions with further strikes planned over the bank holiday weekend.  The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the strike could have been avoided, but fire minister Brandon Lewis MP has sat on alternative pension proposals since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighter-strikes-over-pension-begin- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighter-strikes-over-pension-begin- Fri, 02 May 2014 14:15:00 GMT The DCLG will not press ahead with plans to merge the 89 Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds, but it does believe better management could lead to substantial savings over the next decade.  Following a review of the LGPS by pension experts Hymans Robertson, the consultation outlined two elements which could save taxpayers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-pensions-reforms-backed--but-not-fund-mergers 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-pensions-reforms-backed--but-not-fund-mergers Fri, 02 May 2014 14:15:00 GMT Geoff Trickey, MD of Psychological Consultancy Ltd, discusses the public sector’s values and organisational culture that set it apart from the private sector. Our brains are programmed to make sense of our life experiences. When reflecting, we can build even the most serendipitous of events into a coherent and plausible narrative.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-sense-of-our-career-choices--are-you-out-of-your-natural-comfort-zone 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-sense-of-our-career-choices--are-you-out-of-your-natural-comfort-zone Thu, 01 May 2014 17:00:00 GMT Many families in the UK are living in poverty and do not earn enough income for a “decent diet”, according to the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) in an open letter toprime minister David Cameron in The Lancet. They have called on the PM to take action by setting up an independent working group to monitor UK nutrition and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healthy-diet-unaffordable-for-many-uk-households 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healthy-diet-unaffordable-for-many-uk-households Thu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Labour has promised to introduce new rules to protect private rental tenants if it wins the next election, including restrictions on when landlords can terminate contracts, and new three-year tenancies with strict rules. At the party’s local and European campaign launch in Redbridge, Ed Miliband will set out a series of reforms for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pledges-new-controls-on-private-rented-sector 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pledges-new-controls-on-private-rented-sector Thu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT The recently created Service Transformation Challenge Panel has launched a call for evidence on how public bodies can deliver services in a more integrated way – providing better value for money and improving outcomes for local people. Appointed by communities secretary Eric Pickles and chief secretary to the Treasury Danny... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/service-transformation-panel-issues-call-for-evidence 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/service-transformation-panel-issues-call-for-evidence Thu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Headline figures from LV= Road Rescue’s latest research highlight that there could be as many as 25,000 incomplete roadworks on British roads. And, yes, of course, this number is high and should be tackled. But the real truth is that road maintenance is a cyclical, never-ending process, which we will be talking about forever and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-road-maintenance-the-never-ending-story 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-road-maintenance-the-never-ending-story Thu, 01 May 2014 11:00:00 GMT Serious failings in elderly care, including residents being ignored, taunted and abused, at the Old Deanery care home in Essex have been exposed by BBC Panorama.  Following its investigation, one staff member has been sacked and seven suspended from one of England's largest care homes after footage showed some residents being taunted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elderly-care-home-abuse-exposed-in-essex 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elderly-care-home-abuse-exposed-in-essex Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT Plans to reform the Highways Agency, making it a government-owned company, have been given the green light by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.  Industry insiders have previously called the plans “the first plank to privatisation”.  In less than a year, the Highways Agency, which is an executive agency of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-light-given-for-highways-agency-reforms- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-light-given-for-highways-agency-reforms- Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has claimed that the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is refusing to share information with councils, warning that it will affect how they help people into training and work.  However, a spokesman for UCAS has told PSE this is not true and that it is not refusing to share the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-potential-university-data-sharing-loss 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-potential-university-data-sharing-loss Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT Public policy changes and the recession are likely to have influenced the “sharp decline” in part-time study since 2010 in publicly-funded higher education.  This is according to a new Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) report,  ‘Pressure from all sides: Economic and policy influences on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-linked-to-fall-in-part-time-studying 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-linked-to-fall-in-part-time-studying Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:15:00 GMT Rochdale Borough Council has launched a formal investigation into cases of alleged child sex abuse spanning 30 years in relation to Knowl View school – where the former Liberal MP, the late Cyril Smith, has been accused of regularly abusing boys for more than a decade.  Council leader Colin Lambert said that the investigation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rochdale-child-abuse-cover-up-claims-probed-by-police 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rochdale-child-abuse-cover-up-claims-probed-by-police Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:15:00 GMT MPs overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to scrap the proposed HS2 rail link between London and the West Midlands last night, despite a Tory rebellion.  The proposal by ex-minister Cheryl Gillan MP was defeated by 451 votes to 50. A total of 32 Conservative MPs rebelled against the government, and a further 47 were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-vote-overwhelmingly-in-favour-of-hs2 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-vote-overwhelmingly-in-favour-of-hs2 Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT Guest blog by Rosie Boorne In an age of austerity the UK Government’s capacity to appraise potential investments for their capacity to deliver, affordability and value for money is more important than ever. In an effort to improve this core skill, on 1 May 2014 HM Treasury and the Welsh Government are launching their Better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-launch-of-a-new-profession--improving-government-business-cases 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-launch-of-a-new-profession--improving-government-business-cases Tue, 29 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT Unison is to ballot its local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for strikes after they “overwhelmingly” rejected the employers’ 1% pay offer.  However, the action has been branded as “delaying” the process to pay increases for workers by the LGA.  The ballot will start... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-strike-ballot-delaying-pay-increase-process 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-strike-ballot-delaying-pay-increase-process Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT English councils have saved an extra £83m since last year by sharing services such as adult social care, the delivery of special educational needs and back office support, a new study by the Local Government Association (LGA) has reported.  The study also highlighted that 96% of all English councils (337) have been engaged in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-shared-services-save-357m-in-2013-lga- 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-shared-services-save-357m-in-2013-lga- Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT UK citizens ought to have access to a ‘People’s Ombudsman’ which should have powers to investigate problems in government departments, agencies and the NHS, a  report from the Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) has concluded.  The ‘Time for a Peoples’ Ombudsman’ report also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-needs-an-effective-peoples-ombudsman--pasc 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-needs-an-effective-peoples-ombudsman--pasc Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT The One Public Estate programme, designed to help councils save millions in running costs and create thousands of new homes, has been expanded to new applicants.  The Local Government Association (LGA) told PSE that a further 15 local authorities will be able to take advantage of the initiative.  Launched in 2013, the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-property-sharing-scheme-open-to-new-applicants 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-property-sharing-scheme-open-to-new-applicants Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT Councils have just under a month to bid for a share of the government’s £168m Pothole Fund, but to get the extra repair cash they will have to sign a ‘pledge’ setting out the number of potholes they will have repaired by March 2015.  According to the DfT, the £168m fund, announced in the Budget, is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-make-pothole-pledge-for-extra-funding- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-make-pothole-pledge-for-extra-funding- Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT Firefighters across England and Wales will take part in further industrial action over their pensions on the 2, 3 and 4 May, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has confirmed.  Negotiations between the FBU and the Department for Communities and Local Government — as well as the devolved governments — have been taking place for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighters-to-strike-again-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighters-to-strike-again-over-pensions Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT Asylum seekers in the UK were placed in “unacceptably poor” housing due to a “poorly managed” Home Office scheme, a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed.  In March 2012 the Home Office cut the number of asylum accommodation providers. The previous 22 contracts, handled by suppliers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/asylum-seeker-housing-scheme-poorly-managed--pac 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/asylum-seeker-housing-scheme-poorly-managed--pac Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:15:00 GMT Two Welsh councils will each receive £100,000 in 2014-15 to test more efficient ways to co-ordinate conventional bus, community transport and local authority services – including the use of council vehicles to help people access health and social care.  Major bus operators have been cutting services in Wales as subsidies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-use-own-vehicles-to-top-up-bus-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-use-own-vehicles-to-top-up-bus-services Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:15:00 GMT Scottish councils made procurement savings of £71m in 2012-13, but they can achieve further benefits and savings, according to a new report from the Accounts Commission.  The new study – Procurement in councils – revealed that every year Scotland’s local authorities spend £5.4bn on procuring goods and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-use-electronic-payment-systems- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-urged-to-use-electronic-payment-systems- Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:15:00 GMT Nearly half of the £136m allocated for local welfare schemes has been left unspent and 40% of families are being turned away by local authorities, freedom of information requests by the Guardian have revealed.  The paper’s analysis shows that about half of local councils had spent less than 40% of their funds and, under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-sit-on-emergency-funds-for-poor 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-sit-on-emergency-funds-for-poor Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:30:00 GMT Public sector net borrowing fell to £107.7bn in the last financial year to April 2014, a £7.5bn decrease compared to the same period 12 months earlier, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).  Additionally, in March 2014, underlying public sector net borrowing was £6.7bn, £4.7bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-falls-in-2013-14- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-falls-in-2013-14- Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT Eight renewable energy projects, which are expected to support over 8,000 jobs, have been given the green light by the government.  The contracts, which include offshore wind farms and conversions of coal-powered plants to run on biomass, are the first awarded under the government's energy market reforms.  Each project will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-projects-to-heat-3-million-homes-by-2020 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-projects-to-heat-3-million-homes-by-2020 Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT The Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has called on councils to step up and get better value from the £45bn they spend each year on procuring goods and services. David Stevenson reports. A new report by the Communities and Local Government Committee has called on councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-procurement-processes 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-procurement-processes Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:45:00 GMT Josie Cluer, public sector lead at transformation consultancy Moorhouse, discusses the challenges in building a unified working culture when the public and private sectors are forced to mesh together. The government’s public service reform agenda is driving an increase in outsourcing. The highest profile examples of this are the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inheriting-a-culture 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inheriting-a-culture Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:45:00 GMT Birmingham is not alone in making grand plans ahead of HS2’s arrival – Manchester also has plans for a ‘10-figure’ regeneration scheme around Piccadilly station and the planned neighbouring high-speed terminus. PSE heard from Transport for Greater Manchester’s Martin Lax and Dave Newton, Network Rail’s Clive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connectivity-and-regeneration 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connectivity-and-regeneration Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:30:00 GMT David Soutter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, and Cllr Ann Lucas, leader of Coventry City Council, discuss a new 12-month exclusivity deal ahead of a redevelopment that could transform the city centre. Coventry City Council and Coventry University have signed a 12-month exclusivity deal providing the higher education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/university-targets-council-land-for-redevelopment-plans http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/university-targets-council-land-for-redevelopment-plans Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT Stuart Reid, head of marketing and business development at HWEnergy, talks about the growing adoption of biomass boilers in the Scottish public sector. There have long been calls for the public sector to become leaner and greener. And, in the face of rising oil prices, one council has decided to go down the eco-friendly route of using... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-heat-is-on 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-heat-is-on Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT The University of Bradford calls itself an ‘ecoversity’, with its campus a ‘green oasis’ in the middle of the city. The campus includes some of the most environmentally friendly buildings in the world. PSE talked to the university estate manager for engineering and building, Russell Smith.  The University of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainable-construction-is-in-our-dna 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainable-construction-is-in-our-dna Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:45:00 GMT Paul Dossett, head of local government at Grant Thornton UK LLP, discusses a major research project undertaken with councils and housing associations across the country.  Welfare reform has come to the forefront of public debate in the era of austerity. A year since the first changes were implemented, the need for reform in public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-reform-and-benefit-cuts-the-impact-so-far 447,441,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-reform-and-benefit-cuts-the-impact-so-far Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:30:00 GMT The Cabinet Office has made £150,000 available for Open Data training. Kathryn Corrick, head of content and learning at the Open Data Institute, which will conduct the training, explains the benefits of open data and the technological drive behind it.   As part of the government’s ambitions to improve transparency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-open-data 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-open-data Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT After three years of modest annual improvement, the quality of council websites has taken a tumble in the latest Socitm ‘Better connected’ survey. PSE found out why from Socitm Insight’s director Martin Greenwood. The quality of local authority website performance has slipped back in 2014, according to the most in-depth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/good-content-without-the-complexity-making-council-websites-bette 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/good-content-without-the-complexity-making-council-websites-bette Wed, 16 Apr 2014 11:15:00 GMT After successfully winning a £100,000 award from the O2 Local Government Digital Fund competition, Julia Woollard, team manager for architecture and programme management in ICT at Newcastle City Council, discusses how their innovative idea could help young people in the North East travel independently. Professor Stephen Hawking once... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moving-on-up 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moving-on-up Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:45:00 GMT Helen Milner, chief executive of the Tinder Foundation, a not-for-profit staff-owned mutual improving digital skills, discusses what needs to happen to get everyone online. It’s clear that the government is committed to digital. By the end of this year, the move across to GOV.UK will be complete, consolidating old websites and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winning-the-race-for-a-digital-nation 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winning-the-race-for-a-digital-nation Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:45:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Birmingham City University, examines the tensions between structural and cultural change in public services, arguing that the latter is potentially as problematic as the former. The temptation for ministers to leave their mark on public services by embarking on structural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/structure-or-culture-the-great-reform-conundrum 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/structure-or-culture-the-great-reform-conundrum Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:30:00 GMT Tasked with managing one of the toughest and most expensive areas in local government today, Buckinghamshire County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Angela Macpherson, explains how a preventative approach is helping when it comes to protecting vulnerable children and young people across the county. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-services-spotting-the-signs-through-early-help-and-intervention 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-services-spotting-the-signs-through-early-help-and-intervention Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:15:00 GMT Paul Devoy, head of Investors in People, discusses workplace wellbeing and the upcoming Investors in People Awards. In an ever-stressful working environment, there are several factors that can take a toll on your people. In the recent Investors in People Wellbeing at Work Poll, more than 50% of employees felt that their bosses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-wellbeing-is-your-organisation-a-potential-award-winner 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-wellbeing-is-your-organisation-a-potential-award-winner Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:15:00 GMT Cllr Steve Eling, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance at Sandwell Council, talks about the co-location of services in the face of budget cuts. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, as part of its efforts to save money and consolidate services in the face of severe budget cuts, has started the process of co-locating some of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/saving-services-by-co-locating 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/saving-services-by-co-locating Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:00:00 GMT How are local authorities responding to poverty, hunger and inequality in their communities? More and more of them are choosing to fund food banks, while 15 have joined a network of like-minded boroughs to tackle social exclusion and improve people’s life chances. Others are taking innovative approaches to housing and benefits to deal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-action 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-action Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:00:00 GMT Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Cllr Mohammed Pervez discusses the development of the UK’s first large-scale low-carbon heat network, which will be delivered as part of his authority’s City Deal. David Stevenson reports. Stoke-on-Trent is to deliver the UK’s first large-scale low-carbon heat network, which will help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/powerhouse-central 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/powerhouse-central Wed, 16 Apr 2014 09:45:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s director of planning and regeneration, Waheed Nazir, was the driving force behind the recent Birmingham Curzon HS2 Masterplan, a grand vision of regeneration, connectivity and architectural inspiration for the city’s east side. PSE spoke to him.  HS2 which will be the UK’s biggest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/international-ambitions 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/international-ambitions Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:30:00 GMT Dr Lee Pugalis, reader in entrepreneurship at Northumbria University, talks about his latest research on local enterprise partnerships and their role in strategic planning.  Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have an important strategic role to play in supporting investment confidence and championing economic growth, but their role... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-planning-role-still-unclear 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-planning-role-still-unclear Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:45:00 GMT Dame Mary Keegan, the former managing director for Government Financial Management, HMG Treasury department finance director and head of the Government Finance Profession, has received the ‘Award for Outstanding Achievement’ from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. PSE spoke to her. Dame Mary Keegan was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-woman-who-transformed-accountancy-in-government 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-woman-who-transformed-accountancy-in-government Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:45:00 GMT More than 120 communities will be taking control of neighbourhood schemes to boost employment, combat crime and improve the health of their residents, as part of a major expansion of the government’s Our Place programme.  The initiative brings together councillors, public servants, voluntary and community organisations and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/123-communities-join-our-place-programme- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/123-communities-join-our-place-programme- Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:30:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ruled that two local authorities in England have breached the Data Protection Act (DPA) after mishandling sensitive social services records.  Wokingham Borough Council in Berkshire lost documents that related to the care of a young child. The information, which included details of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-breaches-at-wirral-and-wokingham-councils--ico 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-breaches-at-wirral-and-wokingham-councils--ico Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:30:00 GMT Proposals for new garden cities should include at least 15,000 homes, be locally led and have the backing of existing residents, according to the government’s new prospectus.  The strategy, by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and communities secretary Eric Pickles, shows there is a “genuine ambition for growth in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/garden-cities-should-be-locally-led--clegg- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/garden-cities-should-be-locally-led--clegg- Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:30:00 GMT The number of people turning to food banks in the face of welfare cuts is on the rise. PSE’s David Stevenson talked to Adrian Curtis, food bank network director at the Trussell Trust, to get the charity’s view on council-funded food banks. Across England and Wales the number of food banks opening each week is on the rise, and so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-for-food-banks 442,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-for-food-banks Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:00:00 GMT Cllr John Cotton, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for social cohesion and equalities, talks about the development of the National Social Inclusion Network and what it will mean for tackling inequality in the UK.   An alliance of cities, towns and boroughs has been formed as part of the new National Social Inclusion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-social-inequality-nationally 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-social-inequality-nationally Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:45:00 GMT Around two-thirds of people living in Britain would rather live near a wind farm than a fracking site, a new YouGov report commissioned by Ecotricity has revealed. This comes only days after the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, extended his powers to “pull” renewable energy projects for a further 12 months. So far, using... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-wind-farms-really-so-unpopular 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-wind-farms-really-so-unpopular Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:07:00 GMT Over 50% of teachers say their job has had a negative effect on their mental health, a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has found. The new poll also revealed that nearly two-fifths of school and college staff have reported a rise in mental health problems among their contemporaries in the last two years. Dr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growing-number-of-teachers-facing-mental-health-issues--atl 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growing-number-of-teachers-facing-mental-health-issues--atl Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:06:00 GMT The public sector, if it does not lose too much capacity, is in an ideal position to broker and create innovative solutions across the three sectors of the economy. There are many within the public sector who can see the clear connection between social purpose / social enterprise bringing economic 'growth' and dynamism whilst addressing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ipcc-and-the-public-sector 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ipcc-and-the-public-sector Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:05:00 GMT Nearly four million families are about one month away from homelessness because they would not have enough money to pay their mortgage or rent if they lost their jobs, research has revealed. More than 7,500 people were surveyed by the housing charity Shelter, which found that 44% of working families with children under the age of 18 are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-support-vital-as-4m-families-on-financial-knife-edge-shelter 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-support-vital-as-4m-families-on-financial-knife-edge-shelter Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:02:00 GMT Leadership failures and a culture of denial in handling complaints within public services is what leads to failures like the Mid-Staffs hospital disaster, says the Commons Public Administration Committee (PASC). In a new report – More complaints please! – it reveals that failures to recognise the importance of complaints leads... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-complaints-handling-poisoning-good-public-services-pasc 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-complaints-handling-poisoning-good-public-services-pasc Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:01:00 GMT The government has stated that it “values and protects the countryside” after it was criticised for “hustling” councils to produce local plans in order to quickly meet housing targets. According to Dame Helen Ghosh, head of the National Trust, many local authorities have said that “pressure” made them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-feel-pressure-on-granting-greenfield-planning 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-feel-pressure-on-granting-greenfield-planning Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:00:00 GMT Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), has called on 400 council leaders across England and Wales to become a Dementia Friend – in an attempt to drive public knowledge and awareness of the illness.  Currently, more than 800,000 people across the UK are affected by dementia and this is expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-chief-calls-for-greater-awareness-on-dementia- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-chief-calls-for-greater-awareness-on-dementia- Fri, 11 Apr 2014 15:15:00 GMT Plans to extend the communities secretary’s powers to “pull” renewable energy projects for a further 12 months have been branded a “costly mistake” by RenewableUK.  The secretary of state had announced in October 2013 that he would recover more renewable energy projects in England for a six month period... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extending-powers-to-pull-renewable-projects-a-costly-mistake- 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extending-powers-to-pull-renewable-projects-a-costly-mistake- Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT Local government must take the lead in shaping local economies to ensure growth is delivered sustainably, a new report from Solace (the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) has revealed.  One of its key recommendations was that whilst accepting valuable contributions from Local Enterprise Partnerships... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-must-lead-local-growth--solace- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-must-lead-local-growth--solace- Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT Tim Pryce, who leads the Carbon Trust’s public sector work, looks to the future. Britain’s public sector is facing two major challenges. There is a struggle to find operational efficiencies in delivering services today, a need to do more with less. And there is a need to show leadership and take immediate action on climate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/where-next-for-public-sector-sustainability-in-the-uk 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/where-next-for-public-sector-sustainability-in-the-uk Fri, 11 Apr 2014 11:45:00 GMT Grant Speed, managing director of Odgers Interim, reports from the organisation’s recent Annual Public Services Dinner, addressed by HS2’s Paul Chapman. Paul Chapman, partner at Westbourne Communications and interim communications director at HS2 Ltd (pictured), advised an audience of public service executives and leaders that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-narrative-right-is-vital-if-you-want-engage-public-interest 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-narrative-right-is-vital-if-you-want-engage-public-interest Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:15:00 GMT Residents in London could be more susceptible to dying from diseases attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution, than people living in other local authorities across Britain, new estimates published by Public Health England (PHE) have found.  According to the data, central estimates of mortality rates attributable to this form... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/air-pollution-a-growing-health-issue-for-local-authorities- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/air-pollution-a-growing-health-issue-for-local-authorities- Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT Local authorities made less than 1% of requests to use data gathering powers in 2013, a report by the Commissioner for Interception has revealed.  Of the 514,608 notices and authorisations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) made last year, only 1,766 were made by councils.  The majority of requests by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-rarely-using-data-gathering-powers- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-rarely-using-data-gathering-powers- Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government has been urged by local authority chiefs and campaigners to scrap plans to stop CCTV being used to enforce parking rules.  Under current proposals, the government plans to stop councils from using CCTV to tackle dangerous parking outside schools, prevent drivers blocking bus lanes and loading bays, and stop a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urge-government-to-scrap-cctv-parking-camera-ban 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urge-government-to-scrap-cctv-parking-camera-ban Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT People will now be offered cash payments to offset the cost of installing low carbon systems in their properties as the government’s domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (d-RHI) scheme is finally being rolled out.  Delayed since 2012, the d-RHI covers single domestic dwellings and is open to homeowners, private landlords, social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-goes-live- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-goes-live- Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT In the music industry there have been some turbulent marriages: Ike and Tina, Sonny and Cher; the British equivalent seems to be England and Scotland.  However, in September, the Scottish public will be able to vote on whether to stay in the “marriage bed” with the UK or “divorce” it and become an independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lets-stay-together--if-only-for-the-energy-bills 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lets-stay-together--if-only-for-the-energy-bills Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT Maria Miller has resigned as culture secretary saying that her “present situation has become a distraction from the vital work the government is doing”.  Her exit from the cabinet comes after a media furore following an investigation into her expenses, in which Miller was ordered to repay £5,800 in overclaimed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maria-miller-resigns-as-culture-secretary- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maria-miller-resigns-as-culture-secretary- Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT The NationalAssociation of Local Councils (NALCs) is demanding a review of the funding rules for parish and town councils after 17 local authorities refused to pass on £3.8m of funding, which would help them mitigate the impact of localised council tax support schemes.  Central government has provided funding of £3.3bn to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-calls-for-review-of-funding-rules 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-calls-for-review-of-funding-rules Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT Labour has promised to devolve more powers to local authorities over transport, housing and employment to help close the “productivity gap” with London, if it wins power at the next general election.  Speaking in Birmingham, Ed Miliband stated that Labour’s objective is for a radical devolution of economic power to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pledges-power-devolution-to-councils- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pledges-power-devolution-to-councils- Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:45:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) says Ofsted’s new report on looked after children is “disappointing” and says the regulator is just “jumping on the bandwagon”.  Ofsted has demanded that local authorities improve the care of looked after children living in care homes far away from their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-attacks-ofsted-over-children-in-council-care-report- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-attacks-ofsted-over-children-in-council-care-report- Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:45:00 GMT Councils now have the opportunity to bid for a share of £300m in extra borrowing, which will be made available through an increase in their housing revenue account borrowing cap, to enable them to build up to 10,000 affordable homes.  The additional borrowing headroom was first revealed in last year’s Autumn Statement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-housing-revenue-funds-open-for-council-bids 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-housing-revenue-funds-open-for-council-bids Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:30:00 GMT After not receiving a pay rise for four years, I received a 1% rise in January, backdated to September 2013. This gave me an additional £60 in my pocket in January, with all of the back-pay. I am not bowled over with the generosity shown to me by managers on wages of £100k-plus. I must say that 1% pay rise makes little... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:30:00 GMT As Esther McVey, the employment minister, unveils new plans to toughen up the rules surrounding how people sign-on to get Jobseeker’s Allowance we’ve also seen the ‘caring’ side of the coalition waving its flag to reduce youth unemployment up and down the country. Later this week at the Wales Office Jobs Summit in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-to-wales-for-youth-employment-inspiration 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-to-wales-for-youth-employment-inspiration Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:05:00 GMT Anyone thinking of making an employment tribunal claim will now have to contact Acas first, under the new Early Conciliation service. Anne Sharp, chief executive of Acas, recently explained for PSE readers how the introduction of the new Early Conciliation service will change how workplace disputes are dealt with in the future. As of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-early-conciliation-service-goes-live 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-early-conciliation-service-goes-live Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:04:00 GMT Labour has accused the government of creating a “crisis” for primary school placements, with many children facing the possibility of not being able to get a place in September. However, the Department for Education (DfE) has dismissed the claims as “bogus”. The opposition stated that Freedom of Information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/primary-school-places-crisisin-england--labour- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/primary-school-places-crisisin-england--labour- Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:03:00 GMT Jobseekers will have to do more than simply ‘sign-on’ for benefits under new government rules coming into force at the end of this month. Under the new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) procedures, jobseekers will have to take the first “basic steps” to make themselves employable before meeting with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/signing-on-not-so-simple-anymore--dwp 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/signing-on-not-so-simple-anymore--dwp Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:01:00 GMT If the harmful environmental impacts of HS2 are to be minimised better safeguards need to be implemented, the Environmental Audit Committee has stated, including a serious look at cutting the maximum speed of the new trains to reduce emissions. In its report – HS2 and the environment – it has suggested that the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-must-be-done-to-cut-hs2s-environmental-impact--mps 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-must-be-done-to-cut-hs2s-environmental-impact--mps Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:00:00 GMT The government has entered a 12-month agreement with Microsoft to maintain “critical” and “important” security updates for Windows XPafter regular support for the operating system ends on 8 April 2014. Worth an estimated £5.5m, the contract will provide updates for Windows XP, Office 2003 and Exchange 2003... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pays-to-extend-microsoft-xp-support-for-entire-public-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pays-to-extend-microsoft-xp-support-for-entire-public-sector Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:45:00 GMT Nearly two-thirds of state-funded workers believe public sector reforms will not be carried out effectively due to a skills shortage, new research has revealed. In a survey of 1,619 public sector staff from central government, local government and the health sector, a total of 82% say that reforms are under pressure due to “staffing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-reforms-hampered-by-skills-shortage 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-reforms-hampered-by-skills-shortage Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:45:00 GMT The government has appointed inspectors to look into allegations of “governance failure, poor financial management and fraud” at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Eric Pickles, the local government secretary, made the announcement after “serious concerns” were raised following the receipt of “certain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspectors-to-investigate-tower-hamlets 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspectors-to-investigate-tower-hamlets Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:30:00 GMT Guest blog by Nicole New of responsible tourism charity Hidden Britain Delivery of tourism services is at the discretion of local authorities and it is an easy area to dismiss as frivolous when budgets are tight. However, tourism is the third largest sector in the UK, so by harnessing people’s passions for their area, we at Hidden... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-community-tourism-projects-in-the-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-community-tourism-projects-in-the-public-sector Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:45:00 GMT The government is providing 24 local authorities across England with a share of £88m to help drive the roll out of its “lacklustre” Green Deal home energy programme on a “street-by-street” basis. Earlier this year, a report by UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC)revealed that, so far, the uptake of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-offered-88m-to-help-roll-out-of-lacklustre-green-deal 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-offered-88m-to-help-roll-out-of-lacklustre-green-deal Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT Funding worth £410m is being made available to help councils transform the way they run,  and reward authorities that cut duplication and build services around the needs of local people, local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. The total funding package, which will be rolled out in a staggered manner until 2016... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-410m-fund-for-council-service-transformation 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-410m-fund-for-council-service-transformation Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT Local authorities in England and Wales have warned of a ‘national road crisis’ escalating as the repair backlog bill on the country’s roads hits £12bn. This year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, estimates that the cost to get the local road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-repair-backlog-cost-reaches-12bn--alarm 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-repair-backlog-cost-reaches-12bn--alarm Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:30:00 GMT The transparency of the private sector in delivering public services is “sub-standard”, according to Gillian Fawcett, global public sector finance chief of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). In a new report – ‘Breaking out: public audit’s new role in a post-crash world’ –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-of-private-providers-vital-check-on-public-spending--acca 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-of-private-providers-vital-check-on-public-spending--acca Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT The government’s Immigration Bill is likely to pose “threats” to public health and result in increased costs and more stress for NHS staff, a group of health experts have warned. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, they say that the Bill is far reaching and, if passed un-amended, will alter access... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/immigration-bill-could-pose-threat-to-public-health- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/immigration-bill-could-pose-threat-to-public-health- Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:15:00 GMT This year around 2.3 million low-income families will have to pay an extra £149 in council tax than they did under the council tax benefit scheme, as the government withdraws a benefits safety net, a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed. Last April, CTB was abolished and replaced by Council Tax Support (CTS). In the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-reforms-hitting-poorest-families-hardest--jrf 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-reforms-hitting-poorest-families-hardest--jrf Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:00:00 GMT The country’s new Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UK) was officially launched by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude this week. The body, led by Chris Gibson, will take the lead in coordinating the management of national cyber security incidents and will act as the UK central contact point for international counterparts in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-cyber-security-team-makes-us-more-resilient--maude 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-cyber-security-team-makes-us-more-resilient--maude Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:15:00 GMT The government will not spend billions of pounds creating “artificial” jobs in the public sector, in its attempts to lower the unemployment rate, the chancellor George Osborne has stated. Speaking at Tilbury Port, yesterday, he said the Conservatives are committed to achieving full employment. But he added: ... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-artificial-public-sector-jobs-doesnt-work--osborne 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-artificial-public-sector-jobs-doesnt-work--osborne Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:45:00 GMT Cumulative changes to current governance standards for local government could risk eroding the “checks and balances” system and leave the public interest “vulnerable”, Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has said. He added that current central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-governance-must-be-protected-cipfa 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-governance-must-be-protected-cipfa Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:45:00 GMT The first meeting of the newly established combined authority for Merseyside and Liverpool has been held at the Merseytravel headquarters in Mann Island. With the leaders of all six Mersey boroughs in attendance to get business underway, it is expected that the name “Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-underway-for-new-merseyside-combined-authority 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-underway-for-new-merseyside-combined-authority Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:30:00 GMT Today’s IPCC report on the potential impacts of climate change – the most serious and alarming so far – shows the need for the UK to “take a lead” on tackling the crisis, says energy secretary Ed Day. The IPCC’s Working Group II report has shown that climate change in Europe could lead to increased more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-action-required-on-climate-change 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-action-required-on-climate-change Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:05:00 GMT Plans to change the way local authorities discharge their duty under the Childcare Act 2006, including proposals to ensure early education is delivered free of charge, are being consulted on  by the government. Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under section 7 of the 2006Act to secure early years provision free of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-may-get-more-control-over-early-education-provision 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-may-get-more-control-over-early-education-provision Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:04:00 GMT Wow, I can't believe my pay is going to go up by £1.16 a week! Of course, I won't see any of that until September, and since that represents about the price of a loaf of bread these days, it won't exactly put me in the supertax bracket. And, as I work for library services and won't actually have a job much beyond that anyway, I probably... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:03:00 GMT The UN’s Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has today published volume two of the fifth assessment report on climate change, moving on from the physical science and focusing on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, updating its previous 2007 report. The report doesn’t focus on individual countries, so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-uk-public-sector-and-climate-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-uk-public-sector-and-climate-change Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:02:00 GMT Rates for alcohol-related hospital admissions have risen in London since 2006, according to data from the Department of Health, but a new digital tool that collects data on crime, ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions could help curb the harm caused by excessive drinking. The tool was developed by the London Borough of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digitally-tackling-binge-drinking-in-london 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digitally-tackling-binge-drinking-in-london Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:01:00 GMT Seven construction companies have been appointed to be part of the procurement framework for school building projects worth £200m in Wales. The North Wales Collaborative Construction Framework, which is the first large construction framework in North Wales, will help to deliver the 21st Century Schools Programme over the next four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seven-companies-win-work-on-200m-construction-framework 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seven-companies-win-work-on-200m-construction-framework Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:00:00 GMT Following the Le Grand review on ways forward for children’s social care services in Birmingham, it is good news that some of the recommendations are being followed.  For instance, the appointment of Lord Norman Warner as the commissioner for these services, supported by an independent expert panel, seems to be quite sage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/be-careful-where-the-power-goes- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/be-careful-where-the-power-goes- Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:15:00 GMT The government has appointed an external commissioner to oversee improvement in Birmingham’s failing children’s social care services.  Labour peer Lord (Norman) Warner, a former health minister in the Blair years, has been appointed to turn things around.  Education minster Ed Timpson made the decision following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-takes-action-over-birminghams-failing-childrens-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-takes-action-over-birminghams-failing-childrens-services Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMT A further 32 low carbon vehicles will be added to Scotland’s growing eco-friendly bus fleet, thanks to government funding.  Around £2m has been awarded to Stagecoach East and Lothian Buses – the successful bidders from the fourth round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund – towards the cost of buying the new low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-adds-more-vehicles-to-eco-friendly-bus-fleet- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-adds-more-vehicles-to-eco-friendly-bus-fleet- Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMT Atos Healthcare is to exit its £500m contract to assess whether benefit claimants are “fit-to-work” a year ahead of schedule, the government has confirmed. Ministers, however, have made clear that Atos will not receive any compensation from the taxpayer and had made a “substantial” financial settlement to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/atos-removed-from-work-capability-assessment-contract 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/atos-removed-from-work-capability-assessment-contract Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:00:00 GMT The financial resources available to local authorities, their limited taxing powers and their dependence on government grants, are still “areas of concern” in limiting self-government in the UK, according to a new report from the Council of Europe (CE).  The report, presented to the Congress of Local and Regional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-of-europe-concern-at-uk-council-spending-cuts 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-of-europe-concern-at-uk-council-spending-cuts Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:15:00 GMT Most council areas across England and Wales (202 out of 348) saw a drop in the number of people cycling to work between 2001 and 2011, census figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed. But this was offset by big rises in some urban areas, meaning the proportion of journeys to work remained static at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cycling-to-work-figures-drop-across-local-authorities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cycling-to-work-figures-drop-across-local-authorities Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:15:00 GMT The first 12 months of the health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) has been “challenging” yet “rewarding” with lots to celebrate, according to Michael Coughlin, executive director at the Local Government Association (LGA).  Speaking at an event to reflect on the progress of HWBs, he added that the LGA’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-year-of-hwbs-challenging-yet-rewarding- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-year-of-hwbs-challenging-yet-rewarding- Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:15:00 GMT Councils could save £464m on waste management spending if they all implemented the measures already in place in the best-performing areas, the Audit Commission says.  However, figures from the ‘Local authority waste management: Using data from the Value for Money (VFM) Profiles’, shows that spending on waste managed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-waste-management-could-save-councils-millions- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-waste-management-could-save-councils-millions- Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:15:00 GMT Guest blog by Karey Barnshaw, customer engagement manager at North Kesteven District Council, who describes how it is driving online channel shift to deliver more efficient services to residents. Although it’s positioned as a small, rural local authority, North Kesteven District Council operates across a large area, making the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/channel-shift-is-green-lit-at-north-kesteven-district-council 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/channel-shift-is-green-lit-at-north-kesteven-district-council Thu, 27 Mar 2014 09:30:00 GMT The average council tax bill in England has fallen in real-terms for the fourth year, as almost two-thirds of town halls have taken up the government’s freeze offer, local government secretary Eric Pickles has said.  National Local Government Finance statistics have revealed that the average band D Council Tax level from this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/average-council-tax-bill-falling-in-real-terms--pickles- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/average-council-tax-bill-falling-in-real-terms--pickles- Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:45:00 GMT Thousands of schools across England and Wales are facing disruptions and closures today because of the national one-day teachers’ strike over conditions, pay and pensions. The strike, called by the largest teachers’ union the National Union of Teachers (NUT), means many schoolchildren unable to attend classes.  Union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-out-as-nut-strike-over-pay 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-out-as-nut-strike-over-pay Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:45:00 GMT More than 80% of local government managers believe that shared ICT services are either “important” or “very important” in improving the services in their operations, a new survey has revwealed.  The report, New Ways of ICT Working, reveals the extent to which shared services, cloud and IT strategy are helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-ict-services-very-important-in-public-sector- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-ict-services-very-important-in-public-sector- Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:45:00 GMT Ten councils will get up to £100,000 each to support the transformation of their public services, under the Delivering Differently Challenge programme.  More than 150 local authorities across England applied for the support, but the successful applicants demonstrated innovative approaches and showed that they were committed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10-local-authorities-to-receive-delivering-differently-funding- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10-local-authorities-to-receive-delivering-differently-funding- Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:15:00 GMT There is not enough competition in IT purchasing and supply to the public sector, an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) market study has revealed. The most notable concerns raised by the Call for Information (CFI) report include the large share of contracts in some areas of the sector held by just a few businesses, high barriers to entry and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-competition-in-public-sector-ict-market--oft 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-competition-in-public-sector-ict-market--oft Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMT A new set of benchmarking reports will allow library authorities across England to compare the services they offer with neighbouring authorities. Commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the reports allow library authorities to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/library-authorities-offered-service-comparison-reports 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/library-authorities-offered-service-comparison-reports Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMT A guest blog from Investors in People Tight deadlines, long hours, ever-growing to-do lists and unforeseeable circumstances can all take their toll on your people – especially in an environment of constant budget pressure and uncertainty. In our recent Investors in People Wellbeing at Work Poll (February 2014), which questioned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wellbeing-at-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wellbeing-at-work Tue, 25 Mar 2014 09:15:00 GMT Guest blog by Christian Lanng, CEO at Tradeshift, who discusses the need for sustainable procurement by public sector bodies in order to support small businesses (SMEs) and therefore boost the UK economy. The government’s public spending is so vast (approximately 16% of GDP) that sustainable procurement has to be a priority if the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainability-is-key-in-public-sector-procurement 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainability-is-key-in-public-sector-procurement Tue, 25 Mar 2014 08:30:00 GMT The Leicester and Leicestershire economy is to receive a £36m funding boost, following the latest agreement in the City Deals initiative. After 18 months of negotiations, Greg Clark, the minister for cities, is to rubber-stamp the government's agreement with the city and county councils and the Local Enterprise Partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-deal-agreement-to-boost-leicestershire-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-deal-agreement-to-boost-leicestershire-economy Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT Clegg Construction has been awarded a share of a £140m building contract as part of the East Midlands Property Alliance’s (empa’s) minor works framework, which covers public sector buildings. The Nottingham-based company was awarded the contract after being named an empa partner. The contract, which runs for a period of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empa-awards-multi-million-public-sector-construction-contracts 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empa-awards-multi-million-public-sector-construction-contracts Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT An interim Scottish constitution will be published ahead of the parliament’s summer recess, the country’s deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon has stated. As part of her Wales Governance Centre Annual Lecture in Cardiff, Sturgeon revealed that – as part of the Scottish government's ongoing preparations for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interim-scottish-constitution-to-be-published 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interim-scottish-constitution-to-be-published Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT New rules introduced by the Ministry of Justice that ban all prisoners from receiving books from the outside world have been slammed as counter-productive and "despicable".  Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the new rules would mean that “from now on, any man, woman or child in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prisoner-book-ban-despicable-say-campaigners 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prisoner-book-ban-despicable-say-campaigners Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT It seems to me that those people who are lucky enough to have a house whose value has risen through no doing of their own should be prepared to sell it at the end of their life to pay for their own care. I would certainly expect to do precisely that, having helped the children as much as possible in the past. This would release more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-costs 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-costs Mon, 24 Mar 2014 09:15:00 GMT Employers have formally offered council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who earn more than £14,880 a 1% pay rise this year. Those who earn lower salaries would receive a “slightly higher” increase. However, the proposal has sparked anger amongst unions with UNISON calling the offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1-pay-offer-for-council-workers-outrageous-unison 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1-pay-offer-for-council-workers-outrageous-unison Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:30:00 GMT Fifteen local authorities have signed up to be part of the new National Social Inclusion Network, launched by Birmingham City Council and the Bishop of Birmingham, to tackle social inequality The declaration states that, against a backdrop of public sector cuts, the task of creating more inclusive cities has moved beyond what local or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15-councils-sign-up-to-national-social-inclusion-network 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15-councils-sign-up-to-national-social-inclusion-network Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:30:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has been appointed to establish a new company to act as a “transitional body” when the Audit Commission closes. Local government minister Brandon Lewis announced the initiative as part of plans to save £1.2bn from the closure of the Audit Commission. The LGA will be responsible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-to-create-transitional-body-following-audit-commission-closure 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-to-create-transitional-body-following-audit-commission-closure Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:15:00 GMT Despite yesterday’s Budget not bringing further cuts for local government it has not changed the fact that the next two years will be the toughest yet for people who use and rely upon the services which councils provide, Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated. Overall, there was mixed news... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tough-times-lay-ahead-for-local-councils-lga 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tough-times-lay-ahead-for-local-councils-lga Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has outlined a number of highways initiatives and infrastructure spending as part of his Budget speech today. He is making £140m available, on top of that already provided, for immediate repairs and maintenance to damaged flood defences across Britain. A new £200m potholes fund will also be available... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/200m-pothole-repair-fund-available 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/200m-pothole-repair-fund-available Wed, 19 Mar 2014 16:45:00 GMT The number of public sector employees fell to 5.51 million in December 2013, down 159,000 from September 2013, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed. According to the Labour Market Statistics - March 2014 report, the December figures, which were down 203,000 from a year earlier, had been affected by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-jobs-down-after-royal-mail-privatisation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-jobs-down-after-royal-mail-privatisation Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne is expected to reveal new funding plans for repairing and improving flood defences in his Budget statement today, following the wettest winter for at least 250 years. The money in the Budget is thought to be on top of the £130m already pledged in February to repair the defences damaged this winter, though... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-funding-for-flood-defences-in-the-budget 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-funding-for-flood-defences-in-the-budget Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:30:00 GMT A compulsory council tax discount given to people living alone in properties rated band E and above is costing local authorities more than £200m per year, new data has revealed. Government rules stipulate that councils must give a 25% discount for all homes with only one adult liable to pay council tax. However, the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bachelor-discount-costing-councils-200m 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bachelor-discount-costing-councils-200m Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:45:00 GMT The true scale and number of youth employment across England and Wales is being hidden because figures focus on the unemployed and not young people who are only working part-time hours or are over-qualified for their current job, council leaders have warned. While youth unemployment appears to be falling, according to government data, in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolve-powers-locally-to-tackle-youth-unemployment--lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolve-powers-locally-to-tackle-youth-unemployment--lga Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:45:00 GMT Guest blog by Steve Wyler, chief executive, Locality Last week at the House of Lords we launched a much-anticipated report: Saving money by doing the right thing: why ‘local by default must replace ‘diseconomies of scale’. Incredibly, the economy of scale argument is still dominant in the Treasury, in government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-local-by-default-must-replace-diseconomies-of-scale 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-local-by-default-must-replace-diseconomies-of-scale Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:45:00 GMT The length of time disabled people have to wait to find out if they are eligible for benefit is ‘unacceptable’, according to a report published by the Work and Pensions Committee (WPC). The majority of people applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) undergo a face-to-face assessment to determine eligibility, which is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disability-benefits-waiting-time-unacceptable--wpc 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disability-benefits-waiting-time-unacceptable--wpc Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:30:00 GMT The DWP’s ‘Universal Jobmatch’ web service is set to be scrapped, according to a Guardian story, as the site buckles under the weight of fraudulent, fake, duplicate and inappropriate job ads. The paper quotes sources saying that the company that runs it, job search giant Monster, knows what it is doing, but that its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mismatched 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mismatched Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:35:00 GMT I am very disappointed by the possibility that the plans for an HS1-HS2 link will be shelved. I suspect that this has less to do with cost savings and more to do with caving in to pressure from well-connected Camden residents using phoney business case arguments as a smokescreen for NIMBYism. HS2 has expended very little apparent effort... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-the-hs1-hs2-link 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-the-hs1-hs2-link Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:35:00 GMT Current pension contribution levels in the public sector could lead to a shortfall of nearly £1bn, near-final valuations from the Government Actuary’s Departmenthave revealed. The non-ministerial body highlighted that if current contribution rates continue unchanged, there would a nearly £1bn a year shortfall across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-contributions-from-public-sector-employers-must-rise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-contributions-from-public-sector-employers-must-rise Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:33:00 GMT The Cabinet Office has published an update report on Open Public Services, saying that the government is creating “a more innovative, diverse and dynamic landscape of public services”. These are some of the highlights from the last year picked out by government policy minister Oliver Letwin and Cabinet Office minister David... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/removing-the-barriers-to-public-services-reform 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/removing-the-barriers-to-public-services-reform Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:32:00 GMT The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has stated that it must reform the way it investigates deaths, signalling changes in approach and procedure, including ensuring the effective engagement of families. The report follows a wide-ranging review, which was launched in autumn 2012, in response to a number of critical cases and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-needed-in-the-way-ipcc-investigates-deaths- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-needed-in-the-way-ipcc-investigates-deaths- Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:31:00 GMT HS2’s new chairman Sir David Higgins has called for work to be accelerated on the high-speed line in an attempt to complete the first phase of the project six years ahead of schedule. The former head of Network Rail, who recently came on board at HS2, is today publishing his report, ‘HS2 Plus’, which outlines plans to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-could-connect-the-northsix-years-earlier 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-could-connect-the-northsix-years-earlier Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:30:00 GMT Councils trying to deal with shortages of school places are taking ‘extraordinary’ measures, including borrowing millions of poundsto make up for shortfalls in government grants, the LGA says. New LGA analysis of Department for Education (DfE) figures suggests about 30% of local authority areas in England will need to provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extraordinary-measures-taken-to-tackle-school-place-shortages 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extraordinary-measures-taken-to-tackle-school-place-shortages Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:45:00 GMT Fire services across the country could save millions of pounds by streamlining the way they source and procure clothing and equipment. This is according to new research, published by fire minister Brandon Lewis, which highlights that a number of forces across England are buying ‘identical’ kit at ‘vastly’ different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-procurement-could-deliver-fire-service-savings 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-procurement-could-deliver-fire-service-savings Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:45:00 GMT The government is failing to manage performance “across the board” with contracts it enters with private firms, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report has warned. The study has stated that government needs a far more “professional” and “skilled” approach to managing contracts and contractors.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-get-house-in-order-with-private-contracts-pac 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-get-house-in-order-with-private-contracts-pac Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:30:00 GMT Councils across England are spending millions of pounds on controversial voice risk analysis (VRA) software in an effort to catch benefit fraudsters, a freedom of information (FoI) request has revealed. Figures from the FoI request – submitted to more than 200 local authorities by False Economy, a trade-union funded campaign group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-still-using-controversial-lie-detector-technology 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-still-using-controversial-lie-detector-technology Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMT Pressures on adult social care in England are constantly increasing, but the government ‘does not’ know the capacity limits of the system, a National Audit Office report has revealed. It also stated that major changes to the system to improve outcomes and reduce costs would be challenging to achieve. The research, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pressures-increase-on-adult-social-care-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pressures-increase-on-adult-social-care-services Thu, 13 Mar 2014 13:30:00 GMT The government has committed to increasing public sector pay by 1% for the vast majority of workers, Danny Alexander, chief secretary of the Treasury, has stated. Those that will not benefit from the pay increase, though, include some senior public sector officials. Prior to the Treasury announcement, a number of pay review bodies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-to-increase-1 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-to-increase-1 Thu, 13 Mar 2014 13:30:00 GMT Government proposals to stop councillors' accessing the Local Government Pension Scheme have been branded ‘perplexing’ and ‘wrong’ by the Local Government Association (LGA). Communities minister Brandon Lewis yesterday revealed that regulations have been laid out to abolish taxpayer-funded pensions for new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-of-publicly-funded-councillor-pensions-a-kick-in-the-teeth 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-of-publicly-funded-councillor-pensions-a-kick-in-the-teeth Wed, 12 Mar 2014 12:15:00 GMT Four years on the from the original announcement, the green light has been given to close the Audit Commission – which the government says will save over £1bn in costs and cut the number of “bureaucratic” public bodies. According to local government minister Brandon Lewis, the decision to close the Audit Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-closure-to-save-1bn--dclg 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-closure-to-save-1bn--dclg Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:15:00 GMT Around two-fifths of senior councillors and officers believe their organisations lack clear leadership on risk management, new research has revealed. This year’s Local Government Governance Review, conducted by Grant Thornton UK LLP, also revealed that more than 90% of those who replied believe their organisation encourages... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-managing-local-government-risk 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-leadership-in-managing-local-government-risk Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:15:00 GMT At PSE we are happy to hear the news that the hiring ‘intentions’ within the public sector have increased to +2% in Q2 2014, up from zero in the last quarter, according to Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey. And, although the figure may be lagging behind the private sector in terms of optimism, it is good news. Our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-live-the-positive-hiring-intentions-in-the-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-live-the-positive-hiring-intentions-in-the-public-sector Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:15:00 GMT Employers in the public sector have increased their hiring intentions in Q2 2014 with a net employment outlook of +2%, up from zero in the last quarter, research has revealed. Based on responses from 2,112 UK employers, 264 of them public sector employers, the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey asked whether employers intended to hire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-public-sector-employers-plan-to-hire-more-people 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-public-sector-employers-plan-to-hire-more-people Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:15:00 GMT Money to fund social care reforms for elderly and disabled people could end up being spent on bureaucracy, a group of charities and councils has warned. The consortium of care bodies has stated there could be a £135m shortfall in new money being given to councils to implement the Care Bill, which is going through its second reading... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-bill-provisions-in-jeopardy-as-funding-falls-short 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-bill-provisions-in-jeopardy-as-funding-falls-short Mon, 10 Mar 2014 16:45:00 GMT Over 80% of councils in England have now signed up to the government’s care leavers’ charter, which will provide support to young people leaving care until they turn 25, and so they should. It is, in our view, extremely important that these young and, at times, vulnerable people receive support to help them make the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lets-not-lose-future-generations-of-care-leavers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lets-not-lose-future-generations-of-care-leavers Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:01:00 GMT Former prime ministerGordon Brown is to call for the delivery of a greater power-sharing partnership of nations in the UK, as an alternative to Scottish independence. During his ‘Union for Fairness’ speechin Glasgow today, the ex-PM is expected to call for a strengthening of the Scottish government with enhanced powers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brown-to-call-for-greater-scottish-devolution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brown-to-call-for-greater-scottish-devolution Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:00:00 GMT I have been working in the community for over 25 years, especially in the third sector, looking at ways to undo terrible damage to blighted young lives as a result of people receiving care orders in the 70s & 80s (responsible for the revolving door of crime and punishment) – especially enforcement and the criminal justice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-and-recidivism 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-and-recidivism Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:55:00 GMT Further funding cuts to the UK fire service could start to impact on its ability to deliver effective firefighting, rescue operations and community safety, a new Local Government Association (LGA) report has stated. The AnyFire study, which has mapped the impact of an expected further 10% cut in 2015/16 on a typical single-purpose fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-funding-cuts-could-start-affecting-fire-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-funding-cuts-could-start-affecting-fire-services Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:51:00 GMT Crisis funding to help councils deal with potholes and damaged roads following this winter’s extreme weather will be distributed “by the end of this week”, the government says. The new money is being allocated on condition that local authorities publish information on their websites by the end of August 2014 showing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-140m-to-help-councils-repair-most-damaged-roads 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-140m-to-help-councils-repair-most-damaged-roads Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:50:00 GMT It is hard to believe that the Budget is only a few weeks away, but it is indeed upon us, and despite recent growth figures looking good for the chancellor – a big headache could be just around the corner. That is if research conducted by the Financial Times is correct and the chancellor is, in fact, staring into a £20bn black... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-the-chancellor-staring-into-a-20bn-public-finance-black-hole 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-the-chancellor-staring-into-a-20bn-public-finance-black-hole Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:15:00 GMT Across England 123 councils have signed up to the government’s ‘care leavers’ charter’, which pledges to provide young people leaving care with support and advice until they reach their 25th birthday. Launched in October 2012 by the children and families minister, Edward Timpson, the charter sets out how care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/123-councils-sign-up-to-care-leavers-charter- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/123-councils-sign-up-to-care-leavers-charter- Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:45:00 GMT The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has become the first public sector organisation to be certified to the new Carbon Trust Waste Standard. It has also been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard on reducing greenhouse gases. According to the FCO, it now diverts 97% of its waste away from landfill, with almost all waste being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fco-achieves-new-carbon-trust-waste-standard 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fco-achieves-new-carbon-trust-waste-standard Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:45:00 GMT Landfill tax should be frozen immediately as a planned increase is only going to punish hard-pressed families, the Local Government Association (LGA) has claimed. The LGA is calling on chancellor George Osborne to use this month's budget to freeze landfill tax at its present rate of £72 and redistribute revenue to local taxpayers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-on-osborne-to-freeze-landfill-tax- 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-on-osborne-to-freeze-landfill-tax- Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:45:00 GMT A £10.5m funded action plan has been launched to provide homes and businesses in Somerset with better flood defences in the future. Drawn up by local partners in the region, including the local councils, MPs, businesses and residents, the Somerset Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan has sets out a number of initiatives to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/action-plan-launched-to-protect-flood-hit-somerset http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/action-plan-launched-to-protect-flood-hit-somerset Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:00:00 GMT Business leaders have joined forces with the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) calling for the new HS2 Academy to be based in the region. The consortium stated that the area’s rail expertise makes it an ideal location for the new further education college – designed to help supply the 2,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-east-midlands-business-leaders-pitch-for-hs2-academy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-east-midlands-business-leaders-pitch-for-hs2-academy Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:00:00 GMT New measures to boost transparency and trust in private and third sector managed public services contracts have been proposed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Recommendations include publishing details of contracts online, releasing information more proactively, introducing a presumption towards open book accounting, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cbi-calls-for-greater-transparency-in-public-services-contracts 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cbi-calls-for-greater-transparency-in-public-services-contracts Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:30:00 GMT Transparency is an extremely important issue in the public sector, especially as much of the funding money comes from the taxpayer’s pocket. So, it seems quite reassuring that the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called for its members delivering public services contracts to adopt a new set of measures to boost their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-the-cbi-getting-ahead-of-the-curve-with-transparency 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-the-cbi-getting-ahead-of-the-curve-with-transparency Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:30:00 GMT Socitm’s 2014 ‘Better connected’survey has revealed that just 31% of local authority sites achieved its standard for mobile access, while around a third of visits to local government sites were made from smartphone or tablet devices. This is the first year that the study has fully incorporated testing of website... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-websites-failing-mobile-users 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-websites-failing-mobile-users Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:30:00 GMT London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has signed a contract withBedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service to provide full pension administration and payroll services to approximately 1,000 serving and retired fire fighters. The four-year contract was awarded to LPFA because of its expertise in the delivery of fire fighter pension schemes, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lpfa-lands-bedfordshire-fire-rescue-pension-contract 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lpfa-lands-bedfordshire-fire-rescue-pension-contract Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:30:00 GMT Councils are calling for a review of lottery money to re-focus it on heritage and the arts. These are the good causes that the lottery “was originally designed to help”, council leaders have said – and thanks to severe cuts, they need help more than ever. They have called for a “frank and open... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lottery-money-should-be-redirected-towards-arts-and-heritage-say-councils 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lottery-money-should-be-redirected-towards-arts-and-heritage-say-councils Tue, 04 Mar 2014 10:30:00 GMT The Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) is launching an inquiry into the accountability of public bodies. They want to examine how quangos, arms-length bodies, non-ministerial departments and executive agencies are made accountable, how effective they are compared to government departments, how independent they are and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-question-the-powers-and-roles-of-quangos 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-question-the-powers-and-roles-of-quangos Mon, 03 Mar 2014 09:45:00 GMT The National Audit Office has criticised the government’s handling of the introduction of Personal Independence Paymentto replace Disability Living Allowance for working age people. Its new report says backlogs in assessment are leading to “delays and uncertainty for claimants”, partly because the DWP did not test... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwps-handling-of-disability-benefits-causing-distress-and-financial-difficulties 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwps-handling-of-disability-benefits-causing-distress-and-financial-difficulties Fri, 28 Feb 2014 10:45:00 GMT A year on from the implementation of the Social Value Act, the Cabinet Office has released a report investigating progress so far. Adam Hewitt reports. The Public Services (Social Value) Act is “a powerful new tool in the commissioner’s toolbox, helping them get the most from every pound they spend”, according to civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-social-value 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-social-value Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Integrating Care brought together leaders from the health, local government and social care sectors making better co-ordinated person-centred care an everyday reality. Adam Hewitt reports. That resources will we need to shift, and how, in order to make integrated health and care a reality for everyone? That was the question at a major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-care 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-care Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Transforming public services through co-operative redesign, ending duplication, integrated working and a little flexibility when it comes to bureaucratic rules: tough, but not impossible. Social care is one of the areas of the public sector with the most pressing need for new ways of working, and in some places integrated care is becoming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-designs 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-designs Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has launched a new blueprint for the integration of health and social care. PSE talks to Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, former president of the Royal College of Physicians and chair of the Mayoral Commission on Health, about the ambitious plan. Closer integration of health and social care is at the heart of many local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-wide-integration 451,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-wide-integration Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT A conference in March will bring together innovative councils exploring the local drive towards commercialism and the reshaping of services to meet ever increasing demand. Buckinghamshire County Council’s leader Martin Tett and chief executive Chris Williams are two of the speakers giving their thoughts and experiences on the importance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/developing-commercialism-in-local-government 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/developing-commercialism-in-local-government Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT The Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) has launched a new report, ‘Think integration, think workforce’, encouraging service providers to consider the workforce perspective when integrating health and care teams. PSE heard from report author Zoë Dodd.  There are three key steps to workforce integration, according to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-forget-the-workforce 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-forget-the-workforce Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Anne Sharp, chief executive of Acas, explains how the introduction of a new service called Early Conciliation in April this year will change how workplace disputes are dealt with in future. From 6 April this year anyone thinking of making an employment tribunal claim will need to contact Acas first. We will then get in touch and offer a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-conciliation 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-conciliation Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Catriona Aldridge, associate at Dundas & Wilson CS LLP, considers the negative impact of Birmingham’s famous equal pay case. Birmingham City Council (BCC) hit the headlines in January when it was reported that it was considering selling off property, including the NEC, to help fund equal pay compensation. It is unlikely that many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equal-pay-claims-the-unintended-consequences 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equal-pay-claims-the-unintended-consequences Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT After the successful implementation of a new clinical gateway for referrals into secondary care for all of Manchester’s GPs, the city council’s social care team is now joining the initiative too. PSE spoke to the city council’s head of customer access, Kathy Weaver. When demand for hospital services in Manchester began... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-social-care-referrals 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-social-care-referrals Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Library services are among the features of local government hit hardest by the cuts, with many facilities closed and previously professional jobs handed off to volunteers. PSE spoke to Dr Darren Smart of CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) to ask what the future holds.  Library closures are a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reading-between-the-lines 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reading-between-the-lines Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Jemma Jewkes, the Restorative Justice Council’s (RJC) head of standards, explains the new quality mark designed to standardise services in restorative justice. As a prison officer and restorative practice facilitator, I have seen first-hand the benefits restorative justice can bring to both victim and offender. Its benefits, however... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strengthening-restorative-justice 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strengthening-restorative-justice Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Bournemouth Borough Council was highlighted as an example of best practice in recycling and weekly waste collections in guidance issued by the DCLG. The council’s strategic operations manager Larry Austin speaks to PSE. Bournemouth Borough Council, which is among the best performing local authorities in the country on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustaining-weekly-waste-collections 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustaining-weekly-waste-collections Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports on the controversy on council waste collection frequency and DCLG’s latest ‘advice’ urging them to return to weekly schemes. Councils can retain weekly rubbish collections whilst increasing recycling rates and cutting overall costs, the government has insisted. Local government secretary Eric Pickles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-bin-bible-weekly-waste-collections-in-england 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-bin-bible-weekly-waste-collections-in-england Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Katja Hall, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s chief policy director, describes its new Creative Nation strategy, highlighting the economic importance of culture in Britain. This month London Fashion Week, the Brit awards and the BAFTAs are showcasing British artistic talents around the globe – but that is just a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-uk-is-a-world-leader-in-creative-industries 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-uk-is-a-world-leader-in-creative-industries Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Our Place is the next stage of the government’s programme to encourage neighbourhoods to redesign their own public services and communities, building on the 2012/13 Neighbourhood Community Pilots. PSE heard more from Deb Appleby, development manager at Locality, which is delivering the programme on behalf of DCLG.  Successful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-neighbourhoods 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-neighbourhoods Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT On 31 January 2014 the amended version of the Collective Redundancies & Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2014 (TUPE 2014) was implemented. The changes followed a lengthy consultation process, amending TUPE 2006, and aimed to reduce the UK’s supposed ‘gold-plating’ of EU legislation. Mark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tupe-2014-and-the-public-sector 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tupe-2014-and-the-public-sector Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Dr Tim Fox, head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), talks to PSE about how reducing and repurposing food discarded by shops and restaurants could cut emissions, combat poverty and improve residents' skills and community spirit. Between 30 and 50% of all food produced on the planet is lost before... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-not-want-not 451,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-not-want-not Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Birmingham has unveiled striking images of a planned HS2 station at Curzon Street, forming the centre of a grand new regeneration masterplan for the city.  The city council said it is "by far the biggest redevelopment so far announced on the back of HS2". The new Birmingham Curzon station will be the first new station to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-reveals-hs2-plans 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-reveals-hs2-plans Thu, 27 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published an updated privacy impact assessments code of practice to help organisations respect people’s privacy when changing the way they handle people’s information. A study last year showed that only 40% of people believe organisations handle their information in a fair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-privacy-guidelines-for-organisations-of-all-sizes 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-privacy-guidelines-for-organisations-of-all-sizes Wed, 26 Feb 2014 10:45:00 GMT Francis Maude presents an interesting vision for public services, with control from the centre simultaneously ‘tight’ and ‘loose’. Shared and back office functions need lots of input and control, he suggests, while service delivery should mean government being more hands-off, with frontline staff, mutuals and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-two-minds 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-two-minds Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:15:00 GMT Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude MP has given a speech on the future of government services, setting out his visions for tight control over back office government functions at the centre – but loose control and outsourcing of operations. Speaking at the UAE Government Summit in Dubai earlier this month – the text of his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/francis-maude-outlines-philosophy-on-tight-vs-loose-control 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/francis-maude-outlines-philosophy-on-tight-vs-loose-control Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:00:00 GMT The government is likely to struggle to spend the Regional Growth Fund as quickly as originally expected, according to a new National Audit Office analysis. It says DCLG and BIS have “improved the governance” of the scheme and taken on more skilled staff, and sped up the process of making final offers to bidders. But with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-of-the-regional-growth-fund-remains-unspent--nao 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-of-the-regional-growth-fund-remains-unspent--nao Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:00:00 GMT Public sector organisations are being encouraged to get their entries in for the inaugural Investors in People Awards, set up to honour the top workplaces, best bosses and highest achievers in people management. The deadline for entries is Monday 31 March 2014. There is a specific ‘Excellence in the Public Sector’ award... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-hunt-is-on-for-the-best-people-management-in-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-hunt-is-on-for-the-best-people-management-in-the-public-sector Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:00:00 GMT If HS2 started with the construction of an express commuter link between Manchester Victoria and Leeds, to follow the M62 eastwards from Rochdale, it would halve the one hour rail time between the two city centres (only forty miles) and at the same time fast-connect the rail networks of Lancashire east of Liverpool to those of Yorkshire, west... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2 Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:05:00 GMT Sustainable water management is on a lot of people’s minds currently, as repairs continue after the recent floods and thoughts turn to future resilience. Measures to prevent winter floods and summer droughts are needed as the changing climate makes both events more likely. PSE and Anglian Water Business recently hosted a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/water-decisions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/water-decisions Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:04:00 GMT Campaigners against the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ have pledged to fight on after losing their fight at the Court of Appeal on Friday. Judges said that neither the bedroom tax (which the government calls the removal of the spare room subsidy) nor the benefit cap are unlawful. Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls, said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-campaigners-lose-bedroom-tax-legal-case 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-campaigners-lose-bedroom-tax-legal-case Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:03:00 GMT David Cameron says a coming ‘revolution’ in oil and gas extraction worth £200bn over 20 years will only come to fruition if Scotland stays in the United Kingdom. The UK Cabinet is meeting in Aberdeen today, six miles away from the Scottish government’s own Cabinet meeting. First minister Alex Salmond says North Sea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independence-arguments-over-oil-and-gas-industry-reforms 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independence-arguments-over-oil-and-gas-industry-reforms Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:02:00 GMT The government is awarding £1.5m to encourage the opening up of public sector data. Marking International Open Data Day, which held on Saturday, The Open Data User Group (ODUG) is released 50 case studies on open-data-led business and applications on data.gov.uk, the government’s flagship data portal. Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-15m-fund-for-opening-up-public-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-15m-fund-for-opening-up-public-data Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:01:00 GMT The LGA is urging the government to re-think its decision to scrap the £347m Local Welfare Assistance fund, brought in just last year to replace the crisis loans system. This year's Local Government Finance Settlement revealed that government funding would not be renewed in 2015, after ministers went back on an earlier promise to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-scrapping-crisis-fund-will-harm-the-most-vulnerable 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-scrapping-crisis-fund-will-harm-the-most-vulnerable Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:00:00 GMT Anglian Water Business and Public Sector Executive brought together leaders from the water industry, regulators and customers to discuss the future of the water market once retail competition is brought in, the expectations of public sector customers, and the lessons from other markets and the water market in Scotland. Adam Hewitt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-future-of-the-water-market 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-future-of-the-water-market Mon, 24 Feb 2014 09:45:00 GMT The new Public Service Transformation Network (PSTN) is working with 33 upper tier local authorities, covering 22% of the English population. PSE heard more about its work from its director Robert Pollock. The Public Service Transformation Network launched last year to take forward the work and lessons from the four whole-place Community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-service-transformation-network 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-service-transformation-network Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT Some of the damage caused by recent flooding could have been prevented, a group of leading environmental experts have stated. Writing in the Telegraph, they suggested a range of water management techniques which should be used in future and called for the Prime Minister to adopt a clear strategy for flood prevention. They recommended... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flooding-damage-could-have-been-prevented 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flooding-damage-could-have-been-prevented Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT Supporting mothers into work would be worth £750m annually, a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows. The IPPR calls for childcare reforms to help more mothers into employment, with new research highlighting the positive impacts of maternal employment; lower risk of child poverty, positive child... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-childcare-reforms-to-boost-maternal-employment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-calls-for-childcare-reforms-to-boost-maternal-employment Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT To speed up the criminal justice system, 10,000 new magistrates should be appointed, think tank Policy Exchange has recommended. Its new report, Future Courts, suggests that magistrates should be responsible for dispensing summary justice inside police stations, including out-of-court disposals and police cautions at peak... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-magistrates-could-speed-up-justice-system 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-magistrates-could-speed-up-justice-system Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT Another report has set out the economic argument for getting more mothers back into employment, as well as the barriers that currently exist. Better childcare, at more affordable prices, could help many parents to return to work, thus increasing productivity and reducing the amount spent on benefits. The wider social benefits are also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-motivation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-motivation Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT Public services must be more integrated to become family friendly, charity 4Children has urged. A new report highlights that families living in the poorest neighbourhoods in England will, on average, die seven years earlier than the richest. More preventative health support for children and families should be at the heart of the community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4children-calls-for-integrated-healthcare-for-families 442,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4children-calls-for-integrated-healthcare-for-families Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT There were 122,590 starts on new homes in 2013, up by 23% on the previous year, new statistics show. The government welcomed the figures as evidence of “fixing a broken housing market”. Communities secretary Eric Pickles said the Help to Buy scheme and almost 100,000 new affordable homes delivered were helping small businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/house-building-up-by-23 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/house-building-up-by-23 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT Obstacles stopping employers from offering young people work experience – despite the majority of businesses valuing it highly when recruiting – must be overcome, UKCES has argued. Its new report seeks to dispel some common myths about what work experience should look like and who can provide it. The importance of giving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/starting-early 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/starting-early Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT More employers can and should offer young people work experience, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has stated. A new report highlights the importance of work experience for future employment and seeks to dispel myths and barriers currently stopping employers from offering placements. In the past year just 27% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-experience-key-to-meeting-youth-unemployment--ukces 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-experience-key-to-meeting-youth-unemployment--ukces Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT New research will consider the wider economic contribution of libraries, Arts Council England has announced. The project will bring together local and international studies into the impact of libraries and establish gaps in the evidence, identifying priority areas of investigation. The Arts Council suggests libraries’ economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/complex-economic-impact-of-libraries-to-be-identified 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/complex-economic-impact-of-libraries-to-be-identified Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT EU migrants will have to earn £149 a week to claim a range of benefits, as new welfare reforms come into effect. From 1 March the minimum earnings threshold will restrict access to jobseekers’ allowance, child tax credits and more. It follows a number of new restrictions on benefits access. Ministers argue that the EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/earning-threshold-to-be-introduced-for-eu-migrants 436,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/earning-threshold-to-be-introduced-for-eu-migrants Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT Progress on public procurement reform remains slow, research from the CBI shows. A lack of commercial skills, inconsistency across government departments and a short-term approach to contracts are key concerns. A survey of CBI members reflected that 61% had seen no change in improved commercial skills of civil servants during the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/procurement-reform-painfully-slow--cbi 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/procurement-reform-painfully-slow--cbi Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT The new Arts Council research is very welcome, as it attempts to plug the gaps in evidence around the business case for libraries. Too often libraries face closure as they are seen as expendable parts of council services, and can be written off as a ‘nice to have’, not a necessity – as long as the council meets the minimum... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quantifying-value 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quantifying-value Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT The full challenges of the impact of welfare reform could be yet to be felt, a new report has cautioned. Professional services firm Grant Thornton analysed how local authorities and housing associations have been managing the changes, and how they will continue to cope in the future. The report found that the best performing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calm-before-the-storm-on-welfare-reform 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calm-before-the-storm-on-welfare-reform Tue, 18 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT The impact of welfare reform will take years to be fully felt, and some of the hardest consequences to bear are yet to come, new research suggests. Stretched councils may not have the resources or the time to think further ahead, but appropriate support is vital to stop early warning signs from snowballing into larger challenges. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/before-the-storm 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/before-the-storm Tue, 18 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Department of Health has launched a new agreement to improve mental health crisis care: the Crisis Care Concordat. The concordat has been signed by more than 20 organisations, including police, mental health trusts and paramedics. It sets outs the standards of care people should be able to expect, and calls for local areas to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crisis-concordat-to-address-unacceptable-mental-healthcare 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crisis-concordat-to-address-unacceptable-mental-healthcare Tue, 18 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT An additional 600 redundancies are expected at Wolverhampton City Council to deliver £123m savings over the next five years. Originally the council had calculated the jobs loss at 1,400 to save £98m by 2019. But the figure is closer to 2,000, the authority announced – 20% of its workforce. Andrew Johnson, cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-to-cut-600-more-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wolverhampton-council-to-cut-600-more-jobs Tue, 18 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT Makes a lot of sense. The building of the southern section will be stymied by public enquiries and many other protests for at least ten years. It would be a good idea for the northern and midlands cities and towns to review and confirm the most appropriate route and secure government support to get on with it. It is possible that more use can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2 Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:05:00 GMT It is great to see so many parts of the public sector embracing the potential of new digital technologies. Newcastle and Buckinghamshire will receive expert advice and technological support to tackle social challenges through O2’s Local Government Digital Fund, while Capita’s new contract could see a step-change in working for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-answers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-answers Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:04:00 GMT A framework contract for the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) has been awarded to Capita, worth up to £325m over nine years for a single public services network. The platform will support the collaboration of schools, hospitals and local council offices to reduce costs, improve services and share data across organisations. NHS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/capita-to-create-scottish-it-public-services-network 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/capita-to-create-scottish-it-public-services-network Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:03:00 GMT Newcastle and Buckinghamshire councils have won the latest funding from O2’s Local Government Digital Fund, to help them tackle social challenges with technology. Newcastle City Council will share £200,000 worth of digital expertise and technology to help young people with special educational needs and adults with learning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-digital-funding-goes-to-newcastle-and-buckinghamshire 438,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-digital-funding-goes-to-newcastle-and-buckinghamshire Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:02:00 GMT New reforms will cut the amount of time some offenders need to disclose details of any low level convictions, to help cut reoffending. From 10 March, there will also be changes to the way some rehabilitation periods are set. Rehabilitation for community orders and custodial sentences will now comprise the period of the sentence plus an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rehabilitation-reforms-to-launch-next-month 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rehabilitation-reforms-to-launch-next-month Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:01:00 GMT The new Cabinet Committee on Flooding met for the first time last week, to help coordinate the UK’s strategic long-term plans on flood recovery and flood resilience. The committee agreed to review the Bellwin scheme, which provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities, as well as a targeted review of resilience of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/longer-term-measures-launched-for-flood-defence 433,437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/longer-term-measures-launched-for-flood-defence Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:00:00 GMT Keeping track of a moving target: the public sector and cyber security The internet has become as much a part of our lives as eating and television, our natural first impulse on having a question or thinking of buying something, is to google it. Holidays, banking, life issues, we go online. At work, it’s the same story. With so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connect-with-the-public-sector 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connect-with-the-public-sector Mon, 17 Feb 2014 05:00:00 GMT The number of civil service jobscould fall by up to 40% over the next five years, according to a new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The report warned that the cuts could hit the most deprived areas of the country hardest. The IFS said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was expecting 1.1 million public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenging-reductions-in-public-sector-jobs--ifs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenging-reductions-in-public-sector-jobs--ifs Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:15:00 GMT The government has appointed 20 ‘Local Alcohol Action Areas’ (LAAAs) to help combat the damage alcohol can cause to people’s health, and to cut alcohol-driven crime. The areas will develop strategies to combat crime and disorder, and will receive support and expertise from the Home Office, Department of Health, the Welsh... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/alcohol-action-scheme-launched-for-local-areas 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/alcohol-action-scheme-launched-for-local-areas Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:15:00 GMT How much difference will the new Local Alcohol Action Areas actually make? They have no extra funding to tackle the problems alcohol presents, either to personal health and therefore costs for the NHS, or trouble for the police. Instead they will have to develop and deliver an alcohol strategy, making do with advice from various... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-a-difference 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-a-difference Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:15:00 GMT The government is underestimating the value of student loans that will never be paid back by about 8%, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. There is currently £46bn worth of outstanding debt, which is set to rise to £200bn by 2042. The government currently assumes between 35% and 40% of this debt will never be paid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-student-loan-debt-could-be-underestimated-by-8 433,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-student-loan-debt-could-be-underestimated-by-8 Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:15:00 GMT Guest blog by George Davies, chief executive, MooD International. With the public sector continuing to look for savings and streamline processes, outsourcing still has a big role to play. There have been some problems recently with keeping oversight of these large and complex contracts, but this is no reason to write outsourcing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transparency-in-outsourcing-deals 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transparency-in-outsourcing-deals Thu, 13 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT David Cameron says the government is working “flat out” to help everyone affected by last night’s severe storms around the country, and the ongoing flooding crisis in the south of England. But he has refused to commit to halting further job losses due to cuts at the Environment Agency, and he has rebuffed Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/storms-and-floods-affect-thousands-as-government-promises-more-help 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/storms-and-floods-affect-thousands-as-government-promises-more-help Thu, 13 Feb 2014 10:00:00 GMT London is facing a £17m shortfall in funding for social care services, London Councils has warned. The councils will need £90m to prepare for the new system of care being brought in from April 2015, including additional care user assessments, setting up and managing care accounts, providing information and advice, and handling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-reform-could-leave-london-in-17m-funding-shortfall 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-reform-could-leave-london-in-17m-funding-shortfall Wed, 12 Feb 2014 12:15:00 GMT A government department has been fined £185,000 for a “very serious data breach” involving personal details of a terror incident. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) fined the Department of Justice Northern Ireland for selling a filing cabinet containing the sensitive information at a public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/185000-fine-for-government-information-breach 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/185000-fine-for-government-information-breach Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT The Home Office has awarded a £180m contract for custodial management at Colnbrook and Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centres. Mitie will bring together two previously separate centres and consolidate the operation of the two establishments, providing care for over 900 immigration detainees. The eight year contract will start in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mitie-wins-180m-immigration-contract 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mitie-wins-180m-immigration-contract Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:45:00 GMT The UK is set to be hit with further floods, with heavy rain and gale force winds forecast in a number of areas across the country. Hundreds more homes could be flooded over the coming days and the rail network has been severely damaged. Prime minister David Cameron is visiting affected communities and has given his backing to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-together-to-tackle-floods--clegg 437,443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-together-to-tackle-floods--clegg Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:30:00 GMT Ordnance Survey is seeking seven graduates for its 2014 recruitment scheme, to lead on developing innovative solutions for digital data. The successful candidates will help to collect, maintain and distribute accurate and up to date geographic information for the whole country. This data can be used to support emergency services with road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/graduate-scheme-expanded-for-ordnance-survey 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/graduate-scheme-expanded-for-ordnance-survey Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:30:00 GMT The political squabbling over preparation for flooding, and management once bad weather struck, is as unhelpful as it is distracting. People are being evacuated from their homes, transport services damaged beyond recognition, and water levels continue to rise. Now is not the time to point fingers or assign blame. Undoubtedly there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pointing-fingers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pointing-fingers Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:30:00 GMT MPs have voted in favour of introducing a ban on smoking in cars with children as passengers. Although the amendment to the Children and Families Bill empowers rather than forces the government to bring forward a ban, there are strong indications that it will do so. The vote was 376 to 107, and also gives the Welsh Government the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smoking-ban-in-cars-gets-mps-vote 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smoking-ban-in-cars-gets-mps-vote Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:30:00 GMT It’s the pricing on purchase that’s the problem. The limitations on range and speed of electric cars mean that they are not a viable first family car for most people. They are however a viable second car for some, but only if the purchase price makes them irresistible and at the moment an electric car wouldn’t compete on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electric-cars 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electric-cars Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT Flooding continues to damage communities, with the River Thames rising to record water levels. The Environment Agency has now issued 16 severe flood warnings, including 14 in Berkshire and Surrey.  More heavy rain has been forecast from Tuesday and water levels are expected to continue to rise. Pete Fox, head of strategy and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hugely-challenging-weather-continues 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hugely-challenging-weather-continues Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT The poorest performing schools in Wales will benefit from £20m a year funding and targeted support to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Schools Challenge Cymru is based on pilots from London and Manchester, which helped schools to improve by sharing expertise with the best-performing schools. Up to 40 schools will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenge-cymru-to-boost-welsh-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenge-cymru-to-boost-welsh-schools Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT Forecasts of more heavy weather will come as a blow to the many communities already threatened by flooding and storm damage, but it shouldn’t be a surprise. Action being taken now is simply reactive. How has it taken this long to realise a longer-term protection strategy is needed? We have had more than enough warning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flooded 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flooded Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT The new Health and Work Service will help get people with long-term sickness back into work, the government has announced. Employees who have been off sick for more than four weeks in England, Scotland or Wales will be offered non-compulsory medical assessments and treatment plans to help them return to work more quickly. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-work-service-to-cut-sickness-absence 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-work-service-to-cut-sickness-absence Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT Councils in the Midlands and the North of England are calling for earlier development of HS2, with more connections to existing stations. Greengauge 21 looked at local government responses to the consultation on phase 2 of the line and identified a number of themes; for HS2 to be developed from north to south, to be built earlier, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-should-be-build-north-to-south-greengauge-21 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-should-be-build-north-to-south-greengauge-21 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT Liverpool City Region has won the first ever court case against EU funding allocations. The High Court found that the UK government breached its legal duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity when allocating European Commission funding to Merseyside and South... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-unlawfully-withheld-eu-cash-from-liverpool-and-sheffield 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-unlawfully-withheld-eu-cash-from-liverpool-and-sheffield Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:00:00 GMT A new trial has been agreed between Glasgow and Ordnance Survey to make more information public as part of the Future City programme. Non-sensitive and non-personal information produced using OS data and mapping will be made available through a new data portal. This could be used by businesses and IT developers to design a commercial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-to-make-mapping-data-available-to-public 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-to-make-mapping-data-available-to-public Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT The Behavioural Insights Team, commonly known as the Nudge Unit, has been spun out into a new mutual joint venture, the government has announced. Government, employees and charity Nesta will each own a third of the company. It is the first time a government policy team has been partially privatised. The Nudge Unit was launched in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nudge-unit-spun-out-of-whitehall 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nudge-unit-spun-out-of-whitehall Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT What does the part-privatisation of the Nudge Unit mean for the future of public services in the UK? It’s the first time a government policy team has been sold off, and will mean government departments must pay for the Behavioural Insights Team’s insights – if they want them. Privatising policy is quite different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spinning-out-of-control 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spinning-out-of-control Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT Teachers are set to strike again on 26 March, unions have announced. Staff in England and Wales will take industrial action against changes to pay, pensions and conditions. The government plans to introduce a new performance-related pay structure and a tougher pensions package. Unions last met with government officials over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-date-set-for-teachers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-date-set-for-teachers Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:00:00 GMT More support will be made available for local areas damaged by severe weather and flooding, the government has announced, including an extra £100m announced by the government yesterday to repair flood defences. Changes to the terms of the Bellwin Scheme will help local authorities to meet the immediate costs associated with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bellwin-scheme-changes-to-help-councils-with-flooding-damage 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bellwin-scheme-changes-to-help-councils-with-flooding-damage Thu, 06 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT Charging for plastic bags at supermarkets and shops is one of the easiest and most effective ways to help people reduce unnecessary resource use. So why is the government trying to make something so simple more complicated? The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has called for England to replicate the Welsh example, which has seen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keep-it-simple 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keep-it-simple Thu, 06 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT Plans for a 5p charge on disposable carrier bags must be kept simple if the scheme is to work, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has stated in a new report. The MPs criticised current government plans as “a complete mess” for including exemptions for small retailers and the option to provide free paper and biodegradable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plastic-bag-charge-in-england-unnecessarily-complicated 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plastic-bag-charge-in-england-unnecessarily-complicated Thu, 06 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT Bombardier has been announced as the chosen supplier to build Crossrail trains. The fleet contract, worth £1bn, is for 65 new trains and a new depot at Old Oak Common. Bombardier will manufacture the trains at its Derby factory and deliver them for use on the existing network, between Shenfield and Liverpool Street, from May 2017... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crossrail-trains-contract-goes-to-bombardier 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crossrail-trains-contract-goes-to-bombardier Thu, 06 Feb 2014 10:15:00 GMT There are common problems with providing adequate data protection for sensitive information held by fostering and adoption agencies, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found. A new report details the findings from 10 advisory visits with independent agencies in England, highlighting problems with insecure transfers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-publishes-wake-up-call-for-fostering-agencies 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-publishes-wake-up-call-for-fostering-agencies Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT Information security continues to be a huge risk to many services and authorities across the public sector, with serious consequences. The ICO’s latest report points out a number of mistakes in fostering and adoption agencies’ management and transfer of sensitive information. Basic security measures are overlooked and both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-lock-and-key 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-lock-and-key Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:30:00 GMT New regulations would require councils to keep a public record of how councillors vote on their budget, as well council tax changes, the government has announced. Individual voting records could increase local transparency. The measure comes as local authorities are considering whether to accept a council tax freeze. The government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-voting-records-to-be-made-public 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-voting-records-to-be-made-public Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:15:00 GMT Public service spending per person is set to fall by 2.4% a year, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)’s new Green Budget 2014 shows. It also suggested that austerity measures could be stronger than necessary. Funded by the Nuffield Foundation and produced in collaboration with Oxford Economics, the report found that with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-spending-per-person-to-fall-24-a-year--ifs 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-spending-per-person-to-fall-24-a-year--ifs Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:15:00 GMT Will the government’s latest suggestions on childcare make a real difference? School nurseries extending their hours and accepting younger children is one way of increasing access to care, but the issues around childcare go far beyond opening hours. The biggest barrier to effective childcare, that allows more parents to go back to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/costly-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/costly-care Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:45:00 GMT The first two potential fracking sites have been announced, with energy firm Cuadrilla now seeking planning permission in Lancashire. The company pledged that at the sites, in Roseacre Wood and near Preston New Road, it would focus on how to reduce the impact on the local area whilst investigating how much gas can be recovered. Residents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuadrilla-announces-planned-fracking-sites 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuadrilla-announces-planned-fracking-sites Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT An independent review will consider how councils can help to build more social housing, the government has announced. Natalie Elphicke, chair of Million Homes, Million Lives, and Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, will lead the review. It will investigate how local authorities are using their property portfolios to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-review-to-consider-extra-freedoms-for-councils 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-review-to-consider-extra-freedoms-for-councils Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT School nurseries should extend their opening hours and accommodate children as young as two years old, childcare minister Liz Truss has suggested. She is writing to local authorities to urge them to explore how to increase access to childcare, and help parents back into part-time employment. In September the government will introduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-year-olds-could-have-places-at-school-nurseries 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-year-olds-could-have-places-at-school-nurseries Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:30:00 GMT As a Conservative councillor I find an increase in MPs’ salaries totally unacceptable at a time of such enormous cuts. They should be setting an example to show their people just how bad things are! How many also have other jobs or incomes? It is sending out the wrong message. If there is little in the national pot and more cuts are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-and-allowances 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-and-allowances Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:06:00 GMT Guest blog by Graeme Stewart, UK Public Sector Strategy, McAfee. Open data has been a cause for much debate of late – with both praise and criticism for the government’s efforts. There is no doubt the UK is a world leader in open government data, with a reported 17,000 datasets now available on the data.gov.uk... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-sense-of-open-data 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-sense-of-open-data Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:05:00 GMT New guidance is now available to support employers through legal changes to TUPE transfers, Acas has announced. The regulations mean that when a business transfer occurs, employees moving across bring their length of service and terms and conditions with them. As organisational restructuring looks set to continue, these guidelines will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acas-publishes-new-tupe-guidance 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acas-publishes-new-tupe-guidance Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:04:00 GMT The Local Audit and Accountability Acthas received Royal Assent, which will bring about the closure of the Audit Commission and create a new framework for local audit. The closure was first announced in August 2010, but the Commission will not disappear until March 2015. It aims to offer more responsibility and choice for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-to-close-years-after-original-announcement 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-to-close-years-after-original-announcement Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:02:00 GMT Cultural factors in ageing must be recognised and accommodated, the Birmingham Policy Commission has urged. A new report, launched in the House of Commons tonight, explores how good ageing can be achieved in a multi-cultural society and examines the cultural opportunities and challenges around planning services for older people. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commission-launches-new-report-on-healthy-ageing 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commission-launches-new-report-on-healthy-ageing Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:01:00 GMT Responsibility for children’s public health commissioning will transfer to local authorities on 1 October 2015. The announcement highlights the final part of the transfer of public health from the NHS to local government. The LGA, Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), Association of Directors of Public Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-take-over-early-years-public-health-from-2015 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-take-over-early-years-public-health-from-2015 Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:00:00 GMT Extra charge points for electric vehicles are to be rolled out across the country, the government has announced. New points, including 140 rapid-points, which charge electric cars in less than half an hour, will be installed to encourage more people to consider driving an electric car. The campaign Go Ultra Low also seeks to raise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-charge-points-to-be-installed-for-electric-cars 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-charge-points-to-be-installed-for-electric-cars Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT Home Office bonuses are “irresponsible”, the home affairs committee has stated. A new report into the work of the permanent secretary criticised the decision to pay a total of £6.5m in bonuses to around 40% of staff at the Home Office. That represents a mean sum of £559, which is equivalent to 1.7% of the median... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-slam-home-office-bonus-culture 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-slam-home-office-bonus-culture Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT There is wide variation in the way police record and classify rape allegations, new figures show. HM’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) compiled data showing the differences in how police forces across England and Wales recorded the crime. The highest number of reported rapes was in Northamptonshire, at 34.8 per 100,000 of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rape-statistics-suggest-variation-in-police-reporting 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rape-statistics-suggest-variation-in-police-reporting Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT The new data from the Inspectorate of Constabulary are certainly sobering, but it’s not just the increase of recorded rape that needs to be investigated. If police forces across the country are treating allegations of rape in different ways, this needs to be made transparent. And any ‘culture of disbelief’ within the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/take-it-seriously 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/take-it-seriously Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT The new report on the widening UK skills gap highlights the important point that employment, and a strong workforce, depends on so much more than simply the number of people in work. Employee satisfaction – with a job that is neither too stressful nor too boring – fair wages, good provision of training and security. And... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bridging-the-skills-gap 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bridging-the-skills-gap Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:30:00 GMT Skills shortages in the UK are growing fast, a new report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has found. Between March and July 2013, the number of vacancies where businesses cannot find the skills required grew from 63,100 to 124,800. Skills shortages are more prevalent in certain sectors, such as skilled trades like... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-must-act-to-tackle-skills-gap 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-must-act-to-tackle-skills-gap Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:30:00 GMT Minor housing improvements for ethnic minorities can have a significant positive impact on health and wellbeing, as well as cutting wider costs, a new study suggests. Research by the BRE and the Race Equality Foundation analysed Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) information using data from the English House Survey between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-housing-leads-to-high-health-costs 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-housing-leads-to-high-health-costs Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:30:00 GMT New performance data has now been published on Welsh local authorities, the Welsh government has announced. The data covers all 22 local authorities on delayed transfers of care, school attendance, library visits, affordable housing delivery, recycling rates, road conditions and public satisfaction ratings. Local government minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-performance-data-to-support-transformation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-performance-data-to-support-transformation Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:30:00 GMT While commissioners are now more confident using the Social Value Act, providers say that more support and guidance is needed. New research from Social Enterprise UK found that 81% of commissioners surveyed have taken steps to use the Act and more than 75% said their organisation has issued tenders using social value as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/much-more-to-do-on-social-value 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/much-more-to-do-on-social-value Wed, 29 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Local industry and businesses could benefit from £415m funding, the government has announced. £100m of this will support business infrastructure in enterprise zones, with 12 areas shortlisted to boost the economy and create local jobs. The twelve shortlisted zones are: Harlow, Humber, Leeds, Sheffield, Discovery Park in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/12-new-enterprise-zones-shortlisted 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/12-new-enterprise-zones-shortlisted Wed, 29 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Liverpool has launched a radical new blueprint to restructure health and social care services in the city, tackling public health and poverty. The Mayoral Health Commission concluded that duplication of services and unnecessary competition must be reduced, with more care delivered in the community. Personal responsibility for managing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-care-system-planned-for-liverpool 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-care-system-planned-for-liverpool Wed, 29 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Liverpool’s new blueprint for integrated services is a great example of the kind of reconfiguration that’s needed across health and social care. Pressures are now looming too large, with demand too high, for the status quo to remain. Huge reform in the NHS was just one part of the work needed to provide preventative care, in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpacking-integration 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpacking-integration Wed, 29 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Housing associations, councils and builders can now bid for government funding for new affordable homes, in a programme to build 165,000 houses over three years. Every home built under the scheme will support a person’s job. Developers will have to deliver homes that are in short supply in the local area, and landlords with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-homes-scheme-to-support-165000-jobs 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-homes-scheme-to-support-165000-jobs Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT Jobcentre Plus (JCP) must be incentivised to help jobseekers into work, not just off benefits, MPs have warned. The Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) called for an immediate revision to the JCP’s key performance indicators. Other recommendations include a more thorough initial assessment of claimants’ barriers to employment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobseeker-assessments-haphazard--mps 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobseeker-assessments-haphazard--mps Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT A new committee has been set up to drive growth and jobs across the forestry sector. The North West Forestry and Woodland Advisory Committee (NWFWAC) will work to protect, improve and expand woodland and forest in the area, including a programme to plant, process and use more trees. NWFWAC will create a new urban forestry network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-west-forestry-committee-launched 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-west-forestry-committee-launched Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT However much the government goes on about the importance of getting people back into work, the current incentives in place at Jobcentre Plus may be aligned to only get workers off benefits without adequate support in place. But having good figures is not the same thing as real improvements to unemployment. Especially as JCP funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/off-the-doleinto-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/off-the-doleinto-work Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT Those pensioners that paid into private pensions had their expected returns cut when HMG taxed interest on private pension funds. This was on John Major's watch and probably in an attempt to balance the books after 'Black Tuesday'. The same pensioners faced mortgage rates of 15% under Labour's 'winter of discontent'. It would be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ian-george-sams 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ian-george-sams Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:30:00 GMT A hundred building regulations will be cut down to fewer than ten, the Prime Minister is to announce. In a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), he will set out action on red tape, as well as a series of measures to support small businesses, including vouchers and extra tax relief. The regulations to be cut include... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ridiculous-regulations-to-be-cut--cameron 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ridiculous-regulations-to-be-cut--cameron Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT London has been creating the most new jobs while other cities get left behind, the Centre for Cities annual Cities Outlook report suggests. The figures, drawn from the ONS’s Business Register and Employment Survey, show that London accounted for 79% of jobs growth between 2010 and 2012. This includes 216,000 private sector and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cities-need-more-devolved-powers-to-generate-jobs 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cities-need-more-devolved-powers-to-generate-jobs Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT A new alliance has been launched to reduce the number of suicides in England and to improve support for those affected. The National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) is formed of the Department of Health, Samaritans and Rethink Mental Illness. With a £120,000 government grant, the alliance will work together over two years to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nspa-launched-to-improve-suicide-prevention 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nspa-launched-to-improve-suicide-prevention Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT Chris Hope, from Cambridge University, has argued that companies seeking to start fracking operations should pay a certain amount to compensate for their contribution to climate change. On one hand, a large bill could put some firms off the practice. But can the damage caused to the climate really be paid off in such a way? What if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paid-off 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paid-off Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT Councils are reporting a lack of accommodation for young people in their area, a new report by Homeless Link warns. Of the young people approaching councils with homelessness applications, 44% said that their parents were no longer willing to house them. The government has proposed scrapping housing benefit for under-25s. A survey of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/young-people-facing-homelessness 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/young-people-facing-homelessness Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee is “deeply concerned” about the use of confidentiality clauses and special severance payments in the public sector, its new report shows. Evidence suggests they have been used to cover up failure, including compromised patient safety in the NHS. A lack of transparency, accountability and central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gagging-clauses-used-to-cover-up-failure 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gagging-clauses-used-to-cover-up-failure Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT Gagging clauses and severance payments are back in the news today, as the Public Accounts Committee lays bare the risks involved in a system without any clear management or oversight of these arrangements. It’s not that such payments are always used to cover up failure, or are fundamentally wrong, but their use should be transparent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mouth-shut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mouth-shut Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT Fracking could boost the UK’s economy by helping to re-shore businesses to the country, the prime minister has stated. Speaking at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Cameron said that shale gas could be a “fresh driver of growth”. It could help to supply cheaper, more secure energy and support greater competitiveness for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shale-gas-fresh-driver-for-uk-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shale-gas-fresh-driver-for-uk-growth Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT Volunteer groups across Wales will receive £7.2m funding, the Welsh Government has announced. The investment will go to the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), County Voluntary Councils and Volunteer Centres to fund a programme to promote youth volunteering and to help provide community services. The Criminal Records... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wcva-to-receive-72m-for-volunteering-in-wales 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wcva-to-receive-72m-for-volunteering-in-wales Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT The new Cost of a Child report includes some worrying facts. Aside from the rising cost of bringing up a family, the research highlights the crippling impact on single parents. A combination of cuts to benefits and childcare costs continue to increase means that these families spend over half their annual income bringing up their children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-a-child 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-a-child Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT The overall cost of raising a child is now at £227,266, new research suggests. The annual Cost of a Child report, commissioned by LV= and compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), shows the cost has risen by nearly £5,000 from the previous year. Total costs have increased by 62% since 2003, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-having-children-62-higher-than-in-2003 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-having-children-62-higher-than-in-2003 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT Crime fell by 10% over the past year, the Crime Survey of England and Wales has found. An estimated 8 million offences were recorded; the lowest level since the survey began 32 years ago. Violent crime had fallen by 13%, but there were small rises in crimes associated with the recession. For example, there was a 4% rise in shoplifting and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lowest-number-of-criminal-offences-for-32-years 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lowest-number-of-criminal-offences-for-32-years Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT Statistics from exams last summer show that 154 schools in England were classed as ‘under-performing’, having failed to ensure at least 40% of their pupils pass GCSEs, including English and Maths, with grades between A* and C. Last year 61 more schools had failed to meet this target. Many local authorities with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-of-under-performing-schools-drops 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-of-under-performing-schools-drops Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:15:00 GMT MPs have raised concerns about the government’s implementation plans for probation reform, which will see services for low and high-risk offenders split between new private providers and the National Probation Service. The justice select committee has published its report on crime reduction policies, investigating the risks involved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-information-on-probation-reforms-mps 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-information-on-probation-reforms-mps Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:45:00 GMT The threat of flooding is rising each day, with more frequent and destructive storms leading to significant damage of homes and businesses. Does the Water Bill, currently making its way through parliament, go far enough to provide property protection against flooding? The property industry has called for a wider scheme, to ensure millions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/damage-and-defence 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/damage-and-defence Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:45:00 GMT The Water Bill must undergo “urgent amendments”, an alliance of property industry leaders has urged. The British Property Federation (BPF) and the Council of Mortgage Lenders warn that the Government’s Flood Re proposals will exclude most buildings cover for a number of different properties. Leasehold properties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flooding-insurance-should-cover-more-properties--bpf 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flooding-insurance-should-cover-more-properties--bpf Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:45:00 GMT The policing oversight framework has a number of gaps, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. In a new report, it cautions that this could limit the public’s ability to hold Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to account. But the new system has the potential to be an improvement on unelected police authorities. The NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pccs-have-gaps-in-the-system--nao 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pccs-have-gaps-in-the-system--nao Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:30:00 GMT Pension tax changes could mean senior civil servants will breach the amount of savings that benefit from tax relief, MyCSP has warned. MyCSP is the mutual joint venture and administrator of the new civil service pension scheme. It is launching a new service to help explain the changes to civil servants, discuss how they could be affected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mycsp-launch-new-service-for-civil-servants 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mycsp-launch-new-service-for-civil-servants Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT Families in deprived areas have been hit hardest by cuts in council tax benefit, new research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests. Last April, council tax benefit was scrapped, with local authorities now responsible for designing their own schemes. The IFS found that this resulted in reduced entitlement for 2.5... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorer-areas-receive-less-support-with-council-tax--ifs 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorer-areas-receive-less-support-with-council-tax--ifs Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT Plans to put 70% of probation contracts out to private companies have been delayed for a second time. In a written ministerial statement justice secretary Chris Grayling said that the deadline of April 1 would be moved back two months to June 1. This would allow rehabilitation companies to test new ways of working, including computer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/probation-reforms-pushed-back-two-months 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/probation-reforms-pushed-back-two-months Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT The second delay to Grayling’s probation reforms could generate further concern around privatising swathes of the justice system to private providers. Low and medium-risk offenders will be managed by new Community Rehabilitation Companies – a move which has been highly criticised. The issue is that privatisation remains... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pushed-back-probation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pushed-back-probation Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT “Any surplus goes on essential transport projects such as bringing our dilapidated road network up to scratch and providing subsidised bus travel for children or elderly residents” [Cllr Peter Box, LGA]. Well, our local buses have all increased their charges this year and very few of the huge backlog of potholes seem to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-profiting-from-parking 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-profiting-from-parking Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:35:00 GMT Changing the organisation of Welsh councils could have a huge impact on the communities that are affected. The Williams Commission report, to be published today, is expected to recommend a large reduction in the number of local authorities in Wales. The price of such reform – both in monetary terms and for local jobs – means... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/and-then-there-were-12 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/and-then-there-were-12 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:34:00 GMT Local authorities affected by flooding will have the chance to bid for a further £6.7m of funding, the government has announced. Recent extreme weather has led to significant amounts of flood damage, with repairs needed to housing, businesses and transport infrastructure. The costs of repairing flood defences are currently being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/67m-funding-available-for-flood-damaged-councils 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/67m-funding-available-for-flood-damaged-councils Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:33:00 GMT From April, peoplecoming to the UK from the EU who cannot find work will no longer be able to receive housing benefit, the government has announced. Home secretary Theresa May and work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith set out the move in an article for the Daily Mail. It follows legislation to stop migrants claiming out-of-work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-benefit-scrapped-for-out-of-work-eu-migrants 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-benefit-scrapped-for-out-of-work-eu-migrants Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:32:00 GMT Waste auditing guidance is now available for large healthcare producers, developed by the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM). The guidance covers pre-acceptance waste audits, as required by the Environmental Permitting Regulations. It will help producers to ensure that wastes are sent for the correct treatment and disposal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ciwm-publishes-new-health-waste-guidance 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ciwm-publishes-new-health-waste-guidance Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:31:00 GMT The number of Welsh councils should be reduced from 22 to at most 12, the Williams Commission has recommended. The commission has been investigating options to improve public services across Wales and make them more accountable. Chair of the Commission, Sir Paul Williams, said: “We need a radical shift, which will mean fundamental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mergers-likely-for-welsh-councils-in-new-reorganisation 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mergers-likely-for-welsh-councils-in-new-reorganisation Mon, 20 Jan 2014 09:30:00 GMT A fortified school is the latest idea to try and cut reoffending rates – and it shows some potential. Keeping young criminals in a facility which has more in common with a boarding school than a prison could have an important impact on their prospects, as well as the future crime rate. More emphasis on education is key to breaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-crime-with-books 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-crime-with-books Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT More support should be offered to single parents, think tank Policy Exchange has suggested. A new report, Parenting Alone, calls for Job Centres to increase funding by over £250m to help single parents to find work. It notes that more than one in three single parents are not in any kind of work. Policy Exchange has recommended... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/policy-exchange-urges-extra-funding-for-single-parents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/policy-exchange-urges-extra-funding-for-single-parents Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT A new ‘fortified school’ will be built for young offenders, more than doubling the number of hours they currently spend in education each week. The £85m secure college would be located next to Glen Parva prison in Leicestershire and include 320 beds for 12-17 year olds. They will be required to spend at least 24 hours a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fortified-school-planned-for-young-criminals 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fortified-school-planned-for-young-criminals Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:30:00 GMT Local councils should take action to improve the delivery of integrated health and social care, the LGA has urged. This week the association published a new toolkit to help commissioners and providers to achieve this. In partnership with the NHS, care organisations across the UK and Integrating Care, the LGA developed guidance for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-integration-toolkit-launched 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-social-care-integration-toolkit-launched Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:30:00 GMT Contracting authorities may introduce social and environmental considerations throughout procurement, new public directives state. Now approved by the European Parliament, the directives allow the possibility of introducing a social clause, guaranteeing respect for labour law and collective agreements in the workplace. It could stop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/european-directive-to-include-social-factors-in-procurement 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/european-directive-to-include-social-factors-in-procurement Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:45:00 GMT The downgrading of crime statistics could be another blow to the public’s already-shaky trust in the police. Despite all the data pointing to lower levels of crime in recent years, many have refused to believe the evidence. This is partly attributable to the public tendency to believe their own eyes (and the scare stories that flood... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-whole-story 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-whole-story Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:45:00 GMT More upland schemes should be introduced around the UK to improve flood protection, the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has urged. These schemes would see floods deliberately created on hills to mitigate damage downstream. Measures such as cutting trees into rivers to stem their flow and building earth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ciwem-calls-for-upland-flooding-schemes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ciwem-calls-for-upland-flooding-schemes Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:30:00 GMT Crime data recorded by the police has been downgraded by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) following evidence that it may not be reliable. Recorded crimes will no longer be designated as national statistics, the UKSA has announced. There are high-profile concerns about police integrity coming from both the home affairs and public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-statistics-may-not-be-reliable--uksa 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-statistics-may-not-be-reliable--uksa Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:30:00 GMT The UK will leave the EU unless there is significant political and economic reform, chancellor George Osborne is to warn. In a speech to a conference organised by the pro-reform Open Europe think tank and the Fresh Start group of Tory MPs, Osborne will say: “There is a simple choice for Europe: reform or decline. Our determination... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/failure-to-reform-risks-eu-economy--osborne 433,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/failure-to-reform-risks-eu-economy--osborne Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage could be fined up to £20,000 per employee, business secretary Vince Cable is to announce. Previously employers faced a maximum fine of £5,000, plus a financial penalty of 50% of the missing wages. The new regulations will apply to every worker denied the minimum wage. The legislation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/larger-fines-for-failure-to-pay-minimum-wage 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/larger-fines-for-failure-to-pay-minimum-wage Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT The first two companies are to be independently assessed for the new asset management systems standard, ISO 55001, BSI has announced. Babcock and Scottish Water will be assessed on their management systems for physical and other organisational assets. The new standard helps to develop a strategy that focuses on maximum use and return from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-asset-management-standard-launched 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-asset-management-standard-launched Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT The new fines for wayward employers could help to eradicate the practice of paying less than the minimum wage, raising the standard of living for thousands of cheated workers. This is a penalty that could actually deter such behaviour, and ensure that staff are paid a fair wage. The current conversation around zero hours contract, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/raising-the-stakes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/raising-the-stakes Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT There has been a rise in the number of young children reported as sexual abuse victims last year, the NSPCC has warned. Figures show that in 2012/13, police forces recorded 5,547 sex crimes against under-eleven year olds; nearly a 20% rise on the previous year. In total, 22,654 sexual offences against under-18s were recorded in the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nspcc-launches-new-advice-on-keeping-children-safe-from-sex-abuse 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nspcc-launches-new-advice-on-keeping-children-safe-from-sex-abuse Tue, 14 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT Food waste over Christmas was exacerbated by supermarket pressure to buy more, a new survey from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) suggests. One year on from the IMechE’s report on food waste, 70% of those polled said that they had been encouraged to increase their food purchasing, with 45% actually buying more as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-buy-too-much-food-imeche 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-buy-too-much-food-imeche Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:30:00 GMT A new £8m competition has been launched to reinvigorate the UK’s high streets, the government has announced. The competition will be run by the Technology Strategy Board, under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). Businesses will be invited to apply for the funding to trial innovative ways of addressing challenges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/8m-competition-to-improve-britains-high-streets 433,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/8m-competition-to-improve-britains-high-streets Mon, 13 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT The latest announcement on fracking means that councils could get millions of pounds extra a year, if they agree to let shale gas operations take place there. It’s a golden carrot for local government – when their resources are stretching to cover their basic statutory services, some more funding would be very useful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-all-out-for-shale 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-all-out-for-shale Mon, 13 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT Zero hours contracts will be one of the key workplace issues of 2014, Acas chief executive Anne Sharp has suggested. She has called for greater clarity around this type of contract, and welcomed the consultation looking at improving guidance on their use. Better workplace relations could also lead to more successful business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-lot-of-uncertainty-on-zero-hours-contracts-acas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-lot-of-uncertainty-on-zero-hours-contracts-acas Mon, 13 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT This is no surprise. It really hurts that the government are to make further cuts as many of my colleagues will find themselves looking for work in a virtually non-existent public sector job market, but we knew that almost 80% of the cuts were to come from 2014 onwards. Once we get past that reality, this is an opportunity for the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dealing-with-further-public-spending-cuts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dealing-with-further-public-spending-cuts Mon, 13 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT Fracking could see councils keep up to £1.7m extra a year in business rates, the government says. Those councils that back fracking would receive all business rates collected from shale gas schemes, rather than the standard 50%, prime minister David Cameron has announced. But a spokesperson for the LGA said: “Given the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/full-business-rates-available-for-fracking-councils 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/full-business-rates-available-for-fracking-councils Mon, 13 Jan 2014 09:45:00 GMT Local government’s so-called cash cow – parking charges – could face further restrictions, as the DfT has responded to the transport select committee’s report on parking enforcement. The government is considering bringing in legal requirements for councils to publish accounts, as well as introducing grace periods... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cash-cow--or-surplus-with-a-purpose 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cash-cow--or-surplus-with-a-purpose Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT Investment of £30m will support the planting of four million trees, the government has announced. The trees will be planted in 2,000 hectares of new woodland, and 200,000 hectares of existing woodland will also be improved or protected. The funding will be split into £6m on new planting in 2014/15, with £24m on woodland... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-of-new-trees-to-be-planted-in-2014-15 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-of-new-trees-to-be-planted-in-2014-15 Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT Minimum parking penalty charges would be abolished and grace periods introduced under new government proposals. In its response to recommendations published by the transport select committee last year, the DfT agreed that more should be done to increase transparency in local authority parking accounts. It states: “The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-parking-fines-could-shrink-under-new-dft-rules 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-parking-fines-could-shrink-under-new-dft-rules Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:30:00 GMT Faster broadband has been rolled out to 100,000 homes and businesses in Wales through the Superfast Cymru programme. The Welsh government aims to deliver fast fibre broadband to 96% of the population by 2016, with the majority of the country able to access 30Mbps. Delivered in partnership with BT, the scheme will bring major economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/superfast-cymru-reaches-100000-homes 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/superfast-cymru-reaches-100000-homes Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:30:00 GMT The improved performance in schools that have converted to academy status is certainly interesting, and provides good evidential support for a flagship Coalition policy. But what is it about these schools that has led to better outcomes? To start with, schools with higher grades may be more likely to convert to academies. Is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-than-the-rest 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-than-the-rest Thu, 09 Jan 2014 14:30:00 GMT The minimum wage should not rise at the expense of jobs, Chancellor George Osborne has said. It follows reports that some ministers, including Iain Duncan-Smith and Treasury minister Sajid Javid want a ‘significant’ above-inflation increase in the minimum wage. The Low Pay Commission is due to publish its recommendations on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-warns-against-self-defeating-minimum-wage-increase 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-warns-against-self-defeating-minimum-wage-increase Thu, 09 Jan 2014 14:30:00 GMT Schools that have converted to become academies have improved more quickly than those that have not, new statistics show. The Department for Education has published a report showing the performance of schools which have changed their status in this way. Converted academies were found to be more likely to have improved from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-much-better-than-local-authority-schools 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-much-better-than-local-authority-schools Thu, 09 Jan 2014 12:45:00 GMT China has pledged to invest in the UK’s HS2 project. The Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, has offered to invest directly in a proposal to build connections from the Birmingham Interchange station to the airport, as well as cities such as Coventry and Peterborough. Downing Street is reported to have been surprised by the news, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-could-get-chinese-investment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-could-get-chinese-investment Thu, 09 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT A new fund has been launched to make better use of evidence-based research in classrooms in England. The £6m Education and Neuroscience fund, set up by the Wellcome Trust and the Education Endowment Foundation, seeks to tackle the “evidence gap” on how schoolchildren’s brains process information. Applications for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brain-research-fund-could-boost-learning 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brain-research-fund-could-boost-learning Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT A new fund has been launched to help local authorities deliver services through new commercial models, such as mutuals and voluntary organisations. The Delivering Differently programme is a collaboration between the Cabinet Office, the DCLG, the LGA and SOLACE. It will offer a £1m fund to support ten local authorities to adopt new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-be-funded-to-set-up-mutuals 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-to-be-funded-to-set-up-mutuals Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT The IEA’s new paper sets out why and how the state pension age should be increase faster, with workplace regulations reformed to allow everyone to work for longer. It is clear that action must be taken. An ageing population, longer life expectancy, and a changing workforce require different models for retirement. And the public are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/saving-for-a-rainy-day 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/saving-for-a-rainy-day Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT Government reforms to the state pension age should go further and faster, a think tank has urged. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) labelled the recent commitment to continue to increase state pension expenditure in real terms “unaffordable and irresponsible”. The introduction of a later retirement age should be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/state-pension-rises-are-irresponsible--iea 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/state-pension-rises-are-irresponsible--iea Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT Police and social workers should collaborate to form new Early Action Response service in Lancashire, the council has announced. The proposals would see £6m investment from Lancashire County Council (LCC) and Lancashire Constabulary to facilitate earlier intervention with vulnerable people. The service, which is supported by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-early-action-response-service-for-lancashire 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-early-action-response-service-for-lancashire Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:45:00 GMT The plans for the motorway through Derbyshire are sure to stir up controversy – lowering the speed limit will never be welcomed by motorists, and the inconsistency with the rest of the network could lead to confusion for drivers. But the policy is driven by a need to improve air quality; an environmental concern that must be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smog-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smog-free Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:45:00 GMT A section of the M1 could see its speed limit restricted to 60mph, the government has proposed. The move is expected to cut pollution and to meet EU guidelines on air quality. The new limit would apply to a 32-mile stretch of the M1 from junction 28 in Derbyshire to junction 35a. It would be in force from 7am to 7pm, seven days a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/derbyshire-motorway-could-see-60mph-limit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/derbyshire-motorway-could-see-60mph-limit Tue, 07 Jan 2014 14:15:00 GMT Cuts to the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) could damage the government’s ability to cope with future emergencies, MPs have warned. The Efra Select Committee called for greater clarity on which policy areas face the largest cuts. The Defra budget has been cut by £500m since 2010 and the department... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-funding-could-help-deliver-environmental-projects 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-funding-could-help-deliver-environmental-projects Tue, 07 Jan 2014 14:00:00 GMT I understood the previous and current coalition governments strongly supported the concept of ‘localism’! If this be so, why do Mr Pickles and his department so frequently ignore and overturn locally made decisions? Is he working toward an office within an EU commission? Re: Council spending settlement –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localism 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localism Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:07:00 GMT The upcoming cuts, now forecast at £25bn, spell bad news for the welfare budget. It remains the area the Conservatives still see as easy pickings; housing benefit for the under-25s and council housing for those on higher incomes could both be cut post-2015. It’s part of the move to set Labour up as ‘the welfare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-state 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-state Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:05:00 GMT Councils can retain weekly rubbish collections whilst increasing recycling rates and cutting overall costs, the government has stated. Local government secretary Eric Pickles has published new guidance on how weekly bin collections can be implemented, aimed at encouraging councils to switch back from fortnightly collections. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weekly-bin-collections-can-save-money--pickles 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weekly-bin-collections-can-save-money--pickles Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:03:00 GMT Longer-term planning in social care for adults with learning disabilities could reduce long-term care costs, as well as significantly improving wellbeing, new research suggests. A Plan for Life, published by learning disability charity FitzRoy, found that 87% of local authorities say that long-term planning offers the greatest opportunity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/short-term-social-care-illogical-charity-warns 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/short-term-social-care-illogical-charity-warns Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:02:00 GMT Barristers and solicitors are to stage a half-day protest at government plans to cut legal aid fees by up to 30%. The move could save £220m a year, the MoJ has stated. But it could lead to lower quality legal representation, lawyers have warned. The action today is coordinated with the Justice Alliance, and supported by unions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lawyers-lead-protests-at-legal-aid-cuts- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lawyers-lead-protests-at-legal-aid-cuts- Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:01:00 GMT Public spending cuts totalling £25bn will be needed after the next general election to cut the deficit, Chancellor George Osborne has warned, despite the brightening economic outlook and rising business confidence. It is the first time he has put a precise number on the expected cuts, which Osborne said that under a Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-announces-25bn-more-public-spending-cuts-to-come 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-announces-25bn-more-public-spending-cuts-to-come Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:00:00 GMT Teachers could earn higher salaries faster through a performance-related pay system, a new report from Policy Exchange suggests. The think tank welcomed the new system, which it said could see teachers earning up to £70,000 within five to eight years, compared with £52,000 in 12 years through the existing system. But the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-could-see-teachers-earning-70000 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-could-see-teachers-earning-70000 Fri, 03 Jan 2014 11:30:00 GMT Government and the transport industry must do more to ensure winter preparedness, MPs have urged. A new report published by the Transport Select Committee highlighted a lack of readiness across infrastructure, resources and promoting passenger interests. It reads: “Transport is vital to growth and a lack of preparedness has a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-sector-should-not-be-surprised-by-bad-weather--mps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-sector-should-not-be-surprised-by-bad-weather--mps Fri, 03 Jan 2014 11:30:00 GMT The Prince’s Trust has published some sobering research; thousands of young people who feel that they have nothing to live for. The new index considers the impact of joblessness on mental health, and its increasing link with hopelessness. Once young people are unemployed it can be very difficult to get back into work. This lack... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-hope 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-hope Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Changes to energy tariffs come into play today to create a simpler and clearer market for consumers, Ofgem has announced. Suppliers will be limited to offering four tariffs per customer for electricity and gas, and simplify how prices are charged. By April suppliers will have to tell consumers which of their tariffs is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-pricing-reforms-introduced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-pricing-reforms-introduced Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Three-quarters of a million young people feel they have nothing to live for, shocking new research indicates. The Prince’s Trust’s Macquarie Youth Index found that young people who were long-term unemployed were more than twice as likely to have been prescribed anti-depressants as their peers and one in three had contemplated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-unemployed-feel-hopeless--princes-trust 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-unemployed-feel-hopeless--princes-trust Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT People with a long-standing connection to their local area will be prioritised for social housing, the government has announced. New statutory guidance, published on Tuesday and replacing all previous guidance, will require applicants to have lived in an area for at least two years before being added to the waiting list for council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-residency-tests-for-social-housing- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-residency-tests-for-social-housing- Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:15:00 GMT Prisoners will not be able to receive Christmas presents or cards this year, as new government rules introduce restrictions on clothing, books and games sent by relatives. The Prison Reform Trust has slammed the move, which will see prisoners having to pay for any goods themselves, if they can afford it. And the rationale behind the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-presents-in-prison 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-presents-in-prison Mon, 23 Dec 2013 10:45:00 GMT Local authorities in England made almost £600m from parking in the last year, a report from the RAC Foundation has stated. Councils had a combined surplus of £594m in 2012/13, 5% up on the previous year. Even discounting interest and depreciation, the surplus would still be £460m. The largest surplus was in Westminster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-parking-surplus-of-594m--rac-foundation 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-parking-surplus-of-594m--rac-foundation Mon, 23 Dec 2013 09:00:00 GMT Serco has agreed to repay the Government £68m for overcharging on contracts to tag criminals in the UK. It follows allegations that Serco and G4S had charged for tagging of people who were either dead or in jail. The case has been referred to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) by the Ministry of Justice. Both security firms have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tagging-overcharges-to-be-repaid 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tagging-overcharges-to-be-repaid Fri, 20 Dec 2013 11:30:00 GMT The International Development Committee’s report reiterates that Scotland’s independence is not just a local decision. The move would have significant repercussions on the world stage as well. So is the UK stronger together? What about the job losses indicated from a restructuring of the DFID? Any change requires a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-and-away 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-and-away Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have recognised the important of social enterprise in their plans to spend £5.2bn European funding. The EU Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme will fund LEPs from 2014 to 2020. Social Enterprise UK welcomed the news, and has published a new report surveying how LEPs are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-enterprise-recognised-in-lep-plans 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-enterprise-recognised-in-lep-plans Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT If Scotland votes for independence next year, the country will no longer be able to make a “transformational” contribution to international development, a cross-party group of MPs has warned. The International Development Committee added that the amount of money that the UK spends on Official Development Assistance (ODA) would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independence-vote-could-impact-scotlands-international-aid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independence-vote-could-impact-scotlands-international-aid Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:45:00 GMT The local government settlement for 2014-15 will see councils dealing with an average cut to spending power equating to 2.9% per household (£2,089), local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. The provisional settlement will offer local authorities: £22.6bn settlement funding assessment (including £10.1bn of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-spending-settlement--government-is-starting-to-listen 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-spending-settlement--government-is-starting-to-listen Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:00:00 GMT Big data, in its most basic terms, refers to the tools and processes which allow an organisation to create, manipulate, and manage massive quantities of information in real time. It is also now a buzzword thrown around businesses as they seek to exploit this data revolution. But incorrect analysis of this plethora of organisational data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/incorrect-analysis-of-big-data-is-hitting-the-bottom-line 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/incorrect-analysis-of-big-data-is-hitting-the-bottom-line Wed, 18 Dec 2013 15:30:00 GMT The use of ‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) is set to grow in local public services, a new report from Socitm suggests. The document sets out details of the associated risks and benefits of BYOD, as well as case studies of how councils are implementing new policies to maintain security. BYOD can make employees happier and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bring-your-own-device-set-to-grow-socitm 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bring-your-own-device-set-to-grow-socitm Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:30:00 GMT Up to 2,880 wells could be built to drill for shale gas, the government has announced. In the maximum scenario, this could provide a quarter of the UK’s annual demand in the peak years in the 2020s. DECC has published a regulatory roadmap for shale oil and gas developers, showing two thirds of UK land available for fracking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decc-sets-out-more-land-for-fracking 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decc-sets-out-more-land-for-fracking Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:30:00 GMT The question of prisoner voting rights is a particularly tricky one. The UK has been ignoring warnings from the European Court over its blanket ban for a number of years, but now a joint committee of Parliament has recommended enfranchising certain prisoners. The number of people it would affect is apparently negligible when considering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-vote 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-vote Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:30:00 GMT Prisoners serving short jail terms should be entitled to vote, a joint committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons has concluded. In 2004 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that a blanket ban on prisoners voting was unlawful. But in 2011 MPs voted to keep the UK ban. The committee recommends that those serving terms of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-should-lift-blanket-ban-on-prisoner-voting-rights 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-should-lift-blanket-ban-on-prisoner-voting-rights Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:30:00 GMT The UK will need a new runway to be in operation by 2030 and a further one by 2050, the Airports Commission has concluded. The publication of the commission’s independent review into airport capacity found that another runway should be located in the south east, and that there is likely to be a demand for a second additional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/airports-commission-reveals-shortlist 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/airports-commission-reveals-shortlist Tue, 17 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT The core purpose of children’s centres must be reviewed, the education select committee has urged. The MPs have called for the government to focus on achievable outcomes and longer-term strategy in their new report. Committee chair Graham Stuart MP said: “Education is too important to wait until children reach school age. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-centres-aims-are-too-vague--mps 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-centres-aims-are-too-vague--mps Tue, 17 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT Councils have received over £2bn for helping to deliver 550,000 new homes under the New Homes Bonus, housing minister Kris Hopkins has announced. Additionally, 93,000 empty homes were brought back into use, and the total includes 160,000 affordable homes. Hopkins said: “Top-down regional strategies and eco-towns failed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-delivers-550000-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-delivers-550000-homes Tue, 17 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT The Airports Commission report has been long awaited, and its conclusions will be met with much criticism. The government has historically rejected any proposals for a third runway at Heathrow, but expansion at this airport features in two of the three shortlisted options from the commission. The Thames Estuary plan has not been ruled out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-third-runway http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-third-runway Tue, 17 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT Pensioners could spend £150,000 on care before the government’s cap on costs comes into effect, the Labour Party has warned. The figures are published as MPs vote on the Care Bill at its second reading today. New calculations show that exceptions to the cap – including hotel and accommodation expenses, food, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-cap-could-cost-pensioners-150000 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-cap-could-cost-pensioners-150000 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:30:00 GMT The amount of expenses left uncovered by the care cap are staggering – and could mean huge portions of care will continue to be funded by pensioners rather than the state. Accommodation, living costs, the differences between council-level fees and other care home charges; all this will fall on the individual. It makes the idea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-uncovered 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-uncovered Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:30:00 GMT Councils will be able to do more to allow developers to build beyond in neighbouring council areas in an effort to provide enough new housing to meet demand, Labour leader Ed Miliband is to announce. In a speech he is expected to set out measures under a Labour government that he says would help build 200,000 homes a year. Miliband will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pledges-to-build-200000-homes-a-year 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pledges-to-build-200000-homes-a-year Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:30:00 GMT New maps published by the Environment Agency will help businesses and communities to protect properties from flooding. The maps show the areas most at risk; new national scale maps of surface water flooding show the risk affects around three million properties. Models of how rain water flows and pools, as well as local topography, weather... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-six-homes-in-england-at-risk-of-flooding 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-six-homes-in-england-at-risk-of-flooding Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:30:00 GMT The attainment gap between the most deprived children and their peers is narrowing, government statistics show. Test results for half a million 11-year-olds show that 74% of children on free school meals (FSM) achieved level 4 or above in maths. The percentage for all other children of that age group was 87%, but the gap has narrowed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-performance-improving-for-pupils-from-deprived-backgrounds 453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-performance-improving-for-pupils-from-deprived-backgrounds Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:30:00 GMT This is unbelieveable!! and unthinkable!! An 11% pay increase for withdrawing public services to the vulnerable and only a 1% pay increase for local government workers in the past 5 years? I am in the private sector and have seen my pay decrease by over £10k in the last few years. This is despicable. No wonder people do not trusts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-mps-is-despicable 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-mps-is-despicable Mon, 16 Dec 2013 09:00:00 GMT ALMOs are building more houses, with more long-term agreements, new research shows. A survey of ALMOs across England found that they built 450 new homes in 2013, with an additional 39 planning to build in 2014. Now 34% are managing homes on behalf of other social housing landlords and nearly half are delivering services to the private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housebuilding-increases-for-almos 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housebuilding-increases-for-almos Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT Councils will be required to publish additional information about their operation, local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. The transparency code will become mandatory for councils with gross income or expenditure above £6.5m. It includes quarterly information on public expenditure exceeding £500, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mandatory-transparency-code-for-councils 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mandatory-transparency-code-for-councils Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT MPs have raised serious doubts about the government’s civil service reform plan, warning that it focuses on short-term solutions and lacks strategic consideration. The call for a parliamentary commission into the civil service must be seriously considered, or the grand reforms risk doing little to improve the current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reform-in-need-of-reform http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reform-in-need-of-reform Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT A parliamentary commission should be launched into the civil service, the chairs of every Commons select committee have urged. The Liaison Committee found “significant evidence” that the civil service is not equipped to support consistent contract management, and tends to be driven by short-term pressures rather than long-term... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/select-committee-chairs-jointly-urge-civil-service-inquiry 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/select-committee-chairs-jointly-urge-civil-service-inquiry Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT The government’s new Waste Prevention Programme contains little new policy, the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) has stated. Better clarity, awareness and management of resource efficiency and waste prevention measures are vital, the body urged. One of the headline points of the plan is that businesses will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wasted-opportunity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wasted-opportunity Thu, 12 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT The London Assembly’s pre-budget report calls for more clarity on how budget cuts could affect services in the capital. The budget and performance committee warned that while crime was falling, it had dropped by a lower rate than in the rest of England and Wales and victim satisfaction with the service they received was also lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concerns-published-ahead-of-london-budget 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concerns-published-ahead-of-london-budget Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:45:00 GMT The new Waste Prevention Programme (WPP) shows that businesses could save up to £18bn each year by producing less waste. But the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) said there was “little new” in the plan, and that many in the industry would find it disappointing. The WPP for England was published on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-prevention-programme-lacklustre--ciwm 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-prevention-programme-lacklustre--ciwm Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:00:00 GMT Public health interventions provide good value for money and have a “compelling business case”, The King’s Fund has stated. New guidance offers evidence for the economic benefits of effective public health action for local authorities. Health think tank the King’s Fund has identified nine key areas where... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-should-be-top-of-local-government-agenda 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-should-be-top-of-local-government-agenda Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:45:00 GMT Josie Cluer, who focuses on public service reform at transformation consultancy Moorhouse, discusses one of the biggest trends in public policy. Payment by results (PbR) in the public sector is great in theory. The government contracts with an outside organisation, perhaps from the private or the third sector, to provide a service. But they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioning-payment-by-results-contracts-how-to-ensure-youre-paying-for-the-right-results 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioning-payment-by-results-contracts-how-to-ensure-youre-paying-for-the-right-results Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:30:00 GMT Lesley Perkin, the new programme director for integrated care at Buckinghamshire County Council, talks to PSE about her role and the importance of joined-up working. Buckinghamshire County Council has created a new role to bring integrated care together across five different health and social care organisations, putting patients at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-right-people-in-the-same-room 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-right-people-in-the-same-room Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:30:00 GMT Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, spoke to PSE about Dutch research into the links between stations and town centres, and its English application. Routes between railway stations and town centres have traditionally been absent from both local government and transport investment plans. But it is this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fixing-the-link 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fixing-the-link Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:15:00 GMT Vicki Sellick, director of the Rethinking Parks programme at Nesta, the UK’s Innovation Foundation, discusses the state of England’s public parks. Barnet’s graph of doom, suggesting all of local government’s money will be taken up meeting social care needs by 2020, has been rather over-used in the last few years.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-graph-of-doom-to-full-bloom 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-graph-of-doom-to-full-bloom Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:15:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports from The Infrastructure Summit, which discussed how cities will look in the future. On 29 October, leaders from across the sustainability, planning, infrastructure and emerging technology sectors came together to discuss the future of urbanisation. Held by The Economist Events and sponsored by Hitachi, ‘The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-cities 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-cities Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:00:00 GMT Labour has called for cross-party support for a national infrastructure commission. PSE asked Nick Baveystock, director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), for his views. Q) What benefits would an Infrastructure Commission bring to the UK? Strategy alone will not deliver improvements to the delivery of UK infrastructure.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-commission--a-qa 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-commission--a-qa Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:45:00 GMT Helen Dowse, programme manager for East Coast & Hertfordshire Control Room Consortium (ECHCRC), explains how the four fire services from Humberside, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Hertfordshire have joined together to improve their efficiencies and resilience. Following the abandonment of the government’s Regional Control Centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-for-improved-resilience-efficiency-and-increased-community-safety 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-for-improved-resilience-efficiency-and-increased-community-safety Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:30:00 GMT The Work Foundation has called for a fundamental reform of apprenticeships. Researcher Katy Jones explains. Apprenticeships are back on the political agenda and there is a growing consensus of their value among the main parties. However, our research has found that the current apprenticeship system has significant limitations: many are too... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-by-example-boosting-apprenticeships-through-the-public-sector 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-by-example-boosting-apprenticeships-through-the-public-sector Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:15:00 GMT In November, the Skills Commission published a report on the future of further education. Matt Atkinson, principal of City Bath College and chair of the inquiry, spoke to PSE. Stronger inspection measures, greater accountability and the freedom to fail or flourish – the Skills Commission has analysed the impact of interventions in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-further-education 453,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-further-education Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:30:00 GMT Colin Stenning, digital services manager at Bracknell Forest Council, explains how services can be delivered online while minimising the digital divide. To save time and money, many councils across the UK are going ‘digital by default’ and moving more of their services online. Yet in doing so, there’s a danger of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/access-for-all-to-council-websites 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/access-for-all-to-council-websites Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:00:00 GMT Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust was ‘highly commended’ at the CIPD People Management Awards in the ‘employee engagement’ category for tackling negative staff perceptions. PSE spoke to the trust’s director of communications and staff engagement Myles Howell.  Hull & East Yorkshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-services-through-employee-engagement 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-services-through-employee-engagement Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:00:00 GMT Fraud costs local government more than £2bn a year, money that is desperately needed to provide public services. Yet there is wide variation between councils, with some devoting far more effort and resources to detecting and deterring fraud. PSE spoke to Audit Commission head of counter fraud Alan Bryce. ‘Protecting the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-fraud-locally 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-fraud-locally Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:45:00 GMT Bob Ross, employer relationship manager at Skills for Local Government, talks to PSE about new skills for a new kind of chief executive. Skills for Local Government’s new report, ‘Asking the Right Questions’, was produced in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contextual-leadership-in-a-changing-world 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contextual-leadership-in-a-changing-world Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:30:00 GMT Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, critically examines the widely-accepted claim that the Coalition Government is presiding over a programme of radical public service reform.  The Cameron-Clegg coalition government prides itself on the radical nature of its programme of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-first-you-see-it-then-you-dont 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-first-you-see-it-then-you-dont Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:30:00 GMT This edition of Public Sector Executive went to press just before the Chancellor’s autumn statement, due on Thursday 5 December. Budgets and spending review days have rarely been happy ones for many in the public sector – and especially local government – in recent years. Ever since the original bombshell in 2010... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-on-the-mind 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-on-the-mind Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:15:00 GMT More control is needed to contain rising costs of free schools, the National Audit Office (NAO) has urged. Its new report also calls for the government to learn lessons from performance issues in free schools. Since 2010, 174 new free schools have opened, and at relatively low cost. But the government must focus on maximising value for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-must-tackle-rising-cost-trend-of-free-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-must-tackle-rising-cost-trend-of-free-schools Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:15:00 GMT The government’s confirmation of the carbon budget is vital, the CCC has stated. The committee found no evidence to support a change in the budget, or a delay in this policy target. The overarching message is ‘the sooner the better’ – the more progress the UK makes on carbon efficiency, the more secure we can be in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-wait 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-wait Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:15:00 GMT The fourth carbon budget should not be changed, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has advised. The committee compared a strategy of reducing emissions through the 2020s with one where action is delayed until the 2030s, and found significant savings associated with early action. The impacts of meeting the budget are “small and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-on-carbon-budget--committee-on-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-on-carbon-budget--committee-on-climate-change Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:15:00 GMT Nearly half of all local authorities have reduced support for buses in 2013, a new report from the Campaign for Better Transport indicates. There are plans for cuts of £48m in the coming years and three councils no longer support any bus services. The Campaign for Better Transport has warned that we need increased political... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-service-cuts-at-critical-levels-campaign-for-better-transport 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-service-cuts-at-critical-levels-campaign-for-better-transport Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:00:00 GMT Although the Chancellor’s move to partially lift restrictions on council borrowing has been widely welcomed, there have been repeated calls to relax these completely. It’s a question of how the debt is perceived; if this borrowing no longer affects the way the UK is viewed nationally, because it is measured by the GGGD, then... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bad-borrowing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bad-borrowing Tue, 10 Dec 2013 10:15:00 GMT Public bodies must build on progress to tackle disability-related harassment, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has announced. Following the publication last year of the commission’s Manifesto for Change, many recommendations have been adopted, including disability equality training for bus drivers. But the EHRC... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-people-dont-get-the-protection-they-need--ehrc 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-people-dont-get-the-protection-they-need--ehrc Tue, 10 Dec 2013 10:00:00 GMT Council borrowing restrictions must be relaxed to create thousands of new homes, the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) has urged. A new report, ‘Treating council housing fairly’, calls for the government to adopt the General Government Gross Debt (GGGD) measurement to bring the UK in line with other European councils and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nfa-calls-for-council-borrowing-restrictions-to-be-lifted 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nfa-calls-for-council-borrowing-restrictions-to-be-lifted Tue, 10 Dec 2013 10:00:00 GMT The Border Force has been neglecting security duties, MPs have warned. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report setting out a number of issues with the way the Border Force’s work is being planned and implemented. Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the committee, said: “The Border Force prioritised passenger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prioritising-passenger-checks-has-weakened-border-security 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prioritising-passenger-checks-has-weakened-border-security Tue, 10 Dec 2013 10:00:00 GMT After unleashing a volley of upbeat economic statistics, the Chancellor can justifiably feel that he has won the austerity argument. Three lean years have left the country’s books in better shape and the prospect of Britain running a budget surplus within five years is truly impressive. But austerity has served its purpose.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-chancellors-autumn-statement 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-chancellors-autumn-statement Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:06:00 GMT A number of reports today with some important conclusions: Civil Exchange has found that trust is a commodity, along with a number of other luxuries, more common in areas of affluence. Those living in more deprived places are less likely to trust. This finding would be striking enough on its own, but consider the JRF research that puts the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trust-should-not-be-a-postcode-lottery 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trust-should-not-be-a-postcode-lottery Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:05:00 GMT A pay rise for MPs would be “wholly inappropriate”, Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, has warned. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is expected to announce an 11% pay rise on Thursday, increasing MPs’ basic pay to £74,000 from May 2015. The changes would also see some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mp-pay-rise-condemned-by-party-leaders 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mp-pay-rise-condemned-by-party-leaders Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:03:00 GMT Universal Credit will be delivered within budget, work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has repeated – but he has acknowledged that the plan is now “different” to the original one. He is to appear before the work and pensions select committee later today to be questioned on IT problems and delays to the programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-will-not-reach-all-participants-by-2017-deadline 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-will-not-reach-all-participants-by-2017-deadline Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:02:00 GMT There are more working households living in poverty than non-working ones, new research suggests. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) ‘Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion’ report showed that just over half of all households surviving on less than 60% of the national median income were in work. The New Policy Institute... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-poor-households-working-than-not--jrf 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-poor-households-working-than-not--jrf Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:01:00 GMT The ‘Big Society’ is leaving millions behind, a new report has warned. Think tank Civil Exchange has conducted its Big Society Audit 2013, setting out the dangers of private sector monopolies running services and cuts to the most disadvantaged. People with disabilities are bearing 29% of the cuts and only one in five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-bias-is-killing-big-society 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-bias-is-killing-big-society Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:00:00 GMT Industry bodies have now responded to the Autumn Statement, after Chancellor George Osborne set out a rise of the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap by £300m, capped business rates and set out £1bn departmental spending cuts for a “balanced” recovery. The LGA said that while the policy on borrowing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-to-be-done-on-council-borrowing-freedoms 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-to-be-done-on-council-borrowing-freedoms Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT Did the Chancellor go far enough when he increased the borrowing cap for local government? For many working in the public sector or in housing, and especially the LGA, it is only a step in the right direction. On its own, it may not be enough to really drive local growth across the country. Pension changes and welfare spending are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/autumn-changes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/autumn-changes Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT A new Data Science Institute will drive innovation and research, Imperial College London has announced. The institute will launch in 2014 and provide a hub for data to improve research and education. Multidisciplinary collaboration across healthcare, financial services and city infrastructure will allow big data to be collected, processed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-to-boost-healthcare-and-infrastructure-research 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-to-boost-healthcare-and-infrastructure-research Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT Local growth organisations and initiatives have not demonstrated that they are capable of delivering value for money, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. Analysing the performance of LEPs, Enterprise Zones, City Deals and the Regional Growth Fund, the report found that there is no plan to measure outcomes or evaluate performance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-evaluation-planned-for-funding-for-local-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-evaluation-planned-for-funding-for-local-growth Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT Local government and the communities department mostly escaped any further cuts in today’s autumn statement, in which chancellor George Osborne announced £1bn in loans for blocked developments and a rise of the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap by £300m. He name-checked blocked housing developments in Manchester and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-raises-housing-revenue-account-borrowing-cap-by-300m 433,441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-raises-housing-revenue-account-borrowing-cap-by-300m Thu, 05 Dec 2013 14:45:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne's autumn statement will be delivered in Parliament at 11.15am today. Important details have been briefed early, such as change to the way the state pension age works that will mean people in their 40s now working until 68, and those in their 20s working until 70. The new formula is linked to average life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-more-departmental-cuts-in-autumn-statement 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-more-departmental-cuts-in-autumn-statement Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:15:00 GMT The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) will receive £5m to replace tracks on the Sheffield Supertram, the DfT has announced. Life-expired sections of the track will be replaced within the street running elements of the system, and works will be delivered by SYPTE in partnership with Stagecoach and Sheffield City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-fund-track-replacement-for-supertram 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-fund-track-replacement-for-supertram Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:00:00 GMT London Councils is celebrating after securing a rates rise exemption for half of the capital’s local housing allowance (LHA) rates. Instead of the planned 1% annual rise, the LHA will rise by 4% for 35 of London’s 70 LHA rates “in recognition of London’s unique circumstances, including higher housing costs”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-housing-allowance-rates-rise-in-london 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-housing-allowance-rates-rise-in-london Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:00:00 GMT Energy, transport, communications and water projects costing £346bn to 2030 will be funded in the new National Infrastructure Plan (NIP), published by government today. The government will increase investment in infrastructure by £66bn, and six big insurance companies will also provide £25bn over the next five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-launches-66bn-investment-in-infrastructure 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-launches-66bn-investment-in-infrastructure Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:30:00 GMT The new announcement for foster children is great news, and could have a significant impact on young people’s educational attainment and employment opportunities, as well as their welfare. While some 18 year olds are ready and able to live on their own, this does not apply to everyone, and particularly those who have had to move... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-grown-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-grown-up Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT The LGA has repeated its call for restrictions on council borrowing to be scrapped, allowing local authorities to leverage more money to spend on housebuilding. The amount councils can borrow against is currently capped at different levels depending on the area. Mike Jones, chairman of the LGA's environment and housing board, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hands-are-tied-by-borrowing-block 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hands-are-tied-by-borrowing-block Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT Young people in foster care will be allowed to remain with families until they are 21, under a new duty for councils to be announced today. Ministers will set aside £40m for local authorities over the next three years to put support arrangements in place. Currently fostered children are funded by councils to stay in care until they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fostered-children-to-receive-support-past-age-18 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fostered-children-to-receive-support-past-age-18 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT The government’s programmes to help families with multiple challenges need further investment, the National Audit Office has found, with the payment by results structure unlikely to deliver all potential benefits of the schemes. The new report looks into the success and value-for-money of the Troubled Families, and the DWP’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/payment-by-results-for-troubled-families-unlikely-to-deliver 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/payment-by-results-for-troubled-families-unlikely-to-deliver Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:45:00 GMT The priority now for the public sector is not just to survive the long-term future of budget constraints, but to also try to benefit from it through innovation and transformational change. Organisations are focusing on improving service, delivery and access through a range of alternative business models such as integration, partnerships and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-importance-of-building-business-change-capability 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-importance-of-building-business-change-capability Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:30:00 GMT The re-classification of people living in fuel poverty risks more households missing out on vital support in cold weather, as well as a disingenuous measure of success if the government holds these statistics up to show their progress. Such changes must be done very carefully – how can ministers ensure that those who are no longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/above-the-poverty-line 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/above-the-poverty-line Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT The government is introducing measures to cut household energy bills by an average £50 a year, funded through closing tax avoidance loopholes. The shake-up involves reducing the ‘carbon emissions reduction obligation’ element of the ECO (Energy Company Obligation) by 33% up to 2015, with more funding for individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-measures-to-cut-green-levy-on-bills 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-measures-to-cut-green-levy-on-bills Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT It is ridiculous that people are being forced to go online [to access universal credit]. Many do not own a computer and for many it is not for them, it would be like trying to teach me how to knit, it is probably simple but I would never be able to get my head round it. If the forms are like the Inland Revenue forms then even the more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:15:00 GMT The local government ombudsman should be reformed, a review by Robert Gordon CB has recommended, potentially by merging it with the parliamentary and health service ombudsman. The government has agreed with the conclusions of the report and stated it intends to develop and test ideas for how a single public services ombudsman for England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-a-single-public-services-ombudsman 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-a-single-public-services-ombudsman Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT A case in which a social services department got a court order to remove a baby from its mother’s womb will be raised in Parliament this week as an “extreme” case of human rights abuse. In August 2012 Essex social services obtained a court order to take the baby from an Italian woman who had been taken to a psychiatric... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-forced-c-section-case-to-be-raised-in-parliament 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-forced-c-section-case-to-be-raised-in-parliament Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT Changes to energy policy risk “shifting the goal posts” on fuel poverty, the Environmental Audit Committee has warned. Amendments to the Energy Bill could see the number of households in England classed as in fuel poverty reduced from 3.2 million to 2.4 million. Households are currently fuel poor if they spend over 10% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-changing-fuel-poverty-definition--mps 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-changing-fuel-poverty-definition--mps Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:00:00 GMT Today’s announcement on parental leave should be warmly welcomed, but getting a more equal share of childcare will take more than policy to achieve. The cultural barriers to fathers taking more time off to care for their children are significant, as reflected by critics of the scheme. The IoD insists that this will be “a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/and-baby-makes-three 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/and-baby-makes-three Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:55:00 GMT Fathers will be able to share 12 months of parental leave, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has announced. He said: “We need to challenge the old-fashioned assumption that women will always be the parent that stays at home, many fathers want that option too.” The policy, which was first outlined by the Lib Dems last year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parental-leave-sharing-scheme-to-start-in-2015 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parental-leave-sharing-scheme-to-start-in-2015 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:55:00 GMT A new guide sets out how using standards and accreditation can deliver better regulation. Published by UKAS, in partnership with the British Standards Institute (BSI), the guidance is aimed at ministers to offer an effective alternative to regulation. The guidance is part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accreditation-can-offer-cost-effective-alternative-to-regulation 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accreditation-can-offer-cost-effective-alternative-to-regulation Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:45:00 GMT The Welsh government’s Child Poverty Strategy has delivered results on the number of workless households, skills and qualifications and educational attainment, a new report shows. The strategy was launched in 2011. The latest evaluation shows that the percentage of children living in workless households has been decreasing since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-report-shows-progress-on-welsh-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-report-shows-progress-on-welsh-poverty Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:45:00 GMT A new £244m rail interchange and energy recovery centre will use household waste to provide energy and cut CO2 emissions. With £20m investment from the UK Green Investment Bank, the Severnside Energy Recovery Centre (SERC) will support up to 200 jobs during construction and 53 permanent jobs once fully functional. Up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-recovery-centre-to-convert-london-waste 437,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-recovery-centre-to-convert-london-waste Thu, 28 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT BIS must improve its strategy for the collection of student loan repayments, a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) warns. The number of borrowers due to repay student loans is projected to increase from 3 million in 2012/13 to 6.5 million by 2042, but forecast repayments are currently around 8% higher in value than actual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-overestimating-student-loan-recovery--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-overestimating-student-loan-recovery--nao Thu, 28 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT Deprived areas of England and Scotland are seeing larger budget cuts than affluent ones, research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) suggests. Authorities in the north of England and the west of Scotland – the most deprived – have seen greater reductions in spending power, down by 21.4% compared to 15.8% for the more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jrf-warns-that-cuts-are-creating-a-divided-society 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jrf-warns-that-cuts-are-creating-a-divided-society Thu, 28 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT Another day, another warning that cuts are hitting the poorest hardest. This time it’s a report from the JRF setting out how dwindling opportunities to find efficiencies may impact on frontline services. Councils will be able to provide less and less as the cuts continue, and focusing purely on the most vulnerable has its own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/narrow-focus 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/narrow-focus Thu, 28 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT Tougher measures have been set out for migrants from eastern Europe, designed to deter benefit tourism from Romania and Bulgaria. The UK is required by the EU to lift transitional controls of migrants from these countries in January. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that migrants will no longer be eligible for benefits... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-announces-tougher-stance-on-benefits-for-eu-migrants 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-announces-tougher-stance-on-benefits-for-eu-migrants Wed, 27 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT Cameron’s announcement on new benefit controls for migrants has been described as an “unfortunate overreaction”. And official statistics estimate the number of EU migrants claiming benefits at 60,100. At the scale of government, this is nothing. Exactly how much of this ‘widespread’ concern over immigration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nasty-britian 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nasty-britian Wed, 27 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT Councils facing the highest costs are set to see the largest cuts over the next five years, a new report has warned. The Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma) found that between 2010 and 2017/18, an average council in the north-east will lose £665 per person compared with just £305 per person in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-north-east-is-hardest-hit-by-cuts--sigoma 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-north-east-is-hardest-hit-by-cuts--sigoma Wed, 27 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT The government must do more to help UK businesses improve their energy efficiency, a new report published by the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum (WSBF) and Carbon Connect urges. The report identifies barriers to widespread take-up of energy efficiency measures and calls for improved finance options for SMEs, as well as an awareness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-must-invest-in-energy-efficiency--wsbf 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-must-invest-in-energy-efficiency--wsbf Wed, 27 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT A £30m ECO and Green Deal partnership has been signed between outsourced services supplier MITIE and Southampton City Council – one of the largest ever awarded. ECO, the energy company obligation, helps reduce the UK’s energy consumption and supports people living in fuel poverty, while the Green Deal is about making... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-signs-30m-energy-efficiency-upgrade-deal 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-signs-30m-energy-efficiency-upgrade-deal Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT The Scottish National Party has unveiled its blueprint for independence, promising to keep the pound and the Queen as head of state, and to remain in the EU – but it would have its own military and be solely responsible for its own tax affairs. It would also launch a new Scottish Broadcasting Service to replace the BBC. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independent-scotland-would-keep-the-pound-but-not-the-bbc 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independent-scotland-would-keep-the-pound-but-not-the-bbc Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT Rail North, representing passenger transport executives and local authorities in the north of England, will enter a partnership with DfT for the renewal of the Northern and Transpennine rail franchises – but not get complete control. There was concern in the north last week over reports of delays and hesitancy in Whitehall about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-of-england-wins-dft-partnership-for-franchising--but-not-control 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-of-england-wins-dft-partnership-for-franchising--but-not-control Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT The large amount of global food waste is a lose-lose situation for the environment, the struggling families in today’s tough economy and for the food retailers. We should address the food waste problem in every link in our fresh food supply chain. For example, the excess inventory of perishable food items close to their expiration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/food-waste 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/food-waste Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:10:00 GMT The troubled families programme has seen some considerable progress in the past eighteen months, and many thousands more people will benefit from intervention in the future. Improvements are measured against quantifiable criteria: how many more days are kids in school? What is the level of crime or antisocial behaviour? This progress... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/un-troubled 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/un-troubled Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:05:00 GMT The Hybrid Bill for HS2 has now been published, giving the government the power to construct and operate the new railway. The DfT has also published the environmental statement for phase one of the scheme linking London Birmingham, with construction expected to begin in 2016/17. The new Bill specifies that 23% of the line between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-publishes-hs2-hybrid-bill 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-publishes-hs2-hybrid-bill Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:02:00 GMT A long-awaited review of policing will be published today, calling for restrictions to be introduced on the use of private companies for policing functions. The review, led by former Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Stevens, calls for a register of chartered officers, with those found guilty of serious misconduct struck off. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-stevens-to-set-out-focus-on-neighbourhood-policing 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-stevens-to-set-out-focus-on-neighbourhood-policing Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:02:00 GMT A £6m contract has been awarded to Lancashire County Council to support training for SME employees. The European Social Fund (ESF) contract will support employees aged over 19 in small or medium sized businesses with a workforce of up to 250 employees. The two-year project across Lancashire Economic Partnership (LEP) will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/european-social-fund-awards-6m-workforce-contract-to-lancashire 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/european-social-fund-awards-6m-workforce-contract-to-lancashire Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:01:00 GMT England’s troubled families are getting “back on track”, the government has announced halfway through the programme. Over 62,000 families are being worked with, with more than 22,000 “turned around” so far. This success includes getting children back into school, reducing youth crime and antisocial behaviour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-than-22000-troubled-families-turned-around-with-intensive-help 442,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-than-22000-troubled-families-turned-around-with-intensive-help Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:00:00 GMT New research suggests that transitioning to Universal Credit may be even less smooth than anticipated, with intense and expensive training needed to get claimants up to speed with the new system. An all digital-system will be useless if people cannot access it, or do not know how. How much should the government be willing to spend to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bumpy-road 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bumpy-road Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Benefit claimants will need significant training on digital and financial skills to use the new Universal Credit (UC) system, research indicates. Three London councils were commissioned by the DWP to estimate how much investment this would require, using government data. Seen by the Guardian, the unpublished study shows each council would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-training-for-uc-claimants-could-costs-councils-millions 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-training-for-uc-claimants-could-costs-councils-millions Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Investment of £350m for 70 new centres for doctoral training has been announced to train over 3,500 postgraduates in engineering and science. The centres are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and will involve a total of 1,000 partners, including universities, industry and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/science-centre-partnerships-to-boost-research 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/science-centre-partnerships-to-boost-research Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT The government has cancelled plans to privatise three prisons in South Yorkshire, as the leading bidder is accused of over-charging for electronically tagging criminals. Serco was in the running to take over delivery of Hatfield, Lindholme and Moorland prisons, but an audit has suggested that the company took money for criminals who dead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serco-prison-bid-cancelled-due-to-over-charging-accusations 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serco-prison-bid-cancelled-due-to-over-charging-accusations Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Disability in England and Wales varies significantly by local authority, statistics from the ONS suggest. Figures from the 2011 Census show that 12% of residents in Wales reported their day-to-day activities were ‘limited a lot’, compared to less than 9% in England. In England, the highest percentage of people living with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disability-strongly-related-to-deprivation--ons 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disability-strongly-related-to-deprivation--ons Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT A layer of authority and control between free schools and the DfE could be long overdue. Since 2010 there have bee over 3,444 schools taking on academy or free school status and moving beyond local government’s grasp. Introducing a new level of regulation could ensure that provision of education at these thousands of schools is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-for-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-for-all Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT New ‘Chancellors’ will be appointed to regulate free schools and academies, it has been reported. Education secretary Michael Gove is to introduce the new regulators with the power to take control of failing schools, according to internal DfE documents seen by the Guardian. Under the proposals, England would be split into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-to-introduce-regulators-for-free-schools 435,453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-to-introduce-regulators-for-free-schools Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT Educational reforms have failed to provide a coherent system, the Skills Commission has warned. In a new report, One System, Many Pathways, it calls for the DfE to undertake a full review of the available support for education and training. The current system fails to put individual learners’ needs at the centre of policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/skills-commission-calls-for-one-system-for-education-and-training 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/skills-commission-calls-for-one-system-for-education-and-training Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT Young NEETs should be denied unemployment benefits unless they are involved in “purposeful” training, or an “intensive” search for a job, a new report has proposed. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggests that a new youth allowance of £56.80 a week should be introduced to replace existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conditional-allowance-should-replace-youth-benefits--ippr 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conditional-allowance-should-replace-youth-benefits--ippr Wed, 20 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT The IPPR’s proposals are a variation of the recent theme that young people should either be earning or learning – a valiant aim in itself, but the implementation of conditional benefits will be trickier to apply in practice. For one thing, whether training is “purposeful” or not, or how intensively you are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conditional-rewards 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conditional-rewards Wed, 20 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT The author of the Nuttall review on employee ownership says that “much has been achieved,” one year on. Graeme Nuttall’s review set out 28 recommendations for employee ownership, on which BIS has just published an updated report. The government has relaunched the UK Employee Ownership index, which is now calculated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employee-ownership-drive-sees-substantial-progress 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employee-ownership-drive-sees-substantial-progress Wed, 20 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT There is an “alarming shortage” of people able to speak the foreign languages most vital to the UK’s future prosperity, the British Council has warned in a new report. The top ten languages thought to most improve our global standing are: Spanish, Arabic, French, Mandarin, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-language-learning-needed-for-uk-prosperity--british-council 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-language-learning-needed-for-uk-prosperity--british-council Wed, 20 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Over 1,000 households have signed up to the Green Deal, official figures show. DECC reported that 1,173 households had signed up by the end of last month. In March 2013, the government announced it expected to have 10,000 participants by the end of the year, but the scheme has been much less successful than expected in attracting interest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-deal-take-up-reaches-1173-households 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-deal-take-up-reaches-1173-households Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:00:00 GMT Financial constraints on local government are harming the availability and quality of urban green spaces – but better use of open data could help, a new report has suggested. ‘Park Land’, published by Policy Exchange, calls for the government to crowdsource data to develop a national green space map for the UK. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-data-could-save-parks--policy-exchange 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-data-could-save-parks--policy-exchange Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:00:00 GMT Policy Exchange’s latest report sets out an interesting idea: use available information from organisations, businesses and the public to better manage urban green spaces. In much the same way as national and local government have been trying to introduce for health, schools, and council services, an interactive digital map would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/portfolio-of-parks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/portfolio-of-parks Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:00:00 GMT Economic levers made available through independence could “transform” Scotland, a new report suggests. It sets out options to ensure the country is an economic success, including proposals to cut corporation tax to attract investment, provide inducements to employers to take on workers and to incentivise innovation. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-sets-out-economic-potential-of-independence 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-sets-out-economic-potential-of-independence Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:00:00 GMT A local newspaper in London has highlighted the millions of pounds spent by its council on legal bills, settlements and refunded charges following judicial reviews. The fact that just one council can spend more than £3m in less than three years suggests that the total amount spent by local government on court cases runs into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/law-unto-themselves 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/law-unto-themselves Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:45:00 GMT The managing director of programmes at the Carbon Trust, Richard Rugg, has told a global audience that the UK’s public sector “is an international leader on climate change”. Speaking after a trip to Mexico where he told an audience of legislators and local government representatives about the success of the sector, he... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-trust-praises-uk-public-sector-for-action-on-climate-change 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-trust-praises-uk-public-sector-for-action-on-climate-change Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:30:00 GMT Barnet Council has lost more than £3m in High Court battles with its own residents in just three years, according to data obtained under Freedom of Information by the Ham & High newspaper. The council incurred legal costs of £700,000 defending judicial reviews of its decision, spent £433,000 settling High Court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foi-request-highlights-the-millions-spent-by-councils-on-legal-battles 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foi-request-highlights-the-millions-spent-by-councils-on-legal-battles Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:30:00 GMT Six projects led by ex-armed forces personnel are getting extra funding worth £4.8m to help improve engagement and attainment among the most disengaged children. The Department for Education (DfE) grants are in recognition of research showing the schemes were succeeding in turning lives around. Two of the six projects getting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-funding-for-education-projects-led-by-ex-military-personnel 453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-funding-for-education-projects-led-by-ex-military-personnel Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:00:00 GMT Extra funding for the FirstStop programme is great news. Making sure older people can live independently for as long as possible will have huge knock-on effects; not just for the people themselves, but in terms of care costs and wider social implications. Independent living also encourages better health and wellbeing, and can be supported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-stop-for-independence 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-stop-for-independence Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:15:00 GMT The Government has announced £1m funding for 15 local support services to help up to 10,000 older people stay independent for longer. FirstStop works with partners like Age UK, local councils and home improvement agencies to provide tailored advice and practical support for older people. The organisation offers support with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firststop-gets-1m-to-support-elderly-independence 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firststop-gets-1m-to-support-elderly-independence Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:15:00 GMT The Scottish government must set out what conditions it would accept to keep sterling as its currency if it was to vote for independence in next year’s referendum, the Scottish Affairs Committee has urged. In its new report, the committee highlights concerns that negotiations around currency and EU membership could be refused by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independence-bid-must-not-disregard-inconvenient-truths 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independence-bid-must-not-disregard-inconvenient-truths Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:15:00 GMT The GMB union has warned that 442,934 people under 25 provide unpaid care every week in England and Wales. This comprises 7.6% of all people providing unpaid care and 2.6% of all young people under 25. In London, 71,958 young people are providing unpaid care each week. The GMB said these young people have already been hit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-young-people-providing-unpaid-care- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-young-people-providing-unpaid-care- Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:15:00 GMT Local government uncovered £178m of fraud last year, the Audit Commission’s new report indicates. ‘Protecting the Public Purse 2013: fighting fraud against local government’ found that three-quarters of this fraud was detected by a quarter of councils. The average value of fraud increased by 15% in 2012/13 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-quarter-of-councils-detect-three-quarters-of-all-fraud 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-quarter-of-councils-detect-three-quarters-of-all-fraud Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Is a takeover the only way to improve failing children’s services? Clearly the need for quality and safety are paramount, and those which cannot meet certain standards must not be allowed to continue. But Doncaster’s model is quite an extreme reaction. Is there a way to improve council services within the public sector? Some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/takeover-threat 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/takeover-threat Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Children’s services at Birmingham City Council could be taken over by Department for Education officials if Ofsted does not see improvements in an inspection later this month. The service has been rated as “inadequate” for the past four years and has seen a number of high-profile child deaths in recent years. This summer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-threatens-takeover-of-birmingham-childrens-services 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-threatens-takeover-of-birmingham-childrens-services Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:30:00 GMT Government funding has secured £2.6bn of extra investment for local growth, the latest figures from the Growing Places fund show. Local growth minister Kris Hopkins announced that the £650m of government funding has achieved £1.8bn of private investment for 305 local projects to transform areas into “prime economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growing-places-brings-26bn-local-investment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growing-places-brings-26bn-local-investment Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:30:00 GMT The massive need for new investment in infrastructure mean that energy and water bills may rise significantly, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report states. Over two-thirds of the £310bn of planned infrastructure will be privately financed and operated, but paid for by consumers via price increases. This is likely to hit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-warning-about-impact-of-energy-prices-on-consumers 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-warning-about-impact-of-energy-prices-on-consumers Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT The Welsh Communities First programme is to be extended, minister for communities and tackling poverty Jeff Cuthbert has announced. The programme had been relaunched last year to run from April 2012 to March 2015, but has now been confirmed to help deprived areas until May 2016. Across Wales, 52 clusters will benefit from £75m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poverty-combating-scheme-extended-for-wales 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poverty-combating-scheme-extended-for-wales Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT Smart ticketing is being increasingly recognised as the way forward for all forms of transport, and can offer local areas the opportunity to join up different networks to provide simpler access and value for money. The South West partnership will give local authorities and transport operators the framework to develop new smart ticketing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smarter-together 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smarter-together Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT Young people with chronic health conditions are more vulnerable to job loss, a new report by Fit for Work UK cautions. Written by The Work Foundation, the report shows that 24% of 16-24 year olds with a work-limiting disability are unemployed compared to 14% of those without. Additionally, 29% had difficulty remaining employed, 27%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stigma-about-chronic-conditions-harming-youth-employment 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stigma-about-chronic-conditions-harming-youth-employment Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities have been urged to apply to the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) for funding to help decrease the impact of energy cost increases, create new revenue streams, reduce emissions, address social issues such as fuel poverty and encourage local development. The first funding round closes on Friday, 15 November. Grants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-heat-generation-grants-deadline-approaching 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-heat-generation-grants-deadline-approaching Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:45:00 GMT There must be greater transparency over the role of major contractors in public service delivery, the National Audit Office (NAO) has urged. Two new reports warn that there is a lack of transparency over the role these contractors play, the rewards they make and the way they perform. Greater scrutiny is needed over whether public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-investigates-outsourced-public-sector-contracts 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-investigates-outsourced-public-sector-contracts Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:45:00 GMT A new partnership of local authorities and bus operators has been formed to transform public transport in South West England. The member organisation South West Smart Applications Ltd (SWSAL) provides a framework to deliver schemes with the flexibility to benefit local requirements. SWSAL will also encourage the introduction of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-ticketing-partnership-for-south-west-england 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-ticketing-partnership-for-south-west-england Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:45:00 GMT A guest blog by Andy Vernon, public sector expert at PA Consulting Group. Aiming to provide ‘services that are so straightforward that all who can use them will choose to do so’, the UK government’s ‘digital by default’ strategy represents a welcome step closer to a truly digital economy. We have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bolder-broader-brighter-raising-the-ambition-for-digital-public-services 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bolder-broader-brighter-raising-the-ambition-for-digital-public-services Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:45:00 GMT Local government and industry must work together more collaboratively to stop food waste going to landfill in the UK by 2020, a new report urges. Vision 2020: UK Roadmap to Zero Food Waste to Landfill, recommends compulsory food waste collections from all homes and businesses by local councils. Reducing food waste could save over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/food-waste-campaign-to-cut-landfill-by-2020 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/food-waste-campaign-to-cut-landfill-by-2020 Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:15:00 GMT The new campaign to meet a demanding target – zero food waste to landfill by 2020 – should jolt employers, councils and national government into creating a more strategic direction to achieving this. The benefits are clear; as well as significant environmental improvements, better use of our food resources would save money for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-before-you-throw 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-before-you-throw Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:15:00 GMT The majority of employers feel that the government is not doing enough to support skills education, new research by the Edge Foundation and qualification provider City and Guilds indicates. Of 1,000 employers surveyed, 72% said vocational qualifications were essential for preparing young people for work, 78% said young people need better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vocational-training-needed-to-fill-skills-gaps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vocational-training-needed-to-fill-skills-gaps Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:15:00 GMT Companies could face on-the-spot fines for failing to pay the national minimum wage, HMRC has warned. It is sending letters to 22 businesses who have recently placed adverts for unpaid internships, pointing out that they could be publicly named and shamed, and be liable for a £5,000 fine if they are in breach of minimum wage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-breaching-minimum-wage-laws-face-5000-fine 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-breaching-minimum-wage-laws-face-5000-fine Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:00:00 GMT   A third of Whitehall numbers used by the public last year were higher-rate call, with over 100 million calls made costing an estimated £56m, a new report suggests. The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigated charges for customer telephone lines and warned that high charges hit the poorest hardest, as they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-call-charges-hit-the-poorest-hardest--mps 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-call-charges-hit-the-poorest-hardest--mps Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:45:00 GMT Some people are trapped in houses that are too expensive and the minimum wage will not cover the rent. It's nearly impossible to get a council house; there needs to be a proper council house building programme – with reasonable rents so people can get back to normality. Re: Long-term unemployed to work six months for free http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-housing 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-housing Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:15:00 GMT The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is still failing to get to grips with a backlog of cases, a report from the Home Affairs Committee has found. The MPs on the committee have also attacked government plans that would force landlords to conduct immigration checks, saying it could make landlords unwilling to risk renting property to even legal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chaotic-summer-on-immigration-home-affairs-committee 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chaotic-summer-on-immigration-home-affairs-committee Fri, 08 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT A coalition of local government groups is urging the government to implement a national care loans scheme to help people meet the cost of social care in their old age. In a joint submission to the government, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the Society of Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-wants-national-deferred-payment-scheme-for-care 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-wants-national-deferred-payment-scheme-for-care Fri, 08 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT New investment has been announced for high-tech, low-carbon projects, including a £75m fund has to speed up green technology development and the launch of a driverless cars project. Pilot projects of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) will be chosen through a competition run by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to make and test... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driverless-cars-project-launching-in-milton-keynes 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driverless-cars-project-launching-in-milton-keynes Fri, 08 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Grants from the Homeless Transition Fund will help break the cycle of rough sleeping in 30 projects areas, housing minister Kris Hopkins has announced. Funding of £3.5m will be shared between 64 local authorities to offer help with accommodation, jobs and healthcare. It will also contribute to the further roll-out of the ‘No... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/35m-funding-to-tackle-homelessness 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/35m-funding-to-tackle-homelessness Thu, 07 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT Apprenticeships in the UK need fundamental reform to ensure they are helping young people transition from education into work, according to a new report. The Work Foundation has published ‘The road less travelled?’, which highlights that just 6% of 16 to 18-year-olds were enrolled in an apprenticeship programme in 2011. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-policy-failing-young-people 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-policy-failing-young-people Thu, 07 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT The new report from the Work Foundation shows a worrying trend; that even though uptake of apprenticeships has increased, the majority of these are by over-25s, leaving young people without an adequate pathway from education into work. It shows that encouraging young people to consider apprenticeships, and ensuring employers provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-boxes-to-tick 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-boxes-to-tick Thu, 07 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT Management of Universal Credit has been “alarmingly weak”, the Public Accounts Committee has warned, adding that much of the money spent on IT development will have to be written off. The programme will not hit its target roll-out to 184,000 claimants by April 2014, it added. The committee took evidence from the DWP, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-failures-mean-2014-target-will-be-missed 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-failures-mean-2014-target-will-be-missed Thu, 07 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT Waste management cannot be allowed to escape organisations’ priority, and the Carbon Trust’s new standard will allow businesses to showcase their progress at continuing to reduce waste. The environmental benefits of this are huge, but it also has repercussions for organisations’ bottom line. Making better use of all your... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-not 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-not Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT New guidance has been launched to help small and medium-sized businesses handle redundancies. Acas has provided a guide for businesses seeking to make fewer than 20 people redundant. A risk of small-scale redundancies can occur if an employer needs to close or move part of their business, make cost savings, reorganise the way their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acas-publishes-redundancy-guidance-for-smes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acas-publishes-redundancy-guidance-for-smes Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:30:00 GMT A new Waste Standard has been launched to recognise organisations that are measuring, managing and reducing waste year-on-year. The Carbon Trust launched the standard to encourage companies to do more to improve their waste management. Organisations need to demonstrate their solid and hazardous waste streams are being reduced every year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-trust-recognises-successful-waste-management 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-trust-recognises-successful-waste-management Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:15:00 GMT Councils need a period of financial stability to plan for huge cuts to their budgets, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned ahead of the Autumn Statement. Chancellor George Osborne is due to set out the update to government finances on 4 December. Local authorities have to find £10bn of savings in the next two years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-stable-environment-for-councils 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-stable-environment-for-councils Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:15:00 GMT Immigrants from the European Economic Area (EEA) contributed £8.8bn more than they received in benefits, a new study shows. The Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at University College London (UCL) examined the net fiscal cost or benefit from arrivals between 1995 and 2011. The report, written by Professor Christian... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-tourism-claims-disconnected-from-reality--ucl 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-tourism-claims-disconnected-from-reality--ucl Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT The new report on the benefits from immigration raises some interesting policy questions for the government. Focusing on cutting the number of migrants to Britain, without looking at the benefits they bring or the burden they place on the state, could be a dangerous approach. The fiscal and tax benefits that migrants add to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coming-or-going 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coming-or-going Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT Action is needed to address the chronic shortage of engineering skills in the UK, a new review urges. The Perkins Review was published at the start of the new national campaign ‘Tomorrow’s Engineers Week’, aimed at promoting engineering careers to young people. The government is providing £250,000 funding for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/engineering-campaign-to-encourage-young-people-into-sector 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/engineering-campaign-to-encourage-young-people-into-sector Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:45:00 GMT More focus on intervention and quality is needed in further education, the Skills Commission has urged. A new report, chaired by Dame Ruth Silver and Barry Sheerman MP, finds that important cultural and logistical reforms are “urgently needed”. Recommendations include greater sectoral and institutional self-scrutiny to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reform-needed-for-further-education--skills-commission 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reform-needed-for-further-education--skills-commission Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:15:00 GMT Over 2,000 homeless families are living in B&Bs – an increase of 8% from 2012, according to government figures. Shelter has warned that children’s health can suffer living in such accommodation, which is meant to only be temporary. At the end of June, 790 families had been living in B&Bs for longer than the six-week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-families-living-in-bbs-shelter-finds 441,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-families-living-in-bbs-shelter-finds Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Ofqual has confirmed the details of new GCSE system, which will replace the A*-G lettering system with numbered grades. The changes will start for pupils due to take exams in 2017, with English and Maths to be the first subjects affected. The following year, 20 other subjects will start with the new system. Other changes include... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-gcse-system-with-numbered-grades-from-2015 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-gcse-system-with-numbered-grades-from-2015 Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Gove’s EBacc plan may not have got the support it needed, but the latest GSCE reforms still come across as a reclassification rather than the radical reforms that Ofqual would have you believe. Renaming grades with numbers will do nothing to the actual education that students will receive. If the only added value from 1-9 is that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/numbers-vs-letters 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/numbers-vs-letters Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Firefighters are striking for the third time against increasing the pension age. The Fire Brigades Union warns that working up to 60 years old is too old. The current retirement age is 55. FBU general secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “If the government is serious about firefighters being protected from being sacked without access... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-strikes-continue-for-firefighters 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-strikes-continue-for-firefighters Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT Professionals who fail to report child abuse suspicions should face prosecution, the outgoing director of public prosecutions has proposed. Following the revelations around Jimmy Savile, BBC Panorama has uncovered files showing that schools and hospitals have repeatedly failed to report child abuse. The government said it had no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teachers-and-social-workers-should-report-abuse-or-face-prosecution 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teachers-and-social-workers-should-report-abuse-or-face-prosecution Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:45:00 GMT The police service is facing massive challenges over funding – the government has cut Home Office budgets, which means the police are having to make some difficult and hard decisions regarding neighbourhood policing, which has inevitably affected crime levels.  Neighbourhood policing teams play a key part in crime prevention... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcsos-are-a-key-part-of-crime-prevention 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcsos-are-a-key-part-of-crime-prevention Sun, 03 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMT The announcement of greater powers for Wales is a landmark moment for the country. For years, the Welsh government has pushed for such control, arguing that more local decision making is essential to improve the economy and opportunities for Welsh people. Indeed, it has often offered a handy justification for many of the challenges faced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/day-of-devolution 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/day-of-devolution Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT The Welsh government is to get new financial powers, the Coalition has announced, with a new Welsh treasury to be established. Following recommendations in the Silk Commission’s report, published last year, the devolved government has been offered control of stamp duty, landfill tax, and powers to finance upgrades on the M4. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-financial-powers-for-wales 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-financial-powers-for-wales Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:30:00 GMT Pioneer initiatives are being launched in 14 areas to join up NHS services with those in the community, care minister Norman Lamb has announced. The pioneers are providing better support in the community and at home to prevent emergency care through better coordination. They were selected by an expert panel and the 14 areas are:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integration-pioneers-announced 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integration-pioneers-announced Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT Government funding initiatives for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) could work in a more unified way, the National Audit Office (NAO) has highlighted in a new report. The NAO found that there is no formal research programme joining BIS and the Treasury with other departments with an interest in SMEs, and that government must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sme-funding-streams-should-be-unified--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sme-funding-streams-should-be-unified--nao Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:15:00 GMT New proposals would allow landlords to charge tenants on higher incomes higher rent, housing minister Kris Hopkins MP has announced. The changes will also affect social tenants, with annual rent increases linked to inflation using the Consumer Price Index measure, rather than RPI. From 2015, limits on social rent levels would be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/richer-tenants-to-pay-higher-social-rent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/richer-tenants-to-pay-higher-social-rent Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:00:00 GMT New Homes Bonus tends to fund areas where “housing need is lowest”, the Public Accounts Committee has warned in a new report. The government scheme is an incentive for local authorities to increase the number of homes in their area. But an evaluation for the scheme will only be undertaken by next spring, creating concerns that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-yet-to-demonstrate-new-homes-bonus-works 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-yet-to-demonstrate-new-homes-bonus-works Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Are new homes financed by the Government’s New Homes Bonus being built in the right place? It’s a question raised today by the PAC, which highlights that the scheme has not yet been evaluated, two years in. If its only areas which have low levels of housing need that are getting more new homes, there are some serious problems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-place-right-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-place-right-time Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) must begin to grapple with more pressing challenges, a report from The King’s Fund has urged. One year on from their establishment, HWBs have made good progress establishing themselves, the report found. But continuing on their current trajectory would offer only a “limited role” as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-kings-fund-calls-for-stronger-commissioning-role-for-hwbs 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-kings-fund-calls-for-stronger-commissioning-role-for-hwbs Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT The UK is facing a ‘public health time bomb’, a new report into inequalities across Europe has warned. The report, published by the WHO and the UCL Institute of Health Equity and led by Sir Michael Marmot, found the UK’ high proportion of children living in poverty and lack of education and jobs for many is having... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-are-failing-our-children--sir-michael-marmot 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-are-failing-our-children--sir-michael-marmot Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT PSE attended the Economist’s Infrastructure Summit yesterday, which brought the best thinkers together to discuss the challenges and opportunities around Future Cities. It seems that technological advancements, and the wealth of open data starting to be utilised, are racing ahead of strategy and policy. How can we catch up, to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-cities--friction-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-cities--friction-free Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT Young people leaving care will be offered improved support under a new government pledge. The Care Leaver Strategy should stop “patchy services”, children’s minister Edward Timpson said. The strategy includes the DWP introducing a care leaver ‘marker’, so employment support can be better tracked; the DH... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-help-and-support-for-children-leaving-care 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-help-and-support-for-children-leaving-care Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT Pension fees will be legally capped, ministers have announced. Three options have been set out: a 1% charge of funds under management, a 0.75% cap, or a two-tier cap where 0.75% is the standard and employers would have to explain to the Pensions Regulator why the charges should exceed this. It is a lower cap than had previously been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-consulting-on-075-pension-fee-cap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-consulting-on-075-pension-fee-cap Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT Some very interesting IT research from Socitm Insight today, making clear the extent to which security breaches are the fault of public sector information management, rather than inadequate technology. That's a worthwhile message, stressing the need for improved processes, cultures and behaviours: not just more expensive kit or the latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lock-and-key 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lock-and-key Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:15:00 GMT IT security breaches in the public sector can virtually always be blamed on management failings, not the technology, according to Socitm. The public sector IT managers’ body notes that “security breaches reported on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website include cases of incorrect disclosure, physical loss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-breaches-endemic--but-blame-management-not-technology 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-breaches-endemic--but-blame-management-not-technology Tue, 29 Oct 2013 12:15:00 GMT The Government has now published the new business case for HS2, claiming a benefit-cost ratio of 2.3 for the full Y-shaped network – down slightly from the previous estimate of 2.5. This means the Department for Transport expects to realise £2.30 of benefits for every £1 spent on the full project linking London to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/230-of-benefits-for-every-1-spent-on-hs2 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/230-of-benefits-for-every-1-spent-on-hs2 Tue, 29 Oct 2013 11:00:00 GMT A new report suggests that outsourcing of children’s homes, foster care and special education services is accelerating as councils struggle with budget pressures. These three specialist areas have a total market value of £7bn across the UK (£5.9bn in England), according to ‘Children’s Social Care &... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-outsourcing-of-specialised-social-services 453,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-outsourcing-of-specialised-social-services Tue, 29 Oct 2013 10:45:00 GMT Building an alternative to HS2 would require 14 years of weekend route closures on the busiest north-south lines, a new report from Network Rail and Atkins has warned. Improving the existing main lines instead – East Coast, Midland, and West Coast – would cost £20bn but could increase journey times, with London to Leeds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/14-years-of-weekend-rail-closures-unless-hs2-goes-ahead 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/14-years-of-weekend-rail-closures-unless-hs2-goes-ahead Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT Things could be looking up for smaller local businesses – new EU rules increase the chances of bidders with social and environmental value, and Kirklees’ approach to purchasing provides a significant amount of guidance and support for local bidders. The idea that more local procurement can bring added benefit to the area, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-the-balance 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-the-balance Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT The Universal Credit roll-out has reached its next phase, with trials beginning in Hammersmith & Fulham from today. The nationwide implementation of the new benefit system has been notably slower than intended, due to management and IT issues. So far it is only in place in a handful of local authority areas in the north west... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-roll-out-reaches-london 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-roll-out-reaches-london Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT Communities minister Brandon Lewis has insisted that all Government departments back community budgets and whole-place service transformation, despite concerns that some parts of Whitehall are determined to hold onto their own budgets and decision-making powers. The four existing Whole Place Community Budget pilot areas are making a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whole-government-firmly-and-collectively-behind-community-budgets http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whole-government-firmly-and-collectively-behind-community-budgets Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT New EU procurement rules could help to rebalance public sector markets, Social Enterprise UK says. The rules are expected to come into force in the UK in 2014 and will give public bodies the flexibility to take social and environmental value created by a service provider into account when awarding contracts. They will also be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-can-rebalance-markets-social-enterprise-uk 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-can-rebalance-markets-social-enterprise-uk Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:15:00 GMT I would like to thank all those involved in the new scrap law – do you really think this is going to stop theft of wire? If you do, you have got to be a thick as the greedy Government is. I work in the scrap industry and I am going to suffer badly. This will push unemployment up and just make wire worth more. How can the government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrap-metal-law-to-stop-cable-theft 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrap-metal-law-to-stop-cable-theft Mon, 28 Oct 2013 08:45:00 GMT Two women’s prisons are to close, the Government has announced in a package of reforms for female prisoners. Askham Grange and East Sutton Park will close while Eastwood Park and Foston Hall prisons will be refurbished. Buildings at Drake Hall will also be modified to provide enough capacity. The mother and baby unit at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moj-announces-reforms-for-female-prisoners- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moj-announces-reforms-for-female-prisoners- Fri, 25 Oct 2013 12:30:00 GMT The next phase of a geothermal scheme to heat Manchester has now begun. Detailed geological evaluations are being undertaken to produce thermal models before completing the final design from which to extract heat. The work is being carried out by GT Energy, with investment through the Low Carbon Innovation Fund on behalf of the Adapt Low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchesters-geothermal-heating-comes-a-step-closer 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchesters-geothermal-heating-comes-a-step-closer Fri, 25 Oct 2013 12:15:00 GMT The Cold Weather Plan for England has now been published in an effort to reduce the number of winter deaths each year. The plan was developed by Public Health England (PHE), in partnership with the DH, NHS England and the Local Government Association (LGA). Each year there are 24,000 ‘excess’ winter deaths due to cold weather... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phe-publishes-plan-to-tackle-winter-deaths 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phe-publishes-plan-to-tackle-winter-deaths Fri, 25 Oct 2013 12:15:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has called for a green energy tax review, warning that they are pushing up household bills. “Rolling back” environmental regulations and charges could help to cut the £112 ‘green taxes’ on the average annual bill. A new competition test for the so-called ‘big 6’ energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camerons-green-levy-roll-back-a-panic-u-turn-say-lib-dems 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camerons-green-levy-roll-back-a-panic-u-turn-say-lib-dems Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT Councils must embrace digital technology to achieve savings, local government minister Brandon Lewis has urged. A new report, Local Digital Today, commissioned by the DCLG in partnership with the LGA and the Society of Information Technology Management, showed that 40% of councils have not yet adopted new technology. But the survey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-tech-can-transform-services--lewis 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-tech-can-transform-services--lewis Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT The argument around energy continues, as the three political parties attempt to find a solution to rising prices. Is the answer to cut green taxes? Cameron has called for greater competition and less regulation for lower household bills, while Miliband has pledged a 20-month prices freeze. The Liberal Democrats accused Cameron of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/panic-policy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/panic-policy Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT The West Midland’s Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) Shadow Board has agreed a £2bn package of transport schemes to get the most benefit from HS2. The Local Connectivity Package includes: an extension of the Metro to Wolverhampton’s rail station and from New Street to Centenary Square; electrifying the Walsall to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-midlands-preparing-for-hs2-with-local-links 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-midlands-preparing-for-hs2-with-local-links Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT The debate over parking enforcement has flared up today, as the Transport Select Committee recommends that councils only generate enough revenue to cover costs and not to create a surplus.  The LGA has argued that any extra money is put back into roads; through essential pothole repairs, subsidised transport, or street... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-in-force 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-in-force Wed, 23 Oct 2013 13:45:00 GMT Council cuts mean that more care firms are employing staff at below the minimum wage, the Low Pay Commission has warned.  The LGA said that more funding for social care was crucial. Government has pledged £4bn investment in 2016, but until then action must be taken to protect staff and services.  The HMRC is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-firms-paying-staff-less-than-minimum-wage 442,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-firms-paying-staff-less-than-minimum-wage Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Local authorities’ parking enforcement should do ‘no more than cover costs’, the Transport Select Committee has stated. Its new report, published today, calls for greater transparency to ensure councils are not keeping an unnecessary surplus of revenue.  Annual parking reports should be made mandatory for all local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-transparency-needed-for-parking-enforcement-mps 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-transparency-needed-for-parking-enforcement-mps Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT The apprenticeship programme for the National Assembly for Wales is to be rolled out following a successful pilot.  Four young people took part last year, working across departments including human resources, translation, facilities management, and assembly member support. They also achieved an NVQ in Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/roll-out-for-welsh-apprenticeship-scheme 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/roll-out-for-welsh-apprenticeship-scheme Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT There is a real risk of a “significant infrastructure gap” by 2020 for commercial and industrial (C&I) waste, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has warned.  A new report sets out the challenges in forecasting and delivering the necessary waste infrastructure into the future. Data quality is one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/infrastructure-gap-for-business-waste 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/infrastructure-gap-for-business-waste Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT A new partnership between London Councils and consultants EY has been launched to increase investment in public services.  London Ventures was commissioned by the Capital Ambition board, and will take forward five collaborative projects to cut costs and boost services. These include introducing software for back office tasks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-ventures-to-lead-cross-sector-improvements 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-ventures-to-lead-cross-sector-improvements Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT The new London Ventures offers an interesting example for how the public and private sectors can work together to deliver better services.  Such partnerships could combine the best of both – expertise about how to achieve efficiencies and increase investment with local knowledge and representation.  Could councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-is-better-than-one 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-is-better-than-one Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT A safety campaign introduced in London this year is to be rolled out nationally to raise awareness of cyclists in cities, road safety minister Robert Goodwill has announced.  Posters will run in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Cambridge for four weeks. These cities have the highest rates of accidents involving cyclists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyclist-safety-campaign-rolled-out 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyclist-safety-campaign-rolled-out Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:15:00 GMT Another piece of great research from The Work Foundation. Early intervention is clearly the key, supporting the old adage that prevention is better than cure. Hopefully the Government will identify both the health and fiscal benefits of this work and introduce [evidence based] policy to address the recommendations. Re: Early... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sickness-absence-rates 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sickness-absence-rates Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:05:00 GMT It’s a surprise move from Nick Clegg to turn against the Government’s free schools policy now – and we’re likely to see more of such ‘differentiation’ as the next election approaches, as the two Coalition parties start to set out their own policies as opposed to the Government’s. The first free... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-for-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-for-all Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:04:00 GMT Leading politicians on Cumbria County Council have called for the authority to be merged with the six district councils into one new unitary, as it sets out radical plans to cut back on services and simplify its structure to cut £80m over the next three years. Plans for a single unitary authority were rejected by the Government in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-reopens-debate-over-merger-with-six-districts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-county-council-reopens-debate-over-merger-with-six-districts Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:03:00 GMT Free schools should only employ qualified teachers and teach the national curriculum, the deputy prime minister has said. The move will distance the Lib Dems from the Coalition Government’s policy on free schools, which currently operate outside of council control, and can recruit ex-army personnel to teach without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-should-teach-national-curriculum--clegg 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-should-teach-national-curriculum--clegg Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:02:00 GMT Overly complicated licensing rules are deterring people from setting up local businesses, the LGA has argued. The regulations involved in setting up new business should be simplified and all based on a common legal framework, their analysis suggests. Instead of full renewals, business should submit minimal updates, with councils able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-simpler-licensing-regulations 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-simpler-licensing-regulations Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:01:00 GMT A consortium led by EDF Energy will build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset, the Government has announced. The contract guarantees the group £92.50 for every megawatt hour of energy the plant generates, which is almost twice the current cost of electricity. This will drop to £89.50 if the group goes ahead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hinkley-nuclear-power-plant-plans-confirmed 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hinkley-nuclear-power-plant-plans-confirmed Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:00:00 GMT Home care visits should be subject to tougher checks, care minister Norman Lamb has warned. Speaking at the National Children and Adult Services conference, he said that visits of just 15 minutes were damaging to both staff and patients.  From next April, the CQC is proposing to look at whether home care visits are long enough to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15-minute-home-care-visits-not-fair 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15-minute-home-care-visits-not-fair Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:30:00 GMT There has been huge controversy over the privatisation of probation services – even for those who accept the benefits that private providers can bring to the public sector, management of medium-risk offenders may seem a step too far.  Something does need to change with the way we deal with offenders once they are out of jail.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-or-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-or-out Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:30:00 GMT Life sentences are to be introduced for trafficking offences, the Home Office has announced.  The Modern Slavery Bill will be published this year in draft form, setting out tougher measures on offenders.  The Bill will consolidate offences currently used to prosecute slave drivers into a single act, and introduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/modern-slavery-bill-to-crack-down-on-offenders 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/modern-slavery-bill-to-crack-down-on-offenders Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:30:00 GMT Probation officers are to strike over Government plans to privatise services for low and medium risk offenders. 80% of Napo members voted yes on a 46% turn-out in the ballot.  Contracts worth £450m are currently out to tender for the supervision of 225,000 offenders across 20 English regions. Funding will be awarded on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/napo-to-strike-over-probation-privatisation 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/napo-to-strike-over-probation-privatisation Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:15:00 GMT English apprenticeships are not providing enough high qualifications, particularly for young people, new research shows.  Too many programmes are of poor quality and not enough employers are offering apprenticeships. For vocational education to be a viable alternative to a more academic route, these qualifications must be respected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/earn-while-you-learn 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/earn-while-you-learn Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:30:00 GMT Apprenticeships in England are “low quality and too short”, a report commissioned by the Sutton Trust education charity has warned.  More new starts, for younger people and to higher qualifications, are needed. Research conducted by the Boston Consulting Group showed that fewer than 200,000 of the 520,000 apprenticeships... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vocational-education-a-complicated-patchwork-sutton-trust 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vocational-education-a-complicated-patchwork-sutton-trust Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:30:00 GMT Councils’ use of temporary accommodation is failing young people and families, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has warned.  Housing families in bed and breakfasts should be a last resort, with stays no longer than six weeks, the law states. But many are staying for longer, as local authorities struggle to manage growing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-calls-for-better-homelessness-services 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-calls-for-better-homelessness-services Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:15:00 GMT Poverty is “overwhelmingly” a problem facing working families, not just the unemployed, a new report warns.  The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, launched by the Coalition Government and chaired by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, called for employers and government to do more to support low-paid families... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-families-in-poverty-commission-finds 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-families-in-poverty-commission-finds Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:15:00 GMT The UK has the second worst sickness absence rate in Europe, new research from the Work Foundation shows.  A report for the Fit for Work Europe Coalition found that over 60,000 more employees could be at work each day if early interventions were made more widely accessible for people with musculoskeletal disorders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-intervention-could-help-thousands-back-to-work 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-intervention-could-help-thousands-back-to-work Wed, 16 Oct 2013 16:45:00 GMT The CQC could introduce ‘mystery shoppers’ and hidden cameras to inspect care homes, the new chief inspector for adult social care has announced. The plans would have to be considered carefully, to balance respect for people’s privacy and dignity with safe and quality care.  Andrea Sutcliffe outlined her priorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fresh-start-for-care-homes-inspection 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fresh-start-for-care-homes-inspection Tue, 15 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT A business taskforce commissioned by the Prime Minister has identified “burdensome” rules on the UK which could be costing the country millions of pounds.  Cameron called on the European Commission to cut red tape and stop holding back competitiveness.  The taskforce recommended relaxing rules on health and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-to-cut-eu-red-tape 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-to-cut-eu-red-tape Tue, 15 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT Applicants for social housing must have lived in the local area for at least two years, new restrictions introduced by the Government require.  Communities secretary Eric Pickles announced that people with a well-established local residency or connection to an area get priority for the waiting list for social housing. Statutory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-homes-prioritised-for-local-people-under-new-rules 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-homes-prioritised-for-local-people-under-new-rules Tue, 15 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT The notion of cutting unnecessary bureaucracy is an easy sell, especially when it’s not specifically defined. Pointless rules, huge costs and damage to local business are all consequences highlighted by the business task force from European Commission regulation.  But Cameron must be careful not to go too far. Safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watch-what-you-cut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watch-what-you-cut Tue, 15 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT It is hard to imagine a local or central government organisation which puts its staff at risk; however there are many who simply do not assess the true risks facing their people. Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe and the Driving for Better Business campaign, writes for PSE.  An estimated one-third of road traffic accidents in Britain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-for-better-business 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-for-better-business Tue, 15 Oct 2013 10:15:00 GMT Adrian Webb, Local Sustainable Transport Fund project manager at Southampton City Council, discusses the challenge of getting people cycling.  As more people get on their bikes following Britain’s recent cycling success, last month the Government announced a £77m fund to boost cycling in eight English cities. However, one of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-cycling-safer-in-southampton 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-cycling-safer-in-southampton Tue, 15 Oct 2013 10:00:00 GMT David Noble, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS), welcomes “long-overdue” changes to public procurement. Introduction  The UK Government is preparing plans to make the most of the proposed reforms to The EU Directives on Public Procurement.  Public procurement makes up 18%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-procurement-directives-proposals-for-change 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-procurement-directives-proposals-for-change Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:30:00 GMT There was much to discuss at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event on water policy, ‘Pipe Up: Will the Water Bill deliver for the consumer?’ Adam Hewitt reports. Environment secretary Owen Paterson told the All Party Parliamentary Water Group fringe event at his party’s conference that he was “proud” that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-water 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-water Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:15:00 GMT This commitment to The Procurement Pledge is something which should be applauded! In our experience, business leaders are failing to understand the evolution and impact of the sustainability movement across the globe. They either 'get it' or choose it ignore it completely! To put it into some context, the UK construction industry (of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-procurement 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-procurement Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:06:00 GMT Councils have been complaining about funding (or lack of) for roads for years. The black hole of investment into highways maintenance stretches wider and wider like the cumulative area taken up by potholes – the size of the Isle of Wight according to the latest research – in the UK. And it’s an issue that people actually... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-to-nowhere 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-to-nowhere Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:04:00 GMT The average car driver is now paying £1,117 to the Treasury each year, as councils struggle to manage a £10.5bn backlog of road repairs. The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for greater funding for highways maintenance, for which councils’ funding will have been cut by 20% by 2015. Research from the RAC... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-repairs-would-cost-105bn-to-clear 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-repairs-would-cost-105bn-to-clear Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:03:00 GMT Right to Buy has helped over 10,000 people to buy their own home, Government figures show. In the year to April 2013, the scheme saw 8,398 council and housing association tenants to take up the sale. In the first quarter of this year, 2,149 tenants did so. The receipts from additional sales are being used to develop new affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-boosting-housebuilding--cameron 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-boosting-housebuilding--cameron Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:02:00 GMT Labour’s new work and pensions secretary, Rachel Reeves, has set out the party’s new line on welfare. She replaced Liam Bryne in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle last week. Reeves said: “Nobody should be under any illusions that they are going to be able to live a life on benefits under a Labour government. If you can work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-will-be-tough-but-fair-on-welfare 436,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-will-be-tough-but-fair-on-welfare Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:01:00 GMT Absence in the public sector remains higher than the average for the wider economy, a new survey from the CIPD and Simplyhealth shows. The organisations said that flexible working could help employees to better balance their work-life balance. The new research found that overall absence has increased to an average 7.6 days per... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-absences-at-87-days-a-year 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-absences-at-87-days-a-year Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:00:00 GMT Candace Miller, director of NSA Health, and skills minister Matthew Hancock MP speak to PSE about the launch of the new academy. On Thursday September 12, the National Skills Academy for Health (NSA Health) was officially launched by skills minister Matthew Hancock MP.  Ahead of the launch, both Hancock and NSA Health director Candace... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nsa-health-skills-for-the-support-workforce 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nsa-health-skills-for-the-support-workforce Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:00:00 GMT Kerry Norval, solicitor in the Employment Group at Dundas & Wilson, examines the rules around public sector pay-outs. Substantial pay-outs to senior BBC employees have once again raised concerns about the impact of public bodies on the public purse. In fact, the reality is very different to the pictures the media portray. Whilst exit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-outs-what-the-news-reports-dont-say 450,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-outs-what-the-news-reports-dont-say Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:00:00 GMT Martin Potter, partner at pensions consultancy Hymans Robertson, says that a shake-up to public sector pensions could see 500,000 contractors move back into unfunded government-backed pension schemes in a bid to inject competition into the public sector outsourcing market. Pension requirements for more than 500,000 employees of public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourcing-the-new-fair-deal-on-pensions- 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourcing-the-new-fair-deal-on-pensions- Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:45:00 GMT Outsourced public services are here to stay, argues Joe Penny of the new economics foundation (nef). So how can we ensure that providers prioritise people over profits locally?  In August, a judicial review into Barnet’s controversial ‘One Barnet’ plan to outsource swathes of its services ruled in favour of the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-over-profit-five-ways-to-improve-outsourcing-in-local-government 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-over-profit-five-ways-to-improve-outsourcing-in-local-government Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:45:00 GMT John Biggs AM chairs the budget and performance committee on the London Assembly. He talks to PSE about the recent review into the Metropolitan Police’s legacy IT. A lengthy cumulative failure to upgrade IT systems has led to the Metropolitan Police spending the majority of its technology budget keeping old and increasingly redundant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-so-smart-policing 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-so-smart-policing Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:30:00 GMT Wokingham Borough Council in Berkshire has yet again topped the list of unitary authorities for council tax collection levels, on 99.43%, up from 99.37% in 2011/12. PSE asked Kevin Mercer, the head of service covering the council tax collection service, how it has managed it.  Q) What is your overall strategy for council tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-qa-on-council-tax-collection 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-qa-on-council-tax-collection Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT PSE talks to group manager for technology at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Simon Rice. Local authorities and other public sector organisations have been warned to take the utmost care in disposing of IT assets, because old hard drives can still contain sensitive personal data.  Speaking to PSE, the Information... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avoiding-data-breach-fines-when-disposing-of-old-it-equipment 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avoiding-data-breach-fines-when-disposing-of-old-it-equipment Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT It goes without saying that the public sector has changed hugely over the past few years; budget cuts and austerity are now central to everything and, let’s face it, the status-quo isn’t going to change anytime soon.  The services delivered – of course – always will be the most important thing but the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/branding-in-the-public-sector 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/branding-in-the-public-sector Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Bruno Gardner, director of Energy Efficiency Ventures at the Carbon Trust, describes the opportunities to cut costs and emissions in the public sector. The public sector works hard to minimise waste in its operations. And given that public sector organisations spend over £2.5bn each year on energy use in England alone it is not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-down-barriers-to-public-sector-energy-efficiency-implementation 437,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-down-barriers-to-public-sector-energy-efficiency-implementation Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Cllr Ed Davie, LGIU Scrutineer 2013, chair of Lambeth Council’s health and adult social care scrutiny committee, and public affairs manager at the National Survivor User Network (NSUN) for mental health, discusses the need for local authorities to be proactive on mental health. Public health jargon calls them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/championing-mental-health 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/championing-mental-health Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. For hardworking people’ was the unavoidable phrase at the Conservative Party Conference this year – the words were in every speech, every soundbite, every press release and written in huge letters up on the wall and at the conference centre’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservative-party-conference-2013 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservative-party-conference-2013 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Threats to the accountability of LEPs and how to manage the big four – by Sue Chadwick, corporate lawyer at Essex City Council, and Anja Beriro, part of the government and infrastructure team at law firm Browne Jacobson LLP.  Background ince the Treasury’s response in March of this year to Lord Heseltine’s report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growth-deals-for-leps 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growth-deals-for-leps Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT The London Borough of Waltham Forest was the best public sector performer at the recent CIPD People Management Awards, winning one award and highly commended in another. The council’s director of human resources and transformation Althea Loderick has also just been personally recognised as the eleventh most influent person in the field of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hr-at-the-top-table 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hr-at-the-top-table Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Labour’s party conference urged British people – all people, rich and poor – to raise their aspirations and believe in a better society. Kate Ashley reports.  Ed Miliband’s conference speech – delivered without notes once again – was welcomed by many as strong and decisive. He announced a populist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-party-conference-2013 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-party-conference-2013 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports on the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow. The biggest announcement at the Lib Dems’ conference in Glasgow was free school meals for all pupils at infant schools.  The new policy applies to children in reception and years one and two (ages four to six) and is estimated to save parents about £400 a year.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liberal-democrat-conference-2013 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liberal-democrat-conference-2013 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Old IT is a bit of a theme in this edition of PSE; from the Information Commissioner’s Office’s Simon Rice discussing the best ways of disposing of legacy IT to avoid data protection breaches, to the huge reliance of the Metropolitan Police on servicing ‘ancient’ technology when it should be facing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-with-the-old 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-with-the-old Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports on the value of evidence-based policy. How can politicians use evidence to develop better policy, bring the public along with them, and be able to admit both what works and what does not?  Ipsos MORI, the Alliance for Useful Evidence and the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) held a fringe event at the Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/show-me-the-data 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/show-me-the-data Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT John Thornton, secretary to the Digital Government Security Forum (DGSF), discusses cyber crime and the public sector. We live in a society that is increasingly dependent on immediate access to digital information. Can you imagine a situation where you cannot get the information you need to do your job; you can’t pay by credit card... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-digital-government-security-forum 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-digital-government-security-forum Mon, 14 Oct 2013 06:00:00 GMT The UK asylum system is “overburdened”, the Home Affairs select committee has warned in a highly critical report. ‘Appalling’ housing conditions, lengthy delays and failings in decision-making must be addressed, the MPs urged.  The Home Office said the UK granted asylum to “those who need... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/asylum-system-under-severe-pressure-mps 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/asylum-system-under-severe-pressure-mps Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:45:00 GMT Immigrants will be subject to a series of checks when applying for housing, healthcare and banking under the new Immigration Bill.  At the recent Conservative Party Conference, home secretary Theresa May announced that the Bill will make it tougher for illegal immigrants to live in the UK.  Banks and private landlords will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/immigration-bill-to-reduce-pull-factors-of-uk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/immigration-bill-to-reduce-pull-factors-of-uk Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT The Immigration Bill seeks to introduce a number of new restrictions on immigrants, in a bid to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who are drawn to live in Britain.  Is ‘health tourism’ as big an issue as Theresa May has stated it to be? There’s huge controversy over this, and over where responsibility for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stay-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stay-out Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Public services in Wales will be supported to transform through the Invest-to-Save Fund, which has a £22m budget for 2014-15.  The fund, launched in 2009, supports the introduction of new and proven ways of working to increase efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.  Speaking at the Finance Leadership Network... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-boost-for-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-boost-for-public-services Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT There is a pothole for nearly every mile of road in Great Britain, new research shows.  It comes as an ICM poll for the BBC has showed that while the public generally think the quality of public services has been maintained or improved in the past five years despite austerity measures, 66% think road maintenance has got... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/potholes-cover-295-square-miles-of-britain 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/potholes-cover-295-square-miles-of-britain Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT A number of failures have been identified in the UK e-borders scheme in a new report by the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration. John Vine found that vital information was deleted and new arrivals to the UK were not checked by the scheme.  He is calling for a fundamental re-think of the programme.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-borders-scheme-yet-to-deliver-benefits 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-borders-scheme-yet-to-deliver-benefits Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:15:00 GMT Benefits expected from the e-borders scheme simply “have not been happening”, according to a new report by the inspector of borders and immigration.  The failures are complex, and the initial targets were ambitious. But collecting extensive information to outsource the border, without actually following through on checks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outsourcing-the-border 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outsourcing-the-border Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:15:00 GMT Prestwick Airport is to be brought into public ownership, the Scottish Government has announced. The airport has been on the market since March 2012 for a private buyer, but none have been found. The Scottish Government is now working with Scottish Enterprise, South Ayrshire Council and the current owner, Infratil, to manage the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-to-nationalise-struggling-prestwick-airport 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-to-nationalise-struggling-prestwick-airport Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:15:00 GMT Outsourced Government staff will now keep access to public sector pensions, new guidance states.  The Treasury has updated the Fair Deal guidance, which used to mandate only “broadly comparable” private pension schemes for employees who were compulsorily transferred from the public sector.  Contractors will now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-for-outsourced-staff 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-for-outsourced-staff Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:00:00 GMT The new report on home care commissioning is worrying, both for the elderly people needing quality care and for the workers who are rushed off their feet for low pay and lower status.  It is a perplexing and saddening fact that those who do the hardest work – particularly caring for people who can no longer cope on their own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-little-respect 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-little-respect Tue, 08 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities must use demand management to reduce “unnecessary” enquiries and pressure on services, Socitm has advised.  A new briefing, ‘Demand management: the key to reducing costs?’, focuses on customer access and highlights how investment in self-service and digital channels could save... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/demand-management-can-improve-access-and-cut-costs--socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/demand-management-can-improve-access-and-cut-costs--socitm Tue, 08 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities must do more to ensure care home workers are paid at least the minimum wage, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has urged.  The new report warns that poor working conditions, a lack of support and low status and pay for homecare workers threaten older people’s human rights. The high turnover of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-care-commissioning-unsustainable 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-care-commissioning-unsustainable Tue, 08 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT The Government’s reshuffle has led to a host of new faces in transport and good news for female ministers and MPs.  Michael Moore has been sacked as Scottish secretary, replaced by Alistair Carmichael. Don Foster becomes the Lib Dem’s Chief Whip and peer Baroness Kramer becomes transport minister. Norman Baker has moved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-reshuffle-sees-major-changes-in-transport 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-reshuffle-sees-major-changes-in-transport Tue, 08 Oct 2013 11:45:00 GMT The priority now for all local authorities is not just to survive the long-term future of budget constraints, but to try to benefit from it through innovation and transformational change. Councils are focusing on improving service, delivery and access through a range of alternative business models such as integration, partnerships and joint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-innovating-the-way-out-of-long-term-austerity- 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-innovating-the-way-out-of-long-term-austerity- Mon, 07 Oct 2013 12:30:00 GMT A reshuffle of government and shadow ministers is widely expected today, with two Conservative members of the Government having already stepped down.  Deputy Chief Whip John Randall and Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith have both chosen to leave their posts, while transport minister Simon Burns quit to stand for election as deputy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-to-the-backbenches 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-to-the-backbenches Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:45:00 GMT Government proposals to turn guidance for councils on their campaigning activities into proper legislation are being opposed by the LGA, which says it will stop local authorities campaigning for their residents.  If the Local Authority Publicity Code is included in the Local Audit and Accountability Bill as proposed, the LGA says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-accuses-government-of-wanting-to-ban-council-campaigns 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-accuses-government-of-wanting-to-ban-council-campaigns Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:45:00 GMT The Government is announcing more support for ‘enterprise zones’ today, with an extra £100m in funding to be made available.  The competitive fund is open for bids until November 18, but each of the 24 enterprise zones in England can only bid once, co-ordinated by the area’s local enterprise partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-funding-for-enterprise-zones--pickles 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-funding-for-enterprise-zones--pickles Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:45:00 GMT During the Thatcher/Major years there was clear polarisation between the need for UK investment, to modernise and re-equip UK industry, and the greed-driven investment in low-wage economies abroad that would compete with UK industry. The flight of investment capital resulted in UK industry becoming increasingly antiquated and therefore... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-labour-market 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-labour-market Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:45:00 GMT The Isle of Anglesey County Council has welcomed new funding to help revitalise local towns.  Housing and regeneration Minister Carl Sargeant announced four more schemes to improve communities in Anglesey and north Gwynedd, sharing £975,000 in Môn a Menai regeneration funding.  The council said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anglesey-and-gwynedd-welcome-regeneration-funding-of-nearly-1m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anglesey-and-gwynedd-welcome-regeneration-funding-of-nearly-1m Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT The rising trend for care organisations to provide only ‘flying’ 15-minute home visits has been condemned by a leading charity.  Leonard Cheshire Disability has released a poll showing that 93% of people agreed with it that 15 minutes is not enough time to support disabled and elderly people with washing, dressing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-attacked-for-commissioning-care-visits-of-just-15-minutes 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-attacked-for-commissioning-care-visits-of-just-15-minutes Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:30:00 GMT The benefit cap affected 8,400 households between April and August this year, DWP figures show. The cap was introduced in April to stop families receiving more than £500 a week in total benefit payments, and the 10 week rollout was completed last week. The cap is £150 for a single adult.  It was previously estimated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/8400-affected-by-500-a-week-benefit-cap 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/8400-affected-by-500-a-week-benefit-cap Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT Automatic early jail release should be stopped, the Government has proposed.  MoJ plans would affect around 600 prisoners a year; those serving fixed-term sentences who are currently eligible for release on a conditional licence into the community halfway through their sentence, and serious criminals on extended determinate sentences... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grayling-to-scrap-automatic-release-for-most-serious-criminals 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grayling-to-scrap-automatic-release-for-most-serious-criminals Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT The new announcement that ten lucky libraries will receive a share of £450,000 to increase entrepreneurship and local growth is a little confusing.  The project will provide meeting spaces for those who want to develop business ideas, as well as IT support and guidance and advice. So far, so good. Getting people together to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/headline-figures 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/headline-figures Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT Ten ‘Enterprising Libraries’ are to receive a share of £450,000 to boost growth and help local people develop their own business ideas.  The Arts Council England project will provide coaching, advice, meeting spaces and IT support to foster entrepreneurship. It builds upon the British Library’s Business &... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/450000-investment-to-support-local-business 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/450000-investment-to-support-local-business Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:15:00 GMT The TfL initiative to train bus drivers could have a significant impact on elderly people and those with disabilities, allowing them to travel freely and affordably across the capital.  Greater awareness and understanding of the issues these passengers face is essential to providing a quality service, and the scheme could offer a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-aboard 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-aboard Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT A new accessibility awareness training programme has been launched for bus drivers in London. TfL developed the new course, All Aboard!, with passengers, Transport for All and Age UK London.  All drivers across the TfL network will be trained with the new resource by 2014. It will cover the need for patience, how to manage wheelchair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-drivers-awareness-drive-for-older-passengers-needs 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-drivers-awareness-drive-for-older-passengers-needs Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT More work is needed to overcome barriers to employment for people with mental health conditions, a new briefing from the Centre for Mental Health has urged.  The report looks at what interventions work, where gaps exist in the system, and how good practice can be extended across the country. It criticises some of the current models... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-must-do-more-to-support-mental-health-issues 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-must-do-more-to-support-mental-health-issues Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT The Payments Council has warned that Universal Credit (UC) being paid monthly instead of fortnightly could cause 2.7 million people to struggle.  A survey of present claimants found that many are worried about getting into debt or paying bills on time. UC will replace six different benefits over the next four years, and is currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-will-need-claimants-to-be-savvier 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-will-need-claimants-to-be-savvier Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:30:00 GMT A new planning change to the village green system could stop blocks to local development, the Government has announced. The system currently protects land regularly used for recreation. The changes mean that applications relating to land regularly used for local recreation will have to be made within a year of the land’s use. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/village-green-planning-system-reform 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/village-green-planning-system-reform Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Cameron’s keynote to the Conservative Party conference today will focus on the critical role of business, seeking to emphasis that “profit is not a dirty word”.  The Government’s reforms have seen profit being brought in to a number of arenas that have been traditionally public, as well as the introduction of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dirty-words 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dirty-words Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Two London drug and alcohol treatment charities have announced plans to merge to deliver improved services.  The Westminster Drugs Project (WDP) and The Seventy4 Foundation will provide rehabilitation and treatment, as well as addiction counselling services and recovery support.  Yasmin Batliwala, chair of WDP and a regular... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wdp-and-seventy4-foundation-to-merge 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wdp-and-seventy4-foundation-to-merge Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:45:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron is set to promise to make the UK a “land of opportunity” in his keynote speech to the Conservative Party Conference today. He will defend British business, saying “profit is not a dirty word”, and develop the pledge announced by chancellor George Osborne to run a consistent Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-will-be-land-of-opportunity--cameron 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-will-be-land-of-opportunity--cameron Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT A ruling by the Wales Audit Office that a county council acted illegally by indemnifying its chief executive in a libel action involving a blogger could have wider ramifications. Investigate reporter David Hencke, formerly the Guardian’s Westminster correspondent, said the audit office’s decision will “send shivers down... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-acted-unlawfully-by-indemnifying-its-chief-executive-in-libel-case 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-acted-unlawfully-by-indemnifying-its-chief-executive-in-libel-case Tue, 01 Oct 2013 11:30:00 GMT The new law clamping down on rogue scrap metal dealers, which has been warmly welcomed by the rail and communications industries, comes into force today. It is hoped it will make it much more difficult for cable thieves to sell on stolen metal and cable. The new Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, which replaces the 1964 Act, consolidates... