An archive of email updates from Local Government Leadership in November 2010.
Update 60: highlights
Update 59: highlights
Community Budgets: information to share from the Dept for Education on families with complex needs/multiple problems
We have received some very useful links to information, publications and reference materials from DfE in advance of the discussion next week on community budgets and for general info. You will notice that the language is different to that which we’ve been using – complex needs, multiple problems – but the events on Friday and in Warwick next week we hope will help to collectively agree a definition.
In the first instance it may be helpful to visit the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO) website www.c4eo.org.uk . The website covers excellence in local practice, combined with high quality research and data about ‘what works’, creating a single comprehensive centre of evidence. A range of organisations have worked together to develop and collect information, messages and tools that provide local areas with tools that will enable them to be even more effective in improving children’s outcomes with the aim of reducing costs across the spectrum of need. These can be found at http://www.c4eo.org.uk/cost effectiveness/costeffectiveproducts.aspx
The following links might also be of particular interest:
Cost avoidance calculator
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/costeffectiveness/edgeofcare/costcalculator.aspx – link to the cost calculator
Cost avoidance modelling (10-15 yr old children that enter the care system in England)
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/costeffectiveness/edgeofcare/costmodel.aspx – cost model and supporting narrative
Recent publications:
Redesigning Provision for Families with Multiple Problems – an Assessment of the Early Impact of Different Local Approaches (published 28th Oct 2010)
http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR046.pdf
The Use of Whole Family Assessment to Identify the Needs of Families with Multiple Problems” (published 28th Oct 2010) http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DFE-RR045.pdf
Official Statistics re: families receiving support from family interventions’ (published 15th September 2010):
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000956/index.shtml
Reference:
Working with families with multiple problems protocols and practice guidance
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/parents/ID91askclient/thinkfamily/tf/
http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/Think-Family.pdf
Family Intervention Monitoring and evaluation Report to March 2009
http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR215.pdf
Reaching Out: Think Family – Analysis and themes from the Families At Risk Review (2008)
Worcestershire Partnership Productive Places: Workforce and Skills
“It is something of a cliché to say that we live in challenging times. Nevertheless we have to rise to that challenge and with the dominant expenditure for the whole public sector being on the workforce it is self evident that we need to look at issues of productivity across the sectors. If to this we add the evidence from the Total Place pilots, other parallel work and community based budgeting we have an irresistible call to look closely at the way we deal with workforce and skills issues.
Working with central government and other agencies of local public services, the Local Government Association has commissioned a series of explorations into the way in which we can drive a step change in public service productivity with solutions focussed on “place” whilst at the same time responding to the generational shift it the nature and delivery of public service. This is known as the Productive Places Programme.
This work will be funded centrally and will report to Local Government Improvement and Development and a national Chief Executive Champion (Nick Walkley, Chief Executive in Barnet) by April 2011. This report will be used to set the agenda for further work and developments across Whitehall as well as being shared with locally based organisations”.
The first meeting of this group in on the 19th November and the invitation is open for anyone who would like to be involved and has some good ideas or experience to bring to the table. Please drop Roger Britton an email at rbritton@worcestershire.gov.uk if you are interested in attending and he will let you have more details.
BWB weekly review of government websites
Big Society:
ResPublica has launched its latest report, ‘The Civil Effect,’ which warns that the development of David Cameron’s Big Society will fail unless urgent action is taken to better support civil society in our public services. http://www.respublica.org.uk/articles/civil-effect-new-respublica-report-outlines-radical-rethink-public-services-commissioning
Spending review/funding cuts:
Arts Council England has announced its plans for implementing the 29.6% cut to its budget announced as part of the Government’s Spending Review. http://press.artscouncil.org.uk/Press-Releases/ARTS-COUNCIL-ANNOUNCES-FUNDING-DECISIONS-FOR-THE-ARTS-IN-ENGLAND-451.aspx They include a 50% reduction to the Arts Council’s operating costs, from the current £22m to £12m (real terms) in 2015.
Quango reforms:
The Public Bodies Bill, which will ensure the necessary legal framework is in place for the Government to carry out its public bodies reforms, was published in Parliament last week. This link takes you to a Government press release http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/101029-quango.aspx and this to the draft bill itself http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldbills/025/11025.i-ii.html
Total Place & Community Budgets community of practice
We have updated the Total Place CoP to include information on Community Budgets and will be doing the same for the website. If you haven’t yet joined the community, you can do so at www.communities.idea.gov.uk. At nearly 1450 members, it’s a really great place for sharing stories, keeping up to date with events, and generally getting to know one another across the sector.