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-scrap-metal-law-comes-into-force-today 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-scrap-metal-law-comes-into-force-today Tue, 01 Oct 2013 11:00:00 GMT As a Conservative councillor, I am obliged to register my membership of organisations that have no political affiliations whatsoever. I cannot see that this move will make a scrap of difference to anything. RE: Councillors must disclose trade union links – DCLG http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trade-union-links-with-councils 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trade-union-links-with-councils Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:35:00 GMT George Osborne’s speech today will set out how we can squeeze yet more ‘effectiveness’ out of those who have nothing – by instigating mandatory daily job centre visits, community service or intensive training for the long-term unemployed. Instead of addressing the issue of the Work Programme failing to make any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nothing-for-something 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nothing-for-something Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:34:00 GMT The use of simple cautions for serious offences will be banned, justice secretary Chris Grayling has announced. The plan follows a review earlier this year and MoJ statistics which show that last year 493 cautions were issued for crimes that would have been heard at the crown court, instead of the magistrates’ court, if they had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grayling-to-scrap-cautions-for-serious-offences 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grayling-to-scrap-cautions-for-serious-offences Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:33:00 GMT A lack of appropriate training can lead to leadership problems, new research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggests. According to a new survey, 36% of line managers have not received any training for their role, and that 28% of companies did not take any action when they received poor feedback on line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bad-management-tolerated-in-leaders--cipd 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bad-management-tolerated-in-leaders--cipd Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:32:00 GMT The poorest people in Wales are struggling under Westminster Government policies, the Welsh communities & tackling poverty minister Jeff Cuthbert will warn today. Speaking at a Welsh LGA event, he will outline concerns around welfare reforms and set out the Welsh Government’s strategy to protect the most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-skills-needed-to-help-the-most-vulnerable 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-skills-needed-to-help-the-most-vulnerable Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:31:00 GMT Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants will face stricter conditions from next April – or risk losing their benefits. Chancellor George Osborne is set to announce the plans at the Conservative Party Conference today in Manchester. The new help-to-work scheme will ensure that “no-one will get something for nothing”, he... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-useful-work-or-lose-benefits--osborne 436,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-useful-work-or-lose-benefits--osborne Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:30:00 GMT The Bank of England will review the Help to Buy housing scheme every year, amid fears that it could fuel a property boom.  The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has been asked to review the scheme each year from next September, with the power to recommend a reduction in the £600,000 cap so fewer houses are affected, or suggest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bank-of-england-to-review-help-to-buy 433,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bank-of-england-to-review-help-to-buy Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:00 GMT Parking is the latest focus for Government reform, with Pickles decrying the use of ‘snooping’ vans to catch citizens. ‘Over-zealous’ parking enforcement must be removed, new proposals state, although councillors were quick to point out the money raised through enforcement goes straight back into parking services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-brother 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-brother Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:00 GMT Pickles has announced reforms to stop ‘over-zealous’ parking enforcement, but the LGA warned that parking controls are “absolutely essential”.  The new proposals include stopping the use of CCTV for on-street parking enforcement, and an open data project to allow the public to more easily find the best place... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cctv-parking-enforcement-to-be-scrapped 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cctv-parking-enforcement-to-be-scrapped Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:00 GMT This year saw an increase of 15% in adoptions in England, latest statistics show.  Between April 2012 and March 2013 there were 3,980 adoptions, up from 3,470 the previous year. This rise is higher than for any year since 1992, when comparable records began.  This March there were 68,110 children in care in England; a 2%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highest-ever-rise-in-adoptions 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highest-ever-rise-in-adoptions Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:00 GMT The Government’s Rural Broadband programme came under fire today from the PAC, which has been accused of a lack of competition, transparency and value for money. Getting fast broadband speeds to the whole country is an important task, but one that becomes more challenging as the rural communities that are hardest to reach are left... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forgotten-corners 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forgotten-corners Thu, 26 Sep 2013 12:05:00 GMT A new ‘super site’ for recycling household waste is set to open in Bolton as part of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) plans to increase efficiency. Six Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Greater Manchester are being closed, with sites merging to reduce costs and improve recycling rates. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmwda-creates-bolton-super-recycling-site 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmwda-creates-bolton-super-recycling-site Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT Diverting funds from a housing programme to LEPs’ Local Growth Fund could risk progress on housing development, the Local Government Association has warned. The Government announced that £400m of the New Homes Bonus, an incentive for local authorities to accept new homes into their area, will be pooled within LEP areas in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-homes-diversion-hugely-disappointing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-homes-diversion-hugely-disappointing Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT Failure to deliver “meaningful competition” could jeopardise the Government’s Rural Broadband programme, a new report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns. The programme aims to get superfast broadband into rural areas where commercial infrastructure providers currently have no plans to invest. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-failing-on-rural-broadband-programme--pac 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-failing-on-rural-broadband-programme--pac Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT Socitm has published the latest figures on the best and worst performing local authority websites. Data includes the volumes of total web visits and ‘failed visits’ for a range of services – where people could not access the information they were seeking. Services that performed well include council tax, libraries... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-to-improve-websites--socitm 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-to-improve-websites--socitm Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:05:00 GMT Socitm’s latest data shows that demand for council services via the internet is increasing, and highlights exactly where local authorities need to improve their provision of services. As public expectations for online accessibility increases, councils must keep up and ensure the most popular searches always return the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/room-for-improvement 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/room-for-improvement Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:05:00 GMT A new procedure should be created to close level crossings, the Law Commission has proposed. In a joint report, the Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission call for the safety regime around level crossings to be improved. The report recommends clarifying the law relating to rights of way across railways and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legislation-proposed-to-close-level-crossings 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legislation-proposed-to-close-level-crossings Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:02:00 GMT A new central repository will allow child care professionals to learn from serious case reviews (SCRs), the NSPCC has announced. In collaboration with the association of independent LSCB (Local Safeguarding Children Board) chairs, the NSPCC will make the reviews publicly available to increase learning. The data will be available here from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serious-case-review-library-to-protect-against-child-abuse 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serious-case-review-library-to-protect-against-child-abuse Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:01:00 GMT Housing looks set to become one of the key battlegrounds for the 2015 election, as demand continues to outstrip building work. Ed Miliband has outlined plans to build 200,000 new homes a year, alongside a commission into a variety of measures to free up council control over development. The Coalition has itself introduced a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-troubles 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-troubles Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:33:00 GMT Bristol and Plymouth have been awarded Social Enterprise City status, as part of a Social Enterprise Places scheme run by Social Enterprise UK. The pilot encourages locals to buy from social enterprises, and nominations can be entered at towns@socialenterprise.org.uk. Gareth Hart, chair of Plymouth Social Enterprise Network, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-social-enterprise-cities-announced- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-social-enterprise-cities-announced- Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:32:00 GMT A new web portal allows greater access to best practice in procurement. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NGIP) launched the portal to support their Partnership for Public Procurement. The portal offers an online evaluation to improve purchasing effectiveness and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cips-and-nigp-launch-procurement-resource 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cips-and-nigp-launch-procurement-resource Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:31:00 GMT Miliband is to announce business rate cuts for small firms and set out a new housing strategy in his keynote speech to Labour’s annual party conference today. If Labour wins the next election, around 1.5 million small businesses could save an average of £450 over two years. Business rates are set to rise in 2015, but Miliband... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-business-tax-cut-to-benefit-15-million-miliband 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-business-tax-cut-to-benefit-15-million-miliband Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:30:00 GMT Zero-hours contracts have a role to play, the same as any other type of contract. They offer flexibility to the employer and the employee, and they benefit working mums/dads who only want a few hours a week but keep the flexibility. But we have to be careful that we do not exploit this, if a FTC is more appropriate then they should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zero-hours-contracts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zero-hours-contracts Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:36:00 GMT Public sector workers are one of the stronger constituencies for Labour – but the party is unlikely to grant the wishes of many by promising to end the pay cap if it gets into Government. It has no doubt calculated that the chances of public sector workers abandoning the party if it sticks to the Coalition’s plans on the cap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/red-meat 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/red-meat Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:35:00 GMT Councillors are being forced to disclose their trade union ‘dealings’ under new Government rules. The Department for Communities & Local Government’s guidance on openness and transparency of councillors’ personal interests has been revised to include specifically registering union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-must-disclose-trade-union-links--dclg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-must-disclose-trade-union-links--dclg Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:33:00 GMT The register of software and services on offer to local public sector organisations run by Socitm will no longer need customer verification before updates are published by IT suppliers. Socitm, the society of public sector IT managers, says the process caused too many delays, and from now on IT suppliers can update information about their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-socitms-applications-register-for-public-sector-it 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-socitms-applications-register-for-public-sector-it Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:32:00 GMT Local authorities and other public sector organisations have been warned to take the utmost care in disposing of IT assets, because old hard drives can still contain sensitive personal data. Speaking to PSE, the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO’s) group manager for technology, Simon Rice, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avoiding-data-breach-fines-when-disposing-of-old-it-equipment 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avoiding-data-breach-fines-when-disposing-of-old-it-equipment Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:31:00 GMT Labour will be challenged to end its support for the 1% public sector pay cap at its conference in Brighton today. Unison is leading attempts to overturn the cap by forcing a conference vote on the issue, and unions say they are “confident” that it will be endorsed. Interviewed by Andrew Marr at the weekend, Labour leader... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/end-the-public-sector-pay-cap--labour-conference 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/end-the-public-sector-pay-cap--labour-conference Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:30:00 GMT Is anyone else astonished by how much work the  Public Accounts Committee manages to get through?  Four reports published today alone, and it seems like another hard-hitting investigation or interrogation happens every other day.  The committee deals with a huge and diverse range of subjects, and the reports are almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-like-a-pac-horse 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-like-a-pac-horse Fri, 20 Sep 2013 14:00:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee has said that Whitehall departments standing in the way of community budgets by jealously guarding their own funds and power need to be forced into action.  The LGA said the report into community budgets is a “ringing endorsement” of the work local authorities are doing and the need to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-budgets-lack-commitment-from-some-departments-pac 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-budgets-lack-commitment-from-some-departments-pac Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:30:00 GMT The Electoral Commission is trying to stamp out inconsistencies and loopholes in the process of standing for election.  It has launched a consultation to get views on the varying size of deposits that need to be put down on different types of election, access to election broadcasts, and the rules on disqualifications.  The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electoral-commission-seeks-to-standardise-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electoral-commission-seeks-to-standardise-elections Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:30:00 GMT Stephen Hughes, chief executive of the country's biggest local authority, Birmingham City Council, is to step down in February next year. Hughes, who has contributed to PSE a number of times, is to take early retirement after he turns 60. Hughes' departure has prompted a wider shake-up of senior management, including a merger of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-council-chief-executive-to-step-down 446,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-council-chief-executive-to-step-down Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:00:00 GMT Some technical but potentially important procurement reforms are outlined in the Cabinet Office’s consultation today, which are likely to effect many public sector organisations. Many experts on both the buying and selling sides have issues with public sector procurement, almost always describing it as slow and bureaucratic, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buying-power 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buying-power Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:05:00 GMT The Welsh Government has reiterated the need to retrofit the country’s homes and businesses to help tackle climate change. Alun Davies, minister for natural resources and food, gave a keynote address at the Retrofit Roadshow in Cardiff on Tuesday, pledging his commitment to retrofitting Wales’ housing stock and said he will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-gets-behind-retrofitting 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-gets-behind-retrofitting Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT Transport minister Norman Baker has urged more councils to implement 20mph zones and to take advantage of new freedoms to make their own decisions on sign lighting and removing ‘signage clutter. Speaking at the Traffic Signs Conference in Aston yesterday, hosted by the Institute of Highway Engineers, Baker said: “I have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-create-more-20mph-zones--dft 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-create-more-20mph-zones--dft Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT The Government has published its consultation on making public sector procurement more accessible to SMEs – which could mean every public sector organisation having to use the same pre-qualification questionnaire as central Government. The consultation document says: “SMEs have historically been shut out of government business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-changes-to-help-smes-win-business 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-changes-to-help-smes-win-business Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT Free school meals is a popular policy, unsurprisingly – it’s benefits are easy to understand and immediate, and the costs through taxation relatively small and indirect. The benefits all sound excellent, though the actual science behind the link with attainment – which would be by far the biggest reason to implement the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yum-yum 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yum-yum Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:05:00 GMT The country’s leading police chief responsible for alcohol harm has called for the establishment ‘drunk tanks’ – where people could be kept overnight, at their own expense, instead of in a police cell. ACPO suggested such facilities, which it calls ‘welfare centres’, would be better for the individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drunk-people-should-pay-to-be-kept-locked-up-overnight--not-police 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drunk-people-should-pay-to-be-kept-locked-up-overnight--not-police Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT The announcement yesterday that all pupils at infant schools are to get free school meals has been widely welcomed. Deputy PM Nick Clegg, who is officially announcing the policy at the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow today, admitted that the policy was a quid pro quo with their Conservative coalition partners for the married tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-school-meals-for-infants-in-england 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-school-meals-for-infants-in-england Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT The worst-performing councils for child protection are not improving fast enough, Ofsted says. The regulator has re-inspected 50 local authorities in the last 16 months, 17 of which were ‘inadequate’ and none ‘excellent’. Just yesterday, a serious case review into the death of four-year-old Daniel Pelka... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-many-child-protection-units-still-failing-children--ofsted 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-many-child-protection-units-still-failing-children--ofsted Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT The Daniel Pelka serious case review, like the evidence in the earlier murder trial, is harrowing and upsetting. But it must be used to learn lessons for the future. Unfortunately, far too many of the failures that contributed to the death of four-year-old are common to previous cases, and show that previous recommendations have not been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-the-lessons 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-the-lessons Tue, 17 Sep 2013 15:00:00 GMT The LGA has said that today’s serious case review into the death of four-year-old Daniel Pelka “lays down a challenge to social services, the police, schools, health professionals and the wider community to review, and where necessary improve, the way we identify and deal with the heinous crimes of neglect and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/daniel-pelka-serious-case-review--multiple-failings-by-authorities 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/daniel-pelka-serious-case-review--multiple-failings-by-authorities Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office is trialling a new text alert system that messages people in an area affected by a local emergency, such as a flood or industrial accident. The country’s three biggest networks, EE, O2 and Vodafone, are working with the Government as part of the trial, which is being run in parts of Yorkshire, Suffolk and Glasgow.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/text-alert-system-for-emergency-incident-response-being-trialled 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/text-alert-system-for-emergency-incident-response-being-trialled Tue, 17 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT Campaign group Age UK has highlighted a starting and concerning north-south and class divide in the number of older people using the internet. Over-65s in Surrey are more than twice as likely to have internet access than those in Tyne & Wear (63% compared to 27.7%). The charity based the findings on research from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-gap-in-elderly-online-access-could-threaten-government-digital-plans 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-gap-in-elderly-online-access-could-threaten-government-digital-plans Tue, 17 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT Vince Cable is the latest politician to promise action on zero-hours contracts, but announcements and consultations must be translated into real change to help the large-scale abuse of employees. His particular focus will be on the caveat whereby employers restrict workers from working for anyone else, despite no guarantee of hours within... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zeroing-in- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zeroing-in- Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:36:00 GMT I live in a part of the country that is swarming with badgers. They invade our gardens and steal our fruits and vegetables. They will also take a chicken. But the worst thing about badgers is that they have decimated the hedgehog population. Unless you have heard a badger killing a hedgehog, you will have little idea of the agony. They... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/badger-cull 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/badger-cull Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:35:00 GMT People who “flout” the benefit system will face increased sentences, new guidelines for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) set out. Director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC, set out the stricter guidelines, which include the ability to charge benefit cheat suspects under the Fraud Act, with a maximum prison sentence of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tougher-sentencing-for-benefit-cheats 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tougher-sentencing-for-benefit-cheats Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:33:00 GMT The Love Food Hate Waste campaign (LFHW) has saved over £1m for West London boroughs, a WRAP evaluation has found. There’s an estimated 890,000 tonnes of food thrown away each year in London, 540,000 of which could be avoided. Disposing of household waste costs the London boroughs over £50m per year. The six-month... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-reduction-campaign-saving-london-1m 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-reduction-campaign-saving-london-1m Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:32:00 GMT Businesses are concerned that infrastructure announcements will not translate into delivery on the ground, a CBI/KPMG report shows. A survey of 526 business leaders found that 65% believe infrastructure policy will have no tangible impact, and only 35% believe they will make a difference on the ground. Connect More highlights the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/faltering-infrastructure-delivery-harming-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/faltering-infrastructure-delivery-harming-growth Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:31:00 GMT Business secretary Vince Cable is to pledge the end of abuse of zero-hours contracts, as he addresses the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow today. Employers argue the contracts boost flexibility and help to reduce unemployment, but a number of people have raised concerns about the use of zero-hours. Labour leader Ed Miliband has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-to-tackle-zero-hours-contract-abuse 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-to-tackle-zero-hours-contract-abuse Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:30:00 GMT The two announcements made yesterday in relation to private housing seem slightly at odds with one another. More funding is hoped to attract investment in new housing to rent, while another pot of money will help create more tenants organisations, to keep bad landlords in line. Rented housing is a crucial part of the housing picture... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bad-housing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bad-housing Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:05:00 GMT Developers have been invited to bid for a share of £400m to build homes for private rent, housing minister Mark Prisk has announced. Part of the Government’s £1bn Build to Rent fund, the move aims to encourage investment in this sector to increase the number of quality homes available. Prisk said the housing market was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/build-to-rent-scheme-to-offer-tenants-greater-choice 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/build-to-rent-scheme-to-offer-tenants-greater-choice Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT Education secretary Michael Gove has criticised the care system for “bewildering regulations” that result in many children being placed away from their birthplace, or in areas with high crime rates. A DfE review of the care protection system in England found that there was a significant lack of transparency around care homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childcare-placements-indefensible--gove 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childcare-placements-indefensible--gove Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT A new Crime Reduction Board, with ministers from all Government departments, could increase coordination across Whitehall and drive down crime. The LGA called for the creation of such a board in evidence to the Justice Select Committee inquiry into the Government’s policy on crime reduction. Confusion over policy at a national level... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-cross-whitehall-approach-to-crime 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-cross-whitehall-approach-to-crime Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT MyCSP, the civil service pensions mutual ‘spun out’ of the public sector, now looks better set to be value for money after initial bad planning, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). MyCSP, which dispenses pension schemes for 1.5 million civil servants, started up in 2011. The NAO said it was originally poorly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-pensions-mutual-on-track-after-shaky-start--nao 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-pensions-mutual-on-track-after-shaky-start--nao Thu, 12 Sep 2013 12:00:00 GMT A remarkable range of organisations have concerns or are outright opposed to the Royal Mail sell-off. The Postal Services Act 2011, considering its radical content and the trouble Labour had with this issue – and the fact that even Margaret Thatcher considered the Royal Mail as a privatisation too far – was passed with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stamp-of-approval 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stamp-of-approval Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:05:00 GMT There is a huge disparity between the amounts of refuse that English councils are managing to recycle, with the best-performing (Surrey Heath Borough Council) achieving a rate three times higher than the bottom-rated council, Ashford in Kent. The statistics, which cover 2012, come from the Government’s WasteDataFlow service and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bottom-10-councils-for-recycling-named 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bottom-10-councils-for-recycling-named Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:01:00 GMT The Government is to sell off the majority of Royal Mail within weeks. Employees will get 10% of the business, with the rest of the shares to be sold offered to investors and members of the public, though there is a £750 minimum. The Communication Workers Union is balloting for strike action against the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/royal-mail-part-privatisation-to-begin 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/royal-mail-part-privatisation-to-begin Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:00:00 GMT Furore over the bedroom tax – or spare room subsidy, depending on your political agenda – continues to rise, as a UN housing specialist has called for the policy to be axed. Shapps was right to criticise Rolnik’s premature conclusions, ahead of her report due next spring. It is unwise to form recommendations before an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxes-and-axes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxes-and-axes Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:05:00 GMT A UN housing expert has called for the spare room subsidy policy – labelled the ‘bedroom tax’ by critics – to be axed. Raquel Rolnik spoke out about the policy following a two-week visit around British council housing. She will present her report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/un-special-investigator-recommends-abolishing-bedroom-tax 441,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/un-special-investigator-recommends-abolishing-bedroom-tax Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT New research suggests HS2 could boost the economy by £15bn a year, as the Government promises a ‘fightback’ against recent criticisms of the massive project. Produced by KPMG, the new report addresses concerns around the new line’s cost, with the most recent of these being a report by the Public Accounts Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-will-be-heart-bypass-for-clogged-railway 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-will-be-heart-bypass-for-clogged-railway Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT Old IT systems expose the public sector to risks, a new report from the NAO highlights, making performance “patchy”. In 2011-12 it is estimated that at least £480bn of government’s operating revenues were reliant to some extent on legacy IT. The report warns that failure to change these systems can develop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-criticises-public-sector-reliance-on-legacy-it-systems 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-criticises-public-sector-reliance-on-legacy-it-systems Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT The first results of the Troubled Families scheme have been published today, celebrating thousands of lives ‘turned around’ by council intervention. Less truancy, unemployment, crime and costs are all great steps forward. But these families are by definition “hard to help”. Their problems are complex and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turned-around 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turned-around Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:33:00 GMT Information about planning proposals in the Highlands will now be available online, via a new website, the council has announced. The Highlands Council will use Tell Me Scotland, a site which will enable users to find digitally public notices concerning public applications in their local area, track previous notices stored in archives and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highland-council-makes-planning-notices-more-accessible 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highland-council-makes-planning-notices-more-accessible Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:32:00 GMT Zero-hours contract cannot continue to be used as an “excuse for exploitation”, Labour leader Ed Miliband will say today. In a speech to the TUC, he will put forward proposals to restrict the use of zero-hours contracts and protect employees’ rights. Recent research by Unite suggests as many as 5.5 million people are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-to-restrict-terrible-misuse-of-zero-hours-contracts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-to-restrict-terrible-misuse-of-zero-hours-contracts Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:31:00 GMT 14,000 troubled families have had their lives “turned around”, the Government has announced. The Troubled Families scheme has been working with 50,000 families over the past 15 months, with a total of 80,000 of the hardest to help families identified. The success includes getting truanting children back in school and reducing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-families-scheme-improving-lives-of-14000 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-families-scheme-improving-lives-of-14000 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:30:00 GMT The start of the badger cull during the breeding season is totally inhumane. Many pregnant females will be killed and their cubs will starve to death due to the loss of their mothers. The badgers are a protected species for a reason. This cull could see us lose one of our most precious forms of wildlife from the countryside. We... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/badger-cull-begins 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/badger-cull-begins Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:06:00 GMT Variation in the treatment of the BME population in the criminal justice system needs to be addressed, a new report recommends. It’s a good example of the importance of taking multiple factors into account; experience within prisons depends on so many different things. Greater transparency around the way race and mental health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bias-behind-bars 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bias-behind-bars Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:05:00 GMT Community groups are the key to engaging black and ethnic minority (BME) groups who are disproportionately over-represented in the criminal justice system. The BME population is also significantly more likely to suffer from mental health issues. A new Centre for Mental Health commission chaired by Lord Bradley is conducting a five year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recommendations-to-support-mental-health-in-the-justice-system 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recommendations-to-support-mental-health-in-the-justice-system Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:03:00 GMT The new O-level style GCSEs will not be ready for implementation by 2015, according to exams watchdog Ofqual.  Education secretary Michael Gove had wanted to introduce the new exams, and more challenging A-levels, in 2015. Ofqual will work on the new English and maths GCSEs, hoping to have the subjects ready to teach in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-time-needed-for-new-gcse-exams 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-time-needed-for-new-gcse-exams Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:02:00 GMT The DfT has not yet presented a convincing strategic case for HS2, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has argued. But transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “We can’t not do anything.” MPs recommended that the DfT should publish detailed evidence why spending £50bn on rail infrastructure is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-benefits-dwindling--pac 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-benefits-dwindling--pac Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:01:00 GMT The Government’s plan for the economy is working, Chancellor George Osborne will insist in a speech today. Recent positive reports on the economy have “ended questions” about his economic policy, he will say. The UK economy grew by 0.7% in the second quarter of the year, and the OECD increased its growth forecast to 1.5%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economy-turning-a-corner--osborne 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economy-turning-a-corner--osborne Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:00:00 GMT The new PASC report into the failings of the civil service is certainly direct in its message; that the current plan is untenable and changes to culture, training and accountability are vital. Will it be enough to shift an embedded denial the MPs highlighted in leaders throughout Whitehall? The first step towards change is recognising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/step-by-step 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/step-by-step Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:05:00 GMT The Government’s programme of incremental change in the Civil Service Reform Plan is “bound to fail”, MPs have warned. The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) has published a hard-hitting report criticising the civil service for a lack of strategic coherence and clear leadership, as well as a general lack of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joint-committee-needed-to-avoid-civil-service-disaster 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joint-committee-needed-to-avoid-civil-service-disaster Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:02:00 GMT London councils have been recognised for their support of small businesses, with Barking & Dagenham council winning the best all-round small-business friendly borough award. The awards were presented by London Councils in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The best campaign to support local trade winner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-business-support-awards-for-london-councils 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-business-support-awards-for-london-councils Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:01:00 GMT Liverpool councillors are to consider creating a combined authority to bring decision-making into a single body, enabling the area to bid for higher funding from Government. The move follows a governance review by Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral Councils, Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/combined-authority-plans-for-liverpool 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/combined-authority-plans-for-liverpool Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:00:00 GMT Universal Credit has faced substantial amounts of criticism, with the latest attack coming from the NAO, which highlighted the DWP’s plans as overly ambitious with a lack of IT expertise and appropriate leadership. It’s a huge policy change which requires effective management and clear measures of success. At the moment, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-much-too-fast 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-much-too-fast Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:05:00 GMT The Lobbying Bill should be withdrawn, MPs have urged. There has been inadequate consultation and the legislation is “seriously flawed”, the cross-party Political and Constitutional Reform Committee says. The Transparency of Lobbying, non-Party Campaigning, and Trade Union Administration Bill would set a £390,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-withdrawal-of-flawed-lobbying-bill 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-withdrawal-of-flawed-lobbying-bill Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:02:00 GMT All state schools will be able to link teachers’ pay to performance, the Government has announced. The new pay policies follow recommendations made by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). It will end pay increases based on length of service or mandatory pay points throughout a teacher’s career. The national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-linked-pay-for-teachers 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-linked-pay-for-teachers Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised the DWP’s progress on developing and rolling out Universal Credit (UC), which has not achieved value for money. The Government was “overly ambitious” in both timetable and scope, the report found, and so took risks to meet a short timescale, using a new project management... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weak-management-of-universal-credit--damning-nao-report 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weak-management-of-universal-credit--damning-nao-report Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT The need for greater use of data and reduced use of paper in Government is paramount. Policy Exchange’s new report aims to set out some of the possible cost savings from moving the majority of services online, and calls for the civil service to ensure staff have the right digital skills to do so. In terms of efficiency, this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paper-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paper-free Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:35:00 GMT The UK Border Force must address staff shortages and improve performance to provide value for money, the National Audit Office has stated. The NAO report analysed the Border Force’s separation from UKBA and found that almost 100% of passengers at the border now receive full passenger checks and there are reduced queuing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tough-passenger-checks-affecting-border-force-performance 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tough-passenger-checks-affecting-border-force-performance Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:33:00 GMT A new study is set to identify the contribution cycling has to the mobility and wellbeing of older people. Led by Oxford Brookes University, the £1.4m study will consider how the built environment and technology could support older people’s cycling habits. Cycling becomes more physically challenging as people age, and the fear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cycling-study-to-examine-benefit-for-elderly 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cycling-study-to-examine-benefit-for-elderly Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:31:00 GMT Government could save £70bn by 2020 if it moved to paperless services and cut civil service jobs, a new report suggests. The remaining staff would have higher levels of IT skills, Policy Exchange says in its new ‘Smaller, Better, Faster, Stronger’ report, which calls for all government services to be moved online unless... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paperless-government-could-save-billions-policy-exchange 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paperless-government-could-save-billions-policy-exchange Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:30:00 GMT The expansion of free schools could help to plug the forecast shortfall in primary places, but a lack of council control over these organisations could lead to further problems. How will this affect school places into the future? The LGA has warned that an increase of free schools means that local authorities will not be able to manage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-cost-of-free-schools 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-cost-of-free-schools Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:31:00 GMT From October, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will no longer regulate first aid training providers. Employers will be able to choose non-HSE approved providers in a bid to simplify business compliance. St John Ambulance has urged employers to check the credentials of providers and to take into account issues such as employee absence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-granted-more-choice-in-first-aid-training 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-granted-more-choice-in-first-aid-training Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:30:00 GMT England’s school districts will be overwhelmed by demand for primary school places within the next two years, the LGA has warned. Almost half of all districts are expected to have fewer places than pupils by 2015, analysis of council data from 2012 showed. 99 districts are expected to see 20% more pupils than school places. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1000-councils-will-face-school-places-shortfall-by-2015 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1000-councils-will-face-school-places-shortfall-by-2015 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:01:00 GMT MPs are set to debate new rules on lobbying, which critics have warned could increase bureaucracy and stop charities from speaking out in policy debates. The Transparency of Lobbying, non-Party Campaigning, and Trade Union Administration bill will have its second reading in the House of Commons today. The bill would introduce a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lobbying-bill-deeply-burdensome--ncvo 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lobbying-bill-deeply-burdensome--ncvo Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:00:00 GMT I think this is a very ineffective way of coping with the problem. The long term solution is a vaccine for both cattle and badgers. For the present it would make more sense to trap and test all the badgers in these areas. Then kill only those who are infected and releasing to disinfected or cleaned setts those that are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/badger-cull 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/badger-cull Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:06:00 GMT Some employers are failing to provide agency staff with equal pay, despite EU legislation to ensure this, the TUC has found. A loophole is allowing businesses to pay these staff less, despite doing the same jobs as permanent employees. Considered alongside the recent spotlight on the use of zero-hours contracts – flexibility is not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/closing-a-loophole 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/closing-a-loophole Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:05:00 GMT The TUC is launching a formal complaint against Government for failing to guarantee equal pay for agency staff. It has emerged that agency staff are being paid up to £135 a week less than permanent staff for doing the same job. EU regulations introduced in 2011 entitle agency staff to equal treatment, pay and conditions after 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agency-workers-denied-equal-pay--tuc 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agency-workers-denied-equal-pay--tuc Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:03:00 GMT Britain’s membership within the EU must be “fundamentally reshaped” to best serve the country’s commercial interests, think tank Civitas has argued in a new report. The report sets out policy proposals on sovereignty over trade, agriculture and fishing, and calls for smaller groups of EU nations to be allowed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civitas-sets-out-eu-membership-reform 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civitas-sets-out-eu-membership-reform Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:02:00 GMT Almost a quarter of prisoners sleep in overcrowded cells, the Howard League for Penal Reform has warned. A Freedom of Information request showed that from April 2012 – March 2013 about 19,140 inmates were sharing cells designated for a single person, while 777 slept three to a cell instead of two. Covering England and Wales... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/official-figures-mask-prison-overcrowding 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/official-figures-mask-prison-overcrowding Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:01:00 GMT Free childcare will be extended to 260,000 families next year, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced. From today, 130,000 two-year-olds from poorer families will receive 15 hours of childcare per week. Three and four year olds are also entitled to 15 hours of early education per week for 38 weeks a year. In 2014/15 funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/40-of-families-to-receive-free-childcare 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/40-of-families-to-receive-free-childcare Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:00:00 GMT Pickles’ comments today on councils “hoarding” billions are exasperating to say the least. Local government is attempting to manage huge cuts whilst protecting the very services it is legally required to provide. The cash reserves are clearly a response to their shredded budgets, a move borne of fear and panic. This is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/piles-of-money 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/piles-of-money Fri, 30 Aug 2013 11:35:00 GMT Only 3.2% of 2009 graduates are unemployed, despite the recession. A new survey from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows a lower rate of unemployment for these graduates than those from 2007. Three and a half years after graduating, over 80% were satisfied with their career, with 66% reporting that their course was value for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recession-graduates-beat-unemployment 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recession-graduates-beat-unemployment Fri, 30 Aug 2013 11:31:00 GMT Poor IT spending allowed a higher crime rate in the capital, the London Assembly has warned. The new report, Smart Policing, sets out areas the Met Police must focus on to improve efficiency and to reduce crime. Not enough has been done to introduce new technology into the force, the Budget and Performance Committee said. Predictive crime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-london-assembly-slams-police-spending-on-outdated-it 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-london-assembly-slams-police-spending-on-outdated-it Fri, 30 Aug 2013 11:30:00 GMT New online planning guidance has been launched today, in a six week trial by the DCLG. The resource aims to get more people involved in local planning and simplify the technical guidance available, which is currently catalogued in 230 separate documents and is 7,000 pages long. The tool will be test before going live later this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/simplified-planning-tool-begins-testing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/simplified-planning-tool-begins-testing Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:37:00 GMT 1.8 million “forgotten” families are being failed by current housing provision, the charity Shelter has warned. It is calling for a new offer to help more people buy in a shared ownership model. At the moment, three quarters of households earning between £20,000 and £40,000 wouldn’t be able to afford a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-ownership-model-could-help-18-million-families 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-ownership-model-could-help-18-million-families Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:36:00 GMT Scotland’s college merger programme could lead to further cuts, Audit Scotland has warned in a new report. The sector’s income fell by 9% between 2011 and 2012, and more savings will be required for “the foreseeable future”. The merger, which will reduce the number of incorporated colleges in Scotland from 37 to 21... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/income-falling-for-scottish-colleges 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/income-falling-for-scottish-colleges Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:35:00 GMT Shelter has proposed an interesting solution to the housing problem in the UK – more schemes of shared ownership, which would allow families who can’t secure large deposits to buy instead of rent. It also points out that any grand scheme must be linked with a good supply of new housing. One of the major criticisms against the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forgotten-families 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forgotten-families Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:30:00 GMT Simplifying the energy market and forcing suppliers to give customers clear information about the cheapest tariff for them is a huge challenge. Ofgem has now announced a timeline for the reforms, which will see standards of conduct introduced next year. The Big Six have had so much freedom, for so long, to charge higher and higher prices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/biting-back 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/biting-back Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:05:00 GMT The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has decided to withdraw from merger discussions with Asset Skills, the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) and the Facilities Management Association (FMA). The BIFM stated it felt that the planned merger was “not in the best interests of BIFM and its members at this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bifm-rejects-facilities-groups-merger 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bifm-rejects-facilities-groups-merger Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT A payment-by-results (PbR) scheme has achieved 55% of grades A*-C at GCSE in a pilot of 300 teenagers in east and north London. The pilot aims to prevent eight out of 10 of these teenagers becoming Neet – not in employment, education or training. It is funded by Big Society Capital and Impetus-PEF, who will receive payment by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teenagers-exceed-gcse-target-in-pbr-scheme 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teenagers-exceed-gcse-target-in-pbr-scheme Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:01:00 GMT Energy tariffs will be simplified from 2014, Ofgem has announced. Customers must be told the cheapest deal available from the end of March, and energy suppliers can offer no more than four tariffs for each type of fuel. Over the past three years, average bills have risen by 28% to £1,420 a year, Ofgem said. The reforms aim to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/standards-of-conduct-introduced-for-energy-market 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/standards-of-conduct-introduced-for-energy-market Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT I became increasingly saddened by the number of cases that appeared on the court list and we were told that a disposal of ‘caution’ was still being considered by the police. Cautions were never meant for repeat offences or serious matters of common assault. Even more worrying are the assaults etc. that have a victim and other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/magistrates-and-cautions 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/magistrates-and-cautions Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:06:00 GMT Despite considerable protests, badger culls begin today in Somerset and in Gloucestershire later this week. Campaigners against the pilots seem to be collating two different arguments; that the culls will be ineffective in reducing bovine TB, and that controlled shooting is inhumane. It is the former which is the most compelling.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/badger-bother 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/badger-bother Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:05:00 GMT Family annexes could receive council tax discounts to encourage greater support of extended families, communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced. Homes with annexes are currently taxed twice. The Government is proposing a 50% discount for all family annexes, as well as removing a community infrastructure levy on self-build... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/common-sense-tax-cut-for-extended-families 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/common-sense-tax-cut-for-extended-families Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:03:00 GMT Police should have greater powers to restrict the movements of sex offence suspects, a coalition of charities and campaigners has suggested. Nicola Blackwood MP is tabling an amendment to a bill to create Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Orders, to “simplify” the current system. Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (Sopo) can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-powers-proposed-against-sexual-exploitation- 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-powers-proposed-against-sexual-exploitation- Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:02:00 GMT Only 27% of directors believe HS2 will prove value for money, the Institute of Directors has found. It’s the latest in a string of criticisms of the project, following comments by the Institute of Economic Affairs and former transport secretary Alistair Darling. A survey of 1,300 members of the IoD raised concerns that HS2 will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/directors-label-hs2-grand-folly 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/directors-label-hs2-grand-folly Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:01:00 GMT Badger culls to try and control bovine TB begin in Somerset today, the National Farmers’ Union has stated. Around 5,000 badgers will be killed in controlled shootings over six weeks to control the disease, which can pass from infected badgers to cattle. A cull in Gloucestershire will also begin later this week. Defra has estimated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tb-badger-culls-start-in-somerset 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tb-badger-culls-start-in-somerset Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:00:00 GMT Support for the Coastal Communities Fund has been increased by 5% for the next year, the Government has announced. The fund will also be extended until 2016.  £29m will be invested in seaside towns, to boost the economy, reduce unemployment and to create opportunities for young people. Projects approved last year are expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coastal-communities-fund-to-run-until-2016 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coastal-communities-fund-to-run-until-2016 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:15:00 GMT Moves to crack down on employers who fail to pay the national minimum wage should be welcomed. The ability to publicly shame companies who are breaking the law could help to reduce the rate of employees missing out, and damage the reputations of those who refuse to pay a basic rate.  It is simply unacceptable that employers believe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-up Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:15:00 GMT Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage will be ‘named and shamed’, the Government has announced.  The new proposals, which will come into effect from October alongside the updated minimum wage at £6.31, will remove restrictions on companies being named for their action.  Currently companies must meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-wage-charges-strengthened 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-wage-charges-strengthened Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:00:00 GMT Islington Council has been charged with a £70,000 penalty after personal details of over 2,000 residents were released online. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) charged the council and called for measures to be put in place to avoid a repeat of their mistakes.  Information relating to residents’ housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sensitive-details-of-2000-residents-released-by-islington-council 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sensitive-details-of-2000-residents-released-by-islington-council Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:00:00 GMT Legal action has been launched against the Government for “unjust” allocation of European funding. Liverpool City Region and Sheffield City Region are preparing the first stage of a judicial review against the decision.  Liverpool faces a cut of 60% during the 2014-20 period compared to the previous programme of European... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-launches-judicial-review-against-eu-funding-allocation 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-launches-judicial-review-against-eu-funding-allocation Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT Civitas’ new book seems to have an alarming message for would-be parents; ignore any social, economical or environmental impacts and have as many children as you can.  Firstly, it is somewhat dubious to believe public policy and warnings over austerity would actually have any effect over people’s decisions to have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sticking-up-for-siblings 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sticking-up-for-siblings Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT There has been a drop in GCSE grades for the second year in a row, figures show.  The proportion of GSCEs graded A*-C was 68.1%, down from 69.4% last year. The number of grade A* or As awarded was also down from 22.4% last year to 21.3% and the overall pass rate fell slightly.  More people are sitting exams early, which the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gsce-results-grades-down-again 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gsce-results-grades-down-again Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:30:00 GMT Black people are twice as likely to be charged for possession of drugs, a new study from the drug charity Release and the London School of Economics (LSE) highlights. Police are significantly more likely to stop and search black people for drugs, who are also more likely to face charges and even prison. Analysis of Home Office data and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/racial-bias-in-drugs-stops-and-charges 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/racial-bias-in-drugs-stops-and-charges Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:30:00 GMT There has been a 9.8% increase in the number of adoptions in England and Wales, new statistics from the ONS show.  In 2012 there were 5,206 adoptions compared with 4,740 in 2011. The numbers apply to adoptions by relatives and step-parents as well as adoptions from care. Adoption of younger children has also increased, with 63% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jump-in-number-of-adoptions-to-more-than-5200 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jump-in-number-of-adoptions-to-more-than-5200 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:45:00 GMT Developers could be restricted from building new homes with tiny amounts of living space, the Government has announced. Proposals under consultation would stop smaller houses built to fit more families on to each plot of land.  Minimum space standards and a system of space labelling to give house-buyers a clearer idea of how much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-space-standards-to-stop-rabbit-hutch-homes 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-space-standards-to-stop-rabbit-hutch-homes Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:45:00 GMT Thousands of private sector workers will be worse off under state pension reforms, trade union TUC has warned. A new report models the projected impact on workers when the new single tier pension comes into effect from 2016.  The research indicates that anyone with a long work history will lose out, with a person on £26,000 a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-to-leave-private-sector-worse-off 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-to-leave-private-sector-worse-off Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:45:00 GMT The TUC has warned that the new pension scheme could leave thousands of workers worse off as the state moves to a single tier pension. But research shows a distinct lack of preparation for retirement, which is leading to poverty in old age.  The longer people live, the more living in long retirements, the more costly for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worse-off 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worse-off Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:45:00 GMT A pay culture enrooted in sexism is not conducive to a successful business. New research from the CMI indicates how far inequality still reaches in the workplace, and how harmful this can be to employers as well as employees. Explaining such a gap by saying that women are more likely to enter careers which do not often give bonuses is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-matters 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-matters Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:05:00 GMT Male managers are earning bonuses double those given to female colleagues in identical jobs, new research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) highlights. On average men in management positions received bonuses of £6,442 compared to £3,029 for women and basic salaries were 25% higher. The more senior the position, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cmi-data-shows-damaging-bonus-gap-between-men-and-women 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cmi-data-shows-damaging-bonus-gap-between-men-and-women Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT The upper age limit for jurors in England and Wales is to be raised from 70 to 75, the Ministry of Justice has announced. The move would make the justice system more inclusive, and reflect increased life expectancy, the Government said. Currently only 18-70 year olds are eligible for jury service, although those aged 70-75 are expected to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-70s-to-be-eligible-for-jury-service 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-70s-to-be-eligible-for-jury-service Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:01:00 GMT Almost 50,000 fewer young people are being helped by national job schemes compared with three years ago, the Local Government Association (LGA) has found. The new report, ‘Hidden Talents: national programmes for young people’, showed a drop of 8% in the number starting one of 35 national schemes currently running. The system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-councils-should-lead-work-programmes 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-councils-should-lead-work-programmes Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT I still have massive reservations about the environmental safety of fracking. Our water supplies have to be protected, as does our wildlife. There remains far too much doubt and suspicion about the potential environmental damage created by fracking, despite the promise of cheaper fuel. Where is the independent evidence that the process is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:05:00 GMT The price of having children has jumped, a new report warns. It’s another example of how the cuts are hitting the most vulnerable hardest; families battling the rising cost of living while benefits are frozen or scrapped. Knowing exactly how much each child will cost your household clearly demonstrates the breadth of poverty across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pricey-parenting 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pricey-parenting Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:03:00 GMT Private sector employment has increased to the highest share of employment than any time since records began, official statistics show. Jobs in the private sector increased to 24.1 million this year, while the number in the public sector fell by 423,000. In March, 80.9% of jobs were in the private sector. Employment minister Mark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-levels-for-private-sector-employment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-levels-for-private-sector-employment Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT The cost of bringing up a child and meeting its minimum needs has risen to £148,000, new analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said. The research, co-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, showed that costs have gone up by 4% over the last year, while benefits payments rose by only 1% this year. The minimum wage rose... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-raising-a-child-now-148000 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-raising-a-child-now-148000 Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT HS2 costs could double, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) has warned. The think tank has called for the project to be scrapped, with the money spend on more “commercially viable projects”. The Government dismissed the claims, stating that HS2 will be delivered within its £42.6bn budget. The IEA suggested the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-unbelievably-costly--iea 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-unbelievably-costly--iea Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:01:00 GMT Acas’ new online advice service has been used over 50,000 times since June, helping employees and employers navigate work issues and employment law. The helpline answers the most frequently asked questions around maternity and family rights, absence, and bullying and harassment. The top questions concerned raising grievances and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employment-advice-service-proving-popular 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employment-advice-service-proving-popular Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT Despite Cameron’s urgings on the safety of fracking, hundreds of campaigners are set to arrive at a site where Cuadrilla is currently drilling for oil, but could apply to introduce fracking. As peaceful protest risks turning into mass civil disobedience, the strength of feeling concerning the controversial technique is clearly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-that-bad 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-that-bad Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:05:00 GMT Police can now issue fixed penalty notices for careless or inconsiderate driving, as new powers come into force today. Notices can be issued for tailgating or poor lane discipline without going through the courts, and fixed penalty levels for most motoring offences will rise to £100. Police will also be able to offer educational... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fixed-fines-for-careless-drivers-introduced 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fixed-fines-for-careless-drivers-introduced Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:03:00 GMT Fracking company Cuadrilla is scaling back operations in West Sussex as 1,000 extra campaigners are expected at the site this weekend. Environmental group No Dash For Gas had warned that it would engage in mass civil disobedience. The Balcombe site, where Cuadrilla is engaged in exploratory oil drilling, has had reinforced fences... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anti-fracking-campaigners-lead-to-drilling-pause 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anti-fracking-campaigners-lead-to-drilling-pause Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:01:00 GMT New guidance has been issued for developers to create “covert storage areas” for wheelie bins when building new homes. Communities secretary Eric Pickles has called for multiple bins and recycling boxes to be hidden from view, to improve streets’ aesthetics and to reduce litter and problems with wildlife. It will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bins-should-be-hidden-away-pickles 441,455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bins-should-be-hidden-away-pickles Fri, 16 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT The Deprived Area Fund could have a huge impact on poor communities in the Highlands, helping local people improve their skills and find work. Is this an example that English councils could learn from? Benefit changes and deep cuts for local services risk pushing many more families into poverty, which generates significant human and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deprivation-intervention 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deprivation-intervention Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:05:00 GMT Communities in Scotland are to benefit from new funding to boost employment and tackle poverty, The Highland Council has announced. The Deprived Area Fund will provide £440,000 for each of the next three years, with the most deprived areas receiving the highest share. The City of Inverness area will get £160,000;... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deprived-area-fund-to-be-extended-for-the-highlands 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deprived-area-fund-to-be-extended-for-the-highlands Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) is at its lowest level since 2009, new statistics from the ONS show. Between January-March and April-June this year the claimant count for JSA fell by 29,200 and total unemployment fell by 4,000. The figures have boosted confidence that the forecast for the economy is looking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jsa-claimant-numbers-fall-in-july--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jsa-claimant-numbers-fall-in-july--ons Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:01:00 GMT Government spent £287m on redundancy payments in the last year, Cabinet Office statistics show. The highest spending on redundancy came from the Ministry of Justice, with £89m and the DWP, with £67m in 2012-13. Whitehall departments also spent £506m on consultants and short-term staff, although Cabinet Office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redundancy-costs-whitehall-287m 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redundancy-costs-whitehall-287m Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT Local councils get to dig back at Eric Pickles’ continual demands for greater efficiency today with new analysis demonstrating the gap between tax collected by local and national government. If central tax collection was as efficient as that of councils, billions could be saved. Of course there is room for improvement in both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/try-harder 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/try-harder Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:04:00 GMT Magistrates could be given a range of new powers, including oversight of police officers’ use of cautions rather than prosecution. Over 200,000 people in England and Wales last year were given cautions, including some for violent and sexual offences. Under the new proposals, victims would be given a right of appeal if their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-cautions-to-be-checked-by-magistrates 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-cautions-to-be-checked-by-magistrates Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:02:00 GMT If national government met local councils’ tax collection rates, it could save £20bn each year, the LGA has stated. New analysis shows failure to recoup unpaid tax costs every household in England and Wales £1,270 a year. The total unpaid tax is around £32bn, made up of £14bn from tax evasion, £5bn tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unpaid-tax-costing-government-20bn 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unpaid-tax-costing-government-20bn Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:01:00 GMT Families could have to pay for social care in Worcestershire, the council has proposed. Charities and children’s rights groups have warned the proposals, which are out for consultation, could harm children who are already at risk. Charges would affect children placed in voluntary care, including the involvement of a social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worcestershire-council-suggests-charges-for-care 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worcestershire-council-suggests-charges-for-care Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT Despite Help to Buy’s reported success so far, critics are warning that helping more and more new buyers get mortgages approved whilst in the middle of a housing shortage The lack of affordable housing has been cited as a significant economic obstacle, holding up employment, growth and young people getting on the property... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-to-build 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-to-build Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:05:00 GMT The Citizen’s Advice Bureau has warned of private bailiffs “overstating their powers” and frightening working families, and says that local authorities are turning to bailiffs too quickly to recover unpaid council tax. Across England and Wales, the Bureau helped 38,262 people with over 60,000 problems between April 2012... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-struggling-with-aggressive-bailiffs 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-struggling-with-aggressive-bailiffs Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:03:00 GMT Passenger rail fares are to rise by an average of 4.1% in January, and some could rise by up to 9.1%. Unions and rail campaigners have criticised the rise, warning that the money will not be used for service improvements. Regulated fares – about half of all tickets sold, including commuter season tickets – are pegged by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rail-fare-increase-set-at-41 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rail-fare-increase-set-at-41 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:01:00 GMT The Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ scheme has attracted 10,000 reservations for new build homes, “kick-starting” the housing market. Launched in April, Help to Buy has helped push housing supply ot the highest level since 2008 with the number of first time buyers at the highest level since 2007, the DCLG reported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-to-buy-working-well--pickles 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-to-buy-working-well--pickles Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT A shared vision for the new health and social care funding has been published. The Local Government Association (LGA) and NHS England are planning how to best use the £3.8bn pooled budget to integrate and improve care. The Integration Transformation Fund (ITF) will come into effect from 2015/16, but councils and CCGs are being asked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joint-health-and-social-care-budget-plans-launched 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joint-health-and-social-care-budget-plans-launched Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:53:00 GMT Fracking will increase employment and cut energy costs without damaging the environment, the Prime Minister has said. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Cameron highlighted the benefits of shale gas drilling for communities as “essential” to make the UK more energy self-sufficient. The introduction of fracking could create up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/get-behind-fracking-call-for-support 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/get-behind-fracking-call-for-support Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:52:00 GMT Passenger theft on the rail network rose by 16% in 2012/13, new statistics show, despite overall crime rates being down on the previous year.  The British Transport Police (BTP) is officially launching Operation Magnum to combat theft of personal items such as mobile phones and tablets, luggage, and pick-pocketing.  Overall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/btp-to-combat-personal-theft-for-rail-passengers 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/btp-to-combat-personal-theft-for-rail-passengers Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:51:00 GMT A £77m fund will boost cycling in eight English cities, Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce. The support will help councils to improve existing networks and create new ones to make cycling easier and safer.  Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich will share the funding, and four... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/77m-cycling-fund-for-eight-cities 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/77m-cycling-fund-for-eight-cities Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:50:00 GMT Cameron’s call to arms for fracking will be met with significant resistance by environmental campaigners, as well as those living in the areas that are most likely to be affected.   There will be no damage to the countryside the Prime Minister has tried to reassure us. He goes on to point out that other forms of drilling have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-in-this-together 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-in-this-together Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT Contractors must recognise they cannot be given the privilege of getting on a short list without demonstrating clearly they have the experience and ability to deliver what's required. Big contracts require evidence of capability before selection. There are too many examples of poor contracting most of which falls on public sector employees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-contracts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-contracts Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT Lessons in politeness have been suggested for Manchester police, who have been criticised for poor manners and advised to increase eye contact, nodding and the use of supportive language. This is basic common sense. If you are dealing with any human being, let alone the victim of a crime, you should be considerate and empathic. Can the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/be-nice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/be-nice Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:04:00 GMT Far fewer employees are opting out of the Government’s auto-enrolment pension scheme than expected, early figures show. Over one million people have been enrolled in the scheme since it was introduced last October, with fewer than one in ten choosing to leave. The Government had estimated around 30% would opt out. However the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opt-out-lower-than-predicted-for-workplace-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opt-out-lower-than-predicted-for-workplace-pensions Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:03:00 GMT Police officers are failing to engage with the public politely, a new report suggests. Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) underwent communications training as part of a College of Policing study, which found that this resulted in higher satisfaction from the public. Those who interacted with officers who had undergone the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-officers-are-failing-to-engage-with-the-public-politely-a-new-report-suggests 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-officers-are-failing-to-engage-with-the-public-politely-a-new-report-suggests Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:01:00 GMT Roads in Cumbria are to benefit from £7.2m funding to tackle damage caused by flooding in 2009. The DfT funding forms the final payment to support repairs to footways, bridges, culverts, highway slopes, and enhanced drainage. Cumbria County Council has received over £18m in total to repair damaged infrastructure since the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/final-funding-for-cumbria-flood-repairs 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/final-funding-for-cumbria-flood-repairs Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT The construction industry must act now to bridge its looming skills gap, and look into apprenticeships and recruitment of new talent. As well as boosting employment, it would ensure a more sustainable workforce, and allow essential building projects to get started. Employers should be looking towards the future and taking steps to avoid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/act-now 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/act-now Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:04:00 GMT 36 million adults in the UK were daily internet users in 2013, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. This is more than double the number of users from 2006, when comparable records began. Research found 55% of adults now read newspapers online and 28% of people sold goods over the internet in 2013. 93% of 16-24... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ons-finds-73-of-uk-adults-use-the-internet-everyday 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ons-finds-73-of-uk-adults-use-the-internet-everyday Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT The construction industry is facing a huge skills gap, with over 400,000 workers set to leave in the next five to ten years. The Construction Industrial Training Board (CITB) warned that 19% of construction workers aged over 55s are set to retire in the next 5-10 years, and 24% of those aged 45-54 will leave in the next 10-20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/construction-skills-gap-higher-than-uk-average 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/construction-skills-gap-higher-than-uk-average Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:01:00 GMT New analysis of the coming cuts to council budgets for 2015/16 shows that the real-terms effects will be much worse than that announced by the Government in the spending review. Local authorities will have their basic allocation from central Government cut by £1bn more than signalled in May, jeopardising their ability to deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-budgets-to-face-15-cuts 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-budgets-to-face-15-cuts Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT Guest blog by Paul Dossett, partner and head of local government at Grant Thornton UK LLP Local government funding took yet another clobbering in the latest spending review. The Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government took the plaudits from the Chancellor for having delivered further significant savings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-sr13--the-benefits-of-localism 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-sr13--the-benefits-of-localism Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:05:00 GMT Scotland is facing cuts of 25% in public sector spending, new analysis of Whitehall spending plans shows. A study by the Centre for Public Policy for Regions (CPPR) found that 85% of funding to reduce the deficit would come through cuts, with reduction spread across eight years rather than the initially proposed five. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harshest-cuts-still-to-come-for-scotland 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harshest-cuts-still-to-come-for-scotland Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:02:00 GMT The introduction of Universal Credit could limit access to a range of other benefits, Labour has warned. Shadow employment minister Stephen Timms said there was no clear strategy about how entitlement would be decided and paid once UC was rolled out nationally. The benefits that could be affected include free school meals, legal aid, some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uc-could-limit-access-to-free-school-meals 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uc-could-limit-access-to-free-school-meals Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:01:00 GMT Zero hours contracts have been defended as essential to maintain employment through the recession. The Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) called the contracts “flexible” and criticised attempts to regulate or reduce such working practices. CBI chief executive John Cridland said: “These contracts play a vital role... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vital-role-for-zero-hours-contracts-cbi- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vital-role-for-zero-hours-contracts-cbi- Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:00:00 GMT The upcoming Liberal Democrat conference is to discuss a policy that would see petrol and diesel cars banned by 2040, suggesting that only electric or hybrid vehicles should be allowed on UK roads except for freight purposes It’s a controversial proposal, to say the least. Despite huge gains in modal shift towards more sustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/car-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/car-free Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:05:00 GMT A project to provide rural parts of Wales with fibre broadband has upgraded 57 towns and communities. The Superfast Cymru project will improve access to high speed internet for 100,000 homes and businesses by the end of the year, the Government announced. Launched last year, the project with BT aims to help improve broadband connection to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/superfast-cymru-to-bring-broadband-to-100000 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/superfast-cymru-to-bring-broadband-to-100000 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:02:00 GMT Charity chief executives have come under fire for accepting large pay rises. The Charity Commission warned that it risked bringing their work into “disrepute”. Research by The Daily Telegraph shows the number of staff at the 14 leading foreign aid charities earning six-figure salaries has increased from 19 to 30 over the past... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-salaries-for-charities-risk-disrepute 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-salaries-for-charities-risk-disrepute Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:01:00 GMT The £17m fund for community building projects has been expanded to allow local plans to bid for support, housing minister Mark Prisk has announced. The money had been earmarked for the Community Right to Build, but has been opened up to include people bidding for plots for housebuilding or for community improvements. The funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-right-to-build-fund-extended 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-right-to-build-fund-extended Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:00:00 GMT As someone who has worked in energy efficiency for many years and mostly with local authorities, the 'incentives' that DECC are offering will not change the fact that Green Deal loans are a long-term burden on a property, at interest rates that do not reflect the current 'real world' markets.  When residents come sell their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-deal 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-deal Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:05:00 GMT The Government’s approach to rewarding people “who want to work hard and get on” – in comparison to all those lazy shirkers – has come under criticism again with a childcare scheme which only pays out to families with both parents in work. It’s a policy which means well. Childcare costs are far and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stay-or-go 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stay-or-go Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:04:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) surveyed 1,000 employers, with the research suggesting 3-4% of the workforce are on contracts that do not guarantee shifts or work patterns – more than four times official estimates. Of those on such flexible contracts, 14% said their employer often fails to provide them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-million-workers-are-on-zero-hour-contracts--cipd 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-million-workers-are-on-zero-hour-contracts--cipd Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:03:00 GMT A scheme designed to help parents back to work is to be extended to families staying at home as carers, or on paternity/maternity leave. The Government launched the tax-free £1,200 childcare concession scheme in March for households where both parents work. It has been attacked by critics for discriminating against families where... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childcare-concessions-to-help-parents-who-stay-at-home 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childcare-concessions-to-help-parents-who-stay-at-home Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT Working on the Universal Credit programme has been described as “soul-destroying”, a new internal survey shows. The responses, which were leaked and then reported in the Guardian, highlight low ratings for senior leaders listening to concerns and a lack of understanding of the project vision. Universal Credit launched... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staff-slam-uc-programme-in-internal-review 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staff-slam-uc-programme-in-internal-review Mon, 05 Aug 2013 10:01:00 GMT Public sector contracts are too expensive for contractors, a new survey has warned. Contractors could spend almost £100m to secure contracts worth £2bn, a survey of 96 businesses has showed. The Scottish Building Federation found that the cost of tendering has risen by 50% over five years, with large shortlists requiring firms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contractors-avoiding-public-sector-contracts-over-price 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contractors-avoiding-public-sector-contracts-over-price Mon, 05 Aug 2013 10:00:00 GMT While the funding for councils to improve their housing arrangements should be welcomed, it is worth looking a little deeper to understand why so many cases of families being housed long-term in B&Bs happen in so few areas. It’s a problem which seems to spiral out of control, making it even harder for local authorities to put... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-room-at-the-inn 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-room-at-the-inn Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:03:00 GMT Three-quarters of the first free schools to be inspected have been judged as good or outstanding. Ofsted found that six free schools required improvement and one – Discovery New School, in West Sussex – was deemed inadequate. Out of all state schools, 79% were judged good or outstanding, with 19% requiring improvement and 3%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-receive-good-ofsted-ratings 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-receive-good-ofsted-ratings Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:02:00 GMT Seven councils have been awarded funding to find sustainable accommodation for families living in B&Bs. Communities minister Don Foster announced a £1.9m fund to support alternative housing schemes. Officially, councils are only supposed to use B&Bs for housing families as a last resort, and only for up to six weeks. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/19m-to-tackle-long-term-homelessness 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/19m-to-tackle-long-term-homelessness Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:01:00 GMT Political donors and lobbyists being given peerages to the House of Lords could risk “polluting” parliament, a Liberal Democrat peer has warned. 30 new peers have been raised; five by Labour, one by the Green party, 14 by the Conservatives and 10 by the Liberal Democrats. It means the Conservatives now have 222 Lords, Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buying-peerages-corrupts-parliament--lord-oakeshott 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buying-peerages-corrupts-parliament--lord-oakeshott Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT With energy efficiency and sustainability crucial to public sector building, Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA), discusses what timber frame can offer the sector.  In terms of new housing, the public sector is at an important crossroads. The need for affordable housing is growing, land is being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-construction-method-that-meets-economic-social-and-environmental-challenges 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-construction-method-that-meets-economic-social-and-environmental-challenges Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:45:00 GMT Extreme weather demands a quick and clear response. Kate Ashley reports from the Environment Agency-led session on incident communications at LGA 2013, which heard from the EA’s Kate Hughes and its chief media officer Jason Wakeford.  Some events are completely outside local authority control, but in the case of extreme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-the-eye-of-the-storm 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-the-eye-of-the-storm Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:30:00 GMT David Way, executive director of the National Apprenticeship Service, explains why it is important to support local government and construction firms working together to improve Apprenticeship recruitment and training. Apprenticeships are now more popular than ever and construction Apprenticeships are the first choice for many young... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guiding-local-authorities-towards-improved-apprenticeship-delivery-across-construction-projects 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guiding-local-authorities-towards-improved-apprenticeship-delivery-across-construction-projects Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:15:00 GMT Professor Tony Travers of the LSE brought with him to the LGA conference 2013 a bracing message – praising local government for its financial management and approach to shrunken grants, but warning that the pain is likely to continue for years.  Tony Travers opened his keynote speech to the LGA with a promise not to be too... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-spending-is-being-cut-to-sustain-inefficient-central-government-services 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-spending-is-being-cut-to-sustain-inefficient-central-government-services Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:15:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports from an LGA conference workshop discussing the changing needs and demands for public sector chief executives in 2018.  With so many changes to the structure of local councils, and particularly leadership, chief executives are understandably apprehensive about their future. So what will this role look like in 2018?... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-local-leadership 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-local-leadership Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:15:00 GMT Chris Painter, emeritus professor of public policy and management at Birmingham City University, argues that recent evidence raises worrying questions about the capability of government agencies to act effectively in the public interest. It has become fashionable, especially in times of austerity, to regard government as a bloated bureaucracy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governing-on-a-shoestring 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governing-on-a-shoestring Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:00:00 GMT A new National Audit Office report into the skills and capabilities of the senior civil service has said there is “still a long way to go” to change its longstanding culture. Adam Hewitt reports.  The National Audit Office has welcomed the Government’s acceptance of the “urgent need” for a new leadership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reforming-the-senior-civil-service 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reforming-the-senior-civil-service Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:00:00 GMT Alexander Stevenson, author of a new book on public sector management and a speaker at the LGA conference 2013, passes on some key tips for PSE readers. It is easy enough to find management advice. But what about public sector management advice? Virtually all the management books you will see on airport bookshelves or management articles in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-public-sector-management-tips 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-public-sector-management-tips Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:30:00 GMT Smart ticketing on public transport has really moved up a gear this year, and the momentum looks set to continue, argues Lindsay Robertson, CEO of ITSO Ltd, the non-profit organisation that supports the implementation of the national ITSO standard for smart ticketing.  Three announcements concerning major schemes have recently been made.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smarter-ticketing 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smarter-ticketing Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:30:00 GMT Matthew Reed, chief executive of The Children’s Society, highlights the risks of welfare reform pushing children into poverty. Recent welfare reforms have hit countless working families, with reduced benefits and increased restrictions adding to their financial difficulty in the depths of deprivation and austerity.  Criticism of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thinking-of-the-children 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thinking-of-the-children Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) annual conference in Manchester in July heard from some of the biggest names in social care about the coming changes in the sector. The speakers were Jon Rouse, director general for social care, local government and care partnerships at the Department of Health; ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-will-adult-social-care-be-delivered-in-2018 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-will-adult-social-care-be-delivered-in-2018 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT Local authorities made a £565m surplus from parking services last year, new analysis by the RAC Foundation shows. In 2011-12, councils generated £54m more than the year before. By law, any such surplus has to be spent on transport services and cannot be used to plug holes elsewhere in council budgets. After capital charges to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rac-foundation-highlights-council-parking-surplus 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rac-foundation-highlights-council-parking-surplus Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:45:00 GMT Matt Humphrey, national lead for local government and emergency services and a partner at RSM Tenon, who has worked in or with local government for over 20 years, makes the case for collaboration.  The recent spending review indicates that austerity measures within the public sector are now predicted to 2020 and beyond – and this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaborative-models-for-the-public-sector 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaborative-models-for-the-public-sector Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:15:00 GMT Despite confirming that council spending is expected to decrease for another year, CIPFA’s analysis does also show that the reductions themselves are growing smaller. It’s a downhill slope, but not quite as steep as last year, or the year before. With countless warnings over how local government is going to cope with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/levelling-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/levelling-out Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:04:00 GMT A £25m competition is to encourage the development of advanced biofuels, to cut transport carbon emissions. Advanced biofuels are liquid fuels made from waste organic material, rather than using products that could also be used as food crops. The UK demonstrator could lead to widespread commercial production of the fuels. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/advanced-biofuels-competition-announced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/advanced-biofuels-competition-announced Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:02:00 GMT David Hawkins, operations director at the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW), discusses the growing importance of collaborative working, BS 11000, and the broader context in which the ICW works. The recent BSI publication of the ‘Construction Strategy 2025’ shows a clear direction for increased collaboration between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaboration-is-a-fundamental-business-discipline 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaboration-is-a-fundamental-business-discipline Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT Local authority spending is forecast to fall to £93.8bn next year, but the reduction is less than previous years. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) found that councils’ Total Service Expenditure (TSE) is budgeted to fall by 1% in 2013/14. The year before the budget fell by 4.8%. It means... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-reductions-continue-for-local-government 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-reductions-continue-for-local-government Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMT In June, the Local Government and Regeneration Committee of the Scottish Parliament published the findings of its inquiry into public service reform. James Thomson, public sector audit manager at accountants and advisers Scott-Moncrieff, gave evidence to the committee. Here, he discusses ways in which the Scottish public sector can move... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-government-turns-up-the-heat-on-public-sector-reform 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-government-turns-up-the-heat-on-public-sector-reform Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:45:00 GMT Hasan Bakhshi, director of creative economy at Nesta, makes the case for good data and randomised trials to build an evidence base for innovation. A secure evidence base is essential for improving the way public services are delivered, and will allow commissioners to make real changes to their local areas. A new report from Nesta... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-creative-approach-to-innovation 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-creative-approach-to-innovation Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:30:00 GMT Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK, talks to PSE about the rise of social enterprises and the need for localism to support this. Austerity has led to the creation of new markets in the public sector, and a flurry of start-up social enterprises to deliver services in a new way. PSE spoke to Social Enterprise UK chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-next-wave-of-enterprise 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-next-wave-of-enterprise Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:15:00 GMT There is a large and worrying disconnect between those thoughtfully engaging with the problems facing local authorities because of the funding shortfall, and those who just dismiss it is an issue.  This isn’t simply saying that the LGA (and academics, think tanks and consultancies) are right and the Government is wrong.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/refusing-to-listen 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/refusing-to-listen Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:45:00 GMT The rise of electric cars is a great step for the UK, and it is good to see government support for infrastructure to support this rise. Councils can use funding to improve accessibility to electric vehicles, encouraging take-up and helping to meet tough environmental standards. Shifting to more sustainable forms of transport will require... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-electric 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-electric Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:05:00 GMT Vacant shops are damaging London’s economy, costing £350m in lost trade and earnings, a new report shows. London Councils found almost 7,000 empty retail units, and have called for greater powers for local councils to tackle this. The report, Streets Ahead, calls for councils to have more powers to limit betting shops, payday... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-push-for-council-control-over-high-street 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-push-for-council-control-over-high-street Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:02:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) has called for Government to take greater account of the possibilities around generating energy from waste. A new report states an improved regulatory framework is needed for refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which is currently constrained by a lack of clarity on quality thresholds. Both RDF... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-has-valuable-potential-as-energy-source 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-has-valuable-potential-as-energy-source Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:01:00 GMT Another £37m in grant funding is now available to help install infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles, business minister Michael Fallon and transport minister Norman Baker have announced. The second round of funding invites bids from local authorities, NHS trusts and train operators, with Government providing 75% of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-provides-37m-for-electric-vehicle-recharging- 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-provides-37m-for-electric-vehicle-recharging- Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMT The spare room subsidy, or bedroom tax, has prompted a huge amount of opposition. The result of ten families’ judicial review against the cuts could be a huge blow to the DWP’s plans to cut the housing benefit bill – or it could be a significant win for the Government. It’s a move that would certainly save money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spare-room 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spare-room Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:04:00 GMT New guidance has been published to help employees and employers to manage settlement agreements, as Acas’ Code of Practice comes into force today. The guide is designed to help both parties to understand when to use settlement agreements and includes a checklist for negotiation, a model agreement, template offer letters, examples of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acas-publishes-settlement-agreement-support 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acas-publishes-settlement-agreement-support Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:02:00 GMT Wales is set to increase its devolution from Westminster as the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 receives Royal Assent. The Act seeks to improve Wales’ democratic processes and transparency, boost access to information about councils and reform the structure and functions of the local government boundary commission for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-act-to-boost-democracy-in-wales 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-act-to-boost-democracy-in-wales Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:01:00 GMT Claimants have heard the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ does not discriminate against disabled people. 10 families had brought a judicial review to the High Court over cuts to their housing benefit for extra space they need for health reasons. The court judged the policy did not breach their human rights. The DWP introduced the cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-court-decision-expected 441,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-court-decision-expected Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT Live in an area of council estates as I do and you will realise how much grassroots support there is for this policy. It's always possible to find specific cases who will be negatively affected, and we should do our best to help where we can (something many councils are doing a competent job of). But for every one of these, there are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:06:00 GMT Moves to cut bureaucracy in the public sector are again running the risk of cutting workers’ rights, making it harder and harder to seek compensation for unfair dismissal and other mistreatment at work. The expense of such claims has been described as a burden on business, and the new fees are expected to make employees think twice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/burden-or-protection 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/burden-or-protection Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:05:00 GMT Ofgem needs to do more to ensure energy companies are transparent, the energy and climate change committee (ECCC) has urged. MPs said it was difficult to work out how much money was being made overall by the big six. Regulator Ofgem makes the energy companies produce yearly financial statements, reviewed by accountants. Sir Robert... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eccc-slams-ofgem-for-lack-of-teeth 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eccc-slams-ofgem-for-lack-of-teeth Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:03:00 GMT Organisations involved in blacklisting will feel “the full force of the law”, business secretary Vince Cable has warned. The statement follows further allegations of blacklisting on the £32bn Crossrail project across London. Last week the Scottish Affairs Select Committee called for an investigation after receiving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blacklisting-unacceptable-and-illegal--cable- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blacklisting-unacceptable-and-illegal--cable- Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:02:00 GMT Social workers are struggling to deal with abuse on online platforms, a new survey shows. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) warned that more specialist training was needed to help workers protect children from online grooming and sexual abuse. A survey of 327 social workers found 74% wanted more support and half were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/basw-calls-for-training-to-counter-online-abuse 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/basw-calls-for-training-to-counter-online-abuse Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:01:00 GMT The UK has introduced fees for employment tribunals in an effort to cut costs for small businesses and speed up claims. The move has been strongly opposed by unions. For claims such as unpaid invoices, workers will have to pay £160 to lodge a claim and £230 if the case goes ahead. Further fees will be applicable to appeal a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employment-tribunal-fees-come-into-force- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employment-tribunal-fees-come-into-force- Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:00:00 GMT The new Ofsted inspections may be “moving the goalposts”, as it was put by NUT general secretary Christine Blower, but it is movement in the right direction. Schools with less than excellent teaching should not be rated as outstanding – teaching is clearly the most important part of the service a school offers. Without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/could-do-better 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/could-do-better Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:04:00 GMT People with dementia are set to benefit from specially designed care environments, as the DH has awarded £50m funding to 116 projects. The funding will be shared between 42 NHS projects and 74 in a local authority setting. Initiatives include use of colour-coding to help staff identify patients who need extra support, and improve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dementia-friendly-care-environments-developed 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dementia-friendly-care-environments-developed Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:02:00 GMT Over 100 schools previously rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted have been downgraded, new inspection reports show. Ofsted’s new approach of focusing more on standards of teaching means that of 155 schools rated outstanding overall, but not for teaching and learning, only 44 have kept the top ranking. 91 have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/20-outstanding-schools-told-to-improve 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/20-outstanding-schools-told-to-improve Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:01:00 GMT An increase in coal consumption has led to a rise in carbon emissions after years of steady falls, new statistics from DECC show. In 2012, coal produced 39% of the UK’s electricity, up from 29% in 2011. In the same period carbon emissions rose by around 4%. The UK was the worst performing EU member state for carbon emissions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheap-coal-pushes-up-carbon-emissions 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheap-coal-pushes-up-carbon-emissions Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:00:00 GMT The Government’s plans to increase the role of the private sector in public services have come under criticism again today, this time from the Science and Technology Committee on the closure of the FSS. Private providers were expected to jump in and pick up the slack, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way. The committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drawing-the-line 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drawing-the-line Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:05:00 GMT Retained firefighters could have access to the same benefits as those under the closed Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, the Government has announced. A consultation on the proposals has been launched to offer retained firefighters employed during 1 July 2000 to 5 April 2006 access to the pension scheme. Fire minister Brandon Lewis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighters-pension-scheme-for-retained-firefighters 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighters-pension-scheme-for-retained-firefighters Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:03:00 GMT The private sector has so far failed to fill the gap left by the closure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS), a new inquiry indicates. The Science and Technology Committee warned that the criminal justice system could be jeopardised. The market appears to be shrinking, and MPs have called for a working group to review the accounting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-protect-forensic-science--mps 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-protect-forensic-science--mps Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:01:00 GMT The Green Deal receives another boost today, as DECC has announced £20m to help local authorities take a street-by-street approach to promoting the scheme. The funding will help councils to target the areas that could benefit most from energy efficient improvements. Bids will be judged on creativity, sustainability, credibility and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decc-opens-20m-fund-for-green-deal 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decc-opens-20m-fund-for-green-deal Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:00:00 GMT The Green Deal has not quite been the huge move for energy efficiency it was hoped to be – at least not yet. What else could national, and local, government do to improve take-up of the scheme, and encourage the public of the benefits both for them and the environment? The National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/promotional-push 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/promotional-push Wed, 24 Jul 2013 11:03:00 GMT Poor access to public services and broadband is leading to an urban-rural divide, MPs on the Commons Rural Affairs Committee have warned. It follows a recent warning from Age UK of the impact of cuts on elderly people living in rural areas. In a new report, the MPs highlight slow internet connections, low mobile coverage and less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-action-on-rural-inequality 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-action-on-rural-inequality Wed, 24 Jul 2013 11:02:00 GMT A new online guide aims to help local authorities promote the Green Deal, the Government scheme to create more energy efficient homes. The Green Deal sees environmental technology installed in homes, with the investment paid back through savings on energy bills. Launched this January, it got off to a slower start than expected as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-guide-to-boost-green-deal-schemes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-guide-to-boost-green-deal-schemes Wed, 24 Jul 2013 11:01:00 GMT The first phase of a new building scheme to support independent living has been launched, to provide older and disabled people with more suitable housing. The Government is funding £92m to the Homes and Communities Agency to help 86 agencies build 2,875 new homes. In London an additional £29m will allow 35 providers to build... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hca-to-build-3544-specially-adapted-homes 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hca-to-build-3544-specially-adapted-homes Wed, 24 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT The youth contract has had a disappointing first year, with numbers far lower than expected. The Federation of Small Businesses maintains that financial subsidies are the best incentives to get young, long-term unemployed people into work. But it clearly isn’t working; the thousands of young people it was meant to help aren’t... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-working 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-working Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:05:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has launched the second phase of Help to Buy, which ministers claim could guarantee up to 190,000 mortgages a year, over three years. The £12bn scheme will underwrite home purchases worth up to £600,000, but will be subject to new income checks and ‘stress testing’ to ensure buyers can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rigorous-checks-announced-for-help-to-buy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rigorous-checks-announced-for-help-to-buy Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:03:00 GMT Only 4,700 young people have benefited from the youth contract since its implementation last year, new figures from the DWP show. The opposition claimed the policy had “utterly failed” at improving youth unemployment. The flagship policy was launched in April 2012 and was designed to help 160,000 18 to 24 year olds who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-scheme-helps-just-4700-young-people-into-work 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-scheme-helps-just-4700-young-people-into-work Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:01:00 GMT Local government will showcase best practice from councils successfully using the General Power of Competence (GPC) today. A joint event run by the LGA and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) will focus on how the GPC could be improved, and launch the new report ‘Empowering councils to make a difference’.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-praise-general-power-of-competence--but-still-feel-restricted 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-praise-general-power-of-competence--but-still-feel-restricted Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT I would like to see the benefit figures with the housing benefit element removed. With a shortage of affordable housing private landlords are able to charge inflated rents knowing that local government will have to pay. When the misinformed hear the sum of £26.00O they think this is a cash amount and this is misleading. The majority of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-cap 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-cap Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:20:00 GMT More elderly are living in areas where services and support can be thin on the ground – risking health, happiness and financial difficulty. Age UK is calling for government to take this demographic into consideration when developing and planning local services – how changes affect users is arguably more important than chasing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-in-the-sticks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-in-the-sticks Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:19:00 GMT A new Agricultural Technology Strategy has been announced to make the UK “a world leader” in agricultural science and technology. The Government is investing £160m to transform farming techniques and address global food security issues. The funding includes £90m for new Centres of Agricultural Innovation, with up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/160m-to-boost-agricultural-technology 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/160m-to-boost-agricultural-technology Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:18:00 GMT Internet providers will introduce automatic blocks for pornography viewed at home, Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce, to “protect our children and their innocence”. He is also expected to outline new legislation against possession of online pornography depicting rape. New internet customers will have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opt-out-pornography-blocks-to-be-introduced 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opt-out-pornography-blocks-to-be-introduced Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:17:00 GMT Older people in rural communities are suffering more from cuts to local services, a new Age UK poll has found. Later Life in Rural England highlights a lack of public transport as the biggest challenge for one in four people over sixty living in the countryside. Other obstacles include a lack of nearby shops and services, the high cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rural-elderly-struggling--age-uk 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rural-elderly-struggling--age-uk Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:16:00 GMT House prices could increase by 42% by 2020, with rents rising even higher, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has warned in a new report. If the rate of house-building continues to fail to keep up with the rising population, up to 3.7 million young people could be forced to live with their parents. Private rents in England are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhf-calls-for-house-building-to-keep-up-with-population 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhf-calls-for-house-building-to-keep-up-with-population Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:15:00 GMT Government departments have come under new criticism for their failure to manage procurement effectively today, as the PASC publishes its latest report. A lack of skill in the civil service and EU Directives take much of the blame for these failings, and only a complete overhaul of the way Whitehall procures services and products will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/astonishing-failures- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/astonishing-failures- Fri, 19 Jul 2013 11:01:00 GMT Government’s approach to procurement is failing, a report by the Public Administration Committee (PASC) states. Despite attempts to improve efficiency of procurement, the stream of failures “continues unabated”, MPs found. The public sector spends £227bn each year on procurement, £45bn of which is spent by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/repeated-failures-highlighted-in-government-procurement 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/repeated-failures-highlighted-in-government-procurement Fri, 19 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT The crime rate has fallen again, down to the lowest level since records began. New statistics from the ONS show that crime in England and Wales fell by 9% over the past year. The number of police officers is also at the lowest level since 2002, and there are 14,186 fewer officers than when the Coalition came to power in 2010. There... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-lowest-since-records-began--despite-falling-officer-numbers 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-lowest-since-records-began--despite-falling-officer-numbers Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:32:00 GMT The correlation of crime going down as police officer numbers rise has been thoroughly rubbished today as new figures show both officers and the crime rate are at their lowest level in years. It’s a link the police were keen to keep; if ministers can make the case for a smaller police force while continuing to reduce crime, they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/falling-rates 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/falling-rates Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:32:00 GMT Pressing ahead with too many market reforms at once in the public sector is failing to ensure genuine competition, a new report has warned. The Institute for Government (IfG) found mistakes in the set up and management of outsourcing in care for the elderly, schools, probation and employment services. Some providers have been criticised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mistakes-will-be-made-on-public-sector-reform 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mistakes-will-be-made-on-public-sector-reform Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:31:00 GMT No-one will have to sell their house in their lifetime to pay for social care, the Government has announced. The Department of Health has published details of how the care cap will be calculated, in response to the Dilnot review. People will receive annual ‘care account’ statements to measure the amount the have paid towards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-introduce-deferred-payments-scheme-for-care 441,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-introduce-deferred-payments-scheme-for-care Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:30:00 GMT The Smith Institute’s new report makes for interesting reading, and addresses one of the under-examined causes of poverty: low wages and wage inequality. Stronger representation in the workplace could significantly reduce this, as could greater use of fair-wage clauses and an extension of the living wage. But this is all fairly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-work-payenough 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-work-payenough Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:04:00 GMT A stronger representation in the workplace could lead to significant progress on tackling in-work poverty and wage inequality, a new report suggests. Published by the Smith Institute, ‘Just deserts: Poverty and income inequality’, examines the causes of low-wage growth and work poverty in the UK. It recommends statutory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trade-unions-central-to-income-equality 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trade-unions-central-to-income-equality Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:02:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has expressed doubts about the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) in a new report, as the third set of accounts is published today. The 2011/12 accounts have been produced more speedily and measures to reduce the deficit are starting to have an impact, the report found. However, the Comptrollor and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-must-do-more-on-wga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-must-do-more-on-wga Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:01:00 GMT Children starting primary school could be subjected to a new ‘baseline’ test to measure pupils’ attainment. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has launched a consultation on the proposals, which could see a more formal version of tests already set in some schools. The pupil premium for disadvantaged school children will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baseline-tests-could-be-introduced-for-reception 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baseline-tests-could-be-introduced-for-reception Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMT What will the move to transform the Highways Agency into a public company achieve? It is unfortunate timing for the announcement, which comes just a day after the ORR has criticised Network Rail, the model for the idea. But extra funding and a change in focus do not necessarily need a complete restructuring and for the agency to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-rail-to-road 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-rail-to-road Tue, 16 Jul 2013 12:33:00 GMT The benefit cap could be lowered even further, to £20,000 a year, Treasury sources have indicated. The cap currently limits the amount of benefits a family can receive at £26,000, and is set lower for single people. It is set to reflect the average working household income and the DWP estimates around 40,000 households will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lowering-the-benefit-cap-to-20000-an-option 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lowering-the-benefit-cap-to-20000-an-option Tue, 16 Jul 2013 12:32:00 GMT The Commission on Childcare, launched by the Government last year, is to report today and set out plans to improve access to out-of-hours childcare. It is expected to change the rules covering unregistered carers for children in England and the premises used for before and after school care. Schools could also be urged to work more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/after-school-care-changes-to-be-introduced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/after-school-care-changes-to-be-introduced Tue, 16 Jul 2013 12:31:00 GMT The Highways Agency will be turned into a public company, to use £28bn for road building, the Government has announced. A green paper published today sets out plans to guarantee funding over six years, making the agency into a Network Rail-style company. An extra £500m will be pledged to encourage the take-up of electric... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/28bn-for-public-highways-agency 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/28bn-for-public-highways-agency Tue, 16 Jul 2013 12:30:00 GMT My first question would be, what was the margin? How near were people allowed to be, or conversely how far off were people allowed to be, before they qualified as 'in touch'? Now, don't misunderstand me – I have no intention of disputing that the results are very far out. However, it is worth noting that like all statistics, these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-public-wrong 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-public-wrong Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:50:00 GMT The benefit cap is great politics for the Government – there aren’t many people keen to defend policies which see some families getting more in benefits than the average family earns from work. It’s clearly a symbolic move (the less-generous might say stunt) aimed more at favourable newspaper coverage than actually... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-benefits 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-benefits Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:48:00 GMT A scheme based in New York aimed at reducing the literacy gap between rich and poor children has taken its inspiration from the Creative Councils project in the UK. The Mayors Challenge, set up and funded by New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg's foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies, encourages local authorities across the US to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/us-local-government-innovation-scheme-inspired-by-nesta 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/us-local-government-innovation-scheme-inspired-by-nesta Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:47:00 GMT Just 5% of people rate public sector organisations as offering the highest standards of customer service, according to new research. The study also revealed that 38% of complaints made to public sector organisations within the last year were unresolved. Mark King, Senior VP for Europe and Africa at Aspect Software, which conducted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/another-survey-criticises-public-sector-customer-service 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/another-survey-criticises-public-sector-customer-service Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:46:00 GMT MPs will get a rare chance to investigate the financial affairs of Prince Charles today, when his most senior official, William Nye, appears before the Public Accounts Committee. The committee is considering whether the Prince of Wales is paying enough tax, and why the Duchy of Cornwall does not pay corporation tax or capital gains... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-looking-into-prince-charles-tax-affairs- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-looking-into-prince-charles-tax-affairs- Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:45:00 GMT The benefits cap of £500 a week on people of working age has started to come into effect across England, Scotland and Wales today, following a pilot in four London boroughs. The £500 weekly cap applies to couples and lone parents – single people will be capped at £350. The Government says the limit, which will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/26000-a-year-benefits-cap-comes-into-effect-nationwide 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/26000-a-year-benefits-cap-comes-into-effect-nationwide Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:00:00 GMT Is the promise of a tax-free post-2015 something George Osborne can actually deliver? The pledge aims to set the Conservatives apart from Labour on taxes, and allow the Government to meet deficit reduction targets without causing even greater financial harm to the voting public (except those who use public services, of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/promises-promises 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/promises-promises Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:03:00 GMT Tax rises will not be needed to meet deficit reduction targets after 2015 if the Conservatives win the next election, Chancellor George Osborne has stated. Borrowing could be cut by spending cuts alone, he said. “Tax increases are not required to achieve [further consolidation]”, Osborne said, and this “can be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-tax-rises-to-meet-deficit--osborne 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-tax-rises-to-meet-deficit--osborne Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:02:00 GMT The Government lacks an overarching programme and point of single accountability for encouraging more people to save for retirement, a new report from the NAO shows. Spending on state pensions and pensioner benefits has increased from 5.5% of GDP in 1990 to 6.9% in 2011-12, statistics demonstrate. Increasing the future state pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-costs-highly-uncertain--nao- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-costs-highly-uncertain--nao- Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:01:00 GMT A new discussion paper sets out “tough questions” for the future of local government, launched by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA). The paper includes the suggestion that local authorities should be given more freedom over setting council tax rates, and raises concerns over sufficient capacity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-should-be-set-locally-cipfa 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-should-be-set-locally-cipfa Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:00:00 GMT The proposed pay rise for MPs is lower than initially expected, but still represents a substantial increase in salary while the rest of the public sector struggles through austerity measures. Reducing perks of the job; free meals, taxis and huge resettlement grants, will go some way to balancing the increase, but for many it will not be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-much 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-much Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:03:00 GMT A Scottish naval base could be retained as UK territory if the public vote ‘yes’ in the independence referendum, to be held in 2014. Faslane Trident nuclear base could be given sovereign territory status, the Guardian has reported, to maintain access for the Trident fleet. The MoD suggested it was “an interesting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/faslane-could-be-kept-as-sovereign-uk-territory 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/faslane-could-be-kept-as-sovereign-uk-territory Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:02:00 GMT The UK has the most expensive procurement process in Europe, new research from the Centre for Economic Business Research (CEBR) indicates. The average total cost of a competitive procurement process in the UK is £45,200, 90% more expensive than the EU average, and 53 days longer. This can dissuade some organisations from tendering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-procurement-slower-and-more-expensive-than-eu 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-procurement-slower-and-more-expensive-than-eu Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:01:00 GMT MPs should be granted a pay rise of £6,000, with basic remuneration up 9.3% to £74,000, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has announced. The proposals will be offset with reduced expenses. Backbench MPs are currently paid £66,000, but party leaders David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ipsa-proposes-6000-pay-rise-for-mps 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ipsa-proposes-6000-pay-rise-for-mps Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMT Civil service reform is due to get a kick into action today, as Francis Maude outlines new proposals for permanent secretaries and ministerial teams. The changes will be far-ranging, but could bring substantial savings in terms of efficiency. But unions have warned against ‘politicising’ civil servants, making their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-faster 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-faster Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:34:00 GMT Neighbourhood Community Budget Pilots will be extended to a further 100 areas, the DCLG has announced. The £4.3m funding is in addition to a £350,000 boost to the existing 12 pilots to help speed up their programmes. The Our Place! Programme will also establish a network of champions from the pilot areas to give peer to peer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/43m-extension-to-community-budgets 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/43m-extension-to-community-budgets Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:32:00 GMT The new Transport Systems Catapult Centre will be based in Milton Keynes, for ease of access, a skilled talent pool and the availability of high quality business space. The centre will be funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) with £50m over five years, with private sector business and collaborative R&D projects expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/milton-keynes-to-host-transport-systems-catapult-centre- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/milton-keynes-to-host-transport-systems-catapult-centre- Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:31:00 GMT Civil servants will report directly to ministers, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude is to announce in a bid to speed up civil service reform. In a speech later today, he will set out proposed changes to newly appointed permanent secretaries. They will be appointed on fixed tenure appointments of five years. Extended ministerial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/permanent-secretaries-to-have-fixed-five-year-contracts 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/permanent-secretaries-to-have-fixed-five-year-contracts Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:30:00 GMT The IPSOS Mori report for the Royal Statistical Society and King’s College London on public misunderstanding of key facts on policy issues has generated a lot of debate in the media and on Twitter this morning. Some might dismiss this as elites and the political class sneering at the ignorance of the general population, or write off... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guesswork 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guesswork Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:03:00 GMT A new report into social enterprises has found they are being set up at triple the rate of mainstream SMEs and half are trading with the public sector compared to just 26% of SMEs.  ‘The People’s Business’ is being launched at Westminster today by business secretary Vince Cable. It shows that for 23% of social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-reveals-growing-impact-of-social-enterprises-on-public-sector 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-reveals-growing-impact-of-social-enterprises-on-public-sector Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:02:00 GMT A new trading company set up by Buckinghamshire County Council to deliver adult social care is to begin trading by October. The council says the new model will “protect services against future cuts by Government and give those who need care and support from adult social care more security and stability”. Many local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-sets-up-trading-company-to-deliver-adult-social-care 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-sets-up-trading-company-to-deliver-adult-social-care Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:01:00 GMT The public are radically misinformed on key issues of public policy, a new survey has revealed. The research by Ipsos MORI for the Royal Statistical Society and King’s College London shows “just how wrong public opinion can be”, with the research being presented at an event, ‘The Perils of Perception’, later... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-opinion-out-of-kilter-with-the-evidence-on-wide-range-of-issues 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-opinion-out-of-kilter-with-the-evidence-on-wide-range-of-issues Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT One may applaud the development of minimum standards, who wouldn't, but how does one get more from less? And if one could do so, doesn't Mr Lamb think it would already have been done – or is this simply perpetuating the discourse of ‘wasteful public services’? Re: New national minimum standards on social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-minimum-care-standards 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-minimum-care-standards Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:20:00 GMT Newcastle has become the first council to impose a late-night levy on venues that serve alcohol after midnight. From November, it will impose an annual charge of up to £4,400 on such venues – to reclaim the costs of policing and cleaning up the effects of binge drinking, it says. Bar and club owners think differently, and say... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/last-orders 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/last-orders Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:19:00 GMT There has been a fall in the number of people fatally injured at work, new statistics show – but the British Safety Council has insisted that more must be done because ‘one life lost at work is one too many’. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data shows that 148 workers were fatally injured from April 2012 to March... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workplace-deaths-fall--but-more-in-waste-and-recycling-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workplace-deaths-fall--but-more-in-waste-and-recycling-sector Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:18:00 GMT The Government has issued guidance notes setting out the terms under which it will make emergency funding available to councils under the Bellwin scheme. The scheme is usually used in response to bad weather that causes threats to life and property ‘beyond all previous local experience’. It provides grant money to reimburse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-publishes-council-thresholds-for-emergency-assistance 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-publishes-council-thresholds-for-emergency-assistance Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:17:00 GMT The Welsh Government is pressing ahead with plans to get more women appointed to public bodies with an event today bringing together chairs of public sector organisations from across the country. They are meeting communities minister Jeff Cuthbert to discuss the steps that could be taken to increase the number of women, and other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-seeks-to-get-more-women-on-public-bodies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-seeks-to-get-more-women-on-public-bodies Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:16:00 GMT The new national curriculum for schools in England will be published today, including more advanced maths for five-year-olds, the teaching of evolution in primary schools, big changes in the history syllabus and a new focus on computer programming. Teachers’ unions and academics have condemned many of the changes in previous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/michael-gove-to-unveil-new-curriculum-for-state-schools 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/michael-gove-to-unveil-new-curriculum-for-state-schools Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:15:00 GMT The minimum wage is an essential safeguard against dangerously low pay, but it still has further to go, the chair of the Low Pay Commission has warned. Businesses should not regard it as an acceptable wage to pay when they can afford a level of pay which would allow a far higher quality of life for their employees. In short, minimum... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-ticked-box 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-ticked-box Fri, 05 Jul 2013 13:04:00 GMT MPs are voting today on an in-out EU referendum to be held in 2017. The bill, introduced by Tory MP James Wharten, will see its second reading in the House of Commons. Labour is reportedly considering a pre-2015 date for a referendum, the Guardian suggested, although Party Leader Ed Miliband has said there is no need to make a decision... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eu-referendum-bill-returns-to-commons 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eu-referendum-bill-returns-to-commons Fri, 05 Jul 2013 13:03:00 GMT The UK is at risk of creating a two-tier labour market, chair of the Government’s Low Pay Commission has warned. Professor Sir George Bain is reviewing how the minimum wage and the role of the commission that sets it can be strengthened to prevent one in ten workers earning just over the minimum. A study from the Resolution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-wage-victim-of-its-own-success 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-wage-victim-of-its-own-success Fri, 05 Jul 2013 13:02:00 GMT The Government’s rural broadband programme is now expected to be delivered nearly two years later than planned, a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) shows. Only nine out of 44 local projects are expected to provide 90% superfast coverage by May 2015 and the Government has revised its target to secure delivery by December... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-delays-for-rural-broadband-roll-out 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-delays-for-rural-broadband-roll-out Fri, 05 Jul 2013 13:00:00 GMT Pickles’ blithe and forced optimism must be grating on the local authorities who have just been told they must continue to bear the brunt of the cuts into 2015. Of course people resist change, and this can be a significant barrier to greater efficiency. But repeating the same sentiments, urging ambition, and sweeping away all valid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/removed-from-reality 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/removed-from-reality Thu, 04 Jul 2013 10:48:00 GMT A new international standard will help organisations to certify their management and reduction of waste, the Carbon Trust has announced. The new standard will be launched later this year and will require organisations to measure, manage, and reduce their solid and hazardous waste. It will also include a qualitative assessment to show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-trust-to-launch-new-waste-standard 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-trust-to-launch-new-waste-standard Thu, 04 Jul 2013 10:47:00 GMT New technical courses will be introduced for 16-19 year olds with the same status as A-levels, the Government has announced. From 2014 ‘Tech-levels’ will take as long as A-levels to complete and must be endorsed by a professional association or five employers registered with Companies House. They will focus on practical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tech-levels-to-gain-same-status-as-a-levels 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tech-levels-to-gain-same-status-as-a-levels Thu, 04 Jul 2013 10:46:00 GMT Communities’ secretary Eric Pickles has maintained that councils will continue to be able to provide quality services, despite huge cuts outlined in the recent Spending Review. Addressing the Local Government Association (LGA) annual conference yesterday, he attacked ‘doom mongers’ and called for local authorities to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-calls-for-more-for-less-at-lga-conference 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-calls-for-more-for-less-at-lga-conference Thu, 04 Jul 2013 10:45:00 GMT The LGA has launched a ten-point plan for ‘rewiring public services’, with radical devolution and localisation at its heart. Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the LGA, announced the plan in his keynote speech at the annual conference yesterday. The report sets out guidance to improve services whilst saving money in the face of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cut-bureaucracy-by-merging-whitehall-lga 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cut-bureaucracy-by-merging-whitehall-lga Wed, 03 Jul 2013 13:35:00 GMT The construction sector has generated £447m savings in the last year, cabinet office minister Chloe Smith has stated. The annual Government Construction Summit heard that making links across government provides clear benchmarks to cut costs and encourage more innovative and competitive solutions. The sector must deliver up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/447m-savings-in-construction-costs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/447m-savings-in-construction-costs Wed, 03 Jul 2013 11:00:00 GMT Chris Grayling is to reconsider plans to allocate legal aid on a price basis – a move which could have eliminated defendants’ rights to choose their own solicitor, with the right expertise to fit their case. But the justice secretary still has huge savings to make, and has indicated he is only willing to consider alternatives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-right-to-choose 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-right-to-choose Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:06:00 GMT Local councils and communities must do more to prepare for and protect against climate change and extreme weather, a new report warns. Defra has published guidance as part of the Government’s National Adaptation Programme to help tackle the threat of climate change. Research shows 64% of UK businesses have suffered supply chain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defra-urges-local-government-to-act-on-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defra-urges-local-government-to-act-on-climate-change Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:01:00 GMT Young people living in Tower Hamlets will be offered grants to go to university as the council launches a new scheme targeted at the least well-off. Grants of £1,500 will be offered to 400 teenagers from the £1.26m local Mayor’s fund. The funding will be paid in two installments over the first two years of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-support-400-university-students 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-support-400-university-students Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:00:00 GMT The Government is to ‘look again’ at plans to introduce competitive tendering for legal aid awards, which would effectively remove their right to choose their own solicitor. Justice secretary Chris Grayling wanted to see fewer but bigger organisations to provide legal aid and those earning more than £37,500 would not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grayling-open-to-alternatives-on-legal-aid-cuts 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grayling-open-to-alternatives-on-legal-aid-cuts Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:55:00 GMT Given that young people can't get work, people at the other end of the scale have to work longer and public sector workers are being axed every day, I cannot see how it all adds up – there just isn't enough work for everyone. What if receiving benefits was actually regarded as a career choice, instead of making it sound like people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worklessness-and-stigma 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worklessness-and-stigma Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:19:00 GMT New national eligibility criteria will be introduced for care and support services to ensure local authorities do not cut care to manage reduced budgets, care minister Norman Lamb has announced. Councils will be required to offer support for care above the threshold equivalent to ‘substantial’ care needs under the current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-minimum-standards-on-social-care-eligibility-criteria 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-minimum-standards-on-social-care-eligibility-criteria Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:18:00 GMT The legislation the Welsh Government is seeking to bring into force on organ donation could be revolutionary, for the country as well as the wider UK. Sufficient public consultation and awareness raising campaigns mean people will have no excuse not to opt out if that is what they really want. This move will not force people into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-excuses 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-excuses Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:18:00 GMT A new code of ethics should be introduced for all police officers, the Home Affairs Select Committee has recommended. Those who commit serious misconduct should have their pensions docked by the professional standards body, the College of Policing. There is currently no way to prevent police officers facing corruption allegations from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-penalty-suggested-for-police-misconduct 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-penalty-suggested-for-police-misconduct Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:17:00 GMT The first opt-out organ donation scheme in the UK is set to be approved in Wales. Under the new law, adults will be assumed to have consented to use of their organs unless they state otherwise. The Government states it will increase the number of organs available, save lives, and offer a blueprint for other parts of the UK. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-to-introduce-opt-out-organ-donation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-to-introduce-opt-out-organ-donation Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:16:00 GMT The Prime Minister could sanction a pay rise for MPs in return for cuts to other perks, he has stated. His comments come in response to reports that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) plans to recommend a pay rise as high as £10,000. Labour leader Ed Miliband has stated he would limit any pay rise to 1%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-could-back-mp-pay-rise-if-perks-cut 436,455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-could-back-mp-pay-rise-if-perks-cut Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:15:00 GMT The new edoc system could have a significant impact on the health service’s journey towards a paper-free system. Using paper transfers is expensive, harmful to the environment, and can lead to a greater risk or errors. Moving online could be a huge step forwards for the efficiency challenge, and have advantages for many other parts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/throwaway-culture- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/throwaway-culture- Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:54:00 GMT Nearly three-quarters of large and medium sized NHS organisations would use a new online waste management system being developed to help move towards a paper-free health service, research shows. The Electronic Duty of Care (edoc) is a free, non-mandatory system, being developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with the waste... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electronic-waste-transfer-system-developed 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electronic-waste-transfer-system-developed Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:43:00 GMT BAM FM has launched a project at UCL Academy demonstrating how building information modelling (BIM) can be brought into use at every stage of a building’s lifecycle, which could have major implications for public sector estate management. BIM can now be automatically transferred into FM software (CAFM) and BAM is aiming to deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bim-to-be-implemented-in-every-stage-of-building 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bim-to-be-implemented-in-every-stage-of-building Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:41:00 GMT The Public Administrations Select Committee (PASC) has published a report calling for Government to use deliberative polling to inform the national strategy. Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin MP said: “Deliberative polling explores how respondents might evolve their views after they are informed with different arguments or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-more-polling-when-setting-strategy 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-more-polling-when-setting-strategy Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:40:00 GMT Good news for health and social care, defence, international development, and education; bad news for local government, again, and arts and culture. The spending review set out a series of biting cuts for most departments, to curb the deficit and boost efficiency. But how much room for genuine efficiency savings is left? How far will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/down-to-the-bone 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/down-to-the-bone Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:27:00 GMT Public sector workers and academics must work together to improve practice standards across services, a new report from the Alliance for Useful Evidence states. The Alliance, a partnership created by Nesta, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Big Lottery Fund, commissioned a survey which found 97% of frontline professionals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bridging-research-gap-could-improve-public-services 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bridging-research-gap-could-improve-public-services Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:26:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has announced £11.5bn of cuts across government departments for 2015/16, including a 10% reduction in budget for local government. Automatic pay rises in the civil service are to be scrapped and public sector pay rises will be limited to an average of up to 1%. LGA chairman Sir Merrick Cockell warned... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unusual-and-illogical-public-sector-cuts-in-spending-review 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unusual-and-illogical-public-sector-cuts-in-spending-review Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:25:00 GMT Automatic pay rises in the civil service will be scrapped, Chancellor George Osborne has announced in his spending review today. The Government also aims to reduce automative pay rises for staff in schools, the NHS, prisons and the police. Public sector pay rises will also be limited to an average of up to 1% for 2015/16. Borrowing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-cuts-automatic-pay-rises-for-civil-service 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-cuts-automatic-pay-rises-for-civil-service Wed, 26 Jun 2013 15:30:00 GMT More needs to be done on the Government’s carbon strategy to meet targets up to 2027, the committee on climate change has urged in its new report. The introduction of new schemes and incentives for a greener UK are making a good impact, but policy must continue to build on this progress to ensure an environmentally sustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-stop-now 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-stop-now Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:18:00 GMT The UK is likely to miss its long-term carbon targets, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned. The CCC has published its latest progress report, showing changes are not being made quickly enough to ensure the UK meets its carbon reduction commitments from 2017 to 2027. Emissions are on trend to fall between 1% and 1.5% each... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-is-storing-up-risks-for-future-with-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-is-storing-up-risks-for-future-with-climate-change Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:17:00 GMT Six new projects will test new ways for regulators and businesses to work together to support growth, business minister Michael Fallon has announced. The pilots will be funded through the £120,000 Regulatory Innovation for Growth fund for six months until December 2013. The Government’s Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/120000-to-test-business-friendly-regulation 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/120000-to-test-business-friendly-regulation Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:16:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne is to announce £11.5bn of cuts to Government departments in today’s public spending review, due at 12.30pm. The cuts will take place in 2015/16 to help reduce the deficit and Labour has announced its intention to stick to the plans. Health, schools and foreign aid budgets will all continue to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-set-out-spending-cuts-for-2015-16 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-set-out-spending-cuts-for-2015-16 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:15:00 GMT The privatisation of probation services could put the public at risk, officials at the Ministry of Justice have warned justice secretary Chris Grayling. Grayling plans to put 70% of probation services for medium and low-risk prisoners out to tender under a payment by results system. He has proposed abolishing the 35 existing public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/probation-privatisation-risk-leading-to-delivery-failures--moj 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/probation-privatisation-risk-leading-to-delivery-failures--moj Tue, 25 Jun 2013 11:40:00 GMT The issue of recruitment is more complex than there just being no jobs to be found, or none of the right skills that employers are looking for. The IET’s new report highlights a distinct lack of motivation in the engineering industry at least, and shows that employers themselves must take more initiative in both training and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cant-sit-back 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cant-sit-back Tue, 25 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT The Troubled Families programme has been boosted with an extra £200m, chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has announced. The funding will extend intensive support to 400,000 high-risk families during 2015/16. It will provide new incentives for police, health and social services to work more closely together to turn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/200m-extra-for-troubled-families-programme 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/200m-extra-for-troubled-families-programme Tue, 25 Jun 2013 10:46:00 GMT Employers are doing nothing to tackle the challenge of recruiting more engineers, IT practitioners and technical staff, new research shows. The IET’s annual Engineering and Technology: Skills and Demand in Industry report found that a quarter of employers are no action planned to recruit new staff. Just 20% plan to retrain existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/engineering-sector-failing-to-recruit--iet 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/engineering-sector-failing-to-recruit--iet Tue, 25 Jun 2013 10:45:00 GMT How dare these unelected people declare war on pensions of the people that serve us all? Council employees do not have massive pensions so let’s put that one to bed. Secondly the pensions that they do receive are in fact deferred payments and are a part of the terms and conditions they are employed under. http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:39:00 GMT The Government plans to distract attention from the £11.5bn spending cuts that have now been finalised, with new investment in infrastructure. Changing the tone of the fiscal strategy from reductions and redundancies to growth and employment is essential; both for political posturing and for a welcome shift to resorting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tightening-belts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tightening-belts Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:38:00 GMT Over 180,000 children with a parent working in the public sector will be pushed into poverty by 2015, new research from the TUC union suggests. The report comes amid fears the spending review will bring further cuts to public sector pay. TUC looked at government tax and benefit changes compared to the system under the previous government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuc-warns-of-poverty-for-public-sector-families- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuc-warns-of-poverty-for-public-sector-families- Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:37:00 GMT The Government’s housing policy is too short-termist, a report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned. Successive governments have failed to produce a coherent long-term strategy for housing, and there must be further action to increase the supply of properties, it stated. The target of 100,000 new homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-ambition-for-housing-supply-rics 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-ambition-for-housing-supply-rics Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:36:00 GMT London boroughs are to introduce new measures to tackle air pollution, with £5.4m funding from the Air Quality Fund, the Mayor of London has announced. The projects will encourage the construction industry to clean up air quality, encourage Londoners to use low emission transport and plant green walls to trap pollution. The Air... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/54m-to-improve-air-quality-in-london 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/54m-to-improve-air-quality-in-london Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:35:00 GMT All departments have now finalised deals for the Spending Review, due this Wednesday. Chancellor George Osborne plans to cut around £11.5bn from Whitehall spending in 2015/16. The Government will also announce plans for new infrastructure projects on Thursday, including investment in roads, broadband and energy schemes. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-agrees-115bn-cuts-for-whitehall 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-agrees-115bn-cuts-for-whitehall Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:34:00 GMT Gagging clauses have been in the spotlight for health for some time, with several individuals stepping forward to reveal details of poor care in the institutions they were forced to leave. Now the NAO finds that problematic compromise agreements are in use across the wider public sector, without any central control, guidance, or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ungagged 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ungagged Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:03:00 GMT The transport workforce is ageing, making it increasingly critical for the industry to employ the next generation of workers to meet future skills needs. New research by People 1st, launched by transport minister Norman Baker, highlights that almost half of the current workforce is aged over 45, with just 15% under 30. The report suggests... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-1st-highlights-need-for-transport-to-open-its-doors 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-1st-highlights-need-for-transport-to-open-its-doors Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:02:00 GMT There is a lack of transparency, consistency and accountability in the use of compromise agreements in the public sector, new analysis from the National Audit Office (NAO) shows. A lack of central or coordinated control over the use of such agreements and limited recording of their use has been criticised. Some people accepting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-get-a-grip-on-compromise-payments--nao 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-get-a-grip-on-compromise-payments--nao Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:01:00 GMT Up to £10bn in loan guarantees is being made available to increase the number of affordable homes built for rent, housing minister Mark Prisk has announced. The Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme will guarantee Affordable Housing Finance up to £3.5bn of debt, to be lent to housing associations. With £450m in government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10bn-guarantees-announced-for-new-rented-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10bn-guarantees-announced-for-new-rented-homes Fri, 21 Jun 2013 11:50:00 GMT Sir Michael Wilshaw is warning about the impact of schools failing the ‘hidden poor’ – in rich areas outside of major cities, but what about the visible poor? Have we reached a stage where these disadvantaged children are receiving the same support, and achieving the same standards of education as those whose parents are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-plain-sight 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-plain-sight Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:50:00 GMT Public spending in Scotland has doubled since the onset of devolution to more than £60bn, a report by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) shows. In 2011-12, public spending hit £64.5bn, up from £31.8bn in 1998-99. It now accounts for half of Scotland’s economy. There are now 554,800 jobs in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-spending-reaches-645bn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-spending-reaches-645bn Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:32:00 GMT GM crops are probably safer than conventional plants, environment secretary Owen Paterson has said ahead of a major speech on the topic. He told the BBC: “The use of more precise technology and the greater regulatory scrutiny probably make GMOs even safer than conventional plants and food. “The EU chief scientist Anne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gm-even-safer-than-other-crops--paterson 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gm-even-safer-than-other-crops--paterson Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:31:00 GMT A new national service of teachers should be set up and sent into underperforming schools, the chief inspector of schools in England has proposed. The head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has called for a tougher approach for schools that were previously judged outstanding but not doing well by their poorest children, which will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-failing-invisible-minority--ofsted 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-failing-invisible-minority--ofsted Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:30:00 GMT In the midst of civil service reform, the NAO has warned of skills shortages, particularly for senior positions. Without expertise in their area, people filling these roles will struggle to deliver effective policy change. Strong leaders are key to helping Whitehall become more efficient and provide a good example for other areas of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empty-ranks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empty-ranks Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:34:00 GMT Britain’s local road network could become unusable if the country sees more flooding or severe winter weather, the LGA has warned. It has written to chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, urging the Government to provide greater capital funding for road maintenance. The backlog of repairs is growing longer, and is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-dangerous-condition-of-roads 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-warns-of-dangerous-condition-of-roads Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:33:00 GMT The DWP lacks the information necessary to challenge performance of jobcentres effectively and to improve value for money, the latest Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report states. The department does not measure how many people each centre helps into work, and does not have a complete understanding of why claimants leave the system. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/60-of-ex-claimants-claim-again-within-two-years--pac 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/60-of-ex-claimants-claim-again-within-two-years--pac Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:31:00 GMT The Government still needs to build capacity in the senior civil service, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) shows. There are significant skills shortages in the service, particularly in commerce, project management, digital delivery and change leadership, and reforms must change the long-standing culture of the senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-skills-shortage-in-civil-service--nao 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-skills-shortage-in-civil-service--nao Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT Incentives aimed to boost innovation in SMEs which appear to be working may only have a short-term effect, research from Nesta suggests. Using a more in-depth analysis to test the effectiveness of different support schemes is vital to ensure the Government is only funding policy that has been proven to work over the long-term. More... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/look-closely 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/look-closely Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:37:00 GMT Ealing Council is to implement energy efficiency upgrades to save over 1,000 tonnes of carbon in a partnership with E.ON. Three buildings will see technological improvements to the efficiency of heating and mechanical equipment, as well as advanced boiler optimisation, new lighting control systems and upgrades to the building management... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-boost-for-ealing-council 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-boost-for-ealing-council Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:36:00 GMT The third round of defence cuts will see 4,480 Army personnel made redundant today. The redundancies are part of a long-term plan to reduce the number of soldiers from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2017 and to double the number of reserves by 2018. The MoD said that 84% had volunteered for redundancy, and those serving in Afghanistan will not be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mod-enforces-over-700-compulsory-redundancies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mod-enforces-over-700-compulsory-redundancies Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:35:00 GMT Greater use of randomised control trials (RCT) could help the Government evaluate the effectiveness of business support schemes, a new report by Nesta suggests. A pilot run in Manchester from 2009 randomly allocated ‘Creative Credit’ vouchers to SMEs applying to invest in creative projects, to investigate their effect on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nesta-urges-use-of-rct-to-evaluate-innovation 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nesta-urges-use-of-rct-to-evaluate-innovation Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:25:00 GMT If this reform goes the same way as all the other Coalition welfare reforms we are looking at another slap in the face for the most vulnerable members of our society. The disabled are already being disadvantaged and marginalised by vindictive and short-sighted decisions made by those who have no understanding of the challenges they face.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/personal-independence-payments 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/personal-independence-payments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:36:00 GMT Stephen Twigg is to set out Labour’s education strategy today, going further with the Academies programme. The opposition will not seek to reverse the process of schools being taken out of local authority control – perhaps they realise it has gone too far for that – and will instead extend responsibility for budget and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-rule-for-schools 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-rule-for-schools Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:35:00 GMT The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will provide the £1m prize money for a new ‘grand innovation challenge’ announced by Prime Minister David Cameron at the G8 Innovation Conference. Cameron said: “More than any time in history our world is being shaped by innovation, new ideas, new technologies and new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1m-grand-innovation-challenge-launched 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1m-grand-innovation-challenge-launched Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:34:00 GMT Responsibilities and powers given to academies and free schools should be shared with all state schools in England, shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg is to propose. Setting out Labour’s education strategy, Twigg will state that all schools should be allowed to control their curriculum, budgets and school calendar, regardless... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-schools-should-have-academy-freedoms--labour 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-schools-should-have-academy-freedoms--labour Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:33:00 GMT Public spending on “useless projects” has cost households £4,500 each, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has warned in a new report, which urges the Government to chop £53bn off the pay and pensions packages of public sector workers to bring them into line with the private sector average. The anti-tax pressure group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxpayers-alliance-demands-pay-and-pensions-cuts-for-public-workers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxpayers-alliance-demands-pay-and-pensions-cuts-for-public-workers Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:32:00 GMT The Prime Minister should appoint departmental permanent secretaries, not just have the power of veto over their hiring, a new report by the IPPR recommends. They could be chosen from a list prepared by the Civil Service Commission, which regulates recruitment and promotes the values of the civil service, it suggests, while it also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-reform-blueprint-urges-more-political-control-of-civil-service 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-reform-blueprint-urges-more-political-control-of-civil-service Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT The latest research on fit notes highlights a need for greater support for certain demographics which are most at risk of needing long-term sickness absence. Many of the most common causes for a fit note are preventable, or can be minimised, through better health and safety regulations, occupational health and wellbeing support and less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fit-to-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fit-to-work Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:07:00 GMT Payment by results pilots at two prisons have seen a slight drop in reoffending rates, figures from the Ministry of Justice show. Schemes at Peterborough and Doncaster prisons provide support for offenders to access housing, employment and financial services. Both are measuring reconviction rates in the 12 months following... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-evidence-that-probation-reforms-cutting-reoffending--moj 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-evidence-that-probation-reforms-cutting-reoffending--moj Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:05:00 GMT Chris White MP has been appointed as Social Value Ambassador, minister for civil society Nick Hurd announced.  The Social Value Act, introduced as a Private Members Bill by White in 2010, aims to open up opportunities for social enterprises to deliver public services and encourage local authorities to procure services with more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-ambassador-appointed 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-ambassador-appointed Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:05:00 GMT GPs need more training to make better use of the fit note system, new research from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and the University of Liverpool shows. The study, conducted for the DWP, found that over a third of fit notes are issued for mild-to-moderate mental health disorders such as stress, anxiety and depression. 41% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mental-health-increasing-cause-of-sickness-absence 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mental-health-increasing-cause-of-sickness-absence Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:02:00 GMT Is Ofsted right in claiming that previously high-achieving pupils are suffering from low expectations in secondary school? Some teachers unions have blasted the allegations for a questionable evidence base, but stretching the most able students should be a priority for schools regardless of the percentage who scored well on their year 6... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pupil-potential 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pupil-potential Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:37:00 GMT The scale of the challenge for financial managers in Government is “stark”, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. The financial consolidation programme is now expected to last longer than originally planned and further improvements will be needed to support delivery with reduced resources in the longer term. The NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-in-financial-management-must-be-accelerated-nao 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-in-financial-management-must-be-accelerated-nao Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:36:00 GMT Schools are failing the brightest pupils due to a culture of low expectations, the chief inspector of Ofsted has warned. A new report shows that two-thirds of pupils who achieved a level 5 in primary school for maths and English failed to get an A* or A in both subjects at GCSE. 27% of previously high-attaining students failed to get at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-pupils-not-sufficiently-challenged--ofsted 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-pupils-not-sufficiently-challenged--ofsted Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:35:00 GMT The new PwC survey highlights the serious tightrope that local authorities are walking between efficiency savings and protecting service quality. But is it really inevitable that some councils will either face bankruptcy or fail to meet their statutory duties? There are pockets of best practice where councils are managing to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/savings-or-quality 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/savings-or-quality Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:40:00 GMT The Government is to set up a new Offshore Wind Investment Organisation (OWIO), business and energy minister Michael Fallon has announced. OWIO will be a joint venture between industry and government, and Fallon is due to set out more details at Renewable UK's Offshore Wind 2013 conference in Manchester. Fallon also highlighted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/owio-to-support-wind-energy-projects 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/owio-to-support-wind-energy-projects Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:35:00 GMT British workers have had their wages hit hard to keep their jobs, new research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows. Over the last five years, workers saw pay cuts of 6% in real terms. Historically wages rise by about 2% a year, meaning people are around 15% worse off than they would have been if wage trends before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/6-pay-cuts-for-british-workers 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/6-pay-cuts-for-british-workers Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:32:00 GMT Nine out of ten council leaders expect some local authorities to face bankruptcy, or to fail to deliver vital services over the next three years, new research demonstrates. A PwC report found that councils were struggling as they adjust to reduced levels of funding, with the possibility of greater cuts in the upcoming public spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-fear-bankruptcy-and-service-failures 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-fear-bankruptcy-and-service-failures Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT Will local authorities sign up to CIWM’s new pledge on health, safety and wellbeing? The organisation is calling for those involved in waste and resource management to go beyond the basic legal requirements, and implement procedures that will keep employees safe throughout the sector. A safe workplace will save money and lives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-the-basics 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-the-basics Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:36:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) has launched a voluntary Health, Safety and Welfare Pledge for the waste and resource management sector to help raise awareness and go beyond the basic legal requirements. The pledge is supported by the Environment Services Association (ESA), the Welsh Local Government Association and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safety-pledge-launched-at-ciwm-conference 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safety-pledge-launched-at-ciwm-conference Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:34:00 GMT An official housing partner for Liverpool City Council could help to deliver 1,500 new homes and bring a further 1,000 properties back into use. The Mayor of Liverpool has announced a bidding event on July 1 to let public and private organisations know about the plans. The partnership will run from 2014-19 and the council will consider an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-seeks-housing-partner-to-build-2500-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-seeks-housing-partner-to-build-2500-homes Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:32:00 GMT A new website allows people to compare their council’s performance on four major causes of early avoidable death. The Longer Lives site, published by Public Health England (PHE), shows local variation in early death rates, with local authorities rated using a traffic light system. Above-average progress in tackling avoidable deaths... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shocking-variation-in-early-death-rates 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shocking-variation-in-early-death-rates Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:30:00 GMT This would be so wrong! Given the state of public finances and the attack by this Government on public services, many public sector workers have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, nothing has happened to the bankers who caused this. This Government are going too far, too fast with many more cuts to the public sector to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-salary-increase 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-salary-increase Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:10:00 GMT The new report from the Commons home affairs select committee should be taken very seriously indeed – perhaps now Michael Gove will be persuaded to introduce new training and support for teachers to help identify and protect children vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Ignorance can be no excuse – local authorities must work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-excuses 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-excuses Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:08:00 GMT The 15 councils responsible for placing the most families in bed and breakfast accommodation are being encouraged to bid for cash from a £1.8m Government fund to test new solutions. Nearly 80% of the 760 families placed in such lodgings for longer than six weeks come from Barking and Dagenham, Birmingham, Brent, Crawley, Croydon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/18m-funding-for-homelessness-initiative 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/18m-funding-for-homelessness-initiative Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:06:00 GMT New migration rules are “tearing British families apart”, the all-party parliamentary group on migration has said. In a new report, the group of MPs described how new minimum earning requirements, introduced last July, were causing partners and sometimes children to be separated from the rest of their family. Any British... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-earning-requirements-causing-anguish- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-earning-requirements-causing-anguish- Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:04:00 GMT Children vulnerable to sexual exploitation are being failed by local authorities, police and the justice system, MPs have warned in a new report. The Commons Home Affairs Select Committee examined several high-profile cases from the past few years and found children left unprotected by the system. Rochdale and Rotherham councils, for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inexcusable-lack-of-protection-for-sex-exploitation-victims 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inexcusable-lack-of-protection-for-sex-exploitation-victims Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:02:00 GMT PIP, or Personal Independence Payment, will be rolled out from today for working-age claimants. The new benefit was trialled in the north of England in April and replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA). PIP is designed to support independent lives, the Government has stated, with a new face-to-face assessment and regular reviews to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/personal-independence-payment-roll-out-to-replace-dla-begins-today 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/personal-independence-payment-roll-out-to-replace-dla-begins-today Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT Would ex-military personnel make good teachers? Some of them would, with the appropriate amount of training and qualifications. The Government is keen to get army leaders into the classroom as quickly as possible, citing high levels of discipline, motivation and teamwork as key qualities for a new role in education. But leading... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-troops-teach 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-troops-teach Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:37:00 GMT Former soldiers will be able to qualify as teachers in half the normal time under a new Government scheme. Achieving qualified teacher status (QTS) usually takes a three-year degree and one year teacher training course. The Government believes it will help invoke discipline in schools, but critics warn that “a military ethos belongs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ex-soldiers-fast-tracked-to-teach 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ex-soldiers-fast-tracked-to-teach Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:35:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Glasgow City Council £150,000 for failing to protect personal data and breaching the Data Protection Act. The fine follows the loss of two unencrypted laptops, one of which contained personal information on 20,143 people. A further 74 unencrypted laptops remain unaccounted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-data-breach-beggars-belief--ico 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-data-breach-beggars-belief--ico Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:32:00 GMT The DCLG does not fully understand the overall impact funding reductions will have on local services, a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. The report investigates the financial sustainability of local authorities halfway through a period of significant cuts. The Government has not done enough to model how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-mean-councils-may-fail-to-meet-legal-obligations--pac 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-mean-councils-may-fail-to-meet-legal-obligations--pac Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT Will giving local residents more power to reject plans for wind farms in their area spell the end for renewable energy? The Government is to introduce higher incentives to allow the farms, but opposition to wind turbines can be significant, to say the least. So which will the public prefer – lower energy bills, or a clear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socially-sustainable- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socially-sustainable- Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:17:00 GMT The Charity Commission is being asked to do too much with too little, the Commons Public Administration Spending Committee (PASC) has warned. In a new report, PASC states that the public benefit test, used to determine charitable status, is “critically flawed”. The responsibility for determining criteria for charitable status... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criteria-for-charitable-status-should-be-decided-by-parliament--pasc 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criteria-for-charitable-status-should-be-decided-by-parliament--pasc Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:15:00 GMT Labour will cap social security spending, Ed Miliband is to announce. The party leader will also set out how councils could be allowed to renegotiate rents with landlords to cut housing benefit and use the savings for house building. Only people who pay into the welfare system for more than two years should receive jobseeker’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-would-cap-welfare-spending 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-would-cap-welfare-spending Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:13:00 GMT There should be a royal commission into the civil service, Lord Browne will recommend today. In a speech to the Institute for Government, the Government’s lead business adviser to the civil service will criticise the service’s structures, processes and lines of accountability as outdated. He is also to recommend a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-brown-calls-for-civil-service-review 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-brown-calls-for-civil-service-review Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:10:00 GMT Strange to see a report praising the Government’s delivery of a major infrastructure project – we’ve grown so used to seeing the opposite, apart perhaps from the case of the Olympics. But the stations, tracks and other associated elements of the Thameslink north-south railway upgrade through London are apparently both on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rolling-forward 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rolling-forward Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:27:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is piloting a new finance trainee programme for apprenticeships in the West Midlands. The programme is specifically targeted to young people not in education, work or training, and offers the opportunity to work in local public and private organisations. After twelve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finance-trainee-programme-for-west-midlands 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finance-trainee-programme-for-west-midlands Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:25:00 GMT Family support services in East Cheshire are set to benefit from a new social media campaign. Cheshire East Council and East Cheshire NHS Trust are sharing ideas via a closed social-media style website. The project, Patient and Family Echo, allows staff from both organisations to anonymously share ideas on how to improve the service. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-media-boosts-family-services-in-cheshire 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-media-boosts-family-services-in-cheshire Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:22:00 GMT Delays of more than three years in the Thameslink rolling stock programme are threatening to undo otherwise good progress that’s been made on the project as a whole, according to a new report from the National Audit Office. Phase one of the programme cost £1.704bn, was completed on time and was £143 million under budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thameslink-rolling-stock-delays-threatening-2018-delivery-date 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thameslink-rolling-stock-delays-threatening-2018-delivery-date Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:20:00 GMT News of fresh changes to GCSEs will have education professionals up in arms once more, as Gove moves to reform the qualifications. We have heard of E-Baccs and now I-levels – but will different names actually deliver a better education system? Replacing lettered grades with numbers seems to be change for change’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-in-a-name 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-in-a-name Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:37:00 GMT 1.1 million older people are considered to be in ‘problem debt’, new research published by the International Longevity Centre – UK (ILC-UK) and Age UK shows. Data covering 2002-2010 shows around 6% of over 50s in England were facing debt problems in 2010, and the proportion with problem debt has risen from 23% in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-elderly-in-problem-debt--age-uk 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-elderly-in-problem-debt--age-uk Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:35:00 GMT GCSEs could be replaced with Intermediate levels, or I-levels, it has been reported. A draft paper seen by The Times proposes changing lettered grades to a numbered scale, where 8 is the highest and 1 the lowest. The paper also suggests removing coursework in formal assessments in eight core subjects, apart from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/i-levels-could-replace-gcses 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/i-levels-could-replace-gcses Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT Local bus networks could face collapse if the upcoming spending review sees further cuts to funding, the Campaign for Better Transport has warned. A Freedom of Information request to the DfT shows that removing the bus service operators grant (BSOG) would cost the economy £3.7bn by 2022 and result in one in seven bus journeys being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-cuts-could-spell-the-end-campaign-for-better-transport 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-cuts-could-spell-the-end-campaign-for-better-transport Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:28:00 GMT North Devon District Council will have to reduce its spending from £15.5m in 2011/12 to £10.5m in 2015/17 – a reduction of 26%, and if one takes inflation into account at 3%, that reduction reaches 40%. Has dear Eric Pickles forgotten his time as a council leader and gone native in the Westminster bubble like so many of our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-future-of-local-government 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-future-of-local-government Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:10:00 GMT Civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are striking over cuts this week in a series of regional walkouts. Members of the PCS union are striking as part of the union’s three-month civil service-wide campaign of industrial action over pay, pensions and jobs. They are also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-and-hmrc-staff-on-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-and-hmrc-staff-on-strike Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:07:00 GMT Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced £165m of funding to help tackle congested roads. The second tranche of funding from the £190m Local Pinch Point Fund has awarded money to 62 schemes. Combined with local contributions, the total investment is now over £300m. The fund will support improvements and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-local-pinch-point-highways-funding-awarded 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-local-pinch-point-highways-funding-awarded Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:06:00 GMT State-funded secondary schools are becoming more socially exclusive, new research by the Sutton Trust indicates. One in six of these schools has greater exclusivity than local state schools and the national average. The Sutton Trust is calling for new admission procedures to rectify this, by using lotteries or mixed levels of ability to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-schools-exercising-social-selection--sutton-trust 453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-schools-exercising-social-selection--sutton-trust Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:05:00 GMT The new funding announced to address ‘pinch points’ in the road network could help to free up key routes and give a much-needed boost to the economy. Local authorities have been urgently highlighting the need to fund repairs to roads suffering from winter damage and a backlog of potholes to fix. While this money will go some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/patch-work-solution 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/patch-work-solution Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:01:00 GMT A string of lobbying scandals over the weekend involving MPs and peers from a range of parties has pushed the Government to pledge reform. Although reforms such as a register of lobbyists and a right to recall, allowing voters to force a by-election, were included in the Coalition Agreement in 2010, there has been little progress to date... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-could-be-recalled-for-misconduct-by-2015--maude 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-could-be-recalled-for-misconduct-by-2015--maude Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT Dan LeClair, executive vice president & chief operating officer at AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) makes the case for public sector professionals to develop their careers with a business qualification. Now more than ever, public sector professionals such as government officials and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-professional-goes-to-b-school 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-professional-goes-to-b-school Sat, 01 Jun 2013 17:15:00 GMT Heather Munro, chief executive of the London Probation Trust, discusses the improvements and efficiencies it has implemented to be awarded four stars in the ‘Recognised for Excellence’ programme by the British Quality Foundation. Probation is one of the areas of the public sector undergoing some of the most radical change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-changing-probation-service 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-changing-probation-service Sat, 01 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT Following the Government pledge in this year’s budget to expand the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) five-fold, Stephen Browning, head of the SBRI at the Technology Strategy Board, explains why the public sector should invest in contracts with innovative businesses to solve challenges with technology. In the UK, we have an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-power-of-public-sector-procurement-as-a-driver-for-innovation 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-power-of-public-sector-procurement-as-a-driver-for-innovation Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:45:00 GMT Campbell McLundie, a partner at business advisers and accountants Scott-Moncrieff, makes the case for a bold new commercial approach to costing. In a climate where public sector bodies are facing increasing financial scrutiny, and are under growing pressure to deliver more services and even more value for money, innovative financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-abc-of-efficiency--activity-based-costing-is-back-in-favour 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-abc-of-efficiency--activity-based-costing-is-back-in-favour Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:15:00 GMT Tackling poverty requires a resilient, integrated approach. Huw Lewis, communities and tackling poverty minister for the Welsh Government, talks to PSE about the appointment of a team of individuals to take this forward. A struggling economy, severe austerity measures and dramatic welfare reform mean poverty is becoming an everyday... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/champions-against-poverty 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/champions-against-poverty Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:45:00 GMT Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) chief executive officer Steve Lee outlines the focus of the upcoming annual conference. What is the waste industry’s role in building a circular economy? Are product design and standards the best way to achieve real waste prevention? What does the future waste policy landscape... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/policy-perspectives-strategic-insight-and-informed-debate-at-ciwm-conference-2013 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/policy-perspectives-strategic-insight-and-informed-debate-at-ciwm-conference-2013 Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:00:00 GMT Fay Dashper, recycling operations manager at the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) UK, says local authorities face a challenge trying to maintain momentum on recycling. Recycling is part of everyday life and has been transformed from an ideology to part of people’s daily routines in just over a decade.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-needs-to-maintain-recycling-momentum 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-needs-to-maintain-recycling-momentum Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:45:00 GMT Leeds City Council is now in the second phase of an innovative retrofitting agreement that uses energy performance contracting to transfer risk to the private sector. PSE talks to the council’s executive project manager, Polly Cook. Following the success of the multi-award winning RE:FIT model in London, Core Cities asked for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/retrofit-for-the-future 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/retrofit-for-the-future Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:15:00 GMT Stephen Passmore, technical delivery manager at the Energy Saving Trust, explains how smart metering can cut costs for local authorities and make public buildings more energy efficient. The old adage – if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it – often rings true. Local authorities will now be getting a sharper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-meters-and-local-authorities 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-meters-and-local-authorities Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT Jason Byrne, principal at consultancy Moorhouse, discusses some worrying problems in the transport and infrastructure sectors. The news that a third of the Government’s 200 biggest infrastructure projects are either over-budget or delayed is obviously of concern to the rail industry. The National Audit Office uses a red-amber-green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/theres-no-point-railing-against-change 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/theres-no-point-railing-against-change Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:45:00 GMT The Government confirmed in the Queen’s Speech in May that it is to introduce a Water Bill, which will increase competition across the sector, improve the management of water supplied, encourage more sustainable water abstraction, and perhaps change flood insurance arrangements. The Bill is likely to be published this summer, according... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opening-up-the-water-market 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opening-up-the-water-market Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:15:00 GMT It is tempting to go with the lowest quote when budgets are tight, but with building engineering projects cheapest is rarely best, says Blane Judd, chief executive of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES). That old saying about peanuts and monkeys has never been truer than today. This lengthy recession has really... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risky-business 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risky-business Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:30:00 GMT Data-matching is a vital tool in tackling fraud and error for local authorities. James Flannery, investigations manager at Gravesham Borough Council in Kent, explains how it has been used to uncover issues in its social housing stock. A pilot project to use new data-matching technology to reduce fraud and error has had good results... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/using-data-to-fight-fraud 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/using-data-to-fight-fraud Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:15:00 GMT Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council reached the top ‘four star’ ranking for council websites for the first time in Socitm’s ‘Better connected’ survey this year, and has been speaking at events about how it’s managed it. PSE caught up with the council’s web officer, Anne Jones. Council websites... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lessons-from-the-best-rated-council-websites 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lessons-from-the-best-rated-council-websites Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT David Noble, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS), talks about the public sector procurement and outsourcing skills gap and what can be done to improve it. The current financial malaise we find ourselves in and the lack of economic growth continues to be the defining theme of our time. It has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-procurement-and-outsourcing-skills-gap 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-procurement-and-outsourcing-skills-gap Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT Linda Harper, Leslee Merry and Fran Gudger describe the partnership approach behind Trafford’s ambitious telecare scheme, and the training given to staff to enable it. Why should local authorities outsource telecare services to private sector companies when the capability to do so exists in-house? Trafford City Council has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tailored-telecare-from-trained-staff 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tailored-telecare-from-trained-staff Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:15:00 GMT Dr John McGurk, learning and development adviser at the CIPD, talks to PSE about best practice in council innovation. Getting councils to innovate can be challenging, particularly if there is no need to develop any new ways of working and a lack of capacity to devote to new ideas when resources are tight. But without radical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-security-without-role-security 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-security-without-role-security Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:00:00 GMT The success of apprenticeships is great news for campaigners pushing for more students to learn a trade, rather than go straight to university. But the number of apprenticeships available is mirroring the jobs market – with demand far outstripping supply. How can we support more young people into training and work when the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-alternatives- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-alternatives- Fri, 31 May 2013 13:06:00 GMT A new business rates regime could boost local enterprise, according to a new report published by Social Enterprise UK, 3Space and Meanwhile Space. The report is a practical resource for local councils, recommending the establishment of business rate policies to support long-term and sustainable social and economic value... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-should-use-business-rates--social-enterprise-uk 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-should-use-business-rates--social-enterprise-uk Fri, 31 May 2013 13:05:00 GMT The upcoming Spending Review will shift funding to projects that do the most to support economic growth, chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has announced. Speaking to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, he said the review will “show flexibility” but will stick to the overall plan of curbing total spending, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-approach-to-spending-review 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-approach-to-spending-review Fri, 31 May 2013 13:02:00 GMT Almost 370,000 people applied to the National Apprenticeship Service between February and April this year, with competition for places increasingly difficult. The number of online applicants has increased by 32% from the same period in 2012. Vacancies have only increased by 15%, to almost 33,000, and the ratio of applicants to vacancies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/demand-outstrips-availability-of-apprenticeships 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/demand-outstrips-availability-of-apprenticeships Fri, 31 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT New regulations and rules come into force today to limit councils’ involvement in business – or to free up the market and cut red tape, if you believe the rhetoric. Health and safety inspections will be limited to those deemed high-risk, despite the long-term dangers of back pain and musco-skeletal conditions affecting huge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/freedom-at-a-price 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/freedom-at-a-price Thu, 30 May 2013 11:45:00 GMT The UK is to be taken to the European Court of Justice over assessments for EU migrants entitled to receive benefits in the UK. An extra residency test, the right-to-reside, allegedly breaches EU law by restricting access to benefits for people from the EU living and working in the UK. The charity Advice on Individual Rights in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-accused-of-discrimination-against-eu-citizens 433,436,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-accused-of-discrimination-against-eu-citizens Thu, 30 May 2013 11:40:00 GMT A new statutory National Enforcement Code has come into effect to limit the number of health and safety inspections councils can implement on businesses. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) code will remove thousands of businesses from inspections, including most shops and offices. Checks will continue on poor performing businesses and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-limits-on-inspections-of-businesses 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-limits-on-inspections-of-businesses Thu, 30 May 2013 11:35:00 GMT New planning rules come into force today to allow businesses and developers to change the use of buildings from one type to another, without needing planning permission, for up to two years. The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged Government to let local areas decide for themselves whether a change of use is appropriate, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-planning-rules-are-panic-measure--lga 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-planning-rules-are-panic-measure--lga Thu, 30 May 2013 11:30:00 GMT More and more local authorities are considering more active engagement with the private rented sector, with up to a third of them saying compulsory landlord licensing may be necessary. The number of private renters increased by 88% between 2001 and 2011, ONS figures show (from 9% of the population, or 1.9 million, to 15%, 3.6 million)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/landlords-and-licensing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/landlords-and-licensing Wed, 29 May 2013 11:52:00 GMT Council pension funds paid £347m to investment managers last year, up 9% on the 2011 figure. Research by the Daily Telegraph into 89 Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds showed that the funds themselves increased in value by only 4%. Edi Truell, chairman of the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA), said: “These... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pension-schemes-paying-far-more-to-investment-managers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pension-schemes-paying-far-more-to-investment-managers Wed, 29 May 2013 11:51:00 GMT Defence secretary Philip Hammond has denied being a “hold-out” by refusing so far to agree to cuts to the MoD budget with the Treasury. It was reported yesterday that seven departments had signed off a reduction in their budgets for 2015-16 with Chancellor George Osborne – though this still only totalled about 20% of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-denies-being-obstructive-over-mod-budget-talks 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-denies-being-obstructive-over-mod-budget-talks Wed, 29 May 2013 11:50:00 GMT LGA chairman Sir Merrick Cockell has urged the Government to widen the budgetary ringfence around schools and health to incorporate local services that help the elderly stay independent longer and ensure children are ready for school. “This will ultimately save money by reducing pressure on our hospitals, police and prisons,”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/widen-the-ringfence-around-schools-and-health--lga 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/widen-the-ringfence-around-schools-and-health--lga Wed, 29 May 2013 11:49:00 GMT As a city councillor, my allowance (which has remained frozen for the past few years) is such that I am effectively in a worse financial position as a councillor than I was before being elected into office. I receive unpaid leave, which means I lose salary and pension, which is probably about 50% more than the allowance I receive. To... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-mps-is-ridiculous 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-rise-for-mps-is-ridiculous Tue, 28 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT The Ministry of Justice is one of the first Whitehall departments to settles its budget for the 2015-16 financial year with the Treasury, it is reported this morning – though in his interview about it on the Today programme, Chancellor George Osborne dodged a question on the story this morning about courts privatisation. All he said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/victim-impact 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/victim-impact Tue, 28 May 2013 09:59:00 GMT Progress being made on some of the biggest public sector projects, worth over £350bn, has been detailed in the first annual report from the new body set up to oversee the works. The Major Projects Authority (MPA), launched in 2011, says it has helped save £1.7bn so far, partly for intervening to re-scope or close failing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-report-from-major-projects-authority-overturns-whitehall-secrecy 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-report-from-major-projects-authority-overturns-whitehall-secrecy Tue, 28 May 2013 09:57:00 GMT Radical plans to privatise the court system to save £1bn a year are being considered at the top levels of Whitehall, according to a report in The Times today. The newspaper said the plans would “end the system that has existed since Magna Carta”, with court buildings and staff transferred to private companies. Its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moj-considering-privatising-courtrooms-and-staff 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moj-considering-privatising-courtrooms-and-staff Tue, 28 May 2013 09:56:00 GMT Tens of thousands of people are languishing on police bail waiting to see if charges will ever be brought against them, a BBC investigation has found. Nearly 1,000 people have been kept on police bail for more than six months by the Metropolitan Police alone, a freedom of information request found – though some forces, like... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-time-limits-on-use-of-police-bail 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-time-limits-on-use-of-police-bail Tue, 28 May 2013 09:55:00 GMT The Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) is one of seven Whitehall ministries to have reached agreement with the Treasury over further cuts to its budget for the 2015-16 financial year, thought to total around 10%.  The Chancellor said this morning that 20% of the £11.5bn in cuts he wants departments to make... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-department-agrees-substantial-further-budget-cuts 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-department-agrees-substantial-further-budget-cuts Tue, 28 May 2013 09:54:00 GMT The Commons Home Affairs select committee has highlighted a worrying trend in PCCs, with many increasing the budgets they inherited from the police authorities they replaced. And there is a lack of transparency around this data, with no national register to ensure accountability. Questions around the benefits of bringing in elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-data-no-accountability 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-data-no-accountability Fri, 24 May 2013 13:11:00 GMT Auto-enrolment in the Government’s pension scheme could lead to businesses being forced to cut or freeze salaries, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has warned. A survey of employers found that most – 98% – were aware of the requirement to contribute to employee’s pensions, introduced last October. 62% were also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-scheme-could-lead-to-salary-cuts--iod 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-scheme-could-lead-to-salary-cuts--iod Fri, 24 May 2013 13:10:00 GMT A new partnership has been formed as the Department for Educations’ VCSE sector strategic partner for the next two years. 4Children and the National Children’s Bureau will work with a consortium of organisations to bring together leading practice in online resources, knowledge exchange and cross-sector working. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4children-and-ncb-named-dfes-strategic-partner- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4children-and-ncb-named-dfes-strategic-partner- Fri, 24 May 2013 13:09:00 GMT Over a third of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are spending more than the police authorities they were elected to replace, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee has warned. The committee found that 17 out of 41 PCCs have set higher budgets than their predecessor’s, with the largest increase in Hampshire at 133%. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pccs-increase-policing-budgets--mps 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pccs-increase-policing-budgets--mps Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:00 GMT Many have campaigned for lower tuition fees, but the new research published by Million+ may be one of the first to set out exactly how this could be achieved without financial loss to either universities or the Treasury. The study has not been accepted by Government, but enabling a greater proportion of loans to be paid back in full could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-so-different 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-so-different Thu, 23 May 2013 11:21:00 GMT A £22m programme has been launched to modernise council homes in Harlow. The council will upgrade over 4,500 homes between June 2013 and March 2014 as part of a larger, five-year £100m housing investment project. Internal improvements will bring around 1,800 homes up to the Government’s Decent Homes standard, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harlow-modernisation-for-4500-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harlow-modernisation-for-4500-homes Thu, 23 May 2013 11:20:00 GMT Limiting tuition fees to £6,000 per year could be achieved whilst remaining cost neutral to universities and the Treasury, the Million+ group of universities has proposed. The group commissioned a study by London Economics, which found that mixing the previous and current system of funding could reduce lending costs, as not all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/million-calls-for-lower-tuition-fees 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/million-calls-for-lower-tuition-fees Thu, 23 May 2013 11:19:00 GMT New guidance has been launched to help local authorities understand their human rights obligations when commissioning and procuring home care for older people. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published the guidance, which highlights how human rights breaches can include physical and financial abuse, and the disregard of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/human-rights-guidance-published-for-councils 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/human-rights-guidance-published-for-councils Thu, 23 May 2013 11:18:00 GMT The UK economy is still a long way from “a strong and sustainable recovery”, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. Austerity measures could be offset by more infrastructure spending, it suggested. Speaking at a press conference in London, deputy managing director, David Lipton, said: “It would be, in our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/austerity-a-drag-on-economy--imf 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/austerity-a-drag-on-economy--imf Wed, 22 May 2013 17:13:00 GMT Ring-fenced budgets are coming under closer and closer scrutiny as the next Public Spending Review nears. It has already been suggested that funding specified only for the NHS could actually be used more effectively in areas such as social care and integrated services in the community. Now Reform is calling for the schools budget to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-for-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-for-all Wed, 22 May 2013 16:41:00 GMT The Government should lift the ringfencing of the schools budget, the think tank Reform has argued. There is no link between higher spending and quality of teaching, or pupil achievement, its new research suggests. The report, 'Must Do Better: Spending on Schools', states that spending could and should be cut, without compromising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-funding-not-linked-to-performance-reform 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-funding-not-linked-to-performance-reform Wed, 22 May 2013 16:40:00 GMT With unemployment rising again, and the resulting poverty and dependence on welfare that it brings, the Government’s intervention to help those most in need of work seems to be failing. Poor initial results and criticism by MPs highlight the need to go further to find employment for Britain’s most disadvantaged. Despite a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-employment-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-employment-work Tue, 21 May 2013 11:33:00 GMT The Public Services Network (PSN) could help deliver collaboration and service transformation to meet increasing demand for services in the public sector, the industry association for PSN suppliers, PSNGB, has argued. A survey of 25 senior public sector executives showed the top challenges were budget cuts (82%), as well as change and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/psn-genuine-enabler-for-collaboration 439,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/psn-genuine-enabler-for-collaboration Tue, 21 May 2013 11:32:00 GMT The legislation to introduce same-sex marriage survived backbench Tory opposition last night and will receive its third and final reading in the House of Commons later today. A “wrecking” amendment to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples tabled by former children’s minister Tim Loughton, was defeated by 375... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gay-marriage-wrecking-amendment-rejected-by-mps 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gay-marriage-wrecking-amendment-rejected-by-mps Tue, 21 May 2013 11:31:00 GMT The Welfare to Work programme may still be failing people in most difficult circumstances, MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee have found. Their report highlights evidence of ‘parking’ – where those most difficult to get into work are ignored by the providers as the costs and problems outweigh the benefits to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-programme-not-reaching-most-disadvantaged-mps 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-programme-not-reaching-most-disadvantaged-mps Tue, 21 May 2013 11:25:00 GMT Please could someone advise: I have just heard that EU directives for proposed 2014 supply of good services that the threshold may change to 500k? Can anyone shed any light on this as this is a huge jump? Thanks in advance. Re: The EU Public Procurement Directive http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-procurement 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-procurement Mon, 20 May 2013 11:23:00 GMT The future of the Gay Marriage Bill will come down to Labour today, as up to 150 Tories prepare to oppose it by stretching the definition of equality to ludicrous lengths. It is evidence of further cracks in the Conservative Party, which is increasingly divided over a number of policy issues. Downing Street has warned that amendments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-sanctity-of-marriage 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-sanctity-of-marriage Mon, 20 May 2013 11:03:00 GMT New data published by the Parliamentary Ombudsman highlights the variation in complaints to different Government departments. The move aims to encourage public sector organisations to use complaints to improve the services they offer. The report also sets out action that needs to be taken to address issues of increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-rise-in-complaints-to-home-office-dwp-and-moj 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-rise-in-complaints-to-home-office-dwp-and-moj Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 GMT MPs could receive a £10,000 pay rise, if reports suggesting that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) thinks that salaries are lagging behind civil service pay are true. The current salary for MPs is £65,738 a year, although an Ipsa survey published in January showed that on average MPs thought they should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ipsa-may-recommend-salary-increase-for-mps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ipsa-may-recommend-salary-increase-for-mps Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 GMT The Government must comply with new standards for good legislation, the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has urged. The committee considered criticisms of the quality and quantity of legislation, and has published a draft code of legislative standards. It recommends the creation of a joint legislative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-standards-published-to-improve-legislation 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-standards-published-to-improve-legislation Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 GMT Amendments to the Gay Marriage Bill could delay its introduction by 18-24 months and cost the taxpayer an extra £4bn, Downing Street has warned. Tory opponents are widely seen to be seeking to wreck the Bill through an amendment to grant civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. The Bill will be debated in the House of Commons... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gay-marriage-wrecking-amendment-could-cost-4bn 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gay-marriage-wrecking-amendment-could-cost-4bn Mon, 20 May 2013 10:55:00 GMT Is subsidising renewable energy limiting its innovation? Civitas has suggested it is, costing greater efficiencies and the taxpayers’ money. Meeting the EU’s 2009 Renewables Directive will not be cheap, but focusing solely on set-up costs for the infrastructure needed for greener energy is extremely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/subsidise-to-grow 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/subsidise-to-grow Fri, 17 May 2013 13:07:00 GMT Green energy projects to meet EU directives by 2020 will cost every home £600 a year, Civitas has warned. A new paper, Are Green Times Just Around the Corner? Criticises “unprofitable renewables” and warns that subsidies are discouraging innovation, keeping green energy inefficient and unviable. Increasing energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-subsidies-harming-green-growth--civitas 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-subsidies-harming-green-growth--civitas Fri, 17 May 2013 13:06:00 GMT The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been criticised for making “fundamental errors” and for clearing police officers of any blame for the death of a man in custody. A review by criminologist Dr Sylvia Casale, commissioned by IPCC chair Anne Owers, highlighted 17 recommendations for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ipcc-investigation-made-fundamental-errors 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ipcc-investigation-made-fundamental-errors Fri, 17 May 2013 13:05:00 GMT The fire and rescue service must be “transformed”, a Government-commissioned review has urged. Sir Ken Knight, who has had a 40-year career in firefighting, including as a chief fire officer, found that significant change must be made to make the service more efficient and effective. Having 46 separate fire authorities was not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-single-fire-service-for-england--knight-review 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-single-fire-service-for-england--knight-review Fri, 17 May 2013 13:03:00 GMT Another warning against austerity and welfare cuts has come today, with the publication of the BMA’s new report. Cutting health intervention projects which are tackling the causes of poverty and deprivation is simply short sighted, and perhaps this recent rush of evidence highlighting the consequences of such an approach could serve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-short-sighted-view 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-short-sighted-view Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT Austerity policies of cutting welfare benefits and social care could “set the country back even further”, a report by the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned. The report highlights recent international data that ranked the UK 16 out of 29 nations in terms of child wellbeing and last month saw the highest number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-failing-vulnerable-children--bma 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-failing-vulnerable-children--bma Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT The NAO has identified an estimated £3.3bn funding gap in the costs for HS2 over four years from 2017/18 – 2020/21. The Government has yet to decide how to fill this gap, a new review warns. The Department for Transport said the report was overly simplistic. The NAO review into the DfT’s planning for the project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/33bn-funding-gap-for-hs2--nao 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/33bn-funding-gap-for-hs2--nao Thu, 16 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT Removing the cap on the amount of funding that councils can borrow to invest in housing could allow 60,000 new homes to be built over the next five years, the LGA has stated. The association is calling for a commitment in the next spending round to remove “unnecessary” restrictions on council investment. The Government cap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-lift-housing-cap 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-government-to-lift-housing-cap Thu, 16 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT The food industry should be required to audit its supply chains to cut down on waste, campaigners have urged. This is Rubbish (TiR) has published a new report calling for more transparency in the system, to shift part of the blame from individual households. The industry generates over half of the 18-20 million tonnes wasted in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-food-waste-should-be-audited-tir 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-food-waste-should-be-audited-tir Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT New data from the OECD warns of the danger of cutting the welfare system in the UK, with income inequality widening since the economic crisis. Welfare provides a net to catch those let down by employment, with narrowing opportunities to stay out of poverty. It supports millions of people, both young and old, and it is being completely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/falling-between-the-cracks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/falling-between-the-cracks Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT Income inequality in the UK increased by more in the first three years of the economic crisis than in the previous 12 years, new data from the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OECD) shows. The report covered 34 developed nations, and found that in the UK the “pain of the crisis was not evenly shared”. The OECD... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reducing-welfare-system-danger--oecd 433,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reducing-welfare-system-danger--oecd Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT The Welsh government has published a review into services providing free advice for the public, as they manage reduced funding and rising demand. Organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Shelter Cymru have been analysed to ensure people can still access the services they need. The entire sector is expected to lose... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-government-reviews-advice-services 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-government-reviews-advice-services Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT Homeless people are more likely to be admitted to hospital or A&E, and are often discharged without their health and housing problems effectively addressed. The Government is providing £10m funding to help address this, by supporting voluntary organisations to work with the NHS and local authorities to create services to provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10m-to-tackle-revolving-door-of-care-for-homeless-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10m-to-tackle-revolving-door-of-care-for-homeless-people Tue, 14 May 2013 11:15:00 GMT Extra funding announced to support homeless people once they have been discharged from hospital will be incredibly welcome and offers the opportunity to break a cycle of ill health and homelessness. Homeless people are significantly more vulnerable to admission to A&E or hospital, and cost the NHS more to treat. By enabling voluntary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-a-support-system 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-a-support-system Tue, 14 May 2013 11:15:00 GMT Postal voting should be restricted to minimise the opportunity for electoral fraud, the Electoral Commission has suggested. A new consultation has been published seeking views on possible changes to arrangements for voting in person at polling stations, by proxy or by post. The first phase of the Electoral Commission’s review into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electoral-commission-sets-out-proposals-to-cut-fraud 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electoral-commission-sets-out-proposals-to-cut-fraud Tue, 14 May 2013 11:15:00 GMT Blackpool Council will set up its own high speed internet infrastructure, to cut costs and boost digital efficiency across Lancashire. The Networking People (TNP) will design and build a council-owned wide area network and manage it for five years. The £3.2m contract will connect schools, libraries, businesses and public buildings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-speed-network-for-blackpool 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-speed-network-for-blackpool Tue, 14 May 2013 11:15:00 GMT As Denise [Chevin] says, it is a challenging time for housing associations.  The waiting list for social housing properties is a key concern for housing associations along with the need to reduce costs. The provision of decorating vouchers goes a long way towards helping these organisations. It means they are not dependent on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decorating-vouchers-in-social-housing 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decorating-vouchers-in-social-housing Mon, 13 May 2013 10:57:00 GMT Should there be more stringent controls over how the pupil premium is spent in schools, to ensure it is being used most effectively? Previously criticised by Ofsted, for a small number of schools failing to make a sufficient difference to the lives of children from disadvantaged families, the premium could be at risk of cuts under the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-freedom 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-freedom Mon, 13 May 2013 10:55:00 GMT Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has criticised Tory ministers who have broken ranks over Europe, saying they would vote to leave the EU if a referendum was held now.  Both education secretary Michael Gove and defence secretary Philip Hammond spoke out on Sunday, and this week Conservative backbenchers are pushing for an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-in-impossible-situation-over-europe 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-in-impossible-situation-over-europe Mon, 13 May 2013 10:51:00 GMT Funding to help the most disadvantaged pupils should be protected from cuts during the next Spending Review, education secretary Michael Gove has urged. The pupil premium is paid to schools for each student who is eligible for free school meals, or who has been in care for more than six months continuously. Schools must be able to show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-calls-for-pupil-premium-to-be-protected 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-calls-for-pupil-premium-to-be-protected Mon, 13 May 2013 10:49:00 GMT Former cabinet minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce have been freed from jail after 62 days. The pair had been convicted in March for perverting the course of justice and sentenced to eight months in prison. Under terms of their early release, Huhne and Pryce will have to wear electronic tags.  After months of denial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huhne-and-pryce-on-early-release-from-prison 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huhne-and-pryce-on-early-release-from-prison Mon, 13 May 2013 10:45:00 GMT People suffering from mental illness and substance abuse issues have reported a marked improvement through the intervention of the drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity Westminster Drug Project (WDP).  The charity, launched in August 2011, has supported a 60% improvement in the mental health of people accessing its dual diagnosis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dual-diagnosis-for-addiction-and-mental-health-problems 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dual-diagnosis-for-addiction-and-mental-health-problems Mon, 13 May 2013 10:39:00 GMT The LGA has published a dire warning for central Government on the need to rearrange the funding structure for local authorities. Budgets must be redefined if they are to be used effectively, and allow councils to continue to provide essential, but non-statutory, services. The so-called “black hole” of funding is growing wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/black-holes-and-ringfenced-budgets 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/black-holes-and-ringfenced-budgets Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT New measures to allow buildings to be converted for other uses without planning permission have been introduced by communities secretary Eric Pickles. The move aims to reduce bureaucracy on developing empty and underused buildings into homes and businesses. It will apply to high street premises, agricultural buildings under 500m2, offices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buildings-to-be-converted-for-other-use--pickles 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buildings-to-be-converted-for-other-use--pickles Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT If Government delivers a further 10% cut on funding for local government in the next spending round, money for non-statutory services could have to be reduced by up to 90%. The LGA has mapped the likely impact of further spending reductions, modelling dramatic cuts across a broad combination of services in 2015/16. This could include... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-local-services-a-mathematical-certainty--lga 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-local-services-a-mathematical-certainty--lga Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT The Government should reject ‘Boris Island’ and expand Heathrow airport instead, MPs have recommended. The House of Commons Transport Committee warned that constructing a new airport on the Thames Estuary would be hugely expensive. It could also harm estuary wildlife. The Committee says that a third and potentially even a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heathrow-needs-third-runway--transport-committee 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heathrow-needs-third-runway--transport-committee Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT The push to change the statutory ratios for childcare could risk quality of care, charities and parents are warning. The move will clearly save money for child minders or their employers, but it is difficult to appreciate how care itself can be improved. Carers will simply come under greater stress, and be less capable to give sufficient... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-number-puzzle 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-number-puzzle Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT Cambridgeshire County Council has introduced a car-sharing programme to provide more flexible and cost-effective transport for staff. The move aims to control cost and educe emissions. The council has purchased eight new low-emission vehicles to move away from the use of grey fleet. Around 250 of 5,000 employees have already signed up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/car-sharing-introduced-for-cambridgeshire 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/car-sharing-introduced-for-cambridgeshire Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg could block reform to childcare ratios, following concerns from charities and parents groups. David Cameron planned to implement changes in ratios from September, increasing the number of children carers can look after. For children aged one and under, the ratio is set to rise from 3 to 4, and the two-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childcare-reform-must-get-the-balance-right--clegg 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childcare-reform-must-get-the-balance-right--clegg Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT £500m of probation contracts will be outsourced, justice secretary Chris Grayling has announced. It is part of a Government drive to outsource more than half the work supervising criminals in the community and broaden rehabilitation services to the 45,000 people on sentences of less than a year. Just under 60% of those on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/probation-to-be-privatised-via-pbr--grayling 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/probation-to-be-privatised-via-pbr--grayling Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT Pilots to pool local council and agency budgets are facing serious barriers, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing into the integration of public services and community budgets has heard. Four council areas are trialling pooled budgets: West Cheshire, Essex, Greater Manchester and the west London tri-borough area. However, the NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-barriers-to-community-budgets-pac-finds 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-barriers-to-community-budgets-pac-finds Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT Socitm has published a new briefing for councils to improve their use of digital and mobile engagement tools when interacting with residents. Based on survey data from all council websites, the briefing shows that 23% of all visits to council websites are made via mobile devices, but that 75% of councils’ readiness for mobile was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/75-of-councils-not-ready-for-mobile--socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/75-of-councils-not-ready-for-mobile--socitm Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT The Queen’s speech has focused on measures to restrict EU migrants moving to Britain. The Government is introducing an Immigration Bill which includes reduced access to welfare and introduces fines for private landlords who do not check the immigration status of their tenants. Jobseeker’s Allowance will be restricted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/immigration-to-be-restricted--queens-speech 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/immigration-to-be-restricted--queens-speech Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT Socitm has highlighted the need for councils to improve their online presence and the way they deliver information about local services to residents. Keeping up with the latest technology is not only what the public expect, it will save local government huge amounts in efficiencies. Directing queries and concerns from the phone to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maximising-new-media 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maximising-new-media Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT Would gathering data from pupils, teachers and parents provide a more effective approach to school inspections? It’s what think tank Demos has recommended, suggesting it will offer a “more honest” picture of schools’ performance, and increase the likelihood of improvement, as solutions will be developed by schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspecting-from-the-inside 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspecting-from-the-inside Tue, 07 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT Carers will be given new rights through legislation set out in the Queen’s Speech tomorrow. A statutory right will be introduced for carers to access financial support, back-up help from professional carers, or adaptations to their homes. The number of people caring for elderly relatives with dementia is forecast to grow by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/150m-extra-support-for-carers 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/150m-extra-support-for-carers Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT The current system of school inspection is “profoundly toxic” the think tank Demos has warned in a new report. Detoxifying School Accountability, published today, calls for Ofsted inspections to be replaced by ‘multi-perspective inspections’ taking views from parents, students and teachers. A yearly approach... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/demos-calls-for-students-and-parents-to-inspect-schools 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/demos-calls-for-students-and-parents-to-inspect-schools Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT The UK should leave the European Union, former chancellor of the exchequer Lord Lawson has urged. He suggests the economic gains that could be made from the exit would outweigh the costs. Prime Minister David Cameron has stated he will hold a referendum on EU membership next parliament, but only after renegotiating the terms of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-lawson-calls-for-uk-to-leave-the-eu 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-lawson-calls-for-uk-to-leave-the-eu Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT A new taskforce comprising councils, utility companies and businesses has been set up to try and tackle cost and disruption caused by roadworks. The move follows research from the LGA, which found that poorly re-surfaced roads cost taxpayers almost half a billion pounds over the past two years. 20% of works had to be redone at the expense... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-taskforce-to-reduce-roadworks-disruption 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-taskforce-to-reduce-roadworks-disruption Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT A new campaign to boost road safety has been awarded £424,000 funding, Scottish transport minister Keith Brown has announced. Cycling Scotland’s Mutual Respect Campaign will be launched in August, for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. It ties in with the first Rail Cycle Hub at Stirling rail station. Brown said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mutual-respect-campaign-for-road-safety 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mutual-respect-campaign-for-road-safety Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT How seriously should the leading political parties take the gains made by UKIP today? Now officially the opposition in one council, Lincolnshire, it may be past the time where a policy of ignoring the party, or ridiculing candidates as “clowns” is an effective strategy. As Shapps points out, the rise in public support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-push 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-push Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT Local election results are showing a “remarkable” success for UKIP, party leader Nigel Farage has stated. Public support for UKIP has risen dramatically, and the party has won 42 seats so far, with counting in the local elections ongoing this morning. In Lincolnshire, UKIP won 16 seats to become the official... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukip-election-successes-send-loud-and-clear-message 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukip-election-successes-send-loud-and-clear-message Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office’s Behavioural Insights Team, usually known as the ‘nudge unit’, is being spun out into a part-privatised entity that will partner with a business. Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude’s spokesman called it “great news” and said “dozens more” such units within Whitehall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nudge-unit-part-privatisation-likely-to-be-first-of-many 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nudge-unit-part-privatisation-likely-to-be-first-of-many Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:00 GMT Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched the Greater Manchester Road Activity Permits Scheme (GMRAPS) in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The scheme will coordinate road and street works across ten councils, managed by a central unit. Any organisation wishing to carry out construction will have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmraps-launches-to-control-local-street-works 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmraps-launches-to-control-local-street-works Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT Grayling’s latest suggestions for prison reform come across as vindictive tinkering rather than anything that would actually benefit the wider public, let alone offenders themselves. Will withholding toys and incentives make prisoners more repentant, more eager to atone for their mistakes? These are adults, and treating them like... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paring-down-privilege 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paring-down-privilege Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT Prison ‘privileges’ will have to be earned from November, as the Ministry of Justice introduces changes to the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme. Satellite and cable TV will be banned altogether, and male prisoners in England and Wales will not be allowed TVs in their cells if they are put on ‘basic’ level... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/restrictions-proposed-for-prisoner-privileges 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/restrictions-proposed-for-prisoner-privileges Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT A new guide has been launched for employers to support women in the workplace and increase the number of women working in senior positions across the service industry. Women 1st has published ‘The Little Book of Diversity’, including advice for businesses and case studies of companies successfully championing gender... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/women-1st-launches-diversity-guide 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/women-1st-launches-diversity-guide Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT The rollout of Universal Credit begins today, albeit with a much smaller bang than initially planned. Just one of the four pilots will see new claimants begin to receive the consolidated payment today, with the others postponed until July. There are still considerable concerns around the system’s capability to accurately calculate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-revolution-of-one 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-revolution-of-one Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT The Primary Authority scheme has been extended to allow more businesses to benefit from consistent enforcement of regulation. From 1 October 2013, members of trade associations and franchises will be able to form Primary Authority partnerships with local authorities. This will allow them to receive assured regulatory advice and guidance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-extends-primary-authority-scheme 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-extends-primary-authority-scheme Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised concerns about the Government’s infrastructure strategy, particularly with doubts about the level of funding available. The Treasury has not properly prioritised 200 key projects, the PAC report warns, and urges ministers to be realistic about the amount of investment that can be raised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-plan-not-credible--pac 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-infrastructure-plan-not-credible--pac Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT Would not the creation of an entire new government department entail significant bureaucracy, cost, set-up delays (with knock-on effects on potential projects) and inevitable politiking? Would it not, instead, be less costly and have more impact, and quicker impact, to instead re-visit and strengthen the remit of the existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-department-for-infrastructure 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-department-for-infrastructure Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT The first stage of Universal Credit (UC) begins today for new claimants in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith’s flagship welfare reforms will see six benefits and tax credits rolled into one monthly payment, aimed at ensuring that additional work always pays, rather than just... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-roll-out-begins-today 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-roll-out-begins-today Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT The police should focus more on preventing crime in the first place than catching criminals afterwards, the chief inspector of the constabulary has suggested. Tom Winsor, who has spent his first six months in his new role listening to frontline and senior officers, gave a speech to the Royal United Services Institute calling for a return... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/preventing-crime-more-important-than-catching-criminals 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/preventing-crime-more-important-than-catching-criminals Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:15:00 GMT Public Health England (PHE) aims to vaccinate more than a million extra 10 to 16-year-olds in the next six months as part of nationwide vaccination catch-up programme. Across England, 587 cases were reported between January and March, and there were 2,000 last year. South Wales is currently suffering an outbreak of measles too. Under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-offer-public-health-assistance-for-measles-vaccination-programme 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-offer-public-health-assistance-for-measles-vaccination-programme Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:45:00 GMT Parliament’s powerful public accounts committee has attacked the ‘big four’ accountancy and financial services firms for having a “cosy” relationship with the Treasury and HMRC, sometimes helping to write the tax rules that they then help their clients benefit from. Speaking as the committee’s new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-attack-accountancy-firms-ridiculous-conflicts-of-interest 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-attack-accountancy-firms-ridiculous-conflicts-of-interest Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:45:00 GMT Councils have greater responsibility for public health now, with the transition at the beginning of April from now-defunct NHS bodies. But national matters are the purview of Public Health England, and the measles outbreak created by the media gullibility of Andrew Wakefield’s discredited theories a decade and more ago is its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/myths-and-measles 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/myths-and-measles Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:45:00 GMT Sunday, April 28 is Workers’ Memorial Day, when people are urged to reflect and remember the thousands of lives lost or affected by workplace accidents and ill-health, and also World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ (RoSPA’s) National Occupational Safety and Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rospa-marks-world-day-for-safety-and-health-at-work 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rospa-marks-world-day-for-safety-and-health-at-work Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:45:00 GMT National Employers has offered a 1% pay increase to council employees from April 1. If agreed with unions, it would be the first national offer since 2009. The offer would affect over 1 million employees on salaries starting at £12,145 a year, 77% of whom earn less than the median local government salary, but not chief executives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1-national-pay-rise-for-council-employees 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1-national-pay-rise-for-council-employees Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The number of students going into higher education is at the highest rate ever, statistics from BIS show. In 2011-12, 49.3% of young people in England entered higher education. This is just below the 50% mark governments have long pledged to reach. However, the statistics may have been given an artificial boost by a significant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-50-of-young-people-enter-higher-education 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-50-of-young-people-enter-higher-education Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UK has closely avoided a triple dip recession, with 0.3% growth, new statistics from the ONS show. Preliminary estimates for GDP indicate that the economy grew by 0.3% in the first three months of the year, which was better than many expected. The positive result was mainly due to strong growth in the services sector and recovery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economy-growth-dispels-fears-of-triple-dip-recession 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economy-growth-dispels-fears-of-triple-dip-recession Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The number of young people going into higher education has almost reached 50%, considered a significant milestone for the previous government, albeit not for this one. Despite a rush of people going to university straight from school, beating £9,000 tuition fee rises that have since been introduced, is this really as good news as it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-magic-number 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-magic-number Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UK should create a department for infrastructure, head of transport at Arup has argued. In a blog published on the Huffington Post, Alexander Jan has urged the Government to create the new department, to support investment in a number of high-profile projects. It could improve leadership and joined-up working, he adds. Jan said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/create-department-for-infrastructure--arup 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/create-department-for-infrastructure--arup Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT People are disproportionately scared of crime, new statistics indicate today. The UK Peace Index demonstrates how incidents of violent crime have consistently decreased over the past ten years, but the media barrage of terrorist threats, uncovered paedophiles, kidnappings and murder has coloured the way the public view their own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-in-fear 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-in-fear Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Housing associations need a new balance between social values and commercial needs, a report by the Smith Institute highlights. This is due to both the changing policy and economic context. The study, conducted in partnership with Genesis, is based on interviews with 50 housing associations chief executives and housing experts in London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sector-may-be-unable-to-deliver-low-income-housing--smith-institute 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sector-may-be-unable-to-deliver-low-income-housing--smith-institute Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Rates of violent crime in the UK have fallen more rapidly over the past ten years than anywhere else in Western Europe, the UK Peace Index shows. The data from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) found the number of homicides per 100,000 people fell from 1.99 in 2003 to 1 in 2012. The violent crime rate is down from 1,255 to 933... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-becoming-much-less-violent--iep 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-becoming-much-less-violent--iep Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT A division between those who can get online and those who have no access at home could be perpetuating inequality, as those without may miss out on vital services. Compared to the rest of those in the UK, this problem is particularly acute in Glasgow, and the Carnegie UK Trust has recommended a range of actions to improve provision across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-divide 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-divide Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The digital divide in Glasgow risks worsening social inequality, a new report from the Carnegie UK Trust warns. Broadband uptake in this city is one of the lowest in the country, with just 60% of all residents and 47% of skilled manual workers online at home, compared to the UK average of 72%. The Carnegie UK Trust is calling for greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-suffering-from-digital-divide 439,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-suffering-from-digital-divide Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The academies scheme has been criticised by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for wasting millions of pounds on over-complex and inefficient funding systems. The number of academies increased from 200 in April 2010 to 2,886 in March 2012, with extra costs often met out of existing budgets, including £95m from a fund previously... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-sceptical-of-government-oversight-of-academies 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-sceptical-of-government-oversight-of-academies Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Policy Exchange has called for a “wholesale revolution” in public services, allowing private companies and voluntary groups to compete to deliver education and health. The think tank’s senior consultant Sean Worth, previously special advisor to the Prime Minister, has written the report, calling for a shift of control... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/price-comparison-site-model-for-public-services--policy-exchange 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/price-comparison-site-model-for-public-services--policy-exchange Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Once again the Government has suddenly realised that councils don’t just do things for the hell of it, or to create pointless bureaucracy – but actually do have a reason for their rules. The planning permission controversy is similar to previous u-turns by the Government. It wants more building – fine. But it should have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-site 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-site Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT What this does not address is the variance between senior and junior staff leaving and the way media publicity is used to circumvent confidentiality. We are told the costs of legal action which can be brought by those leaving is higher than the amount they leave with. There is a financial logic applied which ensures senior staff leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-gagging-clauses-and-pay-offs 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-gagging-clauses-and-pay-offs Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s revised proposals to allow large home extensions without planning permission – dubbed a ‘free-for-all’ by the LGA – are being debated in the House of Lords today. The Government’s original proposals were to allow extensions of up to 8 metres (26ft) for detached houses without planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-object-to-free-for-all-planning-proposals 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-object-to-free-for-all-planning-proposals Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Green Deal assessments jumped in March after a sluggish first month, DECC figures show. March saw 7,465 of the assessments carried out, compared to just 1,729 in February, and the number of Green Deal providers has also grown to 48, up from eight at the end of October 2012. The Green Deal launched on 28 January 2013 in England and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jump-in-green-deal-assessments 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jump-in-green-deal-assessments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Labour is launching an independent commission on integrating health and social care, aimed at saving money and improving standards. It is to be led by Sir John Oldham, known for the Primary Care Collaborative and Healthy Communities Collaborative projects, who has been on secondment to the DH as National Clinical Lead for Quality and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-creates-independent-health-and-social-care-commission 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-creates-independent-health-and-social-care-commission Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Margaret Hodge has warned that people “would be forgiven” for thinking MPs are lazy, because of the shrinking number of hours. In an interview with the Guardian, the Labour MP – who has made a big impact as chair of the Public Accounts Committee – said parliamentary sessions were so short that “it feels as if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-risk-looking-lazy-with-long-breaks-from-parliament 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-risk-looking-lazy-with-long-breaks-from-parliament Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Ofsted plans to toughen its inspections of nurseries and childminders, and reclassify ‘satisfactory’ as ‘requiring improvement’. Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw said the number of poor nurseries was “unacceptable”. The proposed changes to early years inspections would mirror a similar toughening... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harsher-inspections-for-early-years-childcare 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harsher-inspections-for-early-years-childcare Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Another 43 cases of measles have been reported to Public Health Wales in the last two days, bringing the total number of cases in the outbreak centred on Swansea to 808. Just under 10% of the people affected, 77, have required hospital treatment. Vaccinations in secondary schools started on Wednesday, with public health officials... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swansea-measles-outbreak-worsens--808-cases-reported 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swansea-measles-outbreak-worsens--808-cases-reported Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Prime minister David Cameron is launching the Conservatives’ local election campaign today. Elections are being held for 27 county councils and seven unitaries in England, plus with Anglesey in Wales, on Thursday 2 May. There are 2,449 seats being contented, last fought in 2009 – a bad year for Labour. This year is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tories-and-greens-launch-local-election-campaigns 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tories-and-greens-launch-local-election-campaigns Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT SOCITM, the association for public sector IT management, always gets some press coverage for its investigations into the quality of local authority websites. The team behind ‘Better Connected 2013’ came up with the following tests to check the quality, usefulness and design of the council websites: Find information about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/web-sight 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/web-sight Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT More than a third of people living in England and Wales are living in ‘one party states’, the Electoral Reform Society has warned. Data shows almost 20 million people live in authorities led by single parties without viable opposition. 104 authorities have a single party holding over 75% of council seats, which the campaigning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broken-council-voting-system-creates-one-party-states--ers 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broken-council-voting-system-creates-one-party-states--ers Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new eight-year study will examine early education in England, to help understand what constitutes good quality provision. The £5m Evaluation of Early Years Education study will test the provision’s impact on educational development for children from just before nursery age to seven years old. Led by NatCen Social Research... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/5m-evaluation-of-early-years-education-launched 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/5m-evaluation-of-early-years-education-launched Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Early years’ education is one of the single most important services the government can offer to its people, with the effects of this service reaching far into the future. Levels of employment, crime, drug abuse and anti-social behaviour, successful relationships and dependence on welfare are all directly linked to the quality of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-investment 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-investment Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Welsh Government has created 22 ‘anti-poverty champions’, to help the poorest in society and to protect those most at risk. There will be two champions per local authority; one councillor and one senior council official. The champions scheme is being launched with communities and tackling poverty minister Huw... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-anti-poverty-champions-for-wales 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-anti-poverty-champions-for-wales Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The first 45 projects to benefit from the Build to Rent Fund have been announced, with up to 10,000 new homes for private rent to be underway by 2015. Housing minister Mark Prisk announced the projects, which aim to balance the rental market and reduce the upfront risk of investment for developers. The Fund has £1bn available with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/build-to-rent-schemes-announced- 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/build-to-rent-schemes-announced- Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) has helped government departments to make significant savings, the National Audit Office (NAO) has reported. The ERG has saved £5.5bn in 2011-12 through changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, restrictions on employing consultants and temporary staff, monitoring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/erg-must-focus-on-sustainability--nao 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/erg-must-focus-on-sustainability--nao Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Will building more houses specifically to rent help manage the growing housing shortages across the UK? Fewer and fewer people can afford to own their own home, but sky-high rents make this option increasingly expensive for residents struggling to make ends meet. The Government has announced a round of schemes to receive funding to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-for-more 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-for-more Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT UK unemployment has risen to 2.56 million, up by 70,000 between December 2012 and February 2013, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows. The unemployment rate for the quarter was 7.9%. The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month fell by 7,000 to 1.53 million. Average earnings rose by 0.8% in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-at-256-million 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-at-256-million Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new initiative is being launched in Manchester today to improve the sharing of data to prevent violent crime. The system will link data from hospitals, local authorities and the police to support preventative policy and activity. Information from all A&E departments will help to build a more complete picture of violent crime at home... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-hospitals-and-police-join-forces-on-data 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-hospitals-and-police-join-forces-on-data Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Greenwich has come up with a way to manage benefit cuts and the total cap due to be rolled out from July. Investing in a work programme will help many residents reliant on welfare to find, and keep jobs. For many, the benefit changes could push them ever-deeper into poverty, but despite significant opposition, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-to-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-to-work Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT A trial of the benefits cap roll-out has begun in four London boroughs today, in a bid to save around £110m from the benefit bill each year. Couples and lone parents will have their benefits capped at £500 a week, with single people limited to £350 in Haringey, Enfield, Croydon and Bromley. The cap is set to be rolled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-cap-trial-begins-today 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-cap-trial-begins-today Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The amount of delays to train services caused by cable theft has halved, with the number of incidents affecting rail services down by 67%. The total cost to the rail industry is down to £12,765,935, down from its peak of £18,337,504 in 2011/12. Network Rail has published data showing the length of delays to services came... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-fall-in-cable-theft-over-past-year--network-rail 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-fall-in-cable-theft-over-past-year--network-rail Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT With reference to Iain Duncan Smith's offensive comments that “70% of people on [DLA] have lifetime awards, which means no-one sees you ever again. It doesn't matter if you get better or your condition worsens – it's quite ridiculous.” Our two sons both have the same progressive genetic disease. They will not ‘get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/end-of-disability-living-allowance 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/end-of-disability-living-allowance Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) has launched a £6m jobs scheme to help local families into work, following government cuts to benefits. The first 31 recruits will take-up full or part-time jobs on or above London Living Wage this month. Collectively, they stood to lose more than £3,000 per week. The residents have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-launches-labour-programme-as-benefit-cuts-hit 445,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-launches-labour-programme-as-benefit-cuts-hit Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Plans to separate inspections for child protection and looked-after children are to be scrapped, Ofsted has announced. These services will now be inspected under a single, combined framework. Multi-agency inspections – planned to launch in June – will also be deferred. Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-framework-for-child-protection-and-looked-after-children 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-framework-for-child-protection-and-looked-after-children Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has awarded Future City funding to a further three cities, after Glasgow earlier won the competition for £24m to become a test bed for future innovation. Bristol, London and Peterborough will receive £3m each to develop elements of the integration plans they created for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/9m-additional-future-cities-funding-awarded 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/9m-additional-future-cities-funding-awarded Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s new ‘Gold Standard’ scheme could significantly improve councils’ homelessness services; ensuring adequate prevention support is in place as well as opportunities to help take people off the streets. The fact that the scheme is sector-led is a great move for handing control of services to local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-for-gold 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-for-gold Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councils will be able to share support and best practice to achieve a new Gold Standard status for homelessness services, housing minister Mark Prisk has announced. The £1.7m scheme will offer local authorities support and training to gain the new status. Led by Winchester City Council and supported by the National Homelessness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gold-standard-to-improve-homelessness-services 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gold-standard-to-improve-homelessness-services Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Treasury’s report on the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA), has been criticised by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for lacking transparency, timeliness and quality of data. Published in October 2012, for 2010-11, the Treasury report showed the annual deficit as £94.4bn, a reduction of £68.3bn.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-accounts-late-and-incomprehensible--pac 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-accounts-late-and-incomprehensible--pac Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Funding and budget cuts remain the top concern of public sector leaders, a new survey by Ipsos MORI suggests. However, the research indicated a range of ways organisations were working to deliver the same quality of services in a different way. 51% of leaders cite cuts as their biggest concern, with the number rising to 74% for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/22-of-public-sector-leaders-believe-service-quality-improving 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/22-of-public-sector-leaders-believe-service-quality-improving Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Despite the dire picture of cuts, particularly on local government spending, it seems as if the overall mood of the public sector is higher than might be expected. The latest Ipsos MORI research indicates that although a fifth of leaders believe the quality of their services is being damaged by cuts, the same amount believe it is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-on-the-bright-side 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-on-the-bright-side Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has criticised both the UK and Scottish Governments for failing to clearly outline the possible consequences of the independence vote. The committee has published a report calling for both to be more open and publish “red lines” on issues such as currency, defence, division of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-must-be-fully-informed-on-independence-referendum--lords 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-must-be-fully-informed-on-independence-referendum--lords Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT New technology is to be introduced to improve the management of road works for local councils and utility companies, transport minister Norman Baker has announced. The changes come into force from October 1, and will make it easier for utility companies and local authorities to share information on the timing and coordination of road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-works-information-sharing-for-councils-and-utilities 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-works-information-sharing-for-councils-and-utilities Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Margaret Thatcher has died aged 87 following a stroke on Monday. She will receive a ceremonial funeral and Parliament is to be recalled from the Easter recess on Wednesday for MPs and peers to pay tribute. Thatcher became the first female prime minister in 1979 and stayed in power until 1990. She remains the subject of huge controversy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baroness-thatcher-dies-aged-87 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baroness-thatcher-dies-aged-87 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of elderly people living in care homes are having to pay top-up fees because of a shortfall between support from local authorities and the price of care. Research from Age UK demonstrates they are having to ask friends or family to fund around £140 a week extra to meet costs. The number of older people turning to family to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elderly-paying-top-up-costs-for-social-care 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elderly-paying-top-up-costs-for-social-care Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Convicted criminals could have to pay for their own legal defence costs, justice secretary Chris Grayling has proposed. The move, which could provide further savings on the £1bn legal aid bill, is part of a consultation document due to be published today. Offenders found guilty may have the court’s expenses deducted from their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-costs-should-be-charged-to-criminals--grayling 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-costs-should-be-charged-to-criminals--grayling Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The news of Margaret Thatcher’s death has been met with extreme views from across the political spectrum – those honouring her love of Britain and contribution to the country, and those who are actively rejoicing. Commentators across the web are also debating the traditional warning to not speak ill of the dead; an adage that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rest-in-peace 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rest-in-peace Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The report in my view is very fair, honest and I believe mirrors the real facts of a department out of control, led by someone who I also believe to be divorced from reality. The truth may hurt but if it is, it strikes hard! Like the [home affairs select committee], I have been astonished as to Homer’s advance! Re: Lin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/catastrophic-leadership-failure-at-the-uk-border-agency 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/catastrophic-leadership-failure-at-the-uk-border-agency Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is to relocate to the Home Office’s headquarters to cut costs and make use of redundant space. Approximately 1,200 DCLG staff and 100 arm’s length body staff will leave Eland House and move into 2 Marsham Street. The Home Office has un-used space following a cut in its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-and-home-office-to-share-estate 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-and-home-office-to-share-estate Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT New research has demonstrated the growing recognition of the value of apprenticeships from employers – and with good reason. A person who is both studying for a higher lever qualification and who has practical experience of the working world can offer far more than a university graduate. The move towards more experience based... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/earn-as-you-learn 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/earn-as-you-learn Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Apprentices who have done the highest, degree-level apprenticeship are more desirable to employers than people with standard university degrees, new research suggests. In a survey of 500 firms commissioned by BIS and conducted by ICM, in which potential employees were ‘rated’ out of 10, degree-level apprenticeships scored the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highly-qualified-apprentices-more-valuable-than-graduates 453,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highly-qualified-apprentices-more-valuable-than-graduates Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT PCS union members are on a half-day strike this morning, on the first day of the new tax year, when new PAYE real time information is introduced. Up to 55,000 HMRC staff will strike as part of a three month campaign over cuts to pay, pensions and conditions. A 24-hour strike at the Home Office and former UKBA, planned for the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-staff-strike-over-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-staff-strike-over-pay Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Disability Living Allowance has now been replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for eligible working-age people in the north west and north east, in the latest of a series of welfare reforms. PIP has a more stringent and regular health assessment than the DLA system, which the Government says was too easy for people to get on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pips-replaces-disability-living-allowance 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pips-replaces-disability-living-allowance Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Chancellor George Osborne has added further controversy to the debate over welfare changes, by implying a link between benefits and Mick Philpott, jailed for life for his part in the manslaughter of six of his children in a fire. When asked on a visit to Derby whether the Philpotts were a product of Britain's benefit system... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-ask-why-state-subsidised-philpotts--osborne 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-ask-why-state-subsidised-philpotts--osborne Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government must suspend bee-harming pesticides, the environmental audit committee (EAC) has urged. The UK is currently blocking attempts to introduce a Europe-wide ban on neonicotinoids, the world’s most widely used insecticides. The committee called for a moratorium on the use of these insecticides by the start of 2014 on crops... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bee-harming-pesticides-must-be-stopped--mps 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bee-harming-pesticides-must-be-stopped--mps Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has set out alternative plans to reform the adoption system, following proposals that councils could be removed altogether from the process of recruiting adopters. There is a shortfall of up to 3,000 adoptive parents, and councils have been criticised for the speed of the adoption process and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-pledges-to-cut-adoption-shortfall-by-50 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-pledges-to-cut-adoption-shortfall-by-50 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The challenge of speeding up adoption has taken a new turn, as the LGA submits alternative proposals for how councils could improve services. Government had been threatening to remove councils from the process of recruiting adopters altogether, due to the huge shortfall of adoptive parents and the length of the adoption process, which was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/speed-up-or-lose-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/speed-up-or-lose-out Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is pushing forward with its plans to cut legal aid, which justice secretary Chris Grayling described as “spiralling out of control”. Prisoners pursuing complaints against the prison system may have their legal aid cut, in a bid to save millions and cut the number of cases. It may seem slightly ironic that those... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-collapse-in-justice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-collapse-in-justice Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Two of the UK’s largest unions have backed plans for the first general strike since 1926. The proposed 24-hour walkout would see coordinated private and public sector action against austerity measures. Last year’s TUC conference voted in favour of examining the feasibility of a general strike and individual unions have set out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/general-strike-could-be-landmark-in-union-campaigns 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/general-strike-could-be-landmark-in-union-campaigns Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Prisoners will be prevented from claiming legal aid to pursue complaints against the prison system, justice secretary Chris Grayling has announced. The Ministry of Justice is consulting on proposals, which could mean 11,000 fewer cases – saving £4m a year. The legal aid in question would cover issues such as the category of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-aid-could-be-scrapped-for-prisoners-complaints 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-aid-could-be-scrapped-for-prisoners-complaints Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The construction sector has contracted for the past three months, but the services sector is up, a Markit/CPIS PMI shows. Construction was up to 47.2 in March from 46.8 in February, under the 50 level which separates contraction from expansion. This was very slightly below forecasts for 47.5, but the decline in new orders was least sharp... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/services-sector-shows-slight-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/services-sector-shows-slight-growth Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Birmingham City University, argues that the Coalition’s public service reforms threaten an existential crisis in public accountability that should be of concern to us all. A groundbreaking book was published back in the 1970s entitled ‘The Private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-private-governance-of-public-services 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-private-governance-of-public-services Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Changes to the IT system for Universal Credit could make it harder to distinguish fraudulent claims, a communities and local government committee report has warned. Universal Credit will be implemented from October. The report raises concerns that as the system will not work from local authority property databases, it will not be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fraud-fears-over-universal-credit--mps 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fraud-fears-over-universal-credit--mps Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councils have been warned against using gagging clauses against former staff by communities’ secretary Eric Pickles. Around 200 civil servants and 4,562 council workers have signed ‘compromise agreements’, many of which involved confidentiality clauses. The total cost of this was £14m over two years, the Daily... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-warns-against-council-gagging-orders 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-warns-against-council-gagging-orders Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The use of police cautions in England and Wales is to be reviewed, the Government has announced, as some serious offences may be better dealt with by the courts. Around a third of all serious offences are cautioned, with 11,000 people receiving cautions for violent crime last year, according to the chair of the Magistrates’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-cautions-to-be-reviewed-following-concerns-about-over-use 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-cautions-to-be-reviewed-following-concerns-about-over-use Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT MPs have raised concerns about the feasibility of the new Universal Credit system to accurately identify fraudulent claims. The Government is introducing a new fraud detection service, but the communities and local government committee suggested that this seemed to be still at a development stage. It will be a significant change, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ready-or-not 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ready-or-not Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Dominic Harrison, joint director of public health, engagement and partnerships at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, highlights the need to move towards a preference based social model of healthcare. Joint director of public health at Blackburn with Darwen, Dominic Harrison, gave an empowering speech to the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-new-approach-to-public-health 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-new-approach-to-public-health Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Chiltern Railways recently won a CIM award for its ‘Mainline’ campaign. The train operator’s commercial director, Thomas Ableman, speaks to PSE. Chiltern Railways’ ‘Mainline’ campaign has succeeded in securing extra market share on the key Birmingham to London route, and has just won a Chartered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-reason-to-change 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-reason-to-change Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Account NI, the shared services centre providing finance and transaction processing services for Northern Ireland’s 12 Government departments and their agencies, has upgraded its business software and ‘revolutionised’ its way of working. PSE spoke to its director, John Crosby and Elizabeth Scott, head of the accounts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-smooth-transaction 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-smooth-transaction Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Responsibility for public health is transferring formally from the NHS to local government and Public Health England on 1 April – but is everyone ready? Kate Ashley reports from the LGA’s public health conference. Local government is ready for the challenge of taking on responsibility for public health, delegates heard at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bringing-public-health-home 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bringing-public-health-home Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Ed Gardiner, behavioural design lead at Warwick Business School, discusses the power of behavioural design in the fight to tackle obesity. In February 2013, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) published ‘Measuring up: The medical profession’s prescription for the nation’s obesity crisis’ highlighting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-behaviour-by-design 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-behaviour-by-design Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Lewisham Council chief executive Barry Quirk, co-chair of the Design Commission, talks to PSE about the importance of good design in public services. When considering how to transform public services to cut costs but improve delivery, design is an essential yet often overlooked element. The Design Commission has published an inquiry into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dynamic-design 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dynamic-design Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Richard Evens, commercial training director at St John Ambulance, discusses the importance of first aid training to the public sector. Any organisation today – regardless of whether public or private sector – has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its workers by putting in place an effective first aid strategy. For... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-aid-in-the-workplace-what-the-public-sector-needs-to-know 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-aid-in-the-workplace-what-the-public-sector-needs-to-know Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT PSE speaks to Takki Sulaiman, head of communications at Tower Hamlets council, about a far-reaching new print contract that could generate significant savings. Tower Hamlets has set up an impressive pan-London framework agreement for print and communications that could be worth up to £20m over four years and involve multiple... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/individual-output-on-a-shared-platform 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/individual-output-on-a-shared-platform Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Dr Pritti Mehta, head of research and policy at the charity Action on Hearing Loss, outlines the latest research into the provision of social care for people with hearing loss and explains why this is a critical time to highlight the importance of well-planned, accessible social services, that allocate resources in a cost effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-capture-the-essential-needs-of-people-with-hearing-loss 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-must-capture-the-essential-needs-of-people-with-hearing-loss Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Ben Page, chief executive at Ipsos Mori, discusses the importance of recognising the public’s sometimes irrational beliefs when it comes to public health. Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) Public Health Conference on February 26, attended by PSE, Ipsos Mori chief executive Ben Page told delegates how public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-is-about-to-get-intensely-personal 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-is-about-to-get-intensely-personal Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Essex County Council is to deliver enhanced ICT services to around 200,000 users through its Next Generation Network (NGN) services whilst also reducing its costs. PSE spoke to the council’s chief information officer, David Wilde. Essex’s Next Generation Network (NGN) is spoken of as a ‘true public sector network’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/networking-essex 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/networking-essex Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Charted Institute of Marketing (CIM)’s head of research Mark Blayney Stuart describes the importance of good marketing in times of financial pressure. As markets across the world continue to Below: Home Office Campaign - Winners languish in uncertainty, and rumours around a triple-dip recession rumble on in the UK, economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/preventing-the-pitfalls-of-public-sector-marketing 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/preventing-the-pitfalls-of-public-sector-marketing Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Gill Terry of Birmingham City Council describes how other organisations could learn from the council’s experience, to realise substantial savings and achieve a step change in service improvement by adopting a consistent, holistic approach for managing change. Public sector organisations are under immense pressure to reduce costs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-service-delivery-in-a-cold-economic-climate 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-service-delivery-in-a-cold-economic-climate Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Cllr Tim Ashton, from Lancashire County Council, discusses the launch of the new Transport for Lancashire body. Councils collaborating together can secure funding as well as efficiencies of scale and shared expertise, while the Government is trying to act on the localism agenda by devolving some funding decisions closer to the people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stronger-together 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stronger-together Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT A growing number of councils seeking to get the best evidence to inform their decision-making have turned to independent commissions. Paul Hackett, director of The Smith Institute think tank, has been involved in a number of them, including a particularly in-depth one – Southwark Council’s housing commission. He spoke to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-best-advice 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-best-advice Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT How can councils help each other to deliver services in a better and more affordable way, since the demise of the national inspection regimes? Cllr Peter Fleming, chair of the LGA Improvement board, talks to PSE. Government has long tried to improve council performance through central intervention, prescribing action and introducing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-most-efficient-part-of-the-public-sector 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-most-efficient-part-of-the-public-sector Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Smoking is the country’s biggest cause of preventable death, and thus a huge public health challenge – one which soon becomes the responsibility of local authorities. PSE discusses the issues with Ailsa Rutter, director of award-winning stop smoking service FRESH – Smoke Free North East. As PSE went to press, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tobacco-and-public-health 451,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tobacco-and-public-health Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Energy efficiency is a key consideration for local government, with a potential for savings that can be reinvested into stretched services. Manchester City Council’s Cllr Nigel Murphy talks to PSE about their work to reduce emissions. Manchester City Council was the highest scoring public sector organisation in the Environment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-of-the-league 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-of-the-league Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK, discusses the potential of the Social Value Act and how councils can make the most of this when commissioning services. In January, a groundbreaking new law came into force: the Social Value Act. For the first time, all public bodies in England and Wales are required to consider the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-public-sector-services 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-public-sector-services Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Devolved funding and control over transport could offer huge savings as well as improved services, according to a new report by the LGA. Kate Ashley reports. Devolving transport control to local authorities could deliver over twice the return on investment, the Local Government Association (LGA) has suggested. A new report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-devolution-should-be-a-given 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-devolution-should-be-a-given Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Banks will need to raise £25bn in extra capital by the end of the year, the Bank of England has warned. The BoE’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) – part of the new order of regulation designed to keep closer scrutiny in banks – has stated that the money is necessary to guard against potential losses. Banks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-capital-needed-to-guard-against-losses--boe 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-capital-needed-to-guard-against-losses--boe Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UKBA is to be abolished and brought back into the Home Office under direct ministerial control, Theresa May has announced. The move follows severe criticism from a number of angles on the size of the backlog of cases, a lack of transparency and mounting costs. A Home Affairs committee report, published earlier this week, declared that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lethal-injection 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lethal-injection Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is not adequately monitoring the £1.3bn New Homes Bonus, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. The bonus, paid to local authorities up to 2013-14 aims to deliver 140,000 new homes over the next ten years, increasing the housing supply by between 8 and 13%. The NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-a-financial-risk-to-councils--nao 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-homes-bonus-a-financial-risk-to-councils--nao Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is to be abolished, the home secretary has announced. The news follows a report by the Commons home affairs select committee, which accused Lin Homer, of “catastrophic leadership failure” while she was chief executive at the organisation. Theresa May described it as “a troubled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukba-to-be-abolished-may 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukba-to-be-abolished-may Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT There is greater scope for police to make savings in procurement, the NAO has concluded, particularly in areas where common specifications for widely used goods could be introduced. Forces across the country are facing substantial budget cuts and trying to do more with less could jeopardise front line staff. But working in larger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buying-power 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buying-power Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Spending cuts across the public sector must be reconsidered in light of the increased population and demand for goods and services, GMB Scotland has urged. Considering population statistics, which show a 233,400 increase between 2001 and 2011 in Scotland, GMB Scotland calls for this to be used as a basis for forward planning and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-population-requires-investment-not-cuts--gmb-scotland 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-population-requires-investment-not-cuts--gmb-scotland Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published new guidance to help public authorities in England comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The guidance offers clear advice on what the law requires and practical examples of best practice to direct resources to where the need is greatest, improving efficiency and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/myth-busting-equality-guidance-published-for-public-authorities 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/myth-busting-equality-guidance-published-for-public-authorities Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Many opportunities for savings in police procurement remain unexploited, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) highlights. Police forces spent around £1.7bn in 2010-11, and while many forces are now working together to improve their buying power and make administration savings, nearly half of all forces still have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-must-collaborate-for-procurement-savings--nao 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-must-collaborate-for-procurement-savings--nao Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The civil service pay structure is bust, even non-compliant with equal pay and age discrimination legislation under the Equality Act 2010. In my industry, forestry, the FC pay is well below the private sector for experienced managers, up to 20%. But if you get promoted you go to the top of the pay scale with no management experience, meanwhile... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-strike 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-strike Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Outgoing chief scientific advisor Professor Sir John Beddington is leaving his post with a warning to the world about the dangers of ignoring climate change. The amount of CO2 already in the atmosphere could cause more floods and droughts over the next 25 years, he said. He told the BBC: “The [current] variation we are seeing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/climate-change-is-completely-unequivocal-beddington 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/climate-change-is-completely-unequivocal-beddington Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Children whose parents or carers have serious mental health problems can sometimes be poorly provided for and left at risk, a new report suggests. ‘What about the children?’ a joint report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) calls for mandatory data collection on these families. Data collection is currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-collection-on-parents-with-mental-health-issues-should-be-mandatory 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-collection-on-parents-with-mental-health-issues-should-be-mandatory Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Train services on the East Coast Main Line are soon to be run by the private sector once again, the Government will confirm this week. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin will outline plans to tender the London to Edinburgh route, which has been run by a state-owned company since National Express reneged on a £1.4bn contract in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-re-privatise-east-coast-train-services 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-re-privatise-east-coast-train-services Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT MPs have launched a severe attack against Lin Homer’s “catastrophic leadership failure” at the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Homer was promoted to chief executive of the HMRC last January – a move MPs on the Home Affairs select committee labelled “astounding”. The committee has warned that it will take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lin-homer-lambasted-for-ukba-failure 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lin-homer-lambasted-for-ukba-failure Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The new report from Ofsted and the CQC is calling for a national obligation to collect data on parents with mental health issues, to prevent the risk of children being harmed. While greater protection of children is something society and Government should be working to promote, should people with mental health issues be legally required... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-observation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-observation Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new road safety comparison site will allow residents to see how their local authority ranks against others, road safety minister Stephen Hammond has announced. The DfT has launched the website under obligation from the Strategic Framework for Road Safety to produce tools to enhance the delivery of road safety. The website will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-road-safety-league-table-launched 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-road-safety-league-table-launched Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UK is already losing connectivity and economic gain from its lack of hub capacity, Heathrow Airport Limited has warned in its submission to the Airports Commission. Heathrow is already operating at its permitted capacity – over 98% of its annual 480,000 flights a year (or air traffic movements) cap, and DfT forecasts indicate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heathrow-urges-airports-commission-to-recommend-third-runway 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heathrow-urges-airports-commission-to-recommend-third-runway Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Huge tax rises could be coming after the next general election, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. Its post-Budget analysis found that Whitehall spending on public services is set to sink to the lowest level in over a decade by 2018. Despite the extreme cuts, the public finances are in such a bad shape that it is likely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-warns-of-tax-rises-following-budget-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-warns-of-tax-rises-following-budget-cuts Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The third runway at Heathrow has been at the centre of heated arguments for years, and now the Airport Commission is considering how to expand capacity to meet future demand. Heathrow has warned of the many terrible consequences associated with failure to expand the airport – unmet demand being taken by international competitors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-little-too-late 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-little-too-late Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT As Chancellor George Osborne joined Twitter yesterday, ahead of the Budget, there was plenty of comment and criticism from the public. It’s a step forward for Government in that it could encourage far greater engagement between citizens and politicians – the Budget was trending all afternoon – but it is difficult to see... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-social 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-social Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Budget has incited comment from across the public and private sectors, as organisations welcome investment, but warn of the implications of a further squeeze to fund it. Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the LGA, highlighted the prospect of additional cuts to local government funding as “extremely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-tackling-house-building-head-on--budget-2013 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-tackling-house-building-head-on--budget-2013 Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is to reveal the date of the independence referendum today, in a statement to Parliament – expected to be autumn next year. The Referendum Bill on the vote will be brought before Holyrood. The SNP has already introduced separate draft legislation to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independence-referendum-date-to-be-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independence-referendum-date-to-be-announced Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is committed to its financial strategy, Chancellor George Osborne reiterated in his fourth Budget yesterday. He admitted that work to cut the deficit was taking longer than expected, with growth of just 0.6% expected for 2013, down from 1.3% predicted in his Autumn Statement. Osborne said: “We are, slowly but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-extended-another-year--budget-2013 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pay-cap-extended-another-year--budget-2013 Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The first of a wave of new nuclear plants has been approved, energy secretary Ed Davey has announced. Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, is being granted planning consent. The proposed £14bn plant, to be constructed by EDF, will be capable of powering five million homes and is estimated to create between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs during... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hinkley-point-plant-plans-approved 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hinkley-point-plant-plans-approved Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Whatever Osborne announces today in his Budget – will it be enough? The Government is committed to maintaining its course of austerity, but businesses from all sides are pushing for investment to boost growth. The Chancellor’s introduction to Twitter will also open him up to a swathe of mockery, and a clear line of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/on-target 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/on-target Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Budget will help those “who want to get on”, Chancellor George Osborne has announced. His fourth Budget today follows Prime Ministers Questions at noon. It is expected to include 2% cuts to departmental spending to fund infrastructure projects, although there will be no extra borrowing to fund measures designed to boost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-tackle-economy-head-on-budget-2013 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-tackle-economy-head-on-budget-2013 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment rose by 7,000 in the three months to January, new figures from the ONS show. Unemployment is now at 2.52 million. Employment is now at 29.73 million and the unemployment rate is at 7.8%. The number of people who are economically inactive fell by 118,000, increasing the labour force and accounting for the rise in both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-rises-to-252-million 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-rises-to-252-million Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Families will receive up to £1,200 a year for childcare support, Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have announced. Parents not receiving tax credits but earning less than £150,000 will be eligible for vouchers to cover 20% of what they would spend on childcare with a nursery of Ofsted registered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1200-childcare-boost-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1200-childcare-boost-announced Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Only one in five people had enough information on Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidates to make an informed decision, the Electoral Commission has found. Turnout for the elections, held last November, was 15.1% – the lowest recorded level at a peacetime non-local government election in the UK. A new report highlights... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electoral-commission-calls-for-more-information-for-next-pcc-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electoral-commission-calls-for-more-information-for-next-pcc-elections Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new centralised registration system will make it easier and cheaper for suppliers to bid for government contracts. The system will particularly benefit SMEs, who will only have to register once to access a range of contracts. The Government Procurement Service (GPS) has awarded a new contract to NQC Ltd to develop a secure Single... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-government-contracts-platform-to-simplify-bidding-process 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-government-contracts-platform-to-simplify-bidding-process Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Electoral Commission has published a new report highlighting yet more problems with the PCC elections, held last November with a dismal turnout. Many people did not have access to enough information, the report suggests, which contributed greatly to the lack of voters. But is the problem really to do with information? Of course... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staying-in 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staying-in Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Return-to-work support services must more effectively sustain the employment of people with long-term conditions such as cancer, The Work Foundation has argued. A new paper, published in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, considers vocational rehabilitation and calls for Government to improve the availability and accessibility to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-clinicians-do-not-view-employment-as-a-priority--work-foundation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-clinicians-do-not-view-employment-as-a-priority--work-foundation Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The HMRC has been severely criticised today for its “disgraceful” customer service, which falls well below industry standards. Even their targets to improve this poor performance are not as high as they could, or should be, according to the Public Accounts Committee. Whilst any improvement will be welcomed, and some of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aim-higher 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aim-higher Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT My local MP recently defended the bedroom tax in the local newspaper in an article that reads like a press statement from Conservative Central Office. Now that the National Housing Federation has come out with a cogent critique of the tax, now is the time to smoke out pro-bedroom-tax MPs' views and to challenge them in letters to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of civil servants are set to strike on Budget day this Wednesday over pay arrangements and against tax avoidance and evasion. The PCS union has announced the date as the second in their three-month programme of action. Almost 250,000 members working in government departments will also hold a half-day walkout on April 5, followed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-day-strike-for-civil-servants-over-pay-progression 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-day-strike-for-civil-servants-over-pay-progression Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The HMRC has cost callers £136m last year through unanswered calls, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has reported. 20 million calls went unanswered last year and the HMRC only replied to 66% of letters within 15 days, below their target of 80%. Despite this poor performance, HMRC is proposing to cut customer-facing staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-customer-service-abysmal--pac 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-customer-service-abysmal--pac Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT A deal has been reached on press regulation, Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman has said. It comes after talks overnight between the three main parties at Westminster, and full details are expected to be published later today. Prime Minister David Cameron was likely to face a Commons defeat today as at least 20 of his MPs backed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/press-regulation-deal-reached 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/press-regulation-deal-reached Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The high court has ruled that the Government’s consultation process for compensating those affected by HS2 was “unlawful” – but four other cases were unsuccessful, meaning there should be no delay in the project’s timeline Five cases were brought against the Government by councils, environmental campaigners... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-compensation-process-judged-unlawful 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-compensation-process-judged-unlawful Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Greater cooperation between housing associations, councils and health services will be essential to meet the challenge of an ageing population, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has stated. The House of Lords committee on public service and demographic change has warned that the Government is “not ready” for a steep... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-services-key-to-ageing-challenge--nhf 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-services-key-to-ageing-challenge--nhf Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT In the face of escalating demand for school places, the Government must do more to identify the amount of funding necessary for the next few years. The NAO has warned that there is a lack of clarity around the level of contribution local authorities will be required to make, and whether this is in line with Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/primary-boom 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/primary-boom Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT 256,000 new school places will need to be provided by 2014/15 to meet increased need, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. A new report shows that despite a net increase of almost 81,500 primary school places in the past two years, there is “real strain” on schools, with demand expected to increase beyond... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-more-school-places-needed-nao-warns 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-more-school-places-needed-nao-warns Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Road damage is an increasingly critical issue for many councils, and the LGA has stated that believing this mounting bill can be paid through local authority efficiency measures is “deeply unrealistic”. Local government is seeking to put measures in place to resurface and protect roads before the number of potholes spirals out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/filling-holes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/filling-holes Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Increased funding and information for technology companies is needed to boost research in the UK, a new report from the select committee on science and technology states. ‘Bridging the valley of death: improving the commercialisation of research’ calls for Government to ensure sufficient capital is available for technology... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-information-for-technological-innovation--mps 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-information-for-technological-innovation--mps Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The road network in the UK will be permanently potholed unless there is immediate investment in resurfacing, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Last year highways teams fixed 1.1 million potholes – 500,000 more than the year before. The backlog of repairs is also growing longer and is now estimated to cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-damage-spiralling--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-damage-spiralling--lga Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is woefully underprepared for ageing, a Lords committee on public service and demographic change has concluded. The steep rise predicted in the elderly population – with a 50% rise expected in the over-65s between 2010 and 2030. We will need a radically different model of care to support people in their own homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-not-ready-for-ageing-population--lords 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-not-ready-for-ageing-population--lords Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Often the greater the level of collaboration within an industry, the greater their chances are of securing investment and development. Closer integration can lead to increased advantages for a much wider range of organisations, as well as the public they provide services for. Agreeing on a set approach to common problems can also improve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/come-together 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/come-together Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is intervening in the Judicial Review at the High Court into the Government’s decision to scrap the Independent Living Fund. The closure could affect 20,000 disabled people and will make them entirely dependent on local authority services, and could require them to move to residential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ehrc-intervenes-in-independent-living-fund-court-case 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ehrc-intervenes-in-independent-living-fund-court-case Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT An industry-wide bid from employers across passenger transport and the travel industry could maximise the opportunity to gain a share of the Government’s Employer Ownership Fund, People 1st has suggested. The fund will help improve skills in the workplace and sectors are being invited to create ‘Industrial Partnerships’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-1st-calls-for-transport-industry-partnership 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-1st-calls-for-transport-industry-partnership Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT A shared management arrangement has been approved between Somerset Waste Board (SWB) and the emerging Gloucestershire Joint Waste partnership (GJWP). Steve Read, managing director of Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP), will be contracted for two days a week as head of service for GJWP from 1 April. The contract will be for a year initially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-boards-set-up-shared-management-in-gloucestershire 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-boards-set-up-shared-management-in-gloucestershire Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Former energy secretary Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce were both jailed for eight months yesterday for perverting the course of justice. Huhne has apologised for lying for two years about asking his then wife to take the speeding points to avoid a driving ban himself in 2003. Huhne pleaded guilty to the offence last month, while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chris-huhne-and-vicky-pryce-jailed-for-eight-months 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chris-huhne-and-vicky-pryce-jailed-for-eight-months Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is set to back down over one particularly controversial aspect of the so-called bedroom tax, as it is expected to allow councils to exempt families with a severely disabled child who cannot share with a sibling from the loss of part of their housing benefit. The cost of the allowance will be paid for centrally and not from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/partial-climbdown-by-dwp-over-bedroom-tax 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/partial-climbdown-by-dwp-over-bedroom-tax Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Planned welfare cuts could push 200,000 children into poverty, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned. The Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill will cap benefit rises at 1% a year until 2016. In the past, benefits have risen with inflation, and this year rose by 5.2%. But the Most Reverend Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Dr John... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-to-pay-the-price-for-benefit-cuts-archbishop-of-canterbury 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-to-pay-the-price-for-benefit-cuts-archbishop-of-canterbury Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:05:00 GMT The upcoming Budget must focus on house-building, a number of business lobby groups have suggested. The CBI is calling for 50,000 new affordable homes to be built, creating 75,000 jobs and costing £1.25bn. More investment in roads and infrastructure, with a cap on business rates will cost around £2.2bn in total. This could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homebuilding-will-build-confidence-in-economy-cbi 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homebuilding-will-build-confidence-in-economy-cbi Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT Apprenticeships must become “the new norm” for young people leaving school who choose not to go to university, Prime Minister David Cameron will say at the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week. Apprentices could add up to £3.4bn a year in economic gains and Whitehall estimated that over 500,000 people started... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-pushes-for-more-apprenticeships 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-pushes-for-more-apprenticeships Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:05:00 GMT The Prime Minister is pushing for more apprenticeships, but the success of an alternative path to university requires significant work on its branding and public perception. It is not just a case of encouraging more businesses and employers to launch such schemes and recruit young people to work for them. The desire to take up an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-different-path 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-different-path Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT As already noted, this is a regressive move. It begs so many questions on an individual basis. Today I had a phone call from a resident, who will be hit by this tax and her extra bedroom is no more than a box room. Her son in two years' time will reach 16 when he qualifies for his own room. What does she do meanwhile? Re:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Freezing all public spending for five years would free up money to cut taxes and the deficit, former defence secretary Liam Fox is due to suggest. In a speech to the Institute for Economic Affairs, Fox – seen as a standard bearer for the right of the Conservative Party – will set out an alternative economic direction for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-spending-freeze-to-fund-tax-cuts--fox 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-spending-freeze-to-fund-tax-cuts--fox Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has been too focused on quick cuts to spending, rather than considering the impact they might have, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. This could undermine the objectives of promoting economic growth and higher employment, according to PAC’s report. The report raises concerns about the Treasury’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/short-term-spending-cuts-criticised-by-pac 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/short-term-spending-cuts-criticised-by-pac Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has been accused of short-term thinking in designating cuts, with the PAC bringing a strong argument against poorly joined-up, short-term thinking without full consideration of the impacts of those spending decisions. Managing public spending over a number of departments, who the PAC accuses of “game playing”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chop-chop 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chop-chop Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Almost half the schools inspected in England last term have improved their overall rating, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has announced. Out of more than 2,000 state-funded schools, 977 inspected by Ofsted between October and December last year were rated better than in their previous inspection. The proportion of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-schools-improve-ofsted-rating 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-schools-improve-ofsted-rating Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Police and Crime Plan for South Yorkshire has been published, including priorities on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, protecting vulnerable people and improving police visibility. Half a million pounds will be invested to fund additional specialist public protection unit officers and training for staff as well as enhanced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-police-plans-published 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-police-plans-published Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Social Value Conference held in Liverpool offers some practical methods to ensure including social value in public sector contracts is not relegated to a tick-box exercise. Going straight to commissioners is an excellent idea. Involving them from the beginning could make a real difference to the contracts that are signed across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/at-the-heart-of-commissioning 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/at-the-heart-of-commissioning Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Comingled recycling in England and Wales can and does meet European Waste Framework Directive (WFD), a judicial review has ruled. The legal challenge was brought against Defra and the Welsh Government by six members of the Campaign for Real Recycling. The claimants assert that comingling recycling often creates materials unsuitable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/judicial-review-rules-comingling-recycling-acceptable 455,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/judicial-review-rules-comingling-recycling-acceptable Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT A Social Value Taskforce has been launched in Liverpool to help commissioners to use the Social Value Act when procuring services and awarding contracts. At the Social Value Conference, held in Liverpool yesterday, minister for civil society Nick Hurd said that charities and social enterprises will help deliver better public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-launches-taskforce-to-ensure-social-value 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-launches-taskforce-to-ensure-social-value Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to launch four new centres of policy advice, modelled on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Expertise (NICE). The ‘What Works’ centres will cover local economic growth, ageing, early intervention and crime reduction. The idea, adopted in the civil service plan, is to provide an independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-works-centres-to-support-evidence-based-policy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-works-centres-to-support-evidence-based-policy Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT 11 children’s charities have warned that the introduction of the spare bedroom tax – which the Government calls the under-occupancy penalty or the ‘spare room subsidy’ – could make it more difficult for people in social housing to become foster carers. In an open letter to work and pensions secretary Iain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-could-limit-fostering 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedroom-tax-could-limit-fostering Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Child abuse guidelines are to be reformed, with more focus on the suspect instead of victims’ credibility, the director of public prosecutions is to announce. Kier Starmer will outline new plans to guide prosecutors and police. Currently characteristics often associated with victims, such as alcohol issues or distrust of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/focus-on-suspect-not-just-abuse-victims-credibility--starmer 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/focus-on-suspect-not-just-abuse-victims-credibility--starmer Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Devolving transport funding decisions to local authorities has worked in other countries – now the LGA is calling for the UK Government to give councils greater powers to control funding and deliver increased returns on investment. Some savings can only be generated centrally, and a single authority has the potential to offer a more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-local 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-local Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Devolving transport control to local authorities could deliver over twice the return on investment, the LGA has suggested. A new report, ‘The road to growth: The case for greater local influence over transport’ – is being launched today at an LGA Town Hall Summit on transport devolution which is being attended by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-devolution-should-be-a-given--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-devolution-should-be-a-given--lga Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The country’s most senior judge has warned that cuts to legal aid could end up costing the Government more and denying people access to justice. Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court, has raised concerns over the forthcoming cuts to legal aid across a range of civil cases in England and Wales and suggested people could even... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lord-neuberger-warns-of-legal-aid-cuts 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lord-neuberger-warns-of-legal-aid-cuts Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Does raising the bar for primary schools’ targets really help improve children’s education? Or does it simply provide another arbitrary burden on schools which may be struggling? Teachers and unions could use extra resources, not challenges, to improve standards. But higher targets could motivate certain schools to stretch... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/onwards-and-upwards 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/onwards-and-upwards Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Tougher targets for primary schools could mean more are ranked as ‘under-performing’. Schools minister David Laws will announce today that schools will be deemed under-performing if under 60% of pupils do not reach a satisfactory standard in reading, writing and maths. Speaking at a conference of the Association of School and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-targets-raised-for-primary-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-targets-raised-for-primary-schools Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Former convicts should be used as peer mentors to help other offenders, prisons minister Jeremy Wright has suggested. In prison, certain inmates can help new prisoners with reading and other education and training. This could be extended outside jails, supporting convicts to reintegrate into society and cutting reoffending. Speaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prison-mentoring-could-help-reduce-crime 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prison-mentoring-could-help-reduce-crime Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Disabled and vulnerable people must be exempt from the bedroom tax, the National Housing Federation has told the Government. Support pledged for those who will be hit by the bedroom tax through the fund for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) has left a gap of over £100m for disabled people. Around 230,000 disabled people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/perverse-bedroom-tax-means-100m-disability-spending-gap-nhf 441,442,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/perverse-bedroom-tax-means-100m-disability-spending-gap-nhf Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:00:00 GMT MPs vote today on whether to radically expand the use of ‘secret courts’, a key measure in the new Justice and Security Bill which has undergone several last-minute changes as its backers try to get angry Liberal Democrats on board with the legislation. Although the Government says the Bill gives judges “complete... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-vote-on-secret-courts-proposals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-vote-on-secret-courts-proposals Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT UK energy policy urgently needs a ‘Plan B’ in case the next generation of nuclear plants are not delivered on time, according to a committee of MPs. The Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) published a new report today saying that any failure by the private companies on whom the Government is relying to deliver new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-urge-plan-b-for-energy-policy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-urge-plan-b-for-energy-policy Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The latest survey of local authority websites by Socitm urges senior leaders to “get actively involved in the governance of digital delivery”. The headlines results from Better Connected 2013 are publicly available, but the detailed findings are limited to Socitm Insight subscribers. It contains assessments of all 433 local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-survey-assesses-every-local-authority-website 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-survey-assesses-every-local-authority-website Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Your otherwise excellent comment on the Electoral Reform Society’s recent report on last November’s elections for police and crime commissioners and the appallingly low turnout (15.1%) for the elections overlooks a couple of points, but that may be because they did not feature in the Society’s summary of its report. 19% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police--crime-commissioner-elections 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police--crime-commissioner-elections Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Will there ever be enough safeguards to convince liberals and libertarians in Parliament that ‘secret courts’ are a good idea? The Government does seem to be bending over backwards to amend the proposed legislation to deal with individual criticisms – but for its fiercest critics, it is the entire principle of closed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/principles-and-pragmatism 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/principles-and-pragmatism Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is establishing the first independent shared service centre to cut the cost of back office functions and save up to £600m a year. The seven-year contract with arvato covers the management of the Independent Shared Services Centre 1 (ISSC1), created from the existing DfT shared service centre in Swansea. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-shared-services-contract-for-department-for-transport 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-shared-services-contract-for-department-for-transport Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats have narrowly held Eastleigh at the by-election, while Ukip moved into second place. Lib Dem councillor Mike Thornton won with a majority of 1,771 and secured 13,342 votes compared to Ukip’s 11,571. The Conservatives’ Maria Hutchings came in third with 10,559 votes and Labour’s John O’Farrell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eastleigh-held-by-lib-dems-as-ukip-surge 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eastleigh-held-by-lib-dems-as-ukip-surge Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:00:00 GMT The Government has announced a major new contract with arvato to deliver shared services for the DfT, and later for other departments. It could offer huge savings through economies of scale and better communication, information through a shared approach. The Cabinet Office has suggested the contract with a private sector provider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/learning-to-share 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/learning-to-share Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Nearly half of councils are currently planning to forego the money for freezing council tax offered by the DCLG, and will instead raise it for 2013/14. CIPFA’s annual survey found that 41% of local authorities are considering rejecting the offer, up from 15% last year. Amongst those who will reject the freeze, increases are likely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/41-of-local-authorities-to-shun-council-tax-freeze 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/41-of-local-authorities-to-shun-council-tax-freeze Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT More and more councils are deciding to reject the Government’s offer to freeze council tax for the next year, new research suggests. The truth is that vital frontline services are being cut, and local authorities must consider every way they can to protect statutory provision. For some of the most hard-pressed councils, the tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-offer-you-cant-refuse 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-offer-you-cant-refuse Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has been scored the top public sector organisation in the Environment Agency’s CRC table, and fourth overall. The top three organisations were BAM Group UK Ltd, Skanska Construction Holdings Ltd and Motorola Solutions UK Ltd. The table covers carbon emissions over the last year and is based on a range of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-tops-public-sector-carbon-efficiency 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-tops-public-sector-carbon-efficiency Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is underlining the importance of the ‘built to let’ programme to tackle current and future housing shortages at the British Property Federation annual conference today. The scheme provides a £10bn debt guarantee and £200m equity finance for house builders and developers, to encourage a wider range of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bpf-urges-government-to-increase-build-to-let 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bpf-urges-government-to-increase-build-to-let Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The NAO has called on the Cabinet Office to create more effective levers to create savings in procurement. Expenditure on common goods and services is more centralised, there is increased participation by SMEs and clearer lines of responsibility at the centre, the report showed. But the Government still has “ineffective”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-office-must-do-more-to-maximise-savings--nao 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-office-must-do-more-to-maximise-savings--nao Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The countdown to public health responsibility transferring from the NHS to local government is ticking away fast, and with the deadline looming, there is much work to be done fostering relationships and preparing workstreams. The mood at the LGA’s public health conference was generally positive, and even those who disagree with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coming-home 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coming-home Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Local government is ready for the challenge of taking on responsibility for public health, delegates heard at the LGA’s annual public health conference yesterday. The event in London, attended by PSE, saw a packed line-up of key speakers from both the health service and local government, including Duncan Selbie, chief executive of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/countdown-to-transition-of-public-health-to-councils 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/countdown-to-transition-of-public-health-to-councils Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Head of the National Audit Office Amyas Morse, the comptroller and auditor general, has refused to fully sign off the 2011-12 accounts for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The audit opinion was qualified because the DCMS accounts do not accurately reflect the value of some of its assets, he said. Some of this was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-misstatement-of-assets-in-dcms-accounts--nao 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-misstatement-of-assets-in-dcms-accounts--nao Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT One of the conclusions of the Public Accounts Committee’s report into the West Coast rail franchising debacle has much wider relevance to the whole public sector – namely, that external consultants sometimes are worth the money. The MPs’ report says the DfT’s decision to try to save some money by handling the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buying-in-help 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buying-in-help Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Four out of every five people living in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems – far more than previously thought. A new Alzheimer’s Society report published today says less than half of these 322,000 people are enjoying a good quality of life, although excellent care does exist in places. Previous surveys... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dementia-and-memory-problem-rate-in-care-homes-is-80 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dementia-and-memory-problem-rate-in-care-homes-is-80 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Another high-profile committee of MPs has attacked the way the West Coast Main Line franchise was awarded and blamed a “complete lack of common sense” among senior officials at the Department for Transport. Civil servants were blinkered and rushed, according to a new Public Accounts Committee report, which says expensive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-coast-fiasco-will-cost-far-more-than-50m--hodge 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-coast-fiasco-will-cost-far-more-than-50m--hodge Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT I thought his comments were disgraceful. I have been involved with local government contracting for many years. We always do a capability and quality assessment before selecting suitable firms to tender. This is in the form of a pre-tender work. You can then award on price only. I was not impressed with the LGA response which failed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blaming-councils-for-horsemeat-fiasco 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blaming-councils-for-horsemeat-fiasco Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has been criticised today for the poor turnout at the PCC elections in November – but how much responsibility should be shouldered by the electorate themselves? The apathy represented by the 15% voter turnout cannot be completely due to cold weather. And there was a lengthy campaign to raise awareness of the vote... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-apathy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-apathy Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Speakers have been confirmed for Innovate UK, a conference held by UK Trade & Investment and the Technology Strategy Board next month. The conference will provide multi-sector networking to help companies to accelerate growth through innovation, international trade and investment. It will be held from 11-13 March at the Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovate-uk-speakers-confirmed 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovate-uk-speakers-confirmed Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Eight million people in Britain have no savings for the future, a report from the Scottish Widows has found. Another 15 million are “not currently making any effort” to save for the future. As life expectancy increases, the cost of retirement is also going up, leading experts to raise concerns about how prepared citizens are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/millions-of-people-failing-to-save--scottish-widows 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/millions-of-people-failing-to-save--scottish-widows Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The elections held for police and crime commissioners last November “failed both candidates and voters alike”, a new report has stated. Polls in 41 police force areas in England and Wales had a turnout of just 15%. The Electoral Reform Society examined the election to see how this could have been improved. A Populus poll... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcc-elections-failed--electoral-reform-society 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcc-elections-failed--electoral-reform-society Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The ageing population will have a huge impact on health and social services, and there needs to be a robust plan to prepare for this, a new Lords committee will report. The committee on public service and demographic change has been taking evidence from a range of experts on the impact of the ageing population. It is due to report next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/systems-not-coping-with-ageing-population--lords 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/systems-not-coping-with-ageing-population--lords Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT As part of the Government’s £37m subsidy for charging points for electric vehicles (EV), charge points will be required to be installed in accordance with the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)’s Code of Practice. The IET has launched a new training course, developed with training provider Group Horizon. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iet-launches-training-course-for-ev-charging-installation 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iet-launches-training-course-for-ev-charging-installation Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT 72% of residents are satisfied with the way services are run by their local council, a new report indicates. The research was conducted as part of the LGA’s appraisal on the sector-led approach for delivering improvement. Reduction in inspections and targets for local authorities has allowed councils to find new and better ways of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-study-finds-majority-of-residents-trust-councils 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-study-finds-majority-of-residents-trust-councils Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The latest PAC report holds some difficult truths for the Government concerning their Welfare to Work scheme. The figures show that not only is the programme missing the DWP target of 11.9%, it is also below the number of people expected to get off benefits and into work on their own. This indicates that the scheme is literally worse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/missed-targets 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/missed-targets Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s Welfare to Work scheme is “failing”, the Public Accounts Committee has concluded. Its report found that the scheme only got 3.6% of people off benefits and into secure employment. The scheme was set up in June 2011 to help find secure work for the long-term unemployed. The DWP target was 11.9% and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-helps-just-36-of-participants 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-helps-just-36-of-participants Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Welsh public sector could save £23m on consultant’s fees, the Wales Audit Office (WAO) has reported. The public sector cannot prove it is getting value for money from the £133m it spends on external consultants, the report states. It highlights poor record-keeping and a lack of collaborating with each... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultants-costing-wales-23m--wao 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultants-costing-wales-23m--wao Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT New transparency rules have been published for councils paying senior staff large salaries, local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. Severance pay-offs will have to be democratically approved by full council votes, and changes to the dismissal and disciplinary proceedings will be introduced. Councils will no longer be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pay-offs-should-be-more-transparent--pickles 436,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pay-offs-should-be-more-transparent--pickles Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The winners of the British Safety Council’s 2013 International Safety Awards have been announced, with 38 organisations awarded a distinction of their health and safety. Applicants answered 12 questions about the companies health and safety, which were marked by independent adjudicators. 244 organisations were awarded a merit and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-safety-distinction-for-38-companies 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-safety-distinction-for-38-companies Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Welsh public sector has been warned of the cost of bringing in external consultants without considering other options or whether the move is value for money for taxpayers. The report highlights the need to use public money more wisely and improve the way different parts of the sector work together. Better record-keeping and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stop-and-think 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stop-and-think Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Almost 30 million people were in employment at the end of 2012, new figures from the ONS show. This is an increase of 154,000 on the quarter to September and is the highest total since records began in 1971. The number of people claiming jobseekers’ allowance fell by 12,500 to 1.54 million and unemployment fell by 14,000 in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/30-million-in-employment--ons 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/30-million-in-employment--ons Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has set out plans to bring 179 vacant properties back into use, to revitalise housing and build more sustainable neighbourhoods. The plans include a Homesteading scheme, where a number of properties will be sold to local residents for £1. They will be expected to refurbish the homes to Decent Home Standard and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-housing-plans-for-vacant-properties 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-housing-plans-for-vacant-properties Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool’s proposals for bringing vacant properties back into use could offer some great examples to other councils looking to maximise their housing portfolio. Refurbishing empty houses can offer a place to stay for families, boost growth in the area and help more residents get onto the housing ladder. The problem of housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mix-and-match 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mix-and-match Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councils should cut the pay of senior staff, the Taxpayers’ Alliance has urged, since more than 28,000 council staff get more than £50,000 a year. This cost almost £1.9bn last year and represents a drop of 3,991 staff on the previous year, with costs down by £270m. However, the Taxpayers’ Alliance suggests... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tpa-calls-for-lower-pay-for-senior-staff-at-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tpa-calls-for-lower-pay-for-senior-staff-at-councils Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT ‘Unfair’ is a slippery word. Applied to subsidy for nuclear power, it could mean almost anything ministers want it to mean, allowing them to fund energy generation they had previously pledged to avoid. It is a clever bit of semantics that presents the Government as one that is keeping its promises whilst simultaneously doing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/casting-the-truth-in-a-different-light 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/casting-the-truth-in-a-different-light Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT 20 more areas have struck ‘city deals’ with the Government. The announcement follows eight deals with larger cities last year. The cities will negotiate to take on extra autonomy over how to spend budgets in training, skills and road building, amongst other areas. The responsibility should help boost economic growth outside of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-20-new-city-deals 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-20-new-city-deals Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Contracts with energy providers to build new nuclear power stations could be extended to 40 years, it has been reported. The Government is proposing to sign contracts extended from the originally envisaged 20 years to at least 30, and possibly as long as 40 years, according to the Guardian. The longer contracts would help keep costs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nuclear-power-subsidy-deals-could-be-extended-to-40-years 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nuclear-power-subsidy-deals-could-be-extended-to-40-years Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Policing powers should be devolved to Wales, first minister Carwyn Jones has said in the Government’s submission to the Silk Commission. Silk is looking at the scope of the Welsh Assembly’s remit. In the long-term, control over criminal justice including probation services, community safety and crime prevention should be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wales-should-have-power-over-policing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wales-should-have-power-over-policing Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The use of B&Bs to house poor families for over six weeks has risen by 800% since the last general election, new figures show. Freedom of information requests by Labour to 325 councils, 242 of which responded, found that 125 reported placing poor families in hotels for six weeks or more. 54% of these councils are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-use-of-bbs-for-housing-rises-800 441,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-use-of-bbs-for-housing-rises-800 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Employment is set to grow in the first quarter of 2013, according to the latest CIPD/Success Factors report. The Labour Market Outlook report measures net employment balance – the proportion of companies that intend to increase the number of employees versus those which plan to decrease. Net employment has remained positive at +5... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employment-growth-set-to-continue--cipd 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employment-growth-set-to-continue--cipd Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities and public sector bodies are driving down food quality by using the cheapest possible food contracts for schools and hospitals, according to Iceland boss Malcolm Walker. The supermarket chain is among those which have had to withdraw products that have tested positive for horse DNA. Environment secretary Owen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iceland-boss-blames-councils-for-horsemeat-fiasco 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iceland-boss-blames-councils-for-horsemeat-fiasco Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Welfare cuts and a lack of affordable housing are leading councils to look for increasingly desperate ways of providing shelter for their poorest residents. Recent plans include sending families hundreds of miles away, to cheaper areas. And now it has emerged that many are keeping families in B&Bs – stretching temporary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nowhere-to-go 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nowhere-to-go Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Privatising the probation service for low and medium risk offenders will put the public at greater risk, probation officers have warned. In a briefing for MPs, Napo claimed that ministers’ plans to put probation services out to tender with private companies could lead to “chaos”. Harry Fletcher, the assistant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/probation-privatisation-chaotic-and-dangerous--napo 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/probation-privatisation-chaotic-and-dangerous--napo Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Well that’s OK then, and the £75k does not include accommodation and food costs! The Government suggests that people should 'save up' so that they will be able to afford these costs without selling their homes. BUT if you don't save, don't buy a house, but simply 'live the good life' you will have to pay absolutely nothing for your... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ocial-care-costs-to-be-capped-at-75000 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ocial-care-costs-to-be-capped-at-75000 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Treasury has been severely criticised today for its handling of the Government’s lending scheme, as well as the department’s understanding of its role in monitoring public spending. With such a weak economy, and devastating cuts to local government, such lack of control over central government’s finances cannot be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/expensive-experiments 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/expensive-experiments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Labour has pledged to reintroduce the 10p tax band in a shock announcement. The rate was abolished in 2007 by Gordon Brown, but Party Leader Ed Miliband has stated that this was a mistake. The tax band would be funded by a new mansion tax on properties valued over £2m, although Miliband did not reveal full details of how this would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-proposes-reintroducing-10p-tax-band 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-proposes-reintroducing-10p-tax-band Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The South East of England’s regional strategy is to be abolished, moving control over development to local communities. Communities secretary Eric Pickles announced the move, which will become the third area to eliminate “centrally set” building targets. It is hoped councils will be able to deliver more housing in line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-to-scrap-south-east-regional-planning-strategy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-to-scrap-south-east-regional-planning-strategy Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is playing “a series of expensive experiments” in attempts to boost lending, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has stated in a new report. PAC examined the Treasury’s annual report and accounts for 2011-12 and found the detail of the accounts to be “impenetrable”. The report raised concerns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treasury-experimenting-with-public-money--pac 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treasury-experimenting-with-public-money--pac Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT An annual budget has been approved to support MPs with mental health problems to access treatment, the Commons Members Estimate Committee (MEC) has announced. It is difficult for MPs to access local services because of their high profile, so the £25,000 will provide a referrals service operated by doctors contracted at the House of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/25000-support-for-mps-to-access-mental-health-treatment 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/25000-support-for-mps-to-access-mental-health-treatment Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Camden council is planning to move 761 poor families out of London into cheaper housing up to 200 miles away, it is reported. The plans come in the wake of the Coalition’s benefit cap, which limits total welfare payments to £500 a week for families. It means the council will be unable to afford current accommodation and is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-poor-to-be-relocated-out-of-london 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-poor-to-be-relocated-out-of-london Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The DWP has warned that local authorities must “absolutely not apply a blanket policy” of moving low income households out of their area to cheaper housing, up to 200 miles away. But what else, practically, are they meant to do? As cuts continue to bite, councils have steadily decreasing options. Rents in Camden are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/running-out-of-options 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/running-out-of-options Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Academies and free schools could provide education in young offender institutes (YOI), justice secretary Chris Grayling has proposed. The move could create ‘secure training colleges’ and cut the reoffending rate. Grayling is due to outline a green paper on the future of youth custody, including improvements to YOI education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/young-offender-education-to-be-provided-by-academies 454,453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/young-offender-education-to-be-provided-by-academies Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT A quarter of home care services are failing to meet quality and safety standards, a new report suggests. The CQC reviewed 250 services against five key national standards. The CQC found that on many occasions people received no prior notice that they would be visited by a care worker they didn’t know, and visits were often delayed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/26-of-home-care-services-fail-to-meet-standards--cqc 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/26-of-home-care-services-fail-to-meet-standards--cqc Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Moving claimants of jobseekers’ allowance away from benefits does not always result in a supported move to work, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned in a new report. In 40% of cases, the reason for a claimant moving “off-flow” is not recorded, which means that these people could be on other benefits, in prison or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-centres-must-track-claimants-moving-off-benefits 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-centres-must-track-claimants-moving-off-benefits Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The London Fire Authority has voted not to comply with the Mayor’s order for a public consultation on plans to close 12 fire stations. The plans are aimed at saving £45m, with a loss of 520 jobs, but the LFA has voted not to run a consultation because it didn’t support the plans. Terry Stacy, leader of the Liberal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lfa-rejects-boris-plan-to-close-12-fire-stations 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lfa-rejects-boris-plan-to-close-12-fire-stations Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The London Fire Authority could potentially face legal action from London Mayor Boris Johnson over its rejection of the order to open a consultation on the closure of 12 fire stations. The Authority has stated that it cannot support the plans, which would lead to a loss of 520 jobs. Are there better ways to increase efficiency in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lighting-a-fire-of-discontent 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lighting-a-fire-of-discontent Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Heathrow Airport is to spend £3bn on in investment programme over the next five years, it has announced with its new spending plans for 2014-19. The works will include the completion of Terminal 2 and early work on extending the building, the development of a new integrated baggage system and the construction of new taxiways and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/3bn-heathrow-airport-investment-announced 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/3bn-heathrow-airport-investment-announced Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s critical infrastructure is under threat as companies fail to take cyber security seriously enough, a new report suggests. The NAO has found that the UK suffered 44 million cyber attacks in 2011, estimated to cost up to £27bn a year. The report suggests that there is a skills gap, leaving the country unprotected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cyber-security-skills-gap-must-be-addressed--nao 454,439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cyber-security-skills-gap-must-be-addressed--nao Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT A consultation on the new code of practice on settlement agreements has been launched by Acas to support new legislation use to end employment relationships on agreed terms. The Government is introducing new legislation which will mean any offers or discussions about settlement agreements cannot be used as evidence in an unfair dismissal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/settlement-agreement-code-of-practice-launched 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/settlement-agreement-code-of-practice-launched Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT More must be done to tackle the threat of cyber crime, the NAO has reported. This includes improving provision of science and technology in school, to ensure the skills gap is covered now and in the future. IT security is only going to continue to grow in importance as technology advances. There is a lot that individual companies can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-weak-link 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-weak-link Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The current child poverty target is significantly underestimating the number of children living in poverty in the UK, a new report by Policy Exchange shows. The target should be replaced with a metric that considers both household income and social poverty factors, such as whether children have been in care or live in poor quality housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-poverty-measure-ineffective--policy-exchange 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-poverty-measure-ineffective--policy-exchange Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government must address barriers to employment for people living with schizophrenia, a new report by The Work Foundation urges. Rates of employment for people with schizophrenia are at 8% compared to the national average of 71%, with stigma and discrimination preventing people from finding or keeping work. However, those in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-8-of-people-with-schizophrenia-able-to-find-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-8-of-people-with-schizophrenia-able-to-find-work Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Having noted the suggested life expectancies, I searched for other similar projections. An article in the Mail Online dated 14 Jan 2013, ‘How Long Will You Live’, suggested the UK data for men is 78.05 years and women 82.4 years. These are about six years less than NAPF data. Conclusion: read the Mail and have a relatively... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/life-expectancy 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/life-expectancy Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is due to announce a “fully-funded” solution to elderly people’s social care costs, with a £75,000 cap on lifetime costs – much higher than the Dilnot recommendations. There is also expected to be a rise in the threshold for means-tested support from £23,250 to £123,000. Health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lifetime-social-care-costs-to-be-capped-at-75000 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lifetime-social-care-costs-to-be-capped-at-75000 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Business confidence has hit a record low, a new survey suggests. The BDO has published a survey showing business confidence in January is at the lowest level in at least 21 years. The economy could struggle to grow in the first quarter of the year, the report stated, despite firms stating their intention to hire more staff. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/optimism-index-at-889-in-january--bdo 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/optimism-index-at-889-in-january--bdo Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Policy Exchange has called for the Government to redefine its measure of child poverty, to include the millions of children who are currently living “materially deprived lives” but are not recognised by the official target. Failing to fully capture the picture of child poverty in the UK means that these families will never... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-hidden-poor 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-hidden-poor Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Public sector job losses could rise above a million by 2018, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned in its Green Budget. Analysis of the Government’s spending plans suggest that losses are set to be 300,000 higher than currently predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The IFS has found that Whitehall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/12-million-job-cuts-expected-in-public-sector--ifs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/12-million-job-cuts-expected-in-public-sector--ifs Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Plans to replace GCSEs with an English Baccalaureate, or ‘EBacc’, are to be scrapped in a major Government u-turn. Education secretary Michael Gove had planned “more rigorous” exams in core subjects from 2015, but a recent report by the Commons select education committee said the changes would be “too much... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/goves-ebacc-plans-to-replace-gcses-scrapped 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/goves-ebacc-plans-to-replace-gcses-scrapped Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT If food costs had risen as fast as house prices over the last 40 years, a weekly family shop would cost an average of £435, Shelter has calculated. The charity’s new price checker aims to demonstrate unaffordable housing costs by applying the same rate of inflation to everyday items. This comparison shows how difficult it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shelter-warns-that-housing-is-increasingly-unaffordable 441,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shelter-warns-that-housing-is-increasingly-unaffordable Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The case for devolution has been shaken today, with the Public Accounts Committee’s report highlighting the risks involved in strategic decision making, transparency and cost. More data is necessary to ensure local authority performance can be measured against set targets. This aim is shared by the local authorities themselves... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolution-dismissed 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolution-dismissed Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has underestimated the expense of public sector pension reforms, the think tank Centre for Policy Studies has warned. This could lead to a “pensions black hole” of £9bn a year by the beginning of 2020, costing taxpayers. A new CPS study has suggested the burden on taxpayers could be around £1,600... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-black-hole-by-2020--centre-for-policy-studies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-black-hole-by-2020--centre-for-policy-studies Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Further devolution for local transport services could lead to weakened accountability, the Public Accounts Committee has stated in a new report. The Committee considered how moving funding for local transport to local authorities could risk poor decisions. The LGA has responded, calling the suggestion of a move back towards centralism a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-devolution-a-risk--pac 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-devolution-a-risk--pac Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Teachers in Wrexham are being the opportunity to further their skills and education, in a partnership with Wrexham County Council and Glyndwr University. Up to 100 teachers a year will be sponsored to attend the university’s MA education programme. The course will be tailored to respond to the needs of primary and secondary teachers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wrexham-teachers-to-gain-skills-through-university-partnership 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wrexham-teachers-to-gain-skills-through-university-partnership Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT I suppose the old adage ‘there is no honour among thieves’ should be applied here.  Over the last couple of years many of the councils have been stuffing their reserves to the gunnels – with, let me say, taxpayers’ money – and then claiming foul. Again, many of these councils are those receiving the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-and-council-reserves 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-and-council-reserves Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has published the final list of councils getting funding through the New Homes Bonus. Under the scheme, worth £1.3bn to councils between 2011 and 2014, the Government matches the council tax raised from new homes over six years. It is also available for councils reducing the number of long-term empty homes, and there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-allocates-new-homes-bonus-cash-for-2013-14 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-allocates-new-homes-bonus-cash-for-2013-14 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The LGA is co-hosting a summit tomorrow on tackling youth unemployment and disengagement, as new research suggests a new local approach could cut the number of young people out of work by 20% in three years. The LGA research suggests the new approach could save £1.25bn a year for the public finances, and contribute £15bn to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-urges-new-approach-to-cutting-youth-joblessness 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-urges-new-approach-to-cutting-youth-joblessness Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Politicians often say they want to implement evidence-based policies – but it’s funny how quickly this goes out the window if it contradicts existing policies, or entrenched ideology. The LGA’s new report on youth unemployment makes an unrelenting case for youth unemployment policies decided and implemented locally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/listening-to-the-evidence 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/listening-to-the-evidence Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Up to 150 Conservative MPs could vote against plans to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in the free vote on the Bill tomorrow (Tuesday). Gay marriage is likely to still become law, since the vast majority of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs back the plans, but it would be a sign of serious division within the Conservatives and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-prepare-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-amid-tory-discontent 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-prepare-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-amid-tory-discontent Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT A housing association that overhauled its health and safety management systems and the development of its internal audit procedures has won a top award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Trent and Dove Housing, covering east Staffordshire and south Derbyshire, got Level 1 recognition under the Quality Safety Audit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rospa-award-for-high-achieving-housing-association 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rospa-award-for-high-achieving-housing-association Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The National Housing Federation’s new report focuses on the important role housing can play in a truly integrated and person-focused health and social care system. PSE talks to author and NHF policy officer Amy Swan. 'Providing an alternative pathway: The value of integrating housing, care and support’, the new report from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-a-given-that-good-housing-is-a-key-determinant-of-good-health 446,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-a-given-that-good-housing-is-a-key-determinant-of-good-health Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced £62m investment to improve cycling facilities, including significant work to integrate cycling with public transport and make it easier and safer for people to cycle through cities. New cycle hubs will be built at Leicester, Nottingham, Redhill and Upminster stations with bike hire, storage, lockers and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/62m-cycling-boost-for-cities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/62m-cycling-boost-for-cities Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Against a backdrop of the tough economic climate and job losses across the public sector, how can organisations meet the internal and external compliance requirements in the year ahead? Marie Coley SIRM, a member of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM), head of health & safety and environmental management at Addaction and former Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2013-the-year-of-compliance 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2013-the-year-of-compliance Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Blackpool made national headlines earlier this year when it launched a pilot project to provide universal free breakfasts for primary school children. PSE hears from council leader Simon Blackburn, the driving force behind the idea, about the hoped-for benefits in terms of attendance, timeliness, behaviour and attainment. Since the start... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-great-start-to-the-day-and-the-year 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-great-start-to-the-day-and-the-year Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Sam Richards, head of urban integration at Crossrail, describes the huge public realm scheme being planned alongside Europe’s biggest construction project. City-wide improvements to the railway network can no longer simply consider what goes on in stations and on trains – the quality of the areas surrounding this work have a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-urban-legacy 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-urban-legacy Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Doncaster’s library service – like virtually all around the country – has found itself under huge financial strain in recent years. But with half its libraries now managed and run by 380 volunteers, as an alternative to closure, the new service has won the ‘Making a Difference in Yorkshire and Humber Award’ from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/borrowed-time 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/borrowed-time Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Nicola Small, senior transport planner at Warwickshire County Council, tells PSE about a forum that lets businesses share ideas about improving local transport for employees. Businesses can have a signifi cant role to play in their employees’ transport decisions – and Warwickshire County Council is exploring how local firms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-the-daily-commute 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-the-daily-commute Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Pippa Gardner, project manager of the Technology Strategy Board’s Future Cities Demonstrator at Glasgow City Council, talks to PSE about winning £24m to transform the way the city works. Glasgow has won the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) Future Cities Demonstrator competition, and will receive £24m to create a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-city-a-testbed-of-smarter-working-in-glasgow 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-city-a-testbed-of-smarter-working-in-glasgow Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT A series of departmental, government agency and local authority trials to improve public sector construction procurement reported back on progress so far at a Cabinet Offi ce event. Adam Hewitt reports. New approaches to procurement can cut waste, boost effi ciency, and encourage a more collaborative supply chain, according to the Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-procurement-in-public-sector-construction 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-procurement-in-public-sector-construction Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT John Gillon, a former detective superintendent with Strathclyde Police who had a 30-year police career, now an industry consultant for SAS Public Security, discusses the need for police services to make better use of data and to share information. Now that the new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are in post, one of their most urgent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joined-up-policing-why-it-needs-to-be-a-priority 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joined-up-policing-why-it-needs-to-be-a-priority Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Jim Blaik, highway operations manager at Doncaster Council, spoke to PSE about the largest multi-manufacturer LED trial in the country. Doncaster Council has identified and implemented the best LED lighting on the market, through a trial which tested products from several different manufacturers. PSE spoke to Jim Blaik, highway... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/led-the-way 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/led-the-way Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Businesses must start to seriously consider how they can provide services in a way which adds ‘social value’ to the community. Social Enterprise UK is right in calling for Government to build on the momentum of the Act, strengthening it to ensure this is implemented in practice. Could this be the first step towards a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-just-a-token-gesture 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-just-a-token-gesture Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT David Pokora, chief executive of the LIFT Council, gives his verdict on the outcome of the PFI review in the Autumn Statement on December 5. Public sector property expert David Pokora, who spent 26 years in the NHS, including 11 as chief executive of an acute trust, is executive director of the LIFT Council, which represents 95% of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pf2 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pf2 Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, outlines the latest research into public sector complaints and explains why it is imperative that customers are handled with care. The public sector is currently facing huge challenges as the full impact of Government spending cuts hits frontline and support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-complaints-handle-with-care 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-complaints-handle-with-care Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Mark Robinson, the EU representative in Brussels on UK public sector procurement and enterprise matters, and chief executive of Scape, a local authority controlled company that tries to cut the cost of public sector construction procurement, gives his reaction to the recent CBI report showing that SMEs are unhappy with the pace of public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-reform 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-reform Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The public trust councils to take difficult decisions on spending rather than central government, new data shows. An Ipsos MORI poll, commissioned by the New Local Government Network (NLGN) found that 79% of voters trust local councils to make important decisions about the future of local services, while only 11% trust the Government to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-trust-in-councils-reaffirmed--nlgn 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-trust-in-councils-reaffirmed--nlgn Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Virtually all towns and cities in the country would like their public space to do more to boost the local economy, improve the visitor experience for residents and better integrate transport options. For cities like Bath, there is the added dimension of heritage and tourism to consider, and it has embarked on a radical plan to overhaul the way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reinventing-the-public-realm 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reinventing-the-public-realm Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Two landscape architecture students who won a national design competition as part of a project to regenerate Kirkby town centre in Ashfi eld explain how good design can create dynamic urban spaces that are safe, integrated and have plenty of opportunities to play and interact. Adam Hewitt reports. OPUN, the better architecture body for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaping-the-future 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaping-the-future Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Social Value Act came into force yesterday, having been passed last February. It requires commissioners of public services to take into account economic, social and environmental wellbeing when seeking to purchase services. Social Enterprise UK has called for Government to build on the Act, making creating social value a legal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-act-must-be-strengthened 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-act-must-be-strengthened Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Richard French, director of education policy at BCS Learning & Development Ltd, part of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, speaks to PSE about the new traineeship programme proposed by the Government. Despite the younger generation often being stereotyped as permanently having their heads down, engrossed in their phones and latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-the-digital-divide 453,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-the-digital-divide Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Our focus on the public realm, urban design and communal space in this edition of PSE is a good reminder that for all the work done in boardrooms and back offices across the public sector, it is what people actually see that has the biggest influence on what they think. It is sometimes said that people don’t really care who runs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-you-see-what-you-get 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-you-see-what-you-get Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT The decision by three police forces to not join a framework that would see services outsourced G4S will be welcomed by critics opposing further privatisation within key public services such as policing. This means that the company will not run financial, ICT or fleet services for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-it-in-house 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-it-in-house Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government must do more to improve the evaluation of the impact of decisions on local authority finances and services, the National Audit Office has warned. The DCLG must work with other departments to achieve this. A new report from the NAO shows that local authorities are struggling to absorb funding reductions without reducing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-warns-of-impact-of-local-government-funding-reductions 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-warns-of-impact-of-local-government-funding-reductions Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT An alliance of three police forces will not proceed with the outsourcing framework with G4S as a supplier, it has been decided. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire forces were considering joining Lincolnshire’s framework for outsourcing the forces’ organisational support services, including human resources, ICT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-forces-reject-g4s-framework 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-forces-reject-g4s-framework Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The independence referendum question should be replaced with more neutral wording, the Electoral Commission has concluded. Its assessment of the Scottish Government’s proposed question has been published today, and says the question uses clear, simple and easy to understand language. But the original question – ‘Do... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-independence-question-must-be-reworded 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-independence-question-must-be-reworded Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Local government needs more autonomy and more fiscal powers, according to Parliament’s Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. Its new report suggests that local government should be more independent of central government, and able to exercise a range of tax-raising powers to achieve the full potential of localism. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-independent-local-government 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-independent-local-government Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Local government must be given greater financial freedoms and power to design services to fit local needs, the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has urged. Further devolution would allow councils to achieve the full potential of localism, and at last escape from prescriptive nagging from the powers that be. Would complete... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independent-authority 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independent-authority Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme, the Green Deal, has been officially launched. Companies will pay for improvements on homes, whose residents will pay back the loan with savings on their energy bills. The types of energy efficiency measures available include cavity wall insulation and double glazing. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/official-green-deal-launch 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/official-green-deal-launch Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The rise in youth unemployment in the UK cannot simply be blamed on the recession, a new report by the Work Foundation warns. Other major competitor economies are significantly better performing on employment, and the report, International lessons: youth unemployment in the global context, offers recommendations for how the UK can improve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-must-learn-international-lessons-on-youth-unemployment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-must-learn-international-lessons-on-youth-unemployment Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Glasgow has won £24m funding to host the Technology Strategy Board’s Future Cities Demonstrator. The city will now show how providing new integrated services can improve the local economy and increase citizens’ quality of life. The demonstrator will allow UK businesses to test new solutions across health, transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/24m-future-cities-demonstrator-goes-to-glasgow 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/24m-future-cities-demonstrator-goes-to-glasgow Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Communities’ secretary Eric Pickles has accused councils of “dodging democracy” by not holding referendums on council tax rises. Local authorities should hold a public vote before they raise taxes above 2%, ministers said. Pickles has indicated that this threshold could be lowered to force councils to freeze council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/199-council-tax-rises-are-cheating-residents 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/199-council-tax-rises-are-cheating-residents Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The award of the Future Cities Demonstrator to Glasgow is a very exciting development for a city which has so much need for innovative system integration. £24m funding could transform the area, boosting both the local economy and quality of life. The project also allows businesses to try different ways of working that may be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-test-bed-of-innovation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-test-bed-of-innovation Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The second phase of HS2, whose route has been announced today, will shorten the journey time from London to Manchester to 1 hour 8 minutes, and to Leeds in 1 hour 22 minutes. The Government has announced the details of the extension from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds as the top part of the Y-shaped network, scheduled to be completed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2-to-halve-journey-times-to-manchester-and-leeds 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2-to-halve-journey-times-to-manchester-and-leeds Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The proposed scheme to make long term unemployed people work if they have been out of work for more than three years is unlikely to have any material impact on unemployment for these people. When you have been unemployed for so long it becomes almost impossible to adjust quickly to a working life. They will almost certainly have lost any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-unemployment 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-unemployment Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT People living in the most deprived areas of the country receive poorer quality childcare than those in wealthy areas, a new report shows. Policy Exchange found that 79% of all nurseries or childminders were rated as ‘good’ or outstanding by Ofsted, compared to 64% in the most deprived areas. The report comes as early... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poorer-quality-childcare-found-in-deprived-areas 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poorer-quality-childcare-found-in-deprived-areas Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councils that take too long to find adoptive parents could see the responsibility outsourced to private agencies and charities, children’s minister Edward Timpson is to announce. He plans to change the law to allow outsourcing if councils could not demonstrate they are doing enough to tackle the problem. There are 4,600... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adoption-could-be-outsourced-if-progress-not-made 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adoption-could-be-outsourced-if-progress-not-made Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT New figures from the ONS suggest crime has dropped 8% in the past year. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) reported that there were 8.9 million crimes against adults in England and Wales in the year ending September 2012. This is 8% lower than the previous years’ survey, largely driven by decreases in vandalism, burglary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-down-8--ons 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-down-8--ons Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service has reduced staff injuries by 37%, following a safety improvement programme. In 201/12 the number of injuries to staff was 136, a fall of 80 casualties from 2009/10. The service has won a RoSPA Diamond award – the highest level in their Quality Safety Audit (QSA) scheme and is only one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire--rescue-service-cuts-staff-injury-by-37 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire--rescue-service-cuts-staff-injury-by-37 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities will be given a stark warning today, that unless they manage to speed up the process of adoption and clear the national backlog by coordinating more closely with other councils, their powers over this area could be outsourced. As councils’ responsibility for delivering services continues to be reduced, the threat... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-threat-of-outsourcing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-threat-of-outsourcing Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has made his long-awaited speech on the future of the UK within the EU, and has pledged an in/out referendum if the Conservatives win the next election. The referendum would be held after he has worked to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU, by the end of 2017 at the latest. Cameron gave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-in-out-eu-referendum 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-pledges-in-out-eu-referendum Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT There is a “mismatch” between students’ skills and employers’ expectations, the CIPD has warned. A new survey found that 53% of employers believe that young people receive inadequate careers advice and that 63% lack insight into the working world. The evidence forms part of the CIPD’s submission to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-warns-of-poor-career-advice-for-young-people 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-warns-of-poor-career-advice-for-young-people Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A single ‘troubled family’ in London cost £345,718 over a year in police call-outs, ambulance alerts and social services interventions, new figures show. Communities’ secretary Eric Pickles has published a report, The cost of troubled families, which details how councils are saving money by intervening more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-families-results-published 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-families-results-published Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Pickles has published new statistics detailing how councils can reduce spending on troubled families – more guidance, or pressure, to deliver better services at a lower cost. Greater transparency and communication of ideas and programmes which can improve councils’ work with their poorest families is clearly positive. Such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/troubled-times-and-troubled-families 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/troubled-times-and-troubled-families Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Ministry of Defence is to unveil the third round of Army job cuts today – with around 5,000 job losses expected. The Government is aiming to reduce army numbers from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2017. The Navy and RAF are to cut 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and around 25,000 civilian staff facing redundancy, under the Strategic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/5000-army-jobs-losses-expected 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/5000-army-jobs-losses-expected Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Transport infrastructure projects will not necessarily boost the economy, leading transport academics and planners have warned. 32 signatories, in association with the Transport Planning Society (TPS), have written an open letter to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin, raising concerns about plans and investment for big transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evidence-for-transport-investment-not-as-strong--tps 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evidence-for-transport-investment-not-as-strong--tps Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Transport academics and planners have questioned the Government’s proposed investment in a range of large transport projects, suggesting that the economic and employment cases are not as clear-cut as they could be. This must be considered carefully, as implementing new transport links for the sake of it, or to win public confidence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evidence-light 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evidence-light Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT UK public sector borrowing rose slightly in December, new statistics from the ONS show. Borrowing rose from £14.8bn in December 2011 to £15.4bn in 2012. Analysts had forecast borrowing of £15.2bn. Total borrowing so far this financial year, excluding the transfer of Royal Mail assets, is £106.5bn –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-higher-than-expected 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-higher-than-expected Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT When has Eric Pickles ever said anything concerning local regulators which was based on factual evidence? Most of his pronouncements have been to grab headlines and promote his or his party’s political agenda. I am sure there are examples of where local authorities have prosecuted when perhaps not all other avenues have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bin-police 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bin-police Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Organisations from across the construction, property and infrastructure sectors have highlighted the consensus for potential green growth in an open letter to the Chancellor. The coalition of professional and trade organisations was brought together by the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) and includes the Chartered Institution of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-regulation-could-boost-green-growth 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-regulation-could-boost-green-growth Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Apprenticeships should last for three years and be as demanding as A-levels, the think tank Policy Exchange has argued. Making longer apprenticeships available to pupils from the age of 14 could provide a robust alternative to the current focus on academic skills, the report states. ‘Technical Matters’ highlights that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-for-14-year-olds--policy-exchange 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-for-14-year-olds--policy-exchange Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Haywood have been criticised for their handling of ‘plebgate’, which led to the resignation of Andrew Mitchell as Chief Whip. The Public Administration Select Committee has stated that the structures for investigating alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code are “not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-was-wrong-person-to-probe-plebgate-mps 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-was-wrong-person-to-probe-plebgate-mps Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new partnership has been launched to boost public sector policy-making skills and support professional development for policy makers. The Institute for Government and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) are determined to improve Whitehall commissioning through their ‘Connecting Policy with Practice: People Powered Change’ initiative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fund-to-boost-public-sector-policy-making 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fund-to-boost-public-sector-policy-making Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Apprenticeships from 14 could offer less academically-minded students a way to achieve relevant, practically applicable skills, Policy Exchange has proposed. But would offering an alternative path so young reinforce the divide between vocational skills and those who are destined for higher education? Recommending that colleges and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-young 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-young Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT 1.5 million elderly people living in rural areas are struggling to heat their homes, Age UK has warned. This is due to the rising cost of heating oil. Last month, prices were 14% higher than in the previous December, forcing many people to cut back on the cost of fuel, the charity reported. Around 1.5 million people over 65 living in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/age-uk-calls-for-support-for-rural-elderly 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/age-uk-calls-for-support-for-rural-elderly Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Elderly people living in rural areas are particularly at risk of fuel poverty, Age UK has warned. People living in colder homes are far more likely to be susceptible to health issues and can even lead to preventable deaths. It makes sense for the Government to prioritise these people for house-warming and energy efficiency measures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/out-in-the-cold 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/out-in-the-cold Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Police Federation chairman Paul McKeever has died in hospital. He was admitted into hospital a few days ago due to a suspected embolism, and died on Thursday night. The 57-year-old was due to retire on January 31 and his responsibilities had already passed to Steve Williams, chair elect of the federation. Williams said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-federation-chairman-dies 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-federation-chairman-dies Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Heavy snow is causing severe disruption across the UK, with a rare red Met Office warning in place across Wales. Many roads have hazardous conditions, and parts of the M4 and M50 were closed for a time. Rail travel has also been disrupted, with a revised timetable in place on South West Trains and passengers urged to check before they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/snow-warnings-in-place-across-uk 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/snow-warnings-in-place-across-uk Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new organisation has been launched today to promote work and communication between the public, private and third sectors. Collaborate has been established as a community interest company based at London South Bank University. It will research and analyse conditions for collaboration and offer a cross-sector “neutral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/collaborate-launched-for-cross-sector-development 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/collaborate-launched-for-cross-sector-development Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The new organisation Collaborate could provide much needed links between the public, private and third sectors, with potentially transformational results. There is more and more cause for these sectors to work together, yet a lack of understanding, trust and respect has held progress back. Public services are increasingly being delivered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-call-to-collaborate 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-call-to-collaborate Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A drop of 30,000 students in higher education could cost the economy £6.6bn in the long-term, a think tank has warned. Million+ states that an undergraduate degree brings graduates an extra £115,000 over their working life and a masters adds a further £59,000. The net gain for the Treasury is £94,000 per graduate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fewer-students-cost-economy-66bn-million 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fewer-students-cost-economy-66bn-million Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The next round of the Regional Growth Fund is now open, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced. £350m is available for businesses to bid for. Run by BIS, the scheme has started 180 projects so far, which have pledged to create or safeguard a total of 500,000 jobs and £13bn private sector investment into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fourth-round-of-regional-growth-fund-opens 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fourth-round-of-regional-growth-fund-opens Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s national infrastructure plan involves key risks for the taxpayer, the NAO has warned in a new report. The report reviewed the value for money for the plan, where the Government expects to spend £130bn by 2015 on energy, rail, roads, water, waste, flood defences and digital communications. The Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/real-risks-in-governments-infrastructure-plan--nao 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/real-risks-in-governments-infrastructure-plan--nao Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Public service reform could be undermined by workers’ reluctance to recognise that their salaries should reflect individual performance, the CIPD has warned. Only one in three public sector workers think their salary should reflect their individual performance, compared to 54% of private sector workers surveyed. Public sectors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-needed-for-public-sector--cipd 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-needed-for-public-sector--cipd Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The CIPD has warned that public sector workers must start to consider how their individual performance should be linked with pay, bringing the sector more in line with private workers. This is a mindset that comes far more easily for the private sector – where individual performance is often seen as the main criteria with which to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rewarding-success 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rewarding-success Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT An independent Scotland could have free education written into its constitution, First Minister Alex Salmond has proposed. In a speech in London later today, Salmond will detail constitutional rights for an independent Scotland. These could include free education, rights to housing and a ban on nuclear weapons, although Salmond has stated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salmond-calls-for-scottish-constitution 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salmond-calls-for-scottish-constitution Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Welsh schools are to receive £39m in Government funding to improve broadband connections and boost teaching and learning.  Councils will receive £27m of capital funding to upgrade internet connections, First Minister Carwyn Jones announced.  Primary and special schools will receive £10,000 to buy better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/39m-broadband-boost-for-welsh-schools 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/39m-broadband-boost-for-welsh-schools Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The white paper published by pensions minister Steve Webb yesterday sets out how a single flat-rate pension is to replace the current system of two state pensions.  Despite some claim and counter-claim about winners and losers in the short and long term, many commentators have welcomed the simplicity of the new system compared to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/single-pension-could-bring-step-change-to-retirement--cipd 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/single-pension-could-bring-step-change-to-retirement--cipd Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT In rural areas, internet can provide connections as valuable as those offered by roads and transport links. This is the case behind investing in broadband connections for Welsh schools, with faster speeds allowing children growing up here the chance to access the same resources as those in more urban parts of the UK.  It is also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staying-connected 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staying-connected Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A legal challenge on minimum pricing is scheduled to begin today at the Court of Session. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and several European wine and spirits bodies have filed a petition for Judicial Review against the legislation the Scottish Government brought in last year to tackle alcohol abuse.  The Bill received... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swa-launches-legal-challenge-over-minimum-pricing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swa-launches-legal-challenge-over-minimum-pricing Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councils in England will no longer be able to fine residents for household waste offences, communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced. He labelled the fines “unreasonable” punishment. Fines of up to £1,000 will be scrapped for putting rubbish in the wrong bins, on the wrong day, failing to recycle or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bin-fines-to-be-scrapped--pickles 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bin-fines-to-be-scrapped--pickles Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Eric Pickles has once again attacked councils using inflammatory language but not much evidence, announcing plans to scrap fixed penalty notices for waste offences.  Councils will no longer have the power to fine residents for household waste offences, or ‘bin crimes’, as Pickles has chosen to portray them. Whilst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-local-mess 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-local-mess Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The removal of child benefit is age discriminatory. The families likely to be on higher salaries are older parents of older children. The policy has a disproportionate effect on this group of people. These people are more likely to be those that have struggled to work through their child’s younger years and avoid a career break to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-benefit-cuts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-benefit-cuts Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Reorganising the way public services are provided and paid for could save the public sector between £9.4bn and £20.6bn over the next five years, according to the Local Government Association. The results of a year-long pilot of community budgets found that cutting unnecessary waste and red tape, as well as devolving more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-budgets-could-save-20bn--lga 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-budgets-could-save-20bn--lga Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Government is outlining a new flat-rate state pension today, to come into force in April 2017, which could mean higher NI contributions for many public sector workers – but also higher pension payments in the future. The scheme would combine the basic state pension and second state pension and result in a weekly payment of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-flat-rate-state-pension-to-be-introduced 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-flat-rate-state-pension-to-be-introduced Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of disabled people are to miss out on transport payments, according to a new report by the campaign group ‘We Are Spartacus.’ Under tighter rules that will be enforced from April, those who cannot walk over 20 metres will retain their payments. However, the previous system gave payments to individuals who were unable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-payments-for-disabled-people-to-be-cut-back 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-payments-for-disabled-people-to-be-cut-back Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new report from the National Housing Federation (NHF) has found that integrating housing with health and social care can improve the lives of vulnerable and older people, whilst saving thousands of pounds in care costs. The NHF found that local authorities, housing providers, GPs and acute trusts working together to provide an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/good-housing-can-improve-health--nhf 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/good-housing-can-improve-health--nhf Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The importance of good housing to health has been reinforced today, with the publication of a new report from the National Housing Federation (NHF). If patients are travelling to and from hospital without effective support to manage their recovery and reduce the need for readmissions, this creates high costs, both for the individual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/house-and-home 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/house-and-home Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT It is more and more likely that the UK will fall into a triple-dip recession, new statistics from the ONS show, as industrial growth was weaker than forecast. Low growth for UK industry was posted in November, with manufacturing output falling 0.3% and the wider reading of industrial output grew by 0.3%. Analysts had been hoping for rises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/low-growth-rates-for-uk-industry 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/low-growth-rates-for-uk-industry Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new map has been launched by the Government to show the number of children waiting for adoption across the UK. The move is hoped to increase the number of adoptions and speed up the process. People interested in adoption can also ring a new hotline for information and advice on which groups to speak to and the support available. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-map-shows-number-of-children-waiting-for-adoption 442,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-map-shows-number-of-children-waiting-for-adoption Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Councillors might need higher allowances to encourage a wider group of people to stand for election, a new report suggests. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee stated that councillors voting for higher allowances for themselves would be intensely unpopular, and the responsibility for setting remuneration should be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/higher-allowances-proposed-for-councillors--mps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/higher-allowances-proposed-for-councillors--mps Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Seven prisons in England are to close, the Ministry of Justice has announced. A new 2,000-capacity ‘super-prison’ will replace the old buildings. A feasibility study has been launched, with the new prison to be situated in London, north-west England or north Wales. The new building is expected to save £62m a year and be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moj-announces-prisons-closure 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moj-announces-prisons-closure Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT How much of a barrier is low pay to people’s motivation to become councillors? According to a select committee report, it is a substantial deterrent to those who may wish to be involved. Particularly for the young, local government can be difficult to get into. In light of this, the committee has come up with a number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-more-more 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-more-more Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The way Retail Prices Index (RPI) is calculated should be kept unchanged, the ONS has recommended in a shock decision. It was expected that National Statistician Jill Matheson would change the way RPI is calculated as a measure of inflation. The recommendation has major implications for rail fares, pensions, water bills and even... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rpi-calculation-to-remain-unchanged-ons-decides 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rpi-calculation-to-remain-unchanged-ons-decides Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Private firms will be able to bid for probation services on a payment by results basis, justice secretary Chris Grayling is to announce. Critics have said the plans amount to “breaking up the probation service” and say they will put the public at risk. The new contracts will transfer responsibility for monitoring around... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grayling-proposes-payment-by-results-for-probation 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grayling-proposes-payment-by-results-for-probation Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Payment by results for probation is a risky business. Critics warn that it has not been tested in this field, which could lead to disastrous consequences. Justice secretary Chris Grayling has announced the plans, citing high reoffending rates as the need for change. But with no evidence that private firms could deliver this any better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/justifying-justice-reforms 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/justifying-justice-reforms Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A range of energy efficiency measures is set to save Mid Devon District Council up to a third on its annual energy expenditure. The council will share savings through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme with Anesco Energy Services (South) Ltd (AESSL). The contract is set to run for 12 years, after which the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mid-devon-district-council-launches-rhi-schemes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mid-devon-district-council-launches-rhi-schemes Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new road policing unit has been launched in Scotland, to improve public safety and increase the police presence on the roads. The Trunk Roads Patrol Group will form part of the single police service when it comes into force this April. Officers will provide high-profile traffic enforcement on major national routes and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-road-policing-unit-launched 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-road-policing-unit-launched Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT MPs will vote on the controversial 1% cap on annual benefit increases tonight, which could save the Government £1.9bn annually in cash terms by 2016. The Coalition has stated that benefits should not be rising at a faster rate than wages – public sector pay is currently capped at 1%. Traditionally, working-age benefits rise in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1-cap-on-benefits-vote-due 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1-cap-on-benefits-vote-due Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Blackpool council is piloting free breakfasts for all primary school pupils in a bid to stop children from starting the day hungry. The scheme will help pupils to “focus on learning”, council leader Simon Blackburn said. Starting today, the £700,000 project will provide breakfast for all 12,000 primary school pupils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-breakfast-piloted-at-blackpool 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-breakfast-piloted-at-blackpool Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Network Rail has submitted its strategic business plan to the ORR, detailing its plans to spend £37.5bn running and expanding the railway over the next control period covering the five years to 2019. The plan follows the publication of the HLOS (High Level Output Specification) by the Government in July 2012, and is submitted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/network-rails-375bn-spending-plans-for-cp5 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/network-rails-375bn-spending-plans-for-cp5 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT MPs are to vote on the cap on benefit increases tonight, which opponents have suggested could significantly harm hard-working families – the very people the Government has consistently declared in justified need of support. The Coalition has stated that it is unfair for benefits to rise at a higher rate than wages, and the move... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strivers-and-benefits 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strivers-and-benefits Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT School leavers will be able to join the civil service apprenticeship fast stream from April, the Government has announced. The first 100 apprentices, aged 18-21, will be recruited in April to learn on the job in departments from September 2013 for at least the next two years. Cabinet office minister Francis Maude and head of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100-young-apprentices-to-join-the-civil-service 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100-young-apprentices-to-join-the-civil-service Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT It beggars belief that someone who works hard and attempts to do something with their life, support their family and contribute to society, should then need to claim housing benefit from the state. Would it not be economical sense to pay them a decent wage in the first instance? The cost of processing their HB claim alone would probably... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-recipients-on-the-rise 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-recipients-on-the-rise Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Progress towards creating the Big Society is too slow, Sir Stephen Bubb has warned Prime Minister David Cameron. The concept is being neglected and would benefit from greater involvement of charities said Sir Stephen, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO). In an open letter he wrote:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-society-needs-more-charity-involvement--acevo 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-society-needs-more-charity-involvement--acevo Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Over one million better-off families will see their child benefits cut under the new system that takes effect today. Families with one parent earning over £50,000 will lose part of their child benefit. It will be fully withdrawn if one parent earns over £60,000. The new system will save £1.5bn annually as part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-benefit-cuts-take-effect-toda 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-benefit-cuts-take-effect-toda Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Halfway through the Coalition, and Clegg and Cameron are presenting a united front – for the first time in awhile, following divisive and well-publicised spats over everything from the Leveson report to energy policy. The mid-term review should highlight some of the successes so far, as well as spelling out some long-awaited reforms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/halfway-point 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/halfway-point Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition is “steadfast and united”, Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg have announced ahead of their mid-term review. The review will cover the Coalition’s successes in meeting their pledges, and commit to further reforms. These will include helping families with childcare costs, and could see the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mid-term-review-to-pledge-support-for-old-age 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mid-term-review-to-pledge-support-for-old-age Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Employers must do more to ensure employees’ mild illness does not escalate into long-term absence and sickness-related worklessness, a new report urges. 2020health has produced a new report: ‘Work as a health outcome in the devolved nations: How Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales tackle sickness-related worklessness’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2020health-calls-on-employers-to-tackle-sickness-absence 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2020health-calls-on-employers-to-tackle-sickness-absence Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT House prices ended 2012 down by 1%, new data from the building society Nationwide demonstrates. Variation in prices across the UK also shows a deepening of the north-south divide. In December, house prices fell by 0.1%, and the average price was £162,262, the figures show. Prices varied considerably depending on the area of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1-fall-in-house-prices-over-2012--nationwide 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1-fall-in-house-prices-over-2012--nationwide Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT A new Community Challenge Fund has been launched by the Highland Council, investigating new ways of delivering local services. The Fund will provide £1m each year for community projects that deliver the same level of service at a lower cost, a higher level of services for the same cost, or reduce the costs for maintaining premises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-challenge-fund-to-fund-innovation-in-service-delivery 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-challenge-fund-to-fund-innovation-in-service-delivery Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The latest data from Nationwide demonstrates still-fragile conditions in the housing market, with many potential buyers deterred by problems in the wider economy and issues with mortgage availability. And the gap between north and south continues to widen, with house prices differing by around £95,000. This variation is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/divided-loyalties 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/divided-loyalties Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Means testing winter fuel benefits for pensioners could help to fund elderly social care, a new report suggests. ‘Delivering Dilnot: paying for elderly care’, written by the former care minister Paul Burstow MP and the think tank Centre Forum, says that limiting fuel allowance to those receiving pension credit could save... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrapping-winter-fuel-cash-for-wealthy-could-fund-dilnot--burstow 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrapping-winter-fuel-cash-for-wealthy-could-fund-dilnot--burstow Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has labelled the current system of calculating benefit payments as unfair, ahead of a Commons vote on welfare caps. Jobless benefits rose by 20% in the last five years, compared with an average 12% rise in private sector pay. Welfare increases have cost the taxpayer £6.3bn since the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefits-rising-faster-than-wages-is-unfair--ids 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefits-rising-faster-than-wages-is-unfair--ids Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions, alongside two other public authorites, have been highlighted for monitoring by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) following poor timeliness when responding to FoI requests. Northern Ireland’s Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dfe-and-dwp-to-be-monitored-by-ico-over-foi-responses 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dfe-and-dwp-to-be-monitored-by-ico-over-foi-responses Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT New figures for the manufacturing industry could offer a glimpse of hope for the struggling economy, as output increased far ahead of forecasts. After many months of disappointing statistics, revised predictions and contraction after contraction, the latest PMI results are undoubtedly good news. Much depends on the reports on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exceeding-expectations 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exceeding-expectations Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT UK manufacturing rose unexpectedly in December, showing the biggest increase in PMI in 15 months, new figures show. The results could help avoid a contraction of the economy, which was forecast to shrink by 0.1% in the last three months of 2012. Manufacturing makes up 10% of British output, and PMI scores for the construction and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manufacturing-activity-increased-in-december 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manufacturing-activity-increased-in-december Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The new local government financial settlement has been published, labelled the “right road” by communities secretary Eric Pickles. But the LGA said that further cuts to councils’ spending power will harm economic growth, council services and vulnerable people. 70% of councils’ income will now be raised locally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-put-fair-funding-deal-to-work-pickles 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-put-fair-funding-deal-to-work-pickles Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The full costs of the May 2011 voting system referendum have been published today – the first time the costs of a national poll have been made public. The Electoral Commission found the costs of the referendum on the UK Parliamentary voting system were £75m. The total amount claimed by counting officers was around £58m... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/av-referendum-cost-75m--electoral-commission 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/av-referendum-cost-75m--electoral-commission Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Whitehall should recruit more senior staff from the private sector, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has suggested. All permanent secretaries will be subject to two reviews each year, with formal input from ministers on their performance, and their individual objectives have been published. The move will increase transparency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-transparency-push 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-transparency-push Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Communities and Local Government Committee has raised concerns over the Government’s temporary relaxation of planning permission rules for home extensions. The plans were aimed at giving the flailing construction industry a boost, but the committee warns that the effects of the proposals would be permanent, and damaging to local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/irritating-relaxation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/irritating-relaxation Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The planning relaxation proposals are ‘confused’, according to the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. In September, the Government announced that the maximum length of single-storey extensions that can be built without the need for planning permission would be doubled from three to six metres. For detached... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-planning-relaxation 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-planning-relaxation Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The NHS reforms could be threatening hospice care by increasing the burden posed on carers by regulation, the former Tory leader Lord Howard has warned in his role as chairman of the Help the Hospices charity. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to meet with Lord Howard to discuss his concerns. Under the NHS reforms, it is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hospices-threatened-by-regulations 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hospices-threatened-by-regulations Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New accusations have come to light over ‘plebgate’, which saw Andrew Mitchell resign as chief whip. The incident took place in September, when Mitchell was reported to have sworn at armed police officers and called them ‘plebs’ when they would not open a gate for him. A Diplomatic Protection Squad officer was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/met-investigating-police-misconduct-over-pleb-row 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/met-investigating-police-misconduct-over-pleb-row Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest furore over Andrew Mitchell’s ‘pleb’ comments demonstrates how quickly the media can transform an incident into a life-changing moment for the individuals involved. If the accusations regarding the police officer are true, Mitchell has already been tried and judged by newspapers who were so quick to leap on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plebgate 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plebgate Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The amount of time businesses will have to consult for before implementing large-scale redundancies is to be cut from 90 days to 45, the Government has announced. Employment relations minister Jo Swinson said the plans were aimed at helping businesses and workers. From April, redundancy plans involving 100 or more workers will no longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redundancy-consultation-period-to-be-halved 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redundancy-consultation-period-to-be-halved Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local government has been criticised for its attitude towards protecting personal data. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has penalised four different local councils for breaching the Data Protection Act. This brings the total number of councils which have breached the Act to 19, at a total cost of £1,885,000. Leeds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ico-calls-for-greater-powers-to-protect-sensitive-data 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ico-calls-for-greater-powers-to-protect-sensitive-data Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT HMRC performance represents poor value for money for customers, a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) states. Some elements of customer service have improved from a low point in 2010, and in 2011-2012 HMRC answered 74% of calls, against a target of 58%. However, this is still low, NAO warned. Performance in handling calls... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-criticises-hmrc-customer-service-performance 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-criticises-hmrc-customer-service-performance Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local government has been criticised today for running up a total bill of £1,885,000 for breaches of the Data Protection Act. The ICO is demanding greater powers to audit councils’ data protection compliance, in an effort to force local authorities to take the treatment of sensitive personal information more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safe-or-sorry 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safe-or-sorry Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Children in care supervised by youth offending teams have been ‘failed’, a new report suggests. The Inspectorate of Probation found that basic checks were not made when placing these children in care. Around 3,000 children are supervised by these teams in England and Wales, and the report examined 60 cases. The report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/young-offenders-failed-by-care-system 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/young-offenders-failed-by-care-system Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nine English parks are to benefit from Lottery funding and improvements to their infrastructure and staff. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) have announced £13m funding for nine parks in England, with a further £48m for three parks in Scotland and Wales, funded solely by HLF. Additionally... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/13m-funding-for-park-improvements 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/13m-funding-for-park-improvements Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Measures to strengthen protection for intellectual property have been announced today by business secretary Vince Cable. It’s a tricky crime to crack down on, and one of the main barriers is actually the public’s perception that laws currently in place on IP are somehow less ‘real’ than other legislation. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-attitudes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-attitudes Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to do more to highlight the differences between and the Conservatives and Lib Dems in an attempt to win back voters. His keynote speech today follows a clutch of opinion polls showing UKIP beating the Liberal Democrats as the third most popular party. Clegg’s former director of strategy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-risks-coalition-fracture-with-new-differentiation-plan 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-risks-coalition-fracture-with-new-differentiation-plan Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/mps-say-it-is-now-or-never-for-drugs-reform The only common-sense approach to dealing with drugs is for the Government to actually take control. Not simply to legalise, but to regulate and tax drug sales in the UK. When the supply is Government-controlled then users will know that what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drug-legalisation 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drug-legalisation Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) has urged Prime Minister David Cameron to tackle fuel poverty, which it says is spiralling. This year, energy prices have risen by 7% on average. This means that the average annual energy bill for a household paying by direct debit is £1,247. A household is considered to be in fuel poverty... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fuel-poverty-rising-warns-lobby-group 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fuel-poverty-rising-warns-lobby-group Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New measures are to be launched to protect intellectual property and ensure creativity and innovation supports growth in the UK, business secretary Vince Cable has announced. The plans aim to strengthen the enforcement of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). A new superfast patent processing service will deliver patents in just 90 days... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/intellectual-property-measures-to-be-strengthened 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/intellectual-property-measures-to-be-strengthened Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Failing public service providers can be an important driver of competition, a new working paper from the OFT suggests. The paper considers how policy makers, regulators and contracting authorities can facilitate the ‘orderly exit’ of failing public service providers. Failure can drive competition and create opportunities for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/competition-can-reduce-impact-of-public-service-failure--oft 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/competition-can-reduce-impact-of-public-service-failure--oft Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT All staff in publicly-funded jobs that involve interaction with the public would have to show proficiency in English under a Labour Government, according to Ed Miliband. The requirement would be part of his plans for a “connected nation” rather than a “segregated one”, Miliband is set to say in a speech. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/publicly-funded-workers-must-speak-good-english--miliband 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/publicly-funded-workers-must-speak-good-english--miliband Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The interesting thing about multiculturalism is that it only works if the different groups of people who have come to live in Britain maintain their own cultures, rather than just being assimilated into the rest of society. Multiculturalism was often held up as the height of tolerance and modern thinking – that we can live together... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/together-but-apart 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/together-but-apart Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT A lack of affordable transport is exacerbating young people’s ability to access employment, education and training, a new report has warned. The Work Foundation found that particularly for those living in rural areas, or in part-time work, transport can present a significant barrier to entering and staying in work. Inadequate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youth-unemployment-exacerbated-by-transport-barriers 433,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youth-unemployment-exacerbated-by-transport-barriers Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local public bodies have improved their financial reporting, a new report from the Audit Commission indicates. Councils, fire and rescue authorities and other local government bodies have demonstrated their financial accountability through the quality and timeliness of their reports. Of the 472 English principal bodies, 426 published... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-financial-reporting-by-public-bodies--audit-commission 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-financial-reporting-by-public-bodies--audit-commission Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The debate on gas continues to rage, as climate secretary Ed Davey lifts the suspension on fracking for shale gas today. Following the gas strategy launched at George Osborne’s Autumn Statement last week, many environmental campaigners will be growing angrier. And the CCC’s new report suggesting that a renewable energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dash-for-gas 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dash-for-gas Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Energy secretary Ed Davey has lifted the suspension on fracking for shale gas, on condition of strict seismic controls. The controversial practice was halted following two minor earthquakes caused by exploratory fracking in Lancashire last year. Environmental activists say the method could contaminate aquifers and threaten the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fracking-suspension-lifted-as-uk-joins-new-dash-for-gas 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fracking-suspension-lifted-as-uk-joins-new-dash-for-gas Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK standard of living has dropped two places to the 6th highest in Europe, according to new ONS figures. The measure of actual individual consumption (AIC) found that Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland and now Germany and Austria have higher standards of living than the UK. AIC incorporates all goods and services that a household... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/standard-of-living-in-uk-drops--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/standard-of-living-in-uk-drops--ons Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment in the UK has fallen by 82,000 to 2.51 million, the biggest quarterly fall since 2001. New data from the ONS shows that between August and October, the unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 7.8%. Employment has risen by 40,000 to 29.6 million, which is the highest figure since records began in 1971. Employment fell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/biggest-quarterly-fall-in-unemployment-for-11-years 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/biggest-quarterly-fall-in-unemployment-for-11-years Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest statistics are a welcome change from the doom and gloom of the tides of unemployment the UK has faced for so long. Although public sector employment is still falling, this has been more than compensated for by the private sector, which means employment is now at its highest since records began – though in the same week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobs-galore 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobs-galore Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Poor quality streetworks carried out by utilities companies can cost small businesses and taxpayers millions, new research from the Local Government Association (LGA) indicates. Some shops are forced to close, deliveries can be delayed and the repairs costs the taxpayer £218m a year. Today the LGA is meeting with highways... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-attacks-shoddy-resurfacing-by-utilities 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-attacks-shoddy-resurfacing-by-utilities Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £110m lending scheme is to be introduced to help small businesses, business secretary Vince Cable will announce tomorrow. The ‘peer-to-peer’ schemes cut out banks by matching savers directly with borrowers via the internet. The Government will fund £55m, and expects to match that amount with funding from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-businesses-to-benefit-from-peer-lending 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-businesses-to-benefit-from-peer-lending Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The level of criticism against Theresa May’s draft Communications Data Bill is increasing steadily, with the publication of two influential reports warning of “insufficient attention to the duty to respect the right to privacy”. The Home Office is attempting to defend the plans in the interest of national safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-snoopers-charter 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-snoopers-charter Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of people living in England and Wales was 56.1 million during the last census. The ONS has published more of the results of the 2011 census, which showed that the population had increased by 3.7 million, or 7% since 2001. 86% of the population in England and Wales is white, although this represents a 5 percentage point... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/census-statistics-published-by-ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/census-statistics-published-by-ons Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Draft Communications Data Bill must be completely rewritten, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has stated, following two highly critical reports into the Home Secretary’s proposals. The Bill allows emails, web use, social media and mobile phone communications to be tracked by the police, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-demand-re-write-of-snoopers-charter 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-demand-re-write-of-snoopers-charter Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new roadmap has been published to uphold the role of standards in effective waste management. The British Standards Institution (BSI) has developed the roadmap, using input from BIS, Defra, and the Environment Agency. The report has identified best practice for waste in metals, biowaste and recycling. It concludes that standards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-management-roadmap-published 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-management-roadmap-published Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The future is still bleak for unemployment, a new analysis by the IPPR suggests. Even the recent improvements seen can not be counted on in the long term, they argue, as much of this is down to part-time work or self-employment. So the trouble finding a job will get worse before it gets better, and we are not yet at the lowest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/darkest-before-dawn 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/darkest-before-dawn Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/77m-funding-for-hmrc-tax-crackdown One commentator described this as hiring more police to prevent people doing 70mph on motorways: it won't work because the people involved are doing nothing illegal. These new staff will bring in more tax because tax officers always yield more in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-hmrc-resources-for-tax-crackdown 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-hmrc-resources-for-tax-crackdown Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The influential Home Affairs Select Committee wants the Government to back some decriminalisation of drug possession, where people found with small amounts of drugs are not always prosecuted. The committee’s new report says “this is a critical, now-or-never moment for serious reform”, and urges a new Royal Commission... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-say-it-is-now-or-never-for-drugs-reform 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-say-it-is-now-or-never-for-drugs-reform Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT GM crops should be grown and sold in Britain, environment secretary Owen Paterson has urged. The technology could have “real environmental benefits”, he said, by increasing crop yields and preventing disease. Use of GM could also reduce Britain’s dependency on imports. However, public perceptions of GM can often be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paterson-calls-for-greater-use-of-gm-technology 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paterson-calls-for-greater-use-of-gm-technology Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cuts are causing local councils to freeze or reduce funding for personal care services, a new survey indicates. Commissioned by the British Red Cross and conducted by ComRes, the survey found that 64% of English councils had reduced funding for preventative care and those with ‘low-level needs’, or kept it the same since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-councils-freeze-or-cut-preventative-care 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-thirds-of-councils-freeze-or-cut-preventative-care Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment could rise by 200,000 in 2013, a new analysis by the IPPR suggests. The number of young people out of work is also likely to rise above a million again. The think tank has analysed of OBR forecasts and suggests that unemployment will not peak until 2014 – and might not get back to where it is now until the end of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-to-rise--ippr 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-to-rise--ippr Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) saw manufacturing output fall faster than expected, pushing the UK closer to a triple-dip recession. The figures also put the UK’s AAA credit rating under great pressure and could significantly knock business and consumer confidence. In October, factory output fell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/factory-output-falls-13--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/factory-output-falls-13--ons Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT More welfare cuts will be needed to make £27bn savings in the next eight years, new analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows. Some areas of the public sector will be faced with “inconceivable cuts”, the IFS found, to protect Whitehall departments during the next phase of austerity measures. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ifs-forecasts-further-welfare-cuts 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ifs-forecasts-further-welfare-cuts Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New guidance has been published to help public sector organisations to unlock the potential of domestic retrofit and increase the capacity of the supply chain in the construction sector. The Institute for Sustainability has published an independent analysis of the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) £17m ‘Retrofit for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/institute-for-sustainability-launches-retrofit-guidance 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/institute-for-sustainability-launches-retrofit-guidance Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The thought of further, deeper welfare cuts to continue for the next eight years is an incredibly unpalatable prediction from the IFS. And the claim that ‘we are all in this together’ is wearing thin, as analysis suggests that poorest 20% of the population will be hit far harder than the richest. Osborne has tried to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-are-not-all-in-this-together 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-are-not-all-in-this-together Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK science industry got a surprisingly large boost in the Autumn Statement yesterday, with a £600m investment announced. Chancellor George Osborne allocated the funding to focus on research in eight streams identified in a speech to the Royal Society in November. These are synthetic biology, energy storage, advanced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/600m-science-investment--autumn-statement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/600m-science-investment--autumn-statement Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has been defending his Autumn Statement in a round of interviews this morning, insisting that the benefit squeezes are fair and reiterating that “we’re all in this together”. All working-age benefits are to go up by 1% a year, likely to be less than the rate of inflation, for the next three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-changes-are-fair--osborne 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-changes-are-fair--osborne Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils have reserves of nearly £13bn, which have grown by 36% in the past five years, new statistics from the Audit Commission show. Communities secretary Eric Pickles accused some local authorities of “hoarding” cash while “pleading poverty.” Overall, English councils have increased their reserves by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-sitting-on-13bn-reserves 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-sitting-on-13bn-reserves Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pickles has lambasted English councils for cutting services and scaring the public with “doom and gloom” whilst retaining reserves worth £12.9bn. The Audit Commission has found that council reserves have significantly increased over the last five years, and although £9.9bn has been earmarked for specific purposes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rose-tinted-glasses 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rose-tinted-glasses Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement highlighted that the economy was “on track” to recovery, despite George Osborne’s admissions that it was weaker than expected and that it would take longer than predicted to cut the deficit. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is now predicting a contraction of 0.1% in 2012... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-economy-is-healing--osborne- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-economy-is-healing--osborne- Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employers must enable older people to stay in work for as long as possible, the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) has urged. Giving evidence to the House of Lords Public Service and Demographic Change Select Committee, the CIPD highlighted that 56% of workers aged over 55 plan to work beyond the state retirement age... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-urges-employers-to-adapt-to-ageing-population 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-urges-employers-to-adapt-to-ageing-population Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The CIPD has today highlighted the need for employers to consider the different needs of an ageing workforce, and how practices can be modified to ensure productivity remains high. With our demography changing rapidly, it is essential that business recognises the consequences of older workers and considers how to manage this change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-just-a-young-persons-game 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-just-a-young-persons-game Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK service sector is at risk of stalling, according to new figures. The Markit purchasing managers index (PMI) found that the services sector slowed to 50.2 from 50.6 in October and the index for future orders fell to 49/6 from 52.9. The index shows a sector is growing when figures exceed 50. The services sector accounts for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/service-sector-figures-fall 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/service-sector-figures-fall Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, due this afternoon, is expected to make it clear that austerity measures will continue for years, as he misses targets on reducing the national debt and deficit. Britain will have had to borrow around £10bn more than expected this year, he will reveal, alongside independent figures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stagnated-growth-and-extended-austerity-autumn-statement 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stagnated-growth-and-extended-austerity-autumn-statement Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT HMRC will receive £77m extra funding to track down companies and individuals who pay too little tax in the UK, the Treasury has announced. The statement comes after the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) attacked the HMRC for failing to collect enough corporation tax from global companies including Starbucks, Amazon and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/77m-funding-for-hmrc-tax-crackdown 433,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/77m-funding-for-hmrc-tax-crackdown Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of children being arrested is continuing to fall, a charity has found. The Howard League for Penal Reform has reported that the number of under-18s arrested is down a third since 2008. In 2011, 209,000 under-18s were arrested, compared to 315,923 in 2008. Ten forces in England and Wales have halved the number of children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-third-fewer-under-18s-arrested-in-2011 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-third-fewer-under-18s-arrested-in-2011 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne is to announce reform of Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) to make them more public and less private. The move will be introduced alongside his Autumn Statement, due tomorrow. Concern and criticism over the long-term liabilities of PFI deals have focused on the huge repayments that they entail. The new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-private-finance-initiatives-to-be-launched 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-private-finance-initiatives-to-be-launched Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new PF2 schemes are set to allay fears that private sector involvement in public sector financing is leading to rising debts and locked-in contracts. Will the measures manage to change practices and attitudes towards the private sector? It is necessary to involve the private sector, and their much-needed funding, to boost growth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pfi-mark-two 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pfi-mark-two Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Increasing building by around 3% could solve the housing crisis, planning minister Nick Boles has proposed. The move has been labelled as wrong on “just about every level” by Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) president Sir Andrew Motion. Boles called for the number of homes to be built on open land to increase by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/build-3-more-and-solve-housing-crisis--boles 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/build-3-more-and-solve-housing-crisis--boles Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Building on more land could solve the housing crisis, planning minister Nick Boles has suggested. But the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has hit back, proposing that his statements were incorrect, with the effects of development reaching far wider than 9% of the land. It is clear that some kind of compromise must be reached... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/build-vs-protect 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/build-vs-protect Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Chancellor is expected to admit that fiscal targets will be breached, after lower than expected growth this year. The timetable for reducing debt as a proportion of national income may have to be extended even further, George Osborne will say, to 2018. He is expected to use this week’s Autumn Statement announce an increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fiscal-targets-could-be-breached--osborne 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fiscal-targets-could-be-breached--osborne Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New police commissioners have pledged to fight Government budget cuts and seek further clarity over any future private investment in policing. Labour PCCs Alan Charles and Paddy Tipping, for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, are meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May today to discuss these issues. In Derbyshire there are almost 150... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pccs-fight-police-cuts 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pccs-fight-police-cuts Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New research from bss digital reveals that changes in consumer purchasing behaviour this Christmas will impact retailers who do not have mobile enabled websites. 9% (approximately 1 in 10 shoppers) who used a PC to do their Christmas shopping last year will use their smartphones in 2012. With 33 million smartphones and tablet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/retailers-need-to-be-mobile-friendly-to-ensure-a-happy-christmas 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/retailers-need-to-be-mobile-friendly-to-ensure-a-happy-christmas Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT New criminal offences have come into force today, alongside tougher prison sentences for violent crimes. The new offences include aggravated possession of a knife and mandatory life sentences will be introduced for anyone committing a second serious violent or sexual crime, via a ‘two strikes’ system. For dangerous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tougher-prison-sentences-introduced 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tougher-prison-sentences-introduced Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Article: http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/News/long-term-unemployed-to-work-six-months-for-free This could be useful if managed properly with support for people into employment and financial support for travel to work and lunches – some of the unpaid intern schemes run by voluntary organisations provide a good model where the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployed-working-six-months-for-free 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployed-working-six-months-for-free Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Joe Penny, a researcher in the social policy team at the new economics foundation (nef), explains how the true cost of welfare ‘reform’ is being borne by local authorities, community organisations and people. When the Coalition Government formed back in the summer of 2010 the changing of the guard at Whitehall seemed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-perverse-localism 447,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-perverse-localism Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Lord Filkin, who chairs the House of Lords committee on public service and demographic change, speaks to PSE about recognising the positives in an ageing population. Our population is changing; living longer and presenting all the consequences that comes with extended life. But is this something to be viewed as a challenge for public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-positive-picture 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-positive-picture Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Independent candidates won a quarter of the votes in the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections. PSE spoke to Bill Longmore, the first PCC for West Mercia, about how the model could improve local policing. Out of 41 new PCC positions, 12 were won by independent candidates. It demonstrates a certain appetite from the public that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-independent-approach-to-policing 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-independent-approach-to-policing Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kerry Norval, solicitor in the employment team at national law firm Dundas & Wilson, explores the fallout from this landmark decision. There has been another instalment in the long-running saga of equal pay claims. A recent Supreme Court decision could in theory expose councils to multi-million pounds of liability. In Birmingham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-v-abdulla 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-city-council-v-abdulla Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Helen Andrews Tipper, public sector manager at The Carbon Trust, discusses the need for, and benefi ts of, decentralised energy networks. How we generate and consume energy is perhaps the most signifi cant threat to economic and social wellbeing that we face today. Already high energy prices are only predicted to keep rising. Our current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decentralised-energy-powering-a-sustainable-future 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decentralised-energy-powering-a-sustainable-future Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Les Mayhew, Professor of Statistics at Cass Business School (pictured), takes a critical look at the Dilnot report and suggests an alternative. Long-term care in the UK is at a serious tipping point. Care costs are spiralling out of control as increasing numbers of people are living longer, but with a frail disposition, placing a heavier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dilnot-why-we-should-all-care 447,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dilnot-why-we-should-all-care Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Throughout this entire edition of Public Sector Executive, you’ll find examples of organisations transforming the way they work to try to maintain and improve services while dealing with the realities of frozen and shrinking budgets. In some cases, particularly in services where demography is an issue, such as social care, rising demand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/facing-the-future 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/facing-the-future Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has finally announced the recipients of funding from its £250m scheme to support more weekly rubbish collections across the country. Kate Ashley reports. In November, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) named the successful councils which will get a share of the £250m Weekly Collection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-support-of-weekly-collections 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-support-of-weekly-collections Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to Neal Stone, director of policy and communications at the British Safety Council, about the latest HSE statistics on workplace injury and ill-health, and the role of local authorities as both regulators and employers. The 2011/12 statistics on workplace injury and ill-health have just been published by the Health and Safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/injury-and-ill-health 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/injury-and-ill-health Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Rob Burkitt from the Gambling Commission’s Local Authority Liaison Unit discusses its relationship with councils. The Gambling Commission wishes to respond to the article that appeared in the September/October 2012 edition of PSE from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling. The article suggested that the Commission is in some way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-and-the-gambling-commission 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-and-the-gambling-commission Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jennifer Wallace, policy manager at Carnegie UK Trust, explores the wellbeing agenda. The concept of ‘wellbeing’ provides us with a path towards addressing many of society’s often complex problems; however, to ensure our wellbeing is measured sufficiently, and indeed catered for correctly, we must first have the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/measuring-wellbeing-relies-on-leadership-to-allow-our-societys-happiness-to-flourish 450,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/measuring-wellbeing-relies-on-leadership-to-allow-our-societys-happiness-to-flourish Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to David Nicholas, fleet partnership manager at the Energy Saving Trust, about the principles behind mileage management, and how it could help public sector organisations cut drivers’ fuel usage and costs. Mileage reimbursement usually depends on self-reporting by drivers – but with more accurate tracking of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mileage-management 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mileage-management Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Phil Bartlett, CEO of MyCSP (My Civil Service Pension), gives an insight into the scheme’s genesis and progress made so far. Three years ago we had a problem. In fact we had a whole range of problems. We had 11 very different pension administration organisations, both public and private sector, administering the same pension scheme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mycsp-the-story-of-mutuality-from-inside-a-mutual 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mycsp-the-story-of-mutuality-from-inside-a-mutual Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Is Cheshire West and Chester Council commissioning telecare and telehealth services in the right way? Kate Ashley reports from a session at the International Telecare and Telehealth Conference 2012, led by Charlotte Walton, strategic commissioning manager at the council. A lack of evidence, staff resistance and the ever-changing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/overcoming-the-obstacles-to-telecare 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/overcoming-the-obstacles-to-telecare Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ken Worpole, Emeritus Professor at The Cities Institute, London Metropolitan University, spoke at the UK Public Parks Summit, organised by the Heritage Lottery Fund and BIG Lottery Fund. He revisited his seminal Park Life report, which kickstarted the revival of urban parks in 1995, and here explains the need to invest in our parks. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/park-life 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/park-life Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Yasmin Batliwala, chair of the Westminster Drug Project (WDP), discusses the introduction of Payment by Results into the criminal justice system. In December 2010, the Government launched its drug strategy, ‘Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting people to live a drug free life’. As stated in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/payment-by-results-in-criminal-justice 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/payment-by-results-in-criminal-justice Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT To celebrate Plain English Day, December 10, Juno Baker offers some advice on clear communication. Reports ‘signal direction’ and ministers ‘launch’ initiatives to ‘drive change’, so it may feel quite natural to ‘embark’ on an ‘improvement journey’. Often there’s even a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plain-english-day 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plain-english-day Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Amy Hirst talks to Vicki Purewal, head of challenge prize design at innovation charity Nesta, which has worked with the Government on ‘The Waste Reduction Challenge’ providing a £50,000 prize fund for the organisation with the best ideas for cutting waste and engaging communities. Reducing waste is a priority for many of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prizes-for-waste-reduction 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prizes-for-waste-reduction Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and BIG Lottery Fund (BIG) used the UK Public Parks Summit to announce a £100m investment in public parks over the next three years. PSE discussed the investment, the summit and the wider context with Drew Bennellick, head of landscape and natural environment at HLF. There are more than 25,000 parks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-parks-innovation-and-investment 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-parks-innovation-and-investment Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to Ian Brinkley, director of The Work Foundation, about its new report suggesting the Government is ‘flying blind’ on the effect public sector jobs cuts are having and will have on the wider labour market. The Government is pushing ahead with policies that will result in major reductions to the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-and-the-labour-market 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-and-the-labour-market Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fleet services manager Andrew Saxton explains the award-winning work behind a new approach to grey fleet management at Wiltshire Council. Wiltshire Council won the award for Grey Fleet Management at the recent Energy Saving Trust ‘Fleet Heroes’ awards 2012, for its innovative strategy to cut the risk presented by its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reducing-grey-fleet-miles 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reducing-grey-fleet-miles Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cllr Paul Brant, deputy leader of Liverpool City Council and its fi nance spokesman, talks to PSE about the city’s innovative plans to include social value considerations in its procurement policies. Liverpool spends £270m a year procuring goods and services externally – but from now on its decisions on who gets its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-procurement 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-procurement Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Martyn Hart, chairman of the National Outsourcing Association, explains more about the newly-launched skills academy aimed at bridging the public/private gap. In the summertime, we had G4S. In the autumn, West Coast rail. Hopefully there will be no more outsourcing fiascos over the next few months, and we can have a winter of relative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sourcing-skills-firmly-on-government-agenda 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sourcing-skills-firmly-on-government-agenda Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT “It feels like the 1960s again to those of us who can remember the scandals of the private rented sector and lack of decent affordable housing.” Despite Government statements that it will be the house building industry that will boost the economy, new build starts have slowed down over the last 12 months, with the worst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-ongoing-roles-of-councils-providing-or-enabling-the-provision-of-affordable-housing 447,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-ongoing-roles-of-councils-providing-or-enabling-the-provision-of-affordable-housing Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is putting a lot of emphasis on its broadband strategy, with funding to match. But are some of the predictions regarding take-up and growth overblown? PSE talks to Denis McCauley, director of global technology research at the Economist Intelligence Unit, which has been investigating. Recent studies into the benefi ts to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-prospects-for-superfast-broadband 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-prospects-for-superfast-broadband Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dr Sebastian Catovsky, head of adaptation for the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC), discusses the challenges of two major environmental threats, and how infrastructure investment can counter this. Investment in a modern effi cient infrastructure system is a key pillar of the Government’s economic strategy. The £250bn of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-role-of-infrastructure-investment-in-preparing-for-floods-and-water-scarcity-in-a-changing-climate 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-role-of-infrastructure-investment-in-preparing-for-floods-and-water-scarcity-in-a-changing-climate Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Andrew Forth, a policy adviser at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) who leads the organisation’s work on public sector procurement, explains what still needs to be done. Every year the UK’s public sector spends £230bn on buying goods and services from the independent sector. With the public sector confronted by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-procurement-reform-needs-to-be-at-the-heart-of-public-sector-reform 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-procurement-reform-needs-to-be-at-the-heart-of-public-sector-reform Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new framework to boost workforce skills and performance is transforming business in Kirklees. Council chief executive Adrian Lythgo explains. Kirklees Council has announced a new framework and incentive scheme to support local businesses to work smarter with their workforce. The framework encourages the development of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-smarter 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-smarter Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT All free schools will now be explicitly required to teach evolution instead of creationism as scientific theory, following concerns over Christian-run schools finding loopholes in the wording of their agreements with the DfE. Scientists raised concerns that certain institutions could present creationism as a credible theory. The DfE has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/evolution-clause-introduced-into-free-schools-agreement 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/evolution-clause-introduced-into-free-schools-agreement Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour held its seats in all three of yesterday’s by-elections, with Ukip coming in second in two out of three, following a surge in national support. In Rotherham, Sarah Champion (pictured above) became the new Labour MP with 9,866 votes. Ukip won 4,648 votes. The by-election was held after the seat’s previous Labour MP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-wins-trio-of-by-elections 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-wins-trio-of-by-elections Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A lack of foresight and planning means that many people in their 50s are ‘sleepwalking’ into a retirement of poverty, new evidence suggests. People’s projected length of retirement is also a problem as the study shows both men and women underestimate how long they will live once they have finished working. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/longer-lives 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/longer-lives Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new study suggests that too many people in their 50s are not adequately preparing for their retirement, which will leave them poorer than expected. The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that a third of people aged 52-64 have no idea what their workplace pension income will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-50s-sleepwalking-into-old-age--napf 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-50s-sleepwalking-into-old-age--napf Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Firms could be paid to cut their energy use, the Government has proposed, as the Energy Bill is due to be published today. The Bill includes extra investment in gas, renewables and nuclear power. The Government has suggested that a 10% reduction in electricity demand could produce savings of around £4bn in 2030, which would more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-proposals-could-pay-for-energy-savings 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-proposals-could-pay-for-energy-savings Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector workers in Scotland are to see their pension contributions rise for the second year, the Government has announced. SNP finance secretary John Swinney said Scotland had to follow UK reforms or find £100m a year to offset the increases, which will affect around 250,000 people in Scotland. The UK Government has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-pension-contributions-to-rise 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-pension-contributions-to-rise Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Autumn Statement must boost growth whilst sticking to the Government’s deficit reduction programme, the CBI has urged. Chancellor George Osborne is due to present the Autumn Statement to Parliament next Wednesday. The CBI suggests that extra resources are available for growth from the £7.8bn underspent last year, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spend-15bn-on-short-term-growth-cbi-urges 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spend-15bn-on-short-term-growth-cbi-urges Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The CBI has stated that the Government can invest in short-term measures for growth, whilst sticking to the much-contended deficit reduction programme. This involves making use of underspend from the previous year, and is one of the many suggestions being presented to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Statement. Many will welcome... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spend-and-save 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spend-and-save Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government must improve the quality of apprenticeships and make them more focused on the needs of employers, a new review suggests. Doug Richard, founder of School for Startups, was commissioned to review of apprenticeships, and has recommended that they should be targeted only to those new at a job or in a role that requires sustained... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-must-be-focused-on-employers-needs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-must-be-focused-on-employers-needs Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Emergency crews are working with local authorities to help protect homes and residents from major floods all across the country. Councils are providing thousands of sandbags, water pumps and emergency accommodation to alleviate flooding disruption, as well as coordinating with emergency service crews and the Environment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-and-emergency-services-tackle-flooding 443,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-and-emergency-services-tackle-flooding Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Flooding is significant a danger to residents and public sector organisations alike, but it also offers councils an opportunity to demonstrate effective teamwork with emergency services and to provide protection and support for those affected. Local authorities have been providing thousands of sandbags and water pumps to avoid the worst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-the-flood 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-the-flood Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is publishing its consultation on alcohol today, including the proposal that a minimum price per unit should be set at 45p. This is higher than the originally suggested 40p, but lower than the price being set in Scotland of 50p. The consultation also proposes banning multi-buy offers in supermarkets, a review of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-unit-price-could-be-set-at-45p 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-unit-price-could-be-set-at-45p Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, the Work Foundation has submitted its recommendations for how to boost growth and employment. This involves a strong focus on science and technology, as well as funding to balance out investment in London with growth in the regions. There is very little flexibility for such large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-growth- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-growth- Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The school standards gap is unacceptably wide, with variations in performance across local authorities, a new Ofsted report warns. The annual report, published today, highlights the importance of strong leadership to drive up standards. Ofsted is also launching a league table ranking local authorities according to inspectors’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-warns-over-school-standards 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-warns-over-school-standards Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s welfare to work programme is expected to miss its target, official figures are expected to show. The first figures from the scheme, launched last June, are expected to show that less than 5% of jobseekers on the programme have been helped into “sustainable” work. The welfare to work programme sees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-could-miss-5-target 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-could-miss-5-target Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Autumn Statement should direct at least £4.5bn to boost science, technology and regional growth, the Work Foundation has stated. In its submission to the Autumn Statement, the Work Foundation is calling for funds from the sale of 4G licences to be invested in science, technology and innovation. There should be a further round of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-foundation-calls-for-45bn-science-funding 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-foundation-calls-for-45bn-science-funding Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT More people in work are also living in poverty, a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found. JRF warns that the Government must “give up the belief that welfare reform” is the solution, and that it will take more than simply increasing employment and pushing more people into university. The number of people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/61-million-working-people-in-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/61-million-working-people-in-poverty Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The squeeze in public spending may continue until 2018 if the recent deterioration in growth prospects and tax receipts turns out to be permanent, according to a new report. Independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that further cuts could bring “more fiscal pain”. The report states that there is “now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/austerity-could-continue-until-2018--ifs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/austerity-could-continue-until-2018--ifs Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The leader of the Labour Party in Bristol has resigned after a series of u-turns over the new mayor’s all-party cabinet. Labour councillors were told they would not be allowed to accept the invitation to take up three positions in new elected mayor George Ferguson’s cabinet. Ferguson, pictured above, is an independent, who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-mayors-all-party-offer-throws-labour-into-disarray 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-mayors-all-party-offer-throws-labour-into-disarray Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Infrastructure investment is being delivered too slowly, with a number of projects delayed or on hold that could bring significant economic returns to the UK, a new report suggests. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published a map which tracks progress on 13 top projects highlighted for work ahead of the 2010 General Election.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investing-in-transport-could-deliver-86bn-for-economy--bcc 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investing-in-transport-could-deliver-86bn-for-economy--bcc Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT I’m happy to hear that there are plans to encourage young people in the greater use of local libraries and reading for pleasure, but I wonder how effective these efforts will be in a market requiring quick gratification and (probably) vampires. Not to mention that book reading for any purpose is fast becoming a lost art. Although... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The decision from Labour to abstain from joining the new Bristol Mayor’s cross-party cabinet has been received badly to say the least. Labour leader on the council, Peter Hammond, has stood down over the decision, stating that he cannot publicly support a decision that goes against his standpoint. And the party itself has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stand-alone 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stand-alone Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Internal Coalition battles over energy policy have resulted in wins and losses for both parties, with customer bills to rise to pay for more renewable energy, but delayed commitments on firm decarbonisation targets. There has been a perception that Lib Dem energy secretary Ed Davey (pictured above) was pushing for an energy future based... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-reforms-unveiled 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-reforms-unveiled Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Plymouth City Council £60,000 for sending details of a child neglect case to the wrong family. The ICO called it a “serious breach of the Data Protection Act”, as the report included highly sensitive personal information about two parents and four children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plymouth-fined-60000-for-social-services-data-breach 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plymouth-fined-60000-for-social-services-data-breach Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils across the UK will find it almost impossible to keep on top of road repairs if they are stripped of more funding in next month’s autumn statement, the LGA has said. It says the situation would become “critical” if we have another harsh winter like 2010/11, which caused £600 million of road damage, and that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pothole-crisis-looming--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pothole-crisis-looming--lga Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Energy bills and potholes – the stories in the news today are the sort that could worry the Government, because they’re the sort of things that really cut through with voters. A fascinating survey recently showed just how little political news gets through to the public – especially those to do with public policy and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/potholes-and-pocketbooks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/potholes-and-pocketbooks Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Education was “unprepared” for the scale of the financial implications of increasing the number of academies so quickly, a new report by the National Audit Office suggests. The report praises the department for delivering “fundamental” change, with 2,309 academies open since 2010, representing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-spent-on-additional-costs-for-academies-programme 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-spent-on-additional-costs-for-academies-programme Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s controversial Academies Programme has been praised today for its significant expansion, albeit with a warning for the financial implications of this success. ‘Additional costs’ have been stacking up, and will continue to present challenges to the DfE, which has had to transfer funding from other budgets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adding-academies 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adding-academies Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The gap between public and private sector pay is widest at the bottom end of the pay scale, a new report demonstrates. The ONS analysis was based on characteristics collected in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Including the effects of organisation size and comparing the lowest earners at the 5th percentile, employees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/low-earners-paid-more-in-public-sector 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/low-earners-paid-more-in-public-sector Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Successful retrofits can halve carbon emissions, as well as supporting improved quality of life for occupants, a new analysis has found. The Institute for Sustainability and UCL Energy Institute have published a new independent report analysing the Technology Strategy Board (TSB)’s £17m ‘Retrofit for the Future’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/retrofits-significantly-reduce-carbon-emissions 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/retrofits-significantly-reduce-carbon-emissions Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government plans for civil service reform must not undermine impartiality, a new report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee warns. ‘The Accountability of Civil Servants’ was published yesterday and calls for ministers to remain constitutionally responsible for everything done in their departments. The Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-must-retain-impartiality 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-must-retain-impartiality Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK public borrowing is worse than previously expected, new figures from the ONS show. Excluding financial incentives, public borrowing in October rose to £8.6bn, significantly higher than the predicted £6bn. In October 2011, the figure was £5.9bn. This is the last set of borrowing figures before the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-borrowing-higher-than-expected 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-borrowing-higher-than-expected Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT New guidance is now available to help local authorities incorporate social value into their contracts. Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) has launched the Social Value Guide to help the public sector prepare for the Social Value Act’s implementation in January 2013. The guide is aimed at commissioners and procurement officials, to explain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seuk-launches-new-guidance-for-social-value-act 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seuk-launches-new-guidance-for-social-value-act Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords Constitution Committee’s new report contains a not-so-subtle dig at “recent developments” where ministers have been seen to distance themselves from the errors of civil servants and advisors within their departments. This attempt to pass the blame has been criticised by the Committee, who suggest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-blame-game 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-blame-game Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ash dieback from a fungal disease continues to threaten millions of UK trees, but there is a glimmer of hope in suspected natural immunity for a small percentage of trees. Ash trees in Denmark started dying because of the fungus Charala Fraxinia about 10 years ago, and by 2005, the disease had spread across the entire country. Today at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2-of-danish-ash-trees-immune-to-dieback-fungus 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2-of-danish-ash-trees-immune-to-dieback-fungus Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is today explaining how it is following up on Prime Minister David Cameron’s shock promise to make energy companies put consumers on their cheapest tariff. Last month, Cameron told MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions that energy firms would be compelled to make the change, which came as a surprise to DECC and its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-six-to-be-forced-to-give-consumers-cheapest-tariffs 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-six-to-be-forced-to-give-consumers-cheapest-tariffs Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) are meeting in Italy this week to determine programmes and budgets for the next five years. The Naples Agenda will cover around €12bn worth of activity. The UK has decided to increase its funding for ESA, in recognition of the strength of the commercial space sector here, which it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-uk-funding-for-european-space-agency 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-uk-funding-for-european-space-agency Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT It is left to energy secretary Ed Davey to pick up the reins from Cameron’s potentially rash promise to force the Big Six into providing consumers with the cheapest available tariff. The announcement, via PMQs last month, was not coordinated with the energy department. This means that it lacks the consideration of a range of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hasty-statements 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hasty-statements Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Scotland could face long-term financial difficulty if the country votes for independence from the UK, a new report suggests. The independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) studied some of the fiscal choices that Scotland might face should it choose independence in the 2014 referendum. In the short term, an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fiscal-challenges-for-independent-scotland 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fiscal-challenges-for-independent-scotland Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Business leaders have criticised the “exam factory” focus of schools and called for the emphasis of reform to be shifted from GCSEs to A-levels. Employers seek well-rounded individuals, not just students on a conveyor belt of exams and league tables, a new report by the CBI argues. First Steps highlights that school standards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cbi-calls-for-reform-of-schools-system 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cbi-calls-for-reform-of-schools-system Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government should make 20mph speed limits the norm in built-up residential areas, road safety charities have urged. A coalition of charities, including Brake, Sustrans and the Campaign to Protect Rural England are launching a ‘GO 20’ campaign, and are calling for the speed limit to be revised. Asking drivers to slow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-call-for-20mph-urban-speed-limit 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-call-for-20mph-urban-speed-limit Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The current schools system has been criticised for providing a ‘conveyor-belt’ approach to education, rather than one which offers all children the chance to achieve: an ‘escalator’ approach. It is not enough to provide a system which maintains an average, whilst leaving some to struggle and others to get bored;... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conveyor-belts-and-escalators 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conveyor-belts-and-escalators Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The right to legally challenge government policy is to be limited, Prime Minister David Cameron will announce today. Speaking to the CBI in London at its annual conference, Cameron will call for measures to curtail “time-wasting” appeals to concentrate on improving the economy instead. There will be less time to apply for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/judicial-review-process-to-be-made-more-difficult 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/judicial-review-process-to-be-made-more-difficult Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Privatisations in the vast majority of cases have been a huge success. I well remember the service – and the bills – one used to get for the telephone for example. It took 12 months to get an extra phone put in, and essentially no choice of handset. With such a monopoly it was a question of take it or leave it. I also remember very... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/privatisation 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/privatisation Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Reform of the care system could boost the economy, as well as improving support for the 6.4 million carers in the UK, a new report suggests. The Cass Business School report, commissioned and published by Carers UK, argued that care must be accessible to all, through improved integration of services. It’s vital to help carers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economy-needs-care-reform--carers-uk 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economy-needs-care-reform--carers-uk Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Carers UK has become the latest charity to underline the economic benefits of investing in a cause which will significantly enhance people’s quality of life. In a period of extended financial pressure, both local and national government do not have money to spare for causes which can appear as less than vital. But charities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-business-of-charity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-business-of-charity Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A better definition of child poverty is needed, ministers have stated, as a consultation into the calculation is launched. Simply focusing on income levels is too narrow an approach, work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith will say in a speech. The consultation comes after recent figures show fewer children living in poverty.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-poverty-definition-must-be-broadened 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-poverty-definition-must-be-broadened Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Transport and leisure activities are the most common areas where people with disabilities find barriers to social participation, a new report suggests. Part 1 of the Wave Two Life Opportunities Survey (LOS), conducted by the ONS and sponsored by the DWP, compared the participation of people with impairments in work, education, transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/los-highlights-participation-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/los-highlights-participation-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Polls are open today for the first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections for England and Wales, for everyone outside London. Voting will take place from 7am-10pm in 41 police force areas. PCCs will replace police authorities and the move is designed to make the police more accountable, with a single figurehead monitoring and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-and-crime-commissioner-elections-today 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-and-crime-commissioner-elections-today Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT It is a welcome change to see Iain Duncan Smith admit the definition of child poverty needs modifying, rather than accept the drop in the number of children living in poverty as a simple win for the Government. As it stands, the definition can provide results which appear positive, but in fact reflect a drop in average incomes, skewing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/skewing-the-poverty-line 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/skewing-the-poverty-line Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Education secretary Michael Gove is to outline the philosophy underpinning his planned shake-up of GCSEs and A Levels, describing the benefits of more challenging tests. In a speech titled ‘In Praise of Tests’, to be given to the Independent Academies Association, Gove will also say that external tests are more fair, and can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-wants-challenging-exams-and-information-memorising 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-wants-challenging-exams-and-information-memorising Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Children and young people will be offered automatic library membership through a range of new projects run by the Arts Council England. The council has announced 22 projects which will share £55,000 to test automatic membership, to encourage the use of local libraries and reading for pleasure. The scheme is supported by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/library-projects-announced-to-promote-reading 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/library-projects-announced-to-promote-reading Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of people of out of work in the UK is at 2.51 million – the lowest total for over a year, new figures show. The ONS has published data showing unemployment fell by 49,000 to 2.51m in the three months to September. The jobless rate is also down, from 7.9% to 7.8%, mostly due to a decline in youth unemployment. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-falls-again--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-falls-again--ons Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Gove’s newest speech blows the horn for harder exams, and higher bars of attainment for students to strive for. His reasoning is that the more challenging they are, the more motivation pupils will have to study more intensely, and the greater the confidence they will reap when they succeed. Not much mention is given to those who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-and-losers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-and-losers Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy PM Nick Clegg has confirmed the details of the Government’s parental leave overhaul. At the heart of the new proposals is that mothers will be entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave and once they have taken the first two weeks after the birth, they can opt to use the rest as they like, as ‘flexible’ parental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-parental-leave-from-2015 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-parental-leave-from-2015 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The European Road Safety Charter has launched a campaign called ‘30,000 lives to save’ aimed at cutting the number of people who die on the roads. That figure is the number of people who died on European roads in 2011. Across the continent, road-related accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/30000-lives-lost-on-european-roads-in-2011 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/30000-lives-lost-on-european-roads-in-2011 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been a “shocking” 60% rise in the number of children and pregnant women living in B&Bs, according to a new report by the National Housing Federation, which represents England’s housing associations. Homeless Bound shows that the number of people forced to stay in temporary accommodation continues to rise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-rise-in-number-of-children-living-in-bbs 441,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-rise-in-number-of-children-living-in-bbs Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Inflation is up again – good economic news always seems to be followed by bad at the moment. A key factor has been the huge rise in the cost of education, following the lifting of the cap on tuition fees. Although the repayments are spread over years and years – and some low-earning graduates will never repay their loans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/price-and-value 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/price-and-value Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT 400 poorly-performing primary schools are to be turned into academies by the end of next year, Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce. The schools in England and Wales will be paired with sponsor organisations to improve education and help them turn into academies. The Government plans to spend up to £10m to develop the links... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/10m-academy-boost-for-poorest-performing-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/10m-academy-boost-for-poorest-performing-schools Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Clegg’s dream of greater equality and flexibility for working hours could see elderly relatives and extended family sharing the responsibility of childcare, to allow more women to get back to work. The changes to workers’ rights, to be announced this week, reflect a growing awareness that society no longer functions in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-mindsets 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-mindsets Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT All employees will be entitled to ask for flexible working under new plans to be revealed this week. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will announce the changes, in an effort to get more women back into the workplace. The plans are based on research from the Resolution Foundation think tank, which suggests there are 1m women... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-working-rights-to-be-extended 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-working-rights-to-be-extended Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT An urgent review of London councils’ pension schemes is needed, according to a report by the Pensions Institute. The schemes represent a “ticking time-bomb”, the report states, with trustees of the schemes found to be delaying recovery plans to save money. It wants Department for Communities and Local Government to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-schemes-time-bomb-in-london 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-schemes-time-bomb-in-london Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT I have yet to see a credible explanation of how the private sector can put the public good ahead of private interest; and the record of successive privatisations is pretty miserable.  In particular, regardless of the G4S mess over the Olympics, the way they ran the Oakington Detention Centre for asylum deportees was an absolute... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/privatisation 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/privatisation Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The funding gap between transport spending in London and the regions is widening, according to new analysis of Treasury public spending figures. Pteg, which represents the passenger transport executives (PTEs) in urban conurbations across the country, found that in London £644 was spent per head on transport in 2011/12. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-spending-in-london-644-per-head 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-spending-in-london-644-per-head Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has stressed the urgency of preventing accidents, which are responsible for more “preventable” loss of life than any other cause of death to at least the age of 60. RoSPA has urged the Government to examine this crucial research from the ONS to transform their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accident-prevention-should-be-primary-priority-for-public-health--rospa 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accident-prevention-should-be-primary-priority-for-public-health--rospa Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pickles is to introduce new measures to make it easer and cheaper to fire poorly performing council chief executives. Any move to implement such changes is potentially very risky; the existing bureaucracy was developed to protect staff, and the Government must be careful to ensure this policy does not affect competent chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-the-red-tape 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-the-red-tape Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plans to save money by enabling easier and less expensive dismissals of highly paid but incompetent local government chief executives are due to be implemented by the communities secretary Eric Pickles. The dismissal of a council chief executive often involves lengthy and costly legal investigations which result in generous payoffs given... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/end-to-payoffs-for-local-government-chief-executives-pickles 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/end-to-payoffs-for-local-government-chief-executives-pickles Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Spending on space technology has been increased by £60m per year over the subsequent two years, due to an investment by Chancellor George Osborne to augment the UK’s contribution to the European Space Agency. It is hoped that the investment will bring numerous more hi-tech jobs and contracts to Britain, although the diminution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/space-spending-to-be-increased-by-60m-a-year 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/space-spending-to-be-increased-by-60m-a-year Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT New powers against metal theft are to be announced this week, including larger fines for ‘rogue’ traders and stronger police rights of entry to scrapyards. Metal theft occurs around 1,000 times each week and costs the UK an estimated £220m a year. Jeremy Browne, the crime prevention minister, will announce the new powers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/metal-theft-powers-to-be-introduced 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/metal-theft-powers-to-be-introduced Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The planned National Scholarship Programme (NSP) could fail to persuade young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education, a new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warns. The £50m scheme was suggested in light of the Government’s decision to increase tuition fees to a maximum of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scholarship-scheme-wont-attract-poor-students-report-warns 453,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scholarship-scheme-wont-attract-poor-students-report-warns Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ report today illustrating the problems inherent in the National Scholarship Programme hardly comes as a surprise, as the numerous student support schemes offered by universities cannot be unified cohesively and often bewilder prospective students trying to fund their studies. The controversial and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scholarship-stalemate 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scholarship-stalemate Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Consolidated London Highways Alliance contracts are to deliver road maintenance and major infrastructure improvements while saving up to £450m in the next eight years, TfL has announced. Four new area-based joint highways contracts will assist in the creation of more than £2bn of investment in road infrastructure. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tfl-highways-contracts-to-save-450m 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tfl-highways-contracts-to-save-450m Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The top ten public sector employers for achieving gender and ethnic diversity have been revealed. The UK Business in the Community (BITC) gender and race diversity survey scores organisations on diversity processes and policies, as well as the impact and result of these policies. Five organisations appeared on both lists this year:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-army-in-top-10-for-gender-equality 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-army-in-top-10-for-gender-equality Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A report released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has illustrated that full-time employees were on average 62% better off in 2011 than in 1986, even accounting for inflation. The average wage in the UK has rocketed from £3.87 per hour in 1986 to around £12.62 per hour in 2011 – a staggering increase even in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employees-earn-62-more-in-real-terms-than-in-1986 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employees-earn-62-more-in-real-terms-than-in-1986 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Commons education select committee says more at-risk children should be put into care and has called for more support for vulnerable teenagers in need of assistance. The committee’s new report is published in light of recent scandals including the Jimmy Savile allegations and the Rochdale child grooming case, further convincing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-children-should-be-in-care-say-mps 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-children-should-be-in-care-say-mps Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should the Government be working to improve the reputation of care for children, in order to help protect those that need it most, and to ensure action is taken to prevent parents from continuing to abuse their children? Obviously improvements are needed to the system, and the more people who are available to provide care for such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/second-chances 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/second-chances Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Apprenticeships are in need of reform, MPs have argued in a new report, with too much money being doled out to companies that don’t necessarily deserve it. The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee has conducted an 11-month review into apprenticeships in the UK and has made a number of recommendations for future... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeship-schemes-must-be-ambitious--mps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeship-schemes-must-be-ambitious--mps Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Some local authorities have drawn up cost-saving plans cutting down on their library services without taking proper account of local needs, a new report warns. The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee says some councils are in danger of failing in their statutory duty. Instead of a change of legislation, the committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-failing-in-statutory-duties-over-libraries 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-failing-in-statutory-duties-over-libraries Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Up to £16.5m of funding is available in a new competition for R&D projects that will lead to significant reductions in CO2 emissions in road transport. Business secretary Vince Cable announced the funding, which will be available in grants awarded to UK businesses through a new open competition. The Technology Strategy Board... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/environmental-rd-competition-announced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/environmental-rd-competition-announced Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new report suggests that the significant financial pressure facing local authorities does not have to mean irreparable damage to library services, although there is a danger that councils will do so without adequate planning. The recommendations cover greater coordination with other local services as well as other local authorities to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rewriting-the-book 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rewriting-the-book Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ash dieback disease has now been found at 52 sites across England and Scotland, both in the wild and in nurseries and plantations.  The Government has pushed back against claims that it could have acted as long ago as 2009 to ban imports, saying that confusion over the strains of the fungus meant it was not clear until very recently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ash-fungus-confirmed-at-more-sites--defra 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ash-fungus-confirmed-at-more-sites--defra Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT A think-tank has predicted a £32bn cashflow shortfall in public sector pensions by 2017. The Centre for Policy Studies, which is non-partisan but was founded by leading Conservative to champion free market causes, says the gap is “unsustainable” and “impossible to ignore”. Although Government cuts to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-public-sector-pensions-spiralling-despite-coalition-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-public-sector-pensions-spiralling-despite-coalition-cuts Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour leader Ed Miliband is to make the ‘living wage’ a key feature of the party’s platform at the next general election. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has announced the new living wage as £7.45, a 25p increase. It is more than £1 an hour in London, at £8.55, due to the high costs of living in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-backs-living-wage 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-backs-living-wage Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT This week’s announcements – the report from Michael Heseltine and the next tier of City Deals – confirm to me that that the concept of ‘localism’ is finally emerging from the ‘Whitehall bubble’ into the real world, and onto city streets. Regions and communities have a role, but there is now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localism-and-city-deals 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localism-and-city-deals Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fewer than one in 10 senior public sector managers back Government plans to outsource more policy-making and strategic decision-making to other sectors, according to a new survey. More than eight in 10 (81.6%) are against the move, announced as part of a package of civil service reforms by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude (pictured)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-managers-reject-policy-outsourcing-plans 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-managers-reject-policy-outsourcing-plans Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband has won a lot of coverage today for his announcements on the living wage, timed to coincide with the start of Living Wage Week and the confirmation of a rise in the rate. It’s one of those ideas that’s hard to disagree with, considering the obvious benefits for society, individual families, and even the Treasury... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-living-wage 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-living-wage Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s ‘Cobra’ crisis committee is meeting today to discuss measures to prevent the wipe-out of the UK’s ash tree population from a deadly fungus that has ravaged parts of continental Europe.  The fungal disease, recently found in East Anglia, causes leaf loss and crown dieback and can lead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-crisis-meeting-over-tree-disease 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-crisis-meeting-over-tree-disease Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office has criticised the pay-off given to the former CEO of the Serious Fraud Office, saying “there is no evidence that due process was followed”.  Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General, has said the severance agreement for Phillippa Williamon – a payment of £407,000 to MyCSP, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-qualifies-audit-opinion-over-sfo-pay-off 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-qualifies-audit-opinion-over-sfo-pay-off Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Exams regulator Ofqual has said it is “shocked” by the significant overmarking found on this summer’s English GCSE papers, although it is blaming pressures on teachers and the incentives they face rather than teachers themselves. Chief executive Glenys Stacey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Teachers are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/significant-overmarking-in-english-gcses 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/significant-overmarking-in-english-gcses Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Good people can do the wrong thing when under pressure and faced with a system full of perverse incentives.  That seems to be the message coming from Ofqual on the ‘significant overmarking’ and other issues at some schools surrounding this year’s English GCSE exams.  League tables are designed to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/systemic-cs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/systemic-cs Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been no change in the Government’s policy on renewable energy and wind turbines, according to the Prime Minister and Lib Dem energy secretary Ed Davey, who was forced to slap down his Tory junior John Hayes after he suggested in newspaper interviews that on-shore windfarm construction would cease.  Davey said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-split-over-wind-energy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-split-over-wind-energy Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government suffered a humiliating defeat over Europe yesterday, as rebel Tories joined with Labour MPs to demand a cut in the EU budget, beyond the real-terms freeze that ministers think is a more realistic negotiating position.  David Cameron and George Osborne have pledged to “take note” of the backbenchers’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-loses-commons-vote-over-eu-budget 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-loses-commons-vote-over-eu-budget Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Windfarms provoke strong reactions among their detractors, some of whom see them as despoiling the landscape, others who find them noisy, and some who imagine the price of their property will tumble if a turbine is built nearby.  Those who doubt the science behind climate change tend to be particularly sceptical, as they see less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hot-air 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hot-air Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Around half of employers say they are either unaware of the Government’s flagship employment scheme the Work Programme, or say it is not relevant to them and they would not recruit via it.  The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), surveyed 1,000 employers, finding that a majority (79%) of employers who have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-employer-awareness-hampering-work-programme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-employer-awareness-hampering-work-programme Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Commission on Living Standards has called for greater equality on pay and childcare, to help thousands of women to get back into the workforce. The gap between poverty and affluence looks set to increase without measures being implemented immediately. A lack of disposable income, or people unable to work because of the childcare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-widening-gap 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-widening-gap Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Smokers miss more work days each year than non-smokers, a new report suggests, costing the UK economy £1.4bn in 2011. A report published in the journal Addiction analysed 29 separate studies on absenteeism and smoking across the world. Results showed that current smokers are 33% more likely to miss work and are, on average, absent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/absenteeism-higher-in-smokers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/absenteeism-higher-in-smokers Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Britain is at an “equality crossroads” on issues such as low pay and childcare costs, the Commission on Living Standards has warned. A new report by the commission states that “the balance of income growth now needs to shift away from rising state support towards increasing employment income”. Proposals to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commission-calls-for-1-an-hour-childcare 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commission-calls-for-1-an-hour-childcare Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The former Conservative deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has challenged Government to take action and stimulate the economy through radical reorganisation of local government and business support mechanisms. His hefty new report, commissioned by Downing Street, calls for the £49bn used to support industry to be distributed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-investment-to-drive-growth-lord-heseltine 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-investment-to-drive-growth-lord-heseltine Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT While superfast broadband will bring long-term benefits to the UK, it is unlikely to deliver fast returns immediately, a new report has warned. The Government aims to achieve 24Mbps by 2015. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has cautioned that expectations around growth, jobs and the impact on education and healthcare may be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadband-benefits-overstated-eiu 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadband-benefits-overstated-eiu Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restorative justice has faced significant criticism over both how effective it really is, and because it presents a liberal approach to crime management – at least, where it is used in place of more punitive measures, rather than on top of them. But the Ministry of Justice has presented statistics which show that its use can reduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fundamental-justice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fundamental-justice Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nuclear project Horizon has been sold to Hitachi Ltd by German companies E.On and RWE. The £700m deal will see Hitachi build reactors on existing sites at Wylfa, Anglesey and Oldbury, near Bristol. Preliminary contracts have been signed with UK companies Babcock International and Rolls-Royce, and the deal should be complete by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hitachi-buys-horizon-nuclear-power 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hitachi-buys-horizon-nuclear-power Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restorative justice is to be expanded, and more offenders will be required to meet their victims and apologise before sentencing. The national roll-out of the scheme will be embedded in the process of courts across England and Wales, in an attempt to provide victims with closure and cut re-offending rates. Details are to be set out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-roll-out-for-restorative-justice-planned 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-roll-out-for-restorative-justice-planned Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT More emphasis will need to be placed on growth in the Chancellor’s upcoming Autumn Statement, a new report suggests. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has published ‘The Long Downturn’, highlighting the challenges ahead for the economy. The report states that the Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipfa-calls-for-emphasis-on-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipfa-calls-for-emphasis-on-growth Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils have 1.3 million tonnes of road salt for use this winter, new figures show. A survey conducted by the LGA found that 20% of councils in England and Wales have more salt than last year, to grit slippery roads and prevent accidents. Many councils have invested in new fleets of GPS-tracked gritting trucks, mini-gritters and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-salt-to-tackle-winter-roads 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-salt-to-tackle-winter-roads Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The next round of English cities to receive additional spending powers is to be announced today. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to invite cities to set out the powers they need to drive local growth. Earlier this year, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and five other cities received the right to spend tax receipts from local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/latest-round-of-city-deals-to-be-announced 433,436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/latest-round-of-city-deals-to-be-announced Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police in the West Midlands will be launching ‘Operation Goliath’ tomorrow, to tackle anti-social behaviour on public transport. Officers from the Safer Travel team will mount extra patrols on buses, trains and trams across the network on October 30, to stage a visible presence against low-level misbehaviour. The Safer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/operation-goliath-to-tackle-low-level-transport-crime 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/operation-goliath-to-tackle-low-level-transport-crime Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re:  ‘Private sector could run £278bn of public services – CBI’ They would say that wouldn't they? Look at the source of the report. Private industry is there to make money. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not in their interests to look at ways of reducing duplication and fragmentation from public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-running-public-services 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-running-public-services Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new report from CIPFA highlights what has been clear for some time; the Government’s austerity programme is going ahead as planned, but the growth that was also promised is severely lacking. This will become more and more critical as the cuts continue and public tolerance is strained. How much longer can George Osborne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/switching-emphasis 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/switching-emphasis Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has cited that the recent growth should be seen as a sign that the Government’s economic strategy is working. This is despite numerous calls to scrap severe austerity measures and move to ‘Plan B’. Even now the figures suggest the UK is finally out of the double-dip recession, most of the growth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cautious-optimism 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cautious-optimism Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK has emerged from its double-dip recession with higher than expected growth in the third quarter of 2012. The 1% rise in GDP over the quarter represents the strongest growth since 2007, the ONS said, although much of the increase is due to the Olympics and the unwinding of one-off factors like the extra bank holiday for the Diamond... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cautious-welcome-for-economy-growth 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cautious-welcome-for-economy-growth Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Stagecoach Group is the highest listed public transport group for carbon disclosure, a new report shows. The Carbon Disclosure Project FTSE 350 Climate Change Report 2012 analysed how companies are measuring and disclosing the impact of their business on the environment. Focusing on the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cdp-rates-stagecoach-as-best-transport-group-for-carbon 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cdp-rates-stagecoach-as-best-transport-group-for-carbon Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chatham House, the renowned international affairs think tank, has announced plans to digitise its archives. The first phase of the Chatham House Online Archive will be complete by spring 2013, offering a searchable research database spanning 90 years for government, NGOs, corporations, researchers and students. The archives will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-archives-announced-for-chatham-house 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-archives-announced-for-chatham-house Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council is looking to cut around £600m by 2017, marking a £200m rise from previous estimates. Council leader Sir Albert Bore predicts council job positions to decline by 1,000 over the “next few years”. He said: “This is the end of local government as we have known it. But this is not the end... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-mark-end-of-local-government-as-we-know-it--birmingham 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-mark-end-of-local-government-as-we-know-it--birmingham Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has denied that it has plans to introduce a draft law to allow some inmates to vote, despite a European court ruling that the current blanket ban is illegal. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a complete ban on voting for anyone sent to jail is illegal. It is up to individual countries to decide which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deadline-for-decision-on-prisoner-votes-approaches 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deadline-for-decision-on-prisoner-votes-approaches Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The issue of whether prisoners have the right to vote is an extremely sensitive one, which the Government have thus far indicated that they oppose in any form. But the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a blanket ban is illegal under the Convention, and the UK must set out proposed changes to the law. For many, prisoners... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rights-denied 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rights-denied Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The supermarket industry is set to introduce a standardised, UK-wide system of food labelling, health minister Anna Soubry has announced. The move aims to help people to make healthier choices about the food they eat. The ‘hybrid’ system will use a combination of Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), colour coding traffic lights... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/standardised-food-labelling-introduced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/standardised-food-labelling-introduced Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest poll suggests the public are significantly more supportive of wind power than shale gas, or nuclear power, when it comes to the ‘nimby’ issue. The results were not based on people’s belief that a certain type of energy should be promoted, or limited – but on how happy they would be to have different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ownership-and-acceptance 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ownership-and-acceptance Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The public are significantly more supportive of new wind power installed near their homes than gas or nuclear power, new research shows – although there is a significant age gap. An opinion poll conducted by ICM found that when asked whether they would prefer a wind turbine or shale gas well near their home, 67% preferred wind and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-support-for-wind-power-over-gas--icm 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-support-for-wind-power-over-gas--icm Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A pan-European seatbelt control operation revealed nearly 100,000 cases of drivers or passengers not wearing seatbelts. The operation involved 25 countries and was coordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL). Of the 97,489 total seatbelt offences recorded, 3,539 related to children not wearing seatbelts or other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tispol-detects-100000-seatbelt-offences 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tispol-detects-100000-seatbelt-offences Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT New data from the ONS shows that real national and household incomes have been falling due to recession and high inflation. The figures produced as part of the National Wellbeing programme showed that in the second quarter of 2012 net national income (NNI) per head in real terms was 13.2% below its level in the first quarter of 2008; a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-sees-sharper-fall-in-economic-wellbeing--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-sees-sharper-fall-in-economic-wellbeing--ons Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The rising cost of both rent and house prices demonstrates just how crucial finding a solution to the housing problem is becoming. The National Housing Foundation has predicted that by the time of the next general election, over a million working people will be claiming housing benefit. Building our way out of the recession is often... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-a-way-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-a-way-out Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT One in 10 parents feel they cannot spend enough time with their children, new research suggests. The Family and Parenting Institute surveyed English parents and children aged between 6 and 10 years old. 59% of children stated that they wanted to spend more time with their parents. Many parents said that they could only spend time with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-under-stress--fpi 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-under-stress--fpi Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The costs in state welfare and lost production of young adults not in education, employment or training (NEET) across Europe is now at €153bn a year, EU agency Eurofund has estimated. The agency found that the number of NEETs had reached record levels, with 14 million young people out of work costing £124bn or 1.2% of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/neet-costs-rise-across-europe--eurofund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/neet-costs-rise-across-europe--eurofund Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: ‘Private sector could run £278bn of public services – CBI’ Doing the same cheaper is not the answer. Whoever delivers whether it be public, private or third sector, new solutions are needed to reduce spend whilst maintaining or improving quality. Tell us what you think - have your say below, or email us... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-running-public-services 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-running-public-services Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a £33m welfare fund for the most vulnerable people in Scotland. Speaking at the last day of the SNP conference yesterday, Sturgeon said the £24m Social Fund would be topped up with £9m to help an extra 100,000 people. The funding would go towards crisis payments for people who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-fund-to-help-an-extra-100000-scottish-people 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-fund-to-help-an-extra-100000-scottish-people Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Over one million workers will be dependent on housing benefit by the next election, a new report predicts. The National Housing Federation found that the number of working households relying on welfare to pay rent has doubled since 2008. In May 2012, there were 903,440 working recipients of housing benefit. Another 10,000 working... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-housing-benefit-recipients-to-rise-above-1m 441,455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-housing-benefit-recipients-to-rise-above-1m Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to announce £1bn in the third round of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, which will create or safeguard 240,000 jobs. The fund will benefit 130 projects and leverage £6bn on private sector investment to create new jobs and stimulate growth in manufacturing firms, small businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-for-regional-growth-fund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-for-regional-growth-fund Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has been warned over the impact of public sector cuts – which go further than ever before – and could affect the labour force in unknown ways. The Work Foundation believes that without immediate monitoring of the consequences of the cuts, the workforce could be significantly damaged. Having all the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/covering-the-consequences 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/covering-the-consequences Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ofgem has set out proposals for simpler tariffs, where suppliers must tell customers about cheapest gas and electricity tariffs. The plans follow Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement during Prime Minister’s Questions that the Government would introduce laws to make suppliers give the customers the cheapest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/customers-could-see-simpler-energy-tariffs--ofgem 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/customers-could-see-simpler-energy-tariffs--ofgem Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is largely “flying blind” on the damage public sector cuts could have on the labour market, The Work Foundation warns. In a new report, Public Loss, Private Gain?, The Work Foundation found there was very little knowledge of the impact of cuts on this scale, in these areas and over this time period. A lack... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/impact-of-cuts-is-government-blind-spot--the-work-foundation 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/impact-of-cuts-is-government-blind-spot--the-work-foundation Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT There is a 6% decrease in overall crime against adults, the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) show. The ONS reported that for the year ending June 2012, crimes recorded by the police also fell by 6% compared to the previous year. This represents a continued downward trend in recorded crime seen since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/csew-demonstrates-continued-fall-in-crime 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/csew-demonstrates-continued-fall-in-crime Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A lack of good information is damaging the Government’s ability to show value for money in its spending decisions, a new report suggests. The National Audit Office (NAO) reports that improvements have been in the last spending review on how spending on capital projects was allocated, but the Government’s approach to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-spending-decisions-need-better-information--nao 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-spending-decisions-need-better-information--nao Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT EMA should be reintroduced, the Coalition’s child poverty advisor has stated. Former Labour minister Alan Milburn told the Guardian that eliminating the funding was a “very bad mistake”. The Education Maintenance Allowance was scrapped in 2010 by education secretary Michael Gove, who called it “badly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reinstate-ema-child-poverty-advisor-urges 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reinstate-ema-child-poverty-advisor-urges Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition’s child poverty advisor, Alan Milburn, has called for the Government to reinstate EMA, stating that it was a bad mistake to scrap it in the first place. The funding aimed to help poorer 16 and 17-year olds stay on in education, but was criticised for failing to target those who really needed support. Ministers have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/was-ema-decision-a-mistake 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/was-ema-decision-a-mistake Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A-levels modules could be scrapped under new proposals to be introduced by education secretary Michael Gove. The reform would introduce the principles of the International Baccalaureate (IB) to England, gradually getting rid of A-level modules, introducing longer essays and requiring students to learn a wider range of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-level-reform-to-eliminate-module-work 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-level-reform-to-eliminate-module-work Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Michael Gove’s reforms continue to sweep the education system, with A-levels the latest to be shaken up. One interesting suggestion includes requiring students to choose a ‘contrasting’ subject if their original choice covers only the arts, or just maths and sciences. The proposal aims to develop students with a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contrasting-ideals 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contrasting-ideals Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Universal services for families are facing significant cuts as councils continue to search for savings, new research suggests, with these services presenting primary targets for short-term savings. A report published by the Family and Parenting Institute examined children’s service budgets in eight local authorities across England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/institute-warns-of-cuts-to-family-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/institute-warns-of-cuts-to-family-services Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment has fallen to 2.53 million, the latest figures from the ONS show. The number of people out of work fell by 50,000 in the three months to August and the unemployment rate fell to 7.9%. The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) fell by 4,000 to 1.57 million in September and the number of unfilled vacancies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-unemployment-falls-to-253-million 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-unemployment-falls-to-253-million Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities have resigned themselves to the fact that up to half of people on low incomes will refuse to pay council tax after benefit changes, new research shows. Under government plans, two million low-income workers will have to start paying £247 a year from April. But the weekly sums are so low that many councils believe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uneconomic-to-try-to-collect-all-new-council-tax 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uneconomic-to-try-to-collect-all-new-council-tax Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The use of food banks in the UK has significantly increased as the cost of living rises, a charity has reported. The Trussell Trust, which runs 270 food banks across the UK, has fed almost 110,000 people since April, compared to 128,697 in the whole of 2011/12. In 2012/13 it expects to feed over 200,000 as food and fuel bills are set to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/110000-people-using-food-banks-in-uk 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/110000-people-using-food-banks-in-uk Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The relaxation of planning rules on home extensions could be extended beyond the proposed temporary three-year period, a minister has suggested. Last month, a consultation was launched on easing planning regulations for home extensions of up to 8 metres. A limit is currently imposed on 3 or 4 metre extensions. The Government states that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-relaxation-liberalisation--boles 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-relaxation-liberalisation--boles Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Relaxing the planning rules is not “a crime against humanity”, minister Nick Boles has stated. It might sound melodramatic, but tensions run high around the topic of planning permission. The Government firmly believes costly applications are nothing but a barrier to the bounce-back of the construction industry, whilst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/relax-and-build 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/relax-and-build Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has come under fire today for its provision for children with behavioural problems, many of whom cannot access adequate and necessary support and services. The very existence of such programmes becomes futile if they are not helping the very people who need it most. Such support represents the very cornerstone of early... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/act-early 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/act-early Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Possession of a small amount of controlled drugs should no longer be a criminal offence, the UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC) has recommended. Following a six-year study of British drug laws, the commission concluded that introducing decriminalisation would not lead to a significant increase in drug use. The criminal sanctions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drugs-commission-urges-decriminalisation-after-six-years-of-research 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drugs-commission-urges-decriminalisation-after-six-years-of-research Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Parenting interventions must be widely available, fully funded and targeted at children who need them most, a new report recommends. The Centre for Mental Health reviewed the implementation of parenting programmes in the report ‘A Chance to Change’, which calls for a national campaign to raise awareness and support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-intervention-vital-to-combat-behavioural-problems 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-intervention-vital-to-combat-behavioural-problems Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Families with disabled children are not receiving the support or services they need in their local area, according to a report by the charity Scope. The report details a chronic shortage of local childcare, nursery places, appropriate schools and essential therapies and healthcare. Figures from Scope, Sense, 4Children and the Family... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-with-disabled-children-at-breaking-point--scope 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-with-disabled-children-at-breaking-point--scope Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT West Coast incumbent Virgin will be asked to continue to run services on the franchise for 9-13 months, after the decision to award the contract to FirstGroup was overturned. The Government is planning to enter negotiations with Virgin for a temporary contract whilst a new competition is run. The decision was cancelled on October 3, after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/virgin-gets-west-coast-franchise-extension-after-dft-fiasco 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/virgin-gets-west-coast-franchise-extension-after-dft-fiasco Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: Long-term unemployed to work six months for free I agree with any scheme that will allow people to return to (or even experience for the first time) work. Seems to me however that the more governments tinker with changes to the age for retirement, the less work opportunities will be available. Perhaps we need some joined-up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-programmes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-programmes Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Parents will be able to share maternity leave and pay under new plans set to be announced by the Coalition. Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will unveil plans that allow fathers to take time off and claim state benefits throughout the first year of their child’s life if the mother returns to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fathers-to-benefit-from-shared-maternity-benefits- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fathers-to-benefit-from-shared-maternity-benefits- Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT British Gas is raising gas and electricity tariffs by 6%, which means that the annual duel fuel bill for average customers will increase by around £80 from next month. From November 16, prices will go up, making British Gas the second most expensive supplier after SSE, which has already announced price rises of 9% to come into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gas-and-electricity-tariffs-increased-by-6 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gas-and-electricity-tariffs-increased-by-6 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The first ever map of alcohol-related health costs shows that middle-aged drinkers are placing the greatest burden on the NHS. Published by Alcohol Concern, the research collates data from local authorities, before they take on responsibilities for public health. The 55-74 year old age group presented over ten times greater inpatient... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/middle-aged-drinkers-pose-burden-to-nhs- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/middle-aged-drinkers-pose-burden-to-nhs- Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Sharing the allocation of maternity leave demonstrates a step forward for this country, recognising that in some couples it will be the woman who is the main breadwinner, and she should be supported to go back to work sooner. Anything which provides more flexibility for families, and acknowledges a less traditional model of family life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/middle-aged-drinkers-pose-burden-to-nhs- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/middle-aged-drinkers-pose-burden-to-nhs- Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pilot schemes for faster, more flexible criminal justice are to be announced by the Government. The schemes will include extending hours of magistrates courts and maximising the use of video links. Policing minister Damian Green is due to announce the trials today. The push for an improved criminal response follows the aftermath of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminal-justice-trials-to-be-announced 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminal-justice-trials-to-be-announced Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT In a twist of outsourcing, benefits assessor Atos has subcontracted Lanarkshire NHS to carry out consultations in Scotland. Lanarkshire NHS’s occupational arm Salus will carry out assessments of people for the new disability benefit, personal independence payment (Pip), which is due to replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lanarkshire-nhs-subcontracted-by-atos-for-disability-assessment 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lanarkshire-nhs-subcontracted-by-atos-for-disability-assessment Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plans to extend hours for public sector employees have been revealed in leaked Cabinet Office documents. A review will examine the terms and conditions of employment and consider how jobs can be made more like the private sector. The documents, seen by the Guardian, cover the possibility of cutting holidays, lengthening working weeks and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-could-be-made-to-work-longer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-could-be-made-to-work-longer Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Is swift justice sure justice? The Government certainly seems to think so, as it prepares to announce further trials into flexible criminal justice, and a speeded-up court system. There is general consensus that the current system is too slow, and this can impede the effectiveness of justice when it is finally delivered. But the move... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swift-and-sure 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swift-and-sure Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is due to address the Conservative party conference this morning, warning that the UK is facing an “hour of reckoning”.  He will set out the scale of challenges to economic recovery, urge delegates to stick with his leadership and contrast the Conservatives’ approach of being upfront... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-warns-of-hour-of-reckoning-for-uk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-warns-of-hour-of-reckoning-for-uk Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector spending cuts have hit Wales less than the most comparable regions in England, new research shows. A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows that overall council spending, excluding education, has so far been cut to only half the extent of councils in the north east of England, which has a similar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-hit-twice-as-hard-by-cuts-as-wales 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-hit-twice-as-hard-by-cuts-as-wales Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £103m fund for renewable energy projects is to be launched, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is to announce. The Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIW) aims to attract more private investment to the sector, initially prioritising wave and tidal energy, as well as renewable district heating. REIW will complement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-launches-103m-renewable-energy-fund 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-launches-103m-renewable-energy-fund Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT New statistics from the Institute for Fiscal Studies may have burst the Welsh argument that the country does not receive enough financial support from the UK government. New research shows that compared to English areas in a similar socio-economic position, Wales has been spared the hardest public sector spending cuts. While this may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spared-from-the-worst 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spared-from-the-worst Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) has launched the Public Sector Skills Academy to boost the skills and knowledge of civil servants. Workshops will focus on governance, performance management and relationship management, and will be built into university-accredited qualifications. The academy is tailored to outsourcing contracts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academy-launched-to-improve-civil-servants-skills 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academy-launched-to-improve-civil-servants-skills Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced £270m of funding available for a third year of council tax freezes across England, if local authorities accept the deal. This year, they will receive the equivalent of a 1% increase from Whitehall in return – £225m funding in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. While this could be good news for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-to-be-extended-for-third-year 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-to-be-extended-for-third-year Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT There are things in life you can set your watch by – and pledges to overhaul the laws on dishing out violence to burglars at Conservative party conference are one of them. The party faithful loves it, and it’s an easy way, even a clichéd way, for new justice secretary Chris Grayling to prove he’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grossly-disproportionate 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grossly-disproportionate Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that the Government does not need a ‘Plan B’, and has no intention of easing the austerity programme. His statements come as the IMF forecasts that Britain will miss its deficit reduction targets this year, predicting it will be reduced by 1.25% and 1.5% this year and the year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-need-for-plan-b--cameron 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-need-for-plan-b--cameron Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT House of Commons Speaker John Bercow MP was among a group of well-known names supporting National Community Meals Week from 1-7 October. He helped Meals on Wheels supplier apetito deliver meals to residents in Buckinghamshire, and said: “The meals on wheels service is a vital lifeline for many elderly people, enabling them to stay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bercow-backs-community-meals 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bercow-backs-community-meals Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government must put a 2030 target in place to decarbonise the power sector, 50 businesses have argued. Such a target would stimulate investment in the UK and refurbish ageing infrastructure, they say in a letter to Chancellor George Osborne. Osborne has previously been opposed to a 2030 target, and instead supports new gas-fired... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/businesses-call-for-2030-carbon-target-for-power-sector 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/businesses-call-for-2030-carbon-target-for-power-sector Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Conwy and Denbighshire councils have halted plans to merge their highway departments, after estimates showed the plans could cost the taxpayer more money than anticipated. It was believed that up to £300,000 could be saved by working together on road networks. However, one estimate claimed that the merger could cost up to £750... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conwy-and-denbighshire-councils-scrap-consolidation 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conwy-and-denbighshire-councils-scrap-consolidation Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Undeniably the UK needs higher investment in infrastructure and undeniably investment in infrastructure offers the potential of long term enhanced economic performance in national economies. It should not, however, be promoted as a recession recovery play – there's no reputable, robust and widely accepted evidence from modern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investing-in-infrastructure 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investing-in-infrastructure Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to cut an additional £10bn from the benefits bill, Chancellor George Osborne is to tell the Conservative party conference in his keynote speech today. £18bn of welfare cuts are already underway, and the new cuts would limit housing benefits for the under-25s, possible further cuts to child tax credits and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-to-announce-10bn-benefit-cuts 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-to-announce-10bn-benefit-cuts Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Changes to the calculation of the retail prices index (RPI) could cut pensioner’s incomes, campaigners have warned. The ONS has launched a consultation on whether it is necessary to change RPI, to bring it more in line with the consumer prices index (CPI). The gap between the two is currently 0.9 percentage points on average... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensioners-could-suffer-from-rpi-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensioners-could-suffer-from-rpi-changes Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The extra cuts in welfare, due to be announced today, are calculated to outline how the Conservatives can achieve their aim of balancing the budget by cutting an area of spending that many people believe could and should be reduced. But Tory insistences that the rich will have a bigger contribution is highly unlikely. Of course they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-politics-of-popularity- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-politics-of-popularity- Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new report criticises tax arrangements of some public sector workers, which could allow them to contribute less. The Public Accounts Committee suggested that too many were making their own arrangements to pay tax and national insurance, meaning they could be paying less. A Treasury investigation across government found that for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-tax-avoidance-revealed-by-pac 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-tax-avoidance-revealed-by-pac Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Britain risks running out of energy generating capacity by 2015, energy regulator Ofgem has warned in a new report. The first annual Electricity Capacity Assessment suggests that the amount of spare capacity could fall from 14% to 4% in three years, much sooner than originally predicted. This could leave Britain relying more on imported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spare-energy-capacity-could-run-out-by-2015--ofgem 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spare-energy-capacity-could-run-out-by-2015--ofgem Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour has proposed providing more incentives for bright graduates to become teachers, especially in deprived areas. Would the plan work in practice? A financial nudge such as cutting the amount of loan students incur could be a powerful motivator. Yet the logistical elements of the plan need a fair bit of tweaking and it is unclear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tempting-teachers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tempting-teachers Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Students could have part of their tuition fee debt written off in exchange for becoming teachers in deprived areas, shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg has suggested. At the last day of the Labour Party Conference, he said that improving the status of the profession was key to raising the standards of teaching. Twigg also pledged to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/twigg-proposes-students-swap-loan-for-teaching-role 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/twigg-proposes-students-swap-loan-for-teaching-role Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Learner drivers should spend at least a year displaying L plates before being allowed to take their driving test, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has recommended. In a new report, the ABI calls for a reduction on the drink driving limit to no blood alcohol content for drivers aged under-25 and restrictions on young people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/insurers-call-for-restrictions-on-young-drivers 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/insurers-call-for-restrictions-on-young-drivers Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool’s step forward towards responsible procurement could be held up as an example of best practice for other councils looking to buy products and services in a more sustainable way. The new policy will take social value to a new level, and ensure competition for services benefits the whole community; creating and safeguarding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-value 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-value Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has announced a major shake-up of contracts, going beyond the Government’s Social Value Act, to support local jobs and skills and promote social enterprises. A report to the Mayor’s cabinet is recommending placing emphasis on socially responsible contractors and suppliers when procuring with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-value-recommended-in-liverpool-policy 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-value-recommended-in-liverpool-policy Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Almost half of the charities in the Government’s Work Programme face significant financial problems, with some warning they may go bust as a result of its payment-by-results methodology. A survey by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) found that nearly 50% of charities had used their financial reserves to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-programme-at-risk-of-failure--charities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-programme-at-risk-of-failure--charities Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government must take immediate action to upgrade the UK’s infrastructure, a new report urges. The Infrastructure Alliance has published a report, ‘Avoiding the infrastructure crunch: getting Britain working’, which calls for “shovel-ready” maintenance and minor works to begin straight away. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/infrastructure-alliance-calls-for-action 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/infrastructure-alliance-calls-for-action Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT An additional £1.2m funding has been announced to help Scottish councils reach the 50% recycling target set for the end of 2013. Speaking at the Scottish Waste and Resources Conference held in Glasgow today, Scottish environment secretary Richard Lochhead announced the extra money, to be administered by Zero Waste Scotland. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-receive-12m-towards-recycling 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-receive-12m-towards-recycling Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The announcement that the DfT has actually made serious errors in the bidding process for the West Coast franchise not only casts doubt on the department’s ability to judge other bids accurately, it could shake the public’s faith in Government. The scale of the error is huge: it means millions of pounds will have to be paid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaken-faith 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaken-faith Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has cancelled the award of the West Coast franchise to FirstGroup after “technical flaws” emerged in the bid evaluation process, forcing the whole thing to be scrapped. It is unclear this morning who will run services on the line after December 9 – Virgin or state-owned Directly Operated Railways. New... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-coast-handover-scrapped-after-catastrophic-dft-mistakes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-coast-handover-scrapped-after-catastrophic-dft-mistakes Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Too much focus on traditional competitive team sports for school pupils could alienate some children rather than tackle their sedentary lifestyles, a new report suggests. Produced by the Youth Foundation, the report warns of the consequences of Government’s intended policy for PE lessons. The new School Games initiative would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/competitive-sports-out-of-line-for-many-school-children 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/competitive-sports-out-of-line-for-many-school-children Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour is setting out plans at its conference today to reform the education system for the ‘forgotten 50%’ of young people who are currently failed by low-value vocational qualifications. Speaking at the party conference in Manchester today, Ed Miliband will state that the focus of educational attainment should no longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-pledges-education-reform-for-the-forgotten-50 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-pledges-education-reform-for-the-forgotten-50 Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new report by the Youth Foundation not only reinforces the backlash to the Government’s insistence on competitive sport, it implies that failure to provide school children with activities and exercise they actually enjoy could lead to extreme health problems and even early death. Competitive sport has obvious benefits for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-sport-does-not-fit-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-sport-does-not-fit-all Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Energy regulator Ofgem should be replaced, Labour has suggested. Speaking at the party’s annual conference yesterday, shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said Ofgem had failed to force large energy companies to pass on price reductions to their customers. She said: “Why, when prices rise, do bills go up like a rocket... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrap-ofgem-says-labour 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrap-ofgem-says-labour Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government desperately wants a boom in housebuilding. The current mismatch between supply and demand, made more complex because of a shortage of affordable mortgages, drives a number of other societal and financial problems, not least the staggering and spiralling housing benefit bill. Housebuilding is also a labourintensive activity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-unaffordable-crisis 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-unaffordable-crisis Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has pledged to take “tough decisions” on public sector pay, hitting back at union leaders who have attacked the party’s direction. On the first day of the Labour Party annual conference, Balls said they needed to protect jobs ahead of securing pay rises. Last night Len McCluskey, general... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/balls-to-take-tough-decisions-on-public-sector-pay 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/balls-to-take-tough-decisions-on-public-sector-pay Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Abigail Burridge, senior advisor at the LGA, describes how councils are working together to deliver benefits in carbon reduction. A newly launched programme helps councils share information and best practice on tackling carbon, and shows how work in this area can cover so many other areas of policy. PSE spoke to the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-carbon-reduction 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-carbon-reduction Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Procurement expert Andy Heslop discusses the application of commercial pressures in non-commercial organisations. A senior commercial manager, working in a large county council, proposed a new set of arrangements for managing residential care. He told me that the immediate response of his colleagues in the adult social services team was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-commercial-community 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-commercial-community Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dave Palmer, a solicitor at national law firm Dundas & Wilson, explains the impact for the public sector of a recent court decision on legal representation at internal disciplinary hearings. Having an employee’s lawyer involved in an internal disciplinary hearing can be a significant headache for a disciplinary manager. A recent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disciplinary-hearings-the-end-of-the-lawyer 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disciplinary-hearings-the-end-of-the-lawyer Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Geoff Snelson, Milton Keynes Council’s director of strategy, speaks to PSE about progress in establishing itself as a test-bed for innovation in energy efficiency. PSE talked to Milton Keynes council director of strategy, Geoff Snelson, about the innovation being trialled and tested across the borough to reduce carbon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enabling-innovation 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enabling-innovation Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police reform: elected police and crime commissioners Dr Floyd Millen, director of public affairs think tank yesMinister, discusses the abolition of police authorities and their incoming replacements. There was no grand design for policing in England and Wales; its development was never logical or systematic but was moulded by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/for-they-only-seek-to-serve-us 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/for-they-only-seek-to-serve-us Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports from a Labour conference fringe session on the Green Deal The Government’s flagship green policy, the Green Deal, launched on October 1 and was the subject of debate at a fringe session of Labour’s annual conference in Manchester The Green Deal offers house owners a financial model to pay for energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-deal-or-green-gamble 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-deal-or-green-gamble Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Can the introduction of new transport infrastructure be achieved in a sustainable way? Or is there a trade-off between ‘green’ and ‘growth’? Kate Ashley reports from the Labour conference fringe. Many local authorities would love to see more sustainable transport in their areas: but achieving this requires serious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-or-growth 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-or-growth Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Richard Jones, head of policy and public affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), discusses the Government’s proposed changes to workplace health and safety inspections. Amy Kilvington reports. The Coalition is determined to cut “unnecessary red tape” in an attempt to meet the concerns of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-safety-inspections-myths-and-dogma 435,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-safety-inspections-myths-and-dogma Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE’s Adam Hewitt reports from a Labour conference fringe event on welfare reform and the housing crisis. The Government is determined to clamp down on the benefits bill, not least housing benefit, which now consumes a huge proportion of public spending and distorts the entire housing and rental market. Reform is needed, most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-association-new-build-will-stop 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-association-new-build-will-stop Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Procurement offers a means to channel billions to the UK’s most innovative businesses. Stian Westlake, executive director of UK innovation foundation, Nesta, explains not only why it is critical, but how to make it happen. The debate about Plan A or Plan B rages now as fiercely as it did in 2008. But the prospects for economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovation-and-procurement-tracking-down-the-holy-grail 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovation-and-procurement-tracking-down-the-holy-grail Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new integrated package of transport improvements and personalised travel tools aims to encourage people in York out of their cars and onto bikes, public transport, and other more sustainable forms of transport. PSE talks to Graham Titchener, programme manager for the i-Travel scheme, transport leader Cllr Dave Merrett, and head of York &... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/i-travel 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/i-travel Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT At the end of last year Michael O’Connor retired from his job as Director of Children’s Services at Westminster City Council and at around the same time became a trustee at CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people. He argues that there are lessons that local government and the voluntary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lessons-for-local-government-from-the-third-sector 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lessons-for-local-government-from-the-third-sector Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Lord Victor Adebowale, chief executive of Turning Point, discusses the Government’s mental health implementation framework. As an employer, the public sector has a major role in tackling stigma and mental health issues. The economic cost of mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, in England has been estimated at more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-workplaces-more-supportive-environments 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-workplaces-more-supportive-environments Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fraud costs the UK billions every year, placing a huge strain on government – but with access to national addressing and digital mapping data, the defence against it is growing, as Graham Hughes from Ordnance Survey explains. The public sector is rich in data. From running public services through to recording and collating public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mapping-the-fight-against-fraud 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mapping-the-fight-against-fraud Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Recent cut-backs in police aviation funding have seen the start of a national helicopter initiative that is to replace the current local helicopter scheme. The 25 helicopters are to fly from 23 bases and some will not operate on a 24 hour basis. The new operation is thought to save up to £15m as seven bases are to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-police-air-service-launched 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-police-air-service-launched Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s auto-enrolment pension scheme begins for some workers today, with the aim to get 4.3 million more people saving for their retirement by May 2014. Part of workers’ pay will automatically be diverted to a pension scheme, as long as they are over 22 and not already part of a scheme. Payments will start at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-auto-enrolment-begins-today 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-auto-enrolment-begins-today Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT In 2008, the PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) project was launched with the goal to enable businesses to communicate electronically with any European government institution in the procurement process. OpenPEPPOL’s secretary general, André Hoddevik, and communications director, Carmen Ciciriello, explain more.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/peppol-the-backbone-for-electronic-public-procurement-in-europe 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/peppol-the-backbone-for-electronic-public-procurement-in-europe Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT North Yorkshire Police’s head of transport Richard Flint, who chairs the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM), spoke to a major American fleet conference to share UK best practice. North Yorkshire Police’s fleet management expertise was highlighted in the United States at a major conference in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-fleet-boss-addresses-us-conference 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-fleet-boss-addresses-us-conference Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s auto-enrolment scheme could get millions more people saving for their retirement, helping to bear the costs of extended life expectancy in older age. For many, this will eliminate the effort associated with setting up payments into a pension. It will improve life for employees and help to ensure they can maintain a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prepare-and-save 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prepare-and-save Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT There are a number of obvious and significant cost saving benefits in passing traditional public sector roles to the private sector including: Removal of the over-embellished high-cost senior management structures that are synonymous with ALL public sector institutions/organisations. Removal of the over-indulged and grossly expensive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-privatisation 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-privatisation Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Birmingham City University, uses alternative scenarios to game longer-term impacts of Coalition government reforms and to develop a richer analysis than the orthodoxies that tend to take hold in official circles. Much metaphorical ink has been spilt – not least by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-outcome-scenarios 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-outcome-scenarios Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT New guidelines could mean replacement school buildings are 15% smaller than those built under Labour. The new proposals, expected this week, set the template for 261 replacement primary and secondary school buildings to be constructed over the next five years at a cost of £2.5bn. The space standards will reduce the costs in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/replacement-schools-to-be-15-smaller 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/replacement-schools-to-be-15-smaller Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to Rebecca Davis, head of organisational development at West Midlands Councils, about the decision of 28 public sector organisations in the region to share their recruitment services. When applied to the right problem, digitallybased shared services can have a huge impact. That’s certainly what West Midlands Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sharing-recruitment-across-the-web 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sharing-recruitment-across-the-web Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s desire to boost growth by relaxing the planning rules around the proportion of new developments that must be affordable housing have come under criticism from local authorities and housing campaigners. Adam Hewitt reports. Increasing the rate of house-building solves a number of problems at once and it has been a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-housing-crisis 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-housing-crisis Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Additional funding has been announced to help small businesses within the UK export abroad. BIS has awarded £13m to help over 10,000 firms make contacts and sell to overseas markets. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) will manage the funding, with up to £9m going directly to small and medium sized businesses. The money will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/13m-funding-for-smes-looking-to-export 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/13m-funding-for-smes-looking-to-export Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has failed to ensure the security of money meant for welfare to work schemes, the Commons public accounts committee has reported. The committee found £1bn of schemes were open to fraud and the internal audit also highlighted potential reputational risk or suspected rule breaking by staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1bn-of-welfare-to-work-schemes-at-risk-of-fraud 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1bn-of-welfare-to-work-schemes-at-risk-of-fraud Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour has promised a root and branch zero-based budget review if the Party was to return to Downing Street after the next election. In an interview with the Guardian, shadow chancellor Ed Balls outlined the review, in a move to convince voters Labour would be more responsible with spending if re-elected. The review would be expected to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/balls-promises-zero-based-spending-review 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/balls-promises-zero-based-spending-review Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour has pledged to conduct a deep review of public spending if the Party is re-elected in 2015. This line by line audit of the purpose and value of the budget would allow government to make intelligent savings, without resorting to a slash and burn approach, Ed Balls stated. The Party has been seen as irresponsible with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/difficult-decisions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/difficult-decisions Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Leadership excellence can improve Welsh public services, the local government and communities minister Carl Sargeant has announced. He was speaking at the launch of Academi Wales, a Government programme aimed at improving leadership and management practice within Welsh public services. The Academi will be a national centre to support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academi-wales-launched-to-improve-leadership 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academi-wales-launched-to-improve-leadership Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK economy shrank by less than originally thought, as the ONS revises the figure for the second quarter down again. Initially, the estimate for GDP from April to June this year saw the economy shrink by 0.7%. This was then revised down to 0.5% and is now at 0.4%. Analysts had not been expecting a change from the second... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ons-revises-economy-contraction-to-04 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ons-revises-economy-contraction-to-04 Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT A second revision to the ONS’s estimate of how much the UK economy contracted by from April to June is great news for the country, and suggests that things are not quite as bad as they seem. Although still a contraction, the lower figure could provide a much-needed boost of confidence to industry, particularly construction who has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/revising-the-recession 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/revising-the-recession Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The largest wind turbine of its kind has been switched on at Horwich Parkway railway station. The turbine is the largest in terms of scale and potential power generation to be installed at any train station in England. Half the station’s power needs are now supplied by the 11 kilowatt high efficiency turbine, which is set to cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wind-turbine-to-increase-environmental-efficiency-of-railway-station 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wind-turbine-to-increase-environmental-efficiency-of-railway-station Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The creation of thousands of free schools and academies is leading to the education system “sleepwalking into centralisation”, a new report has suggested. Based on research from the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) and conducted in partnership with NUT and Unison, the report has found that councils are struggling to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgiu-raises-concerns-over-centralisation-of-education 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgiu-raises-concerns-over-centralisation-of-education Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT In his end-of-conference speech today, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is set to urge his party to stick with the Coalition and asserted it was a party of power, not just of protest. Clegg will also introduce an extra £55m to help 110,000 children struggling with maths and English in secondary school, to come in from January 2013... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-party-of-power-not-protest--clegg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-party-of-power-not-protest--clegg Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The influx of new free schools and academies is leaving much of the strategic management of education out of local government hands, with schools only accountable to the secretary of state. Does this necessarily mean there is a slide into centralisation? And do we need more regulation, monitoring and planning to ensure standards are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slide-into-centralisation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slide-into-centralisation Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Teachers unions are to step up their industrial action in protest over pensions, pay and workload. NASUWT is to begin restricting teachers’ work from today and will be joined by the NUT from October 3. Members of NASUWT will produce only one written report a year to parents, not submit lesson plans to senior managers, refuse to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teachers-to-step-up-industrial-action 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teachers-to-step-up-industrial-action Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils in England are to receive £100m towards providing free nursery places for 100,000 two-year olds, Deputy PM Nick Clegg has announced. The Government has committed to providing up to 15 hours of free childcare for all two-year olds in the poorest two-fifths of households by September 2014. The funding is aimed at capital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100m-pledged-towards-free-nursery-places 453,442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100m-pledged-towards-free-nursery-places Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The announcement of new funding for children’s free nursery places in deprived areas will be welcomed by many families and has the potential to significantly affect these children’s life chances. Clegg is right to highlight that a child’s formative years as vital for their healthy development into a productive member of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-years 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-years Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT A joint industry advisory group has been set up to guide the delivery of the National Infrastructure Plan, Treasury chief secretary Danny Alexander has announced. Speaking at the Liberal Democrat party conference, Alexander revealed the plan to establish the National Infrastructure Plan Strategic Engagement Forum, or NIPSEF, which seeks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/industry-body-launched-to-facilitate-national-infrastructure-plan 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/industry-body-launched-to-facilitate-national-infrastructure-plan Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nearly 60 areas in England and Wales have been warned of a risk of flooding, as the heavy rain continues. The warnings are mainly for northern and central England, with some areas predicted to see a months worth of rainfall in one day, the Met Office has reported. The Environment Agency has issued 58 flood warnings for the South West... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risk-of-flooding-and-severe-weather-across-england 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risk-of-flooding-and-severe-weather-across-england Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats are to announce the creation of a new ‘business bank’ at their annual conference, aimed at increasing the amount of lending to small and medium sized businesses. Business secretary Vince Cable has pledged £1bn of government funding to the bank, which it is hoped will be matched by private sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/business-bank-announced-with-1bn-government-funding 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/business-bank-announced-with-1bn-government-funding Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said he will continue to oppose further welfare cuts. But he admitted it would be “wholly unrealistic” to expect welfare to be immune from cuts through 2015-16, as it represents a third of public spending. At the first day of the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference in Brighton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-calls-for-further-taxing-of-top-10 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-calls-for-further-taxing-of-top-10 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nick Clegg has faced a tough first day at his party conference, and has probably done himself no favours in voicing his support, or at least acceptance, that further welfare cuts are necessary. This reform has been largely unpopular, especially amongst party supporters. Clegg’s pledge to keep fighting for more of tax burden to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cleggs-cuts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cleggs-cuts Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The gap between the highest and lowest paid council staff is shrinking, according to new research. The think tank One Society found that over 20% of local authorities in England and Wales were paying staff a minimum of the living wage, with over 10% taking steps to reduce chief executive pay. A further 10% have limited the pay ratio... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pay-gap-diminishing--one-society 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pay-gap-diminishing--one-society Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: ‘Academics call for end to national pay bargaining in the public sector’ (19 September) I don’t doubt these professors can support their proposal with lots of theory – economists always can, and usually find at least two completely contradictory theories to tell us what we should do at any time. That’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-pay 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-pay Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government could save over £22bn if public services were opened up to competition, a new report suggests. The CBI believes that certain areas of the public sector, worth £278bn, should be open to competition from private companies, social enterprises and charities, to provide significant savings. The areas the CBI... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-could-run-278bn-of-public-services--cbi 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-could-run-278bn-of-public-services--cbi Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) are due to receive an extra £24m over the next three years, the Government has announced. BIS and the DCLG are to provide an initial £5m funding package for England’s 39 LEPs, followed by up to £250,000 per LEP for the next two years. This funding is to be matched by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/24m-additional-funding-for-english-leps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/24m-additional-funding-for-english-leps Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has taken a gamble on voters’ capacity for forgiveness, hoping that a public apology over the party’s failure to uphold a pledge on tuition fees will improve trust and belief in the Liberal Democrats. It is a risky move, and not just because politicians are generally averse to ever using the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-sorry-strategy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-sorry-strategy Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Auto-enrolment into a work pension is due to begin next month, in a shake-up described by Government as a “truly radical social change”. From October 1, the largest employers must place eligible workers into schemes, with all other firms to be gradually enrolled in a staging process over the next six years. The Department... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-auto-enrolment-begins-next-month 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-auto-enrolment-begins-next-month Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Communities that have wind farms in their area could get benefits in return, the Government has suggested. This could include discounts on electricity bills or grants to spend on facilities such as playgrounds. The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched a consultation into the rewards that could be offered for siting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rewards-considered-for-wind-farm-approval 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rewards-considered-for-wind-farm-approval Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Young people have been the group most severely affected by the economic downturn, with unemployment in other age groups less severe than the scale of the recession would usually suggest. The Government has put serious time, effort and money to doing something about it: not least because the cost to the state of so many unemployed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-contract-worth-the-paper-its-written-on 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-contract-worth-the-paper-its-written-on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Senior economists from leading universities have urged the Government to scrap national pay bargaining in the public sector, which they say harms the quality of public services and makes it harder for private sector firms to recruit in some areas. Any such plan to force public sector workers to negotiate salaries individually would meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academics-call-for-end-to-national-pay-bargaining-in-the-public-sector 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academics-call-for-end-to-national-pay-bargaining-in-the-public-sector Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The definition of domestic violence is changing from March to help teenage victims and to ensure long-term psychological, emotional and financial abuse is covered. It will explicitly include “coercive control”, meaning patterns of behaviour rather than individual outbursts or attacks. The definition since 2004 has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/domestic-violence-definition-to-change 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/domestic-violence-definition-to-change Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s flagship work and training scheme, the Youth Contract, is insufficient on its own to tackle the scale of the unemployment crisis, an expert committee of MPs has concluded. The Work and Pensions Committee said it is a “good start in attempting to tackle youth unemployment”, but flagged up a series of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/youth-contract-not-enough-to-tackle-unemployment-and-skills-crisis 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/youth-contract-not-enough-to-tackle-unemployment-and-skills-crisis Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT GCSEs are to be replaced by an English version of the French Baccalaureate qualification, education secretary Michael Gove has announced. The EBacc, as it will be known, will cover English, maths and sciences and will be adjudicated by one end-of-course external examination. Regulator Ofqual will choose a single exam board to mark the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-introduces-gsce-replacement-the-ebacc 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-introduces-gsce-replacement-the-ebacc Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of cases of guardianship are continuing to fall in England, according to new research. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has published a report showing a 5% decrease on the previous years’ figures. In 2011/12, 331 new cases were opened – a 31% fall on the number from 2002/03. This year there were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guardianship-cases-falling--hscic 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guardianship-cases-falling--hscic Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Offender Management Service is facing significant challenges after a reform to radically reduce the prison population was dropped, costing the Ministry of Justice £130m. The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report highlighting the “substantial” financial and operational challenges involved in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prison-population-reduction-would-have-saved-130m--nao 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prison-population-reduction-would-have-saved-130m--nao Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new qualification to be known as the Ebacc seeks to do away with coursework, separate ‘pick and mix’ modules, and end competition between multiple exam boards. It is not quite the reform that was expected following leaks of a two-tier system that was heavily criticised by teaching unions and education professionals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-tiers-or-one 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-tiers-or-one Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The public want the Government to spend more on public services, even if this means higher taxes, a new report shows. The 2011 British Social Attitudes survey demonstrates the shift in attitudes, with 36% of the public supporting more investment in public services. The percentage had been falling for the last decade, indicating a shift in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-more-spending-on-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-more-spending-on-public-services Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Whilst most people are in agreement that people on benefits should be encouraged to learn to budget and adjust to a payment cycle which is more similar to the working world, there are significant concerns about the Government’s ability to deliver this, and the impact this will have on claimants. People will undoubtedly need more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/claimant-concerns 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/claimant-concerns Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Anglesey’s council cabinet is to be reinstated, reducing the level of governance by an external team appointed by the Local Government and Communities department. The Welsh Government Commissioners’ latest report on corporate governance at the Isle of Anglesey County Council recommends that the minister for LGC reduces the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-intervention-to-be-reduced-on-anglesey 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-intervention-to-be-reduced-on-anglesey Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT A quarter of public sector employees say their workplace does not have enough first aiders. St John Ambulance, which conducted the survey, has launched a new campaign highlighting misconceptions about the impact of first aid at work and at home. A survey of public sector employees found that 50% of employers lack any formal process... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-first-aid-needed-at-work--st-john-ambulance 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-first-aid-needed-at-work--st-john-ambulance Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: ‘Number crunching’ http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Interviews/Number-crunching I think that they are confused about definitions of shared services. A good definition of shared services is: ‘Act of sharing services or assets within an organisation or with other organisations (private or public) to achieve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/network-rail-shared-services 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/network-rail-shared-services Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s flagship welfare policy, the introduction of Universal Credit, has been criticised in a new report that suggests it could endanger the people it seeks to support. The Social Market Foundation has published a report, ‘Sink or Swim’, which highlights concerns with switching to a once-monthly benefit, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-could-backfire--social-market-foundation 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-could-backfire--social-market-foundation Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT New measures have been announced to reduce employment law red tape, by simplifying and speeding up the process of ending an employment relationship. Business Secretary Vince Cable announced that the Government is supporting settlement agreements, which would allow an employee to agree to leave work without a tribunal in return for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/compensation-for-unfair-dismissal-to-be-capped 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/compensation-for-unfair-dismissal-to-be-capped Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s local enterprise partnership (LEP) policy has been criticised for poor communication and an “uncoordinated” approach. The all-party parliamentary group for local growth, LEPs and enterprise zones has produced a report detailing eight recommendations for Government to improve these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lep-policy-approach-uncoordinated--mps 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lep-policy-approach-uncoordinated--mps Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has created a £2m fund for London Metropolitan students who have been left without visas, after the university’s licence was revoked. Around 2,600 students have been affected by the move, which came after the UK Border Agency reported people using the visas to come to the UK, but failing to attend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-met-students-fund-created-amid-deportation-fears 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-met-students-fund-created-amid-deportation-fears Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new £2m fund for London Metropolitan students will provide “certainty” at a stressful time, according to universities minister David Willetts. Some 2,600 students are facing deportation, unless they can find new courses to provide visas and allow them to stay in the country. The money raised, not to mention the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avoidable-disaster 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avoidable-disaster Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Policy Exchange has suggested there is “no shortage of land” on which to build more housing, and has called for a revamp of our planning system. With the demand for new homes rising and the ‘relaxation’ of regulation to boost development, perhaps this is the new direction for planning. But was it ever just a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-belt-for-sale 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-belt-for-sale Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT A cycling scheme in Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F) has helped boost its cycling journey rate to among the highest in London. Training initiatives, road improvements and the creation of new cycling paths has led to the increase, with cycling up 43% over the past eight years. Around 7% of residents now cycle to work, a percentage expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hf-increases-cycling-rate-by-43 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hf-increases-cycling-rate-by-43 Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Green belt land should be freed up to provide new housing, think tank Policy Exchange has suggested. A new report – ‘Why Aren't We Building Enough Attractive Homes?’ – also criticises the current planning system as “deeply flawed”. The report suggests that releasing 2% of green belt land could allow up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-shortage-of-land-for-homes--policy-exchange 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-shortage-of-land-for-homes--policy-exchange Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been a slowdown in public sector job cuts, unemployment figures show. The number of civil servants declined by 5,000 in the quarter to July, and the number of health workers is higher than three years ago, at 1.55 million. Overall, the drop in public sector unemployment was restricted to 39,000 in the three months to the end of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-job-losses-slowing 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-job-losses-slowing Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been a jump in the number of people in work, with the overall jobless total also falling by 7,000 to 2.59 million in the quarter to July. Public sector employment continued to fall, however, by 235,000 to 5.7 million. The overall number of people in work increased by 236,000 to 29.6 million – the largest quarterly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/235000-more-people-in-work 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/235000-more-people-in-work Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The LGA is holding its annual rural conference in Windermere today, coinciding with Defra’s publication of the Rural Statement 2012. The statement is based around three main priorities: economic growth, rural engagement, and quality of life. The new environment secretary, Owen Paterson, said: “Rural economic growth is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-publishes-strategy-for-rural-england 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-publishes-strategy-for-rural-england Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jane Todd has announced she is stepping down as Nottingham City Council’s chief executive, following major surgery earlier this year. The city’s first female chief executive has spent the past six months recuperating after her major operation. Though she has made good progress following the acoustic neuroma surgery, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-chief-exec-quits-on-health-grounds 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-chief-exec-quits-on-health-grounds Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT All-round good (un)employment news today, it has to be said. It has been a real feature of this economic downturn that unemployment has remained lower than the other indicators and statistics suggest it probably should be. In saying that, more than a million people are avoiding worklessness by working part-time, when they really want... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/off-to-work-we-go 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/off-to-work-we-go Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT One of the Government’s main initiatives to create jobs has been criticised for its slow progress so far. A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that so far, only £60m of the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund has been released. According to the report, some £374m spent so far has been held up in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scandalous-failure-of-regional-growth-fund-to-distribute-funds-pac 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scandalous-failure-of-regional-growth-fund-to-distribute-funds-pac Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has backed coordinated strike action against a two-year pay freeze on public sector workers. At its annual conference, unions were planning strike action to take place in the spring if negotiations over pay break down. GMB and Unison have formed an alliance which means nearly 1.5m health and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coordinated-strike-action-planned-against-pay-freeze 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coordinated-strike-action-planned-against-pay-freeze Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nearly 6,800 frontline posts have been cut since the general election, compared to the 5,800 predicted to be lost throughout the entire parliament, new analysis shows. Research commissioned by shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper found that the average force has seen a reduction of 6% in frontline officers across England and Wales, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/frontline-police-numbers-down-by-almost-1000 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/frontline-police-numbers-down-by-almost-1000 Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The growth fund that was set to snowball into “hundreds of thousands” of jobs has so far fallen significantly short of expectations. The PAC has called it “scandalous” that more is not being done to use the £1.4bn allocated to provide and protect jobs. Such circumstances reiterate the fact that money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/snowballing-to-nowhere 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/snowballing-to-nowhere Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government plans to scrap the requirement for council approval of broadband infrastructure installations have been criticised for ignoring residents’ interests. On Friday, the Government announced a package of temporary measures to make it easier for communications providers to deploy infrastructure and speed up the roll-out of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadband-roll-out-measures-ride-roughshod-over-planning 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadband-roll-out-measures-ride-roughshod-over-planning Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is preparing to relax a swathe of regulations to remove ‘unnecessary burdens’ and promote growth. One consequence will be that ‘low risk’ businesses will no longer be subject to regular health and safety inspections. While this could release certain restraints on business and development, it is key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defining-risk 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defining-risk Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Many gyms are ‘no-go zones’ for disabled people and are a barrier to the legacy aims of the Paralympics to increase participation in sport, a charity has found. A survey of gyms and leisure centres found that many are partially inaccessible, difficult to navigate and expensive to join. Some do not have any specialist gym... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-access-at-gyms-criticised-by-charity 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-access-at-gyms-criticised-by-charity Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unions are considering coordinated strikes over pay, as they call for Government to suspend its public sector pay freeze. Unison and the GMB, two of the biggest public sector unions, could develop an alliance to push for more industrial action on this issue. In the 2011 Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne announced that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joint-strikes-planned-over-public-sector-pay 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joint-strikes-planned-over-public-sector-pay Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT ‘Low risk’ businesses are to become exempt from health and safety inspections from next year, ministers are to announce today. The plans would come into effect from April 2013 and impact shops, offices, pubs and clubs – where checks would no longer be routinely carried out. Health and safety regulation is placing an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/routine-health-and-safety-checks-scrapped-for-shops-and-pubs 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/routine-health-and-safety-checks-scrapped-for-shops-and-pubs Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: ‘Security screening considered on railways’, PSE, 20/8/12 I'm reluctant to read too much into a ‘research brief’. But hasn’t anyone run the numbers? Just one Tube station can have more passengers per year than Heathrow, and a quarter of Heathrow’s daily traffic in three hours. Even if the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/security-screening-at-railway-stations 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/security-screening-at-railway-stations Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The debate over relaxing planning laws this week highlights a fundamental divide in the way that national and local government see development. For national government, development is a potential route to growth, therefore any barriers to more of it should be stripped away – whether this involves local objections to inappropriate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordability 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordability Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government spending on PR looks set to rise next year, according to an analysis by the BBC and industry commentators. Cabinet Office figures show the 2012-13 marketing budget for Government at £285m, while the COI spent £168m in its final year – though the Government says it is meaningless to compare the two figures, for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pr-spending-to-rise 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pr-spending-to-rise Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Airlines have welcomed the establishment of a commission to examine airport capacity, which will report in 2015 – with a final decision on expansion not taken during this Parliament. Ex-Financial Services Authority boss Sir Howard Davies is leading the commission, investigating options including a third runway at Heathrow and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heathrow-runway-decision-will-not-be-taken-until-after-2015 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heathrow-runway-decision-will-not-be-taken-until-after-2015 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT A huge number of motorists are avoiding town centres because of excessive car parking charges, a survey has suggested. 69% of people said they avoided shopping in areas with high parking prices, while 65% said they would do more town centre shopping if car parking costs were more reasonable. The total spent on parking across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-centre-car-parking-charges-continue-to-rise 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-centre-car-parking-charges-continue-to-rise Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool has the highest percentage of workless households in the UK, according to new analysis from the ONS. In 2011, 31.6% of households in Liverpool were classed as workless, slightly down from the previous year’s figure of 31.9%. In Wales, the area with the highest percentage of worklessness was in the Central Valleys at 28.7%.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highest-percentage-of-workless-in-liverpool--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highest-percentage-of-workless-in-liverpool--ons Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Is it the planning rules that are holding back much-needed development? The Prime Minister is to announce a raft of new measures intended to drive investment and boost construction. And some of the proposals to achieve this include removing the requirement for developers to include affordable housing in their investment. This is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-homes-now 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-homes-now Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT An ‘emergency’ year-long relaxation of planning rules is to be introduced to boost development, the Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce today. The proposals will double the amount of space homeowners and businesses can build in, although restrictions will still apply in conservation areas. The rules will apply to lofts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-rules-relaxation-to-be-announced 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-rules-relaxation-to-be-announced Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government could be using unemployment to ‘keep people scared’ and to keep pay low, the TUC leader-to-be Frances O’Grady has suggested. But the DWP called that idea “ridiculous” and “utterly laughable”. O’Grady highlighted the possibility of government singling out women for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuc-accuses-government-of-deliberate-unemployment-policy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuc-accuses-government-of-deliberate-unemployment-policy Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The row over a third runway at Heathrow has escalated as Mayor of London Boris Johnson states that Justine Greening’s replacement as transport secretary was purely to remove an obstacle to expansion. Greening had campaigned against the expansion of the airport, but has now been appointed secretary for international... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/u-turn-in-progress-on-heathrow--johnson 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/u-turn-in-progress-on-heathrow--johnson Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Now the dust from the Cabinet reshuffle is settling, critics and commentators alike have leapt onto the areas for potential policy clashes. Most noticeably of all are the arguments over Heathrow, borne over Cameron’s decision to move Justine Greening from her post as transport secretary after only ten months. Her vehement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-step-backwards 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-step-backwards Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT An annual festival of disability sport will be launched in the Olympic Park, as the London Legacy Development Corporation announces a £2m fund to create a legacy for the Paralympic Games. The fund will help to create new homes, public spaces and sporting venues and provide opportunities to try a range of sports, including wheelchair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lldc-announces-2m-paralympics-legacy-programme 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lldc-announces-2m-paralympics-legacy-programme Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Children in poverty are being hit hardest by the recession and are sometimes missing out on new shoes or hot meals, new research shows. The charity Save the Children has launched its first campaign to help UK children, and is calling for Government to focus on benefits for low-paid families and for employers to pay a living wage. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recession-hits-children-in-poverty--save-the-children 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recession-hits-children-in-poverty--save-the-children Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron’s first major reshuffle of Government is taking place today, with several ministers moving places. Confirmed changes include Kenneth Clarke’s move from justice secretary to minister without portfolio, where he will act as an advisor to Cameron. Also to be replaced are Cheryl Gillan, former welsh... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-reshuffles-ministers-in-wide-ranging-move 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-reshuffles-ministers-in-wide-ranging-move Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The introduction of regional pay could save the taxpayer £6bn a year, the think tank Policy Exchange has stated in a new report. Chancellor George Osborne raised the prospect of local pay in the March Budget, but the proposal has been met with much controversy by unions and workers. The report suggests the average public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-pay-would-save-63bn--policy-exchange 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-pay-would-save-63bn--policy-exchange Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of people who wish to work more hours has risen by a million since 2008, a new report by the union TUC states. The report also highlights young and low-skilled workers as the hardest hit as underemployment rises. The number of people in work who wish to work more hours rose by 42% to 3.3 million and the underemployment rate has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-one-in-ten-uk-workers-underemployed--tuc 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-one-in-ten-uk-workers-underemployed--tuc Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the Cabinet gets mixed up today, perhaps what is most noticeable is the people who are remaining in their roles. It was meant to be ‘wide-ranging’, but the key senior figures – Osborne, Duncan-Smith and Gove – are all expected to stay where they are. Of course, there is also much discussion over the impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reshuffle-reshuffle 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reshuffle-reshuffle Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to underwrite up to £50bn of private sector building projects, chancellor George Osborne has announced. The extra finance will help to boost growth in the sector, and new legislation will help to speed up planning decisions, whilst development of Green Belt land is to be encouraged, he added. Labour said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50bn-pledged-to-finance-private-sector-construction 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50bn-pledged-to-finance-private-sector-construction Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT The second wave of free schools, consisting of 55 new institutions, are opening this month. Education secretary Michael Gove expressed his hopes for their success, despite recent criticism over investment into certain free schools which have had their development cancelled. Free schools can be set up by groups of teachers, parents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/55-new-free-schools-to-open 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/55-new-free-schools-to-open Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Osborne’s announcements concerning infrastructure investment have contained a mixture of old news and shock concessions. Underwriting investment into private sector construction was dismissed by Labour as presenting “no new ideas”. But encouraging development on Green Belt land will be received sharply by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-controversy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-controversy Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to embark on a major reshuffle of Government, ranging across all levels of posts, to rejuvenate the coalition. The announcement is expected this week, possibly tomorrow. George Osborne, William Hague and Theresa May are expected to remain in their posts, despite much pressure to swap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-reshuffle-to-be-more-wide-ranging-than-expected 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-reshuffle-to-be-more-wide-ranging-than-expected Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Workers in London have been warned not to underestimate the Paralympics effect on the City’s transport network, as the system is likely to be as busy as during the Olympics some days this week. The Paralympic Games are now in their second week, with athletics returning to the Olympic Park Stadium, and crowds expected to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paralympic-disruption-not-to-be-underestimated--tfl 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paralympic-disruption-not-to-be-underestimated--tfl Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT 31.08.12 ‘Law change over squatting due tomorrow’ Common sense at last, and only feather-bedded Public Service bodies can have sympathy with the system that allowed hard working families to worry about their property while they were out. Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/squatting 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/squatting Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Civil servants lack the skills necessary to reform the public sector, the Institute for Government has suggested. This skills shortage is stopping more public sector contracts from being opened up to competition, and civil servants do not have the right skills to deliver more services digitally; something the Prime Minister has been keen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-skill-gap-frustrating-reform--iog 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-skill-gap-frustrating-reform--iog Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Squatting will become a criminal offence in England and Wales on Saturday, the Government has announced. People who move into a residential building could face jail, a fine or both. The maximum penalty will be six months in jail or a £5,000 fine. Squatting is currently treated as a civil matter and homeowners must go to a civil... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/law-change-over-squatting-due-tomorrow 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/law-change-over-squatting-due-tomorrow Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local government employers have backed proposed changes to the local government pension scheme, following support for the proposals from unions earlier in August. Support from employers was recorded at 93%. The proposals main changes include a shift to pensions based on career average salaries and the exclusion of low paid workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-reform-support-from-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-reform-support-from-local-government Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The change in law over squatting has been met with significant concern by homeless charities, who say the move will put vulnerable people at further risk. And it could be argued that the Government is treating symptoms rather than the root causes behind this issue. If we could adequately support homeless people and provide them with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treatment-not-a-cure 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treatment-not-a-cure Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Three key IT projects run by the Scottish Government have been criticised by Audit Scotland for either being delayed, cancelled or significantly increasing in cost. Registers of Scotland spent £112m on an ICT provision contract, despite the original cost estimated at £66m. Disclosure Scotland has spent £19m on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-scotland-highlights-poor-management-of-it-projects 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-scotland-highlights-poor-management-of-it-projects Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT IT represents a significant proportion of Government’s spend and poor management in these projects can have a considerable effect on the total efficiency of the public sector. Audit Scotland has expressed criticism over the handling of three projects in Scotland, specifically highlighting a lack of specialist knowledge and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/be-prepared 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/be-prepared Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of data breaches in the UK have increased by more than 1,000% in the past five years, figures obtained from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) show. Since 2007, data breaches in local government have increased by 1,609%. In other public sector organisations the number rose by 1,380% and for the private sector it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-breaches-in-uk-increased-significantly-since-2007 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-breaches-in-uk-increased-significantly-since-2007 Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT London Metropolitan University has had its visa licence revoked, leaving over 2,000 students potentially facing deportation. The ban was implemented after the UK Border Agency said the university had “failed to address serious and systemic failings” identified six months ago. The university is now banned from teaching... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/visa-licence-revoked-for-london-metropolitan-university 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/visa-licence-revoked-for-london-metropolitan-university Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Virgin has applied for a judicial review of the West Coast Main Line franchise decision. This will force a delay to the contract signing between the Department for Transport and FirstGroup, which was due this morning. The high court is expected to decide if there are grounds for a review within two weeks and a formal review could take up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/franchise-sign-off-delayed-as-virgin-launches-judicial-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/franchise-sign-off-delayed-as-virgin-launches-judicial-review Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Clegg has been lambasted today for his calls for greater tax on the wealthy in a time of recession. Of course it is a pleasing sound bite, well timed ahead of his party’s conference in September. And the fact that the proposal is a bit thin on details, or discussion with other party colleagues ahead of the announcement, suggests... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-the-rich 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-the-rich Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The wealthiest people in England should pay more tax for a limited amount of time, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has proposed. This would deliver greater fairness as part of a “longer economic war”, he suggested. Full details of the scheme will be announced at the upcoming Liberal Democrats annual conference. In an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-the-wealthy--clegg 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-the-wealthy--clegg Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of workless households in the UK has fallen by 153,000 to 3.7 million in April to June 2012, new data shows. The ONS found the decrease in families with at least one member aged 16-64 where no-one was working represented 17.9% of all households. The fall of 153,000 on a year earlier represents the second consecutive fall in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workless-households-fall-to-37-million 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workless-households-fall-to-37-million Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Labour party has accused Conservatives of failing to build enough social housing for the poorest people in their communities, following a freedom of information request to all English councils.  The housing minister Grant Shapps called the survey “completely bogus”.  Labour claims their councils will build... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/each-labour-council-to-build-100-social-homes-by-2015- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/each-labour-council-to-build-100-social-homes-by-2015- Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Transport secretary Justine Greening has confirmed that the Government plans to sign the West Coast Main Line contract with winning bidder FirstGroup, despite opposition from Virgin Trains, Labour and members of the public.  She suggested that if Virgin had won the competition they would have been “perfectly happy” with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greening-confirms-wcml-contract-will-go-to-firstgroup 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greening-confirms-wcml-contract-will-go-to-firstgroup Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Overcrowding in prisons makes it more difficult to work effectively with prisoners to avoid reoffending, thereby reinforcing the cycle of crime.  The Prison Reform Trust has called for more community sentences to curb this problem and allow prisoners a decent standard of accommodation.  Filling up our jails to their limit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/less-is-more 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/less-is-more Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prisons in England and Wales are holding almost 7,300 more inmates than they were designed for, the Prison Reform Trust has reported.  Some prisons were holding nearly twice as many people as they were meant to, an analysis of official statistics found. Last month 77 of the 131 prisons in England and Wales were holding more than the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prisoners-doubling-up-in-cells--prison-reform-trust 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prisoners-doubling-up-in-cells--prison-reform-trust Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A pilot seeking to standardise police practices concerning examination of technology used by criminals has proved remarkably successful, and is to be rolled out across all forces. Instead of using a variety of different measures to determine priority for assessment, a single approach has increased the number of devices examined, leading... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-single-strategy- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-single-strategy- Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK recession is not as deep as previously thought, as the ONS revises figures for the economic contraction between April and June from 0.7% to 0.5%.  Output in the production and construction sectors fell by less than previously estimated, accounting for 0.1% of the revision each to the original estimate.  The previous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contraction-revised-to-05-by-ons- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contraction-revised-to-05-by-ons- Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A pilot to speed up police examinations of technological devices used by criminals is set to be extended to all forces after it resulted in five forces achieving a 90% increase in devices examined.  The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has run a six month pilot involving five forces across the East Midlands:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-device-examination-pilot-to-be-rolled-out 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-device-examination-pilot-to-be-rolled-out Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The world’s first community-owned tidal turbine is to be built in Scotland, First minister Alex Salmond announced.  The turbine will be built by Steel Engineering and Nova Innovation and will be used and owned by the North Yell community, to power an industrial estate and ice plant in Shetland.  Steel Engineering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tidal-turbine-contract-announced-for-shetland 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tidal-turbine-contract-announced-for-shetland Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils could save over £300m each year if they carried out clinical assessments for social care more effectively, the Audit Commission has stated. A new report demonstrates that some councils conduct a similar number of reviews at the same quality but more cheaply. Identifying and eliminating the causes of the differences in cost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/300m-social-care-savings-available-through-efficient-assessment 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/300m-social-care-savings-available-through-efficient-assessment Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT First aid training in schools should be compulsory as part of the National Curriculum, the Daycare Trust has stated. A new report on young babysitters examined the issues and experiences of the young people involved, parents’ satisfaction and child safety and welfare. The report found that young babysitters are crucial to the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/babysitters-should-receive-first-aid-training-in-schools--daycare-trust 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/babysitters-should-receive-first-aid-training-in-schools--daycare-trust Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils should relax planning regulations for new homes to kick-start the construction industry, provide employment opportunities and increase the number of privately rented homes, a government-commissioned report suggests. But critics suggest this could be at the expense of more affordable homes for people attempting to get on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-report-calls-for-more-rented-accommodation 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-report-calls-for-more-rented-accommodation Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The debate around the housing conundrum – rent vs. buy – has been brought to a head today, as the Government publishes a new report calling for less strict regulation on affordable housing in an attempt to kickstart development in the rental sector. Providing more housing full stop is A Good Thing; the industry is in agreement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rent-or-buy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rent-or-buy Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition has axed over 100 quangos, with a further 90 merged into other bodies, the Cabinet Office has announced. This means the department is largely on track to save £2.6bn by the end of Parliament. However costs from the reorganisation, including redundancy payouts, could be as much as £900m, with the reliability of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100-quangos-culled-in-whitehall-efficiency-programme 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100-quangos-culled-in-whitehall-efficiency-programme Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Disabled children in England need better protection against neglect or abuse, a new report from Ofsted suggests. Research found that children with a disability are more likely to be victims of abuse, but less likely to have a child-protection plan in place to safeguard them against this. Ofsted surveyed cases in 12 local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-warns-of-abuse-of-disabled-children 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-warns-of-abuse-of-disabled-children Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is reportedly set to reveal a series of measures to promote jobs and growth after a shock rise in borrowing last month. The coordinated plan for growth is expected to launch in September, with a focus on liberalising planning laws, guaranteeing more house building and boosting infrastructure projects. Chancellor George... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/push-for-growth-expected-following-rise-in-borrowing 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/push-for-growth-expected-following-rise-in-borrowing Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT It seems the Government is finally heeding the barrage of calls for a focus on growth, with a series of measures to boost the economy expected in September. July’s surprise rise in borrowing was for many the final straw, as the Institute of Directors has indicated with its criticism today. A flexible approach to the economy may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-little-too-slow 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-little-too-slow Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The programme to develop low-carbon vehicles for road haulage operators will come as a welcome change from the clogged network of lorries spewing out emissions. The highest amount of journeys for commercial goods take place on our roads, and yet little has been done to mitigate the grave environmental consequences of doing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-kick-start-for-low-carbon 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-kick-start-for-low-carbon Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK will have the fastest broadband in Europe by 2015, the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced, as he reiterates that speed of connection should be the focus of internet improvement schemes. Funding for cities under the urban broadband programme is to be announced from next month, he said. Plans for broadband have been approved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fastest-broadband-in-europe-promised-for-uk 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fastest-broadband-in-europe-promised-for-uk Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £23m demonstration programme is being launched to encourage road haulage operators to buy and use low-carbon commercial vehicles. The Government is providing £11m funding for the scheme, which will see 13 companies lead trials to establish and run fleets of alternative and dual heavy goods vehicles. The funding will meet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/programme-launched-to-develop-low-carbon-fleet-in-the-uk 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/programme-launched-to-develop-low-carbon-fleet-in-the-uk Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A surprise rise in UK borrowing has been reported by the ONS, as corporation tax receipts fell in July. Excluding the bank bailouts, public sector net borrowing was in deficit by £557m; economists were expecting a surplus of £2.2bn to £2.5bn. There was a £2.8bn surplus in July 2011. Government spending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-borrowing-rises-in-july--ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-borrowing-rises-in-july--ons Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A consultation has been launched on the Living Wage Bill in Scotland, which could force private companies who work for the public sector to pay staff at least £7.20 an hour. Labour MSP John Park is seeking to change legislation to ensure all workers are paid a living wage. This is currently in place for staff working directly for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-living-wage-at-private-sector-contractors 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-living-wage-at-private-sector-contractors Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Senior positions in the military are to be cut by a quarter, the Government has announced, as it describes the MoD as “top heavy”. 26 civilian military head office posts will be cut, defence secretary Philip Hammond said, with a new senior structure to be introduced from April 2013. The move is expected to save the MoD... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-top-heavy-military-announced 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-top-heavy-military-announced Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Even social housing tenants agree that council houses should not be more expensive than the average for that area, Policy Exchange has reported. The idea that these houses could be sold once vacated and the money used to fund more houses would cut the waiting list dramatically, as well as providing more jobs in construction. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exchanging-injustice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exchanging-injustice Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Home Office is to consider introducing mass security screening at mainline rail stations and the Tube to scan for terrorist threats, as it launches a research brief for new technology. The search would focus on emerging technology capable of rapidly screening huge numbers of passengers to detect explosives, guns and knives as well as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/security-screening-considered-on-railways 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/security-screening-considered-on-railways Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Social housing in expensive parts of the country should be sold off to fund much more affordable housing in cheaper areas, the Conservative-aligned think tank Policy Exchange has urged in a new report. Selling the highest-value properties once they are vacant could generate up to £4.5bn, which could then be used to build up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sell-off-expensive-social-housing-to-fund-more--think-tank 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sell-off-expensive-social-housing-to-fund-more--think-tank Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT I totally agree with the Olympics article (6/08/2012, ‘Olympics call for sporting opportunities in the UK’, PSE). In my child’s junior school, PE is just an add-on with various teachers, who aren’t actually skilled/trained PE teachers, and it seems to be ‘seasonal’; they only get one swimming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sport-in-schools 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sport-in-schools Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has found “weaknesses” in the Government’s sickness benefit system due to underperformance and overly-easy targets for its main contractor, Atos. The contract between Government and Atos covers fit-to-work medical assessments which assess whether people are eligible for Employment and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-medical-assessments-criticised-by-nao 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-medical-assessments-criticised-by-nao Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A joint approach would improve the way services are managed to reduce homelessness, a new report suggests. The Government has published a report detailing its commitments to prevent and reduce homelessness, ‘Making every contact count’. The commitments include: working with the National Inclusion Health Board to improve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-announces-joint-approach-to-homelessness 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-announces-joint-approach-to-homelessness Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Investment in social infrastructure is necessary to meet the needs of a growing population and reflate the economy, the union GMB has stated. GMB conducted an analysis on population growth between 2001 and 2011, based on census data for England and Wales. Many areas need more schools, housing, improved transport links, upgraded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmb-calls-for-investment-to-match-population-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmb-calls-for-investment-to-match-population-growth Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The GMB’s new analysis, which attempts to use population growth as a stick by which to poke government into action, asks for too much, with too little detail on the particulars of how its wish list could be achieved. More housing, recreation facilities, health services, social care, transport, utilities and schools are listed as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-more-more 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-more-more Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Shared services can save millions and improve business transformation, a report published by the LGA suggests.  Five local shared service arrangements saved a total of £30m through integration of IT systems, renegotiation of contracts and better procurement.  The set up and integration costs were described by the LGA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-shared-services-save-30m-for-five-partnerships- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-shared-services-save-30m-for-five-partnerships- Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT 1.4 million working days were lost to strikes last year, ONS statistics show – the highest total since 1990.  The number of days of industrial action were boosted by the one-day strike by public sector workers in November against Government changes to pensions.  In 201 there were 149 separate stoppages, with almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes-at-record-high-in-2011- 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes-at-record-high-in-2011- Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is facing a major fine for a records breach that took place last September. Hundreds of pension records were sent for recycling and were found by a member of the public, who alerted the police.  The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will issue a fine at the end of the month. In... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-borders-council-faces-data-breach-fine-over-pensions-records- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-borders-council-faces-data-breach-fine-over-pensions-records- Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT With many councils facing very stark decisions on which services they can continue to provide, reports of savings and business improvements offer a glimmer of hope.  If shared services can cut costs but still boost productivity, local government can afford to deliver vital facilities.  It is this kind of innovation that can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-survival- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-survival- Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pearson will become the first FTSE 100 company to directly deliver a degree course as it sets up its own college offering business degrees.  The for-profit publishing company will offer degrees which “focus on preparing students for the world of business”. The courses will be validated by Royal Holloway and Bedford New... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ftse-100-company-becomes-higher-education-provider- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ftse-100-company-becomes-higher-education-provider- Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Floods and heavy rain this summer have led to a huge road repair bill for councils, the LGA has reported. Newcastle City Council has to cover £9m worth of repairs.  The LGA has warned that funds may need to be diverted from other areas of spending to plug the gap, and is calling on the DfT to set up an Emergency Capital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-emergency-road-repair-funding- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-emergency-road-repair-funding- Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles says that Section 106 agreements, where developers pay councils to mitigate the local impacts of their schemes, are harming growth and that many are “economically unrealistic”.  His department has launched a consultation as part of a drive to get stalled development deals back up and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/section-106-agreements-are-blocking-development--pickles 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/section-106-agreements-are-blocking-development--pickles Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A FTSE 100 company is to directly provide for-profit higher education in the UK for the first time.  This move by Pearson represents another private sector advance into providing previously public services.  Once the door has been opened, it is easy to envisage many other companies joining Pearson in providing degree... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/towards-privatisation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/towards-privatisation Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A third of organisations are trying to avoid losing skills by keeping on more staff than they need, a new survey has shown.  But the CIPD has warned that redundancies will have to be made if economic growth does not return soon.  