National Infrastructure Plan 2010
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has announced the publication of the UK’s first ever national infrastructure plan as promised in the June Budget – identifying the scale of the infrastructure challenge and the major economic investment that is needed to underpin sustainable growth in the UK over the coming decades.
In launching the plan, Lord Sassoon, Commercial Secretary to HM Treasury, said: “We recognise the scale of the challenge and the need to encourage new sources of private sector capital. We are targeting Government’s own investment at a series of bold and critical projects that go to the heart of this vision and support a private sector led recovery.”
To download the plan, visit http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_national_infrastructure_plan.htm
Efficiency Review by Sir Philip Green
For anyone who hasn’t seen this report yet, it can be found at http://download.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/efficiency/sirphilipgreenreview.pdf. The key findings were that there are clear reasons why Government conducts its business so inefficiently including those around poor data, silo-working, lack of motivation to save money, no process for setting and challenging budgets, no mandate for centralised procurement, and that this is all exacerbated by a lack of commercial skills.
Sir Philip Green states that ‘The Government is failing to leverage both its credit rating and its scale’ and there are some pretty stark examples of this contained within the report. More ‘guilty knowledge’ that can’t be easily avoided.
Gadgetry saving millions on care for the elderly
“High-tech gadgetry is saving millions of pounds on care for the elderly while helping them stay in the homes they love. As local government leads the way in dealing with the country’s ageing population, pioneering research from one council shows modern technology could save its health system £7.5 million a year. If expanded across England and Wales this would represent savings of £270 million, and extra years of priceless independence and dignity for users.
After several years piloting new technologies, town halls are now rolling out schemes in full and reaping huge savings – from the electronic pill dispenser which saves thousands of pounds a year to the personal satellite locator which reduces day care costs by £250 a week.”
The latest developments in telehealth and telecare are being discussed at this year’s National Children and Adult Services Conference, organised by the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
For more information, visit http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=14786530
Government transparency
The Department for Communities and Local Government has published its business plan on the Number 10 website so that citizens can check how it is performing in delivering on the priorities set out in its plan.
It’s a handy tool which you can use to search by department and by month to check performance against each of the departments’ priorities. http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/transparency/srp/view-srp/36
Lastly, a note about Holocaust Memorial Day
“Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is a day for everyone. On 27 January each year, we pause to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution and in the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. We honour the survivors of those regimes of hatred and we use HMD as an opportunity to reflect on the ways in which we live our lives today. HMD offers us all the chance to learn the lessons of the past to create a safer, better future.
Local Authorities are in a unique position to hold HMD events which reach out to the entire community. For HMD 2010 around 35% of Local Authorities in the UK held events to mark this important day. There is no such thing as a right or wrong HMD event and HMDT can provide you with free resources and advice to assist you with your planning.
The HMD website is bursting with ideas, advice and resources to help you plan your event for HMD 2011. Order a free Campaign Pack, which contains free posters and handout material, an explanation of the theme for HMD 2011 – Untold Stories – and a copy of our film which can be used in your event. “
If you need any assistance or would like to talk through potential event ideas please do not hesitate to contact the HMDT team who will be happy to help: Telephone – 0845 838 1883 Email – enquiries@hmd.org.uk
LGL Community Budgets event
The concept of Community Budgets promises a great deal, but raises all sorts of questions. How will the funding be channelled? Who’ll be accountable for the result? If it’s all about difficult families, where’s the best place to intervene?
Several local authorities have already gone some way in answering these questions, only to encounter further challenges. How do we know if we’re on the right track? Is there a model? What are other councils doing?
Local Government Leadership (formerly the Leadership Centre for Local Government) is providing a space where these questions can be explored, ideas can be tried out, and relationships can be built. As well as key individuals from the sixteen named areas, there’ll be leaders from central government and the voluntary sector, all coming together to ensure that the extraordinary opportunity represented by Community Budgets is something we all make the most of.
The event, over twenty-four hours from Monday 15th to Tuesday 16th November, will be split between the themes of ‘politics’ (day one) and ‘practice’ (day two). It will be facilitated by Robert Smith and attended by politicians and senior officials from local government and Whitehall. We’ll update you after the event with next steps.