The survey of over 1,000 employers measured the net employment balance – the difference... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-or-break-moment-for-employers--cipd- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-or-break-moment-for-employers--cipd- Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Very few voters think the Coalition Government will survive until the next election in 2015, a new poll indicates.  Only one in six voters, or 16%, believe the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats can stick together until 2015.  The low vote of confidence follows the collapse of an agreement to reform the House of Lords... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-16-believe-coalition-will-survive- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-16-believe-coalition-will-survive- Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT With public confidence in the Coalition dropping, Cameron has attempted to secure the legacy of the Olympic Games by making competitive sport compulsory in schools.  The political ping-ponging over PE policy does not reflect the most thought-through of decisions, but at least some requirements will be back in place for school... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/make-up-your-mind 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/make-up-your-mind Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Having read the article (6/08/2012, Olympics call for sporting opportunities in the UK), I strongly believe more should be done with our schools not just in primary, as these schools tend to have far better facilities than the high schools.  My son attended a school here in Lincoln that did not even have a proper long jump... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/olympics-call-for-sporting-opportunities-in-the-uk2 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/olympics-call-for-sporting-opportunities-in-the-uk2 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT New proposals on procurement in Scotland could see requirements to provide training and apprenticeships become part of major public sector contracts.  The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the Procurement Reform Bill, exploring the use of community benefit clauses in large-value contracts, such as providing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-benefits-of-scottish-procurement-reform- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-benefits-of-scottish-procurement-reform- Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Competitive team sports will be made compulsory for all primary school children in England, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.  A draft new curriculum this autumn would specify participation in sports such as hockey, netball or football. Cameron came under fire last week for scrapping a two-hour per week target for PE... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sport-to-be-compulsory-at-primary-school 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sport-to-be-compulsory-at-primary-school Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT NHS Supply Chain has reduced carbon emissions by 26%, a new report shows. The savings come in response to the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England, published by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit in 2009.  A voluntary target was set for trusts to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2015.  The organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-emissions-reduced-by-a-quarter-in-nhs 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-emissions-reduced-by-a-quarter-in-nhs Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cameron’s latest defence for scrapping requirements for schools to teach two hours of sport per week is that schools were ‘misusing’ the time and funding to offer classes such as “Indian dance”.  The Prime Minister obviously considers this a poor substitute to more competitive sports.  I have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dancing-around-the-issue 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dancing-around-the-issue Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT New jobs will be created to advance the UK’s engineering excellence, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced at a business summit held today.  A series of deals with UK companies will create jobs in the engineering, aerospace and automotive sectors, and investment will boost the country’s manufacturing capabilities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investment-and-jobs-announced-for-uk-engineering 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investment-and-jobs-announced-for-uk-engineering Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new white paper seeks to inform managers about the potential impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, in the workplace. Published by the charity PTSD Resolution, the paper ‘Trauma in the Workplace’ describes how the disorder could affect staffing policies and practices. Their research suggests that most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managers-fail-to-recognise-ptsd-symptoms-charity-warns 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managers-fail-to-recognise-ptsd-symptoms-charity-warns Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government efficiency drive is on track so far but still has “a long way to go”, cabinet office minister Francis Maude has stated. Between March 2011 and March 2012, the Government has saved £5.5bn in department efficiency savings, including £1bn on fewer consultants, £390m limiting marketing budgets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/efficiency-drive-must-go-further--maude 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/efficiency-drive-must-go-further--maude Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Train operator FirstGroup is set to win the west coast rail franchise, with a higher bid than competitor Virgin Rail, reports indicate.  This could lead to fare rises from 2020, insiders fear.  The Department for Transport has highlighted Tuesday as the provisional date for declaring the winner of the West Coast Main Line... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firstgroup-win-could-lead-to-rail-fare-increases 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firstgroup-win-could-lead-to-rail-fare-increases Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tuition fee increases have led to a “clear drop” in the number of English students applying to university this autumn, the Independent Commission on Fees has reported.  Average fees this year are £8,385, with many universities charging the maximum of £9,000 per year. One in 20 people were expected to apply... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/less-students-apply-to-university-after-fee-increases 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/less-students-apply-to-university-after-fee-increases Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s efficiency drive has been so far achieved some considerable savings, but even Francis Maude has admitted that it needs to go further.  For reform to be truly effective, it must take place throughout government, with all departments taking steps to remove surplus costs in a range of different areas. Labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/savings-or-cuts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/savings-or-cuts Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT It is an interesting idea the RSA has proposed, to train members of the public to tackle low-level crime, although practical implementation of the scheme looks unlikely.  The police barely have enough resources to protect their own frontline, with no extra staff able to deliver training sessions.  But if it could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-someone-elses-battles 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-someone-elses-battles Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Bank of England is expected to forecast 0% growth in its quarterly inflation report, which will be published today. This compares to predictions of 0.8% three months ago and 2% a year ago.  The predictions could put further pressure on chancellor George Osborne to soften austerity measures.  The UK economy contracted by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/growth-of-0-expected-in-boe-report- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/growth-of-0-expected-in-boe-report- Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The public should be given lessons in how to tackle anti-social behaviour, a new report suggests. The RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) charitable think tank believes this could help to get local people involved in managing low-level crime and aggressive behaviour on the streets, especially after cuts to the police... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-could-help-fight-low-level-crime--rsa 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-could-help-fight-low-level-crime--rsa Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Targets requiring children to take part in at least two hours of sport at school each week have now been dropped by the Department for Education, the Telegraph has reported.  The DfE has scrapped the requirement, saying it wants headteachers to have more freedom to organise physical activity at their schools. This is part of a wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-sports-provision-requirements-dropped 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-sports-provision-requirements-dropped Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Yesterday’s tit-for-tat breakdown in Coalition relations will not be the end of the Tory-Lib Dem alliance – but it surely makes the idea of this Government lasting all the way through to May 2015 all the less likely.  This Government has already had its fair share of rebellions and problematic votes, and that will only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-forced-marriage 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-forced-marriage Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy PM Nick Clegg has confirmed that Lords reform is to be dropped – as are proposed boundary changes that would have aided the Conservatives.  The Lib Dem leader said Tory rebels had broken the Coalition contract and that he would, in turn, instruct his MPs to vote against the bill to equalise boundaries, which would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-tensions-as-lords-reform-and-boundary-changes-scrapped 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-tensions-as-lords-reform-and-boundary-changes-scrapped Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A legal challenge to get the Government’s back-to-work schemes declared unlawful as ‘forced labour’ has failed.  Cait Reilly, a University of Birmingham geology graduate, had argued that being forced to work unpaid at a Poundland store for two weeks, or risk losing her benefits, breached her human... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-challenge-to-work-schemes-fails 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-challenge-to-work-schemes-fails Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has approved 21 school playing field sell-offs despite a promise to protect them, according to the Guardian newspaper. The Coalition Agreement says the Government will “seek to protect school playing fields”, but in fact education secretary Michael Gove has approved 21 of 22 requests made to sell playing fields... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-playing-field-sell-off-continues 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-playing-field-sell-off-continues Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to announce £100m funding for green investment, as well as safeguarding and creating new jobs.  The UK Green Investment team has announced contracts to provide initial funding of £100m to fund managers Equitix and SDCL, to encourage both foreign and domestic investment in energy efficiency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100m-green-investment-funding-announced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100m-green-investment-funding-announced Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT One year on from the riots, it’s a pertinent time to look back on what happened, why, and most importantly, how we can stop it from happening again. Multiple reports have covered the various factors involved, highlighted what more the police could have done, and given a demographic breakdown of those who were involved in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-back 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-back Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The British Olympic Association has called for a ‘step-change’ in sports policy in the UK, after a weekend of gold medals for Team GB.  The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt admitted that sports provision in schools was “patchy”, and called for inspirational teachers to help motivate young people.  Lord... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/olympics-call-for-sporting-opportunities-in-the-uk1 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/olympics-call-for-sporting-opportunities-in-the-uk1 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT One year on from the riots, prison sentences totalling over 1,800 years have been handed out to rioters. Trouble began in Tottenham last year after the police shot Mark Duggan, and quickly spread across the country.  So far, 1,292 offenders have been jailed, with an average custodial sentence of 16.8 months. The Crown Prosecution... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-1000-people-jailed-in-riots 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-1000-people-jailed-in-riots Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT I concur entirely with the thesis that retired folk should be regarded as an asset. What a pity it has taken so long for such view to be voiced. B&Q were pioneers in recognising that there was a vast reserve of know-how on DIY, far beyond official operating instructions and manuals, so offered employment to older people. Unfortunately... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-wisdom-and-know-how-of-older-folk 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-wisdom-and-know-how-of-older-folk Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Part-time students can apply for a student loan for the first time, meaning applicants do not have to pay tuition fees upfront.  Students at a publicly-funded university or college can apply for a loan of up to £6,750, and those at a private university can apply for up to £4,500. The money does not need to be paid back... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuition-fee-loans-for-part-time-students- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuition-fee-loans-for-part-time-students- Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prisoners are to be given ‘military-style’ maths and English lessons to increase their chances of finding work once they are released, and reduce reoffending.  The courses comprise 54 hours of lessons over two weeks, with more help to be offered if needed. The project will be piloted in six jails, and rolled out to others... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/basic-english-and-maths-courses-piloted-for-prisoners 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/basic-english-and-maths-courses-piloted-for-prisoners Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new campaign group has formed to pressure Government to implement better broadband roll-out and improved technical policy. The Digital Policy Alliance consists of leading charities and companies, including Google, Microsoft and IBM. They are calling for more action on issues of technology uptake and broadband to kick-start the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digital-policy-alliance-launches-to-advise-government- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digital-policy-alliance-launches-to-advise-government- Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new courses to be piloted in prisons across the country could significantly increase the life chances of those prisoners who have access to the lessons, as well as cutting reoffending rates.  Education is a brilliant way to help offenders build a better life for themselves; saving the state huge amounts of money, reducing crime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-would-be-a-crime-not-to 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-would-be-a-crime-not-to Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Housing associations were told yesterday they have a large role in easing demand on the NHS and ensuring a better quality of life for terminally ill people.  Delegates at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Older People’s Conference were addressed by Rachael Byrne, executive director of care and support at Home Group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-housing-could-relive-pressure-on-the-nhs 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-housing-could-relive-pressure-on-the-nhs Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Further changes to public sector pensions have been announced today, as the MoD publishes proposals for reform. The pension age for military personnel will soon rise from 55 to 60, as part of the wider move to cut the costs of pensions. However, unlike the case with the health service, there is less concern of people working longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defending-pensions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defending-pensions Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Men could soon expect to live as long as women, and in some cases outlive them, new research suggests. A report by Professor Les Mayhew of Cass Business School, part of City University London, shows that healthier lifestyles have contributed to the predicted convergence. A significant reduction in the prevalence of male smoking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gender-life-expectancy-could-converge-by-2030 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gender-life-expectancy-could-converge-by-2030 Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has become the latest force to join the online National Police Procurement Hub (NPPH), a system being rolled out by the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA). The Hub provides access to a range of goods and services, including IT, stationery, body armour and vehicles. Currently 12 other forces are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/met-police-signs-up-to-online-procurement-hub 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/met-police-signs-up-to-online-procurement-hub Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Ministry of Defence has outlined reforms to military pensions, with the age at which members of the Armed Forces can claim pensions rising from 55 to 60. The changes are aimed at cutting the cost of public sector pensions. All personnel under 45 will be affected by the new conditions, which will be introduced from April 2015. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/military-pension-age-to-rise-to-60 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/military-pension-age-to-rise-to-60 Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Derbyshire County Council is the first in the country to amalgamate every piece of information it has about children and families into a single database, to help multi-agency teams do their job more effectively. The council’s head of service ICT for children and young adults, Andy Callow, discussed the challenges and opportunities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-clean-sweep-from-25-databases-to-just-one 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-clean-sweep-from-25-databases-to-just-one Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Home Office has launched a £2.6m Access to Elected Office fund to give financial help to disabled people wanting to stand in elections. PSE discussed the initiative with equalities minister Lynne Featherstone MP. The Government’s equalities strategy recognises that there are physical, financial and cultural barriers that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-down-barriers 451,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-down-barriers Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT In one of the many interesting fringe sessions at the LGA conference, PSE discovered a move to boost social inclusion via place-based leadership. Kate Ashley reports. In stark contrast to the aggressive search for efficiency savings and the drive to do “more with less”, a new approach to leadership suggests that instead of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-more-with-more 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-more-with-more Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT If local authorities were dealing just with year-on-year cuts to their income, then service transformation, efficiency and job cuts might just about bridge the gap. But the fact is, demands for some of the most complex and expensive services – most notably adult social care – are forecast to accelerate in the coming years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doom-and-gloom 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doom-and-gloom Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE’s Kate Ashley and Adam Hewitt report from the LGA annual conference and exhibition 2012 at The ICC in Birmingham. The LGA conference and exhibition 2012 heard from the people leading local government, those setting policy nationally, councillors and officers responsible for smallscale but big-impact service changes, and leaders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economic-growth-and-local-leadership 436,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economic-growth-and-local-leadership Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A fringe session of the NHS Confederation conference saw Dr Nicholas Hicks, Dr Vimal Tiwari, Andrew Webb and Katrina Percy discuss how to make the new commissioning arrangements work for children and young people. PSE’s Kate Ashley reports. Fragmentation in children’s services has long been a problem – but the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/falling-between-the-cracks-the-perils-and-pitfalls-of-the-new-commissioning-arrangements-for-children 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/falling-between-the-cracks-the-perils-and-pitfalls-of-the-new-commissioning-arrangements-for-children Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports from a local government finance session at the LGA conference 2012, involving Simon Ridley, director of local government finance at the Department for Communities and Local Government; Birmingham City Council chief executive Stephen Hughes; Cornwall Council’s Cllr Julian German; leader of Stevenage Borough Council and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finding-the-funding 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finding-the-funding Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The award-winning MyJobScotland public sector jobsite and application-tracking system was conceived as an easy way to save money, but has proved valuable in many different ways. PSE talks to the man in charge, Douglas Shirlaw, digital projects director at COSLA (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities). Just a few short years ago... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-the-job 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-the-job Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports from a roundtable event highlighting challenges and potential solutions in the sphere of performance management. The public and private sectors sometimes seem like different worlds – but many obstacles are common to both, with lessons learnt in one field equally applicable to another. One such area is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-expectations 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-expectations Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new guide to identify fake and illegal personal protection equipment (PPE) has been published by the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), to ensure workers are protected. All PPE is required to meet certain CE standards and is given official certification to confirm it has met them. BSIF has launched a new CE Certificate Checklist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-guide-released-to-identify-fake-protection-equipment 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-guide-released-to-identify-fake-protection-equipment Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dr Andy Asquith, director of the Public Management Group at the School of Management at Massey University – Albany in Auckland, New Zealand, explores public sector issues there and in the UK. New Zealand /Aotearoa – Land of the Long White Cloud, home of the All Blacks (and 40 million sheep) and the place where New Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/news-from-the-colonies 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/news-from-the-colonies Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Worcestershire County Council has transformed its estate portfolio through collaboration and innovation. Peter Parkes, head of property services, told us more. Worcestershire County Council has won many plaudits for the transformation of its property portfolio, including at a recent achievement awards. It has demonstrated a level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-size-does-not-fit-all 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-size-does-not-fit-all Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Post Office wants to become the ‘front office of government’, for both central departments and local authorities. PSE spoke to Martin Moran, commercial director, about its latest deal, which will see its branches offer residents of Hammersmith & Fulham services they only used to be able to get at council offices. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-the-counter 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-the-counter Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dr Robin Singleton, Associate Director at the Institute for Collaborative Working, emphasises the importance of developing competencies and behaviours for successful collaborative working in a changing market. New expectations Changing markets and a struggling economy lead us to look at increasingly more innovative ways of carrying... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-and-the-power-of-collaborative-working 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-and-the-power-of-collaborative-working Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government data needs to be made easier to access and to understand, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. The committee said that government data produced for public consumption must be “easy to understand”. PAC’s report, ‘Implementing the Transparency Agenda’, commended the Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-excluded-from-government-data-pac 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-excluded-from-government-data-pac Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tim Pryce, head of public sector at the Carbon Trust, explains the staging scale of the opportunity for energy efficiency across the sector. In an era where the need for austerity and cuts are frequently discussed, opportunities can often be overlooked. The case for the public sector to invest in comprehensive carbon management programmes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-looking-to-carbon-management-to-drive-resource-efficiency 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-looking-to-carbon-management-to-drive-resource-efficiency Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fenton Coulthurst talks to Helen Kersley, head of the New Economics Foundation (nef) team behind a report that seems to demolish the economic case for regional pay in the public sector. Would a regional pay structure for the public sector cut government spending and help revitalise the private sector across the country? Not according to a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rubbishing-regional-pay 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rubbishing-regional-pay Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Judy Craske, project director at Shaping the Future, describes an innovative £4m talent management programme that could transform social and economic development in North West Wales. With the UK economy in a double-dip recession and news headlines full of the struggles of the unemployed, it is becoming more and more difficult for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shaping-the-future-a-regional-project-with-worldwide-potential 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shaping-the-future-a-regional-project-with-worldwide-potential Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Angela Milner, principal officer for Initial Teacher Education at Ofsted, describes the changes being made to the inspection of teacher training. Training the next generation of teachers to ensure they have the skills they need most is essential for our schools, colleges and other settings. Ofsted’s new inspection framework for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-next-generation 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-next-generation Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been a mixed review of the Government’s ‘transparency agenda’ from the Public Accounts Committee. The committee’s report finds much to praise, like specific data releases such as crime maps. Naturally, there was also a lot of room for improvement too. One big issue was the costing of data releases. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-price-of-accountability 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-price-of-accountability Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new study for the RAC Foundation, Car Rental 2:0, covers a range of new innovations in the car club industry. PSE spoke to report author Scott Le Vine of the Centre for Transport Studies at Imperial College London. New and emerging forms of car club could bring significant benefits to the public sector, along with new issues to consider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-should-generate-wellbeing 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-should-generate-wellbeing Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT In 2008, Melton Borough Council’s headquarters burnt down, meaning crisis plans had to be implemented to ensure services could still be delivered and staff could do their jobs. Virtually everything went to plan, and now the council’s new headquarters building has been officially opened. PSE caught up with the council’s chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/up-in-flames 451,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/up-in-flames Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Richard Flint, chairman of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) and head of transport at North Yorkshire Police, talks about the organisation’s upcoming conference, outsourcing deals and collaboration. Public sector police services are changing, and fleet management is no exception. The National Association of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-need-to-be-careful-what-were-outsourcing- 433,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-need-to-be-careful-what-were-outsourcing- Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT York City Council is adopting an hourly rental car share service for its staff to travel to work. The council is using the scheme to tackle transport costs and move away from the ‘grey fleet’ model of transport where employees use their own cars for business journeys and claim mileage reimbursement. Five vehicles are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/york-council-adopts-car-sharing-scheme 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/york-council-adopts-car-sharing-scheme Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Homelessness rose by 25% in England over the last three years, new data shows. Data company SSentif reported that 50,290 families and individuals were classed as homeless in 2011/12, compared to 40,020 in 2009/10. But spending to tackle the problem had fallen from £213.7m to £199.8m over that same period, SSentif... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/25-increase-in-homelessness-in-england 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/25-increase-in-homelessness-in-england Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s broadband strategy focuses too much on speed and not enough on universal access, according to a critical report form the House of Lords Communications Committee. They suggest the priority should be to close the digital divide between those with good internet access and those without, rather than aiming for the best... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadband-strategy-preoccupied-with-speed-lords 438,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadband-strategy-preoccupied-with-speed-lords Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT This is the debate raised by the Lords communications committee, as they suggest wider access to the internet should come before higher broadband speeds. So should those who already have good access benefit from the fastest possible connections, to boost growth and productivity in these areas? Or is it more important to make sure as many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/speed-or-reach 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/speed-or-reach Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the Government reviews apprenticeships, businesses are being asked to give their opinions on the proposed changes. Sector skills council People 1st is consulting on apprenticeships for the passenger transport sector to ensure all employers have the chance to provide feedback. The company is requesting opinions on all elements of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-sector-asked-for-views-on-apprenticeships 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-sector-asked-for-views-on-apprenticeships Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A report by the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows that eight million people have benefited due to housing association investment totalling over half a billion pounds. The NHF’s new report, Building Futures, shows that during 2010/11, housing associations invested over £73m in learning and skills and £80m helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-association-investments-help-millions 441,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-association-investments-help-millions Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new Government work scheme could mean almost 1 million long-term unemployed people being forced to work unpaid for six months to keep their benefits, a think tank has warned – though ministers have said that figure is “pure guesswork”. A pilot of the DWP’s Community Action Programme (Cap) has now finished and its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-unemployed-to-work-six-months-for-free 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-unemployed-to-work-six-months-for-free Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Scotland’s first marine energy park is to be officially launched later today, to boost progress in marine power development. The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park includes the European Marine Energy Centre (Emec) and will link to university researchers and private companies working in marine energy. The park... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marine-energy-park-launched-in-scotland 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marine-energy-park-launched-in-scotland Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Cap scheme, expected to be rolled out this autumn, has been criticised by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion for “forcing” over a million benefit claimants into working for free for six months. Granted, this is an exceptionally long time to be working unpaid. But for people who have been searching and failing to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/put-a-cap-on-it 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/put-a-cap-on-it Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Inbox/southampton-vs-liverpool-in-state-aid-row/28153 Southampton conveniently forgets about all the public money it received for the roads built directly into the port. The truth is, the port of Southampton wants the whole of the cruise market and in reality it’s running scared by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/letter-southampton-vs-liverpool-in-state-aid-row 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/letter-southampton-vs-liverpool-in-state-aid-row Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Universities contributed £3.3bn to theUKeconomy in 2010-11, the funding body HEFCE has reported. This represents a 7% increase from £3.1bn in 2009-10. A new company was created for every £24m spent on research funding, and spending on universities by large companies grew 7% from £587m in 2009-10 to £629m in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-economy-gets-over-3bn-from-universities 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-economy-gets-over-3bn-from-universities Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plans to transform the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have been published by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) The South Plaza, located in the South Park, will be a landscaped public area offering entertainment and activity for visitors and locals alike. The park will include a 12m-wide tree line promenade, fountain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lldc-unveils-plans-for-olympic-park-south-plaza 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lldc-unveils-plans-for-olympic-park-south-plaza Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of new public sector home registrations has fallen by 49% over the past 12 months, according to new figures from the National House-Building Council (NHBC). The second quarter of 2012 saw a fall of 24% for all homes registered, with a 49% drop in public sector registrations. There were 6,272 homes registered in the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-home-registrations-fall-by-49 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-home-registrations-fall-by-49 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Competitions such as the Technology Strategy Board’s ‘FutureCity’ demonstrator provide an innovative way for cities to put integration into practice, with a whole host of potential benefits to be realised. It is the practical aspect of this competition which marks it out; with councils encouraged to try out their ideas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-ideas-into-reality 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-ideas-into-reality Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils across the UK have been awarded funding in a Technology Strategy Board (TSB) competition to integrate city systems. The TSB has selected 30 councils to use £50,000 to complete feasibility studies showing how they could integrate their transport, communications and other infrastructure to improve the local economy, increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-councils-to-integrate-systems-through-tsb-funding 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-councils-to-integrate-systems-through-tsb-funding Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister has stated that more must be done to help the British economy recover from its deepening double-dip recession, following the publication of new figures which showed a 0.7% contraction in the second quarter of 2012. In an address at the Global Investment Conference today, Cameron will blame the crisis in the Eurozone for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weve-got-to-do-more--cameron-on-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weve-got-to-do-more--cameron-on-economy Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tuition fees are set to rise again in England next year, with the average rising from £8,414 to £8,507 a year. A new report from the Office for Fair Access (Offa) indicates that around three out of four institutions are planning to charge the maximum £9,000 a year for some or all of their courses. All institutions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-university-fees-to-average-8507-a-year 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-university-fees-to-average-8507-a-year Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police officer numbers in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level in nine years, statistics from the Home Office show. Full time equivalent (FTE) officers in 43 forces across England and Wales numbered 134,101 at the end of March. This is a fall of 5,009, or 3.6%, on the previous year. The number of community support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nine-year-low-for-police-officer-numbers 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nine-year-low-for-police-officer-numbers Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT University fees are still rising, with all institutions planning to charge tuition over the basic level of £6,000 a year. The news mocks ministers’ earlier promises that fees of £9,000 would be an exception. Three-quarters of universities will charge that amount in 2013 for some, or all of their courses. And... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-rule-not-the-exception 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-rule-not-the-exception Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A union strike involving members of immigration and passport control due tomorrow has been called off. The industrial action was planned to take place on Thursday, the day before the Olympic Games. Thursday is expected to be the busiest day ever at Heathrow airport, as spectators fly in for the event. PCS general secretary Mark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/border-staff-olympic-strike-suspended 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/border-staff-olympic-strike-suspended Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest GDP figures have come as a shock to analysts, politicians and commentators alike. It gives more ammunition to opponents of Osborne’s fiscal strategy, and raises the question of how much longer and how much lower can this recession extend before Government admit that the plan is simply not working. Sliding further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lower-and-lower 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lower-and-lower Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Scotland is to become the first country in the UK to introduce gay marriage, SNP ministers have confirmed. A bill on the issue will be brought forward later this year. The news has been welcomed by equality groups but received strong opposition from the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland. Other faith groups, including Quakers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-to-introduce-gay-marriage--sturgeon 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-to-introduce-gay-marriage--sturgeon Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT New figures for the second quarter of 2012 show the UK double-dip recession deepening, with a fall in GDP of 0.7%. Analysts had expected a fall of around 0.2% in the three months to June. The decline followed the 0.3% fall in the first three months of 2012 and a 0.4% decline in the final quarter of 2011, according to data from the Office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shock-fall-in-gdp-even-worse-than-expected 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shock-fall-in-gdp-even-worse-than-expected Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Life satisfaction is significantly affected by employment and owning property, statistics from the ONS suggest. This makes sense, as both these factors incur a level of security which is essential to overall wellbeing. It will be a combination of various factors that contribute to the nation’s happiness, and it is interesting to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-roof-over-your-head 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-roof-over-your-head Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Maths should be compulsory for all A-level students, a Lords report has suggested. The House of Lords Science and Technology committee stated that improving numeracy is important to employers, and would also address the problem of students starting undergraduate degrees without the requisite maths skills. Additionally, the committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lords-call-for-greater-rigour-in-maths-education 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lords-call-for-greater-rigour-in-maths-education Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute is to be launched today in Essex, with the Government providing £3.5m over three years to keepBritainas a top choice for investment. The Institute is being developed in partnership with the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) and Ford of Britain to bring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manufacturing-institute-launched-to-boost-british-productivity 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manufacturing-institute-launched-to-boost-british-productivity Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employment and owning your own house are key measures of overall wellbeing, new statistics suggest. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a series of articles reporting progress on the Measuring National Wellbeing programme. The organisation has also set out the domains and measures to be used for assessing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-unemployed-people-have-lower-life-satisfaction--ons 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-unemployed-people-have-lower-life-satisfaction--ons Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The campaign against the planned sell-off of England’s forests got cross-party backing from MPs at a protest rally at the weekend. Liberal Democrat president Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, ripped up a copy of the controversial Public Bodies Bill, which gives ministers more powers over quangos but also includes the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opposition-grows-to-forests-sell-off 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opposition-grows-to-forests-sell-off Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Although UK councils spend around £88bn a year procuring goods and services, they are largely ignorant about their suppliers, new research suggests. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that only 51% of 148 councils that responded recorded the size of the company for each contract awarded. For those that did, spending with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-unaware-of-suppliers-size-and-location 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-unaware-of-suppliers-size-and-location Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fifteen local authorities have been long-listed as potential pilot sites for Universal Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced. The councils will focus on delivering face to face support for people claiming benefits under the new system and help with budgeting and job searches. The pilot aims to reduce fraud and error... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-long-lists-15-councils-for-universal-credit-pilot 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-long-lists-15-councils-for-universal-credit-pilot Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Treasury has been accused of making the energy bill “unworkable” by the Commons Energy & Climate Change Select Committee and its Conservative chairman Tim Yeo MP. The legislation would scrap systems of subsidy for large-scale renewable energy and encourage nuclear power through a new system of ‘contracts for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-bill-unworkable-tim-yeo 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-bill-unworkable-tim-yeo Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils must take a firmer grasp of their finances it seems, as local authorities in Wales write off millions of pounds of debt and half of English councils are clueless about the companies they contract for procurement. Greater awareness of the size and location of businesses providing goods and services to local authorities would allow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spend-it-wisely 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spend-it-wisely Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities in Wales have written off over £15m in council tax and business rates debt, new figures suggest. However, this sum has significantly fallen from previous years; in 2009/10, £38m was owed just in council tax. The 22 Welsh councils have written off £5.4m in council tax in the last financial year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-councils-write-off-15m-tax-and-rates-debt 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-councils-write-off-15m-tax-and-rates-debt Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government must act quickly to kick-start the economy with a boost to spending, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. The new report suggests theUKmust increase investment to avoid a long depression and avoid the worst effects of the euro crisis and highlights that the current measures have led to a “stalled”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economic-recovery-has-stalled-imf 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economic-recovery-has-stalled-imf Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy PM Nick Clegg has urged organisations in the Youth Contract scheme to be “creative” in their approach to help NEETs back to work, and companies have responded with help to wake teenagers up in the mornings. The £126m scheme will run for three years, with the aim of helping 55,000 young people not in education... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobless-teens-to-be-woken-up-by-mentors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobless-teens-to-be-woken-up-by-mentors Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A geothermal energy project has been announced to bring renewable energy for heating to Manchester, it has been announced. The UK’s largest deep-geothermal heat plant will tap into the natural energy reservoir known as the Cheshire Basin, beneath Manchester. The project is also expected to generate green economy skills and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-geothermal-heat-network-announced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-geothermal-heat-network-announced Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The news that some companies are providing wake-up calls and lifts to interviews to the NEETs they are trying to get back into work demonstrates just how bad the situation is for disillusioned young people. But the spoon-feeding approach seems to be the wrong way to transform these people’s lives. Providing such a level of support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wake-up-call 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wake-up-call Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Eternal optimists have been saying that growth will return ‘next year’ – and they’ve been saying it since 2008.  This is just more of the same. Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at opinion@publicsectorexecutive.com http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/squeeze-almost-over-for-uk-economy-item-club 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/squeeze-almost-over-for-uk-economy-item-club Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The A14 is to become the first existing road to be tolled under Coalition plans to ease congestion, the transport secretary has announced. The move comes despite the Prime Minister’s assurances in March that tolls would only apply to new routes, not existing roads. The Government proposes that a 20-mile stretch of the busy road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a14-toll-to-fund-congestion-measures 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a14-toll-to-fund-congestion-measures Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Staff at the Home Office could be set to go on strike, after members of the PCS union vote for industrial action over jobs, pay issues and cuts to staff numbers. 57.2% voted for a strike on a turnout of 20% and almost 75% voted in favour of action short of a strike. Details of dates and the form of action are expected to be released today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-vote-for-strike-action-over-job-cuts 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-vote-for-strike-action-over-job-cuts Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The announcement that tolls will be used to fund an extended stretch of the A14 will be received with anger. Many motorists had counted on David Cameron’s pledge that tolls would only be used on new routes, not existing roads. But at least the non-driving taxpayer should be happy; why should they fully fund a piece of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stretching-patience- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stretching-patience- Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK housing costs are the third highest inEurope, according to a new report. This makes theUKthe most expensive in the European Union, after Denmark and Greece, with 16.5% of families spending more than 40% of their total income on housing costs. These costs include rent, mortgage payments and utility bills, service charges and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-housing-third-costliest-in-europe--shelter 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-housing-third-costliest-in-europe--shelter Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to underwrite £50bn in infrastructure investment and exports to promote economic growth, the Chancellor is to announce. Under the ‘UK Guarantees’ scheme, up to £40bn will be underwritten for infrastructure projects previously on hold due to difficulties securing private sector funding. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50bn-infrastructure-investment-underwritten-by-government 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50bn-infrastructure-investment-underwritten-by-government Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Troubled families’ problems are based on generations of abuse, welfare dependency and juvenile delinquency, a new report suggests. Head of troubled families policy, Louise Casey, was charged by government to compile a report investigating the issues these families have faced. She interviewed 16 families in detail and has decided... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/historical-problems-entrenched-in-troubled-families 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/historical-problems-entrenched-in-troubled-families Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Almost £60m is to be returned to local authorities from funding for academies, the Department for Education has confirmed. Around 30 councils threatened to seek a judicial review of the amount of money the Government had deducted to reflect the growth in academies, as the number of academies varies across the country but the funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorites-to-be-refunded-for-academy-cuts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorites-to-be-refunded-for-academy-cuts Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Louise Casey’s new report demonstrates the somewhat obvious truth that troubled families have often been troubled for generations, with an assortment of abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy and violence behind their problems. However, it is clear that past efforts to turn these lives around have failed, with many families being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turn-around-trouble 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turn-around-trouble Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The population of England and Wales has increased from 52.4 million to 56.1 million since 2001, the largest growth ever shown by aUKcensus. The population has grown 7.1% to 3.7 million, outstripping the figures from 1991-2001 which saw a growth of 1.6 million. On the 27 March 2011, England was recorded as having a population of 53 million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/england-and-wales-have-largest-population-growth-on-record 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/england-and-wales-have-largest-population-growth-on-record Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT As chief executive of G4S Nick Buckles faces the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee today, a lot of questions are going to centre on just how a globally respected security firm could fail so spectacularly working on the most nationally publicised event of the decade. Buckles’ fear that he will lose his job seems to be ever closer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/false-start 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/false-start Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The chief executive of G4S is due to face the MPs of the Home Affairs Select Committee after his security company were unable to supply the security guards necessary for the Olympics. The company was contracted to provide 10,000 members of staff for securing the Olympic sites for a fee of £280m. After the Government had to call in 3... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/g4s-boss-to-face-mps-over-olympic-security-debacle 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/g4s-boss-to-face-mps-over-olympic-security-debacle Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Key projects are behind schedule and over budget at the UK Border Agency and Border Force, new analysis suggests. The National Audit Office (NAO) has praised the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Border Force (BF) for cutting costs and improving performance since 2010, but stresses that the agencies’ progress has been hampered by unclear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ukba-and-border-force-need-faster-progress-nao 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ukba-and-border-force-need-faster-progress-nao Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT TheUKeconomy could soon return to growth, a new report has suggested. The Ernst & Young Item Club’s latest quarterly forecast reports that inflation rate is set to fall to 1.7% by the end of the year with overall growth remaining flat for the remainder of 2012. However, the economy is forecast to grow by 1.6% in 2013 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/squeeze-almost-over-for-uk-economy--item-club 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/squeeze-almost-over-for-uk-economy--item-club Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Reform of the academic publishing system in the UK could have serious implications for the future of scientific research. Some of these will be positive, such as much wider access to research, which could encourage greater collaboration and sharing of learning, leading to faster innovation. There is also the moral point that the taxpayer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-open-book 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-open-book Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Over £9bn investment in the railways is to be announced by the Coalition, in a demonstration of unity following Tory rebellion over House of Lords reform. Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg are to outline a series of investments to take place between 2014 and 2019, with £5bn to complete current schemes such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-announces-9bn-investment-in-rail- 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-announces-9bn-investment-in-rail- Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Taxpayer-funded research will be freely available for anyone to access online, the Government is set to announce in a major reform of academic publishing. Universities and science minister David Willets will outline the plans today, with the transition to be complete by 2014. Journal publishers currently make large profits by locking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-access-to-british-research-in-publishing-shake-up- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-access-to-british-research-in-publishing-shake-up- Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local pay for the public sector could cost jobs and billions of pounds, a new report suggests. Research by the New Economics Foundation (nef) indicates that the best case scenario would see 11,000 jobs created at a cost of £2.7bn to the taxpayer, but the worst case would be a fall in job numbers by 110,000 acrossEnglandandWales... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100000-jobs-at-risk-from-regional-pay--nef 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100000-jobs-at-risk-from-regional-pay--nef Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is perhaps missing the point with its plans for care loans for those who can’t afford to support themselves at home. The real focus should be on safeguarding those services that keep the elderly out of the care system in the first place. Take for example meals on wheels, a service that is conspicuous by its absence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-white-paper 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-white-paper Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT New criminal justice plans could see justice delivered more quickly, with flexible court hours, more video links and tougher community-based judgments. The police minister Nick Herbert has published a white paper on the proposals and calls for neighbourhood justice panels to be implemented, allowing local people to decide how offenders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/faster-justice-proposed-in-white-paper-on-crime 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/faster-justice-proposed-in-white-paper-on-crime Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Many parts of the new white paper for criminal justice should be welcomed, with a greater emphasis on using technology to protect witnesses and victims and to increase efficiency within the system. Faster resolution of cases would also be beneficial for all those involved, but as critics have pointed out, this will not come cheap, nor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-haste-less-speed 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-haste-less-speed Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT 102 more free schools have been approved to open in England next year. The first 24 opened last September and around 50 more are expected to open this year. The schools are set up by groups, including charities, teachers, parents and religious bodies. The Government states that they will bring parents choice and drive standards up, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/next-tranche-of-102-free-schools-approved 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/next-tranche-of-102-free-schools-approved Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has launched a regional Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) as a coordinated programme for a low carbon economy. In partnership with six local authorities and Arup, the council secured funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government through the Climate Change Skills Fund. The plans could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seap-programme-launched-in-liverpool-to-create-128000-jobs 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seap-programme-launched-in-liverpool-to-create-128000-jobs Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron is to look at watering down the extent of House of Lords reforms as part of a last push to get Conservative rebels to agree to changes. Sir George Young, Leader of the House of Commons, is set to reveal the updated plans later today, which could see the expulsion of the remaining 92 hereditary peers and a similar number to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-more-try-for-lords-reform--cameron 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-more-try-for-lords-reform--cameron Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A city region approach should be implemented in Wales, with two areas identified in the south-east and Swansea, a new report recommends. The City Regions Task and Finish Group has called for the creation of Cardiff City Region and Swansea Bay City Region to drive economic growth and deliver more jobs in Wales. These areas would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-regions-for-cardiff-and-swansea-recommended 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-regions-for-cardiff-and-swansea-recommended Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The long-term economic wellbeing of cities is dependent on investment in citizens’ skills and professional qualifications, new research suggests. The Centre for Cities think tank found that the places with the highest numbers of well-trained and educated residents in 1901 are among the best performing places today and vice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-and-bottom-cities-today-same-as-in-1901 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-and-bottom-cities-today-same-as-in-1901 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new report from the Centre for Cities has demonstrated the true value of investment in skills and training for citizens. The consequences of a highly skilled workforce extends far beyond the immediate future that most politicians keep their focus on: it can affect the economic progress of a city for the next hundred... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-built-this-city 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-built-this-city Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Has reform for the House of Lords been truly halted? The second reading of the Bill has been voted through, in the face of a sizeable Conservative rebellion, but without the programme motion to limit the length of the debate. As well as being a blow for those in support of reform and a mostly-elected upper chamber, this defeat could have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cracks-in-the-coalition 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cracks-in-the-coalition Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Benefit reforms will unfairly disadvantage disabled people, a group of charities has claimed in a new report. ‘Disability and Universal Credit’ was compiled by Disability Rights UK, the Children’s Society and Citizens Advice to show how the combined effect of the changes to benefits could push many families below the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-most-affected-by-introduction-of-universal-credit 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-most-affected-by-introduction-of-universal-credit Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Reform of the House of Lords has been halted – for now – after 91 Conservative MPs rebelled against the Government and a three-line whip. Yesterday the Government was forced to withdraw its programme motion, which aimed to limit the debate to ten days, as Labour made it clear it would vote with the rebels against the timetable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lords-bill-is-a-dead-duck-following-tory-rebellion 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lords-bill-is-a-dead-duck-following-tory-rebellion Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK businesses have been given a clearer view on Government investment in 12 key areas, as information is published on investment through the Technology Strategy Board. Up to £250m will be available through around 60 competitions in areas such as healthcare, energy, transport and manufacturing. The TSB Delivery Plan also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technology-strategy-board-250m-innovation-investment-published 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technology-strategy-board-250m-innovation-investment-published Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A family with two children needs to earn £36,800 – a third more than before the recession – to have an acceptable standard of living, new research shows. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a report highlighting the growing cost of childcare and travel, alongside cuts to tax credits, as hitting families hardest.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-family-living-rises-by-a-third-over-recession 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-family-living-rises-by-a-third-over-recession Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition Government could face its first defeat in the House of Commons later today as House of Lords reform is put to the vote. Up to 100 Tory backbenchers are thought to be prepared to vote against the Government’s ten-day timetable motion, which would limit the time for debate on the bill in the Commons. This could delay the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crucial-vote-on-lords-reform-could-destabilise-coalition- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crucial-vote-on-lords-reform-could-destabilise-coalition- Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour states that it is only the Government’s timetable for the debate on reform for the House of Lords that they oppose, not the reform itself. Yet if the programme motion is defeated, there will be no structured timetable for the debate, leaving it open for Tory backbenchers to talk and talk, delaying the bill for as long as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drawing-distinctions-in-the-sand- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drawing-distinctions-in-the-sand- Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC) has officially launched as a non-profit social enterprise, established to serve a community interest. Any surplus generated will be invested back into the community. The centre works to improve the effectiveness of behaviour change programmes and has recently launched an accredited Level 4... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nsmc-becomes-non-profit-social-enterprise 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nsmc-becomes-non-profit-social-enterprise Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has unveiled new legislation that will overhaul the local government audit system inEngland. Communities secretary Eric Pickles says the new auditing regime – which has been talked about since the very first days of the Coalition – will save £650m over the next five years. The legislation shifts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-council-audit-regime 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-unveils-new-council-audit-regime Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Now that the minister has confirmed that the DVLA local offices will close in 2013 the Agency has now got to deliver an alternative which is fit for purpose and benefit business, we see this as being a radical improvement to the Agencies online systems, and a payment structure which is recognised by business and not complicated by Treasury... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/closure-of-dvla-regional-offices- 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/closure-of-dvla-regional-offices- Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government departments cut spending by £6.7bn more than they had planned to in the year to March, official Treasury data demonstrates. The planned reduction in spending was £4.4bn, but spending was actually down by £11bn compared to 2010-11. According to analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-deficit-44bn-lower-due-to-underspends 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-deficit-44bn-lower-due-to-underspends Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT It is worrying to see that the overall downwards trend in the number of fatal injuries at work seems to have stalled. It demonstrates that there is not yet sufficient understanding of the issues that surround worker fatality and the action that can be taken to prevent this from happening. Every incident less than the previous year should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increasing-the-reductions- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increasing-the-reductions- Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The two-day debate on House of Lords reform begins today, with the Government facing a backbench Tory rebellion over the plans to create a smaller, mostly elected second chamber of Parliament. MPs are due to vote on a timetable for the Bill tomorrow, with Labour expected to oppose the programme motion. The Government is seeking to limit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lords-reform-set-to-face-up-to-100-tory-rebels 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lords-reform-set-to-face-up-to-100-tory-rebels Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The long-term downwards trend in the number of deaths at work has stalled over the last two years, data from the Health and Safety Executive shows. The rate of fatal injury remains the same as the previous year, at 0.6 per 100,000 workers. In 2011/12 there were 173 deaths caused by fatal injury, two less than in 2010/11. 2009/10 was a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-of-fatally-injured-workers-largely-unchanged--hse 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-of-fatally-injured-workers-largely-unchanged--hse Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A national grammar and spelling test will be introduced in primary schools to improve pupils’ literacy levels, the Department for Education has confirmed. The exam would form part of the Sats tests and will cover vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Pupils will be expected to recognise the difference between formal and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/11-year-olds-to-sit-national-grammar-test-from-2013 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/11-year-olds-to-sit-national-grammar-test-from-2013 Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT PFI could ultimately cost £300bn, a new analysis of Government figures and contracts suggests. The Guardian evaluated contracts sanctioned by the Treasury and found that repayments will grow to £10bn per year by 2017/18. The Coalition Government is still agreeing new PFI deals, despite publicly criticising Labour for its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-continues-to-agree-new-pfi-contracts 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-continues-to-agree-new-pfi-contracts Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government could miss its housing target by 85,000 homes, the latest forecast of housing delivery figures suggest. The third annual Housing the Nation report warns that this could mean less than 100,000 new homes built in 2012. Local authorities have reduced their target to around 160,000 new homes per year, a reduction of 13% from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-targets-could-be-missed-by-85000 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-targets-could-be-missed-by-85000 Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Despite sustained anger and criticism of PFI schemes, it has emerged that the Coalition Government is continuing to agree new deals on a very widespread basis. Both Tories and the Lib Dems have denounced Labour for the party’s extensive use of the schemes whilst in office. Osborne even pledged that the Conservatives would not use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-pfi-pretence 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-pfi-pretence Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Army cuts could see 20,000 jobs disappearing over the next two years – many through compulsory redundancy. Defence secretary Philip Hammond is expected to confirm today the closure of five battalions, with others to be merged. The new structure will see the army with a reduced strength of 82,000 – half the amount it had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/20000-army-posts-to-go-under-budget-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/20000-army-posts-to-go-under-budget-cuts Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s changing demography is going to significantly affect public services and it is high time policy and strategy was developed to address this challenge. But the Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change has made a fairly radical suggestion, which is worth further consideration – what if our ageing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Age-old-problem 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Age-old-problem Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The impact of an ageing population on public services is being considered today as the House of Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change holds an evidence session with the ONS and population academics. The Committee is investigating the challenges theUK’s ageing population will pose to public service provision and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Ageing-population-could-impact-public-services 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Ageing-population-could-impact-public-services Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Eight cities are to receive extra powers over transport, infrastructure and education budgets, as they sign up to new ‘City Deals’. Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester have been negotiating the deals with cities minister Greg Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-deals-will-see-budgets-devolved-from-whitehall 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-deals-will-see-budgets-devolved-from-whitehall Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office has criticised “irregular” payments totalling £51,000 given to staff at the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) as it wound down. Is February 2011, BIS approved retention payments worth up to 12 months’ salary for nominated key staff in each RDA who would be critical to ensuring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Irregular-payments-to-staff-at-RDA-as-it-wound-down 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Irregular-payments-to-staff-at-RDA-as-it-wound-down Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy PM Nick Clegg has announced a new Institute for Employee Ownership to make it easier for people to run their own business. Clegg said he wants employee ownership to become ‘normal’ and told a summit in London that he is keen to see a culture shift that will help people become their own boss. He said: “If we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-push-on-employee-ownership 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-push-on-employee-ownership Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron and Ed Miliband have clashed at PMQs about a proposed inquiry into culture and standards of the banking industry in the wake of the Barclays scandal and Bob Diamond’s resignation. Cameron wants a short and sharp Parliamentary inquiry, led by Treasury select committee chairman and Tory MP Andrew Tyrie, while Labour is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Party-leaders-argue-over-banking-inquiry 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Party-leaders-argue-over-banking-inquiry Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT It’s hard to see the point of November’s inaugural elections of Police & Crime Commissioners in England and Wales, with all the indicators being that the winners will be elected based on their party’s popularity in a region, on a dismal turnout. Falklands war veteran Simon Weston, who was standing inSouth Walesas an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Your-favourite-colour 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Your-favourite-colour Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Up to £33bn a year could be saved in the public sector by making better use of citizen data, a new report suggests. The think tank Policy Exchange calls for government departments to utilise data from sources such as applications for driving licences, tax returns and social media. ‘The Big Data Opportunity’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-use-of-public-data-could-save-billions-policy-exchange 439,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-use-of-public-data-could-save-billions-policy-exchange Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Living in the information age, citizens of the UK are inundated with data. We leave our digital footprints all over the web; a trail of applications, purchases and social networking. And advertisers have been quick to jump on this readily available information and use it to their advantage, targeting their products to the most receptive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Information-is-power 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Information-is-power Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mid Suffolk and Babergh councils have created a joint management team, in a bid to save £1.2m a year. Management teams have been cut at both councils. The number of management posts has been reduced from 81 to 46 in the new joint team. Some services are being integrated although the councils remain separate legal entities. Residents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Joint-management-team-to-save-councils-£12m 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Joint-management-team-to-save-councils-£12m Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT England’s exams system is in need of “fundamental reform” to stop the “dumbing down” of courses, MPs have argued. The education committee suggests exam boards currently compete to offer the easiest tests to make schools look good in local league tables. The MPs say they should be stripped of the right to set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MPs-call-for-exam-system-reform-for-falling-standards 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MPs-call-for-exam-system-reform-for-falling-standards Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT The joint chief executive of Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea councils has been named the country’s ‘most impressive council chief executive’. Derek Myers was voted top by other council chief executives and leaders in an Ipsos MORI poll. Myers has been chief executive of both boroughs since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Bi-borough-chief-executive-voted-best-in-country- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Bi-borough-chief-executive-voted-best-in-country- Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new scheme is being launched by Deputy PM Nick Clegg to encourage workers to volunteer to give careers talks to pupils in state schools, which has been found to improve pupils’ future earnings. The organisers aim to recruit 100,000 volunteers for the scheme, which helps state schools match those in the independent sector, where... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Career-talks-boost-pupils-employment-prospects 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Career-talks-boost-pupils-employment-prospects Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: Government has ‘compromised’ localism and growth agendas – Stephen Hughes (June 28 2012) A very interesting article indeed, and it is true to say that the government has damaged the possibilities for growth through its cuts agenda. Cuts to local authority funding implemented by this government have been targeted at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-and-the-economy 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-and-the-economy Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Scotlandis set to receive new responsibility for drink-driving, the national speed limit and airguns as powers are transferred fromWestminsterto Holyrood this week. Under the recently-passed 2012 Scotland Act, the Scottish Government also gains more responsibility over the rate of income tax, landfill taxes and new borrowing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Drink-driving-consultation-to-open-in-Scotland 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Drink-driving-consultation-to-open-in-Scotland Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police officers think riots could easily reoccur this summer as nothing fundamental has changed since last August.  Many officers have serious concerns about their ability to manage such disorder, after cuts to the police numbers and budgets. The ‘Reading the Riots’ study, compiled by the Guardian and the London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-fear-impact-of-cuts-on-response-to-new-riots 454,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-fear-impact-of-cuts-on-response-to-new-riots Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting the front line of the police is not only harming forces’ morale and affecting citizens’ safety, it could damage their ability to respond effectively to future riots – disturbances which are likely to be repeated, officers suggest. And despite all the talk of new water cannon and technology to monitor social media... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Strength-lies-in-numbers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Strength-lies-in-numbers Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles called for local government leaders to act now to promote localism as he introduced new measures to increase their transparency. Councils will now be required to declare all donations and payments they receive from trade unions, he announced in his keynote address at the Local Government Association... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Be-pushy-Pickles-urges-local-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Be-pushy-Pickles-urges-local-government Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The plans to introduce a national primary school grammar test will “impoverish” teaching, the National Association for Teaching of English has argued. The Government wants higher standards for pupils and is proposing a more rigorous approach with a key focus on grammar, spelling and punctuation. The national test for grammar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Reductive-primary-curriculum-criticised 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Reductive-primary-curriculum-criticised Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Would a more rigorous approach to English education help children attain higher standards of literacy? The new proposals for a focus on grammar in primary schools have been criticised for curtailing teacher’s ability to determine the best way to teach, as well as for potentially boring students. It is evident that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Learn-by-heart 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Learn-by-heart Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police from three counties in the East of England are investigating outsourcing services to tackle a £73m funding gap, it has emerged. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire are considering using the private security company G4S to provide HR, finance and IT services. The move could affect 1,100 staff and save each force... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-forces-consider-outsourcing-deal 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-forces-consider-outsourcing-deal Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Leicestershire County Council leader David Parsons has stepped down from his LGA role and police have launched an investigation into his travel expenses. A police spokeswoman told the Leicester Mercury that officers are investigating allegations of financial irregularities relating to Cllr Parsons’Europetrips. He was censured... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-leader-under-police-investigation-quits-LGA-role 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-leader-under-police-investigation-quits-LGA-role Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council’s chief executive spoke out strongly at the LGA conference yesterday against the Government allowing local authorities to keep only half of business rates income. At a session on local government finance, addressed by the Department for Communities & Local Government’s director of local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-has-compromised-localism-and-growth-agendas-stephen-hughes 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-has-compromised-localism-and-growth-agendas-stephen-hughes Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Much criticism and no detectable praise for the Government at the LGA conference yesterday when it comes to business rates and localism. Most were aggrieved at the extent to which central Government is determined to keep its hands on as much of the cash, and therefore the power, as possible, in complete contrast to earlier ministerial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Rates-of-attrition 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Rates-of-attrition Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The MoD is spending billions on keeping spares for equipment and vehicles it no longer uses and on other unnecessary supplies, according to a National Audit Office investigation. The NAO said that among the stockpiles is a 54-year-old supply of bombing equipment for an old model of Nimrod aircraft out of service since 2010. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wasteful-mod-storing-useless-equipment--nao 435,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wasteful-mod-storing-useless-equipment--nao Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Gove has hinted at dropping the CSE-style exam from his reforms for the exam system, following significant opposition to the plans. Proposals to abolish GCSE’s and reinstate O Levels and CSE exams were criticised by many for segregating less academic children at an early age and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said they would lead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/CSEs-plan-could-be-scrapped-Gove-suggests 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/CSEs-plan-could-be-scrapped-Gove-suggests Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Will reducing the amount of time young people have to be unemployed before they are eligible for receiving help from the Government make a significant difference to total employment? Of course it is better to get people into work as early as possible, to avoid later problems. And with youth unemployment reaching such high levels, this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Early-intervention 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Early-intervention Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mandating local authorities into implementing plans to cut carbon emissions would undoubtedly help theUKto meet its targets. But how feasible is this? Many of the recommendations in the Committee on Climate Change’s new report are projects local authorities are already considering, and in some cases developing. Making this work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Enforcing-emission-cuts http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Enforcing-emission-cuts Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Extra support is to be announced for young people in the worst areas for employment, as part of the introduction of the Youth Contract scheme. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will reveal 20 areas across the north ofEngland,Scotlandand southWaleswhich will benefit from faster introduction of the programme. The areas have been calculated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Faster-help-for-young-unemployed-in-20-worst-areas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Faster-help-for-young-unemployed-in-20-worst-areas Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Lords reform bill has been endorsed by the Cabinet and is due to be published today, whilst Tory rebels prepare to oppose the legislation. The revised 60-clause bill proposes a 450 member, mainly elected second chamber, to be named the Senate. The Government stated there is strong support for the measures and there was no need for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lords-reform-faces-Tory-rebels-as-bill-is-published 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lords-reform-faces-Tory-rebels-as-bill-is-published Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Many council services could disappear by 2020, due to a £16.5bn nationwide funding shortfall, the LGA has predicted. Popular services such as public libraries and leisure centres could close unless councils receive an “immediate injection of money” to cope with spiralling demand in social care especially. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£165bn-shortfall-could-see-council-services-disappear---LGA 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£165bn-shortfall-could-see-council-services-disappear---LGA Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Treasured council services could be completely eradicated by 2020, the LGA has warned, if extra funding is not found fast – or unless social care funding can be radically overhauled. But the fact that our current practice and policy is not suitable for provision of services eight years into the future should come as no surprise.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-going-gone 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-going-gone Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT While the number of public sector mutuals has risen from nine to over 50, it still falls short of Government targets. A new report, commissioned by the Cabinet Office, has analysed the mutuals that have been set up since 2010. The Government aims to have a million public sector workers owning their own mutuals by 2015, but so far only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mutuals-missing-Government-targets 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mutuals-missing-Government-targets Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public borrowing rose to £17.9bn in May, up from £15.2bn in the same month last year, according to figures from the ONS. Statistics suggest a 7.3% fall in income tax receipts and an 11.7% jump in welfare benefits contributed to the larger than expected total. Chancellor George Osborne is aiming to cut total borrowing in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-borrowing-at-£179bn---ONS 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-borrowing-at-£179bn---ONS Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Independence for Scotland could lead to uncertainty for the next generation, Alistair Darling is set to say as he launches the ‘No’ campaign today in Edinburgh. The ‘Yes’ campaign for Scottish independence launched last month. The former chancellor will lead the ‘Better Together’ campaign, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scotland-stronger-as-part-of-uk--darling 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scotland-stronger-as-part-of-uk--darling Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT In a controversial speech on welfare, Prime Minister David Cameron is to suggest moves that restrict or cut benefits for the under-25s, large families and the unemployed. He will assert that the current system is causing deep social divisions and will call for a wider debate on the best ways to get people back into work. Many of his ideas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cameron-calls-for-changes-to-welfare-gap 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cameron-calls-for-changes-to-welfare-gap Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff are going on strike over job cuts and “creeping privatisation”, the union PCS has announced. The staff are protesting against plans to cut 10,000 posts at HMRC by 2014/15. Union members are also opposed to year-long trials using private companies to handle tax credit enquiries at two centres... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/HMRC-staff-strike-against-job-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/HMRC-staff-strike-against-job-cuts Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Good to hear more money is being spent on health visitors, however I feel that the school nurse service is being missed out here as school nurses are in a valuable position to deliver parenting classes/ advice and generally follow on from the health visitor. Currently in school nursing, most of our time is spent in child protection issues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parenting-classes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parenting-classes Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Most reform brings in new ideas and tries innovations that have never been tried before. Gove’s latest plans to bring back O-Level style exams and a separate, “more straightforward” version for the less academically inclined are thus a curious move. It is hard to see how this could benefit pupils. More intelligent pupils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Back-in-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Back-in-time Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats have vowed to block leaked proposals to scrap GCSEs, stating that the reintroduction of O-Levels and CSEs would create a “two-tiered system”. Senior Conservative MPs and teaching unions have also criticised education secretary Michael Gove’s plans. The proposals, leaked to the Daily Mail on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Goves-GCSE-plan-a-two-tiered-system---Clegg 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Goves-GCSE-plan-a-two-tiered-system---Clegg Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT There needs to be a “cultural change” in some parts of the public sector for different bodies to work together and deliver effective services, MSPs suggest in a new report. The Local Government and Regeneration Committee has published a report on community planning partnerships (CPPs), which consist of local councils, health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MSPs-call-for-public-sector-cultural-change 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MSPs-call-for-public-sector-cultural-change Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The majority of police services will be privatised within the next five years, the world’s biggest security firm has predicted West Midlands and Surrey police are currently discussing outsourcing policing activities such as investigating crimes, detaining suspects, supporting victims and providing legal services in a £1.5bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Private-firms-could-take-over-crime-investigation 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Private-firms-could-take-over-crime-investigation Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Civitas report on social mobility makes for fascinating reading; is the prevailing image of a ‘closed class’ Britain really just a misconception, misrepresented by politicians with agendas? Peter Saunders suggests that ability trumps class as a predictor for future social mobility. Whilst it is no doubt true that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Class-constraints 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Class-constraints Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jobs in the public sector are at a nine-year low, statistics from the ONS suggest, but the private sector could compensate for the increase in unemployment. The number fell by 39,000 between February and April this year to 5.9 million, the lowest total since March 2003. Ministers have a deliberate policy to promote private sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Nine-year-low-for-public-sector-employment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Nine-year-low-for-public-sector-employment Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jobs in the public sector are at a nine-year low, statistics from the ONS suggest, but the private sector could compensate for the increase in unemployment. The number fell by 39,000 between February and April this year to 5.9 million, the lowest total since March 2003. Ministers have a deliberate policy to promote private sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Nine-year-low-for-public-sector-employment 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Nine-year-low-for-public-sector-employment Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The school system could be completely overhauled, with a return to O-level style exams, scrapping the national curriculum at secondary schools and creating a single exam board proposed. The changes, planned by education secretary Michael Gove, were revealed in a leaked document seen by the Daily Mail. Sources suggest Gove believes GCSEs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Return-to-O-levels-as-GCSEs-beyond-rescue---Gove 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Return-to-O-levels-as-GCSEs-beyond-rescue---Gove Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest employment figures reveal a mixed picture, with total unemployment down, but longer-term unemployment increasing and a vast difference between employment prospects for men and women. Yet with the public sector struggling to recruit skilled candidates to top posts, there seems to be a skills shortage in the face of mass... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Back-to-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Back-to-work Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK public companies will be required to publish details of the greenhouse gases they produce from next year, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has revealed. Writing in the Guardian, Clegg stated that 1,800 companies in the FTSE-100, including Tesco and BP, must publish the full figures from next April. The scheme aims to encourage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Companies-to-publish-greenhouse-emissions 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Companies-to-publish-greenhouse-emissions Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector organisations are struggling to recruit and retain senior staff as the impact of the cuts is felt. A survey conducted by the CIPD and recruiting group Hays showed that of 500 employers questioned, 82% reported difficulties in filling at least some vacancies, which has increased since the 2011 survey. 43% of public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-image-damaging-recruitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-image-damaging-recruitment Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK unemployment fell by 51,000 to 2.61 million in the three months to April, figures from the ONS show. However, other statistics show a mixed picture on the state of the economy, with the claimant count and number of people in long-term unemployment increasing. In May, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-falls-to-261-million 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-falls-to-261-million Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT 29 suppliers have been selected on the new PSN framework for Government IT services, the Cabinet Office has announced. The services available include CCTV and physical security monitoring, video and teleconferencing systems, mobile services and secure gateways. The PSN is intended to provide a single logical network and marketplace for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-announces-new-PSN-network 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-announces-new-PSN-network Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s approach to youth unemployment has so far been insufficient and fragmented, The Work Foundation has asserted. This must be given priority as the opportunities available to young people will determine the economic future of the country. The longer young people remain in unemployment, the more difficult it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Protecting-the-future 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Protecting-the-future Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The leader of Unison is to warn of possible strike action over public sector pay at the union’s annual conference in Bournemouth. Dave Prentis is launching a fair pay campaign, as it suggests many of its members are finding money a main concern. A two-year pay freeze was announced in the 2010 Budget, with those earning £21,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-strikes-possible-over-pay-freeze 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-strikes-possible-over-pay-freeze Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government response to youth unemployment is “fragmented” and “insufficient”, a new report suggests. The Work Foundation is calling for the creation of a national youth unemployment unit to join up policy at a national level. The report, ‘Short tem crisis, long term problem: Addressing the youth unemployment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Youth-unemployment-response-criticised 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Youth-unemployment-response-criticised Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Extra funding will be available for the new nuclear build at Anglesey, energy minister Charles Hendry has announced. £480,000 extra funding has been provided for the Anglesey Energy Island (EIP) programme by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The EIP is a collective effort between the public and private sectors to drive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£480000-for-Anglesey-nuclear-project 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£480000-for-Anglesey-nuclear-project Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT A “major cultural shift” is necessary to improve quality of care for the elderly, the final report by a commission into dignity suggests. The Commission on Improving Dignity in Care for Older People has made a number of recommendations to tackle the underlying causes of poor care. These include the Government working to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Care-homes-must-protect-elderly---Commission 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Care-homes-must-protect-elderly---Commission Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The children’s home system inEnglandis “not fit for purpose” for those who go missing, an investigation by MPs has found. The report suggests the system fails to protect runaways and criticises care homes for placing children far away from their family and friends. 46% of children in care homes originally come from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Child-protection-system-failing---MPs 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Child-protection-system-failing---MPs Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government Procurement Service (GPS) announcement of measures designed to speed up the payments to recruitment suppliers and especially SMEs through “a dynamic and transparent supply chain, with no barriers to entry” is welcome and in my opinion very much needed. The lifeline of any business is cash flow but SMEs often... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gps-outlines-measures-to-revitalise-supply-chain 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gps-outlines-measures-to-revitalise-supply-chain Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Low-paid workers who go on strike will no longer be able to recoup some of the money they lose via the tax credits system. Currently, those earning up to £13,000 a year can claim working tax credits to top up their income, even if they take industrial action. From next year there will be no increase in benefits if a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-compensation-for-workers-who-strike 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-compensation-for-workers-who-strike Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unions have slated new plans to stop adding top up working tax credits to those who strike, claiming it will deter them from being able to fight for justice. But the change would mean the extra benefits would not take into account lower income that was ‘self-imposed’. Should the system make it easy for people to strike?... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Stop-and-think 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Stop-and-think Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £140bn emergency scheme has been launched to kick start the economy and protect banks from the Eurozone crisis. Chancellor George Osborne announced that the Bank of England will offer high street banks money to prevent loans being rationed. Banks will be allowed to temporarily swap their assets with the Bank of England in return... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Banks-receive-£140bn-to-offer-loans 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Banks-receive-£140bn-to-offer-loans Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Increasing driving fines could cut costs and improve drivers’ competence, Government proposals suggest. Is the current fixed penalty notice fine too low to provide a significant deterrent to motorists? And if it is, will an increase of £30 be enough to change their behaviour? Either way, it will provide the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Driving-up-the-costs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Driving-up-the-costs Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Fixed penalty notice fines for motorists could rise from £60 to £90, the Government has proposed. A consultation on the changes is now open to the public. The document suggests that fines of £60 could create the perception that an offence is minor. “If the FPN [fixed penalty notice] is set at a level lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-proposes-higher-driving-fines 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-proposes-higher-driving-fines Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The majority of civil servants are unenthusiastic about forming mutuals, a new survey has demonstrated. This is despite Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude’s assurances that it would make services more efficient and empower employees. The first mutualised company to be spun off fromWhitehallwas launched last month, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Only-16-of-civil-servants-keen-on-mutual-model 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Only-16-of-civil-servants-keen-on-mutual-model Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cuts to council funding have led to social care budgets losing £1.89bn over the past two years, a new survey suggests. Conducted by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass), the survey showed a £900m reduction in budgets for social care this year. Combined with last year’s results, the cumulative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£189bn-loss-for-social-care-funding-revealed 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£189bn-loss-for-social-care-funding-revealed Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Child poverty figures fell by 2% last year, but the definition of ‘in poverty’ has been moved, it has been revealed. In 2010/11, 18% of children lived in households classed as below the poverty line; 300,000 less than the previous year. However the level of household income which defines ‘in poverty’ (60% of median... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-to-broaden-definition-of-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-to-broaden-definition-of-poverty Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Meeting targets and reducing poverty loses accuracy and credibility as soon as the limits begin to move. Redefining poverty means that the statistics can be manipulated in a number of ways, meaning the representation of what was once fact loses its objectivity. For such important measures as child poverty, the level at which this is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Moving-targets 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Moving-targets Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The actual savings of public sector mergers in Scotland are lower than initially predicted, a new analysis suggests. Audit Scotland is calling for lessons to be learned before new mergers take place. Over the past five years, 18 Scottish public bodies have merged as part of the Government’s simplification programme. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scotland-must-learn-lessons-from-public-sector-mergers 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scotland-must-learn-lessons-from-public-sector-mergers Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Michael Gove’s proposed education reforms for the national curriculum have been criticised by one of the experts originally involved in drawing them up. Andrew Pollard was one of four academics on an expert panel that drew up the stages. Pollard drew up the framework intended to shape the new curriculum, which was published last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Education-reform-overly-prescriptive 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Education-reform-overly-prescriptive Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Some policy consultations between central and local government are “rushed”, the National Audit Office has reported. Communication between the two bodies is generally good, but organisational differences can lead to challenges, the report stated. Central government must consider the operational experience of councils when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-consultations-must-give-more-time 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-consultations-must-give-more-time Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of people working past the state pension age has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, a new report from the ONS shows. In 1993 there were 753,000 people working past the state pension age, compared to 1.4 million in 2011. A high proportion of these workers are self-employed and are twice as likely to be working part time than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Older-workers-double-in-last-20-years---ONS 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Older-workers-double-in-last-20-years---ONS Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The whole point of consultation is that is allows relevant parties to give adequate consideration to a set of proposals, and then to take this into account when developing the plans in question. The NAO has suggested that central government must approach consultation as if it means it in order to achieve the best results when designing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Time-to-talkand-listen 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Time-to-talkand-listen Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cities are being invited to compete for £24m to become the ‘city of tomorrow’, integrating transport, communications and other city infrastructure to improve the local economy, increase quality of life and reduce the impact on the environment. The Future Cities Demonstrator programme is offering 20 cities £50,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£24m-for-future-city-to-integrate-systems 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£24m-for-future-city-to-integrate-systems Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT With more and more people living in cities, and this number set to significantly increase in the future, innovation and integration must be encouraged to improve the economy, quality of life and reduce the impact on the environment. Creating a competition to foster creativity and best practice in this area is therefore a necessary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Future-cities 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Future-cities Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of loft insulations under the Green Deal is set to fall dramatically, the Government’s impact assessment suggests. The policy aimed to transform energy efficiency in 14 million homes and create 65,000 jobs, but the number of loft insulations will fall by 83% by 2013, figures show. The number of cavity wall installations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Green-Deal-insulation-projects-to-plummet 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Green-Deal-insulation-projects-to-plummet Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Transport for London (TfL) has set out detailed plans for the road network during the Olympics Games, and is warning motorists that central London and roads near Olympics venues will be virtual no-go areas due to the expected amount of congestion. The Olympic Route Network (ORN) will begin operation on July 25. A 109-mile network, the ORN... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/olympic-route-network-details-published 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/olympic-route-network-details-published Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Doug Richard, founder of School for Startups and an entrepreneur, is to lead an independent review into the future of apprenticeships for the Government. This will ensure apprenticeships meet the needs of a changing economy, deliver high quality training and maximise the impact of Government investment. Richard will identify current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Apprenticeships-review-to-be-led-by-Doug-Richard 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Apprenticeships-review-to-be-led-by-Doug-Richard Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Every eligible council has agreed to join the Government’s troubled families scheme, which financially incentivises them to reduce benefit dependency and truanting among the hardest-to-reach households. The Government says the 120,000 families being targeted cost the taxpayer £9bn per year and cause significant social problems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-to-fund-troubled-families-programme 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-to-fund-troubled-families-programme Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Heavy rainfall and flooding across mid-Wales this weekend led to the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes. The Environment Agency has warned of the possibility of more flooding across the north of Englandthis week. In Pennal, Gwynedd, 600 people were temporarily evacuated amid fears of a reservoir dam at risk of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Flood-evacuation-in-Wales 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Flood-evacuation-in-Wales Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Changes to the national curriculum could include compulsory foreign language learning from the age of seven, education secretary Michael Gove is set to announce. Children in primary schools could also be required to recite poetry from the age of five, proposals suggest. The plans will go to public consultation later this year and are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Foreign-language-learning-to-be-compulsory 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Foreign-language-learning-to-be-compulsory Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT I for one am happy to see that fair treatment is making its way into the public sector. I am self employed and can’t even afford to pay into a pension. Why should I pick up the tab for such huge pensions? Even cleaners in the public sector retire on more favourable terms than private sector middle managers. It is ridiculous and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-reforms 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-reforms Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Compulsory foreign language learning for primary school children is a wonderful proposal, and would significantly benefit the children who receive this teaching. For too long, people have relied on the good level of English in foreign countries to bother making the effort to learn any other language. Starting language learning at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Starting-young 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Starting-young Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Charted Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) has joined the ranks of those criticising proposals to reform employment legislation to allow ‘no-fault’ dismissal, labelling them “objectionable and unnecessary”. In its response to the Government consultation on the issue, the CIPD says that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-criticism-of-no-fault-dismissal-idea 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-criticism-of-no-fault-dismissal-idea Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new report suggests that much of the money transferred from the NHS to councils for social care has been used prop up existing services. The research by MHP Health Mandate, ‘An atlas of variations in social care’, says £115m of the £648m earmarked for ‘additional’ spending in 2011/12 is being used to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nhs-cash-used-to-prop-up-crumbling-social-care-system 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nhs-cash-used-to-prop-up-crumbling-social-care-system Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The London 2012 Olympics Games could be a “historic turning point” for UK family life, according to one charity. With just seven weeks to go until the Games, Dr Katherine Rake, CEO of the Family and Parenting Institute, said: “Flexible working is a key aspect of ensuring London and other UK cities can host events... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2012-Games-could-mark-historic-watershed-for-family-life 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2012-Games-could-mark-historic-watershed-for-family-life Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The trade body representing manufacturers has called on the Government to ignore calls for ‘no-fault dismissal’. Their position is in line with that held by business secretary Vince Cable, who has said the idea would create uncertainty for workers, leading to less spending and worse economic performance. The idea was the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Manufacturers-condemn-no-fault-dismissal-proposal 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Manufacturers-condemn-no-fault-dismissal-proposal Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron has a reputation for loyalty to his ministers when it comes to perceived wrongdoing, rather than rushing to fire them at the first signs of media difficulty, as has sometimes been the case in the past. Lady Warsi, co-chair of the Tory party, is certainly experiencing such difficulties – first it was her expenses, now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Standing-by 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Standing-by Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet minister Lady Warsi, co-chair of the Conservative Party, has been referred to the adviser on ministers’ interests after failing to properly declare her business dealings. She has apologised to the Prime Minister after admitting that she failed to inform civil servants that she and a relative, Abid Hussain, both owned stakes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Warsi-investigated-over-possible-breach-of-ministerial-code 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Warsi-investigated-over-possible-breach-of-ministerial-code Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jo Swinson MP, as well as being deputy leader of the Scottish Lib Dems and PPS to Deputy PM Nick Clegg, chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics. She spoke to PSE after a recent event in Parliament on happy workers and business growth, which should have implications for the public sector too. Spending resources and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workplace-wellbeing-and-lessons-for-public-sector-employers 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workplace-wellbeing-and-lessons-for-public-sector-employers Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Roger Taylor, director of the Host Boroughs Unit, talks to PSE about Olympic legacy. Life chances for people living within the Olympic host boroughs are significantly lower than those for people living in the rest of London, and the area represents the largest concentration of extreme deprivation in the UK. To repair this damage and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-lasting-legacy 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-lasting-legacy Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports on the launch of a national strategy to improve public sector procurement. The Government has published data on £70bn of potential future contracts over the next five years, across 13 different sectors. This aims to allow Government and industry to work together to spot skills gaps early and safeguard UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-new-approach-to-public-procurement 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-new-approach-to-public-procurement Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Peter Tudor, director of venues at the London Legacy Development Corporation, discusses the plans to transform the Olympic Park following the Games. Every venue and piece of infrastructure constructed for the Olympic Park will be recycled, modified and re-used, through the planning and management of the London Legacy Development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-evolving-space 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-evolving-space Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jeff Nielsen, head of the Procurement Cooperative at NHS North Central London, discusses a more entrepreneurial way of working. An NHS procurement cooperative that has saved millions of pounds for its members and won an award for its innovation could provide lessons for other parts of the public sector. The NHS North Central London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Award-winning-procurement 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Award-winning-procurement Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT William Murray, managing director of Janex, explains its mission to bring sustainable and high-quality Scandinavian-style doors and windows to UK buildings. Energy efficiency is not just about specifying products with the lowest u-values, and low CO2 is not just about energy efficiency. There are many windows available today that offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-energy-efficiency 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-energy-efficiency Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chris Chant, the former Cabinet Office programme director for G-Cloud, who led many government IT projects during his decades in the civil service, gave a candid take on the problems with IT at many departments, the vested interests of the big suppliers, and the serious lack of skills in this area internally following years of outsourcing.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Breaking-free-from-crazy-IT 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Breaking-free-from-crazy-IT Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The recent Socitm spring conference heard many an impassioned plea for a shift from cost-centred efficiency savings to a real transformation in service delivery, with strategic input – unsurprisingly perhaps – from CIOs and IT professionals. But the general thrust of their pleas could have been made by any public sector senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-available 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-available Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The leading organisations in the housing sector are concerned that Government pledges are not materialising in reality. Adam Hewitt reports. The updated edition of the Housing Report shows only ‘limited progress’ on housebuillding, which is failing to tackle the country’s “dire housing crisis”. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Concern-grows-over-lack-of-new-housebuilding 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Concern-grows-over-lack-of-new-housebuilding Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT John Wadham, general counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, explains why it intervened in an important legal case on disability and housing benefit. The additional needs of disabled children and adults must be taken into account when their housing benefit is calculated, following an important legal ruling in the Court of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-peoples-human-rights-must-be-factored-into-housing-benefit 442,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-peoples-human-rights-must-be-factored-into-housing-benefit Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government needs to take lessons from the private sector and look beyond big wins to tackle fraud effectively, argues CIFAS chief executive Peter Hurst. Much of the Government’s work on fraud, error and debt is coming to fruition this year. It’s important work – perhaps not the most exciting item on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Driving-a-culture-of-fraud-prevention-across-the-whole-public-sector 447,454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Driving-a-culture-of-fraud-prevention-across-the-whole-public-sector Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tom Hadley, director of policy & professional services at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), discusses why it is more important than ever for the public sector to balance cost-control and quality of service when procuring for recruitment services. The 2012 Budget affirmed the Treasury’s intentions to extend... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Effective-and-flexible-resourcing-models-are-crucial-to-future-delivery-of-public-services 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Effective-and-flexible-resourcing-models-are-crucial-to-future-delivery-of-public-services Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Grant Thornton UK LLP undertook research into local authorities' efforts to tackle fraud. The article below outlines some of the key findings of this research.  Introduction Grant Thornton UK LLP (Grant Thornton) was approached by the National Fraud Authority (NFA) in June 2011 to carry out research and produce a written report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fighting-fraud-locally 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fighting-fraud-locally Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Jean Parbrook, a business development manager with Climate Energy, says that time is running out for local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) to claim funding for carbon saving measures from the energy companies. Since the late nineties, energy companies have been heavily targeted on energy and carbon saving with an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-value-from-cesp-before-its-too-late 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-value-from-cesp-before-its-too-late Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Sue Hall, chief executive of the West Yorkshire Probation Trust, discusses the role staff development has to play in delivering good services and staff management. To provide the best services you need good people who are well managed,” says Sue Hall. “Even in these times of austerity, paying for good professional development... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/good-services-good-management-and-good-professional-training-go-hand-in-hand 449 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/good-services-good-management-and-good-professional-training-go-hand-in-hand Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Neville Cannon, programme director for ICT shared services at Plymouth City Council, told the Socitm conference about the importance of working with other organisations. Plymouth has its fair share of problems: a life expectancy gap of 16 years from one side of the city to the other, some problematic benchmarking against other cities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Innovate-and-collaborate 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Innovate-and-collaborate Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, at the University of Manchester, has been investigating ways that public sector procurement policies can foster innovation, creating positive knock-on benefits for both the supplier and customer. The work was led by Professor Jakob Edler, the institute’s executive director. Adam Hewitt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Innovation-needs-variety 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Innovation-needs-variety Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports on the Government’s response to the criticisms of rules on carbon reporting. The Government is consulting on its plans to ‘simplify’ the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which should drastically cut administration costs for the businesses and public sector organisations that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Major-changed-to-CRC-on-the-way 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Major-changed-to-CRC-on-the-way Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Peter Kelly, project delivery manager for the Leyton Links programme in Waltham Forest, describes improvements to the high street in a scheme that is both special and sensible. Improving access to key roads can help residents, as well as visitors, make their way around their hometown and encourage greater participation in the community.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Olympic-links 441,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Olympic-links Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Justin Taberham, director of policy at CIWEM (the Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management), discusses the urgent need for an integrated water management strategy. We seem to have a schizophrenic attitude towards water. When it rains we all panic about floods, trying to get rid of water ‘down the drain’ as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Our-schizophrenic-attitude-towards-water 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Our-schizophrenic-attitude-towards-water Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Take a leaf out of Defra’s book and change your approach to printing costs, says Graham Lowes of OKI Systems UK. It’s estimated that only around 2.3% of departmental spending cuts have been completed so far, against a target of 19% by April 2015. Yet, most government departments are wondering where to turn next to make the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Paying-more-than-you-think 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Paying-more-than-you-think Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Southwark Council leader Cllr Peter John says that recycling and waste collection technology has taken “a huge leap forward”. One of the most advanced recycling and waste centres in Europe was officially opened in Southwark in April. The £60m facility is operated by Veolia Environmental Services with Southwark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Plaudits-for-Londons-new-recycling-centre 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Plaudits-for-Londons-new-recycling-centre Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT In the March/April edition of PSE, we covered the CIPD’s report into trust at public and private sector organisations, and the high praise it gave to the way Sunderland City Council has handled budget cuts without resorting to redundancies. We asked Sunderland’s head of organisational development and workforce development Dave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redeployment-not-redundancy 446,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redeployment-not-redundancy Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public to private sector streamlining The key to success during the streamlining of public sector organisations is to avoid enforcing abrupt change and to enable cultural and structural shift, argues Andrew Harvey, chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He discusses the challenges of privatisation, and provides his insights... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Safeguarding-Success 447,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Safeguarding-Success Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new pan-European project aims to cut energy consumption in public sector buildings through imaginative visualisation tools and building manager engagement. PSE spoke to Dr Richard Bull of the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development at De Montfort University, which is evaluating the SmartSpaces project. Buildings, and activities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Seeing-energy-use-differently 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Seeing-energy-use-differently Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dave Palmer, solicitor in the employment team at law firm Dundas & Wilson, explains the issues highlighted by a recent Court of Appeal decision. Managing allegations of employee misconduct in the public sector can be a particularly difficult issue. The public sector has a significant number of employees who have responsibility for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Suspending-employees-fairly-in-the-public-sector 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Suspending-employees-fairly-in-the-public-sector Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Following up a previous PSE report on public sector leaders’ attitudes to outsourcing and private sector partnerships, we spoke with Alan Charnley, MD of Xerox UK, about the need for smaller, more flexible contracts and innovation in local government. Recent research and surveys have suggested that many decision-makers in the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-end-of-the-mega-contract 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-end-of-the-mega-contract Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT PPP and PFI schemes are used all over the world to finance new infrastructure. ACCA’s head of public sector, Gillian Fawcett, describes the lessons learnt from a new report that examines these trends. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) recently commissioned a report evaluating the use of Public Private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-potential-pitfalls-of-PPP 446,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-potential-pitfalls-of-PPP Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE caught up with Glyn Evans, president of Socitm for the 2011/12 year and the architect of the transformation programme at Birmingham, at the society’s spring conference where he handed over the chains of office to Kay Brown. Is IT a back office function, as it is usually labelled? Or is it a service delivery function – as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-transforming-council 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-transforming-council Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT In the run up to his presentation with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council at the National Outsourcing Association’s 25th Anniversary Conference, Michael Jones, partnership director for NAO member arvato’s relationship with Sefton Council, talks about current challenges in public sector outsourcing and his predictions for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-public-services 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-public-services Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management’s chief executive Steve Lee talks to PSE about realising the value of waste and the need for greater infrastructure to achieve this. There is a severe waste infrastructure ‘gap’ in the UK – perhaps in the region of £10bn to £20bn. The size of the gap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/waste-not-want-not 446,444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/waste-not-want-not Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting fraud in the public sector is incredibly important, especially in this climate. Identifying and understand where and how fraud is taking place can allow the majority of these costs to be recovered and some of the damage to the economy repaired. Additionally auditing for cases of overpayment can highlight errors which can and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/expensive-mistakes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/expensive-mistakes Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Boris Johnson is launching a review of measures introduced to reduce racism within the Metropolitan police, alongside Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe. In 2008, a ‘Race and Faith’ inquiry into racism in the force prompted the Met to propose opening up senior positions to people from different backgrounds, and make it easier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/met-racism-review-launched 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/met-racism-review-launched Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT An Audit Scotland investigation has revealed £20m in public sector fraud and error between 2010 and 2011. Its investigation highlighted 318 cases of housing benefit fraud and 184 instances where dead pensioners were still receiving a state pension. 45 cases of alleged fraud were identified. The National Fraud Initiative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-fraud-and-error-worth-£20m-uncovered 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-fraud-and-error-worth-£20m-uncovered Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Households who put their rubbish out incorrectly will now face smaller fines, as the Government cuts the maximum charges councils can impose, in a bid to promote “common sense”. The fixed penalty notices, for people who repeatedly overfill bins or put them out at the wrong time, have been reduced from between £75 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Reduced-fines-for-flouting-rubbish-laws 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Reduced-fines-for-flouting-rubbish-laws Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Free childcare trials are to begin this September – a year early – Deputy PM Nick Clegg has announced. The trials could benefit 1,000 two-year olds in ten towns and cities. Following the trials, the programme aims to give 150,000 of the most disadvantaged two-year olds up to 15 hours a week of free pre-school education from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Childcare-pilots-for-ten-cities-announced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Childcare-pilots-for-ten-cities-announced Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Social mobility starts with a level playing field, according to Alan Milburn. Professions such as politics and medicine have traditionally ‘recruited’ from a certain social class, leaving those from poorer backgrounds at a disadvantage. Improving education for all will help to combat this, as will these professions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Level-playing-field 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Level-playing-field Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A scheme to give police officers smartphones and streamline bureaucracy has failed to achieve its expected £125m savings, the Commons Public Accounts Committee has reported, instead making just £600,000 – less than 1% of the money spent on the project. The Mobile Information Programme ran between 2008 and 2010 with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-BlackBerry-scheme-makes-only-woeful-savings 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-BlackBerry-scheme-makes-only-woeful-savings Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Professions need to widen their intake to increase social mobility, the deputy prime minister’s social mobility adviser, Alan Milburn, has stated. He has published a progress report with recommendations to improve this. Milburn, a former Labour cabinet minister linked with the modernising wing of the party, calls for professions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Social-mobility-needs-level-playing-field-of-opportunity---Milburn 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Social-mobility-needs-level-playing-field-of-opportunity---Milburn Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Over half of employers are planning to allow greater flexibility for staff during the Olympics, data suggests, as the CIPD launches new guidance on sporting events and absence management. Data from the Resourcing and Talent Planning survey indicates many employers are planning greater flexibility to avoid potential transport disruption... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-to-offer-olympics-flexibility 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-to-offer-olympics-flexibility Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Will Queen’s Park parish council deliver better, more localised, services for its residents? Campaigners have been pushing for the creation of a community council since the beginning of 2011. The idea that local decisions should be taken by local people assumes they will be best placed to understand the individual complications and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Good-things-in-small-packages 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Good-things-in-small-packages Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Charities’ frontline services are being hit hard by government cuts, new research from think tank New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) suggests. NPC surveyed the top 750 charities in England and Wales, and found that 65% are cutting frontline services, with 73% making staff redundant and 9% at risk of closing down entirely in the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-cuts-hit-charities 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-cuts-hit-charities Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The first parish council inLondonfor fifty years is set to be established in Queen’s Park. A referendum held by Westminster Council saw 1,100 residents vote in favour of a new community council, on a turnout of around 20% of eligible voters. The creation of the parish council is expected to be formally approved by Westminster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Residents-vote-for-Queens-Park-parish-council- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Residents-vote-for-Queens-Park-parish-council- Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Relocating residents to housing so far away from their temporary homes was never going to be a great idea if you consider the personal aspect of the move. While this may be a cheaper option, living in one area tends to be accompanied by the creation of various roots to that place. Being close to friends, family, a local school, are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-move-in-the-right-direction 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-move-in-the-right-direction Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Railway Children fully supports today’s relaunch of CEOP’s Missing Children website and a new 116000 hotline number by the charity Missing People. Both initiatives reflect the genuine need for additional layers of support as vulnerable children face an increasingly inhospitable landscape. International Missing Children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/international-missing-childrens-day 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/international-missing-childrens-day Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The drink drive limit in Scotland will soon be lowered, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has announced. The limit will be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg per 100ml later this year. The Scottish Government now has the power to change this limit under the 2012 Scotland Act, which recently received Royal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lower-limit-for-Scottish-drink-driving 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lower-limit-for-Scottish-drink-driving Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government could kickstart an investment spree into infrastructure through pension funds, a report by the CBI suggests. If the Treasury guaranteed 10% of funding forgreenfieldprojects, such as HS2, this could significantly attract investment from the private sector. The proposal would also raise the assets’ credit rating from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pension-funds-could-provide-investment-for-infrastructure 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pension-funds-could-provide-investment-for-infrastructure Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is to launch a new loan scheme for young entrepreneurs to start up businesses, with £83m funding available over the next three years. The Start Up scheme will fund loans worth on average £2,500 to 18-24 year olds with robust business plans. The loan can last up to five years with an interest rate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Start-up-loans-for-young-entrepreneurs 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Start-up-loans-for-young-entrepreneurs Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Waltham Forest council has suspended long-distance re-housing and will concentrate on finding more accommodation in eastLondon, appreciating school and family ties. The council was recently criticised when a Stoke-on-Trent housing body revealed it had been approached about re-housing residents in temporary accommodation. Other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Waltham-Forest-changes-re-housing-policy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Waltham-Forest-changes-re-housing-policy Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT £250m funding is being allocated to the UK bioscience industry, science minister David Willetts has announced. The Government’s strategy for high-tech growth includes securing theUK’s research base, creating stronger links between academics and business and identifying new technology. The Biotechnology and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Biosciences-receives-£250m-funding 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Biosciences-receives-£250m-funding Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Allocation of funding from the Priority School Building Programme has been announced, with many schools missing out on infrastructure improvements. A replacement for Labour’s Building Schools for the Future scheme, the new programme has only as fraction of the capital and far more modest aims when it comes to rebuilding crumbling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Plastering-over-the-cracks 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Plastering-over-the-cracks Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced the schools that will receive funding from the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). 587 schools applied for projects and 261 were approved, with the most rundown 42 prioritised. The programme replaces the Building Schools for the Future scheme, introduced by Labour with the aim to rebuild every... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Priority-schools-allocated-funding-for-rebuilding 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Priority-schools-allocated-funding-for-rebuilding Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Yes campaign for independence in Scotland is launching today, with support from the SNP and other smaller parties. A referendum is likely to be held in 2014. The campaign will be launched with Scottish celebrities and businesses as well as a new website promoting independence. The referendum could be a simple yes/no ballot, but the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-Yes-campaign-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-Yes-campaign-launched Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Businesses have long been complaining that graduates and new recruits have the wrong skills for employment, which has led to skills shortages despite mass unemployment. This is one problem that has an obvious solution; if these young people were trained in the right skills, they could fill the posts available in the workplace, to their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Solving-the-skills-mismatch 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Solving-the-skills-mismatch Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Schools in Wales are to receive a share of £32.4m to improve attainment for their poorest pupils. The Pupil Deprivation Grant is paid directly to schools, based on the number of children eligible for free school meals. First Minister Carwyn Jones is set to unveil further details of the scheme today as he opens the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£32m-Pupil-Deprivation-Grant-announced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£32m-Pupil-Deprivation-Grant-announced Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK first-quarter GDP estimate has been revised down, according to a release from the Office for National Statistics. This suggests the downturn is worse than the minor contraction originally thought. GDP in volume terms decreased by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2012, revised from the previously estimated decline of 0.2%. This puts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/GDP-decreased-by-03---ONS 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/GDP-decreased-by-03---ONS Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Universal Credit aims to replace a number of different benefits in one simple swoop, clarifying the process of claiming and making the system fair for those that fund it. Unfortunately, regardless of how streamlined UC is, the transition will still be complicated. Transferring existing claimants and taking up new ones, through trials and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Simple-claims 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Simple-claims Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new single benefit, Universal Credit, is to be introduced six months earlier than originally planned, with trials taking place in the North West from next April. The system will be tested in Tameside, Oldham, Wigan andWarrington, with up to 1,500 new claimants expected in those areas. The pilots will be followed by a full roll-out in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Universal-Credit-to-be-trialled-early 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Universal-Credit-to-be-trialled-early Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Half of all NEETs in England have never had a regular job, a new report demonstrates, and face a ‘catch-22’ trying to gain experience of work. Published by the Work Foundation and the Private Equity Foundation, ‘Lost in Transition’ highlights the rise in 16-24 year olds either taking much longer, or being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/450000-NEETs-have-never-worked 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/450000-NEETs-have-never-worked Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The changing requirements of the workplace have not been matched with the education system adapting to meet this demand, new research suggests. Many employers criticise young people for their failure to gain work experience as well as their lack of relevant skills, despite this experience often being necessary to gain work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Breaking-the-catch-22 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Breaking-the-catch-22 Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition could shift its main focus from deficit reduction to investment and growth, as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg signals a new direction for the economy. In an interview with the Financial Times, Clegg suggested that the Government would increase investment in housing and infrastructure and shift the emphasis to growth. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-could-shift-emphasis-to-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-could-shift-emphasis-to-growth Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Alternatives to HS2 would not solve capacity problems on the rail network, a parliamentary inquiry has concluded. The first phase of HS2, from London to Birmingham, was approved by Government in January, despite significant opposition from environmental campaigners. Following a four month inquiry, the All-Party Parliamentary Group... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/High-speed-alternatives-insufficient-for-demand---MPs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/High-speed-alternatives-insufficient-for-demand---MPs Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s draft energy bill is due today, designed to encourage investment in clean energy generation and reduce the UK’s reliance on gas from overseas. The bill is expected to outline long-term contracts for nuclear and renewable energy, which should reassure companies looking to invest by guaranteeing profits. The UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Draft-energy-bill-to-reassure-investors 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Draft-energy-bill-to-reassure-investors Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting the number of local authorities in Scotland, to form a smaller number of more powerful councils, could encourage the Scottish Government to further devolve powers and financial control, according to a think tank report. But it could also overburden councils with transformation and disruption when they are already struggling to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-by-less 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-by-less Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Social mobility must be improved, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has urged, citing wasted talent as both a moral and economic crime. Speaking at a conference organised by the Sutton Trust, which promotes educational opportunities for young people from underprivileged backgrounds, Clegg declared social mobility as a “vital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Social-mobility-an-economic-prerogative---Clegg 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Social-mobility-an-economic-prerogative---Clegg Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of local authorities in Scotland should be reduced from 32 to just 19, Reform Scotland has proposed, enabling decentralisation of powers from Holyrood to these bigger authorities. Other recommendations include transferring responsibility from health and police boards to the 19 local authorities, which would be formed through a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Think-tank-recommends-Scottish-council-mergers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Think-tank-recommends-Scottish-council-mergers Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A flat 30% rate of income tax on all workers would boost UK growth, a report by the 2020 Tax Commission suggests. The commission is a joint project between the Taxpayers’Allianceand the Institute of Directors, which both favour lower state spending. Other recommendations in the radical 421-page report include abolishing national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Call-to-standardise-income-tax-rate-to-30 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Call-to-standardise-income-tax-rate-to-30 Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has launched a new campaign to help young people into work by changing employers’ engagement with them and creating more opportunities for work experience. Recent research conducted by the CIPD showed that nearly three in ten employers did not recruit any young people in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Learning-to-Work-campaign-to-boost-youth-employment 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Learning-to-Work-campaign-to-boost-youth-employment Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Childcare in the UK must be made more affordable, a new report by think tank CentreForum suggests. Research shows that the average family in the UK spends 27% of their income on childcare, which is higher than every country in the world except Switzerland. Conservative MP Elizabeth Truss, who wrote the report, found problems with quality... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MP-calls-for-childcare-refor 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MP-calls-for-childcare-refor Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT This is all very well as far as it goes but the public are going to be resistant to ‘nannying’ and miss the opportunity, blinded by this prejudice, to absorb the message. As a parent – a successful one of three and guru to my many friends too, and a professional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parenting-classes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parenting-classes Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting restrictions and environmental ‘red tape’ to promote business growth ignores the fact that those protections were put in place for a reason. One of those reasons is ensuring a future in which businesses can prosper, rather than one in which local communities and the planet’s climate are wrecked by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scissor-happy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scissor-happy Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting environmental protections in the name of efficiency is “irresponsible”, an all-party group of MPs has warned. The new report from the Environment Audit Committee criticises the Government for its negative attitude towards the environment and growth of the green economy. A longer term view, driven by a clear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Slashing-red-tape-threatens-environment---MPs 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Slashing-red-tape-threatens-environment---MPs Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A lack of enthusiasm and understanding from public sector IT staff might lead the Government to miss its cloud computing targets, a new report suggests. The Government launched the CloudStore in February to offer services that meet Government standards to the public sector, aiming to reduce IT costs by £200m each year. The G-Cloud... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/59-of-IT-staff-undecided-on-CloudStore 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/59-of-IT-staff-undecided-on-CloudStore Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT CloudStore was meant to make it easier and cheaper for the public sector to purchase services at Government standard. Unfortunately, many IT staff remain confused, concerned about security and unconvinced. It is still early days for the new app store, but obviously further work is needed to raise awareness and dispel fears... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-black-cloud 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-black-cloud Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced plans for free parenting classes in three pilot areas, as well as a new information service advising on pregnancy through to parenting issues. The free classes scheme has up to £5m available funding, and will take place inCamden, and Middlesbrough andHighPeakin Derbyshire over the next two years. All... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Free-parenting-classes-trial-launched 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Free-parenting-classes-trial-launched Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The creation and sale of Northern Rock plc could cost the taxpayer £2bn, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. About £480m was lost on the sale of Northern Rock plc last year, but the quick sale of the bank to Virgin Money helped to minimise the losses for the taxpayer. In 2008 the bank was split into a mortgage lending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Northern-Rock-rescue-could-cost-taxpayers-£2bn 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Northern-Rock-rescue-could-cost-taxpayers-£2bn Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK government is set to publish the responses to its consultation on Scotland’s independence referendum. The consultation closed in March, and received nearly 3,000 replies. Results showed strong support for a single, clear question on independence, ministers said. The Scottish government’s consultation ended last week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Consultation-indicates-single-question-for-Scottish-independence 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Consultation-indicates-single-question-for-Scottish-independence Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The property market is set to “get worse”, unless significant numbers of new homes are built, housing groups argue as they publish the latest edition of the Housing Report. The National Housing Federation, Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing cite a small increase in the overall number of new homes being built, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Housing-report-shows-"limited"-progress 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Housing-report-shows-"limited"-progress Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK carbon targets are ‘at risk’ over local authority funding cuts, the Committee on Climate Change has said. The committee has published a new report which calls for national funding and a statutory duty for councils to develop and implement plans to cut emissions. This could include improving energy efficiency, public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Statutory-mandate-recommended-for-carbon-targets 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Statutory-mandate-recommended-for-carbon-targets Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employment firm A4e, which has employees at the centre of fraud inquiries, has lost a contract with the Department for Work & Pensions. The company – whose chair Emma Harrison stepped down earlier this year – lost its contract for organising mandatory work placements in the South East. The DWP said its investigations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A4e-loses-DWP-mandatory-work-contract 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A4e-loses-DWP-mandatory-work-contract Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May is facing angry policy officers at the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth today. The union has said her policies mean the Government is “on the precipice of destroying a police service that is admired throughout the world”. A week ago, 30,000 off-duty officers marched throughLondonin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-anger-at-Theresa-May 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-anger-at-Theresa-May Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour leader Ed Miliband has reshuffled his shadow cabinet, following the resignation of Peter Hain, but has not brought back figures like Alistair Darling, David Miliband or Alan Johnson. Liam Byrne, the work and pensions spokesman, is no longer in charge of the party’s policy review – some say Labour MPs are not happy with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Shadow-cabinet-reshuffle-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Shadow-cabinet-reshuffle-announced Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband feels more confident in asserting his leadership, following good local election results, rising poll numbers for him personally, and the tailing off of criticisms of him from unhappy party members. But his ‘reshuffle’ was still only quite a minor affair. Is this a sign of his overall happiness with his shadow... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Winning-moves 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Winning-moves Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said ‘no decision’ has been made yet concerning regional public sector pay, despite earlier statements by Chancellor George Osborne. Clegg said: “There is going to be no regional pay system. That is not going to happen. No decisions have been taken. “All that has been asked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Clegg-dismisses-regional-pay-proposals 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Clegg-dismisses-regional-pay-proposals Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The second largest civil service union has accepted the Government’s public sector pensions deal, with changes coming into effect from 2015. Prospect voted 79% in favour of the deal on a 50% turnout. The union suggested it was the best deal that could be achieved from negotiations. The Government has stated that reform is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Prospect-accepts-pensions-deal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Prospect-accepts-pensions-deal Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Control for special education needs (SEN) budgets is to be given to parents, as part of a package of reforms. Instead of local authorities being the only provider, parents will be able to choose support. The reforms will also legally bind education, health and social care services to plan services for SEN children together. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/SEN-control-for-parents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/SEN-control-for-parents Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT As Nick Clegg seems to ‘soften’ his stance on regional pay, suggesting a decision has not been made, and proposals would not exacerbate a north-south divide, he chided unions for scaremongering over an idea which was simply being considered. But unions know well how quickly consideration can turn into policy and realise the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-skill-of-scaremongering 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-skill-of-scaremongering Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Half a million people who currently receive disability living allowance (DLA) may be ineligible to get help under the replacement programme, personal independence payments (PIP). The changes will help cut the annual cost of such payments by £2.24bn, according to work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who said far more people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500000-could-lose-disability-benefit 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500000-could-lose-disability-benefit Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A formal assessment of the Government’s 2010 spending review shows that greater transparency is needed to ensure policy decisions consider the impact on equality. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a report analysing whether legal obligations on equality were met, using access to confidential documents and oral... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Equality-review-demonstrates-need-for-transparency 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Equality-review-demonstrates-need-for-transparency Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT If the pupil premium is to effectively close the gap between disadvantaged and more well-off students, will ministers really be able to leave the decisions to schools and teachers as they say they will? The money is not ringfenced, meaning schools can spend it however they think best to raise standards for poor pupils, and the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mind-the-gap 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mind-the-gap Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £10,000 prize is to be proposed for schools who find the best way of spending the pupil premium, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is set to announce. Additional cash awards will also be available for 50 schools as an incentive to boost social mobility. Other proposals include funding £500 per pupil for summer schools between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pupil-premium-to-close-the-gap-in-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pupil-premium-to-close-the-gap-in-schools Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils in Wales are going to be allowed to borrow £60m to fund highways repairs this year, to plug the funding gap that would otherwise see many roads rapidly deteriorate. Under the new Local Government Borrowing Initiative (LGBI), across Wales, local authorities will receive £240m of funding from the Welsh Government over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welsh-road-repair-borrowing-scheme-launched 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welsh-road-repair-borrowing-scheme-launched Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re: 'MyCSP becomes first Whitehall mutual', publicsectorexecutive.com 30/04/2012) What a fantastic idea! This model could be applied to so many areas of public service. Public services are just that, public services and not an excuse to employ people unnecessarily. It will also mean the people involved in delivering these services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-mutuals 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-mutuals Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Environment Agency has removed drought status in 19 counties in the South West, Midlands andYorkshire, following the wettest April on record. However, hosepipe bans remain in place inLondon, the South East and parts ofEast Anglia, while groundwater levels remain very low. The Environment Agency is keeping the situation under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Drought-ends-for-19-counties 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Drought-ends-for-19-counties Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s jobs fund has been criticised for failing to prioritise value for money, and warned of the cost this could present to taxpayers. If more effective controls were in place to ensure funding went to companies that provided a large number of jobs for the money invested, greater value for money could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Optimising-value 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Optimising-value Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT More robust spending checks are needed for schools and academies, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said. The MPs suggest that it is unclear how responsibility for ensuring value for money is divided up between the various organisations that manage education provision. The committee is also “alarmed” by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/PAC-calls-for-clearer-responsibility-on-school-finance 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/PAC-calls-for-clearer-responsibility-on-school-finance Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT One of the Government’s flagship employment scheme could have created “thousands more jobs from the same resources” with better allocation of resources, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) investigation. In some cases, jobs created under the Regional Jobs Fund cost taxpayers as much as £200,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Regional-Jobs-Fund-value-for-money-criticised 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Regional-Jobs-Fund-value-for-money-criticised Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Long queues at Heathrow airport have been caused by organisational change and a lack of planning, a new report asserts. The chief inspector of borders and immigration, John Vine, suggested that there were too few staff during peaks at Terminal 3 passport checks. The report on the UK Border Agency and Border Force comes as passengers from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Heathrow-queues-due-to-poor-planning---Vine 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Heathrow-queues-due-to-poor-planning---Vine Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils in Scotland spend almost £40,000 every minute, and must do more to ensure value for money, Audit Scotland reports. Better information on how money is spent could lead to well-informed policy decisions and allow local authorities to scrutinise performance, the report for the Accounts Commission suggests. Scottish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-information-needed-to-achieve-value-for-money---Audit-Scotland 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-information-needed-to-achieve-value-for-money---Audit-Scotland Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Up to 400,000 public sector employees are staging a day of protest today against the Government’s pension reforms. Police officers will also be demonstrating against projected job losses over the next four years. Unions taking part include the Public and Commercial Services (PCS), Unite and University and Colleges Union. Prison... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes-take-place 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes-take-place Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT New organisational structure can disrupt services, especially if they come at critical periods of demand. The queues at Heathrow have been attributed to such changes, with new working practices leading to poor deployment of staff. Whilst different ways of working can significantly improve efficiency and deliver savings at a time when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Snags-and-hitches 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Snags-and-hitches Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has said the two bills it has planned for the next session of Parliament will “strengthen the business environment and boost consumer and business confidence”. The two bills – theEnterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, and the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill – were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Business-bills-will-help-secure-economic-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Business-bills-will-help-secure-economic-growth Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Queen’s Speech, in the Labour years, was always packed with proposed legislation, and many traditionalists disliked the way the speech, written by the Government, put New Labour jargon in the monarch’s mouth. The Conservatives and Lib Dems always said Labour made too many laws, and too many bad laws, and are also faced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Laying-down-the-law 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Laying-down-the-law Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced its legislative programme for the next Parliamentary session via the Queen’s Speech today, with measures including public sector pensions reform, changes to the libel laws, a draft bill on social care funding, more flexible working for families, banking reform, secret hearings in courts, and a new regulator... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Queens-Speech-to-Parliament-outlines-Government-agenda 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Queens-Speech-to-Parliament-outlines-Government-agenda Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers will protest against measures affecting their pensions in a day of action tomorrow. Health workers, MoD personnel, immigration staff, civil servants, off-duty policy officers, lecturers and many others will join walk-outs and demonstrations, which could involve up to 400,000 people, according... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Wave-of-strikes-planned-tomorrow 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Wave-of-strikes-planned-tomorrow Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is promoting a competition to find the most enterprising and innovative business community in the country. Business and enterprise minister Mark Prisk said: “There are some fantastic enterprises across the UKthat are starting up and growing to become real forces in business. Despite the difficult economic conditions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/BIS-seeks-countrys-most-business-friendly-community 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/BIS-seeks-countrys-most-business-friendly-community Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A return to the contributory principle for social security sounds like a good idea – but in ‘solving’ one problem, isn’t it in danger of creating a much bigger one? The TUC discussion pamphlet says universal benefits based on helping those who pay in will be a good way of reinvigorating public support for social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Distribution-and-redistribution 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Distribution-and-redistribution Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A committee of MPs have warned that there is no ‘silver bullet’ to tackle the country’s housing shortfall, and that it will require investment from many quarters. The Commons Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee, in its report released today, ‘Financing of new housing supply’, says that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Give-councils-freedom-to-solve-housing-crisis---MPs 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Give-councils-freedom-to-solve-housing-crisis---MPs Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT An influential think tank has said the current consensus on funding long-term care focuses too much on protecting wealthier homeowners’ assets, and not enough on better care for the poorest. The Centre for Social Justice, founded by work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith but independent and cross-party in its governance, says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-report-questions-care-funding-consensus 455,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-report-questions-care-funding-consensus Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The TUC has called for a return to social security that offers something for everyone who pays in – not just for the poorest. In a discussion pamphlet published on Friday, the trades unions body says that successive governments have undermined the social security system so that it no longer enjoys popular support. It says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/TUC-calls-for-genuine-national-insurance 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/TUC-calls-for-genuine-national-insurance Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Four cities have so far voted against introducing a mayoral system, with six others still counting. The vote concerns a directly elected mayoral system to replace local council cabinet and leader system, but has been rebuffed by voters in Manchester, Nottingham, Bradford and Coventry. Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cities-reject-elected-mayors 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cities-reject-elected-mayors Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Labour has made significant gains in local elections, winning hundreds of seats and winning control of councils across England and Wales. The party has won nearly 500 seats so far, as well as control of significant councils including Birmingham and Cardiff. The Conservatives have lost 288 seats and the Lib Dems 133 so far. Labour is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Local-election-gains-for-Labour 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Local-election-gains-for-Labour Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Offering prisoners a chance to gain work experience or training is the most effective way of reducing the rate of re-offending, whilst adding to the country’s productive workforce. Understandably, many companies may be unwilling to offer this opportunity, especially at a time when there are so many highly skilled applicants without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Opportunities-for-offenders 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Opportunities-for-offenders Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Businesses should help prisoners into work, justice secretary Ken Clarke has suggested. He said that firms such as Virgin and Marks and Spencer could hire-ex offenders and should provide work experience placements and training. The Government is launching a new scheme to improve prisoners’ job prospects. Clarke said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Prisoners-need-more-work-experience---Clarke 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Prisoners-need-more-work-experience---Clarke Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Environment Agency has issued 37 flood warnings, with particular concern for Somerset, Dorset and Devon, as heavy rain continues in southern Britain. 144 alerts of possible flooding have also been issued. Areas affected are checking their flood defences on rising rivers and sandbags have been issued inTewkesbury... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/37-flood-warnings-issued 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/37-flood-warnings-issued Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Assurance for major government projects has improved, but is not yet ‘built to last’, according to a new report by the National Audit Office. Following the launch of the Major Projects Authority, significant impacts have been realised, including better quality and visibility of government project data. However, the NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Closer-cooperation-needed-for-government-projects 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Closer-cooperation-needed-for-government-projects Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should better teachers receive higher pay? According to the NUT, this could create a divide, leading teachers to leave challenging schools in order to reap the rewards of a class with better performance. Yet MPs suggest that bad teachers can significantly impact on a class, and should not be allowed to ‘hide’ behind fixed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Measuring-the-immeasurable 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Measuring-the-immeasurable Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT A plan to introduce performance-related pay in schools has been proposed by MPs, with weak teachers being paid less and stronger teachers offered higher salaries and the opportunity for paid sabbaticals. Developing a clearer link between pay and classroom performance could boost results and attract the best graduates into the profession... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Payment-by-results-for-teachers-suggested 453,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Payment-by-results-for-teachers-suggested Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government should publish a strategic plan detailing how many onshore wind turbines will be built and where, the Campaign to protect Rural England (CPRE) has stated. 1,826 onshore wind turbines are currently planned inEngland, with 8,581 for theUKoverall. The CPRE is arguing for planning inspectors to put more weight on local concerns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Calls-for-wind-farm-clarity 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Calls-for-wind-farm-clarity Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Is the new mutual launched byWhitehalla first step towards more efficient working, savings for the public sector and a successful business model? Or is it, as union leaders suggest, privatisation by another name? The Government is exploring new and different ways to drive productivity whilst cutting costs and this approach could see... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mutual-benefits 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mutual-benefits Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The first mutualised company spun off from Whitehallis being launched, with the former Labour cabinet minister John Hutton as chairman. Almost 500 workers will leave the civil service as MyCSP (My Civil Service Pension) becomes a mutual joint venture. It will be owned 25% by staff, 40% by financial services firm Paymaster and 35% by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MyCSP-becomes-first-Whitehall-mutual 440,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MyCSP-becomes-first-Whitehall-mutual Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kay Brown, head of IT at South Lanarkshire Council, took up the post of president of SOCITM at the IT organisation’s spring conference in London on Wednesday. She took over from Glyn Evans, telling attendees: “This is the time for IT.” She said she was “honoured and proud” to be the first female... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/SOCITM-appoints-new-president 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/SOCITM-appoints-new-president Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The role of worker happiness in promoting business growth is being discussed at an event being hosted by a cross-party group of MPs. Public sector executives are also being invited to the event, called ‘Happy Workers = Business Growth’ on May 17. Jo Swinson MP, who chairs the group, said: “Research shows promoting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Workplace-wellbeing-has-huge-implications-for-public-sector---MPs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Workplace-wellbeing-has-huge-implications-for-public-sector---MPs Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT A £4m project to support employment and economic and social development has been launched by the Welsh Government. ‘Shaping the Future’ aims to mitigate the socio-economic impact of decommissioning theUKnuclear legacy inNorth Wales, and drive economic regeneration in the area. Funding worth £2.3m comes from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Shaping-the-Future-for-Welsh-regeneration 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Shaping-the-Future-for-Welsh-regeneration Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT New figures suggest that only 44% of state school teachers encourage bright pupils to apply for Oxford and Cambridge. Aside from the fact that there are many other avenues to success than through those shining halls, this should not be seen as an example of segregation based on economic standing. For one thing, they are two of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Equal-encouragement 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Equal-encouragement Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Civilian workers from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and staff from other government departments will join the national strike next month, Unite has announced. On May 10, 25,000 members of the union will walk out on a day of industrial action. The announcement follows a 94% vote against the Government’s proposed pension reforms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MoD-staff-join-pensions-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MoD-staff-join-pensions-strike Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Almost half of secondary school teachers do not encourage gifted students at state schools to consider applying for Oxford or Cambridge, research suggests. Commissioned by the Sutton Trust, the study questioned 730 state secondary school teachers and found that 44% would encourage bright pupils to apply. This proportion is down 50% from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Only-44-of-state-school-teachers-encourage-Oxbridge-applications 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Only-44-of-state-school-teachers-encourage-Oxbridge-applications Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police forces face deeper cuts as the National Audit Office (NAO) reports that only £1bn of savings has been identified out of the £1.5bn required to meet Treasury targets by 2014/15. The report shows that, by the summer of 2011, two-thirds of forces had failed to meet their targets, with some plans incomplete and others... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£500m-shortfall-for-police-savings 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£500m-shortfall-for-police-savings Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Data breaches are more common in the public sector, it has been suggested, with hefty fines for poor security. This could be down to the handling of sensitive information on service users, such as in the health and social care services. But it is concerning that the number of breaches is so high, especially when they are often down to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Handle-with-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Handle-with-care Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Renewable energy must become “financially sustainable”, Prime Minister David Cameron is set to say at an international clean energy summit today. He will call for affordable green energy sources to meet the world’s needs. Cameron will welcome the recent £350m investment into energy projects, creating 800 jobs, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Need-to-cut-costs-on-green-energy---Cameron 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Need-to-cut-costs-on-green-energy---Cameron Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The private sector accounts for over a third of reported data breaches but only 1% of the fines, a Freedom of Information request demonstrates. Data from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) showed that the public sector were issued five fines, totalling £790,000, whilst only one private sector company was fined... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-fined-more-for-data-breaches-than-private 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-fined-more-for-data-breaches-than-private Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK economy is officially in a double-dip recession, according to figures from the ONS. The economy shrank by 0.2% in the first three months of 2012, mainly due to a sharp fall in construction output. A recession is defined by two consecutive quarters of contraction, and the latest figures follow the 0.3% contraction for the fourth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/double-dip-recession-for-uk 433,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/double-dip-recession-for-uk Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency for areas in drought, as heavy rain is forecast this week. The rivers Coley, Upper and Lower Axe, Char, Upper and Lower Otter, Taw and Wriggle are likely to break their banks and residents have been advised to take immediate action to protect themselves and their property. Lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Drought-areas-issued-flood-warnings 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Drought-areas-issued-flood-warnings Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils can apply for funding, consultancy time, services and technology to drive positive change in their communities through IT, as the O2 Future Fund launches today. Part of O2’s Local Government Future Forum, the fund is comprised of three grants of up to £125,000, £75,000 and £30,000. IT teams within local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Future-Fund-launches-for-IT-innovation 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Future-Fund-launches-for-IT-innovation Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The sudden changes in environment, especially in the south west, demonstrate the need for robust planning and preparation to guard against the damage that both drought and flooding can inflict. Councils must ensure emergency plans are in place, and that these are communicated effectively to all those affected. While the wet weather... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Rain-or-shine 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Rain-or-shine Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Oxfam’s new Humankind Index offers an ‘improved’ measure of wellbeing, compared to traditional measures of GDP. But are these measures radically different and better than Cameron’s ‘happiness agenda’? There are so many different ways to measure quality of life, and without a standard definition for what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-wealth-of-wellbeing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-wealth-of-wellbeing Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Three-quarters of free schools take on fewer deprived pupils than the local average, Department of Education data demonstrates. Of the 24 free schools that opened last autumn, 18 took a smaller number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals than other schools across the local authority. Ministers maintained that free schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Free-schools-take-fewer-deprived-pupils 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Free-schools-take-fewer-deprived-pupils Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Humankind Index has demonstrated a new methodology to measure quality of life that goes beyond the ‘simplistic’ traditional methods of wellbeing assessments. The charity Oxfam’s Scottish arm has launched the index, which is now being considered for use across theUK. The project uses 18 measures, including health... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-methodology-to-accurately-measure-wellbeing 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-methodology-to-accurately-measure-wellbeing Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT A council in London has been accused of ‘social cleansing’ by attempting to move tenants to a housing association in Stoke-on-Trent. Newham council states that it can no longer afford to house tenants on its waiting list for private accommodation and has offered the Brighter Futures housing association the opportunity to lease... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Newham-asks-Stoke-to-house-families-on-benefits 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Newham-asks-Stoke-to-house-families-on-benefits Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition Government is on target to save 15% from national infrastructure costs, the results of a cost review show. Finance minister Lord Sassoon, who launched the review, said that the total savings target is to achieve between £2-£3bn by 2015. The Government plans to spend between £15bn and £20bn a year on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Infrastructure-savings-on-track 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Infrastructure-savings-on-track Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander is to announce newWhitehallspending scrutiny measures, in a move to tighten financial management of Government departments. The departments will also be asked to set aside 5% of their own budgets to be ‘re-prioritised’ if new pressures emerge – rather than relying on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-spending-measures-for-Whitehall 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-spending-measures-for-Whitehall Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The parliamentary committee report on House of Lords reform is due today, and is likely to call for a mostly elected upper chamber, with 80% of Lords voted in rather than appointed. The joint committee of MPs and peers is also set to suggest a referendum on the plan, although Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has stated this is unnecessary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Recommendations-to-elect-Lords-due 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Recommendations-to-elect-Lords-due Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The need to ensure there is enough money to deal with unexpected issues, and the need to reduce costs by eliminating ‘optimum bias’; two important considerations, both pulling in opposite directions. Savings in infrastructure spending have been achieved by removing money put aside for potential cost overruns, whilst government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Safety-blankets 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Safety-blankets Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Talks to resolve the tanker drivers’ dispute will resume at Acas later, after the union Unite rejected a proposed deal last week after six days of talks. The union now has until Tuesday to make a decision on strike action, but has appealed to the public not to panic. The union would have to give at least seven days notice before... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Tanker-drivers-resume-talks 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Tanker-drivers-resume-talks Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Lib Dem energy secretary Ed Davey are struggling to maintain the Government’s commitment to strict green targets and taxes. Senior Conservatives have been urging the downgrading of green commitments in a number of areas, such as renewable energy, and the compulsory parts of the Green Deal. The two Lib... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Coalition-rift-over-green-policies 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Coalition-rift-over-green-policies Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Hard to reach and vulnerable parents will get earlier interventions from nurses and education experts to ensure children are ready for school. New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said in draft guidance that health visitors and nursery teachers should intervene earlier when families are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-state-intervention-to-help-pre-school-children 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-state-intervention-to-help-pre-school-children Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The chief executive of Salford city council is among the people backing a call from Lord Adonis to relocate the House of Lords out of London to a Midlands or northern city. Adonis said there was no need for the Lords, when it is reformed, to be based inLondon, and that siting it in Birmingham or Manchester would make it geographically... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Positive-response-to-Lords-relocation-calls 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Positive-response-to-Lords-relocation-calls Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords is one of those irritating things that is offensive to almost all modern notions of democracy and meritocracy, but that actually does its allocated job quite well. Expert scrutiny of legislation, a check on an over-powerful Commons and executive, professionals who’ve come from worlds outside full-time politics... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Vote-for-voting 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Vote-for-voting Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The NHS must improve its support for homeless people with mental health problems, a joint report by the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network and homelessness charity St Mungo’s suggests. Rough sleeper numbers have risen by 23% nationally since 2010, the report states, with mental ill-health both a major contributing factor and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mental-health-a-key-factor-in-homelessness 442,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mental-health-a-key-factor-in-homelessness Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Engineers have urged the UK to take the lead on ‘intelligent transport’ technology by forcing lorries to be fitted with devices to prevent cyclist deaths. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ ‘Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society’ report wants vehicles to be installed with systems that automatically... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Report-calls-for-compulsory-lorry-blind-spot-devices 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Report-calls-for-compulsory-lorry-blind-spot-devices Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Most people agree that cycling is beneficial to individual cyclists, and to society more widely – it cuts congestion, makes people healthier, saves money, and so on. But ours is still not a country whose towns and cities have cyclists in mind. With some notable exceptions, the motorist still rules, and the worrying number of cyclist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Two-wheels-good 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Two-wheels-good Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK Energy Research Council has raised doubts about carbon capture and storage technology, calling it “particularly challenging” – despite Government reliance on it in future energy mixes. The two-year study from the research body said the design of the new £1bn competition to build a ‘demonstration’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-over-reliant-on-carbon-capture-technology 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-over-reliant-on-carbon-capture-technology Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ensuring the Green Deal remains a voluntary scheme is a staggering defeat for energy savings and does nothing to convince the public this is the ‘greenest government ever’. Requiring homeowners to offset extensions and home improvements by increasing their energy efficiency would have limited the damage such work can create... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/From-mandatory-to-voluntary 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/From-mandatory-to-voluntary Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has halted the compulsory elements of the Government’s Green Deal for homes, in a blow for the Liberal Democrats who supported the plans. Proposals currently out to consultation will be rejected, dropping the requirement for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient before undertaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Green-Deals-home-requirements-dropped 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Green-Deals-home-requirements-dropped Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has launched a new Enterprise Capital fund, Notion Capital, to invest at least £40m in high growth potential small and medium sized enterprises in theUK. £62.9m has already been committed to Notion Capital from the first funding round. The Government has committed a total of £200m to the Enterprise Capital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-£629m-enterprise-capital-fund-launched 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-£629m-enterprise-capital-fund-launched Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment has fallen for the first time since last spring, according to the ONS. For the period between December 2011 and February 2012, the unemployment rate is at 8.3%, down 0.1% on the previous quarter. The number of unemployed people is 2.65m, down by 35,000. The employment rate for 16-64 year olds is 70.4%, up 0.1% on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-down-by-01 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-down-by-01 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Metal crime has reached epidemic proportions across the UK. An estimated 15,000 tonnes of metal was stolen last year, much of it from railways, public buildings like schools and hospitals and places of worship. The problem is believed to cost the British economy £700m a year – and it is getting worse – not least because of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-guest-blog-by-joanne-taylor-director-public-security-sas-on-tackling-metal-theft-and-what-the-authorities-need-to-do-metal-crime-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-across-the-uk-an-estimated-15000-tonnes-of-metal-was-stolen-last-year-much-of-it- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-guest-blog-by-joanne-taylor-director-public-security-sas-on-tackling-metal-theft-and-what-the-authorities-need-to-do-metal-crime-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-across-the-uk-an-estimated-15000-tonnes-of-metal-was-stolen-last-year-much-of-it- Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government plans to sell the UK Fire Service College in Gloucestershire have been criticised by a union. Communities minister Bob Neill announced the plans as the best way of securing the college’s future and relieving Government of financial risk. The site has been run as a trust since 1992 and the union Prospect has argued that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Fire-Service-College-to-be-sold 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Fire-Service-College-to-be-sold Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT A controversial gas extraction method should continue under strict conditions, a Government-appointed panel of experts has recommended. Yet opponents highlight possible side effects of the practice, including water contamination and earthquakes. Fracking involves pumping water and chemicals into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Fracking-recommended-despite-quakes 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Fracking-recommended-despite-quakes Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT More spending clarity is needed when services are decentralised, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said. PAC suggested that scrutiny systems lack consistency and accountability is being hit as the Government’s localism drive gives the public sector more freedoms. The ‘Accountability for Public Money’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Localism-risks-accountability---PAC 436,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Localism-risks-accountability---PAC Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Almost one in 10 people earning more than £10m a year are paying an effective tax rate of less than 20%, the Treasury has revealed. The figures were released to support Government plans to limit tax relief, including on charitable donations. From 2013, previously uncapped tax reliefs, including charitable donations, will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cap-needed-to-prevent-wealthy-paying-less-tax 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cap-needed-to-prevent-wealthy-paying-less-tax Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Drought in England may last until Christmas, the Environment Agency has warned, as official drought zones are declared in a further 17 counties. Dry weather over the past few months has left some rivers exceptionally low, and the ‘drought map’ has been extended into theMidlandsand South West. Over the past winter some parts of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Drought-extends-to-Midlands 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Drought-extends-to-Midlands Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Half of free schools have not yet secured a site for construction, despite being approved to open in 2012, it has emerged. Schools minister Nick Gibb admitted that only 35 of 79 free schools have found premises in his answer to a parliamentary question from Labour’s Stephen Twigg. The Government said that negotiations for free... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Free-schools-without-secure-sites 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Free-schools-without-secure-sites Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector workers can afford housing in more towns compared to 2007, especially in the north of England, according to a new report. The Halifax Key Worker Housing Review demonstrated that four in 10 towns are now classed as ‘affordable’ for nurses, teachers, etc. In 2007 just 12 towns were affordable. The list is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Housing-gets-more-affordable http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Housing-gets-more-affordable Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government plans to impose caps on tax-free income to prevent the wealthy from paying less than low-earners have been strongly opposed by charities that may miss out on donations if this goes ahead. Limiting the level of donations would impact negatively on the vulnerable parts of society such charities exist to support. Yet allowing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Taxing-dilemmas 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Taxing-dilemmas Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Bristol is to receive £23m for primary school places, as the Government announces the exact amounts that local authorities will receive from the share of £600m. The Government hopes to fund 40,000 extra school places. The Department for Education has allocated Bristol City Council £23m, as the area has had one of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£23m-funding-for-Bristol-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£23m-funding-for-Bristol-schools Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT With the IMF’s warning that there is a bombshell to come in terms of pensions, this may support the Government’s argument for the need to reform pension schemes in the public sector. If governments are underestimating the impact the ageing population will have, this burden will fall on future taxpayers as the country struggles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Expecting-bombshells 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Expecting-bombshells Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Britain could face a £800bn pensions ‘bombshell’ by 2050 as a result of its ageing population, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. Analysis from the institution suggests that world economies could be underestimating future longevity growth by up to three years in age. For the UK, the additional bill... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pensions-bombshell-looming-for-Britain---IMF 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pensions-bombshell-looming-for-Britain---IMF Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Icelandic volcanoes could power the UK, as the Government discusses plans to connect to the abundant geothermal energy resources via miles of high-voltage cables across the ocean floor. The energy minister Charles Hendry is set to visit Icelandin May. He told the Guardian: “We are in active discussions with the Icelandic government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-and-Iceland-discuss-energy-link 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-and-Iceland-discuss-energy-link Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police in the south west of England have launched a new system to share intelligence resources in the first initiative of its kind. The online software will combine intelligence and act as a national pilot for other police forces. The forces covering Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire are taking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£11m-partnership-to-share-police-intelligence 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£11m-partnership-to-share-police-intelligence Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is to launch a £600m ‘big society’ fund, to help local groups take control of their post office and to provide capital for charities bidding for Government contracts. The fund will support grassroots social projects and will focus on helping the long term unemployed into work. It will run... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£600m-Big-Society-fund-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£600m-Big-Society-fund-launched Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT So the Big Society is finally here; Cameron has launched a new fund and some tangible criteria for what it should be used for. Long criticised for being too vague and aspirational rather than pragmatic, the Big Society idea may actually begin to be implemented. However, even with the specifics of helping charities to bid for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Building-a-Big-Society 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Building-a-Big-Society Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Proposals for universities to decide the content of A-level courses have received a mixed reception by teachers and universities. The education secretary Michael Gove raised concerns that A-levels don’t stretch pupils, leaving them unprepared for university. The exam regulator Ofqual agreed that more involvement from universities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Universities-could-set-A-level-content 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Universities-could-set-A-level-content Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The first two local authorities have signed contracts with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to deliver homes under the Government’s £1.8bn Affordable Rent programme. The London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham will deliver 762 homes through a grant of £18.3m and Hillingdon will provide 225 homes with a grant of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Affordable-Rent-programme-to-deliver-987-new-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Affordable-Rent-programme-to-deliver-987-new-homes Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT If the Scottish Government is to identify identical responses to its referendum consultation in its external analysis, then why would it allow multiple anonymous responses to be made in the first place? Furthermore, making responses anonymous seems to be placing the process in unnecessary jeopardy. This is not such a sensitive issue... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Anonymous-answers 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Anonymous-answers Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband is to focus on crime, the NHS and jobs as he launches Labour’s local election campaign. This includes prioritising action against vandalism and anti-social behaviour, he will announce. Local elections take place on May 3, along with elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly, and referendums in some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Miliband-to-govern-for-the-whole-country 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Miliband-to-govern-for-the-whole-country Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Scottish Government’s process for holding a referendum on independence has been criticised as it emerged the public can submit multiple anonymous responses to its consultation. Labour has claimed the whole process is ‘rigged’. The Scottish Government has stated that it will carry out an external analysis of its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-referendum-rigged---Labour 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-referendum-rigged---Labour Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Talks between the union Unite and fuel tanker companies are expected this week, aimed at resolving the dispute and threatened strike by tanker drivers. This follows criticism of Government for sparking widespread panic-buying of petrol and diesel. The representatives of fuel tanker companies are holding discussions over an agenda for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Talks-to-resolve-petrol-dispute 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Talks-to-resolve-petrol-dispute Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Doncaster council has had many problems over the years, not least in its housing function, which was heavily criticised by the Audit Commission in its 2009 Comprehensive Area Assessment. But a recent re-inspection has shown progress in virtually every area thanks to creative new approaches and sector partnerships, as assistant director of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-creative-approach-to-housing 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-creative-approach-to-housing Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Paul Cobbing, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, discusses the lessons learnt from the organisation’s recent conference and the future for flood risk management. Flooding is a risk that is set to rise in the future, and with the Government’s agreement on flood risk insurance about to expire, there are potentially... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-rising-risk 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-rising-risk Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT For local authorities and local public services, relocation does not mean upping sticks and finding new premises halfway across the country, but instead better ways of providing services in new venues in the same locality. Cllr Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, spoke to PSE about the new Bulwell Riverside centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/All-under-one-roof 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/All-under-one-roof Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Matt Pennell, ex-editor of Building Schools Journal and conference programmer for the Building Future Education event, discusses funding for new schools. No-one working in local government has had it easy in the past two years, but officers responsible for school building projects really deserved your pity. Capital budgets were cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Baby-boom-puts-new-schools-back-on-the-agenda 447,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Baby-boom-puts-new-schools-back-on-the-agenda Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT IOSH 2012 considered how perceptions of health and safety can be challenged and improved; Kate Ashley reports. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) 2012 conference held in Manchester in early March included detailed discussed on the need for – and limits of – regulation, and the contentious issue of whether... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Changing-perceptions 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Changing-perceptions Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports on the efforts to ensure that local public services, as well as central Government, can benefit from the new G-Cloud framework. Following the successful launch of the CloudStore and the Government’s G-Cloud framework, IT organisations are looking to how it can be used most effectively by local public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cheaper-faster-and-in-the-cloud 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cheaper-faster-and-in-the-cloud Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE speaks to the Isle of Anglesey council’s new principal tourism development officer, Iwan Huws, about its new public-private partnerships. Tourism is worth over £200m to the Isle of Anglesey economy, and is a major local employer, which is why the island’s council has decided to launch a new effort to work more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Come-one-come-all 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Come-one-come-all Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mary Dhonau, chief executive of the Know Your Flood Risk Campaign, explains what can and should be done about flooding. Flooding represents the biggest natural catastrophe risk in the UK. The floods of 2007, which cost the country £3.2bn* with the average insurance claim totalling £30,000**, demonstrated the devastating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Flooding-The-role-of-public-sector-bodies-and-local-authorities-in-mitigating-flood-risk 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Flooding-The-role-of-public-sector-bodies-and-local-authorities-in-mitigating-flood-risk Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The EU has published proposals to overhaul the data protection framework, which could impact compliance and risk management for UK public sector organisations and businesses. Adam Hewitt reports on the Information Commissioner’s Office analysis of the proposals, and gets an industry view from Christian Toon, head of information security... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/For-whose-eyes-only 439,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/For-whose-eyes-only Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Arguments about the effects of austerity on growth are everywhere, and are the key dividing line in politics at the moment. But the problem is that there are good, common sense arguments, and economists’ technical ones, in favour of both cutting spending more – and cutting it less. Increasingly, economic data emerging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Growing-pains 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Growing-pains Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Phil Corrin, deputy chief information officer at St Helens & Knowsley Health Informatics, talks to PSE about spiralling digital storage requirements at NHS trusts and what’s being done about it. Every patient consultation at St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Merseyside is now made without any medical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Having-a-lot-in-store 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Having-a-lot-in-store Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The public sector is being pulled in two directions; maintaining safety whilst reducing regulation. Richard Evens, commercial training director at St John Ambulance, explores the issues. Without a doubt the public sector is experiencing some of the toughest operating conditions in history. Budget cuts combined with a need to increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Health-Safety-Business-as-usual 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Health-Safety-Business-as-usual Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT A recent Leasehold Valuation Tribunal case has highlighted the huge potential costs to councils which don’t consult properly and fail to plan the maintenance of their leaseheld housing stock for the long term. PSE discusses the implications with James Butler, director of Landmark Leasehold Advisory Services, who also explains the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Improving-improvements 451,441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Improving-improvements Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Stuart Mitchenall, head of business support at Tandridge District Council, explains the work done as part of a shared service project in East Surrey in collaboration with MidlandHR. Tandridge District Council began their shared service journey as part of the East Surrey Improvement Partnership (ESIP), which was designed to bring together... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/iTrent-hosting-promotes-shared-HR-service-success-at-Tandridge-District-Council 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/iTrent-hosting-promotes-shared-HR-service-success-at-Tandridge-District-Council Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Lesley Robinson, debt advice programme director at the Money Advice Service, discusses the progress the organisation has made so far. High quality debt advice can transform the lives of people in financial crisis. It can also result in economic benefits for creditors. It makes sense then, particularly so in tough economic times, to bring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Keeping-people-out-of-debt 450,442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Keeping-people-out-of-debt Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Lesley Kirkpatrick, head of regeneration and development at Powys County Council, makes the case for local growth zones in rural Wales. For rural areas, the rigid structure of enterprise zones may not be the best option to drive growth and employment. This is the idea behind Local Growth Zones, first recommended in a report by policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Local-growth-for-local-areas 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Local-growth-for-local-areas Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Helen Wakefield, co-director of personal and professional development company Windmills, discusses the staff motivation issues that can arise from the upheaval caused by departmental relocations. With both public and private sector falling victim to decreasing budgets and increasing expenditure over recent years, it’s no surprise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Managing-the-move 451,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Managing-the-move Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Kate Ashley reports on a new piece of research that has drawn brickbats from the renewables industry. 'Powerful Targets’ is a controversial report that aims to demonstrate how the UK could achieve EU carbon emission reduction targets without investing in renewable energy sources. The report, produced by AF Consult alone after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Missing-the-target 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Missing-the-target Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Despite the difficulty that some public sector organisations have been having realising the predicted benefits of shared services, Network Rail has proven that it can be a success. While not officially part of the public sector, its experiences still contain relevant lessons for other organisations. Steve Swientozielskyj, head of finance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Number-crunching 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Number-crunching Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The new National Planning Policy Framework seeks to simplify complex guidance with a view to promote ‘sustainable development’. But how does this affect planning for renewable energy technologies? Kate Ashley reports. Planning minister Greg Clark says policy changes will support the implementation of renewable energy in the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Planning-for-renewables 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Planning-for-renewables Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Hugh Robertson, senior policy officer for health and safety at the TUC, spoke at IOSH 2012 on the Government’s misplaced priorities. Although the HSE has implemented government strategy in a “responsible and structured way”, the TUC believes there are serious issues with what this approach to health and safety actually... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Playing-pass-the-parcel 435,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Playing-pass-the-parcel Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Leonie Greene, head of external affairs at the Renewable Energy Association (REA), discusses UK policy on the issue Twelve years ago Germany produced just 3% of its total energy from renewables. In just over a decade that has increased nearly four-fold. Billions of euros have been invested in renewable heat, power and transport. What is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-should-be-at-the-heart-of-renewable-energy-delivery 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-should-be-at-the-heart-of-renewable-energy-delivery Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition’s reforms present a chequered picture two years into its term of office. Coherence is not always apparent, but where patterns can be discerned there are justifiable grounds for concern about the direction of travel says Chris Painter, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Birmingham City University. To... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-coalition-2-years-on 447,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-coalition-2-years-on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mark Wynniatt of the National Audit Office talks to PSE about the recent report into failures across government shared services centres. The NAO report ‘Efficiency and reform in government corporate functions through shared service centres’, released in early March, was critical of the implementation and operation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Q-A-on-shared-services 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Q-A-on-shared-services Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT John Mann MP wants eight major departments of state to be relocated out of London to other UK cities to revive areas affected by recession and eliminate pressure on the London economy. His eight Presentation Bills have provoked debate and highlighted new options that could benefit the UK economy. Daniella McCarron reports. John Mann, MP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/relocation-relocation-relocation 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/relocation-relocation-relocation Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Research programme director at IOSH, Professor Robert Dingwall, talks to PSE about the importance of research before restructuring. The Government is implementing changes to health and safety legislation, and aims to ‘scrap or improve’ 84% of regulations. IOSH is currently investigating the impacts this would have on workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-risks-of-reduction 435,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-risks-of-reduction Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) report into declining levels of trust in the workplace highlights particular problems for the public sector. PSE talks trust, and its impact on innovation, growth and efficiency, with report co-author Vanessa Robinson, head of HR practice development at CIPD A new report by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Trust-me 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Trust-me Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Social Enterprise UK’s chief executive Peter Holbrook talks to PSE about the ways in which the Social Value Act will change the face of procurement. It’s rare for a private member’s bill to be afforded debate, let alone make it to the statute book, but this is exactly what happened when Chris White MP (pictured below)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Value-evolution 451,436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Value-evolution Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Michele Grassi, chairman and CEO of 40south Energy Ltd, analyses issues and solutions related to this new renewable source. Wave energy seems the perfect choice for distributed generation of electricity on a community scale. After all, a large majority of the world’s population lives near reasonably energetic seas. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Wave-energy-from-community-to-utility-scale 447,437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Wave-energy-from-community-to-utility-scale Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle AM explains why implementing regional pay in the public sector would have serious consequences for Wales. Chancellor George Osborne’s recent proposal to introduce regional variation in public sector pay to better reflect local private sector wages has been criticised by unions and businesses alike... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welsh-wages-and-regional-variation 433,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welsh-wages-and-regional-variation Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT More choice could be made available on schools and hospitals, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced. Probation services, children’s centres and fire and rescue services could also be provided outside of ‘big state structures’, he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. This could end “once and for all the closed, state... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cameron-plans-to-introduce-choice-to-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cameron-plans-to-introduce-choice-to-public-services Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Trust’s new report highlights the importance of nature to children’s development intellectually and physically. Modern day concerns with safety and an emphasis on technology rather than time spent outside mean thatUKchildren spend far more time indoors than previous generations, to their detriment. Playing in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cotton-wool-culture 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cotton-wool-culture Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Children in the UK are losing touch with nature, and this is affecting their health and education, the National Trust argues in a new report. Traffic, computer games and the internet and parental anxiety all keep children indoors, yet this is impairing children’s capacity to learn through experience, the Trust suggests. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lack-of-nature-harming-children---National-Trust 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lack-of-nature-harming-children---National-Trust Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Leicestershire Policing Authority has published plans for 2012, setting out new performance targets to reduce crime and tackle priorities highlighted by local residents. Several consultation events have identified the needs and priorities of local communities, and the force will now focus on dealing with those who cause the most harm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-performance-targets-for-Leicestershire 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-performance-targets-for-Leicestershire Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT New research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlights the importance of obtaining a good work-life balance. The Measuring the National Well-being Programme found that 48.4% of adults over the age of 16 inGreat Britainreported a relatively low satisfaction with their work-life balance. Other statistics showed that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Almost-one-in-two-adults-has-poor-work-life-balance 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Almost-one-in-two-adults-has-poor-work-life-balance Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Raising public awareness ahead of a significant change can be beneficial, as it encourages engagement and participation, as well as answering potential queries or confusion in good time. But the elections for Police and Crime Commissioners do not take place until November. Eight months may be considered an overly long period of awareness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Early-warnings 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Early-warnings Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Lancashire Police Authority has launched a new website to inform public about the new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), ahead of their elections in November. The website will include latest news on the transition to the new structure, information about the duties of PCCs and Police Crime Panels, who will hold them to account... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Raising-public-awareness-for-PCCs-in-Lancashire 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Raising-public-awareness-for-PCCs-in-Lancashire Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Charities are leaving the Government’s Work Programme for the long-term unemployed, as they argue the upfront payments they receive are inadequate. The Single Homeless Project (SHP) in London has left the £5bn scheme as the initial cost of helping long-term jobseekers find work is not covered by the upfront fees of up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Work-Programme-not-covering-upfront-costs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Work-Programme-not-covering-upfront-costs Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Economic growth in the UK has been revised down to a contraction of 0.3% for the last three months of 2011, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. The first two estimates from the ONS showed a contraction of only 0.2%, and the amendment reflects the difficult conditions faced by businesses and consumers, the ONS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Economy-shrank-by-03-at-end-of-2011 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Economy-shrank-by-03-at-end-of-2011 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The causes of the riots are varied and deep-rooted, as the new report on these issues suggests. Yet some of the ‘recommendations’ they suggest do not address the real problems that families involved in the riots regularly face. It is too easy to place the blame on parents, or the police, yet this is overly simplistic and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pointing-the-finger 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pointing-the-finger Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Poor parenting, confidence in policing and materialism were all major factors that led to the riots last summer, a new report from the Riots, Communities and Victims panel has suggested. Commissioned last summer, the report recommends offering offenders leaving prison more support and creating a jobs guarantee for young people who have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Riot-factors-revealed-in-new-report 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Riot-factors-revealed-in-new-report Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Teachers and lecturers are staging a 24-hour strike today over pension reforms. The first stage of an increase in pension contributions comes into force next week. Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and University and College Union (UCU) will march through centralLondonand hold a rally outside of the Education Department... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Teachers-strike-against-pension-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Teachers-strike-against-pension-changes Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The revised planning framework is expected to restate its presumption in favour of ‘sustainable development’; which has yet to be defined. Environmental campaigners will see some protection for areas of outstanding natural beauty, yet whether this will be enough to placate the substantial opposition to an automatic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cutting-tapeand-trees 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cutting-tapeand-trees Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities are failing to provide adequate support for family and friends carers, research from the charity Family Rights Group suggests. When children are unable to live with their parents, they should be enabled to live with a member of their extended family or social network, yet research has highlighted a lack of support for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Kinship-carers-lacking-vital-support 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Kinship-carers-lacking-vital-support Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s planning reforms are set to be published today, and will come into immediate effect, ahead of the previous date in April. Although there will still be a presumption in favour of sustainable development, specific protections will be outlined for certain green areas. Following months of opposition from environmental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-reforms-implemented-immediately 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-reforms-implemented-immediately Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Cabinet Office has revealed the Public Sector Network (PSN) suppliers list, where 12 out of 16 bidders have joined the framework. PSN is an agreement made up of managed telecoms services, to “ease collaboration and communication” between various public sector departments. Services covered in the £500m-£3bn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/PSN-suppliers-announced 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/PSN-suppliers-announced Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Annual funding for dementia research is set to rise to £66m by 2015 to try to make theUKa world leader in the field, Prime Minister David Cameron will announce. Dementia is thought to affect around 800,000 people in theUK, and costs society an estimated £23bn. The number of people with the condition is expected to top one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Dementia-research-funding-to-double 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Dementia-research-funding-to-double Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has lost its third bid to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes as the Supreme Court refused permission to appeal on Friday. Following the unexpected success of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), the Government wanted to reduce the subsidies on any solar installations completed after December 12 last year. However, the High Court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-loses-solar-power-appeal 437,455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-loses-solar-power-appeal Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The European Commission is set to launch a ‘Citizens’ initiative’ to allow the population to make legislative proposals from April 1. This will offer the opportunity for employers to repeal or modify EU Directives. To make a legislative proposal, a committee must be formed by at least seven citizens from seven different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-initiative-to-allow-EU-citizens-to-change-legislation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-initiative-to-allow-EU-citizens-to-change-legislation Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of people working in the public sector could be cut to the lowest level since the creation of the welfare state, new analysis shows. The Office for Budget Responsibility has published projections suggesting 880,000 jobs will be cut by 2017. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says that as a proportion of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-employment-could-fall-to-lowest-ever-level 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-employment-could-fall-to-lowest-ever-level Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The battle in the courts to prevent the Government from implementing cuts to feed-in tariffs has demonstrated more than just the importance of supporting the growth of solar power. It shows that despite in many cases seeming omnipotent in its decisions, the Government can make serious mistakes, and it can be prevented from attempting to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-sun-is-the-limit 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-sun-is-the-limit Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plymouth City Council has appointed a contractor to build its new Academy school in an 18-month, £11.5m programme. All Saints Academy Plymouth was one of 71 academies awarded a capital funding grant in December 2010. BAM Construction Ltd will take on 4,200 sq. m of new build and complete remodelling, with a refurbishment of the east... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Academy-construction-awarded-in-Plymouth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Academy-construction-awarded-in-Plymouth Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Plymouth City Council has appointed a contractor to build its new Academy school in an 18-month, £11.5m programme. All Saints Academy Plymouth was one of 71 academies awarded a capital funding grant in December 2010. BAM Construction Ltd will take on 4,200 sq. m of new build and complete remodelling, with a refurbishment of the east... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Academy-construction-awarded-in-Plymouth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Academy-construction-awarded-in-Plymouth Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Pensioners will be better off in this Budget, Chancellor George Osborne has maintained, despite ending age-related tax allowances. The tax allowance for pensioners aged 65-74 is currently £10,500, which rises to £10,660 after this age. Osborne announced that this will be frozen from April 5, 2013, to save £3.25bn over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Dispute-over-pensioner-tax-allowances 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Dispute-over-pensioner-tax-allowances Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is proposing to introduce minimum pricing on alcohol for England and Wales, at a suggested 40p per unit. Ministers argue that this will not affect responsible pubs or drinkers but will make it more expensive to get drunk and cause problems for hospitals and police. Similar proposals are currently being considered by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-considered-for-England 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-considered-for-England Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is proposing to introduce minimum pricing on alcohol for England and Wales, at a suggested 40p per unit. Ministers argue that this will not affect responsible pubs or drinkers but will make it more expensive to get drunk and cause problems for hospitals and police. Similar proposals are currently being considered by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-considered-for-England 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-considered-for-England Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Police Federation has declared that police officers in England and Wales are to be balloted on whether they want to be given the right to strike. Currently, police officers are legally banned from taking industrial action, yet after 20% budget cuts and suggestions for the most extensive reform of pay and conditions in over 30 years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-to-be-balloted-on-the-right-to-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-to-be-balloted-on-the-right-to-strike Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Members of the Police Federation are currently being balloted on whether they feel they want the right to strike. Whether legislation will follow their decision is another story altogether. It is surprising in some ways that the current system prevents the police from taking industrial action. Of course they are necessary members of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Should-police-officers-have-the-right-to-strike 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Should-police-officers-have-the-right-to-strike Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Members of the Police Federation are currently being balloted on whether they feel they want the right to strike. Whether legislation will follow their decision is another story altogether. It is surprising in some ways that the current system prevents the police from taking industrial action. Of course they are necessary members of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Should-police-officers-have-the-right-to-strike 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Should-police-officers-have-the-right-to-strike Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne announced his Budget yesterday, setting out changes to taxation and public sector spending. His new figures have set out a 0.9% fall in public sector spending in the two years after the current spending review period ends in 2014-15. In 2015-16 the total public sector expenditure will be £744bn, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Budget-outlines-fall-in-spending-for-2015 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Budget-outlines-fall-in-spending-for-2015 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT All children should learn a foreign language at both primary and secondary school, a House of Lords committee has said. The UK’s attitude has prevented its students from studying inEurope, the inquiry revealed. Students inFrance,GermanyandSpainwere found to be three times more likely than those in theUKto take part in the EU... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lords-call-for-compulsory-foreign-language-learning http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lords-call-for-compulsory-foreign-language-learning Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s stubborn monolingualism is limiting opportunities for its citizens, in terms of academic progression, cultural experience and wider values of tolerance and understanding. Our so far half-hearted efforts at teaching children foreign languages simply add to the conception that this is both unnecessary and unachievable for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Moving-away-from-monolingualism 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Moving-away-from-monolingualism Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The introduction of regional pay for public sector workers and changes to income tax are set to be announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his Budget this afternoon. The announcement comes after ONS statistics show a rise in borrowing in February to £15.2bn, up from £8.8bn for the previous year. Osborne is expected to cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50p-rate-of-income-tax-on-highest-earners-to-be-cut 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50p-rate-of-income-tax-on-highest-earners-to-be-cut Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Gloucester council is launching a campaign to bring empty homes back into use, to help people struggling to find housing. The council will work closely with registered social landlords, such as Chapter 1, to carry out repairs, renovations and conversions on suitable properties to provide extra homes. The council will also be able to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Re-using-empty-housing-in-Gloucester 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Re-using-empty-housing-in-Gloucester Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should the country’s highest earners be given a cut in the rate of income tax that they pay? This is what Chancellor George Osborne is set to announce, as a means of encouraging enterprise and growth, he says. The 50p rate was only introduced as a temporary measure, so in one way it is a move that should not be unexpected But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Tax-the-rich 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Tax-the-rich Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Trade unions have lost their battle with the Government over the changes in the way public sector pensions are altered to account for inflation. Three appeal judges refused to overturn the high court case decision made against the unions in December. The Government is changing the measure for calculating pension rises from the Retail... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unions-defeated-in-pensions-dispute 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unions-defeated-in-pensions-dispute Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government procurement cards can be cost-effective, although there is no up-to-date value for money case quantifying these benefits, a new report from the NAO suggests. Central government spent £322m using government procurement cards in 2010-11, and £149m in the first half of 2011-12. There were 1.75 million transactions in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Clearer-data-needed-for-government-procurement-cards---NAO 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Clearer-data-needed-for-government-procurement-cards---NAO Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Almost £2bn is owed to the Ministry of Justice in uncollected confiscation orders and fines, a Commons Public Accounts Committee report states. This includes £1.3bn owed from criminal assets targeted for seizure and £600m in fines. At least £750m of this is unrecoverable, as the money is either too well hidden or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MoJ-owed-£2bn-through-uncollected-fines 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MoJ-owed-£2bn-through-uncollected-fines Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new independent Data Strategy Board is to advise Government on what data should be released to the public and how this should be published. At least a third of the members will come from outside Government. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the board “will advise ministers on what data should be released and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Strategy-board-to-increase-access-to-Government-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Strategy-board-to-increase-access-to-Government-data Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT At a time when budgets are being squeezed and cut, allowing fines to go uncollected seems like a poor way to manage finance. The Ministry of Justice has unclaimed fines and confiscation orders worth £2bn – surely spending more time and effort reclaiming this money is a necessary part of their remit. But if the cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-best-we-can-hope-for 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-best-we-can-hope-for Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Six Scottish local authorities will share £9m funding to create work opportunities for youth unemployment. Glasgow, Renfrewshire, North and South Lanarkshire and North and East Ayrshire will use money from the Scottish Government’s youth employment strategy fund. The councils will have flexibility on how to direct this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£9m-for-Scottish-youth-employment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£9m-for-Scottish-youth-employment Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Introducing local pay rates for some public sector workers in theUKcould ‘insitutionalise’ regional poverty, unions have argued. Chancellor George Osborne is expected to seek more flexibility in pay rates in the Budget on Wednesday. This could affect up to six million public sector workers from as soon as next month as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-workers-could-see-local-pay-rates 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-workers-could-see-local-pay-rates Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is set to announce plans that could hand regional road networks over to private companies in much the same way as happened with water supplies, by leasing out trunk roads and motorways to sovereign wealth funds. This would increase investment and reduce congestion, he will argue. The Treasury and the DfT could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Road-privatisation-plan-floated 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Road-privatisation-plan-floated Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Teachers are planning to strike against pension changes, with the National Union of Teachers (NUT) announcing further industrial action to be held for one day on March 28. The union argues that the changes would mean teachers would work longer, pay more and receive less when they retired. Last November 18,342 schools were closed across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Teachers-plan-pensions-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Teachers-plan-pensions-strike Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Home Office has been criticised for the decision to rule out posting details about police commissioner elections to households, leaving people to seek out the information for themselves online instead. According to the Electoral Commission, seven million people could be disadvantaged through this decision, as they do not have access... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Digital-dichotomy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Digital-dichotomy Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Millions of people who do not regularly use the internet could be denied information about the candidates for police commissioner elections, the Electoral Commission has warned. The Home Office has ruled out posting out details of the elections to households, meaning 7 million people could be disadvantaged, the Commission suggests. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Digital-divide-threatens-police-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Digital-divide-threatens-police-elections Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband is to launch a ‘guarantee’ to offer work to unemployed young people. The party would pay firms to employ up to 100,000 18-24 year olds, with money raised by a bank bonus tax. The scheme would cost £600m for 25 hours per week at minimum wage for each person. This would cover the employee’s training and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Labour-guarantees-work-for-unemployed-under-24s 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Labour-guarantees-work-for-unemployed-under-24s Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Government plans to enable microfirms to dismiss employees without good reason risks creating demotivated workforces and a perverse incentive for firms not to expand, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggests. This warning comes in response to the BIS call for evidence on the proposals to introduce compensated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/No-fault-dismissal-proposals-criticised 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/No-fault-dismissal-proposals-criticised Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The impact of the jobs recession has cost UK employers £28.6bn, a new report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggests. Based on official statistics and survey evidence, the report found that almost 2.7 million people were made redundant in the past four years, with manufacturing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Jobs-recession-costs-employers-£286bn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Jobs-recession-costs-employers-£286bn Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Metropolitan police force is developing more “assertive tactics” to tackle disorder, as the Scotland Yard review into last summer’s riots ‘Four Days in August’ is published. This includes the potential to buy water cannon, costing around £1m, and making baton rounds more readily available. CS smoke... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-riot-review-could-introduce-water-cannon 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-riot-review-could-introduce-water-cannon Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT It seems as if the police cannot win, whichever way they turn. Following the summer riots, there was significant criticism against the police for failure to act with enough force and assertive tactics. But the stereotype of police also suggests that they are a violent bunch, with a tendency to overreact and enforce overzealous measures.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Too-soft-too-hard 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Too-soft-too-hard Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employment statistics show that unemployment has increased by 28,000 in the period from November 2011 to January 2012 compared to the previous quarter. The total number of unemployed people is 2.67 million, the highest since 1995. Additionally, the unemployment rate is 8.4% of the economically active population, up 0.1% on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-at-267-million 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-at-267-million Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of overseas students studying in theUKis set to increase by 10% this decade – a rise of 30,000 – according to a new study for the British Council. Only Australia is set to have a larger increase. The British Council suggested that this is a “decade of opportunity” for theUKto benefit from international... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Overseas-students-numbers-to-rise-by-10-in-UK 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Overseas-students-numbers-to-rise-by-10-in-UK Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cuts in road maintenance spending could cost taxpayers more in the long term, and are likely to increase repair bills for motorists, the Public Accounts Committee has stated. The committee argues that the Department for Transport does not have a “full understanding of the likely impact of reducing road maintenance budgets” and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/PAC-slams-road-maintenance-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/PAC-slams-road-maintenance-cuts Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The line between pressuring councils to make savings and maintaining the right level of service, thus preventing costs as a consequence, is a difficult one to manage. The Government has come under fire on this issue today, with the Public Accounts Committee arguing that cutting road maintenance budgets will lead to further costs in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-costs-of-savings 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-costs-of-savings Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector pension talks have been concluded, and the Government has now published its final set of proposals for union executives to consider. The plans seek to increase employee contributions between April this year and April 2015 as well as a switch to career average pension schemes and the raising of the age of retirement to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Final-set-of-pension-proposals-for-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Final-set-of-pension-proposals-for-public-sector Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Homelessness has increased by 14% in the past year, with almost 500,000 households accepted as homeless as repossession rates and unemployment rise. According to figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, this is the highest increase for nine years. Homelessness had previously been falling, but 48,510... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/14-increase-in-homelessness-in-England 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/14-increase-in-homelessness-in-England Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the removal of regulatory barriers to funding for new homes, roads and infrastructure projects through the use of municipal bonds. The LGA has written a letter to the chancellor, George Osborne, urging him to consider allowing more private investment in local government to help boost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Municipal-bonds-could-unlock-billions-in-investment---LGA 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Municipal-bonds-could-unlock-billions-in-investment---LGA Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is launching a new mortgage indemnity scheme to help buyers climb up the property ladder. NewBuy involves the construction industry and taxpayers acting as co-guarantors on new homes bought by existing or first-time buyers, enabling people to borrow up to 95% of the value of new homes. Under NewBuy, the builder pays 3.5% of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/NewBuy-scheme-to-help-home-buyers- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/NewBuy-scheme-to-help-home-buyers- Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The final, final proposals for public sector pensions have now been published. Union executives can take the plans back to their members for consideration, before they are – at least partly – rejected and returned to Government. With neither party allowing much room for negotiation, these proposals are largely the same as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/One-more-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/One-more-time Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron has announced more reforms to the adoption process to ensure children spend less time in care and the whole process is “fairer and faster”. The changes involve allowing children to be fostered with potential adoptive parents before the formal adoption process is completed, and reducing the priority that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adoption-process-to-be-speeded-up 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adoption-process-to-be-speeded-up Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has said that unaccounted-for costs will mean the Olympics overruns its £9.3bn budget – perhaps by as much as £1.7bn. Security costs have doubled, the MPs on the committee say, and they blame weak Government negotiations with main private contractor G4S. The Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Olympics-could-go-£17bn-over-budget---MPs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Olympics-could-go-£17bn-over-budget---MPs Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Public Accounts Committee into the costs of the Olympics has some worrying headline claims, threatening to reignite the widespread cynicism from a few years ago that the whole thing would be an expensive shambles. Those grumblings have faded more recently as things seemed to go according to plan – to time and to (an admittedly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Olympics-sized-cost-over-runs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Olympics-sized-cost-over-runs Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Green Investment Bank is to be sited in Edinburgh, with a contingent of staff in London. The news has disappointed the many other towns and cities that were bidding hard to be named as the home for the new institution. Business Secretary Vince Cable said many of the bank’s staff would be based inLondon, to begin with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scotland-welcomes-Green-Investment-Bank-to-Edinburgh 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scotland-welcomes-Green-Investment-Bank-to-Edinburgh Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Health Committee report on the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill highlighted a difference of opinion from members. The majority were persuaded that the measure will help to reduce alcohol consumption, recognising a ‘clear link’ between price and the amount of alcohol consumed. The report reads: “A majority of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-supported-despite-concerns 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Minimum-pricing-supported-despite-concerns Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK nuclear sites are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, according to a full analysis compiled by Defra. Out of 19 existing and planned nuclear sites in theUK, 12 are at risk of flooding or coastal erosion, the Guardian reported. Nine of these have been assessed by Defra as vulnerable now, with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Nuclear-site-flooding-risk-highlighted 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Nuclear-site-flooding-risk-highlighted Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Referral units for disruptive pupils should be turned into academies, a review by the Government’s behavioural expert Charlie Taylor suggests. Additional recommendations include teacher training taking place in these units and for schools to have greater powers over funding and commissioning of services. The review argues that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Referral-units-should-become-academies---behavioural-review 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Referral-units-should-become-academies---behavioural-review Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT More nuclear power sites are being planned, in spite of flooding risk and the probabilities of coastal erosion that Defra analysis has revealed. It is true that many of these problems are many years in future, but implementing new plants in areas of high risk completely disregards this warning and simply passes the responsibility to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Thinking-for-today-not-tomorrow 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Thinking-for-today-not-tomorrow Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The increased use of shared services across Government has failed to deliver value for money, the National Audit Office (NAO) stated. Of the eight new shared service centres set up, the NAO examined five; the DWP, MoJ, DfT, Research Councils UK and Defra. The investigation found that the cost of building and operating the centres ran... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-shared-services-fail-to-provide-savings---NAO 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-shared-services-fail-to-provide-savings---NAO Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Westminster Council is introducing new shorter tenancies, aimed at people who would not normally be eligible for social housing, to help tackle youth unemployment, supporting young people into training or jobs. The move follows an Acevo report which suggested that 1 in 5 young people in theUKare Neet. The pilot scheme will offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Housing-scheme-launched-to-aid-employment 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Housing-scheme-launched-to-aid-employment Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s attempts to implement shared services and save money may be less successful than expected, according to NAO. Initial investment costs were always going to be high, but so far, the promised savings are still some way off. The centres may even need further restructuring to eliminate some of their current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Rescuing-savings 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Rescuing-savings Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unions and industry bodies have joined forces to campaign for a third runway at Heathrow, stating that the UK could lose out on jobs and foreign investment without a hub airport. A new report by Oxford Economics, sponsored by BAA, suggests that capacity constraints will cost the UK £4.5bn in GDP from foreign investment and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lack-of-aviation-investment-could-cost-UK-billions---report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lack-of-aviation-investment-could-cost-UK-billions---report Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Two very different public sector news stories today both emphasise the need for incentives. In one case, employers will be paid to employ ex-offenders, and keep them in work – helping reduce both reoffending and the welfare bill at the same time, ministers hope. In the other case, councils are getting paid for improving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Outcomes-and-upshots 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Outcomes-and-upshots Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Ex-offenders who claim jobseekers allowance will be immediately referred to the Government’s Work Programme, and employers will be paid for the number of criminals they employ, it has been announced. These measures are aimed at reducing reoffending rates and helping integrate people with criminal records back into work, employment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Prisoners-straight-into-work-programme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Prisoners-straight-into-work-programme Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils will be paid for improving parenting skills and encouraging more mothers to breastfeed in a new trial. The scheme aims to improve outcomes for children through services offered by children’s centres against a range of central Government targets. Councils are urged to increase children’s readiness for school and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Sure-Start-refocus-to-improve-outcomes-for-children 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Sure-Start-refocus-to-improve-outcomes-for-children Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The charity sector could be facing cuts of up to £5.5bn in the current financial year, according to a report compiled by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) based on applications to the Government’s transition fund for charities facing financial hardship. The report also suggests the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£55bn-cuts-for-charities 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£55bn-cuts-for-charities Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Audit Commission is set to reduce audit fees by 40% over the next five years, as it proposes to award contracts to four private sector firms. Public bodies are expected to save over £30m a year for the length of these contracts, and with additional internal efficiency savings of £19m per year, audit fees are predicted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/40-reduction-in-audit-fees-as-contracts-awarded 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/40-reduction-in-audit-fees-as-contracts-awarded Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Police will invite private security firms to bid for roles in West Midlands and Surrey forces, it has been announced. The private sector officers would respond to and investigate some crimes, patrol neighbourhoods and support witnesses and victims, but would not carry out any arrests. The Police Federation, which represents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Private-sector-bids-for-police-roles 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Private-sector-bids-for-police-roles Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The rise in public service contracts being opened to bids from private sector companies is inviting the possibility of huge efficiency savings, but also the fear of public services being mishandled. We report today on the proposals to privatise some police roles, for example, and also the effective privatisation of the Audit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-private 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-private Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The ‘Yes’ campaign for Scottish independence is to launch officially from May, following the end of the Government’s consultation and the local elections. Plans are to hold a referendum on independence in autumn 2014. The SNP Government has proposed the referendum question: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-campaign-planned-for-May 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-campaign-planned-for-May Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local government jobs account for the largest drop in public sector employment, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. The largest falls were in the South West, the West Midlands and the North East. Over the last year, the public sector lost 269,000 jobs – a fall of 4.4%. The amount of posts lost by local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/71-of-public-sector-posts-lost-were-from-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/71-of-public-sector-posts-lost-were-from-local-government Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Millions of people in Britain are struggling with numeracy, damaging our economic performance, according to a new charity ‘National Numeracy’, set up to improve maths skills. Government figures show that almost half of the working population inEnglandhave only primary school level numeracy, leading to difficulty understanding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Charity-launched-to-tackle-poor-numeracy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Charity-launched-to-tackle-poor-numeracy Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Reciprocal trust is necessary for organisations in the public sector to survive restructuring, redundancies and pay cuts, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Case studies of organisations including Sunderland,Norfolkand Hampshire councils, HMRC, the Department of Business, Innovation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Collective-responsibility-needed-to-build-trust---CIPD 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Collective-responsibility-needed-to-build-trust---CIPD Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT A prison governor has ‘locked out’ probation staff after it emerged that the local probation trust had formed an alliance with private security company G4s to take over management of three prisons in South Yorkshire. Bob Mullen, in charge of Lindholme, Moorlands and Hatfield prisons, told the probation trust last Friday... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Conflict-of-interests-leads-to-prison-lock-out 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Conflict-of-interests-leads-to-prison-lock-out Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Too often, public sector employees can pass responsibility for trust upwards, placing all their blame on senior leader’s shoulders. New research demonstrates what is essentially an intuitive truth: an organisation’s success, and the quality of trust and relationships that allow businesses to ride out the rocky times, depend on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Trust-together 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Trust-together Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Welfare Reform Bill has passed through the House of Lords, despite criticisms that it would negatively affect disabled people’s independence. The Bill will introduce an annual cap on benefits for any family at £26,000, the median average income. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “These reforms will change lives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welfare-Reform-Bill-passed 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welfare-Reform-Bill-passed Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Green Deal will create sustainable growth through investment in the economy and could support up to 65,000 jobs by 2015, climate change minister Greg Barker is set to announce today. Speaking at the British Property Federation conference today, Barker will outline the important role landlords have to play in driving demand and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Barker-outlines-sustainable-growth-through-Green-Deal 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Barker-outlines-sustainable-growth-through-Green-Deal Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The employment minister is meeting firms taking part in the Government’s controversial unpaid work experience programme today, after ongoing criticism from protestors who have branded it ‘forced labour’ and decisions by some companies to quit the scheme. The work experience programme is aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Benefits-concern-for-work-experience-scheme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Benefits-concern-for-work-experience-scheme Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission’s plans to reduce its spending are too high risk, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The commission has already fallen £44m short of its plans to save £161m by 2014/15, and is reliant on fee income from parents to raise £71m. Cost savings are expected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Child-maintenance-spending-reduction-too-risky---NAO 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Child-maintenance-spending-reduction-too-risky---NAO Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has been criticised for its lack of alternative means to improve efficiency and reduce spending. If its original plan – which is risky, and reliant on uncertain estimates, according to the NAO – fails, then there is no form of back-up to salvage its cost-saving plan. With... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-importance-of-Plan-B 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-importance-of-Plan-B Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Regardless of a referendum on Scottish independence, ‘devo plus’ is the best way forward for the country, a new campaign group suggests. The proposal is deliberately set up to contrast with the SNP proposal for ‘devo max’, which is a potential ‘third option’ on the referendum ballot paper, for those... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devo-plus-campaign-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devo-plus-campaign-launched Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Public Services (Social Value) Bill is to receive its final reading today. If passed, it would require public bodies to consider social value when commissioning services. This would include the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of an area. The private member’s bill could allow charities and social enterprises to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Final-reading-for-social-value-bill 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Final-reading-for-social-value-bill Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new group suggests that the best way forward for Scotland is devo plus, with more responsibility and control of finances, but short of complete independence from the UK. There are many benefits to remaining a significant part of theUK, andScotlandmay be wise not to throw these away without a second thought. Devo plus could satisfy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/How-much-power-is-enough 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/How-much-power-is-enough Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Public Services Network (PSN) is vital to the public sector efficiency drive, but there is still a lack of clarity on where some organisations stand in relation to its adoption, new research suggests. BT conducted a survey of 1,300 public servants from a range of sectors to investigate attitudes to PSN. Results showed there was a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/PSN-drives-efficiency-but-lacks-awareness 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/PSN-drives-efficiency-but-lacks-awareness Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT With flooding risk set to rise due to climate change, insurance for homes in certain areas will only become more vital, not something that can be eliminated. The Flood Insurance Statement of Principles should be renewed to ensure continued protection for those residents at risk. To meet the challenge of potential flooding, more must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-flood-of-responsibility 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-flood-of-responsibility Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Rises in childcare costs could force parents to quit their jobs, according to the charity Daycare Trust. A new survey showed that the average cost of nursery care inBritainfor children under the age of two increased by nearly 6% in the last year. Average wages rose by just 0.3%. The average cost of nursery care for this age group is over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Families-struggle-with-rising-childcare-costs 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Families-struggle-with-rising-childcare-costs Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Insurance is soon to expire for around 200,000 homes at risk of flooding, unless the Flood Insurance Statement of Principles is replaced. The Local Government Association (LGA) wants the commitment of this ‘safety net’ to be renewed to protect houses at risk. The Statement means insurers are required to offer insurance to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Flooding-risk-causes-insurance-challenge 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Flooding-risk-causes-insurance-challenge Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords are launching a new attempt to rewrite the Government’s reforms for the NHS. Tim Farron MP, the party’s president, has urged that all new elements of competition within the NHS should be stripped out of the legislation. The peers – with at least the tacit backing of the party... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Further-amendments-for-Health-and-Social-Care-Bill 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Further-amendments-for-Health-and-Social-Care-Bill Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Adoption rules are set to be made more stringent, with a greater emphasis on speed and whether siblings are kept together, Ofsted has announced. From April, local authorities inEnglandwill only be awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating if they manage to place children within 12 months. Recent research suggests the average wait is 2... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Ofsted-tightens-adoption-rules 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Ofsted-tightens-adoption-rules Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Children in care often get moved from placement to placement without adequate notice, without choice and without their siblings, the Children’s Care Monitor reveals. Ofsted will use this evidence to monitor the level of care provided and take advice to improve the service. Published today, the report includes experiences from 1,870... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Children-given-no-notice-for-care-moves 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Children-given-no-notice-for-care-moves Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Camdenis launching a Community Investment Programme to improve and invest in its council homes, schools and neighbourhoods. Over 850 new council and shared ownership homes will be built, £117m will be used to improve 57 of the borough’s schools and children’s centres and £119m will provide Better Homes repairs to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Community-Investment-for-Camden 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Community-Investment-for-Camden Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will have their pay frozen for the third year in a row, the Local Government Association (LGA) has confirmed. 1.6 million local government employees will have their pay frozen for 2012/13 due to rising costs and shrinking funding, the association said. Spokeswoman Sarah Messenger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pay-freeze-for-local-government-employees 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pay-freeze-for-local-government-employees Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Knee-jerk calls for new infrastructure may not be the best way to manage drought, the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental management (CIWEM) has warned. Following the drought summit held by the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, on Monday, the CIWEM suggests that effective management, widespread use of metering, water... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Effective-management-better-than-new-infrastructure-for-drought 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Effective-management-better-than-new-infrastructure-for-drought Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Every year, 157,000 children aged 11-15 start smoking, according to latest research by Cancer Research UK. The charity is petitioning the Government for sustained action to discourage young people from taking up smoking, including the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes. In the UK, almost 1 million under-15s, around 27%, have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Plain-packaging-could-discourage-young-smokers 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Plain-packaging-could-discourage-young-smokers Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Could enforcing plain packaging on cigarettes really dissuade the thousands of children who start smoking every year in theUK? Cancer Research UK believes so and is petitioning for the change. Certainly, it can’t make people more likely to smoke, but there are other factors involved with the decision to take up smoking, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Smoke-and-mirrors 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Smoke-and-mirrors Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A project launched by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will allow firms and charities to bid for a payment-by-results scheme to try to get ‘Neet’ teenagers into work or training. The £126m scheme will target 55,000 teenagers inEnglandwith poor qualifications who are currently not in education, employment or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pay-per-Neet-scheme-aims-to-help-teenagers-find-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pay-per-Neet-scheme-aims-to-help-teenagers-find-work Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new science-specialised free school, the Kings Science Academy, is to be built in Bradford through the Partnerships for Schools academies framework. BAM Construction has been awarded the £9m design and construction contract, and the school will be run by the Kings Free Schools and Academies Trust. Steve Wheller, BAM Construct... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-free-school-in-Bradford 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-free-school-in-Bradford Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Deputy Prime Minister’s plan to launch a scheme aimed at getting Neet teenagers into work may be a positive step for those 55,000 16 and 17 year olds it is targeting, but it seems that the plan is flawed – what about the rest of the 16 to 24 year olds out of work, education and training? The most recent figures show that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Selective-scheming 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Selective-scheming Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May has told MPs that the UK Border Force is to be run independently from the UK Border Agency (UKBA). This follows revelations that hundreds of thousands of people were let into the country without appropriate checks last year. May made a Commons Statement yesterday as the Government published a report into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-Border-Force-to-be-run-independently-from-the-UK-Border-Agency 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-Border-Force-to-be-run-independently-from-the-UK-Border-Agency Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A drought summit is being held today, as parts of England suffer with groundwater levels lower than in 1976. Environment secretary Caroline Spelman is meeting with water companies, farmers and wildlife groups to discuss the situation in south east England, East Anglia and the East Midlands. Many rivers are already drying up and while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Drought-summit-to-discuss-preventative-measures 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Drought-summit-to-discuss-preventative-measures Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unions are set to launch an appeal after losing a legal challenge to the way public sector pensions are calculated. Last year, a High Court decision approved the switch for uprating pensions from Retail Price Index (RPI) to the usually lower Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Government implemented the switch to save money and thus cut the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legal-challenge-to-high-court-pensions-ruling 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legal-challenge-to-high-court-pensions-ruling Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been a positive shift in pay prospects in 2012, according to data from a survey of employers by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The expected mean basic pay settlement is 1.7% for the twelve months to December 2012, compared with 1.5% in the previous quarter and 1.3% at the same time last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pay-prospects-up-from-previous-quarter 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pay-prospects-up-from-previous-quarter Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has spent almost £90m in redundancy payments to civil servants at the same time as it spent £30m on employment agency fees to fill vacant posts, according to figures obtained by Jon Trickett MP, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office. Trickett said: “In its casual approach to managing public sector reforms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Redundancy-payments-for-civil-servants-costs-£90m 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Redundancy-payments-for-civil-servants-costs-£90m Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employing agency staff to fill positions that have just been cut in the civil service seems an extreme example of the Government creating more problems than it solves. If there are necessary roles inWhitehall, then these should not be cut. This is not efficiency; this is overly stringent measures which end up costing more than they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Think-before-you-cut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Think-before-you-cut Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT London Metropolitan University is facing a £6m fine for over-recruitment. The university accepted 1,500 more students than it should have done in the rush for places ahead of tuition fee increases this year. The higher education funding body (Hefce) sent a letter to the university, with a fine of £5.9m. Universities have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£6m-fine-for-universitys-over-recruitment 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£6m-fine-for-universitys-over-recruitment Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT University recruitment soared last year as students tried to get in before the tuition fee rises set to come into effect this autumn. This has led to a monumental fine for one university, which did not revise its system in the face of such a surge in demand. Limits are necessary on the number of students each university can take on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Demand-and-supply 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Demand-and-supply Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cutting 43,000 civil service jobs has contributed to Government savings of £5bn in the past 12 months, according to the Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude. Other savings were generated by reducing travel expenses and securing better deals withWhitehallcontractors. £130m was saved in renegotiating or scrapping property... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-saves-£5bn-in-past-year 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-saves-£5bn-in-past-year Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Inequalities between social classes could result in a gap in life expectancy of over three years, figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggest. Statistics also show that average age of retirement has risen as people work longer. Between 2004 and 2010, the average age of retirement for men rose from 63.8 to 64.6 and from 61... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Higher-social-class-could-add-three-years-to-your-life 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Higher-social-class-could-add-three-years-to-your-life Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has submitted a bid for up to £12m of Government funding to become a ‘super connected city’. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is providing up to 10 cities the chance to share a £100m Urban Broadband Fund to spread the advantages of ultra fast broadband. The Manchester bid could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Manchesters-Super-connected-city-bid 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Manchesters-Super-connected-city-bid Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The latest ONS statistics demonstrate the need to reform pensions and raise the age of retirement as life expectancy rapidly increases. There needs to be enough people of working age to support such a quickly ageing population, and equally there should be still enough years left for people to enjoy their health during retirement. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/raising-expectations 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/raising-expectations Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK is “better off” together, Prime Minister David Cameron is set to announce at a speech in Edinburgh today. Cameron will use the opportunity to launch his positive vision for a union between Scotland and the rest of the UK, arguing it makes the countries involved stronger, safer and richer. Scotland is to hold a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scotland-stronger-safer-and-richer-in-UK 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scotland-stronger-safer-and-richer-in-UK Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Ministry of Justice has highlighted the flaws it perceives in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, in its evidence to the Commons Justice Select Committee. The Committee is currently considering whether the Act should be amended, due to rising concerns among public sector bodies over the number of requests received, the cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Fees-recommended-for-FOI-requests 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Fees-recommended-for-FOI-requests Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A neighbourhood innovation challenge has been launched with £115,000 funding available to develop the best ideas. Ordnance Survey has created the ‘GeoVation Challenge’, looking for geography, technology and design-based ideas to deliver solutions to a variety of problems experienced in neighbourhoods and communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Ordnance-Survey-launches-neighbourhood-innovation-challenge 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Ordnance-Survey-launches-neighbourhood-innovation-challenge Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Evidence on the benefits the FOI Act has brought is mixed, and there are several concerns relating to the lack of public engagement in governance, the cost and time needed to reply to each request and its failure to improve authorities' decision making processes. Campaigners are opposing any changes to the Act, claiming that it allows the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-act 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-act Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Evidence on the benefits the FOI Act has brought is mixed, and there are several concerns relating to the lack of public engagement in governance, the cost and time needed to reply to each request and its failure to improve authorities’ decision making processes. Campaigners are opposing any changes to the Act, claiming that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Time-to-Act 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Time-to-Act Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT UK unemployment is now at 2.67 million, after rising by 48,000 in the three months to December, statistics from the Office for National Statistics show. The unemployment rate is currently at 8.4% and the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance last month increased by 6,900 to 1.6 million. The number of job vacancies rose to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-at-267m 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-at-267m Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The figures that the TUC has suggested constitute the 'real' scale of unemployment include people who are unemployed and have not actively searched for work in the past six weeks, alongside those employed part-time or on temporary contracts and wanting more permanent work. While there are many possible scenarios where these people really... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-truths 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-truths Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The figures that the TUC has suggested constitute the ‘real’ scale of unemployment include people who are unemployed and have not actively searched for work in the past six weeks, alongside those employed part-time or on temporary contracts and wanting more permanent work. While there are many possible scenarios where these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Hidden-truths 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Hidden-truths Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Official unemployment figures hide the millions of people not actively seeking work or those who are ‘underemployed’, the TUC suggests. Currently an adult is defined as ‘unemployed’ only if they are out of work and actively seeking a new post within the past month. The TUC, the umbrella body for the UK trade union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Hidden-unemployment-means-true-figure-is-63m 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Hidden-unemployment-means-true-figure-is-63m Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of Welsh speakers in Wales is falling by around 3,000 people per year, according to a new report by the Welsh Language Board (WLB). The number increased between the 1991 and 2001 censuses, and got larger again by 2004 according to research, but now the WLB suggests that deaths and people moving away fromWaleshave had a large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Number-of-Welsh-speakers-declines 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Number-of-Welsh-speakers-declines Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Wave and tidal energy projects in Scotland are set to benefit from £6m in investment from the Waters fund, aimed at new technology and improving the operation of marine renewables devices. The second round of the remaining competitive funding is being launched by Scottish Enterprise. £13m was initially provided for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scottish-tidal-energy-gets-£6m-investment 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scottish-tidal-energy-gets-£6m-investment Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Metropolitan Police are launching an anti-terrorist campaign, urging people to report suspicious behaviour to its new confidential hotline. ‘It’s Probably Nothing, But…’ will run for four weeks on radio adverts and on leaflets delivered to 1.4 million homes in London. The police stated that they would rather... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Anti-terrorist-campaign-launched 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Anti-terrorist-campaign-launched Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT If we are not careful we will end up with a public sector run by people who can't make it to the top in the private sector. For all public-owned companies, we should be striving for the best calibre individuals for the job. This means that you have to compete against the private sector in attracting the high achievers and above all else, money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/network-rail-bonuses-unacceptable 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/network-rail-bonuses-unacceptable Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment is likely to worsen as the private sector resorts to redundancies, the CIPD suggests. Its researchers predict that unemployment could reach 2.85 million by the end of the year and the number of claims for jobless benefits will rise. The CIPD surveyed 1,000 employers and found that more were intending to cut jobs than were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Private-sector-cuts-see-rise-in-unemployment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Private-sector-cuts-see-rise-in-unemployment Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector bonuses are under review, the Government has announced, following public anger over huge bonuses for chief executives. Stephen Hester, chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, recently waived his bonus, worth £963,000, but many other senior bankers will still receive large payments. Chief secretary to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Review-of-public-sector-bonuses-underway 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Review-of-public-sector-bonuses-underway Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Controversy surrounding public sector bonuses continues to grow, with a Coalition ordered review of the payouts, to ensure publicly-owned companies and government departments are paying out rewards based only on success. Although there have been high-profile cases of executives giving up their bonuses, this only scrapes the surface of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-demands-of-success 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-demands-of-success Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Controversy surrounding public sector bonuses continues to grow, with a Coalition ordered review of the payouts, to ensure publicly-owned companies and government departments are paying out rewards based only on success. Although there have been high-profile cases of executives giving up their bonuses, this only scrapes the surface of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/The-demands-of-success 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/The-demands-of-success Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Re-offending rates in Wales are higher than in England, statistics from the Ministry of Justice show, with nearly half of Welsh council areas in the top 20% of areas with the highest re-offending rates in the UK. Swansea has the highest rate of re-offending for adults at 31%. Figures also showed that, inWales, thieves and burglars... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-criminals-more-likely-to-re-offend 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-criminals-more-likely-to-re-offend Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT New trials have shown that nudge theory is actually having a significant impact on the public, as councils save thousands of pounds by securing a higher and more accurate return rate on tax claims. Although this will not work in all areas of cost and non-compliance, it does demonstrate that such simple, small changes which recognise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-nudge-in-the-right-direction 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-nudge-in-the-right-direction Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT New trials have shown that nudge theory is actually having a significant impact on the public, as councils save thousands of pounds by securing a higher and more accurate return rate on tax claims. Although this will not work in all areas of cost and non-compliance, it does demonstrate that such simple, small changes which recognise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/A-nudge-in-the-right-direction 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/A-nudge-in-the-right-direction Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Five councils have breached the Data Protection Act by failing to keep people’s personal information secure, the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham has announced. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council breached the act on four separate occasions during a two month period last year. They have now signed a commitment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Data-protection-breaches-by-five-councils 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Data-protection-breaches-by-five-councils Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nudge theory trials are working to deliver significant behavioural change and savings for local councils, officials report. Behaviour insights and slight changes to the way information is presented to the public could play a key role in reducing fraud, error and debt. The approaches trialled included using simpler language in letters... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Trials-show-nudge-working 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Trials-show-nudge-working Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The cost of solar panel installations has dropped, new data suggests, as ministers defend the cuts to feed-in tariffs (FITs). Energy minister Greg Barker is expected to announce a change in the way FITs are administered and additional funding for the scheme on Thursday. The average installation cost for solar panels was £15,000 in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/FITs-cuts-defended 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/FITs-cuts-defended Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has become the first in Britain to accept the Government’s ‘City Deal’ in an initiative to devolve powers, create a new enterprise zone and a single investment fund of new and existing public and private money, initially worth £130m. The deals are being negotiated with a number of English... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Liverpool-agrees-City-Deal 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Liverpool-agrees-City-Deal Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Metropolitan Police is set to crack down on gang crime by conducting a series of operations today across London. With the new Trident gang command, they will find and arrest suspected gang members believed to be involved in crimes including assault, robbery and drugs supply. Scotland Yard has committed 1,000 officers to fight the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-crackdown-on-gangs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-crackdown-on-gangs Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Following the recent pattern of decentralisation, Liverpool has become the first city to sign a deal with Government to devolve powers, create a new investment fund and enterprise zone, as well as schemes concerning welfare and schools. The initiative is based on the premise that city councils will have a clearer understanding of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/striking-a-deal 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/striking-a-deal Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Following the recent pattern of decentralisation, Liverpool has become the first city to sign a deal with Government to devolve powers, create a new investment fund and enterprise zone, as well as schemes concerning welfare and schools. The initiative is based on the premise that city councils will have a clearer understanding of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Striking-a-deal 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Striking-a-deal Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Grants Panel has agreed to issue grant money to eight voluntary, non-profit organisations acrossSussex. The £6,600 funding will allow the delivery of community support for vulnerable people to continue. Many organisations applied for grants to improve sporting facilities in Mid Sussex and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£6600-for-voluntary-organisations-in-Mid-Sussex 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£6600-for-voluntary-organisations-in-Mid-Sussex Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the second phase of consultation for the nation's wellbeing closes, the Office for National Statistics is set to review the feedback in order to positively influence future policy. The growing recognition that measures other than economic achievement can significantly influence people's lives means that quality of life, societal and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-measure-happiness 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-measure-happiness Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the second phase of consultation for the nation’s wellbeing closes, the Office for National Statistics is set to review the feedback in order to positively influence future policy. The growing recognition that measures other than economic achievement can significantly influence people’s lives means that quality of life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/How-to-measure-happiness 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/How-to-measure-happiness Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Actuaries have suggested that the improvement in the mortality rate in England and Wales in 2011 could have a knock-on effect on pensions. The Actuarial Profession organisation said the death rate fell by 4% last year, a bigger fall than the average annual drop of 2.4% over the 10 years to 2010. The figures from the Office for National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mortality-rate-means-expensive-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mortality-rate-means-expensive-pensions Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT MPs have made a parliamentary inquiry proposing a new law to make stalking a specific criminal offence in England and Wales, to prevent harassment often ending in physical attacks. The inquiry also proposed restrictions on offenders, including on things such as phone and computer use. Currently stalking is dealt with under harassment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MPs-call-for-new-stalking-laws 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MPs-call-for-new-stalking-laws Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT So another UK public body has chosen to operate the heaviest vehicles in the European tram market on its streets. How does this reduce either carbon footprint or disruption and cost associated with repair and maintenance? Once the Midland Metro extension opens these trams will be operating on some of the most pedestrian busy sections of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/40m-deal-for-25-new-west-midlands-trams 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/40m-deal-for-25-new-west-midlands-trams Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The focus on fraud as a reason to cut benefits and make the application process more stringent has caused more resentment and abuse targeted at disabled people, six major charities suggest. The charities – Scope, Mencap, Leonard Cheshire Disability, National Autistic Society, RNIB and the Disability Allowance – have cited an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Disabled-people-portrayed-as-scroungers-by-Government 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Disabled-people-portrayed-as-scroungers-by-Government Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A Government scheme to encourage councils to maintain or bring back weekly bin collections is now open to bidding, with £250m funding available. The scheme will fund regular waste collections but also initiatives offering residents rewards for recycling, for example through Nectar points. It will also fund facilities with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Funding-for-weekly-rubbish-collections 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Funding-for-weekly-rubbish-collections Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should renewable energy sources be a priority at a time when the technology and set-up costs are significantly higher than that of continuing to depend on fossil fuels? Conservative MPs – many of whom never really signed up to David Cameron's greener agenda in the years leading up to the 2010 election as he sought to 'detoxify' the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/today-and-tomorrow 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/today-and-tomorrow Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should renewable energy sources be a priority at a time when the technology and set-up costs are significantly higher than that of continuing to depend on fossil fuels? Conservative MPs – many of whom never really signed up to David Cameron’s greener agenda in the years leading up to the 2010 election as he sought to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Today-and-tomorrow 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Today-and-tomorrow Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Energy secretary Chris Huhne has resigned from the cabinet, following a speeding points charge. Huhne is to be charged with “perverting the course of justice” over a 2003 speeding case, where his then-wife Vicky Pryce is accused of accepting his penalty points. Huhne has maintained his innocence but announced his resignation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Chris-Huhne-resigns-over-speeding-charges 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Chris-Huhne-resigns-over-speeding-charges Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council has launched a scheme to help staff to volunteer and improve their community. The Employee Volunteering Scheme provides up to five extra days paid leave per year for voluntary work, to increase involvement and boost staff skills. The work could involve community clean-up, assisting elderly or disabled people or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-volunteering-scheme-for-staff 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-volunteering-scheme-for-staff Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Providing staff with motivation to get involved with volunteer work is a great way to improve the community, as well as benefitting the staff with new skills. Voluntary can be a highly rewarding and beneficial exercise, and with cuts across the public sector, is becoming more and more important for keeping vital services afloat. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Time-to-give 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Time-to-give Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A major publicity campaign is needed to help people understand how to protect themselves from online crime, MPs urge. The Commons science and technology committee has called for Government to provide clear information about security online. They estimate that around 80% of cyber attacks could be stopped through simple safety precautions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Campaign-could-cut-cyber-crime 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Campaign-could-cut-cyber-crime Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Recent Government proposals could see an overhaul of building regulations meaning that adding construction to individual homes would require homeowners to abide by environmental restrictions. Ensuring all new renovations undertake energy efficiency improvements would allow a huge number of properties to take up the Green Deal, leading to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/go-green-or-else 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/go-green-or-else Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Recent Government proposals could see an overhaul of building regulations meaning that adding construction to individual homes would require homeowners to abide by environmental restrictions. Ensuring all new renovations undertake energy efficiency improvements would allow a huge number of properties to take up the Green Deal, leading to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Go-green-or-else 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Go-green-or-else Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Changes will be needed for Government to hit its savings targets by 2015, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) states. A detailed plan is needed for cutting costs, and departments need a better understanding of future costs to deliver services with fewer resources. Departments spent £7.9bn less in 2010/11 than in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-changes-needed-to-achieve-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-changes-needed-to-achieve-cuts Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities in Wales are set to benefit from additional funding for investment in highway improvement schemes. The Local Government Borrowing Initiative will provide up to £170m extra over the next three financial years. The scheme will act to address pressures on road maintenance budgets, improve the condition of Welsh roads... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welsh-road-funding-boost 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welsh-road-funding-boost Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities failed to spend almost £1m earmarked for poor families who cannot afford rent and other housing costs, a freedom of information request has revealed. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) allocated a total of £20m for discretionary housing payments (DHPs) in 2010/11, but six authorities spent less than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£1m-housing-help-fund-unspent-by-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£1m-housing-help-fund-unspent-by-councils Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A council-owned outdoor activity site sitting vacant since 2004 is being revitalised after private sector investment, showing that there can be value to others in unsustainable local authority assets, say mayor of Doncaster Peter Davies and Paul Gilbert, deputy chief executive of Kingswood. The former Earth Centre in South Yorkshire, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Asset-transfer 446,443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Asset-transfer Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT James Mitchell, bid manager at public sector IT providers WTG and the former business development manager at the Forum of Private Business, discusses the progress – and lack of it – in getting more small businesses involved in public sector procurement. In the last few months much has changed around Government procurement for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/central-governments-procurement-lessons-for-local-government 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/central-governments-procurement-lessons-for-local-government Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT We’re entering budget setting season again for local authorities – the second since the bombshells contained in the 2010 Emergency Budget, the in-year cuts, the Comprehensive Spending Review and subsequent grant settlements. Councils have had to make incredibly difficult decisions, while facing the hostility of the public and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/damping-problem 448 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/damping-problem Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Employment lawyer Paul Menham, associate at DWF, explains what public sector employers need to look out for when making redundancies. The public sector is facing unprecedented funding cuts due to the new age of austerity. Cuts across public sector services have affected most, if not all, public services within the UK. Inevitably, this has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/discrimination-pitfalls-in-redundancy-situations 447,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/discrimination-pitfalls-in-redundancy-situations Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT A Health & Safety Executive-backed umbrella organisation – the SSIP Forum – is aiming to engage with more public sector organisations looking to broaden the scope of their construction procurement channels, explains Simon Mantle, chairman of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) forum. When managing project risk, there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/diving-into-the-talent-pool 435,447 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/diving-into-the-talent-pool Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Providing public sector type services with private sector business sense and voluntary sector social principles is possible. Anne Ibrahim, who runs social enterprise Big Society Works, talks to PSE about bringing a closed community centre back to life without grants or going begging for donations. In eight weeks, a closed-down... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doing-what-works 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doing-what-works Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mark Blayney Stuart, head of research at The Chartered Institute of Marketing, discusses creative approaches to funding and marketing. As public sector cuts have bitten over the last two years, ‘efficiency’ has become the buzz word. In principle, this means that efforts are well-used for the intended task; surely a practice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/efficient-marketing-not-just-short-term-gain 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/efficient-marketing-not-just-short-term-gain Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Paul Briggs, chief executive of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, discusses the economic development of the region and how public bodies have a key part to play. Working closely with UKTI South East, we are the UK’s 2nd biggest export documentation issuing body, with more than 70,000 international trade documents processed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exporting-and-inward-investment-brings-increased-prosperity-to-the-thames-valley 447,433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exporting-and-inward-investment-brings-increased-prosperity-to-the-thames-valley Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Adam Hewitt reports on the latest in the saga over feed-in tariff payments for solar power generation. The Government lost its appeal to overturn a High Court ruling that its plans to cut subsidies for solar panels are unlawful – but says it will try to appeal again, this time to the Supreme Court. Opponents to the cuts have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/feed-in-tariff-debacle-a-spectacular-own-goal 437,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/feed-in-tariff-debacle-a-spectacular-own-goal Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT In the world of both internal and external communications in the public sector, there has been a longterm trend away from paper and towards digital and internet-based methods. But Andrew Pearce, chief executive of the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA), here explores better uses for print. The paperless office is an ideal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-message 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-message Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Financial professionals need to have more of a role in strategy and decision-making in the upper echelons of public service, argues Noel Tagoe, head of research and development at CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. A report released at the end of 2011 suggested that public sector managers are not making decisions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Influence-and-impact 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Influence-and-impact Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to researcher Lizzie Crowley of The Work Foundation about her new report investigating why some cities are doing better than others, how innovation can be nurtured, and over-centralisation in growth policy. What makes a city home to innovation and innovative business, and how much impact can policy-makers have on spurring it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovation-ecosystem 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovation-ecosystem Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Daryl Willcox, chairman of media and communications company DWPub, discusses its new white paper on the public sector’s use of social media, written by Brighton & Hove City Council’s communications chief, John Shewell. Public sector organisations are feeling the pinch and with more budgets being squeezed, the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-not-all-doom-and-gloom-for-the-public-sector-we-have-social-media 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-not-all-doom-and-gloom-for-the-public-sector-we-have-social-media Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Sarah Bartlett talks to Brian Gambles, chief executive of the Library of Birmingham Development Trust, about innovation during a time of financial pressure. Visitors to Birmingham’s Christmas Market at the end of 2011 were stunned at the beautiful new library emerging in the heart of the city. At a time of high-profile clashes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/library-service-in-a-cold-climate 451,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/library-service-in-a-cold-climate Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Insights from behavioural economics are being adapted into policy by the so-called ‘nudge unit’ at Number 10 – but is it time for more local authorities to take the lessons on board? Adam Hewitt reports. Using the findings of behavioural economics to change policy and encourage people to act in different ways has been a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Making-the-right-choices 438,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Making-the-right-choices Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The NHS in Scotland could serve as a model for reform throughout the public sector, a new independent report suggests. Nottingham University Business School analysed the effectiveness of NHS Scotland’s approach to industrial relations and found that it was had effective way of working. Its analysis showed that the NHS engaged... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/NHS-Scotland-a-model-for-public-sector http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/NHS-Scotland-a-model-for-public-sector Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector pension reforms won’t make long-term savings, analysis from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests. While savings will be made in the short-term, its report says reform to the structure of public sector pensions will make little difference in the long term. The reforms include a switch from final salary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/No-long-term-savings-for-pension-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/No-long-term-savings-for-pension-reform Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT More than 2,000 public sector bodies are now freely sharing digital geographic data with each other as signatories to the Public Sector Mapping Agreement. Marc Hobell, head of public sector and utilities at Ordnance Survey, speaks to PSE. From April 2011, the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) replaced the previous hodge-podge of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Not-just-where---but-what-and-how-and-when 451,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Not-just-where---but-what-and-how-and-when Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Thames Valley Police could teach other forces a thing or two about record keeping, cutting costs and connecting with the public. Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood tells us how. Thames Valley Police (TVP) has “one of the highest levels of crime recording accuracy in the country”, according to a new HMIC report. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-breaking-records 454,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-breaking-records Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Cllr Louise Baldock discusses Liverpool City Council’s new Single Equality Scheme, and why understanding the people of the city is key to providing quality services. Liverpool City Council has recently published its new Single Equality Scheme (SES), detailing how it intends to manage inequality, ensure it represents the city’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/representing-the-population 451,446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/representing-the-population Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Dom Potter, director of the Transition Institute, explains the advantages that spin-out companies from the public sector have over alternative providers. Two weeks ago, a Private Members’ Bill called the Public Services (Social Value) Bill passed through the second reading stage on its way through the House of Lords. Having... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spinning-into-social-value 450 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spinning-into-social-value Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Local government communications is changing, as the impact of the local press declines, social media grows, and budget cuts bite. PSE speaks to Jenny Tozer, assistant director of communications at Derbyshire County Council. Derbyshire County Council won the Local Authority of the Year category in 2011’s Good Communication Awards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spread-the-word 438,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spread-the-word Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Mark Robinson, the EU representative in Brussels on UK public sector procurement and enterprise matters, says the new directive on the issue has big implications. 2012 has got off to a cautious start with predictions of yet more economic hardship arising as a result of the continuing Eurozone debt crisis. One fruitless high level... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-eu-public-procurement-directive 447,438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-eu-public-procurement-directive Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Clarity is an essential element of allocating funding to local authorities. If they are not confident about how the money may be spent, they could be reluctant to act, in case of painful financial repercussions in the future. This can sometimes lead to huge underspends, as seen today with the money meant for families struggling with rent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-spend 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-spend Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Clarity is an essential element of allocating funding to local authorities. If they are not confident about how the money may be spent, they could be reluctant to act, in case of painful financial repercussions in the future. This can sometimes lead to huge underspends, as seen today with the money meant for families struggling with rent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Time-to-spend 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Time-to-spend Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT With the majority of new free schools opening next week, pupils can look forward to shorter summers, longer days and a fiercely strict approach to learning, it seems. One school's leader has stated that children who do not make enough progress each day will have to stay behind later in the day. This seems unnecessarily harsh, and may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-pressure 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-pressure Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT Many public sector organisations are trying to deal with budget cuts by beefing up their income generation. But acting like private businesses means being regulated like private businesses, including the full rigours of competition law, and the Office of Fair Trading is taking an interest. PSE talks to the OFT’s Deborah Jones, director... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unfair-competition 435,451 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unfair-competition Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Hay Group’s director of public sector consulting, Phil Kenmore, talks to PSE about public sector fears of private partnerships. Many public sector leaders speak in nothing but positive terms about increasing their involvement with the private sector, noting the potential savings, expertise and service improvements promised by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-public-sector-leaders-really-think-about-outsourcing 451,440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-public-sector-leaders-really-think-about-outsourcing Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT bss managed and implemented the helpline for the 2011 Census. During its 10 week operation the helpline successfully handled nearly one million phone calls from the public. Dani Muir, sales and marketing director at bss, explains how the not-for-profit organisation worked closely with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Northern... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/when-planning-counts-managing-the-2011-census-helpline 447,439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/when-planning-counts-managing-the-2011-census-helpline Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT West Berkshire’s Cllr Joe Mooney discusses a new project to improve services for ‘hidden carers’. A joint initiative between West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham councils and NHS Berkshire aims to streamline a process that recognises carers in the community and offer services for those in desperate need of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-cares-for-the-carers 451,445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-cares-for-the-carers Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT The number of apprenticeships started and completed has increased in the past year, with growth taking place at all levels, across all ages, sectors and regions of England. Statistics from BIS show that 457,200 apprenticeship starts were delivered in the 2010/11, a 63.5% increase on 2009/10. Of these apprenticeships, 301,100 were at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Apprenticeship-starts-up-635 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Apprenticeship-starts-up-635 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Flooding is a major concern for the millions of people whose homes are at risk, whilst the Government seems to be dodging responsibility, cutting funding and potentially allowing its agreement with the insurance industry to run out. Climate change means that the risk of flooding is growing and the predicted damage it will cause in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flood-of-concern 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flood-of-concern Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Flooding is a major concern for the millions of people whose homes are at risk, whilst the Government seems to be dodging responsibility, cutting funding and potentially allowing its agreement with the insurance industry to run out. Climate change means that the risk of flooding is growing and the predicted damage it will cause in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Flood-of-concern 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Flood-of-concern Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT MPs have raised concerns over the funding to maintain and improve flood defences in the face of growing risk from extreme weather and climate change. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) further stated that responsibility for flood risk management was unclear. The annual cost of flood damage is £1.1bn, with 5.2 million homes at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Flood-risk-homes-could-become-uninsurable 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Flood-risk-homes-could-become-uninsurable Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Vocational GCSE equivalents are to be ‘downgraded’ from school league tables to weed out less valuable courses and prevent schools encouraging pupils to take up less rigorous subjects to boost their own figures. Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “For too long the system has been devalued by attempts to pretend that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/League-table-recognition-axed-for-vocational-courses 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/League-table-recognition-axed-for-vocational-courses Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) acted illegally when it cut the feed-in tariff (FIT) rates on 12 December last year in a botched consultation exercise. The DECC has been given leave to appeal to the Supreme Court and, should they decide to do so, the solar industry faces yet more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-of-appeal-decision-on-feed-in-tariff 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-of-appeal-decision-on-feed-in-tariff Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Mobile Information Programme, to equip frontline police officers with mobile devices has achieved a basic level of benefits, but not significant cashable savings, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) suggests. The roll-out cost £80m, which provided around 41,000 mobile devices by March 2011 aimed at letting officers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Mobile-police-devices-provide-minor-cash-savings 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Mobile-police-devices-provide-minor-cash-savings Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the new NAO report into police mobile devices suggests, having the latest technology does not always translate into cashable savings and vast increases in efficiencies. Spending millions on shiny new mobile devices has not significantly helped the police forces who received them. This could be due to the lack of management and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-and-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-and-time Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT As the new NAO report into police mobile devices suggests, having the latest technology does not always translate into cashable savings and vast increases in efficiencies. Spending millions on shiny new mobile devices has not significantly helped the police forces who received them. This could be due to the lack of management and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Money-and-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Money-and-time Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Spending on social care for the elderly in England is falling, according to an Age UK report. The charity states that £7.3bn is being budgeted this year for social care, the same amount as last year, but with inflation, represents an amount 4.5% lower. The report and analysis is based on official data, showing how reductions in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Social-care-funding-falls-as-inflation-bites 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Social-care-funding-falls-as-inflation-bites Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government may face further strikes from public sector workers opposed to pension reforms which would see them paying more and working for longer. In November last year, there was a mass walk-out of teachers, civil servants, NHS staff and council staff. The Government has given its final offer, but some unions remain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unions-plan-ongoing-strike-action-over-pensions 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unions-plan-ongoing-strike-action-over-pensions Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT An independent commission is being set up to examine the impact of increased university fees, especially on students from low income backgrounds. The panel will be led by Will Hutton, principal of Hertford College,Oxford, and will work with Ucas to analyse data from applications, offers and acceptances. Its first report is expected in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/University-fees-commission-launched 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/University-fees-commission-launched Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Three groups of local authorities need to improve progress on their broadband plans, as the Government seeks urgent talks with councils in and around Newcastle, Liverpool and Bath. Of the 47 projects for broadband roll-out, 44 have either been approved or are likely to be approved shortly. But three have been categorised as making... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Insufficient-broadband-progress-for-three-areas 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Insufficient-broadband-progress-for-three-areas Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Two leading adoption charities are set to merge to maintain and develop services for children and parents across England and Wales. Adoption Support, working in the West Midlands, will join After Adoption to find families for children and provide support to ensure the placements are successful. The partnership aims to make innovative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Adoption-charities-to-merge 446 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Adoption-charities-to-merge Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Too many consumers are denied access to their information, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham announced ahead of the 6th annual European Data Protection Day. The ICO stated that complaints about mishandled subject access requests in the last financial year accounted for over a third of the ICO’s total data protection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-awareness-needed-for-public-access-to-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-awareness-needed-for-public-access-to-data Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT 'Insufficient' progress on broadband plans in three areas of England could jeopardise the Government's larger strategy to provide superfast broadband in 90% of the country. In an information age, life without the internet can be hard to remember for the majority of the population. Yet pockets of the country remain restricted by poor... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-so-superfast 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-so-superfast Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT ‘Insufficient’ progress on broadband plans in three areas of England could jeopardise the Government’s larger strategy to provide superfast broadband in 90% of the country. In an information age, life without the internet can be hard to remember for the majority of the population. Yet pockets of the country remain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Not-so-superfast 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Not-so-superfast Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Since the Climate Change Risk Assessment report is from a baseline, assuming we make no adaptations for the future, it somewhat lessens the effect of highlighting the negative consequences. Although this method of presentation shows higher risks, these can be more easily discounted by some who do need to change their behaviour but can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baseline-assumptions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baseline-assumptions Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Since the Climate Change Risk Assessment report is from a baseline, assuming we make no adaptations for the future, it somewhat lessens the effect of highlighting the negative consequences. Although this method of presentation shows higher risks, these can be more easily discounted by some who do need to change their behaviour but can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Baseline-assumptions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Baseline-assumptions Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The first Climate Change Risk Assessment has been published today, detailing the consequences of climate change as part of the Government strategy for coping with global warming. The assessment aims to raise awareness about the consequences of climate change and to encourage organisations to plan ahead. Produced by Defra, the report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Climate-Change-risks-published 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Climate-Change-risks-published Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s IT procurement strategy is still lacking in its commitment to independent benchmarking of contracts with transparent data, is failing to understand the risks of legacy systems, and is unclear on how to address the IT skills gap, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) claims. PASC has highlighted these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/IT-strategy-needs-improvement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/IT-strategy-needs-improvement Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT MPs are calling on the Government to act with more urgency in tackling metal theft, as the crime has cost the railway industry over £16m in the last year, as well as disrupting passenger journeys. The Transport Select Committee suggests that scrap dealers should be legally required to show proof of identity at the sale of scrap... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-ideas-to-clamp-down-on-cable-theft 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-ideas-to-clamp-down-on-cable-theft Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There has been no tangible success achieved in working with the alcohol industry to deal with fraud relating to alcohol duty, the National Audit Office (NAO) suggests. HM Revenue and Customs’ Renewal Alcohol Strategy has no explicit objective to increase the number and impact of criminal investigations and prosecutions and the NAO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Alcohol-strategy-needs-improvement---NAO 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Alcohol-strategy-needs-improvement---NAO Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Councils in West Sussex have successfully bid for £617,800 funding to tackle fuel poverty and increase emergency response capacity during cold weather. The Warmer West Sussex programme, funded by the Department of Health, will see energy assessors carrying out surveys of property, and subject to criteria and availability, may offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-awarded-funding-for-fuel-poverty-programme 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-awarded-funding-for-fuel-poverty-programme Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has lost its appeal to overturn a High Court ruling that its plans to cut subsidies for solar panels are unlawful. Opponents to the cuts have stated that reducing the tariff would put 29,000 jobs in the industry at risk. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is seeking to reduce feed-in tariffs (FITs) on any solar installations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-tariff-reductions-unlawful 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-tariff-reductions-unlawful Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There will be further confusion for residents with solar panels on their houses, as the Government plans to cut tariffs have been overturned by a High Court ruling. The tariffs could remain the same until March now, when the cuts could go ahead. For the sake of saving costs by offering the reduced tariff from December 12, eleven days... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stop-and-think 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stop-and-think Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There will be further confusion for residents with solar panels on their houses, as the Government plans to cut tariffs have been overturned by a High Court ruling. The tariffs could remain the same until March now, when the cuts could go ahead For the sake of saving costs by offering the reduced tariff from December 12, eleven days... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Stop-and-think 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Stop-and-think Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Heads of IT are best placed to bring broadband to areas of theUKcurrently without it, the association of ICT professionals in local public services, Socitm, urges. A new report suggests that councils need to use the national broadband programme to build upon by developing their own initiatives. Additionally, the public sector must work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/IT-professionals-urged-to-lead-broadband-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/IT-professionals-urged-to-lead-broadband-services Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Four more businesses have secured £7.9m in Government support through the Regional Growth Fund to create new jobs and boost growth in their local communities. Nifco UK in Stocktonon Tees, e2v Technologies Ltd in Chelmsford, Bentley Motors in Crewe and Halifax Rack and Screw Cutting Co. Ltd,Halifax, have been approved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Regional-Growth-Fund-boosts-four-businesses 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Regional-Growth-Fund-boosts-four-businesses Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There will always be risks involved in large scale changes, and the ability to measure the success of such projects can only be implemented after the change has been made; and in some cases a lot of money spent. The Work Programme may be an expensive overhaul, but it is set to streamline the process and help more people into work.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-chances 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-chances Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There will always be risks involved in large scale changes, and the ability to measure the success of such projects can only be implemented after the change has been made; and in some cases a lot of money spent. The Work Programme may be an expensive overhaul, but it is set to streamline the process and help more people into work.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Taking-chances 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Taking-chances Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The introduction of the Work Programme carries increased risks, the NAO suggests. This is due to overestimates of the number of people it can help back to work, and the delay in providing automatic checks to confirm people who find work stop claiming benefits. The NAO analysis suggested that only 26% of the largest group of jobseekers in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Work-Programme-includes-risks---NAO 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Work-Programme-includes-risks---NAO Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Centre for Cities report this morning showing the gap is widening between our best and worst performing cities reiterates evidence coming from other quarters, including research by the Work Foundation, that shows how difficult it can be for some urban areas to encourage growth and prosperity. It is disconcerting to see the top few... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-the-cycle 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-the-cycle Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Centre for Cities report this morning showing the gap is widening between our best and worst performing cities reiterates evidence coming from other quarters, including research by the Work Foundation, that shows how difficult it can be for some urban areas to encourage growth and prosperity. It is disconcerting to see the top few... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Breaking-the-cycle 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Breaking-the-cycle Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Demonstration projects at local authorities and housing association partnerships will see claimants in the social rented sector directly receiving monthly housing benefit payments and paying rent to landlords themselves for the first time. Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud said: “Direct monthly benefits payments are a key part... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-and-housing-associations-test-direct-payments 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-and-housing-associations-test-direct-payments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Empty government buildings will be offered to small businesses, the Prime Minister is set to announce. Three hundred premises will be available at low rates for one year, David Cameron will say during a visit to the north east today. According to early releases reported this morning, he will say: “The first priority for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/entrepreneurs-to-benefit-from-cheap-access-to-government-buildings 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/entrepreneurs-to-benefit-from-cheap-access-to-government-buildings Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The equality gap has widened between cities as economic performance varies across the country, according to research by the Centre for Cities think tank. The gap in the jobseekers’ claimant count rate between Hulland Cambridg eis 6.1%, for example, with the gap nearly doubling since 2008. The highest number of claimants was in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Equality-gap-widens-across-cities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Equality-gap-widens-across-cities Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords is preparing to debate the Welfare Bill today, with senior figures including former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown threatening to vote down provisions on imposing a cap on the total amount of benefits one family can receive. Figures out today from the Department for Work & Pensions estimate that 67,000 households... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Lords-anger-at-benefits-cap 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Lords-anger-at-benefits-cap Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Surely it doesn't take an Environmental Science Masters degree or detailed data logging of this (but have got and did do) to figure out that when the winds are high, it's often cloudy so less solar power generated and when it's more sunny there tends to be less wind power available? However, put the two together as complimentary systems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wind-power 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wind-power Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Eliminating quangos could be more costly than Government originally predicted. However, the Cabinet Office has since amended this estimate and now cites a cost that overlaps with the NAO's. When making proposals, especially controversial or large-scale new ideas, it is understandable that the Government would posit a smaller cost.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-predictions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-predictions Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Eliminating quangos could be more costly than Government originally predicted. However, the Cabinet Office has since amended this estimate and now cites a cost that overlaps with the NAO’s. When making proposals, especially controversial or large-scale new ideas, it is understandable that the Government would posit a smaller cost.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Making-predictions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Making-predictions Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The decision to split up the roles of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service could weaken leadership, the House of Commons Public Administration Committee (PASC) has warned Government. PASC suggests the two must have equal power and status, as well as equal access to the Prime Minister, attendance at Cabinet and the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/PASC-warns-against-dividing-roles 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/PASC-warns-against-dividing-roles Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) has questioned the value for money of the Government’s ongoing cut in the number of quangos, and suggested that ministers had underestimated the cost of transferring functions from axed public bodies to other parts of Whitehall. The NAO estimates the costs to be at least £830m, almost double the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quango-bonfire-could-cost-more-than-expected-nao 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quango-bonfire-could-cost-more-than-expected-nao Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is to set out ideas for ‘moral capitalism’ in the economy in a speech today. He aims to achieve greater transparency in pay and bonuses, as well as suggesting measures to make it easier for businesses to become co-operatives. Labour leader Ed Miliband is also speaking about the issue today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Moral-capitalism-ideas-set-out 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Moral-capitalism-ideas-set-out Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government has reconsidered its position on enhanced CRB check requests for councils licensing drivers of taxis and minicabs. The Local Government Association (LGA) and Transport forLondonhave been lobbying for Government to change its position on the issue. In London, 10% of all licence applications were refused as a result of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-no-longer-prevented-from-enhanced-CRB-checks 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-no-longer-prevented-from-enhanced-CRB-checks Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Achieving a 'moral capitalism' in our economy is the current debate in politics, with all main parties seeking to find ways to change the culture of obscene rewards and make finances more transparent. Whether any of these plans will be implemented, and whether they will be enough to radically change our society is a different story. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/share-and-share-alike 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/share-and-share-alike Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Achieving a ‘moral capitalism’ in our economy is the current debate in politics, with all main parties seeking to find ways to change the culture of obscene rewards and make finances more transparent. Whether any of these plans will be implemented, and whether they will be enough to radically change our society is a different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Share-and-share-alike 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Share-and-share-alike Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Unite leader Len McClusky has attacked Ed Miliband for his decision to support the Government pay freeze for public sector workers, and warns that he is leading the party to “destruction”. Unite is the single biggest funder of the Labour party. Miliband has argued that Labour needs to demonstrate it can be economically... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Labour-faces-criticism-over-pay-freeze-support 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Labour-faces-criticism-over-pay-freeze-support Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched a new standard to improve sustainable development and quality of life within local communities. BS 8904 aims to improve the cost efficiency and effectiveness of sustainable activities within communities through the engagement, identification, prioritisation and implementing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-standard-for-sustainable-development 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-standard-for-sustainable-development Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Public sector cuts will hit Northern Ireland the hardest, according to new analysis by the TUC. Scotland will also lose a high proportion of its workforce over the next few years. Northern Ireland is set to lose 26,000 public sector jobs by 2017, and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) called for strong action to avoid this fate.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Northern-Ireland-hit-hardest-by-public-sector-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Northern-Ireland-hit-hardest-by-public-sector-cuts Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The news that Ofsted is seeking to change the way it labels the categories for inspections of schools could bring terminology up to date with the meaning it implies. For some time now, 'satisfactory' has meant the opposite; not good enough, could do better. To continue using this word is confusing and conceals the true performance of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/satisfactory-or-not 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/satisfactory-or-not Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The news that Ofsted is seeking to change the way it labels the categories for inspections of schools could bring terminology up to date with the meaning it implies. For some time now, ‘satisfactory’ has meant the opposite; not good enough, could do better. To continue using this word is confusing and conceals the true... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Satisfactory-or-not 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Satisfactory-or-not Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT A major rethink of how to tackle poverty and inequality is needed, the Smith Institute suggests. The think tank, which is independent but has historic links with Labour, has published a report which concludes that action is needed to stop the rise of poverty and inequality in theUK. The report states that social policy and labour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Call-for-new-approach-to-poverty 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Call-for-new-approach-to-poverty Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT There are a number of very significant flaws in the Civitas report on wind power which merit further comment. Wind power can never be predictable, as like most renewable sources of energy, they are only as good as the vagaries of Mother Nature. To assume that they can be predictable is misguided. What output they do produce is a useful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civitas-wind-power-report 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civitas-wind-power-report Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg plans to propose more employee ownership and will urge companies to offer shares to their employees, in order to improve productivity and growth. Clegg will state that Government is looking to cut red tape and reform the tax system in order to make it easier to move to a ‘John Lewis economy’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Employee-ownership-will-unlock-growth 455,434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Employee-ownership-will-unlock-growth Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government is to publish plans today to prevent councils in England from fining householders who break minor bin collection rules, such as putting waste in the wrong bins, or putting bins out on the wrong day. At the moment, fixed penalty notices of up to £110 can be issued, or local authorities can seek criminal convictions and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Proposals-to-cut-bin-fines 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Proposals-to-cut-bin-fines Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should councils be allowed to fine residents for minor bin collection infringements? The Government is proposing plans to stop people facing fixed penalty notices of up to £110 for putting waste in the wrong bins or for putting the bins out on the wrong day. On the one hand, there is the argument that severe punishment for such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/punishment-to-fit-the-crime 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/punishment-to-fit-the-crime Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Should councils be allowed to fine residents for minor bin collection infringements? The Government is proposing plans to stop people facing fixed penalty notices of up to £110 for putting waste in the wrong bins or for putting the bins out on the wrong day. On the one hand, there is the argument that severe punishment for such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Punishment-to-fit-the-crime 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Punishment-to-fit-the-crime Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The UK could already be back in recession, according to economic forecasters the ITEM Club, which has warned that in the final quarter of last year, GDP shrank and is set to contract again in the current three month period. Unemployment is predicted to rise by a further 300,000, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-in-recession---ITEM-Club 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-in-recession---ITEM-Club Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT A new partnership has been created to support improved recruitment practice forUKemployers. The Clear Company and Diversity Jobs.co.uk have joined forces to help remove barriers to diversity to ensure employers, in the public, private and voluntary sectors, can recruit inclusively. They will provide continual assessment throughout the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Recruitment-practice-support-partnership 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Recruitment-practice-support-partnership Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT A debate has been called for over the issues concerning potential Scottish independence, and whether or not this would benefit the country. First Minister Alex Salmond wants to hold a referendum in autumn 2014. UK Government ministers have made clear that there needs to be clarity on four main questions: what currency Scotland would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-consequences-investigated 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Scottish-independence-consequences-investigated Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Independence for Scotland is a thorny issue, and agreement on currency, proportion of debt, the armed forces and border controls may be hard to reach, even well ahead of a referendum on the topic. Whether Scotlandwill benefit from independence from theUKdepends on the amount of debt they would be required to take, tricky questions over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Taking-responsibility 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Taking-responsibility Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Underperforming teachers face a tougher system, which will simplify the process of sacking and provide a shorter timeframe for this procedure, from this September. Government plans therefore mean that a teacher could be removed within a term, instead of the process taking as long as a year. The changes, first proposed last May, also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Underperforming-teachers-face-faster-dismissal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Underperforming-teachers-face-faster-dismissal Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Over 100 big companies have joined Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s campaign to boost social mobility by fighting the existing internship culture. The campaign seeks to end the ‘who you know’ culture, where useful contacts and higher incomes allow certain families to help their children into work. Over a third of all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cleggs-social-mobility-campaign-secures-100-big-companies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cleggs-social-mobility-campaign-secures-100-big-companies Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Behaviour change could save local authorities in England between £3bn and £5bn per year, new research suggests. Consultants modelled the potential financial impact of the ‘nudge’ principle, which claims that people can be encouraged to alter their behaviour in order to reduce the demand for public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Huge-savings-potential-of-nudge-tactics 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Huge-savings-potential-of-nudge-tactics Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nick Clegg's social mobility campaign is seeking to improve conditions for young people trying to gain work experience, and those already in internships. Clegg has already come under criticism for using his father's contacts to gain work in the past, as have the Liberal Democrats for using unpaid interns. While this is a blatant instance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seeking-social-mobility 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seeking-social-mobility Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Nick Clegg’s social mobility campaign is seeking to improve conditions for young people trying to gain work experience, and those already in internships. Clegg has already come under criticism for using his father’s contacts to gain work in the past, as have the Liberal Democrats for using unpaid interns. While this is a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Seeking-social-mobility http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Seeking-social-mobility Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government will continue with changes to the Welfare Bill, despite defeats in the House of Lords, ministers suggest. Labour peers and independent crossbenches rejected proposals to means-test benefits for young disabled people and cancer patients on Wednesday. Peers voted 260 to 216 to protect young disabled people from cuts to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welfare-changes-to-continue-despite-Lords-defeat 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welfare-changes-to-continue-despite-Lords-defeat Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The medical assessment process for incapacity benefits has widespread inaccuracies, a new year-long study by Citizens Advice shows. The work capability assessments (WCAs) determine whether individuals are eligible for sickness benefits. The charity followed a group of people through the process of claiming benefits. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Medical-report-inaccuracies-hinder-benefit-claims 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Medical-report-inaccuracies-hinder-benefit-claims Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Changes to Welsh constituencies may seek to equalise the numbers of voters within each, but the proposals could lead to great upheaval, and some argue, a diluted Welsh voice in Westminster. If Welsh MPs have less influence on policy making that could detrimentally affect the people living in the country – but some would argue that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-greater-good 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-greater-good Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT That mental health problems are widespread among the prison population in England and Wales has been known for some time. Mental ill-health, combined with a range of related disadvantages in life, is the norm rather than the exception among people of all ages in custody. Nine out of ten prisoners have at least one mental health problem, whilst... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/redressing-inequalities-in-the-criminal-justice-system 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/redressing-inequalities-in-the-criminal-justice-system Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government's focus on renewable energy sources such as wind power could be negatively affecting both the environment and users, with higher costs and emissions, new research suggests. Is the importance of appearing 'green' to be valued above real savings? Gaining public approval and abiding by EU policies could conceivably be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-winds-of-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-winds-of-change Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT A committee of Lords and MPs have rejected Government plans for reform, especially suggestions to cut the number of peers to 300. How many Lords are needed to scrutinise legislation? And would a larger group allow a greater chance for smaller parties and independent candidates? Many claim that the House of Lords is in serious need of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rejecting-reductions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rejecting-reductions Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT An extra £200m funding will help support troubled families to find work and deal with problems, including drugs and debt, ministers are expected to announce. The plan will be backed by the European Social Fund. The initiative includes eight specialist Welfare to Work firms, appointed to help people with skills such as timekeeping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welfare-to-work-firms-appointed 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welfare-to-work-firms-appointed Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT The Government wants to cut waste produced at Christmas, and is holding talks with retailers, manufacturers and councils to encourage reduced packaging. They suggest that councils could be dealing with around 1.7m tonnes of household waste over the Christmas period. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Calls-to-cut-over-packaging 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Calls-to-cut-over-packaging Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Adoptive parent checks could be overhauled with new plans in England. A new panel is being set up to draw up proposals to speed up the process, although some are concerned this speed could jeopardise the strict controls needed to protect vulnerable children. The panel will consist of representatives from the British Association of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Adoptive-parent-checks-reform 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Adoptive-parent-checks-reform Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Only 6% of new mothers surveyed believe that the Coalition Government has made the UK a better place for families. The survey, undertaken for the Family and Parenting Institute by Bounty, interviewed 2,000 women who are either pregnant or have children up to the age of two. Of those surveyed, 22% believed the Government has made the UK a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-a-worse-place-for-families 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-a-worse-place-for-families Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Under criticism that they should have predicted both the popularity of solar power and the rate at which installation costs would fall, changes to FITs have been moved back again, with the planned start date of December 12 ruled unlawful. However useful it would be if they were, it would be sensible to acknowledge that the Government are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hit-the-brakes 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hit-the-brakes Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cuts to local BBC radio stations could cause “chaos”, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Plans to turn off medium wave radio transmitters, replace local radio content with national programmes and cut regional staff levels could leave communities without relevant information in times of civil emergency or bad... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Radio-cuts-could-endanger-local-areas---LGA 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Radio-cuts-could-endanger-local-areas---LGA Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s plans to slash feed-in tariffs for solar power have received a blow in the High Court. MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee and the Energy and Climate Change Committee say the plans could greatly reduce the amount of solar powered installations, and place thousands of jobs at risk, and have labelled the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solar-subsidies-changes-opposed 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solar-subsidies-changes-opposed Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Community Budget pilots have been announced in four areas across England to share services and explore better use of public money. This will involve redesigning services and aligning funding, with a view to implement changes from December 2012. The tri-borough area of Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Community-Budget-pilots-announced 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Community-Budget-pilots-announced Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public borrowing fell by more than expected in November, leaving the Government on course to meet the full-year borrowing target of £127bn that the Office for Budget Responsibility set. Economists’ average forecast was £19.6bn, but public sector borrowing fell from £20.36bn to £18.09bn in November, according... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-on-course-for-deficit-reduction 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-on-course-for-deficit-reduction Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Further calls have been made to rewrite the controversial new planning rules that assume a ‘default yes’ to development. The Commons Communities Committee argues that the guidance is now too simplistic, and does not provide adequate guidance for planners. In a report, they suggest that this confusion could lead to longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-planning-guidance-unhelpfully-vague---MPs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-planning-guidance-unhelpfully-vague---MPs Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT First it was too complicated, now it's too simple. It seems as if the new planning policy can't do anything right. An overly complicated process, with 1,000s of pages of guidance, has been rigorously culled, replaced by a simple document that aims to promote sustainable development, not hinder it. Yet the framework has come under... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-so-simple 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-so-simple Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s ‘human capital’ stock fell by £130bn in 2010, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Human capital refers to the economic value of knowledge and skills of the UK’s working age population. In 2010, this stock was worth an estimated £17.12 trillion; two and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Human-capital-stock-falling 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Human-capital-stock-falling Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new report from the ONS suggests both that human knowledge and skills are more valuable than our tangible assets, and that we are failing to sustain this stock. At a time when the true worth of human capital is only beginning to be understood, it seems we must take measures to ensure this decrease can be reversed and we begin to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/human-worth 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/human-worth Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander is expected to set out progress in resolving the public sector pensions dispute in Parliament later today. Most unions have agreed to consider outline deals for pension reform in their sectors, with initial agreements signed on Monday by those representing local government workers and most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unions-consider-final-pension-deals 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unions-consider-final-pension-deals Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Young people will have more influence over national Government policies and council decisions which affect them under proposal in the new Government strategy, ‘Positive for Youth’. The report suggests: “We need to work together to create a society that is more positive for youth.” The strategy, published... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Youth-strategy-published 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Youth-strategy-published Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Pension talks will continue today, with a Government statement expected tomorrow as Parliament rises for Christmas. The Government is seeking agreements on reforms that include pensions being based on a career average rather than final salary, larger contributions, and a higher age of retirement. One trade union source told the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deadline-set-for-pension-talks 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deadline-set-for-pension-talks Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans for an elected upper house could see a new wave of democracy brought to our political system. This has been a desire of political reformers for more than a century, though, and has still yet to be implemented. A joint committee of both Houses of Parliament is currently studying draft proposals, and their motivation for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/compromise-to-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/compromise-to-change Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The police operation to tackle the riots was ‘flawed’, the Home Affairs Committee suggests in a new report. The MPs on the committee criticise the initially low numbers of police deployed and inadequate training as reasons for the spread of the violence. The report states: “If numbers could have been increased more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-reaction-to-riots-flawed---Home-Affairs-Committee 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-reaction-to-riots-flawed---Home-Affairs-Committee Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT This is code for work for nothing. There are no jobs – there is no money to fund big projects, the private sector and the public sector are shrinking and opportunities especially for people on low incomes and from disadvantaged backgrounds are getting fewer and fewer. Instead of this ridiculous idea ('Civic contract proposals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-city-councils-civic-contract 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-city-councils-civic-contract Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office (NAO) reported today that the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and the Skills Funding Agency, which are pursuing a range of initiatives to simplify funding in further education, do not know the scale of the problem faced by further education colleges and other providers. The Department and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/difficulties-in-simplifying-further-education-funding 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/difficulties-in-simplifying-further-education-funding Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The problem families plan announced yesterday by Prime Minister David Cameron has been criticised for not providing enough funding, as well as too narrow a focus on payment by results. The 120,000 most troubled families will receive help and support from a team headed by Louise Casey, with £448m funding from Government. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Family-plan-faces-funding-issues 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Family-plan-faces-funding-issues Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT A regional survey is being piloted in the East Midlands to measure the impact of crime on trade. Police authorities from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire collaborated to address the needs of the business community and their policing priorities. The project, supported by East Midland Business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Police-survey-regional-businesses 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Police-survey-regional-businesses Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT By providing a large amount of funding for troubled families, David Cameron gets to look like the good guy, the man with a clear-cut plan to turn around thousands of lives. But since the announcement of the plans, many have criticised the move for giving less than is necessary to implement real change. Whilst £448m seems a huge sum... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shifting-the-blame 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shifting-the-blame Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Measurement and specific targets are essential in Government to ensure the right groups receive necessary help. Pupils aged 11 are expected to reach level four for English and maths in their SATs, families must satisfy five out of seven criteria to fit the label of 'troubled'. The notion of acting without such categorisation and lists of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/constructing-criteria 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/constructing-criteria Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Over 1,000 primary schools are failing to reach official targets for teaching basic English and maths, league tables demonstrate, based on the results of tests taken in May. A third of pupils failed to achieve the expected level four at age 11 in reading, writing and maths combined, although the overall proportion of children achieving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Primary-schools-failing-basic-English-and-maths- http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Primary-schools-failing-basic-English-and-maths- Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is set to announce a £448m plan to identify and help problem families, with the aim to improve 120,000 families’ lives by 2015. A network hired by councils and reporting to the head of the Troubled Families Team will be responsible for ensuring appropriate action is taken and liaise with national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Troubled-families-plan-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Troubled-families-plan-announced Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Social housing benefit cuts have been defeated by the House of Lords in a welfare reform vote. The Government’s proposal was that people with one spare bedroom should lose £12 per week, while those with two or more spare rooms should lose £22 a week. But peers voted 258 to 190 to limit the penalties to only people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welfare-reform-cuts-defeated-in-the-Lords 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welfare-reform-cuts-defeated-in-the-Lords Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron’s Big Society idea has worthy aims, but lacks clarity, according to MPs on the cross-party Public Administration Committee. They say that the idea must be explained clearly in practical terms, with a focused, centrally-driven plan for implementing the programme. The committee recommends appointing a minister for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Big-Society-lacks-clarity---PAC 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Big-Society-lacks-clarity---PAC Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new free school in Suffolk could be managed by Swedish company IES UK. Free schools cannot be run for profit, but trusts can buy in services from private firms. The group setting up Breckland free school is the Sabres Educational Trust, which wants to open the school for 300 pupils by September 2012. Some are concerned that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Private-firm-bid-for-free-school 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Private-firm-bid-for-free-school Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Should the big society focus more on smaller groups that want to be more involved in delivering public services? The programme has been criticised for a lack of clarity, and for prioritising bigger charities and businesses over local voluntary groups in decision making processes. But a truly big society will require participation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-society 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-society Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT UK unemployment has hit a 17-year high, with the total number of unemployed at 2.64 million over the three months to October, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The unemployment rate is now 8.3%, the highest since 1996. Youth unemployment is stuck above 1 million. The number of people jobseekers claiming unemployment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-reaches-264-million 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-reaches-264-million Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) measure suggests that the UK has the second highest standard of living in the EU. But how accurately does this measure standard of living, and how does that equate into happiness? AIC reflects the amount of goods and services that households actually consume. In our materialistic culture... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consumer-culture 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consumer-culture Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Welsh councils have experienced “serious” confidential data losses, including laptops and memory sticks being lost or stolen, a freedom of information request has revealed. The Information Commissioner’s Office (IOC) reported concerns over sensitive information being lost or mislaid. Eight out of 22 Welsh councils have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welsh-councils-lose-sensitive-data- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welsh-councils-lose-sensitive-data- Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT New proposals from Westminster City Council would require unemployed people to prove they are actively volunteering in the community to qualify for some welfare benefits. The ‘civic contract’ also suggests that people who make positive contributions to the community should get priority for social housing. The consultation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Civic-contract-proposals-published 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Civic-contract-proposals-published Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron will face MPs in the Commons today to explain his decision to veto the EU treaty set to address the Eurozone crisis and implement stricter budget rules. Cameron has defended his decision in the media, stating that it was in Britain’s best interests to refuse to join in. He has said it will protect the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cameron-to-explain-veto-to-MPs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cameron-to-explain-veto-to-MPs Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT It's quite simple. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The politicians know it but they and the media continue to spin lies such as "it's plain criminality" to cover up their real motives for social change which will keep themselves and their mates rich. To find out why the riots happened, they need to analyse who was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cause-of-the-riots 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cause-of-the-riots Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT In some ways, giving priority and more benefits to people who give back and make positive contributions to society makes perfect sense. As well as rewarding those who already do good it will act as a motivation for others to get more involved and help to improve their area. To break the 'something for nothing' culture, this requirement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-their-minds 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-their-minds Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Pupil premium funding is set to benefit up to half a million more children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the Government is expected to announce today. The premium is £488 per child, which goes to schools on top of their main funding. It has traditionally only been available to those receiving free school dinners, but will change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pupil-premium-to-rise 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pupil-premium-to-rise Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK standard of living was the second highest in the EU in 2010, according to the measure of Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) per head. The Office for National Statistics reported the figures, released by Eurostat, that show only Luxembourg had a higher AIC per head than the UK. In comparison to the rest of the EU, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-high-standard-of-living---ONS 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-high-standard-of-living---ONS Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Harlow District Council buildings are set to close for Christmas to save taxpayers £100,000. The shutdown from December 23 to January 3 has been achieved by an agreed reduction in staff pay earlier in the year. For the council budget for 2011/12, staff agreed to a 1.33% pay cut by reducing their working week by half an hour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-Christmas-closure-to-save-£100000 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-Christmas-closure-to-save-£100000 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Any council planning to increase council tax by 3.5% or more will be required to hold a referendum, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced. Local people will have to be consulted to endorse the move, as stated in the Localism Act. It is thought that few councils would risk a public vote on tax rises, meaning the rule could act... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Referendum-required-for-council-tax-increase 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Referendum-required-for-council-tax-increase Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has vetoed an EU-wide treaty change to tackle the Eurozone crisis, stating that it was “not in the UK’s interest”. Now a new ‘accord’ will be drawn up for at least 23 of the 27 member states, countries in the Eurozone and others who want to join, setting out tougher budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-vetoes-EU-treaty 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-vetoes-EU-treaty Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The inquiry into the claims that examiners are giving teachers specific guidance for future exams suggests there could be a serious case of inequality within our education system. Advice is a tricky concept to regulate, and it can be a case of opinion where to draw the line at revealing too much information. The knowledge that exam... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drawing-the-line 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drawing-the-line Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT An inquiry has been ordered following the claim that examiners have been giving teachers specific advice on GCSE and A-level questions. The Telegraph reported that it had secretly filmed a chief examiner telling teachers which questions were going to come up on future exams at a seminar that cost £200 to attend. The paper also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-into-exam-tips 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-into-exam-tips Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Major cities will be given greater power over public transport, their local labour market and funding in return for strong local leadership, improved efficiency and innovation. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is set to announce the new deal today, offering one consolidated capital pot each for Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-power-for-the-core-cities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-power-for-the-core-cities Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Over half of adults surveyed believe that unemployment benefits are too high, and can discourage people from seeking new jobs. Out of 3,297 people interviewed, 54% believed in this statement, up from 35% in 1983. NatCen Social Research published the annual British Social Attitudes report yesterday, demonstrating an increasing belief in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-attitudes-focus-on-independence 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-attitudes-focus-on-independence Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Further job losses are expected in local government, the Audit Commission and Local Government Association warn in a joint report. In the past year, there have already been 145,000 staff cut in English councils, but further cuts are on the way, they suggest. Audit Commission chairman Michael O'Higgins said: “Each council must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-job-cuts-to-continue- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-job-cuts-to-continue- Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition Government has suffered its first Commons defeat over a ‘symbolic’ vote on the economy. The vote is non-binding, and occurred due to a surprise turnout of Labour MPs. After almost six hours of debate on the Chancellor’s Autumn statement and the state of the economy, the vote was 213 to 79 – a majority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/First-Coalition-Commons-defeat 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/First-Coalition-Commons-defeat Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Work Foundation has highlighted the London-centric perspective of the Government's growth policy, and suggests a more flexible approach is necessary to help other cities to recover and prosper. What works in one area of the country, especially one that is already the focus of so much attention, is not guaranteed to have the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-size-does-not-fit-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-size-does-not-fit-all Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT A review of policing policy is set to be launched today by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens. Commissioned by the Labour Party, the independent panel of advisors will review modern challenges the police force faces and how budget cuts can be dealt with. Lord Stevens told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Policing-review-launched 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Policing-review-launched Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT What exactly will the new policing policy review achieve? With huge structural changes planned for police forces next year, it does not seem the most stable of times to make a considered evaluation of what should change. Of course, it could be argued that this is better late than never, as the findings could potentially highlight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/running-interference 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/running-interference Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The first section of funding has been announced for the 21st Century Schools building programme in Wales. The total funding amounts to £1.4bn, with half the money provided by the councils. The programme was originally expected to take three years to complete, with councils only contributing 30% of the funding. It will now be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Schools-building-programme-funding-announced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Schools-building-programme-funding-announced Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Local authority Family Information Services (FIS) are suffering from budget cuts, with some failing to comply with the duties outlined in the Childcare Act 2006. FIS provide assistance and information for parents and children, including guidance for the provision of childcare and other services which may be of benefit for families in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Budget-cuts-hamper-FIS 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Budget-cuts-hamper-FIS Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new study on the causes of the riots suggests the answers may be clearer than previously thought, and in contradiction to many assumptions made shortly after the disturbances. At the time, David Cameron stated that there was no political motivation to the riots, and that it was mainly gang-related, spread by social media. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cause-and-effect 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cause-and-effect Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has committed to a crackdown on executive pay, saying the cuts in the public sector must be balanced by a curbing of excessive pay rises in the private sector. Two consultations covering executive pay, which began in September, are now over, and the Government will publish its response, and proposals for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/executive-pay-faces-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/executive-pay-faces-reform Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The number of teachers on strike on Wednesday meant many parents were left with no other choice than to work from home in order to look after their children. This puts unnecessary pressure on many organisations across the country as staff were unable to come into work. Also many patients suffered from the lack of hospital and nursing staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-strikes Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Schools ranked as ‘satisfactory’ need to be pushed harder to improve, a report by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) suggests. In conjunction with Ofsted, the report found that half of the 40% of schools classed as ‘satisfactory’ failed to improve within two Ofsted inspections. These schools were also more likely to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Stricter-measures-suggested-for-satisfactory-schools- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Stricter-measures-suggested-for-satisfactory-schools- Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Anger at police has been cited as a key cause for the riots this summer by a new study conducted by the Guardian and London School of Economics. The ‘Reading the Riots’ study team interviewed 270 rioters from London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Salford and found that 88% considered policing practices as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/study-reveals-anti-police-riots 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/study-reveals-anti-police-riots Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The reduction of solar panel subsidies and extra funding for energy intensive companies, leading to greater pollution, does not fit well with the Government's pledge to be greener, and deliver carbon cutting targets. It makes sense to reduce subsidies now that the price of buying solar panels has fallen, yet this is news that will never... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-gains 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-gains Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector pension negotiations are continuing, with no set deadline for the conclusion of talks between Government and the unions. The prime minister’s spokesman said yesterday: “We have not set a deadline.” Ministers have warned that there will be no more funding in the pension reform, but that certain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/No-deadline-for-pension-talks 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/No-deadline-for-pension-talks Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is seeking private sector partners to help develop revolutionary technology that will enable crime scene investigators to identify quickly whether forensic evidence contains human DNA. The technology will enable forces to decide whether to send the sample to an approved forensic laboratory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/NPIA-seeks-partners-to-develop-new-crime-scene-technology 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/NPIA-seeks-partners-to-develop-new-crime-scene-technology Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK is on track to reach carbon targets by halving its emissions by 2025, Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne stated before travelling to the Climate Change Conference in South Africa. He claimed that even without the recession, green policies would be delivering a 34% cut in emissions by the end of the decade. The launch of the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/UK-on-track-for-carbon-targets---Chris-Huhne 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/UK-on-track-for-carbon-targets---Chris-Huhne Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT It seems even significant industrial action cannot get ministers to acknowledge the impact so many public sector workers can have on society. For weeks before the strikes, Government pleaded with unions to reconsider, warning that the consequences for the public would be terrible. Yet as soon as they take place, the industry action... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/face-the-consequences 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/face-the-consequences Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT Pension talks between unions and the Government are set to take place to resolve the dispute that led to mass strikes yesterday across the country. Teachers’ unions will hold talks today and negotiation with the health service unions will take place on Friday. Ministers have stated that they are prepared to alter their current offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-disputes-strike-impact 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-disputes-strike-impact Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Education has approved a private US education firm to supply services to help set up free schools and academies. Edison Learning will provide education contractual and legal services. There are 12 approved providers in two areas, ‘project management’ and ‘educational services’. Edison Learning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Private-firm-to-supply-services-to-free-schools 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Private-firm-to-supply-services-to-free-schools Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT A BBC investigation has reported that six UK police forces have seen their overtime costs go up in the last two years despite Home Office efforts to see the bill reduce over that time. The six – Durham, Northern Ireland, Northumbria, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and Gloucestershire – have given differing responses to why that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-fair-cop 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-fair-cop Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Education Secretary Michael Gove has criticised unions for the strikes due tomorrow, warning that 90% of schools will close. Gove also suggested that the unions are being ‘unfair’ on taxpayers and other workers. Gove said of the unions: “They want mothers to give up a day's work, or pay for expensive childcare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Gove-criticises-unions- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Gove-criticises-unions- Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT With George Osborne set to make his Autumn Statement this afternoon, we are expecting the confirmation of lower growth and higher borrowing, leading to concern that the target of eliminating the structural deficit by 2015-16 may be unfeasible. Labour, of course, is criticising this admission and is calling the revised predictions a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-of-predictions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-of-predictions Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The independent Riots Communities and Victims Panel has published its interim report, warning that the disturbances could happen again without Government intervention. Led by the former Ealing council chief Darra Singh, the panel visited areas affected by the riots and collected observations from people that the riots impacted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Riots-could-reoccur---Riots-Communities-and-Victims-Panel 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Riots-could-reoccur---Riots-Communities-and-Victims-Panel Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Scottish education system is falling behind other countries, says Keir Bloomer, heading the Commission on School Reform. This inquiry into the education system aims to identify problem areas and scope for improvements. The Commission has been established by the independent think tanks Reform Scotland and the Centre for Scottish Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Commission-seeks-to-improve-Scottish-education 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Commission-seeks-to-improve-Scottish-education Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The oldest NGO in the UK is set to close due to reduced funding. Government cuts to local authority budgets mean that Environmental Protection UK’s (EPUK) income has been reduced, leading to closure. EPUK provided analysis for air quality and contaminated land and waste issues. It is set to close in March 2012, and ten staff will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Cuts-to-close-EPUK 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Cuts-to-close-EPUK Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Job cuts in the public sector are expected to be higher than originally predicted, the Ernst and Young ITEM club suggests. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is set to increase its prediction from 400,000 in March to 500,000 when it delivers its Economic and Fiscal Outlook report on Tuesday. The number of general Government jobs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-cuts-underestimated 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-cuts-underestimated Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new national infrastructure plan could be celebrated for further investment into the UK's roads, rail networks and schools. The extra funding is hoped to kick-start the economy, as growth continues to flat-line, but will it work? In this time of economic difficulty, should we spend more to save more? The Government will maintain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spend-or-save 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spend-or-save Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT I just wanted to point out that if this is a serious suggestion then this could affect the whole voting and democratic system within this country. From working on an annual basis for my local Elections Office, the turnouts certainly for local and European elections in some areas are well below 40% and sometimes struggle to reach 30%. It... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-legislation-reform-and-minimum-turnout-thresholds 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-legislation-reform-and-minimum-turnout-thresholds Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new £1bn scheme has been announced to provide subsidised work and training placements for young people in the UK. The Government has stated that this is new money, not a reallocation of existing funds; although critics are concerned it could come from squeezing tax credits. The Youth Contract programme will give employers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-scheme-for-youth-employment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-scheme-for-youth-employment Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cross-party support has enabled the Social Value Bill to pass through the Commons, taking it one step closer to becoming legislation. Enshrining the requirement of social value in law, as opposed to an abstract 'extra' that is valued in an ideal world, if not the reality we live in, would mean a way of working that promotes better... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-whole-package 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-whole-package Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Nick Clegg's speech on the 'racial ceiling' that still exists in the UK will hopefully bring about real change in banks' approaches to people from ethnic minorities trying to start up businesses. Progress in equality can sometimes be the victim of its own success; since so much change has been achieved, there are many in the UK that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/black-and-white 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/black-and-white Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A fifth of English councils could reject the Government’s tax freeze offer next year. Research by the Local Government Chronicle found that out of 146 respondents, six councils had already refused the deal and plan to institute higher rises, and 24 were still considering the offer. Some local authorites are concerned that if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-concern-over-tax-freeze-offer 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-concern-over-tax-freeze-offer Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s Green Deal has now been published by the Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, with the aim of cutting fuel bills and meeting climate targets. The initiative seeks to encourage private investors to offer cheap loans for households to install insulation, with repayments costing less than the savings that would be made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Green-Deal-programme-revealed- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Green-Deal-programme-revealed- Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils have lost sensitive data more than 1,000 times in the past three years, research by the campaign group Big Brother Watch shows – but only 55 incidents were reported to the Information Commissioner. Laptops, memory sticks and mobile devices have gone missing or been stolen, with 132 councils admitting to 1,035 data losses of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-losing-sensitive-data 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-losing-sensitive-data Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Government proposals could reduce the number of cases going to employment tribunals, by allowing employers to hold ‘protected’ conversations with staff concerning poor performance without these being used in future tribunal hearings. Business Secretary Vince Cable will announce the changes, which the Government suggests... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Employment-tribunal-changes-proposed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Employment-tribunal-changes-proposed Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT New research demonstrates that councils lose a worrying amount of sensitive data each year, and not only does this go missing without our knowledge, but without many of these incidents being reported to the relevant authority. This means that the true extent of the problem remains hidden, and steps cannot be taken to rectify the situation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lost-property 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lost-property Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The number of councillors in Anglesey could be cut by a quarter, from 40 to 30, if recommendations from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales are accepted. The council could also be split into 11 new multi-member electoral divisions. Eight would be represented by three councillors and the other three by two, according to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Anglesey-councillor-numbers-could-be-cut 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Anglesey-councillor-numbers-could-be-cut Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Urgent work must be done to clarify the selection process for new police & crime commissioners (PCCs), a new report from the Institute for Government (IfG) suggests. Elections for 41 PCCs will take place next November, but a recent poll commissioned by the LGA showed that nearly 75% of the public are unaware of this. This lack of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Clarity-needed-on-police-commissioner-selection---IfG 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Clarity-needed-on-police-commissioner-selection---IfG Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition Government has pledged to create more affordable housing and help first-time buyers to buy new homes by allowing them to borrow up to 95% of their value. The £400m plan aims to reverse the slow building rates and support up to 32,000 jobs. The ‘Get Britain Building’ fund will allow developers to compete for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Coalition-housing-plans-to-be-revealed 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Coalition-housing-plans-to-be-revealed Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Today the main political parties will resume the prickly debate concerning funding reform – which hasn't really moved on since Sir Hayden Phillips' report during the last Parliament. With each party solely concerned about the effects that funding reforms and caps will have on their own standing, it seems difficult to envisage a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/every-penny-counts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/every-penny-counts Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT New proposals on political party funding are to be published today, urging the main parties to recognise that they all supported reform in their 2010 general election manifestos. The Coalition Agreement between the Conservatives and Lib Democrats also pledged to “pursue a detailed agreement on limiting donations and reforming party... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Proposals-for-political-party-funding-reform- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Proposals-for-political-party-funding-reform- Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT With one in five children estimated to be living in poverty at this very moment, it is understandable that commissioners are concerned about how the welfare reforms will affect these people. With stricter regulations, it will be more difficult for people to claim benefits and some people will no longer receive financial help. Welfare... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breaking-the-poverty-cycle 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breaking-the-poverty-cycle Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The CQC is damned if it does and damned if it does not (inspect!). However, it has responded positively to criticism recently by recruiting more inspectors and according to local intelligence, inspections (both planned and unannounced) have also increased. I think it is important to keep in mind, though, that CQC inspections are just one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-quality-commission-cqc 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-quality-commission-cqc Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Britain will sign up to a revision of the Lisbon treaty to underpin stricter new fiscal rules for the Eurozone, in exchange for an examination of the impact of the European working time directive, which currently imposes a 48-hour week on workers across the EU. In a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Prime Minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Framework-for-EU-negotiations-agreed http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Framework-for-EU-negotiations-agreed Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers are again threatening to implement minimum turnout restrictions on public sector strike ballots to limit the disruption caused by industrial action. Over 2 million workers are set to join the walk out on November 30 for a day of action organised by the TUC, including teachers, civil servants and council workers. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Strike-legislation-could-be-reformed http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Strike-legislation-could-be-reformed Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Children’s commissioners in the UK have warned that child poverty could increase due to the state of the economy and public finances, with key services already being hit by cuts. Their report suggests that changes to the welfare system could push more families into poverty. Currently one in five children lives in poverty... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Welfare-reform-to-affect-child-poverty 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Welfare-reform-to-affect-child-poverty Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Changes to education funding could increase some schools’ budgets and restrict others, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows. Currently most funding goes directly to local authorities who then decide how to divide it between schools. The Government has proposed a plan to base funding on one nationally set formula... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Winners-and-losers-in-education-reform 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Winners-and-losers-in-education-reform Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Irish Government has announced plans to reform their public service, by cutting staff numbers, reducing the number of state agencies and scrapping plans for decentralisation programme. The proposals also include initiatives in areas such as technology, procurement, property management and human resources designed to reduce costs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-cuts-for-Ireland 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-cuts-for-Ireland Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unite has become the latest union to join the pensions strikes scheduled for November 30, opposing changes to pension contributions, and a higher age of retirement. The turnout for the Unite ballot was 31%, and members voted three to one in favour of industrial action. They will also be joined in the strikes by the members of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unite-joins-public-sector-strikes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unite-joins-public-sector-strikes Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new report from the Parliamentary Ombudsman proposes that MP filter reform is needed. The majority of respondents to a direct access consultation support the removal of the legal requirement for complaints to be referred by an MP. Of 113 respondents, 91 expressed a direct preference for removing the MP filter. Strong support was also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MP-complaints-filter-could-be-removed- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MP-complaints-filter-could-be-removed- Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) is implementing a six-month pilot to help speed up forensic examinations of technology used by criminals, by providing a more efficient way to manage the numbers of these devices. eForensics can provide crucial evidence in cases involving child sex images, homicides, domestic violence and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/NPIA-pilot-speeds-up-eForensics 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/NPIA-pilot-speeds-up-eForensics Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The sale of Northern Rock plc has been announced by the Government, with Virgin Money buying the bank for £747m. Northern Rock was nationalised in 2008 after near collapse, and the Government split the bank into two parts. There are no plans to sell the second half, Northern Rock (Asset Management), which still owes the Treasury... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Virgin-buys-Northern-Rock-plc 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Virgin-buys-Northern-Rock-plc Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Research from the University of Sheffield demonstrates the worth of green spaces in the eyes of the public, as well as an economic case for increasing the amount of green infrastructure in our cities. It's one of those common sense results; aside from the physical and mental health benefits of being exposed to nature, people simply like... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-motivation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-motivation Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The public are willing to pay more in council tax for greener urban spaces, research from the University of Sheffield demonstrates. The greener the scenario, the more they would be willing to pay. Surveying people in the cities of Sheffield and Manchester on how much they would be willing to pay for green scenarios resulted in people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-would-pay-more-for-green-spaces 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-would-pay-more-for-green-spaces Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment in the UK has risen to 2.62 million, the highest total since 1994, according to official statistics. There were 1.02 million unemployed 16-24 year olds between July and September – an unemployment rate for that age group of 21.0%, more than double the national rate of 8.3%. Ian Brinkley, director of The Work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unemployment-continues-to-rise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unemployment-continues-to-rise Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Only a small number of young runaways are reported to the police as missing, the charity Children’s Society warns. A new report found that 84,000 under-16s in England run away overnight on at least one occasion every year, but only 17% said they were reported to the police. Out of these runaways, a quarter were told to leave home by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/action-needed-for-runaways- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/action-needed-for-runaways- Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils have been warned that they need to ensure they can manage more cuts to their finances in 2013/14 before accepting the Government’s offer for a further council tax freeze next year. Ministers have announced that £805m will be provided to freeze council tax in 2012/13, which is equivalent to a 2.5% council tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-tax-freeze-announced 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-tax-freeze-announced Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The eurozone crisis provides an ‘opportunity’ for the UK to reclaim powers from the EU, Prime Minister David Cameron has suggested. In a speech on foreign policy in London, Cameron stated that this represents a chance to renegotiate the UK’s membership, although he maintains his position that the country should not leave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Opportunity-to-renegotiate-EU-membership 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Opportunity-to-renegotiate-EU-membership Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron's speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet last night suggested that the crisis affecting eurozone countries and the wider EU presents an opportunity for the UK to renegotiate the terms of our membership. Although Eurosceptics will be pleased to hear this, it is still unclear exactly which powers the Prime Minister is keen to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/talk-of-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/talk-of-change Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Employers are reducing recruitment levels and employment prospects have fallen since the previous quarter, according to a report on the labour market by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The Institute surveyed 1,000 employers across the private and public sectors and found that more employers are expected to cut staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Job-market-recovery-predicted-to-be-painful 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Job-market-recovery-predicted-to-be-painful Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A think tank has urged the House of Commons to consider diversity measures to increase the range of candidates who attempt to become MPs. Out of 650 MPs, just 27 are from ethnic minorities, and one fifth are female. The Institute for Government suggests this is less to do with selection criteria than with numbers applying in the first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Measures-needed-to-increase-Commons-diversity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Measures-needed-to-increase-Commons-diversity Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior civil servants have joined the list of public sector workers set to take industrial action on pensions. The FDA (First Division Association) union balloted 12,500 members, and 81% backed industrial action on a 54% turnout, meaning they could join the mass strikes planned for November 30. Jonathan Baume, general secretary of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/More-unions-back-pensions-strikes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/More-unions-back-pensions-strikes Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cutting front line services is not the answer… Recent reports of the police having to take yet another long hard look at their resources in the back office and on the front line is just the latest high profile example of on-going attempts to reduce the staffing of an organisation in a bid to save money. Though most people accept... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The US apparently feels the need to send over hundreds of its own security staff and FBI agents to protect athletes and diplomats during the 2012 London Olympics. Is this an over-reaction, or simply a necessary precaution to a situation that could present huge danger? It is true that the original number of staff thought to be required has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/their-safety-in-our-hands 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/their-safety-in-our-hands Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Tensions are rising over the level of security that will be provided at the London Olympics, with the US voicing repeated concerns over the number of personnel who will be present. The Guardian newspaper learned that the US is intending to send 1,000 of its own security agents, including 500 from the FBI, to provide protection for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/us-concerns-over-olympic-security 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/us-concerns-over-olympic-security Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The results of a direct access consultation suggest that the public greatly supports the removal of the MP filter on taking complaints to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Eliminating this restriction could ensure quicker resolution of complaints, and many complainants could no longer be deterred from making a complaint. Arguments for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/relinquishing-restriction 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/relinquishing-restriction Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Islington Council is the first UK local authority to sign up to a new campaign called ‘Mind the Hunger Gap’, aimed at highlighting the fact that at least a million elderly people are suffering from malnutrition. The campaign has been launched by the British Dietetic Association (BDA), which calls the figure a “national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-urged-to-back-anti-malnutrition-campaign 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-urged-to-back-anti-malnutrition-campaign Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Britain’s public sector would respond to a global flu pandemic affecting the country with ‘business as usual’, not severe crackdowns on movement or gatherings. The new national plan is aimed at a measured and sensible response, especially as widespread closures of schools, for example, could mean health professionals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Pandemic-flu-plan-released 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Pandemic-flu-plan-released Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A council’s plans to cuts its adult social care budget have been ruled unlawful by a High Court judge in landmark case. Two severely disabled adults, referred to in court as JM and NT, brought the case against Isle of Wight council, which Mrs Justice Lang said had failed to comply with its own internal guidance on its new policy for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Second-legal-ruling-quashing-council-cuts-decision 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Second-legal-ruling-quashing-council-cuts-decision Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Are we happy to ban non-violent groups because what they do or say is grossly offensive? As has been shown again with Theresa May's decision over the so-called 'Muslims Against Crusades' – an apparent re-branding of previously proscribed groups – the answer seems to be 'yes'. Is it only full-time civil liberties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/silenced 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/silenced Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A High Court decision on council payments of elderly care fees could have huge implications across the country. A judge ruled that Sefton council in Merseyside acted illegally when it froze payments to a residential care homes two years ago. Most English councils will now have to review their budget decisions, though campaigners for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Council-freeze-on-care-home-payments-ruled-illegal 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Council-freeze-on-care-home-payments-ruled-illegal Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Will strike action force a Government re-think on changes to pensions? It's unlikely: ministers and the Treasury are convinced the current schemes are unsustainable and unaffordable in the long run, although the evidence is questionable. But the savings the changes will generate have been mentally factored in already by those in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fair-reward 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fair-reward Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Head Teachers has come out strongly in favour of strike action on the ‘day of action’ on November 30, with 75.8% voting in favour on a 53.6% turnout. The union’s general secretary, Russell Hobby, said: “I have spoken at length to many school leaders and not one has been anything other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Head-teachers-vote-to-strike-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Head-teachers-vote-to-strike-over-pensions Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Localism Bill has cleared Parliament and is on its way to Royal Assent. There were have been changes from the original intentions on councillors’ standards, the mayoral provisions, sustainable development and financial incentives on planning, and fixed-term tenancies in social housing. Decentralisation minister Greg Clark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Localism-Bill-to-become-law 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Localism-Bill-to-become-law Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT An independent report into the reforms of incapacity benefits suggests 600,000 will be “pushed out” of the system altogether, with the headline total of 2.6m people set to be cut by nearly 1m by 2014. Researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University said the changes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Academic-study-says-600000-could-lose-incapacity-benefit 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Academic-study-says-600000-could-lose-incapacity-benefit Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Commons Treasury Select Committee wants Parliament to be able to veto the appointment of Bank of England governors, for them to serve single eight-year terms, and for the governance of the Bank to be radically modernised. The ‘Court’ – the board of the Bank – should have 12 members down from 16, be renamed the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MPs-recommend-Bank-of-England-reform 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MPs-recommend-Bank-of-England-reform Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Just how effective are tougher border controls in actually preventing terrorism, crime, and illegal immigration – and how much is it all for show? The controversy over the relaxation of the more stringent checks – whoever gave it the green light – suggests that even the experts have their doubts. Either that, or a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-door 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-door Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Transport Select Committee has given its qualified backing to HS2, saying the network will provide a “step change in the capacity, quality, reliability and frequency of rail services between our major cities” – as long as it does extend north of Birmingham. The cross-party committee of MPs wants a “firm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Transport-committee-backs-HS2---with-caveats 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Transport-committee-backs-HS2---with-caveats Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT These latest allegations of poor management, added to recent criticism of backlogs in casework, are symptomatic of a much wider malaise at an agency in disarray. The UK Border Agency seems to operate a culture of no dissent, with staff afraid to speak out about the damaging impact of politically-motivated cuts and the problems they're... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/border-checks-allegations 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/border-checks-allegations Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many high-profile union strike ballots have their legitimacy questioned because of low turn-outs. This is especially true when politics is involved, as in Unison's strike ballot over the public sector pensions changes, where turnout was 29% – although the resounding 76% vote in favour from those who did participate has given less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legitimate-choice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legitimate-choice Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May is due to make a statement to the Commons today over the alleged relaxation of border controls over the summer to keep queues short. The head of the UK Border Agency, Brodie Clark, has been suspended while chief inspector of the agency John Vine conducts an inquiry into the allegations that hundreds of thousands... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/May-faces-Parliament-over-border-checks-row 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/May-faces-Parliament-over-border-checks-row Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Labour architect Philip Gould, a top strategist and “indispensable” aid to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, died yesterday from cancer. Lord Gould, who was 61, died at London’s Royal Marsden hospital with his family at his side. Labour leader Ed Miliband called him an “exceptional man” and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-Labour-strategies-Philip-Gould-dies 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-Labour-strategies-Philip-Gould-dies Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A shift to using cheaper metals in 5p and 10p coins, which will make them thicker and so unrecognisable by parking machines, will cost councils millions of pounds that could be better spent on road maintenance and concessionary bus travel, according to the LGA. The organisation wants the Treasury, which is making the change, to foot the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Treasury-should-pay-for-£55m-parking-machine-upgrades---LGA 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Treasury-should-pay-for-£55m-parking-machine-upgrades---LGA Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government wants to talk ‘directly’ to public sector workers about pensions changes because some unions are “hell-bent” on strike action and will not negotiate, according to chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander. The Lib Dem MP attacked the unions during an interview on the BBC Andrew Marr show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Unions-hell-bent-on-strikes---Alexander 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Unions-hell-bent-on-strikes---Alexander Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has warned that the planned changes to the way people register to vote, which would see household registration being replaced with individual registration, could result in large numbers of voters dropping off the electoral roll. The committee’s report says it welcomes the principle... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/MPs-highlight-risks-of-changes-to-voting-system 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/MPs-highlight-risks-of-changes-to-voting-system Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Youth dropout black spots have been highlighted across the UK, with high levels of young people not in education, work or training (Neet). Grimsby, Warrington, Wigan and Doncaster were revealed as places with almost 25% of all 16-24 year olds Neet. The Work Foundation report, conducted for the Private Equity Foundation, used data from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Neet-black-spots-highlighted 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Neet-black-spots-highlighted Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A 78% majority of the members of the largest public sector union, Unison, have voted to strike on November 30 over the local government pension scheme. The strike is being organised by the TUC and could involve members of 20 trade unions in the public sector, representing up to 2.5 million workers. If all these trade unions vote in favour... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Public-sector-strikes-to-go-ahead-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Public-sector-strikes-to-go-ahead-over-pensions Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Fines currently exist to ensure the head of a household registers all voters in their residence. If the voting system is changed to individual registration of voters, this penalty could be attributed to individuals. The ability to vote is a right, and while it is of the utmost importance that the public utilises this right, it is not an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/should-failing-to-register-to-vote-become-an-offence 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/should-failing-to-register-to-vote-become-an-offence Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new offer for unions on public sector pension reform could avert the strikes scheduled for the end of November. Talks have been ongoing for several months with little progress, and the Government has asserted that there will be no change to the key elements of the offer. Longer-term proposals could be affected, but whether this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anticipation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anticipation Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed a new tax on banking, as campaigners continue to camp outside St Paul’s cathedral as part of the Occupy London protest against financial inequality. In an article in today’s Financial Times, Rowan Williams wrote that the protest had drawn “an unexpectedly large number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Archbishop-backs-banking-tax 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Archbishop-backs-banking-tax Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers are set to outline an ‘enhanced offer’ to unions on public sector pensions. The two sides are holding a special meeting at the Cabinet Office to discuss the proposals. Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, will announce the offer, which is understood to focus on more generous accrual rates and higher... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/New-offer-for-public-sector-pensions 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/New-offer-for-public-sector-pensions Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT School carbon emissions are on the rise due to an increase in electricity consumption, according to new research. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Shinawatra University, Thailand, studied 25,000 Display Energy Certificates (DECs) from 2008-9, which show buildings’ annual energy performance. Combined with data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Schools-emissions-rising 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Schools-emissions-rising Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Growth of 0.5% is an unexpected piece of goods news for the economy. It is particularly encouraging to see growth in business services, which will be key to the recovery, although growth in the production sector of the economy remains relatively slow. But this good news does not disguise a labour market which has been in freefall over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/05-growth 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/05-growth Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s new anti-gang plans seek to intervene in the lives of young people at risk of becoming members, and help those already involved in gangs to escape. The Department for Work and Pensions aims to tackle 120,000 problem families in England and Wales, with the introduction of tougher policing for those refusing to give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-anti-gang-plans-revealed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-anti-gang-plans-revealed Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Eric Pickles wants councils to have more flexibility over council tax discounts for second home owners, allowing them to further reduce the discounts if they prefer. If councils cut the discounts offered to second home owners, this could reduce the typical band D tax bill paid by everyone else. Pickles said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Second-home-owners-discounts-could-be-cut- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Second-home-owners-discounts-could-be-cut- Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT A solar panel scheme run by partnership with E.ON and Nottingham City Council has just been completed in Aspley, providing cheaper energy for residents and training for engineers who did work experience on the project. It is one of the single largest domestic PV schemes ever delivered in the UK, with solar panels installed on 592 council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Solar-panels-project-provides-training-opportunities- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Solar-panels-project-provides-training-opportunities- Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is putting greater pressure on councils to speed up the process of placing a child with adoptive parents, as the national campaign ‘Give a Child a Home’ is launched today. Ministers could be set to impose a six month target from the parents’ decision to adopt a child, reduced from the current target of 12... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Councils-pressed-to-speed-up-adoption-process 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Councils-pressed-to-speed-up-adoption-process Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has been criticised for refusing to cut the number of ministers and aides, despite a report from Parliament’s public administration committee, published in March, that called for the number of ministerial and PPS posts to be reduced from 121 to 80. The committee argues that aides are used for votes in exchange for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Government-criticised-for-number-of-ministers-appointed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Government-criticised-for-number-of-ministers-appointed Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is facing criticism for failing to reduce the number of ministers and aides, many of whom are used more for votes than for any significant purpose, it has been argued. Obviously, at a time where efficiency is paramount and cuts are falling on all sectors, employees in parliament should also be held to account to ensure that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/less-is-more 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/less-is-more Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new Ofsted report, ‘Edging away from Care’, shows how services can successfully support young people at risk of entering care to stay with their families. The report was based on information from interviews with young people, their families and the managers and professionals who were delivering support in 11 local authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Edging-away-from-Care-report-published 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Edging-away-from-Care-report-published Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Figures from the Cabinet Office show that cuts to the number of civil servants receiving bonuses has saved £15m in six months, as only the top 24% performers in the service are now rewarded. A further £45m is reported to have been saved after reducing spending on Whitehall charge cards by enforcing more stringent controls... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/£15m-saved-in-Cabinet-Office-bonuses 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/£15m-saved-in-Cabinet-Office-bonuses Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report has shown the importance of working to keep children out of care unless it is necessary, with cost savings, improved behaviour and health. But should we be focusing on keeping children with their families, perhaps at the expense of spending more time and resources working with those who are currently in care? This approach... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/straight-to-the-source- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/straight-to-the-source- Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils and government departments could have to consider ‘social value’ when awarding contracts for services and works, if plans in of a private member’s bill are accepted. Conservative MP Chris White put forward the bill to encourage organisations to look at how developments could improve the economic, social and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Social-value-bill-could-change-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Social-value-bill-could-change-public-services Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Social value is obviously something to aspire to, and in an ideal world, would always come far higher in priority than getting public services as cheaply as possible. Yet councils and Government currently choose the option which presents the best value for money, as we are under severe financial pressure across all sectors. Can we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shifting-perspective 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shifting-perspective Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The largest ever Conservative rebellion over Europe took place last night, even though the Government won the vote against the proposal to hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. A large majority voted against holding a referendum, but there were 111 yes votes, including 79 Tory rebels, two abstainers and two tellers who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Largest-Tory-rebellion-over-vote-for-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Largest-Tory-rebellion-over-vote-for-referendum Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT So the Government won the vote, but at what cost? The massive Tory rebellion has demonstrated that many are unhappy with the current status of UK membership within the EU, and are willing to defy all levels of power – and abandon prospects for future abandonment, at least in this Parliament – to have their voices heard. Two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tarnished-victory 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tarnished-victory Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A dark fibre optic network has been installed to connect over 100 city council buildings in York. It forms part of a £13.7m, eight year project, and will provide super-fast connectivity, advanced telephony, video conferencing and a variety of urban traffic management services. Dark fibre refers to the practice of leasing fibre optic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/York-gets-dark-fibre-optic-network 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/York-gets-dark-fibre-optic-network Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Family and Parenting Institute has urged the Prime Minister to support proposals to improve working life for families, in a letter signed by charities representing working parents. This comes after news that the reforms recommended in the Government’s Modern Workplace consultation could be delayed or watered down. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fpi-supports-modern-workplace-reforms 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fpi-supports-modern-workplace-reforms Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new commitment has been launched to help small businesses meet waste management responsibilities and recycle more. The LGA is working in partnership to provide the ‘Local Authority Business Recycling & Waste Collection Commitment.’ It seeks to formalise the way councils work with local businesses, and includes a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-commitment-to-help-businesses-recycle 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-commitment-to-help-businesses-recycle Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT MPs are set to vote tonight on a referendum on the UK’s future relationship with the EU, in a non-binding vote that the Government will definitely win – but which has still exposed a deep fault line in the Conservative Party and angered many of its backbenchers. The motion, which calls for MPs to vote on a referendum in which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/No-10-faces-off-with-rebels-over-todays-EU-vote 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/No-10-faces-off-with-rebels-over-todays-EU-vote Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT In High Wycombe we have been offering peer-led parenting courses for years. We have a pack of acetates that the trainers use from Positive Parenting, which has been in existence for 25 years, and refine their materials regularly. We train interested parents to use the pack and have amazing feedback from the parents who attend the six week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parenting-classes 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parenting-classes Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The SNP has officially launched the campaign for Scottish independence, to be decided through a referendum, which will be held near the end of the five-year parliament. Campaign chief Angus Robertson told his party's conference yesterday: “Today, we are announcing that the independence referendum campaign is starting. “We... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/snp-independence-campaign-launched 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/snp-independence-campaign-launched Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Scottish National Party has announced the launch of its independence campaign, with the referendum set to be held towards the end of the five year parliament. Many are criticising the party for waiting so long, and are calling for the referendum to be brought forwards, but the more time the party has before the vote, the longer it has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-independence- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-independence- Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Tuition fees could be lowered at up to 28 universities from next year, according to the Office for Fair Access (Offa). Changes to Government policy in July have led these universities to express an interest in cutting fees to £7,500, with eight already taking steps to do so. The universities have until November 4 to submit new plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/28-universities-could-lower-fees 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/28-universities-could-lower-fees Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Half of all spending on ICT will be focused on cloud computing by the end of 2015, according to a new strategy document published by the Cabinet Office. Other goals include opening the Government Application Store by the end of 2012, with 50 accredited products available, and for 80% of Government telecommunications to be spent on systems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-computing-to-receive-half-of-ict-spending 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-computing-to-receive-half-of-ict-spending Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many disabled people could lose benefits under the planned welfare reform, according to the charity Scope, who argue that the new medical assessment for disabled adults is flawed. The proposed test for claimants’ need has been criticised for failing to take relevant factors into account, including unsuitable housing, inaccessible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-benefits-assessment-criticised- 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-benefits-assessment-criticised- Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that some universities are considering reducing their tuition fees in order to have access to vital student places will no doubt be received with mixed feelings. The fact that students will have to pay less is obviously a key benefit. But the uncertainty surrounding which universities are considering the reductions and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fluctuating-fees 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fluctuating-fees Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Longannet coal-fired power station in Fife will no longer receive funding for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, after partners voiced concerns about its commercial viability, and that it needed more state support. The Government had pledged £1bn towards the CCS project, but developers suggested £1.5bn was needed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/longannet-ccs-project-abandoned 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/longannet-ccs-project-abandoned Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Everything is going online these days, as the rush to get everyone on board struggles to keep up with the constant development of new technology. Providing the universal credit scheme via an online app could be much simpler for claimants to use, as long as their computer literacy allows them to do so. Would this format isolate and thus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paper-free 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paper-free Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ofsted is launching the website Parent View to give parents the opportunity to state their views on schools in England. A 12 question survey will cover issues like bullying and behaviour. The aim of the programme is to give parents a stronger voice in the rating of schools, and to help other parents decide where to send their children to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parent-review-website-launch 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parent-review-website-launch Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans to claim the new universal credit online have been announced, integrating tax credits and out-of-work benefits through an app. This forms part of the move towards a ‘digital culture’, the Government says, but some are concerned about the prospects of another large centrally-run IT programme. The programme is due to go... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universal-credit-to-be-launched-online 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universal-credit-to-be-launched-online Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Backbench MPs have agreed to hold a debate and vote on the proposition to hold a referendum on whether the UK stays in the EU. Conservative MP David Nuttall proposed the motion, which will be debated on October 27, concerning a referendum to be held in May 2013. The motion proposed says: “This House calls upon the Government to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-vote-on-call-for-eu-referendum 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-vote-on-call-for-eu-referendum Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Hundreds of schools across England are set to take part in a new national scheme to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills. Schemes will be piloted in 52 local authorities and almost 500 schools will take part in a ten month programme in which the Carbon Trust will offer free expert advice, new initiatives and cost effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scheme-for-schools-to-cut-energy-bills 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scheme-for-schools-to-cut-energy-bills Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Should the elderly be 'persuaded' out of their family homes by the financial incentives and tax breaks? This is what a certain charity is suggesting, to free up more space for younger people and larger families who would make use of the spare capacity. Many older people will have spare rooms for the rest of their family, who have now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spare-rooms 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spare-rooms Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Older people should be encouraged to move into smaller homes to help free up rooms, a new report suggests. The charity Intergenerational Foundation (IF) is calling for tax breaks to motivate downsizing. The report, based on Government figures, suggests that there are 25 million unused bedrooms in England, and 18 million in homes with at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-occupied-housing-in-england- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-occupied-housing-in-england- Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Trust has claimed that the Government’s planning reforms cannot be justified even by focusing on the predicted boost to economic growth. It states that there is ‘no evidence’ that relaxing the rules on development will help to improve the state of the economy. The draft National Planning Policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-reforms-not-proven-to-boost-economy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-reforms-not-proven-to-boost-economy Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Health professionals urged governments to act now to tackle the medical and security threats from climate changes at a meeting hosted by the BMJ yesterday. A statement released at the meeting calls for national governments to “strive to adopt climate change mitigation targets and policies that are more ambitious than their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pressure-on-climate-change-action 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pressure-on-climate-change-action Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans to create a scholarship scheme have been announced by Kirklees Council, in conjunction with the University of Huddersfield. The two bodies will each provide £75,000 funding to provide £3,000 scholarships for up to 50 full-time students in their first year of university. The scholarships will also significantly lessen the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scholarship-scheme-announced-in-huddersfield 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scholarship-scheme-announced-in-huddersfield Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Planning reforms; the key to economic success, or another opportunity to disregard the environment? The National Trust is arguing that there is no evidence to justify such severe changes, which it says will mean the default answer to planning proposals is always 'yes', threatening our green spaces. Yet they accept that simplification... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-threat 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-threat Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has called for action to cut energy bills faster and more effectively, ahead of a meeting with the big six power firms, consumer groups and the regulator Ofgem. The average household energy bill has risen by £300 over the last year, causing a squeeze on household budgets and concern at the top levels of Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-summit-aimed-at-cutting-prices 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-summit-aimed-at-cutting-prices Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, has pledged to ensure “robust” finances at the Ministry of Defence, following the resignation of Liam Fox on Friday. Fox resigned on Friday afternoon after facing weeks of pressure over his working relationship with his friend Adam Werritty. In a statement on Friday, Hammond... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammond-promises-robust-finances-at-mod 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammond-promises-robust-finances-at-mod Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Free parenting classes will be offered to parents in three areas of England next year, children’s minister Sarah Teather has announced. About 50,000 vouchers will be offered to parents with children under the age of six in Middlesbrough, High Peak and Camden. These vouchers are worth £100, and organisations will bid for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parenting-classes-trial-announced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parenting-classes-trial-announced Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A fair pension with contributions from both sides. For long term commitment, with loyalty and continued good will (on both sides), a good pension is essential. A pension is deferred pay. This Government seems intent on changing society forever, back to us and them, those that have and those that have not! The pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, has pledged to work with the six cities of Scotland on a wide range of issues, including discussions on connectivity, high speed rail and youth unemployment. He will work with the UK Government to make a positive impact, and to push Scotland higher up the European Cities Monitor, he... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-cities-pledge 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-cities-pledge Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The trial of parenting classes to start next year could greatly improve children's life chances, health and education, as well as helping parents to be more confident in their ability. Children's Minister Sarah Teather wants to eliminate the stigma related to asking for help. Parenting can be a difficult task, with little guidance given... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swallow-your-pride 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swallow-your-pride Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Bystrup’s innovative T-Pylon design has been unanimously agreed by the judging panel as the winner of the Pylon Design competition, which was run by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, National Grid, and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The winning design was unveiled this morning along with the other five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-pylon-design-competition-winner-announced 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-pylon-design-competition-winner-announced Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The number of top A-level grades could be limited, meaning students could be given a ranking compared with the others who took the same exam. Because there isn't enough competition between students already. Of course, the more students who achieve 'A' grades make it more and more difficult for Universities to choose effectively... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/best-of-the-best 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/best-of-the-best Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new equalities and cohesion fund has been created by Camden Council, in an attempt to provide better opportunities for Camden’s most vulnerable residents and communities. The fund, which aims to equalise the chances given to all of Camden’s sub-groups, will include mentoring for homeless people and better access to financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-breaks-down-the-barriers-to-equality 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-breaks-down-the-barriers-to-equality Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Wales Audit Office (WAO) has issued a report on public services revealing that the Welsh public sector is facing unprecedented levels of financial pressure, which could result in the loss of up to 21,000 public sector jobs in the next four years. The report, A Picture of Public Services in Wales, claims that the Welsh Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-public-sector-jobs-at-risk 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-public-sector-jobs-at-risk Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Louise Casey has been appointed to lead the Troubled Families Unit, the Government’s response to the summer riots. Casey will work in the Department of Communities with Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to oversee issues such as Britain’s 120,000 problem families, school truancy, antisocial behaviour and gangs. Having... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/casey-appointed-head-of-troubled-families-unit 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/casey-appointed-head-of-troubled-families-unit Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans have been announced to cut the number of Scottish MPs, as the size of the UK parliament is reduced. The Boundary Commission has published proposals to cut seven MSPs, reducing the total number from 59 to 52. A smaller commons is expected to save £12m per year, and will make the voting system fairer, as there is a more uniform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-scottish-constituencies-announced 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-scottish-constituencies-announced Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The public-private pay ‘gap’ has been reversed at the operative level, with salaries in the public sector rising by 13% more on average per year than their private sector counterparts over the last decade. Senior managers in private firms still earn a significant amount more than those working in the public sector, earning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-private-pay-gap-examined http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-private-pay-gap-examined Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Again MPs are complaining about the cuts to their numbers and the reshuffling of seats as the Boundary Commission seeks to reduce the size of the UK parliament. In Scotland, seven MSPs will be cut. Although Scotland has fewer representatives than England, this is still a small number of jobs, especially compared will all the cuts seen so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-all-need-to-make-sacrifices 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-all-need-to-make-sacrifices Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT London Councils have warned of the risks with the Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF) in its official evidence to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee. The proposals aim to reduce bureaucracy and promote growth through increased development, but the London Councils are concerned that a lack of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-london-councils-concerned-over-npff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-london-councils-concerned-over-npff Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords are set to vote on the Health & Social Care Bill this afternoon, following two days of debate, where 100 peers have stated they wish to speak. An amendment tabled by Lord Owen and Lord Hennessy could delay part of the legislation if it receives a majority in the House. It concerns the part of the Bill that deals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/house-of-lords-set-to-vote-on-health--social-care-bill 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/house-of-lords-set-to-vote-on-health--social-care-bill Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Planning Policy Framework has been criticised today, for opening the possibility of an increase in poor development. The new proposals would presume to agree to any planning applications, making the rejected developments an exception rather than the majority. Planning must undergo reform in order to increase development, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-wide 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-wide Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is concerned that the rate of cutting carbon emissions could be undermining the UK industry, as the rest of Europe is moving more slowly to combat climate change. Investment in low carbon industries should be our primary focus, rather than traditional industries which are compounding the problem of climate change and which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-lose-speed 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-lose-speed Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has warned the Government that a ‘schizophrenic’ attitude to climate change is undermining investment in low carbon industries. The UK originally committed to cutting emissions in half by 2025, with David Cameron stating that he wanted this to be the ‘greenest Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eac-urges-government-to-commit-to-cutting-emissions- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eac-urges-government-to-commit-to-cutting-emissions- Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Only 444 Government websites are still open, compared to 820 last year, the Cabinet Office has revealed. The total number of sites closed since the rationalisation programme began in 2010 is 1,526. This rationalisation followed recommendations that the Government published information via so many different websites that there was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-websites-close 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-websites-close Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK is set to see a large rise in poverty, due to a decline in incomes. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has released a report which predicts that 600,000 more children will be living in poverty by 2013. ‘Below the poverty line’ is defined as a household income of at least 60% less than the national average, and there... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rise-in-poverty-predicted 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rise-in-poverty-predicted Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that the public accounts committee has expressed concern over how the Department of Work and Pensions will cut running costs comes as no surprise. This is a hard enough task by itself, let alone when the organisation is as complex as the DWP and the costs run into billions of pounds. However, announcing the amount that will be cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dwp-budget 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dwp-budget Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Keith Bristow, the Chief Constable of Warwickshire, has been selected to head the new National Crime Agency (NCA), due to become fully operational next December. This follows the appointment of the previous front-runner, Bernard Hogan-Howe to the position of Met police commissioner. The Home Secretary Theresa May picked Bristow from a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/head-of-nca-appointed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/head-of-nca-appointed Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector workers and the Government continue to struggle over talks concerning changes to pensions, with very little progress made. Unison is currently conducting its largest ballot for industrial action which would take place on November 30, if voted through. Both sides seem far too stubborn for any changes to be made, which could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-compromise 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-compromise Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector job losses are far worse than forecast, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Their researchers say that the total cuts on public sector staff will be 50% higher than predicted. The number of jobs lost since April is five times larger than the figure that the Office for Budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-job-loss-estimates-too-low 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-job-loss-estimates-too-low Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT New proposals to close and reduce recycling centres in Essex County Council have been criticised by residents and councillors. The plans will see two sites close completely, and a further nine to have their opening days cut. The changes could save the council £500,000, yet opponents claim it will increase the amount of fly-tipping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-reduction-in-essex 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-reduction-in-essex Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unison has announced the biggest ever ballot for industrial action, with over one million public sector workers making the decision whether to strike over pensions. It is the first time the union has balloted all of its members, and is expecting a large ‘yes’ vote. Probation officers, nurses, teaching assistants, hospital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-announces-ballot-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-announces-ballot-over-pensions Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many disabled children in the UK are living in poverty, according to research by the Children’s Society. The Government is planning changes to welfare benefits, which the society says could harm disabled children. Four out of ten disabled children in the UK are currently living in poverty, which is defined as an income of less than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabled-children-living-in-poverty 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabled-children-living-in-poverty Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced £300m of extra childcare funding for families on low incomes working less than 16 hours per week. This means support could be extended to 80,000 families, who will be eligible from 2013. Families can currently get credits to cover 70% of their weekly childcare costs if they work over 16 hours a week. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-childcare-funding-announced 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-childcare-funding-announced Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband is reshuffling the Labour shadow cabinet for the first time since he was elected. Since a change of policy last week at the party conference, Miliband can now choose members of the shadow cabinet himself, rather than through elections every two years. Shadow business secretary John Denham and shadow health secretary John... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-shadow-cabinet-reshuffle 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-shadow-cabinet-reshuffle Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Providing childcare support for low-income families who work less than 16 hours a week will allow these families to get back into work – slowly – and to supplement their income whilst still caring for their children. Working full time with young children means those families must be able to afford expensive childcare costs. If... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-benefit-of-benefits 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-benefit-of-benefits Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of children are unofficially and illegally excluded from schools in an effort to maintain performance figures, according to children’s charity Barnado’s. This follows a report in September by the think tank Centre for Social Justice, which raised concerns that official statistics do not give an accurate picture of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concern-over-unofficial-exclusions 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concern-over-unofficial-exclusions Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) has awarded £55,000 to seven community groups and charities for innovative work on waste and recycling projects. The funding will allow this work to continue, with the aim of Manchester achieving zero waste to landfill. The projects have had a positive effect on the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gmwda-funds-recycling-projects 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gmwda-funds-recycling-projects Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two councils could establish a joint local authority company, controlled by both, to deliver environmental services and savings, as they are due to vote on the initiative next week. If Cheltenham Borough Council and Cotswold District Council cabinets agree to the scheme, the services could be launched next year, delivering waste, street... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-propose-merger-of-environmental-services- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-propose-merger-of-environmental-services- Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Further concern over unofficial exclusions of schoolchildren demonstrates that sometimes competition, and the pressure of having to perform and hit tough targets in order to retain funding, support and a good reputation, can actually harm the people it aims to help. If schools are unofficially excluding pupils to limit their affect on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unofficially-speaking 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unofficially-speaking Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Foreign Secretary, William Hague has warned that the opportunity to bring powers back from the EU to Britain could be “many years” away, and not under consideration at the moment. Many Conservatives would like Britain to disentangle itself from the EU, but the Liberal Democrats – and, some suspect, the Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-treaty-change-not-current-priority 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-treaty-change-not-current-priority Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Health Professions Council's Welsh Language Scheme has been approved, meaning that all public business will now be available in both English and Welsh. This is a great step for the Welsh language, which not so long ago was in real danger of becoming obsolete. As well as preserving the heritage of the country, this move could encourage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadening-horizons 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadening-horizons Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to tell the Conservative Party Conference that the debt crisis has been caused by individuals borrowing too much – debts which must now be paid off. The keynote speech will take place in Manchester today, and discuss the problems with the economy. According to early reports, Cameron will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-to-urge-householders-to-pay-off-debts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-to-urge-householders-to-pay-off-debts Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that personal budgets will be offered to patients receiving continuing healthcare by April 2014. The scheme will allow 50,000 patients to choose and direct their care by buying treatments from a private insurer. A pilot is running until October, with 1,300 patients to inform this wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/personal-budgets-announced-for-2014 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/personal-budgets-announced-for-2014 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Some councils cannot guarantee the continuation of weekly doorstep rubbish collections, even in the short term – despite the Government introducing a £250m fund to help them secure this. A survey by the Daily Telegraph found that 31 out of the 53 councils that responded could not guarantee the service until the next local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concern-raised-over-weekly-waste-collections 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concern-raised-over-weekly-waste-collections Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has stated that taxes will only be cut when the Government can afford it. In a speech to the Conservative Party conference, Osborne declared that there would be no deviation from the deficit reduction plan. Some of his Conservative colleagues have said that tax cuts would help boost growth and so ultimately help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-tax-cuts-osborne 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-tax-cuts-osborne Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May could have migrant criminals’ rights removed so they would no longer be able to avoid deportation by claiming their right to a family life – Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In a speech to the Conservative Party conference today, May will say that changes to the implementation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposals-to-axe-rights-under-article-8 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposals-to-axe-rights-under-article-8 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition is under strain again this week, as the Conservatives pull one way with the Human Rights Act, and the Liberal Democrats stretch in the other. David Cameron and Theresa May have stated their wish to remove the Act, replacing it with a British Bill of Rights. The latest news includes proposals to make changes to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-right-replacement 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-right-replacement Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the reintroduction of the ‘right to buy’ scheme to boost the economy. The policy, first introduced under Margaret Thatcher, provides discounts to encourage council house tenants to buy their own homes. The scheme was criticised for cutting the social housing stock available to tenants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-to-buy-plans-reintroduced 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-to-buy-plans-reintroduced Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed a pledge, made in opposition, to extend the council tax freeze to 2012-2013. The Government will use £805m of central funding, produced through efficiency measures and elimination of waste in Whitehall, to pay for the freeze. The money will be offered to councils that limit spending rises... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-extended 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-extended Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May has said she would like the Human Rights Act to be scrapped, just weeks after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had maintained that it was going to remain. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, May said: “I’d personally like to see the Human Rights Act go because I think we have had some problems... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-would-like-human-rights-act-to-be-scrapped 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-would-like-human-rights-act-to-be-scrapped Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT A former chief inspector of schools has suggested that the leaving age should be lowered to 14 to help less academic students to get practical training and into jobs. It is obviously true that some children are more talented at traditional academic subjects such as English and Maths than others. Pupils who are not interested in learning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/practical-solutions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/practical-solutions Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT Sir Chris Woodhead, a former chief inspector of schools in England, has suggested that the leaving age for compulsory education should be cut to 14, in order to allow less academic students a better chance to learn a trade. Woodhead asserted that it would be more beneficial to help children learn skills which could provide them with a job... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/students-should-leave-school-at-14 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/students-should-leave-school-at-14 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT The carrier bag charge starting in Wales tomorrow has led to a large amount of confusion for shoppers – and quite some opposition. Most people seem to think the money will be going straight to the Government, which can explain some of the reluctance to accept the charge: it's actually going to charitable causes. Yet others were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baggage 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baggage Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Navy has issued its first 1,000 redundancy notices as part of a move by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to cut 22,000 armed forces jobs by 2015 to save £5bn. The Royal Navy is cutting its manpower by 5,000 to 30,000. A voluntary redundancy scheme was offered, with 810 applicants taking it up. However, this was not enough, so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mod-cuts-1000-royal-navy-jobs 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mod-cuts-1000-royal-navy-jobs Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Money for councils to reinstate weekly rubbish collections Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has defended plans to offer councils financial support to restore or maintain weekly rubbish collections – a longstanding Conservative policy that he has so far failed to implement in Government. A £250m fund will be set up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-for-councils-to-reinstate-weekly-rubbish-collections- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-for-councils-to-reinstate-weekly-rubbish-collections- Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ofsted has tightened the rules for schools to be awarded the ranking of ‘outstanding’, after concern that many who are rated so highly do not actually deserve it. The new rules will focus on pupils’ behaviour and reading ability, as well as the quality of teaching provided. Education Secretary Michael Gove called it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ofsted-to-have-stricter-standards 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ofsted-to-have-stricter-standards Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT There are five times more centenarians living in the UK today than in 1980, with 12,640 adults reaching the age of a hundred, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows. The research has been released to coincide with Older People’s Day on October 1. Major contributions to this increase are due to the improved survival... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/five-times-more-centenarians-than-in-1980 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/five-times-more-centenarians-than-in-1980 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that there are more centenarians in the UK than ever before again demonstrates the reality of our increasingly ageing population. While it may be called progress that survival rates for people aged 80-100 have improved with better medical care, housing and general living conditions, it also leads to other problems, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/longer-living 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/longer-living Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police morale in Devon and Cornwall is low, according to a leaked internal survey that was seen by the BBC. The survey for summer 2011 received responses from almost 3,000 participants, which accounts for 51% of officers and support staff in the area. The survey showed that 43% believed the force was a good place to work, down from 63% in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-morale-drop-in-devon-and-cornwall 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-morale-drop-in-devon-and-cornwall Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Overcharging from the Student Loans Company (SLC) has been found to be increasing, with one graduate paying £96,000 more than their original debt. BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours programme found that the SLC has repaid over £107m to graduates who had already cleared their student debt. Last year, £22m was paid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slc-overcharging-graduates 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slc-overcharging-graduates Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband is the latest to speak out about the need for a fundamental culture change within Britain. Some MPs are starting to voice criticism of the way our society thinks and acts, and are calling for action to remedy this. But changing a culture is more difficult than changing policy, which is by no means simple. First the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/culture-change 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/culture-change Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour plans to set up an independent review of policing in England and Wales, to examine modern policing challenges and how the best response to this can be managed. The review will be led by the former Metropolitan Police Chief Lord Stevens, and should report before the next general election in 2015. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-plans-police-review 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-plans-police-review Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband has called for a new kind of society, where responsible people are properly rewarded. At the Labour party conference in Liverpool, he stated that: “I’m my own man, and I’m going to do things my own way.” He voiced his determination to regain trust on the economy, and promised to fight to create a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-calls-for-a-new-society 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-calls-for-a-new-society Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The environment minister for Northern Ireland, Alex Attwood, has proposed to cut the blood alcohol limit for driving from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml. Plans also include a lower limit of 20mg/100ml for young drivers and people who earn their living by driving. The 50mg limit is the law in several other EU countries, but would put NI on a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drink-drive-limit-to-be-lowered-in-ni 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drink-drive-limit-to-be-lowered-in-ni Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unions have asserted that their members will "never forgive" Labour if they fail to support their strikes against changes to public sector pensions. Ed Miliband has so far maintained that striking is a 'mistake', especially whilst talks between unions and the Government are ongoing. It is unclear how anyone could expect him to behave any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seeking-support 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seeking-support Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour’s proposal to lower the cap on university tuition fees has been criticised by liberal think tank Centre Forum, which suggests the change would be “regressive” as it would disproportionately benefit the richest graduates. Labour Leader Ed Miliband suggested that if the party was in power now, they would only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tuition-fee-changes-would-benefit-rich-centre-forum 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tuition-fee-changes-would-benefit-rich-centre-forum Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unions put pressure on Labour for strike support Unison has insisted that Labour must back public sector strikes over pensions, or the party will never be forgiven. Labour leader Ed Miliband has previously refused to support industrial action, calling it a ‘mistake’ whilst talks were still ongoing. Discussion between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-put-pressure-on-labour-for-strike-support 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-put-pressure-on-labour-for-strike-support Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls will vow to spend any windfall from the sale of bank shares on paying off national debt, and to stick to strict spending rules in order to provide economic recovery. At the Labour conference in Liverpool, Balls is set to speak today on the economy, claiming that the pace of deficit reduction should be slower in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/balls-speaks-on-the-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/balls-speaks-on-the-economy Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that the public accounts committee has expressed concern over how the Department of Work and Pensions will cut running costs comes as no surprise. This is a hard enough task by itself, let alone when the organisation is as complex as the DWP and the costs run into billions of pounds. However, announcing the amount that will be cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-cutting 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-cutting Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband has stated that if Labour were in power today, a £6,000 cap would be placed on tuition fees for students. But when questioned over the party's commitment to this promise, he was unable to guarantee that this policy would be present in the Labour manifesto in 2015 for the general election. So what is the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empty-promises 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empty-promises Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT English wildlife is under threat, according to the 2011 State of Britain’s Mammals study, which investigates animal populations in the UK. Numbers of red squirrels and hedgehogs have greatly declined, with the number of hedgehogs falling from 30 million in 1950 to 1.5 million in 2011. Red squirrels are under threat of extinction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-wildlife-under-threat 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-wildlife-under-threat Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour Leader Ed Miliband has claimed that if the party was in power now, they would reduce tuition fees for students to a cap of £6,000 a year. Miliband told Andrew Marr that this would be partly funded by requiring graduates earning more than £65,000 to pay higher interest on their loans. Labour voted against tuition... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-would-reduce-tuition-fees-cap 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-would-reduce-tuition-fees-cap Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Labour Party would seek to make stalking a specific offence in England and Wales, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the party conference in a speech on Saturday. Current legislation only refers to harassment, yet according to the 2010-11 British Crime Survey, 18.1% of women have been a victim of stalking. Scotland introduced a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/specific-legislation-needed-for-stalking-yvette-cooper 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/specific-legislation-needed-for-stalking-yvette-cooper Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new scheme for processing MPs' expense claims has been proclaimed inefficient, with 38% of claims costing less money than the average cost of processing them. After the MPs' expenses scandal in 2009, a new system was introduced to stop abuse of public money. It seems that while it may be easier to reimburse MPs accurately, the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/covering-the-costs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/covering-the-costs Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans to cut the number of local councils in Northern Ireland from 26 to 15 by 2015 were revealed after executive ministers met on Thursday and received a draft programme for government. First Minister Peter Robinson claimed the plans “should see some more power going to local government”. He also said that “with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-councils-in-northern-ireland-to-be-cut- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-councils-in-northern-ireland-to-be-cut- Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Proposed police reforms starting next year are happening too quickly, and many key decision still have not been made, a report from the Home Affairs Select Committee states. The committee has called for a six month delay in the phasing out of the National Policing Improvement Agency, as the functions it fulfills have not yet been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-express-concern-over-police-reforms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-express-concern-over-police-reforms Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Employers has written to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles with its plan to save the Government £900m a year from public sector pensions without raising workers’ contributions for two years. The plan suggests that, starting in two years’ time, employees would have the option to either pay more into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pension-proposal-revealed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pension-proposal-revealed Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Nick Clegg promised to be an anchor to keep the Coalition on track in his closing speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Birmingham. He promised that he would ensure that the Conservatives stayed on centre ground, and affirmed that the Liberal Democrats decision to enter into government with them as the ‘right thing to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-pledges-to-anchor-government-to-centre-ground 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-pledges-to-anchor-government-to-centre-ground Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Head teachers are set to vote on whether to take strike action against the reductions to their pensions. The date for the ballot has been announced as September 29 with the result due on November 9. It is the first time the National Association of Head Teachers has been balloted for strike action, and this move forms part of wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/head-teachers-ballot-date-set 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/head-teachers-ballot-date-set Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that one in ten parents believes it is appropriate for a child as young as four to own a mobile phone is both concerning and ridiculous. The majority of parents cite wanting to keep in touch with the children as the main reason for purchasing a mobile for their children. Kids under ten rarely go anywhere these days without either... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/phones-for-all 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/phones-for-all Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector borrowing for August was a record £15.9bn, higher than the predicted figure of £13bn, according to the Office for National Statistics. It was also found that Government borrowing for previous months was lower than originally thought, although economists still consider it likely that Chancellor George Osborne will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-hits-record-high 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-borrowing-hits-record-high Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT College enrolment has ‘slowed’ after scrapping of EMA Principals suggest that the Government’s move to cut the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) has led to a shortage of pupils enrolling in colleges this year. EMA was aimed at 16-19 year old students from poor families, and paid up to £30 a week to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/college-enrolment-has-slowed-after-scrapping-of-ema 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/college-enrolment-has-slowed-after-scrapping-of-ema Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Principals and the Association of Colleges have blamed a 'slowing' in college enrolment on the scrapping of EMA. Yet it is not even clear that such a downturn exists; rates of enrolment continue to vary across the country, and can be attributed to a whole host of different factors. The new funding replacement for EMA has also been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/laying-the-blame 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/laying-the-blame Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Energy Secretary Chris Huhne will pledge to ‘get tough’ over energy prices at the Liberal Democrats Conference today. Huhne wants to make it easier for customers to understand which deal is best for them and how to switch to a different provider. Other aims include giving more powers to the regulator Ofgem to manage firms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pledge-on-energy-chris-huhne 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pledge-on-energy-chris-huhne Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Speaking at the Liberal Democrats party conference this weekend, Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has pledged to ensure the country’s wealthiest people pay their taxes while raising more lower-paid people out of income tax entirely. Alexander has announced a crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion, ensuring the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-the-wealthy-to-save-the-poor-lib-dems 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-the-wealthy-to-save-the-poor-lib-dems Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT A senior Conservative MP has called for David Cameron to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin and one of two secretaries of the backbench 1922 committee, has proposed that the UK should review whether it should be part of a political union or have a trade-only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/calls-for-referendum-on-britains-membership-to-the-eu 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/calls-for-referendum-on-britains-membership-to-the-eu Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Liberal Democrat party president Tim Farron has indicated that the Coalition is unlikely to last past the next general election, calling it a “temporary” arrangement. Speaking at the party conference, he also criticised the Conservatives on several aspects of policy, including their stance on taxes. Farron, MP for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/coalition-divorce-inevitable-tim-farron 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/coalition-divorce-inevitable-tim-farron Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT I feel I have to make a point on the above article ('Change is hard', Blog, September 13). MPs are angry that some of them will lose their £65K a year jobs and make the remaining jobs harder? It's a shame they didn't think this way when they approved the Government's plans to make 400,000 valuable public sector employees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-the-number-of-mps 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-the-number-of-mps Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Recycling policy in the UK is facing a legal challenge on whether household waste should be separated by the householder or whether ‘co-mingling’ can continue. The Campaign for Real Recycling (CRR) has won an application for a judicial review of the UK’s interpretation of the EU’s revised waste framework directive.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-policy-under-review 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-policy-under-review Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrat party conference this weekend has seen the rise of several new fractures within the Coalition Government, and the party president has predicted that an 'inevitable divorce' will occur before the next general election, set for 2015. Disagreements on taxes, riots and EU membership are adding to the pressure as the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-truth-hurts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-truth-hurts Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Council carbon cuts are mostly due to the recession, not green policies, according to Friends of the Earth – meaning that emissions will rise again when the economy recovers. Government statistics published yesterday show that carbon emissions have fallen by almost 13% since 2005. Local councils have influence over approximately 80%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carbon-cut-due-to-recession-not-green-action 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carbon-cut-due-to-recession-not-green-action Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT An adoption charity is launching a new project, funded by Children in Need, to support young adopted people in Wales. TALKadoption will provide them with the chance to meet others who understand and share their experiences in a safe, supportive and non judgemental environment. After Adoption has developed the project after a successful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-adoption-project-launched 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-adoption-project-launched Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Parents believe teachers should be tougher on pupils, with almost half in favour of corporal punishment being reintroduced to schools, a survey shows. More than 2,000 parents were questioned by YouGov for the Times Educational Supplement, with 49% found to support corporal punishment. However when specifically asked about ‘smacking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teachers-should-be-tougher 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teachers-should-be-tougher Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The results from a new survey on parent and student opinion on the level of discipline teachers employ has concerned human rights groups, with 40% of parents surveyed in favour of re-instigating corporal punishment. The majority believed teachers needed to be tougher when dealing with pupils. Another key finding was the acknowledgement of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/toeing-the-line- 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/toeing-the-line- Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT UK parents spend too little time with their children and try to make up for it by spending too much on them, according to research by Ipsos MORI. Parents are also particularly susceptible to consumer pressure to buy the latest products to ensure their children fit in. The survey found that, especially with poorer families, UK adults were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consumer-pressure-for-uk-parents 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consumer-pressure-for-uk-parents Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT New research shows that parents in the UK are spending money they can't really afford to ensure their children don't face bullying for lacking expensive, fashionable material products. Succumbing to brand pressure means entering an endless battle to keep up with the latest trends. There will always be someone with more than you. There... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/material-world 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/material-world Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector job cuts continue, putting 110,000 out of work in the second quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics. The total number of jobless people rose by 80,000 between April and June this year. The public sector job losses have been five times greater than predicted by the OBR, as in March, 20,000 were expected to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-job-cuts-continue 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-job-cuts-continue Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to promise an increase in the speed of infrastructure development in an attempt to revive flagging economic growth in a speech at the London School of Economics today. Some have characterised the focus on infrastructure spending as the Coalition’s ‘Plan A+’ for the economy – a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-supports-infrastructure-spending 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-supports-infrastructure-spending Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Reforms to liberalise England’s planning system have continue to attract mass opposition from environmental and countryside groups, and people living in areas directly affected. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) aims to cut 1,000 pages of policy to just 52, which the Government says will simplify the process and deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-reform-met-with-criticism 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-reform-met-with-criticism Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector workers may hold mass walkouts in November over the increased contributions to pensions the Government is asking for. At the TUC conference, Unison’s leader Dave Prentis announced that his members would be balloted on strike action. Prentis said: “We've had enough. We've been patient, co-operative and we must say... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-threatens-mass-strikes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-threatens-mass-strikes Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT It seems no-one at the TUC conference was listening to Ed Miliband as he denounced the use of strikes as a 'failure' yesterday. The unions have announced that they will be balloting members for coordinated strike action to take place this November. After eight months of talks and negotiations, it is clear that this is no lackadaisical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/somethings-got-to-give 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/somethings-got-to-give Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The proposed shake-up of MPs' seats has resulted in many angry politicians opposing plans to divide up their constituencies. Reorganising the current system would allow fairer representation for all parties, which would replace seats where it is easier for certain parties to win. The only reason this wasn't implemented from the start... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-is-hard 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-is-hard Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour leader Ed Miliband warned unions against striking at the TUC conference yesterday, and was heckled for his stance on the public sector pension strikes that took place this summer. Miliband labelled it a ‘mistake’ to strike whilst talks were ongoing, and advised the union movement that it must change, and consider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-heckled-for-opposing-public-sector-strikes- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-heckled-for-opposing-public-sector-strikes- Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Bernard Hogan-Howe has been named the new chief commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, after interviews with Home Secretary Theresa May and Mayor of London Boris Johnson yesterday. Hogan-Howe, previously chief constable of Merseyside police, has been hired for a five year contract, at £260,000 per year. The big issues he will face... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-met-commissioner-named 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-met-commissioner-named Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Boundary Commission review into cutting the number of MPs from 650 to 600 and equalizing seat sizes is worrying many politicians in Westminster this morning as they chew over the impacts on their own constituencies and majorities. A rough analysis of the changes would see the Lib Dems losing proportionally the most seats – as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/senior-mps-seats-threatened-by-boundary-commission-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/senior-mps-seats-threatened-by-boundary-commission-review Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The blog is interesting and raises some important issues. The "health and safety gone mad" issue is much quoted and much misunderstood in that what I do as a professional health and safety adviser, namely assist my employer to meet their legal obligations and protect people from being harmed because of work activities, and the rampant fear of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-and-safety-in-schools 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-and-safety-in-schools Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Civitas' new report shows how pension providers manipulate the ignorance of the customer in charging extortionate fees and hiding this essential information in the small print. Pensions have long been considered boring and complicated, yet necessary due to the guaranteed annual income at the end of it all. Yet the abolition of a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-costs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-costs Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new Metropolitan Police commissioner could be selected and announced as early as tonight. Home Secretary Theresa May and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will conduct final interviews today with the four candidates. These have been recommended by the Metropolitan Police Authority, and have been ranked in order of preference. May... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-met-chief-could-be-announced-today 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-met-chief-could-be-announced-today Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new report on the defined contribution pension scheme has branded it too confusing for consumers. Think tank Civitas’ report, ‘You’re on your own’, also reveals that typical management charges can cost a pension a third of its total value. This scheme has replaced the old defined benefit model, which guaranteed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-reform-unclear-civitas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-reform-unclear-civitas Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Sheffield has been ranked the top city in Britain for adding the most solar power generation per household, a new league table shows. Northern cities topped the league for solar power generation, with Leeds coming second. London has added the most renewable solar power in absolute terms, with more than 3.2 megawatts in the 15 months since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-top-for-solar-power 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-top-for-solar-power Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The TUC conference, which begins today in London, will focus on government spending cuts, and union leaders are threatening mass strike action unless there is a serious rethink in Government policy on spending cuts and pensions reform. Unite, which represents 1.5 million workers, is calling for strikes and civil disobedience to fight cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-action-possible-against-public-sector-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-action-possible-against-public-sector-cuts Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government target of cutting 400,000 public sector jobs is ‘easily manageable’, according to think tank Reform. It has issued a report called ‘Reformers and Wreckers’, including eight case studies which demonstrate public sector companies delivering improved services with fewer, better staff. The TUC... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-public-sector-job-cuts-achievable-say-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-public-sector-job-cuts-achievable-say-reform Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Think tank Reform's assertion that 400,000 public sector job cuts could easily be achieved has been met by anger from trade unions who declare they have no respect for workers, and do not consider the escalating rate of unemployment. Yet it seems that Reform have a point. The Government is not making these cuts to be spiteful. They are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/necessary-sacrifices 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/necessary-sacrifices Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police in Birmingham are undergoing pro-active training in response to the recent riots. The force was criticised for failing to react quickly to the disorder, and many officers felt frustrated at their restriction to act. The new training includes focusing on arrests and a wider use of Taser guns to temporarily incapacitate offenders.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-training-updated-after-riots 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-training-updated-after-riots Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Britain’s ageing road and rail networks are damaging investment, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) argues. They suggest that cutting infrastructure spending as part of austerity measures would be a mistake, and would damage Britain’s competitiveness. A survey of businesses conducted by KPMG found that 58% think... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transport-infrastructure-needs-improvement-cbi 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transport-infrastructure-needs-improvement-cbi Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The use of IT and new technology is highly restricted in the public sector, which experts now say is preventing modernisation. Limits are placed on worker's access to the internet in order to avoid distractions and misuse within working hours. It is very easy for someone to take advantage of free access, waste their time and possibly harm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/freedom-of-search 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/freedom-of-search Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Environment Agency is providing support for businesses and communities to adapt to future climate change. Experts working in key sectors such as health, as well as businesses and planners, are being asked to submit their views to help shape the new Adapting to Climate Change Programme, which is launched today. Environment Agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-to-adapt-to-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-to-adapt-to-climate-change Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Red tape is restricting IT in the public sector, a panel of experts suggest. The group of public sector professionals believe that opportunities with innovative technology are being missed due to barriers in implementation. Fear often stops businesses making use of this technology, as it can be easily misused. Companies restrict the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-it-is-restricted-say-experts 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-it-is-restricted-say-experts Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT A parliamentary report has been launched by the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group to explain how and why the UK must invest £8bn in waste infrastructure by 2020. Jamie Reed MP, Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a speech yesterday that the report should be read by both local industries... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-must-invest-8bn-in-waste-infrastructure 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-must-invest-8bn-in-waste-infrastructure Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councillors have called for more money to repair winter damaged roads, according to a new survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). The survey, published yesterday, found that over half of the councillors who responded said the £200m emergency government funding announced in early 2011 had allowed short-term repair work, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-necessary-for-road-repairs-say-councillors 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-necessary-for-road-repairs-say-councillors Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new AIA survey shows that 90% of local councillors believe that the condition of their local road network remains an issue in their area and are calling for more funding for repairs. While a third have realised that more money from the Government is unlikely, 44% are insistent the funding should be the Government's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-priorities 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-priorities Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT A local council, NHS hospital and a FTSE 250 company have formed a new partnership to provide more affordable energy to tackle fuel poverty. The outsourcing and energy services company MITIE’s new energy plant at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead will pipe surplus heat to a new energy centre and up to 1,500 council homes in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/partnership-to-tackle-fuel-poverty-launched 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/partnership-to-tackle-fuel-poverty-launched Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT New measures allowing employers to take on large numbers of apprentices more easily have been announced by the Skills Minister John Hayes today. The announcement is in response to the results of a review led by the Employer Reference Group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and large companies, including BT and TUI... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/red-tape-cut-for-apprenticeships 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/red-tape-cut-for-apprenticeships Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Free schools will not be allowed to be run for profit, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will say in a speech today, after he vetoed the proposal. But Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove has declined to rule out bringing in profit-making schools in the future, telling BBC1’s Andrew Marr programme: “I'm a pragmatist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-maintains-free-schools-not-for-profit 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-maintains-free-schools-not-for-profit Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Edinburgh University is discussing changes in its fees for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This follows the University of Aberdeen raising tuition fees to £9,000 per year, with the fourth year free. Students from Scotland do not have to pay any fees. Robin Parker, president of the National Union of Students in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-to-raise-fees-for-non-scottish-students 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-to-raise-fees-for-non-scottish-students Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Downing Street advisors have suggested that green energy policies could add up to £300 to annual household energy bills by the end of the decade. Ben Moxham, David Cameron's senior policy adviser on energy and environment, wrote a note titled ‘Impact of our energy and climate policies on consumer energy bills’, warning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-energy-policies-could-add-30-to-bills 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-energy-policies-could-add-30-to-bills Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Instead of Cameron and Miliband attempting to come over as hard men to satisfy the average Middle England Daily Mail reader, suggesting that benefits are stopped and evictions from homes are what is required for those that rebel against an unjust state, they should focus what intellect they have on the root causes. It is the very fact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/policy-response-to-the-riots 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/policy-response-to-the-riots Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Rural England pays higher council tax and receives less government funding compared with urban communities, a study by the Rural Service Network (RSN) has found. The statistics suggest rural councils get approximately 50% less government grants and run fewer public services, yet households in those areas pay around £100 more per year in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rural-england-gets-less-and-pays-more 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rural-england-gets-less-and-pays-more Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government hopes to encourage ex-soldiers to take up teaching careers – and one free school in Manchester has taken this to extremes, pledging to employ only former soldiers without formal teaching qualifications. The intended headteacher of the Phoenix School is army captain Affan Burki, and the school may be set up on surplus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-former-soldiers-encouraged-to-teach 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-former-soldiers-encouraged-to-teach Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Convictions for sex offences on children have risen 60% in the last six years in England and Wales. According to data collected by a freedom of information request, 2,135 people were convicted in 2010. The rise in convictions has been attributed to better detection by police and raised awareness throughout the public. The crime is still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increased-convictions-for-sex-offences-on-children 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increased-convictions-for-sex-offences-on-children Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has called for tough, systematic intervention to deal with rioters and turn around the lives of thousands of problem families by 2015. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, focusing on the aftermath of last month’s riots, Cameron said: “For some of the children who've ended up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-promises-to-deal-with-problem-families 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-promises-to-deal-with-problem-families Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Michael Gove's suggestion that the regulation of force in schools should be changed to allow physical contact between teachers and pupils enters risky ground. Many would agree that with 'health and safety gone mad', there is too much restriction on teachers' ability to control children adequately, and concern over human rights has made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spare-the-rod 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spare-the-rod Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT Amendments to the current legislation concerning counselling for women seeking abortion seem set to fail, despite comments at the weekend from the Department of Health suggesting they would support the changes. But now Prime Minister David Cameron, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have all stated that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/abortion-amendment-rejected-by-pm 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/abortion-amendment-rejected-by-pm Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT There were about 656,000 fly-tipping incidents in England and Wales in the last year, costing the taxpayer £40m, according to statistics from the Countryside Alliance. The information came from councils after Freedom of Information requests, and shows that there are over 75 incidents per hour of people illegally dumping rubbish in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fly-tipping-costs-taxpayer-40m 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fly-tipping-costs-taxpayer-40m Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT England’s first 24 free schools are soon to open, with the majority starting classes next week. They are semi-independent schools, fully funded by the Government, and have been introduced to improve standards and improve parent choice. Free schools are not obliged to follow the National Curriculum, can vary the conditions and pay of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-to-open-next-week 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-to-open-next-week Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT The gender pay gap has increased, with another 98 years before equal pay is reached, according to a report by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Women’s pay rose by an average of 2.8% over the year, higher than men’s 2.3%, and junior female managers now earn more than their male counterparts. However, for female... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gender-pay-gap-widens 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gender-pay-gap-widens Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new analysis demonstrates that inflation would cut a pensioner’s income by 60% over a 20 year retirement if they took fixed benefits now. Pensioners are considered to be particularly vulnerable to inflation, as they tend to spend more on high inflation goods, such as food and fuel. Prudential found that the average pensioner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inflation-could-cut-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inflation-could-cut-pensions Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new project in Manchester seeks to improve understanding of people’s recycling habits in order to reach a target of 50% recycling by 2015. The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) has already completed the first stage of the project, which involved sorting waste to establish what materials people throw away and what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/project-investigates-waste-and-recycling-habits 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/project-investigates-waste-and-recycling-habits Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The number of people who remain unaware of the impending pension reforms need further clarification, and quickly. Over 50% of 2,000 workers surveyed were ignorant of the automatic enrolment that will come into force next year, and the proportion was even higher among the youngest workers. They will be enlisted into a scheme in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spreading-the-word 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spreading-the-word Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Civilian staff protesting against cost-cutting by Nottinghamshire Police are on a 24-hour walkout today. Further strike action is planned for Friday and members of the union Unison are also being asked to work to rule from 31 August until further notice. Nottinghamshire Police plans to cut £46m by 2015, and the first stage of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civilian-police-staff-strike-in-nottinghamshire 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civilian-police-staff-strike-in-nottinghamshire Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The first 24 free schools open next month, after having received fast-track public funding. The schools have been set up by parents, faith groups and academy trusts in church halls, listed buildings and other temporary locations. The overall budget for the schools has been estimated to be between £110 and £130m. They were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-funded 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-funded Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The shortage in affordable housing is increasing rent prices and negatively affecting ownership rates, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF). The Government says that it has made more public land available for building, and is investing £4.5bn into new low cost homes over the next four years – although the NHF... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-market-hit-hard 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-market-hit-hard Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Raven reported on June 1 of the 'screening out' of serious crimes that is seemingly becoming routine across Britain's police forces. One of the examples was Devon and Cornwall Police who, a Freedom of Information request found, screened out approximately one in five reported sexual offences, labelling them as needing no further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-openness-required 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-openness-required Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has defended UK human rights laws, and states that he will not allow them to be weakened if legislation is renegotiated. Prime Minister David Cameron and the Conservatives have previously suggested scrapping the Human Rights Act in favour of a British ‘bill of rights’, thus renegotiating our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clegg-defends-uk-human-rights-law 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clegg-defends-uk-human-rights-law Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is launching new social impact bonds in order to help poor and disadvantaged families in the UK. Private investors, voluntary organisations and charities will be asked to put cash into bonds, and will get paid a return for projects that are successful. The scheme is set to be trialled next year in London, Birmingham and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-impact-bonds-launched-to-tackle-deprivation 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-impact-bonds-launched-to-tackle-deprivation Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT North Tyneside council and energy provider E.on have announced a joint project to fit solar panels to council house roofs and public buildings. This should lead to savings for the tenants as well as reducing the borough’s carbon footprint. Solar panels will be installed onto 3,000 homes and 100 public buildings, including leisure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solar-power-project-for-north-tyneside 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solar-power-project-for-north-tyneside Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Lucrative public sector contracts would only be given to companies that employ apprentices under an idea proposed by Labour. The party is calling for the private sector to provide more training opportunities for young people. The campaign will demand that the Government gives public sector contracts only to companies with apprenticeship... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labours-jobs-for-contracts-scheme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labours-jobs-for-contracts-scheme Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT There are concerns for Scotland’s public services, according to a report by Audit Scotland. The watchdog estimates the budget for 2011/12 will be £27.5bn, which is a drop of 6%, or £1.7bn. The worst case scenario would be a drop of 11%. Public services may struggle to achieve these required savings, as few managers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-public-services-under-pressure 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-public-services-under-pressure Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior representatives from the major social networks will meet Home Secretary Theresa May today to discuss their role in the riots. Representatives from Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry are expected to attend, and will consider how to stop people from planning violence online. Ministers and the police are looking into limiting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-networks-in-talks-over-riots 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-networks-in-talks-over-riots Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that the number of youths not in education, employment or training (the so-called 'neets') is increasing, suggests that perhaps Labour is onto something with their 'jobs for contracts' scheme. With 18.4% of 18-24 year olds officially 'neet', something must be done. Providing incentives (bribes) for large public sector companies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-work-is-not-enough 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-work-is-not-enough Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Southwark Council has sent 35 letters warning tenants charged over the riots that they may be evicted. Anyone who has been convicted is in breach of their tenancy agreement, as they are forbidden to cause nuisance, damage property or engage in anti-social or criminal activity, the council says. Southwark councillor Ian Wingfield... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-warns-tenants-of-eviction-after-riots 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-warns-tenants-of-eviction-after-riots Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Financial services firms do not respond effectively to projects in difficulty, according to a new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The research explored how financial services firms and project sponsors only identify and deal with projects when they are in serious trouble, with 35% either waiting until it has become critical... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-services-firms-delayed-responses 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-services-firms-delayed-responses Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt has stated that the prisons can cope with the short term rise in numbers, and there will be no long term effects on the system in England and Wales. With so many rioters having being arrested but not granted bail - at the request of the police – the number of inmates reached a record level last Friday... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prisons-can-cope-says-minister 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prisons-can-cope-says-minister Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The delays reported from financial services firms reflect a common human failing. If something is going wrong, we would rather hide our heads in the sand, pretend it isn't happening, and hope for a miracle. The practical path of actually doing something productive to stop or reverse project failure is too much effort, and more importantly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rose-tinted-glasses 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rose-tinted-glasses Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has decided that carrot is better than stick when it comes to encouraging recycling, and has launched a new scheme offering incentives for residents who do their bit. The new initiative offers residents Nectar points, which can be redeemed for rewards at stores including Sainsbury’s, Homebase and Argos.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-offers-rewards-for-recycling 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-offers-rewards-for-recycling Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Less than half of UK children read a novel outside the classroom every month, according to a survey by the National Literacy Trust survey. The Trust investigated the reading habits of 18,000 schoolchildren aged 8-17, and found they were more likely to read text messages or emails than fiction. Other findings included that almost one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-prefer-to-read-emails-than-fiction 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-prefer-to-read-emails-than-fiction Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Council chief executives have received large pay rises in the last year and stand accused by ministers of “finding elaborate ways to hike their pay through the back door”. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that 16 out of the 25 highest paid chiefs have received pay rises in the last year. Additionally, those who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-chiefs-get-pay-rises-despite-austerity 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-chiefs-get-pay-rises-despite-austerity Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many schoolchildren only read texts, or websites, instead of novels, a new survey has shown. With the rise of social media and the 'information age', this format's appeal is understandable. However, it is saddening and worrying to realise that so many children are missing out on reading fiction. Reading allows you to learn things... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rewriting-the-book 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rewriting-the-book Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has written to the leaders of the local authorities and fire authorities affected by this month’s riots and looting, outlining the support package available. The measures include a £10m recovery fund for clean-up and safety work, and to make road repairs where necessary, as well as to offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-get-details-of-riots-recovery-package 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-get-details-of-riots-recovery-package Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The cycling industry is providing a massive boost to the economy, according to researchers at the London School of Economics (LSE). In 2010, 3.7 million cycles were sold, with over a million people taking up cycling. This brings the total number of cyclists in the UK to 13 million. More people working in cycling also contribute to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cycling-industry-worth-3bn-to-uk-economy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cycling-industry-worth-3bn-to-uk-economy Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT ‘Lane rental’ schemes for utility companies to incentivise them to do roadworks at quieter periods are being planned by the Department for Transport. Local authorities would be able to charge the utility companies for disrupting traffic at peak periods – rather than applying a standard daily rate, as happened in a 2002-4... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-plans-new-lane-rental-roadworks-scheme 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-plans-new-lane-rental-roadworks-scheme Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that many employment organisations could end up completely missing their targets for getting long-term unemployed people into work is obviously disappointing, if it means they fail to invest for the future. Today's think tank research suggests that 90% of the companies involved are likely to fail to hit even the minimum threshold... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/setting-your-targets-too-high 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/setting-your-targets-too-high Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unrealistically challenging targets for employment companies being paid by results to get the long-term jobless into work could lead to the scheme’s collapse, according to a new report. The Social Market Foundation (SMF), a strong backer of the general principle of payment-by-results in employment, nonetheless expects at least 90%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-programme-targets-unachievable-think-tank 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-programme-targets-unachievable-think-tank Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour has launched a campaign to stop the planned badger cull in England. After years of debate and controversy, the Government has now come down in favour of shooting badgers to stop the spread of tuberculosis in cattle. Bovine TB is estimated to cost the UK agricultural sector about £100m per year, with particular hotspots... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaign-against-badger-cull-launched 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaign-against-badger-cull-launched Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects are ‘poor value for money’, say MPs on the Treasury Select Committee, arguing that it is no more efficient than other forms of borrowing, and does not shield the taxpayer from the risk associated with projects going wrong. PFI was introduced in 1992 as a way of paying for major... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-criticise-pfi-projects 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-criticise-pfi-projects Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The prison population has been rising by 100 a day over the past week due to the high conviction rate of rioting cases. In England and Wales, prison numbers have risen by 677 to 86,608 in the six days up to Thursday. The Prison Governors Association warned that jails could run out of space if they continued to fill up at this rate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prison-population-increasing-dramatically 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prison-population-increasing-dramatically Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Controversy over the Government's plans to undertake a badger cull has emerged with Labour's campaign against it. The longstanding problem of TB in cattle has had farmers calling for a solution for years, yet this is opposed by animal rights and wildlife campaigners, those who are dubious over the effectiveness of the chosen method... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/to-cull-or-not-to-cull 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/to-cull-or-not-to-cull Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The A level pass rate has risen for the 29th year in a row, and the Ucas Track website has been taken down due to high traffic volumes. This year’s pass rate rose slightly from 97.6% to 97.8%, with the proportion of those achieving A or A* grades staying the same for the first time in 15 years. With applications to university... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-level-passes-continue-to-rise 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-level-passes-continue-to-rise Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has confirmed that it is hoping to roll out the ‘Community Budgets’ scheme to another 50 local authority areas by next April. A letter from Sir Bob Kerslake, concerning the Community Budgets scheme, has been published this week. Writing to local authority chief executives on July 28, Sir Bob outlined the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-budgets-roll-out-rolls-on 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-budgets-roll-out-rolls-on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The variation in the sentencing of rioters throughout England has been severely criticised. The Ministry of Justice has asserted that the sentences are tailored individually to each case and are based on different circumstances, leading to the disparities that have been seen between superficially similar cases. Some kind of national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pick-n-mix-sentencing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pick-n-mix-sentencing Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the tough sentencing for perpetrators of the riots, insisting that the courts should be able to make decisions concerning sentencing. He said: “It's up to the courts to make decisions about sentencing, but they've decided to send a tough message and it's very good that the courts feel able... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/riot-sentencing-defended 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/riot-sentencing-defended Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Penal reform campaigners have hit out against the severity of some of those being sentenced in relation to last week’s riots – especially the four years in prison received by two men who admitted using Facebook to incite disorder. Following the four days of rioting across England, over 2,770 people have been arrested, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/controversy-over-riot-sentencing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/controversy-over-riot-sentencing Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unemployment in the UK has risen to 2.49 million in the last three months, the latest figures show. The jobless rate has risen to 7.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics. The claimant count for Jobseeker’s Allowance has also risen for three months in a row, reaching 1.56 million in July. Youth unemployment is now at 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-unemployment-increases 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-unemployment-increases Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Broadband funding has been provided for rural areas in England and Scotland. This forms part of the Government drive to deliver super-fast broadband to 90% of homes and businesses by 2015. England will receive £294m to improve connections, with local authorites deciding how the money should be spent. They will be required to set up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadband-funding-for-rural-areas 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadband-funding-for-rural-areas Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police cuts will hit frontline officers the hardest, according to new research by the Cardiff University’s Police Science Institute. Tim Brain, the former Gloucestershire police chief, analysed the Police Funding 2011 report to investigate the consequences of the planned cuts – and has now called for the Government to think... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-will-hit-frontline-police 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-will-hit-frontline-police Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Campaigners hoping to be able to open free schools in shops and houses without getting planning permission for change of use have been left disappointed after ministers watered down proposals to do so. Following a public consultation, it has been decided that councils will retain the power to veto free schools on planning grounds –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-schools-planning-reforms-watered-down 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-schools-planning-reforms-watered-down Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new report highlights the consequences of Government plans to cut the police budget by 20%. Although ministers have repeatedly assured the public that frontline numbers will not be affected, that promise is being severely challenged. With 16,000 police posts cut, it is difficult to see how neighbourhood policing could remain unaffected.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/if-you-cut-us-we-will-bleed 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/if-you-cut-us-we-will-bleed Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The number of apprenticeships has increased dramatically in the UK, new research shows – but many of them are only short-term positions. Apprentices over the age of 25 have nearly quadrupled, from 36,000 to 121,000 this year, compared to the last academic year. Teenage apprenticeships also rose by 10%. According to figures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprenticeships-increase-but-not-for-those-who-need-it-most- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprenticeships-increase-but-not-for-those-who-need-it-most- Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband will clash in speeches today over the causes of the riots, and the best response to them. Cameron will order a review of Government policy across a range of issues, including parenting and welfare, while Miliband is set to demand a public inquiry to deal with the causes of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-and-miliband-clash-after-riots 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-and-miliband-clash-after-riots Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A newly-formed Parliamentary group will discuss the outsourcing of public sector services at its first meeting on August 23. The Outsourcing and Shared Services group, chaired by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, will investigate the potential to create savings through outsourcing. The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) has welcomed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliamentary-group-discusses-public-sector-outsourcing 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliamentary-group-discusses-public-sector-outsourcing Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that Labour have criticised the amount of apprenticeships created under the Coalition is a little dismaying. Of course they must object to everything the current government does; they are the opposition party after all. And it’s true that the apprenticeships have been mainly taken up by people over the age of 25, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-can-work-it-out 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-can-work-it-out Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The first petition to gain consideration for debate in the commons has been spurred by the riots. 100,000 people believe those who took part in the violence should lose their benefits. What these people don't seem to have realised is that this is pretty much the system we already have in place. A spokesperson for the Department of Work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-house-for-a-house 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-house-for-a-house Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Mental health service users are unsure of the potential of personal budgets to improve their care, according to a report published by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network yesterday. The Confederation generally supports the move to personal budgets, which involves recipients of social care getting a set ‘budget’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/personal-budget-worries-raised 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/personal-budget-worries-raised Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The first e-petition to gain 100,000 signatures calls for those found guilty of involvement in the riots should lose their benefits. Passing the benchmark means that the idea will now be considered by a Parliamentary committee to see if it is suitable for debate in Parliament. The Cabinet Office, which runs the e-petitions website... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/petition-for-rioters-to-lose-benefits 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/petition-for-rioters-to-lose-benefits Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new report highlights the positive impacts of youth volunteering. An independent formative investigation into the charity v found that 91% of v’s projects provided better links between young people and the wider community. The projects also improved attitudes towards young people. Other benefits of volunteering were shown to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/volunteering-benefits-young-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/volunteering-benefits-young-people Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cuts to bus services threaten the most vulnerable, according to the Commons Transport Select Committee. Subsidised services, running in the evening, weekends and in rural areas, have been reduced by 70% of councils, and other cuts have affected rural rates with increased fares. The report concludes that this is stopping elderly and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-service-cuts-threaten-vulnerable 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-service-cuts-threaten-vulnerable Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Today's parliamentary debate has raised the issue of social media as a network which helped rioters to assemble. Some have suggested that police should have the power to shut down mobile networks in times of disruption to remove this tool for collaboration. It's true that services like BlackBerry Messenger and Twitter made organising the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-shoot-the-messenger 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-shoot-the-messenger Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new study has shown that not enough trainees go into teaching. Researchers from Buckingham University found that 27,976 out of 39,103 trainees who qualified in 2010 were in teaching posts by January 2011, which amounts to 71.5%. The teachers went to university, completed school-based courses, or completed employment-based training... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-enough-trainees-go-into-teaching 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-enough-trainees-go-into-teaching Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Parliament has been recalled today to debate the violence over the past four days. Prime Minister David Cameron addressed MPs this morning, stating that cuts to police budgets remain necessary and will not be reversed in the face of the disorder. He warned that rioters will face the consequences of their actions and be brought to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-recalled-after-four-days-of-rioting 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-recalled-after-four-days-of-rioting Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s flagship scheme on tackling extremism is alienating Muslim communities and should be scrapped according to a new report The New Local Government Network think tank is calling for the £45million scheme to focus on tackling all extremism – including far-right extremists – rather than just focusing on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scheme-to-tackle-extremism-risks-alienating-muslims- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scheme-to-tackle-extremism-risks-alienating-muslims- Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT An advisory group has voiced concern about the re-organisation of careers advice services in England. The National Careers Service Advisory Group insists that requiring schools to provide careers services without funding will be harmful, saying: “Stripping out the professional help available to them is not only foolhardy: it is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/concerns-over-careers-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/concerns-over-careers-cuts Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has flown home early from his holiday in Italy to deal with the escalating riot crisis. Cameron will chair an emergency ‘Cobra’ meeting in Downing Street on Tuesday morning to discuss the disturbances and bring in measures to contain the rioting. Buildings have been set alight and looting is rife... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-fly-home-to-deal-with-riots 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-fly-home-to-deal-with-riots Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT After the news that an extremely experienced and competent officer was stopped from filling the role of Met Commissioner due to his nationality, today we see the police continue to struggle to deal with the escalating riots throughout the country. With fire and violence and crime across our cities, perhaps the idea of having someone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-need-a-hero 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-need-a-hero Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report led by Carol Vorderman recommends that maths should be taught to the age of 18, and split into two courses. This would allow those with an aptitude for the subject to study it in-depth, while helping other students to develop a greater understanding of a smaller area of the curriculum. Vorderman said: "In my view, it is pointless... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carol-vorderman-calls-for-more-maths-in-schools 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carol-vorderman-calls-for-more-maths-in-schools Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Charities in the UK are set to lose £2.8bn over the spending review period from 2011-2015, a new report suggests. By 2015-16, the sector will be losing £911m per year, according to the report, ‘Counting the Cuts’, by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), which analysed the Government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-face-3-billion-cuts 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-face-3-billion-cuts Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council have proposed that libraries be integrated with community facilities to save space. The move could stop up to 400 libraries being closed due to cuts. Health centres, police surgeries and churches could be combined with libraries to save space and money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-and-community-facilities-to-share-space 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-and-community-facilities-to-share-space Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Carol Vorderman and co have called for maths education to be extended until students are 18 years old, with a split in the curriculum to allow those who excel to study further and let the others gain a fuller understanding of a smaller part of the curriculum. While this may initially sound like good sense – allowing the gifted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maths-for-the-mainstream 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maths-for-the-mainstream Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron’s informal effort to draft in a top US cop to lead the Metropolitan Police has reportedly by over-ruled by Home Secretary Theresa May, who has insisted that the new Commissioner of the force is a British citizen. Senior British officers have agreed with her, saying it would be “quite simply... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/us-police-chief-denied-british-role 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/us-police-chief-denied-british-role Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Parents are worried about child neglect during the holidays, a poll shows. Action for Children questioned 2,000 parents with children under the age of 18. Results showed that 26% believe that neglect increases when school is finished, and one in ten said that they had cared for a child that was not their own because they thought that they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/child-neglect-may-increase-during-school-holidays 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/child-neglect-may-increase-during-school-holidays Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has published a list of council assets, to identify which can be sold off or used more effectively. Ministers think councils can do more to reduce waste, and that this move could save services being cut – although councils are not allowed to directly fund frontline services through selling off assets. These include... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-assets-published 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-assets-published Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats will discuss the decriminalisation of drugs at their annual conference in Birmingham on the 17-21st September. If the motion wins support, it will become Party policy, although they will need Conservative agreement before an official Government enquiry could be set up. Even in that event, few Conservative MPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liberal-democrats-to-discuss-drug-decriminilisation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liberal-democrats-to-discuss-drug-decriminilisation Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Countryside Alliance has warned that there is not enough affordable new housing in rural areas of the UK. Research into new homes across 306 council areas suggests that only 54,000 new rural homes have been created during the last financial year, which is only a quarter of the demand. Since the rural population has grown by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-rural-housing-shortage 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-rural-housing-shortage Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s new e-petitions website is now live and the public can publish petitions on any subject. Those with more than 100,000 signatures will be considered for a full parliamentary discussion by the cross-party Commons Backbench Business Committee. The programme aims to give more power to the people, in order to re-engage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-petitions-allow-the-public-to-influence-parliament 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-petitions-allow-the-public-to-influence-parliament Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Minister Francis Maude has promised a new era of greater data transparency to reform public services, foster innovation and empower citizens. Examples of the information to be released include prisoners’ sentences and GPs’ prescribing habits. A new Public Data Corporation is being developed to handle this transparency.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-age-of-transparency 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-age-of-transparency Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The power of the petition has been let loose today with the Government's new e-programme. Members of the public can create and publish a petition on any topic, and grab the chance to push issues into parliamentary debate. This level of influence is incredibly valuable to our democracy, and so it is a shame to see so many wasting time... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/speak-and-we-shall-listen 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/speak-and-we-shall-listen Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new bill is being proposed to reinstate bilingual services to the Welsh Assembly. Welsh translations were discontinued last September, and the Welsh Language Board argues that both English and Welsh should receive equal treatment as official languages of Wales. The bilingual law plan would mean the Assembly would be required to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/assembly-launches-bilingual-law-plan 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/assembly-launches-bilingual-law-plan Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report today shows that over 2,000 charities are being hit by reductions in local government funding. The cuts exceed £10m over the past year, and the final figure is likely to be much larger. The results come from the anti-cuts website False Economy, who compiled Freedom of Information responses from 265 councils. They also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charities-hit-by-council-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charities-hit-by-council-cuts Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Commons Defence Committee warns that the UK Armed Forces will be limited by cuts to the budget, and may be unable to fulfill required tasks after 2015. The Government has insisted that the UK will be able to maintain its global influence as well as increasing spending on equipment by 1% per year after 2015. The idea that the military... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-could-limit-defence-capability- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-could-limit-defence-capability- Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many of the country’s biggest public sector organisations and Government departments will be supplied with electricity by EDF Energy following an intensive procurement process. The Government Procurement Service ran the tender process, which has resulted in EDF winning the contract to supply energy and electricity to the Ministry of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edf-energy-awarded-uks-largest-electricity-contract 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edf-energy-awarded-uks-largest-electricity-contract Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Commentators and unions have been responding to the announcement by Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude yesterday concerning the £3.75bn in efficiency savings he said the Government has made over the past ten months. Maude stated that the savings were made in various areas, such as stopping projects of no value, reducing the size... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/efficiency-savings-questioned 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/efficiency-savings-questioned Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Yesterday the Government published a list of civil servants and quango chiefs who earn over £150,000, in an effort to make top salaries more transparent. The number of people on the list has fallen from 345 in 2010 to 291 this year – a 16% reduction. Ministers hope to continue this progress to drive costs down... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-publishes-list-of-top-salaries 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-publishes-list-of-top-salaries Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Consultation has begun on the proposal to provide bilingual services in the Welsh Assembly. Since Welsh is an official language of the country, it is understandable that political proceedings should be available in both formats. A large scheme of recent reinvigoration in Wales means that most primary schools now teach in Welsh, signs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/say-it-twice 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/say-it-twice Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Regardless of a referendum on Scottish independence, ‘devo plus’ is the best way forward for the country, a new campaign group suggests. The proposal is deliberately set up to contrast with the SNP proposal for ‘devo max’, which is a potential ‘third option’ on the referendum ballot paper, for those... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devo-plus-campaign-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devo-plus-campaign-launched Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Critics have responded to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude's release of the £3.75bn in efficiency savings yesterday, claiming it is simply another name for cuts. 'Efficiency savings'- now there's a positive banner to hide behind. It's true that this perky phrase covers all manner of regrettable cuts, to public services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-language-of-politics 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-language-of-politics Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition has managed to exceed the Conservatives’ pre-election target for eliminating waste, by saving £3.75bn in the ten months its have been in power. The original plan was to find £3.2bn in efficiency savings as part of the wider cuts to Government spending. Cutting spending in various areas, reducing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maudes-efficiency-drive-saves-375bn 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maudes-efficiency-drive-saves-375bn Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT A recent report suggests that the current pension system is inadequate, and could leave up to nine million people suffering in old age. This is a third of the current workforce. The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) commissioned the former chairman of the Treasury Committee, Lord McFall, to investigate pension provision in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/poor-future-for-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/poor-future-for-pensions Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT From 2012, universities will be able to take on unlimited numbers of students with the highest results. If universities do not have a sufficient number of high achievers, then they could risk losing funding. Steve Smith, the outgoing president of Universities UK, says that financial incentives may be offered to attract top students. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unlimited-university-places-for-top-students 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unlimited-university-places-for-top-students Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands more civilian jobs are going at the MoD, which has now long held the crown as the most dysfunctional Whitehall department. These are on top of the military jobs already disappearing. It is, of course, purely a financial and cost-saving measure, as in policy terms the MoD is actually rather busy at the moment. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shrinking-the-mod 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shrinking-the-mod Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is wasting an “obscene” amount of public money on IT, according to an influential committee of MPs which has labelled current procurement policy a “recipe for rip-offs”. The Public Administration Select Committee has made a number of recommendations on overhauling IT procurement and ending the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obscene-amount-of-money-wasted-on-it-contracts-mps 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obscene-amount-of-money-wasted-on-it-contracts-mps Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector workers are hearing this morning how much more they will have to pay a year in pension contributions – and for some high earners it could top £3,000 in the first year of increases alone. Around 750,000 of the lowest-paid staff will escape without an increase, but around five million more teachers, nurses, doctors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anger-over-pension-contributions-rises 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anger-over-pension-contributions-rises Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Fresh thinking, blue skies ideas, out-of-the-box creativity – a good thing behind closed doors, less good when the world gets to hear about it. Such is Steve Hilton's situation this morning, as he reads mocking newspaper headlines about his very radical suggestions to boost economic productivity that will scare a great many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/behind-closed-doors 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/behind-closed-doors Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Downing Street’s strategy director, Steve Hilton, architect of many Conservative and Coalition policies and ideas, has come under attack for radical suggestions to scrap maternity pay, abolish consumer protection laws and getting rid of JobCentres. Hilton, known for his ‘blue skies’ thinking and unorthodox style, wants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/key-no-10-adviser-floats-ideas-to-scrap-maternity-leave-and-consumer-laws 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/key-no-10-adviser-floats-ideas-to-scrap-maternity-leave-and-consumer-laws Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two-thirds of those seeking to claim employment support allowance are either found fit for work or drop their claims before taking the new test, Government figures show. Despite an ongoing controversy about the fitness-for-work tests overseen by ATOS, which have been criticised as failing to take into account individual circumstances, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/far-more-people-fit-to-work-than-expected 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/far-more-people-fit-to-work-than-expected Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Both 'sides' in the debate over employment support and the fitness-to-work tests have valid points to make. Numerous reports from people who have taken the test have noted some of its flaws, with tests sometimes taking only around 20 minutes and ignoring health professionals' advice in the awarding of 'scores' based directly on a series... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fit-to-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fit-to-work Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has broadly endorsed the findings of a select committee report critical of the amount of bureaucracy in the probation service, vowing to tackle the “tickbox, bean-counting” culture identified by the MPs. The Commons justice select committee found that only 24% of probation officers’ time was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ken-clarke-vows-to-end-probation-tickbox-culture 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ken-clarke-vows-to-end-probation-tickbox-culture Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT A private tutoring company is setting up learning centres within five state secondary schools, the BBC has reported. The company, TLC Education Group, will sell extra lessons to schools for £22 per 80-minute additional lesson, and parents of pupils from other schools will pay £27 for their child to attend. The ATL union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/state-schools-bring-in-private-tutoring-company 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/state-schools-bring-in-private-tutoring-company Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Manchester, London, Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh are all now in the running to house the new £3bn Green Investment Bank. Greater Manchester’s public sector leaders are expected to approve the city’s bid at a meeting next Friday, according to thebusinessdesk.com A report into the city’s proposed bid to house... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cities-compete-to-house-green-investment-bank 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cities-compete-to-house-green-investment-bank Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The LGA has welcomed evidence that councils are beginning to share facilities to make efficiency gains. The first results from the Capital and Assets Programme (CAP), a joint initiative by the Local Government Group and the Department for Communities and Local Government, show that 11 local authorities are planning to consolidate assets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-learn-to-share 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-learn-to-share Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The growth forecasts for the UK economy are likely to be downgraded after today’s news that the estimated figure for April to June was only 0.2%. Although in line with expectations – and in positive territory – the sluggish figure suggests the Office for Budget Responsibility will have to rethink its current 1.7% growth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economic-growth-slows-to-near-standstill 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economic-growth-slows-to-near-standstill Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Economic growth seems to be seriously stuttering – but we already knew that. Occasional evidence of things turning a corner tend to be drowned out by larger scale examples of something terribly wrong, from the awful consumer confidence numbers to today's miserable quarterly growth figure of just 0.2% - which is being celebrated in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shrinking-growth 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shrinking-growth Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The British Property Foundation is lobbying against “desperate and crude” proposed changes to the Localism Bill to extend the scope of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from development to the vaguer ‘supporting communities’. Liz Peace, chief executive of the Federation, said: “We are delighted that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-debate-over-the-future-of-the-community-infrastructure-levy 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-debate-over-the-future-of-the-community-infrastructure-levy Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The NAO has said that HM Revenue & Customs’ PaceSetter Programme to streamline business operations seems to have improved productivity and staff engagement – but cannot yet be considered value for money. That is because the extent to which efficiency has improved is not clear, the NAO report said. It adds that some key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-processes-programme-not-value-for-money 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-processes-programme-not-value-for-money Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT When Nottinghamshire Police and its police authority were found to be failing, the Government demanded urgent change. Former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Alan Given, was brought in to solve the problem. He here speaks to PSE: Just over a year ago, Nottinghamshire Police became the first force in the country to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/having-authority 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/having-authority Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The collapse of troubled care home provider Southern Cross could cost taxpayers £25m, it has been reported. The fall-out from the crisis has prompted debate over the regulation of the industry. The Department of Health to is already considering bringing adult social care providers under the control of Monitor, the regulator whose... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-regulatory-system-considered-in-wake-of-southern-cross-collapse 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-regulatory-system-considered-in-wake-of-southern-cross-collapse Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT There were murmurs of surprise – and I think I even heard one whoop of delight – when ministers confirmed at the LGA conference last month that from next year, councils will be able to return to the committee system of decision-making if they so choose. That system, replaced in recent years with ways of running councils that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voting-on-how-to-vote 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voting-on-how-to-vote Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils could save £10bn a year through better buying practices, according to a new report. The analysis of council spending data by Opera Solutions recommends more transparency and better analysis, in a report highlighted by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Opera recommended consolidating spending on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-criticises-wasteful-council-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-criticises-wasteful-council-procurement Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Children’s minister Sarah Teather has said she is “extremely worried” about the level of the proposed cap on housing benefit. She told the Family and Parenting Institute’s (FPI) Family Policy Conference: “The theory behind having a cap is that we know a lot of families at the moment are effectively trapped by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-extremely-worried-about-benefit-cap 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-extremely-worried-about-benefit-cap Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s plans for public services reform have been endorsed by new LGA chairman Sir Merrick Cockell. He said: “Now ministers need to deliver on their commitment to let go and devolve services down to the local level. We urge government not to hold back.” Sir Merrick, leader of Kensington & Chelsea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-urges-comprehensive-devolution-and-public-service-reform 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-urges-comprehensive-devolution-and-public-service-reform Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Opening up public services to competition is not a bad idea in theory, and nor is the idea of allowing mutuals and voluntary groups to take over services if they are able to. The problem is that this aspect of public sector reform is likely to be a relatively rare part of what actually happens, due to the influence of bigger businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-private-matter 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-private-matter Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has launched a website with more details on its plans to ‘open up’ public services to private and voluntary sector competition, and is now asking for people’s views. It wants responses from public sector workers, businesses, people working in the voluntary sector, and ordinary members of the public to its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-feedback-on-open-public-services-proposals 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-feedback-on-open-public-services-proposals Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT An NAO report released today suggests that Government department’s spending on staff development is not being handled well, with few firm figures on the amount being spent or evaluation of its results on performance. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said, “Tight public funding means that departments must find... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-staff-development-schemes-criticised-by-nao 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-staff-development-schemes-criticised-by-nao Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Data published by the Office for Budget Responsibility shows that the country’s total public sector pensions liability has reached £1.13 trillion. The figure, which accounts for the period to the end of March 2010, is £332bn higher than the previous year, although £260bn of that rise is due to a fall in bond values... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/obr-publishes-pensions-and-pfi-data 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/obr-publishes-pensions-and-pfi-data Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The much-delayed ‘open public services’ white paper has been published, cementing the Coalition Government’s aim of allowing groups and businesses from the private, voluntary and charitable sectors to bid to run services. There has been debate behind the scenes about the extent of the proposed reforms, especially in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delayed-white-paper-opens-up-a-market-across-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delayed-white-paper-opens-up-a-market-across-public-services Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Three leading housing organisations have signed a joint letter urging changes to the Localism Bill because of concerns that it stops social housing tenants from complaining directly to their housing ombudsman. The National Housing Federation, Shelter and the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) say the new plans, which force... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-groups-concern-over-complaints-procedure-in-localism-bill 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-groups-concern-over-complaints-procedure-in-localism-bill Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Divisions clearly remain at the top of the Coalition over public services reform, with Nick Clegg unhappy at the tone and timing of the launch of the new white paper – if not the general theme of the document. Allies of Clegg's have lost no time in briefing newspapers that his party thinks it is a mistake to enter into a debate on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marriage-of-inconvenience 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marriage-of-inconvenience Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council workers are on strike today over spending plans that unions claim could mean a quarter of the 4,300-strong workforce being sacked. Refuse collectors, librarians, port health officers and others are on strike over pay and conditions. But leader of the Conservative-controlled city council, Royston Smith, said... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-workers-strike-over-council-cuts-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-workers-strike-over-council-cuts-plans Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The country’s largest care home operator plans to break itself up and cease operations after landlords owning 752 homes announced they wanted to leave the group. Trading in the company’s shares has been suspended after the announcement, but the company and landlords said they were committed to providing continuity of care to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southern-cross-to-close-down 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southern-cross-to-close-down Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT This blog usually stands up for local government in the face of ministerial attacks on council culture – but on the transparency agenda, we stand side-by-side with Francis Maude. Some public sector bodies have an admirable record of taking data freedom to heart, publishing information and statistics and records that let the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doing-the-right-thing-with-data 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doing-the-right-thing-with-data Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT More public sector data will be open to the general public, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has announced. The Government has pledged a “quantum leap in transparency” as it details the new information on education, the NHS, and the justice system that will be published. Plans include a website for parents which will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/masses-more-public-sector-data-to-go-online 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/masses-more-public-sector-data-to-go-online Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Letting councils appoint their own auditors could result in a “risk to accountability for public money”, according to report by MPs – but it notes that there could be new opportunities as well. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee has been investigating the auditing of local government in the wake of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-consider-the-future-without-the-audit-commission http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-consider-the-future-without-the-audit-commission Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities & Local Government is again this week focusing on first-time buyers, as housing minister Grant Shapps calls on lenders to offer ‘mates mortgages’ so younger buyers can club together and buy property. Research shows that 86% of people want to buy a home, but most cannot afford to because of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-calls-for-mates-mortgages 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-calls-for-mates-mortgages Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Radical devolution of power and funding to the local level, long a staple of Coalition rhetoric, has never really seemed that way in reality. There have been small steps and sensible decisions on this, and there have been some setbacks and U-turns too. Deputy PM and Lib Dem leader tried to push things a bit further at the LGA... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/right-noises-wrong-moves 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/right-noises-wrong-moves Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT It could be months until the Government makes any serious moves on the Dilnot proposals for social care funding reform, with ministers hesitant to embrace the recommendations because of the costs. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said there would not be a response to the report until next spring. Newspaper reports today give further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/still-no-response-to-dilnot 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/still-no-response-to-dilnot Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has received 29 bids from LEPs hoping to grab one of the final 10 enterprise zones. The ten zones will benefit from simpler planning rules, super-fast broadband and tax breaks for businesses. The applications will be assessed against three key criteria of success and only the best will get a zone, the Government said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/competition-among-leps-for-second-wave-of-enterprise-zones 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/competition-among-leps-for-second-wave-of-enterprise-zones Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT It is rare for The Raven to blog about the same issue two days in a row, but then social care is one of the biggest issues facing local and central Government. Colour us disappointed but not surprised that ministers have not rushed to embrace the Dilnot report with open arms. The concern really does seem to be about the cost, with Cabinet... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dithering-over-dilnot 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dithering-over-dilnot Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May has announced plans to set up a police-led ICT company, freeing up time and resources for chief constables to concentrate on policing. She told the ACPO conference in a speech: “I will not be prescribing what that company should look like. But its design should be based on a number of fundamental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-led-ict-company-to-be-formed 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-led-ict-company-to-be-formed Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Action for Children has published statistics that they are using to support a campaign to increase awareness for neglected children during the holidays. They state that almost one in four parents believe neglect increases out of term time; a convincing figure until you discover that nearly two thirds believed the time frame had no bearing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/selective-truths 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/selective-truths Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Greater London Authority is turning to the capital markets to raise money for Crossrail. According to the Financial Times, it is the first local authority to do so for 17 years, having announced a £600m bond issue, through a new vehicle developed with Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets. It reported that the last councils to use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-glas-600m-bond-issue-to-raise-crossrail-funds 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-glas-600m-bond-issue-to-raise-crossrail-funds Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Leaders across central and local Government are this morning digesting the implication of the Dilnot report into ongoing funding of long-term care. Among the recommendations of the independent report by economist Andrew Dilnot, pictured, is a cap on the amount people have to contribute to their own care, and a large rise in the threshold... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-cautious-on-dilnots-long-term-care-plan 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-cautious-on-dilnots-long-term-care-plan Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Four of the Welsh Assembly Government’s regional offices could be closed to cut costs, according to the Western Mail. The newspaper said a document seen by the PCS union suggested offices in Carmarthen, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown and Caernarfon could be closed. Around 400 staff are employed at the offices, although First... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-says-welsh-government-wants-to-close-four-offices 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-says-welsh-government-wants-to-close-four-offices Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour has accused the Government of misleading MPs over the impact of the £26,000 cap on welfare payments. Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said that a letter from communities secretary Eric Pickles’ private secretary to No 10, leaked to the Observer newspaper, showed that ministers “haven't been straight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/row-continues-over-impact-of-welfare-payments-cap 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/row-continues-over-impact-of-welfare-payments-cap Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government says the core of its agenda – cutting the deficit – is to boost Britain's long-term stability and growth prospects. But 'sorting out' social care is vitally important, and must not be pushed down the priority list simply because of the price tag at a time of austerity. It will end up being more expensive and in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/saving-for-the-future 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/saving-for-the-future Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Many speakers noted an atmosphere of positivity and get-up-and-go at the LGA conference. Ministers may be expected to say such things – it casts their decisions in a better light to see optimism everywhere rather than perpetual doom-and-gloom at cuts to services. But many senior council figures said similar things. They are not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/contagious-enthusiasm 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/contagious-enthusiasm Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith (above) has appealed to UK businesses to employ young British people instead of overseas workers. In a speech in Madrid, he will say of school leavers: “We need businesses to give them a chance.” In extracts released in advance, it is revealed that he will say: “We have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/duncan-smith-appeals-to-business-on-school-leavers-and-immigration 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/duncan-smith-appeals-to-business-on-school-leavers-and-immigration Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour held onto the Inverclyde constituency in yesterday’s by-election despite speculation that the SNP could provide another shock upset along the lines of its win in Glasgow East in 2008. But Labour’s Iain McKenzie (pictured), the local council leader, held the seat with a majority of 5,838, achieving a similar proportion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-retains-inverclyde-in-by-election-despite-snp-surge 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-retains-inverclyde-in-by-election-despite-snp-surge Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT Speeches by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles rounded off the final day of the LGA conference in Birmingham. The conference, branded ‘Localism Works’, was addressed by all three main party leaders over its three days, and heard major announcements on retaining... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-pickles-and-lansley-address-final-day-of-lga-conference 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-pickles-and-lansley-address-final-day-of-lga-conference Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Home Secretary is to meet with senior police officers to discuss how to respond to a court ruling that puts into doubt the police’s use of bail in criminal trials in England and Wales. The urgent meeting is taking place after a High Court ruling said suspects can be freed on police bail for no more than four days. Police... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-to-meet-senior-police-officers-amid-crisis-talks-over-bail 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-to-meet-senior-police-officers-amid-crisis-talks-over-bail Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister has said MPs should face the same changes to their pension schemes as those planned for the rest of the public sector. David Cameron’s comments came ahead of a statement expected before the summer recess by the Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young. Thousands of public sector workers are staging a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-face-pension-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-face-pension-changes Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Strike action by public sector workers is taking place with thousands manning picket lines in protest at the Government’s austerity measures and pension plans. Around half of all schools in England and Wales are believed to be affected as three teaching unions strike, whilst coastguards, prison officers, civil servants, court... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-action-gets-underway 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-action-gets-underway Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The rapidly increasing pressure on the NHS and pensions from an ageing population could contribute to the country spinning into a bleak cycle of ever-rising taxes and deficits, according to a new report. Reform, the pro-market think tank that advocates new ways of delivering public services, says the cost of the NHS, combined the cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cost-of-ageing-population-could-overwhelm-countrys-finances 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cost-of-ageing-population-could-overwhelm-countrys-finances Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Deputy Prime Minister is to outline proposals that will see local councils keep business rates they collect rather than sending them to the Treasury. Nick Clegg is set to announce the change in a speech to the Local Government Association later today, assuring deprived areas – with fewer businesses to generate money – that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-business-rates 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-keep-business-rates Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior officers in a number of police forces have sought to defend their increased overtime spending in the last two years, despite Home Office attempts to cut the bill. Durham, Northern Ireland, Gloucestershire, Northumbria and Staffordshire saw overtime rise, although the sixth, West Yorkshire, disputes the figures presented by the BBC... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-forces-defend-overtime-rises 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-forces-defend-overtime-rises Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron (pictured) will appeal directly to public sector workers not to strike in his speech to the LGA conference later today. Downing Street briefed reporters that the language of the Prime Minister's speech in Birmingham would be “non-confrontational”. He will tell the audience that the current pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-steps-into-pensions-strike-row 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-steps-into-pensions-strike-row Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT LGA chair Baroness Eaton (pictured) has asked council leaders to sign a declaration to be sent to Downing Street demanding the Coalition acts now over social care funding. A government commission chaired by economist Andrew Dilnot is expected to recommend joint responsibility between individuals and the Government on paying for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-in-denial-over-social-care-costs 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-in-denial-over-social-care-costs Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Civil Service Commissioner, Sir David Normington, has warned of “political advisers in disguise” getting fast-tracked into civil service posts without going through the usual recruitment process. The Civil Service Commission is to audit appointments made since the election following claims that there had been blatantly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watchdog-to-fight-cronyism-in-the-civil-service 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watchdog-to-fight-cronyism-in-the-civil-service Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT It's a common political tactic – pretending to want to calm tensions while actually making very contentious proposals. It always makes the argument sound more reasonable. This weekend, Education Secretary Michael Gove said he did not want to "ratchet up the rhetoric" against the unions, but then did just that – saying that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-lesson-in-politics 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-lesson-in-politics Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT An analysis of English councils’ spending plans for social care this year suggests an 8.4% cut, equating to £610m, according to charity Age UK. Charity director Michelle Mitchell said: “Funding for social care is already inadequate and the system today is failing many older people at the time when they really need help.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-spending-less-on-social-care--report 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-spending-less-on-social-care--report Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has rejected calls from the Local Government Committee for ‘transition arrangements’ to deal with the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and the consequent impact on planning and housing policy. An earlier attempt to abolish the strategies was ruled unlawful by the High Court, meaning ministers are now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-rejects-key-recommendations-on-planning-strategy 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-rejects-key-recommendations-on-planning-strategy Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Defence Secretary Liam Fox (pictured) has accepted the recommendations of a review that concludes the MoD needs major reform, with fewer senior officers and more streamlined decision-making. The report, by Lord Levene, could also see ministerial posts axed. Each of the three services will face cutbacks at the senior level, with each to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-military-and-ministerial-posts-to-go-after-defence-review 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-military-and-ministerial-posts-to-go-after-defence-review Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Teaching unions have reacted with fury to ministerial suggestions that parents look after pupils in schools during the mass strike on Thursday to lessen the economic impact of thousands of parents having to take time off work. The Government is angry that teaching and other public sector unions have called the walk-out over pensions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/war-of-words-ahead-of-thursdays-strikes 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/war-of-words-ahead-of-thursdays-strikes Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The young Labour leader of York City Council has asked for an advance on his wages because he is feeling the fiscal squeeze. Taking the job on May 26, he was not to be paid for those five days in May until the end of June. The authority has taken pity and given him £200. The politician in question, James Alexander who, at 29, is one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cap-in-hand-foot-in-mouth 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cap-in-hand-foot-in-mouth Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The list of new sites for power stations has been released by the Government. These are the first to be issued since the disaster in Fukushima this March. Although it is a controversial topic, ministers are keen to push ahead with the new building plans. A government report has found that nuclear energy is still safe in this country... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-clear-for-nuclear 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-clear-for-nuclear Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Lord Hutton is set to give a speech today that will warn the Government about the dangers of their plans for pension reform. The Labour peer will assert that members of the local government pension scheme may have no alternative but to leave if the contribution levels are raised too high with no other forms of compensation. Since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hutton-warns-against-pension-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hutton-warns-against-pension-plans Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has written a letter to Chancellor George Osborne, backing plans to give the public free shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Group, which were bailed out by the Government in 2008. The proposal suggests 46 million people on the electoral roll would be given a sum of 1,900 shares in the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposal-for-public-shares-in-banks 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposal-for-public-shares-in-banks Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced the locations of eight new power stations to be built by 2025. These will come as the older generation of nuclear plants are shut down. The proposed sites are: Bradwell, Essex; Hartlepool; Heysham, Lancashire; Hinkley Point, Somerset; Oldbury, South Gloucestershire; Sellafield, Cumbria; Sizewell, Suffolk and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposed-nuclear-plant-sites-named 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposed-nuclear-plant-sites-named Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The controversial concept of ‘shadow mayors’ has been dropped from the Localism Bill, following much criticism that the notion was an affront to democracy. Under the original plans, England’s 11 largest city councils would have to appoint shadow mayors ahead of local referendums on converting their council leaders into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shadow-mayors-plans-abandoned 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shadow-mayors-plans-abandoned Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Conservative MEPs are preparing to revolt against key Coalition environmental policies. They want to kill off a proposed toughening of Europe’s climate targets, by voting down the proposal to increase the emissions-cutting target from 20% reductions by 2020, to 30% (on 1990 levels). The commitment to a 30% cut is in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meps-to-rebel-on-climate-legislation 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meps-to-rebel-on-climate-legislation Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister Grant Shapps (pictured) has confirmed that more than 100 house builders are taking part in the FirstBuy scheme through which equity loans are given to first-time buyers. Under the scheme, the Government and house builders together will offer a 20% equity loan, which alongside a 5% deposit from the buyer will enable them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-launches-first-time-buyers-loan-scheme 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-launches-first-time-buyers-loan-scheme Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government's been accused of making another U-turn, this time on the forthcoming Sentencing and Legal Aid Bill. It is the latest Coalition proposal that has found itself somewhat altered prior to making it to the House of Commons: the decision not to sell off the nation's forests and the NHS reforms are two such other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-exactly-are-we-seeing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-exactly-are-we-seeing Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister has confirmed proposals that could have seen offenders given 50% reductions in jail terms for admitting their guilt early, have been dropped. David Cameron made his comments at a press conference today where he also dismissed suggestions the change marked an embarrassing U-turn for the Government. He said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-confirms-50-jail-terms-dropped 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-confirms-50-jail-terms-dropped Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Leicester’s new mayor has outlined 100 pledges to be delivered in 100 days. Sir Peter Soulsby, formerly MP for Leicester South prior to running to become the first mayor of the Midlands city, said he had plans to repair 1,000 potholes and bring back free-swimming for the under 16s during school holidays. He also said he would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/soulsbys-100-pledges-in-100-days 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/soulsbys-100-pledges-in-100-days Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unions have a duty to represent their members' interests, and there is no doubt that for many in the public sector, their interests are about to come under severe pressure. So, many will happily march out on strike, if only to express the depth of their anger and frustration about changes to pensions, but also the background concerns over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/striking-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/striking-out Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The general secretary of Britain’s second largest union, Unison, has warned he will look to ballot members on strike action if talks with the Government over pension reforms fail. Dave Prentis made his comments ahead of his address at the union’s annual conference, potentially signalling even more strike action ahead of what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-prepare-for-the-worst-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-prepare-for-the-worst-over-pensions Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The deficits in local government pension schemes have soared to £71.5bn from £41.3bn in just a year, new research suggests. The 73% rise, during the year ending March 31 2010, covers only county, unitary and metropolitan and London boroughs, and could be as high as £90bn if district councils are factored in. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-pension-schemes-liabilities-shoot-upwards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-pension-schemes-liabilities-shoot-upwards Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The country’s Fire Service College will close without private sector cash and expertise, according to a review by the Local Government Association’s Fire Commission. The Government-owned institution in Gloucestershire is in a “spiral of decline”, its report said, as it is underused and suffers from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/firefighters-training-college-facing-closure- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/firefighters-training-college-facing-closure- Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Energy Secretary Chris Huhne (pictured) has said he is determined to protect environmental regulations from “deregulation zealots” in the Conservative Party. Speaking at the weekend at the conference of the Social Liberal Forum, a body recently set up to represent grassroots Liberal Democrats and give a greater voice to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huhne-defends-environmental-regulation-against-zealots 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huhne-defends-environmental-regulation-against-zealots Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The much-delayed open public services White Paper will be out within weeks, Government sources have said – but it is still unclear how much it will reflect David Cameron's earlier desire to open up all public services to private and voluntary sector providers. Most of the current content reflects an acceleration of existing policies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-ties-that-bind 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-ties-that-bind Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has said that public sector workers must accept they will have to work longer and contribute more to guarantee that their pensions will remain better than those on offer in the private sector. Alexander, who has an article in the Daily Telegraph today and is due to make a speech on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-lays-out-public-sector-pensions-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-lays-out-public-sector-pensions-plans Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The open public services White Paper apparently will now appear after all – perhaps as soon as next month. But there are strong indications it has been much watered down, no doubt by people in Government with one eye on what has happened to the NHS reforms and the other on the sheer number of fronts on which ministers and the public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-two-minds 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-two-minds Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Peter Calderbank, chief executive of the UK’s only not-for-profit contact centre provider, bss, here discusses the Big Society. When David Cameron launched a major defence of the Big Society, he declared the initiative as ‘his mission’. Today, the Big Society is one of the most hotly-debated topics in the country. Some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mutual-interest-how-the-public-sector-can-do-more-with-less-in-the-big-society 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mutual-interest-how-the-public-sector-can-do-more-with-less-in-the-big-society Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Education Secretary has outlined his plans to target the worst performing primary schools, which include proposals to close some schools and re-open them as academies.. Michael Gove (Pictured, right, with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg) made his comments on the BBC ahead of a speech he is to make to the National College for School... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gove-turns-focus-on-failing-primaries- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gove-turns-focus-on-failing-primaries- Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two senior Labour politicians have attacked Government policies on the economy and the NHS as the pressure steps up on David Cameron. Current Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls criticised the apparent lack of a ‘Plan B’ should austerity measures fail, whilst former health secretary Alan Milburn described the much altered NHS reforms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-big-beasts-launch-twin-assault-on-coalition 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-big-beasts-launch-twin-assault-on-coalition Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Fire engines in the capital are now equipped with better first aid capabilities following recommendations that came from the 7/7 inquests. The inquest heard that attempts to treat some of the victims of the terrorist attacks were hampered by a lack of equipment, which has prompted the move to make sure every engine in London now carries a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-fire-engines-get-improved-first-aid-apparatus 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-fire-engines-get-improved-first-aid-apparatus Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT On the day Education Secretary Michael Gove sets out proposals to turn the worst performing primary schools into academies, a Premiership football club has expressed an interest in opening a free school. The charity arm of Everton Football Club has submitted an expression of interest to the DfE to run a school that would use sport to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/looking-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/looking-up Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT At the same time as union after union is lining up to tell the nation its members are going on strike, a little corner of the West Midlands is seeing sensible proposals from parts of the public sector that can be viewed as working with the Government, not against it. West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-union-of-a-different-kind 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-union-of-a-different-kind Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT West Mercia Police could share its premises in the West Midlands town of Bromsgrove with the local fire service, if planning permission for a new building is granted. The current police station in the town is considered environmentally inefficient and the development of a dual-use building on derelict land fits in with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-and-fire-service-look-at-premises-sharing 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-and-fire-service-look-at-premises-sharing Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The general secretary of the PCS union has said he expects his members to have voted for strike action over pension changes, job cuts and a pay freeze, all of which are expected as a result of the Coalition’s austerity measures.. Mark Serwotka’s comments come ahead of the PCS ballot result, to be published today, which is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serwotka-expects-pcs-strike-vote 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serwotka-expects-pcs-strike-vote Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Latest figures suggest unemployment in the UK fell by 88,000, to 2.43 million, in the three months to April, the largest fall since summer 2000. Data from the Office of National Statistics said the unemployment rate was 7.7% down from 7.9% on the previous figure. Any joy in central government will be tempered, however, by the news... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-figure-in-surprise-fall 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-figure-in-surprise-fall Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The cost of reintroducing weekly bin collections has prompted ministers to drop plans to force councils to do it, it has been reported. The BBC said the Government has baulked at the £100m cost and the obvious tension created in its ‘localism agenda’ in forcing councils to do things they do not want to. Ministers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-will-not-force-councils-to-collect-bins-weekly-report 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-will-not-force-councils-to-collect-bins-weekly-report Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The planned cuts to legal aid are “unacceptable” and a “false economy” that will hit the poor hardest, according to an independent inquiry. The £2.2bn legal aid budget is being cut by £350m, with an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 fewer cases now set to get funding. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inquiry-condemns-legal-aid-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inquiry-condemns-legal-aid-cuts Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The BBC seems to have been briefed that ministers have conceded that councils should be able to make their own policy on waste collection. The reasons given are both the £100m cost, and the localism agenda – but it's not hard to guess which of these was the bigger driver of this decision. If ministers cared that much more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-an-old-argument 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-an-old-argument Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Home Office figures show that its planned cut in the number of visas issued for overseas students will reduce net migration to Britain by 230,000 by 2015. However, the planned reduction is much less than that previously announced – 52,000 fewer a year, instead of 100,000. The curb on overseas students is part of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cut-in-student-visas-lower-than-previously-announced 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cut-in-student-visas-lower-than-previously-announced Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Leading figures throughout central and local government have been honoured in the Queen’s birthday list. Among them are councillor Edward Lister, leader of Wandsworth Council, who was knighted, as were Alan Meale, Labour MP for Mansfield, and Graham Watson, Lib Dem MEP for the South West of England. Cabinet Secretary Gus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/honours-for-people-across-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/honours-for-people-across-the-public-sector Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour, damaged by a weekend of speculation over the performance of leader Ed Miliband (pictured), has unveiled new policies themed around ‘responsibility’, aimed at workless households on the one hand and corporate pay on the other. Miliband and the party’s policy review chief, Liam Byrne, are setting out the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-wants-more-responsibility-at-top-and-bottom-of-society 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-wants-more-responsibility-at-top-and-bottom-of-society Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The LGA has argued forcefully for more place-based budgets in local government and more properly devolved power. LGA chair Baroness Margaret Eaton, supporting a highly-critical investigation into the Localism Bill by the departmental select committee, said: “This report is bang on the money. It shows how Whitehall’s ‘57... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-pushes-for-real-localism 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-pushes-for-real-localism Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT If any other part of the public sector claimed it could save £100bn by 2015 without massacring services, ministers and the Treasury would beg to know more. But that claim, made by the LGA, has been floating around for nearly a year, and this week they've made it again, showing that the Government has hardly rushed to incorporate the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-cut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-cut Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has cut feed-in tariffs for larger installations of solar panels, in a scheme to divert funds to smaller projects on household roofs, favouring those below 50 kilowatts. Large projects will now receive 15p per kwh for installations up to 250kw and 8.5p per kwh for installations up to 5 megawatts, both reduced from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-large-scale-solar-power-subsidies 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-large-scale-solar-power-subsidies Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT After the driest spring on record, areas of East Anglia are now officially in a drought state, with parts of the Midlands and the South also experiencing very dry conditions, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. So far, there is no threat to public water supplies and Thames Water doubts that a hosepipe ban... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-anglia-in-drought 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-anglia-in-drought Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The changes to funding for solar power means that large scale installations now receive far less subsidiaries, as the Government seeks to encourage smaller projects. While it is important for individuals to make use of solar power, there is more potential in larger installations which can help a wider community of people. How many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solar-flare 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solar-flare Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s new work programme has been launched today, which aims to support approximately 2.5 million people back into work in the next five years. It will replace much of the existing support on offer for those who are currently unemployed. Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: "The Work Programme will tackle the endemic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-scheme-launched 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-to-work-scheme-launched Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams has written an editorial criticising the Government on a number of topics, including plans for health and welfare reforms, a ‘lack of proper public argument’ concerning policy, the Big Society and a continuation of blame on Labour for many of the countries problems. The piece... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/archbishop-speaks-out-on-government-policy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/archbishop-speaks-out-on-government-policy Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government cut the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) this winter, considering the money spent on it as mostly ineffective. Ministers’ decisions were largely based on a study led by Thomas Spielhofer, who has recently asserted that the results have been ‘misinterpreted’ and that he is unhappy that such changes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ema-cuts-based-on-misinterpreted-study 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ema-cuts-based-on-misinterpreted-study Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT In response to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s editorial criticising government policy reported earlier today, there has been a large reaction from ministers and members of government. Prime Minister David Cameron said Dr Rowan Williams was "free to express political views" but that he "profoundly disagrees" with them. Defending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-rejects-archbishops-claims- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-rejects-archbishops-claims- Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thomas Spielhofer, author of the report which justified the Government's axing of the EMA, has protested that his results do not signify a lack of financial difficulty for those who received the allowance. Others argue that the Government only based this move on a single percentage from a single study, making it difficult to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/misinterpreting-money-matters 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/misinterpreting-money-matters Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT T he South East's strong economy must contribute to a good quality of life for all residents, cut deprivation, help protect the environment and reduce the use of natural resources. That is the key message from a group of leading organisations across the region who have published new guidelines to help achieve this aim - backed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-agenda-for-a-more-sustainable-south-east 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-agenda-for-a-more-sustainable-south-east Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Natural England has welcomed the Government’s new White Paper, which it says is the first to focus on the natural environment in 20 years. The document, called ‘The Natural Choice’, is linked with the research published last week which shows the unappreciated economic value of our green spaces to the public. Helen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-government-publishes-natural-environment-proposals 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-government-publishes-natural-environment-proposals Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The list of Government U-turns has grown rapidly in the past few weeks, to the extent that it's hard to think of many departments that have avoided having to slam the breaks on. The latest two – on reduced sentences for those who plead guilty early, and large swathes of the NHS reforms – are examples of the two main types of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-or-forth 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-or-forth Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities are deeply unhappy with elements of the Localism Bill – dubbed by some the ‘Centralism Bill’ – and have said it is imposing additional administration costs on local government totalling £68m a year. The Bill, which received its second reading in the House of Lords yesterday, will waste... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hit-out-over-localism-bill-measures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hit-out-over-localism-bill-measures Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Oxford University’s legislative body has delivered a near-unanimous vote of no confidence in the policies of Universities Minister David Willetts. The motion attacking the tuition fees rise and associated higher education reforms passed 283 votes to five. Willetts studied PPE at Oxford’s Christ Church College. Historian... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-censures-willetts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-censures-willetts Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Exeter City Council is the latest council to look at returning to weekly bin collections – after concerns were raised that vermin were being attracted to rubbish that was lying around ‘for days’. Council officials have said the return to weekly collections, scrapped last year, will cost £1.7m, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exeter-returns-to-weekly-bin-collections 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exeter-returns-to-weekly-bin-collections Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Chancellor of the Exchequer has welcomed a report by the International Monetary Fund which states the UK economy is on the right track to recovery. George Osborne made his comments despite caveats in the IMF’s annual report which warned there were still ‘significant risks’, not least weak growth in the economy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/osborne-cheered-by-imf-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/osborne-cheered-by-imf-report Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The IMF has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne's austerity measures. At least, that's how George Osborne is seeing things. Predictably he glosses over concerns about rising unemployment and inflation and the surprise contractions in growth predictions. His shadow, Ed Balls, however, is much keener to emphasise the negatives and gloss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tread-carefully 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tread-carefully Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Business Secretary Vince Cable (pictured) has warned unions that they could face tougher anti-strike laws to protect the country’s economic interests from concerted industrial action. Ministers are preparing for a series of strikes by teachers and other public sector workers over the summer, especially over pensions. June 30, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cables-warning-to-union-militants 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cables-warning-to-union-militants Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May has said universities are not taking seriously enough the challenge of tackling radicalisation and Islamic extremism on campus. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph ahead of the publication of the Government’s revised ‘Prevent’ strategy for dealing with homegrown terrorism, May said: “I think... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-secretary-attacks-universities-over-islamic-radicalism 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-secretary-attacks-universities-over-islamic-radicalism Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT An analysis of the likely results of the upcoming review of MPs’ constituencies suggests the Liberal Democrats could be hit by far the hardest, with Labour coping much better than the Conservative instigators of the plan expected. The research group Democratic Audit at Liverpool University suggests in a new report that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-biggest-losers-from-constituency-shake-up 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-biggest-losers-from-constituency-shake-up Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition, already working on a supposedly more business-like and less matey basis, could be in danger of slipping further into outright antagonism. That is if the analysis of the likely results of the boundary review are anything to go by, with the Liberal Democrats particularly badly hammered. The Coalition Agreement has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turkeys-voting-for-christmas 455 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turkeys-voting-for-christmas Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Coalition has proudly stated on a number of occasions that the war on the motorist is over. Local councils seem to think differently. Bristol has 'pedestrianised' two key roads in the centre of the city. No they haven't; they have closed them to private vehicles so taxis, buses and delivery vehicles will still be able to use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/alive-and-well-the-war-on-the-motorist 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/alive-and-well-the-war-on-the-motorist Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two streets in the centre of Bristol have been permanently ‘pedestrianised’ after a trial. Horsefair and Penn Street, running through the Broadmead and Cabot Circus shopping areas, are now closed to private motorised vehicles. John Hirst, from Destination Bristol, said: "We want to make it a nicer place to be, to have a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-pedestriansisation-made-permanent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-pedestriansisation-made-permanent Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT A review by entrepreneur Sir Philip Green has led to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude stating government procurement will be centralised in a bid to save £3bn. Sir Philip’s review said Whitehall was not making the most of its collective buying prompting Maude to highlight as ‘bonkers’ the fact that different... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-procurement-to-centralise 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-procurement-to-centralise Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT MPs have published a report today criticising the UK Border Agency (UKBA) for failing to effectively control immigration. Whilst attempting to clear a large backlog of cases and to deal with a target of 450,000 cases by this summer, 40% of asylum seekers have been given leave to remain in the UK. The Commons Home Affairs Select Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/amnesty-for-asylum-seekers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/amnesty-for-asylum-seekers Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) has issued a report suggesting that the value of nature and green urban spaces in the UK is currently undervalued. This stems from the fact that we find it incredibly difficult to accept the significance of resources and concepts that are not easily measurable. Numbers and rates and price tags... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nature-breaking-the-boundaries 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nature-breaking-the-boundaries Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) has issued a report showing that green space in the UK can be extremely valuable for health and wellbeing. Organic ecosystems which are relied upon to regulate the environment are degrading, leading the NEA to suggest that planning policy should be reshaped in view of this. Environment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-value-of-nature 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-value-of-nature Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT The way we police in the UK is becoming a rather fascinating, maddening and downright disturbing subject. At roughly the same time as a Detective Superintendent investigates whether Energy Secretary Chris Huhne tried to pass on speeding points to someone else, an FoI request reveals police forces routinely screening out thousands of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wasting-police-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wasting-police-time Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT An overwhelming majority of the House of Lords would reject the flagship Liberal Democrat policy that could create a new chamber of elected ‘senators’, according to a poll in the Times. The poll reveals deep splits between peers and the Coalition Government. The results showed that 80% oppose a wholly elected upper chamber... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/election-policy-rejected-by-lords 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/election-policy-rejected-by-lords Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public spending cuts will not affect weekly bin collections. The Government is finalising the details of a £100m scheme that will give councils an added financial incentive to empty bins every week instead of fortnightly. Defra announced yesterday that the incentive would be included in a review of waste policy. The move comes after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/return-of-weekly-bin-collections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/return-of-weekly-bin-collections Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The House of Lords is up in arms. Peers from across the political spectrum are threatening to fight the Coalition over planned reforms of the upper chamber. Reduce our numbers, they cry, but don't make us campaign for our seats. The usual claims will be dragged out: they don't work hard enough, theirs in an unwarranted, undemocratic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-much-democracy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-much-democracy Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Audit Commission's report on road maintenance highlights something interesting; namely road repairs are around 50% more expensive (after inflation) than ten years ago. Some of the blame can be levelled at oil prices that have risen hugely since 2001. But a closer look at the report reveals some of the cost is also down to 'demand from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-bumpy-ride 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-bumpy-ride Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT An Audit Commission report has highlighted the effect that worse winters, increased traffic and reduced budgets is having on the state of Britain’s roads. Local authorities are having to deal with greater problems following two of the harshest winters in decades and at a time when central government is bringing in its austerity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/state-of-roads-worsening 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/state-of-roads-worsening Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The possibility of a ‘summer of discontent’ is gathering pace after union leaders held talks at the Cabinet Office over public sector pensions. Officials have said the talks with the Government are reaching ‘a crucial stage’ ahead of an expected announcement on public sector pensions to be made during the next few... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-threats-mount 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-threats-mount Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government has given approval for a low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Kings Cliffe near Peterborough. The decision, which follows years of disagreement between hazardous waste company Augean and local opponents of the plans, was given by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles (pictured)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-approves-radioactive-disposal-site 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-approves-radioactive-disposal-site Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Forty parking wardens in Southampton are to go on a seven-day strike next week in a bid to stop proposed pay cuts of up to 5.5% after workers from Unite and Unison voted in favour of action earlier this month. They include traffic wardens, maintenance engineers and cash collectors. The Conservative-run city council said the alternative to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-parking-wardens-to-go-on-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-parking-wardens-to-go-on-strike Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT It has emerged that a Kent woman has been 'politely' sent packing from an A&E department after she sought treatment for a broken fingernail. Six months ago another woman, coincidentally also from Kent, rang police to report the theft of a snowman from her front garden. It is a fair point to say that it is not always apparent what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-price-stupidity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-price-stupidity Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Already the Government are set to fail. Promises made by Prime Minister, David Cameron to end the "injustice" of low-paid lone parents losing out by working extra hours have been criticised by the think tank Resolution Foundation. Their report shows that changes to childcare tax credits, due to come into force in 2013, could leave some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/another-broken-promise 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/another-broken-promise Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Labour leader, Ed Miliband has warned government inaction is in danger of creating a "jilted generation". In a speech at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Miliband, who will marry his long-term partner Justine Thornton on Friday, criticised the raising of tuition fees and argued there was little support for first-time buyers. He is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-argues-creation-of-jilted-generation- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-argues-creation-of-jilted-generation- Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The LGA has highlighted work by councils to fast-track Armed Forces veterans into social housing through their allocation policies. Several councils have joined forces with the Royal British Legion to enhance the support they provide to current and former members of the Armed Forces, whether it be offering career advice, financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-support-for-veterans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-support-for-veterans Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Big Society is not a “fluffy add-on” to the Government’s agenda but runs right through the heart of it, Prime Minister David Cameron will say today. This will mark the third time the concept has been re-launched, commentators noted, as ministers have struggled to make the idea resonate with the public. It was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-alive-the-big-society 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-alive-the-big-society Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Scotland’s First Minister will raise the issue of North Sea oil tax when he meets with senior members of the UK Government today. Buoyed by record returns at the ballot box earlier this month, Alex Salmond (pictured) will seek to address concerns over the March Budget increase in the tax, which experts believe will cost the industry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salmond-sets-sights-on-north-sea-oil-tax 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salmond-sets-sights-on-north-sea-oil-tax Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT New Labour was often mocked and criticised for 'initiative-itis' – the need to be constantly seen to be launching new schemes, in response to this or that newspaper story or think tank study, which disappeared from sight within a few months. The Coalition, however, is in danger of saddling itself with the opposite problem:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/say-it-again--and-again 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/say-it-again--and-again Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councillors in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, have put forward proposals to house the city’s library and museum on the same site to save money. The plan would see Wakefield Museum move to a new building on Westgate, which would also house the city’s library. Councillor David Dagger, cabinet member for culture, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/site-share-plan-for-library-and-museum 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/site-share-plan-for-library-and-museum Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has highlighted the problems facing local authorities after a High Court ruling found the council in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The ruling found the council had acted unlawfully over budgetary decisions that would have seen a reduction in the provision of care for disabled people. The ruling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-highlights-financial-implications-of-disability-ruling 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-highlights-financial-implications-of-disability-ruling Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Shadow Transport Secretary has highlighted her concerns about the possible privatising of sections of track proposed in the McNulty Review published yesterday. Part of Sir Roy McNulty’s eagerly-awaited reported suggested using Merseyrail as a pilot scheme to see the effects of bringing track maintenance under the umbrella of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eagle-concerned-by-track-privatisation 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eagle-concerned-by-track-privatisation Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats famously claimed the Labour administration of Tony Blair had introduced 3,000 new laws. They were, as usual, derided. The staggering thing is that the claim came in 2001 - before Blair had completed a single term. I wonder what total had been reached by the time he stepped down six years later. A decade on and one of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-rights-legacy-or-the-wrong-legacy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-rights-legacy-or-the-wrong-legacy Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Yesterday, Detective Superintendent Tim Wills, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate was quoted as saying "There are many lines of inquiry to be taken" with regards to an ongoing investigation. And quite right too; we want our senior police officers investigating serious crimes – the public need to be protected from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-reasonable-use-of-resources 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-reasonable-use-of-resources Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT On Wednesday morning, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke’s comments on rape and sentencing in a BBC 5 Live radio interview caused a media storm. The proposal to halve sentences for criminals who plead guilty, would allow some rapists to be out of jail after only 15 months. Clarke suggested that this would encourage more offenders to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clarke-rape-row-continues 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clarke-rape-row-continues Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Justice Secretary's comments on rape and reduced sentences for those who plead guilty have caused outrage from rape victims, the Labour Party and the media. Clarke admitted that it had been a 'wrong choice of words', but appeared to be misinformed about several aspects of rape and sentencing which are integral to the debate. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/confused-clarke 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/confused-clarke Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Approved today by the Business Minister Mark Prisk and the Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark, Gloucestershire is the latest county to create a council and business-led local enterprise partnership (LEP). The move has been supported from all seven councils within Gloucestershire and aims to promote growth and create jobs. Building... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucestershire-joins-local-enterprise-partnership-network 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucestershire-joins-local-enterprise-partnership-network Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Environmentalists have been cheered this week by the news that ambitious proposals to halve emissions by 2025, based on our carbon output in 1990, have been enshrined in law. It took weeks of complicated wrangling, with Cabinet splits along departmental, rather than party, lines. As always, most greens wanted things to go further. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-around-to-it 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-around-to-it Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services union has voted at its annual conference to ballot members over national strike action on June 30 over the cuts to pensions. The PCS joins two teaching unions, and potentially the University and Colleges Union as well, in proposing strike action on that date, which could mean half a million public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-unions-to-ballot-members-over-national-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-unions-to-ballot-members-over-national-strike Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is striving to become more family orientated as their new modern workplaces consultation plans to improve employment practices in the UK making them more flexible and family-friendly. The proposals aim to bring benefits for employers as well as employees, by increasing participation in the labour market while also helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-come-first 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-come-first Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The military covenant is to be bolstered by legal backing for the first time in plans announced by Defence Secretary Liam Fox. Speaking to the House of Commons he explained various new measures to support Britain's armed forces. Any personnel serving overseas will receive council tax relief of up to 50% and three cycles of IVF... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/military-covenant-to-be-recognised-as-law 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/military-covenant-to-be-recognised-as-law Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils are best placed to commission local bus services, according to an interim report published by the Competition Commission. The interim report gives recommendations on opening up the bus market, to halt the spread of monopoly providers without meaningful competition. It provisionally concludes that although there are 1,245 bus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-barons-ripping-off-passengers--lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-barons-ripping-off-passengers--lga Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Departmental 'business plans' have been a qualified success for transparency that the Government can justly point to as giving the public more insight into what it is up to behind the scenes. Inevitably, most attention has focused on the delays, slippages and problems rather than the rather larger number of successes and achievements:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-good-plan 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-good-plan Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The White Paper outlining detailed plans for ‘opening up’ public services to the private and independent sectors has been delayed until July. The fate of the delayed document – originally to be published in March – is tied in with the arguments over the NHS reforms. The detail was one of many delays revealed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/departmental-business-plans-show-87-missed-deadlines 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/departmental-business-plans-show-87-missed-deadlines Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The head of the Police Federation has accused the Coalition of deliberately undermining and denigrating officers to justify cuts to police budgets and pay. Paul McKeever, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents ordinary officers, said the cuts and police reforms were driven by an ideology that would endanger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-accused-of-media-campaign-against-police 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-accused-of-media-campaign-against-police Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior ministers, civil servants, businesspeople and officials are addressing a key conference on public service reform tomorrow. The Efficiency & Reform in the Public Sector event will investigate outsourcing, cloud computing, shared services, lean technologies and productivity. Key speakers include Cabinet Office Minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-reform-conference-tomorrow 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-reform-conference-tomorrow Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The news that more graduates than ever are getting stuck in low-skill jobs is disheartening. After leaving university, 40% are underemployed, in jobs they could have got without three extra years of education. Now more than ever, university is becoming a huge investment, and the benefits of higher education should be evident in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/graduates-underemployed-and-stagnating 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/graduates-underemployed-and-stagnating Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee has reported that Liberal Democrat MP David Laws has been suspended for seven days for breaking several expenses rules. Last year it emerged that Laws had claimed expenses to pay rent to his partner, against House of Commons rules, which led to his resignation as chief secretary to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/laws-suspended-over-expense-claims 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/laws-suspended-over-expense-claims Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Graduates leaving university are increasingly under-employed, a study by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) shows. Six months after university, 40% of graduates are working in jobs that do not require a degree, a figure which has increased from 30% four years previously. Students have been badly affected by the economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/low-skill-jobs-for-graduates 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/low-skill-jobs-for-graduates Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT A survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has shown that spending on social care will be reduced by approximately 4.7% in the North, while it is set to rise by 2.7% in the South in 2011. Expenditure of 76% of all the councils in England was included in the survey. Social care has also been cut for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-south-divide-on-social-care-spending 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-south-divide-on-social-care-spending Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT New government proposals could permit universities in England to create extra places for wealthy British students. The proposals, made by universities minister David Willetts, would allow universities to charge willing British students the same fees as overseas undergraduates to assure them a place and free up capacity for poorer students... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extra-university-places-for-the-wealthy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extra-university-places-for-the-wealthy Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT An independent evaluation by The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on the impact of its 2005 market study into care homes for older people shows significant improvements in the provision of information and advice for older people. First Stop Advice, a ‘one stop shop’ for advice and information, was launched in 2008 in response to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/further-improvements-made-for-care-home-residents 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/further-improvements-made-for-care-home-residents Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report from the centre-right Policy Exchange think tank has revealed that public sector wages are rising whilst the pay packages of those in the private sector are seeing “drastic cuts”. The report cites the gap between equivalent workers in both sectors, which was more than 30% when based on hourly pay. The report also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bigger-pay-packages-for-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bigger-pay-packages-for-the-public-sector Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Once again centre-right commentators and politicians are attempting to justify their attacks on public sector pay and pensions. Right-of-centre think tank, Policy Exchange, which has strong links to the Conservative Party, has pitted the private sector against the public sector in its report contesting that public sector workers are 40%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-attacks-on-the-public-sector 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-attacks-on-the-public-sector Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils have identified a swathe of ‘unnecessary, inappropriate and costly’ administrative duties that could save central Government departments £1.5bn if scrapped. The LGA, in its response to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s statutory duties consultation, identified 50 duties that could be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15bn-saving-if-bossy-government-gives-councils-more-freedom-lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15bn-saving-if-bossy-government-gives-councils-more-freedom-lga Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Home Secretary Theresa May is to take the power to decide whether a suspect is charged from crown prosecutors and hand it back to the police in more than 80% of cases. The CPS will make the decision only in the most serious cases, giving police back powers they lost following a decision by the former Labour Government in 2003. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-reforms-give-officers-more-powers-and-responsibility 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-reforms-give-officers-more-powers-and-responsibility Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Business Secretary Vince Cable has accused his Conservative coalition colleagues of being “ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal” in the wake of the landslide ‘No’ vote in the AV referendum. But “that doesn't mean to say we can't work with them”, Cable added, speaking on Radio 4’s Today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recriminations-in-the-wake-of-av-landslide 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recriminations-in-the-wake-of-av-landslide Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT It is revealing that the LGA focuses on potential cash savings when trying to convince ministers to get off the backs of councils, rather than invoking the spirit of localism. Although Baroness Eaton does make reference to the importance of local decision-making, money is at the heart of their call. Many of the suggestions and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shackled 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shackled Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT More than 3,360 Church of England faith school are to convert to Academy status. The Church estimated that 70% of its 4,800 state schools will become academies within the next five years. There are currently 629 academies, with 473 schools in the process of converting. The addition of 3,360 Church of England schools will bring the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thousands-of-coe-schools-to-become-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thousands-of-coe-schools-to-become-academies Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Suffolk County Council has halted radical outsourcing plans after electing a new leader and putting its chief executive on ‘personal leave’. The Conservative-controlled authority faced public and staff opposition to its ‘virtual council’ proposals, which would have seen virtually all of its services, including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/virtual-council-halts-outsourcing-project 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/virtual-council-halts-outsourcing-project Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Counting has started in the AV election referendum at 12 locations around the UK. Polls before the referendum predicted a landslide win for the 'No' campaign, who argued strongly for sticking with the status quo. After months in which the campaigns were roughly neck-and-neck, the decisive intervention of David Cameron and Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/avin-a-bad-day 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/avin-a-bad-day Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats appear to have slumped to their worst local election performance since their merger in the 1980s, losing a slew of northern English councils and hundreds of councillors to Labour. They also performed badly in Scotland, where the SNP was the main beneficiary, seeming on course this morning to take majority control at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disastrous-night-for-lib-dems-in-council-elections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disastrous-night-for-lib-dems-in-council-elections Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT A recent poll has shown that 43% of people questioned would prefer social enterprises to run public services. This compares with 36% who wanted the Government, or public sector, to run services, whilst 4% chose the private sector and 3% favoured charities. The majority suggests that community businesses that reinvest their profits are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-based-services-wanted 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-based-services-wanted Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The voting system for the future is being decided today. Results will show whether we stick with the first-past-the-post system or change to alternative vote. The difficulty this has placed on the Coalition has been evident. With the Conservatives opposing reform, Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that AV would be a 'disaster' for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/referendum-strains-coalition 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/referendum-strains-coalition Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s approach to public sector reform has come under scrutiny following a leaked memo making clear the “wholesale outsourcing to the private sector” would be “unpalatable”. Labour said the Government was scaling back its privatisation plans, but Downing Street said its ambitions in this area had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/confusion-over-public-sector-reform 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/confusion-over-public-sector-reform Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Housing minister Grant Shapps has promised to back people wanting to build their own home. Shapps was speaking at Grand Designs Live 2011, encouraging people to see self-build as a “mainstream housing option”. He said the Government would play its part by making available publicly-owned land for use by ordinary people to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-pledges-to-back-self-building 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-pledges-to-back-self-building Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Local government employment dropped by more than 15,000 full-time equivalent jobs between 2008/09 and 2010/11, new figures show. The 1.5% reduction to 1,697,100 came before the worst of the cuts to council budgets kicked in. The figures come from research by the Local Government Group, which also showed that the pay bill for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-figures-show-fall-in-council-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-figures-show-fall-in-council-jobs Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Outside observers can hardly be blamed for confusion over public sector reform when it seems clear the Government itself is still fighting over the issue. There was a widespread feeling that David Cameron's policy prescription in February – opening up the whole of the public sector to the private and independent sectors – may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-their-time 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-their-time Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Environment Secretary Chris Huhne has, apparently, tackled the Prime Minister and Chancellor over the tactics used by the No to AV campaign ahead of this week's referendum on the voting system. No surprise there. But what is surprising is the fact that the Liberal Democrat Huhne decided to challenge the Conservative David Cameron and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-principled-stance 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-principled-stance Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT In the lead up to Thursday’s Alternative Vote referendum polls suggest the No to AV camp has a double digit lead with the Yes campaign trailing between ten and 18 points behind. However anti-AV campaigners have warned supporters not to become complacent as a low turnout is expected in London and other areas of the UK where no local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anti-av-camp-takes-the-lead 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anti-av-camp-takes-the-lead Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron has said he sees Osama Bin Laden’s death as a significant step forward in the fight against “extremist terror” but has warned Britain to be vigilant in the weeks to come. British military forces are on higher states of alert after David Cameron headed a 45-minute meeting with the UK's emergency response... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/british-forces-on-high-states-of-alert 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/british-forces-on-high-states-of-alert Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Recent figures show that 75% of benefit applicants either drop their claims before completion, or are found fit to work. The new testing process for applicants involves a 13-week assessment including medical opinion to determine whether the applicant is able to work or not. Employment Minister, Chris Grayling, commented: “The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-applicants-fit-to-work 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-applicants-fit-to-work Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the Government’s education policy, stating they will create a divided education system and make it more difficult to protect teachers’ rights. The NUT held a conference yesterday which condemned the Government’s plans to increase the number of academies and free schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/divide-over-educational-reforms 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/divide-over-educational-reforms Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Recent figures suggest that 75% of benefit applicants either drop claims before they can be completed or are found fit to work. These figures demonstrate a need for the Government to encourage these people to get up off their sofas and do some decent work for a change. The ESA is there to help tackle inter-generational poverty by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/for-whose-benefit 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/for-whose-benefit Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The discussion over the UK growth figures continues, as Business Secretary Vince Cable told BBC Two’s ‘Newsnight’ that he found the figures indicative of “solid growth” that would establish a “balanced economy”. The comments followed yesterday’s House of Commons clash when Prime Minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-growth-figures-disputed 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-growth-figures-disputed Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Readers may be prone to believe UK economic growth has gone down instead of up if key Labour party members like Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, are to be believed. When GDP figures were released this morning, he argued: "These figures show an economy that has flatlined since the autumn. By making a political choice to cut further and faster... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/credit-the-coalition 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/credit-the-coalition Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK referendum on electoral change on May 5th has caused senior members of the Labour Party to step up their campaigns either for or against the alternative vote. Former business secretary Lord Mandelson is urging voters to vote yes and damage the Conservatives’ political stance. However former home secretary, David Blunkett... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-split-over-upcoming-av-referendum 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-split-over-upcoming-av-referendum Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT There have been complaints from six wards in Rochdale where residents say they have been doorstepped by groups apparently from the main political parties urging them to hand in signed yet uncompleted postal votes. Candidates standing in the upcoming local elections were summoned by the chief executive of Rochdale Council, Roger Ellis and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rochdale-council-in-postal-vote-fraud-concerns 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rochdale-council-in-postal-vote-fraud-concerns Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT UK economic figures have been released and show a growth of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2011. However, since the surprise contraction of 0.5 in the final quarter of December, analysts were expecting a bigger increase. Economists also warned that a growth of less than 1% would remain a concern as the Government’s austerity measures... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-rise-in-economic-growth 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-rise-in-economic-growth Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT John Collington (pictured), the former head of procurement in the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group, has been appointed chief procurement officer for the whole Government. Ministers labelled it a ‘significant change’ to procurement policy, ensuring the Crown receives the best value for money by acting as a single... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-appoints-chief-procurement-officer 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-appoints-chief-procurement-officer Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Shropshire Council has become the latest to have its flag hoisted above the offices of the Department for Communities and Local Government. The initiative by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is designed to celebrate the important role that counties play in the nation’s cultural heritage. Shropshire became a unitary authority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/historic-county-flag-flies-in-london 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/historic-county-flag-flies-in-london Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has warned that incomplete or ‘botched’ roadworks are costing taxpayers in England and Wales around £70m each year. Of the two million holes dug by utilities companies in the last year the LGA estimates that as many as 360,000 were left in an unacceptable state that required further... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-anger-over-botched-road-repairs 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-anger-over-botched-road-repairs Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The LGA says botched road repairs carried out by utilities companies are leaving local authorities out of pocket. Given that it comes at a time when potholes caused by 2010's severe winter weather are still awaiting repair and still causing misery to the country's motorists, the LGA hopes this attack will find some resonance. How can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stuck-in-a-rut 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stuck-in-a-rut Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster has spoken out against the Governments Big Society. The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales was originally supportive of the idea, but now says that it needs more substance and is at a critical point. He suggested the concept ‘has no teeth’ and has called for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/archbishop-attacks-big-society 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/archbishop-attacks-big-society Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown based his political credibility on his economic nous. Tony Blair famously described his long-serving chancellor as the 'big, clunking fist' that would sort new Tory upstart David Cameron out. Then came two years of dire economic catastrophe, despite Brown himself proclaiming he had 'saved the world' during the global... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brown-gets-the-skulking-fist 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brown-gets-the-skulking-fist Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister has said he is not convinced predecessor Gordon Brown is the best person to become head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme David Cameron said: "Above all what matters is the person running the IMF is someone who understands the dangers of excessive debt, excessive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brown-not-the-right-choice-for-imf 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brown-not-the-right-choice-for-imf Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior political leaders are to present public speeches concerning the AV referendum. The events will take place in separate locations in London three weeks before the vote. The Prime Minister David Cameron and former Labour home, defence and health secretary, Lord Reid, will argue for the current system, first-past-the-post, while the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/av-referendum-debate-continues 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/av-referendum-debate-continues Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is considering reform of ‘best-before’ dates on food packaging. The plans are to simplify information for the customer as well as discouraging unnecessary food waste. Best-before dates are often confused with use-by dates, and are currently required by law on all pre-packaged food. Best-before simply means once... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/food-labels-to-be-simplified 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/food-labels-to-be-simplified Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office recently labelled several councils and public bodies as presenting “particular concerns” in the time they took to respond to FoI requests. Birmingham City Council responds to 83% of requests within the approved 20 day window. The Information Commissioner’s Office is currently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/freedom-of-information-response-time-too-slow 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/freedom-of-information-response-time-too-slow Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The promise to have a referendum on the Alternative Vote system of electoral process was a key plank of the Coalition Agreement that saw the Liberal Democrats form a government with the Conservatives. Almost immediately Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg outlined the importance of AV to his party. Almost as quickly, Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-news 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-news Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The decision to change from a retail index to consumer prices index when uprating pensions has been met with much protest. Civil servants, the GMB union, police associations and pensioner groups have joined together to oppose the change, requesting a judicial review to be conducted. They argue that the Department for Work and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-change-challenged 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-change-challenged Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A review made by 120 legal observers has analysed police behaviour during the march against spending cuts that took place on March 26. The police response was deemed to be generally proportionate, yet it was felt there was too much focus on the possibility of ‘kettling’ protestors should events turn violent. Concerns have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-kettling-methods-criticised 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-kettling-methods-criticised Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The latest national statistics from the Citizenship Survey have been released by the Government, showing a small rise in the number of people trusting Parliament. Other headline statistics from the survey, carried out from April-December last year, include: 38% of people felt they could influence decisions in their local area; 44%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/citizenship-survey-results-released 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/citizenship-survey-results-released Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police ‘kettling’ tactics used against protestors at the G20 protests in 2009 were unlawful, the High Court has ruled. The judges found yesterday in favour of protesters who claimed police treated them unfairly by punching and slapping non-violent protestors. The judgment limits the use of kettling, which is already being... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-court-rules-on-police-protest-tactics 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-court-rules-on-police-protest-tactics Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils are taking their concerns about the health reforms straight to the top. Local authority leaders, through the LGA, want a meeting with Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to reassure them his health shake-up won’t replace genuine democratic accountability with mere ‘window dressing’, they say. LGA chair Baroness... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-keen-to-be-heard-during-nhs-shake-up 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-keen-to-be-heard-during-nhs-shake-up Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT It is with some delight that we hear the High Court has judged the police's use of the controversial protest containment tactic of 'kettling' at the 2009 G20 protests as unlawful. The New Labour years will be remembered for many things and the erosion of civil liberties is high on the list. The creation of the kettling tactic, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/release-the-pressure 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/release-the-pressure Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister is to make a speech addressing problems with the UK’s current level of immigration and its consequences. He suggests levels of immigration are too high and that this is causing several problems within the UK. David Cameron will argue that immigrants who are unable to speak English have led to a "kind of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/david-cameron-speaks-out-on-immigration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/david-cameron-speaks-out-on-immigration Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A recent study has found that many older people living in the UK are struggling with the rising cost of living. Pensioners are increasingly forced to cut back on essential items. Higher heating costs mean they cannot afford to warm their houses adequately and food shopping has been affected by inflation. Furthermore, many people are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-costs-too-high-for-the-elderly 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-costs-too-high-for-the-elderly Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT It is estimated that 1.3 million pensioners are living in poverty in Britain. That is a shocking statistic. Although rising energy costs and inflation have contributed to this sorry state of affairs, there is money offered to help that is not being utilised. Full benefits are claimed by only 22%, while the rest get less than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensioners-kept-in-the-dark 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensioners-kept-in-the-dark Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A recycling company, Viridor, is helping businesses in the East Anglia and Northamptonshire areas to increase and develop the way they handle their waste. Currently, there is increasing pressure to stop sending materials to landfill and to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Being part of a regional recycling campaign can improve a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regional-recycling-campaign-launched 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regional-recycling-campaign-launched Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The inquest into the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson during the London G20 protests in 2009 has heard why a pathologist amended the wording of the original post-mortem after two other pathologists subsequently disagreed over the cause of death. But that is not the headline. Instead it appears that tests show the newspaper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/and-your-point-is 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/and-your-point-is Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT GCHQ, the intelligence agency and listening post, has released advice on smartphones for the public sector. It gives advice on reducing the risk of data being lost or stolen via Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerrys are the only smartphones approved for classified data, and even then only at the lowest level... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-smartphone-advice-from-gchq 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-smartphone-advice-from-gchq Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrat former leader of Liverpool City Council has become the first senior figure to call for the party to abandon its coalition with the Conservatives. In a private email to Nick Clegg, which was leaked to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, Warren Bradley said councillors in the city were going to lose their seats because of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-lib-dems-to-abandon-coalition 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-lib-dems-to-abandon-coalition Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Borrowby and Knayton parish councils in North Yorkshire have become the first in the country to join in a ‘participatory budgeting’ pilot exercise which gives local people the vote on how to spend money on local projects. The idea has been promoted as part of the Government’s flagship Big Society campaign. Now eight... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parish-councils-trial-participatory-budgeting 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parish-councils-trial-participatory-budgeting Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Research by the ippr think tank has quashed claims that the second preferences of BNP voters could swing elections under the Alternative Vote system. With four weeks to go until the national referendum on whether to change the voting system from First Past The Post, the claims and counter-claims being made about the merits of the two... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/research-dismisses-bnp-influence-under-av-system 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/research-dismisses-bnp-influence-under-av-system Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT I note with sadness the death, at the age of 49, of Sir Simon Milton who had a transformative role in local government during his life. His roles at the LGA, the Mayor of London's office, and Westminster City Council are festooned with admiring friends and colleagues who speak of the "unbelievable" things he achieved. LGA chair... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-simon-milton-dies 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-simon-milton-dies Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers and councils remain at loggerheads over central government insistence that weekly bin collections be reinstated. A new survey conducted by the Press Association showed that 69 out of 117 councils had fortnightly collections in all or the majority of the areas they covered, but that none was planning to change or change back to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/battles-continue-over-fortnightly-bin-collections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/battles-continue-over-fortnightly-bin-collections Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Are local authorities barriers to localism? Government ministers usually seem to think so; for all the talk of devolving power, it is only community groups or else individuals with executive powers, like directly-elected mayors or police commissioners, that they seem to be interested in handing power down to. They are much more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/locally-speaking 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/locally-speaking Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has praised the British Chambers of Commerce at its annual conference for its members’ determination to make Local Enterprise Partnerships work. He said in his speech to the conference: “I don’t have any doubt at all that without your support we would not have got many of our new local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-addresses-business-leaders 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-addresses-business-leaders Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A remote town in the Yorkshire Dales has won Government praise after its residents took proactive action to run their own community services. People living in Hawes, in the middle of the Dales and miles from any major town, are saving themselves a 70-mile round trip by running council services in their own one-stop community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/remote-town-shows-localism-in-action 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/remote-town-shows-localism-in-action Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Conservative Party co-chair Baroness Warsi has said she wants Britain to build “a new culture of social responsibility”. In a speech to the Catholic Bishops conference last night, she said: “Society lost the habit of demanding responsibility. “So when a young boy misbehaved – we only looked to teachers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-responsibility-urged-by-minister 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-responsibility-urged-by-minister Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The TUC has said it acknowledges the current level of the deficit is “unsustainable” but calls for an economic Plan B centred around growth rather than cuts. At a speech at Bristol Business School last night, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The TUC are not deficit deniers; we know that borrowing one pound in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/borrowing-to-fund-deficit-unsustainable-tuc 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/borrowing-to-fund-deficit-unsustainable-tuc Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Over the past few years the Conservatives seemed to stall at 'Broken Britain' when it came to law and disorder. Yet very suddenly it appears to have become core blue territory once again. Party co-chair Sayeeda Warsi has said society has lost its habit of demanding social responsibility. David Cameron has chimed in saying he wants to give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-you-mind-if-i-dont 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-you-mind-if-i-dont Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron has written to all government ministers today setting out the launch of the ‘red tape challenge’. He wrote: “In our Foreword to the Coalition Programme for Government, the Deputy Prime Minister and I wrote that ‘there has been an assumption that central government can only change people’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pm-launches-red-tape-challenge 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pm-launches-red-tape-challenge Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT As more and more universities raise their tuition fees to the maximum limit of £9,000 per year, many students will be forced to wave goodbye to their chance of a university education. Although it remains a debt to be paid only when the graduate is earning enough to be able to afford it, the dramatic figure of £27,000 is enough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/false-economy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/false-economy Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Leicester is the latest university to announce an increase to £9,000 per year for tuition fees. Currently about 22 out of the 32 institutions have opted for the maximum charge to be implemented in 2012. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, has criticised the increases, claiming that students will be put off paying so much. He even... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/universities-raise-tuition-to-the-maximum-charge 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/universities-raise-tuition-to-the-maximum-charge Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A survey shows that 71% do not think local services will improve as a result of the Census. Temporary Census staff are knocking on doors from today reminding the quarter of households who have not yet returned the form to get it done. But the survey, by business analytics firm SAS and YouGov, showed that 30% of respondents did not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-census-staff-hit-the-road-to-target-non-returners 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-census-staff-hit-the-road-to-target-non-returners Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Housing minister Grant Shapps has written to all council leaders laying out plans for cash payments to encourage local communities to support new development, instead of resisting it by default. It is part of a plan known as the ‘New Homes Bonus’. Shapps said: “The system where Whitehall told communities what homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cash-bonus-for-backing-housebuilding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cash-bonus-for-backing-housebuilding Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils called in bailiffs six million times last year to collect unpaid parking fines and council tax. The figures came from an FoI request by civil liberties lobby group Big Brother Watch, which received reports of residents being harassed by debt collectors. Almost 5,500 cases a day are passed to debt recovery agencies by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bailiffs-used-millions-of-times-by-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bailiffs-used-millions-of-times-by-councils Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT It's not the politics, it's the reporting of it. Anyone sitting down to watch the news on any of the major broadcasters last night will be forgiven for having no idea what Nick Clegg's going on about. But they will know he is apparently a 'hypocrite' who benefited from a friendly word from his own father, and who did not pay an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-politics-is-boring 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-politics-is-boring Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Half a million people on some form of incapacity-related benefit could be found fit for work and transferred onto Jobseeker’s Allowance over the next three years, ministers say. The first few thousand letters are being sent out requiring some of the 1.6 million people on disability living allowance to submit to reassessments of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefits-clampdown-starts-this-week 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefits-clampdown-starts-this-week Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT An analysis of rising local authority charges shows that they are collectively hoping to raise an estimated £330m this coming year to cover shortfalls in other areas. Almost all councils are raising some charges, including for parking, play centres, green waste collections, street trading, burials, using public toilets, and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-charges-soaring-to-cover-budget-shortfalls 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-charges-soaring-to-cover-budget-shortfalls Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT There are ways to give people on sickness benefits positive help to get back into work without treating every person as if they were a shirker. The Government's ambition to reduce the unsustainable, multi-billion pound welfare bill through targeted help is admirable and long overdue, but testimonies from those who have been involved so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/get-it-to-work-properly 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/get-it-to-work-properly Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has removed a ‘school dinners subsidy’ that could see prices rise by up to 17% in some schools. Charges could soon exceed £2.60 a day as the school dinner grant loses its ring-fenced status from today. Doncaster is one of the local authorities raising prices, up 17% to £2.10. A spokesman for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-dinner-prices-rising-fast 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-dinner-prices-rising-fast Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT It seems the state pension is to rise, up from £132.60 to perhaps £155 by 2015 or 2016, accounting for inflation. A BBC report suggests the Coalition is to go further than its previously mooted £140 figure and a simplification of the pension rules should make it easier for pensioners to receive what is truly entitled to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/grandad-we-love-you 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/grandad-we-love-you Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Speed cameras in Oxfordshire are to be turned back on eight months after the county council switched them off. Seen as one of the first examples of the Conservatives’ pledge to ‘end the war on the motorist’, Oxfordshire County Council switched off their 72 cameras and 89 mobile sites last summer, citing budget... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxfordshire-reverses-speed-camera-switch-off 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxfordshire-reverses-speed-camera-switch-off Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government could announce a flat rate of at least £155 for the state pension from the middle of this decade, the BBC has reported. The current full state pension is £97.65 a week for men and women, but is topped up to ensure a minimum income of £132.60. The current minimum income guarantee also ensures couples get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pension-rates-to-rise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pension-rates-to-rise Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT A media publicity campaign highlighting the referendum on the voting system has got underway, as an Electoral Commission information booklet begins dropping through 28 million letterboxes. The campaign will emphasise that ‘something big’ is happening on May 5, with the referendum coinciding with local elections in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/referendum-publicity-campaign-begins 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/referendum-publicity-campaign-begins Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband has kicked off Labour’s campaign for the local elections in May by highlighting the impact of council spending cuts. He said the reductions would cost the average family with two children £182 a year and said Labour-run authorities charge, on average, £207 less for council tax than Conservative ones and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-launches-council-elections-campaign 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-launches-council-elections-campaign Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT MPs have demanded reassurance that troops on the frontline are not being put needlessly at risk because of the failures in the Ministry of Defence supply chain highlighting by the National Audit Office today. The NAO report said the MoD “urgently” needs to improve its logistical capabilities, which are currently inefficient... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nao-highlights-failures-in-military-logistics 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nao-highlights-failures-in-military-logistics Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The shortfall in the nation's road maintenance budget has been highlighted again today. Is it a political own goal for the Government, which should realise how unpopular terrible roads are with the voting public? Or else, is there a slightly cynical realisation that the public is more likely to blame local authorities, who tend to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/road-rage 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/road-rage Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The cost of bringing local roads up to scratch has jumped by £1bn because of the soaring number of potholes, according to the annual local authority road maintenance (ALARM) survey published today. But councils face an £895m budget shortfall in trying to deal with the problem, despite an extra £200m from the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/survey-highlights-council-headache-over-potholes 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/survey-highlights-council-headache-over-potholes Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The funding decisions for the arts today have hardly suggested that a devastating scythe is being taken to the sector, as some commentators seemed to believe. Maybe those hearing good news are just being more forthright in coming forward, and we know that more than 200 organisations across England are going to have to find new funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/artfully-done 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/artfully-done Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Arts Council England is announcing its funding decisions today, with 206 of its ‘regularly funded organisations’ (RFOs) no longer getting money. Among them is Museums Sheffield, whose chief executive Nick Dodd said: “This is very disappointing news. With Arts Council support Museums Sheffield has helped bring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/arts-groups-funding-decisions-due-today 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/arts-groups-funding-decisions-due-today Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Office for National Statistics says the Budget will increase inflation by around a third of one percent. The exact figures are 0.29% onto CPI and 0.37% onto RPI, it said. The biggest effect will come from a rise in tobacco duty, it reported, with the extra 50p on a packet of economy cigarettes and 33p on a packet of premium... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/budget-will-hit-inflation-ons 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/budget-will-hit-inflation-ons Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Primary schools are having to cope with record levels of truancy, new figures have shown. There were unauthorised absences for 0.67% of school sessions among primary age pupils in 2009/10, up from 0.64% in 2008/9. The overall truancy rate for all schools in England dropped slightly to 1.04% from 1.05%, the figures showed, because a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/truancy-up-at-primary-schools-down-at-secondaries 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/truancy-up-at-primary-schools-down-at-secondaries Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Yes campaign for the Alternative Vote system got underway in earnest today – without its most recognisable proponent. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, it has been alleged, was asked not to appear at the launch because his name is mud with voters still angry over tuition fees. And it's also alleged that the request came... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/av-you-had-enough-yet 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/av-you-had-enough-yet Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime Minister David Cameron has given his backing to a new independent Employee Engagement Task Force during a launch event at 10 Downing Street. The Task Force will ensure that a range of practical opportunities are made available for organisations wanting to learn about engagement. It will share good practice, generate debate and offer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-backs-employee-engagement-task-force 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-backs-employee-engagement-task-force Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The leader of the Labour Party has outlined why he supports the idea of an Alternative Voting system for future general elections. Ed Miliband made his comments at a cross-party launch of the Yes campaign ahead of the May 5 referendum, sharing a platform with senior Liberal Democrats such as Charles Kennedy and Baroness Williams and Green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-outlines-av-support 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-outlines-av-support Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Business Secretary has hinted at changes to the country’s tax regime but insisted a major ‘anti-austerity’ march in London would not stop the Coalition’s plans to reduce the deficit. Vince Cable made his comments to the BBC after around 250,000 people had gathered in the capital for a largely peaceful... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cable-hints-at-tax-shake-up 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cable-hints-at-tax-shake-up Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Leader of Cumbria County Council has welcomed news that the council is to receive a further £6.2m as part of the Government’s cash injection to repair potholed roads. Councillor Eddie Martin made his comments after it was announced that Cumbria, one of the hardest hit areas following this winter’s cold weather, is to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbria-delight-at-new-pothole-fund 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbria-delight-at-new-pothole-fund Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT At least 250,000 people are believed to have marched through the centre of London this weekend protesting at the Coalition Government's cuts to public services. That so many attended the TUC-inspired 'March for the Alternative' and the fact that so many of them were well behaved and caused nothing more than a little traffic disruption has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/have-i-got-news-for-you-not-really 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/have-i-got-news-for-you-not-really Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A number of historic sites across the UK are to receive a share of £10m being made available from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Projects including Bath’s Royal Crescent, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge and Charleston Farmhouse in Lewes are among the landmarks to receive funding, whilst Cardigan Castle in Ceredigion is to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heritage-sites-in-funding-boost 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heritage-sites-in-funding-boost Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT How much will enterprise zones really drive growth? It was a curious tactic by this government to choose a name that so consciously echoed the 1980s, an era that most of the party leadership try to publicly distance themselves from. The evidence is at best mixed that enterprise zones worked in that decade – how well the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-enterprising-idea 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-enterprising-idea Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Bogus census collectors are on the prowl already – days before any official workers are due to start knocking on doors. Councillor Paul Bettison, chairman of Local Government Regulation, said: “Fraudsters are known to take advantage of any situation. If they can make money from it, then they will give it a go. The next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-warning-over-census-fraudsters 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-warning-over-census-fraudsters Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of public sector workers are expected to join tomorrow’s ‘March for the Alternative’ rally in Central London. Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said it must provide a “springboard to united action”. He said: “The march in London is going to be big, we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marchers-prepare-for-london-protests 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marchers-prepare-for-london-protests Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne said in his Budget that £100m from a tax on banking profits will be divided between science centres in Cheshire, Norwich, Cambridge and Oxfordshire. Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: “This is important news for our world-leading facilities in Daresbury, Norwich... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/four-research-centres-to-share-100m 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/four-research-centres-to-share-100m Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils were offered an extra £100m to repair potholes in yesterday’s Budget. Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association’s economy and transport board, said: “This extra £100m – which comes on top of the additional £100m announced in February – will help highways teams with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/perks-for-councils-in-budget 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/perks-for-councils-in-budget Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT There is, as always, a lot for the public sector to digest in the Budget. One of the most potentially radical proposals is the 'land auction' pilot scheme, which could revolutionise the planning process and boost council coffers. However, the details remain key – many communities will be unhappy at potentially losing their voice in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-for-the-future 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-for-the-future Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Outsourcing is about to take off in an even bigger way after a change in pay rules. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the current legal protection for new employees at private firms who have taken on former public sector workers were 'bonkers' and discourage job creation. Until now, such employers have had to take on new employees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Most public sector workers earning under £21,000 will get a £250 pay increase this coming financial year. Those earning over £21,000 will get a two-year pay freeze, however, after the Government accepted the recommendations of pay review bodies (PRB) for public sector pay awards for 2011-12. The pay freeze will save... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-year-pay-freeze-confirmed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-year-pay-freeze-confirmed Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Four waste recycling centres are set to be closed down in Greater Manchester due to budget cuts. Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA), which covers just over a million households, said it was having to “rationalise” the service it offered. Councillor Neil Swannick, who chairs the waste authority, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-to-close-recycling-centres 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-to-close-recycling-centres Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The microgeneration industry has said many environmental schemes will “not survive” if the Government presses ahead with plans to slash feed-in tariffs. The Department of Energy and Climate Change says it is reviewing the system because of fears it is being exploited by large-scale ‘solar farms’, rather than the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fears-over-feed-in-tariffs-review 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fears-over-feed-in-tariffs-review Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The past three years have seen the biggest fall in household incomes since the recession of the early 1990s, new research shows. The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that a household in the mid-range of income distributions would have found real-terms income had shrunk by £360 a year, or 1.6%, between 2008 and 2011. Over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/household-income-shrinking-fast 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/household-income-shrinking-fast Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Are the plans for radical changes to public service delivery, bringing far more private, voluntary and charitable sector groups in to run services, being watered down? The Prime Minister generated a lot of interest with his proposals last month to offer virtually all public services to independent providers, excluding things like defence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-runs-britain 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-runs-britain Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Taxpayers’ Alliance has released figures which suggest 2,295 council workers received more than £100,000 in pay, benefits, pensions and redundancy in 2009-10, an increase of 18% on the previous year. The Local Government Association has countered that the figure is skewed by councils seeking to make long-term efficiencies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anger-over-council-staff-pay-spike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anger-over-council-staff-pay-spike Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Research undertaken for the BBC has suggested university graduates who start their professional careers on average earnings could pay back more than double the cost of their higher education. The study by leading accountants found that three fictional students owing £39,000 following a three year course, and starting their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/graduates-could-pay-double-the-value-of-their-loans 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/graduates-could-pay-double-the-value-of-their-loans Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The very fact that the Taxpayers' Alliance can compile an in-depth report into senior pay at councils shows that it is a relatively transparent sector. More executives than ever are taking home more than £100,000 in total remuneration, the Taxpayers' Alliance says, despite the general public sector downturn. The LGA says a lot... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-packet-peeping 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-packet-peeping Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT An influential Parliamentary select committee has cautioned the Government over its proposals to target abuses of the international student visa. The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee warned that the wrong approach could cause a great deal of damage to the UK’s education sector if the crackdown on the numbers of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/select-committee-concern-over-student-visa-policy 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/select-committee-concern-over-student-visa-policy Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Good to hear councils getting a bit of praise on the radio this morning, thanks to an innovative tie-up with Lloyds TSB to help a few more first-time buyers clamber onto the housing ladder. The buyer puts down a minimum 5% deposit, and the local authorities taking part in the scheme provide a cash-backed indemnity of up to 20%. The buyer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lending-a-hand 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lending-a-hand Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A review of government policy on radicalisation will recommend that university and college lecturers monitor their students and their essays, it has been reported. The BBC said it understands that the review by Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile, due to be published in May, will make the controversial call for a ‘traffic light system’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/radicalism-review-to-call-for-lecturers-to-monitor-suspect-students 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/radicalism-review-to-call-for-lecturers-to-monitor-suspect-students Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The review of the feed-in tariff scheme because of potential exploitation by commercial ‘solar farms’ has been slammed as “unnecessary” by green campaigners, who say it could limit green electricity production. The review, announced on February 7 by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, who said at the time: “Large... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/feed-in-tariff-review-attacked 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/feed-in-tariff-review-attacked Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The points-based system for immigration is inefficient and provides poor value for money, according to a National Audit Office report. But the investigators said the system, introduced by the UK Border Agency in 2008, was for the most part designed well and provides an adaptable means of meeting the UK’s work-related immigration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flaws-in-points-based-immigration-system--nao 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flaws-in-points-based-immigration-system--nao Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A Government-commissioned review of public sector pay has recommended pay cuts for managers who miss performance targets. Economist and commentator Will Hutton said his “earn-back” scheme would mean wage cuts of up to 20% for those who under-perform across the civil service, NHS and local government. Under the proposed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-review-recommends-salary-cuts-for-missed-targets 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-review-recommends-salary-cuts-for-missed-targets Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT First thoughts on Will Hutton's public sector pay review – some good ideas; will probably never happen. He is right to try to link salary with performance, but doing it in a 'negative' way as he suggests, with cash withheld if targets are missed, will surely result in legal problems and acrimony. Public sector performance is not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/paying-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/paying-up Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A surge in the number of managers and senior civil servants is sending Whitehall payroll costs out of control – despite staff numbers falling by 1%. A National Audit Office (NAO) report said the wage bill for about 500,000 central gov¬ernment employees rose 10% to £16.4bn over the past decade. Amyas Morse, head of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-pay-spiralling--nao-report 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-pay-spiralling--nao-report Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Doctors may be on their way to becoming managers, but councillors will become health overseers. That is, if policies demanded by the Lib Dems are accepted by their Conservative Coalition colleagues. The party's policy following its conference in Sheffield at the weekend is now for at least half of the members of GP commissioning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healthy-idea 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healthy-idea Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has ordered a “thorough report” on nuclear safety in the UK and what can be learned from the crisis in Japan. There have been explosions at two of the reactors at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in northern Japan, while a third has lost its cooling system, due to Friday’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huhne-orders-nuclear-safety-review-after-japan-crisis 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huhne-orders-nuclear-safety-review-after-japan-crisis Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A scheme helping councils transform the way library services are provided has helped scores of shops, pubs, post offices and community centres become new venues for book lending. The Future Libraries Programme (FLP) has also led to library services offering e-book readers and audio downloads, and sharing mobile libraries The Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-hails-innovative-new-library-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-hails-innovative-new-library-services Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police cuts could trigger a “vicious cycle of crime and disorder” according to a think tank report by a leading economist. Birmingham University’s Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay finds “a strong and negative relationship between [police] detection rates and crime”, which means that the more crime police detect, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-warns-of-immediate-crime-consequences-of-police-cuts 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-warns-of-immediate-crime-consequences-of-police-cuts Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The advice service for people affected by planning issues, whose government funding comes to an end on March 31, will continue as a telephone-only service. Planning Aid England, which provides free, independent and professional advice to individuals and community groups who cannot afford to pay professional fees, has launched a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-planning-advice-service-seeks-new-funding-after-cuts 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-planning-advice-service-seeks-new-funding-after-cuts Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has responded to the Hutton review of public sector pensions. As publicsectorexecutive.com reported yesterday, Lord Hutton’s report’s main recommendations include a shift from final-salary to average-earnings schemes, rises in the normal pension age for public sector staff and, for some, an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-strikes-conciliatory-note-over-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-strikes-conciliatory-note-over-pensions Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cuts to fire authority budgets have been back-loaded to give them time to adjust – unlike local authority budgets. Fire minister Bob Neill said the country’s fire and rescue services have been given “some protection” in his speech to the LGA’s ‘The Future of Fire’ conference. On the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-outlines-future-of-fire-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-outlines-future-of-fire-services Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils are sitting on a debt mountain of more than £1bn in unpaid council tax, according to some of our more excitable newspapers. Ministers were quick to blame the 'worst-offending' councils – all Labour-run urban authorities with high levels of deprivation – for cutting services rather than making more of an effort... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-up-pay-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-up-pay-up Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is still not achieving value for money, according to the National Audit Office. Despite some improvements in its financial management, the department is facing “substantial challenges” in financially overseeing its arm’s-length bodies. It is doing well on Olympics... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-failings-at-dcms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-failings-at-dcms Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Chancellor George Osborne may have been shrewd to appoint a former Labour minister to review public sector pensions, meaning no one Coalition minister can act as the figurehead for discontent over the inevitably radical suggestions the report has come up with. The unions are predictably outraged – as they have been, give or take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hutton-dressed-as-cam 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hutton-dressed-as-cam Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public service unions are united in rejecting the findings of Lord Hutton’s report on public sector pensions. His key recommendations involve shifting from final-salary to average-earnings schemes, raising the normal pension age for public sector workers, and increasing contributions in many cases. The GMB said his conclusions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-fury-over-pensions-recommendations 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-fury-over-pensions-recommendations Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Schools and school children are turning Merseyside green in a giant gardening initiative. Forty primary schools in the region are getting environmental bags, packets of seeds, compost and gardening equipment donated by shops, Arriva North West buses and a local radio station. In July, the produce they grow will be sold in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gardening-initiative-for-thousands-of-schoolchildren 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gardening-initiative-for-thousands-of-schoolchildren Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The majority of English local authorities are freezing council tax this year because of a £650m Government incentive fund, according to a survey. The annual council tax survey from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) shows that the average Band D English council tax bill is expected to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-incentives-for-council-tax-freeze-pays-dividends 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-incentives-for-council-tax-freeze-pays-dividends Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Would councils be freezing council tax without the cash incentives being offered by the Government? It's another localism question, ultimately, and while this year the £650m hand-out has prompted most councils to see which side their bread is buttered on, who knows what will happen next year. Ministerial threats over bin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-long-until-a-council-tax-thaw 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-long-until-a-council-tax-thaw Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Job losses among health and safety inspectors could endanger workers and the public at building sites, farms, waste disposal plants, quarries, and factories, says the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union. PCS wants the Government to guarantee that health and safety inspectors will not stop making unannounced visits to such sites... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safety-fears-over-impact-of-hse-job-losses- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safety-fears-over-impact-of-hse-job-losses- Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s use of IT goes under the microscope today as the Public Administration Select Committee investigates why some projects have succeeded and others have been embarrassing failures. Among the witnesses being called to speak today are Professor Helen Margetts and Dr Ian Brown of the Oxford Internet Institute, Dr Edgar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-it-to-be-examined-by-mps 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-it-to-be-examined-by-mps Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A social housing scheme to insulate thousands of homes, with the cost of the works being paid via savings on energy bills, has been launched today. Housing minister Grant Shapps said the ‘green transformation’ of social homes would make them warmer and more comfortable to live in, but also cheaper to run. Improvements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/insulation-scheme-a-key-test-of-green-deal-funding-plans 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/insulation-scheme-a-key-test-of-green-deal-funding-plans Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Sticking by promises made in the heat of election campaigns is particularly difficult for governments once they get to know the workings of Whitehall. Not just on big policy items and spending decisions, but on the day-to-day operations of government, have ministers realised that many things are easier said than done. From open data... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keep-your-friends-close 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keep-your-friends-close Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Climate campaigners have demanded a more rigorous set of requirements on local authorities than the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ negotiated between the Government and Local Government Group. Friends of the Earth climate change campaigner Liz Hutchins said: “The Memorandum of Understanding is entirely inadequate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/voluntary-approach-to-councils-climate-agenda-entirely-inadequate 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/voluntary-approach-to-councils-climate-agenda-entirely-inadequate Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of people will take part in the country’s biggest ever civil emergency exercise from today as the Government tests how well the UK would cope with catastrophic floods. The £1.8m Exercise Watermark test will involve ten government departments, 34 local resilience forums, emergency responders, water and energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Biggest-ever-civil-emergency-exercise-to-involve-10000-people 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Biggest-ever-civil-emergency-exercise-to-involve-10000-people Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector staff compulsorily transferred into the private sector through outsourcing deals could lose the ‘fair deal’ guarantee on their pensions, at the same time as recommendations that workers are switched from final-salary to average-earnings schemes. Business groups say the requirement that new private employers run... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-under-attack 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pensions-under-attack Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Was the war of words between the Government and local authorities an inevitability as soon as the cuts to their funding were announced? Councils, especially those run by Labour, were never going to let ministers get away with handing them responsibility for the cuts to services and jobs they are making, while ministers always had an easy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shouting-loudest 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shouting-loudest Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of Jobcentre Plus call centre staff are voting from today in a strike ballot over working conditions. Around 7,000 staff have been balloted, after two days of strike action in January by more than 2,000 workers transferred from processing benefit claims to handling phone enquiries. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-ballot-at-benefits-call-centres 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-ballot-at-benefits-call-centres Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The MoD has been forced to deny it is spending £22 on 65p light bulbs, claiming that the ‘lamp filaments’ in invoices are “highly specialist items”. The Sun newspaper was shown the invoice by an anonymous soldier outraged at “criminal waste” at the MoD, who said: “You're talking about a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mod-denies-criminal-waste-over-22-for-65p-light-bulbs-reports 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mod-denies-criminal-waste-over-22-for-65p-light-bulbs-reports Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ordnance Survey has launched the second phase of its new pricing and licensing model, aimed at making fewer but broader licences for commercial activities. The two new contracts, available for use from April 1, are for ‘Printed Products’ and ‘View, Tracking and Scheduling’. Stefan Wells, licensed partner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-changes-to-ordnance-survey-licensing-process 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-changes-to-ordnance-survey-licensing-process Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Contractors are being sought to transform the parkland and infrastructure of the Olympic Park once the Games are over. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will eventually hand over to ‘legacy owners’, primarily the Olympic Park Legacy Company and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. ODA director of design and regeneration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/olympic-park-legacy-projects-revealed 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/olympic-park-legacy-projects-revealed Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT There is something almost noble about the ideas coming out of some councils to strip themselves of their purpose in life. Few people or organisations so willingly consider making themselves virtually redundant as those looking into becoming 'enabling' councils – commissioning, rather than providing, their services. It's not a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/able-to-enable 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/able-to-enable Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police morale will be hit by Home Secretary Theresa May’s warning that officers face cuts to their pay and conditions, according to the federation representing frontline police. In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute yesterday, May said: “No home secretary wants to cut police officers’ pay packages. But, with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/may-outlines-police-pay-cuts-and-end-to-target-culture 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/may-outlines-police-pay-cuts-and-end-to-target-culture Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Another council is considering abandoning its role as a provider of services, and becoming a ‘commissioning’ organisation instead. Bury Council would hand over and contract out services to private companies, voluntary groups, charities and other councils, while others would simply disappear. Leader of the Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-councils-explore-enabler-option-to-hand-over-all-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-councils-explore-enabler-option-to-hand-over-all-services Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT A South Yorkshire council has placed a failing school in special measures and could strip governors of their powers. Doncaster Council is to meet to decide whether to remove powers from Mexborough School’s governors after an Ofsted report earlier this year found pupils were not receiving an acceptable standard of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-could-take-control-of-failing-school 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-could-take-control-of-failing-school Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT More than 500 jobs are to go at Sandwell Council, it has been announced. The announcement came following the setting of the West Midlands council’s annual budget, which also saw a freeze in council tax as councillors sought to implement a £30m reduction in spending. Councillor Steve Eling, deputy leader and cabinet member... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Communities Secretary has warned against councils seeking to offset funding cuts by reducing allocations of public money to charities and voluntary organisations. In comments made to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Eric Pickles stated that charities and local voluntary groups should not expect, in most cases... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-in-warning-to-councils-over-charity-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-in-warning-to-councils-over-charity-cuts Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT The savings having to be made by Birmingham beggar belief – but then, so does everything about scale of that particular city council. The budget-setting season is nearly over, but this will hardly be a relief to the councillors and officers who have had to find millions in savings across the nation's local authorities. From April... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sticking-to-a-budget 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sticking-to-a-budget Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT More foreign aid will be going to countries that could impact the terror or security situation in this country, and less to more 'stable' countries, under new plans. Is it a case of getting better value for money from our aid budget, in using it to further non-aid objectives – those of the Foreign Office or MoD or BIS, for example... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conflicted-priorities 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conflicted-priorities Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Planning policy should be more ‘opportunity-led’ and focused on job creation rather than regulation, according to the property industry. It also wants to tone down the emphasis on sustainability in planning rules unless accompanied by pro-growth policies. The British Property Federation (BPF) was responding to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-reforms-need-to-have-growth-at-their-heart--bpf 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-reforms-need-to-have-growth-at-their-heart--bpf Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers are no longer to be given direct powers over the abolition of quangos. Government whip Lord Taylor this week said that provision has been dropped from the Public Bodies Bill in the face of opposition from the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and others. Taylor said he accepted that the House of Lords especially was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quango-reform-powers-scrapped 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quango-reform-powers-scrapped Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Villages and parishes will be able to bid for a share of a £1.5 million funding pot for super-fast broadband under an innovative scheme in Kent. The county council said the money, up to £100,000, will be available to community groups, parish councils and local authorities, which must show a sound business case and submit a bid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rural-broadband-grants-to-boost-communities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rural-broadband-grants-to-boost-communities Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT Is the LGA whistling in the wind with its demands for other parts of the public sector to be opened up to public scrutiny to the same extents as its members? Most likely it is, although the department responsible for upset councils, CLG, has made a number of attempts to stave off such 'hypocrisy' barbs by publishing spending data and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/close-scrutiny 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/close-scrutiny Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils are facing unfair demands to open themselves up to public scrutiny when few parts of central Government are doing the same, the LGA has said. The organisation’s chair, Baroness Margaret Eaton, has written to Prime Minister David Cameron saying that such rules should apply across the public sector. She says:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-over-transparency-rules 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-hit-back-over-transparency-rules Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report published this morning casts doubt on the Government’s ‘Enterprise Zones’ job-creation scheme. The research by The Work Foundation looking at how the zones worked in the 1980s and in other countries suggests the policy could cost £50,000 per job and create few lasting benefits in the depressed areas the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-tanks-urge-government-to-re-think-enterprise-zones-policy 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-tanks-urge-government-to-re-think-enterprise-zones-policy Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The list of children’s and families’ charities and support organisations who have been successful in their bids for Government funding have been announced. The Department for Education’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) grant is worth around £60 million a year, split over two years. The winning bidders... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-year-grants-for-childrens-groups-announced 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-year-grants-for-childrens-groups-announced Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Independent economists have put a price on the cost of substance misuse – and the value of treatment to help users cope. The long-term benefits “significantly” outweigh the initial costs, according to European consultancy Frontier Economics, to the extent that every £1 invested saves the taxpayer £5 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economists-show-long-term-savings-from-drug-treatment-programmes 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economists-show-long-term-savings-from-drug-treatment-programmes Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Universities minister David Willetts has insisted universities will gain from the funding reforms in a major speech this morning. Speaking at the Universities UK spring conference in London, Willetts told the audience: “You are steering your universities through choppy waters. I know it is not easy, and I recognise the tough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reforms-will-strengthen-universities-willetts 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reforms-will-strengthen-universities-willetts Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Will the 'free councils' idea increase inequality? If local authorities keep more of what they 'earn' in revenue, rather than funnelling it off for redistribution by Whitehall, will that mean richer boroughs getting richer and poorer ones losing out? Or will it leave central government, with lower administration costs, able to focus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/some-are-more-free-than-others 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/some-are-more-free-than-others Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A preferred developer has been appointed to oversee the £450 million redevelopment of a swathe of coastline in Southampton. The city council appointed Morgan Sindall Investments Limited (MSIL) to manage the Royal Pier Waterfront redevelopment, in discussion with The Crown Estate and Associated British Ports (ABP), which jointly own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-coast-redevelopment-pushes-ahead 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-coast-redevelopment-pushes-ahead Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT New figures show secondary schools spent nearly £300 million on supply teachers last year. Schools in deprived areas spent on average more than £140,000 each, according to the research by lobby group the Taxpayers’ Alliance. The average across all schools was around £100,000, totalling £293 million. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-bill-for-secondary-school-supply-teaching 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-bill-for-secondary-school-supply-teaching Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Can there be any real argument with communities minister Bob Neill's letter to councils urging them to further open meetings to public scrutiny and allow filming of public discussions? Many are already admirably open, and have embraced 'webcasting' – with some surprising results showing there is more interest in some meetings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/take-a-look-around 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/take-a-look-around Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The most serious tax evaders will come under increased levels of personal scrutiny into their affairs to ensure there is a “permanent change” in their behaviour. The Government said the Managing Deliberate Defaulters (MDD) programme will initially involve 900 known tax invaders. David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/intrusive-checks-on-known-tax-cheats-announced 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/intrusive-checks-on-known-tax-cheats-announced Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A new website gives councils all the latest information on cutting fuel bills, selling energy to the national grid and all of their renewables options. The online resource has been developed by the LGA, aimed at tackling fuel poverty, cutting carbon emissions and helping developers meet sustainability standards. LGA improvement board... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-guide-for-councils 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-guide-for-councils Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT So, councils' pothole budgets will have a smaller hole themselves thanks to a £100 million Government cash injection. The non ring-fenced money, which was also paid out last year because of the scale of problems caused by the winter weather, will go some way to assuaging concerns over cuts to highways budgets. But considering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pothole-politics 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pothole-politics Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The London Assembly is meeting tomorrow to debate and set the £13.6 billion budget for the capital. The budget proposed by Mayor of London Boris Johnson is split into six sections, covering the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the London Assembly, the London Development Agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-to-set-136-billion-budget 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-to-set-136-billion-budget Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The LGA is putting together specialist guidance to improve fire safety in blocks of flats. The LGA’s Local Government Group has been commissioned to draw up advice which will be used for social and private landlords, risk assessors, fire officers and others in the housing sector. The new guidance will run alongside existing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fire-safety-advice-for-flats 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fire-safety-advice-for-flats Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers probably feel they are standing up for householders when they criticise councils for implementing or considering fortnightly waste collections. They have described weekly collections as "a right" and seem determined to bring pressure to bear on councils to get into line. Hardly localism in action – but it's an obvious... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-wasting 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-wasting Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The UK and Russia are to share expertise, knowledge and innovation in space science as part of a new agreement. The joint statement is being signed today by both countries in Moscow as part of the UK-Russia Year of Space 2011, which puts in place an agreement for enhanced collaboration in space science research. University College... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-russia-agreement-on-space-science 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-russia-agreement-on-space-science Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Prime Minister has outlined his plans for the future of public provision by demanding an end to the ‘state monopoly’ of public services. David Cameron’s comments to the Daily Telegraph have angered unions who have accused him of trying to ‘privatise everything’. In his comments the Prime Minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-opens-door-to-private-sector 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-opens-door-to-private-sector Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The new Green Economy Council has held its first meeting. It is aimed at making government and industry work better together to help cut carbon emissions and create green jobs. It is also meant to minimise the costs to businesses by trying to make environmentalism a positive benefit for the private sector, instead of a regulatory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-and-industry-discuss-green-growth-policies 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-and-industry-discuss-green-growth-policies Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of people – ordinary people, not just politicians and public sector workers - took to the streets in Liverpool over the weekend to protest at the damage they say is being done to the city by cuts. Thousands of people – ordinary people, not just politicians and public sector workers - took to the streets in Liverpool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-the-start 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-the-start Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT There have been concerns about cuts to Supporting People grants, which vary widely between local authorities. But the Government said the £100 million a year for tackling homelessness given to councils and the voluntary sector was a “commitment” it was sticking to and was “at the heart of the Big... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-voluntary-sector-will-receive-185-million-to-help-tackle-homelessness 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-voluntary-sector-will-receive-185-million-to-help-tackle-homelessness Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Senior figures in local government have urged a rethink on public sector pensions plans. Workers will have to pay more into their pensions under the Government plans, but Baroness Eaton, the Conservative chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), said this could prompt many to opt out and put the whole scheme in danger. Her... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warnings-over-hikes-in-council-pension-scheme-payments 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warnings-over-hikes-in-council-pension-scheme-payments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report released this week by the Social Enterprise Coalition says the need for economic reform has been lost in the current Big Society debate about public and voluntary sector cuts. The Conservative Party’s 2010 manifesto outlined the need for broader economic reform in addition to a change to civil society. But the report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-society-debate-has-lost-sight-of-economic-reform-goal-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-society-debate-has-lost-sight-of-economic-reform-goal-report Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The ‘yes to AV’ campaign has received support from an unlikely source – members of the Conservative Party. Prime Minister David Cameron, who opposes AV, is making a speech today arguing the merits of first-past-the-post, while his deputy Nick Clegg is making the case for a change. Neither man is expected to feature... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electoral-reform-campaigns-get-into-full-swing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electoral-reform-campaigns-get-into-full-swing Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT London was a hefty omission from the list of local enterprise partnerships – so it is great to see it finally join the LEP party. When LEPs were first announced, there was a collective cynicism about their potential – they were seen as a cut-rate replacement for RDAs. But since then, the very process of local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enterprising-idea 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enterprising-idea Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A survey by the Taxpayers’ Alliance has found that most councils are expecting householders to sort their rubbish into four bins, although one council in Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme has provision for nine separate containers. Twenty other councils offer seven or more containers. The survey also found wide variations across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-criticised-over-bin-numbers 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-criticised-over-bin-numbers Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The National Audit Office has published a review of how government uses Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver public services. The review details a number of major challenges facing the Government in protecting and improving the value for money of ICT and in ensuring that ICT is deployed fully in the drive to secure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-nao-review-into-government-ict-provision 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-nao-review-into-government-ict-provision Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Radical welfare reform measures being outlined today no longer include controversial plans to cut housing benefit by 10% for people who have been unemployed for more than a year. Sources suggest Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg intervened to quash the idea, which was very unpopular with his party’s MPs and membership, as it was seen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-reform-plans-announced 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-reform-plans-announced Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT When listening to the electorate is it a refreshing change or a sign of weak leadership to amend or even completely U-turn on policy proposals? At Prime Minister's Questions this week, David Cameron gave the broadest hint yet that the controversial national forests sell-off will no longer go ahead; he said 'no' when asked if he was happy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wood-you-credit-it 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wood-you-credit-it Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The first payments from the £100m Transition Fund for charities and voluntary sector organisations affected by council and departmental cuts have been announced. Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, said the grant will allow organisations to prepare for the future opportunities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transition-funding-for-organisations-dependant-on-public-cash 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transition-funding-for-organisations-dependant-on-public-cash Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The latest job figures have been released, painting a bleak picture that casts doubt on the ability of the economy to generate enough private sector jobs to replace those soon to be lost in the public sector. The latest unemployment figures show an increase by 44,000 to 2.5 million. Jobseekers Allowance claimants also unexpectedly rose... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-stats-show-more-bad-news 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-stats-show-more-bad-news Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT When does the good news begin? Or is the only good news on the economy that things aren't even worse? The job market is recovering more slowly than most anticipated, inflation is at 4%, we recently had awful economic growth figures mired in negative territory, and swathes of redundancies and reduced amounts of business because of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-plan-b 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-plan-b Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Executive pay at councils will have to be publicly authorised by councillors under new measures proposed by the Government. The provision will be inserted into the Localism Bill, which is at committee stage in the House of Commons. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told the BBC’s Today programme: “It allows every... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-figure-salaries-will-have-to-be-approved-by-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-figure-salaries-will-have-to-be-approved-by-councillors Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Adult learning provider U3A says the library service is contracting “catastrophically”, based on a dossier compiled by its members and readers of its magazine. U3A (University of the Third Age) will be among the providers hit by the closure of libraries. Its chairman Ian Searle said adult learning providers are part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/adult-learning-at-libraries-in-danger 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/adult-learning-at-libraries-in-danger Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector pay is about to “take a beating” according to a new report. The latest quarterly Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and KPMG report suggests that employment in the UK’s public sector will suffer in both workforce numbers and pay awards. Redundancies are “set to rise sharply in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bleak-message-on-public-sector-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bleak-message-on-public-sector-pay Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has published its framework for affordable homes over the next four years. It has been jointly published by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Homes and Communities Agency. The Affordable Homes Programme is designed to support the delivery of up to 150,000 new affordable homes through a mixture... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-reform-changes-published 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-reform-changes-published Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Has the Government used a sledgehammer to crack a nut over council newspapers? Clearly, very few people in the independent media industry liked the idea of taxpayers subsidising competition-killing newspapers and magazines, but for all the bluster these were actually incredibly rare, especially outside of London. Most were much less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-council-news-ban 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-council-news-ban Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has approved plans for the country’s largest biofuel power plant despite local planners rejecting the controversial facility. The power station at Avonmouth near Bristol was refused by city councillors a year ago, but developer W4B appealed and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has now given it the go-ahead. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-pickles-steps-in-over-controversial-power-plant 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-pickles-steps-in-over-controversial-power-plant Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Civic leaders in Manchester have responded to ministerial criticism of the level of spending cuts in the city, after it was accused of cutting more than necessary for “cynical” political reasons. Local government minister, Grant Shapps, said the city was “playing politics with people’s lives” by making 25%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cynical-cuts-decisions-defended 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cynical-cuts-decisions-defended Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Superfast broadband is coming to Wales – and its early phases will be helped along with a £10 million Government cash injection. The money, announced by Chancellor George Osborne, will help deliver the roll-out of Next Generation Broadband in Pwllheli and surrounding areas of North Wales as part of the Welsh Assembly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/broadband-roll-out-gets-funding-boost 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/broadband-roll-out-gets-funding-boost Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The widespread abuse of the Blue Badge system for disabled parkers has prompted a review of the system. There will be a new design, better data-sharing among councils and improvements to the eligibility assessments to stop so many people using the badges fraudulently. The most common abuses occur when family members and friends... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parking-industry-welcomes-changes-to-blue-badges 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parking-industry-welcomes-changes-to-blue-badges Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Long-heralded plans for a merger of many services in three London boroughs unsurprisingly come with job losses attached – but long term the plans will safeguard jobs and services. Hammersmith and Fulham, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster councils are hoping to save a combined £35m by merging key... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/together-we-stand 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/together-we-stand Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The author of a report investigating the link between child health and societal inequalities has said that ‘huge difference’ can be made just from providing a daily reading service. Sir Michael Marmot made his comments on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme, insisting that although it could be the wrong time to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/huge-difference-from-early-intervention-in-parenting 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/huge-difference-from-early-intervention-in-parenting Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councillors may have a few good points to make in their battle with Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, but demanding to bypass him and speak directly to Cabinet Office ministers and Deputy PM Nick Clegg risks making them look petulant. Labour councillors and Richard Kemp, the Liberal Democrat who helped organise yesterday's letter to The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heads-in-the-sand 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heads-in-the-sand Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude has condemned the state of Britain’s prisons arguing 13 years of New Labour policy had ‘failed’. The comments came on BBC One’s ‘Question Time’ with the minister describing as ‘deeply wrong’ the fact that time spent in prison had not been better utilised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labours-prison-legacy-criticised 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labours-prison-legacy-criticised Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude has described as ‘unsatisfactory’ European pressure to give UK prisoners the vote. Maude’s comments came after MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion defying a European Court of Human Rights ruling that prisoners should be given the vote. MPs voted 234-22 in favour of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maude-angered-by-eu-prisoner-vote-pressure 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maude-angered-by-eu-prisoner-vote-pressure Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two London councils have been handed fines totalling £150,000 for “serious breaches” of data security after they lost two unencrypted laptops containing sensitive personal information. Two laptops containing the details of around 1,700 people were stolen from an Ealing Council employee’s home. Almost 700 of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-fined-after-laptop-theft-leads-to-data-risk 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-fined-after-laptop-theft-leads-to-data-risk Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Drink drive samples will have to be put ‘on ice’ after the Forensic Science Service (FSS), which is being abolished, stopped processing cases. A leaked memo to chief constables nationwide from the National Policing Improvement Agency said: “We appreciate the challenges and difficulties that this change may cause your... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/forensic-scientists-stop-processing-drink-drive-samples 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/forensic-scientists-stop-processing-drink-drive-samples Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A group of 88 Liberal Democrat council leaders and local party leaders have come out against the Coalition’s cuts to local government – and specifically against Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. The council chiefs, including the leaders of Hill, Milton Keynes, Newcastle and Warrington, and the deputy leader of Birmingham... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-lib-dems-in-rebellion 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-lib-dems-in-rebellion Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The scathing letter from Lib Dem council leaders, while ostensibly aimed at Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, is really a shot across the bows of party leader Nick Clegg and an early indicator of party tactics ahead of May's local elections. They must know by now that Pickles is not the sort to let criticism of his decisions change his... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/writing-the-wrongs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/writing-the-wrongs Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT They're at it again – blaming councils for the cuts. High executive pay at local authority level certainly is an issue worth examining, but ministers have once again been taking to the airwaves using it as a distraction tool from the Government's own spending decisions and to shift the blame decisively from Whitehall onto town halls... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blame-throwing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blame-throwing Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Kerbside collections of electrical appliances, paid for by producers, could save thousands of tonnes of landfill and associated fines, the LGA has suggested. It said that last year only 14% of the 145,000 tonnes of small appliances sold in the UK were collected for recycling – compared to a 65% target proposed by the European... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/household-recycling-for-gadgets-proposed 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/household-recycling-for-gadgets-proposed Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT A war of words is brewing over local government cuts, as ministers suggest some councils’ spending decisions are politically motivated. Speaking about the drastic cuts announced in Manchester this week, which will see leisure centres, libraries, public toilets and swimming pools close and rubbish collections made less frequent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-condemns-savage-cuts-by-cynical-city-council 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-condemns-savage-cuts-by-cynical-city-council Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Staff working at quangos threatened with abolition and job-cutting mergers are holding a rally in Westminster today. The union-organised protest is aimed at lobbying MPs of the important and misunderstood work the staff do, the unions said. The Commons Public Administration Select Committee said the quango reforms have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-threat-quango-staff-try-to-rally-support 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-threat-quango-staff-try-to-rally-support Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councillors are up in arms over the perceived “weakness” of Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, according to leaked emails. The Guardian newspaper reported a private email circulated to Liberal Democrat councillors at the Local Government Association which said: “Concerns about the weakness of the secretary of state have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-republican-in-charge-of-the-monarchy--councillors-condemn-pickles 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-republican-in-charge-of-the-monarchy--councillors-condemn-pickles Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is facing MPs today as a trade union challenges its plans to cut coastguard stations. The Public and Commercial Services union says the MCA must “prove its plans to cut coastguards stations would not put lives at risk”. It wants a live test of the proposed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agency-challenged-over-coastguard-closure-plans 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agency-challenged-over-coastguard-closure-plans Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Young apprentices making their way in the IT world met the minister in charge of the programme. The apprentices, Rebecca Cross and Yussuf Burke, are recent additions to the software development team at Parliamentary ICT, and part of the first cohort of apprentices starting out on the Software and Web Developer Apprenticeship programme run... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/apprentices-show-the-way 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/apprentices-show-the-way Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government, like its predecessor, has talked a lot of good talk on housing – but is there much actual evidence of building work in our towns, cities, and (whisper it) the countryside? Many councils have been so desperate for so-called Section 106 payments from developers to cover revenue shortfalls elsewhere that some of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-it-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-it-up Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Since communities in Cumbria suffered devastating flooding in November 2009, Ministers and officials have been in regular contact with the local area to ensure Government does all it can to support their recovery. Government and the North West Development Agency has provided direct financial assistance in addition to support and advice to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/central-and-local-government-work-together-to-helping-cumbrian-communities-recover 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/central-and-local-government-work-together-to-helping-cumbrian-communities-recover Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT One council is reversing the outsourcing trend by bringing external contractors in-house. Cumbria County Council said it would be cheaper, more efficient and more flexible to directly employ highways maintenance staff. The new approach takes effect from April 2012, when its contract with Amey ends. The county council decided not to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-says-it-will-save-money-by-ending-outsourcing-deal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-says-it-will-save-money-by-ending-outsourcing-deal Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT There has been claim and counter-claim over police job cuts with little clarity on the likely final impact on frontline policing roles. Labour claimed at the weekend that 10,000 police will be taken off the streets but ministers insist many of the cuts police forces need to make will hit the least efficient parts of the back-office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-under-fire-over-police-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-under-fire-over-police-cuts Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has insisted plans to sell off and lease swathes of English forests are still on the table – but has been privately briefing that the unpopular proposal will be watered down. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman blamed “wild speculation” for much of the opposition, saying many people misunderstood what... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/potential-re-think-over-forestry-plans 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/potential-re-think-over-forestry-plans Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Young people struggling to find work will get help to find unpaid training and volunteering places instead under a new government scheme. Charities including the Prince’s Trust will have staff working out of Jobcentre Plus facilities aimed at giving young jobless people the “skills and confidence” to eventually find... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/training-places-for-the-young-jobless 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/training-places-for-the-young-jobless Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT There may be 'no Plan B' for the economy, but the number of individual proposals coming out of this government only to be scrapped or watered down after protests show that some of the old ways of doing things are still alive and well. Anti-cuts protestors will be emboldened by the Government's apparent willingness to rethink some... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/u-turning-when-they-want-to 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/u-turning-when-they-want-to Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed funding for a raft of local transport projects. The Government told the councils proposing the schemes in October to find ways to make the schemes cheaper, and between them they found savings worth £45.5m. Hammond said: “These schemes will now be able to progress towards... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-go-ahead-for-nine-major-transport-schemes 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-go-ahead-for-nine-major-transport-schemes Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is a much more welcome face in local government circles than his counterpart at CLG. Capital spending on transport is still happening and funding decisions are still being made – providing jobs, boosting growth and increasing convenience for passengers using public transport as well as motorists.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moving-forward 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moving-forward Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils have welcomed the review into child protection arrangements in England calling for social workers to spend more time on families and less time form-filling. But the Local Government Association said councils will struggle to recruit and keep trained social workers because of the scale of budget cuts. Professor Eileen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reaction-to-child-protection-review 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reaction-to-child-protection-review Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is abolishing the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) as part of its attempts to cut red tape for businesses – but some have criticised the move as a “step in the wrong direction”. Its functions are being merged into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of a new, as yet unnamed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/red-tape-cutting-quango-abolished--with-no-replacement-named-yet 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/red-tape-cutting-quango-abolished--with-no-replacement-named-yet Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The commentators most supportive of the Government's deficit reduction plans are suspicious about the victims affected by the cuts. Elderly bus users, children in care, community crime prevention projects; the suggestion is out there that some councils are deliberately threatening vital services with the axe, even though they could... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cut-it-out 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cut-it-out Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced a £30 million boost to a transitional fund to help people affected by the housing benefit cuts. It has been allocated through the Discretionary Housing Payment Fund, with over £8 million going to London, £2.5 million to Scotland, £1.5 million to Wales and £17.5 million to the rest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-funds-to-help-housing-benefit-reform-losers- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-funds-to-help-housing-benefit-reform-losers- Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unused public sector land and buildings will be available to community groups who want to ‘reclaim’ them. Housing minister Grant Shapps said the process at the moment is a “bureaucratic quagmire” and said the new Community Right to Reclaim Land is the answer. He said: “Communities will no longer be kept... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-rights-for-community-groups-to-buy-up-empty-public-sector-buildings 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-rights-for-community-groups-to-buy-up-empty-public-sector-buildings Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer is outlining its plans for UK production next week. Siemens, which has revealed an interest in setting up an offshore wind turbine plant on the banks of the Humber, is speaking at the UK Crown Estates supply chain event at York Racecourse on February 10. Clare McDermott, energy and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/off-shore-wind-turbines-plan-announced 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/off-shore-wind-turbines-plan-announced Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The British Property Foundation is warning of a “looming housing benefit crisis” as landlords refuse to reduce rents. At the BPF’s Residential Conference this week, a survey showed that just under 90% will not cut rents despite the cuts to benefits that have been announced. Ministers had suggested landlords would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-crisis-as-landlords-ignore-ministers-rent-calls 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-crisis-as-landlords-ignore-ministers-rent-calls Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland has gained full university status from the Privy Council after a 20 year campaign. Convener Sandy Park said: “This is absolutely tremendous news for the Highlands and Islands. A university for the Highlands and Islands has been a long held aspiration for the area dating back... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/countrys-newest-university-unveiled 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/countrys-newest-university-unveiled Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The EU seems a less divisive issue than it once was among MPs after an amendment which could trigger a membership referendum was overwhelmingly rejected. Peter Bone proposed that a ‘no’ vote in any referendum on changes to EU treaties should trigger a second ‘in-or-out’ referendum on EU membership as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eurosceptic-mps-lose-referendum-bid 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eurosceptic-mps-lose-referendum-bid Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Plans to devolve road classification to local authorities are another welcome symbol of localism in action. But symbolism cuts both ways – any major change still needs DfT approval. Whitehall can just not let go. Government likes transparency, we hear, so councils are forced to be transparent. Government dislikes council tax... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/their-way-or-the-highway 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/their-way-or-the-highway Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils who have still not published all of their spending data over £500 after yesterday’s deadline face “serious questions” from ministers. Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles promised “a new era of transparency” with “armchair auditors” examining council spending. Up to 40... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-miss-spending-data-deadline 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-miss-spending-data-deadline Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Is there a "culture of excess" in our local authorities – or is this just Eric Pickles council-bashing once again? The Communities Secretary was speaking primarily of expenses and foreign travel, as well as the cost of things like awards ceremonies. He knows well that any such excess is of an entirely different magnitude in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/excessive-abuse 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/excessive-abuse Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT The local government finance settlement figures have been agreed, with the LGA branding it “the toughest in living memory” – while the Government insisted it is “progressive”. Communities minister Bob Neill said: “We have listened to views and looked hard at the figures and have pushed more money to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/final-council-finance-settlement-toughest-in-living-memory 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/final-council-finance-settlement-toughest-in-living-memory Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT An official report into child protection says bureaucracy and form-filling is giving social workers little time to actually do the job. Professor Eileen Munro, asked to review child protection in England, said: “Professionals should be spending more time with children, asking how they feel, whether they understand why the social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-workers-need-to-spend-more-time-with-children-says-report 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-workers-need-to-spend-more-time-with-children-says-report Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT Bus operators reliant on public funding will stop running valued but less profitable routes, councils say. The Local Government Association says cuts to council budgets will make it “almost impossible” for many routes to continue to receive subsidy, meaning those which are unsustainable commercially could be scrapped. Rural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bus-routes-to-be-scrapped-as-funds-dry-up 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bus-routes-to-be-scrapped-as-funds-dry-up Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Staff at a council adopting radical plans to trim back services to the essentials and outsource most others – branding its no-frills approach ‘easy council’ in imitation of the airline – faces strike action by staff. Unison is balloting 150 of its members over the roll-out of the One Barnet plan, under which a raft... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strike-vote-at-easy-council-as-outsourcing-plans-become-reality 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strike-vote-at-easy-council-as-outsourcing-plans-become-reality Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Will localism bring more opportunities for economic growth as businesses and councils are freed from the shackles of regulation and central control – or will more power locally mean more power to block unwelcome development and business opportunities? Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government have certainly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whose-back-yard 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whose-back-yard Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A report on poverty and unemployment today warns that the Government must focus on the ‘working poor’ as well as the jobless if it is to cut the benefits bill and overall poverty levels. The analysis by think tank The Work Foundation focuses on what it calls the ‘Bottom Ten Million’; workers earning under £15... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/working-poor-need-targeted-help--think-tank 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/working-poor-need-targeted-help--think-tank Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned that councillors who handle personal data could face £5,000 fines if they fail to register as a data controller. The ICO is writing to councillors across the country to urge them to check if they are fulfilling their legal requirements under the Data Protection Act... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-data-protection-warning-for-councils 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-data-protection-warning-for-councils Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government is among the brashest of them all when it comes to cuts – no doubt the influence of Eric Pickles at the helm. Liverpool is the latest to announce huge job cuts – 1,500 posts are to go – but once again the CLG response is to tell councils to "share back-office services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-shoulder-to-cry-on 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-shoulder-to-cry-on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils will keep their right to use covert ‘RIPA’ powers, the Home Office has said. The use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act by councils had been brought into disrepute when some used covert surveillance techniques when investigating relatively trivial offences, such as dog fouling and fly-tipping. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-councils-covert-surveillance-powers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-councils-covert-surveillance-powers Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Prime ministerial resignation procedures need clarifying, according to an MPs’ report into the Coalition-forming process. The House of Commons’ Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has published its assessment of the government formation process after the May 2010 general election. The report says the process... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-examines-coalition-building 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-examines-coalition-building Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Six ex-defence chiefs have warned against the scrapping of the RAF Nimrod fleet. In the letter to the Daily Telegraph, they said destroying the plans was “perverse”. Work began yesterday to scrap the nine non-operation planes in Greater Manchester. The MoD blamed “severe financial pressures”. The letter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/defence-heavyweights-slam-scrapping-of-4bn-nimrod-fleet 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/defence-heavyweights-slam-scrapping-of-4bn-nimrod-fleet Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The debate over council newspapers gets to the heart of what local authorities are for and how they work. Many of them do not feel any particular need to be 'held to account' by the local press, which hard-working council staff often feel to be overly negative and sensationalist, underplaying the day-to-day good work done by thousands in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hold-the-front-page 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hold-the-front-page Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT MPs have criticised plans to curb council newspapers which ministers says are often taxpayer-funded propaganda driving commercial papers out of business. Local government minister Grant Shapps has called them ‘town hall Pravdas’, in reference to the Soviet pro-state newspaper. But the House of Commons Communities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/restrictions-on-council-papers-questioned-by-mps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/restrictions-on-council-papers-questioned-by-mps Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Anglesey Council in Wales could be forced to merge with its neighbour after ministers were granted new powers. The council, whose management has been under special measures since 2009, could be merged with Gwynedd. Dominic MacAskill, head of local government for Unison in Wales, told BBC Wales that 22 local authorities was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/under-performing-council-could-be-abolished 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/under-performing-council-could-be-abolished Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Hundreds of council staff are facing compulsory redundancy after a deal to cut pay instead was rejected. The 900 staff facing the axe at Aberdeen City Council were to be offered voluntary redundancy and severance packets if the 5% pay cut was accepted, but that is no longer an option. Union officials are meeting today to decide the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-turn-to-compulsory-redundancies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-turn-to-compulsory-redundancies Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Police authorities opposed to plans for directly-elected commissioners have been putting their views to the government in the latest round of consultation. Lancashire Police Authority is among those giving evidence to the House of Commons’ Public Bill Committee, which is overseeing amendments to the Police Reform and Social... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-reforms-unworkable-and-bureaucratic 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-reforms-unworkable-and-bureaucratic Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT For every council posting job cut notices these past few weeks, not many of them seem to be seriously considering shared service options. This blog has looked before at some of the more innovative ideas, in Kent, Berkshire, Hampshire and fire services in the north-east, for example. They do often mean job cuts, but they can save a lot of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sharing-the-pain 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sharing-the-pain Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councillors in the South East are up in arms after the Regional Growth Fund all but ruled out giving any money to the relatively wealthy local authorities in the region. Deputy chairman of the independent advisory panel for the £1.4 billion RGF, Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, has said the South East is not in a good position to meet fund... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bias-claims-in-row-over-regional-funding 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bias-claims-in-row-over-regional-funding Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A localism think tank has called for parts of the health, schools and policing budgets to be devolved to councils to reverse half a century of “creeping centralisation”. The New Local Government Network (NLGN), in its evidence to the Department of Communities and Local Government Select Committee, said there is still a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-urged-to-reject-centralisation 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-urged-to-reject-centralisation Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Centre for Social Justice says billions of pounds have been spent on 'vague hopes' of improvement rather than clearly defined objectives. It is an easy to charge to make when it comes to handling such massive budgets, but is there really anything in it? The think tank gives the example of £1.2 billion spent on problem drug... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-down-the-drain 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-down-the-drain Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils have been given “one week’s notice” of a deadline to open up their books to public examination. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told the remaining councils yet to let voters examine details of all spending over £500 that they are “running out of excuses and time”. Among the councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transparency-warning-from-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transparency-warning-from-government Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Some of the cities hammered hardest by job losses during the recession are bouncing back the strongest. Analysis by the Centre for Cities thinktank in its new report, Cities Outlook 2011, shows that cities like Hull, Doncaster and Northampton posted the biggest reductions in their unemployment claimant count between March and November... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-bounceback-cities-big-unemployment-drop 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-bounceback-cities-big-unemployment-drop Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Extreme winter weather has left councils with crumbling roads and potholes to fix – but nowhere near enough money to do it. The Local Government Association estimates that 2m potholes were repaired last year, but that this past December, the coldest for 100 years, has caused huge amounts of damage once again. Cllr Peter Box... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/165m-funding-hole-for-road-repairs 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/165m-funding-hole-for-road-repairs Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils are taking the Government to court over cancelled school rebuilding projects. Sandwell, Waltham Forest, Luton, Nottingham, Kent and Newham councils are seeking a judicial review of the decision to axe their projects under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes. Hundreds of schools had rebuilds cancelled last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-action-over-cancelled-school-rebuilds 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-action-over-cancelled-school-rebuilds Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT One of the first major bids for help from a newly-created local enterprise partnership (LEP) is a multi-million pound effort to reinvigorate a transport scheme at risk from Government cuts. The £14.3m Castleford Transport Interchange, replacing the town’s separate bus and rail stations, has support from Wakefield Council and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-big-bid-to-new-lep 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-big-bid-to-new-lep Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Another 13 councils have abandoned weekly bin collections – eight of them Tory-controlled – which raises questions about the Government's localism agenda. Giving councils more powers over how to run services in their areas, and more responsibility for how to pass on budget cuts, means there will inevitably be decisions made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rubbish-decisions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rubbish-decisions Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The GMB union says it will have “no choice” but to press for strike action if any of the 2,000 council job cuts announced in Manchester are via compulsory redundancies. It said the city was under “attack” from the Government. A spokesman said: “GMB Manchester will continue to provide support and advice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-strike-action-threatened 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-strike-action-threatened Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Wrongly-paid benefits totalling billions of pounds are not being tackled well enough, according to an audit report. The National Audit Office said the DWP “does not yet have enough evidence to demonstrate that its activities to reduce the cost of mistakes by customers have been value for money”. Overpayments due to errors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefit-payment-errors-still-rife 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefit-payment-errors-still-rife Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government has offered new safeguards to guarantee the quality of its Apprenticeship programme. Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister John Hayes pledged that all apprenticeships will deliver high quality, nationally-recognised qualifications relevant to the skill, trade or occupation of the learner and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guarantees-for-apprentices-on-hours-and-teaching 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guarantees-for-apprentices-on-hours-and-teaching Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Crime is down again, we are told – except sex offences. Which, of course, is thanks to more reporting by victims, rather than more sex crime, say police. Murder and manslaughter are at their lowest level since 1997, and the risk of being a crime victim is at 21.4%, a 30-year-low. Some people will never believe the official... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-a-crime 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-a-crime Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Councils could be forced to bear the brunt of £1bn in EU fines – while not getting as many revenue-raising powers as many of them want. The Local Government Association has criticised plans by the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, to make councils responsible for covering fines issued by the EU over recycling and air... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-face-eu-fines 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-face-eu-fines Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Southampton is cutting 40 managers’ jobs to make a £2m dent in the savings it must achieve. The job cuts, at least two at director level, represent 20% of the city council’s management structure. It is removing a further 250 jobs from across the council this financial year, cutting pay by an average of 5.4% - with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managers-feel-the-brunt-of-southampton-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managers-feel-the-brunt-of-southampton-cuts Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT With great power comes great responsibility, according to the superhero comics - and the Department for Communities and Local Government. If local authorities are to face the consequences of EU directives demanding limits on emissions and waste going to landfill, it is right the Government fulfils its localism promise and takes a proper... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/show-them-the-money 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/show-them-the-money Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities will benefit from a new £560m ‘green transport’ fund. The money will be available over the next four years, transport minister Norman Baker said. Councils will get more freedom to innovate and decide on their own transport projects, while the Government is to do more to encourage walking, cycling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-fund-for-transport-schemes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-fund-for-transport-schemes Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public sector job losses are thought to be behind today’s disappointing job figures. Unemployment rose by 49,000 to 2.5m, redundancies increased and the number of people economically inactive is 9.3m. There were 157,000 redundancies in the latest quarter – up 14,000 on the three months before. Ian Brinkley, associate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-bite-into-employment-figures 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-bite-into-employment-figures Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A Government review into parenting has recommended a massive education campaign. Labour MP Graham Allen produced the report into early intervention. He said: “Many parents have a strong desire to do the best for their children but many, especially in low-income groups, are ill-informed or poorly motivated on how to achieve this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-intervention-parenting-lessons-proposed 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-intervention-parenting-lessons-proposed Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Parenting lessons may be a good idea – even if they are the most literal example of the nanny state at work. But can a public education programme on the scale suggested today really be taken up by the Big Society? It's a good test of the concept – there should be plenty of people and organisations with the motivation and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-wide 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-wide Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A survey of college students in receipt of education maintenance allowances (EMA) showed seven in 10 saying they would drop out without the grants. The Government plans to abolish EMA, saying grants should be more targeted and that the vast majority of students would go to college without it the £10-30 weekly payments for teenagers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/70-of-poorer-teenagers-would-drop-out-of-college-without-ema 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/70-of-poorer-teenagers-would-drop-out-of-college-without-ema Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Buildings constructed using the private finance initiative were not always the best value, an influential committee has found. The public accounts committee said councils and health trusts were often forced to use PFI because there was “no realistic funding alternative” even when there was no evidence it was better value for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-use-pfi-even-when-public-funding-would-be-cheaper 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-forced-to-use-pfi-even-when-public-funding-would-be-cheaper Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Flexible parental leave will balance the roles of men and women in childcare, the Government says. It is launching a consultation to get feedback on the proposals, which have been welcomed by many parenting groups but are viewed with scepticism by many businesses. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "Right now, most parents simply... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-parental-leave-scheme-will-boost-fathers-role- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-parental-leave-scheme-will-boost-fathers-role- Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Today's report on PFI projects surely tells us a lot of what we already knew – that it became 'the done thing' even when it did not really offer better value. Done well, and in principle, the scheme has obvious merits – but the last Government completely failed to keep a lid on costs, demand compensation for delays or use its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/show-some-initiative 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/show-some-initiative Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Subsidies for transport in Wales will stay at roughly the same level despite the cuts. Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones announced an £11m package of funding for bus and community transport services earlier than usual this year – down 3% on the previous year, despite much larger cuts to the wider Welsh Assembly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-bus-and-community-transport-cash-announced 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-bus-and-community-transport-cash-announced Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Will students really stay home from college if education maintenance payments are withdrawn? Clearly, in rural areas, some students will be affected by the scrapping of the EMA grants, but two facts spring to mind – students coped before the EMA was introduced, and colleges themselves offer financial help. Students who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/college-pay-outs 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/college-pay-outs Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Social housing waiting lists are continuing to grow, new figures show. Councils are using more and more private accommodation to house the estimated five million people on waiting lists. Research shows between July and September, 11,000 people joined local authority waiting lists – 12% more than the previous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-crisis-as-waiting-lists-keep-on-growing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-crisis-as-waiting-lists-keep-on-growing Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron will refuse to compromise over public sector reform in a major speech today, arguing instead that “modernisation” needs to happen as quickly as possible. Reforms to the education and health sectors especially have come under attack from both unions and professional organisations, but the Prime Minister said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-let-up-in-pace-of-public-sector-overhaul--pm 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-let-up-in-pace-of-public-sector-overhaul--pm Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Staff at Jobcentre Plus call centres around the country are staging a 48-hour strike at the end of this week in a row over ‘excessive monitoring’ and unrealistic conditions. Around 3,500 workers are expected to walk out at offices in Norwich, Sheffield, Makerfield, Manchester, Glasgow and Newport in South Wales. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-day-walkout-for-jobcentre-staff 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-day-walkout-for-jobcentre-staff Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A pleasing number of councils, fire services and police authorities are now realising the potential benefits of shared services. Such schemes were less common in the boom years, when sovereignty mattered more, but now that so much cash needs to be saved so fast, they suddenly look very tempting. Few authorities are looking at full... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-together-now 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-together-now Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A local enterprise partnership for the North East has been approved today. The LEP, covering seven council areas, is the country’s 28th, and neighbours the region’s other LEP for the Tees Valley area. Business minister Mark Prisk and decentralisation minister Greg Clark gave the partnership the green light. The LEPs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/another-lep-approved 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/another-lep-approved Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT More councils have joined the ongoing rush to share services and merge departments. Two councils in Hampshire, Southampton and Fareham, are planning to merge their legal teams to save “hundreds of thousands of pounds”. It would be structured as a five-year deal, with Fareham’s staff transferring to the Southampton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-mergers-planned 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-mergers-planned Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council wants more resident feedback before it makes its cuts decision in its March budget. Stephen Hughes, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, said the Government’s reductions to grants posed an “unparalleled financial challenge”. Another big authority, Manchester, this week announced 2,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weeks-of-tough-decisions-as-councils-review-spending 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weeks-of-tough-decisions-as-councils-review-spending Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Huge reforms to child support are being announced today. The Government says the current system often “drives a wedge” between parents and children, and that separating couples should be encouraged to come to their own arrangements. There will be a new fee for statutory help, but free advice from voluntary and charitable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-child-support-overhaul 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-child-support-overhaul Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT One of the country’s largest local authorities is cutting 2,000 jobs. Manchester City Council said it hoped to avoid compulsory redundancies, but blamed the Government for the “unfair” situation. Council bosses say they are among the five worst-hit in the country and are having to save £110m because of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-job-cuts-confirmed-in-manchester 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-job-cuts-confirmed-in-manchester Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Retirement at 65 will be a thing of the past. The practice has already been phased out by the majority of companies, but the Government’s reforms now mean no company will be allowed to compulsorily ‘retire’ their employees. The change is being phased in from April to October. Employment relations minister Ed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/end-of-the-default-retirement-age 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/end-of-the-default-retirement-age Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Was it a coincidence that the decision to axe 2,000 jobs on Manchester City Council was announced on the day of a close by-election in a nearby constituency home to many of those workers? It probably was, but it highlights the year in store for the governing parties as the cuts turn from rhetoric to reality. Manchester is right that it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/worse-to-come 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/worse-to-come Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Six councils have been giving evidence at Westminster on the Government’s localism agenda. Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for environment and planning, Michael Green, gave evidence to the Department for Communities and Local Government select committee into localism and decentralised services this week. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-give-mps-a-view-from-the-frontline 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-give-mps-a-view-from-the-frontline Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two councils in Kent are pushing ahead with a merger at senior levels – but say the deal will “maintain the sovereignty” of each. Dover and Shepway district councils have agreed a draft protocol to be put to a simultaneous executive meeting next month. In a joint statement the respective council leaders, Paul... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-seek-to-save-cash-by-merging-managers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-seek-to-save-cash-by-merging-managers Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A coalition of nearly 1,000 legal charities and campaigners are stepping up their campaign against legal aid cuts with an event in Westminster today. It is part of the ‘Justice for All’ campaign, supported by Citizens Advice, the Law Centres Federation, Kids Company and Scope. The campaigners say half a million people... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opposition-grows-to-legal-aid-cutbacks 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opposition-grows-to-legal-aid-cutbacks Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Long-term plans to amalgamate benefits into a universal single credit were never going to be simple. The latest Institute of Fiscal Studies research into the reforms coming out of the Department for Work and Pensions suggests a confusing mix of winners and losers and costs and savings. But a bit of confusion at this stage is worth it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-the-benefit 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-the-benefit Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A pioneering environmental scheme has sold a quarter of a million compost bins in just six years. Over a third of the contents of an average UK household bin are suitable for home composting, including tea bags, egg shells, grass cuttings and garden waste and even the contents from a vacuum cleaner. The scheme, supported by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bin-scheme-coming-to-an-end--despite-huge-success 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bin-scheme-coming-to-an-end--despite-huge-success Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Two fire services could be merged to save money. A feasibility study to determine how the fire and rescue services in Northumberland and Cumbria could be shared has been given the go-ahead by councillors in both counties. It will take in “all possibilities”, councillors said, ranging from collaboration between senior... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire-service-merger-study-given-green-light-despite-union-opposition 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire-service-merger-study-given-green-light-despite-union-opposition Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT More than a third of councillors anticipate their powers being leeched to Whitehall despite the Government’s ‘localism’ agenda, a new survey shows. The research by ComRes also shows the vast majority of councillors convinced IT will play a bigger and bigger role in service-delivery as spending reductions and staff cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-issues-off-the-agenda-as-it-steams-ahead-say-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-issues-off-the-agenda-as-it-steams-ahead-say-councillors Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Do prisons need more staff? Of course, following the violent scenes at Ford prison on New Year's Day, it is in the Prison Officers Association's own interest to blame staffing numbers rather than the professional abilities of its members. But the figures it has presented are stark – 17 trained prison officers and 26 support staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guarding-the-guards 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guarding-the-guards Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s decision to amend rather than scrap powers allowing councils to seize empty homes has been welcomed by experts in the field. The Conservatives had pre-election plans to scrap the ‘empty dwelling management order’ powers for local authorities and communities secretary Eric Pickles last week criticised the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-seizure-powers-plan-watered-down 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-seizure-powers-plan-watered-down Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Unions have stepped up their attack on the Government’s plans to scrap and reform hundreds of quangos after the high-profile criticism of a Parliamentary select committee which condemned the changes as “botched”. As reported on www.publicsectorexecutive.com last week, the Commons Public Administration Committee said the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-pressure-over-quango-reforms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-pressure-over-quango-reforms Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The police are accused of spending £2m and seven years infiltrating a group of climate protestors – before the trial collapsed anyway when their undercover mole 'went native', taking on board the eco-warriors' concerns and offering to help their defence. Their lawyers say the police have serious questions to answer –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-spy-row 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-spy-row Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A legal loophole is costing taxpayers millions as housing charities make inflated claims on behalf of their clients, according to one council. Bristol City Council has written to the Department for Work and Pensions asking them to review the ‘anomaly’, which it says is encouraging not-for-profit organisations and charities to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxpayers-losing-millions-in-housing-benefit-loophole 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxpayers-losing-millions-in-housing-benefit-loophole Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A £13million ‘innovation investment’ in Welsh public services has been announced. The initiative brings together Local Service Boards from 15 authorities in the Convergence area of Wales to pioneer projects maximising the impact of the services they deliver. The money comes from the Welsh Assembly and European... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-boost-for-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-million-pound-boost-for-public-services Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ofgem is to impose an £8m penalty on National Grid for misreporting information. The proposed fine would be higher had it not been for the co-operation and corrective action by National Grid Gas. Lord Mogg, Chairman of Ofgem said: “Ofgem’s work to ensure consumers receive value for money for network investment and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-grid-hit-by-8m-fine 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-grid-hit-by-8m-fine Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A parliamentary watchdog has condemned the “poorly managed” scrapping and reform of hundreds of quangos. The Commons Public Administration Committee said the ‘bonfire of the quangos’ had failed to either cut costs or boost transparency and accountability, casting doubt on the whole point of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quango-reform-botched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quango-reform-botched Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Strike action is set to be called off after unions and council negotiators reached a ‘draft agreement’. The industrial action had been planned by staff at Kirklees Council later this month. The draft agreement, negotiated in tough talks over Christmas, must still be given the go-ahead by the council’s personnel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-strike-to-be-called-off-after-deal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-strike-to-be-called-off-after-deal Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A regeneration hailed as the country’s biggest, creating tens of thousands of jobs, got a high-profile endorsement today when the Prime Minister dropped by. David Cameron was in Birkenhead with Lord Heseltine to visit the Wirral Waters site, which got Government approval in November. The £4.5bn waterside redevelopment of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flagship-regeneration-project-gets-boost-from-pm-visit 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flagship-regeneration-project-gets-boost-from-pm-visit Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government’s plan to involve more social enterprises and mutual organisations in delivering public services has a “fundamental misconception” at its heart, say experts reviewing the proposals. In its response to the ‘Modernising Commissioning’ Green Paper, the public enterprise group Fellows’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-misunderstands-social-enterprise 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-misunderstands-social-enterprise Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The resignation of the head of Northern Ireland Water over the water crisis there should prompt senior directors at all sorts of public organisations to think carefully about resilience. As so often, at the heart of the concerns of Laurence MacKenzie's accusers' were communication failures and the organisation's interaction with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/water-way-to-go 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/water-way-to-go Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ministers have hit out at councils accused of failing to deal with mounting piles of rubbish lying uncollected since far before Christmas. Some councils have not made collections since early December and others have been accused of playing down the importance of regular waste collections, prompting local government minister Bob Neill to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-steps-in-over-uncollected-rubbish 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-steps-in-over-uncollected-rubbish Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT ‘Mystery shoppers’ have been recruited to improve the quality of a community housing scheme. Tenants at the homes, in Basildon, Essex, secretly assess the quality of services, repairs, maintenance and response to enquiries every three months to see what improvements need to be made. The success of the initiative in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mystery-shoppers-check-up-on-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mystery-shoppers-check-up-on-housing Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is right to strike a populist note over rubbish collections. It has been wrong more than once in publicly attacking local government chiefs, but this is one occasion when going 'over the heads' straight to the public makes sense. Despite the myriad services offered by modern councils, waste collection remains one of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-talking-rubbish 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-talking-rubbish Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A union leader has called for performance-related pay to be scrapped in the civil service. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said the ‘bonus’ payments favour higher-paid jobs and amount to money being ‘withheld’ from lower-paid members of staff. He was responding to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-row-for-civil-servants 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/performance-related-pay-row-for-civil-servants Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT A number of high-profile figures from across the public sector have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list. Among them are former ombudsman Anthony Redmond, who chaired the Commission for Local Administration and has been knighted for his services to local government, and Professor Adrian Smith, director-general for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-public-sector-figures-prominent-in-honours-list 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-public-sector-figures-prominent-in-honours-list Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has warned that staff across the public sector and local government face a “horrible year”. The union leader, who has called for mass action against spending cuts and job losses, said: “Unemployment will increase as thousands of public servants get made redundant. Just as many - if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bleak-new-year-message-from-unions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bleak-new-year-message-from-unions Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Specialist trading standards teams dealing with scammers and loan sharks are facing a shake-up. The Government has kept funding for the teams at similar levels as last year, but said the regional Illegal Money Lending (IML) teams structure in England will be scrapped and replaced with one national team, co-ordinated by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crackdown-on-loan-sharks 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crackdown-on-loan-sharks Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Around half a million people may have been chucked off incapacity benefit incorrectly over the past 15 years, a new study shows. The Government is right to be shaking up the welfare system to try to get more people languishing on long-term benefits back into work, and many of them will appreciate the chance to do so, given the right help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/incapable-on-incapacity 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/incapable-on-incapacity Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT The Government is right to extend freedom of information laws. Many of the organisations currently exempt are public bodies in all but name and should be made subject to FoI provisions in the interests of public trust, transparency and accountability. Nick Clegg is clearly being given 'positive' announcements to make to shift the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/open-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/open-up Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT COUNCILS have been hearing from the Government about their capital block funding for the next two financial years, and indicative funding until 2015. The Department for Transport has slashed the previous 26 grant funding streams to four: i) A local sustainable transport fund (capital and resource) ii) Major schemes (capital) iii) Block... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-transport-capital-funding-announced-by-dft 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-transport-capital-funding-announced-by-dft Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils are to get the right to charge a levy on late-night establishments to help pay for policing, taxi marshals and street wardens. It will apply to virtually all on- and off-licensed venues open past midnight in an area designated by a council using the powers, unless the establishment seeks an exemption or discount based on its own... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/late-night-bar-levy-to-recoup-policing-costs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/late-night-bar-levy-to-recoup-policing-costs Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Almost all councils tried to prepare for the icy weather this year, announcing a series of measures over the summer designed to avoid a repeat of January's chaos. It made a lot of sense – measures taken up by various councils have included mini-snow ploughs for pavements, more money for pothole filling, better multi-agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/snow-chaos-will-mean-tough-decisions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/snow-chaos-will-mean-tough-decisions Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Southampton has launched a broadside against Liverpool in a bitter dispute over state aid for the cruise industry. The city council's leader, Royston Smith, has written to transport secretary Philip Hammond demanding a "level playing field" and opposing plans to spend public money on a turnaround port in Liverpool. Cllr Smith said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-vs-liverpool-in-state-aid-row 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-vs-liverpool-in-state-aid-row Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A teaching union is warning that the safety of pupils and staff could be adversely affected at schools that choose to become academies. The NUT, which has been campaigning against the Government’s schools reforms, says schools that stay within local authority control benefit from health and safety cover that does not extend to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/teaching-unions-warn-that-academies-are-in-a-health-and-safety-black-hole 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/teaching-unions-warn-that-academies-are-in-a-health-and-safety-black-hole Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Federation of ALMOs , whose members manage half of all council housing in England, say tenants feel ‘very betrayed’ following new government proposals that will cut funding for the Decent Homes programme. The new proposals will place a greater strain on the viability of the construction industry, hit the elderly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decent-homes-cuts-will-betray-council-tenants- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decent-homes-cuts-will-betray-council-tenants- Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Printer power has been used by Birmingham City Council to generate more than £1.5million of savings. Under the terms of a three-year contract which began in August 2006, the council had realised the benefits by simply replacing its outdated computer printers copiers with new “multi-functional” devices that combine their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/printer-project-delivers-savings 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/printer-project-delivers-savings Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Half of Liverpool City Council’s senior managers are to go in a move which will save more than £4.5 million a year. Forty eight senior posts are to be lost and the number of council business units reduced from 74 to just 27, following a major review of the council’s senior management structure. The changes will provide a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-of-liverpool-city-council-top-posts-saves-45m 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-of-liverpool-city-council-top-posts-saves-45m Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The much delayed Localism Bill is due to be published today. The Bill will devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions. This will lay the foundations for the much vaunted 'big society'. The impending cuts to council funding will mean the 'big society' will need to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-bigger-society 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-bigger-society Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the successful vote in the House of Commons on changes to graduate contributions for 2012/13, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable said: “Today’s vote has been an important step in turning the Coalition’s commitment to deliver a high-quality university sector that is more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changes-to-graduate-contributions 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changes-to-graduate-contributions Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Committee of Public Accounts has published a report on the financing of Private Finance Initiative projects during the credit crisis and the Treasury's response. The 2008 credit crisis had an enormous impact on the Government’s public infrastructure programme. Severe restrictions on bank lending at that time meant no sizeable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cpa-condemns-pfi-financing-arrangements 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cpa-condemns-pfi-financing-arrangements Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Committee of Public Accounts report on the financing of Private Finance Initiative says that alternatives to the high cost bank finance were not properly explored during the credit crisis and accuses the Treasury of not adequately exploring how lower cost finance sources such as life insurance and pension funds could be encouraged to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cpa-critical-of-pfi-financing-arrangements 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cpa-critical-of-pfi-financing-arrangements Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Publicly funded education productivity for the UK increased by 2.5 per cent in 2009, following a 0.4 per cent increase in 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics. Growth was caused mainly by stronger-than-average improvements in pupil attainment at age 15/16 in GCSEs and equivalent exams. However, in 2009, productivity was 0... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/education-productivity-rises-for-second-year-running 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/education-productivity-rises-for-second-year-running Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee will take evidence from local authority chief executives as it continues its inquiry into the prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government. The purpose of this session is to explore constitutional and practical issues around the possibility of codifying (or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-give-evidence-on-local-and-central-government-relations- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-give-evidence-on-local-and-central-government-relations- Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced changes to legislation to tackle tax avoidance which are expected to raise over £2billion in additional revenue during the course of this parliament. About time, too. Perhaps we are all in this together, after all. Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-tax-avoidance-clampdown 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-tax-avoidance-clampdown Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT People with learning disabilities have seen increasing improvements across the health, employment and housing sectors, Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said yesterday. Speaking at the Learning Disability Today Conference, Mr Burstow outlined progress that has been made over the past eighteen months as he launched the Valuing People Now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/progress-made-on-services-for-people-with-learning-difficulties- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/progress-made-on-services-for-people-with-learning-difficulties- Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT City University London has teamed up with Leicestershire County Council to create an online resource that enables its staff and citizens to better understand public satisfaction with local services and amenities. Using an innovative combination of interactive maps and graphics, the authority can now tailor its services according to feedback... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/university-helps-local-authority-improve-public-services-through-data-visualization 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/university-helps-local-authority-improve-public-services-through-data-visualization Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows the number of children living in poverty in working households has increased to 2.1m – the highest on record. The thirteenth Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion report, written by a team from the New Policy Institute (NPI), is the first to be published under the new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-work-child-poverty-highest-on-record 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-work-child-poverty-highest-on-record Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows the number of children living in poverty in working households has increased to 2.1m – the highest on record – and that by 2008/09, 13m people were in poverty. Of these, 5.8m were in 'deep poverty', the highest proportion on record. What a marvellous testimony to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labours-poor-record 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labours-poor-record Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new independent report has been published to encourage best practice in procurement to boost the involvement of small and medium sized construction companies in public sector construction contracts and help stimulate prosperity in the sector more rapidly. The report, which highlights examples of best practice in the West Midlands, has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opportunity-in-austerity 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opportunity-in-austerity Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A report which confirms recent changes to public sector pensions have made schemes affordable and sustainable, has been welcomed by the Public and Commercial Services union. Analysis by the National Audit Office says changes in 2007/08 to pensions, including those of civil servants, are on course to deliver savings to the taxpayer and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pensions-report-confirms-schemes-are-affordable-and-sustainable 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pensions-report-confirms-schemes-are-affordable-and-sustainable Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT An expert on UK families has given her reaction to Frank Field’s review on childhood, poverty and family life entitled The Foundation Years. Anne Page, Policy Manager at the Family and Parenting Institute said: “It is highly encouraging to see this government-commissioned study examine how we can work successfully with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-families-expert-gives-reaction-to-frank-fields-review 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-families-expert-gives-reaction-to-frank-fields-review Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The UK fell from 17th to 25th for reading and from 24th to 28th for maths in performance tables published as part of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), behind pupils from Estonia, Lichtenstein and Slovenia. A sad indictment of 13 years of Labour's education policies. Tell us what you think – have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cant-read-cant-write 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cant-read-cant-write Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The UK has joined seven other countries in agreeing a strong collective statement to make clear their joint concerns about the proposed new Pregnant Workers Directive. Ministers from across Europe expressed their concerns with proposals put forward by MEPs during a meeting of the EU Employment Council in Brussels. They share the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-concerned-about-pregnant-workers-directive 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-concerned-about-pregnant-workers-directive Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A greener and fairer planning system must be at the heart of reforms, which are reportedly set to be published this week, says Friends of the Earth. Planning reform is expected to form a prominent part of the Government's Decentralisation and Localism Bill. Friends of the Earth says that it must play its part in a safe, wildlife-rich and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-planning-reform-must-lead-to-green-safe-and-prosperous-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-planning-reform-must-lead-to-green-safe-and-prosperous-future Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils looking for more cost effective ways to recruit and manage staff are now able to find out more about the benefits of government-funded online recruitment portals, thanks to the launch of an informative new website. The new site, www.psrecruit.org.uk, is launched this week, providing a wealth of information about the linked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-recruitment-service-launches-online-information-resource 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-recruitment-service-launches-online-information-resource Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over the recent week of wintry weather, Community Service Teams have been clearing roads and paths across the Highlands to aid more vulnerable members of the community. More than 60 offenders have been working with The Highland Council Social Work staff to clear snow and grit paths and roads. This has included works clearing pathways... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/offenders-pay-back-highland-communities-by-clearing-snow 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/offenders-pay-back-highland-communities-by-clearing-snow Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over the recent spell of wintry weather, more than 60 offenders have been working with The Highland Council social work staff to clear snow and grit paths and roads and helping vulnerable members of the community. What a great way for offenders to pay their dues to society and for the community to benefit. I hope this is being replicated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-back-the-highland-way 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-back-the-highland-way Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT An expert on UK families has given her reaction to Frank Field’s review on childhood, poverty and family life entitled The Foundation Years. Anne Page, Policy Manager at the Family and Parenting Institute said: “It is highly encouraging to see this government-commissioned study examine how we can work successfully with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/families-expert-gives-reaction-to-frank-fields-review 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/families-expert-gives-reaction-to-frank-fields-review Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Gloucester City Council is asking residents to let it know where it should be spending residents’ money. The new online tool lets residents tell the council where their priorities are. Enabling them to indicate where they would like to see further investment, whilst also giving the ability to reduce the budget for services by 5, 10... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gloucester-residents-have-their-say 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gloucester-residents-have-their-say Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The importance of maintaining our nation’s green spaces to improve public health cannot be under-estimated, according to Green Flag Award’s response to the government’s Healthy Lives, Healthy People white paper published this week. The Green Flag Award Scheme, which provides a national benchmark for the best green spaces... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parks-to-play-key-role-in-dohs-new-public-health-plans 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parks-to-play-key-role-in-dohs-new-public-health-plans Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT There is clearly a link between family income and underachievement but there are many other factors which have been understated which Frank Field's review into poverty, The Foundation Years emphasises such as the importance of children's early years and the health and well-being of babies and toddlers. Children from poor families may... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/theres-more-to-underachievement-than-poverty 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/theres-more-to-underachievement-than-poverty Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whenever heavy snowfall and icy conditions disrupt transport services, there is one question which can be guaranteed to be asked by the media - why can't the UK be more like the Scandinavian countries which cope so well with heavy snowfall. The simple answer is that the Scandinavians know that they are going to get heavy snow more or less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cant-we-be-more-like-norway-no-way 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cant-we-be-more-like-norway-no-way Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT A joint-inquiry examining the role that colleges play in their community has been launched today by NIACE, the Association of Colleges and the 157 Group at a conference in London. The Colleges in the Community Inquiry, which will publish its final report in autumn 2011, will start with a focus on successful community colleges from other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/colleges-in-the-community-joint-inquiry-launched 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/colleges-in-the-community-joint-inquiry-launched Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the announcement by the Secretary of State in July to close the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council by March 2012, the agency has placed all its employees formally ‘At Risk’ of redundancy and started a period of formal consultation. It also advised sector bodies that the process for deciding future grant funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mla-sets-out-next-steps-for-staff-and-sector 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mla-sets-out-next-steps-for-staff-and-sector Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The first ever local elections to give people direct influence over action to tackle crime in their area through new Police and Crime Commissioners and new powers for councils to tackle problem pubs and clubs were among measures unveiled yesterday by Home Secretary Theresa May. The Government outlined plans to move decision-making out of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-reforms-put-public-at-the-heart-of-policing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-reforms-put-public-at-the-heart-of-policing Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Hutton Fair Pay Review says that the public sector should be cautious about simply adopting best practice from the private sector, as private sector pay practices and corporate governance have not delivered proportionality in pay. Over the past decade the top one per cent of earners have seen their incomes grow much faster than other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/too-little-too-late 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/too-little-too-late Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT The construction industry faces the largest change management programme since Victorian times if it is to meet the low carbon agenda, according to an industry report. The Innovation and Growth Team (IGT), which is drawn from the construction industry, was tasked by the government to consider how the construction sector could meet the low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/construction-industry-must-undergo-huge-change-to-meet-the-low-carbon-challenge- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/construction-industry-must-undergo-huge-change-to-meet-the-low-carbon-challenge- Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT An influential parliamentary committee has criticised the government’s plans to cut civil service redundancy pay as being in breach of human rights legislation, after evidence submitted by the Public and Commercial Services union. The human rights joint committee said the government had not made the case for imposing caps on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/human-rights-committee-sides-with-union-against-government-cuts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/human-rights-committee-sides-with-union-against-government-cuts Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The White Paper, Healthy Lives, Healthy People sets out how funding from the overall NHS budget is to be ring-fenced for spending on public health and how most public health services are to be commissioned by local authorities from their ring-fenced budget. Councils can help people improve their health in ways that the NHS can't and by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-control-better-health 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-control-better-health Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local children will be directly influencing two new play parks in Gloucester. Officers from Gloucester City Council are currently speaking with children from local schools so they can they can help with the choice of equipment they get in their new play areas. Funding for the two sites, at The Lannett and Matson Park, was though to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/children-plan-two-new-play-areas-for-gloucester 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/children-plan-two-new-play-areas-for-gloucester Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A groundbreaking programme to replace more than 95,000 street lights in Birmingham with state-of-the-art Light Emitting Diode technology which will cut carbon emissions and improve safety is to be launched this week. The cutting edge lights will not only reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% and be brighter than traditional lights, but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/led-revolution-to-light-up-birmingham 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/led-revolution-to-light-up-birmingham Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Millions of pounds are set to be invested in the regeneration of Gateshead Town Centre. Gateshead Council’s Planning and Development Committee has approved planning permission subject to a legal agreement for a new Trinity Square development submitted by Spenhill, the regeneration subsidiary of Tesco. This follows an agreement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-150-million-investment-in-gateshead-town-centre-approved 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-150-million-investment-in-gateshead-town-centre-approved Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Adverse weather conditions have been fostering a spirit of co-operation in Surrey. An army of 35 farmers and a 4x4 vehicle owners club have been enlisted to help lay salt on the roads throughout the county.whilst residents of the London Borough of Sutton have been offered free supplies of grit to use on footpaths and roads outside their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-big-society-comes-to-surrey 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-big-society-comes-to-surrey Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils have made unprecedented efforts to prepare for the winter despite cuts to their road maintenance budgets. They have stockpiled significantly more stocks of salt than in previous years and nearly half of authorities have bought new gritters since last winter to ensure they have the most up-to-date specialist machinery. Councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-prepare-for-snow 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-prepare-for-snow Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Manchester’s most energy efficient school celebrates its official opening this week. Park View Community School in Miles Platting is the city’s greenest school and the 16th most energy efficient school in the country. The £7.4m east Manchester school opened this September and boasts a range of impressive low carbon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-light-for-manchesters-most-energy-efficient-school- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-light-for-manchesters-most-energy-efficient-school- Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Parking policy should be seen as a way to attract customers to the High Street and keep the heart of communities beating, not simply as a revenue raiser, said the British Retail Consortium. Backing calls for cash-hungry councils to resist trade-killing increases in parking charges, the BRC said High Streets are the heart of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/higher-parking-charges-will-harm-high-streets 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/higher-parking-charges-will-harm-high-streets Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Job satisfaction has shown a surprise increase across UK workplaces during the autumn, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's quarterly Employee Outlook survey, suggesting that the 'fixed grin' phenomenon identified by the survey during the recession has returned. The survey of over 2,000 employees represents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Lord McFall and Baroness Thomas of Winchester will next week take part in a groundbreaking event designed to encourage better understanding of the way laws are made. They will speak to individuals, groups and organisations interested in welfare reform in a workshop looking at this issue and associated legislation going through the Houses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-parliamentarians-discuss-the-legislative-process-around-welfare-reform 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-parliamentarians-discuss-the-legislative-process-around-welfare-reform Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has launched the debate on well-being to provide a fuller picture of 'how society is doing' than is given by economic indicators such as GDP The National Well-being Project will no doubt tap into research which has been done in other countries. It's not as straightforward as it sounds. While most people would rather be rich... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/measuring-well-being 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/measuring-well-being Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The national statistician Jil Matheson has announced plans to lead a national debate on measuring the nation’s well-being. The National Well-being Project aims to provide a fuller picture of 'how society is doing’ than is given by economic indicators such as GDP. Understanding the economic performance of a country is important... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-statistician-launches-well-being-debate 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-statistician-launches-well-being-debate Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new programme from Play England will increase the involvement of local community and voluntary groups in shaping high-quality play opportunities for children in England. Engaging Communities in Play is all about working with communities to give them the inspiration and resources they need to develop manage and sustain the places where... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-project-supports-communities-during-age-of-austerity 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-project-supports-communities-during-age-of-austerity Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Ofsted has reported that the quality of teaching in schools and colleges is still too variable. Its latest Annual Report shows that teaching is still no better than satisfactory in half of secondary schools, 43% of primaries and 43% of colleges that were inspected this year. Let's hope the White Paper to be published today will strengthen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/must-do-better 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/must-do-better Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities across England's North West have been recognised for their commitment to tackling climate change with a Climate Leaders Award. The Northwest's Climate Change Local Area Support Programme's (CLASP) Climate Leader Award scheme has ten categories for local authorities which can demonstrate how they are taking innovative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northwest-climate-leaders-celebrate 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northwest-climate-leaders-celebrate Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Most children in England get a good start in life. Over two thirds of providers in the early years and childcare sector are judged to be good or outstanding. There is strong provision, too, in the education and skills sectors. Children and young people are generally well supported by local services when they need them. However, the quality of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quality-of-teaching-too-variable-says-ofsted 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quality-of-teaching-too-variable-says-ofsted Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A major new cultural facility will help unlock up to 10,000 jobs in a key regeneration area in Manchester city centre. Two unique Manchester creative organisations, Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company, will join forces in a stunning purpose-built £19 million new home on the northern side of First Street. This new cultural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/world-class-cultural-facility-will-unlock-regeneration-potential 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/world-class-cultural-facility-will-unlock-regeneration-potential Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Having saved itself £570,000 in postage costs since January 2009, Birmingham City Council is now enabling other public sector bodies and potentially local businesses to benefit from its Royal Mail contract. The contract with Royal Mail is the only one of its kind for a local authority and gives the city council a major discount on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-first-class-idea 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-first-class-idea Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Cloud computing offers real economic benefits for both the public and business, Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said at the third annual UK-China Internet Forum yesterday. Mr Vaizey said cloud computing – which allows individuals and business to access internet-based computing, reducing the need to invest in your own hardware and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cloud-computing-offers-real-economic-benefits-says-minister- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cloud-computing-offers-real-economic-benefits-says-minister- Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A discounted parking scheme has proved so successful that Mid Sussex District Council is printing more vouchers and seeking more businesses to get involved. As part of its commitment to supporting local trade, the Council first began its ‘Right up your street’ campaign in 2009. The voucher initiative involved 200,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-calls-for-more-shops-to-join-successful-voucher-parking-scheme 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-calls-for-more-shops-to-join-successful-voucher-parking-scheme Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Unlock Democracy have launched a new campaign to force the publication of expenses receipts submitted by MPs. Last week the new independent body charged with overseeing parliamentary expenses, announced it will not publish the receipts submitted by MPs when it releases details of their claims next month. IPSA (the Independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-campaign-launched-to-force-publication-of-mps-expenses-receipts- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-campaign-launched-to-force-publication-of-mps-expenses-receipts- Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has refused negotiations over a plan put forward by the Public and Commercial Services union to better protect the lowest paid civil servants who lose their jobs as a result of spending cuts. The decision by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude prevents the possibility of an agreement being reached with the civil service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-will-not-protect-lowest-paid-civil-servants-facing-redundancy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-will-not-protect-lowest-paid-civil-servants-facing-redundancy Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Applications have opened for the 2011/12 Green Flag Award allowing parks and green spaces across the country to prove they are among the best. The Green Flag Award Scheme, which provides a national benchmark for the best green spaces in the country, is welcoming applications from well-managed parks, woodlands, allotments, nature reserves... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/join-britains-best-green-spaces- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/join-britains-best-green-spaces- Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Some councils in England and Wales have been lobbying the government for the right to increase the amount they can charge motorists in parking fines. Penalties outside London currently have an upper limit of £70. The British Parking Association is also calling for an increase. The right balance must be struck. Whilst illegal parking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/raising-fines-could-backfire 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/raising-fines-could-backfire Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The only local authority in London to guarantee that its libraries are safe from closures has announced record visitor numbers and book loans at the mid-way point of its £4million refurbishment programme. Hillingdon Council, West London, has seen visitor numbers increase in some of its libraries by more than 80,000 per year. Three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-library-service-others-look-to-emulate 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-library-service-others-look-to-emulate Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has claimed that communities will now be able to share the advantages of developments in their area by giving more control over developments to local councils – and also more money from those developments. This money will come from the new Infrastructure Levy which developers will have to pay to ensure that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/communities-will-share-advantages-of-development 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/communities-will-share-advantages-of-development Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced two key appointments, which are part of a streamlining exercise in the senior leadership of the department. David Prout and Richard McCarthy have been appointed as director generals of the department's new Localism and Neighbourhoods policy groups – however they are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-makes-appointments-in-downsizing-exercise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-makes-appointments-in-downsizing-exercise Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The finalists of this year’s e-Government Awards have been announced. The award ceremony will be held in January next year and often attracts the cream of both the political and technological worlds. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The e-Government National Awards recognise some of the brilliant work done by digital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-government-national-awards-finalists-announced 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-government-national-awards-finalists-announced Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am glad to see that the government is spreading the 'wealth' so to speak with councils, by letting them charge infrastructure levies – for too long developers have been able to build inappropriate developments without thinking of the consequences on local facilities and communities. Obviously we need to develop our communities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/share-it-all-around 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/share-it-all-around Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A group of bicycle lovers has challenged the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority to end its ban on bikes on the city’s Metrolink system. The group, Love your Bike, has said that the city’s transport policy is ‘heading in the wrong direction’, because of the GMITA’s decision not to retro fit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bicycle-lovers-challenge-manchester-transport-authority 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bicycle-lovers-challenge-manchester-transport-authority Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have welcomed government proposals to allow councils to set the price for planning fees in their area. Councillor Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association's Environment Board, has said that this freedom will allow councils to plug a £230 million black hole in processing those applications. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-back-setting-planning-fees 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-back-setting-planning-fees Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Casting my eyes across the headlines this morning I cannot help but notice the arrogance of some councils which believe that they can cut front line services – but not their management costs. There is no point having management if they have no-one to manage and I fear that for all their fine words about saving as many jobs as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/management-needs-to-feel-the-pain-too 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/management-needs-to-feel-the-pain-too Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The New Local Government Network has released a set of proposals around making the new elected Police Commissioners more accountable to local people. The proposals include putting a duty on those Police Commissioners to work with partners ands for them to have a certain amount of power over budgets. Author Olivier Roth said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposals-over-elected-police-commissioners-launched-by-nlgn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposals-over-elected-police-commissioners-launched-by-nlgn Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT It is incredible to see how wasteful some processes in the public sector really are – and how laid back people are about getting anything done. I was chatting with a press officer recently who had just begun a job at a public sector organisation, who commented that the pace of work was dramatically different from that which she had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-get-to-it 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-get-to-it Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT At 26,484 square kilometres, The Highland Council region covers the largest geographical area of any local authority in the UK. At eight people per square kilometre, it is sparsely populated with only 25% of the population living in settlements of over 10,000 people. The Council employs approximately 12,800 staff. 7,000 miles of road... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/reducing-the-cost-of-business-travel-the-green-way 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/reducing-the-cost-of-business-travel-the-green-way Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Mobile technology is allowing housing associations to save money on their maintenance bills, reports Richard Mackillican As public bodies look to make significant efficiency savings, it has become clear that in some cases they are going to have to think well outside of the box. However, there are savings to be made by employing more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/texting-for-efficiency 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/texting-for-efficiency Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT IT can play a key role in making our public services more cost effective. Public Sector Executive asked Martin Ferguson if he thinks the government is taking the right approach Apart from saying that it wants to cut the amount which is spent on IT projects in the public sector, so far the government has not been very forthcoming about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/will-the-coalition-get-it-right 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/will-the-coalition-get-it-right Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department of Communities and Local Government has joined Cumbria County Council in remembering the victims of the Cumbria floods by flying the county flag outside its offices. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "It is fitting that this week's flag is Cumbria whose communities showed such great resilience during last year's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbrian-flag-flies-to-remember-flooding-victims 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbrian-flag-flies-to-remember-flooding-victims Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has said that it is a going to overhaul the planning process, with a focus on fees. Fees are probably going to rise because the government does not want planning applications to be subsidised by the taxpayer any longer. Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark said: "Having a system where Whitehall dictates to local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-makes-planning-fees-proposals 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-makes-planning-fees-proposals Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following months of speculation, the government’s controversial National Citizen Service has now been launched. The government says that the NCS will encourage young people to become involved in improving their communities. Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said: "Today's young people possess a huge amount of talent and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-citizenship-service-announced 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-citizenship-service-announced Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT So it appears that Cameron's coalition is trying to get down with the kids and launch their new citizen service. Right, where do I start? Well, I suppose the ghastly name would be as good place as any. What on earth were they thinking? National Citizen Service – it sounds like some kind of Soviet youth movement from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yo-dave 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yo-dave Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Mid-Sussex District Council is considering reducing the number of houses which it plans to build. The move comes after the communities secretary scrapped the previous government’s plans to implement central housing targets – allowing local councils to make local decisions on housing levels. The new figure being suggested... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-considers-reducing-housing-target-by-57-per-cent 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-considers-reducing-housing-target-by-57-per-cent Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has said that it is giving more power to councillors to represent the local needs of their residents without fear of being accused of bias. At the same time the government is working to tighten rules around town corruption – such as the idea that failing to register a personally held interest, which might affect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-able-to-represent-local-needs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-able-to-represent-local-needs Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Now that councillors will be given more freedom around the matters on which they campaign, they will need closure supervision by the public and press to ensure that they are behaving. Whilst I am up for local leaders being given more power, that power must be wielded responsibly. This is why we need a strong and independent local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-and-responsibility 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-and-responsibility Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst the private sector is enjoying s surge of new jobs, one in four public sector employers are preparing to lose jobs. These figures come from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and will come as further bad news to those within the public sector. Dr John Philpott, Chief Economic Adviser at the Chartered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-declines-as-private-sector-surges 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-employment-declines-as-private-sector-surges Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT PSE talks to Chris Holdcroft, Director & CEO of the Association for Geographic Information How has GIS affected democracy over the last twenty years? Perhaps until now GIS has had little overt effect on the public's perception of impacts on democracy in the past. That's not to say it hasn't had an effect however. If we think... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-the-most-of-gis 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-the-most-of-gis Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government’s economy drive must take into account the most vulnerable in society, promote localism, and deliver long-term benefits, says Alison Inman. As the coalition government starts the final countdown to the most radical public sector spending cuts in a generation, now is the time to consider the likely impact any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-spending-cuts-must-be-fair-and-responsible 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-spending-cuts-must-be-fair-and-responsible Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Nowhere will the impact of public sector redundancies be felt more than in those towns and cities which have a high percentage of public sector workers. Public sector bodies planning to relocate outside of London need to bear in mind the potential effects on those areas, reports Richard Mackillican In the past decade, many public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rethinking-relocation 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rethinking-relocation Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT There are some very challenging times ahead for local government officials. We live in a divided and almost bankrupt country where tensions between different groups are running high. We can no longer afford the 'luxuries' which the country has enjoyed for many years – and many feel that this is grossly unfair. And they have a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-to-step-up 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-to-step-up Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following a court ruling that communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to revoke the previous administration’s Regional Strategies is unlawful, the chief executive of the British Property federation has said that the ruling changes little. Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said that in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-ruling-on-regional-strategies-will-change-little 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-ruling-on-regional-strategies-will-change-little Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT As part of the government’s plans to move the Audit Commission’s role into the private sector, it has appointed three new commissioners. The three new commissioners, Brian Landers, Janet Baker and Tony Harris, bring with them a wealthy of private sector knowledge and experience, according to the government. Eric Pickles... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-appoints-new-commissioners 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-appoints-new-commissioners Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Yesterday's protest should have been a dignified display of defiance against swingeing public sector cuts. However, all I saw was a group of people endangering the lives of others and throwing their own lives down the drain to boot. The police should have handled the situation better but those in charge of the demonstration should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protests-are-an-ugly-harbinger 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protests-are-an-ugly-harbinger Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Some residents living in property owned by the Highland Council are to be offered financial incentives to downsize to a smaller property. The council will offer to pay residents who move to properties with fewer bedrooms – and the council also offer practical advice to help with the move. Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-council-residents-paid-to-move-home 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-council-residents-paid-to-move-home Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector procurement is in a mess. Public Sector Executive spoke to Keith Davis, author of a recent National Audit Office report on the subject, to find out how it can be put right A government report released in the dying days of Gordon Brown’s government showed that even those in power knew that they had made a colossal error... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cleaning-up-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cleaning-up-procurement Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The housing minister Grant Shapps has said that the government is working to make homeowners aware of their rights in case squatters take over their home. The announcement comes after a number of high profile cases where squatters had simply moved in to people’s homes, whilst the real owners were out. Grant Shapps said: "Recent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-says-it-is-shutting-the-door-on-squatters 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-says-it-is-shutting-the-door-on-squatters Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Homes and Communities Agency has launched a course which it hopes will help those involved in housing to reduce their carbon footprint. Pat Ritchie, HCA chief executive said that reducing carbon is crucial to ‘successful, sustainable place making and tackling climate change requires a concerted effort from across the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hca-launches-carbon-management-course 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hca-launches-carbon-management-course Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT It does not surprise me to hear that many ministers do not understand the concept of a Big Society – being so detached from reality, I am surprised that they can comprehend anything at all (the current argument over the expulsion of a certain Labour MP is testament to that). Big Society is about bringing people together and saying... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-time-for-the-big-society 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-time-for-the-big-society Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT As councils face cut of around a third to their funding, an association which represents leisure centres and other social enterprises has warned that community fitness could suffer. Craig McAteer, Chair of Sporta, which represents leisure trusts and social enterprises, says: “We are concerned that discretionary services such as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-fitness-centres-under-threat-says-sporta 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-fitness-centres-under-threat-says-sporta Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A survey carried out by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution has found that public sector employees are around three times as likely to engage in conflict than those working in the private sector. There are worries that this may increase as spending cuts put more pressure on employees. Karl Mackie, chief executive officer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conflict-could-damage-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conflict-could-damage-the-public-sector Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of councils have come together to share there waste management operations in an effort to provide a better service, for less cost. Dover and Shepway District Councils, which collect waste, and Kent County Council, which disposes of it, will work together to streamline their waste management operations. Cllr Nicholas Kenton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-share-waste-services 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-share-waste-services Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am sick to death of every organisation under the sun constantly complaining - or as they call it 'issues a warning' - that their particular service will be adversely affected by the cuts. Well, I have news for you – we will all be affected by the cuts, whether we like it or not. Now is not the time for complaining, because no... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/moaning-about-cuts-wont-get-us-anywhere 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/moaning-about-cuts-wont-get-us-anywhere Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The county flag of Dorset is flying outside the offices of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Eric Pickles said: "England's counties continue to form an important part of our cultural and local identity in this country and many people remain deeply attached to their home county - both the traditional 'cricket' counties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dorset-flag-flies-at-dclg 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dorset-flag-flies-at-dclg Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have said that hi-tech gadgetry is allowing many of the elderly to remain in their homes, whilst also saving on social care bills. The latest developments in telehealth are meaning that more and more people are able to live relatively independently – whilst using less health and social care resources. Cllr David... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elderly-saved-a-fortune-by-gadgetry 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elderly-saved-a-fortune-by-gadgetry Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Thank goodness that our politicians have finally seen sense and decreed that everyone who can work – will. Our country has been blighted by a sense of laziness and entitlement for far too long and now it is good to see the government doing something about it. On a practical note, there has been much talk of public sector cuts... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-done 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-done Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has welcomed the government’s announcement on the scrapping of the annual assessment of adult social care. It has also indicated that it would like to see this approach towards red tape being rolled out into other areas – especially with regards to Ofsted’s inspection of children’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-welcomes-red-tape-reductions-in-adult-social-care 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-welcomes-red-tape-reductions-in-adult-social-care Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils have been moaning a lot recently over having to cut services - so why not put it to the public and ask them which should be cut. They could hold a vote - after all, isn't that democracy? This would also take the pressure off councils - and their elected leaders – because the electorate will have made the choices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/put-it-to-the-people 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/put-it-to-the-people Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Universities in England will be able to charge students tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012. This will have both positive and negative consequences. Whilst it will deter some from less well off backgrounds from going to university, it will also result in a huge reduction in the number of graduates employed by call... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bad-news-for-call-centres 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bad-news-for-call-centres Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Bristol City Centre is one of the first UK cities to be awarded the prestigious national Purple Flag as a well-managed and vibrant place to visit and enjoy. The Purple Flag Award scheme is awarded by the Association of Town Centre Managers*. A team of experts recently visited the city centre from 1700 through the night until 0300 to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-centre-wins-top-national-award 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-centre-wins-top-national-award Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT In 2009, there were three areas across the UK where more than three out of every 10 households had no-one in work, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics on workless households by local area. These were: Liverpool (32.1 per cent); Nottingham (31.1 per cent); and Glasgow City (31.0 per cent). The next highest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-tops-worklessness-tables 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-tops-worklessness-tables Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A report, Employability and skills in the UK: Redefining the debate, published by The Work Foundation in conjunction with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Commercial Education Trust, warns that if the private sector is to take up the slack, both the demand for and the supply of skills at all levels must be improved at the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-public-skills-gap-must-be-bridged-if-regional-divide-is-to-be-closed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-public-skills-gap-must-be-bridged-if-regional-divide-is-to-be-closed Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The man tasked with transforming the nation’s health service has promised a “paradigm shift” in the way government approaches public health. To do this, Andrew Lansley, the secretary of state for health, has already pledged to strengthen the role of local government, improve local accountability and reward progress in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accident-prevention-as-a-public-health-issue 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accident-prevention-as-a-public-health-issue Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Customer relationship management involves managing interactions with customers. In a local government context the interface with customer can be very complex and there may be other stakeholder interests to take account of as well, says Professor Tony Proctor and David McElhinney It involves dealing with queries, complaints and specific... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/customer-relationship-management-in-local-government-adjusting-an-innovation-to-fit-with-the-needs-of-the-situation 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/customer-relationship-management-in-local-government-adjusting-an-innovation-to-fit-with-the-needs-of-the-situation Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT With the pressure on budgets and resources in the current climate, local authorities are increasingly looking for ways of cutting costs. With the need to protect frontline services wherever possible and deliver more with less, everyone is trying to find ways of ways of working more efficiently. Geographic Information Systems using... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-can-local-authorities-save-money-using-gi 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-can-local-authorities-save-money-using-gi Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT It strikes me that the reforms which are needed to make society work more effectively are only being blocked by those without inclination to accept that change. There also needs to be proper public auditing of accounts – as a recent journalistic investigation has showed – whilst councils moan that they do not have enough cash... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-the-dinosaurs-to-become-extinct 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-the-dinosaurs-to-become-extinct Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Maintaining the safety of staff should be the number one priority for any employer and those who don’t take this responsibility seriously could face dire consequences, reports Richard Mackillican 180 people were killed at work and a further 246,000 were injured in 2007/2008, according to the Labour Force Survey. These deaths and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-safe-approach 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-safe-approach Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT I was horrified – but not surprised – to hear that council officials have been spending hundreds of millions of pounds over the last few years on pay-offs, jollies and other extravagances. I wonder how these people dare face the public and moan about having to cut spending to their services - luckily councils will now have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cut-money-spent-on-junkets--not-social-care 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cut-money-spent-on-junkets--not-social-care Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT As local authorities battle to reduce wasteful spending, one area which has come under scrutiny is the amount spent combating fraud, reports Richard Mackillican With local government facing a period of austerity, there is a renewed drive to reduce the amount of money which is being fraudulently claimed. The National Fraud Initiative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dealing-with-deception 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dealing-with-deception Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A happy employee is a productive employee – according to an array of modern evidence. If you have trouble believing that, then let’s start with this: a depressed employee is a very unproductive employee, says Jo Swinson MP Depression can be a debilitating condition. In 2009, depression cost the UK economy at least £9.2... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-laughing-matter 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-laughing-matter Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has said that the government’s white paper on local growth is ‘very encouraging’. Councillor David Sparks, vice chairman of the Local Government Association, said that he was pleased that the government had begun to look at ways to allow local authorities to keep the money which they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-white-paper-very-encouraging-says-lga 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-white-paper-very-encouraging-says-lga Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst many people - especially in Labour Party and union circles - have tended to focus on the cuts which the government has made, I wish more light was being shed on the work which is going on to put control back into the hands of local people. By allowing councils to be rewarded for their hard work in attracting businesses to their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-for-local-people 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-for-local-people Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT A report by the Audit Commission has found that the implementation of personal care budgets is presenting a number of councils with significant challenges. The report, Financial Management of Personnel Budgets, also warned that particular care would have to be taken by authorities working to ‘disentangle pooled NHS and social care... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-budgets-presents-major-challenges-according-to-audit-commission-report 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-budgets-presents-major-challenges-according-to-audit-commission-report Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT I cannot believe the uproar over the government's cap on housing benefit of £400 a week. If you are being given a house essentially for free there are limits to what you should expect. There are millions of working families out there scrimping hard to pay rents which are half that amount and going without luxuries just to do so... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/400-a-week-seriously 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/400-a-week-seriously Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department of Communities and Local Government has announced that under new proposals councils could receive incentives to create jobs in their local areas. These proposals include allowing councils to keep their own business rates, meaning that more businesses that are in their area the more money a council will have. Secretary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-get-job-creation-incentives 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-get-job-creation-incentives Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Charity Catch 22 has said that the government’s new cap on housing benefit will be detrimental to many young people. Gerry Thompson, project manager at Catch22 Independent Living Scheme in Wandsworth, says: "The level of rent in Wandsworth and much of London is high. Many of the young people Catch22 support live in council or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-will-hit-young-people-says-charity 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-will-hit-young-people-says-charity Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst I feel that much is being done to tackle the subject of benefit fraud, I feel that far more needs to be done to get people off benefits totally. If as much effort was put into creating job opportunities as is put into paying people benefits to live off the state, then everyone involved would be a lot happier, healthier and more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/benefits--fraud-is-hardly-the-problem 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/benefits--fraud-is-hardly-the-problem Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local government minister Bob Neill has announced that a number of councils will be given the green light to raise funds to address pay inequalities. In order to raise the money the councils involved will be able to either borrow against or sell assets up to £250 million in this financial year Bob Neill said: “For years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-free-to-tackle-historic-pay-inequalities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-free-to-tackle-historic-pay-inequalities Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced a four year funding deal worth £1.3 billion to ‘maintain and modernise’ the Post Office. Mr Cable also announced that whilst private capital will be used to maintain the Post Office, the Post Office network is not up for sale and that there are no more closures programmes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-post-office-funding-deal 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-post-office-funding-deal Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Officials from Kirklees Council have reportedly uncovered around £3.5 million in benefit fraud and have begun to reclaim it. Cllr Mehboob Khan said that this action ‘sends out a message’ that the council is taking fraud seriously. He said: “Criminals who defraud the benefits system are stealing from all of us... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kirklees-council-uncovers-35-million-in-benefit-fraud 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kirklees-council-uncovers-35-million-in-benefit-fraud Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst I believe that the pay of senior management within local authorities should reflect their performance and not be excessive, I also believe that councillors need to stop playing politics with their management. Far too often councillors will come into a new role, only to fire the incumbent chief executive, just because they worked... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-need-to-stop-playing-politics 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-need-to-stop-playing-politics Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT To meet the demands of constantly tightening finances local authorities are having to find new ways to deliver more high quality services on smaller budgets. One way for this to be achieved is through the use of mobile technology to facilitate more flexible working practices, reports Richard Mackillican After nearly a decade of unbridled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-out-and-about 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-out-and-about Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Despite claiming to be the greenest government ever, the coalition has withdrawn funding for the Sustainable Development Commission, which has acted as the public sector’s sustainability watchdog for many years. Public Sector Executive spoke to Dr Stuart Davies about the legacy the Commission will leave With the news that Defra will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustaining-sustainability 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustaining-sustainability Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public Sector Executive spoke to housing expert Chloe Fletcher about how technology is helping to make social housing organisations more efficient Public sector efficiency is something which impacts on everybody’s lives, none more so than in regards to the provision of housing for families and individuals on low... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technology-saves 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technology-saves Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Stephen Hughes, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, urges the government to fast-track Whitehall relocation in order to cut costs, help address regional economic differences in the UK and remodel the public sector along more efficient lines The government faces tough decisions as it looks to streamline public services and cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-relocation-an-opportunity-for-wider-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-relocation-an-opportunity-for-wider-reform Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Data from the Audit Commission has shown that councils in England were responsible for detecting a huge amount of fraud. This included £99 million worth of benefit fraud, over £15 million worth of council tax fraud, and £21 million worth of other types of fraud including false insurance claims, and abuse of the disabled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-busting-fraud 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-busting-fraud Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently flying the Derbyshire flag outside of its headquarters as part of a government scheme to recognise the importance of all of the counties in England. HM Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire William Tucker said: "I am thrilled to hear that the Derbyshire flag will fly above the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/derbyshire-flag-flies-outside-dclg 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/derbyshire-flag-flies-outside-dclg Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Business has announced that £200 million is to be invested in technology centres around Britain. The network of ‘elite’ Technology and Innovation Centres will work to develop growth in Britain’s hi-tech industries. Business secretary Vince Cable said: “We need to do more to ensure the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-allocates-200-million-for-technology-centres 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-allocates-200-million-for-technology-centres Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT At the moment it may seem strange that the government is willing to spend public money on anything, but spend it must. It just has to be sensible spending – the right amount in the right places. Given that the UK has no real industry to speak of, it is important that it develops areas like high-technology, along with other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keep-the-money-coming 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keep-the-money-coming Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services union - which represents civil servants and other public sector workers - has drawn attention to the plight of job seekers, following a speech by employment secretary Ian Duncan Smith which said that the jobless should get on the bus to find work. The union found that in Cardiff - where people from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/job-shortages-pointed-out-by-pcs-union 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/job-shortages-pointed-out-by-pcs-union Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT It appears that the ball is now firmly in the salt suppliers' court following comments made by council leaders which questioned their ability to deliver the required amount. I for one challenge the suppliers to provide the required stocks and prove these early predictions wrong. It would be a great example of how the private sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salt-of-the-earth 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salt-of-the-earth Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has said that demands for salt do not look as if they will be fulfilled. The comments came following the winter resilience review. Cllr Peter Box, Chairman of the Economy and Transport Board at the Local Government Association, said: “It is again being confirmed that the problems with keeping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salt-requirements-unlikely-to-be-met-says-lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salt-requirements-unlikely-to-be-met-says-lga Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department of Communities and Local Government has announced that a number of senior management posts within the department are to be cut. The announcement was made by Sir Bob Kerslake, who becomes Permanent Secretary at the Department on 1 November, to hundreds of gathered DCLG staff. Sir Bob Kerslake told his audience: "Our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/senior-management-posts-at-dclg-cut 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/senior-management-posts-at-dclg-cut Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT As councils all over Britain absorb the news about spending cuts, one council came forward to say that the ‘devil will be in the detail’ of how cuts are made to services in order to roll back spending. Cllr Stewart Young, Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council and Cabinet member responsible for resources, said: “The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-devil-in-the-detail-says-cumbria-county-council 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-devil-in-the-detail-says-cumbria-county-council Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Recently there has been much talk about the need for more transparency in government and nowhere is this more important than in public sector accounting, reports Richard Mackillican With public sector bodies facing a period of austerity, it has become more important than ever to be able to account for every single penny which is spent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clearing-the-mist-from-our-eyes 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clearing-the-mist-from-our-eyes Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the Comprehensive Spending Review the Department of Communities and Local Government is to have its resources reduced by a third by 2014. The government has also confirmed that capital spending in this are will be reduced by 74 per cent, along with calling an end of the ring fencing of all revenue grants from 2011-12, except... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-funding-reduced-by-a-third 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-funding-reduced-by-a-third Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT As part of the government’s Big Society agenda, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has called on faith groups to help to inspire and improve the communities around them. His comments cam as part of a speech to groups of faith leaders from a variety of religious backgrounds, where he asked them to use their power and resources to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-calls-of-faith-groups-to-help-communities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-calls-of-faith-groups-to-help-communities Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has said the measures announced by chancellor George Osborne will lead to cuts which will ‘hit councils and the residents they serve’. These comments follow the announcement of substantial cuts to local government funding. Baroness Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-review-will-inevitably-lead-to-cuts-says-lga 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-review-will-inevitably-lead-to-cuts-says-lga Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council tax payers will be overjoyed to hear that their council tax will be frozen for a year – councils less so. The government has to strike a balance between helping tax payers whilst reducing public spending, but councils will need support too. And a lot of it, at that. Tell us what you think – have your say... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-big-freeze 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-big-freeze Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Now that the CSR is over, the hard work will begin. All over Britain, councils will have some very hard decisions to make and no-one doubts that scale of the task ahead of them. For the scale of saving which the government expects to be made effectively and safely, many councils will have to lose staff. Some have already begun discussing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-more-no-less-than-we-expected 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-more-no-less-than-we-expected Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Housing minister Grant Shapps has said that the government will empower tenants to enable them to hold landlords to account. The plans – which include allowing tenants to set up local committees, along with enlisting the help of councillors and MPs – are part of the government’s drive to strength localism in local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localism-to-help-social-housing-says-minister 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localism-to-help-social-housing-says-minister Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have indicated their displeasure at the government’s plans to limit their borrowing capabilities. The Local Government Association has said that in particular, new rules which would limit councils in borrowing against their assets – which they claim has been done prudently - could end up costing the taxpayer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-borrowing-rules-could-end-up-costing-not-saving-says-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-borrowing-rules-could-end-up-costing-not-saving-says-councillors Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced that it is to take action against homelessness, as part of its efforts to stop reoffending. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "People can become homeless for a whole host of complex reasons - whether alcohol, drugs, losing a job or the breakdown of a relationship. But when a third of all rough sleepers have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-homelessness-essential-to-tackling-revolving-door-of-reoffending-according-to-the-government 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-homelessness-essential-to-tackling-revolving-door-of-reoffending-according-to-the-government Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am not a financial expert but I am slightly confused as to why local government bodies need to borrow as much as they do. When many have such huge reserves of tax payers' cash stashed away – and with interest rates as low as they are – would it not be a better idea to spend that money in paying off council debt – or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-do-we-buy-things-we-cant-afford 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-do-we-buy-things-we-cant-afford Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am rather concerned about the attitude which some sections of the public sector seem to have towards their local press. Whilst I can totally sympathise with councils who do not want to spend their funds inappropriately, I still believe that the local press are indeed a 'public service' worth paying for. Who is it that often roots... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/200-million-is-small-price-to-pay-to-safeguard-local-democracy 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/200-million-is-small-price-to-pay-to-safeguard-local-democracy Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have hit out at what they see as the government’s attempt to unfairly regulate their advertising spends. The councillors are fighting rules which state that councils must use their local press to advertise planning notices, which they say is an expense that they cannot afford. Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-hit-out-at-advertising-rules 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-hit-out-at-advertising-rules Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT A study has found that "few cities will have prepared for Olympic Legacy as directly and consciously as London has". This news was welcomed by the Local Government minister Bob Neill. Bob Neill said: "Everybody is working hard to ensure that the reach of London 2012 goes far beyond the games. Today's report from the OECD has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-welcomes-london-olympic-report 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-welcomes-london-olympic-report Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The feeling of tension is palpable amongst the public sector as it awaits the result of Wednesday’s Spending Review. Many are wondering just how far Chancellor Osborne’s cut swill sink into their budgets, in his attempt to ring fence other core services including the NHS, the armed forces and the international aid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tension-mounts-around-spending-review 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tension-mounts-around-spending-review Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have said that whilst they support anything which will lead to less bureaucracy, they still support the approach taken towards health and safety by most councils. Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of Local Government Regulation, said: “Councils, overall, have a commonsense approach to health and safety. They do not hide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-comment-on-lord-young-report- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-comment-on-lord-young-report- Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local government minister Greg Clark has called on all councils to recognise the role that charities can have in improving society. The minister was speaking at a meeting of SOLACE - the body which represents local authority chief executives. Mr Clark said: "The spending review will inevitably present councils with some tough choices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-to-recognise-role-of-charities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-to-recognise-role-of-charities Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local government has been swamped under what councillors have described as an avalanche of paper work over the last ten years, according to councillors. The new government has said that it is working towards reducing this paper work, to free up people and resources to deliver more effective services. Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-swamped-in-paper-work-according-to-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-swamped-in-paper-work-according-to-councillors Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT There seems to be a new appetite for less paper work in councils. Whether it be less health and safety mumbo jumbo or just less boxes to tick people seem to have finally woken up to the idea that all of these burdens are simply not necessary or can be drastically cut back. If only this had happened thirteen years ago and we wouldn't... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-freedom 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-freedom Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Four million pensioners could lose two thirds of their cold weather payments because the Government is considering cutting the emergency weekly payments from the £25 it has been for the past two years to £8.50 a week for this winter. Not only will the government save £16.50 for each pensioner. They will also save on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-cut-too-far 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-cut-too-far Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Roads and highways top of their list of areas that need investment, according the latest public service satisfaction survey, published by the Institution of Civil Engineers. The quarterly survey, which monitors attitudes to key public services in the UK such as roads, public transport, waste facilities and energy supply to homes, comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/roads-and-highways-number-one-for-investment-says-survey 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/roads-and-highways-number-one-for-investment-says-survey Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Plans confirmed by the Identity and Passport Service to close more than half of its interview offices will make the British passport a less secure document, the Public and Commercial Services union warns. The union said last week it feared for the future of 34 of the offices which were set up a few years ago to allow more in-depth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-says-office-closures-will-threaten-passport-security 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-says-office-closures-will-threaten-passport-security Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am afraid that commissioning endless surveys to try to convince central government to give councillors the power to decide where cuts are made might not achieve much. The government is committed to drastically reducing spending in local government - just as in every other corner of society and so trying to emotionally bribe them through... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acts-of-desperation 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acts-of-desperation Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Data from the National Audit Office has shown that central government spending on management consultants and interim managers has dropped slightly since 2006/7. However the same report found that the government still was not getting value for money from these services, because it did not possess ‘the information, skills and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/central-government-spending-on-management-consultants-and-interims-drops-slightly 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/central-government-spending-on-management-consultants-and-interims-drops-slightly Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT A survey carried out by the Local Government Association has found that the public feel that funding to reduce anti-social behaviour should be protected. The survey found that 77 per cent of people surveyed wanted funding to be maintained to deal with ‘drunkenness, intimidating groups in public spaces, loud music and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-campaign-to-maintain-funding-against-anti-social-behaviour 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-campaign-to-maintain-funding-against-anti-social-behaviour Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has conducted a survey which apparently found that taxpayers want councillors to decide where spending cuts to be made. The same survey also found that a majority of people surveyed wanted to see quangos cut before local government services are cut. Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taxpayers-want-councillors-to-decide-spending-cuts-say-councillors 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taxpayers-want-councillors-to-decide-spending-cuts-say-councillors Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association and Socitm have announced that they have reached an agreement with the Cabinet Office regarding local authority connection to the Government Secure Extranet. The two organisations say that they have won concessions which will benefit councils in regards to the cost of switching over the Government Secure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agreement-reached-on-public-sector-network 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agreement-reached-on-public-sector-network Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The housing minister Grant Shapps has said that the coalition government is totally committed to cutting the amount of red tape that builders have to go through at the moment. He said: “Last year, housebuilding hit its lowest level for any peacetime year since 1924 as developers have been hampered by regional targets that put them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/builders-to-see-red-tape-cut-according-to-the-government 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/builders-to-see-red-tape-cut-according-to-the-government Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government is claiming that it will ensure the rights of travellers and the settled community, as long as they ‘play by the rules’. On the other hand it has said that it will ‘provide protection for councils’, so that they are less constricted to take action against those who do flout the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rights-for-travellers-who-play-by-the-rules-says-minister 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rights-for-travellers-who-play-by-the-rules-says-minister Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils are going to have to cut their spending to a bare minimum - this means that every penny which can be spent on the front line needs to be spent on the front line. If this means a fairly comprehensive reorganization of the way in which councils operate then so be it – providing top class services is the only thing that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/services-need-protecting-but-so-does-the-tax-payer 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/services-need-protecting-but-so-does-the-tax-payer Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Why doesn't the government chase the tens of billions of pounds in tax revenue that never gets to the Treasury's coffers. It appears that whilst the government seems very willing to take money off ordinary folk, they don't seem to keen to cause problems for their better off friends in business. Whilst I agree that all non-jobs should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chase-tax--dont-cut-services 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chase-tax--dont-cut-services Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities throughout Britain need to stop wasting council taxpayers’ money on employing people in unnecessary jobs, according to the Tax Payer’s Alliance. The Alliance has commissioned a report into council wastage which found that councils spent £41 million on ‘Political Advisors, European Officers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-to-loose-non-jobs-says-tax-payers-alliance 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-to-loose-non-jobs-says-tax-payers-alliance Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT East Lothian and Midlothian councils are in discussions over a possible merger, which it is hoped would save on costs. The merger, if it went ahead, would be the first of its kind in Scotland. The leader of Midlothian Council, Councillor Derek Milligan, said: “These discussions are based around a shared education service, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-in-talks-over-merger 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-in-talks-over-merger Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Wolverhampton City Council has said that it will no longer provide council houses for asylum seekers after June 2011. Councillor Les Pugh said: “We aim to pull out of the contract on June 30 after five years. This has been a difficult decision to make, but one that is in the interests of local people on our housing waiting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wolverhampton-city-council-to-withdraw-council-housing-for-asylum-seekers 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wolverhampton-city-council-to-withdraw-council-housing-for-asylum-seekers Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has indicated its support for Grant Shapps’ recent announcement on cutting red tape for council housing. Cllr Gary Porter, Chairman of the LGA’s Housing and Environment Board, said: "The Government’s commitment to this long overdue overhaul is a tremendous breakthrough. "For the past... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-welcome-scrapping-of-council-housing-red-tape 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-welcome-scrapping-of-council-housing-red-tape Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Without continued levels of funding for flood management systems, millions of homes are at risk of being uninsurable, according to the Local Government Association. Cllr Gary Porter, chairman of the LGA Environment Board, said: “The Government has made it clear there are going to be deep cuts in public spending. But there is a real... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homes-at-risk-of-becoming-uninsurable 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homes-at-risk-of-becoming-uninsurable Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am always glad to hear of more red tape being cut. It is of course very important that things are done properly, but processes within government must be effective. I bet if you began applying lean principles to much of local (and central) government you might find many examples of unnecessary process, ready to be cut. Tell us... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lets-cut-the-tape 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lets-cut-the-tape Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT How do we live with happenchance? We want life to be ordered and fair. We plan hard but life is never predictable. Random events throw us off course. How can we use happenchance to advantage and not be thrown or destroyed by it? Successful leaders see happenchance as a releaser of energy and not an unpredictable evil, says Peter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/living-with-happenchance-as-a-leader 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/living-with-happenchance-as-a-leader Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Parish councils are to be allowed to up-date the way in which they pay for services. Up until now they had been constrained to use outdated methods of payment, such as cheques and it is hoped that this move will help them to pay the businesses who supply them more quickly. Local Government Minister Grant Shapps said: “Parish... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/payment-changes-for-parish-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/payment-changes-for-parish-councils Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Doing nothing about waste processing facilities is not an option now. Taking communities along the path to the new forms of treatment we will need certainly is, says Alan Whitehead MP We are moving rapidly towards ambitions, at least, that there should be ‘zero’ waste in England. That does not, of course, mean that there will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-the-community-buy-in-to-zero-waste 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-the-community-buy-in-to-zero-waste Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Dr Phyllis Starkey, former MP for Milton Keynes South West, chaired the House of Commons Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee for the last five years, scrutinising the CLG Department and producing reports on an array of policy areas. Here she describes the Committee’s recent major report on the government’s decent homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-sweet-home 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-sweet-home Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The public sector is at risk of losing all of the public's sympathy if you react sadly over Lord Hutton's recommendations on pensions. These 'gold plated' pension – as they have been labelled by the media – are a source of much discontent within the private sector. This means that you all have to maintain your focus on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lets-keep-up-the-good-work 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lets-keep-up-the-good-work Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT For many years schools have been working hard to clamp down on bullying. And rightly so. We know that bullying makes the lives of many children a misery and ranks as a top concern among parents too. However, for too long, bullying has been viewed as something that only occurs during school hours. As too many children know, bullying outside... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outside-the-school-gates 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outside-the-school-gates Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT In an effort to balance their books, Bristol City Council has announced that it is going to have to cut £22 million from its budget. The cuts are expected to mean that around 300 posts will go, but it is unlikely that any will be from mandatory redundancy. Council leader Barbara Janke told reporters that: “With all the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-announces-22-million-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-announces-22-million-cuts Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has launched an online tool to enable councils to track their bids for EU funding. It is hoped that the tool will help councils to target their bids for funding more effectively. Cllr David Wilcox, Chairman of the European and International Programme Board at the LGA, said: "Money is tight for all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-get-tool-to-target-eu-finding 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-get-tool-to-target-eu-finding Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst it might not be ideal to have council posts reduced, at least if it is done through natural wastage no workers will actually lose their jobs. All this talk of civil unrest by public sector workers over staffing numbers and pensions will only serve to alienate everybody else in the private sector, who has already felt the pain of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/natural-wastage-is-a-blessing 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/natural-wastage-is-a-blessing Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of high ranking government officials from Sweden are due to come to Liverpool to see how the council there has dealt with ‘environmental, employment and social issues’. Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this visit from our colleagues in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/swedish-officials-taking-tips-from-liverpool-city-council 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/swedish-officials-taking-tips-from-liverpool-city-council Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has said that councils are well placed to take the pressure off GP Consortia, by taking over many aspects of social healthcare. This would cover care for dementia sufferers, people with learning difficulties and the homeless. Cllr David Rogers, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-ready-to-take-on-more-health-functions-says-lga 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-ready-to-take-on-more-health-functions-says-lga Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of councils have said that they are going to use public money to launch a legal challenge over the cancellation of their Building Schools for the Future projects. These include Nottingham City Council, who has said that it is trying to minimise the cost of legal action, by launching joint action with Luton Council against the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-sue-over-bsf-cancellations 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-sue-over-bsf-cancellations Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils are now going to be told to keep the rents which they collect in their areas, under new plans announced by the government. However, under the plans councils will have to take some of the council housing debts in the their areas, as a kind of trade-off for their new freedoms. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "For far too... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-minister-announces-council-housing-reform 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-minister-announces-council-housing-reform Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Isn't it ironic that at a time when councils are complaining that they do not have enough money to maintain front line services, that they can find it to launch legal action against the government. Whilst I have sympathy for those councils who have already spent a large amount of money on these projects, the simply case is that there isn't... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suing-over-bsf-you-will-only-benefit-lawyers-not-children 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suing-over-bsf-you-will-only-benefit-lawyers-not-children Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Does anybody else feel that some councils are not exactly relishing the thought of having to be truly accountable to their citizens? Despite a number of assurances from places like the LGA, I still get the feeling that this is something which they really wish they didn't have to do – I mean, surely if they wanted to do it, they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/doth-the-council-protest-too-much 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/doth-the-council-protest-too-much Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has said that councils are all totally committed to providing total transparency around spending. Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Local government is absolutely committed to the highest standards of transparency. Councils have been leading the way in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-committed-to-transparency-says-lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-committed-to-transparency-says-lga Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced that tenants are to get new protection under repossession guidelines. Until now if a landlord had not been given permission to rent out their property by their lender and then faced repossession the tenants in that property could be evicted with no notice. Now that has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tenants-to-get-new-protection-says-dclg 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tenants-to-get-new-protection-says-dclg Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT January 2011 will be a significant month in local politics because now members of the public from all over the country will (or should) be able to analyse all of their (or anybody else's) council's spending for items over £500. This is a big step forward. I wonder whether there will be any scandals in a similar vein to MP's expenses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/come-and-have-a-look-for-yourself 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/come-and-have-a-look-for-yourself Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have come together to release a white paper which they claim can save ‘billions’ from public spending by handing power back to local people. The white paper comes just weeks before the October Spending Review, which some fear will signal drastic cuts to council funding from central government. Commenting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-launch-devolution-white-paper 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-launch-devolution-white-paper Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced that a number of councils are already opening up their accounts to be scrutinized by the public. Mr Pickles announcement comes just months before all councils are expected to publish details of all of their spending over £500, from January next year. Mr Pickles said: "I've... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-open-books-to-armchair-auditors 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-open-books-to-armchair-auditors Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the troubles which some councils ran into over the particularly harsh winter period last year, local government figures has found that around three quarters of councils have increased their stocks for this winter. However the same figures show that 18 per cent of councils said that they have not been provided with all of salt... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/salt-stocks-increased-by-75-per-cent-of-councils- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/salt-stocks-increased-by-75-per-cent-of-councils- Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Notwithstanding the Taxpayers' Alliance, the argument that extra capacity is needed is the case for building a new conventional speed railway, not that the new railway should be a high speed line. But a conventional speed railway could provide the same additional capacity, without disrupting existing services, through a rolling programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hs2 459 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hs2 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Government departments have been told to compete with each other to see who can use the least energy through the winter months. The call has directly from the Prime Minister David Cameron, who said: “In May I called for real action to make us the greenest government ever. I made a commitment that over the next 12 months, central... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-calls-for-energy-use-cuts-in-whitehall 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-calls-for-energy-use-cuts-in-whitehall Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT A report has found that local councils need to play a central role in developing coalfield communities. The report has been welcomed by Housing and Local Government Minister Grant Shapps. He said: “It's crucial that former mining areas continue to get the support they need to move on from the devastation caused by the collapse... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-moves-to-help-coalfield-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-moves-to-help-coalfield-communities Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT The communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced that councils are no longer able to use public money to pay for lobbyists. He said: “The proposals I am publishing today will close off these inappropriate practices and encourage councils to focus taxpayers' money on where it should be spent - protecting frontline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-bans-council-use-of-lobbyists 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-bans-council-use-of-lobbyists Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT First of all, well done again to Mr Pickles for banning lobbyist use by councils. It is unfair and undemocratic. However, I was under the impression that councils were organisations put in place to carry out the decisions of their political masters, meaning that anything done by a council should be at the behest of democratically elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-councillors-are-in-charge-so-why-havent-their-political-parties-paid-for-lobbyists-in-the-past 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-councillors-are-in-charge-so-why-havent-their-political-parties-paid-for-lobbyists-in-the-past Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has said that it is going to set up a team to work out how to cut £330 million from the budget. Glyn Evans, director of corporate business transformation, told the Birmingham Post newspaper: “We are looking at how we can utilise the resources and skills we have developed through business transformation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-to-form-elite-team-to-deal-with-cuts 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-to-form-elite-team-to-deal-with-cuts Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT As work begins across the public sector to reduce carbon emissions, The City of Edinburgh Council is taking steps to ensure that energy consumption, along with other resources, can be monitored properly, reports Richard Mackillican The City of Edinburgh Council has announced that the introduction of new technology to monitor energy and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-an-eye-on-consumption 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-an-eye-on-consumption Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I have to say that the vitriol aimed at Eric Pickles over his new rules on council newspapers yesterday made me chuckle. One example which I thought was particularly ludicrous was the idea that councils need their own newspapers to tell local people about the good work they are doing – they shouldn't need a paper for this, it should... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/use-the-local-press-not-your-own 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/use-the-local-press-not-your-own Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT From severe winter weather to swine flu and climate change to the Olympics, it is hard to remember a time when local authorities have faced such a wide variety of risks Public Sector Executive magazine spoke to James Cook to find out what the main issues are around emergency planning With the Olympics on the horizon the challenge for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Emergency-planning-is-no-game 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Emergency-planning-is-no-game Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Eric Pickles has confirmed that councils will only be able to publish their newspapers four times a year. This news has been welcomed by many in the local press industry. The Newspaper Society said earlier in the year: “The regional media industry is very concerned by the ever-increasing threat posed by local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-confirms-crack-down-on-council-newspapers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-confirms-crack-down-on-council-newspapers Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In today’s uncertain economic climate, all organisations are under pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency, says Alan Leaman It can be tempting to view consultants as an unnecessary cost which will detract from the bottom line. But this is often a false economy. Having the input and advice of specialised consultants can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-local-and-regional-authorities-can-save-with-management-consultants 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-local-and-regional-authorities-can-save-with-management-consultants Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I have no time for council newspapers – I find the whole concept incredibly Orwellian, especially when you consider the effect which they can have on the real local press, which is having a hard enough time as it is. Whereas council newspapers provide those in power with the opportunity to spread whatever propaganda they wish, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scrap-the-propaganda 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scrap-the-propaganda Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT It has been predicted that the government will need to spend £15 billion over the next four years to guarantee every child in Britain a decent classroom, according to the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services. Analysis carried out by the two organisations also found that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15-billion-cost-for-decent-classrooms 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15-billion-cost-for-decent-classrooms Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local people are going to be given the opportunity to suggest where councils should make cuts to their spending through an online role player simulator. The application, YouChoose, allows the public to play out where they would make their cuts and then the simulator predicts how those cuts would effect their community. The public will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/and-its-over-to-you 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/and-its-over-to-you Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am glad to hear that councils are launching public consultations into how their services will be cut back. Given that local people pay for those services, it is only right that they should have a word in how those services operate. For too long the state has dictated to the public, but now it should be the public's turn to take the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-art-of-listening 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-art-of-listening Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following news that a number of quangos are to be scrapped, the Public and Commercial Services union has accused the government of being 'happy to be play politics with people's lives'. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This is a disgraceful way to treat staff who work hard and are committed to providing quality services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-attack-quango-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-attack-quango-cuts Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT So Ed Miliband has won, has he? Well, whilst the unions may be laughing themselves to sleep tonight, they may have just witnessed the election of a leader who will ensure that Labour stays in opposition for a very long time. While many in the Labour camp seem to think that much of the public's anger is aimed at bankers, it is in fact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-union-man 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-union-man Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark has met with a community group which he has hailed as ‘pioneers’ of the new Big Society. The minister met with the Balsall Heath's Neighbourhood Forum - a group of volunteers who have worked to improve the Balsall Heath area in Birmingham - to congratulate them on their success. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-meets-big-society-pioneers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-meets-big-society-pioneers Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Communities and Local Government secretary Eric Pickles has ruled out any further council tax revaluations. Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said: "We are today confirming that there will be no council tax revaluation which could have pushed up taxes on people's homes. The new government will protect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-to-council-tax-revaluation-says-pickles 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-to-council-tax-revaluation-says-pickles Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Union favourite Ed Miliband has won the Labour leadership battle and will now lead the party in opposition. However despite his strong union support Mr Miliband was quick to say that he will lead the party with his own mind - a remark aimed that those who have claimed that he will be controlled by the unions who give large amount of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-favourite-ed-miliband-wins 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-favourite-ed-miliband-wins Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Reducing carbon emissions from the transportation of people and goods in the public sector is one area which needs particular attention, as the government strives to hit its environmental targets. Public Sector Executive spoke to Sustainable Development Commission member Dr Stuart Davies to find out how ICT will enable some of these essential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-a-long-journey-for-ict 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-a-long-journey-for-ict Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Richard Mackillican asks Matt Bell, director of education and external affairs at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), what needs to change to ensure more well-designed new homes are built and fast With the economy only just pulling itself out of recession, new ways to encourage both developers and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-a-strategy 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-a-strategy Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT This was the question which I put to one local authority chief executive yesterday and their answer was no – they even offered to let people shadow them for a week to see if they would want to do their job. After seeing the hard decisions which chief executives have to make, this one told me that very few people would want the job... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/would-others-do-senior-managements-jobs-for-less 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/would-others-do-senior-managements-jobs-for-less Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In an effort to find cost savings, Croydon Council is considering cutting the number of staff directly employed by the council. Whilst some would lose their jobs, some would be transferred to either the independent or private sector. However, arguments are raging about whether this is the best move to take with Unison questioning the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/croydon-council-job-cut-controversy 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/croydon-council-job-cut-controversy Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT It was hard for me to contain my laughter whilst reading through the details of John Denham's complaint about the politicisation of some press releases which have been issued by the DCLG since the election. Whilst Irene Lucas has graciously apologised to Mr Denham, I still can't believe that such an issue has been made of it anyway. I... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pot-calling-the-kettle-well-almost 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pot-calling-the-kettle-well-almost Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT History could be in the making as Suffolk County Council has announced that it is looking into the possibility of outsourcing nearly all of its services. The move - which would mean that the council became more of enabling authority which just commissioned services - has generated concern over the number of jobs which will be lost at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/suffolk-plans-to-outsource-all-services 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/suffolk-plans-to-outsource-all-services Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A woman is planning to take her local council to court after claiming that the wheelie bins outside her house have reduced the value of her property. Her complaints came after the council replaced her ‘seagull proof’ waste sacks with a green wheelie bin. The woman, Judie Chisholm, has written to Torbay Council to complain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/woman-sues-council-over-unsightly-bins 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/woman-sues-council-over-unsightly-bins Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the government’s announcement that changes will be made to the Local Housing Allowance, a survey by London Councils has suggested that those changes could mean 82,000 households lose their homes. London Councils Executive Member for Housing, Mayor Sir Steve Bullock said: “Judging from the reactions of landlords in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/82000-households-could-lose-their-homes-says-london-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/82000-households-could-lose-their-homes-says-london-councils Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Now, I know things are bad at the moments but let's not get carried away and start selling off the 'family jewels'! Although rumours of assets being sold off by Birmingham City Council have been strenuously denied, it is still worrying that people are even considering this as a possibility and I applaud the council for putting these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-sell-out-britain 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-sell-out-britain Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of local councils in the East Midlands have been working - with help from the Carbon Trust – to save around £1 million through being more energy efficient. Anne Gayfer, Climate Change Programme Manager at the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership said: "We are committed to helping local authorities in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-to-save-councils-1-million 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/energy-efficiency-to-save-councils-1-million Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I have a problem with those who say that the public sector needs to match the private sector in terms of wages just to get the best talent. It seems to me that this is exactly the same argument applied to MPs whenever any reductions to their pay and expenses are suggested, but I simply do not think that this is true. There are plenty... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/look-at-the-wage-bill 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/look-at-the-wage-bill Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector project managers now have the opportunity to sharpen their skills to deal with the challenging times they face during a much heralded period of austerity. Richard Mackillican spoke to Local Partnerships’ David Locke to find out more. As the coalition government finds its feet and begins to make the cuts needed to begin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-government 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-government Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The UK public sector spends £220bn a year on procurement – equivalent to £3,500 per adult and child, but there is no overall structure for managing this vast resource. Richard Mackillican asks public sector procurement expert Colin Cram how the government can tackle this issue The government needs to make major cuts in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-uk-public-sector-spends-220bn-a-year-on-procurement-equivalent-to-3500-per-adult-and-child-but-there-is-no-overall-structure-for-managing-this-vast-resource-richard-mackillican-asks-public-sector-procurement-expert-colina-chance-to-put-it-right 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-uk-public-sector-spends-220bn-a-year-on-procurement-equivalent-to-3500-per-adult-and-child-but-there-is-no-overall-structure-for-managing-this-vast-resource-richard-mackillican-asks-public-sector-procurement-expert-colina-chance-to-put-it-right Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Making the most of government’s buying power has the potential to drive small business growth and unleash the potential of the UK’s science and technology base, says Ruth Puttick As public finances are in dire straits and we look for new sources of growth, the spotlight must focus on making better use of what little money is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-public-procurement-holds-the-key-to-small-business-growth 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-public-procurement-holds-the-key-to-small-business-growth Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In an effort to streamline services, council buildings could be used of court proceedings in the future. It is also hoped that the switch over to using council buildings could also generate some funds for cash strapped local authorities during this time of austerity. Cllr Mehboob Khan, chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/courts-could-be-held-in-council-buildings 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/courts-could-be-held-in-council-buildings Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst local authorities scramble to find ways to reduce their budgets without harming frontline services, some have found that finding efficiencies can also unlock ways of better serving their communities through the application of technology, reports Richard Mackillican Ask people what they hold a council accountable for and it is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eliminating-waste 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eliminating-waste Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has called for the introduction of a ‘public bond’ system to fund local infrastructure projects. The system which the Association is calling for is similar to one used in the USA. Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said: “There are going to be deep cuts and councils are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-public-bond-introduction 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-calls-for-public-bond-introduction Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT At the moment the public sector in Britain faces the greatest challenge it has come up against since the winter of discontent. So surely that means that we have to work together and not just keep arguing about what is going to happen? We all know that cuts have to be made, so surely both management and front line staff need to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/we-need-to-talk 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/we-need-to-talk Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT While ministers seem to be in agreement about the need to cut budgets across a broad sweep of services, there is some dissent when it comes to criminal justice, says Aleksi Knuutila David Cameron’s comments on the subject suggest that he is unlikely to reverse Labour’s £4 billion prison building programme, one of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cuts-in-public-spending-can-be-an-opportunity 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cuts-in-public-spending-can-be-an-opportunity Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT There is no doubt that local government is going to have to share some of the pain resulting from the economic crisis. The announcement by the Local Government Association that councils face overall shortfalls of up to £20 billion stands as testament to this. But what is important is that all workers within the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stay-committed-throughout-the-pain 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stay-committed-throughout-the-pain Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The housing system is in crisis with fewer homes being built at precisely the same time when there has never been a greater demand for affordable homes. The new government needs to tackle the problem urgently and find solutions to help the 90,000 homeless households trapped in temporary accommodation and the estimated five million people on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-the-housing-crisis--next-steps-for-the-government 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-the-housing-crisis--next-steps-for-the-government Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Four words spring to mind when considering what the coalition government means for transport in the UK: policy, pricing, protection and, finally, politics, says Chris Jackson Starting with policy; before the coalition government was forged it was interesting to consider the degree of shared interest in the transport element of their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/towards-an-all-party-consensus-on-a-20-year-transport-strategy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/towards-an-all-party-consensus-on-a-20-year-transport-strategy Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local people in Bristol are being consulted on how they would like the City Council to improve various areas, with the current focus being the ‘central area’. Councillor Anthony Negus, Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing and Regeneration, said: “Everyone living and working in Bristol has a vested interest in sharing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-consults-residents-for-improvement-ideas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-consults-residents-for-improvement-ideas Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Mark Sanders, who has been Bury Council’s chief executive for the last ten years, is to leave his post at the end of the year. The Press Association reported Mr Sanders as saying: “I have chosen to retire from my position to pursue personal and professional opportunities and to make some contribution to the financial savings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bury-council-chief-to-leave-in-new-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bury-council-chief-to-leave-in-new-year Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local people need to be given control over bus services, or subsidies could rocket by around £1.35 billion over the next five years according to Local Government Association. Cllr Peter Box, Chairman of the Transport and Regeneration Board at the LGA, said: “We need to make sure that taxpayers and bus passengers start getting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/control-over-bus-subsidies-needed-says-lga 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/control-over-bus-subsidies-needed-says-lga Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Forget using consultants who cost the earth to design community services – why not just ask local people what they want? Not only will this be much, much cheaper, it means that people will actually get the community services that they desire. That means happier people and more money. Could you ask for more? Tell us... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-people-making-local-decisions 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-people-making-local-decisions Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The call has gone out for public sector organisations to put forward nominees for the National Council for Work Experience awards. Heather Collier, director of the NCWE says: “With high unemployment rates and tough competition for jobs, there is more emphasis on students to get hands-on work experience to bolster their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-for-national-work-experience-award-nominations 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-for-national-work-experience-award-nominations Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The housing minister Grant Shapps has said that councils are to work with homeless charities to deal with Britain’s problem of rough sleeping. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “For too long a supposedly national figure of rough sleepers hasn't reflected the reality on our streets. Councils and local charities know their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homeless-charities-to-play-bigger-role 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homeless-charities-to-play-bigger-role Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I fail to see why how the unions dare make mention of the transgressions of bankers, when it is the government - along with the wider public sector - which is as much to blame for Britain's current financial malaise. And the public know that. Whilst the banks have been bailed out - costing the tax payer potentially hundreds of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-are-angry-at-you-too 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-are-angry-at-you-too Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Investment in roads has become something of a dirty word but given the amount of congestion on our roads, it is crucial that funding for roads is maintained at sensible levels. Public Sector Executive asked Professor Stephen Glaister what the government should do to keep us all moving Our nation’s roads have become a battleground in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-road-to 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-road-to Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The leader of the TUC has moved to distance himself from comments made by another union leader, Bob Crow, who called for ‘civil disobedience’ to fight spending cuts. Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, said: “I’ve certainly not called for civil disobedience. I don’t find the idea attractive and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-disobedience-would-be-counter-productive-says-tuc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-disobedience-would-be-counter-productive-says-tuc Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced that it is to fly the flags of the counties of England above its offices, to celebrate their heritage. Eric Pickles said: “The Union Flag rightly has pride of place outside the Department but I'm delighted it will now be flown alongside our traditional and ceremonial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-flying-the-flags 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-flying-the-flags Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The housing minister Grant Shapps has commented on the government’s scrapping of the controversial Home Information Packs. He said: “It was always obvious that HIPs were deeply unpopular with people selling homes because they created needless cost and hassle. What is now clear is that people buying homes didn't rate them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/home-information-packs-scrapped 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/home-information-packs-scrapped Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT There has been a lot of talk about how public services need to be protected. And they do. But that doesn't mean that the government should pay for staff or services which are simply not needed. Whilst I can see how upsetting it must be for some who face losing their job because of cut backs, I also detest the way in which the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-means-just-that 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-means-just-that Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government announced that it plans to reduce its spending by around £1 million by changing the format of people’s National Insurance identification. The change will mean that such identification will be presented on paper, rather than on a plastic card. The idea to change the format came from a suggestion submitted to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-plastic-to-paper-swap-to-save-1-million 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-plastic-to-paper-swap-to-save-1-million Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils in Buckinghamshire could have reduced their costs by £35 million - if they had taken the advice of a review from four years ago into merging all of the councils into one authority. This news came as Chris Williams, the County Council's chief executive, has spoken out in an interview with local newspaper the Free... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-merger-could-have-saved-35-million 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-merger-could-have-saved-35-million Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear all of the sabre rattling coming from the public sector unions. What the country needs to be doing is concentrating on improving our productivity as a nation, which will in turn allow for higher public spending. Encouraging individuals to run around in fancy dress costumes causing a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/just-saying-no-isnt-helping-anyone 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/just-saying-no-isnt-helping-anyone Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of public sector unions have called for a wave of disruptive industrial action to protest public sector cuts. Measures called for include blocking roads and co-ordinated strikes, although the suggestions of one leader were slightly more animated. The transport union leader in question suggested that perhaps what Britain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-call-for-widespread-disruption 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-call-for-widespread-disruption Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Despite finding that academies set up under the last government are performing well, the National Audit Office has said that this good performance is not an indicator of how new academies will fair. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: “Many of the academies established so far are performing impressively in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academies-programme-expansion-warning 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academies-programme-expansion-warning Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The announcement that the government is not planning to extend landfill bans to other materials has been hailed as a victory for common sense. Cllr Gary Porter, chairman of the LGA environment board, told Letsrecycle.com: "At a time when council budgets are under unprecedented pressure it is encouraging that the Government has listened to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-decision-on-landfill-ban-welcomed 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-decision-on-landfill-ban-welcomed Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Worries have begun to surface about the potential effectiveness of the new Local Enterprise Partnerships. Concerns have been raised about the role which is to be played by local Chambers of Commerce in the new arrangements. A representative from the Federation of Small Businesses told The Telegraph: “The income taken by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leps-face-criticism 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leps-face-criticism Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A firm which handled the maintenance of a significant number of council houses, has gone into administration. Connaught called in the administrators after failing to additional raise funding, putting around 10,000 jobs at risk. The move also puts the maintenance of council housing throughout the country at risk, as the company had... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connaught-collapse-means-council-housing-chaos 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connaught-collapse-means-council-housing-chaos Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In a move which the government hopes will be mirrored across Britain, Thurrock Borough council has taken back the responsibility for regeneration in its area. The move will see control of the Thames Gateway regeneration programme come back under the control of the council, which will take over operations at the current project delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-takes-control-of-regeneration 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-takes-control-of-regeneration Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I think that the public will find it quite hard to stomach the idea of paying more for services when they know that their hard earned cash is being spent on union representatives for the staff who now want more public money to provide services which many won't even use. Councils are here to provide core services and if there is not enough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-charge-more-just-provide-less-but-better 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-charge-more-just-provide-less-but-better Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced that the UK has met its landfill targets for 2010 and that it will not be introducing any news restrictions to land fill for the foreseeable future. Environment Minister Lord Henley said: “It is pleasing to see that from the latest data the UK will meet the 2010 Landfill Directive target as it shows that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-meets-landfill-targets 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-meets-landfill-targets Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Isn't funny how when in the past it was the public who were having their phones tapped, many Labour politicians came out in favour of such measures, mostly citing the needs of national security. Did Gordon Brown call for listening devices in lamp posts once. But now that it has emerged that a couple of reporters may have been bugging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-ironic 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-ironic Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced that the new Local enterprise partnerships will help to stimulate economic growth in areas, in a way that Regional Development Agencies never could. Communities secretary Eric Pickles said: "The bureaucracy of Regional Development Agencies gave local authorities little reason to engage creatively with economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-enterprise-partnerships-to-aid-localism-agenda 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-enterprise-partnerships-to-aid-localism-agenda Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Despite assurances from one of Britain’s top policeman that no MPs phones were hacked by the News of the World newspaper, an inquiry has been launched into the affair. The inquiry was announced following a hearing of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, which took evidence from Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who said that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-mps-phones-were-hacked-says-top-policeman 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-mps-phones-were-hacked-says-top-policeman Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said that the Audit Commission, whilst once a great institution, had been since become irrelevant, because it had not evolved with the times. He said that the new regime being put in place would allow councils greater choice in how they found their efficiencies. In a statement to the House... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pickles-defies-labour-criticism-on-slashing-audit-commission 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pickles-defies-labour-criticism-on-slashing-audit-commission Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT An interim council chief executive, who is paid £270,000 a year, is to stay on at his position according to the Welsh Assembly. David Bowles began working as an interim chief executive at Anglesey Council around a year ago. An Assembly spokesperson told the BBC: "The then minister designated Mr Bowles as interim managing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anglesey-council-interim-chief-executive-to-stay-on-for-the-foreseeable-future 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anglesey-council-interim-chief-executive-to-stay-on-for-the-foreseeable-future Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Venerated public servant Sir Bob Kerslake has been made permanent secretary to the Department of Communities and Local Government. Sir Bob has said that he is very honoured to have been given the position, whilst Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “I am delighted with Sir Bob’s appointment. He has an impressive track... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-appointed-permanent-secretary-to-dclg 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-bob-kerslake-appointed-permanent-secretary-to-dclg Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am glad to hear that Sir Bob Kerslake has been given the job of permanent secretary to the Department of Communities and Local Government. After achieving much both during his time in local government and at the HCA, Sir Bob's experience of local government will prove invaluable to the DCLG. Let's hope that he keeps up the good... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sir-bobs-appointment-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sir-bobs-appointment-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A study by the LGA have shown that technology has the capacity to save councils millions of pounds, through improving efficiency. The study has shown that in 2009, councils improved their productivity to the tune of £230 million, through using new technology. Councillor David Parsons, chairman of the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technology-saves-councils-230-million 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technology-saves-councils-230-million Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Voters should now be under no illusions as to what to expect from the Labour Party from now on. Their union masters have made it very clear that if the party does not bend to their whims, then the funding goes and so does the Labour Party. Although, perhaps if the unions were required to pay the wages of their council representatives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-dark-shadow-is-cast 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-dark-shadow-is-cast Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT An investigation by the Sunday Telegraph has claimed that some councils are spending thousands of pounds - some hundreds of thousands - on union representatives for council workers. This news has been greeted with a wave of criticism. Matthew Sinclair, director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, has said that the funding of these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-spent-millions-on-union-reps-last-year-claims-investigation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-spent-millions-on-union-reps-last-year-claims-investigation Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The coalition government has pledged to back local pubs by cutting red tape and by allowing communities to buy local pubs to keep them open. Pubs throughout Britain have found it difficult to survive, with the blame being laid squarely at the feet of the last administration by the new government. These announcements were made by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-backs-pubs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-backs-pubs Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public service union, Unison, has laid down a series of demands to labour leadership candidate David Miliband. The demands came from the union’s leader, David Prentis, in an interview in The Observer newspaper. He said: “We will not go back to a New Labour agenda based on privatisation, and fragmentation and globalisation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-lays-down-ultimatum-to-david-miliband 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-lays-down-ultimatum-to-david-miliband Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Reform of public sector pensions is proving to be a highly contentious issue following the economic crisis, but possible steps are being suggested to mitigate the pain those reforms may cause. The London Pension Funds Authority has said that the Local Government Pension Scheme should raise its retirement age to 66 and restrict payment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-public-sector-pensions-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-public-sector-pensions-reform Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The new chief executive of Cardiff City Council, Jon House, has said that he wants the council to become the best performing in Europe within the next five years. Mr House, who is an ex-police commander, has said that whilst he has every confidence that this can be achieved., the council faces some very tough times. Speaking to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-hopes-in-cardiff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-hopes-in-cardiff Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced that it is to reduce the amount of red tape which organisers need to go through to put on community events. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, said: "Fetes, street parties and fairs should be fun, and everyone's energy needs to go into the fun part - not trawling through endless reams of guidance and dusty... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/party-on-says-pickles 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/party-on-says-pickles Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Much has been made of David Cameron's use of this phrase – a multimillionaire telling this to a bankrupt nation was never going to go down well. However, considering that many council bosses earn far more than Mr Cameron and are currently sacking thousands of council workers, I am surprised that we have not heard similar drivel... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/were-in-this-together-yeah-right 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/were-in-this-together-yeah-right Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Although the coalition government is barely three months old, there are already very definitive signs emerging of the approach that they will take towards the management of public services. The abandonment of the principle of ‘entitlement’ is amongst the most prominent examples, says Luke Hildyard Entitlements or guarantees... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/entitlement-abandoned 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/entitlement-abandoned Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Along with being greatly amused by some of the suggestions which have been posted on the website, I have begun to think that Treasury's Spending Challenge website - where the public are asked for ideas as to how the government should save money - is an idea which could be rolled out to councils. At the moment there seems to be an almost... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-spending-challenge 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-spending-challenge Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In May we set out a challenge to the next government to fundamentally re-engineer public services. Our proposals, which are contained in our latest report Time for Action, draw on the lessons learnt by our member companies through the recession and provide practical advice about how our public services should adapt to ensure they continue to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-action-reforming-public-services-and-balancing-the-budget 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-action-reforming-public-services-and-balancing-the-budget Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following an audit into bullying complaints by Welsh council staff, a local Unison union representative has said that this might be ‘the tip of the iceberg’, according to local press reports. According to Unison Cymru Secretary Paul O’Shea, the current economic situation may be making things worse. Speaking to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bullying-could-be-rife-in-welsh-councils-says-union 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bullying-could-be-rife-in-welsh-councils-says-union Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT A dispute about council worker pay in Scotland has escalated to the point where unions have threatened to ballot on strike action. These threats came after talks broke down between the unions and CoSLA, which represents Scottish local authorities. Unite’s lead officer for local government in Scotland, Jackson Cullinane, said:... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-strike-threats-hang-over-scotland 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-strike-threats-hang-over-scotland Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst the Labour party leadership candidates are busy squabbling over who can wear the reddest tie, the coalition government was busy giving back rights to the people. However, although I feel that it is a good idea to get rid of silly and outdated local laws - such as the regulation of fish frying "and other offensive trades" in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/freedom-for-the-people 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/freedom-for-the-people Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT In a controversial move, the government has announced that councils are to be given the option whether to allocate council housing on the basis of links which applicants have to a particular area, rather than deciding simply on the case of need. Housing minister Grant Shapps said: “It causes a great deal of concern and is very... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-people-to-be-given-priority-on-some-council-housing-lists 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-people-to-be-given-priority-on-some-council-housing-lists Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Last week David Miliband was caught out whilst trying to bolster support for his leadership campaign with the party faithful. As a transparent attempt to curry favour with his supporters in Norwich council, he said that he was backing the council's bid to become a unitary. All well and good. However, when asked whether he would make it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beware-of-labour-leadership-candidates-bearing-gifts 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beware-of-labour-leadership-candidates-bearing-gifts Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT David Miliband has said that he will back Norwich City Council’s attempt to become a unitary council as part of his leadership campaign. According to reports in the local press, he told Labour Party supporters: “Norwich is a strong enough and big enough place to run itself.” However, he declined to make it a point... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/miliband-attempts-to-woo-norwich 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/miliband-attempts-to-woo-norwich Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A number of public sector unions in Scotland who have called for the current freeze on council tax to be lifted may get what they asked for, as the Scottish Government desperately tried to deal with council funding problems. Following calls from both the Scottish branch of Unison and also local government group Cosla, the finance minister... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-unions-calls-for-higher-taxes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-unions-calls-for-higher-taxes Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced that it is to reform the way it instructs to councils to administer travellers’ sites. Eric Pickles has ended the controversial ‘planning circulars’ which were brought in under Labour which some councils have complained about in the past. This means that it will be harder for travellers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/travellers-who-play-by-the-rules-to-get-more-rights 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/travellers-who-play-by-the-rules-to-get-more-rights Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Birmingham City Council has begun making provision to accommodate the large number of gypsies it is expecting will flock to the area for the Pope’s visit. This action came after a group of gypsies set up camp at on Sarehole Mill, in Hall Green, in order to see the pontiff give mass at Cofton Park when he visits the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-makes-provision-for-gypsies-ahead-of-pope-visit 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-makes-provision-for-gypsies-ahead-of-pope-visit Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Fire Service has wasted millions of pounds on a regionalisation programme which is now to scrapped by the coalition. A BBC investigation has found that a programme brought about by the previous government to create regional fire centres will now be scrapped, as the current government wants to keep control of fire services in local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire-service-revamp-has-wasted-millions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire-service-revamp-has-wasted-millions Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A lobby group, the Forum of Private Business has said it has found that there are large differences in the amount of time which it takes different forces to pay suppliers and contractors. Forum spokesman Chris Gorman said: “We found that some police forces appear to be excellent at paying businesses promptly. This is to be welcomed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-accused-of-not-paying-their-bills-on-time 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-accused-of-not-paying-their-bills-on-time Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst this is a question which many of us have asked ourselves in our more contemplative moments, it is a question which is now going to have to be asked by councils throughout the land. Reading a report this week which said that councils were worried about a lack of attendance at libraries made me think – if no-one wants to use a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-are-we-here 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-are-we-here Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils are now being encouraged by the government to reduce the amount of signs, railings and advertising hoardings or ‘street clutter’, which Eric Pickles says are threatening to destroy the character of Britain’s cities, towns and villages. Mr Pickles said: "Our streets are losing their English character. We are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-reclaim-the-character-of-our-cities-towns-and-villages-says-pickles 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-reclaim-the-character-of-our-cities-towns-and-villages-says-pickles Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT In an effort to give more power back to local people, the government has announced that it is to give responsibility for service improvement back to councils. As part of this either the Local Government Association – or similar body – will be given control over revenue which gets redirected from the Revenue Support... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-new-localist-approach-to-service-improvement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-new-localist-approach-to-service-improvement Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association has released the details of a number of bizarre calls which councils have taken in the customer service centres from members of the public. These calls include trying to register the death of a person who is not yet dead, asking where pest control officers buy their rifles and seeking an explanation of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-release-bizarre-customer-service-calls 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-release-bizarre-customer-service-calls Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government's announcement that councils are to be put in charge of service improvements has stirred mixed feelings in me. Whilst I am very happy that local people will be able to make local decisions, it was this specific line in the government's press release which worried me: "Under new proposals, the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/not-another-quango-surely 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/not-another-quango-surely Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Reducing carbon emissions from the transportation of people and goods in the public sector is one area which needs particular attention, as the government strives to hit its environmental targets. Public Sector Executive spoke to Sustainable Development Commission member Dr Stuart Davies to find out how ICT will enable some of these essential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-long-journey-for-ict 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-long-journey-for-ict Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT I was utterly disgusted to hear talk of public sector strikes over pension payments. If you are a public servant, then you must act exactly in that way - it means putting the needs of the public before your self. It is simply part of the job. Public sector workers have enjoyed many perks over years including key worker discounts on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/if-you-are-a-public-servant-the-public-should-come-first 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/if-you-are-a-public-servant-the-public-should-come-first Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Children with dyslexia face a postcode lottery when it comes to the facilities and equipment schools provide in order to help tackle their condition, reports Richard Mackillican Britain’s schools should be awash with equipment to help dyslexic children. After all, a wide range of assistive technologies is available and the last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-learning-lottery 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-learning-lottery Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT One might have thought that given the current economic situation that local authorities might have actually been working to bring employment to their areas. Given that regional development agencies are soon to be disbanded, one might have imagined that councils would have been falling over themselves to make their areas as attractive as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-slow-hand-clap-is-required 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-slow-hand-clap-is-required Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Conservative MP and local government minister Bob Neill has called for councils which have good provision to deal with travellers to be given additional ‘enforcement powers’. His comments were made during an interview with BBC Radio Essex, where he also mentioned that the coalition government had done away with regional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-get-extra-powers-to-deal-with-travellers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-get-extra-powers-to-deal-with-travellers Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT An organisation which represents Scottish councils has begun a campaign to tell the public what councils actually do so that they can then justify raising council tax. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has begun a campaign to draw attention to the work which councils carry out, in the hope that they will be allowed to increase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/scottish-councils-begin-pr-campaign-to-call-for-tax-increase 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/scottish-councils-begin-pr-campaign-to-call-for-tax-increase Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Despite the coalition government declaring an end to the ‘war on motorists’ when they came to power, it now appears that some local authorities are still considering bringing in a levy on workplace car parking spaces. Some councils have said that the levy could be brought in as part of their commitment to reduce car travel to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-wage-war-on-motorists 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-wage-war-on-motorists Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT I had to chuckle when reading David Prentis' response to the Knox D'Arcy report on public sector productivity. To claim that public sector productivity has been rising since 2006, when the government's own figures directly contradict that statement, was indicative of the kind of blasé attitude which many in the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/get-a-move-on 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/get-a-move-on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The leader of the public service union UNISON has attacked a report by management consultants Knox D’Arcy which questioned the productivity of public sector staff. David Prentis, UNISON’s general secretary, has said that the report contradicts evidence which shows that ‘public sector productivity has been steadily rising... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/productivity-report-angers-public-sector-unions 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/productivity-report-angers-public-sector-unions Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A study carried out by Socitm has found that there are marked differences in local and central government websites. Whilst the Socitm analysis showed that people using local authority websites likely ‘to find all of what they are looking for’, it also found that customer satisfaction for central government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socitm-compares-central-and-local-websites 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socitm-compares-central-and-local-websites Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A controversial study has found that council staff waste around 70 per cent of their day on average and that their managers seem powerless to do anything about it. Analysis of the study’s results showed that if council staff were to increase their productivity to the same level as their private sector counterparts, that around 27... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-waste-70-per-cent-of-day-claims-study 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-waste-70-per-cent-of-day-claims-study Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A Freedom of Information request has found that some workers from Lancashire County Council have been paid £2.7 million in pensions, whilst still working at the authority. This practice, called double dipping, although legal has been criticised as a huge waste of taxpayer’s money, at a time when councils have complained that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-workers-under-fire-over-pension-double-dipping 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lancashire-county-council-workers-under-fire-over-pension-double-dipping Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The furore over council productivity is set to grow following the news that council workers in Yorkshire have taken 2 million sick days in 2009-2010. This mans that some staff have – on average – been taking the equivalent of two and half weeks off sick every year. The cost of this to tax payers has been put at about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-workers-take-2-million-days-off-sick 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/yorkshire-council-workers-take-2-million-days-off-sick Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT There have been calls for action to be taken b the government, following a study by the Chartered Management Institute has found that women face a further half century of unequal pay. “Girls born this year will face the probability of working for around 40 years in the shadow of unequal pay.” said Petra Wilton, head of policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/action-demanded-as-women-face-50-years-of-unequal-pay 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/action-demanded-as-women-face-50-years-of-unequal-pay Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Eric Pickles’ decision to open up all council spending over £500 to public scrutiny has caused some controversy. Socitm, which represents IT professionals, has said that the new transparency rules -which mean that all spending over £500 must be made public – could potentially ‘embarrass incumbent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/excuses-fly-over-council-spending-transparency 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/excuses-fly-over-council-spending-transparency Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A local government group has said that there is growing concern that the change of many schools to academies will prove very costly for parents of the children at those schools. The Local Government Association has called on those schools to show restraint and not to hit already ‘cash strapped’ parents with further uniform... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fears-over-parental-cost-of-school-change-over 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fears-over-parental-cost-of-school-change-over Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT In an effort to find a more effective way of regulating local government, the government has decided to close down the Audit Commission. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles said: “The corporate centre of the Audit Commission has lost its way. Rather than being a watchdog that champions taxpayers'... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-to-be-scrapped 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-to-be-scrapped Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT To increase the amount of openness in local government, Cheltenham Borough council has taken to the road to ask its electorate which services they want to save and which they can cut. Mark Sheldon, chief finance officer, said: “We want to engage people in the budget debate and hear their views. The results will be fed back to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-asks-electorate-which-services-to-save 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-asks-electorate-which-services-to-save Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT As the government begins its push to decentralise power to local authorities, a group of council and parish council representatives have called for more powers to be given to parish councils. The group - which includes Lord Taylor of Goss Moor, the Local Government Association and the Campaign to Protect Rural England - has called for new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parish-council-groups-call-for-planning-powers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parish-council-groups-call-for-planning-powers Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Further cuts to civilian staff in the Ministry of Defence will damage the support available to frontline troops, the Public and Commercial Services union warns. While refusing to give details, defence secretary Liam Fox has repeated plans to slash staff numbers in the MoD under the strategic defence and security review. The union... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-more-cuts-to-defence-posts-will-damage-frontline-support 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-more-cuts-to-defence-posts-will-damage-frontline-support Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Fraudsters are informing taxpayers they are due a tax rebate and asking for their bank card details over the phone. They then attempt to take money from the account using the details provided. Victims risk having their bank accounts emptied and their personal details sold on to other organised criminal gangs. The warning comes amid a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-thieves-pretending-to-be-the-taxman 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-thieves-pretending-to-be-the-taxman Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has issued a reminder to struggling homeowners to seek help early to have a better chance of staying in their homes. His call came on the day new research shows that the number of home owners who have given up their home due to financial difficulties has been much higher than solely shown by repossession... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eric-pickles-hidden-victims-of-recession-show-need-for-homeowners-to-seek-help-early 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eric-pickles-hidden-victims-of-recession-show-need-for-homeowners-to-seek-help-early Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT To get to grips with chewing gum litter on our streets and pavements Gloucester City Council is one of 11 local areas nationwide that selected to take part in the latest annual campaign to reduce chewing gum litter, run by the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG). The marketing campaign will target gum-chewers in locations where they are most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-tough-on-sticky-streets 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-tough-on-sticky-streets Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Mayor of London Boris Johnson and London Councils have today put forward plans for sweeping changes which could see London boroughs taking greater control of their housing budgets, as part of a proposed devolution package from Whitehall to London. Together the Mayor and London Councils have released “A Framework for Devolved... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-and-london-councils-propose-greater-housing-powers-for-boroughs- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-and-london-councils-propose-greater-housing-powers-for-boroughs- Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of people are still dying alone and lonely every year, 44 years after the plight of Eleanor Rigby was immortalised in haunting lyrics by the Beatles. Decades after the song described Father Mackenzie "writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear", councils are still having to bury people without family or friends willing or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-health-funerals-costing-councils-156m-a-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-health-funerals-costing-councils-156m-a-year Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT RoSPA’s Safe At Home scheme has now helped more than 130,000 families across England, fitting home safety equipment and performing safety checks in homes. Since February 2009, when Safe At Home - the national home safety equipment scheme - was launched, more than 25,000 safety “kits” have been fitted in homes, with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safe-at-home-scheme-helps-130000-families-across-england 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safe-at-home-scheme-helps-130000-families-across-england Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A detailed dossier of bureaucratic burdens faced by councils, detailing the costs of unnecessary red tape and outdated laws has been submitted to Ministers by council leaders. The submission to Ministers by the Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, lays bare the huge burden of red tape... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-present-ministers-with-dossier-of-red-tape-faced-by-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-present-ministers-with-dossier-of-red-tape-faced-by-councils Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Railway Children, a leading children’s charity, has called on the Government to commit support for a rights-based and independent children’s commissioner with power to challenge the government on critical issues. Since the appointment of the first commissioner, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, in 2005 the role has been criticised for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-risk-to-vulnerable-children-will-rise-without-independent-champion 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-risk-to-vulnerable-children-will-rise-without-independent-champion Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The British Property Federation today urged the government to focus on re-using hundreds of thousands of vacant homes lying unused across the UK. Over 4 million people are on housing waiting lists and reviving empty homes provides a cheaper alternative to building new ones. Bringing a house back into use can take as little as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britains-shameful-waste-as-1-million-homes-lie-empty 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britains-shameful-waste-as-1-million-homes-lie-empty Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local authority ICT managers have been successful in reducing costs whilst driving up user satisfaction, says Socitm’s Benchmarking services summary for 2009. But the report says that the reductions in cost - ICT spend per user has dropped by 15.75% in real terms since 2008 and by 19.3% since 2006 – are also worrying.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ict-managers-reduce-costs-while-driving-up-user-satisfaction--but-at-risk-of-losing-transformational-capability- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ict-managers-reduce-costs-while-driving-up-user-satisfaction--but-at-risk-of-losing-transformational-capability- Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector organisations in England and Wales will have access to Ordnance Survey mapping data under a single agreement for the first time from April 2011. Local and central government organisations, as well as NHS organisations, will now benefit from being part of a single agreement for Ordnance Survey data. This new agreement, known... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mapping-out-our-future 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mapping-out-our-future Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Homes and Communities Agency has launched Place Spotlight - an online resource to support the local investment planning process and help local authorities to identify ways to improve their delivery of great places. Place Spotlight supports practitioners to develop a strong vision for a local area and prioritises what needs to be done... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/online-resource-supports-local-authorities-to-improve-places- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/online-resource-supports-local-authorities-to-improve-places- Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT John Callan, who is Head of ICT at Liverpool City Council, has joined the CIO Council, a Cabinet Office group that brings together CIOs from all parts of the public sector to address common issues. It meets on a quarterly basis to discuss progress being made in delivering the Government ICT strategy. John joins a small group of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socitm-member-john-callan-head-of-ict-at-liverpool-city-council-joins-cio-council 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socitm-member-john-callan-head-of-ict-at-liverpool-city-council-joins-cio-council Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The prospect of Government funding cuts has sparked a number of chain reactions across the country, but none quite like that at the British Academy. On Tuesday 10 August, 69-year-old President, Sir Adam Roberts will set off by bike on the 1000-mile journey from Land’s End to John o’Groats to raise funds for the Academy’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-man-against-government-cuts 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-man-against-government-cuts Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Auditors have found that most claims for grants and subsidies have been completed by councils in line with the terms and conditions set by grant-paying bodies. But there is room for improvement. Claims and returns were corrected by £54.5 million as a result of Audit Commission auditors’ work. The Commission’s new report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/auditors-call-for-improved-quality-and-accuracy-in-grant-and-subsidy-claims 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/auditors-call-for-improved-quality-and-accuracy-in-grant-and-subsidy-claims Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council has said it is committed to improving its benefits service following the publication of a report by the Audit Commission. The authority said it accepted the judgement by the Commission which rated it a no-star service, together with its recommendations, but added that it did not believe the prospects for improvement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disappointment-at-audit-commission-report-on-benefits-service 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disappointment-at-audit-commission-report-on-benefits-service Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT New legislation to allow local authorities to sell unused electricity back to the national grid has been announced by Environment Minister Jane Davidson. The Minister has made an order with the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne. The legislation will let local authorities in England and Wales sell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-go-ahead-to-sell-electricity-to-the-grid-from-renewable-sources 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-given-go-ahead-to-sell-electricity-to-the-grid-from-renewable-sources Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Minister for Regional and local economic development, Mark Prisk and Minister for Decentralisation, Greg Clark, have hosted a round table event with business groups, local authorities and think tanks to listen to their views on the creation of local enterprise partnerships. Attendees included representatives from the Confederation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-enterprise-partnerships-under-discussion 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-enterprise-partnerships-under-discussion Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Francis Maude MP, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, has agreed in principle to give the cross-party Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) a role in approving the creation of new arm's length public bodies - better known as ‘quangos’. The new role would mean that any government proposals to create new quangos or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-get-new-role-in-approving-new-quangos 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-get-new-role-in-approving-new-quangos Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT The development of 53 new Council homes in Southampton is now underway and the first four high quality three bedroom houses are being built at Flamborough Close in Millbrook and are now under construction. Councillor Peter Baillie, the new Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Southampton City Council is investing to improve the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-council-homes-for-the-city-on-the-way 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-council-homes-for-the-city-on-the-way Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT A North West consortium led by Manchester City Council and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) has been selected as preferred bidder to establish a major regeneration fund which will help enable projects critical to the region's economy to go ahead. The European Investment Bank has chosen a consortium which consists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-west-consortium-wins-major-regeneration-fund- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-west-consortium-wins-major-regeneration-fund- Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Evidence submitted by the civil service unions to the government’s review of public sector pensions busts the myth that they are unreformed, overly-generous and unaffordable, the Public and Commercial Services union says. The government’s appointment of former Labour minister John Hutton to conduct the review is against the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-evidence-busts-myth-that-pensions-are-unaffordable 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-evidence-busts-myth-that-pensions-are-unaffordable Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT In a joint move, the Mayor of London, London Councils and the London Assembly co-signed a letter sent to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, making a united case for further devolution to London from central government. Coming together in a joint bid for greater powers and more accountability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-devolution-to-london-its-time-to-act 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-devolution-to-london-its-time-to-act Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The leader of Breckland District Council, William Nunn, has announced his intention to drive forward proposals for the Council to reduce its management costs by sharing a Chief Executive and an integrated senior management structure with South Holland District Council. Both Councils are successful, well run organisations and sharing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breckland-council-and-south-holland-district-councils-joint-chief-executive 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breckland-council-and-south-holland-district-councils-joint-chief-executive Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councillors in Hounslow this week voted to cut their level of allowances to save more than £156,000 a year. The cost-saving plans were agreed at Tuesday night’s Borough Council meeting, and will see councillors allowances immediately cut by 5 per cent. Special responsibility allowances for the leader, executive members... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hounslow-councillors-slash-allowances 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hounslow-councillors-slash-allowances Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Institution of Civil Engineers is calling on industry to take part in an investigation into how the cost of delivering civil engineering works for major infrastructure projects can be reduced. The investigation, to be led by Treasury body Infrastructure UK , will see the IUK team working closely with the ICE, industry, government and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/industry-urged-to-take-part-in-treasury-cost-investigation- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/industry-urged-to-take-part-in-treasury-cost-investigation- Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Savings of more than £36million were achieved by Birmingham City Council last year thanks to the negotiation of contracts offering better value for taxpayer money. The figure is almost eight times as much as the saving gained from improved deals during 2008/09 (£4.555million) and comes at a time when public finances are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/multi-million-savings-made-through-new-contracts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/multi-million-savings-made-through-new-contracts Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The significant improvement in Nottinghamshire Police Authority’s performance has been recognised by the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Police Performance Steering Group. At the quarterly PPSG meeting in London recently the Chair of the Police Authority, Jon Collins, and the Authority’s Change Manager... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/official-recognition-for-nottinghamshire-police-authoritys-progress 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/official-recognition-for-nottinghamshire-police-authoritys-progress Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Worsening standards of living, falling job satisfaction, and high levels of job insecurity suggest that any continued move out of recession, signalled by recent GDP figures, has yet to filter through to the workplace. This is the message from a survey of 2,000 employees by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-workers-still-feel-in-grip-of-economic-downturn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-workers-still-feel-in-grip-of-economic-downturn Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Local Councils gave a cautious welcome to the Government plans announced for protecting the future of rural village life by giving local communities the power to build the homes they need. Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP has outlined a new right that will allow communities across England to come together and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/where-next-for-the-community-right-to-build 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/where-next-for-the-community-right-to-build Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The London Development Agency is planning to cut another 100 posts, the London Assembly’s Budget Monitoring Sub-Committee has been told. Sir Peter Rogers, Chief Executive of the LDA said that government cuts mean a loss of £40 million from this year’s programme budget, a reduction of 25 percent. Sir Peter told the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100-jobs-to-go-at-london-development-agency-assembly-hears 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100-jobs-to-go-at-london-development-agency-assembly-hears Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Having considered the outline business case for a possible merger between Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary, members of Bedfordshire Police Authority agreed to commence a programme of consultation to evaluate public opinion on the concept. Bedfordshire Police Authority members did not wish to take a decision of such... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bedfordshire-police-and-hertfordshire-constabulary-merge 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bedfordshire-police-and-hertfordshire-constabulary-merge Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT A civil servant has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court for defrauding his employers, the Department of Health and later the Ministry of Justice after stealing more than £137,000. Over £30,000 of this was stolen when he was at the Department of Health. The sentencing of Andre Malu, 40, of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servant-who-claimed-dead-mans-expenses-jailed 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servant-who-claimed-dead-mans-expenses-jailed Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Figures compiled by London Councils show that 14,661 families in the capital could be forced to leave their homes or live in overcrowded conditions unless housing benefit caps imposed by the government are not revised. The warning comes after the government has announced that it would be placing national caps on Local Housing Allowance, a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-for-london-must-be-revised-or-nearly-15000-families-could-lose-their-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-benefit-cap-for-london-must-be-revised-or-nearly-15000-families-could-lose-their-homes Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT More information about public sector net indebtedness has been published by the Office for National Statistics. In Wider measures of public sector debt: A broader approach to the public sector balance sheet, ONS provides balance sheet information about public sector assets and liabilities, using a similar approach to that taken by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ons-brings-new-insight-into-balancing-public-sector-books 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ons-brings-new-insight-into-balancing-public-sector-books Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT One in three British adults (37 per cent) has not heard of the government’s proposal for a ‘Big Society’, according to new research from YouGov’s Public Sector Research team. Big Society was a key element of David Cameron’s manifesto in the run up to the general election, highlighting his vision of community... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-support-government-proposal-of-big-society-but-lack-of-knowledge-holding-them-back 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-support-government-proposal-of-big-society-but-lack-of-knowledge-holding-them-back Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Stockport is sharing £6.5 million of savings across a range of services, councillors have decided. The changes have to be made to the Council’s budget in this financial year because of recently announced national reductions in Government grants. Stockport’s Executive has agreed to share collective responsibility for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stockport-saves 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stockport-saves Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council has reached agreement with Bristol Cathedral and Bristol Cathedral Choir School on plans which will improve College Square, the school grounds, and re-open the historic pedestrian link to Harbourside. The square, which lies within the College Green Conservation Area, is surrounded by many attractive listed buildings... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-begins-on-300000-facelift-for-bristol-city-centre 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-begins-on-300000-facelift-for-bristol-city-centre Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils across England are collaborating to advertise jobs through an innovative new scheme, set to save the economy millions of pounds. Jobseekers in the South East, South West and East Midlands will soon be offered a one-stop shop on the web for council jobs in their area. New web portals have been designed to allow jobseekers to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-save-millions-by-putting-job-vacancies-online 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-save-millions-by-putting-job-vacancies-online Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Federation of ALMOs (Arms Length Management Organisations) has welcomed the Government’s commitment to ‘localism’ and says that proposals for a self-financing future for council housing will deliver real control and responsibility and a better deal for tenants. It also says that its members, who manage more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localism-and-self-financing-the-future-for-council-housing 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localism-and-self-financing-the-future-for-council-housing Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT In the wake of major news for Southampton’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, Southampton City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to deliver two new academy buildings for the city. The Government has said it will look at all academy projects on a case-by-case basis. Given the tremendous progress made in Southampton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-remains-committed-to-delivering-its-academies 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-remains-committed-to-delivering-its-academies Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Health minister Rosie Winterton has announced that NHS dental practices and patients are to benefit from a £100m investment. The investment is designed to improve and modernise dental practices across the country, and will support dentists in upgrading premises and equipment to enhance services to patients. The cash injection will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-100-million-for-dentists 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-100-million-for-dentists Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Schools minister Jacqui Smith has announced that the first schools and colleges to deliver new specialised diploma courses through the Government’s 14-19 reform programme will benefit from a £50 million investment in training and staff support. Ms Smith explained that investment in teachers, lecturers and support staff is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50-million-to-support-diplomas 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50-million-to-support-diplomas Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Additional Government investment has been made available for better, brighter street lighting which it is hoped will improve road safety and reduce crime and the fear of crime. Fifteen local authorities in England will be able to use £694 million of Private Finance Initiative funding to install modern street lighting and upgrade... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/700-million-pfi-funding-boost-for-local-authority-street-lighting 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/700-million-pfi-funding-boost-for-local-authority-street-lighting Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new Local Government Association report claims that 1,000 targets set by central government for local authorities must be scrapped, and replaced by 30 national priorities. The report, entitled Closer to People and Places, suggests that scrapping the thousand targets, and the central controls on which they are based, would save council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-save-25-billion 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-save-25-billion Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT In response to requests by its customers, Plastic Omnium is launching its new Ecosourcing ‘doorstepping’ service giving local authorities a greater understanding of their residents’ recycling habits using face to face contact. Doorstepping has been tried and tested in mainland Europe by the company to change householder... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-get-up-close-and-personal-to-encourage-recycling 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-get-up-close-and-personal-to-encourage-recycling Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) have welcomed transport minister, Gillian Merron’s announcement of more than £1.24 billion investment in transport schemes in England’s Northwest. This announcement means that major transport schemes like Metrolink in Greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dft-announce-ten-year-transport-programme-for-the-northwest- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dft-announce-ten-year-transport-programme-for-the-northwest- Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Government has announced plans for the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates as part of the phased roll-out of Home Information Packs to help consumers cut costs and waste when buying a home and help the environment. In the light of the plans for testing and concerns about the readiness of industry, the Government announced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-phased-roll-out-of-hips-to-begin-with-energy-certificates 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-phased-roll-out-of-hips-to-begin-with-energy-certificates Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Health service workers are markedly more disillusioned with their jobs and have less faith in their leaders than their counterparts in other parts of the public sector. According to data from The Workers Index, a bi-annual analysis of feelings and attitudes towards work, jointly sponsored by Ipsos MORI, the independent research... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/health-service-workers-are-the-gloomiest-staff-in-the-public-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/health-service-workers-are-the-gloomiest-staff-in-the-public-services Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Minister for housing and planning, Yvette Cooper, has launched a consultation on planning and housing incentives, to help local authorities to respond to the local housing needs of their community. The Government is keen to see local authorities benefit when they respond to the housing demand in their local community. Under the current... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposals-to-support-planning-and-help-councils-achieve-delivery- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposals-to-support-planning-and-help-councils-achieve-delivery- Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Leicester’s Science and Innovation Park is a step closer, and progress on regeneration across central Leicester continues to gather momentum with more than ten projects now on site. Tenders for the design and development of the Science and Innovation Park were received before Easter. Leicester City Council and Leicester Regeneration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/regeneration-gathers-momentum-in-leicester 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/regeneration-gathers-momentum-in-leicester Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities in rural areas are missing an opportunity to address the problems caused by large clusters of second homes, a report published by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has revealed. The policy allowing local authorities to reduce the discount on council tax on second homes has resulted in some positive outcomes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-warns-rural-communities-miss-out-on-additional-council-tax 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-warns-rural-communities-miss-out-on-additional-council-tax Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Hammersmith & Fulham Council has joined with other congestion charge protestors to highlight the £166million that is being squandered by TFL on extending the zone. The West London Residents Association produced a report which shows it will cost £166 million to set up number plate reading cameras before the extension goes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/residents-protest-against-congestion-zone 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/residents-protest-against-congestion-zone Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The waste management function at Wealden District Council accounts for an income in excess of £4,000,000 per annum. The Uniclass IT solution from ROCC has supported Wealden in the delivery of these waste services since 1992. Replacing the aging system with the new browser based Uniclass Enterprise system will increase functionality... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uniclass-enterprise-it-solution-ordered-by-wealden-district-council-to-support-4m-waste-services-operation 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uniclass-enterprise-it-solution-ordered-by-wealden-district-council-to-support-4m-waste-services-operation Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT s government budget cuts start to bite, a new survey shows a substantial drop in charity leaders’ confidence in the financial situation of their organisations. And a growing percentage expect the general situation of their organisation to worsen over the next 12 months. The Charity Forecast Survey published by the National Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/charity-leaders-pessimistic-about-financial-prospects 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/charity-leaders-pessimistic-about-financial-prospects Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Court of Appeal will hear an appeal this week by giant waste firm Veolia against last year's landmark High Court judgment that its £850 million waste management contract with Nottinghamshire County Council should be made public. Veolia originally sought the High Court judicial review over the council's decision to release... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/court-of-appeal-to-hear-waste-firm-case-against-secrecy-ruling 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/court-of-appeal-to-hear-waste-firm-case-against-secrecy-ruling Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Drivers are being invited to have their say on how much motorists should be charged in parking and other traffic penalties and charges. London Councils and Transport for London (TfL) have launched a three month consultation on levels of penalties for motorists who commit parking and traffic contraventions. The amount of penalties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drivers-to-have-their-say-on-parking-penalties- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drivers-to-have-their-say-on-parking-penalties- Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Cash-strapped councils are being urged to take advantage of a new Government green energy payment scheme following the launch of a new Friends of the Earth report which shows it can help councils cut fuel bills and tackle climate change in their area. New research, commissioned by the green campaigning charity and conducted by independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-energy-payment-scheme-can-help-councils-cut-fuel-bills-new-research 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-energy-payment-scheme-can-help-councils-cut-fuel-bills-new-research Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Suffolk County Council has been recognised for its pioneering work in boosting the supply and demand of sustainable wood fuel in the region and is a winner in the 10th annual Ashden Awards, the world’s leading green energy awards. The council is among other low carbon energy champions, including schools, charities and businesses, all of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ground-breaking-project-wins-green-energy-award- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ground-breaking-project-wins-green-energy-award- Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Government policy can play a crucial role in weakening the links between poverty and poor housing, according to new research funded by the European Commission as part of its Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity. The study, led by Mark Stephens, Professor in Urban Economics at the University of Glasgow, highlights the importance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-policy-plays-vital-role-in-protecting-the-poor 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-policy-plays-vital-role-in-protecting-the-poor Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT Men begin their working lives with far less enthusiasm than women, according to new research. This lack of enthusiasm, or 'employee engagement', in men remains lower than that of their female colleagues until they are within sight of the end of their careers when it takes a dramatic jump. The researchers say this should encourage... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/men-dont-enjoy-work-till-the-end 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/men-dont-enjoy-work-till-the-end Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT MRF quality, public consultations, food waste, collecting from high rise flats and many other challenges facing today’s council recycling officer will be tackled in the free seminars at the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition (RWM 10) this autumn. Returning to the NEC, Birmingham from 14 to 16 September, the three-day show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rwm-delves-into-council-waste-issues 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rwm-delves-into-council-waste-issues Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT After Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced yesterday the first of probably several measures to reform the public sector, Birmingham City Council urges government to fast-track Whitehall relocation as a means to cut costs, tackle regional economic differences in the UK and encourage wider public sector reform. Stephen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-urges-government-to-fast-track-whitehall-relocation 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-urges-government-to-fast-track-whitehall-relocation Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Eastleigh Borough residents have covered Wembley with glass as part of the Council’s novel World Cup recycling challenge. It takes 110 tonnes of glass to cover the pitch at Wembley stadium and residents have already recycled 118 tonnes of glass since the world cup started on 11 June. Residents and the Council have been working... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-covers-wembley-with-glass 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-covers-wembley-with-glass Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has taken top spot in the Local Authority of the Year category at the 2010 British Council for School Environments awards. The BCSE is the UK’s leading charity in education, design and construction. 105 entries vied for top slots across 14 categories at the award ceremony last night at Delfina near to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-wins-local-authority-of-the-year-award- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-wins-local-authority-of-the-year-award- Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT West Sussex County Council has unveiled a five-point plan designed to deliver savings over the next three years as the detailed implications of the coalition government’s emergency budget are studied. However, at this stage the County Council believes it will need to save at least £75 million over the next three years because... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/west-sussex-unveils-five-point-plan-to-deliver-savings 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/west-sussex-unveils-five-point-plan-to-deliver-savings Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Work has began on a £10m Conference and Community Centre in Thornhill, with a turf cutting ceremony to signal the start of works at Eastpoint Centre Burgoyne Road. The new centre, which will be finished in a year’s time, will act as a hub for businesses and communities in Southampton. It will boast the latest business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/works-begins-on-state-of-the-art-conference-and-community-centre 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/works-begins-on-state-of-the-art-conference-and-community-centre Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce recently launched an awareness raising campaign to promote greater access for smaller firms to the £220 billion worth of contract opportunities awarded by the public sector each year. Public Sector Executive spoke to Michael Dunning from the OGC about Small Supplier, Big Opportunity: Flagging your... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/aiming-high 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/aiming-high Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT The last decade has seen major investment in the education of Britain’s children. One of the main focuses has been around providing modern, clean and safe learning environments. Public Sector Executive spoke to Tim Byles to find out how the Building Schools for the Future programme is progressing For many years, PFI and PPP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-britains-future 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-britains-future Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Doing nothing about waste processing facilities is not an option now. Taking communities along the path to the new forms of treatment we will need certainly is, says Alan Whitehead MP We are moving rapidly towards ambitions, at least, that there should be ‘zero’ waste in England. That does not, of course, mean that there will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/can-the-community-buy-in-to-zero-waste 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/can-the-community-buy-in-to-zero-waste Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst many departments are understandably concerned about what these cuts will mean to front line delivery, in the realm of criminal justice, it is worth asking the question: Could less mean more? says Shan Nicholas The T2A Alliance have argued that we can provide a better Criminal Justice System, more effective rehabilitation, safer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-it 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-it Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Dr Phyllis Starkey, former MP for Milton Keynes South West, chaired the House of Commons Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee for the last five years, scrutinising the CLG Department and producing reports on an array of policy areas. Here she describes the Committee’s recent major report on the government’s decent homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decent-homes-for-the-private-sector-too 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decent-homes-for-the-private-sector-too Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT The new government has the chance to really help small businesses drive innovation and pull the economy back into a steady recovery by guaranteeing those small firms are not ignored when it comes to winning public sector contracts. Small businesses offer great value to our local communities but they continue to face significant barriers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/give-small-businesses-a-helping-hand 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/give-small-businesses-a-helping-hand Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public Sector Executive talks to Chris Grayling MP about fixing ‘Broken Britain’ The Thatcher government once suggested that the best way to deal with young offenders was to give them a short, sharp shock. According to Chris Grayling, dealing with offenders at an early stage, coupled with active programmes to stop re-offending... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mending-broken-britain 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mending-broken-britain Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Recent events in Cumbria have once again illustrated just how unprepared Britain is to deal with extreme weather conditions and the effects of climate change, reports Richard Mackillican The tragic events in Cumbria, which saw an extremely brave police officer lose his life in order to save others, are nothing new. Previous experiences in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-calm-before-the-storm 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-calm-before-the-storm Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Equality and Human Rights Commission is investigating whether public bodies and public transport providers are fulfilling their legal obligations to prevent disabled people from being harassed. Councils, police forces, schools and other public bodies as well as bus, train companies and other public transport providers found to be failing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commission-calls-in-evidence-on-disability-related-harassment-in-britain 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commission-calls-in-evidence-on-disability-related-harassment-in-britain Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Whilst many departments are understandably concerned about what these cuts will mean to front line delivery, in the realm of criminal justice, it is worth asking the question: Could less mean more? says Shan Nicholas The T2A Alliance have argued that we can provide a better Criminal Justice System, more effective rehabilitation, safer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/could-less-mean-more 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/could-less-mean-more Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT We all share a collective responsibility to protect our environment and our resources, but more and more people are beginning to realise that doing so can also save us money. Public Sector Executive spoke to The Carbon Trust’s Tom Cumberlege to find out more about the implications for public sector organisations. One aspect of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/curbing-our-consumption 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/curbing-our-consumption Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Despite the initial post-election uncertainty, nobody has been in any doubt that cuts in public spending are a priority for all parties. The only questions which remain are where will the axe fall, how deep will it go and when will the pain start? says Stephen Bevan For managers in local government, many of whom will feel that they have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-be-careful-what-you-wish-for 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-be-careful-what-you-wish-for Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT It is time to enlarge the debate on education and abandon a system that promotes social division and denies to the poor and honest what the rich or unscrupulous take for granted – the opportunity to choose a good school, says David Furness Over a decade on from “Education, Education, Education”, schools are still at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-lotteries-strike-back 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-lotteries-strike-back Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Kirklees Council’s chief executive Rob Vincent has announced he is leaving the authority to take up the same role at Doncaster Council. The Department for Communities and Local Government has invited Mr Vincent to become interim CX in Doncaster for the next 18 months. The process is now subject to a three week consultation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-chief-executive-announces-move 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-chief-executive-announces-move Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT State schools have been subjected to more than 1,300 pages of central government legislation in the past decade, weighing them down in bureaucracy and paperwork, according to new analysis from the Local Government Association Group. The LGA is arguing that schools which choose not to become academies should also benefit from a reduction... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/all-schools-deserve-less-centralised-bureaucracy-the-lga-argues 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/all-schools-deserve-less-centralised-bureaucracy-the-lga-argues Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT A survey of more than 75 councils carried out by leading consumer legal rights website, Nowinnofee.co.uk, has revealed that the number of successful personal injury claims made against them has fallen dramatically between 2004 and 2009. The survey showed the number of upheld complaints fell from over 31 per cent to below 19 per cent. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-beat-off-frivolous-personal-injury-claims 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-beat-off-frivolous-personal-injury-claims Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT So, the political clouds over Westminster are finally lifting. Now we know the shape of the new government but what does it mean for the crucial issue of localism, asks Cllr Michael Chater While the economy will naturally take centre stage, the government would be unwise to ignore trying to give people and communities a greater say and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/localism-has-a-role-in-this-new-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/localism-has-a-role-in-this-new-government Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is urging all councils to publish details of all spending over £500 in full and online as part of wider action to bring about a revolution in town hall openness and accountability. Following swiftly on from the publication of spending and names, pay and titles of senior civil servants in Whitehall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-era-of-transparency-will-bring-about-a-revolution-in-town-hall-openess-and-accountability 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-era-of-transparency-will-bring-about-a-revolution-in-town-hall-openess-and-accountability Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT MPs have recently been exposed to scrutiny of their allowances and expenses claims: millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. Those sailing close to the wind have spent many press pages proclaiming their innocence. No regrets, few apologies and the almost continual whine of we are doing no wrong, we are entitled to claim and it is the fault of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-openness-and-honesty-in-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-openness-and-honesty-in-local-government Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Two leading construction partnerships have registered an official interest in Southampton’s Building Schools for the Future project. Skanska RM and Wates submitted Pre-Qualification Questionnaire responses this week, kick-starting the procurement for Southampton City Council’s £200m programme. The PQQ sets out the legal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-bidders-come-forward-for-southampton-bsf 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-bidders-come-forward-for-southampton-bsf Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Carmarthenshire County Council is hoping to build council properties in the county for the first time since the 1980s and has put forward proposals to build bungalows at Llanelli and Kidwelly. Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Housing Jocelyn Davies yesterday visited y Waun, Llwynhendy, Llanelli, to look at one of the sites... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/carmarthenshire-hoping-for-more-council-houses 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/carmarthenshire-hoping-for-more-council-houses Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has recently completed the Parking Strategy consultation and wants to thank the many residents and key stakeholders who took the time to give their views. Through engaging with the community the Council is able to learn a great deal about what services the residents of Mid Sussex want and to tailor the services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-thanks-residents-for-views-on-parking 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-thanks-residents-for-views-on-parking Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Creative businesses in the Manchester area are being offered the chance to access an £18m fund that will help create the next generation of digital businesses Companies are being invited to compete for a share of the fund by putting forward innovative ideas for research and development projects. Each bid must be collaboration with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-businesses-invited-to-compete-for-share-of-18m-to-grow-digital-and-creative-sectors 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-businesses-invited-to-compete-for-share-of-18m-to-grow-digital-and-creative-sectors Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT With the government’s first Queen’s Speech now delivered and the coalition able to get down to business, new ministers have today been sent a guide to the leadership challenges they face in their first 100 days. The guide, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, highlights the immensely difficult challenges... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-ministers-can-avoid-scars-on-their-backs-according-to-cipd- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-ministers-can-avoid-scars-on-their-backs-according-to-cipd- Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT According to a new Ofsted report, children and young people are leaving the justice system poorly educated and unprepared for the outside world. Ofsted’s findings support previous research showing that: • A disproportionate of these young people were excluded from school before going into custody; • 15% of them have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/real-efficiency-savings-mean-investment-first-according-to-national-childrens-bureau 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/real-efficiency-savings-mean-investment-first-according-to-national-childrens-bureau Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Tax advisers are staging a protest outside the Treasury against a further reduction in the times members of the public and businesses can receive assistance in person. This coincided with errors with tax codes sent out for the new tax year starting on 6 April, due to problems with a new computer system, and the start of the annual period... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-officers-to-stage-protest-against-cuts-to-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-officers-to-stage-protest-against-cuts-to-services Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over 40 local authority inspectors from across Wales have received training in how to handle horses and assess their welfare to allow them to investigate complaints from the public about alleged cases of cruelty and neglect involving horses, ponies and donkeys. The trading standards and environmental health inspectors were given hands-on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-local-authority-inspectors-learn-to-become-horse-whisperers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-local-authority-inspectors-learn-to-become-horse-whisperers Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Building work has begun to build an extension to St Peter’s RC High School in Gorton – only the second school building in Manchester to use a timber frame design. The £3.1m project will see a new 513 square metre environmentally friendly timber frame block built, with a grass covered roof. Part of the existing school... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-starts-on-manchesters-second-timber-school-building- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-starts-on-manchesters-second-timber-school-building- Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Nottinghamshire Police Authority has announced, after a robust recruitment process, the appointment of Chris Eyre as the next Deputy Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police. Mr Eyre is currently Temporary Chief Constable for Leicestershire Constabulary, a position he has held since September 2009. Prior to that he was Deputy Chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-authority-announces-appointment-of-new-deputy-chief-constable 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-authority-announces-appointment-of-new-deputy-chief-constable Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT The UK public sector is on track to deliver cost savings in excess of half a billion pounds through energy saving projects and can go even further, the Carbon Trust has said. The news was announced as 120 public sector organisations including central government departments, local authorities, schools, universities, police and fire... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-energy-bills-by-650m- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cuts-energy-bills-by-650m- Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Following the devastation caused by the floods in 2007, Royal Assent has now been given to the Flood and Water Management Bill, which seeks to clarify local authorities’ responsibilities in dealing with flooding, reports Richard Mackillican Business continuity for councils does not only mean maintaining their own services. In an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/after-the-flood 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/after-the-flood Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Research just completed by SOLUTIONS, a major research programme into future urban form and transport, throws uncomfortable light on the government’s much trumpeted plans to tackle climate change, says Professor Hugh Barton The programme of action unveiled last year by the minister for energy and climate claims that greenhouse gas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenging-the-governments-climate-change-commitments 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenging-the-governments-climate-change-commitments Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Losing a laptop computer containing sensitive information is any head of IT’s nightmare but one local authority IT services manager has taken steps to ensure that he gets to sleep at night, reports Richard Mackillican Despite the horror stories which regularly do the rounds in the British press, local authorities continue to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-ensure-a-good-nights-sleep-for-your-it-manager 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-ensure-a-good-nights-sleep-for-your-it-manager Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT English public libraries’ significant contribution to health and well-being in communities is highlighted in new research by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The study carried out by The Reading Agency and Department of Information Science at Loughborough University and funded by the MLA outlines the important role that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/libraries-deliver-health-and-well-being-support 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/libraries-deliver-health-and-well-being-support Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Local Councils has developed a new communications toolkit aimed at local (parish and town) councils, supported and funded by the Commission for Rural Communities the toolkit offers local councils a wealth of information on which to base their communications strategies. This communications toolkit provides... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-nalc-communications-toolkit-available 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-nalc-communications-toolkit-available Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Research completed by SOLUTIONS, a major research programme into future urban form and transport, throws uncomfortable light on the government’s much trumpeted plans to tackle climate change, says Professor Hugh Barton The programme of action unveiled last year by the minister for energy and climate claims that greenhouse gas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-research-challenges-government-climate-change-commitments 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-research-challenges-government-climate-change-commitments Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT As government strives to make our cities more eco-friendly, Richard Mackillican finds out more about the ground breaking Sustainable Glasgow project spoke from Cllr Euan McLeod and Professor Richard Bellingham Since the launch of Sustainable Glasgow, Glasgow City Council has been engaged in talks with both the main business organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainable-glasgow 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainable-glasgow Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT In the last few year, there have been numerous examples of both central and local government losing sensitive data. Given that the latest local authority data related scandal closely followed the pattern set by many of those before it, it seems that important lessons are not being learnt, reports Richard Mackillican Whether in Whitehall... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-art-of-self-defence 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-art-of-self-defence Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT A ‘Cinderella resource’, ill-understood and poorly managed by public sector organisations, holds the potential to protect them from the worst consequences of the current financial crisis. In a new report, Managing information: managing the lifeblood of the organisation, Socitm says that, while technology has increased our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cinderella-resource-could-be-key-to-public-sector-success-in-managing-austerity-says-socitm-in-new-report-on-information-management 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cinderella-resource-could-be-key-to-public-sector-success-in-managing-austerity-says-socitm-in-new-report-on-information-management Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Richard Mackillican investigates the impact one organisation has had on the waste management community There has been a lot of criticism around the use of regional development agencies and their associated bodies. David Cameron has even given warnings that they might be scrapped under a Conservative government. Despite this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bringing-the-waste-management-community-together 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bringing-the-waste-management-community-together Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT PSE spoke to Chris Chant, CIO Council SRO for Greening Government ICT How are you formulating your green ICT standards and measurement criteria? The Greening Government ICT strategy is a pan-government initiative which supports the wider sustainability agenda and is co-ordinated through a small virtual team called the Green ICT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-is-the-colour 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-is-the-colour Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council’s Appointments Committee will formally consider the retirement of chief executive Colin Hilton at a meeting on 26 May 2010. Mr Hilton said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my 11 years at Liverpool City Council, firstly as executive director of education and for the past four years as chief executive. But... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-chief-to-retire 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-chief-to-retire Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT The NALC's Local Council Awards 2010 were once again the biggest and best in very local government, according to the event’s organisers. The awards recognised the success and achievement of local (parish and town) councils at One Great George St, London. Cllr Michael Chater, chairman of NALC, introduced the awards by talking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-awards-2010 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-awards-2010 Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Why are we reading and hearing so much about these miracle new gizmos smart meters? And what are they anyway? And will they be any help to you? asks Professor John Loughhead Smart meter is a general description for a new generation of meters, primarily for measuring electricity use although in principle a smart gas meter is also perfectly... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-meters-and-what-might-they-do-for-us 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-meters-and-what-might-they-do-for-us Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT In January 2009, the Office of Government Commerce and the National Audit Office launched a campaign to encourage the use of a new self-assessment tool for Whitehall property managers which aimed to raise asset management standards across the civil estate. The drive is part of the government's plans to improve strategic property asset... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tools-of-the-trade 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tools-of-the-trade Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT It was Kenneth Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, who said in 1977, “The nicest thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from”. Well the FIA disagrees with this statement! There may be a lot of different standards but for fire protection systems there is only one choice and that’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/high-standards-needed-for-fire-protection- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/high-standards-needed-for-fire-protection- Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Cycling makes sense - for individuals and for whole communities – and there is growing recognition that cycling can help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the country today: traffic congestion, obesity and climate change. However, for cycling to become part of local authorities’ integrated transport plans, robust... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cycling-demonstration-towns--investment-paying-off 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cycling-demonstration-towns--investment-paying-off Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over recent decades, as information became digitally stored, its geographical importance coupled with the need for better integrated management processes has powered the growth in use of computer-based geographic information systems (GIS) and geographic information (GI), say Chris Holcroft and Mark Percival The most recent estimates place... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-local-government-efficiency-with-gis 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-local-government-efficiency-with-gis Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT When will local authorities show the same pride in social work that they do in leisure centres, industrial estates and flowerbeds, asks Hilton Dawson When I first took up my post as chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers in May 2009, I embarked on a tour of all four countries of the UK and all 9 regions of England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-can-local-authorities-better-support-their-social-workers- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-can-local-authorities-better-support-their-social-workers- Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local governance has seemed to be in a state of perpetual flux over recent decades and the future looks no different, say Catherine Durose, Liz Richardson and Stephen Greasley An array of idiosyncratic and policy specific pressures have developed often appearing to have little relation to each other. Taking a step back from the day to day... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meeting-the-governance-challenge- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meeting-the-governance-challenge- Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Local Councils is pleased to announce those who are going forward to the final of the Local Council Awards 2010. The final will be held at One George Street, London on 13th May and where everyone will find out who the winners are for these Awards. It is widely recognised that local (parish and town... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nominations-for-nalcs-local-council-awards-2010 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nominations-for-nalcs-local-council-awards-2010 Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local government has much to gain from the use of partnerships to enable more cost effective delivery of services, reports Richard Mackillican Last year the government commissioned a group of industry and public sector experts to look into ways in which the public sector could reduce costs, whilst maintaining or improving the level of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/operation-efficiency 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/operation-efficiency Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT In April 2009, Reform wrote a report identifying £30 billion of public spending cuts that could help move the country back to black. The focus was on the “big spenders” of government – health, defence, benefits and education. In the context of the political debate at that time, these proposals were pretty radical, says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-front-line 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-front-line Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT The new person responsible for delivering adult social care in Cumbria as well as running the county's libraries, archives, registrars, coroners, Local Links and customer contact services has been appointed by Cumbria County Council. Richard Parry has been named the new corporate director for adult and local services after working as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-appoints-new-corporate-director-for-adult-and-local-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-appoints-new-corporate-director-for-adult-and-local-services Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT An internationally acclaimed policing expert has joined Nottinghamshire Police Authority as an Independent Member. The recently retired Head of the School of Law at Sheffield University, Professor Simon Holdaway, is a world renowned Professor of Criminology and Sociology. He brings a wealth of experience to the Authority’s ranks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/criminology-expert-joins-nottinghamshire-police-authority- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/criminology-expert-joins-nottinghamshire-police-authority- Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government acted unlawfully when it made severe cuts to the redundancy terms for civil servants, according to the Public and Commercial Services union. The union has tried to use a judicial review to challenge the government’s implementation of changes to the civil service compensation scheme, which governs payments for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-had-no-authority-to-slash-civil-service-redundancy-pay 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-had-no-authority-to-slash-civil-service-redundancy-pay Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Green Party candidates for Tower Hamlets Farid Bakht and Chris Smith are calling for urgent action to stem council financial waste after receiving startling results from two Freedom of Information Act requests showing that the council spent £200,000 of tax payers money on advertising on buses, bus stops and street signs while money was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greens-expose-council-waste- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greens-expose-council-waste- Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Jos Creese, Head of IT at Hampshire County Council has been confirmed as the new Socitm President. He took up his post immediately following the AGM on April 22. His Socitm involvements prior to becoming President include chairing Socitm Insight, and immediately before becoming President he was one of the Society’s three vice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jos-creese-head-of-it-at-hampshire-county-council-takes-on-socitm-presidency 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jos-creese-head-of-it-at-hampshire-county-council-takes-on-socitm-presidency Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats offer voters the most usable website of all political parties that currently hold a seat in the House of Commons, whilst the Labour party’s website languishes in joint fifth place despite this year’s election being hailed as the online election, according to a new study. The 2010 Political Usability... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-website-lags-behind-in-usability-in-run-up-to-the-online-election 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-website-lags-behind-in-usability-in-run-up-to-the-online-election Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT One year on from the publication of Government guidance on tackling bullying on journeys to and from school, a new survey shows that the majority of local authorities still do not have a safer travel policy in place. Tackling bullying has been identified as a high priority by Government and is explicitly referenced in two of its five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-survey-reveals-60-of-local-authorities-have-no-safer-travel-policy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-survey-reveals-60-of-local-authorities-have-no-safer-travel-policy Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Stockport Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious award for helping people back into work. The Council has been shortlisted for the ‘Connecting to Communities Award’ from the Greater Manchester Employer Coalition for its work as an employer recruiting from economically disadvantaged areas of the borough. As part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stockport-council-short-listed-for-top-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stockport-council-short-listed-for-top-award Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body that represents 22,000 town and country planners, has today launched its ‘Planning: Shaping the Future’ manifesto. The document argues that planning is one of the essential mechanisms through which many of the next government’s key objectives can be delivered on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manifesto-for-planning-launched-by-royal-town-planning-institute 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manifesto-for-planning-launched-by-royal-town-planning-institute Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Cumbria County Council was has been given the go-ahead to join the Building Schools for the Future programme. Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced today [5 April] that £61.5m would be invested across the county as part of the once-in-a-generation programme to rebuild or refurbish England's entire secondary school estate. The total... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/615m-to-transform-cumbria-schools-as-once-in-generation-bsf-programme-continues 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/615m-to-transform-cumbria-schools-as-once-in-generation-bsf-programme-continues Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Members of the Public and Commercial Services union joined other trade unionists and community campaigners to oppose the 15th April protest by the BNP outside a Home Office building. The union represents staff at Lunar House, Croydon, a screening centre for refugees, many of whom come from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. A... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/far-right-protest-at-home-office-site-condemned-by-union 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/far-right-protest-at-home-office-site-condemned-by-union Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government is determined to embrace the opportunity which the internet provides to connect more closely with the public, Andrew Stott tells Richard Mackillican “Engagement is about turning communication into collaboration - collaboration in which people can make their voices heard,” says Andrew Stott, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/going-digital 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/going-digital Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Due to the severe penalties involved and the potential effect on an Authority's reputation, it is paramount that local government ensures that a robust anti-bribery strategy, policy and procedures are in place following new anti-bribery legislation, warns leading business and financial advisor, Grant Thornton UK LLP. The Bribery Act... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-not-immune-from-impact-of-new-bribery-legislation-warns-grant-thornton 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-not-immune-from-impact-of-new-bribery-legislation-warns-grant-thornton Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT UNISON has gained a commitment that Labour will honour the agreements on public sector pensions - which have protected thousands of public service workers' pension arrangements. Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary said: “Pensions are a massive issue for our members. Public service workers work long and hard in return for often... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protect-our-members-pensions-demands-unison 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protect-our-members-pensions-demands-unison Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT 71% of public sector IT Directors struggling to meet organisational goals under current strategy LONDON, United Kingdom — April 14, 2010 — SAP AG (NYSE: SAP). The next government needs to be more ambitious on technology – that is the clear message from CIOs and IT Directors in the public sector according to an opinion... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-cios-call-on-next-government-to-be-more-ambitious-on-ict 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-cios-call-on-next-government-to-be-more-ambitious-on-ict Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT At a recent meeting of Mid Sussex District Council’s Better Environment Action Group, Councillors heard about the first year successes of the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan, and of plans for the future. Residents may have noticed ‘The Mark Group’ around the District since July 2009 promoting and installing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-the-lead-on-tackling-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-the-lead-on-tackling-climate-change Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT There are three key questions that all council chief executives should be asking about their websites, according to a new briefing from Socitm Insight. These are the cost of failed visits to the council website, the proportion of all enquiries now coming in via the website; and the top ten things people come to the council website to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-all-council-chief-executives-must-ask-about-their-website-a-new-briefing-from-socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-all-council-chief-executives-must-ask-about-their-website-a-new-briefing-from-socitm Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The BBC is one of the best places to find an internship after being crowned Best Public Sector Work Experience Provider 2010 at the annual National Council for Work Experience Awards. The winners were announced during a ceremony at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London. Gordon McKenzie, director for the office for graduate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bbc-crowned-best-public-sector-work-experience-provider-2010 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bbc-crowned-best-public-sector-work-experience-provider-2010 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT It has been three years in the making, but now the Bournemouth Bill has become one of the last Acts to be passed by the current Parliament following the granting of Royal Assent. The Bournemouth Borough Council Act 2010 has been put in place to protect the public and town centre businesses from illegal street traders. The new law... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bournemouth-has-new-law-to-control-illegal-pedlars- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bournemouth-has-new-law-to-control-illegal-pedlars- Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Candidates in the general election are being asked by the Public and Commercial Services union to show their commitment to protecting public services. The union has written to the leaders of all the main parties standing candidates on 6 May, except parties of the far right, to ask where they stand on five public service pledges. PCS... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/election-candidates-urged-to-back-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/election-candidates-urged-to-back-public-services Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT Housing officers at Gloucester City Council have helped ‘broker’ major investment that will see 56 new homes built on the St Oswald’s Market Park. They have worked with the Homes and Community Agency to secure investment of more than £3 million, for developer Persimmon Homes to develop high quality affordable homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-housing-to-be-delivered-with-3m-hca-investment- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-housing-to-be-delivered-with-3m-hca-investment- Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Act will implement several key recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the Summer 2007 floods, protect water supplies to consumers and protect community groups from excessive charges for surface water drainage. The Act’s provisions include: • New statutory responsibilities for managing flood risk –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-flood-and-water-management-bill-gains-royal-assent 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-flood-and-water-management-bill-gains-royal-assent Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT A leading UK think-tank has published a new report, Roads to Recovery, arguing that each citizen should be given a free, tradable share in the road network, combined with the introduction of road user charges and the abolition of Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax). As the economy crawls out of recession the challenge of restoring vibrant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-tank-calls-for-road-network-share-giveaway 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-tank-calls-for-road-network-share-giveaway Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new working paper from the CRESC Research Centre at the University of Manchester argues that the UK before 2007 had an undisclosed business model of using publicly supported employment to cover the continuing failure of the private sector to generate welfare through job creation. The paper investigates the extent of public supported... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/undisclosed-and-unsustainable-problems-of-the-uk-national-business-model 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/undisclosed-and-unsustainable-problems-of-the-uk-national-business-model Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new report sets out a radical transformation to the way public services will be delivered in future. Budget 2010 set out how the Government will protect key public service priorities while reducing the deficit. Total Place shows how this can be delivered in practice through a fundamental shift in the way public services are delivered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-total-place-to-radically-reform-local-services-for-all 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-total-place-to-radically-reform-local-services-for-all Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Last week’s Budget paints an excessively optimistic picture of the outlook for jobs, once ongoing private sector job cuts, an impending public sector jobs cull and the planned rise in employer National Insurance Contributions are taken into account, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In its immediate... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-warns-budget-paints-an-overly-optimistic-assessment-of-the-jobs-picture 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-warns-budget-paints-an-overly-optimistic-assessment-of-the-jobs-picture Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Two city councils services have been highly commended for their work in a national competition. Both the Sports Development and Waste and Recycling teams received the accolade in the Government Business Awards for the outstanding work provided in the city. Sports Development received the commendation for its work in operating and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-commended-for-work-at-national-awards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-commended-for-work-at-national-awards Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute has welcomed the news that Planning Aid England’s funding will increase to £4.5m this year allowing it to extend its valuable work in engaging communities in planning. John Healey, Planning Minister, made the announcement whilst unveiling new measures designed to speed up decision-making in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-funding-boosts-community-engagement-work 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-funding-boosts-community-engagement-work Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Planning Minister John Healey has announced new measures designed to speed up decision-making and encourage councils to use a new power to raise funds from developers to support local development and promote apprenticeship opportunities in their area. This is in addition to the £4.5million granted for Planning Aid, an independent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-announces-new-measures-to-speed-up-planning-decisions- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-announces-new-measures-to-speed-up-planning-decisions- Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT London Councils has warned the Office for National Statistics and the government that it is vital they get the 2011 Census right – or else handicap the capital’s public services for years to come. The warning comes following the publication of Counting the cost which sets out why the 2001 Census left London with a flawed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-demands-government-and-ons-get-2011-census-right- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-demands-government-and-ons-get-2011-census-right- Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Environmental pressure group, the Association for the Conservation of Energy, has joined forces with democracy campaigners Unlock Democracy, in referring a dossier of Government malpractices to the House of Commons Public Administration Committee. The dossier – ‘Lost in Translation’ – documents Government breaches... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pressure-groups-call-on-parliamentary-watchdog-to-investigate-governments-broken-promises-and-broken-laws 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pressure-groups-call-on-parliamentary-watchdog-to-investigate-governments-broken-promises-and-broken-laws Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Plans for a Sea City Museum in Southampton have been given a massive boost after the scheme scooped a £4.6million grant. Southampton City Council is planning to build a new £15 million museum which will showcase the city’s heritage. Set at the heart of the Southampton’s new and emerging Cultural Quarter, The Sea... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southamptons-sea-city-museum-plans-given-funding-boost 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southamptons-sea-city-museum-plans-given-funding-boost Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT A lack of joined-up working across Whitehall departments risks undermining the Government’s Total Place initiative according to a new NLGN report. In one of the most detailed studies so far on Total Place, the research finds that whilst billions of savings could be achieved at the local level by better joined-up services, a lack of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-whitehall-must-reform-to-make-total-place-a-success-says-nlgn-report- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-whitehall-must-reform-to-make-total-place-a-success-says-nlgn-report- Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Trevor Holden, chief executive at Breckland Council has announced that he will be taking up a new role as chief executive at Luton Borough Council by the end of the summer. William Nunn, Leader of Breckland Council said: “This is an exciting and important move for Trevor and we talked for a long time before he reached his decision.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breckland-chief-exec-secures-top-unitary-job-at-luton 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breckland-chief-exec-secures-top-unitary-job-at-luton Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT As elections loom, a new report on urban parks and green spaces reveals that if people are satisfied with their local park they tend to be satisfied with their council. Urban Green Nation looks at the state of England’s urban green space and its impact on people’s health and well-being. The report shows the strong link between... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clever-councillors-will-invest-in-great-green-space-says-cabe 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clever-councillors-will-invest-in-great-green-space-says-cabe Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council marks a milestone this month when it is presented with the 100th new home built as part of the prefab redevelopment project. The project has seen the council join forces with the private developer Bovis Homes to provide 330 new council bungalows and houses across 15 sites in Bristol. These are being built to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-celebrates-construction-of-100th-new-council-home 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-celebrates-construction-of-100th-new-council-home Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils could deliver up to 500,000 new homes for low income families over the next decade if they are given new freedoms over their budgets, town hall leaders said. The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, said more than 450,000 new homes could be built by councils if restrictions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-seek-freedom-to-build-up-to-500000-new-homes 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-seek-freedom-to-build-up-to-500000-new-homes Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The coldest winter in the Highlands since 1962 has resulted in an estimated overspend on The Highland Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community Services budget by £1.497 million (2.2%) by the end of the financial year. Figures presented to the Council’s TEC Services Committee have shown that the Highland Winter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highland-counts-the-cost-of-winter-maintenance 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highland-counts-the-cost-of-winter-maintenance Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT 83% of British adults think that the next government should have policies that ensure children can play outside more, according to a new poll from ICM, commissioned by Play England to launch their Manifesto for Children’s Play. When asked who they thought would do the most to ensure that children have more opportunities to play... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-should-be-done-to-ensure-that-children-can-play-outside-safely 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-should-be-done-to-ensure-that-children-can-play-outside-safely Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over a third of those working in the government sector haven’t learnt a new activity or hobby, while eight per cent haven’t read a book for pleasure during the past 12 months, according to new research from The Department For Business, Innovation and Skills. Last year a BIS consultation found that people were keen to take up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-third-of-those-working-in-government-havent-learnt-something-new-in-the-past-year 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-third-of-those-working-in-government-havent-learnt-something-new-in-the-past-year Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Stockport and Trafford Councils celebrated the launch of a Strategic Alliance of Streetscene Services to maintain and improve roads within the boroughs. Launched on the 9th March, as part of the Stockport Boost campaign, the partnership aims to streamline services and offer further value for money for residents. With a value of up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-alliance-to-boost-manchester-boroughs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-alliance-to-boost-manchester-boroughs Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector bodies including schools, hospitals and local authorities will save a projected lifetime total of £244m in reduced energy bills, thanks to a £57m government funded interest free loan programme that enables the installation of simple energy efficiency measures. The Salix Energy Efficiency Loans fund administered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-financing-to-pay-off 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-financing-to-pay-off Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector organisations are top of the charts when it comes to running environmentally friendly fleets – but their positive attitude results in them having the biggest ‘Green Gap’ of any sector, according to new research in England and Wales from the Energy Saving Trust. This ‘Green Gap’ - the difference... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/investigating-the-green-gap-in-council-behaviour 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/investigating-the-green-gap-in-council-behaviour Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT A new leaflet, distributed by the Government, is to provide residents with advice on ‘tackling’ anti-social behaviour. The leaflet, Tackling Anti Social Behaviour, explains where residents can go for help in solving anti-social problems. It describes what you can expect from the Police, your council and other agencies in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leaflet-to-stop-anti-social-behaviour 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leaflet-to-stop-anti-social-behaviour Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has helped to bring together local people from different cultural backgrounds for an event that celebrates the many diverse community groups in Mid Sussex. The free Local Global event held on Saturday 6 March was a celebration of all cultures that make up the Mid Sussex community. Local community groups... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mid-sussex-district-council-celebrates-cultural-diversity 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mid-sussex-district-council-celebrates-cultural-diversity Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The annual list of words that shouldn’t be used by the public sector to talk to people has today been published by the Local Government Association. The latest list of 250 words has been taken from the European Union, central government, quangos, regional government, business management speak and public relations phrases. Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-list-published-of-250-words-the-public-sector-shouldnt-use 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-list-published-of-250-words-the-public-sector-shouldnt-use Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT There has been much public discussion about the affordability of public service pensions. To inform that debate, the National Audit Office has published a report designed to bring greater transparency to, and understanding of, the cash costs involved. The report found: • Total payments to more than 2 million pensioners in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-cost-of-public-service-pensions 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-cost-of-public-service-pensions Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government has announced a package of planning system reforms which it says will save developers ‘time and money’, helping them complete building projects during the recovery. Businesses that need to extend existing planning permissions to allow more time to build new developments will now pay ‘significantly lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cutting-red-tape-and-saving-money-for-developers-to-help-drive-recovery 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cutting-red-tape-and-saving-money-for-developers-to-help-drive-recovery Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Reforms intended to improve the protection of children instead risk trebling just one part of the workload for social workers and therefore driving more valuable staff away from the profession, new analysis from local government leaders has showed. The Local Government Association has commissioned research from Loughborough university as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/early-research-findings-show-growing-need-for-more-social-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/early-research-findings-show-growing-need-for-more-social-workers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Highland Council’s pilot webcasting scheme is to be extended so that by the end of this year all council and strategic committee meetings held at Council headquarters in Inverness can be viewed by the public from their computers. At present, the Council webcasts meetings held in the Council Chamber of the Planning Environmental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/extension-of-webcasting-of-meetings-at-council-hq 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/extension-of-webcasting-of-meetings-at-council-hq Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Local Councils has issued a new publication, Standing Orders for Local Councils, which provides comprehensive legal and practical guidance in respect of the law, administration and governance applicable to local councils in both England and Wales. The new publication replaces NALC’s former publication... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-issues-new-guidance-for-local-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-issues-new-guidance-for-local-councils Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT A Jobs and Skills Charter has been signed between Birmingham City Council and Network Rail to promote access to jobs and training as part of the redevelopment of New Street station. The deal comes on the same day that Regional Minister Ian Austin visits Birmingham to launch a new Midlands Procurement Framework for Jobs and Skills, aimed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-street-jobs-deal-paves-way-for-future-model- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-street-jobs-deal-paves-way-for-future-model- Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Funding for postgraduate study in the UK should support more employer-focused provision according to a new report from university think-tank million+. A new study, A Postgraduate Strategy for Britain, argues that distribution of postgraduate funding has to respond to the needs and demands of business and the public sector in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/postgraduate-funding-must-address-the-demands-of-employers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/postgraduate-funding-must-address-the-demands-of-employers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT A guide to help councillors work more closely with the communities they serve has been launched. The publication, Trust in Democracy, highlights examples of where councillors have worked with communities to make life better. London Councils asked councillors and council officers, as well as well as community and voluntary sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/put-more-trust-in-democracy-says-london-councils 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/put-more-trust-in-democracy-says-london-councils Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Chichester District Council has praised residents for their vigilance, following the prosecution of three fly tippers in the district. The Chichester Magistrates Court ordered the payment of fines, costs and compensation totalling almost £4,000 after three individuals were found guilty of depositing controlled waste on land, without... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/residents-help-council-crack-down-on-fly-tippers 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/residents-help-council-crack-down-on-fly-tippers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT In the run up to the election there has been much discussion about ‘broken Britain’ and how it should be fixed. Many believe that it is only through local authorities and the police working in partnership that results can achieved. However, local authorities must be careful not to go too far, reports Richard Mackillican Since... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-case-of-over-stepping-the-mark 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-case-of-over-stepping-the-mark Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT A recent BBC poll has shown that many councils across Britain are going to shed thousands of workers over the next five years. However UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, has accused local authorities of acting politically in cutting budgets and declaring job cuts of tens of thousands over the next few years, when they didn’t... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-shed-25000-jobs-says-bbc-poll 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-shed-25000-jobs-says-bbc-poll Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The city council’s Executive Board has been considering a report on how to take forward recommendations made by the Liverpool Democracy Commission. The Commission was established in 2008 to look at ways of getting more people involved in decision making and was chaired by Professor Michael Brown, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-city-council-is-set-to-cut-out-jargon-amongst-other-wide-ranging-plans-to-improve-democracy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-city-council-is-set-to-cut-out-jargon-amongst-other-wide-ranging-plans-to-improve-democracy Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The majority of council websites are not yet good enough to support the major shift to self-service required to mitigate the impact of coming budget cuts on service levels and satisfaction, concludes this year’s annual Better connected report. Shifting enquiries to the much cheaper, 24/7 available, web channel will only work if... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/most-council-websites-not-yet-good-enough-to-support-major-shift-to-self-service-concludes-better-connected-2010 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/most-council-websites-not-yet-good-enough-to-support-major-shift-to-self-service-concludes-better-connected-2010 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council tax is set to be cut in real-terms in April, according to initial analysis of draft budgets published by the Local Government Association. Householders are set to see an average rise of 1.6% – the lowest increase since council tax began in 1993. With the Retail Price Index currently running at 3.7%, the increase would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-lga-survey-shows-lowest-council-tax-rise-ever 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-lga-survey-shows-lowest-council-tax-rise-ever Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Up to 270,000 civil and public servants from across the UK are set to launch a month of industrial action with a 48 hour strike on 8 and 9 March in a dispute over unilateral changes to redundancy terms. Strike action could hit civil and public services every week of next month from Monday 8 March following strong support in a ballot which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-a-million-civil-and-public-servants-to-strike-for-48-hours 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-a-quarter-of-a-million-civil-and-public-servants-to-strike-for-48-hours Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT The government must close a legal loophole to protect council tax payers from picking up the bill from schools, prisons and other public bodies taking advantage of their local councils household rubbish collection service in order to benefit from free disposal. The call from London Councils follows a joint statement by four government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/schools-prisons-and-hospitals-should-not-dump-their-rubbish-on-council-tax-payers-says-london-councils- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/schools-prisons-and-hospitals-should-not-dump-their-rubbish-on-council-tax-payers-says-london-councils- Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Social Justice Minister Carl Sargeant has announced that the trial of an innovative project that uses the latest technology to help people connect with their local authorities will be extended to the whole of Wales. The Digi TV project allows people to access local authority information and services via their digital TV set top boxes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/trial-of-innovative-project-to-help-people-connect-with-local-authorities-to-be-extended 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/trial-of-innovative-project-to-help-people-connect-with-local-authorities-to-be-extended Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT Managing performance has always been key to the success of any organisation; however with local authority budgets under threat, performance management is more important than ever, reports Richard Mackillican As unfair as it may seem, things have to change in the public sector. No longer can the government afford to be generous with the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-managing-performance-its-up-to-you 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-managing-performance-its-up-to-you Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Trials of a new way of involving local people in public spending decisions have been so successful that the Government’s rural watchdog, the Commission for Rural Communities, now wants more rural local authorities to adopt participatory budgeting. The Participatory Budgeting Unit, supported by the CRC, the National Association of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-rural-watchdog-urges-councils-to-involve-communities-in-public-spending-decisions- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-rural-watchdog-urges-councils-to-involve-communities-in-public-spending-decisions- Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT County councillors have agreed a budget for 2010/11 which drops proposals to introduce on-street parking charges so that the money that would have been spent on introducing the charging scheme can instead be spent on repairing vital footbridges in Workington and Cockermouth. The budget agreed today at a Full Council meeting in Kendal also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-drops-parking-charges-in-favour-of-repairing-flood-damaged-bridges 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-drops-parking-charges-in-favour-of-repairing-flood-damaged-bridges Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT “One year on from the launch of its Greening ICT Strategy, the Government has reduced its carbon emissions by over 12,000 tonnes” says the Cabinet Office website, the question is, how embedded is this strategy? Undoubtedly, local authorities have a vital role to play in taking the lead on ‘going green’ and are uniquely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-green-is-local-authority-ict 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-green-is-local-authority-ict Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT By focusing government investment, procurement, and operating practices on energy-efficient buildings, products, and services, the public sector can create a strong, sustained, buyer-led shift in the market toward energy efficiency, says Richard Rugg Climate change is now recognised as one of the greatest challenges facing governments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leading-the-way-to-a-sustainable-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leading-the-way-to-a-sustainable-future Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT As part of the government’s search for greater efficiencies from its estate, the Higher Performing Property programme is now in full swing. Public Sector Executive therefore thought that it would be interesting to investigate what this meant for the departments and agencies who have been moved to these higher performing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opening-the-gates-to-higher-performance 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opening-the-gates-to-higher-performance Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT A good deal of media coverage during the forthcoming general election campaign will inevitably focus on waste in the public sector. An easy target will be the reduction of sickness absence because it offers politicians the chance to look tough, reduce costs, increase productivity and clamp down on what many still regard as a culture of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/towards-a-healthy-public-sector-workforce 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/towards-a-healthy-public-sector-workforce Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Employees at the London Borough of Hounslow are being asked for their views on what qualities they would like to see in their new Chief Executive. The council is taking this innovative first step in the recruitment process following the announcement of the retirement of the current Chief Executive, Mark Gilks. Council leader Peter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-get-involved-in-new-chief-executives-recruitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-get-involved-in-new-chief-executives-recruitment Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Highland Council has confirmed a freeze on the Council Tax for a third year in succession. In setting the budget of £607.2 million for 2010-11, the Council has found savings of £12.1 million in 2010-11; identified further savings of £11 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13; and estimates that savings of £36 million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-frozen-as-council-sets-607-million-budget-for-2010-11- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-frozen-as-council-sets-607-million-budget-for-2010-11- Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Figures show that regional funding organisation Finance South East has stimulated substantial economic growth despite the recession. The companies FSE invested in have grown almost five times faster than the national average. This not-for-profit organisation has adapted a commercial model of making small investments in businesses with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-agency-grows-regional-economy-despite-recession- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-agency-grows-regional-economy-despite-recession- Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT The over-riding emphasis on reducing the cost of government ICT, a key plank of the Government ICT Strategy released in January, is disappointing, says Socitm, the professional association for public sector ICT. A better focus for the Strategy would have been on the much greater potential to cut government’s costs through effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-ict-strategys-focus-on-reducing-technology-costs-is-disappointing-says-socitm-much-higher-savings-are-achievable-through-better-ict-deployment 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-ict-strategys-focus-on-reducing-technology-costs-is-disappointing-says-socitm-much-higher-savings-are-achievable-through-better-ict-deployment Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Changes to the way lap-dancing clubs are licensed are a victory for common sense and an important step in putting decision making back in the hands of local people, council leaders have said. Following lobbying by the Local Government Association Group, the Government has confirmed new rules which will allow councils to set a cap on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-group-wins-more-powers-for-local-people-to-shape-their-neighbourhoods 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-group-wins-more-powers-for-local-people-to-shape-their-neighbourhoods Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT It is not the impending fiscal crunch that poses the greatest threat to public service delivery, but a related people management crisis on the front line, according to a new report series from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In the new ‘Building productive public sector workplaces’ series, the Institute... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-management-crisis-threatens-public-service-delivery-says-cipd-report 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-management-crisis-threatens-public-service-delivery-says-cipd-report Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister John Healey has said that Government will keep help in place for struggling homeowners as new figures show that repossessions court activity has dropped by over a third compared with 2008. New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that repossessions in the last three months of 2009 were down by 13 per cent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/repossession-help-will-continue- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/repossession-help-will-continue- Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Stoke-on-Trent City Council has announced another major step forward in its Building Schools for the programme when senior members of the council, along with representatives of the council’s two selected design and build contractors, Balfour Beatty and Thomas Vale/Wates, signed the “overarching agreement” which confirms both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stoke-bsf-financial-agreement-confirmed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stoke-bsf-financial-agreement-confirmed Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities could significantly increase their recycling levels to help them achieve European Union targets by putting more focus on high-rise and multi-occupancy dwellings, according to new research. The study, ‘Taking Recycling to a New Level’ was carried out by Professor James Baird at the Caledonian Environment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-high-rise-and-multi-occupancy-dwellings-key-to-local-authorities-meeting-recycling-targets 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-high-rise-and-multi-occupancy-dwellings-key-to-local-authorities-meeting-recycling-targets Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT There are over 7,000 empty properties in Bristol at any one time and 1,800 of these are classified as long-term empty (over six months). With over 12,000 people on the housing waiting list, the city council is currently reviewing its activities in order to increase the number of empty properties brought back into use each year to help us... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-acts-to-bring-empty-properties-back-into-use 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-acts-to-bring-empty-properties-back-into-use Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT London Councils has reacted angrily to the outcome of the government’s consultation about concessionary fares funding. The cross party organisation is unhappy with the Department of Transport’s decision to ignore the views of the capital in deciding that the amount paid to London for the national bus concession should be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-concessionary-fares-consultation-flawed-says-london-councils 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-concessionary-fares-consultation-flawed-says-london-councils Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Manchester is aiming to become a centre of excellence for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder with the creation of a purpose built school and training centre. Grange school, currently located on Dickenson Road in Rusholme, will move to brand new facilities on Mount Road in Gorton. The new £14m school, will increase the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-is-aiming-to-lead-the-way-with-services-for-children-with-autism- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-is-aiming-to-lead-the-way-with-services-for-children-with-autism- Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over the past five years, Councillor Hill’s inspirational leadership has won acclaim from staff, partner organisations and community groups, who acknowledge the council as a driving force behind progressive change. Now, Councillor Hill has been selected from among a strong field of candidates as Leader of the Year at the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-award-shows-county-is-in-safe-hands 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-award-shows-county-is-in-safe-hands Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT The unveiling of Cumbria County Council’s draft council plan for the next three years will make getting the county's roads and bridges back in shape following recent floods and prolonged freeze as its top priority. A recent meeting of Cabinet was the first time an administration of the council, made up of members from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/priorities-set-as-county-council-looks-ahead-for-the-next-three-years 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/priorities-set-as-county-council-looks-ahead-for-the-next-three-years Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Some of the biggest names in the construction industry turned out for Southampton City Council’s Building Schools for the Future Bidders’ Event last week. More than 250 individuals from nearly 120 organisations attended to find out more about the city’s £200m programme to invest in its secondary school estate. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-bsf-proposal-draws-major-interest-from-industry 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-bsf-proposal-draws-major-interest-from-industry Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Radical action by councils on driving down carbon emissions will help cut fuel bills and reduce global warming Communities Secretary John Denham has said, as he announced the nine pioneering local authorities that will work with Government to develop an ambitious programme of action to tackle climate change. Manchester, Leeds, Bristol... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-action-needed-to-reduce-fuel-spend-says-denham 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-action-needed-to-reduce-fuel-spend-says-denham Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Glasgow, the dear green place, is about to become greener thanks to a unique project to drive down carbon emissions and meet the city’s future energy needs. Sustainable Glasgow has launched its report into how the city aims to become one of Europe’s most sustainable cities in the next 10 years. The report, believed to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-launches-bid-to-become-one-of-europes-most-sustainable-cities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-launches-bid-to-become-one-of-europes-most-sustainable-cities Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Hounslow Council’s chief executive, Mark Gilks, is stepping down after nine years at the helm to take well-earned retirement. With nearly forty years of service in the public sector, including twenty one years as a London Chief Officer and nine years as Hounslow’s Chief Executive, Mark will move on following the May... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hounslows-chief-executive-to-retire-after-forty-years-of-public-sector-service 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hounslows-chief-executive-to-retire-after-forty-years-of-public-sector-service Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Should the numerous inspectorates which assess public services in each area be merged into a single entity that could save taxpayers’ money and deliver better assessments of how services are delivered for local people? This is one of the questions that council leaders are being asked by the Local Government Association Group as part... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-group-launch-freedom-to-lead-proposals 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-group-launch-freedom-to-lead-proposals Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute, which represents 22,000 of Britain’s planners, has welcomed Planning Minister John Healey’s announcement that local councils will be given new powers to restrict the growth of houses of multiple occupancy if they wish to. The RTPI has called for such a move for some time, reflecting concerns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planners-welcome-new-council-powers-to-curb-growth-of-shared-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planners-welcome-new-council-powers-to-curb-growth-of-shared-housing- Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Councils across the country will be able to take faster and more effective action against problem pubs and off-licences thanks to new powers which ‘make it easier for elected politicians to act on the concerns of local people’. The Local Government Association Group lobbied ministers for changes to the Policing and Crime Act... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/problem-pubs-face-faster-action-thanks-to-lga-lobbying-success 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/problem-pubs-face-faster-action-thanks-to-lga-lobbying-success Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council taxpayers will be intolerant if told front lines services are being cut back when their local authority hasn’t made every effort to be as efficient as possible, Communities Secretary John Denham has warned. In a keynote speech to New Local Government Network last week, Mr Denham said that council taxpayers will not stand for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-will-be-intolerant-of-councils-who-fail-to-take-tough-decisions-to-be-efficient-says-denham 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-will-be-intolerant-of-councils-who-fail-to-take-tough-decisions-to-be-efficient-says-denham Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT South Gloucestershire and Bristol Councils have joined forces with a Bristol based company to host a national conference on how to make the best use of CCTV systems to make the streets safer, reduce the fear of crime and detect serious offences. The conference to be held on March 9 has been organised by Global MSC Security based in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-gloucestershire-and-bristol-to-host-national-conference-on-cctv 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-gloucestershire-and-bristol-to-host-national-conference-on-cctv Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT A ground breaking project which could ultimately see all homes in Birmingham retrofitted with energy efficient improvements, will be considered by Birmingham City Council on January 29th. To be launched initially as a pilot project within Aston, Lozells, Newtown and Northfield, the Green New Deal will see up to 25,000 homeowners and 1000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/birmingham-to-introduce-green-housing-revolution 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/birmingham-to-introduce-green-housing-revolution Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Highland Councillors have confirmed that emergency measures to conserve road salt supplies will remain in place until the Council has built up a stock of at least 10,500 tonnes – seven days of treatment. Emergency measures were taken by the Chief Executive on Friday 15 January when supplies fell to 6,900 tonnes and the Transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-confirms-emergency-measures-to-conserve-road-salt 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-confirms-emergency-measures-to-conserve-road-salt Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Local government employees will not be offered an increase in pay from April to protect vital front-line services and help minimise the need for job losses, local government employers have announced. Local government employers have decided they are not able to award an annual pay rise to employees in local authorities in recognition of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-respond-to-local-government-pay-claim 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-respond-to-local-government-pay-claim Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT New research unveiled by London Councils suggests that devolution from central government and quangos to a local level could save billions of pounds from the capital’s public purse. London Councils commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to map public expenditure in the capital and to investigate how the government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-research-points-way-to-save-capital-billions 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-research-points-way-to-save-capital-billions Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT More than 305,000 homes are set to fall below government standards as part of the Decent Homes programme according to a report by the National Audit Office. The Department for Communities and Local Government had set out plans to make all social housing and private housing for vulnerable people ‘decent’ by 2010 but as of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-700000-families-living-in-non-decent-homes-as-government-diverts-funding 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-700000-families-living-in-non-decent-homes-as-government-diverts-funding Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The best of the best in public sector technology implementation gathered in London for the sixth annual e-Government National Awards ceremony at the London Guildhall. Covering national and local government, the NHS and other public sector organisations, awards were handed out across eleven categories, recognising outstanding achievement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prime-minister-gordon-brown-recognises-public-sector-technology-innovators-at-the-e-government-national-awards 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prime-minister-gordon-brown-recognises-public-sector-technology-innovators-at-the-e-government-national-awards Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council has received government endorsement for the second part of its Building Schools for the Future (BSF) business case. This puts the authority one step away from procuring a partner to deliver its programme. The council submitted its Strategy for Change Part 2 - the document that sets out how it will deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-bsf-moves-one-step-closer-to-procurement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-bsf-moves-one-step-closer-to-procurement Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT A survey, conducted by YouGov, shows that job satisfaction levels has hit an all-time low of +35, down from +48 in Summer 2009, with a large proportion reporting a worsening of their standard of living in the last six months (29%). However, less than one in 10 say their standard of living has improved (9%), compared to 14% last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workers-will-suffer-a-prolonged-new-year-hangover--especially-the-young--despite-the-uks-anticipated-return-to-growth 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workers-will-suffer-a-prolonged-new-year-hangover--especially-the-young--despite-the-uks-anticipated-return-to-growth Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Confirmation by her Majesty's Revenue and Customs that it was pressing ahead with plans to axe 130 offices earmarked for closure, drew an angry response from PCS who warned that services to the public and businesses would suffer and that jobs would be lost. The confirmation of the closures across the UK could see up to 1,700 experienced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anger-over-tax-office-closures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anger-over-tax-office-closures Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Pension Scheme could face a deficit of more than £60bn next year if current trends continue, Liberal Democrat research has revealed. Freedom of Information requests made to pension fund managers in charge of the pensions of county, unitary, district and borough councils in England and Wales show that: 83... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/argument-breaks-over-public-sector-pensions- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/argument-breaks-over-public-sector-pensions- Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Public sector heads of ICT should be taking the lead in encouraging councils to embrace social media and not be party to moves to block staff from using these important new tools for business, says the latest report from Socitm Insight. In fact, according to a survey of IT managers published in Social media: why ICT management should lead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-ict-managers-should-lead-their-organisations-to-embrace-social-media-rather-than-block-it-says-new-report-from-socitm 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-ict-managers-should-lead-their-organisations-to-embrace-social-media-rather-than-block-it-says-new-report-from-socitm Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Highland Council is to participate in ‘Scotland’s Islands 2011’ – a themed year that will showcase and develop islands life, locally, nationally and beyond through developing tourism, and provide opportunities in the arts, sport and cultural experiences. Members of the Council’s Education. Culture and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highland-council-to-participate-in-scotlands-islands-2011 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highland-council-to-participate-in-scotlands-islands-2011 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT NALC’s Local Council Awards has some great prizes up for grabs for the lucky winners. Prizes include two-night breaks for two, and £500 contributions towards a community project. All winners will have the honour of collecting their certificates and prizes at an awards ceremony. It is widely recognised that the vast majority of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalcs-awards-has-been-extended- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalcs-awards-has-been-extended- Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Dr Jane Martin has been appointed as Local Government Ombudsman. She took up her post in the Coventry office on 11 January 2010. Dr Martin was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the Communities Secretary John Denham. She brings many years’ experience of local government and the wider public sector to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-local-government-ombudsman-appointed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-local-government-ombudsman-appointed Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Thirteen more schools from Knowsley in the north to Southwark in the south will open in new or refurbished learning environments in January 2010 as part of the national Building Schools for the Future and Academies programmes. This brings the total number of pupils to benefit from BSF investment to around 125,000 in 146 schools across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-term-sees-125000-pupils-benefiting-from-bsf-investment-nationwide 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-term-sees-125000-pupils-benefiting-from-bsf-investment-nationwide Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The June 2009 elections in Great Britain were free from major allegations of electoral fraud, and no-one challenged the results of any elections on the grounds of malpractice, states a report published today by the Electoral Commission. Over 15.5 million votes were cast at the European Parliamentary elections and nearly seven million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-on-2009-electoral-fraud-cases-published 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-on-2009-electoral-fraud-cases-published Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT As the worst weather for 30 years grips the UK, new figures reveal that council gritters across the country have treated the equivalent of more than 1.7 million miles of road in the last three weeks. An analysis of council gritting activity over the last three weeks, by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/17-million-miles-of-road-gritted-in-last-three-weeks-say-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/17-million-miles-of-road-gritted-in-last-three-weeks-say-councils Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Brent Council is heralding a new approach to contracting taxis for children with disabilities that has reduced miles travelled and paid for by taxpayers by around two-fifths. Taxis are used in most councils where there are not enough children travelling on a school route to justify the cost of a minibus. But under Brent’s new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/270000-miles-a-year-saved-in-green-efficiency-drive 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/270000-miles-a-year-saved-in-green-efficiency-drive Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council care at home staff throughout the Highlands are going the extra mile to maintain services to clients in rural areas. An example of the efforts being made to get to older and vulnerable people has been witnessed in the Dingwall area and the Black Isle, where staff have gone beyond the call of duty in order to visit their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-go-the-extra-mile-to-get-to-home-care-clients 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-go-the-extra-mile-to-get-to-home-care-clients Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council is honoured and delighted that Her Majesty the Queen has bestowed the status of Royal Borough upon Greenwich, to take effect in the year of the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Councillor Chris Roberts, Leader of the Council, who was in the House of Lords to hear today’s announcement, said, “The residents, businesses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-to-become-royal-borough 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-to-become-royal-borough Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Over a 100 MPs from across the main parties have signed an Early Day Motion expressing deep concern about unilateral changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, according to the Public and Commercial Services Union The EDM (251), supported by 105 MPs including former ministers, urges the government to re-examine the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-100-mps-urge-government-to-rethink-civil-service-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-100-mps-urge-government-to-rethink-civil-service-changes Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT As part of its ongoing campaign to improve services, identify cost reductions and implement the efficiencies, the Welsh Public Sector has contracted for what is believed to be the United Kingdom’s largest ever benchmarking exercise. Up to 140 public sector bodies in Wales will be provided with access to the extended Socitm... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-welsh-public-sector-takes-a-collaborative-route-to-operational-efficiency-through-benchmarking 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-welsh-public-sector-takes-a-collaborative-route-to-operational-efficiency-through-benchmarking Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Underperforming websites could be costing UK councils collectively up to £11m a month as people unsuccessful in accessing online information and services turn instead to other, more expensive-to-service channels like the phone or walk-in contact centres. This finding comes from data collected in September by Socitm Insight’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/underperforming-websites-could-be-costing-councils-11m-a-month- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/underperforming-websites-could-be-costing-councils-11m-a-month- Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The School Food Trust is calling for a January sale on school lunches - as new research highlights the importance of price when it comes to encouraging more children to try a healthy school meal. The Trust – the organisation charged with transforming school food – is urging more local authorities and schools to join the high... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-price-a-healthy-school-lunch 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-price-a-healthy-school-lunch Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Council’s housing chief has pledged to ensure the council acts to protect the public’s civil liberties and right to privacy. Councillor Mark Wright, Cabinet Member for Housing and Service Improvement, said the authority would ensure that RIPA authorisations – Regulation of Investigatory Powers – would only be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-takes-action-to-safeguard-privacy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-city-council-takes-action-to-safeguard-privacy Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Consumer confidence over the festive period has improved in 40 per cent of the country’s high streets compared to the same time last year, according to a new LGA study. A snapshot survey of town centre managers, conducted for the Local Government Association by the Association of Town Centre Management, shows more tills are ringing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/christmas-tills-jingling-in-more-high-streets 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/christmas-tills-jingling-in-more-high-streets Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Council staff are working throughout Christmas and the New Year as part of efforts to prevent 40,000 needless deaths this winter, council leaders at the Local Government Association said today, as they urged local people to help by keeping an eye on their neighbours. Cold weather during the winter of 2008/09 has been blamed for 36,700... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-life-savers-work-through-christmas 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-life-savers-work-through-christmas Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Responding to proposals from Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe which would scrap the licensing of live music performances for 100 people or fewer, Cllr Chris White, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport board, said: “Being able to go out and enjoy music and other entertainment is all part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/live-music-plans-would-lead-to-an-increase-in-noise-complaints-councils-warn 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/live-music-plans-would-lead-to-an-increase-in-noise-complaints-councils-warn Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister John Healey has said that Government funding for housebuilding has hit £2billion since June as he announced a further £278m for an extra 5,000 affordable homes across the country. In what the government has described as ‘an upbeat end of year report’ Mr Healey said that Government backed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-cash-and-more-homes-says-healey- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-cash-and-more-homes-says-healey- Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT People power is alive and well after a series of citizen suggestions to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of communities in Birmingham was approved for submission to the Government. All of the eight innovative proposals that were drawn up after city-wide public consultation have been backed by the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-power-helping-to-shape-policy-in-birmingham 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-power-helping-to-shape-policy-in-birmingham Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT The Rural Services Network launches a comprehensive call to action for politicians prior to the General Election. Among a range of recommendations, the RSN has called on all political parties to close the funding gap between rural and urban schools. At present, pupils in urban areas get double the funding of their rural counterparts. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-rsn-launches-its-much-anticipated-rural-services-manifesto- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-rsn-launches-its-much-anticipated-rural-services-manifesto- Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT People are being urged to recycle as much as possible this week as new figures revealing the £78 million cost of festive rubbish are published. According to new analysis by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, householders will throw away an estimated three million tonnes of rubbish over... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/throwing-away-christmas-rubbish-will-cost-78m 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/throwing-away-christmas-rubbish-will-cost-78m Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Neil Bentley argues that public sector sliming requires changes in management methods and not simply adopting the latest management fad Many a serial dieter has probably thought: “The only way I am going to lose 20% of my body weight is if you cut one of my legs off!” It seems that with all the talk of “slimming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/does-my-bum-look-big-in-this 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/does-my-bum-look-big-in-this Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The issue of absence management in the public services is likely to receive even more attention than usual over the next 18 months as the sector comes under increased government pressure to increase productivity to get the ballooning national debt under control, says Ben Willmott CIPD research consistently identifies significantly higher... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-the-absence-gap 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-the-absence-gap Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Why is housing a national obsession in this country? Is it because we cannot wait to get the latest designs into our properties or is it something more basic than that – the need and desire for decent living conditions and a ‘roof over our heads’ for everyone, asks John Findlay It is universally agreed that there is an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/save-our-rural-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/save-our-rural-housing Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A steady, decent supply and choice of housing to secure people’s life chances is essential to any community’s social and economic well being We already knew that there was a serious housing shortage in this country long before the recession and housing had been moving progressively up the major political parties’ agendas.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-housing-the-current-situation-and-challenges 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-housing-the-current-situation-and-challenges Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit” – so said Aristotle. Various public sector bodies, including councils, have discovered how the Burge Hughes Walsh ‘Bronze Silver Gold System’ creates a culture of workplace continuous improvement, successfully transforming people and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turning-bronze-into-gold-embedding-continuous-improvement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turning-bronze-into-gold-embedding-continuous-improvement Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT ABBE, the awarding body for the built environment and the market leader in energy assessment quali?cations, has launched its latest diplomas to help meet the legal requirements for businesses to carry out energy assessments of air conditioning systems The ABBE Level 3 and Level 4 Diplomas in Air Conditioning Energy Assessment will enable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/abbe-launches-industry-standard 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/abbe-launches-industry-standard Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown is the 324th highest paid person in the public sector according to the Public Sector Rich List 2009, published by the Taxpayers’ Alliance. In 2008/9, at least 806 people received remuneration packages of £150,000 or more a year. Eight people in the public sector earned more than £1 million a year. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cant-pay-wont-pay 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cant-pay-wont-pay Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT We have a wide range of commendable legal and regulatory measures in place to drive the market for ‘green’ buildings so why are they not working? Graham Manly urges local authorities to concentrate on compliance if they want to meet low carbon targets It is very easy to criticise the government for its scattergun approach to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/compliance-culture-will-cut-carbon 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/compliance-culture-will-cut-carbon Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Pretty much everything you think you knew about your building is likely to be wrong and in buildings, ignorance usually leads to poor performance and always to a poor Display Energy Certificate, says Jacqueline Balian Display Energy Certificates, which you are now obliged to display as an A3 poster in your building foyers, can tell... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decs-a-rude-awakening-for-local-authorities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decs-a-rude-awakening-for-local-authorities Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The second call for public sector energy efficiency loan applications recently closed. The interest free loans were offered to public sector bodies in England to cut their energy bills following the government budget announcement of £51.5 million of new loan funding The loan fund will help save around £18 million and 100,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-the-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-the-future Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT With the recent announcement from the Office of National Statistics that the UK is in the midst of the longest recession in recorded history after six consecutive quarters of negative growth, public sector organisations are understandably considering new ways of becoming leaner, says Julie Allen While energy may not at first sight appear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-pays-to-be-green- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-pays-to-be-green- Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Business continuity management is an essential consideration for any organisation, especially those in the public sector. Failure to have sufficient contingency plans in place can leave organisations exposed to unnecessary risks from IT failure, extreme weather and widespread human disease, says Petra Wilton. According to research from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/Local-authorities-buck-the-BCM-trend 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/Local-authorities-buck-the-BCM-trend Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT October saw public sector pay emerge as a significant issue in the political parties pre-pre-election tussling, says Duncan Brown First, Alastair Darling broke with convention and released details of Labour’s proposals during the Conservative Party conference. He has written to the salary review bodies (supposedly set up to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-freezes-is-whats-good-for-the-private-good-for-the-public-sector 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-freezes-is-whats-good-for-the-private-good-for-the-public-sector Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Last year, green ICT topped Gartner’s list of key strategic technologies and had found its way to the top of organisations’ agendas. However, by 2009 it had dropped to tenth place. There are a number of explanations for this and it is perhaps only natural that organisations feeling the effects of the economic downturn have begun to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-green-ict-local-government-paves-the-way 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-green-ict-local-government-paves-the-way Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is setting the green example - and saving taxpayers' money - by installing energy-efficient smart meters in council buildings, reports Richard Mackillican The main council buildings will be fitted with the meters which automatically monitor energy use in specific areas such as individual floors... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/royal-borough-cuts-costs-through-smart-metering 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/royal-borough-cuts-costs-through-smart-metering Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT All major emergencies are different – but they all cause significant disruption and hardship. Their onset can be sudden or gradual; they can affect a specific location or be spread over a wider area; tragically, they can involve significant injury or loss of life. Common to all major emergency scenarios is the need to protect individuals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safe-secure-space-essential-for-effective-humanitarian-assistance-in-major-emergencies 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safe-secure-space-essential-for-effective-humanitarian-assistance-in-major-emergencies Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Stela LED street lights from WRTL Exterior Lighting hit the headlines once again when they were recently featured on the BBC 1 Inside Out programme. The show explored the issues of light pollution caused in part by sodium and mercury street lights and powerful floodlighting, which prevent populations living close to cities from seeing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stela-activity 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stela-activity Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the government’s announcement that it is pushing ahead with smart metering for gas and electricity, attention is turning to the implementation of a complex project that will rely heavily on public support. Earlier this year, the government gave a green light to install 47m gas and electricity ‘smart’ meters in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warning-against-smart-meter-big-bang 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warning-against-smart-meter-big-bang Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The advancement of new technologies is constantly transforming the role of ICT in the public sector. But for one solutions provider, taking care of the environment is still at the top of the agenda. “Reduce, reuse and recycle.” That’s the philosophy at the very heart of the environmental strategy of the UK’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/xma-and-toshiba--green-ict-solutions-for-the-public-sector 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/xma-and-toshiba--green-ict-solutions-for-the-public-sector Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council gritting lorries have been working around the clock to deal with the onset of bad weather and to keep the country’s traffic moving. Local authorities have been ensuring that non-motorway roads, which make up nine out of every 10 miles of the road network, have been kept as ice free as possible during the cold... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-gritters-work-round-the-clock-to-keep-country-moving 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-gritters-work-round-the-clock-to-keep-country-moving Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Cumbria County Council and the Government have confirmed plans for a new temporary bridge to link the two sides of Workington by road. The Department for Transport will provide the funding needed to build the new temporary road bridge - a project that county council highways engineers have been working on with Government support since the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-and-department-for-transport-confirm-workington-temporary-road-bridge-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-and-department-for-transport-confirm-workington-temporary-road-bridge-plans Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT London Councils is calling on the government to honour the funding settlement it made with the capital to pay for the national bus concession. It is angry that systematic underfunding by the government of concessionary fares could cost London boroughs an extra £29million next year. Under a three year package announced by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-fights-on-for-concessionary-fares-deal 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-fights-on-for-concessionary-fares-deal Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A pledge has been made by London’s safeguarding agencies to give some of the most vulnerable young people in the capital a better start in life. The London Safeguarding Children Board brought together the leaders of all the main organisations involved with child protection to sign the London Safeguarding Children Pledge. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-leaders-underline-commitment-to-safeguarding-children- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-leaders-underline-commitment-to-safeguarding-children- Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT It has been announced that members of PCS have overwhelmingly re-elected Mark Serwotka for a third term as general secretary of Britain's largest civil service union. First elected in 2000, Mark Serwotka was returned for another five year term with 63.4% of the vote. His challenger received 36.6% of the votes cast. With PCS members... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mark-serwotka-re-elected- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mark-serwotka-re-elected- Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT In a report published the Public Administration Select Committee calls for a Top Pay Commission to “name and shame” public sector organisations that pay excessive salaries to their top officials. The Commission would produce principles and benchmarks to be followed by pay setters and would be able to launch investigations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-top-pay-commission-for-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-top-pay-commission-for-the-public-sector Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Government has swiftly tackled the social impacts of the economic downturn by building on lessons from past recessions, according to a new report from the Social Exclusion Task Force. "Learning from the Past: Tackling worklessness and the social impacts of the recession" argues that beating the social impacts of recession is crucial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-social-impacts-of-recession-is-vital-says-new-report- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-social-impacts-of-recession-is-vital-says-new-report- Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Around 475 local authority bodies will now legally be required to publish pay information covering salary, bonuses, pensions, perks and severance pay outs in their next annual statement of accounts. The rules now include a requirement for councils to publish named individuals earning more than £150,000 in £5,000 bands bringing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-hall-chiefs-to-face-public-pay-scrutiny 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-hall-chiefs-to-face-public-pay-scrutiny Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council has launched a consultation with residents, businesses and other stakeholders on proposals to pedestrianise part of Greenwich town centre. The proposals – which are being distributed in a booklet to some 10,000 homes and businesses – seek to tackle traffic congestion in the town centre, part of the Maritime... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-consults-on-car-free-scheme-for-greenwich-town-centre 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-consults-on-car-free-scheme-for-greenwich-town-centre Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Proposals to allow pubs and bars to put on live music without the need for a licence could lead to a massive increase in noise problems, council leaders have warned. A poll of council licensing officers carried out by the Local Government Association Group found 9 out of 10 think proposals to relax the rules for venues would lead to an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increase-in-noise-complaints-would-follow-changes-to-music-licensing-councils-warn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increase-in-noise-complaints-would-follow-changes-to-music-licensing-councils-warn Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A ‘powerful new tool’ giving local people unprecedented information about the standard of public services in their area was welcomed by Communities Secretary John Denham. The Comprehensive Area Assessment will enable citizens to check for themselves how well councils and their partners are delivering the services that matter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/john-denham-welcomes-tough-new-test-for-public-services-putting-the-customer-first- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/john-denham-welcomes-tough-new-test-for-public-services-putting-the-customer-first- Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hard-pressed Londoners will benefit from a freeze in the Mayor's share of the council tax for the second year in a row and can now have their say on how their money is spent next year. The Mayor today published his draft 2010 budget for consultation. In it, Boris Johnson outlined how he plans to freeze the Greater London Authority precept... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-fulfils-commitment-to-freeze-council-tax-for-a-second-year- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-fulfils-commitment-to-freeze-council-tax-for-a-second-year- Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A plan to improve transport in London is making progress but still has some way to go, says London Councils. Responding to the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, the cross-party organisation welcomed the measures being taken to promote cycling and walking but says there is still more to do. It has called for the need for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayors-transport-strategy-could-go-further-says-london-councils- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayors-transport-strategy-could-go-further-says-london-councils- Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary John Denham and Housing Minister John Healey have welcomed the Pre-Budget Report as a fair outcome for local government – but one that sets it a clear challenge to protect frontline services in the future. John Denham said that councils will benefit from a very positive financial settlement next year but tough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pbr-2009--a-fair-outcome-and-a-clear-challenge-for-local-government-according-to-central-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pbr-2009--a-fair-outcome-and-a-clear-challenge-for-local-government-according-to-central-government Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Helping to save village shops from closure, setting up a nationally acclaimed design forum and supporting businesses in rural towns has led to Chichester District Council receiving a top award for its ‘outstanding commitment’ to small businesses. The Federation of Small Businesses has announced that the Council is this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/small-businesses-award-council-for-its-outstanding-commitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/small-businesses-award-council-for-its-outstanding-commitment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT CPSP is moving from the University of Birmingham, to join with the LGiU as a social enterprise. John Tizard will remain Director of CPSP, which will be known as CPSP @ LGiU to reflect the new partnership. In a joint statement, Sawford and Tizard said the decision to join forces is “the result of recent discussions about a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-centre-for-public-service-partnerships-and-the-local-government-information-unit-are-joining-forces 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-centre-for-public-service-partnerships-and-the-local-government-information-unit-are-joining-forces Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis described today's Queen's speech as "fit for purpose” and said that it "sets out a serious agenda for serious times". Commenting on the slimmed-down speech, Mr Prentis said that: "It's only right at this time of economic crisis for the government to focus attention on measures to take the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/queens-speech-is-fit-for-purpose 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/queens-speech-is-fit-for-purpose Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT The announcement of changes to civil service redundancy payments made by the Cabinet Office is an outrageous breach of faith with the unions, the Public and Commercial Services union has said. Following proposals announced in July to cut the terms of the civil service compensation scheme, ministers had promised to instruct officials to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-risks-damaging-dispute-over-civil-service-redundancy-pay 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-risks-damaging-dispute-over-civil-service-redundancy-pay Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT According to the government, housing Minister John Healey has given councils more flexibility in how they manage their waiting lists. The new statutory guidance makes clear that those in greatest housing need must be given priority. But it also gives councils more freedom to allocate their homes according to needs specific to their local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-council-freedom-on-housing-allocations- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-council-freedom-on-housing-allocations- Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Partnerships has warmly welcomed the news that a further 12 Local Authorities have this week been invited to join the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, following successful submission of their individual ‘Readiness to Deliver’ documentation. In a tranche that provides a total of up to £1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-partnerships-welcomes-new-additions-to-bsf 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-partnerships-welcomes-new-additions-to-bsf Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of social housing tenants from across England have been urged to sign an online petition posted on the 10 Downing Street website calling for ministers to honour their financial pledges to bring 150,000 properties up to the Government’s Decent Homes standard. The online petition is the first stage of a wider initiative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/number-10-e-petition-heads-campaign-to-restore-funding-for-social-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/number-10-e-petition-heads-campaign-to-restore-funding-for-social-housing- Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT HR professionals in the public and voluntary sectors expect to see a dip in salary increases next year, while private sector professionals are more optimistic about their pay prospects, according to findings from this year’s Personnel Reward Survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Croner Reward, part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-gloom-looms-for-hr-professionals-in-public-and-voluntary-sectors-according-to-annual-personnel-reward-survey 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-gloom-looms-for-hr-professionals-in-public-and-voluntary-sectors-according-to-annual-personnel-reward-survey Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A significant proportion of public sector workers do not feel fulfilled in their job, according to research by SHL, the global leader in talent assessment solutions in the workplace. Over a quarter of those questioned as part of industry-wide research said they rarely or never feel fulfilled in their role – higher than the national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-failing-to-find-job-fulfillment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-failing-to-find-job-fulfillment Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new report highlights the economic benefit to the UK from local regulatory enforcement action to protect business and the public from threats to the nation as a whole. Addressing National Threats Through National Service Delivery, published by LBRO, the public body for better local regulation, considered areas where local enforcement... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-underpins-value-of-local-action-against-national-threats 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-underpins-value-of-local-action-against-national-threats Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Neil Stone, head of policy & public affairs at the British Safety Council, says why local authorities should put their safety policies in order. On the morning of Thursday 15th May 2008 Jason Maguire, a 24-year-old binman for Horsham District Council, was killed while collecting domestic rubbish. The Horsham District Council worker... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-well-managed-health-and-safety 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-benefits-of-well-managed-health-and-safety Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has just been informed that the much needed improvements to infrastructure are unlikely in the near future. Concerns are now being discussed in relation to the proposed housing for the District. Southern Water and Crest Nicholson provided the Council with news that casts doubt over the provision of housing for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-council-concerns-over-infrastructure-for-homes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-council-concerns-over-infrastructure-for-homes Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Cllr Mike Whitby, chair of the City Region Board and Leader of Birmingham City Council and Cllr Ken Taylor, leader of Coventry City Council, announced that their local authorities will now operate in separate partnerships. In a joint statement Cllr Whitby and Cllr Taylor said: “There have been a number of strong successes from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-agree-way-forward-for-city-region 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-agree-way-forward-for-city-region Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The government’s Personal Care at Home Bill could damage the capital’s already over-stretched social care services, have London Councils warned. The Bill will make councils responsible for providing free home care to older and disabled people considered to have ‘critical’ needs and also require significant help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/free-homecare-plans-should-be-fully-funded-say-london-councils 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/free-homecare-plans-should-be-fully-funded-say-london-councils Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Government should introduce local carbon budgets to help ensure that councils play their part in tackling climate change, Friends of the Earth said today. The call coincides with today's speech by Local Government Secretary John Denham which urges local councils to "lead the way" in helping Britain meet its climate change commitments... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-should-issue-local-green-budgets 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-should-issue-local-green-budgets Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Leeds is one of the first city regions in the country to have unprecedented local powers from central government for delivering housing, regeneration and transport commitments and new freedoms on skills and innovation signed off. Greater decision making on funding for housing, regeneration transport, employment and skills will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-signs-off-devolved-powers-for-leeds-to-shape-its-economic-destiny 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-signs-off-devolved-powers-for-leeds-to-shape-its-economic-destiny Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Oxford City Council has won this year's Carbon Trust Innovation award for deployment of new technologies to reduce carbon emissions in the public sector. The Council has introduced an ambitious carbon management programme called "Getting our House in Order". Spanning energy efficiency measures across its estate and plans to site up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-and-london-school-of-hygiene-and-tropical-medicine-win-green-award 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-city-council-and-london-school-of-hygiene-and-tropical-medicine-win-green-award Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Town halls want to build on the example of Kirklees Council, which has offered to insulate every home in its area for free. They say that a council-led scheme to give homes across Britain ‘green makeovers’ would speed up the fitting of home insulation which saves households, on average, £220 a year. Such a scheme would cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-to-speed-up-home-insulation-for-millions-unveiled-by-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-to-speed-up-home-insulation-for-millions-unveiled-by-councils Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Partnerships has heralded the approval for Walsall Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme as a fantastic step forward, both for the borough itself and for the successful collaboration between the authority and Local Partnerships’ own Education team. Following a meeting between Partnerships for Schools, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/walsall-bsf-project-gets-the-green-light 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/walsall-bsf-project-gets-the-green-light Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Social Justice & Local Government Minister Dr Brian Gibbons has announced the councils who will receive funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Scrutiny Development Fund. The Fund helps councils create better public services focused on the needs of local people. Over the past year the fund has been used by local authorities... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/authorities-awarded-funding-for-pioneering-projects-to-improve-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/authorities-awarded-funding-for-pioneering-projects-to-improve-public-services Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT A bonfire of bureaucracy, unnecessary targets and red tape could save the taxpayer £4.5 billion a year, a new report has revealed. The Local Government Association has outlined a series of measures that could save money both centrally and locally while protecting frontline services. Ahead of next month’s Pre Budget Report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bonfire-of-bureaucracy-could-save-taxpayers-45-billion 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bonfire-of-bureaucracy-could-save-taxpayers-45-billion Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council is reporting a continuing strong performance, with ongoing progress towards the Council’s priorities despite financial pressures. At the November meeting of the Performance and Scrutiny Committee, Members examined the most recent performance report, covering July to September 2009. The report is a regular... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-performing-well-in-tough-times 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-performing-well-in-tough-times Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils are working hard to develop their staff and offer the best value-for-money services during the recession, the latest Local Government Workforce Survey has found. The latest findings show that the number of councils with recruitment and retention difficulties has reduced dramatically: • only 52% of councils reported any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-improve-recruitment-and-staff-development-opportunities- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-improve-recruitment-and-staff-development-opportunities- Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Government Procurement Service, based within the Office of Government Commerce, has welcomed a third intake of graduate trainees to its Government Procurement Graduate Scheme. The GPGS is part of the GPS' strategy to attract new talent and further raise the procurement skills base across the public sector; and boost its ability to foster a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-procurement-service-welcomes-third-annual-graduate-cohort- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-procurement-service-welcomes-third-annual-graduate-cohort- Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT New data from a six month study is released today showing that half of housing applicants want help with jobs or training to break the cycle of low skills, joblessness and unsuitable housing . The project was monitored and evaluated by Michael Jones from the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research at the University of Cambridge on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-data-shows-that-half-of-social-housing-applicants-want-help-with-jobs-and-training- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-data-shows-that-half-of-social-housing-applicants-want-help-with-jobs-and-training- Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency has confirmed that the agency has pledged up to £1 million for small businesses affected by the recent flooding. The Agency has been working closely with Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and Government Office North West to offer the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nwda-pledges-1-million-support-for-small-businesses-affected-by-cumbria-floods 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nwda-pledges-1-million-support-for-small-businesses-affected-by-cumbria-floods Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local public service organisations should be looking at new and radical ways of managing and resourcing transformation and ICT – and not just responding to the current crisis with traditional across-the-board cuts. This is the central thrust of ICT, resourcing and transformation - doing more, better, with less the latest policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/resourcing-for-transformation-2010-and-beyond-time-for-a-radical-change-in-approach-says-socitm- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/resourcing-for-transformation-2010-and-beyond-time-for-a-radical-change-in-approach-says-socitm- Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of frontline children’s social workers are feared to have turned their backs on the profession in the wake of the backlash over the death of baby Peter Connolly, council leaders have warned, as new figures showed staff retention problems have increased by 50% in the past year. A survey carried out by the Local Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/challenges-remain-in-social-work-retention-and-recruitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/challenges-remain-in-social-work-retention-and-recruitment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Stockport Council has scooped a much sought after award at the prestigious itSMF Annual Conference. The Council's ICT team won the Service Innovation Award for its innovative 'Systems Thinking' project that transforms current working practices to make them more efficient and customer focused. itSMF is an independent and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-scoop-top-national-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-scoop-top-national-award Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The autumn 2009 CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook survey, conducted by IPSOS Mori, finds that fewer than 1 in 5 (18%) private sector employers measure their gender pay gap, the vast majority, and especially smaller employers, considering this unnecessary for their business. In the public sector, where equal pay monitoring is a statutory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employer-survey-shows-government-faces-uphill-struggle-to-promote-effective-action-on-closing-gender-pay-gap 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employer-survey-shows-government-faces-uphill-struggle-to-promote-effective-action-on-closing-gender-pay-gap Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT More than three quarters of the money being offered to union members with equal pay claims against Cumbria County Council has already been snapped up three weeks ahead of the deadline for acceptance. In September the county council made the most decisive move yet to resolve the long-running issue of equal pay claims made against the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equal-pay-claimants-sign-up-in-their-droves-to-county-council-settlement-officers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equal-pay-claimants-sign-up-in-their-droves-to-county-council-settlement-officers Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister John Healey has announced that for the first time all 8 million tenants in public housing will have the right to clear standards of service from their landlord. Mr Healey said that from 1st April next year, tenants in council or housing association homes will have these standards protected by a tough, responsive regulator... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-standards-will-improve-the-quality-of-life-for-public-tenants- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-standards-will-improve-the-quality-of-life-for-public-tenants- Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Attempts to prevent violent extremism must not cause the Muslim community to feel unfairly targeted – or simultaneously leave any other local people harbouring a sense of neglect, council leaders have said. At a keynote conference of councillors and frontline council staff, the Local Government Association will stress the importance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-extremist-threat-should-be-ignored 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-extremist-threat-should-be-ignored Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils will have new powers to engineer economic recovery locally, following the Royal Assent of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill. The Act strengthens the democratic role of councils to support local people and businesses to rebuild the local economy, increase jobs and skills, tackle housing shortages and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-passes-new-economic-recovery-powers-for-councils-and-rdas- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-passes-new-economic-recovery-powers-for-councils-and-rdas- Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Quangos give local people little say over what they do and are failing to provide value for money for the taxpayer, according to a new report by town hall leaders. A study by the Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, warns that many quangos are closed to the public, have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/quangos-face-tough-questions-on-accountability-and-value-for-money 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/quangos-face-tough-questions-on-accountability-and-value-for-money Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The public spending watchdog has begun a much-needed discussion about how to improve the reliability of facts and figures used by those who make decisions on our behalf. Public bodies - councils, health trusts, emergency services, and their regulators - all depend on accurate and accessible information. Social workers, child safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/audit-commission-sparks-data-debate-to-restore-public-trust-in-quality-of-information- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/audit-commission-sparks-data-debate-to-restore-public-trust-in-quality-of-information- Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT A consultation exercise on an Assembly Government Measure that radically overhauls the law on local government service improvement and strategic planning begins today. The Local Government Measure 2009 has been widely welcomed by local government and should come into force over the next 18 months, to coincide with the business planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-on-local-government-measure-gets-underway- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-on-local-government-measure-gets-underway- Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The British Youth Council has branded a Councillor shadowing scheme run by Mid Sussex District Council a big success. According to a report produced by the British Youth Council, the shadowing scheme run by Mid Sussex District Council was the most successful in a recent pilot study. Mid Sussex was one of six local authorities to take... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-shadowing-scheme-is-the-most-successful 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-shadowing-scheme-is-the-most-successful Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new eco-friendly timber-framed village shop in Lodsworth has received £9,500 funding from Chichester District Council. The money was awarded to the local villagers, who are shareholders in the scheme, to help them introduce the first shop in the village for 20 years. The shop has cost £150,000 to complete and was built by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eco-friendly-shop-gets-helping-hand-from-council 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eco-friendly-shop-gets-helping-hand-from-council Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Highland councillors have commended their money advice and benefit maximisation teams for helping the public cope better with the effects of the recession. In a report providing a commentary on the current economic situation and implementation of the Council’s Economic Downturn Action Plan, councillors were advised that over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/economic-downturn-action-plan-begins-to-pay-dividends 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/economic-downturn-action-plan-begins-to-pay-dividends Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The finalists have been announced in this year’s e-Government National Awards, with the winners being announced by UK Government CIO John Suffolk on 20th January 2010 at a Ministerial dinner at the City of London's Guildhall. A judging panel including experts from both the public and private sectors selected 72 finalists from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finalists-announced-in-the-e-government-national-awards-2009 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finalists-announced-in-the-e-government-national-awards-2009 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Stockport Council's Highway Drainage Team are continuing to improve drainage throughout Stockport. Over the years the Council has found many unusual items while cleaning the highway drains including children's toys, bricks, broken up wardrobes and golf clubs. Gullies play an important role, preventing flooding by ensuring that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/team-clean 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/team-clean Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Britain risks grinding to a halt in the event of another severe winter. That is the stark message from a new report by the Local Government Association that will be published later today. The report for the LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, looks at what councils, businesses, transport operators and the public can learn... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britain-risks-grinding-to-a-halt-in-severe-weather-warns-new-report 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britain-risks-grinding-to-a-halt-in-severe-weather-warns-new-report Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Families on a low income could take advantage of changes to the benefits system following the Governments latest budget. From Monday 2 November changes to both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit will help boost the incomes and improve work incentives for low paid families. Child Benefit will now be fully disregarded as an income in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-in-benefits-to-help-families 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-in-benefits-to-help-families Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Unlock Democracy has welcomed the Government's renewed commitment to publish detailed local spending reports of all public spending in each local authority. Very little information is currently published about what quangos and national government spends at a local level. Yet the amount is substantial - £64 billion was spent by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-must-stand-up-to-sir-humphrey-over-local-spending-reports 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-must-stand-up-to-sir-humphrey-over-local-spending-reports Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT One North East today launches its ambitious blueprint aimed at using the digital technology sector to boost the region’s economy by more than £2bn. The Agency’s new Digital Strategy highlights how growing the digital sectors in North East England to match the UK average would add around 1.5%, or £600m, to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-digital-strategy-launched-for-north-east-england 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-digital-strategy-launched-for-north-east-england Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT A survey launched today will examine the extent of detected fraud and corruption in England’s councils, police, fire and rescue and probation services. The Audit Commission is asking 500 organisations for data, in an effort to chart losses caused by fraud. The Commission’s regular update on its anti-fraud work, Protecting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-local-government-fraud-survey 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-local-government-fraud-survey Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Public libraries are a friendly, supportive and unthreatening environment for the promotion of health information and other related activities, according to newly published MLA research. The MLA’s latest research briefing shows that libraries play an important role in developing an individual’s health literacy skills and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/promoting-health-in-public-libraries 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/promoting-health-in-public-libraries Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Public Sector workers buck the national trend and feel better about job prospects now than they did only a month ago, according to a new poll from the independent campaign Keep Britain Working. The Public Sector Job Prospect Index stands at minus 11. This is a 4 point lift against September, when the index figure was minus 15. The Public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-pessimism-drops 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-pessimism-drops Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Highland Council is encouraging local suppliers to come along to the last four of a series of 10 Procurement road shows. Entitled “Win More Business!” the events are aimed at helping local suppliers to develop their skills in tendering for public sector contracts. More and more Scottish businesses are enjoying success tendering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/win-more-business-public-sector-contract-opportunities-3000-and-over- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/win-more-business-public-sector-contract-opportunities-3000-and-over- Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton has announced further new measures to help ensure value for money on council salaries and services. Ms Winterton pledged to introduce new legislative rules before the end of the year that will require councils to publish the pay and perks of their highest earning 2,500 posts. The decision to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-money-for-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-money-for-local-government Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union has criticised a policy by conciliation service Acas to dismiss staff just before they gain full employment rights and qualify for the right to claim unfair dismissal. The policy for Acas directors says: ‘In terminating the contracts of temporary staff after 52 weeks’ service we are at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/acas-dismiss-staff-to-avoid-full-employment-rights 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/acas-dismiss-staff-to-avoid-full-employment-rights Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Cardiff Council has announced that it expects to make efficiency savings of £1.3 million in its transport of children with special education needs. The savings are due to the council’s adoption of Capita Children’s Services’ One Transport software and the resulting renegotiation of contracts with transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-achieve-13-million-efficiency-savings 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-achieve-13-million-efficiency-savings Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute has responded to the Government’s consultation on “Improving Permitted Development”, which aims to simplify the planning process for smaller scale applications. In its response, the Institute has warned that whilst it supports the aim of the reforms, the current proposals are complicated... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-proposals-to-simplify-planning-system-ill-thought-out-says-rtpi 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-proposals-to-simplify-planning-system-ill-thought-out-says-rtpi Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new report from the London Assembly today warns that the financial prospects for the capital’s economic development body, the London Development Agency, are ‘bleak’. The Assembly Budget and Performance Committee’s Pre-Budget report says the recently identified £159million shortfall in the LDA’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ldas-financial-prospects-bleak 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ldas-financial-prospects-bleak Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the official third quarter GDP figures from the Office for National Statistics, which show the UK economy contracted by an estimated 0.4% in the three months to September, Dr John Philpott, chief economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said the news was ‘desperately disappointing’, makes the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-recession-now-looks-like-depression 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-recession-now-looks-like-depression Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT With the credit crunch causing the “tsunami of a public sector recession” from next year onwards, the shockwaves hitting investment in road and rail, school buildings, housing, regeneration and other public facilities could be extremely severe, according to a new thinktank report. And the New Local Government Network says that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-identifies-new-funding-mechanism-for-local-authorities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-identifies-new-funding-mechanism-for-local-authorities Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The first 'rewards for recycling' programme is coming to the North West this week, as RecycleBank and Halton Borough Council join forces to launch the free, voluntary scheme to over 10,000 households. The RecycleBank scheme rewards residents with Points for the amount of recyclable material they put into their blue recycling bin. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/residents-get-rewards-for-recycling 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/residents-get-rewards-for-recycling Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Utility companies face fines if their roadworks cause major disruption under tough new powers given to London councils. The London Permit Scheme for street works has been given the green light by the government. It allows 18 London boroughs and Transport for London to regulate the activities of water, gas, electricity and telecoms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boroughs-get-new-powers-to-control-roadworks 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boroughs-get-new-powers-to-control-roadworks Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Councils hope that the majority of their 41 secondary schools and 279 primary and special schools implement the eSafety solution via a series of phased rollouts this academic year. Although recent advances in technology have been outstanding and endless opportunities await today’s youth, schools are mindful of the risks that can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-adopt-new-esafety-solution-for-schools- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-adopt-new-esafety-solution-for-schools- Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on figures from the Office for National Statistics that show a £400m or 8% rise in the amount council taxpayers are contributing to the Local Government Pension Scheme, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said: “The Government must ensure that the escalating costs of local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/escalating-council-pension-costs-must-not-lead-to-frontline-cuts- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/escalating-council-pension-costs-must-not-lead-to-frontline-cuts- Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council has welcomed the announcement by the London 2012 organisers, LOCOG, that Woolwich Barracks have been chosen as the venue for the shooting events in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Leader of Greenwich Council, Cllr Chris Roberts, said, “We have said all along that Woolwich is the ideal venue to host... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-council-welcomes-confirmation-of-woolwich-as-2012-venue 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-council-welcomes-confirmation-of-woolwich-as-2012-venue Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT A pregnant woman with mobility problems sleeping on her mother’s floor was caused injustice by Canterbury City Council’s handling of her and her partner’s homelessness application, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Tony Redmond. In his report, issued today (20 October 2009) he says it appears that the Council’s officers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-canterbury-council-over-couples-homelessness-application 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-canterbury-council-over-couples-homelessness-application Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Equal pay may not yet exist universally across local government but it's not for the lack of a huge amount of effort and investment across hundreds of councils up and down the land, according to the Public Sector People Manager’s Association (PPMA). Over two-thirds of councils have made firm progress in reviewing their current pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ppma-respond-to-unison-announcement-on-local-councils-approach-to-equal-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ppma-respond-to-unison-announcement-on-local-councils-approach-to-equal-pay Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Further details have been announced of the £155 million programme to transform Manchester’s Town Hall Complex. Members of Manchester City Council’s top-level Executive are being updated on progress so far at their meeting on Wednesday 21 October. The ambitious project – which involves the Town Hall Extension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-hall-complex-transformation-progresses 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-hall-complex-transformation-progresses Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The awards were open to all developments completed between January 2006 and September 2009, with a short list of 15 schemes drawn up for consideration by a panel of judges. Entries fell under two categories: New Design (including public realm schemes and house/commercial extensions, as well as new buildings) and Conservation (including... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/winners-announced-for-stockport-council-conservation--design-awards-2009 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/winners-announced-for-stockport-council-conservation--design-awards-2009 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Community and Town Councils can make a big difference in creating cohesive and harmonious communities, The Minister for Local Government Dr Brian Gibbons told the One Voice Wales conference of community and town councillors in Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion. In keeping with the conference’s theme of the “Developing your... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-councils-make-a-big-difference-for-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-councils-make-a-big-difference-for-communities Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils have already been repaid tens of millions of pounds that had been locked in the failed Icelandic banks, according to new figures from the Local Government Association. Administrators for the banks have repaid almost £70 million to local authorities across the UK, with at least £30 million more expected to be repaid by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-repaid-millions-in-icelandic-cash 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-repaid-millions-in-icelandic-cash Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities can avoid heavy-handed treatment of Council Tax arrears – criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman this week – by partnering with recognised debt advice services to help deal with the underlying problem. UK registered charity The Debt Advice Foundation issued its advice following two announcements from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-partner-with-debt-charities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-to-partner-with-debt-charities Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of underpaid workers stand to get half a billion pounds in backdated equal pay settlements in what the government is calling ‘a major step towards ending years of unfairness’. Thirty-seven councils are being given the go ahead by John Denham to borrow against or sell assets up to £501m so they can meet and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/denham-gives-councils-go-ahead-to-raise-500m-to-sort-equal-pay- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/denham-gives-councils-go-ahead-to-raise-500m-to-sort-equal-pay- Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT More than two thirds of Londoners say their council makes a positive difference in their area, according to a new survey. A poll by London Councils to mark Local Democracy Week (12-18 October) found 68 per cent of respondents living in the capital think their borough makes a positive difference, compared to 26 per cent who do... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londoners-say-councils-make-a-positive-difference 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londoners-say-councils-make-a-positive-difference Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s latest marketing salary survey, conducted by Croner Reward, reveals that pay for marketers working in the public services and education are the second highest paying sector behind manufacturing with an average salary of £30,441 compared with £36,000. Only at Marketing Director level... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/marketers-in-public-services-amongst-best-paid 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/marketers-in-public-services-amongst-best-paid Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new set of guidelines issued by the Scottish Wildlife Trust will help local authorities take the first five steps towards meeting their duty to enhance the conservation of local biodiversity. Since 2004, the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act required all public bodies including local authorities to take steps towards enhancing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-five-step-guide-helps-local-authorities-meet-their-duty-to-biodiversity 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-five-step-guide-helps-local-authorities-meet-their-duty-to-biodiversity Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT New research launched by MidlandHR, has found that almost half (47%) of today’s public sector business leaders do not understand how to engage their employees. The study, Investigating Employee Engagement and Predictive Analytics, surveyed the opinions of over 100 business leaders in UK public, private and charity sectors. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-lacks-understanding-on-employee-engagement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-lacks-understanding-on-employee-engagement Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Writing in a new NLGN pamphlet, Conservative Shadow Minister Justine Greening speaks of a desire to “cull” vast swathes of regional government and quangos. The Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Governmentr accuses the Government of dictating policy via top down targets from Westminster and promises that a Conservative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conservative-front-bench-reinforces-desire-to-scrap-regional-government- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conservative-front-bench-reinforces-desire-to-scrap-regional-government- Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT A crackdown by councils on people illegally dumping waste has resulted in a 7 per cent rise in prosecutions this year and £19m of savings, new figures reveal. The Defra fly-capture database figures, out today, show that councils have prosecuted 2,000 people for fly-tipping this year, up from 1,871 last year. The amount councils are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crackdown-on-illegal-waste-dumpers-helps-save-19m 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crackdown-on-illegal-waste-dumpers-helps-save-19m Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Crime is rising in many parts of the country because of the recession but councils are doing all they can to maintain frontline budgets, new research published by the Local Government Association has revealed. A survey of town halls in England and Wales found that burglary is on the rise in half of all areas that responded – and one... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-rises-as-recession-bites 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-rises-as-recession-bites Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council is setting the lead in designing innovative solutions to saving energy in Council homes. Already one of the first councils to sign up to the national 10:10 campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010, Greenwich is implementing a series of measures to reduce energy waste, and thus help in the battle against... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-sets-the-lead-in-energy-saving- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-sets-the-lead-in-energy-saving- Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Kirklees Council has taken its views against product placement on television to government in a bid to safeguard young people’s health. Council Leader Cllr Mehboob Khan said that American-style placing of products in popular programmes will be detrimental to the health of people locally and across the country. In a letter on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/leader-takes-product-placement-campaign-to-the-top 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/leader-takes-product-placement-campaign-to-the-top Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The London Borough of Lambeth failed to inform two of its tenants that it had become the freeholder of their block of flats in 2001, which would have enabled them to apply to purchase their flat at a lower price than when they did apply to buy it in 2005. In his report, issued Local Government Ombudsman, Jerry White says: “The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-lambeth-council-for-failing-to-inform-tenants-of-buying-freehold- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-lambeth-council-for-failing-to-inform-tenants-of-buying-freehold- Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council has announced the next phase of its ambitious estate regeneration programme. After the pilot project at Hinkler Parade, four mores sites across the city have been chosen for an investment of £50 million to build 300 more homes. The council has embarked on an exciting journey with local residents, working... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thumbs-up-for-estate-regeneration-plans 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thumbs-up-for-estate-regeneration-plans Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the publication of annual figures on local government efficiency, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Local government is the most efficient part of the public sector, finding savings of more than £4.8m every day. Once again, councils are exceeding their targets for saving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-find-savings-of-48m-a-day-new-figures-reveal 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-find-savings-of-48m-a-day-new-figures-reveal Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT The latest results from the Place Survey - based on more than 500,000 people's views and perceptions about where they live - demonstrated how important it was for councils to listen to local people and act on their behalf, according to ministers. The survey revealed that the majority of local people were satisfied with local services: GP... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-survey-shows-public-want-councils-to-take-charge- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-survey-shows-public-want-councils-to-take-charge- Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Fife Councillors have approved a significant £4.7 million investment towards tackling inequality across the Kingdom. Following the budget green light, councillor Brian Goodall chair of the authority’s Housing and Communities Committee explained this was a significant commitment for Fife involving a wide range of innovative... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/47m-boost-to-tackle-inequalities-in-fife 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/47m-boost-to-tackle-inequalities-in-fife Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT £380 million government project to overhaul the handling and allocation of 999 calls to the fire service should be halted, according to fire authority leaders. The proposals to introduce regional control centres that would receive emergency calls on behalf of several fire authorities have been beset by delays and spiraling costs. At... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fire-authorities-keen-to-end-uncertainty-over-control-centres 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fire-authorities-keen-to-end-uncertainty-over-control-centres Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister John Healey called on housing associations to raise their game and do more to create new apprenticeship opportunities and help people get on the housing ladder and stay in their homes during the downturn. He confirmed that any housing association bidding for a share of the £7.5billion available for affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-associations-must-raise-their-game-accordingly-to-healey 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-associations-must-raise-their-game-accordingly-to-healey Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Alison McRae, 39, will take up the post of Director of Destination Liverpool in the middle of November to oversee the city region’s £1.3 bn visitor economy sector and build on the city’s success as European Capital of Culture. Alison, who has a 17-year successful track record in tourism and economic development, will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liverpool-city-council-appoints-tourism-chief- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liverpool-city-council-appoints-tourism-chief- Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement that fines totalling £129.5 million have been imposed on 103 construction firms for colluding with competitors on building contracts, Cllr Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “There are simply no excuses for collusion or cover pricing which leaves the public and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-excuse-for-construction-firm-bid-rigging 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-excuse-for-construction-firm-bid-rigging Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT THE latest figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) reveal that the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) last year supported regional regeneration projects to the tune of £6.47 million. It also indirectly contributed close to £250 million to the North West economy as a whole. The data is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uclan-contributes-647-million-to-north-west-regeneration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uclan-contributes-647-million-to-north-west-regeneration Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government must use its £42 billion buying power to innovate and shape markets, according to Communities Secretary John Denham. Innovation and procurement experts from the private sector, academia and the public sector met today to brainstorm and identify new ways that local government's £42bn of taxpayers’ money... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/you-must-spend-your-money-better-says-denham 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/you-must-spend-your-money-better-says-denham Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT A council’s efforts to ease traffic congestion have been given the thumbs up by members of the public. Durham County Council has been ranked top out of 76 local authorities, by residents rating their satisfaction with traffic management arrangements in their area. Hundreds of people living in the county responded to a survey... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-is-streets-ahead-on-tackling-congestion 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-is-streets-ahead-on-tackling-congestion Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT East Sussex County Council has appointed an absence management specialist to provide day one absence management for over 3,000 employees from its Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and chief executive’s departments. The service, which commences on the 1 October 2009, will encompass day one nurse-led absence reporting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-sussex-county-council-appoints-leading-absence-management-specialist- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-sussex-county-council-appoints-leading-absence-management-specialist- Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Government funding for restoring empty homes to use and improving the standard of private sector (privately rented and owner occupied) housing is to be reduced by 20 per cent for 2010/11 from £376 million to £301 million. This funding reduction contradicts the findings of a recent Audit Commission report, Building Better Lives... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-funding-for-improving-existing-homes-in-the-south-east-under-threat 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-funding-for-improving-existing-homes-in-the-south-east-under-threat Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Work to prepare Bradford city centre for the City Park has begun ahead of construction starting on the scheme. A number of minor highway and public transport alterations are being made to the streets surrounding the Bradford Council-led scheme to accommodate the closure of Channing Way. Demolition also begins this month on the footbridge... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/preparatory-works-begin-for-bradfords-244m-city-park- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/preparatory-works-begin-for-bradfords-244m-city-park- Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council will be unveiling the latest weapon in the fight against fly tippers later this week – Smart Water. Members of the press and media are invited to the council’s Town Depot on Thursday, September 17 at 11am to see how it works. Smart Water is a colourless liquid which contains a unique chemical code... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/southampton-gets-smart-in-the-fight-against-fly-tipping 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/southampton-gets-smart-in-the-fight-against-fly-tipping Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Bikes destined for the scrapheap are being given a new lease of life where they are being used to teach young people bike maintenance skills. The recycling project, launched in the summer holidays, takes bikes that have been cleared out of garages and sheds and uses them to teach young people bicycle maintenance skills. The project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/turning-old-into-new-for-charity 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/turning-old-into-new-for-charity Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT A campaign aimed at encouraging young people to become more aware of the impact that littering has on their environment is now under way in the Highlands. The Highland Council’s TEC Services is calling on schools and youth groups to enter a competition to demonstrate their understanding of the negative effects of litter. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-calls-on-young-people-to-support-anti-litter-campaign 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-calls-on-young-people-to-support-anti-litter-campaign Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT A major new council house-building programme in Bristol has been given the green light. A total of 46 social housing units will be up and ready for the first tenants by March 2011 under proposals which have been approved by the Government. The authority is one of 47 councils selected by the Government to share in the first round of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-gets-green-light-for-social-housing-scheme 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-gets-green-light-for-social-housing-scheme Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s first scheme to reward households for recycling mixed waste went live recently. Pioneering residents in Windsor and Maidenhead will be able to pocket an average of £135 in vouchers a year - simply by putting paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal in a single bin. The RecycleBank scheme will see 3,750 households in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-rewards-keen-recyclers 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-rewards-keen-recyclers Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Lincolnshire’s successful, on-demand bus service is to continue its incredible growth by motoring on over the border. Lincolnshire County Council has teamed up with Northamptonshire County Council in a unique partnership to jointly fund the new public transport service from Monday 21 September. Booking requests can be taken from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-connect-for-travel-expansion 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-connect-for-travel-expansion Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hundreds of drivers in North East England will have the chance to take part in a prestigious new electric vehicle trial announced by Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies. The pilot-scale fleet trial was announced today by Cenex and Regional Development Agency One North East at the National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/electric-vehicle-trial-in-north-east-england 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/electric-vehicle-trial-in-north-east-england Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to on-going debates about the future of public spending, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Local government is the most efficient part of the public sector and made savings of more than three billion pounds between 2004 and 2007. Councils up and down the country are working hard to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-continuing-to-make-efficiency-savings 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-continuing-to-make-efficiency-savings Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Business-as-usual innovation policies by governments and companies are slowing the spread of urgently needed climate-friendly technologies, according to a new report. Who Owns Our Low Carbon Future? Intellectual Property and Energy Technologies concludes that current business practices will not bring much-needed technologies to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/who-owns-our-low-carbon-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/who-owns-our-low-carbon-future Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to an announcement by children’s secretary Ed Balls of a new fast-track training scheme for people changing careers to become social workers, Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice-Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Children’s social workers have some of the toughest jobs in the country, and for councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-drive-the-only-solution-to-social-work-recruitment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-drive-the-only-solution-to-social-work-recruitment Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT More than half of 3,750 households taking part in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead mixed recycling pilot scheme are rallying behind the initiative that rewards households and saves on landfill tax. Eight weeks after the scheme was launched, 55% of households have activated their RecycleBank account and are earning Points based... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/results-show-rewards-for-recycling-works 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/results-show-rewards-for-recycling-works Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Residents in Normandy, France will soon be able to find out more about Chichester, thanks to a series of short features filmed by France 3. The regional television company, based in Rouen, arrived to film two features – one on the history of Chichester and the other on tourism and the local economy. “We previously stopped... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chicester-in-focus-on-french-tv 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chicester-in-focus-on-french-tv Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Residents in Harlow are being asked to help combat graffiti on cable TV and phone boxes through a new Adopt-a-Box scheme. Dozens of the boxes are targeted each year by vandals but, due to their locations in public areas, there are few ways of protecting them. The Council is now asking local people to help by adopting and repainting boxes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-launches-adopt-a-box-scheme-to-combat-graffiti 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-launches-adopt-a-box-scheme-to-combat-graffiti Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Southampton City Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme has taken a massive leap forward after the government approved its goals for educational transformation. The Department for Children, Schools and Families was impressed by the council’s aspirations for the multi-million pound investment programme, saying the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-light-for-southampton-school-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-light-for-southampton-school-plans Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Great Yellow Bumblebee, one of Britain’s rarest bee species, has bucked recent gloomy trends and had a bumper summer in Scotland this year. Paul Castle, The Highland Council’s North Sutherland Ranger, has been involved with the Great Yellow Bumblebee for several years and this year has discovered two previously unrecorded... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/highland-council-ranger-discovers-new-site-for-rare-bumblebee 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/highland-council-ranger-discovers-new-site-for-rare-bumblebee Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT From 30 November a DeafPlus bus will be trialled in Fareham Town Centre, following a successful campaign by the Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Seán Woodward, who requested that the bus should come to the town, so residents could benefit from its service. The charity DeafPlus provides a bus that contains... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-deafplus-bus-is-coming-to-fareham 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-deafplus-bus-is-coming-to-fareham Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Conservative Party plans to introduce local referendums could lead to councils being burdened with unmanageable financial commitments according to a new report from the New Local Government Network. Whilst NLGN supports in principle the idea of giving citizens more of a voice in local decision making, it warns that the existing plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tory-plan-for-local-referendums-needs-more-thought-says-report- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tory-plan-for-local-referendums-needs-more-thought-says-report- Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council is the least complained about Council in Sussex according to the number of cases referred to the Local Government Ombudsman, the independent watchdog for councils. In cases where residents are not satisfied with the response they have received from their council, they can ask for the issue to be taken up by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watchdog-says-complaints-are-lowest-in-sussex- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watchdog-says-complaints-are-lowest-in-sussex- Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON Scotland has warned council leaders not to threaten a five-year pay cut. The union called on the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to enter pay negotiations with an open mind, after leaked documents suggested that a pay freeze of up to five years will be on the table when council leaders sit down behind closed doors to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-unison-warns-cosla-over-pay-freeze-threat 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-unison-warns-cosla-over-pay-freeze-threat Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council’s Planning Board has rejected an application to redevelop Greenwich’s historic covered market. The application, from Greenwich Hospital Estates, would have seen many of the non-listed buildings on the site demolished, and the construction of replacement retail floorspace, flexible studio/office space and a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-rejects-plans-to-develop-greenwich-market 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-rejects-plans-to-develop-greenwich-market Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the announcement that the IT services unit of electronics giant Fujitsu plans to cut up to 1,200 jobs in the UK, The Highland Council has been in touch with the company and are pressing for a reassurance that Highland staff will not be amongst those to lose their jobs. Chairman of The Highland Council’s Resources Committee... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-seeks-reassurance-from-fujitsu 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-seeks-reassurance-from-fujitsu Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Fresh Start, an Edinburgh based charity that supports the resettlement of homeless people, won the inaugural Social Impact Awards this week. The awards were established by the Community Recycling Network for Scotland, CRNS, to reflect the important impact that CRNS members have in their local communities. Fresh Start provides... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edinburgh-homeless-charity-awarded-for-their-social-impact 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edinburgh-homeless-charity-awarded-for-their-social-impact Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT A lean green productivity team that has saved regional industry millions of pounds is boosting its environmental focus and helping companies save money by cutting down on waste and increasing renewable energy generation. MAS North East is to launch a new service focused on resource efficiency, waste water and green energy, helping... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mas-north-east-team-to-cut-business-waste 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mas-north-east-team-to-cut-business-waste Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT The London Borough of Lewisham took away and destroyed a man’s car with no proper legal basis or justification, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Anne Seex. In her report, issued she says: “The way that the Council dealt with this complaint and with [the complainant] was disgraceful,” and criticised the “incorrect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-disgraceful-lewisham-council-for-unlawfully-destroying-a-mans-car 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-disgraceful-lewisham-council-for-unlawfully-destroying-a-mans-car Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute has responded to the announcement by Barnet Council that it will introduce a faster planning process for applicants who pay an additional fee by warning that the proposals risk creating a “two-tier” planning system. The RTPI believes that if it is accepted that decisions can be speeded up by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planners-slam-barnet-councils-proposals-for-ryanair-style-planning-system- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planners-slam-barnet-councils-proposals-for-ryanair-style-planning-system- Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Members of The Highland Council's Resources Committee have approved a proposal which will streamline its property maintenance services and clarify the roles and responsibilities of its maintenance teams. Three similar post types have been merged into the generic post of Maintenance Officer. Around 45 staff are affected by the change which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-streamline-property-maintenance-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-streamline-property-maintenance-services Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT There’s a new way to hear about what the county council is doing in Lincolnshire – a little bird will tell you. The council has joined the social networking website Twitter, providing residents with another way to keep track of its activities. Marcus Coleman, the county council’s Director of Customer Strategies... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-spreads-wings-to-twitter 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-spreads-wings-to-twitter Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Demand for green recycling bins is soaring in South Kesteven, where households are helping to send around 900 tonnes of green waste for composting every month. South Kesteven District Council has had to introduce a waiting list for green bins and is placing urgent orders for new supplies to meet demand in the district. Coun. John... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/green-fingered-residents-praised-for-tremendous-response 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/green-fingered-residents-praised-for-tremendous-response Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT The recent period of relatively generous pay hikes for public sector workers looks to be over as the impact of recession, rising unemployment and retail price deflation on pay settlements spreads beyond private sector workplaces. The latest CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook survey finds that 1 in 5 public sector employers have frozen pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inflation-figures-highlight-onset-of-public-sector-pay-freezes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inflation-figures-highlight-onset-of-public-sector-pay-freezes Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Neil Stinchcombe, a blogger for Infosecurity Adviser, has asked the Crown Prosecution Service - which approved the US extradition request for self-confessed UFO hacker Gary McKinnon - to revisit the case following the failure in the latest, and final stage of, Gary's legal appeal process. In a comment on the case on the Infosecurity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/infosecurity-adviser-blogger-asks-cps-to-take-one-for-the-team-in-gary-mckinnon-case 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/infosecurity-adviser-blogger-asks-cps-to-take-one-for-the-team-in-gary-mckinnon-case Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Socitm has published details of additional content for its annual conference, Socitm 2009, being held this year in Edinburgh. The conference, entitled Re-inventing local public services – radical thinking, practical solutions is a ‘must-attend’ event at which delegates will be challenged to do some radical thinking about... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sessions-added-to-socitm-2009-programme 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sessions-added-to-socitm-2009-programme Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Reports that a number of local authorities are sacking staff for viewing personal data on the DWP's Customer Information System comes as no surprise, says Cyber-Ark, but merely serves to highlight the need for highly privileged access to this kind of data. According to Mark Fullbrook, the IT security vendor's European Director, taking a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/17-million-reasons-for-local-authorities-to-use-privileged-data-access 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/17-million-reasons-for-local-authorities-to-use-privileged-data-access Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ministers have urged homeowners concerned about their mortgage payments to seek immediate help from their lenders and the Government to avoid repossession. Hundreds of thousands of families are benefiting from a comprehensive range of support available for people facing the threat of repossession - from free debt advice and greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-at-every-step-to-avoid-repossessions 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-at-every-step-to-avoid-repossessions Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to the Audit Commission report on the recession, Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice Chair of the Local Government Association, said: “The Audit Commission has recognised the huge efforts that councils have made to help people and businesses through tough times. At this time of repossessions and redundancies, even more people need... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-intervention-is-more-effective 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-intervention-is-more-effective Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ten community radio stations across the country are backing a 'Fire Kills' campaign for Ramadan, to inform their listeners about the potential dangers of fire in the home and what they can do to protect their family and the community. Eighty people die each year as a result of not having a working smoke alarm. Research carried out by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fire-safety-campaign-for-a-safer-ramadan 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fire-safety-campaign-for-a-safer-ramadan Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT An exciting new vision of Northampton's growth from a town into a city has been unveiled by Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation. 'The Market City' is a vision designed to create a sense of direction for Northampton as it grows and develops into a city over the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-vision-for-the-city-of-northampton-unveiled 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-vision-for-the-city-of-northampton-unveiled Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce, in conjunction with its delivery partner Partnerships UK, has published an enhanced version of the Information Communication Technology Model Services Agreement and Guidance for major or complex ICT enabled business change projects. The free-to-use solution includes significant updates in the key areas of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-publishes-enhanced-model-contract-for-public-sector-ict-procurement- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-publishes-enhanced-model-contract-for-public-sector-ict-procurement- Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT New figures show that town halls have been hit by a £4bn deficit in income over the course of the last two years, currently equivalent to losing out on almost £11m every day in this year compared to financial year 2007/08. Figures revealed by the Local Government Association, which represents over 350 councils in England, show... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recession-causes-sharp-drop-in-council-income 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recession-causes-sharp-drop-in-council-income Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT New research shows that at least 20 per cent more council tax could be collected each year from people who have the means to pay but are not doing so. For the last financial year, this amounts to some £127 million out of a total of £636 million of uncollected council tax in England. Although a significant proportion of council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-tax-evaders 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-tax-evaders Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council tenants are set to benefit from increased protection under proposals announced today to extend the powers of the Tenant Services Authority Housing Minister John Healey has announced that for the first time all social housing would be covered by a single regulator, putting housing association tenants and council tenants on an equal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tenants-to-benefit-from-increased-protection-as-regulators-remit-extended- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tenants-to-benefit-from-increased-protection-as-regulators-remit-extended- Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Nearly 300 proposals have been submitted by councils under the first round of the Sustainable Communities Act, council leaders have announced The Act, which became law in October 2007, provides a framework for authorities to put forward ideas on how to improve the quality of life in their local areas but which require changes at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-submit-hundreds-of-ideas-to-make-life-better 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-submit-hundreds-of-ideas-to-make-life-better Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT A ground-breaking study developed by De Montfort University staff in Leicester is being used to help the Government in its attempts to increase the power and influence of people and communities DMU’s Local Governance Research Unit worked with the Centre for Citizenship and Democracy at the University of Southampton on the year-long... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dmu-study-puts-communities-in-control 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dmu-study-puts-communities-in-control Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Match funding has been secured by Gloucester City Council from Gloucestershire County Council for further flood reduction schemes across the city The funding will help with the ongoing ‘Capital Works Project’ that began following the floods in 2007. At this time, £700,000 was secured by the City Council for works across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-secured-for-further-city-flood-reduction-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-secured-for-further-city-flood-reduction-work Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to reports about free bus passes for elderly people Cllr David Sparks, LGA spokesperson on transport, said: “Councils are emphatically not in favour of means testing free bus fares. Bus fare concessions for pensioners are popular and councils wholeheartedly support them. “There are real problems with the way... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-means-testing-for-bus-fares- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-means-testing-for-bus-fares- Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councillors will be given a say over where bail accommodation will be located following an agreement between the LGA and the government Following widespread concerns that supported bail accommodation units were sporadically springing up across the country, a protocol to help prevent them being sited in areas without local authorities and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-given-say-over-bail-accommodation-locations 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-given-say-over-bail-accommodation-locations Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Members of The Highland Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee have the opportunity to discuss progress of the Highland Wide Local Development Plan at their meeting on Wednesday before the draft document goes out to public consultation on 31 August for 10 weeks The Plan sets out the strategy, policy and vision for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-to-be-consulted-over-future-growth-of-highlands 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-to-be-consulted-over-future-growth-of-highlands Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT In early feedback to the Local Government Association, council leaders have expressed concern at the burden CAA is placing on them at a time when councils face the challenge of recession. Whilst many leaders say they are working positively with the Inspectorates and are committed to an assessment process that helps improve the quality of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-concern-at-burden-of-caa-inspections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-concern-at-burden-of-caa-inspections Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils are basing important decisions on unreliable information, an Audit Commission study has found. The report Is there something I should know? finds councillors complaining that they receive lengthy reports that don’t contain the information they need. Less than five per cent of councils have excellent quality data and 65 per... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-will-struggle-without-better-information 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-will-struggle-without-better-information Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT The claim of a report published recently by the Equality & Human Rights Commission to have demonstrated that there is 'no bias in allocation of social housing to immigrants' has been shown to be baseless by independent academic analysis, according to Civitas, an independent social policy think-tank. According to Professor Mervyn Stone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ehrc-report-on-social-housing-allocation-to-immigrants 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ehrc-report-on-social-housing-allocation-to-immigrants Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT The TUC’s ‘line in the sand’ in exposing the distortions about public sector pensions has been applauded by Unite, the largest union in the country. The TUC said in a new briefing that the majority of public sector pensioners receive a pension of less than £5,000 a year and that half the women on NHS pensions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/few-fat-cat-pensions-in-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/few-fat-cat-pensions-in-public-sector Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils in England and Wales have been invited to design and host one of the five national challenges that will make up the first stage of the Local Government Challenge. The competition, aimed at finding top council executives of the future, is designed to give staff with the drive and determination to reach the top the opportunity to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-challenge-councils-invited-to-bid-to-host-national-challenges 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-challenge-councils-invited-to-bid-to-host-national-challenges Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union has echoed concerns over staff morale and arbitrary ‘efficiency’ targets highlighted in the House of Commons Treasury select committee report, Evaluating the Efficiency Programme.. The committee shared the union’s concerns over low staff morale in Her Majesty’s Revenue and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-responds-to-treasury-select-committee-report 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-responds-to-treasury-select-committee-report Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the first official figures showing the level of take-up in the free swimming programme, Cllr Chris White, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Sport and Tourism board, said: “Funding nearly four and a half million free swimming sessions comes at a substantial cost to both central government and local councils. Among the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clear-commitment-needed-over-olympic-legacy-of-free-swimming 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clear-commitment-needed-over-olympic-legacy-of-free-swimming Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Employers have presented a final offer in response to the union pay claim Council leaders agreed by a majority vote to make a final offer of a one per cent pay rise to council workers for the current financial year. The offer also includes an additional 0.25 per cent pay rise for the lowest-paid council workers paid up to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-make-new-pay-offer-to-staff 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-make-new-pay-offer-to-staff Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Reacting to CLG consultation paper Strengthening Local Democracy, Director of the New Local Government Network Chris Leslie said that moves to give local councillors sweeping new powers to cross-examine energy firms, water companies, telephone and broadband providers were very welcome He said that proposals to give councils greater... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/denham-right-to-reform-quango-accountability 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/denham-right-to-reform-quango-accountability Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT London Councils is seeking urgent talks with ministers over fears that 80,000 households across the capital may miss out on key improvements to their council homes if the government redirects money away from London to fund its new housing plans It has written to Housing Minister, John Healey, to express its concerns over plans by the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/funding-for-council-home-improvements-at-risk-warns-london-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/funding-for-council-home-improvements-at-risk-warns-london-councils Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Existing housing schemes are facing massive cuts in order to pay for Gordon Brown’s new housing pledge, figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats have revealed A £225m raid on the home improvements budget will mean that over 52,000 homes for vulnerable people will miss out on funding to bring them up to Decent Homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-schemes-slashed-for-government-electioneering- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-schemes-slashed-for-government-electioneering- Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the Government’s announcement on preventing youth crime, Cllr Les Lawrence, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: "It is disappointing that Ministers have chosen to make an important announcement about youth offending without properly consulting leading LGA members. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-youth-crime-prevention-announcement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-youth-crime-prevention-announcement Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Community Renewable Energy has proved it’s up for the green challenge after winning funding to further renewable projects As part of NESTA’s (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Big Green Challenge, CoRE will receive £20,000 plus a tailored package of support. CoRE is a social enterprise that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-east-green-energy-company-wins-cash-award 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-east-green-energy-company-wins-cash-award Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Building on the successful over-achievement of IT efficiency targets in the Gershon Programme, ex-Logica CEO, Martin Leach’s new Operational Efficiency Programme will aim to deliver further savings of £3.2 billion on public sector IT spend over the next three years With the UK public sector spending more on IT than any other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-must-invest-in-next-generation-networks-to-deliver-long-term-operational-efficiencies 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-must-invest-in-next-generation-networks-to-deliver-long-term-operational-efficiencies Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT London’s boroughs have been spared a £4 million burden following the Tenant Services Authority’s announcement that councils and housing associations will not have to pay fees next year The TSA is a government watchdog set up to ensure that social landlords maintain high standards of service to their tenants –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4-million-saving-for-social-housing-in-the-capital-thanks-to-watchdog-fee-waiver 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4-million-saving-for-social-housing-in-the-capital-thanks-to-watchdog-fee-waiver Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Liverpool City Council is campaigning to change the law to help save local Post Offices, reduce the number of takeaways and force utility companies to repair roads better The council is seeking a wide-range of changes to the Sustainable Communities Act that will help improve local neighbourhoods. The city council’s executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-wants-new-laws-to-improve-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-wants-new-laws-to-improve-communities Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the Government’s strategy for a low carbon future, Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said: “The government’s strategy is an eloquent rationale for a low carbon Britain but it’s time to move on to action. Town halls published their own manifesto for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-already-taking-action-for-a-low-carbon-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-already-taking-action-for-a-low-carbon-future Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Countryside campaigners, CPRE, welcomed Ministers’ decision announced to scale back the eco-towns programme but called for tougher standards in order for the dream of sustainable living to become a reality Kate Gordon, CPRE’s Senior Planning Officer said: ‘From a list of deeply worrying and unsustainable locations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eco-towns-welcome 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eco-towns-welcome Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT For many months, Sheffield City Council has had the problem of improving the appearance and function of a large section of city centre, originally planned for redevelopment that has had to be mothballed due to lack of funds Determined to address the situation, the Council has undertaken a six-month beautification scheme, and has chosen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-eye-sore-to-eye-candy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-eye-sore-to-eye-candy Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Millions of households could slash their fuel bills by £220 a year if the government cut the red tape around its green energy schemes, according to a new report In the report, published to coincide with the release of the Government’s White Paper on climate change and renewable energy, the Local Government Association, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slashing-red-tape-on-green-schemes-would-cut-fuel-bills-for-millions-say-councils 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slashing-red-tape-on-green-schemes-would-cut-fuel-bills-for-millions-say-councils Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local councils should be doing much more to prevent the spread of invasive plants such as Japanese Knotweed which not only plagues vast areas of council-owned land and properties but increasingly impacts on domestic gardeners and residents That’s the view of David Layland, joint managing director of leading Reddish-based treatment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stockport-council-has-knotweed-problem-all-mapped-out 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stockport-council-has-knotweed-problem-all-mapped-out Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency is pleased to announce that rural businesses, farms and community ventures based in Greater Manchester and Cheshire can apply for £3.7 million in grants Eligible bodies can submit an Expression of Interest to the NWDA for projects which will boost the rural economy. The NWDA is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/37-million-in-rural-grants-available 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/37-million-in-rural-grants-available Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT A £70m Migration Impacts Fund, financed by a levy on migrants, will be used to tackle illegal working practices and reduce local pressure on public services, Communities Secretary John Denham has announced The funding works alongside the Government's points based system which means only those the country needs - and no more - can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/denham-announces-successful-projects-to-support-communities-with-migration- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/denham-announces-successful-projects-to-support-communities-with-migration- Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT All the Leaders of London’s local authorities have backed two innovative sets of guidance on how to get councillors more involved in the safeguarding of children Following the Baby Peter case, all council leaders in London pledged to do more to improve safeguarding arrangements for children across the capital. A programme of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-leads-progress-on-safeguarding-children 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-leads-progress-on-safeguarding-children Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT The public sector is often criticised for making risk averse ‘bonkers conkers’ decisions when it comes to health and safety. But an event taking place in September will highlight examples of outstanding best practice helping to keep workers and the public safe Watford’s Hilton Hotel is hosting the 34th National Safety... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/showcasing-superb-public-sector-safety-practices 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/showcasing-superb-public-sector-safety-practices Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Recently David Cameron issued an apology on behalf of the Conservative Party for legislation banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools He said the party had 'got it wrong' when it introduced Section 28 in the late 1980s. Mr Cameron insisted he was making his apology because the legislation had been ' offensive to gay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/time-for-another-apology-from-cameron 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/time-for-another-apology-from-cameron Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local government can help to heal the broken trust in national politics and is “the key to real democracy in this country”, said Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association In her keynote speech to the LGA Annual Conference in Harrogate, Cllr Eaton said that councils are “part of the solution to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/radical-shift-in-politics-needed-to-mend-broken-trust- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/radical-shift-in-politics-needed-to-mend-broken-trust- Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT The winners of the 2009 Local Government Council Worker of the Year Awards were announced at a gala dinner in Harrogate at the end of the LGA's annual conference 44 finalists in ten categories mingled with ministers and local government executives at the only awards ceremony that recognises the efforts of front-line council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/award-winning-council-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/award-winning-council-workers Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron has indicated in a speech that he is unhappy with the level of responsibility and funding given to quangos, because they are unelected, whilst still enjoying a growing influence in public life Similarly town hall leaders have launched a campaign calling for a radical overhaul of the unelected quango state to ensure that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cameron-to-shake-up-quangos 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cameron-to-shake-up-quangos Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils have been given a real boost to help secure the long-term economic prosperity of their communities with last night's Royal Assent of the Business Rate Supplements Act The Act provides county councils, unitary district councils and, in London, the Greater London Authority with a new discretionary power to raise a supplement on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-gain-new-powers-to-increase-prosperity 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-gain-new-powers-to-increase-prosperity Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT An overtime ban involving 70,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union working for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs began last week, as the department spends millions on the use of overtime to mask the true impact of job cuts The union is calling on HMRC to employ permanent staff rather than relying on routine... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hmrc-overtime-ban-begins 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hmrc-overtime-ban-begins Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Alistair Darling has given a stark warning that those in the public sector should brace themselves for another round of belt tightening This announcement is sure to cause at least a little panic in a public sector which has come under fire in recent months for being bloated and overpaid, while the private sector languishes in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oh-darling-not-more-public-sector-pay-cuts 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oh-darling-not-more-public-sector-pay-cuts Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON has welcomed the government’s announcement that the Royal Mail is to stay publicly owned The union, the largest in the public services, had backed the campaign led by the Communication Workers Union to keep the Royal Mail in public hands, and general secretary Dave Prentis welcomed the news that the government will not be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-welcomes-mail-decision 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-welcomes-mail-decision Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT Interest free loans are being offered to public organisations in England to cut their energy bills following the Government budget announcement of £51.5 million of new loan funding. Applications are now being invited for the first call by 17th July 2009. Other calls will follow until the end of the year or until all loans have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/515-million-new-loan-funding-scheme-launched-for-public-sector-energy-saving-projects 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/515-million-new-loan-funding-scheme-launched-for-public-sector-energy-saving-projects Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT CIPFA/LASAAC, the Board responsible for the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in local authorities has begun a consultation on the IFRS-based Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting. The new Code, which represents the most significant review of local authority accounting for many years, is part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/consultation-launched-for-new-ifrs-council-accounting-code 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/consultation-launched-for-new-ifrs-council-accounting-code Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Households across the UK could save over £600m a year if we threw as little of our rubbish into the ground as other countries in Europe, new figures reveal. Analysis by the Local Government Association compares the proportion of rubbish being thrown into the ground by people in 10 European countries. It finds that per person, the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/householders-could-save-over-600m-if-uk-was-best-in-europe-on-rubbish 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/householders-could-save-over-600m-if-uk-was-best-in-europe-on-rubbish Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The first council-backed housing in Newcastle for more than 20 years has been unveiled by the Homes and Communities Agency. Eight bungalows, which have been specifically designed for the elderly and people with special needs, have been built as a direct result of a grant of £3.6m awarded by HCA to Your Homes Newcastle – the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/launch-of-newcastles-first-council-backed-housing-scheme-in-two-decades 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/launch-of-newcastles-first-council-backed-housing-scheme-in-two-decades Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Despite local authorities undertaking unprecedented levels of increased outsourcing and partnership activity, senior managers and risk officers feel unclear and ill-equipped to manage the resulting risks, says Zurich Municipal. A new report by Zurich on the issue of ‘supply chain’ risk in the public sector warns of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-unaware-and-underprepared-for-outsourcing-risks-claims-zurich-municipal 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-unaware-and-underprepared-for-outsourcing-risks-claims-zurich-municipal Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Londoners are happy with their local area but don’t fully appreciate the contribution their local authority makes to it – according to findings issued today by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The 2008/09 Place Survey of councils carried out by Ipsos Mori revealed three-quarters of people in the capital say... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londoners-happy-with-local-area--but-dont-understand-contribution-local-council-makes-to-it 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londoners-happy-with-local-area--but-dont-understand-contribution-local-council-makes-to-it Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT A possible government rethink into the ‘flawed and expensive’ private financing of NHS hospitals has been welcomed by Unite, the largest union in the country. Unite, which is campaigning strongly against the privatisation of the NHS, was commenting on an interview by health minister, Lord Darzi in which he said the Private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/possible-government-rethink-on-nhs-private-finance-initiative-welcomed-by-unite 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/possible-government-rethink-on-nhs-private-finance-initiative-welcomed-by-unite Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Audit Commission is discussing with unions a proposal to shrink its field force numbers by 100. The redundancies are proposed to take place during 2009-2010. This leaner workforce is being recommended following the move to Comprehensive Area Assessment (soon to be known as 'oneplace') with its reduced levels of inspection. Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shrinking-workforce-offices-and-fees-as-the-audit-commission-becomes-a-leaner-watchdog- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shrinking-workforce-offices-and-fees-as-the-audit-commission-becomes-a-leaner-watchdog- Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Leading social enterprise network, the National Community Wood Recycling Project (NCWRP), has published results of the most complete survey yet undertaken of UK community wood recycling and reuse projects. Results show that the NCWRP’s Community Wood Recycling model requires only minimal set-up and overhead expenditure, enabling new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-recycling-survey-prompts-call-on-government 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-recycling-survey-prompts-call-on-government Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Town Planning Institute has responded to the announcement by John Healey MP, Minister for Housing and Planning at the RTPI Planning Convention that in the forthcoming 2010 revision of Part L Building Regulations, the Government will be setting a new requirement that all new buildings, whether domestic or non domestic, will have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/25-improvement-in-new-building-efficiency-standards-is-tough-target-but-the-right-one-says-rtpi 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/25-improvement-in-new-building-efficiency-standards-is-tough-target-but-the-right-one-says-rtpi Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The government's Building Schools for the Future programme is improving after a shaky start and is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils, according to a new report published by the CBI. The business group says faith should be kept with the programme, and its educational agenda maintained in the face of recessionary pressures to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cbi-schools-building-programme-improving 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cbi-schools-building-programme-improving Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Wandsworth Council is one of just six local authorities singled out for praise by the Audit Commission for the professional way it manages its property portfolio.. In its report ‘Room for Improvement’ published today, the Commission highlights the council’s success in generating receipts of more than £1bn from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-1bn-property-prize- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-1bn-property-prize- Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT An unplanned consequence of the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy could be a million new speed limit signs in the countryside, according to analysis by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner said: ‘After deciding against a blanket 50 mph national speed limit, the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/countryside-at-a-crossroads--a-blanket-speed-limit-or-a-million-new-speed-signs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/countryside-at-a-crossroads--a-blanket-speed-limit-or-a-million-new-speed-signs Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Staff in Jobcentre Plus have been working flat out to help those out of work as unemployment reached a 12-year high of 2.26 million, the Public and Commercial Services Union has said. As new jobless figures out showed an increase of 232,000 in the three months to April, the union praised the hard work and dedication of Jobcentre Plus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobcentre-union-responds-to-unemployment-figures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobcentre-union-responds-to-unemployment-figures Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT NALC has re-launched its Local Council Awards. It is widely recognised that the vast majority of local councils (parish and town councils) are delivering great services and acting as a voice for their local communities on a day-to-day basis. It is in honour of this, that NALC is renewing its Local Council Awards, this year. NALC is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalcs-local-council-awards-2009 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalcs-local-council-awards-2009 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT PASC draws on the findings of its wide-ranging work over the past ten years to set out principles for good government In a wide-ranging examination of government in Britain published Thursday 18 June 2009, the Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) sets out its requirements for achieving good government. PASC’s report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-urges-good-government-reforms 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-urges-good-government-reforms Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the WRAP report comparing different types of recycling collections, a spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “The last thing councils want to do is make recycling difficult for residents. Town halls want to make recycling easy so people are encouraged to recycle as much as possible. Councils know their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-town-halls-want-to-make-recycling-easy- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-town-halls-want-to-make-recycling-easy- Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement of government plans to hold a consultation on banning items such as food waste, glass, aluminium cans and wood from going to landfill, a spokesman for the LGA said: “Councils are acutely aware of the need to cut back on the amount of waste being sent to landfill and are already working extremely hard... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-taxpayers-cant-pick-up-the-bill-for-new-rubbish-collections 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-taxpayers-cant-pick-up-the-bill-for-new-rubbish-collections Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT New Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham has pledged to re-examine the relationship between central and local government as part of the Government's drive to renew Britain's democracy and restore trust in the political system at every level Mr Denham wants the debate to focus on citizens not institutions and is committed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/denham-outlines-plan-to-renew-local-democracy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/denham-outlines-plan-to-renew-local-democracy Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT As a founding member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, NCB is disappointed by the government’s unambitious target to reduce the proportion of children living in poverty to only 10%. They say that child poverty rates in Europe show that 5% is achievable and as one of world’s wealthiest countries, Britain should be leading the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-10-per-cent-child-poverty-target-disappointing 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-10-per-cent-child-poverty-target-disappointing Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Research shows that the Public Sector is spending unnecessary money on employee eyecare because of a general misunderstanding of regulations Despite the overspend the figures also show take-up of the mandatory eyecare schemes to be poor. Health and Safety Regulations require all employers to provide employees who use visual display units... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/misunderstanding-of-vdu-rules-leads-to-poor-take-up-and-increased-costs-among-public-sector- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/misunderstanding-of-vdu-rules-leads-to-poor-take-up-and-increased-costs-among-public-sector- Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT In its report Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty, an influential committee of MPs backs calls in the Local Government Association’s Small Change, Big Difference campaign for councils to lead on cutting fuel poverty and delivering energy efficient homes The Select Committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report says that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-back-councils-on-cutting-fuel-poverty 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-back-councils-on-cutting-fuel-poverty Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT To coincide with the first anniversary of the signing of the first round of Multi-Area Agreements, the New Local Government Network is launching the essay collection Cities, Sub-regions and Local Alliances Written in conjunction with our MAA Forum, the essay collection brings together some of the leading thinkers from across the country... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-local-government-network-release-essay-collection 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-local-government-network-release-essay-collection Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The recession has hit blue collar workers in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and South Wales whereas London and the South East have been hit much harder by white collar job losses, according to new research The research by the Local Government Association shows that blue collar workers have lost the largest number of jobs over the course of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vast-local-differences-in-impact-of-recession-revealed-by-new-report 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vast-local-differences-in-impact-of-recession-revealed-by-new-report Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The number of people chasing every job in rural areas has increased almost four-fold in the last twelve months, according to research published by council leaders Analysis of vacancies reported to job centres and numbers of unemployed claimants published today by the Local Government Association, shows that there are nine job seekers for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/impact-of-recession-on-countryside-must-not-be-overlooked 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/impact-of-recession-on-countryside-must-not-be-overlooked Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Britain’s earliest written archives are a step closer to coming home to the North East, thanks to funding of £1.8m from regional development agency One North East The Vindolanda Writing Tablets are one of the most important and well preserved collections of Roman heritage in the world and are currently held at the British... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ancient-writing-tablets-set-to-come-home 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ancient-writing-tablets-set-to-come-home Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT David Cameron hailed a "remarkable" set of local election results after the Conservatives gained control of councils across the country - and some for the first time in nearly three decades The Conservatives took both Lancashire and Derbyshire County Councils, both of which had been Labour for 28 years; whilst also gaining control of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-trounced-in-local-elections 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-trounced-in-local-elections Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT As part of a series of cross-party pamphlets published by the NLGN, contributors including Hazel Blears MP and Andy Burnham MP offer thoughts on how Labour can win back support in local government The collection also features the thoughts and experiences of a number of leading Labour council leaders, looking at the policies and ideas that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-labour-new-ideas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-labour-new-ideas Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Durham Company has opened their brand new £1m waste recycling facility in Fencehouses which will reduce waste dumped to landfill, improve the environment and create new jobs The company’s Managing Director and Founder, Scott Hawthorne, said “This new facility is a state?of–the?art Waste Transfer Station for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-waste-treatment-facility-gets-the-green-light 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-waste-treatment-facility-gets-the-green-light Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT LGA lobbying has helped bring forward proposals to free up well over a billion pounds of EU funding for councils and other local bodies to help fight the recession The European Commission has proposed measures temporarily to allow EU money to be spent without the need for additional funding from public bodies for this year and next. Once... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/proposals-to-free-up-euro-millions-brought-forward 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/proposals-to-free-up-euro-millions-brought-forward Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The departure of James Purnell from the Department for Work and Pensions should also spell the end of the government's welfare reform agenda, the Public and Commercial Services union says Plans to privatise more areas of welfare, remove the safety net of income support and attach harsh conditions to benefits for vulnerable members of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/purnells-departure-an-opportunity-for-real-change 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/purnells-departure-an-opportunity-for-real-change Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT London Borough of Bexley’ s risk-reward partnership with Northgate Public Services, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, is all set to deliver over £5 million of efficiencies, whilst significantly improving services for local residents London Borough of Bexley now benefits from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/risk-reward-partnership-benefits-people-of-london-borough-of-bexley- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/risk-reward-partnership-benefits-people-of-london-borough-of-bexley- Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency has awarded urban regeneration company New East Manchester £3.6million to acquire and remediate the Crossley Works site The Crossley Works site, on Pottery Lane in Openshaw, is a 3.3ha (8.2 acres) site. Support from the NWDA will enable New East Manchester and Manchester City Council to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/36million-for-development-in-east-manchester 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/36million-for-development-in-east-manchester Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Twelve Local Authorities were awarded over £4.5 million from Salix Finance during 2008/09 to radically transform their approach to energy consumption and reducing emissions The latest Local Authorities to receive funding include Aylesbury District Council, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, London Borough of Bromley... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/45-million-awarded-to-local-authorities-for-new-green-projects 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/45-million-awarded-to-local-authorities-for-new-green-projects Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Residents and students living in Salford unveiled a 35 metre mural at Woden Street Bridge in Ordsall, which they created to celebrate the area and mark the initial stages of the Irwell City Park project Led by resident and Manchester Metropolitan University student Emily Spruce and Ordsall Community Arts, the community project was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bridging-the-gap-in-inner-city-regeneration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bridging-the-gap-in-inner-city-regeneration Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has successfully prosecuted private hire driver Mr Wali Khan for plying for hire without a Hackney licence and driving an uninsured vehicle. Mr Khan, of Lime Close, Crawley, pleaded guilty to both charges at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court Mid Sussex District Council received reports in October last year that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-successfully-prosecutes-illegal-private-hire-driver- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-successfully-prosecutes-illegal-private-hire-driver- Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT 21% of Public Sector workers have had their pay cut since the recession began. 26% have experienced a reduction in hours and 14% have lost benefits, the lowest in all sectors across the UK, according to a survey of over 1,600 workers by the Keep Britain Working campaign Overall, more than half of all UK workers have experienced a cut in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexibility-of-public-sector-workers-helps-save-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexibility-of-public-sector-workers-helps-save-jobs Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency has begun the rollout of a significant new leadership development programme across the region, following a highly successful long-term pilot project at Lancaster University The £9.5 million Northwest programme, known as LEAD (Leading Enterprise and Development), is an integrated learning and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-95m-leadership-development-programme-for-the-northwest 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-95m-leadership-development-programme-for-the-northwest Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT A family has been living in overcrowded and unacceptable conditions since 2001 due to failures by the London Borough of Ealing to deal properly with their application for a housing transfer, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Tony Redmond In his report, he says: “Taken together [the various faults] show that the Council failed to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-finds-council-failings-over-housing-transfer 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-finds-council-failings-over-housing-transfer Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders warned hard-pressed families not to fall into the trap of using unscrupulous loan sharks amid fears that more people could be drawn to them in the credit crunch The alert comes as town halls revealed that unlicensed money lenders are charging people more than 1,000 per cent interest and resorting to a sickening litany of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recession-could-breed-more-loan-sharks-warn-council-leaders 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recession-could-breed-more-loan-sharks-warn-council-leaders Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT The importance of the Mersey Gateway Project to the regional road network has been highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Halton Borough Council and The Highways Agency The agreement was highlighted by Mersey Gateway Project Director Steve Nicholson as he addressed the House of Commons’ Transport Select... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agreement-with-the-highways-agency-signals-good-news-for-mersey-gateway-project 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agreement-with-the-highways-agency-signals-good-news-for-mersey-gateway-project Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Glasgow Housing Association is launching its plans for an energy efficient home which will cost around £100 a year for heating and hot water GHA has set about creating models for a home where the water and heating bill is just £100 a year in a bid to tackle fuel poverty head on and to play its part in reducing damage to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/glasgow-housing-association-100-energy-efficient-home 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/glasgow-housing-association-100-energy-efficient-home Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Joint Contracts Tribunal has questioned why the Office of Government Commerce has decided to continue endorsing only one form of construction contract for use by government departments in spite of the results from its own review, which found that not one but three contract forms fulfilled its review criteria “Surely it is not... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-the-government-curbing-contract-choice 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-the-government-curbing-contract-choice Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT The National Association of Pension Funds has launched LA PensionsConnection, a new service designed to provide information and support to those involved in local government pensions The new service, free and exclusive to NAPF members, will give elected members, officers, treasurers and advisers involved with the Local Government Pension... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/napf-launches-new-service-for-local-authority-pension-specialists 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/napf-launches-new-service-for-local-authority-pension-specialists Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT According to a new survey by global research specialists Hall & Partners, just over 2% of people believe that politicians are the most ‘trusted professionals’, lagging behind estate agents (6%), used-car salespeople (5%) and bankers (21%). Lawyers come out top (55%) followed by builders (21%) The latest findings are from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/only-2-per-cent-of-people-believe-politicians-are-trusted-professionals 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/only-2-per-cent-of-people-believe-politicians-are-trusted-professionals Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Socitm has signalled its intention to increase its influence on public sector policy around ICT, efficiency and information management with the appointment of Martin Ferguson as its first Head of Policy In this role, Martin will lead the development and promotion of Socitm responses to major issues such as the collection and management of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/socitm-appoints-head-of-policy-to-build-influence-on-public-sector-policy- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/socitm-appoints-head-of-policy-to-build-influence-on-public-sector-policy- Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT An estimated 6,700 council jobs have been lost in England over the last six months as the recession bites, with the rate of job losses expected to continue at the same pace over the course of the next year, according to new research The research, published by the Local Government Association, shows that three in five councils have made... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/almost-7000-council-jobs-lost-in-last-six-months 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/almost-7000-council-jobs-lost-in-last-six-months Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Social enterprises must play their part in tackling the economic downturn by creating at least 15,000 new jobs for the unemployed, funded by the Government's £1bn Future Jobs Fund, said Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell On a visit to one of London's top social enterprise employers, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/building-britains-future-social-enterprise-to-be-part-of-1bn-job-creation-drive 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/building-britains-future-social-enterprise-to-be-part-of-1bn-job-creation-drive Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Thousands of African people will soon be toasting Liverpool – with a glass of clean water - thanks to a life saving scheme at the city’s leisure centres Liverpool City Council’s decision to stock Thirsty Planet bottled water at vending machines in all of its 15 Lifestyles Centres has now raised enough money to pay for 20... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-bottles-it-for-african-aid 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-bottles-it-for-african-aid Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT "Local government employers need to realise that morale is at an all time low," UNISON warns, as it published its 2008 survey of local government workers "Staff and services are already stretched to breaking point," added the union’s head of local government Heather Wakefield. The survey comes after negotiators rejected a 0.5%... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crisis-of-morale-hits-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crisis-of-morale-hits-local-government Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Businesses, charities, voluntary groups and local authorities who have not already contributed to the Government's new race equality consultation are asked to come forward and make their views known This is the final chance for contributions to be heard and Communities Minister Sadiq Khan today urged as many people as possible to seize... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/final-chance-for-your-views-on-governments-new-race-equality-strategy 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/final-chance-for-your-views-on-governments-new-race-equality-strategy Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT The New Local Government Network has published a paper which argues that dramatic cuts in public services could be avoided by giving local authorities new power to balance their budget over three years rather than one NLGN argues that local authorities should be allowed to introduce “Keynesian” economic policies in order to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-the-balance-granting-local-authorities-new-financial-flexibilities-to-cope-with-the-downturn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-the-balance-granting-local-authorities-new-financial-flexibilities-to-cope-with-the-downturn Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey has confirmed that the Government will take action to tackle excessive council tax increases set this year by two police authorities Subject to approval of an order laid before the House of Commons, Surrey Police Authority will be capped this year. It will be required to set a lower council tax in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/john-healey-confirms-action-to-protect-council-taxpayers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/john-healey-confirms-action-to-protect-council-taxpayers Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local government has outperformed a sample of private sector organisations in the finance, retail and travel sectors (including Northern Rock, EasyJet and Tesco) on awareness of accessibility policy and its implementation This is the key finding of research by Socitm Insight on website accessibility statements which, according to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-performs-better-than-private-sector-on-awareness-of-accessibility-policy-and-its-implementation- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-performs-better-than-private-sector-on-awareness-of-accessibility-policy-and-its-implementation- Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the announcement of a new drive to train and recruit child social workers, Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr Margaret Eaton, said: “Being a child social worker is one of the toughest jobs in Britain. A drive to train and recruit new and recently departed social workers is a good first step in tackling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brightest-and-best-social-workers-needed-to-protect-children 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brightest-and-best-social-workers-needed-to-protect-children Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the publication of figures on care proceedings by CAFCASS, the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “In recent months, councils have been working extremely hard to make the safety net that protects vulnerable children even more secure.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/care-proceedings-not-the-whole-picture- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/care-proceedings-not-the-whole-picture- Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT With future council spending cuts being widely predicted following the budget, local authorities are being urged by Socitm Insight to take a fresh look at their websites and their potential for delivering more for less The message of Learning from Better connected 2009, a new briefing based on research published in Socitm’s annual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-take-a-fresh-look-at-how-the-web-and-self-service-can-deliver-more-for-less- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-take-a-fresh-look-at-how-the-web-and-self-service-can-deliver-more-for-less- Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Highland Council has won a top European Award in recognition for the work it has done to raise awareness amongst staff of energy and water consumption in its buildings and for championing the need to cut CO2 emissions The Display® Towards Class A award was presented as part of the Energie-Cités and Climate Alliance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/european-award-for-councils-action-on-energy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/european-award-for-councils-action-on-energy Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT The East of Exeter is to benefit from major improvements to road access, thanks to a £12m funding package announced by the Transport Minister Paul Clark The scheme will support the major development planned for the area and help keep traffic moving freely. Transport Minister Paul Clark said: "Over the next couple of years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/exeter-to-benefit-from-12m-road-improvement-scheme 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/exeter-to-benefit-from-12m-road-improvement-scheme Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Lax measures by companies selling age-restricted goods online could be putting children at risk, Greenwich Council has discovered In a survey of current protection measures, Greenwich discovered worrying examples of how easy it could be for a 16-year-old to buy knives, adult-rated DVDs, violent computer games and alcohol. In an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-operation-spotlights-weakness-in-online-protection-for-children 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-operation-spotlights-weakness-in-online-protection-for-children Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils must listen to the views of local people to work smarter and make greater efficiency savings according to Communities secretary Hazel Blears, who herself has been in the spot light recently her use of MP’s expenses In the Budget, the Chancellor confirmed that councils will need to make £600m efficiency savings a year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hazel-blears-local-people-key-to-unlocking-greater-savings 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hazel-blears-local-people-key-to-unlocking-greater-savings Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT A strategy for delivering the new homes, jobs and infrastructure the South East needs until 2026 was announced by Communities Minister Sadiq Khan The South East Plan sets out a framework for sustainable growth that will support long-term economic performance in the region by encouraging the provision of new job opportunities and meeting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/long-term-plans-for-growth-in-the-south-east-unveiled- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/long-term-plans-for-growth-in-the-south-east-unveiled- Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey, which has revealed that the amount of investment now needed to bring the country’s roads up to scratch has reached £8.5 billion and that councils spent £63.2 million filling in potholes but also paid out £47 million in compensation claims and staff costs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-lga-response-to-road-maintenance-survey 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-lga-response-to-road-maintenance-survey Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT A fund which helps councils create better public services focused on the needs of local people, has been given £100,000 to continue for a second year The Scrutiny Development Fund can be used by local authorities, working in collaboration with other public sector partners, to develop innovative, robust and sustainable scrutiny... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100000-fund-to-improve-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100000-fund-to-improve-public-services Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT A £1 billion fund to stimulate councils' efforts to help people into work was hailed as Ministers called on organisations to submit innovative bids for jobs that will make Britain a better place and improve their local community The Future Jobs Fund is a new initiative, backed by significant money, which will help to generate jobs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/call-on-councils-to-help-more-young-people-into-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/call-on-councils-to-help-more-young-people-into-work Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the reports that the World Health Organisation has raised its alert over the outbreak of swine flu, Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association said: “Councils are keeping a close watch on reports of swine flu cases. They have well-developed contingency plans to cope with an outbreak. “They are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-vigilant-on-swine-flu 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-vigilant-on-swine-flu Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Communities Minister Sadiq Khan has announced the appointment of Dame Denise Platt as Chair of the new award scheme destined to succeed the Beacon Scheme, which awarded innovation and excellence in Local Government Dame Denise Platt will take up the role on 1 May 2009, succeeding Marianne Hood as Chair of the Beacons Panel. The ten-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dame-denise-platt-to-lead-development-of-beacons-successor 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dame-denise-platt-to-lead-development-of-beacons-successor Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Government proposed eco town standards should be applied to all housing, says the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Chartered Institute of Housing The bodies were responding to the Communities and Local Government’s consultation on its draft eco-town Planning Policy Statement. The bodies welcome the draft PPS as a step in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eco-town-standards-for-all-housing-says-rtpi-and-cih 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eco-town-standards-for-all-housing-says-rtpi-and-cih Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Speaking at HRH The Prince of Wales’s May Day Business Summit on Climate Change 2009, Bryan Gray, Chair of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, announced a package of measures worth £30 million in a move to make England’s Northwest the leading region in tackling climate change The NWDA will provide £3.3... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/englands-northwest-makes-pledge-towards-a-low-carbon-economy- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/englands-northwest-makes-pledge-towards-a-low-carbon-economy- Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled a series of measures to back a people's revolution to recycle buildings by putting real power in the hands of locals to support communities during the downturn and beyond The tougher economic climate has led to renewed interest in communities maintaining local assets, from post offices to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hazel-blears-backs-revolution-to-recycle-buildings 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hazel-blears-backs-revolution-to-recycle-buildings Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT Over £250 million to tackle crime, stimulate educational achievement and boost job opportunities in England's most deprived communities was announced by Communities Minister Baroness Andrews The minister confirmed that over £186 million will still be invested in the 39 New Deal for Communities programmes for 2009-10, and that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/250m-funding-to-turn-around-the-most-deprived-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/250m-funding-to-turn-around-the-most-deprived-communities Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has said that the 13 areas chosen to pilot a new initiative to identify how local public agencies can better work together to deliver front-line services more efficiently have a unique opportunity to radically reshape and improve the quality of life for their communities Ms Blears added that in these... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-efficiencies-in-the-public-sector 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-efficiencies-in-the-public-sector Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget statement, Director of New Local Government Network Chris Leslie said: “The Budget announces some significant new early investment to counteract the downturn, but we need this resource deployed swiftly to the frontline – not trickling slowly through the system from the top-down. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-local-government-network-gives-reaction-to-budget 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-local-government-network-gives-reaction-to-budget Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to Budget proposals for funding to support councils in creating jobs for young people, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "The fund for local job creation will help to generate jobs, get local economies moving and help to prevent another 'lost generation' of young... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pledges-on-employment-for-young-people-encouraging- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pledges-on-employment-for-young-people-encouraging- Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Unison general secretary Dave Prentis responded to Alistair Darling's budget saying that it "revealed the extent of the damage done to the economy and public finances by the greed and irresponsibility of the under-regulated financial sector." And he noted: "Future spending plans have been revised down again and the government's best... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prentis-issues-response-to-budget 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prentis-issues-response-to-budget Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The squeeze on public spending from 2011 looks certain to lead to shortfalls in town hall coffers, council leaders have warned Last Wednesday’s Budget estimated that growth in public spending will fall from 2.1 per cent to 0.7 per cent in real terms from 2011-12 to 2014. The Local Government Association, which represents more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/spending-squeeze-risks-cuts-in-services- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/spending-squeeze-risks-cuts-in-services- Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to unemployment figures showing 2.1 million people out of work, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association said: "Every single person being made redundant or having difficulty making ends meet should contact their council to make sure that they are getting all the advice, support and benefits they're... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-respond-to-unemployment-figures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-respond-to-unemployment-figures Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to the publication of the Treasury's efficiency programme identifying £15bn of public sector efficiency savings, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said: "Councils are committed to providing the taxpayer with ever greater value for money and will continue to make savings wherever they can. Town halls will work... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-will-continue-to-provide-ever-better-value-for-money 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-will-continue-to-provide-ever-better-value-for-money Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities using Cunningham Lindsey’s FraudLine are reversing the national trend of increasing personal injury claims and saving more than a million pounds FraudLine, which is an advertising campaign backed by a branded 24/7 hotline designed to deter fraudulent claims, is implemented as part of a risk management, highways... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-demonstrating-anti-fraud-measures-are-reducing-claims 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-demonstrating-anti-fraud-measures-are-reducing-claims Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears backing the Local Government Association’s call for councils to have more powers to prevent clone towns from becoming ghost towns, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Rows of boarded up shops are a sad reflection of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-backs-councils-plans-to-tackle-ghost-towns 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-backs-councils-plans-to-tackle-ghost-towns Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hounslow Council delayed offering a homeless couple temporary accommodation, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Tony Redmond In his report he found that, although they were evicted from their rented flat in July, the Council did not refer them to its temporary accommodation team until September, saying that he considers ‘the Council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-hounslow-councils-treatment-of-homeless-couple- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ombudsman-criticises-hounslow-councils-treatment-of-homeless-couple- Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Workers in the Public Sector are prepared to be flexible if it will stop their colleagues losing their jobs, according to a survey of over 2,500 people by the independent campaign Keep Britain Working 95% of workers in Public Sector roles would accept changes in their working conditions to help colleagues keep their jobs. 49% would accept... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-embrace-new-altruism-to-save-jobs-according-to-poll-of-2500 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-workers-embrace-new-altruism-to-save-jobs-according-to-poll-of-2500 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Government must focus any fiscal stimulus on projects that can get underway immediately and that will generate the most number of jobs, rather than concentrating on large projects that could take months to get off the ground, according to council leaders As part of a multi-million pound package to help kickstart the economy, the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smart-spending-needed-to-create-the-greatest-number-of-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smart-spending-needed-to-create-the-greatest-number-of-jobs Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT All public bodies that use surveillance powers must re-build public confidence by demonstrating this is done to help bring serious criminals to justice, council leaders have said Responding to the government’s launch of a consultation into the use of the operations carried out under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, Cllr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/surveillance-powers-must-be-used-for-serious-criminals 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/surveillance-powers-must-be-used-for-serious-criminals Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The recession is being blamed for the closure of independently run care homes in nearly 1 in 7 local authority areas, council leaders have warned. Town halls across the country are acting to try to prevent a shortage of residential places for older or disabled people A Local Government Association survey of council social services staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-cushion-impact-of-care-home-closures 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-cushion-impact-of-care-home-closures Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The official Parliament website has used a third party content provider to keep members of the public up to date with the day-to-day lives and political activities of MPs through the use of social media The official home of UK politics, www.parliament.uk, has enlisted the help of a third party content provider to allow visitors to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/twitters-role-in-parliament 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/twitters-role-in-parliament Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency has awarded Burnley Borough Council up to £4.9million to bring forward a key development opportunity in the historic Weaver’s Triangle Funding from the NWDA has enabled the council to move to acquire land and premises from four separate owners in the Sandygate area in order to assemble... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/49million-boost-for-burnley-weavers-triangle 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/49million-boost-for-burnley-weavers-triangle Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT From now on, an extra 4.5million parents of children aged 16 and under will be able to request flexible working from their employer. This is in addition to the six million parents and carers who already have the right New research shows half of working parents (51 per cent) say their relationship with their child would improve if they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/flexible-parenting 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/flexible-parenting Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Wandsworth Council’s pioneering Hidden Homes scheme has been adopted by another London borough Southwark Council has announced they are launching their own Hidden Homes programme based on the Wandsworth model. They plan to investigate empty laundrettes, disused offices, abandoned garages and other underused spaces as possible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hidden-homes-scheme-spreads-again 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hidden-homes-scheme-spreads-again Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT A recent survey conducted by business law firm Lawrence Graham LLP looked at private sector awareness of the public procurement regime in advance of a significant forthcoming change to the rules Legislation being drawn up by the Government to implement a European Directive will give the courts the power to tear up a contract concluded in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increased-private-sector-risk-with-new-public-procurement-rules 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increased-private-sector-risk-with-new-public-procurement-rules Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Manchester Independent Economic Review, Europe’s largest ever independent economic review, today calls on the government to devolve power and funding to redress the UK’s economic imbalance The Review shows that if the UK is to emerge from the current recession as a stronger and less polarised economy then it will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-independent-review-calls-for-central-government-to-devolve-power 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-independent-review-calls-for-central-government-to-devolve-power Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT The government has said, that from the tip of Cornwall to the coast of Northumberland, this move will ‘boost services, cut red tape, waste and capitalise on stronger leadership and value for money’ Stripping out a layer of local government will also strip out public confusion about who to speak to about their local services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/over-three-million-people-to-benefit-from-historic-council-overhaul 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/over-three-million-people-to-benefit-from-historic-council-overhaul Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement by John Healey that councils will have to disclose the pay and perks of their chief executives, Chair of Local Government Employers, Sir Steve Bullock, said: "In these tough economic times it is only right that everyone gets to see how much is paid to the people who help deliver their local services. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-disclosure-for-top-earners-is-only-right-in-tough-economic-times 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-disclosure-for-top-earners-is-only-right-in-tough-economic-times Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT £170 million of funding has been allocated to 29 transport projects that will support the development of new housing Good transport links are essential to any new housing development, and this funding will unlock the potential in several regions for delivering the new homes that will help to ease long-term housing need from first... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-170-million-transport-funding-for-new-housing 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-170-million-transport-funding-for-new-housing Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to figures showing an average 3 per cent rise in council tax, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Councils understand that people are feeling the effects of the recession and they’ve been working flat out to keep council tax down. This is the lowest rise for over fifteen years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-rise-lowest-for-fifteen-years 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-rise-lowest-for-fifteen-years Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Improvement and Development Agency for local government has launched new help for authorities improving equality across the community The Equality Framework uses the latest thinking on equalities including a wider definition of equality based on ‘equal life chances’ that covers the groups covered by discrimination... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/levelling-the-playing-field Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to the Audit Commission report on councils investing in Icelandic banks, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "The LGA, working with councils, currently expects to get the lion's share of this money back and is working flat out to make sure that the council taxpayer is top of the list for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-audit-commission-report-on-icelandic-banks 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-audit-commission-report-on-icelandic-banks Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement by local government minister John Healey that no councils will be capped, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "It is good news that the government has decided not to cap any councils. Local authorities have made huge efforts to keep down council tax this year and have set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-capping-announcement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-capping-announcement Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT London Councils and the Government Office for London have today launched the country's first Child Poverty Network, which will help local authorities and their partners work more closely together to tackle child poverty across the capital The network's purpose is to help local authorities and their partners share good practice, discuss... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-network-to-tackle-child-poverty-in-london- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-network-to-tackle-child-poverty-in-london- Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT CABE has been warned to have low expectations about design quality when the housing market finally recovers from the recession. The warnings have come from housebuilders, professionals and public sector alike No more toxic assets, written by CABE’s chief executive Richard Simmons, aims to provide some fresh thinking on housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-more-toxic-assets-time-for-fresh-thinking-on-house-building 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-more-toxic-assets-time-for-fresh-thinking-on-house-building Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The first indications of the impact of the fallout from the Baby P case will be unveiled at a major Local Government Association conference on child protection A new poll commissioned by the LGA and carried out by ComRes has found that: 42% of people say their opinion of child social workers has got worse since the tragic case of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/opinion-poll-shows-impact-of-baby-p-case-on-protecting-children 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/opinion-poll-shows-impact-of-baby-p-case-on-protecting-children Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT On-the-ground research announced by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare shows that public sector organisations could be collectively overspending by up to £121million on obligatory eyecare for their staff The Health and Safety Regulations require employers to provide all employees who use visual display units, with eye tests, when... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-public-sector-organisations-vastly-over-paying-for-obligatory-eyecare 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-public-sector-organisations-vastly-over-paying-for-obligatory-eyecare Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan have announced the names and details of 32 projects across the country which will share in money from the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund The £5.1m Community Leadership Fund aims to support Muslim communities to tackle violent extremism. The successful projects will help build... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/empowering-community-leaders 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/empowering-community-leaders Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT CABE and Natural England have called for a major shift of public funding towards the greening of England’s towns and cities In advance of their ParkCity conference, CABE and Natural England are calling on local and central government to set new priorities for funding high-quality green infrastructure, highlighting the imbalance that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-advisors-demand-urgent-shift-in-public-investment-to-green-englands-cities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-advisors-demand-urgent-shift-in-public-investment-to-green-englands-cities Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have announced details of a new multi million pound fund to support communities in managing local pressures from migration The long term benefit to the UK economy from migration is significant and will be vital to ensuring the UK's economic recovery. Nonetheless the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-announces-70m-fund-to-support-communities-with-migration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-announces-70m-fund-to-support-communities-with-migration Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the publication of the Conservative Green Paper, Control Shift: Returning Power to Local Communities, the Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr Margaret Eaton, said: “The Conservative Green Paper on local government stated aim of giving more power to local councils and people is an excellent step in the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-conservative-local-government-green-paper 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-conservative-local-government-green-paper Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have published a list of 200 words that public bodies should not use if they want to communicate effectively with local people The Local Government Association list, which has been sent to councils across the country, sets out 200 words and phrases that all public sector bodies should avoid when talking to people about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-urges-the-public-sector-to-ditch-jargon-to-help-people-during-the-recession 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-urges-the-public-sector-to-ditch-jargon-to-help-people-during-the-recession Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON has condemned Nottingham City Council for announcing the closure of daycare centres and libraries on local radio without any advance notice to staff. The news story broke against a background of plans for £12m cuts, which UNISON believes will mean 400 redundancies and major cuts to services. “It beggars belief that any... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-announces-cuts-on-radio 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-announces-cuts-on-radio Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce has published two Gateway reviews into the ID cards programme following a decision made by the Information Tribunal on the 19th February Introduced in 2001 as a mandatory tool for central Government, OGC Gateway™ reviews have made a real contribution to the successful delivery of public services and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-discloses-gateway-reviews-on-id-card-scheme 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-discloses-gateway-reviews-on-id-card-scheme Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT There has been an increase in people struggling to find a roof over their head, needing debt and employment advice and applying to councils for free school meals, a new report will reveal A survey of local authorities shows that across the country businesses, residents and public sector organisations are feeling the effects of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recession-causes-upsurge-in-demand-for-public-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recession-causes-upsurge-in-demand-for-public-services Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Almost nine out of ten councils are experiencing or anticipate an increase in demand for social housing because of the recession, new research has revealed. A survey of council leaders conducted by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, shows that 57 per cent of authorities are seeing more people in need... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-demand-for-social-housing-fuelled-by-recession 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-demand-for-social-housing-fuelled-by-recession Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Nottingham commuters have been met by billboards in the city calling on the council to 'Cut waste not jobs'. The billboards, at three places in the city, are the latest step in a campaign against job cuts being mounted by the local UNISON branch and ask: "Why is Nottingham City Council slashing jobs and services but wasting millions on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/billboards-highlight-cuts-fight 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/billboards-highlight-cuts-fight Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following the publication of Lord Laming’s report to review progress on the recommendations of his landmark review into Victoria Climbié's death in the wake of the Baby P case, Chairman of the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, Cllr Margaret Eaton, said: “We are not here to make excuses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-respond-to-laming-report-into-child-protection 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-respond-to-laming-report-into-child-protection Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey was announced an additional £750,000 cash injection to help provide practical advice to people in coalfield communities on getting through these tough economic times. The new funding will go towards a new £1million scheme to be run by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. It will give... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-announces-practical-support-for-coalfield-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-announces-practical-support-for-coalfield-communities Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Local Authority, ALMO and TMO Relationships – a Good Practice Guide has been jointly authored by key players in the sector, the National Federation of ALMOs, the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations and Councils With ALMOs Group. It follows a recent government consultation on tenant empowerment, which signalled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-minister-iain-wright-mp-has-launched-a-major-new-guide-on-how-best-to-provide-tenant-services-in-social-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-minister-iain-wright-mp-has-launched-a-major-new-guide-on-how-best-to-provide-tenant-services-in-social-housing Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union has expressed its deep opposition to Lord Mandelson’s decision to outsource the delivery of a new helpline for vulnerable workers experiencing employment rights violations. The move to outsource the new single enforcement hotline, which includes advice on the national minimum wage, comes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mandelson-to-outsource-vulnerable-worker-hotline 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mandelson-to-outsource-vulnerable-worker-hotline Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The world of politics is to be opened up to young people as new opportunities to become a young mayor with a real mandate and a real budget were introduced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears. The elected Mayors represent youngsters aged between 11 and 18 years old, giving them a voice to influence decisions made by their local council.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-more-young-mayors-unveiled 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-more-young-mayors-unveiled Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT In a recent response to the Government’s Draft Planning Policy Statement on Eco-towns, CIWEM raises its concerns over whether eco-towns will further the aims of sustainable development. Eco-towns are proposed as a response to the challenges of climate change, sustainable living and the need to increase housing supply. However, CIWEM... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/will-eco-towns-further-the-aims-of-sustainable-development 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/will-eco-towns-further-the-aims-of-sustainable-development Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister Margaret Beckett has announced new support to help councils cut their planned rent increases for tenants in the current economic climate. The average guideline rent increase for 2009/10 will be halved from 6.2 per cent to 3.1 per cent for local authority tenants, to encourage councils to reduce the amount tenants would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-listens-to-london-councils-call-to-cut-rent-increases 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-listens-to-london-councils-call-to-cut-rent-increases Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ambitious IT professionals must sets their sights on becoming their organisation’s CIO (Chief Information Officer) and not restrict themselves to Chief Technical Officer (CTO) roles which are being diminished by the de-skilling of technology. This prediction is set out in What’s in a name? The practicalities of being a public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-professionals-must-aspire-to-the-cio-role-or-recognise-that-their-careers-may-be-limited-says-new-report-from-socitm-insight 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-professionals-must-aspire-to-the-cio-role-or-recognise-that-their-careers-may-be-limited-says-new-report-from-socitm-insight Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have reacted with dismay to the decision of ACAS arbitrators to make an additional pay award of 2.75%, an increase of 0.3% over what was paid last October, to local government staff and have warned that jobs may now have to be shed to pay for the award. Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr Margaret Eaton... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jobs-will-have-to-go-to-meet-council-workers-pay-rise 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jobs-will-have-to-go-to-meet-council-workers-pay-rise Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT A leading Scottish recycling network has called for greater co-operation between local authorities and community recycling organisations if they are to achieve the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste objectives. Community Recycling Network Scotland (CRNS), which has a 160 strong membership, says that while there are excellent examples... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-support-results-in-more-than-waste-recycling-for-local-communities 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-support-results-in-more-than-waste-recycling-for-local-communities Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new construction contract for public sector employers has been launched by the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT). The Consultancy Agreement (Public Sector) (CA) is designed for use by public sector employers who wish to engage a consultant, regardless of discipline, in relation to construction works. The agreement is written so as to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-public-sector-consultancy-agreement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-public-sector-consultancy-agreement Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT The publication of the Audit Commission’s assessment of single tier and county councils across England, and the final allocation of stars to individual local authorities has revealed that the number of top-performing English councils has almost tripled since Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) - the Audit Commission’s annual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/record-number-of-councils-achieve-top-four-star-rating-in-the-last-ever-cpa 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/record-number-of-councils-achieve-top-four-star-rating-in-the-last-ever-cpa Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Think Tank Policy Exchange and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) have launched a new report Litterbugs to highlight the blight of littering in Britain, and to propose new means of cracking down on those responsible. Since the 1960s the amount of litter dropped annually has shot up by 500 per cent, and local authorities are now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stopping-the-litter-bugs 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stopping-the-litter-bugs Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council Tax bills in Wales will increase by an average 4.1% this year, more than 35% higher for Band D than the average 3% rise in England. The figures come from the annual Council Tax Survey from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) which is released today. The average Welsh bill will be £1,087, while for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welsh-council-tax-bills-to-rise-by-41 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welsh-council-tax-bills-to-rise-by-41 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey has confirmed that 360 councils will receive their share of £100million within the next few days, to be used as they see fit to help meet local needs and priorities - particularly helpful in this difficult economic climate. This extra funding comes from the Local Authority Business Growth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100m-boost-to-council-coffers-as-they-help-communities-through-the-credit-crunch 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100m-boost-to-council-coffers-as-they-help-communities-through-the-credit-crunch Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Dave Prentis has joined with the leaders of the affiliated trade unions to warn, in a letter to the Guardian, that the government must honour its pledges and keep the post office public. The letter says: At Warwick University, in the summer of 2008, the affiliated trade unions collectively participated in a series of policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drop-post-office-privatisation-labour-warned 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drop-post-office-privatisation-labour-warned Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local residents are to be given more time to respond to the Government's second eco-towns public consultation after Housing Minister Margaret Beckett extended the deadline for responses. The consultation on the draft Planning Policy Statement and Sustainability Appraisal on eco-towns has now been extended to Thursday 30 April, meaning it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eco-towns-public-consultation-deadline-extended 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eco-towns-public-consultation-deadline-extended Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT A wide-reaching consultation on improving opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people was announced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears. A new report demonstrates that the Government has made significant progress in tackling race equality in everything from the job market and health services, to education, housing and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-outlines-new-plans-for-achieving-race-equality-in-the-uk 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-outlines-new-plans-for-achieving-race-equality-in-the-uk Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Half of councils in England have axed jobs in the last few months and seven in ten anticipate further redundancies as the recession hits local government, town hall leaders are warning. A survey of 129 council leaders by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, reveals the tough decisions that town halls are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-councils-forced-to-cut-jobs-to-help-balance-budgets 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-councils-forced-to-cut-jobs-to-help-balance-budgets Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT A review of construction contracts commissioned by the Office of Government Commerce has found that the Joint Contracts Tribunal Constructing Excellence agreement, satisfies all the principles of the OGC’s Achieving Excellence in Construction initiative. The recognition that the contract fulfils the OGC’s criteria provides... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-choice-of-construction-contracts 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-choice-of-construction-contracts Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT High streets across the country risk becoming ‘ghost towns’ unless urgent action is taken to fill empty shops created by the recession, town hall leaders have warned. New figures, published by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, show: ? over four out of five councils are reporting an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-to-stop-high-streets-becoming-ghost-towns 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-to-stop-high-streets-becoming-ghost-towns Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT Excessive food packaging used by supermarkets is undermining householders’ efforts to recycle more and is adding to council tax bills, says a new report. In its third survey of the food packaging found in a typical basket of shopping, the Local Government Association, a cross-party organisation representing councils in England... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/excessive-packaging-increases-council-tax 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/excessive-packaging-increases-council-tax Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils can make even greater savings through improved procurement processes and give council taxpayers even greater value for money finds the independent Roots Review. The Review of Arrangements for Efficiencies from Smarter Procurement in Local Government, carried out by Bill Roots, former Westminster City Council Chief Executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-council-savings-possible-with-smarter-procurement- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-council-savings-possible-with-smarter-procurement- Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT In the current economy local authorities need to deliver vital services even more efficiently - and the Roots Review has shown millions more can be saved through improved procurement, the Local Government Minister has said. Bill Roots carried out an urgent review of local government procurement to identify more ways to help councils reach... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-calls-for-greater-efficiency-from-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-calls-for-greater-efficiency-from-councils Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT In response to the news that repossessions last year rose by over 50%, the Local Government Association has warned that five million people could be waiting for a council house by 2010. Chairman of the Local Government Association's Environment Board, Cllr Paul Bettison, said: “With the banks overstretching their credit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/jump-in-repossessions-could-see-five-million-waiting-for-a-council-house-by-2010 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/jump-in-repossessions-could-see-five-million-waiting-for-a-council-house-by-2010 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Britain risks the creation of a 'lost generation' of young people falling into long-term unemployment because of the recession unless action is taken now, says an LGA report. The report, published by the Local Government Association, also warns that it could take up to a decade for some parts of the country to recover fully from the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lost-generation-of-unemployed-young-people-could-be-created-by-recession 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lost-generation-of-unemployed-young-people-could-be-created-by-recession Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON is urging members to join the TUC-supported lobby of Parliament on 3 March to protest against government plans to make unemployed people work for their benefits. The plans are contained in the Welfare Reform Bill, which is due to finish its Commons committee stage on 3 March. Plans in the Bill include: • requiring... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prentis-urges-members-to-lobby-against-benefit-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prentis-urges-members-to-lobby-against-benefit-plans Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Council emergency planning teams are on high alert following severe weather warnings from the Met office threatening heavy rain and possible flooding for the South of England. With freezing temperatures expected and flooding possibly occurring during the early hours of the morning, in the worst case scenario, councils will be preparing to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-on-high-alert-as-flood-warnings-rise 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-on-high-alert-as-flood-warnings-rise Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Potholes caused by the recent severe weather conditions are appearing across the country’s road network and councils are taking every step necessary to identify problem areas and ensure public safety. The worst conditions in up to 27 years have left roads exposed to a condition known as “freeze-thaw”, which damages the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-working-flat-out-to-repair-potholes-caused-by-severe-weather 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-working-flat-out-to-repair-potholes-caused-by-severe-weather Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Councils need local people to know the facts about how public services are performing, and the Local Government Association is seeking urgent answers to councils' concerns that Comprehensive Area Assessment will not help drive forward improvement as effectively as it should. The framework for CAA has been published today ahead of coming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-publication-of-caa-framework 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-publication-of-caa-framework Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON and other council unions have put their case for a larger 2008-9 pay award in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ACAS. The trade union presented their submission and supporting evidence in an oral hearing, followed by the employers. The unions argued that local government has treated workers on National Joint Council terms... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-pay-goes-to-acas 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-pay-goes-to-acas Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Plans for the new independent National Tenant Voice, which will give tenants a say on the housing issues affecting them, have been published and accepted by Ministers. The proposals suggested by tenants include a National Tenant Council made up of 50 social housing tenants from across the country to advise the NTV Board on issues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-tenant-voice-begins-to-take-shape 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-tenant-voice-begins-to-take-shape Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Tax workers from around the UK headed to the House of Commons on Wednesday the 11th of February for a rally and a lobby of MPs over job cuts and office closures in a mass lobby of parliament organised by PCS. The lobby and rally are part of the union’s HOOT (Hands off our tax offices) campaign and comes in response to a programme of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tax-workers-lobby-mps-over-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tax-workers-lobby-mps-over-cuts Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT In repsonse to unemployment figures showing two million people out of work, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association said: "Every single person being made redundant or having difficulty making ends meet should contact their council to make sure that they are getting all the advice, support and benefits they're... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unemployment-to-top-two-million 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unemployment-to-top-two-million Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Young Muslims Advisory Group will hold their first formal meeting with Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls. The group launched late last year and was set up to help Government deepen its engagement with young Muslims. On the agenda for the first meeting will be discussions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/young-muslims-advisory-group-holds-their-first-meeting-with-hazel-blears-and-ed-balls 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/young-muslims-advisory-group-holds-their-first-meeting-with-hazel-blears-and-ed-balls Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new scheme to provide safe accommodation for people at serious risk of violence associated with gang or weapon crime will begin this month in Southwark. Funded jointly by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Metropolitan police Southwark Council's new initiative 'SERVE' - Southwark Rehousing Victims of Violence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/help-for-those-escaping-gang-crime 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/help-for-those-escaping-gang-crime Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Following further exceptionally cold weather and heavy snowfall and council gritters continuing to operate on a twenty-four hour non-stop rota, a number of councils are now experiencing shortages of salt because stocks are running low. Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, Cllr Paul Bettison... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/latest-update-on-council-grit-supplies- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/latest-update-on-council-grit-supplies- Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT London’s creative sector is to benefit from funding worth £2 million by the London Development Agency. The funding is supporting Metropolitan Works, a creative business centre at London Metropolitan University. The new centre will offer state-of-the-art technology, training and workspace for designers, engineers, and artists... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lda-provides-2-million-boost-to-hi-tech-design-and-manufacturing-in-london 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lda-provides-2-million-boost-to-hi-tech-design-and-manufacturing-in-london Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Nottingham City branch of UNISON has succeeded in getting the council to defer a decision to axe hundreds of jobs. Hundreds of union members braved the winter weather to rally in the city’s Market Square as councillors were due to discuss plans to delete up to 800 posts. UNISON believes this could mean 400 compulsory... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-members-rally-against-job-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-members-rally-against-job-cuts Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Since its very recent launch, a service that promotes open conversation between constituents and their MPs and PPCs has gained an ardent political following, with 15 MPs and 20 PPCs becoming the first MPs to Tweet. Tweetminster.co.uk is a service that makes it easy to connect voters with MPs using Twitter. The service has recently... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/political-unity-as-all-parties-turn-to-twitter 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/political-unity-as-all-parties-turn-to-twitter Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The lives of more than 40,000 people could be needlessly lost this winter as a direct result of the cold and snow, council bosses have warned. With the country shivering under the worst snow in nearly two decades councils are issuing a three point plan residents can follow to help prevent as many unnecessary deaths as possible. Last... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-look-and-act 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-look-and-act Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNISON has called on the Conservative Party to stop complaining about shortages of social workers – as the answer to the problem lies in its own hands. General secretary Dave Prentis said: "Only last week, UNISON described the shortage of social workers as a "ticking time bomb" and called on councils to take urgent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-tells-tories-to-act-on-social-worker-shortages 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-tells-tories-to-act-on-social-worker-shortages Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT A series of proposals which will see councils investing billions of pounds in local economies, and people and small businesses being helped through the recession, are to be unveiled today by council leaders. In a letter to Hazel Blears, the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, has set out a ten point plan... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-multi-billion-pound-recovery-plan-unveiled 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-multi-billion-pound-recovery-plan-unveiled Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hammersmith & Fulham Council is improving the experience for customers phoning the council by transferring its contact centre to a new high-tech facility. The considerable technical advantages that the move will bring about will mean highly experienced customer service experts having greater capacity to handle enquiries from residents of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-improved-contact-centre 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-improved-contact-centre Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Parkinson report rightly recognises the credit crunch's impact on regeneration but it also says with the right long term vision and support, like Government's action to bring forward funding, it can come through the downturn, said Local Government Minister John Healey. John Healey thanked Professor Parkinson for his independent report... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-parkinson-right-that-regeneration-can-come-through-downturn 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-parkinson-right-that-regeneration-can-come-through-downturn Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the Equalities and Human Rights Commissions report ‘Map of Gaps’, Cllr Ann Lucas, LGA spokeswoman on domestic violence, said: “Women and men who experience violence don’t just get help and support from councils. Councils work with other organisations like the police, the health service and voluntary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/irresponsible-and-alarmist-lga-response-to-equalities-and-human-rights-commission-report-map-of-gaps 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/irresponsible-and-alarmist-lga-response-to-equalities-and-human-rights-commission-report-map-of-gaps Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Improvement and Development Agency’s online network, communities of practice, have been awarded a National e-Government Award for excellence in leadership and professionalism. The e-Government awards were presented by Minister Tom Watson MP and Government Chief Information Officer John Suffolk. The communities of practice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-facebook-scoops-e-government-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-facebook-scoops-e-government-award Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT The new Metropolitan Police Commissioner must ensure the police continue to work closely with the capital’s boroughs to ensure the issues causing the most concern to their local communities are tackled. That was the message issued by London Councils in welcoming the appointment of Sir Paul Stephenson by the Home Secretary Jacqui... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-metropolitan-police-chief-must-work-with-boroughs-for-benefit-of-local-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-metropolitan-police-chief-must-work-with-boroughs-for-benefit-of-local-communities Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT Town hall leaders have today pledged to create 7,500 new apprenticeships, designed to help kick-start the careers of young people in England. The scheme, announced today by the Local Government Association, Local Government Employers and the Improvement and Development Agency, will double the number of local government apprentices to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-announce-7500-new-apprenticeships 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-announce-7500-new-apprenticeships Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT £73.1bn for English councils next year guaranteeing a 4.2 per cent funding increase, despite the economic downturn, demonstrates the Government's commitment to vital council services Local Government Minister John Healey announced to today. Details of the 2009-10 council finance grants, year two of the first ever three year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-healey-confirms-every-council-guaranteed-grant-increase-despite-downturn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-healey-confirms-every-council-guaranteed-grant-increase-despite-downturn Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the announcement that no councils have come forward to participate in pilot schemes to encourage recycling, Cllr Richard Kemp, Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association, said: “The LGA has lobbied for councils to be able to introduce waste incentive schemes if and when it’s right to do so and in a way that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decision-to-avoid-bin-pilots-unsurprising 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decision-to-avoid-bin-pilots-unsurprising Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT A fix-it scheme that offers a willing pair of hands for odd jobs around the house has received government praise. Greenwich Council’s Handy Person service provides tradesmen to carry out handy and essential jobs for elderly and vulnerable people. The free service has been running for three years and is available to over 60s, sick... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-praise-for-councils-service 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-praise-for-councils-service Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local areas should be allowed greater discretion in the way they design and build new schools, according to a new report by NLGN. The paper argues for central bodies to loosen their hold on the reins of the Government’s £45 billion Building Schools for the Future programme so that schools, parents, pupils and elected... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-discretion-for-building-new-schools 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-discretion-for-building-new-schools Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT • Local authorities will spend more than £3.2bn on IT in 2008/9 • Access to information, security and privacy has leapt up the management agenda since 2007 • ICT is too often regarded as a utility rather than a means to transform public services • A range of initiatives are being pursued to deliver... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authority-ict-spend-in-2008-9-reaches-an-all-time-high- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authority-ict-spend-in-2008-9-reaches-an-all-time-high- Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT London Councils has criticised the Taxpayers' Alliance report on middle manager pay, warning that the report includes teachers' salaries in with those they term 'middle managers'. This is misleading because teachers' pay is set by national government and councils merely pay them. There have been significant increases in the pay and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-warns-on-misleading-taxpayers-alliance-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-warns-on-misleading-taxpayers-alliance-report Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the new Government figures that almost 1.8million households, or 4.5million people, are now on social housing waiting lists, Local Government Association Housing spokesman, Cllr Paul Bettison, said: “With the banks overstretching their credit facilities it could well mean that in the coming months that councils will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-person-in-twelve-now-on-social-housing-waiting-list- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-person-in-twelve-now-on-social-housing-waiting-list- Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson has joined the Prime Minister in recognising innovative ways technology is used to make public services more accessible and efficient. Speaking at the annual Public Technology E-Government Awards in London Tom Watson said the awards were proof that public services are being made not only stronger but... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/technology-can-make-our-public-services-even-better-says-minister 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/technology-can-make-our-public-services-even-better-says-minister Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Thirteen London boroughs have joined forces with the European Social Fund (ESF) to deliver more than £8 million to projects seeking to help Londoners into paid work. Nineteen different projects will receive the funding under the ESF framework, which was set up to improve the skills and employment of people throughout the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boroughs-team-up-with-europe-to-help-more-londoners-back-to-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boroughs-team-up-with-europe-to-help-more-londoners-back-to-work Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT The fifth census of councillors from the Local Government Association (LGA) and Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA) shows that little has changed in the diversity of community representatives. Key findings and comparisons are: • The number of female councillors has risen to 30.8 per cent, this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillor-census-shows-demographics-havent-changed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillor-census-shows-demographics-havent-changed Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT The UK’s largest civil service union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has branded Lord Digby Jones’ comments about the civil service, as narrow minded, naive and insulting. Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, responded to Lord Jones’s comments which were made to a committee of MPs, saying: “These... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/digby-jones-comments-nave-and-insulting-says-civil-service-union 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/digby-jones-comments-nave-and-insulting-says-civil-service-union Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new service has launched that means that public sector services are able to find sign language interpreters at the touch of a button. The National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD) has launched a free-to-access database of contact details for registered professionals. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-now-easier-to-provide-public-sector-services-to-deaf-people- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-now-easier-to-provide-public-sector-services-to-deaf-people- Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Merseyside, Leicestershire and the Pennines will be devolved more local autonomy to deliver home-grown economic resilience, jobs and skills plans, following the signing of three historic council partnership contracts by the Prime Minister and council leaders today. The new council partnerships, known as Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs), will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-council-economic-unions-to-boost-local-skills-and-jobs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-council-economic-unions-to-boost-local-skills-and-jobs Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT The number of Members of Parliament on Twitter has nearly doubled since Christmas, Members of Parliament recently used Twitter during Prime Minister’s Question Time and George Foulkes has become the first Lord to join the site. TweetMinster.co.uk the service that makes it easy to connect the public with MPs using Twitter announced today... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-number-of-mps-on-twitter-keeps-growing 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-number-of-mps-on-twitter-keeps-growing Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Local areas should be allowed greater discretion in the way they design and build new schools, according to a new report published by the New Local Government Network (NLGN). The paper argues for central bodies to loosen their hold on the reins of the Government’s £45 billion Building Schools for the Future programme so that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thinktank-calls-for-freedoms-for-new-schools 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thinktank-calls-for-freedoms-for-new-schools Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT People across England and Wales can now access details of crime trends in the areas where they live at the push of a button. The Neighbourhood crime maps provide a rich picture of crime in police force areas. The public can now access crime maps on the websites of all 43 police forces to see volume of crime as well as crime trends and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crime-maps-online-across-england-and-wales- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crime-maps-online-across-england-and-wales- Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT With the country gripped by one of the harshest cold snaps for years and predictions of the worst outbreak of flu for nearly a decade, councils are stepping up their vital efforts to stop vulnerable older people dying unnecessarily. Last winter the cold was blamed for more than 25,000 extra deaths in England and Wales, the vast majority... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keeping-out-the-killer-cold-councils-protect-people-as-the-big-freeze-bites 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keeping-out-the-killer-cold-councils-protect-people-as-the-big-freeze-bites Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT London’s local authorities are ready and able to play a pivotal role in supporting the capital’s businesses and residents through the challenges of the economic downturn says London Councils Chairman Councillor Merrick Cockell. Speaking at last night’s (Thursday) annual London Government Dinner at the Mansion House, Cllr... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-local-authorities-ready-for-key-role-in-leading-capital-through-economic-downturn- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-local-authorities-ready-for-key-role-in-leading-capital-through-economic-downturn- Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has today launched two new tools aimed at driving success in the procurement and delivery of complex public sector IT programmes and projects. The first, a procurement Pre-Qualification Tool (PQT) aimed principally at the procurement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, looks... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-launches-new-tools-to-support-the-success-of-key-government-it-programmes-and-projects- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-launches-new-tools-to-support-the-success-of-key-government-it-programmes-and-projects- Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT A support programme worth £2.26million to make the move from welfare to work easier for citizens in disadvantaged areas is to be considered by Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet on January 12. The two-year package, using Working Neighbourhoods Fund money, would see those living in priority areas (places of high unemployment)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/support-for-citizens-returning-to-work 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/support-for-citizens-returning-to-work Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Sustainable transport charity, Sustrans, is calling on local authorities to apply for funding to develop safer and healthier routes to schools in their area. The £17 million for the 'Links to Schools' programme is part of £140 million announced earlier this year by the Department for Transport to promote cycling. The 'Links to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustrans-calls-on-local-authorities-to-spend-17-million-on-safe-routes-to-school- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustrans-calls-on-local-authorities-to-spend-17-million-on-safe-routes-to-school- Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT A new coalition of leading UK environmental and social justice groups, convened by Oxfam and nef (the new economics foundation) and including Friends of the Earth and the Royal College of Nursing, says the government cannot choose between tackling poverty and climate change; it must begin to tackle these related issues together and it must... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tackling-climate-change-will-help-us-fight-poverty-and-beat-the-downturn-says-new-report 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tackling-climate-change-will-help-us-fight-poverty-and-beat-the-downturn-says-new-report Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT The Government should seize the opportunity to invest in flood defences and infrastructure to protect people from more cases of extreme weather, according to council leaders A major new joint survey to be published by the Local Government Association and DEFRA will reveal that while councils are keen to take a stronger leadership role in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/act-now-to-prevent-more-flooding 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/act-now-to-prevent-more-flooding Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local PCS reps led a protest against the British National Party's plans to hold a Christmas quiz and social evening Ore community centre in Old London Road on Monday night. However when local media made the community centre aware of the demo late yesterday afternoon, management backed down and cancelled the BNP’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/campaigners-victory-keeps-bnp-out-of-hastings 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/campaigners-victory-keeps-bnp-out-of-hastings Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Child protection services need a 'root and branch' shake-up in the way they operate, says UNISON in its latest submission to the ongoing to Laming inquiry looking at issues raised by the Baby P case in Haringey Drawing on the direct experience of social workers, the union is suggesting a 10-point plan for change aimed at delivering safer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/childrens-social-work-needs-root-and-branch-shake-up 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/childrens-social-work-needs-root-and-branch-shake-up Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Minister for the Third Sector today challenged the third sector to show the way in transforming public services. A series of documents published today details the Government’s commitment to working in partnership with charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises at the vanguard of 21st century public services. Kevin... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-challenges-third-sector-to-lead-the-way-in-transforming-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-challenges-third-sector-to-lead-the-way-in-transforming-public-services Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the rejection of congestion charging in the Greater Manchester referendum, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Manchester’s decision is a good example of local people having their say about the things that affect them most and deciding what’s right for their area. These... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-manchester-c-charge-vote 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-manchester-c-charge-vote Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT More tenants will be able to ‘have a greater say over their housing options and where they wish to live following a £1 million allocation’ announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright. Over 30 councils, with their partner housing associations, will be able to offer greater choice to new and existing tenants after... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-funding-for-housing-choice 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-funding-for-housing-choice Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Town hall leaders will today propose that the Government sets aside a £1.5bn fund to help around 60,000 first time buyers onto the property ladder, as part of a package of proposals to kickstart the housing market and cut the council house waiting list At a speech to housing chiefs in London today, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-fund-needed-to-help-60000-onto-the-property-ladder 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-fund-needed-to-help-60000-onto-the-property-ladder Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the Children’s Secretary Ed Balls’ announcement of a taskforce to strengthen social work with children, LGA Chairman, Cllr Margaret Eaton, said: “At a recent LGA summit, council leaders agreed a comprehensive plan for the short, medium and long term to ensure that councils can improve the protection of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-care-taskforce-key-to-training-and-support-for-child-social-workers- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-care-taskforce-key-to-training-and-support-for-child-social-workers- Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to Environment Agency Chairman’s call for councils to “hold their nerve” and continue to invest in recycling services, despite recent downturns in the market for recycled materials, Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said: “Councils are already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-environment-agency-recycling-claims-are-unhelpful-and-untrue 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-environment-agency-recycling-claims-are-unhelpful-and-untrue Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the report into the sad death of Baby P, Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr Margaret Eaton said: "Councillors and council staff will agree with the report that safeguarding children in Haringey has gone terribly wrong. The report will give children’s services in the borough the chance for a fresh start... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leaders-respond-to-baby-p-report 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leaders-respond-to-baby-p-report Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the measures proposed in the Policing and Crime Bill, which will give councils greater powers to decide where lap-dancing clubs can open, Cllr Chris White, Chair of the Culture, Tourism and Sport Board at the Local Government Association, said: "The new licensing laws were intended to give local people more of a say on how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-controls-on-lap-dancing-clubs-give-local-people-their-voice-back- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-controls-on-lap-dancing-clubs-give-local-people-their-voice-back- Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government has introduced and published in Parliament a Bill which will provide new scope for councils and businesses to work together to invest in the long-term economic prosperity of their local communities. While many communities are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, these are powers for the future to enable local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-council-powers-to-boost-economic-prosperity 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-council-powers-to-boost-economic-prosperity Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government today published wide-ranging legislation that will give local people new rights to shape local services and give greater responsibility to local authorities to promote economic development helping communities respond to local challenges. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears says that it is ‘clear that Britain needs to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-legislation-to-help-build-stronger-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-legislation-to-help-build-stronger-communities Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT The financial and economic crisis hitting the world means that, now more than ever, "the time is right to stand up for workers," general secretary Dave Prentis told UNISON's national executive council in London. "It's the workers, vulnerable people, pensioners and people living on benefits who pay the price of the crisis," he noted. "It's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/now-is-the-time-to-stand-up-for-workers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/now-is-the-time-to-stand-up-for-workers Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON, the Public and Commercial Services Union and First Division Association today condemned plans to privatise early years inspections, saying the move will drive down standards and could put the safety of young children at risk. Early education and childcare inspectors working for Ofsted have the vital task of ensuring that nurseries... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-condemn-ofsted-privatisation-plans 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-condemn-ofsted-privatisation-plans Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT England's largest sponsor of academy schools will pay an extra £100 a year to low-paid support staff, matching the arrangement in local government. United Learning Trust imposed a 2.45% pay award in September, mirroring the offer from local government employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – but did not include the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/academy-sponsor-to-pay-low-paid-staff-extra 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/academy-sponsor-to-pay-low-paid-staff-extra Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Councils should be given greater responsibility for coordinating efforts to tackle rising unemployment in their local areas, an independent review has proposed. In its interim report published today for consultation the review team, chaired by Cllr Stephen Houghton of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, recommends that upper tier... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-are-key-to-tackling-worklessness 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-are-key-to-tackling-worklessness Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Following a Local Government Association summit on child protection, council leaders, charities and Directors of Children’s Services today agreed a comprehensive plan for the short, medium and long term to ensure that councils can improve the protection of vulnerable children. Discussions at the heart of the conference were centered... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-plans-for-the-future-of-child-protection 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-plans-for-the-future-of-child-protection Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT In response to the Local Government Finance Settlement, the Local Government Association, said: ? new rules on Icelandic investments would provide them with 'much needed breathing space' ? town hall leaders would once again struggle to keep council tax down because central government funding has failed to keep pace with extra demands... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-local-government-finance-settlement 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-local-government-finance-settlement Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the launch of the Location Strategy by the Government, Tim Allen of the Local Government Association said: “One of the big problems facing people when they gather information about their area is the huge number of different documents and databases out there. “The Location Strategy is a step in the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/location-location-location 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/location-location-location Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT The UK's ability to compete in a tough global economy and deliver new green infrastructure vital for reducing our carbon emissions was given a major boost today with the Royal Assent of the Planning Bill. Ministers said that this Act showed the Government is making the tough decisions needed for this country's future. During challenging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-bill-green-light-will-now-accelerate-renewable-energy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-bill-green-light-will-now-accelerate-renewable-energy Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON is urging private sector employers to do right by their workers and set up decent pension schemes. The call follows David Cameron's attack on final-salary pensions for public sector workers, which the Tory leader said were "too generous". However, Mr Cameron should be calling for an end to the real cause of pension apartheid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prentis-refutes-pensions-critics 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prentis-refutes-pensions-critics Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON and public service unions around the globe are leading the way in the fight against HIV and AIDS under the slogan "lead, empower, deliver". As the world marks the 20th World AIDS Day today, at least 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, an estimated two million people died of AIDS-related illnesses last year, and Africa alone... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/take-action-on-world-aids-day 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/take-action-on-world-aids-day Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sixty councils will benefit from increased funding to boost their housing and employment advice options for local residents, announced Communities Minister Iain Wright. The Minster revealed the winners of the second round of 'Trailblazers' housing advice programme today. The twenty projects cover sixty council areas and each scheme will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-more-councils-to-offer-homes-and-jobs-advice 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-more-councils-to-offer-homes-and-jobs-advice Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT 4ps has today published updated guidance on developments in procurement law which affect public bodies, including local authorities. Speaking today at a seminar for local government lawyers, Rob Hann, 4ps’ Legal Director, will urge local authorities involved in procurement to take note of important changes to procurement law. Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/4ps-warns-local-authorities-to-take-note-of-changes-to-procurement-law- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/4ps-warns-local-authorities-to-take-note-of-changes-to-procurement-law- Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Council gritters are on high alert to deal with the onset of bad weather as forecasters predict snow for parts of northern, central and south-east England this weekend. Local councils will be ensuring that non-motorway roads, which make up nine out of every 10 miles of the road network, are kept ice free during the cold... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gritters-on-high-alert-for-big-freeze 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gritters-on-high-alert-for-big-freeze Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT The renaissance of northern cities has positioned them relatively well to weather the economic storm, whilst London could be set to bear the brunt of the recession, according to a new report published today. The report, called ‘From Recession to recovery: the local dimension’ to be published by the Local Government Association... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-report-reveals-how-recession-could-affect-the-regions 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-report-reveals-how-recession-could-affect-the-regions Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON will not accept any attempt by employers and the government to use the recession as an excuse to put equalities issues on the back burner. "We will continue to fight prejudice and discrimination at home and abroad and demand equality for all," vowed deputy general secretary Keith Sonnet, addressing the union's annual lesbian, gay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-excuses 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-excuses Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT A council which refused to follow an employment tribunal’s orders has finally paid compensation to its former employee after pressure from UNISON. Member Paul Whittaker, from Skelton, has been waiting for more than a year for Redcar and Cleveland Council to pay him the substantial five-figure sum. The damages were ordered by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sacked-worker-wins-five-figure-sum- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sacked-worker-wins-five-figure-sum- Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Police staff members are to be balloted on a three-year pay deal. UNISON is recommending the offer, which was made at Police Staff Council pay negotiations. "It provides financial certainty for police staff over what are likely to be three difficult years in terms of public sector finances and pay awards," said national officer Ben... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-year-deal-offers-financial-certainty 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-year-deal-offers-financial-certainty Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council’s lowest paid employees will see their hourly pay rise to £1 more than the national minimum wage, if councillors approve plans on Wednesday 19th November. In the first move of its kind by a local authority outside London, members of the City Council’s personnel committee will be asked to approve... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/city-council-proposes-introduction-of-manchester-minimum-wage 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/city-council-proposes-introduction-of-manchester-minimum-wage Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities will lose vital funding for regeneration and transport schemes unless a cap is put on the amount of money London’s mayor can take from a proposed planning charge on new developments. This warning was issued by London Councils ahead of the debate in the House of Lords on last Wednesday about the government’s plans... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londoners-will-lose-out-under-new-planning-levy-warns-london-councils- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londoners-will-lose-out-under-new-planning-levy-warns-london-councils- Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Recycling will become much easier for millions of people thanks to the winner of the government's Show Us A Better Way competition. Adam Temple, the winner of the competition, said: "If it is in the database, the householder would get an immediate answer. If not, the question could be forwarded to the appropriate person in the local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/people-show-government-a-better-way 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/people-show-government-a-better-way Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have today warned that if the government fails to award the contract for administering its benefits card scheme to Post Office Ltd, it could rip the heart out of local areas across the country. In a letter to Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, council leaders have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/post-office-closures-will-rip-the-heart-out-of-local-areas 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/post-office-closures-will-rip-the-heart-out-of-local-areas Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cash-strapped councils need money to make sure they can provide people with decent homes, says UNISON. The union is urging the government to front up the cash to help councils build new homes, and to upgrade the homes of existing tenants to meet national standards. Speaking from the union's housing seminar in Birmingham today, UNISON... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-calls-on-government-to-fund-council-houses 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-calls-on-government-to-fund-council-houses Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Floods Recovery Minister John Healey today announced that 25 councils helping over 1,500 flood-hit families pay their council tax bills will share over £1.2 million Government funding. While many of these families affected by last summer's floods are now back home, this step - in recognition of special circumstances - will help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1500-flood-hit-families-to-receive-help-with-council-tax-bills 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1500-flood-hit-families-to-receive-help-with-council-tax-bills Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT In response to the Government announcement setting out a draft Planning Policy Statement on eco towns, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "Everyone recognises the need for more housing and to reduce our carbon footprint. The LGA fully supports any eco town scheme which has the backing of councils and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/approach-to-eco-towns-is-ill-advised 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/approach-to-eco-towns-is-ill-advised Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on Ed Balls’ attack on the London Living Wage, UNISON General Secretary said: “A shocking 40% of London’s children live in poverty, which means that millions of families in the city are struggling to make ends meet. The London Living wage is a real opportunity to help these families cope with the high cost of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ed-ball-challenged-on-london-living-wage 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ed-ball-challenged-on-london-living-wage Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates to 3% is "a step in the right direction," says UNISON. "We have been calling for a cut in interest rates and we are pleased to see it has been adopted." commented general secretary Dave Prentis after the bank cut rates by 1.5%. "Banks and building societies must pass on that cut... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/interest-rate-cut-welcomed 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/interest-rate-cut-welcomed Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON is fighting for the right to expel British National Party activists from membership and restore key trade union freedoms lost during the Thatcher era. Along with other trade unions and MPs concerned with social justice issues, the union is calling on the government to support amendments to the employment bill, which enters its... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-vote-on-union-rights 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-vote-on-union-rights Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on new figures which show the national household recycling and composting rate has risen to 34.5 per cent in 2007/8 from 30.9 per cent in 2006/7, Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said: “It is very encouraging to see people doing their bit for the environment by recycling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycling-rates-rise-but-still-more-to-do- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycling-rates-rise-but-still-more-to-do- Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Steps to close a loophole in licensing laws, which is allowing a rash of lap-dancing clubs and undermining local democracy, must be taken urgently says the Local Government Association. In a speech on how best to reform the Licensing Act, Deputy Chair of the Association, Richard Kemp, will call for the reclassification of the clubs as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-on-lap-dancing-loophole 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-on-lap-dancing-loophole Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT The law must be toughened to allow councils to tackle louts who throw rubbish from cars, council leaders warned today. New powers to help local authorities take action against motorists who throw litter out of vehicles has been put on hold after an error in the drafting of legislation. Councils in London were to receive new powers to use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/close-the-litter-loophole 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/close-the-litter-loophole Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Minister for London Tony McNulty and Mayor of London Boris Johnson have today announced the establishment of a high-powered group to focus on the economic difficulties facing the capital. The group will bring together senior leaders from politics, business and the public sector to help guide London's economy through the downturn and enable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-for-london-and-mayor-launch-high-level-group-to-tackle-challenges-to-londons-economy- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-for-london-and-mayor-launch-high-level-group-to-tackle-challenges-to-londons-economy- Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new national billboard campaign encouraging young people and communities to stand together against knife crime has been launched by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. The new interactive campaign will run in phases throughout the next three months in urban, residential areas across England and Wales, including the ten areas involved in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-national-billboard-campaign-to-unite-communities-against-knife-crime- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-national-billboard-campaign-to-unite-communities-against-knife-crime- Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Aviation and shipping emissions will be included in targets for shrinking the country’s carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. UNISON has hailed the move as a victory in the fight against climate change. It will make the UK’s forthcoming climate change laws even stronger. The union has pressed the government long and hard to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tougher-greenhouse-targets-welcome 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tougher-greenhouse-targets-welcome Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON and equal pay campaigners the Fawcett Society have again joined forces to declare 30 October Women's No Pay Day. Because despite the Equal Pay Act coming into force 30 years ago, women working full-time are still earning less than men. Fawcett Society research shows that women are worse off than men by around £4,000 a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/womens-pay-stops-this-week 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/womens-pay-stops-this-week Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cambridgeshire County Council is helping local businesses in tougher economic times by ensuring that they receive prompt payment for goods or services supplied The County Council is a huge consumer of goods and services, the majority of which are provided by locally based suppliers; the authority has 14,000 suppliers with either a CB or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-helps-cambridgeshire-businesses-through-tough-times 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-helps-cambridgeshire-businesses-through-tough-times Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The LGA has won a major award for its communications on behalf of the sector. The association's media team was last night named as Public Sector Department of the Year in the PR Week awards The LGA's media work impressed the judges because it generates positive coverage of councils in the national media, rebuts negative stories about them... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-wins-national-pr-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-wins-national-pr-award Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Discrimination is not a significant cause of differences in pay between men and women according to new research released by the Institute of Economic Affairs The report – “Should we mind the gap?” – written by Professor J. R. Shackleton concludes that “we should make far less of a song and dance about the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-discrimination-in-pay-gap 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-discrimination-in-pay-gap Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The national executive committee of the Public and Commercial Services Union, today agreed the first stages of a programme of national industrial action across civil and public services over the government's public sector pay cap The union urged the government to come to the negotiating table to avoid damaging industrial action and review... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pcs-calls-on-government-to-avoid-damaging-strike 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pcs-calls-on-government-to-avoid-damaging-strike Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Business and trade union leaders have joined forces to call on UK employers not to slash staff training in a bid to cut costs as the economic downturn bites In an open letter published in major newspapers yesterday, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber and some of the UK’s top business people, including CBI director general Richard... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/slash-staff-training-at-your-peril 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/slash-staff-training-at-your-peril Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Due to concerns about the affect that the proposed Kyle wind farm would have on aviation safety and the local landscape, the Scottish Government has turned down its application Apart from worries about how the farm would impact local scenery, there were also worries about whether the farm would interfere with radar systems at Prestwick... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-wind-is-taken-from-the-sails 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-wind-is-taken-from-the-sails Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT “The downturn challenges all in councils to ask: what more we can do to help protect families and vulnerable individuals?” This was the statement made by Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, when she addressed the National Children and Adult Services Conference 2008, held in Liverpool 1500... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-more-we-can-do-to-help-protect-families-and-vulnerable-individuals 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-more-we-can-do-to-help-protect-families-and-vulnerable-individuals Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT As the UK stands up to the challenges of the global economic climate, James Purnell and John Denham have joined forces to announce a massive cash injection of £100m over the next three years to give much needed help to people who lose their jobs. The extra cash will be available for people who are currently facing redundancy and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100m-cash-boost-to-help-britains-unemployed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100m-cash-boost-to-help-britains-unemployed Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON’s northern region has joined forces with the TUC for a week of anti-fascist campaigning aimed at Durham workplaces. Phil Wilson, the MP for Sedgefield, launched the Durham Anti-Fascist Week at the northern regional conference on Saturday 11 October. He gave an impassioned speech, urging people to get involved in fighting the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/antifascist-message-taken-into-workplaces 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/antifascist-message-taken-into-workplaces Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local government employers and the trade unions have agreed that staff will receive the 2008/09 pay offer. The employers’ side of the National Joint Council made a final pay offer of 2.45 per cent, plus an additional £100 a year for the lowest paid grades. No agreement has been reached and Unison and Unite have already... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-staff-to-receive-2008-09-pay-offer 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-staff-to-receive-2008-09-pay-offer Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government has agreed to continue to work with the Local Government Association, administrators and the Icelandic authorities, to find ‘the best and most rapid resolution’ of the situation relating to Icelandic banks and the deposits made by local councils. 13 Councils have said that they may face short term difficulties... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-commits-to-best-and-most-rapid-resolution-to-council-deposits-in-icelandic-banks 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-commits-to-best-and-most-rapid-resolution-to-council-deposits-in-icelandic-banks Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government Procurement Service (GPS) based within the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has introduced a second intake of ten graduate trainees to its Government Procurement Graduate Scheme (GPGS). The GPGS is part of the GPS' strategy to further raise the procurement skills base across the public sector and boost its ability to foster a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-procurement-service-introduces-the-next-generation-of-graduate-talent 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-procurement-service-introduces-the-next-generation-of-graduate-talent Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT New legislation, the Health and Safety Offences Act 2008, which will increase penalties and provide courts with greater sentencing powers for those who flout health and safety legislation, has been welcomed by DWP Ministers. The Act raises the maximum penalties that can be imposed for breaching health and safety regulations in the lower... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ministers-welcome-tougher-penalties-for-health-and-safety-law-breakers 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ministers-welcome-tougher-penalties-for-health-and-safety-law-breakers Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON is demanding police forces do more to protect their staff. Better training and protective personal equipment, including stab vests, is needed to counter a rising tide of violence, says the union, as police staff members gather in Glasgow for their annual conference. The latest union survey shows that almost three-quarters of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/police-at-increased-risk 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/police-at-increased-risk Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Public sector pensions save taxpayers billions of pounds in benefits payments, says UNISON. A pensions report launched today fails to properly recognise that without public-sector pensions, the number of retired workers forced onto means-tested benefits would increase sharply, says the union. "Should this happen, the bill to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-pensions-save-taxpayers-money 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-pensions-save-taxpayers-money Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cambridgeshire County Council's telephone contact centre has been named as the top public sector contact centre in the country. On a night of success for the contact centre, Cambridgeshire Direct beat off competition from other local authorities such as Kent, Surrey and Liverpool and big public sector organisations to take the top... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-direct-is-best-in-the-business 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cambridgeshire-direct-is-best-in-the-business Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT More than one thousand councillors from across the country and from all the political parties have written to the Home Secretary to express their concern about the proposals to alter police authority membership by introducing directly elected crime and policing representatives. Following the resignation of Sir Ian Blair, the Local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councillors-express-concern-at-government-policing-green-paper 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councillors-express-concern-at-government-policing-green-paper Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT CIWEM condemns the Government for not fulfilling its commitment to tackle climate change. Stansted’s approved expansion and the Government’s desire to remove aviation from EU targets is in total defiance of its own commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Although planning permission was originally refused on grounds of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-government-cannot-be-trusted-on-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-government-cannot-be-trusted-on-climate-change Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders are calling on the Treasury to ensure financial stability in the eventuality that a small number of local authorities get into financial difficulties, following the crash of Icelandic banks. The current estimate from the Local Government Association, which represents over 400 councils in England and Wales, is that at least... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-call-on-chancellor-to-ensure-financial-stability 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-call-on-chancellor-to-ensure-financial-stability Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT "The crisis in the financial system, caused by the greed and irresponsibility of a privileged minority, now threatens the living standards and future security of millions of ordinary working people. Jobs, homes, savings, pensions, and essential public services are at risk." That was the stark warning from UNISON's national executive... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-speaks-out-on-financial-crisis 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-speaks-out-on-financial-crisis Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Monday 13th October sees the start of a work to rule at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) which could double the time it takes for prospective teachers, nurses, social workers and foster parents to obtain clearance to work with children. Up to 450 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at the Liverpool based CRB will be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-to-rule-to-hit-criminal-records-bureau- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-to-rule-to-hit-criminal-records-bureau- Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The economic slowdown has left town halls having to find more than a billion pound of savings over the next three years to safeguard vital local services and keep council tax down, town hall leaders have said The Local Government Association, which represents over 400 councils in England & Wales, is warning that the grim economic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-to-make-further-savings-as-economic-slowdown-bites 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-to-make-further-savings-as-economic-slowdown-bites Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Ed Miliband, the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has welcomed the creation of a new department to tackle the twin challenges of energy security and climate change Mr Miliband said: "I am looking forward to the responsibility of running the new Department of Energy and Climate Change and working with colleagues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/department-of-energy-and-climate-change-established 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/department-of-energy-and-climate-change-established Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Proposals to enhance the ethical framework for councillors have been set out, including clarifying the application of the framework to the conduct of councillors in their private lives. In recognition of councillors' public profile, new proposals will help to provide further public reassurance that councillors behave lawfully in all areas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-to-build-on-success-of-ethical-framework-for-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-to-build-on-success-of-ethical-framework-for-councillors Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Independent and reliable official statistics are more important than ever in changing economic times, says the National Statistician Karen Dunnell In a keynote article on economic statistics, she highlights the role of the statistical indicators produced by the Office for National Statistics in informing economic policy during a period of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/independent-and-reliable-official-statistics-at-the-heart-of-economic-policy 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/independent-and-reliable-official-statistics-at-the-heart-of-economic-policy Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), one of the UK’s most influential think tanks, is hosting an all-party, independent Commission on National Security in the 21st Century. The Commission is conducting a detailed assessment of the changing global security environment and the specific challenges and opportunities this poses... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-hosts-a-series-of-high-level-security-lectures 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-hosts-a-series-of-high-level-security-lectures Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Trade unions representing 1.5 million local government workers have written to ACAS urging them to begin arbitration as soon as possible, to resolve the long-standing dispute over pay. Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said: “UNISON is extremely disappointed at the employers’ refusal to make a fair pay... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-government-unions-appeal-to-acas-for-quick-resolution-to-pay-talks 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-government-unions-appeal-to-acas-for-quick-resolution-to-pay-talks Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Deputy Minister for Women Barbara Follett has called on FTSE companies to appoint more women to their boards, highlighting the increased profitability which can result. New figures show that only 12% of FTSE board directors are female. This is up one percentage point from last year, and up five points from 2002. At this rate it will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/progress-for-women-not-fast-enough-more-than-forty-years-before-equality-on-ftse-boards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/progress-for-women-not-fast-enough-more-than-forty-years-before-equality-on-ftse-boards Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Shamefully low pay levels in the civil service have been highlighted, as the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) claimed that at least six government departments and agencies may have to give low paid staff an emergency pay rise to lift their earnings above the new national minimum wage rate The new adult rate of £5.73 for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-warns-of-government-minimum-wage-shame 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-warns-of-government-minimum-wage-shame Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey has announced action to give councils the financial flexibility they need to speed up meeting their long-term commitments to achieving equal pay for staff. Mr Healey gave the green light to 34 councils to raise £455m to meet equal pay liabilities, either by borrowing against or selling assets... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-announces-support-for-councils-to-deliver-equal-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-announces-support-for-councils-to-deliver-equal-pay Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Approximately one million workers will benefit when the national minimum wage (NMW) increases to £5.73 per hour on Wednesday 1st October, says the TUC. Two-thirds of the beneficiaries will be women, reinforcing the NMW's positive role in narrowing the gender pay gap. The increase in the NMW will also save the taxpayer an extra... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimum-wage-increase-set-to-benefit-one-million-workers 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimum-wage-increase-set-to-benefit-one-million-workers Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Electoral Commission has launched a consultation seeking views on performance standards for Returning Officers (ROs). The consultation paper outlines a set of seven draft performance standards which assess the management of elections by ROs across Great Britain. The draft standards cover key areas such as planning and organisation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/setting-the-standard-for-well-run-elections 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/setting-the-standard-for-well-run-elections Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The agency which keeps Britain's government on the road has been named 2008's 'Public Sector Fleet of the Year' in the prestigious annual GreenFleet environmental awards. Ben Davis, fleet manager of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA), also collected the award for Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year at the ninth annual award... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-national-environmental-awards-won-by-government-transport-agency-gcda- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-national-environmental-awards-won-by-government-transport-agency-gcda- Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Estimates have been published of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions for 2006, and revised estimates for 2005, for all UK Local Authorities and Government Office Regions. A summary, together with the full report and data tables are available from the e-Digest of Environmental Statistics on the Defra web site... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2006-carbon-dioxide-emissions-at-local-authority-and-government-office-region-level- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2006-carbon-dioxide-emissions-at-local-authority-and-government-office-region-level- Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Publication of Report: Community Cohesion and Migration Migration can have positive benefits for local communities, MPs find in a report published today, Community Cohesion and Migration. For example, many migrants support the local economy by helping to fill employment vacancies. Nonetheless, the rapid pace of inward migration can lead... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/community-cohesion-can-be-adversely-affected-in-areas-experiencing-rapid-inward-migration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/community-cohesion-can-be-adversely-affected-in-areas-experiencing-rapid-inward-migration Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT House prices and congestion are the biggest concerns for South East residents, says a survey for the South East England Regional Assembly. A poll of 1,818 South East residents by Ipsos Mori shows that around one in four people see traffic congestion and the cost of housing as the region’s greatest problems. Even more, one in three... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-and-transport-south-easts-biggest-concerns 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-and-transport-south-easts-biggest-concerns Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT John Hutton will today pledge his maximum support for new nuclear power stations in the UK, at the first meeting of the Government's new Nuclear Development Forum. Mr Hutton will say that energy from new nuclear generators is absolutely indispensable for keeping the UK's lights on, reducing our dependency on foreign oil and gas, and cutting... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-nuclear-is-indispensable-hutton-tells-top-energy-meeting- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-nuclear-is-indispensable-hutton-tells-top-energy-meeting- Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities are failing to consider women's needs in their planning schemes, more than a year after legislation designed to stop the problem was introduced, a Cambridge University report reveals. The study, which was to be presented to the Royal Geographical Society's annual conference in London yesterday (Thurs), says that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-schemes-still-lack-womans-touch- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-schemes-still-lack-womans-touch- Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The seismic shift towards private companies providing public services is exposing the Government and taxpayers to enormous financial risks, warns UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union today (18 September). The union is calling on the Government to ditch its fair-weather friends in big business and call a halt to damaging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-shines-spotlight-on-murky-world-of-the-public-services-industry- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-shines-spotlight-on-murky-world-of-the-public-services-industry- Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government has addressed business industry concerns that the prospect of an increase in business rates acts as a disincentive for companies to invest in microgeneration. Local Government Minister, John Healey announced steps to provide clarity, reassurance and certainty to businesses working to reduce their carbon footprint so they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/assurances-for-businesses-going-green 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/assurances-for-businesses-going-green Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT CSS has published its new framework for a better and more sustainable future for communities across Britain, addressing issues such as travel, climate change, flooding and waste management As the professional body representing director-level strategists in local government responsible for managing and advising on some of the most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/css-sets-out-its-vision-for-a-more-sustainable-britain 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/css-sets-out-its-vision-for-a-more-sustainable-britain Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The go ahead for one of the UK's largest offshore wind farms has been announced by the Prime Minister in a speech to business leaders. The 500MW West of Duddon Sands wind farm is planned near Walney Island off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and will comprise of up to 139 turbines. The developers, Morecambe Wind Limited... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cumbrian-wind-gains-strength 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cumbrian-wind-gains-strength Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The views of women and women's organisations were given a significant boost as Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, announced ten new commissioners who will lead the Women's National Commission (WNC). The Women's National Commission, the official, independent, advisory body representing women and women's organisations to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/harman-strengthens-womens-national-commission 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/harman-strengthens-womens-national-commission Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new report published calls for radical change and devolved decision-making across Britain’s public services. Managing Delivery - New Public Service Architecture for the 21st Century by NLGN Director Chris Leslie calls on Ministers and senior public service managers to shift away from old-style civil service models and departmental... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-delivery-new-public-service-architecture-for-the-21st-century 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-delivery-new-public-service-architecture-for-the-21st-century Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Energy suppliers have dramatically increased their dividend payments to shareholders by £257 million over the last year despite claims that high profits are needed for re-investment in energy infrastructure, new research published today has revealed. The Local Government Association, a cross-party organisation representing more than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-research-torpedoes-energy-firm-windfall-tax-claims 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-research-torpedoes-energy-firm-windfall-tax-claims Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has called on the European Parliament to actively involve local and regional government in delivering the EU's goals on renewable energy. The European Parliament's committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) will vote on the directive on the promotion of the use of energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-achievement-of-eus-goals-on-renewable-energy-without-local-governments-involvement 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-achievement-of-eus-goals-on-renewable-energy-without-local-governments-involvement Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the news that the latest population statistics show that the over 60's now outnumber the under 18's, Mervyn Kohler, Special Adviser at Help the Aged comments: "These new figures should be a cause for celebration. Policy makers and others must increasingly adjust their thinking to take stock of these clear changes in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ageing-society-must-spur-policy-changes-that-support-older-people-says-help-the-aged 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ageing-society-must-spur-policy-changes-that-support-older-people-says-help-the-aged Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey has proposed new plans for a £150m scheme to encourage councils to work together to boost local jobs, skills and economic growth. Over the past three years, the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) scheme has rewarded well over 350 councils for business growth in their local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-proposes-scheme-to-encourage-councils-to-work-together-to-boost-economic-growth 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-proposes-scheme-to-encourage-councils-to-work-together-to-boost-economic-growth Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT An innovative partnership between two neighbouring Councils to share services has moved closer to reality. Charnwood Borough Council in Leicestershire and Rushcliffe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire have been working on the Shared Services project for more than 18 months. The Councils have selected Liberata as its preferred partner... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovative-partnership-a-step-closer-to-reality 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovative-partnership-a-step-closer-to-reality Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman Vince Cable has made a number of proposals to halt what he described as the 'downward spiral' of the housing market Mr Cable suggested that councils should be able to buy empty properties and unused land from developers at discount rates to use for social housing. He also proposed a standardised... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dems-unveil-housing-plans 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dems-unveil-housing-plans Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT In response to reports of measures on the housing market and repossessions, Cllr Paul Bettison, Local Government Association spokesperson on housing, said: "Anything that allows town halls to keep hard working families in their homes during tough times will be hugely beneficial. For decades councils have been offering mortgages and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/town-halls-respond-to-government-housing-proposals 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/town-halls-respond-to-government-housing-proposals Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT West Sussex County Council Leader Henry Smith has told senior Government Ministers that a spending squeeze could leave Gatwick Airport’s rail links ‘unfit for purpose’ when the 2012 Olympic Games start. He has spoken out after a report on future investment showed that only £9 million is proposed for improvements to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unfit-for-purpose-county-council-leaders-olympic-broadside 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unfit-for-purpose-county-council-leaders-olympic-broadside Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Trafford Council is leading the way in ensuring that the people of Greater Manchester will have their say on the proposed package of transport improvements and associated congestion charge. Council Leader Susan Williams has proposed that the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) ask Electoral Reform Services to conduct a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-leads-the-way-on-transport-improvements 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-leads-the-way-on-transport-improvements Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Significant progress has been made in the proposals for eco-towns, according to a report published by the Eco-Town Challenge Panel, an independent group of experts in sustainability and urban development. The Panel found that many of the bidders had responded positively to the first set of recommendations, published last May, but it still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eco-town-plans-shape-up-say-experts 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eco-town-plans-shape-up-say-experts Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders have written to the Home Secretary, Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, expressing ‘serious concerns’ over the proposals by the government to set up directly elected police representatives set out in the Policing Green Paper. The letter, signed by Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat council leaders warns that the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/elected-police-representatives-would-lead-to-buck-passing-instead-of-crime-cutting- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/elected-police-representatives-would-lead-to-buck-passing-instead-of-crime-cutting- Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Pöyry Energy Consulting has just completed a report for WWF-UK and Greenpeace-UK investigating the implications of the UK meeting its 2020 Renewable Energy Target. Responding to the Renewables report by Poyry for WWF and Greenpeace, Philip Wolfe, Executive Director of the REA said; "This very timely report is essential summer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rea-responds-to-poyrys-implications-of-the-uk-meeting-its-2020-renewable-energy-target 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rea-responds-to-poyrys-implications-of-the-uk-meeting-its-2020-renewable-energy-target Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT CIWEM demands to know how a government committed to tackling climate change can sanction the building of coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth, which will emit around eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Coal is responsible for 25 percent of global carbon emissions. CIWEM believes that a new generation of coal-fired power... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-madness-of-it-all 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-madness-of-it-all Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT The TUC, along with the six teaching and school support unions in England has launched a model agreement to help secure pay and conditions for academy staff that are at least as favourable as those enjoyed by staff in all other state schools. The agreement aims to give unions greater recognition in academies, improve their negotiating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unions-agree-co-ordinated-approach-towards-pay-and-conditions-in-academies 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unions-agree-co-ordinated-approach-towards-pay-and-conditions-in-academies Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Last week saw the launch of the second joint consultation document setting out a proposed approach to the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA). CAA is to be introduced in April 2009, with first reports published in November 2009, and will be an innovative way of drawing together information to show how well residents are being served... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/watchdogs-launch-second-stage-of-caa-consultation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/watchdogs-launch-second-stage-of-caa-consultation Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Star Project, a Manchester charity run by a team of paediatric nurses and support workers, has won the UNISON-sponsored WellChild award for best medical team. The awards are held each year to applaud children who have battled life-threatening illnesses and to recognise the hard work and dedication of staff in caring for those children... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspirational-team-win-health-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspirational-team-win-health-award Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) has announced that the people of Greater Manchester will have their say and get to vote on the proposed £3bn transport investment package which is part paid for by a weekday, peak-time congestion charge. Lord Peter Smith, Leader of AGMA said: “At the last meeting we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/announcement-on-referendum 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/announcement-on-referendum Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Public rights of way experts are repeating their plea for Government to press ahead with £5bn plans to extend access paths around the English coast. It comes in the wake of the call for a rethink from MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee who want more safeguards for landowners’ and occupiers’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-lose-track-of-english-coast-path 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-lose-track-of-english-coast-path Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Home improvements for older and disabled people will be supported and promoted by ‘Foundations’ after they were awarded the contract to run the national body for Home Improvement Agencies, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Baroness Andrews has announced. Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs) help thousands of older or disabled... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/foundations-to-take-home-improvements-for-older-and-disabled-people-to-the-next-level 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/foundations-to-take-home-improvements-for-older-and-disabled-people-to-the-next-level Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cash, marketing, promotions and publicity opportunities to be won in 2009 Awards The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are seeking entries from local authorities that have made renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services more accessible. Entering the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy offers the chance to win... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/global-green-energy-awards-issue-alert-to-uk-local-authorities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/global-green-energy-awards-issue-alert-to-uk-local-authorities Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis has welcomed agreements reached on key issues such as public services, equalities and workforce protetions, at the Labour Party National Policy Forum meeting in Warwick. Unions, constituency parties and Ministers spent the weekend in joint discussions to move the union's agenda forward Dave Prentis... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/labour-national-policy-forum-agrees-way-ahead- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/labour-national-policy-forum-agrees-way-ahead- Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Arun District Council members have resolved to fight orders from the Government to hand over access to their private bank details. Councillors from all political parties have reacted angrily to demands from the Audit Commission for all public sector staff to hand over private information or face legal action, as part of the latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-outrage-at-government-demands-to-hand-over-private-bank-details 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-outrage-at-government-demands-to-hand-over-private-bank-details Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cambridgeshire County Council's approach to recruiting and retaining staff has been cited as an example of good practice in a Government report aimed at avoiding a skills shortage in local government. The Audit Commission report - 'Tomorrow's People: building a local government workforce for the future' - highlights potential skills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/county-council-praised-in-government-workforce-report 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/county-council-praised-in-government-workforce-report Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Report maps greenhouse gas emissions from school buildings, procurement, transport and waste A report published by the Sustainable Development Commission argues that decisive action, bold decisions and strong support from central and local government could allow schools to halve their carbon footprint by 2020. The report, Carbon... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/decisive-action-could-halve-schools-carbon-emissions-by-2020-says-sustainable-development-commission 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/decisive-action-could-halve-schools-carbon-emissions-by-2020-says-sustainable-development-commission Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT A head cam is being trialled at the Nuffield Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Poole in an effort to combat abusive behaviour towards council workers. Borough of Poole’s Environmental and Consumer Protection Services is holding a one-month trial to capture evidence of abuse and aggressive behaviour towards staff at the recycling... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/head-cam-is-being-trialled-to-combat-abusive-behaviour- 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/head-cam-is-being-trialled-to-combat-abusive-behaviour- Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has issued a rally-call to all public sector partners in the Northwest today, to help businesses keep moving during challenging economic conditions. At an event hosted by Private Sector Partners NW Limited, Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive promised to contact all public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-must-help-the-cash-flow-of-businesses-in-tough-economic-climate 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-must-help-the-cash-flow-of-businesses-in-tough-economic-climate Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT The British Government today became the first in the world to announce plans to slash the carbon footprint of its computer systems. Information and communication technology (ICT) is responsible for up to 20 per cent of carbon emissions generated by Government offices – around 460,000 tonnes a year. Under the plan announced today by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/world-first-as-government-computers-go-green 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/world-first-as-government-computers-go-green Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Angela Eagle MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, has launched a new pamphlet to provide those working in the public sector further guidance in how they can take positive action to safeguard the environment through the money they spend on goods and services. The new pamphlet entitled is the second in a series of guidance aimed at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buy-green-and-make-a-difference- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buy-green-and-make-a-difference- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Reaction to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee on Regional Accountability report Reacting to the report from the Commons Modernisation Committee on Regional Accountability, the New Local Government Network (NLGN) welcomed their backing for Regional Select Committees but warned that some of the details could stifle rather than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/keep-regional-scrutiny-regional-urges-nlgn 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/keep-regional-scrutiny-regional-urges-nlgn Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT A £500 million a year charge on energy suppliers to lift 500,000 people out of fuel poverty will be considered by MPs The levy on utility companies would fund a massive investment programme to insulate half of all homes in England, cutting household carbon emissions by 20% and knocking £200 a year off the bills of 10 million... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-to-debate-500m-annual-charge-on-energy-suppliers 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-to-debate-500m-annual-charge-on-energy-suppliers Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT A progress report on a project to design better quality and outcomes measures for public services is published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These measures are an important tool which can contribute to users of public services receiving better services while ensuring taxpayers receive value for money. The Quality... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/research-to-help-put-quality-at-the-heart-of-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/research-to-help-put-quality-at-the-heart-of-public-services Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT New tough planning rules will help councils better protect small shops through the current economic difficulties and create more vibrant town centres, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced The new proposals strengthen Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres (PPS6) - the Government's 'town centres first' policy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tougher-test-to-safeguard-small-shops-and-curb-clone-towns 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tougher-test-to-safeguard-small-shops-and-curb-clone-towns Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT The contribution of outsourced public services to the UK economy has grown 130% since 1995 and now represents the most developed public service industry in the world, according to a report published on the Review of the Public Services Industry The industry has grown so significantly over the past twelve years that it is now second in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-is-world-leader-in-outsourced-public-services-says-independent-review- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-is-world-leader-in-outsourced-public-services-says-independent-review- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tens of thousands of members of the Public and Commercial Services union will join public sector colleagues across the country in a week of action over pay. Driving tests, immigration control, issuing of passports and coastguard services will be among the areas most affected. This latest wave of action will see civil and public servants... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/week-of-strike-action-over-public-sector-pay-cuts 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/week-of-strike-action-over-public-sector-pay-cuts Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has published a White Paper setting out proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens Communities in control: real people, real power sets out how the Government plans to give citizens and communities more rights and more power... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/white-paper-delivers-power-shift-to-local-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/white-paper-delivers-power-shift-to-local-people Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Early results from the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates to the Commercial Sector Commercial buildings are scoring an average 'C' energy rating, according to early results from the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to the commercial sector. Since the introduction of EPCs in 2007 nearly 800,000... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/buildings-in-england-and-wales-score-an-average-c-energy-rating 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/buildings-in-england-and-wales-score-an-average-c-energy-rating Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fourteen high-performing further education providers will today (Monday 7 July) be awarded prestigious QIA Learning and Skills Beacon status. Representatives of the new Beacons will celebrate their achievement, together with special guests, at an awards ceremony being hosted in central London by the Quality Improvement Agency... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fabulous-fourteen-are-awarded-beacon-status 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fabulous-fourteen-are-awarded-beacon-status Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has confirmed nearly £500m for neighbourhood partnerships in deprived communities across the country, to continue helping their work to cut crime levels, improve educational achievements and boost job opportunities. Over £250m will be made available over the next two years, and is in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-confirms-new-deal-for-communities-funding 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-confirms-new-deal-for-communities-funding Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT One in four Londoners are interested in becoming a local councillor – despite widespread ignorance about what their councils actually do, according to a survey commissioned by London Councils. The poll, carried out by Ipsos MORI, revealed that almost half the people surveyed incorrectly believe that their local council runs the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-poll-shows-public-interest--and-ignorance--about-being-a-councillor 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-poll-shows-public-interest--and-ignorance--about-being-a-councillor Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT 4ps, local government’s project delivery partner, is helping local authorities secure billions of pounds in PFI funding. In 2007/08 4ps worked with local authorities to net a total of £11 billion to enable them to deliver first class projects across housing, schools, street lighting, transport and waste management. Publishing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-report-shows-4ps-is-helping-local-authorities-become-more-efficient 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-report-shows-4ps-is-helping-local-authorities-become-more-efficient Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wind industry body sets facts straight on costs of renewables BWEA, the body representing the UK’s wind, wave and tidal industry today moved to rebut claims made in a new report by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS). The Government will tomorrow launch its highly anticipated Renewable Energy Strategy that will set out the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/anti-wind-report-peddles-myths-half-truths-and-misconceptions 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/anti-wind-report-peddles-myths-half-truths-and-misconceptions Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Bradford Council has won a Good Communications Award. It was one of five local authorities which was in line for the award which recognises excellence in Public Sector Communications. The Council's Public Affairs and Communications Service won the award for its climate change awareness campaign which ran last year. The campaign... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-wins-award-for-its-communications 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-wins-award-for-its-communications Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT ‘Climate change is the overwhelming threat to the environment. But it would be madness to desecrate the countryside, one of the nation’s most valued environmental assets, in tackling it. Protecting the landscape from damaging change must be at the heart of the renewable energy strategy if it is to command widespread public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-sacrifice-the-landscape-to-save-the-environment 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-sacrifice-the-landscape-to-save-the-environment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT New YouGov polling shows public appetite for reform The state of the UK’s public finances means the need for public service reform is greater than ever, according to the CBI. In a speech to public service leaders on Thursday 26th June, CBI director-general Richard Lambert will say that the debate about reforms to schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/financial-belt-tightening-increases-need-for-public-service-reform 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/financial-belt-tightening-increases-need-for-public-service-reform Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new essay published by the Social Market Foundation suggests that if the Government’s Community Empowerment strategy doesn’t change the disconnection between citizens and government will only get worse. Community Empowerment is a defining agenda of the Brown Government. Recently, the focus of ministerial policy announcements... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-strategy-to-empower-citizens-must-change-or-fail- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-strategy-to-empower-citizens-must-change-or-fail- Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Further proposals to reform welfare services outlined by the secretary of state could spell the end of the Department for Work and Pensions as a public service, the Public and Commercial Services union has warned. Announcing that a new welfare reform green paper will be presented to parliament in the near future, James Purnell set out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/welfare-proposals-could-sink-dwp 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/welfare-proposals-could-sink-dwp Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Figures from the latest Badenoch & Clark Happiness at Work Index show over one third of public sector workers would not think twice about leaving their current role if another opportunity came along. It’s the latest nail in the coffin for the idea of employee loyalty – a concept which is now seemingly dead. International... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employee-loyalty-a-thing-of-the-past-amongst-public-sector-workers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employee-loyalty-a-thing-of-the-past-amongst-public-sector-workers Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Plus new Ipsos MORI poll shows public support for mayoral model Gordon Brown should consider introducing more elected mayors to solve the current constitutional imbalance in the UK according to two leading think tanks. In an article the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) and the New Local Government Network (NLGN) have called... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayors-could-herald-new-era-of-devolution 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayors-could-herald-new-era-of-devolution Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has announced a new version of the free Information Communication Technology (ICT) model contract and associated guidance. The new model contract aims to help achieve better outcomes for projects with complex ICT procurements, while at the same time saving time and money. It has been produced in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-publishes-new-model-contract-for-public-sector-ict-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-publishes-new-model-contract-for-public-sector-ict-procurement Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Social enterprise projects can be at the forefront of the drive by national and local government to encourage communities to become more involved in developing and running services in their local areas. That was the message from the Chief Executive of London Councils, John O’Brien, in a speech to the LA Connecting London... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-enterprise-key-to-developing-and-delivering-services-to-local-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-enterprise-key-to-developing-and-delivering-services-to-local-communities Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Substantial savings of nearly £2m a year for the Welsh Public Sector will flow from the first cross-sector collaborative tender for office supplies led by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Value Wales unit. The new framework agreement, which was set up with the help of a number of Welsh public sector organisations, was announced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-assembly-government-take-the-lead-to-secure-savings-of-2-million-a-year-for-the-welsh-public-sector 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-assembly-government-take-the-lead-to-secure-savings-of-2-million-a-year-for-the-welsh-public-sector Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The recent attention drawn to the use of teaching assistants to take on tasks traditionally the preserve of the teacher, such as marking and whole class teaching represents the latest in a pattern of revelations about the use of support roles across the public services. The role of health care assistants came to the fore in the context of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-growth-of-assistants-in-the-public-services-general-trends-and-consequences 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-growth-of-assistants-in-the-public-services-general-trends-and-consequences Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Councils must get tough on protecting people in flood risk areas, Minister for Planning Caroline Flint has announced. New guidance gives councils five clear steps for maximising the planning rules to better manage flood risks in their area. Last summer’s devastating floods reminded everyone of the dangers of climate change for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-must-use-powers-to-protect-new-homes-from-flood-risk 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-must-use-powers-to-protect-new-homes-from-flood-risk Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT With the credit crunch, rising fuel prices and inflation affecting millions of people, The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management believes that now is the time to re-evaluate the way we live. After years of continuous growth for the UK economy, we are facing spiralling resource costs. However, as consumers tighten... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/credit-crunch-good-for-the-environment 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/credit-crunch-good-for-the-environment Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has set out the range of actions the Government is taking to manage migration, maximise the benefits for the whole of the UK and minimise the negative impacts. This includes a £12m programme of improvements to the way migration data are collected; a fund to help all local services manage the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-the-impacts-of-migration 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-the-impacts-of-migration Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT New proposals have been published to ensure that the voices of social, economic and environmental partners are heard under changes to regional governance. The New Local Government Network (NLGN) report assesses the impact of the Government’s Sub-National Review on regional partners and offers a new direction for engaging them. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-unveils-next-steps-in-sub-national-review 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-unveils-next-steps-in-sub-national-review Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has been named Local Authority of the Year at a recent regeneration awards ceremony. Judges praised the council’s “well-balanced” attitude towards development and regeneration – and its holistic vision for the borough’s transformation. Rotherham beat off tough... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-council-wins-regeneration-award 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-council-wins-regeneration-award Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The innovative Carbon Reduction One Stop Shop (CROSS) Funding Partnership launched two weeks ago to assist social housing providers in achieving their Decent Homes, fuel poverty and climate change targets has proven to be an overwhelming success based on the high level of response rates following the Partnerships announcement. Established... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cross-funding-partnership-bridges-gap-in-public-sectors-energy-efficiency-efforts 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cross-funding-partnership-bridges-gap-in-public-sectors-energy-efficiency-efforts Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT With around 30 million blogs now existing on the World Wide Web, and recent research showing that the majority of bloggers are unaware of their legal position when posting online, employment lawyers at Glovers solicitors are warning both employees and employers to be aware of the problems that blogs may cause. “There seems to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/employers-should-beware-of-blogs-warn-lawyers 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/employers-should-beware-of-blogs-warn-lawyers Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT People will soon find it easier to recycle when they’re out and about, Environment Minister Joan Ruddock has pledged. ‘Recycle on the Go’ is a new drive to put accessible recycling bins in public places. And it’s already started, with The Royal Parks rolling out a recycling bin pilot in Hyde Park over the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-push-for-recycling-in-public-places 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-push-for-recycling-in-public-places Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new survey carried out by the Local Government Association has found that only one in three councils are considering using ADZs to tackle alcohol-related disorder. The survey of 182 councils in England and Wales, carried out by TNS for the Local Government Association, found that 33% were not going to adopt ADZs, 34% were going to and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-in-three-councils-considering-adopting-alcohol-disorder-zones- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-in-three-councils-considering-adopting-alcohol-disorder-zones- Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sixty key public sector appointments will now be subject to increased scrutiny by Parliament. In July 2007 the Governance of Britain Green Paper set out the Government’s programme of constitutional renewal. This included a commitment to increase democratic scrutiny of public appointments. Now, in response to the Liaison’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-to-have-greater-role-in-appointments-process-for-key-public-sector-posts 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-to-have-greater-role-in-appointments-process-for-key-public-sector-posts Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities are playing a key role in reducing CO2 emissions generated by UK homes and businesses. The 2008 Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy have selected two UK authorities, Arun and Leeds , as finalists for their achievements in tacking energy efficiency in public and private housing. "If every local authority across the UK... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-local-authorities-are-models-for-energy-saving-in-housing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-local-authorities-are-models-for-energy-saving-in-housing- Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The 12 most enterprising places in the country have been announced as the finalists of this year's Enterprising Britain competition. The places show the depth of innovation of the projects that are helping to address social issues and turn the economies of local communities around. In Luton, Scarborough and Hawick, a cultural renaissance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uks-most-enterprising-places-battle-it-out-for-award- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uks-most-enterprising-places-battle-it-out-for-award- Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Nearly a third of rent paid by South East local authority tenants is being unfairly whisked out of the region to subsidise housing in other parts of the country, says the South East England Regional Housing Board. Housing Board Chairman Cllr Elizabeth Cartwright is writing to Ministers to demand an immediate end to Government's Housing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/900-tax-on-south-east-tenants-must-end 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/900-tax-on-south-east-tenants-must-end Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Greater Bristol has been chosen as England's first official Cycling City - making it the country's premier national and international showcase city for promoting cycling as a safe, healthy and practical alternative to the private car for commuting, home-to-school and leisure journeys. Bristol was announced as a Cycling City by Transport... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bristol-announced-as-a-cycling-city 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bristol-announced-as-a-cycling-city Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The quality of life for thousands of the capital’s vulnerable adults will suffer unless the government changes the way it distributes funding for social care services, London Councils warns Those at risk include adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and mental health problems, as well as those receiving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-vulnerable-adults-deserve-better- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-vulnerable-adults-deserve-better- Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Restoring landfill sites by turning them into greenspace, such as woodland, parkland or farmland is now possible, new research published shows Many local people find landfill sites detrimental to their local area and a common solution is for councils to close them over with a compacted clay cap to seal up the waste. There are about 2,500... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-research-gives-landfill-sites-a-green-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-research-gives-landfill-sites-a-green-future Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Help the Aged warns the Government would be ‘short-sighted’ not to introduce legislation against age discrimination New research shows the current Government has not done enough to earn the votes of older people at the next election, according to nearly eight out of ten adults. Leading older people’s charity Help the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-research-shows-government-risks-losing-the-grey-vote-over-treatment-of-older-people 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-research-shows-government-risks-losing-the-grey-vote-over-treatment-of-older-people Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT In a report published recently, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) calls for a new procedure for Parliament to initiate and conduct inquiries into major issues such as the Iraq war. PASC says that Parliament should not have to wait for the Government to set up an inquiry—particularly where Ministers are reluctant to do... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-should-seize-the-initiative-to-set-up-its-own-inquiries-says-pasc 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-should-seize-the-initiative-to-set-up-its-own-inquiries-says-pasc Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT To celebrate National Recycle Week Cambridgeshire County Council will be launching its new recycled recycling bus Thousands of school children across Cambridgeshire have learned how to help save the environment on the County Council's recycling bus. But now that bus has come to the end of its life it has been recycled to help equip a new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycled-recycling-bus-takes-to-the-road 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycled-recycling-bus-takes-to-the-road Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association said the Government's announcement on fuel poverty was a move in the right direction but is calling for energy companies to make the same contribution as householders to pay for a national programme, to ensure that every home in the country is insulated. This would take £2bn off the nation's energy bills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/take-2bn-off-energy-bills-by-insulating-every-home 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/take-2bn-off-energy-bills-by-insulating-every-home Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Home building in the social rented sector must be increased by 50,000 a year above current levels to deal with a waiting list backlog, an MPs' committee has warned. Despite recent increases in spending, rates of building are unlikely to reach this level, and the Government must be prepared to raise its investment further, said the House... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/50000-new-homes-needed-for-renting 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/50000-new-homes-needed-for-renting Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fourteen leading experts will challenge developers to improve their visions for eco-towns and deliver world class proposals for the first new towns in the UK for 45 years. The panel of leading figures from the worlds of design, the environment, transport and sustainability, was selected by Housing Minister Caroline Flint to provide expert... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/experts-challenge-developers-to-raise-their-game-on-eco-towns 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/experts-challenge-developers-to-raise-their-game-on-eco-towns Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A twenty year vision to deliver new houses, tackle climate change, encourage economic growth and regeneration of the Yorkshire and Humber region has been published by Communities Minister Baroness Andrews. The Yorkshire and Humber Plan (revised Regional Spatial Strategy) will deliver a long term vision for renewal and growth to all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-housing-and-jobs-for-yorkshire-and-humber 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-housing-and-jobs-for-yorkshire-and-humber Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT This month sees the exciting launch of Community Projects (www.communityprojects.biz), a ground-breaking new website and communications hub which has been specifically created to promote awareness of community initiatives & community groups and services in England & Wales. The concept of Community Projects is to support and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-website-launches-to-promote-community-group-projects 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-website-launches-to-promote-community-group-projects Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Whitehall should open the books and publish new information on public spending in local areas, urge council leaders. In a response to a consultation on the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, the LGA is calling on Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to publish public service spending details by autumn 2008... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whitehall-should-open-the-books-on-local-public-spending 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whitehall-should-open-the-books-on-local-public-spending Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new report by the Local Government Association warns that the impact of a slowdown in the economy combined with the credit crunch could lead to two million households, or 5 million people, on the waiting list for social housing in less than two years. The report by council leaders analyses academic and social policy research on previous... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/5-million-people-waiting-for-social-housing-by-2010 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/5-million-people-waiting-for-social-housing-by-2010 Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A return to well designed high density living, in rural as well as urban areas, can build sustainable communities and secure environmental objectives. This is the conclusion of research published by CPRE. The Proximity Principle: why we are living too far apart , suggests that proximity encourages community interaction, makes public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/drifting-apart-new-report-shows-why-government-housing-policy-is-failing- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/drifting-apart-new-report-shows-why-government-housing-policy-is-failing- Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Housing Minister Caroline Flint have welcomed measures set out in the Draft legislative programme that will support the Government’s ambition of creating thriving communities where people have the homes they need and greater influence over the decisions that affect their daily lives. The draft... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/legislative-programme-to-strengthen-local-democracy-and-give-power-to-the-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/legislative-programme-to-strengthen-local-democracy-and-give-power-to-the-people Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Images of town and city centres at night awash with vomit, blood and alcohol have been a key media and political issue for the last few years. Measures to stem the seemingly unstoppable tide of alcohol-related crime and disorder are announced on a weekly basis, from the government's plans for 'alcohol disorder zones' to Boris Johnson's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-the-night-time-economy 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-the-night-time-economy Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Councillors have agreed to authorise the innovative move after considering the draft legal Order and Business Case for the WPL scheme at a Full Council meeting. They approved the scheme and agreed for the Order containing the legal framework to be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport for approval. Government approval of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nottingham-is-set-to-become-the-first-uk-city-to-introduce-a-workplace-parking-levy- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nottingham-is-set-to-become-the-first-uk-city-to-introduce-a-workplace-parking-levy- Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has outlined plans to give every citizen in England three new rights to have a greater say to trigger action on local issues they care about. These could range from directing more money from councils to tackle anti-social behaviour and graffiti, to taking over the running of local assets like community or... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-new-rights-to-right-local-wrongs--new-community-empowerment-bill-to-harness-petition-power 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-new-rights-to-right-local-wrongs--new-community-empowerment-bill-to-harness-petition-power Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new report from countryside campaigners CPRE shows that the exodus of young families from our cities, in search of housing they can afford, is putting immense pressure on our countryside and polarising urban England. Family Housing - The Power of Concentration also offers a solution: high-quality, higher-density housing which can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/compact-communities-crucial-to-the-future-of-urban-families 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/compact-communities-crucial-to-the-future-of-urban-families Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local Government Minister John Healey has published the framework - regulations and guidance - which the Government intends to put in place for the transfer and appointment of staff to the new unitary councils. The framework, centred on the Government's commitment to TUPE protection for staff transferring to the new unitaries, also makes clear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-confirms-tupe-protections-for-staff-moving-to-new-unitary-councils- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-confirms-tupe-protections-for-staff-moving-to-new-unitary-councils- Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT NALC’s campaign for greater neighbourhood governance gained central government support with MPs, and key decision makers attending NALC’s Parliamentary Tea, in London last week. Devolving more power down to the parish and town council level and giving communities a greater sense of ownership over decision-making were part of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nalc-wins-backing-for-more-community-power 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nalc-wins-backing-for-more-community-power Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) says the Prime Minister’s new investigator of ministerial misconduct lacks the independence to do his job effectively. The Committee suggests that the word “Independent” in the role’s title may be a misnomer. The Committee welcomes the creation of the post... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-says-pms-new-independent-sleazebuster-only-independent-in-name 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-says-pms-new-independent-sleazebuster-only-independent-in-name Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Differences in the way the UK countries and the regions of England contribute to our impact on the environment are revealed in the new issue of Regional Trends released by the Office for National Statistics. For example, recycling has increased strongly across all regions in the four years from 2002/03 to 2005/06. Households in the East... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-regions-reveal-their-green-credentials 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-regions-reveal-their-green-credentials Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) echoed concerns expressed by the Committee of Public Accounts over Cabinet Office claims that £1.4 billion will be saved each year through government organisations sharing corporate services such as finance and human resources. The committee’s report: Improving corporate functions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-responds-to-report-on-shared-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-responds-to-report-on-shared-services Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Building Professional Skills for Government – a strategy for delivery is the title of the new skills strategy for government launched in April at Civil Service Live. This skills strategy sets out for the first time a collective set of skills development priorities that employers in central government are committed to addressing, says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-building-professional-skills-for-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-building-professional-skills-for-government Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Connected City is a strategy driven by the demand for shared – or connected – citizen services focused on enhancing the services delivered and changing the way the city works. To achieve this, a joined up approach should be taken in delivering communications - and ICT holds the key, says Paul Birdman “A problem... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-the-connected-city-myth-or-reality 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-the-connected-city-myth-or-reality Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Waltham Forest Council works towards goal of ISO 20000 standard for measurable service excellence with Hornbill’s service management software Waltham Forest Council is developing its use of Hornbill’s Supportworks service management software to achieve ISO 20000 standard for measurable excellence in IT services. The IT team is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-waltham-forest-selects-hornbills-supportworks-to-meet-iso-20000-standard 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-waltham-forest-selects-hornbills-supportworks-to-meet-iso-20000-standard Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new member of Gloucester City Council’s senior management team – who is going to help turn it into a ‘top performing’ organization – has just been appointed Peter Gillett will be taking up the post of director of Resources in the summer. He is currently head of Finance and Resources at Malvern Hills... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-resourceful-director- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-resourceful-director- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT ABeam Consulting, the former Japanese business unit of Deloitte Consulting and one of the top three management consultancies in Japan, has formally launched in the UK ABeam uses Japanese methodologies such as Kaizen to improve efficiencies in the UK public sector. Kaizen, which comes from combining the Japanese words Kai, meaning change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/abeam-arrives-in-uk 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/abeam-arrives-in-uk Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Monarch and Data Pump are essential parts of Camden Council's systems tool kit The London Borough of Camden extends across the heart of London, stretching from the green oasis of Hampstead Heath in the north right down to the West End’s tourist attraction, Covent Garden. This is one of Britain’s most metropolitan areas and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-and-more-cost-effective 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-and-more-cost-effective Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The importance of being accessible The use of the Internet has caused a major shift in the way that government communicates and interacts with its citizens. As the web is now the predominant method for distributing information, it is important that websites are designed to be inclusive to all. This should be in line with accessibility... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/browsealoud--making-websites-talk 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/browsealoud--making-websites-talk Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force on 6 April. Now, even well run organisations which may never end up facing an actual prosecution may still find themselves being put under tremendous scrutiny to justify how they have ensured the health, safety and welfare of their employees and the wider public, says... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/corporate-manslaughter--is-your-organisation-at-risk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/corporate-manslaughter--is-your-organisation-at-risk Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Chris Wilson, executive director of 4ps, has warned local authorities that delivering local services efficiently is likely to become far more difficult in a financial downturn. New research shows that only 17% of local authorities surveyed believe their ability to deliver local services will be unaffected by the current financial... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-efficiency-set-to-get-tougher- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-efficiency-set-to-get-tougher- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT As the effects of the global credit crunch feed through to the wider economy and we enter a new era of thrift in the public sector, how does Whitehall start tackling the estimated ?7.5bn dent in its finances without adversely effecting frontline services? Well, how about tackling the massive bill it pays for software, says Mark... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-sustainable-savings-in-public-sector-it 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-sustainable-savings-in-public-sector-it Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hillingdon Council has launched the country’s first designated parking bays for all its older residents aged 65 and over The special parking spaces are located close to local amenities, entrances and exit points in council owned car parks across the borough. The new and innovative scheme was trialed in July last year and was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-parking-bays-for-older-people-launched 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-parking-bays-for-older-people-launched Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The political climate in the UK combined with plans to streamline Scotland’s public sector organisations will have a dramatic impact on the recruitment of candidates to high-profile posts. It will become increasingly difficult for public sector bodies to attract people with the right skills and expertise in the years to come unless they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/go-north- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/go-north- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Remploy e-cycle is urging public sector organisations to consider increasing the frequency at which they refresh their IT stock in line with a Government report which suggests they could benefit by as much as £70million per year by doing so. According to the National Audit Office’s Improving the disposal of public sector ICT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/improving-disposals-of-public-sector-ict 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/improving-disposals-of-public-sector-ict Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Projects need to deliver results. They need to do this reliably, predictably, and usually within a tightly-constrained budget, whilst delivering the benefits for which the project was initiated. Public sector organisations will use PRINCE2™ as a standard framework for governance and reporting within projects. However, projects can gain... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/introducing-agile-into-project-management 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/introducing-agile-into-project-management Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Liquidlogic, a leading provider of collaborative software to the public sector, has announced the availability of a full suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for their PROTOCOL applications ICS, IAS, eSAP and eCAF. These interfaces will be available in June 2008, and are offered without charge to new and current Liquidlogic... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/liquidlogic-gives-away-free-apis 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/liquidlogic-gives-away-free-apis Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Since the 1960s the area of England affected by noise and visual intrusion has doubled. Parts of our cities are now 10 times noisier than a decade ago In a noisier world, peace and tranquillity are becoming harder to find. In such a world where can we find spiritual and mental refreshment? How can we protect places that provide this and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-a-noise-about-peace-and-quiet 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-a-noise-about-peace-and-quiet Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT High quality procurement is becoming increasingly important to the government’s agenda. At the heart of this is a mission to drive up procurement skills. Michael Dunning of the Office of Government Commerce explains what the government is doing to address this A new government strategy launched in January 2007, Transforming... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/meeting-the-procurement-skills-challenge 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/meeting-the-procurement-skills-challenge Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT St Albans District Council has announced that it has agreed a partnership with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, to transform council performance and deliver first-class public services for the area’s 130,000-plus citizens The new contract, worth... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-partnership-to-transform-st-albans-public-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-partnership-to-transform-st-albans-public-services Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is urging all government departments, their agencies and sponsored bodies, to adopt workspace efficiency standards for offices on the government estate from 1st April 2008. The new standards will enable significant efficiency savings and sustainable performance improvements to be made on an estate that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-workspace-efficiency-standards-aim-to-save-125-billion- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-workspace-efficiency-standards-aim-to-save-125-billion- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT With the government setting ambitious targets for increasing participation in sport and physical activity and making bold statements about the sustainable sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games, local authorities are recognising the urgent need to challenge existing approaches to the delivery of leisure services, say Ben Sheppard and Damien... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pfi-and-ppp-procurement-guidance-packs-issued- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pfi-and-ppp-procurement-guidance-packs-issued- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown's pledge to focus "solely" on keeping the economy on track must include more radical reform of Britain's public services, the CBI has said. It warned that continuing demand for better public services at a time when the economy is slowing and public spending growth is falling back following years of rapid expansion means... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-critical-to-keeping-economy-on-track--cbi- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-critical-to-keeping-economy-on-track--cbi- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new study into the south west renewable energy and energy-efficiency sectors reveals that, since 2005, the value of the renewable energy sector to the region's economy has grown hugely from £34 million to £215 million. The results of the survey are particularly positive news for Regen SW, who now have an extended remit to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-energy-worth-215-million-to-south-west 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-energy-worth-215-million-to-south-west Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local councils may struggle to employ enough staff to run services over the next ten years as a third of its staff are due to retire, according to a report by think tank New Local Government Network. Many councils could be left understaffed as “authorities are set to lose significantly higher proportions of senior managers over the next... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/report-forecasts-town-hall-exodus-as-1-3-of-council-staff-retire- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/report-forecasts-town-hall-exodus-as-1-3-of-council-staff-retire- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT There was widespread disruption across ten government departments and agencies this month as members of the Public and Commercial Services Union took part in a one day strike over a series of below inflation pay offers resulting from the government’s policy to cap public sector pay to below inflation. The strike, on the same day as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rich-man-poor-man 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rich-man-poor-man Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT RNID, the deafness and hard of hearing charity has launched Sound Solutions, a comprehensive guide to help local authorities ensure their services reach the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Sound Solutions has been produced by RNID Products, the charity’s not-for-profit retail arm to share their expertise on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rnid-offers-sound-solutions-to-communication-barriers 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rnid-offers-sound-solutions-to-communication-barriers Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Blackpool, Dover and Torbay will be the first towns to benefit from up to £4 million each for cultural and heritage projects The grants are the first to be made as part of Sea Change, a new funding programme which aims to kick start wider economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in culture and heritage.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/seaside-resorts-to-see-change 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/seaside-resorts-to-see-change Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The technology to join up e-government services has come of age, yet these projects are not simply about technological innovation. They require vision, co-operation, sometimes coercion, as well as system integration, says David Macken Today’s online public services are about collaborative working, economies of scale, providing wider... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-services-making-collaboration-work 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-services-making-collaboration-work Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Picture this: it is close of play Friday. So you collect your week’s wages, pat your pocket contentedly and make your way home to stuff the money under your mattress (apart from the pocket money needed for the evening). Then you are off out to meet your friend Phil for a well deserved drink. You had agreed to meet at seven. It is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/software-on-tap 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/software-on-tap Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT From 2005 to 2007, the Sustainable Development Research Centre was the research partner to the BEST Procurement Programme, an ESF funded development partnership led by Social Enterprise East Midlands which aimed to increase the proportion of public sector procurement directed towards social enterprise. SDRC’s research has provided... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sustainable-procurement--buying-from-social-enterprise 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sustainable-procurement--buying-from-social-enterprise Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Switch Communications, one of the UK's leading independent installers of integrated communications solutions and a fully accredited Alcatel-Lucent premium business partner, has announced that it has been awarded a Catalist Framework agreement by the Office of Government Commerce to supply Voice over IP (VoIP) and Wide Area Network (WAN)... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/switch-communications-awarded-ogc-catalist-framework-agreement- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/switch-communications-awarded-ogc-catalist-framework-agreement- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Children will play anywhere, but to derive optimum benefit – to play as fully as they need to – they need space. Traffic, commerce and a general design on the public realm have made the outdoor world less and less accessible for children and young people, says Adrian Voce Fear of predators and bullying; increased demands on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-battery-reared-child 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-battery-reared-child Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT New housing minister Caroline Flint is shortly expected to announce the first of a new generation of local housing companies, joint venture vehicles that will build affordable housing on public land. Could this herald a new era of council-led house building or is it just another in a long line of complex public-private partnerships charged... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-housing-revolution 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-housing-revolution Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Public services need reliable, accurate and timely information to manage services and account for performance . Although the Audit Commission refers to information in general, the comments they make also apply to spatial data as ‘location’ takes an increasingly pivotal role in the planning and decision-making process. Integration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-need-for-spatial-data-infrastructures-in-providing-effective-data-management- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-need-for-spatial-data-infrastructures-in-providing-effective-data-management- Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Roffey Park’s annual Management Agenda research for 2008 makes difficult reading for public sector organisations. The survey of 490 managers reveals several key areas in which public sector organisations are perceived to be performing significantly worse than their private sector counterparts. Here, Claire McCartney looks at these areas... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-challenge-being-fit-for-purpose-for-the-future 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-challenge-being-fit-for-purpose-for-the-future Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT With the recent publication of the latest Sustainable Development in Government report, it’s clear that the majority of public money isn’t being spent in a way that will build a more sustainable future. Fiona Dowson explains how a new report from sustainability charity Forum for the Future can help the public sector improve their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-public-sector-needs-to-act-now-or-miss-out-on-the-bargain-of-the-century 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-public-sector-needs-to-act-now-or-miss-out-on-the-bargain-of-the-century Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local government has, I believe, a responsibility to deliver and provide wherever possible those services that are important to local people and their communities. I also believe, because of its unique position and role, local government has a far greater understanding and comprehension of what actually is important to local people and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-scandal-of-post-office-closures 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-scandal-of-post-office-closures Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT International development charity VSO has welcomed the announcement by Douglas Alexander, secretary of state for International Development, of more support for public sector workers who want to volunteer overseas. The charity hailed the announcement of £13 million to fund pension contributions for public sector workers whilst they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/vsos-anniversary-pension-boost-for-public-sector-volunteers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/vsos-anniversary-pension-boost-for-public-sector-volunteers Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Is Web 2.0 just another buzzword or do blogs, social networks and online forums provide real opportunities for public sector organisations to improve their web-based services, asks Mike Ellis Web 2.0 has been defined as an online trend that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing and collaboration among web users. Until... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/web-20--just-hype-or-a-real-opportunity-for-the-public-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/web-20--just-hype-or-a-real-opportunity-for-the-public-sector Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Help the Aged manifesto will prevent death of community living Local communities are in steady decline with new research showing one in four older people (25 per cent) think their community has changed for the worse in the last 10 years(1). The equivalent of nearly three million pensioners also said they are prevented from going out... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-new-research-shows-communities-are-eroding-before-peoples-very-eyes 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-new-research-shows-communities-are-eroding-before-peoples-very-eyes Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT According to new research released by Cranfield School of Management, e-recruitment can provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for the public sector, enabling them to attract high quality and diverse candidates. The research investigated the potential benefits of e-recruitment for public sector employers and examined how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-recruitment-eases-pressure-for-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-recruitment-eases-pressure-for-public-sector Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the latest report on local authority pay by The Taxpayers' Alliance, John Ransford, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Local Government Association, which represents more than 400 councils in England and Wales, said: “Saving ten percent on what councils spend would lead to savage cuts in vital local services. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-taxpayers-alliance-report-on-council-funding- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lga-responds-to-taxpayers-alliance-report-on-council-funding- Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT The experience of London boroughs backs a new study which reveals a growing mistrust in official data and a large fall in the numbers of people believing population figures to be accurate. Ironically, the Office for National Statistics report on which the Commission's comments are based, said that the general public's confidence in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/london-councils-reveals-the-capital-has-lost-130-million-due-to-population-statistic-blunder- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/london-councils-reveals-the-capital-has-lost-130-million-due-to-population-statistic-blunder- Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT There was widespread disruption across ten government departments and agencies last week as members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) took part in a one day strike over a series of below inflation pay offers resulting from the government’s policy to cap public sector pay to below inflation. The strike, on the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-servants-pay-strike-causes-widespread-disruption 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-servants-pay-strike-causes-widespread-disruption Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Kirklees, St Helens and Suffolk Councils have been selected to take part in a groundbreaking new project - the i-team - which will see public sector organisations using innovation processes traditionally used by global companies such as Apple, Procter and Gamble and Nokia to develop new products and services. The i-team, developed by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kirklees-st-helens-and-suffolk-councils-win-contract-to-deliver-innovation-projects-in-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kirklees-st-helens-and-suffolk-councils-win-contract-to-deliver-innovation-projects-in-the-public-sector Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT England’s top tourism businesses were named in a glittering ceremony in Liverpool, and England’s Northwest walked away with three Gold Awards, reflecting the continued success of the region’s tourism industry. Organised by VisitBritain, the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence are the annual tourism ‘Oscars’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/three-tourism-oscars-for-englands-northwest 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/three-tourism-oscars-for-englands-northwest Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT The UK's voting system is vulnerable to large-scale fraud and is being undermined by political parties' spending on marginal seats, a report has warned. The report, by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, claims that measures to improve choice for voters are actually hitting the integrity of the electoral process. Ahead of local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/uk-voting-system-open-to-fraud 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/uk-voting-system-open-to-fraud Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector trade union, has written to all MPs calling for recognition of Workers Memorial Day (on 28 April each year) as a national day of remembrance. The day commemorates those who have died, been seriously injured, or made seriously ill by their work. It also highlights the right all workers should have to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/unison-urges-mps-to-officially-recognise-workers-memorial-day- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/unison-urges-mps-to-officially-recognise-workers-memorial-day- Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new report from nef, Fool’s Gold, shows that unless cast-iron guarantees are built into plans for the 2012 Olympics, the Games will fail to leave the promised positive local legacy for the poorest residents of East London. The 2012 London Olympics have been presented by the Government and the Olympic delivery bodies as a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/2012-olympics-will-break-legacy-promise-unless-rules-are-changed-quickly-says-nef 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/2012-olympics-will-break-legacy-promise-unless-rules-are-changed-quickly-says-nef Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown's pledge to focus "solely" on keeping the economy on track must include more radical reform of Britain's public services, the CBI has said. It warned that continuing demand for better public services at a time when the economy is slowing and public spending growth is falling back following years of rapid expansion means... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cbi-public-service-reform-critical-to-pms-pledge-to-keep-economy-on-track- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cbi-public-service-reform-critical-to-pms-pledge-to-keep-economy-on-track- Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A report from the Liaison Committee, made up of the 31 chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees, seeks to improve the House's ability to scrutinise Government expenditure. The report, Parliament and Government Finance: Recreating Financial Scrutiny (HC 426), concludes that for far too long the House has shirked the task of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-call-for-more-effective-scrutiny-of-government-expenditure 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-call-for-more-effective-scrutiny-of-government-expenditure Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Westminster City Council recycled up to 70,000 plastic water bottles from this year’s London Marathon - enough to make 16,000 umbrellas, 1,300 fleece jackets or 33 picnic tables The Council recycled the bottles - over half a tonne’s worth - discarded by thirsty runners during the Westminster section of the Marathon towards the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/westminster-recycles-100000-plastic-bottles-for-london-marathon- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/westminster-recycles-100000-plastic-bottles-for-london-marathon- Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Over 100,000 Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), working across 10 government departments and agencies will be on strike at the same time as other public sector workers, including teachers and lecturers in a one day strike on 24 April in protest at the government’s policy to cap public sector pay to below inflation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100000-civil-servants-to-strike-on-24-april 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100000-civil-servants-to-strike-on-24-april Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities need the power and resources to deliver rural affordable housing that meets local needs, not a centralised formula, says the South East England Regional Housing Board. This is the Board's message to the Taylor Review - an independent study led by Matthew Taylor MP looking at ways to increase affordable housing to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-need-support-for-rural-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-need-support-for-rural-affordable-housing Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A group of leading businesses from the South West of England has visited the iconic National Assembly for Wales building, the Senedd, to see for themselves the ‘Welsh way’ to procurement.’ In an event hosted by Finance & Public Service Delivery Minister Andrew Davies, members of ‘Beacon South West’ were... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-companies-come-to-senedd-to-learn-about-the-welsh-way-to-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-companies-come-to-senedd-to-learn-about-the-welsh-way-to-procurement Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Floods Recovery Minister John Healey has announced a further £365,000 in Bellwin funding to three of the councils affected by last summer's floods. Gloucestershire County Council, East Lindsey District Council and Cheltenham Borough Council will receive the money to support their ongoing work to get flood-affected communities back on... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-announces-further-flood-funding-for-three-local-councils 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-announces-further-flood-funding-for-three-local-councils Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Council leaders are seeking urgent clarification from the Government and energy companies about how the £225m to help people with rising fuel bills will be paid for. Energy Secretary John Hutton announced today that he has brokered a deal with energy suppliers that the money they spend on social programmes to help the poorest heat... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/money-for-fuel-poverty-must-not-be-a-new-tax-lga 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/money-for-fuel-poverty-must-not-be-a-new-tax-lga Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new report, published by Forum for the Future, outlines how the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector can realise its massive potential to deliver a more sustainable future. Connected, sponsored by Sun Microsystems, confirms that the ICT industry has a compelling role to play in delivering a low carbon, sustainable future.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-report-places-ict-at-the-heart-of-delivering-a-more-sustainable-future 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-report-places-ict-at-the-heart-of-delivering-a-more-sustainable-future Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A whopping 4,900 graffiti tags have been removed from properties, walls and shutters across Hammersmith and Fulham. Since April last year, the council's graffiti action team has been working hard to clear unsightly areas across the borough by painting, jet washing and sand blasting graffiti - a jet wash method that sprays granules of sand... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-writings-off-the-wall 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-writings-off-the-wall Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT The country’s first eco-towns took a step closer to becoming reality as Housing Minister Caroline Flint today announced 15 potential locations will go forward to the next stage, providing the opportunity for a major boost in affordable housing across the country whilst tackling climate change. Housing Minister Caroline Flint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15-locations-shortlisted-for-next-stage-of-eco-towns-programme 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15-locations-shortlisted-for-next-stage-of-eco-towns-programme Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Government consults on proposals to support regional economic growth in England Ministers have laid the foundations for sweeping reforms to bring about a renaissance in England’s most deprived areas. It follows publication of the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration last July, which announced new... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-to-create-more-prosperous-places 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-to-create-more-prosperous-places Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Lewisham Council has received a special London Councils award to mark its good work in helping its councillors do a better job. The Member Development Charter is awarded to councils in recognition of their work to provide councillors with the support, skills and training they need to develop and to effectively manage their local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lewisham-council-rewarded-for-excellence 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lewisham-council-rewarded-for-excellence Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT New resource provides evidence on links between the natural and built environment and health The way we plan and use our towns and cities has a critical impact on the health of communities, and could be key to tackling some of Britain’s health problems, according to the Sustainable Development Commission. Although life... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/outdoor-environment-key-to-tackling-obesity-and-mental-ill-health-says-sustainable-development-commission 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/outdoor-environment-key-to-tackling-obesity-and-mental-ill-health-says-sustainable-development-commission Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT A strategy committing leaders in the civil service and armed forces to work together on common skills issues has been launched by head of the civil service, Sir Gus O’Donnell. Government Skills, the sector skills council for central government, has worked with HR directors and learning leads, heads of professions and permanent... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/strategy-to-build-skills-in-government-launched 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/strategy-to-build-skills-in-government-launched Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT In response to overall council tax rises of 4% in England, Sir Simon Milton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, a cross-party organisation which represents councils in England, said: "The lowest council tax rise in over a decade demonstrates local authorities' determination to provide an ever better deal for the taxpayer while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-rise-is-lowest-for-over-a-decade 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-rise-is-lowest-for-over-a-decade Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT A derelict property that was a nuisance to neighbours for more than a decade has had a forced sale at auction by Bristol City Council. 5 William Street, Totterdown, was empty for over ten years, after its owner died leaving no traceable heirs. During that time the council carried out significant works to make the property safe and reduce... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-uses-enforcement-powers-to-deal-with-derelict-property 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-uses-enforcement-powers-to-deal-with-derelict-property Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is urging all government departments, their agencies and sponsored bodies, to adopt workspace efficiency standards for offices on the government estate from 1st April 2008. The new standards will enable significant efficiency savings and sustainable performance improvements to be made on an estate that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-announces-new-government-workspace-efficiency-standards-aiming-to-save-around-125-billion-annually-for-taxpayers- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-announces-new-government-workspace-efficiency-standards-aiming-to-save-around-125-billion-annually-for-taxpayers- Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Noise Action Week 19-23 May 2008 Noise from neighbours, in the street, at work, or during leisure time, can be a problem for us all. With new regulations in force to help local authorities to tackle night-time noise from licensed premises, and the first Noise Action Plans to be drawn up for larger cities by July 2008, this year’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/promoting-quieter-healthier-neighbourhoods 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/promoting-quieter-healthier-neighbourhoods Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Two thirds of households recycle their food waste when councils provide a weekly collection, along with fortnightly residual waste collection, research has found. The reasons householders do or don't take part in food waste recycling are outlined in a Defra-funded study led by consultants Brook Lyndhurst. The full report, discussed at a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/weekly-food-waste-collections-can-benefit-the-environment-and-save-money 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/weekly-food-waste-collections-can-benefit-the-environment-and-save-money Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The building industry, local authorities and home owners will all benefit from a shake-up to the building control system proposed by Housing Minister Caroline Flint which cracks down on illegal construction. The “Future of Building Control” consultation recommends a more efficient risk-based inspection process for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/crackdown-on-cowboys-to-benefit-home-owners-local-authorities-and-the-building-industry 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/crackdown-on-cowboys-to-benefit-home-owners-local-authorities-and-the-building-industry Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT New guidance on calculating the costs associated with remediating contaminated and – for the first time - derelict brownfield land has been issued by national regeneration agency English Partnerships. The Best Practice Note Contamination and Dereliction Remediation Costs acknowledges that tackling the problems caused by dereliction can... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/english-partnerships-launches-best-practice-note-on-brownfield-site-remediation-costs 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/english-partnerships-launches-best-practice-note-on-brownfield-site-remediation-costs Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new series of skills seminars from the National School of Government and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will help leaders take a strategic view of property to extract maximum value from this expensive, but often ignored, asset base. The National Audit Office recently reported that central government’s gross... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/national-school-and-rics-to-help-leaders-take-a-strategic-view-of-property 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/national-school-and-rics-to-help-leaders-take-a-strategic-view-of-property Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) has announced the launch of a call for evidence on the indirect impacts of biofuels, with a deadline for submissions of 14th April. Reacting to recent scientific evidence which questions the benefits of biofuels, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has asked the RFA to carry out a review of their indirect impacts.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-agency-issues-call-for-evidence-on-the-indirect-impacts-of-biofuels 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-agency-issues-call-for-evidence-on-the-indirect-impacts-of-biofuels Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new Centre of Expertise is to be set up to help Whitehall departments achieve their targets for reducing carbon emissions and waste across the government estate. Details of the Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement (CESP) were unveiled as the Government published its response to the Sustainable Development Commission's latest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-centre-of-expertise-for-cutting-carbon-emissions-across-whitehall- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-centre-of-expertise-for-cutting-carbon-emissions-across-whitehall- Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT In a report released on Friday 14 March, the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights says repeated losses of personal data are “symptomatic of the Government’s persistent failure to take data protection safeguards sufficiently seriously”. The Committee reminds Government that the right to respect for private life in Article 8... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-persistent-failure-to-take-data-protection-seriously-caused-breaches-says-committee- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-persistent-failure-to-take-data-protection-seriously-caused-breaches-says-committee- Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT New Blue Badge passes are to be issued in a tamper-proof laminated casing as part of the drive to combat abuse of the parking concession for people with disabilities. The laminated cover means that any attempt to manipulate the details contained on the badge will leave permanent damage making it immediately obvious that the badge has been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-anti-fraud-measure-for-disabled-parking-scheme-unveiled 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-anti-fraud-measure-for-disabled-parking-scheme-unveiled Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Young people in Southampton have been given a direct link to the man in charge of the city’s children’s services. The ‘Tell Clive’ email address gives children and young people across the city unprecedented access to Clive Webster, Southampton City Council’s Director for Children’s Services. Clive is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-email-campaign-helps-southampton-young-people-have-their-say 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-email-campaign-helps-southampton-young-people-have-their-say Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Renewable Fuels Agency has welcomed the terms of reference from the Department of Transport for a review on the indirect impacts of biofuels. The review was announced last month by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly. The study will include an assessment of the available evidence on the indirect effects of biofuels on land use change, both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rfa-welcomes-terms-of-reference-for-review-of-indirect-impacts-of-biofuels 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rfa-welcomes-terms-of-reference-for-review-of-indirect-impacts-of-biofuels Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT …but some cities will still find it difficult to regenerate   In the first of a three-part series of reports on urban regeneration, leading thinktank Policy Exchange report found that British towns and cities in receipt of substantial urban policy funding designed to bring them up to the economic standard nationally are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stronger-city-government-is-key-to-urban-revival--policy-exchange- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stronger-city-government-is-key-to-urban-revival--policy-exchange- Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Up to 80,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began a second two day strike on 17 March in a dispute over the imposition of a below inflation pay offer, hitting Jobcentres, benefits offices, the Pension Service and Child Support Agency (CSA). The second... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/work-and-pensions-staff-start-second-two-day-strike-over-below-inflation-pay 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/work-and-pensions-staff-start-second-two-day-strike-over-below-inflation-pay Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Extra funding is coming to the Bradford district to help stamp out anti-social behaviour. Bradford Council is to get £220,000 over the next three years to support vulnerable young people who are starting to get into trouble. The district is one of 52 pilot areas chosen by the Department of Children, Schools and Families to bid... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/200000-to-stamp-out-anti-social-behaviour 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/200000-to-stamp-out-anti-social-behaviour Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The use of bottled water for meetings and other official business is to be phased out across the whole Government estate. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell has written to the head of every Government department suggesting they should replace bought-in bottled water with tap water for all meetings in future. A number of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-announces-phasing-out-of-bottled-water-across-government-estate 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-announces-phasing-out-of-bottled-water-across-government-estate Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Three local government authorities awarded Beacon Status   Three local authorities – Leeds City Council, London Borough of Croydon and South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council - are the winners of Beacon status in the ‘local strategic partnerships and local area agreements’ category (LSPs and LAAs). Winners... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-strategic-partnerships-and-local-area-agreements 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-strategic-partnerships-and-local-area-agreements Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new toolkit will help public sector spenders make more sustainable purchasing choices, enabling the sector to use its massive purchasing power to best effect and lead by example. With an annual procurement budget of around £160 billion, the public sector is the largest purchaser in the UK. But often sustainability factors –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-can-help-buy-a-better-world 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-procurement-can-help-buy-a-better-world Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Despite spiralling council tax bills across the country, one London council has bucked the national trend by agreeing the biggest council tax cut in Britain for the second year in a row. The historic 3% cut was agreed at a budget council meeting on Wednesday, 27 February. Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader, Councillor Stephen... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-agrees-biggest-tax-cut-in-britain-for-the-second-year-running 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-agrees-biggest-tax-cut-in-britain-for-the-second-year-running Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Motorists are set to benefit from fairer and more transparent parking system as Transport Minister Rosie Winterton published a new framework designed to make parking enforcement more motorist friendly. The new framework - which comes into force at the end of March - makes it clear that councils should not use parking enforcement as a tool... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-told-to-make-parking-fairer-clearer-and-more-open-from-31-march- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-told-to-make-parking-fairer-clearer-and-more-open-from-31-march- Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT New unitary councils in Cornwall, County Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire have now received Parliamentary approval. The new-style unitary councils will pioneer new ways to empower local communities, to radically improve services, and to promote prosperity across these five counties. Once up and running the new councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parliament-gives-green-light-for-five-flagship-unitaries 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parliament-gives-green-light-for-five-flagship-unitaries Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT The government's Rural Advocate, Dr. Stuart Burgess, has launched his second report to the Prime Minister, setting out the aspirations, experiences and concerns of people living and working in rural England. During 2007 Dr. Burgess visited rural communities up and down the country to listen to rural people about what matters most - the many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rural-advocate-reports-to-prime-minister-on-realities-of-rural-england 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rural-advocate-reports-to-prime-minister-on-realities-of-rural-england Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT New report follows biggest ever consultation exercise of rural interest groups The Rural Services Network, the coalition of over 80 of England's most rural local authorities and 150 other public service providers and rural interest groups has launched a call for action to support rural England. A new report, 'Sustaining Rural... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rural-councils-to-call-for-action-to-sustain-fragile-countryside-communities 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rural-councils-to-call-for-action-to-sustain-fragile-countryside-communities Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the reports that ministers and officials might have known for years that tens of thousands of householders were paying too much council tax, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: “Many people are already struggling to pay for their council tax bills, and this comes as a bitter blow to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-cover-up-a-bitter-blow-to-householders- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-cover-up-a-bitter-blow-to-householders- Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT At the click of a button, online services and information is available to everyone at www.scambs.gov.uk. That’s the official verdict on South Cambridgeshire District Council’s website after accreditation from the Shaw Trust. SCDC has been working with the Shaw Trust for the past nine months to ensure its website is as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-website-achieves-accessible-rating 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-website-achieves-accessible-rating Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT New research published today argues that devolving welfare to work policy to a local government level will be key to the Government achieving its target of 80% of people in employment. The New Local Government Network (NLGN) report, The Local Journey to Work argues that the UK should follow Australia and the US and introduce more flexible... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/devolved-approach-key-to-tackling-worklessness-according-to-research 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/devolved-approach-key-to-tackling-worklessness-according-to-research Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Bold suggestions include US-style primaries, run-offs, fixed terms and elected police chiefs In a new paper for leading thinktank Policy Exchange ‘Back from Life Support: Remaking representative and responsible government in Britain’, Labour MP for Birkenhead, Frank Field, questions whether government in the UK any longer... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/frank-field-proposes-radical-reform-package-to-revive-british-democracy 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/frank-field-proposes-radical-reform-package-to-revive-british-democracy Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT * 5,000 apprenticeships to help people from all backgrounds make the most of their creative skills * An independent review to investigate the path to next generation broadband * The World Creative Business Conference - an annual event bringing together world leaders in the creative and financial sectors * Steps to protect... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream-government-unveils-new-action-plan-for-the-creative-industries- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/from-the-margins-to-the-mainstream-government-unveils-new-action-plan-for-the-creative-industries- Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Responding to the launch of Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society, Paul Cann, director of policy and external relations at Help the Aged, says: '...far too many older people struggle to live independently at home when all they need is help with improvements and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-strategy-is-enormously-important-for-older-people-says-help-the-aged 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-strategy-is-enormously-important-for-older-people-says-help-the-aged Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Government's planning shake-up will stifle local democracy's voice in major infrastructure decisions and give more power to unelected technocrats, says the South East England Regional Assembly's Planning Committee. Responding to the Planning Bill 2008, the Committee wants to see changes that will force local authority views to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/planning-proposals-stifle-democracy-says-assembly 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/planning-proposals-stifle-democracy-says-assembly Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Friends of the Earth welcomed the DfT's review of the environmental impact of biofuels, but warned that the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) - due to come into force on April 15th - should be put on hold. The RTFO will require all petrol sold in the UK to contain a percentage of biofuels in order to meet EU targets to increase the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-of-biofuels-welcome-but-rtfo-must-be-put-on-hold- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-of-biofuels-welcome-but-rtfo-must-be-put-on-hold- Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT New research shows that public sector morale continues to decline while private services report improvement The public sector is suffering from high levels of morale-sapping internal politics, poor board reputation and a failure to tackle underperformance at a time when it is undertaking significant change that it cannot afford to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-culture-of-underperformance-fuels-widespread-discontent-in-public-sector-organisations 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-culture-of-underperformance-fuels-widespread-discontent-in-public-sector-organisations Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT John Morse, IT architect at Eduserv, the not-for-profit IT services group serving the public sector, discusses the issues to be considered when developing a website that is both usable and accessible Usable or accessible? Ensuring a website can be accessed by those with disabilities has been widely discussed and many public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/accessing-usable-websites- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/accessing-usable-websites- Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Private sector partnership is key to successful regeneration A stroll through the centre of Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham is a vastly different experience now to a decade ago. While each had clung to the remnants of their Victorian heritage with graceful market halls, theatres and railways stations, their grandeur had become diluted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-cityscapes 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-cityscapes Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Changing Whitehall’s DNA is a new report from the think tank New Local Government Network which reveals the true nature of decision-making within government. The report shows how improved scrutiny of public service agreements can reform Whitehall and so ensure devolution in the delivery of public services Whitehall culture has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/changing-whitehalls-dna 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/changing-whitehalls-dna Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT 2008 is set to be a challenging year for organisations in the public sector. There are concerns over the budgets available to deliver services whilst customer expectations are rising. In the wider economy there are signs of instability, energy prices have reached record levels for the decade and remain volatile. At the same time recent extreme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-a-sustainable-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-a-sustainable-future Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Back office, the undiscovered pot of gold Over the last twelve months, Baker Tilly has been conducting a series of back office benchmarking programmes with a number of large/medium sized housing associations. The results show that if the social housing sector were to take up some of the leading reforms that others in the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/delivering-more-for-less 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/delivering-more-for-less Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The high profile publicity surrounding the reported loss by HM Revenue & Customs of personal financial information relating to 25 million child benefit claimants highlights the increasing requirement for encryption technology to protect sensitive data within government settings, says Stephen Lewis In the past, encryption may have been... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/encryption-no-longer-just-for-spies 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/encryption-no-longer-just-for-spies Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The essential projects we undertake as a part of our everyday work, whether setting up a new children’s centre or organising the waste recycling for an area, all involve groups of people working together. These people are often from diverse backgrounds with different interests and capabilities. Successful projects need people to develop... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/facilitation--a-key-tool-for-project-success 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/facilitation--a-key-tool-for-project-success Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The challenge of being a public sector manager is greater than most people think. And whilst there is a tendency to assume that it is toughest at the top, in reality, however, the lower down the scale you are, the harder it is to manage and lead because it isn't formally identified as central to your role and therefore training and support is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/good-practice-public-sector-leadership-development 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/good-practice-public-sector-leadership-development Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT New plans to prioritise hardworking local people for council homes in Hammersmith and Fulham have been debated at a public scrutiny meeting As part of Hammersmith and Fulham’s drive to create a housing ladder of opportunity for all, improvements are being proposed in the way residents apply for council housing. The pioneering... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hammersmith-residents-to-benefit-from-housing-springboard- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hammersmith-residents-to-benefit-from-housing-springboard- Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The increasing frequency of problematic technology implementations signifies that the public sector is eschewing quality control on its IT systems in a bid to meet deadlines and budgetary targets but is doing so to its own detriment, says Graham Smith. When public sector IT projects go awry, they tend to do so in a blaze of publicity. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-avoid-public-sector-it-disasters 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-avoid-public-sector-it-disasters Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Recent incidents such as the loss of two CDs by HMRC and the theft of an MoD laptop have shown that our dependence on information technology brings risks. Perhaps IT has now become so commonplace that familiarity has given rise to ‘risk blindness’. John McDermid shows how to understand IT-related risks and to ensure that they are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/it-risk-management-learning-from-our-mistakes 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/it-risk-management-learning-from-our-mistakes Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities are always under pressure to keep costs associated with their property portfolio and new developments as low as possible. A recent court case brings good news by drawing attention to an opportunity to reduce costs further, says Bartle Woolhouse Where the local authority is the landlord and where compulsory purchase... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-have-another-string-to-their-cpo-bow-dont-forget-to-use-it 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-have-another-string-to-their-cpo-bow-dont-forget-to-use-it Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT A new plan to tackle affordability and aspiration in the capital’s housing market has been unveiled by London Councils The document, the result of a year-long cross-party review of housing policy, sets out London Councils’ plans to tackle the capital’s growing housing crisis and ensure all Londoners achieve the homes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-housing-vision-to-tackle-affordability-and-aspiration-in-homes-for-londoners 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-housing-vision-to-tackle-affordability-and-aspiration-in-homes-for-londoners Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Rural watchdog calls for revolution in local decision-making A major report by the Commission for Rural Communities has found that nearly half of rural residents feel unable to influence local decisions directly affecting their lives. The report, Participation inquiry: strengthening the role of local councillors, says just a quarter would... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-to-the-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-to-the-people Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT With so much public finance being expended through initiatives and delivered via projects and programmes of change, there has never been a better time to harness the efficiency and effectiveness of a project management methodology. Owned by the Office of Government Commerce, PRINCE2™ has gained widespread acceptance in the public sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/prince2-keeping-project-management-real- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/prince2-keeping-project-management-real- Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT With housing fast moving up the political agenda and pressures mounting for new homes to be built, particularly affordable homes, councils need to look carefully at what their housing needs are. Industry expert Ed Diment questions whether councils always get value for money when commissioning periodic surveys to find out the current state of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/private-sector-house-condition-surveys-are-councils-getting-what-they-pay-for 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/private-sector-house-condition-surveys-are-councils-getting-what-they-pay-for Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The ‘poorer north’ and ‘richer south’ idea of the UK is no longer an accurate description of the economic life of the nation, a new report finds. The report argues that a more subtle analysis of cities across the UK is needed if policy makers are to fully understand their diverse economic profiles and find the right... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-as-well-as-private-sector-spending-drives-knowledge-economy-success-in-cities-all-over-the-uk 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-as-well-as-private-sector-spending-drives-knowledge-economy-success-in-cities-all-over-the-uk Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Roffey Park has announced the launch of a new postgraduate diploma in facilitation. The diploma, accredited by the University of Sussex, is the only university accredited masters-level qualification in facilitation available both in the UK and worldwide. The programme provides a mix of tutor and learner-led content in two phases. Phase 1... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/roffey-park-launches-unique-diploma-in-facilitation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/roffey-park-launches-unique-diploma-in-facilitation Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Judith Barnes and Clare Hardy look at some of the challenging issues for local authorities to consider if they intend to provide legal services through shared services arrangements The opportunities offered by shared services arrangements are attractive to many local authorities seeking to find ways of making efficiency savings. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sharing-legal-services-for-efficiency 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sharing-legal-services-for-efficiency Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fears about loss of the .gov.uk domain as a result of minor infringements of a dogmatic interpretation of level AA standards may have been exaggerated, says Martin Greenwood In October 2007, the Central Office of Information published a document for consultation called Delivering inclusive websites: web-centred accessibility. The document... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/stakes-raised-on-accessibility-and-government-websites 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/stakes-raised-on-accessibility-and-government-websites Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Adam Sampson asks whether social housing, a resource rendered scarce by the failure of successive governments to invest in replacing stock sold off under right to buy, is now to be reserved for the deserving rather than the undeserving In recent interviews with The Guardian and the Today programme, new housing minister Caroline Flint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-trouble-with-social-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-trouble-with-social-housing Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The technology is now available for public sector organisations to implement web-based solutions that streamline their back office functions of finance, payroll and HR. Local councils in particular are able to reap the advantages but could this work for multiple sites – with one system being shared? If this vision became a reality, then... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-vision-of-shared-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-vision-of-shared-services Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Community projects are set to receive a million pounds from Camden Council to plug a funding gap, after the government announced an error in their calculations. In December last year the government promised just under £14.5 million to 50 Camden projects over the coming three years as part of the new ‘working neighbourhoods... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/1m-for-community-projects-on-table-after-whitehall-error 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/1m-for-community-projects-on-table-after-whitehall-error Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Finance Secretary John Swinney today welcomed the decision by a number of councils across Scotland to freeze Council Tax. The decisions came as local authorities set their budgets for 2008-09 and builds on the seven councils who have already confirmed that they will be freezing their Council Tax at 2007-08 levels. Several other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-in-scotland 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-freeze-in-scotland Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Regional planning responsibilities could be passed to Regional Development Agencies if recently proposed amendments to the Planning Bill are accepted. Significant concerns about the democratic accountability of these Agencies have yet to be resolved and the legislation must not be altered until these fears have been addressed. This was... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-move-to-pass-planning-powers-to-undemocratic-quangos 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-move-to-pass-planning-powers-to-undemocratic-quangos Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Ministers will urge all councils to match the standards of the best to protect their local tree populations. The largest ever survey of urban trees in England, published today, will reveal that although national tree health has improved markedly since the last survey in 1992, with trees being maintained much more regularly by councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-plants-seeds-for-greener-leafier-communities 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-plants-seeds-for-greener-leafier-communities Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Exciting new plans to prioritise hardworking local people for council homes in Hammersmith and Fulham were debated at a public scrutiny meeting last week. As part of the council’s drive to create a housing ladder of opportunity for all improvements are being proposed in the way residents apply for council housing. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hardworking-residents-to-benefit-from-housing-springboard 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hardworking-residents-to-benefit-from-housing-springboard Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has launched its new Supplier Feedback Service (SFS). The facility invites suppliers of public sector goods and services to comment on issues of contention and areas of poor practice in public sector procurement. This will help the government to become a better customer. The SFS provides a clear... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-launches-government-supplier-feedback-service 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-launches-government-supplier-feedback-service Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT London Councils has criticised the Mayor of London and Transport for London for failing to consult the boroughs on the ‘Walking and Cycling’ strategy launched on Monday 11 February. Commenting on the launch, chairman of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Daniel Moylan, said: “The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-fails-to-consult-boroughs-on-walking-and-cycling-strategy 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-fails-to-consult-boroughs-on-walking-and-cycling-strategy Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Councils in the most deprived areas of the country are to receive additional funding to tackle the acute problems their communities face, Local Government Minister John Healey has confirmed. The New Working Neighbourhoods Fund follows the former Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the Deprived Areas Fund, and directs central government funding... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minister-confirms-funding-to-combat-worklessness 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minister-confirms-funding-to-combat-worklessness Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Proposals for a feasibility study to develop Sheffield’s first wind turbine site are set to be approved by the City Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 13 February. A site at Westwood Country Park in the north of Sheffield has been chosen for a pilot scheme to test the potential for wind turbine energy generation in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/plans-for-sheffields-first-wind-turbines-site 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/plans-for-sheffields-first-wind-turbines-site Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT London is by far the best performing region in how well its boroughs manage their finances and deliver value for money for their residents, shows a report from the Audit Commission published. The capital’s boroughs scored significantly higher than the rest of the country when judged on their financial management, reporting and value... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/its-official-capitals-councils-deliver-best-value-for-money-in-the-country 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/its-official-capitals-councils-deliver-best-value-for-money-in-the-country Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Manchester City Council has outlined ambitious targets to tackle global warming, proposing 17 principles to guide behavioural change, reduce carbon emissions and adapt the way we live. The Council is seeking to establish two related bodies, the Manchester Carbon Reduction Innovation and Investment Fund, and Manchester Offset, to help... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-pledges-first-1-million-in-strategy-to-tackle-climate-change 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-city-council-pledges-first-1-million-in-strategy-to-tackle-climate-change Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT MPs have been asked to back the Environment Agency’s on-going campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of flooding and support its proposals to make strategic changes to the way flood risk is managed. Chris Huhne, Ed Vaizey and Martin Salter were among 40 politicians who met with Environment Agency experts at the House of Commons... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mps-urged-to-help-environment-agency-tackle-flood-risk 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mps-urged-to-help-environment-agency-tackle-flood-risk Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT A major report by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) highlights that nearly half of rural residents feel unable to influence local decisions directly affecting their lives. The report also says just a quarter would bother to make contact with their local councillor to seek redress. In contrast, nearly 70% of local councillors believe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/power-to-the-people-rural-watchdog-calls-for-revolution-in-local-decision-making 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/power-to-the-people-rural-watchdog-calls-for-revolution-in-local-decision-making Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) reacted angrily today to government plans to adopt welfare reform plans laid out in the Freud report, warning that questions remained about whether there was the knowledge and capacity in the private and voluntary sectors to deliver. Accusing the government of privatisation via the back door... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/union-anger-over-welfare-reform-plans 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/union-anger-over-welfare-reform-plans Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Office minister Gillian Merron has highlighted the vital role played by technology in making public services more efficient and accessible. The minister for Transformational Government was speaking at the annual e-Government National Awards in London. In a video address to the ceremony, Prime Minister Gordon Brown also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/awards-recognise-best-of-public-sector-technology 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/awards-recognise-best-of-public-sector-technology Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT A unique event that brings together people from across the public sector to learn from each other and deliver for Wales gets underway in Cardiff this week. The People Exchange Wales Expo 2008 is an opportunity for those working or planning to work in the Welsh public services to take advantage of free learning opportunities and maximise... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bringing-the-people-together-to-create-a-public-sector-that-delivers-for-wales 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bringing-the-people-together-to-create-a-public-sector-that-delivers-for-wales Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT The Launch of HomeChoice Bristol will see a major transformation in the way people seeking a social housing tenancy in Bristol can apply for a property. From January 29 when the scheme goes live, all empty properties owned by Bristol City Council and housing associations in the city will be advertised on a weekly basis through a website;... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homechoice-bristol-transforms-application-process-for-council-tenancies 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homechoice-bristol-transforms-application-process-for-council-tenancies Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Kirklees Council will not be used as a pilot for a Government idea of ‘community contracts’ with its residents unless it can be convinced it will improve the drive and priority the council already has in place to work in – and work with – residents at a very local level on providing high quality services, the council... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kirklees-leader--community-contracts- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kirklees-leader--community-contracts- Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT London boroughs’ hopes for a change to the disastrous local government finance settlement were dashed today when the final figures for councils’ funding from 2008/09 to 2010/11 were announced. Despite strong protests to ministers from London Councils and many London boroughs, about the potential impact on local services and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-disastrous-grant-settlement-confirmed 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-disastrous-grant-settlement-confirmed Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT In a first for Hammersmith & Fulham, refuse and recycling could be collected on the same day with the streets then swept up afterwards, to a much higher standard than at the moment. A council report sets out how the borough's streets will be cleaner and greener if town hall leaders give the go ahead at a cabinet meeting on February... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/same-day-clear-ups-will-clean-up-our-streets 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/same-day-clear-ups-will-clean-up-our-streets Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Bristol City Council will be taking a hard line with landlords of houses in multiple occupation (flats, bedsits and shared houses) that have failed to apply for a licence. The legal requirement to have a licence for certain types of houses in multiple occupation (those with three storeys or more with five or more occupiers) came into... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-to-get-tough-on-unlicensed-properties 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-to-get-tough-on-unlicensed-properties Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT A Town Hall in Lancashire is now running on green energy thanks to a new deal, which means the energy supplied to the building now comes from renewable sources – at no extra cost! The news from Fylde Borough Council comes thanks to a new contract with a national Government body, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), who provide... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fylde-town-hall-goes-green 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fylde-town-hall-goes-green Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT A scheme that will help stop fraudsters using the identities of the deceased has begun today. The Registrars General for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have introduced a joint data release scheme aimed at stopping fraudsters from using the identities of dead people. Identity fraud, of which Impersonation of the Deceased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/introduction-of-scheme-to-combat-id-fraud 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/introduction-of-scheme-to-combat-id-fraud Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT The team running the Mersey Gateway project – which is working to build a new crossing across the River Mersey between Widnes and Runcorn – has today (Weds 16th Jan) backed the findings of a new report that says Britain’s roads are ‘unfit for purpose’. The report, Towards Better Transport, newly published by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mersey-gateway-bosses-welcome-growing-consensus-for-action-on-roads-following-latest-think-tank-report- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mersey-gateway-bosses-welcome-growing-consensus-for-action-on-roads-following-latest-think-tank-report- Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT State-of-the-art new solar panels are being installed on the roof at Hammersmith Town Hall as the council reaffirms its commitment to going green. The installation consists of 84 solar photovoltaic panels arranged in two arrays. The panels have cost £83,000, with half of that money coming through a grant from the Department for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/solar-panels-installed-on-town-hall-roof 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/solar-panels-installed-on-town-hall-roof Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Bradford Council is leading the way amongst local authorities in dedicating a section of its website to people who use British Sign Language. The 'Welcome to Bradford Council BSL Website' part of the www.bradford.gov.uk site, has been created in response to requests from the deaf community. The section offers 27 videos across six... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/website-leads-the-way-for-sign-language-users 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/website-leads-the-way-for-sign-language-users Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Local government and public sector bodies which are committed to achieving high standards of performance are being invited to apply for the prestigious 2008 North of England Business Excellence Awards. Often described as the ‘business Oscars’, the awards are open to private companies, public sector bodies and voluntary... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/entries-open-for-north-of-england-business-excellence-awards 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/entries-open-for-north-of-england-business-excellence-awards Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT For the fourth year in a row, Manchester City Council has been voted the top local authority in the list of Britain’s top 100 employers of lesbian and gay people. Its reputation as a committed equal opportunities employer was further strengthened when Pink Paper readers voted it Employer of the Year and Best Council, in their annual... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/manchester-again-hailed-as-uks-top-gay-friendly-local-authority 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/manchester-again-hailed-as-uks-top-gay-friendly-local-authority Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT A library in Norwich has once again been named the most visited in the country in a survey released today. The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library proved to be the busiest public library in England in 2007 with over 1.5 million visits. The library, in the centre of the city, pipped to the post Birmingham Central Library as the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/norfolk-boasts-busiest-library-in-england-survey-shows 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/norfolk-boasts-busiest-library-in-england-survey-shows Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Two fifths of older people in the UK are not within walking distance of a bank, friends and family or health and social services according to new research launched by leading older people’s charity Help the Aged. With seven out of 10 single people aged 65 and over lacking access to a car, the Charity is calling on central and local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/older-people-need-a-ticket-to-ride-on-all-public-transport 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/older-people-need-a-ticket-to-ride-on-all-public-transport Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Motorists in Sheffield are being sweetened up by the City Council this year in a bid to keep traffic moving through the icy winter road conditions. Sugar, or actually molasses, is being added to the rocksalt that is spread on local roads as soon as weather forecasts indicate a drop of temperatures. The theory behind the move is that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sheffield-council-sweetens-up-winter-motorists 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sheffield-council-sweetens-up-winter-motorists Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Procurement Minister Angela Eagle is asking government departments and agencies to club together to buy more goods and services through internet-based eAuctions. With challenging new Public Service Agreements and value for money targets set in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/angela-eagle-challenges-government-departments-to-buy-into-eauctions- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/angela-eagle-challenges-government-departments-to-buy-into-eauctions- Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Floods Recovery Minister John Healey today announced extra funding for those councils in flood-hit areas in the front-line supporting those who need special help with accommodation and care or other needs over Christmas and the winter months. This is on top of the action plan he has agreed with the worst affected councils. He is making... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-announces-more-support-for-flooded-areas 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-announces-more-support-for-flooded-areas Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT A voluntary group set up to support victims and witnesses of anti-social behaviour in Bedminster officially launches next week. CABOT, (Challenging Anti-Social Behaviour Objectives Together) is a voluntary community group which aims to provide a service to people suffering from the effects of anti-social behaviour. The group will offer an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/launch-of-support-group-for-victims-and-witnesses-of-anti-social-behaviour 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/launch-of-support-group-for-victims-and-witnesses-of-anti-social-behaviour Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Greater powers will be devolved to local authorities to enforce high standards of conduct for local councillors through innovative proposals published for consultation by Local Government Minister John Healey. If implemented, under the reformed regime, standards committees will make initial assessments of all misconduct allegations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/maintaining-and-improving-high-standards-of-conduct-in-local-government- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/maintaining-and-improving-high-standards-of-conduct-in-local-government- Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT New research from BT has uncovered a significant mis-match between the efforts being made by the public sector to act sustainably, and the perceptions of citizens. 100 per cent of organisations in the sector believe that operating sustainably is important to their reputation. However, only three per cent of citizens think today’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-committed-to-sustainability--but-the-citizen-doesnt-buy-it 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-committed-to-sustainability--but-the-citizen-doesnt-buy-it Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT New criminal penalties for breaches should be introduced says Justice Committee The Justice Select Committee today calls for a package of measures to give the Information Commissioner new enforcement powers over protection of private data and strengthen the criminal penalties for significant security breaches in the wake of the loss of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-tougher-laws-to-protect-private-information- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/committee-calls-for-tougher-laws-to-protect-private-information- Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT The world’s first carbon negative vehicle expedition left the UK for Timbuktu, in Mali, West Africa on November 26th to cover the 4568 miles using a specially prepared biodeisel fuel made with waste chocolate. The expedition is aiming to raise awareness of how biofuels can help to cut carbon emissions and dispel some common... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/across-the-sahara-by-chocolate- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/across-the-sahara-by-chocolate- Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Former Leader of Camden Council Dame Jane Roberts and Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell are two of an array of contributors to address delegates at the fourth National School of Government International Women’s Conference to be held on 27-28 February 2008 at the Victoria Plaza Hotel in London. The theme of the 2008... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/announcing-the-2008-international-conference-for-women-in-public-service 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/announcing-the-2008-international-conference-for-women-in-public-service Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT PRINCE2 qualifications have been recognised throughout the UK as best practice in project management for more than 10 years. The practitioner exam format is changing from the essay style examination to an objective test. This will mean that the marking process is speeded up and that the exams will be easier to translate as the demand for the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-you-prepared-for-the-prince2-exam-changes 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-you-prepared-for-the-prince2-exam-changes Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT It is a widely held view that the concept of great leaders being ‘born’ and not ‘made’ is now discredited and that a collaborative approach to leadership throughout the entire organisation delivers the most benefits. Becky Malby, director of the Northern Leadership Academy Think Tank, looks at this model of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioning-effective-leadership-development-in-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioning-effective-leadership-development-in-the-public-sector Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today appointed Deloitte as the professional services supporter for London 2012. The deal is the first 'Tier Two' sponsorship to be signed. The deal will give Deloitte the designation of official professional services supporter of London 2012, with rights... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/deloitte-appointed-london-2012-official-supporter 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/deloitte-appointed-london-2012-official-supporter Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Reducing carbon footprints step by step The issue of climate change can no longer be ignored. Following a speech by Gordon Brown in November heralding the government’s energy efficiency focus and green homes initiative, the UK has now made an unequivocal commitment ensuring it plays its part in keeping the rise in global... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/enact-energy-supports-governments-energy-efficiency-initiative 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/enact-energy-supports-governments-energy-efficiency-initiative Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Organisations in both the public and private sectors today face significant challenges. How to meet growing service user expectations, create greater flexibility in working hours. manage the impact of a growing retired population and integrate key workers from overseas are just a few and each requires clear vision, creativity and, most... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/integrated-leadership 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/integrated-leadership Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT An end to all night street lighting in parts of Cheshire, fewer and dimmer street lights, greater use of more efficient light bulbs and reduced levels of lighting maintenance are under county council consideration as a means of reducing costs and global warming. Street lighting across Cheshire is costing £4.23 million a year. Energy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lights-off-in-cheshire- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lights-off-in-cheshire- Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Supply2.gov.uk and achieving value for money Achieving value for money, while engaging the UK’s business community, has never been more important for the public sector than it is now. A number of new methods have recently been introduced to help public sector buyers reach efficiency targets, including Supply2.gov.uk, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-small-businesses-count 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-small-businesses-count Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Projects and programmes What is the difference between a programme and a project? A project tends to be self-contained - with well defined scope, timing and outputs. A programme is a portfolio of projects and other activities that together achieve outcomes and realise business benefits that are of strategic importance. Programme... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-success-through-programme-delivery 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-success-through-programme-delivery Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT It’s more than 100 years since Friedrich Engels wrote about the poverty and squalour in which many inhabitants of Victorian Manchester were living in The Condition of the Working Class in England and twelve since an IRA bomb exploded outside Marks and Spencer. The bomb did not quite rip the heart out of Manchester city centre, but gave... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-manchester-britains-no-1-city 452 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-manchester-britains-no-1-city Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Campaign to Protect Rural England has hailed a unanimous decision by a local council to turn down a supermarket application at Sheringham in Norfolk. ‘The decision by North Norfolk District Council sends a clear message of hope for local communities up and down the country that the supermarket onslaught can be successfully... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/north-norfolk-defies-tesco 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/north-norfolk-defies-tesco Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Every year the public sector in the UK spends billions of pounds on projects of all sizes and descriptions. But how is that money spent and how are the projects undertaken to ensure value for money? The Government transformation agenda alone is a major undertaking for the public sector in the UK, costing billions and taking up to three years... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-project-management-2008-delivering-successful-projects 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-project-management-2008-delivering-successful-projects Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The transport sector is responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions - due to its almost exclusive use of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. While other sectors have increased their use of renewable energy in recent years, this remains a major challenge for the transport sector in the near future, says Dr. Mohan Kolhe from... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-for-transportation 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-for-transportation Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The nature of information has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Information traditionally held on paper is now held in desktop applications, social networking sites, email, intranets, wikis, texts, databases, podcasts and webpages, to name but a few. Most people now work electronically without a second thought. This has brought... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safeguarding-your-digital-information--a-new-project-from-the-national-archives 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safeguarding-your-digital-information--a-new-project-from-the-national-archives Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT One of the country’s most prominent public sector figures has challenged procurement professionals operating in local authorities to develop their roles in order to further benefit local economies. Paul Coen, chief executive of the Local Government Association, addressed hundreds of delegates on the first day of this year’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/top-public-sector-leader-urges-buyers-to-make-voices-heard 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/top-public-sector-leader-urges-buyers-to-make-voices-heard Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT What ensures success for a leader? Some would say that it is all about patronage or education or luck. But are there characteristics of the successful leader which are generic? All successful leaders have known setbacks. It is how they have responded to those setbacks, learnt lessons and moved on that distinguishes them, says Peter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-makes-a-successful-leader 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-makes-a-successful-leader Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT London boroughs top the tables for the local areas in England and Wales most affected by international migration according to a recent report. The report, ‘Estimating the Scale and Impacts of Migration at the local level, identifies the areas across the country where services are most feeling the strain from the government’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/250-million-emergency-solution-to-migration-miscount 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/250-million-emergency-solution-to-migration-miscount Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Camden Council has just recovered its 300th home from housing fraudsters since setting up a housing investigations team in 2000. The team was expanded in September 2006 following increased concern that some tenants were personally profiting by illegally subletting their council home, while depriving others in genuine need. Since then the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/camden-council-recovers-300th-home-from-fraudsters 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/camden-council-recovers-300th-home-from-fraudsters Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Delcam PS-Team’s programme and performance management autumn seminars came to a successful close this month with over 100 delegates from 60 housing organisations having attended the events. Delcam develops and implements the PS-Team programme & performance management solution for local authorities, RSLs and ALMOs and provides... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/getting-the-message-across-programme--performance-management 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/getting-the-message-across-programme--performance-management Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT A panel of experts at Hyder Consulting Flood Risk and Urban Development Roundtable has concluded that the short term attitudes of developers and planners are putting homes and businesses at risk and that new design regulations for flood plain developments are needed Thousands of homes and business are at increasing risk of flooding due to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lack-of-joined-up-thinking-increasing-flood-risk 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lack-of-joined-up-thinking-increasing-flood-risk Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Seven of London’s poorest neighbourhoods have been cut out of a nationwide fund to help boroughs tackle unemployment. This cut in the number of boroughs eligible to receive the newly titled Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) was included in the Local Government Finance Settlement made in Parliament last week. London has the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-poor-lose-their-share-of-national-fund-to-tackle-unemployment 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-poor-lose-their-share-of-national-fund-to-tackle-unemployment Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The traditional response to flooding - to get flood water off the land and into channels as quickly as possible - may exacerbate flood risk elsewhere in the catchment. We need to consider the whole chain from what happens to the rain when it reaches the ground to the impact the flood causes on people lives, say Tim Hess, Peter Howsam and Joe... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-flood-risk 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-flood-risk Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT New arrivals to the UK bring much-needed skills but also place demands on a range of council services, from schools to housing. So how do the figures add up, asks Sir Simon Milton, chairman of the Local Government Association International migration is the motor driving population change in Britain. For the past decade migration has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/migration-burden-or-benefit 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/migration-burden-or-benefit Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Yobbery and thuggery on West London estates will be a thing of the past after a zero-tolerance clampdown was ordered by Hammersmith & Fulham Council chiefs. Thirty of the borough's most nasty neighbours have been placed on an eviction hit-list. The range of measures to tackle anti-social behaviour includes employing a professional... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nasty-neighbours-go-on-new-hit-list 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nasty-neighbours-go-on-new-hit-list Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The new chair of the Chief Executives’ Task Group, local government's lead officer body to drive improvement and efficiency, is Joyce Redfearn, the Chief Executive of Wigan Council. Ms Redfearn takes up the helm of the Task Group following the retirement of Rob Sykes, the former Chief Executive of Worcestershire County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chair-for-top-improvement-and-efficiency-body 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chair-for-top-improvement-and-efficiency-body Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Oxford City Council has been recognised as the top City Council in its field in a national environment awards competition. Competing against a shortlist of twenty other City Councils, it was awarded the 2007 "Green Champion" Award by The Green Organisation for its sustainable living guide and website "Oxford is My World". 'Oxford is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oxford-wins-green-award 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oxford-wins-green-award Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Liberal Democrats have called for a review of emergency grants to local authorities following a critical report by the Audit Commission into the aftermath of the summer’s floods. The Staying Afloat report criticised the inconsistency between emergency funding schemes saying that they led to ‘a confused picture for local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/review-of-emergency-grants-needed-after-summer-floods-confusion-brake 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/review-of-emergency-grants-needed-after-summer-floods-confusion-brake Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The government’s Sustainable Communities Plan will mean development in the countryside and on Green Belt with London moving east. This is not just about affordable housing for low paid workers but a symptom of an urban-fixated society disconnected from nature, suggests Nick Reeves No argument, climate change will be used as an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-lie-of-the-land 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-lie-of-the-land Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The government must bring forward its timetable for investment in flood defences or risk a repeat of the devastation caused in the summer, the Local Government Association has warned. In an official submission to the Pitt Review into the summer floods, the LGA has called for the implementation of an action plan backed by investment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-to-prevent-repeat-of-summer-floods 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/urgent-action-needed-to-prevent-repeat-of-summer-floods Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Damian Green MP The contest to be the Whitehall department least fit for purpose is hotting up with the recent claims of HMRC, but it is important not to neglect the Home Office, the long standing front runner in this grisly competition. Specifically, we need to examine the performance of the Home Office over immigration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/when-numbers-dont-add-up 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/when-numbers-dont-add-up Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Islington Council's set to offer financial rewards to residents who surrender their parking permits for a greener borough. The authority's planning to install more secure bicycle parking – and drivers who don't renew their vehicle permit could get a £100 voucher towards the cost of a new bike, or free car club membership for a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/100-to-get-on-your-bike 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/100-to-get-on-your-bike Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Councils can help cut carbon emissions by 150 million tonnes of C02 a year, contributing to the national target of up to 32% reductions that central government has pledged to achieve by 2020. This is the key finding of a major new report published by the Local Government Association Independent Climate Change Commission. The report shows... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-could-help-cut-carbon-emissions-by-one-third-by-2020 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-could-help-cut-carbon-emissions-by-one-third-by-2020 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Environment Agency has published its comprehensive review of this summer’s floods, highlighting issues such as complex responsibilities for flooding from drains and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. The review, which makes 33 recommendations, is supported by six case studies and 100 internet pages describing the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/environment-agency-releases-summer-floods-review 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/environment-agency-releases-summer-floods-review Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT London boroughs have been the hardest hit in the local government funding settlement announced in Westminster today. The detail of the settlement reveals that London boroughs face a smaller increase in grant to pay for essential services such as social care, children’s services and waste collection, than comparable regions elsewhere... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/londons-services-hardest-hit-by-devastating-three-year-funding-announcement 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/londons-services-hardest-hit-by-devastating-three-year-funding-announcement Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT From December 5, in the first scheme of its kind in any UK city, Parking Attendants are to patrol Manchester streets on bicycles. The cycles allow attendants to move fast and efficiently around the city helping to keep traffic flowing on the main arterial routes and in the busy city centre. Manchester City Council is working closely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-green-patrols-for-parking-attendants 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-green-patrols-for-parking-attendants Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has unveiled research which for the first time reveals the UK's biggest carbon wasters council-area-by-council-area and provides a model to target householders street-by-street with energy saving advice. The findings highlight which regions can save the most energy, what can be done and by whom, individuals... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-new-research-reveals-uks-biggest-carbon-wasters-council-area-by-council-area 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-new-research-reveals-uks-biggest-carbon-wasters-council-area-by-council-area Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Christmas cheer will be missing from many organisations in the local government sector this year as festive celebrations are overshadowed by a ‘scrooge mentality’, resentment of forced partying and an inability to unwind. The Chartered Management Institute’s annual ‘Christmas Outlook’ survey reveals a decline... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cold-turkey-and-bah-humbug-on-the-christmas-menu-across-organisations-in-local-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cold-turkey-and-bah-humbug-on-the-christmas-menu-across-organisations-in-local-government Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Opening up public service monopolies to competition and innovation can cut costs by 20%, according to new analysis. A review of 200 government and academic studies spanning 30 years, 12 countries and five sectors shows savings can even be as high as 30-40%. The report finds that value for money in public services is driven by innovation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/competition-is-key-to-achieving-better-value-for-money-from-public-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/competition-is-key-to-achieving-better-value-for-money-from-public-services Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Gateshead Council is warning local residents to seek advice before they buy a wind turbine for their home. Their warning comes in the wake of a series of planning permission refusals and, more recently, the failure of a householder's appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Development Control manager Andrew Hickie says: "It is important... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-warning-on-domestic-wind-turbines 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-warning-on-domestic-wind-turbines Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Countryside campaigners, the Campaign to Protect Rural England have expressed shock at proposals to delete major areas of the Nottingham Green Belt to accommodate further housing development and to abandon a road traffic reduction target for the region. The independent panel which examined the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy have... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/east-midlands-countryside-under-threat- 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/east-midlands-countryside-under-threat- Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Threats to council run services caused by inaccurate population data have been ignored by central government. Despite widespread distrust and proven failings in the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) new population data the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) has indicated that the government will use the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-ignores-flaws-in-population-figures-putting-council-services-at-risk 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-ignores-flaws-in-population-figures-putting-council-services-at-risk Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Shared service centres in the NHS and HM Prison Service are on course to deliver substantial financial savings. But a report by the National Audit Office found that central government was initially slow to adopt shared services. While the momentum has picked up it is not clear that the shared services initiative is yet on a scale sufficient to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/substantial-financial-savings-in-nhs-and-hm-prison-service 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/substantial-financial-savings-in-nhs-and-hm-prison-service Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement of a major review of data security following the loss of millions of Child Benefit records in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Britain’s largest civil service trade union today called on the government to halt its programme of job cuts in the sector and consider their impact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-service-job-cuts-could-compromise-security-warns-union 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-service-job-cuts-could-compromise-security-warns-union Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich’s environmental credentials were given a boost this week with news that it is the best authority in the country for avoiding the disposal of waste in landfill sites. The results show Greenwich among the leading boroughs in the country for contributing to national targets for reducing waste, recycling more and making less... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwich-leads-the-way-on-waste-disposal- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwich-leads-the-way-on-waste-disposal- Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Green Belt is set to become the next environmental battleground as green groups square up to the Government and its plans to build hundreds of thousands of new homes across the country. Green Belts began around fifty years ago as a hard won planning device to protect our landscapes from urban sprawl. However, it is now vulnerable to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/protecting-our-green-and-pleasant-land 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/protecting-our-green-and-pleasant-land Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Government should merge the Audit Commission and National Audit Office (NAO) to create a “super audit agency” according to a new report today (Wed) from the New Local Government Network. The think tank points out that with councils facing fewer performance targets under CAA and with performance indicators being more closely... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-tank-calls-for-nao-and-audit-commission-to-merge-and-create-new-inspection-agency 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-tank-calls-for-nao-and-audit-commission-to-merge-and-create-new-inspection-agency Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A clause relating to rough sleepers was discussed by London's council leaders on Tuesday 13th November. Following the meeting, members decided not to include the clause in the 10th London Local Authority Bill. Leaders are instead setting up a cross-party working group to look at the challenges involved, and to explain the good work that... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/clause-in-tenth-london-local-authorities-bill-relating-to-provision-of-free-food-in-the-street 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/clause-in-tenth-london-local-authorities-bill-relating-to-provision-of-free-food-in-the-street Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT On 13th November, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced that ten new hydrogen powered buses will join London's bus fleet by 2010. When operational on London's streets, the hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles will produce no pollution or carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, and will help improve the capital's air... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-announces-europes-largest-fleet-of-hydrogen-buses-for-london 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-announces-europes-largest-fleet-of-hydrogen-buses-for-london Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT On 14th November Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper announced the appointment of Robert Napier as the new Chairman of national regeneration agency English Partnerships. He will take up the post from 1 January 2008 and will chair English Partnerships until the launch of the new Homes and Communities Agency, the new agency that will... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-chairman-of-english-partnerships-appointed 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-chairman-of-english-partnerships-appointed Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A new Bill which will drive forward the Government’s pledge to build 3 million greener, more affordable new homes by 2020 to help first-time buyers and families was published on 16th November by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper. New measures in the Housing and Regeneration Bill include legislation to remove barriers to councils... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-legislation-for-greener-more-affordable-housing 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-legislation-for-greener-more-affordable-housing Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A national scheme managed by the Government to provide ‘free’ energy efficiency measures has cost Kirklees householders hundreds of thousands of pounds in ‘top up’ payments and misled people into believing it is part of a council-run scheme which is genuinely ‘free’. The council has complained to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/residents-misled-by-government-managed-energy-scheme 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/residents-misled-by-government-managed-energy-scheme Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A new NLGN report calls for the Government to step back from any national road pricing approaches and instead pursue a permissive approach where local authorities are put more firmly in the driving seat. While the DfT says it has made ‘no decision’ yet on national pricing, NLGN is urging Ministers not to head in that direction.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-politics-of-traffic-a-local-route-to-reduced-congestion 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-politics-of-traffic-a-local-route-to-reduced-congestion Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT New figures revealed today shows that Britain is officially the 'dustbin of Europe' as it dumps more household waste into landfill than any other country in the European Union. Research by the Local Government Association, a cross party organisation which represents councils in England, shows that in the most recent year where figures are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/britain-tops-landfill-league-and-wins-dustbin-of-europe-award 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/britain-tops-landfill-league-and-wins-dustbin-of-europe-award Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT The government has heeded calls from the SPARKS Programme to give the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) more power to help prevent foreign registered drivers avoid paying parking and other traffic penalties. The Draft Local Transport Bill, published recently includes a proposal for the DVLA to be able to receive data from foreign... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-heed-sparks-call-for-new-powers-for-dvla-to-tackle-foreign-registered-vehicles 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-heed-sparks-call-for-new-powers-for-dvla-to-tackle-foreign-registered-vehicles Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Councillors have called for a parliamentary investigation after the government disowned its own six-year study of residents' attitudes to aircraft noise. The research was ordered by former transport minister Bob Ainsworth in 2001. He said at the time that the findings would 'underpin' government policy on aircraft noise. The report, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/heathrow-noise-report-is-inconvenient-truth- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/heathrow-noise-report-is-inconvenient-truth- Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT The pathfinders housing market renewal programme has been running for five years and the government has commited £2.2 billion to it up to 2011. Low demand for housing is now less severe in pathfinder areas and the gap between these areas and surrounding regions has started to close. However, it is not possible to identify a causal link... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/housing-market-renewal 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/housing-market-renewal Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Over ninety per cent of Londoners who have responded to London Councils’ public consultation have called for action to address the environmental impact caused by throw away shopping bags. The majority of respondents - just under 60 per cent - have also called on London Councils to lobby for a ban on plastic throw away shopping bags... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ninety-per-cent-of-londoners-call-for-action-on-throw-away-shopping-bags 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ninety-per-cent-of-londoners-call-for-action-on-throw-away-shopping-bags Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT South East local authorities are delivering on their housing promises, building an average of 30,600 homes a year over the past five years, reveals new data from the South East England Regional Assembly. The average figure matches the commitment made by Assembly members in March this year at hearings into the South East Plan, a 20-year... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/south-east-delivers-housing-challenge 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/south-east-delivers-housing-challenge Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT On the 5th November 2007, 81 finalists in the e-Government National Awards 2007 were announced. The awards are independent and highlight the UK's most effective services which improve citizen and business transaction with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations. Finalists include a great diversity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/finalists-announced-in-the-e-government-national-awards-2007 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/finalists-announced-in-the-e-government-national-awards-2007 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT HR directors question the value of outsourcing, preferring to manage processes in-house, yet struggle to achieve acceptable delivery standards in core functions A survey of 168 HR directors has revealed many are struggling to achieve adequate standards of delivery in core HR functions such as diversity, retention, training and staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/hr-housekeeping-desperately-needed-finds-director-survey 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/hr-housekeeping-desperately-needed-finds-director-survey Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Communities secretary Hazel Blears announced on 31st October a major acceleration in government work to support communities to confront and isolate violent extremism. In her first major speech on tackling violent extremism Hazel Blears addressed 500 key opinion formers - from local government, police, academia and the third sector - and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/major-increase-in-work-to-tackle-violent-extremism 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/major-increase-in-work-to-tackle-violent-extremism Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A new agency to manage Britain's commitment to biofuels was established today by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly. The Renewable Fuels Agency will be responsible for the day to day running of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, coming into force in April next year. By 2010, the obligation will mean that 5% of all the fuels sold in the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-agency-starts-up 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/renewable-fuels-agency-starts-up Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Organisations excelling in disability best practice have been honoured at an awards ceremony at HM Treasury, London. Employers' Forum on Disability CEO Susan Scott-Parker was on hand to present the ‘chief executives diamond award’ to businesses who took part in the Disability Standard 2007 Benchmark Survey. There were up... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/setting-the-standard--employers-forum-on-disability-best-practice-awards-held-in-london- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/setting-the-standard--employers-forum-on-disability-best-practice-awards-held-in-london- Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT On 26th October, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears published an 'empowerment action plan' - setting out how the government will deliver on its commitment to bring about greater devolution and empower communities. The action plan, produced in partnership with the Local Government Association, makes clear how more people will be given more... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blears-empowering-people 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blears-empowering-people Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT A first ever nationwide review of the skills needed to successfully re-use brownfield land in support of government housing growth targets was announced today, by national regeneration agency English Partnerships and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. Of the 3 million new homes proposed by government in the recent Housing Green... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/brownfield-skills-drive-to-support-housing-growth-in-england 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/brownfield-skills-drive-to-support-housing-growth-in-england Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Local government minister John Healey called for the retail sector and local authorities to work more closely to bring investment to deprived areas. Publishing a 'how to' guide, John Healey said that retail-led regeneration can provide employment and training in deprived areas as well as offering competitive advantages to business.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/healey-calls-for-retail-led-regeneration 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/healey-calls-for-retail-led-regeneration Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Housing Minister Yvette Cooper today announced a new drive to deliver more affordable housing by bringing empty homes back into use and giving more cash to communities who are building more homes. The minister set out the announcements in a consultation on a £510 million pot to support councils and communities who are working to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/more-affordable-housing-for-communities 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/more-affordable-housing-for-communities Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ministers acknowledged the government had to step up its battle against child poverty as they announced a new unit to co-ordinate efforts across Whitehall. Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain re-affirmed Labour's commitment to halving the number of children living in poverty by 2010 despite warnings that it is off-course. He... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-unit-to-tackle-child-poverty 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-unit-to-tackle-child-poverty Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Serco has announced that it is to provide over 500 PCs to voluntary and community groups in the London Borough of Southwark. The scheme is part of a three-month programme to provide registered members of the Southwark Action for Voluntary Organisations (SAVO) with the council’s old PCs. Volunteer work in Southwark is worth an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/serco-to-provide-local-voluntary-and-community-groups-in-southwark-with-over-500-pcs 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/serco-to-provide-local-voluntary-and-community-groups-in-southwark-with-over-500-pcs Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Keeping on top of information security is like a long distance journey – and sound planning is the key to success as Graeme Cox explains We all know that information security is a journey. Like all journeys, we plan towards an ultimate destination or goal, but all too often we find ourselves covering the same ground again and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-are-you-ready-for-the-journey 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-are-you-ready-for-the-journey Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper has unveiled a major £500m package of proposals to accelerate the building of the homes families and first-time buyers desperately need - ensuring both that new homes are greener and the focus is on brownfield land. A major set of incentives, provided through the new Housing and Planning... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/500m-cash-boost-for-housebuilding-councils 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/500m-cash-boost-for-housebuilding-councils Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Martyn Coffey, chief executive officer UK and Ireland, Baxi Group, explains that as a member of the Construction Products Association Principals’ Council, Baxi Group has signed the ‘2016 commitment – a commitment to building zero carbon homes by 2016’ as an endorsement of its dedication to meeting the challenges of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/baxi-group--committed-to-the-future 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/baxi-group--committed-to-the-future Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT The key to solving the housing problem does not lie with well worded statements and poorly explained cash incentives but by setting local government free, says Paul Holmes MP Under New Labour, Britain has become the second most centralised western nation, beaten only by tiny Malta. Councils raise only 25% of their cash locally with an... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bribes-and-gimmicks-cant-solve-the-housing-crisis 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bribes-and-gimmicks-cant-solve-the-housing-crisis Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT The great Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges famously and memorably described the Falklands War as two bald men fighting over a comb. The recent pre-election posturing between Gordon Brown and David Cameron was more of an altercation between two drunks after chucking out time, each threatening the other but secretly hoping the other... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bring-it-on 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bring-it-on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT When you mention commissioners do you think of the long lost empire or people who open doors in a posh building? You should be thinking of neither, says Doug Forbes. With over £110bn of services commissioned by all parts of government, maybe its time to take a wider view of the importance of this function. Where else would you... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commissioning-myopia 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commissioning-myopia Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Local authorities and statutory agencies have a huge responsibility for the management and enhancement of public green spaces. Whether park land, common land or urban landscapes, spaces that conserve and enhance local flora and fauna can create a more positive environment to live and work in. Ecology Consultancy Ltd (ECL) is a specialist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/design-of-public-spaces-should-work-with-the-local-ecology 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/design-of-public-spaces-should-work-with-the-local-ecology Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Public sector bodies need a proactive strategy, culture and attitude to eradicating past inequalities to reduce exposure to mass equal pay claims says Ronald Drake, employment partner at leading law firm, Cobbetts. With the number of cases proceeding through employment tribunals since October 2004 rapidly increasing, equal pay has become... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/equal-pay-in-the-public-sector 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/equal-pay-in-the-public-sector Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT London South Bank University has joined forces with South East Employers and London Councils to launch the first ever university qualification in local governance. Designed to help meet the learning and career development needs of elected members in London and the south east, the Certificate in Local Governance for councillors will commence in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-university-qualification-launched-for-councillors 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-university-qualification-launched-for-councillors Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Councils are becoming more efficient, but will find it increasingly difficult to meet more demanding government savings targets without affecting front-line services, according to the results of a survey published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The paper, which was produced by CIPFA’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governments-efficiency-agenda-could-threaten-local-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governments-efficiency-agenda-could-threaten-local-services Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper has called on developers to refocus their efforts to deliver the eco homes of the future as Communities and Local Government published revised guidance to help the construction industry respond to the challenge of meeting the zero carbon homes target. The guidance, which responds to comments and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/guidance-to-help-industry-respond-to-the-zero-carbon-challenge 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/guidance-to-help-industry-respond-to-the-zero-carbon-challenge Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT OGCbuying.solutions’ eSourcing toolkit eSourcing is paving the way forward in the modernisation of public sector procurement practices. Its rapid adoption by central and local government therefore comes as no surprise. The procurement process is more often than not time consuming and resource intensive, with long tender... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/helping-to-shake-off-the-paper-trail 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/helping-to-shake-off-the-paper-trail Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Homeowners can ask for a free A-G energy rating for their boiler with advice to help cut fuel bills, when the engineer visits. Heating and hot water bills are the biggest energy costs households face each month, yet many people are unaware the average boiler is 'E' rated and could produce over 50 per cent more heat - making the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/homeowners-to-get-green-boiler-rating 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/homeowners-to-get-green-boiler-rating Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT When it comes to building more homes, it is the gap between aspiration and delivery which is at the heart of the local authority dilemma, says Adam Sampson. OK, let’s get one thing out of the way. We need more homes. Every year over the next 20 years is projected to bring over 220,000 new households; yet last year we built only... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/in-need-of-shelter 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/in-need-of-shelter Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Over the next decade, shared services initiatives will transform the way in which public services are delivered. Colin Whitehouse argues that this will only lead to improved levels of customer service if councils seize the larger opportunity to thoroughly examine and redesign their underlying business processes. Making sure that local... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joined-at-the-hip-shared-services--business-process-redesign 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joined-at-the-hip-shared-services--business-process-redesign Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Thirteen organisations and individuals from the local government sector have reached the finals of this year’s National Training Awards. The awards celebrate people and organisations that achieve outstanding success through training and development. The finalists from the local government sector are: • Cardiff County... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-governments-best-training-on-awards-shortlist 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-governments-best-training-on-awards-shortlist Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT All local authorities are focused on the eGovernment agenda, but as an award winning four star excellent authority, Derbyshire County Council is also focused on continual improvement. In August 2004, Derbyshire County Council reviewed its procurement practices and decided to move away from its manual paper-based processes in favour of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-change- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-change- Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT MSP brings together related projects to manage their interdependencies, providing and maintaining a strategic view over a set of projects, aligning and co-ordinating them within a programme of business change in support of specific business strategies. MSP’s strength comes from the approach of defining the types of programmes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/managing-successful-programmes-update 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/managing-successful-programmes-update Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone appears ready to abandon the first planning objective for London by asking London’s neighbouring counties to build more housing to accommodate London’s burgeoning housing needs. This substantial U-turn comes less than four months after the Mayor formally re-affirmed his intention to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mayor-fails-first-test-in-meeting-londons-housing-needs 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mayor-fails-first-test-in-meeting-londons-housing-needs Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT New web-based technologies requiring person to person interaction are leading to the erosion of corporate boundaries and bringing a new set of risks, says Les Fraser. Security within the public sector is never easy. The old certainties that came with internally managed systems and well defined system boundaries are already eroded. In many... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-technology-new-threats 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-technology-new-threats Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Experience of many major projects, in both the public and private sectors, makes it possible to identify some critical success factors-and NIS does not currently measure up well against them, says Dr Martyn Thomas, The National Identity Scheme (NIS) comprises a database-the National Identity Register or NIR-and individual ID cards. The ID... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nis-another-costly-failure 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nis-another-costly-failure Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT The ID scheme brings potential threats-which have been well publicised-but it also brings opportunities. PSE asked James Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service, to describe how the introduction of ID cards will bring about greater efficiency across the public sector in respect of procurement and shared services. ID... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nis-improving-public-services 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nis-improving-public-services Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Northgate Information Solutions, a leading UK provider of innovative solutions and services to the public services markets, today announces that it has strengthened its arrangement with Govtech, a specialist in automated data capture systems, to provide an extended service for local authorities and registered social landlords aimed at... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northgate-offers-extended-service-to-revs-and-bens-and-housing-clients 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northgate-offers-extended-service-to-revs-and-bens-and-housing-clients Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Every IT director’s nightmare is the relentless rising demand for business management tools on one side, and on the other, the inability to make any significant reductions in the cost without compromising quality. On the one side, demand will continue to increase both in volume and complexity. Business tools never stand still, they... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/on-a-level-playing-field-how-can-you-realistically-cut-it-costs 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/on-a-level-playing-field-how-can-you-realistically-cut-it-costs Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Oracle has announced that it has agreed to acquire LogicalApps, a leading provider of automated governance, risk and compliance (GRC) controls management solutions. The acquisition will strengthen Oracle’s GRC application suite by integrating real-time policy enforcement for critical business processes. LogicalApps delivers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/oracle-acquires-logicalapps 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/oracle-acquires-logicalapps Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ed Zedlewski, CIO & deputy CEO of Eduserv, the not-for-profit IT services group serving the public sector, discusses the organisation’s pioneering approach to shared services, the benefits it is delivering to the public sector, and encourages other organisations to follow suit. Despite government recommendations and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pioneering-shared-services-in-education 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pioneering-shared-services-in-education Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Project management in the public sector requires a move away from a 'silo' mentality and promotes knowledge sharing and cross-organisation working, says Claire McCartney There is a perception that project management is still in its infancy in the public sector and somewhat problematic. It is often considered to be a technical rather than... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/project-management-a-journey-worth-taking 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/project-management-a-journey-worth-taking Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Outsourced contracts worth up to £500m each have just been put out to tender by the Home Office for the government's identity card scheme. Outsourcing this service makes sense to achieve the Home Office’s implementation targets but whether or not the contacts can actually be let in time for a ‘ready for service’ date of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-sector-outsourcing Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Dr. Su Maddock, innovation advisor to the National School of Government and director of the forthcoming ‘Public Service Innovation’ conference, explains how the right conditions for innovation can translate policy announcements into real improvements in public services. A growing awareness that innovation in public services is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-innovation 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-innovation Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT IT recycler Remploy e-cycle is advising organisations they can turn the worrying issue of disposing of redundant computer equipment from a potential problem into a commercial advantage. While organisations have for some time been obligated to dispose of end-of-life IT equipment responsibly, the introduction of the EU’s new waste... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recycle-with-e-cycle 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recycle-with-e-cycle Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT It has been nearly 18 months since the Identity Card Act received Royal Assent and yet the procurement process has only just begun. Even now, only two projects have so far been approved: the replacement of core processes for passports and the replacement and upgrading of the existing systems for fingerprint matching and storage in connection... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rhetorical-confidence-and-technological-certainty-in-technology-led-policy-initiatives 454 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rhetorical-confidence-and-technological-certainty-in-technology-led-policy-initiatives Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Predicting Prime Ministerial behaviour In the wake of the transition to a Brown Government at Number 10, Russell Hobby uncovers stark differences in Gordon Brown and Tony Blair’s leadership motives. Leadership style is a subject much studied in the business world. There is a feverish interest in what drives senior business... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/whats-your-motive 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/whats-your-motive Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT New research debunks traditional myths about age in the UK workforce 37% of older workers in the public sector believe their younger colleagues teach them skills they previously did not have, according to a study of older and younger workers commissioned by Jobcentre Plus, whilst around a third of younger workers believe older workers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/younger-workers-in-the-public-sector-teach-old-dogs-new-tricks- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/younger-workers-in-the-public-sector-teach-old-dogs-new-tricks- Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Early estimates of the cost to Gloucestershire of last month’s flooding has been put at around £40 - £50 million. This includes the cost of responding to the emergency, managing its aftermath and the likely cost of repairs to property, the county's infrastructure and the local economy. It is a huge task to get... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/counting-the-cost-of-the-floods 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/counting-the-cost-of-the-floods Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The latest Key Stage 2 results published by the government recently don't stand up to scrutiny, according to independent think tank Civitas. Teachers have been compelled to generate artificial results, at horrifying costs to pupils. Results released by the DCSF show that 80 per cent and 77 per cent of pupils have reached the government's... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/edukashun-edukashun-edukashun 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/edukashun-edukashun-edukashun Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Confidence in public services could well decline following the government’s autumn spending round, the new president of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has warned in a major speech. If the Comprehensive Spending Review, due in October, is as tight as predicted, any consequent fall in public sector staff... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/future-for-public-services-very-tough-says-new-cipfa-boss 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/future-for-public-services-very-tough-says-new-cipfa-boss Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The UK public sector will have access to green electricity at no premium, thanks to an innovative new deal signed recently. The deal, worth around £1 billion over the next four years, guarantees central and local government customers one terrawatt hour of electricity from renewable sources - equivalent to 33% of current volumes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/innovative-new-electricity-deal-for-the-public-sector 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/innovative-new-electricity-deal-for-the-public-sector Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT New audit body would oversee civil service performance In a recently released report, the public administration select committee has called for a new independent scrutiny body to be set up, answerable to Parliament in the same way the National Audit Office is, to look at the performance of the civil service. The committee also warns... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-nao-for-the-civil-service 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-calls-for-nao-for-the-civil-service Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Social Software (the country’s leading supplier of prevention and youth offending case management systems) are developing technology and working with their key partners on a connectivity project to enable agencies involved in working with young people to share and exchange data more effectively. The underlying premise of connectivity is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-software-take-giant-strides-towards-data-sharing-in-youth-justice 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-software-take-giant-strides-towards-data-sharing-in-youth-justice Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Northern Counties Housing Association and G&J Seddon are the partners behind this eye-catching, modern development of four family homes for rent in Clayton, East Manchester. The New Inn development represents the first phase of the Ashton New Road North regeneration project, which by 2010 should see around 130 modern,energy efficient and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-shape-of-things-to-come 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-shape-of-things-to-come Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Councillors in the UK should be drawn from a much broader spectrum of talent, a public policy think-tank has announced. Responding to the government’s Councillors Commission investigation into town hall governance, the Public Management and Policy Association (PMPA) said school governors, trade unionists and heads of residents... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/widen-councillor-gene-pool-says-pmpa- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/widen-councillor-gene-pool-says-pmpa- Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Local councils and developers have been invited to bid to host at least five new zero carbon eco-towns, each providing 5,000 - 20,000 new homes, by 2016. Each town will have a separate and distinct identity, with good links to surrounding towns and cities and be exemplary in at least one area of environment technology. Between 30 and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-greener-shade-of-brown 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-greener-shade-of-brown Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT David Tryon, director of shared services, Fujitsu Services It is widely agreed that the principal aim of transformational government is to improve the efficiency of corporate services and infrastructure in order to free up resources for front line service. Outside the technology industry, it is less widely known that in many cases... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-shared-vision-for-shared-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-shared-vision-for-shared-services Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Graham Atkins, local government expert at global management consultancy Hay Group, considers the challenges presented by the creation of nine new unitary authorities. The government has recently announced that the system of councils in England is to be reformed, with some 48 authorities being merged into nine new unitary authorities. This... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-united-front-the-challenges-facing-council-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-united-front-the-challenges-facing-council-reform Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT An approach that will prove a valuable tool in your project management toolbox reports Ian Hills, sales manager at Projectplace Ltd. What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions project management? Is it a Gantt chart? We have all seen them, a graphical representation of the timeline or schedule of a set of project tasks.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agile-project-management- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agile-project-management- Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT A fundamental change to the PRINCE2 examination will be launched shortly on 1 September. In a departure from one bedrock of British examination practise, namely written essays marked by examiners, which has formed the basis of the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination since its inception over a decade ago, a new style examination will be introduced... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/are-you-ready-for-the-new-prince2-practitioner-exam 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/are-you-ready-for-the-new-prince2-practitioner-exam Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT PSE asks Robert Shaw, director of policy and projects at the Town and Country Planning Association, about the thinking behind the government’s plan for eco-towns. Your chairman, Professor David Lock, has said: “Sustainability is a three legged stool”. What did he mean by this? In our initial scoping report we... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/back-to-the-garden 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/back-to-the-garden Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The government led drive for efficiency and effectiveness is making new demands on those who provide services in the community. According to government research, as much as 10% inefficiency exists in the some parts of the public sector. Contributory factors include late service arrival, services leaving too early, inaccurate time logging... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/boosting-efficiency-effectiveness-and-safety-with-e-monitoring 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/boosting-efficiency-effectiveness-and-safety-with-e-monitoring Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Whilst many will cite the arrest of Dr. Crippen-apprehended after a wireless message was sent to the ship upon which he was escaping in 1910-as the first use of technology to make an arrest, British Transport Police can point to an incident over half a century earlier. In 1845, Sergeant Williams of the Great Western Railway was alerted to the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/btp-leads-the-way-with-plans-for-new-gis 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/btp-leads-the-way-with-plans-for-new-gis Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) is the official government organisation responsible for supplying mapping and geographical information for Northern Ireland and for co-ordinating the implementation of a geographical information strategy for Northern Ireland, including the on-going maintenance and development of the Pointer address... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/develop-the-potential-of-your-gi-systems 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/develop-the-potential-of-your-gi-systems Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Gillian Brindle, programme manager, South West Centre of Excellence In the age of recycling, free-cycling and global warming everyone is keen to keep waste to a minimum. And anyone who has shopped around online or felt that rush of adrenalin when they snaffle a bargain on eBay, will recognise the power of the internet in getting value... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-for-efficiency 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-for-efficiency Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT A revolutionary new school based on environmental principles provided a set of new challenges for Celltek acting as sole ICT provider in a 25-year, £74m PFI programme. Celltek’s solution was based on a single converged network to support all IT needs, in contrast to the less effective dual networks often... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ecology-meets-technology-in-a-new-generation-of-school 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ecology-meets-technology-in-a-new-generation-of-school Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT PSE asks Chris Holcroft, director and chief executive of the Association for Geographic Information, about GI, GIS, INSPIRE, NSDI and NSAI “Geographical information belongs at the heart of transformational government initiatives because it is a key tool for delivering efficiency, improved policies and better customer service.”... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-gisbut-were-afraid-to-ask 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-gisbut-were-afraid-to-ask Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Recent developments have seen monitoring of fuel expenses drop down the fleet managers’ agenda. Robert Cooksley, director of public sector practice at Arval, describes the use of fuel cards in the public sector and how best to maximise their benefit potential. Despite some recent respite, UK pump prices remain volatile. Pump prices... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fuel-cards-what-is-the-real-benefit-for-the-public-sector 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fuel-cards-what-is-the-real-benefit-for-the-public-sector Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Geographical Information Systems (GIS) should be a key part of any local authority’s data management and information technology strategy. GIS is the most cost effective and user friendly way to add extra value to data and allow employees and members of the public to access relevant and pertinent information. Having worked alongside... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/geographical-information-systems-and-local-authorities 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/geographical-information-systems-and-local-authorities Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The ‘Transforming Government Procurement’ report (January 2007) highlighted the importance of delivering high quality services and products at the best value for money to the public sector. The Government Secure Intranet (GSi), managed by OGCbuying.solutions, was created with a similar vision to deliver a pan-government accredited... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gse-paving-the-way-for-online-private-to-public-sector-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gse-paving-the-way-for-online-private-to-public-sector-procurement Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Just a decade ago we appeared to be on the edge of a revolution with the advent of e-procurement systems. Electronic documents would seamlessly flow between systems and organisations. Vast quantities of money would be saved and the whole landscape of procurement would forever change. Whilst things have certainly changed in the last ten... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/have-your-procurement-systems-really-increased-efficiency 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/have-your-procurement-systems-really-increased-efficiency Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The INSPIRE EU directive is a self-confessed ambitious piece of legislation to create and promote a European-wide spatial data infrastructure (SDI). Existing spatial data should be reused and made available locally and globally via on demand web services. INSPIRE has wide reaching implications for public and private sector organisations... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/inspire-ation-breaking-new-ground-for-large-scale-sdis 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/inspire-ation-breaking-new-ground-for-large-scale-sdis Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Institute of IT Training has announced the call for entries to the IT training industry's most prestigious annual awards ceremony, The IT Training Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence across the IT Training industry. Now in their 12th year, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/institute-announces-call-for-entries-to-the-it-training-industrys-most-prestigious-annual-awards-ceremony 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/institute-announces-call-for-entries-to-the-it-training-industrys-most-prestigious-annual-awards-ceremony Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Geographic information has a key role in supporting emergency response and disaster management, says Tara Tomley, manager of Ordnance Survey’s MFE scheme. Managing an emergency such as the recent severe flooding across parts of England almost always involves geographic information. Knowing where people and resources are is... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/mapping-for-emergencies 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/mapping-for-emergencies Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Due to the ever increasing need for more information and disk space, backing up available data requires more time than ever. For many, only short time periods are set aside for backups. As a result, minimal backup times have become normal practice. The size and number of files are not the only factors affecting your backup times. As the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/minimized-backup-times 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/minimized-backup-times Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ian Busby By 2012, when the Olympic torch is first lit above the new London Olympic Stadium in the London Borough of Newham, all public sector buying organisations will be conducting nearly all their transactions online. Newham itself is already well advanced in a programme to implement the IDeA:marketplace e-procurement exchange and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/procuring-efficiency-from-the-public-sector 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/procuring-efficiency-from-the-public-sector Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Background The scale of expected housing growth in the UK is considerable with the government’s growth areas and growth points requiring a minimum of 300,000 homes by 2016. The challenge in any area experiencing growth is to deliver sustainable communities and to ensure that new facilities and services are delivered simultaneously with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/social-infrastructure-frameworks--a-tool-for-joined-up-delivery- 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/social-infrastructure-frameworks--a-tool-for-joined-up-delivery- Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Terry Wilcox, commercial director at Proactis, explores the true potential of eProcurement implementations in the public sector beyond ‘ticking the box’ to meet government targets. eProcurement is now an accepted discipline in the public sector, but is it being used to its full potential, or just ‘ticking the box’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/taking-eprocurement-outside-the-box 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/taking-eprocurement-outside-the-box Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT A legacy of our industrial heritage The consequences of our industrial heritage in terms of understanding the environmental impact of previous industrial use, has in historical terms, only recently been understood. The industrial processes of the past routinely disposed of their waste product through tipping or spilling it on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-contaminated-land-challenge 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-contaminated-land-challenge Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Polls have opened for the highlight of the procurement year – the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO) awards for outstanding achievement in procurement 2007. As the UK’s largest representative body for the local authority procurement community, SOPO represents more than 2600 members across the country.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/votes-now-open-for-top-procurement-awards 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/votes-now-open-for-top-procurement-awards Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT The British Heart Foundation has launched 30 a Day, its latest high profile health campaign. The campaign aims to tackle one of Britain’s greatest public health challenges – physical inactivity, particularly among the over 50s. Only 30% of 50-65 year olds are currently getting their 30 minutes a day of exercise, but the fact... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bhf-urges-local-action-on-physical-inactivity 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bhf-urges-local-action-on-physical-inactivity Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT While the Government’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat may be making positive noises about Britain’s preparedness for a variety of disasters – from an influenza pandemic to terrorist attack – the reality is somewhat different. With no clear direction or dedicated budget and a complete lack of Act-specific assessment... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/civil-contingencies-act-safeguarding-britain-or-simply-hot-air 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/civil-contingencies-act-safeguarding-britain-or-simply-hot-air Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Helping you to meet your disability equality duty Local authorities across the UK are partnering with DisabledGo, the UK’s most popular source of disabled access information, to help meet their disability equality duty and open up their communities to disabled residents and visitors. By working with DisabledGo, local authorities are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/disabledgo-improving-the-lives-of-disabled-people-throughout-the-uk- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/disabledgo-improving-the-lives-of-disabled-people-throughout-the-uk- Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Good project managers need a blend of technical and people skills. How do you train for this in a project environment? David Loveless of Transformis Consulting explains how SimulTrain® brings the excitement of real world project execution to the classroom. Simulation has long been used to bring realism into training. SimulTrain®... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/effective-project-training-through-simulation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/effective-project-training-through-simulation Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Background Local Authority Trading Standards Services (TSS) provide key services to local areas and contribute greatly to the economic and social wellbeing of communities. Often the source of local authority ‘good news’ stories, they work independently or in partnership with other local and national partners to ensure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/office-of-fair-trading-and-local-authority-trading-standards-services-elected-councillors-briefing-pack 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/office-of-fair-trading-and-local-authority-trading-standards-services-elected-councillors-briefing-pack Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Performance management is a very broad subject affecting the whole organisation in many ways, and involving everything from culture to financial control; computer systems are not the complete solution. It is easier to manage something if you can measure it, so good support systems can be very beneficial to performance management –... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supporting-performance-management--are-your-systems-letting-you-down 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supporting-performance-management--are-your-systems-letting-you-down Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT New challenges, new solutions Many Internet connected organizations don't have the necessary time or resources to properly analyse security reports, implement necessary countermeasures and execute them. Human decisions and actions take time and, in a world dominated by fast hardware and communication lines, security devices must be able... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-evolution-of-security-reactive-vs-proactive 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-evolution-of-security-reactive-vs-proactive Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT As society becomes increasingly dependent on technology and people less willing to accept downtime and delays, the pressure on companies and organisations to deliver has never been greater. Nowhere is this change of attitude more deeply felt than in those companies that provide breakdown, repair and warranty services using teams of field... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/thinventory-will-revolutionise-supply-chain-efficiency-in-field-service-market-says-bybox 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/thinventory-will-revolutionise-supply-chain-efficiency-in-field-service-market-says-bybox Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ministers rely on officials providing them with high quality briefings, submissions, speeches and replies to letters and Parliamentary Questions. But, despite examples of excellence throughout the civil service, Ministers report that drafts are often not up to scratch. The new Centre for Working with Ministers and Parliament at the National... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-better-drafting-means-better-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-better-drafting-means-better-government Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Given the scale of Building Schools for the Future (BSF), it is vital that effective working relationships are established at every level to achieve the best possible facilities for our communities. It is fundamental that the building must be multifunctional with wider benefits to the community than just developing a school. The finished... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/why-partner-with-a-roofing-company-to-deliver-bsf 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/why-partner-with-a-roofing-company-to-deliver-bsf Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT To spotlight successful public sector IT project implementation in a bid to counteract negative media focus on this sector, the British Computer Society (BCS) has this year introduced an award specifically for public sector IT departments in its annual IT Industry Awards. Organisations have until 12th July to enter for the Public Sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bcs-celebrates-public-sector-it-projects-with-new-award 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bcs-celebrates-public-sector-it-projects-with-new-award Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Bruce Mann, Director of civil contingencies in the Cabinet Office, talks to Ana Paula Nacif. In a climate where threats – be they freak weather, terrorism or flu pandemic, to name but a few – seem to hit the headlines every so often, the old adage has never rung truer; especially in the corridors of power where the Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/better-safe-than-sorry 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/better-safe-than-sorry Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT With less than one month to go until all workplaces in England go smoke-free, councils around the country are warning smokers not to drop cigarette litter in the street after 1 July. The Local Government Association is warning that street cleaners will need to concentrate on areas outside pubs and clubs in the months following 1 July, as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-prepare-to-stub-it-out 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-prepare-to-stub-it-out Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT New national guidance calls on local authorities to seek the expertise of a professional buying organisation to buy gas and electricity in a bid to drive down local government’s £1 billion a year energy bill. That’s the message behind ‘How to be Successful in Energy Procurement’, the latest guidance published... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-urged-not-to-go-it-alone-when-buying-energy 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-urged-not-to-go-it-alone-when-buying-energy Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT The latest release of ITIL launched on 5th June promises a much richer set of standards than those we’ve been using in various forms since 1986 and expands the V2 release available from 1999. ITIL V3 offers a wide reach in terms of service management and is certain to confirm itself as the pre-eminent publication suite for IT delivery... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dont-assume-itil-v3-will-deliver-good-service 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dont-assume-itil-v3-will-deliver-good-service Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT In the recently published ‘Local Authority Financial Administration Services: Emerging Trends in the Context of Shared Services’, John Thornton considers five key issues which need to be addressed in taking forward discussions regarding the implementation of shared services for financial administration... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/emerging-trends-in-the-context-of-shared-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/emerging-trends-in-the-context-of-shared-services Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Sir Michael Lyons, one of the most influential and respected figures in government procurement, has reiterated the vital importance of collaborative working among central and local government. Sir Michael, author of the highly influential Lyons Inquiry into Local Government and chair of the BBC Trust, addressed hundreds of delegates who... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/excellence-in-public-procurement- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/excellence-in-public-procurement- Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Greenwich Council is working with residents to ensure that their businesses can operate as normal in the event of an emergency. In the light of recent events such as the Buncefield Oil Refinery and Deptford fires, contingency planning has become crucially important to the continual running of businesses, and a robust business continuity... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greenwichs-five-point-plan-for-business-continuity 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greenwichs-five-point-plan-for-business-continuity Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Forty-seven percent of the risk managers questioned for an Economist Intelligence Unit survey into business resilience said that unplanned downtime of information technology (IT) systems lasting 24 hours or more could jeopardise the survival of their entire business. The severity of the threat from disruption to IT systems is one of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/half-of-companies-say-a-24-hour-it-failure-would-threaten-their-survival-according-to-a-new-economist-intelligence-unit-report 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/half-of-companies-say-a-24-hour-it-failure-would-threaten-their-survival-according-to-a-new-economist-intelligence-unit-report Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT A pioneering environmental initiative by Lotus Professional is set to help local authorities improve their green credentials by creating a zero ‘paper-footprint’ from their selection of washroom paper products. The first initiative of its kind in the industry in the UK, ‘Smile’ will enable the public sector to be... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lotus-go-green 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lotus-go-green Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Tim Byles, Chief Executive, Partnerships for Schools. Transforming the learning environments of all our secondary schools in England, allowing teachers to teach and young people to reach for excellence and deliver their full potential. This is the ultimate goal of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Partnerships for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-educational-transformation-a-reality-delivering-building-schools-for-the-future- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-educational-transformation-a-reality-delivering-building-schools-for-the-future- Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Lindsay Kirkley, special adviser to the chief executive of Gateshead Council, has been appointed Gateshead's director of Policy and Improvement. She took up her new post in April. Lindsay takes on responsibility for corporate policy, service improvement and partnerships - including the Local Strategic Partnership, Sustainable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-post-for-chief-adviser 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-post-for-chief-adviser Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT People who fail to pay parking or traffic regulation penalties three or more times could see vehicles towed away Motorists who repeatedly flout parking and traffic regulations but do not pay their penalty charge notices (PCNs) now risk having their cars clamped or towed away under new powers given to London’s boroughs and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-powers-to-seize-vehicles-of-persistent-penalty-evaders- 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-powers-to-seize-vehicles-of-persistent-penalty-evaders- Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Camden Council has launched a smoking-related litter campaign with staff dressed in ‘cigarette butt’ costumes going on patrol to encourage people to bin their butts responsibly They handed out portable cigarette butt pouches and pointed out where smokers could bin their butts and empty packets responsibly. Anecdotal... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/no-ifs-or-butts-in-camden 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/no-ifs-or-butts-in-camden Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT One of the UK’s most senior civil servants has challenged professionals working in procurement to raise their game in order to meet tough new government efficiency targets. David Smith, commercial director at the Department for Works and Pensions, was addressing more than 200 delegates from the public and private sectors at the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-best-must-get-better-procurement-professionals-are-told 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-best-must-get-better-procurement-professionals-are-told Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Tony Richardson, executive director of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, talks to Ana Paula Nacif about how technology is transforming the way we work, learn and interact. The networked generation is here to stay. And with Government incentives and investments to encourage the use of technology in schools... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-networked-generation 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-networked-generation Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Managing the change in educational resources Ray Barker, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), considers why purchasers need to look for BESA members when searching for educational products and services. Remember the Red Queen’s game of croquet in Alice in Wonderland? Everyone rushes around and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-right-tools-for-the-trade 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-right-tools-for-the-trade Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT The board of regional development agency One NorthEast has approved £3m of funding to kick start the creation of a major new business development, bringing with it up to 200 new jobs. Work will start on the £5.8m Tanfield Lea Business Centre, at Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate in County Durham, later this year. The centre... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/agency-approves-3m-funding-for-business-centre-development 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/agency-approves-3m-funding-for-business-centre-development Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Most people would surely agree that any organisation needs a clear strategy of how to best deliver its services and how to get to that position. Many believe that by identifying priorities and the enablers of future performance we can then create a list of critical performance indicators and use those to better manage our organisation. However... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/balanced-or-unbalanced-scorecards- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/balanced-or-unbalanced-scorecards- Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT The results of the latest edition of Better connected, the ninth annual survey of local authority websites published by the Society of IT Management (Socitm) last month, show that only one site - from the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - has achieved the newly introduced ‘excellent’ rating. However, the results also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/barking--dagenham-website-tops-socitm-survey 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/barking--dagenham-website-tops-socitm-survey Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Swindon has a reputation as a good place to do business. Its unrivalled location and flexible workforce has attracted a number of world class companies and reinforced its status as one of the fastest growing towns in Europe. However, Swindon town centre has not been developed since the 1960s and has failed to keep pace with the thriving... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/breathing-new-life-into-swindon- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/breathing-new-life-into-swindon- Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, has announced publication of five more Capability Reviews alongside a summary report on the key themes emerging from all twelve reviews published so far. Reviews were published for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-publishes-third-tranche-of-capability-reviews 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cabinet-secretary-publishes-third-tranche-of-capability-reviews Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Background Chester City Council and Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council entered into a formal Joint ICT Partnership arrangement around five years ago with the intention of achieving a consistency of approach and fostering joint working between the two authorities. The potential for cost savings where both were using or planning to use... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-smile-at-higher-website-rankings 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cheshire-councils-smile-at-higher-website-rankings Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT The public sector must adopt a joined up and collaborative approach to procurement to achieve efficiency targets - that was the overriding message at the first ever SOPO Scotland conference, held in Edinburgh recently. 'Procurement: A Key Driver of Reform in Scottish Public Services', hosted by the Society of Procurement Officers in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/conference-report-sopo-scotland-07 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/conference-report-sopo-scotland-07 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Fylde and Wyre Council’s have recently signed an agreement to provide shared services to their communities that are more effective and more economical. Fylde and Wyre have enjoyed joint working arrangements since the Recycle4Fylde&Wyre contract began in 2005 and the new agreement will formalise this joint working and see the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-join-forces-to-deliver-better-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-join-forces-to-deliver-better-services Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Technology trade association Intellect’s shared services working group, which represents over 100 suppliers to the public sector, recently published a position paper entitled: “Implementing Shared Corporate Services in the Public Sector.” The group has been working with the Cabinet Office as the shared corporate services... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/implementing-shared-corporate-services-in-the-public-sector 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/implementing-shared-corporate-services-in-the-public-sector Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT New research from the CBI has revealed an increase in workplace absence at an estimated cost to the economy of £13.4 billion. It discovered that public sector workers took an average of nine days off ill last year, up by about half a day on 2005. Despite government efforts to stem the tide of "sickie's", public sector employee absence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/increase-in-workplace-absence- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/increase-in-workplace-absence- Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT CIPFA, in conjunction with Capita and Oracle are launching an insightful new book focusing on emerging trends in shared services. For use by local authorities, the book discusses best practice in financial management with a view to helping local councils to benchmark both their existing practices and their expectations against market trends.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/launch-of-new-cipfa-publication-emerging-trends-in-the-context-of-shared-services 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/launch-of-new-cipfa-publication-emerging-trends-in-the-context-of-shared-services Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Local politicians, and the work they do in the front line of local public services, should be among the key beneficiaries of the massive investment by local authorities in ICT that has been seen over the last six years. This point is made in a new briefing from the Society of IT Management called ICT for elected members written... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-public-services 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-public-services Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Version 2.5 of the NEC Computers “all-in-one” data backup and restore solution, Backup Smart Way™ is now available. This version introduces major new functions: 1/ Integration of Disaster Recovery Plan functions This enables the back up of the disk/partition system of a critical server or a Workstation. In Unix AIX and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/nec-computers-release-version-25 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/nec-computers-release-version-25 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT The London Borough of Redbridge is achieving significant financial savings and delivering a higher standard of care thanks to a new web-based rostering and monitoring system for care workers. Developed by leading workforce management solutions company Webroster, the new system allows organisations which commission care to know exactly how... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-rostering-service-for-care-providers-cuts-costs-for-redbridge 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-rostering-service-for-care-providers-cuts-costs-for-redbridge Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT CBC annual conference 15 March 2007 With central and local government striving to meet Gershon's efficiency targets, the subject of shared services has never been more relevant. As a ‘hot topic’ for the public sector, the implementation of shared services is having a great impact on the procurement function. The increased... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-services-the-value-of-procurement- 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-services-the-value-of-procurement- Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT With the smoking ban just weeks away, new guidance has been released which should help to clarify the law regarding smoking in vehicles, says Ron Reid, a health and safety lawyer from law firm Shoosmiths. From 1 July 2007 in England and 1 April in Wales, virtually all enclosed workplaces and vehicles will have to become “smoke... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smoking-in-vehicles--new-guidance-on-1-july-ban 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smoking-in-vehicles--new-guidance-on-1-july-ban Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT People living in supported housing in Essex will soon be able to surf the internet and use email, to keep in touch with family and friends, thanks to a new innovative project. Essex UnITe is paving the way for older people living in four of the county’s towns to get on-line and take advantage of the Broadband revolution. Essex... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/supported-housing-residents-get-connected-to-the-broadband-revolution 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/supported-housing-residents-get-connected-to-the-broadband-revolution Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Facilities management is one of the fastest growing professions in the UK. BIFM is the UK’s lead institute representing the interests of those who practice facilities management and those who work in organisations supplying FM related goods or services. It has been a recognised and established business activity since the mid-1980s.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-rise-of-facilities-management 443 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-rise-of-facilities-management Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Dorothy Tudor, technical director of TCC, a training and consultancy provider, looks at our examination-heavy environment and considers the advantages and risks of ‘trial by examination’. When you put your staff onto an expensive, external training course, just what do you hope to gain? Undying gratitude for giving them a week... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/training-is-more-than-just-qualifications 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/training-is-more-than-just-qualifications Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT A belief in best value Sir Peter Gershon’s independent review of public sector efficiency has resulted in immense pressure being put on local authorities to get more value from the budgets they control. The drive to save on costs and redeploy resources has impacted on areas which were not obvious at the outset, but it is now... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/virtual-computing-solution-realises-tangible-service-improvements-and-major-savings-for-the-hillingdon 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/virtual-computing-solution-realises-tangible-service-improvements-and-major-savings-for-the-hillingdon Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT A vision of the public sector in 2012? • 32% of public sector workers demand home working by 2012 • Over three quarters of workers (81%) in the public sector feel an environmentally friendly work place is imperative Environmental policies and flexible working are set to drive public sector workers out from behind their... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/workers-will-go-green-or-go-home 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/workers-will-go-green-or-go-home Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Most local authorities do not reply to emails clearly or promptly, and the standard is falling, according to the latest 'Better connected' annual review of all UK local authority websites by the Society of IT Management (Socitm), published today. Just two in five (40 per cent) sent a reply rated as satisfactory within two days to a test... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/local-authorities-not-replying-to-emails-clearly-or-promptly 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/local-authorities-not-replying-to-emails-clearly-or-promptly Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT BiP Solutions has been selected by the Procurement Agency for Essex (PAE) as the provider of its new web portal. After completing a competitive tender exercise, BiP has been awarded a three year contract which will see the existing PAE website and related content incorporated into a new web portal, which features a range of services for both... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-it-pae 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-it-pae Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Simon Etherington, SAP’s director and general manager for public services, looks at “public ROI” - measuring not only the financial, but also the social and political value of IT investments. The Government has a unique challenge which is not faced in the commercial sector. It must preserve fiscal stability while... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/beyond-traditional-roi-in-the-public-sector- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/beyond-traditional-roi-in-the-public-sector- Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT With claims of racism and bullying on Channel 4’s Big Brother dominating the headlines recently, Jo Potter of Oakleigh Consulting looks at preventing bullying and discrimination in the workplace escalating out of control. Reams of newsprint have been devoted to asking the question – was Jade bullying Shilpa or was she also... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/big-brother-may-be-watching-youbut-were-you-watching-big-brother 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/big-brother-may-be-watching-youbut-were-you-watching-big-brother Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The body which oversees the work of the nine regional centres of excellence (RCEs) has concluded in its annual report that an acceleration of shared services between local authorities is one of the key tools in the drive towards greater efficiency – in step with one of the themes of the recently published White Paper. The Chief... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/chief-executives-task-force-annual-report-calls-on-councils-to-embrace-new-ways-of-providing-services- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/chief-executives-task-force-annual-report-calls-on-councils-to-embrace-new-ways-of-providing-services- Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) is proving a standard bearer for all that’s best in the UK health service. Its new University ‘super’ hospital is the largest in the country, seeing 1 million patients a year, and with 30,000 appointments each week. It employs hundreds of top specialists, has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/data-pump-delivers-for-nhs-flagship- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/data-pump-delivers-for-nhs-flagship- Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT ONE of the north of England’s leading IT and project management training providers has created new positions after setting up a centre in Sheffield. Datrix Training has launched a range of courses aimed at both the public and private sector at a new purpose built facility near the Meadowhall Shopping Centre. The company, which... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/datrix-sets-ups-sheffield-centre 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/datrix-sets-ups-sheffield-centre Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Many housing organisations are looking to replace their existing housing management systems (HMS), often because they are undertaking large programmes of work which involve the use of contractors and partnering agreements, such as Decent Homes. Sometimes stricter audit requirements such as 'exactly how many properties have been made decent in... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/do-you-really-need-a-new-housing-management-system 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/do-you-really-need-a-new-housing-management-system Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The UK desktop project management software is dominated by Microsoft Project. As in any marketplace, a near monopoly situation creates a lack of competition, stifles innovation and tends to keep prices artificially high – that’s just basic economics. In many areas, advances in technology bring prices down – look at computers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/driving-down-the-budget-for-project-management-software- 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/driving-down-the-budget-for-project-management-software- Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Huntleigh Healthcare’s eclipse maternity information system (eclipse MIS) has gone live at Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Bradford Teaching Hospital manages up to 6,000 births per annum with 18 delivery rooms, making it one of the largest units in the country. The move from their old paper based system to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/eclipse-maternity-information-system-goes-live 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/eclipse-maternity-information-system-goes-live Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Five years ago, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) made a commitment to modernise the way it works, improve the efficiency and quality of its services, and put the customer at the centre of all its activities. E-enablement of council services, internally and externally, was key to achieving these ambitions. However, this... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/e-enabling-change 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/e-enabling-change Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Nearly 40% of councils in the UK believe that their own staff will be the greatest barrier to gaining efficiency savings through shared services. In a recent survey of local authorities, 80% of participants agreed shared services would aid operational efficiency, although 38% of councils agreed that internal employees’ fear of change... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fear-of-change-greatest-barrier-to-efficiency 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fear-of-change-greatest-barrier-to-efficiency Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Local government continues to rise to the challenge of the annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), with 79 per cent of single tier and county councils reaching the top two star rating categories, according to the 2006 results published by the Audit Commission recently. For the first time since CPA began in 2002, no councils are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/good-news-for-councils-as-four-out-of-five-achieve-3-or-4-cpa-stars 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/good-news-for-councils-as-four-out-of-five-achieve-3-or-4-cpa-stars Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT There is increasing pressure in the public sector for organizations to develop information security systems in line with ISO/IEC 27001:2005, the information security management system (ISMS) standard supported and endorsed by the Cabinet Office and the DTI. What is not so readily understood, however, is the critical role played by... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/information-security-qualifications-and-iso-27001 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/information-security-qualifications-and-iso-27001 Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT 2007 could prove to be either a difficult or exciting year for those involved with local government. The white paper offered glimpses of the devolution that has long been promised and Lyons could fundamentally change the way local authorities raise and manage their finances. These are positive steps towards greater local flexibility... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-2007-the-year-to-start-sharing 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-2007-the-year-to-start-sharing Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The last decade has brought about a meteoric transformation in procurement. The paperless office, along with the associated reduction in administration, is no longer an ‘aspirational’ myth. Local authorities are adopting the world of e-transactions, e-procurement and the resulting e-information at a startling rate. When it... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/is-your-authority-embracing-e-procurement-across-staffing-services 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/is-your-authority-embracing-e-procurement-across-staffing-services Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT There seems to be a mix of IT professionals who know about the ITIL Refresh, (referred to by some as ITILv3), and people who don’t. There are lots of rumours and opinions out there and it can be difficult to work out what will happen and how it will affect you and your business. The good news is that it should only affect you as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/itil-refresh--whats-in-it-for-you 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/itil-refresh--whats-in-it-for-you Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Mid Sussex District Council has joined forces with local partners to take positive action to safeguard the welfare of its residents over the age of 60. Amongst the District’s older population are some of the most vulnerable residents, particularly amongst those who live alone. Help and support is available for problems as diverse as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/joined-up-services-for-older-people 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/joined-up-services-for-older-people Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The performance of your Windows server is pivotal to the productivity of your company. The optimal performance of your server facilitates the availability of information both internally and to third parties. The performance of your web server, which provides information to website visitors, must be maintained at a high level, and the same... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/optimal-windows-server-performance 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/optimal-windows-server-performance Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Businesses across Britain have improved access to the most detailed mapping data available with the launch of a network of mapping and data centres by national mapping agency Ordnance Survey. Land and property sector businesses will be able to license OS Sitemap, a new large-scale mapping product derived from Ordnance Survey's national... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/os-launches-mapping-and-data-centres 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/os-launches-mapping-and-data-centres Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Buckinghamshire's five councils could soon be working more closely together to become a state-of-the-art 'Pathfinder' partnership, delivering services to the county's residents in "innovative and creative" ways, if a joint bid to Government is successful. The bid for Pathfinder status is being submitted to the Government after all five... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pathfinder-bid-for-buckinghamshire- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pathfinder-bid-for-buckinghamshire- Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hampshire County Council, together with 11 district councils and the parish councils, provides vital everyday services to 1.2 million people across the county. Information centres provide easy and friendly access to information about services provided by all three tiers of local government together with a range of community and other service... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/perfect-partners 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/perfect-partners Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Professor of Public Policy and Management at Warwick Business School, John Benington, has called for public service leadership that transcends organisational and social boundaries, and investment in the development of leadership teams which combines professional skills with conceptual understanding and ‘practical wisdom’, in a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-service-reform-leadership-with-practical-wisdom 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-service-reform-leadership-with-practical-wisdom Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT An innovative system designed to help local authorities deliver effective shared services and achieve efficiency gains has been produced by 4ps, local government’s project delivery specialists on behalf of the North East Regional Centre of Excellence. The system, targeted at senior officers, project directors and project managers... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/self-help-guide-to-shared-services-launched 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/self-help-guide-to-shared-services-launched Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Just a third of UK public sector managers are aware of a clear policy drawn up by their organisation for sharing services, according to new research undertaken by E-Government Bulletin. In a survey of E-Government Bulletin readers, 39 percent of respondents said their organisation doesn't have a clear policy for sharing services, while 27... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-service-policies-miss-target-audience 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-service-policies-miss-target-audience Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Thomas Howard of law firm Browne Jacobson explores the potential for and implications of shared services for public bodies under pressure to make savings – and the innovative approaches some authorities are taking. With the publication later this year of the next Comprehensive Spending Review, the spotlight will once again be on the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-services-whats-stopping-you 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-services-whats-stopping-you Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, says Kieran O'Driscoll, head of UK public sector sales at Micro Focus At a recent conference in London on enabling government efficiency, auditor general Sir John Bourn spoke of how public sector departments needed to ‘sweat the assets’ if they were to realise not only the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sweating-the-assets-transforming-government-through-low-risk-legacy-reuse 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sweating-the-assets-transforming-government-through-low-risk-legacy-reuse Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Richard Halkett, executive director of policy & research at NESTA, explains how the Government can and should use the ‘power of the public purse’ to drive innovation The need for innovation in procurement is fast becoming a mantra for government officials. In the 2004 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Government set... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-innovative-power-of-procurement 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-innovative-power-of-procurement Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Procurement consultants ADR International have joined forces with one of Britain’s leading universities to offer a unique new fast-track route to professional procurement qualifications. The NVQ levels 3 and 4 qualifications in supply chain management are delivered through workplace-based training including seminars, workshops... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/university-of-glamorgan-offers-low-cost-procurement-qualification 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/university-of-glamorgan-offers-low-cost-procurement-qualification Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT Michael Gray of www.voipinbusiness.co.uk looks at the Warwickshire Direct Partnership, award winners at this year’s e-Government national awards in the category of e-Government excellence: shared services   The announcement that the Warwickshire Direct Partnership had won the shared services category at January’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/warwickshires-streets-ahead 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/warwickshires-streets-ahead Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The new Mental Capacity Act 2005, which comes into effect this year, will have a dramatic impact on professionals, relatives and carers of anyone over the age of 16 who lacks capacity to make their own decisions warns Rosamund Evans from national law firm Shoosmiths. The Act creates a new lasting power of attorney (LPA) and it is intended... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wider-legal-powers-under-new-mental-capacity-act 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wider-legal-powers-under-new-mental-capacity-act Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Education and Skills has set out a clear vision to inspire schools across the country to play a leading role in sustainable development by 2020, according to Northgate Information Solutions. In a response submitted to the Department’s consultation, ‘Sustainable Schools: For pupils, communities and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northgate-stresses-value-of-school-design-and-engagement-for-sustainable-schools-agenda 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northgate-stresses-value-of-school-design-and-engagement-for-sustainable-schools-agenda Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT Launched in June 2005, and replacing CMPS as the Government’s own centre of learning, the new National School of Government is looking to deliver through high level partnerships and marshalling top talent, writes principal David Spencer. The launch of the National School of Government in June marked a significant shift in our... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-reservoir-of-talent-the-national-school-of-government 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-reservoir-of-talent-the-national-school-of-government Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT As change director at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Kevin Sadler is one of the most influential figures in the Government’s efficiency drive, and recently demonstrated his expertise in a captivating speech at the Enabling Government Efficiency conference. Here Kevin tells us how his department is dragging itself into the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-worthy-successor 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-worthy-successor Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Gerald Bradley, chairman of sigma Consulting, explains how route maps can help organisations achieve efficiency targets. Meeting demanding efficiency goals and realising the full set of potential benefits is a challenge too far for most organisations. Many ‘forcibly extract’ their efficiency savings —at the expense of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/achieving-efficiency-targets 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/achieving-efficiency-targets Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Public Sector Executive dishes out the details after attending dinner with the Government’s efficiency champion in November Over the centuries the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall has earned global renown as one of the capital’s most spectacular edifices. So it seemed appropriate that this building should host Sir Peter... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/an-evening-with-sir-peter-gershon 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/an-evening-with-sir-peter-gershon Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Blackpool Council is celebrating after receiving the award for Best Council in the UK at the National Children and Young People’s Services Awards on November 28th. Introduced this year, the awards are designed to recognise both extraordinary young people and exceptional services that contribute to the lives of young people across... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/blackpool-judged-uks-best-council-for-kids 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/blackpool-judged-uks-best-council-for-kids Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT The British Medical Association (BMA) is disappointed that OFCOM has not had the courage to ban all junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed. OFCOM’s new directives include a blanket ban on junk food advertising during programmes targeted at under-16s. However Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA’s head of science and ethics... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bma-rubbishes-junk-food-decision 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bma-rubbishes-junk-food-decision Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT It was celebrations all the way for South Yorkshire-based Connexion2, the developer and manufacturer of the highly acclaimed Identicom lone worker protection device, after the company scooped the coveted ‘Best Security Innovation’ award at this year’s Security Excellence Awards ceremony in London. Craig Swallow, managing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/connexion2s-reputation-reinforced-at-security-excellence-awards 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/connexion2s-reputation-reinforced-at-security-excellence-awards Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT A new complaints procedure which aims to resolve complaints made about the HPSS (Health and Personal Social Services) more quickly has been published for consultation. The health, social services and public safety minister Paul Goggins has welcomed the publication of Complaints in the HPSS which simplifies the process to ensure a speedy... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/easy-to-use-complaints-procedure-to-speed-up-social-services 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/easy-to-use-complaints-procedure-to-speed-up-social-services Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Work related violence against lone workers is emerging as one of the major concerns in the workplace today and has become a priority for local government, trade unions and employees. Research shows that 1.3 million people are attacked in the UK every year at work and assaults are increasing by 5% every two years. The rise in workplace violence... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/how-to-make-sure-lone-workers-arent-attacked-again 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/how-to-make-sure-lone-workers-arent-attacked-again Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT 70% of all IT security incidents happen inside the enterprise. The following tips, from Pillar Solutions, will help you repel the enemy within The use of removable media devices in the work environment is rife. Low in cost and small in stature, their burgeoning capacity is reflected in ever-increasing frequency. And more worrying still... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/internal-security-not-just-a-matter-of-trust 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/internal-security-not-just-a-matter-of-trust Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Having long been among the UK’s commercial leaders, Vodafone has become a pioneer in public sector technology, and has recently introduced a range of technologies to help our lone worker population. Here Craig Wellman, Vodafone’s head of government, tells us about the pocket-sized innovations which ensure those working remotely are... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/one-on-one-with-craig-wellman 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/one-on-one-with-craig-wellman Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT London’s tube network is currently witnessing the most significant advance in police beat technology in almost 40 years. Over 400 British Transport Police (BTP) officers on the London Underground are being equipped with brand new Personal Digital Assistants, and will use their new gadgets to obtain instant checks on a person’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pdas-take-underground-police-into-new-territory 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pdas-take-underground-police-into-new-territory Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Joint ventures for sharing services and back office functions can save the public purse. Are the public and private sector working in close harmony to deliver efficiencies across the public sector? John Gibson, Xansa’s public sector director, explores the possibilities across police and government bodies The Confederation of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/policing-back-office-efficiencies 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/policing-back-office-efficiencies Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT In early November, Public Sector Executive held a roundtable discussion with the UK’s leading experts on IT security in the public sector. The Editor was joined by John Widdowson, director of CESG, the Government National Technical Authority; Gareth Niblett, chair of the British Computer Society’s Information Security Specialist... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/safety-in-numbers 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/safety-in-numbers Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT William Sapcote & Sons has been awarded a £1.7 million contract to design and build a state-of-the-art learning centre at Birmingham’s new super hospital in Selly Oak. The independent, Birmingham-based firm was appointed following a two-stage tender process. Construction of the Learning Hub at University Hospital... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/sapcote-to-build-super-hospital-learning-hub 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/sapcote-to-build-super-hospital-learning-hub Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT The team behind the eAdmissions National Project, the campaign to take school admissions online, has reported 18% national take-up of its pioneering service for the 2007 secondary school admissions round. The take-up figures, published on 15th November, have easily exceeded the 5-10 ‘excellent’ target, set by the Department... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/school-admissions-pioneers-offer-encouraging-report 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/school-admissions-pioneers-offer-encouraging-report Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Stephen Butcher, CEO of Eduserv, the not-for-profit IT services group serving the public sector, looks at the promise of shared services and the barriers to adoption Recent reports by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and the National Audit Office (NAO) have highlighted the potential bounty that can be delivered by the implementation... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/shared-service-potential-for-change 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/shared-service-potential-for-change Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Social Development’s North West Development Office has now delivered over £6 million in funding for neighbourhood renewal initiatives across Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria. This lofty landmark has been reached after a hectic two months in which £960,000 has been awarded to 27 local organisations, all... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/six-million-pounds-pumped-into-north-west-renewal 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/six-million-pounds-pumped-into-north-west-renewal Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Productivity and employment continues to rise in London despite significant concerns about a shortage of skilled labour, according to the capital’s most comprehensive business survey. For the third year running, businesses told the London Annual Business Survey (LABS) that the availability of skilled labour was the biggest problem... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/skills-shortage-continues-to-limit-capital-gains 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/skills-shortage-continues-to-limit-capital-gains Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Mediasurface, the fastest-growing content management solution provider, has announced a contract with Staffordshire Police to supply new website, intranet and extranet for greater communications with community and stakeholders groups. Having long been one of the UK’s leading police forces in a recent Home Office police performance... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staffordshire-police-re-enforce-community-relations-with-new-websites 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staffordshire-police-re-enforce-community-relations-with-new-websites Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Ron Reid, of Shoosmiths, outlines nine ways for public sector employers to ensure their organisation passes the health and safety inspection If their recent statements are anything to go by, Britain’s health and safety authorities intend to focus their enforcement operation on two priority areas: construction and public services. Thus... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/staying-one-step-ahead 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/staying-one-step-ahead Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT The dangers and problems faced by Lone Workers have recently been illustrated by some high profile incidents. More workers are finding themselves on the receiving end of verbal or even physical abuse, and, research has shown, such abuse can seriously damage a person’s wellbeing and state of mind. Helping prevent such abuse and capturing... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-identicom-making-sure-you-never-walk-alone 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-identicom-making-sure-you-never-walk-alone Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Only by achieving ISO 27001 certification can public bodies deliver on the promise of eGovernment, says Alan Calder The uptake of online services is one of the critical delivery issues facing the public sector. It holds the key to greater efficiency but ultimately depends upon the general public’s confidence that its data is secure... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-michelin-star-of-it-security 439 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-michelin-star-of-it-security Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT Gershon to feature in Christmas issue Public Sector Executive (PSE), the investigative bi-monthly covering all aspects of the public sector, is to relaunch in January with the sole emphasis on efficiency. As the National Audit Office (NAO) prepares to publish its second report on Sir Peter Gershon’s spending review, and public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pse-to-relaunch-under-efficiency-banner 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pse-to-relaunch-under-efficiency-banner Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Chief Information Officer (CIO) role should be leading the change required for realisation of the transformation agenda within public services, says a new report from Socitm Insight. The report also suggests that heads of ICT are well-placed to take on this responsibility. Modern public services: a role for change – the CIO as... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-head-of-ict-well-placed-to-take-on-cio-role 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-head-of-ict-well-placed-to-take-on-cio-role Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Over two million people have visited recycle-more.co.uk, the online information resource from the UK’s leading provider of compliance and recycling solutions, during the first eight months of this year. Given that only 1.6 million visited the site in the whole of 2005, the popularity of the cause is clear to see. The website... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/-two-million-visit-recycling-website 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/-two-million-visit-recycling-website Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Dr Christopher Worsley, chief executive officer of CITI, is one of Britain’s leading authorities on project management. Christopher recently gave a keynote speech at Project Challenge, the UK’s leading event for project managers, and has participated in numerous groups and associations in this field. On the eve of Project... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/a-taste-of-citi-life 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/a-taste-of-citi-life Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Slow and evolutionary or fast and radical, let’s talk about ‘Managing Change’ suggests Kevin Parry, director, Consultancy Services, Program Management Group plc (PMG) Knowing how to effectively manage change is one of the most valuable assets a manager of projects and programmes can possess, as it is ‘change’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/change-management-the-next-step 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/change-management-the-next-step Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT How can leaders in public sector organisations leverage technology to improve performance and drive down cost continuously? Joel Messan, chairman of Simulate Ltd, offers some insight. In the current intolerable economic environment that public sector organisations operate, cost saving is an ongoing concern, and waste is unacceptable. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/commanding-the-public-sector-enterprise 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/commanding-the-public-sector-enterprise Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT A common problem for many organisations is the length of time it takes to get new starters up to speed in vital areas such as health & safety awareness, equality and diversity issues and the way their new organisation operates. Many organisations find it difficult to provide this information in a timely, consistent and effective... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/common-problem-solved-by-unique-insight 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/common-problem-solved-by-unique-insight Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Competition Commission (CC) has awarded a vital managed services contract to KnowledgePool, with a view to securing first-class training provision, administration and support. An independent public body, which conducts in-depth inquiries into mergers, markets and the regulation of the major regulated industries, CC has appointed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/competition-commission-concludes-training-contract 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/competition-commission-concludes-training-contract Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Partnering has been the preferred means by which the public sector has engaged the private sector for over two decades and the period has witnessed the emergence of many different forms of partnerships. But has the relationship between the public and private sectors now matured to the extent that the creation of formal public - private joint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/creating-the-perfect-partnership-between-the-public-and-private-sectors 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/creating-the-perfect-partnership-between-the-public-and-private-sectors Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT The White Paper on Local Government Governance has been characterised as the ‘conduct of conducts’ (Rose, 1999) and as the set of processes, rules and regulations for achieving and implementing decision-making. This approach is reflected in the focus of the forthcoming White Paper on local government, the three principal themes of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/governance-has-been-characterised-as-the-conduct-of-conducts- 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/governance-has-been-characterised-as-the-conduct-of-conducts- Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Clever card programmes are helping public sector organisations improve efficiency With increasing efficiency high on the agenda for most organisations, card programmes that cut through bureaucracy are gaining popularity throughout the public sector. A prime example is the Government Procurement Card (GPC). Approved by the Office of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/greater-efficiency-on-the-cards 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/greater-efficiency-on-the-cards Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Alison Littley has been appointed by the Office of Government Commerce as the new chief executive of its commercial trading arm, OGCbuying.solutions (OGCbs). She will be assuming the post in October and takes over from current Chief Executive, Hugh Barrett. Ms Littley arrives at the OGCbs following a glittering career in the private... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/littley-takes-large-stride-with-ogc 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/littley-takes-large-stride-with-ogc Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Over 1,000 people visited the recent Project Challenge exhibition at Olympia, demonstrating the continued growth of Project and Programme Management. The event’s major focus fell on a trio of key programmes: PRINCE2TM, the training programme which has galvanised the public sector; Managing Successful Programmes (MSP); and Management of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/olympia-challenge-boosts-spoce-programme 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/olympia-challenge-boosts-spoce-programme Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Employers are being warned that they can now be responsible for workplace bullying even if they have not caused or failed to prevent the offending behaviour. A recent House of Lords ruling has upheld the view that employers, including those in the public sector, can be vicariously liable for their employees’ harassment of colleagues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/recent-nhs-case-means-that-employers-are-now-liable-for-staff-bullying-warns-law-firm-shoosmiths 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/recent-nhs-case-means-that-employers-are-now-liable-for-staff-bullying-warns-law-firm-shoosmiths Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Allsigns were formed in 1989 and have grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of Health and Safety signs and bespoke signage systems in the United Kingdom. Based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Allsigns have forged a reputation for high quality signage, with an excellent record in both quality and service. The company became ISO... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/signposting-success-the-story-of-allsigns-international 435 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/signposting-success-the-story-of-allsigns-international Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Discussing the ‘digital nervous system’, Bill Gates once said: “How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose.” Effectively managing and communicating information is key to success, especially when entering a new market. When staff are geographically dispersed, information overload... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/successful-team-collaboration-with-projectplace 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/successful-team-collaboration-with-projectplace Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Pioneering technology set to safeguard sensitive data around the world Controlling risk in a Project management environment extends to the security of sensitive data held on contractors’ laptops that could be ten, hundreds or even thousands of miles away from base. The use of centralised project managed solutions removes... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/tubedale-develops-secure-project-management-solution 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/tubedale-develops-secure-project-management-solution Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Wedrawfast, one of Britain’s brightest building design firms, has produced physical scale models and photo-realistic montages for two regeneration schemes being masterminded by Croydon City Council. The scale models have been designed for two ambitious sports centres, and will go on public display to show the external finishes and... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wedrawfast-completes-croydon-montages 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wedrawfast-completes-croydon-montages Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is now one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK; every year we throw away a million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste in the United Kingdom. But now a new directive is set to change the way we dispose of electronic waste, and everyone has to be prepared. The Waste... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/what-are-you-going-to-do-about-that-weee-headache- 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/what-are-you-going-to-do-about-that-weee-headache- Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT ROTHERHAM is to host a high profile national seminar to examine the future direction of the UK’s energy policy. The one-day event could be the last chance for the public and interest groups to let the Government know their thoughts about its decision to support nuclear power following the recent Energy Review. Headed... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/rotherham-to-host-national-energy-debate 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/rotherham-to-host-national-energy-debate Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Sir Peter Gershon, the UK’s foremost authority on public sector efficiency, is to hold an intimate discussion with members of the press on 15th November. Taking place at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, the event will enable Sir Peter to discuss the significant changes made to public sector procurement since the publication... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/gershon-to-host-intimate-roundtable-discussion 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/gershon-to-host-intimate-roundtable-discussion Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT A report issued by the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) has stated that affordable homes should not be concentrated in one area; rather fully integrated throughout a site to avoid stigmatisation. The report, ‘Affordable Housing: policy and Practice’ includes interviews with some of the UK’s leading house... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/affordable-housing-must-be-integrated 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/affordable-housing-must-be-integrated Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT The British Medical Association has welcomed the publication of the consultation document ‘Moving to the Future: The NHS Pension Scheme Review’, which contains proposals for a review of pensions for NHS staff in England and Wales. The document represents the culmination of three years’ partnership working between the joint... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bma-welcomes-nhs-pension-consultation 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bma-welcomes-nhs-pension-consultation Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT According to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), three fifths of organisations feel the implementation of employment legislation makes a positive contribution to employee relationships. To help employers prepare for new employment law and successfully implement it in a way that benefits businesses, the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/cipd-launches-law-on-tour- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/cipd-launches-law-on-tour- Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Major achievements in protecting vulnerable children and their families in Edinburgh have put pressures on the Council budget. Now an action plan has been drawn up to balance the 2006/7 budget in the new Children and Families Department and prevent a potential £2.8 million overspend by the end of the financial year. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-budget-action-plan 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-budget-action-plan Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT SPARSE, the coalition of nearly sixty of England’s most rural local authorities serving 5.5 million people, has published a study into the cost and range of service provision in rural areas. The report concluded that a cross-section of council services cost more to provide in rural areas than in towns and cities. The Government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/countryside-communities-pay-higher-council-tax-for-fewer-services-say-englands-rural-local-authorities 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/countryside-communities-pay-higher-council-tax-for-fewer-services-say-englands-rural-local-authorities Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT A consultation setting out options for reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) has been published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLP). The Government’s objective for the LGPS is to retain its nature as a good quality, defined benefit, funded scheme, whilst ensuring it remains affordable... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dclg-consultation-on-pension-reform 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dclg-consultation-on-pension-reform Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT A new report documents a profound economic imbalance between the UK regions, with wealth creation, enterprise and growth concentrated in London and the South East of England and high welfare dependency and large public sectors in the North-East, Wales and Nothern Ireland in particular. ‘Whitehall’s last colonies – breaking... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/dependent-regions-of-the-uk-badly-placed-to-face-economic-challenge-of-next-decade 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/dependent-regions-of-the-uk-badly-placed-to-face-economic-challenge-of-next-decade Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Plans to overhaul England’s system of civil parking enforcement were unveiled in July by transport secretary, Douglas Alexander. The draft guidelines make clear the Government’s wish for local authorities to use parking enforcement powers to keep traffic flowing as opposed to a means of raising money. The advice... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fairer-parking-rules 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fairer-parking-rules Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Six major design practices have been shortlisted to compete for the opportunity to design and deliver Birmingham’s first city centre park for over a century. All are big names in the world of landscape design, and include designers or specialists of international standing, including designers from outside the UK. The Eastside City... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/first-new-park-in-birmingham-for-century 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/first-new-park-in-birmingham-for-century Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Nuclear Free Local Authorities have warned that Government support for new nuclear stations will jeopardise the implementation of key recommendations for dealing with the 50 year legacy of higher level solid radioactive waste in the UK. Extensive consultation over three years by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-energy-policy-endangers-key-radioactive-waste-recommendations 444 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-energy-policy-endangers-key-radioactive-waste-recommendations Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT A new dossier of case studies from members of the Institute of Directors (IoD) has claimed that businesses are still waiting to see the Government’s ‘Better Regulation’ initiatives deliver practical results. Key problems highlighted by the IoD include complex employment law, the administrative burdens associated with... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/government-still-to-deliver-on-business-regulation 436 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/government-still-to-deliver-on-business-regulation Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Kewill and Glasgow City Council have announced that a contract to provide a hosted EDI service to exchange critical supply chain information with its supplier base has been fully delivered to scope, on time and on budget. In the run up to the implementation of Glasgow City Council’s eProcurement Programme, the Council, in partnership... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/kewill-and-glasgow-city-council-achieve-edi-roll-out-success 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/kewill-and-glasgow-city-council-achieve-edi-roll-out-success Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT The New Local Government Network (NLGN) has reacted to the Liberal Democrats’ recent announcement of plans to scrap Council Tax, saying that the plans fail to appreciate the need for fundamental reform of how local government is financed. The plans would see Council Tax replaced with a local income tax, but the think tank argues... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lib-dem-proposals-will-not-solve-council-tax-conundrum-says-think-tank- 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lib-dem-proposals-will-not-solve-council-tax-conundrum-says-think-tank- Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT A key tool has been launched to help private house builders and housing associations meet the substantial challenge of developing successful mixed income communities. The report, ‘Creating and sustaining mixed income communities: A good practice guide’ was published at the end of June by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/making-mixed-income-communities 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/making-mixed-income-communities Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Ian Hamerton, national call centre manager for the National Blood Service, faced high levels of ambient noise whilst at work, from refuge bins outside his Tooting office from the neighbouring hospital. The noise levels were such that they made it difficult for his team of operators to hear what was being said to them on the telephone.... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/noise-solutions-for-national-blood-service-call-centres 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/noise-solutions-for-national-blood-service-call-centres Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in the North West has announced that the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has secured the contract for the regional Skills Brokerage Service delivered under the Train to Gain brand in the Northwest. This service is designed to help businesses identify their workforce training needs and to link... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northwest-regional-development-agency-secures-train-to-gain-contract 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northwest-regional-development-agency-secures-train-to-gain-contract Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT OGCbuying.solutions has launched a new Interim Management Framework Agreement, which will give public sector customers access to sector specific interim managers from middle-management through to board-level appointments. The new Framework will deliver average savings of 7% when compared with rates on the previous OGCbuying.solutions... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-launches-interim-management-framework-agreement 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-launches-interim-management-framework-agreement Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT In its report, ‘The Ombudsman in Question: The Ombudsman’s report on pensions and its constitutional implications’, the Public Administration Select Committee has criticised the government for breaking the ‘pensions promise’ and failing to respond appropriately the Ombudsman’s report on the issue. The... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pasc-criticises-government-on-the-pensions-promiseand-warns-about-constitutional-threat-to-the-ombudsman 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pasc-criticises-government-on-the-pensions-promiseand-warns-about-constitutional-threat-to-the-ombudsman Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Camden Council is taking part in a trial of next generation pay and display machines, which aims to make it much quicker and easier for people to park safely and legally. Drivers will no longer need to carry pocketfuls of change in order to use pay and display bays, or risk getting a ticket for not paying, as the machines accept secure credit... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pay-and-display-with-chip-and-pin 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pay-and-display-with-chip-and-pin Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT More than 300 organisations across England have signed up to an innovative pilot agreement to widen and support the use of Ordnance Survey’s most detailed geographic information in the National Health Service. The response means that more than half of those eligible to join the pilot since its launch in November 2005 have now done... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/pilot-health-agreement-powers-growing-access-to-geographic-information- 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/pilot-health-agreement-powers-growing-access-to-geographic-information- Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT People with long term health and social care needs will be able to assess their own support needs and apply directly for services to help them, thanks to 11 new pilots announced by Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis. The ground-breaking new projects will explore the scope for enabling people to self assess their need for support from a... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/self-assessment-schemes-put-patients-in-control 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/self-assessment-schemes-put-patients-in-control Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Construction has started on a pioneering new housing project in Fenland which will usher in a new approach to affordable house-building that emphasises sustainability and environmental performance, as well as comfortable community living. The project comprises construction of 106 new homes in March and Chatteris which will become home to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/smartlife-affordable-housing-project-launched-in-fenland 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/smartlife-affordable-housing-project-launched-in-fenland Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Synetrix, a leading UK provider of integrated applications and managed services for the public sector, has announced that it has designed and installed the wireless network for the Norfolk Open Link project. This £1.1 million, two-year pilot project, will operate from August 2006 to April 2008 and will evaluate the impact and potential... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/synetrix-delivers-wireless-network-for-norfolk-open-link 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/synetrix-delivers-wireless-network-for-norfolk-open-link Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT A new report from a leading think tank proposes a transformation in the relationship between central and local government, driven through a restoration of power to Parliament. The report, ‘Pacing Lyons: a route map to localism’, published by New Local Government Network (NLGN), examines the challenges facing the Lyons Inquiry... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/think-tank-recommends-new-revenue-means-for-local-government 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/think-tank-recommends-new-revenue-means-for-local-government Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT The nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDA) are continuing to demonstrate their key role in meeting the Government’s goal of sustainable development. During a 12 month period, the agencies have created 100,000 new jobs, gained £754 million of investment from the private sector and brought back 1,000 hectares of... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/transforming-english-regions-through-economic-growth 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/transforming-english-regions-through-economic-growth Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT St. Mary’s NHS Trust in Paddington has become the first in a consortium of 17 NHS Trusts to connect to its suppliers via the Zanzibar Managed Service and to realise the benefits of OGCbuying.solutions’ online procurement marketplace, including estimated savings of over £4 million pounds over five years. The Zanzibar... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/zanzibar-gets-first-nhs-customer 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/zanzibar-gets-first-nhs-customer Tue, 08 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a petition campaign across England and Wales to demonstrate the strength of feeling amongst the business community against possible proposals to restore local authority control over business rates. The Government has asked Sir Michael Lyons to review the funding of local government... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/fsb-opposes-local-control-over-business-rates 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/fsb-opposes-local-control-over-business-rates Mon, 07 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Risk assessors, Alliance Corporate Risk Management, have released figures from a new survey assessing the impact of employee absences. The results show that a fifth of organisations do not know their absence rate, and half do not know the true cost of such absences. CEO of Alliance, John McLaren-Stewart, explained that when given the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/true-costs-of-absenteeism 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/true-costs-of-absenteeism Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Two new Extra Care housing schemes, offering a real housing alternative for Birmingham’s older people have been given the go-ahead. Cabinet formerly approved Housing 21, a major national provider of housing, care and support services for older people to work with the council to move forward with the development of schemes on vacant... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/two-new-extra-care-housing-schemes-offering-a-real-housing-alternative-for-birminghams-older-people-have-been-given-the-go-ahead 445 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/two-new-extra-care-housing-schemes-offering-a-real-housing-alternative-for-birminghams-older-people-have-been-given-the-go-ahead Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT Almost £1.5 million is to be spent making 24 Liverpool schools accessible for disabled youngsters. It will include the installation of ramps, lifts and automatic doors, as well as accessible toilets and changing rooms. A total of 21 infant, junior and primary schools and three secondary schools will benefit from a share of the... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/15-million-boost-for-school-access 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/15-million-boost-for-school-access Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT Northern Ireland energy minister, Maria Eagle, has welcomed the publication of the UK Energy Review by secretary of state for trade and industry, Alistair Darling. Minister Eagle said, “I welcome the focus this report places on the need to tackle climate change and the signal it sends of the Government’s renewed commitment to... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/northern-ireland-energy-minister-welcomes-energy-review-report 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/northern-ireland-energy-minister-welcomes-energy-review-report Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT Chief executive, Hugh Barrett, has said that OGCbuying.solutions has helped to deliver £412 million of savings for the taxpayer. The figures were announced in OGCbuying.solutions’ annual report for 2005/06. The savings exceed the target of £400 million set by Ministers, and were delivered on £2.7 billion of public... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ogc-saves-taxpayer-millions 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ogc-saves-taxpayer-millions Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT Parity’s Resources has successfully received the IT Interim Management award to supply through OGCbuyin.solutions’ framework, Catalist. This comes in addition to their recent win to supply resources through Catalist’s Specialist Contractors framework in both the IT and Project and Programme Management categories. Interim... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/parity-receives-it-interim-management-award 440 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/parity-receives-it-interim-management-award Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Royal Institute of British Architects has welcomed the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, which received Royal Assent last week. The Act aims to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty through a series of measures designed to encourage microgeneration and other renewable energy technologies. The Act represents a success... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/riba-welcomes-new-climate-change-legislation 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/riba-welcomes-new-climate-change-legislation Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT her new role, Julia will oversee the educational development of Britain’s 14-19 year olds, and co-ordinate the LSC’s strategy for learners with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities. Julia joins National Office from the Greater Manchester LSC, where, as director, she reorganised and refocused Britain’s largest LSC office... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/the-learning-and-skills-council-lsc-has-appointed-julia-dowd-as-national-director-of-young-peoples-learningin- 453 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/the-learning-and-skills-council-lsc-has-appointed-julia-dowd-as-national-director-of-young-peoples-learningin- Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT A survey of local authorities in England and Wales has shown that council tax bills for a “band D” property are set to increase by £53 to £1,250 in 2006/07. The analysis, undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), predicts a 4.5% rise over 2005/06. Despite this year’s... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/council-tax-increase-second-lowest-in-decade 433 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/council-tax-increase-second-lowest-in-decade Thu, 06 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT Fifty nine Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) that previously performed poorly on planning have turned a corner by meeting their development control targets. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is officially disengaging with these LPAs which were previously designated as Planning Standards Authorities (PSAs), and congratulating... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/59-lpas-improve-planning 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/59-lpas-improve-planning Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT Business Forums International, (BFI) the risk management group, hosts a major gathering on 28 April in London of public sector organisations to address the pressing need to plan on how to weather and survive an Avian Flu pandemic. Over 1000 organisations have attended the series this year alone, and this is the first summit specifically... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/bfi-avian-flu-summit-for-public-sector 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/bfi-avian-flu-summit-for-public-sector Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) have said that councils could learn from Britain’s leading businesses to deliver improved services and better value for money. The LGA and IDeA are urging local authorities to challenge the view that they naturally lag behind the private sector... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/councils-can-learn-from-private-sector- 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/councils-can-learn-from-private-sector- Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT According to a recent report, Greater Birmingham and Greater Manchester should have elected mayors that control spending on transport, regeneration, skills and the power to raise business tax. The report, published by the Institute for Public Policy Research’s Centre for Cities, recommends that England’s two largest... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/ippr-claims-cities-need-mayors-with-tax-and-spend-powers 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/ippr-claims-cities-need-mayors-with-tax-and-spend-powers Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that if changes proposed by unions to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) are put into place, the cost to council taxpayers would be high. The Unions have asked for the ‘85 year rule’ to apply to everyone in the scheme by 30 September 2006. The ‘85 year rule’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/lgps-will-cost-6-billion 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/lgps-will-cost-6-billion Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be able to procure products and services online in the future, via an innovative ‘eMarketplace’ and procurement system in a deal agreed between DWP, OGCbuying.solutions and PA Shared Services Ltd, part of PA Consulting Group. The Zanzibar Managed Services is a secure hosted... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/new-public-sector-online-procurement-system 438 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/new-public-sector-online-procurement-system Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT In an increasingly competitive IT employment market, keeping skills up to date and being able to prove a commitment to continuing professional development can mean the difference between securing a job or promotion, says Pete Bayley With more and more employers looking to measure competence, ability and performance in many areas of IT... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/qualifications-and-exams-iseb--essential-qualifications-for-the-it-professional 434 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/qualifications-and-exams-iseb--essential-qualifications-for-the-it-professional Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT A report by three independent watchdogs has revealed that public services often fail to cover the needs of older people. The report, produced jointly by the Healthcare Commission, the Audit Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection, assesses progress five years into a ten year Government plan to improve public services for... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/treatment-of-elderly-undignified 442 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/treatment-of-elderly-undignified Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT A report by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has claimed that control of our urban centres is being handed over to private, commercial interest in a trend that could change the face and character of UK towns and cities forever. The report, ‘What kind of world are we building? The privatisation of public space’... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/public-space-lost-as-private-landlords-take-over 441 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/public-space-lost-as-private-landlords-take-over Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT A DACHS mini-Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit supplied and commissioned by Baxi Technologies UK, part of the Baxi Commercial Heating Division, has been installed at a newly constructed replacement primary school in Wigan. The new Hindley Primary School, constructed by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, NPS North West and Eric Wright... http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Robot-News/wigan-primary-school-goes-green 437 http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com:80/Robot-News/wigan-primary-school-goes-green Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Server Error in '/' Application.

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Request timed out.

Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.Web.HttpException: Request timed out.

Source Error:

An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.

Stack Trace:

[HttpException (0x80004005): Request timed out.]

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Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:4.0.30319; ASP.NET Version:4.8.4075.0