Publication of the DWP Total Place Data release
Since the Total Place report Local Authorities have been encouraged to undertake their own Total Place approach. As a result DWP have received requests from Local Authorities for financial data relating to the costs of delivering DWP face to face services to clients in their area.
As a result of these requests DWP has developed the DWP Total Place Data Release. This data provides the costs of delivering face to face services for Jobcentre Plus and Pensions, Disability Carers Service clients for the financial year 2009 – 2010 at Jobcentre Plus district level.
In addition, the DWP Total Place Data Release also provides the costs of Employment Programmes at Jobcentre Plus district level and at National level where applicable.
To access the latest release in full click here: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=recent
Advice UK & the BOLD project
BOLD is a joint project of AdviceUK, Directory of Social Change and new economics foundation, funded by The Baring Foundation’s Strengthening the Voluntary Sector programme. BOLD aims to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of advice organisations through the development of commissioning models that place the needs of service users first. This involves:
An explanation of the project, including reports and the short animation are available at: http://www.adviceuk.org.uk/bold
Total Place & Community Empowerment: Street Watch
“In May 2007, Chief Inspector Philip Kedge, the District Commander of East Hampshire, went to the press with an article inviting local residents to do their bit to improve communities and reduce crime. Inspector Kedge urged communities to take more responsibility in monitoring and challenging unacceptable behaviour by others. He stated that Police and partners had worked hard to decrease crime by 32% against Home Office Targets, but if communities wanted back that strong sense of community cohesion, then they needed to make a stand and to regain control of their open spaces. He also stated that many residents have unrealistic expectations of what the police can achieve without the support of the community and that many communities had become disempowered by an often irrational fear of crime. Chief Inspector Kedge called for residents to form groups of ‘Street Watch’ wardens to patrol their own communities.
Since that time the scheme has developed to become a fully operational voluntary organisation run by the community for the community. Within the first 6 months the membership grew to 17 members who regularly patrol during the week days and weekend. Every member brings a different strength to the team. Some are able to patrol during the evenings on Friday and Saturday nights to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, whilst others patrol during the day with the emphasis on visibility and community reassurance”.
Visit their website at http://www.street-watch.org.uk for more information on this exciting project.
BWB weekly review of government websites
Spending review:
See these links for press releases on the spending review by the following
Closure of Quangos
Social Enterprise Coalition’s Chief Executive, Peter Holbrook has said social enterprise could hold the key to survival for some of the axed quangos. “Due to the nature of social enterprise there is a very real opportunity here for staff of some quangos to take ownership of the organisation they work for, but they need to be shown how to make it happen. We would be very keen to work with government to support the transfer of some quangos into businesses with a strong social purpose.” The Social Enterprise Coalition also says that where non-departmental public bodies are proposing to reform as charities, they should consider their trading possibilities and look closely at how existing social enterprises are delivering similar things to them in a sustainable way. http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/press-releases.php/145/social-enterprise-holds-key-to-quangos-survival
Health
The Department of Health is consulting on proposals in the White Paper and in particular is seeking the views of patients, the wider public, healthcare professionals and the NHS on:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_119651
Prisons and reoffending
Policing and Criminal Justice Minister, Nick Herbert, delivered the annual Parmoor Lecture for the Howard League for Penal Reform in which he set out the Government’s plans to reform prisons, and cut the prison population by reducing re-offending. http://www.justice.gov.uk/latest-updates/announcement221010b.htm
Housing Minister Grant Shapps and Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt have confirmed that they will work with voluntary organisations including Crisis to offer a new scheme, in which ex-offenders and single homeless people will be given help to find and maintain a new home in the private rented sector. http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/17434841
Information
The Department of Health is consulting on changes to the way the information is collected, analysed and used by the NHS and adult social care services
http://consultations.dh.gov.uk/information-revolution/informationrevolution/consult_view
Defra is seeking views on public access to information on environmental decisions http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/news/2010/10/15/aarhus-news/
Informed Career Choices in Public Delivery
Day Seminar Thursday 2nd December 2010 Justice Centre, Manchester 10.00am
“In these challenging times the pressure is on more than ever for those in senior roles in public service to develop and maintain flexible skills that are transferable within the sector and beyond.
Civil Service in The English Regions (CSER), the FDA and MiP are delighted to offer this free event. Delegates will hear presentations from speakers with experience at senior levels in Health, Local Government and the Civil Service.
The aim is to help those occupying relatively senior roles in public service to;
After attending this event delegates will be better placed to make informed career choices benefiting them and their employer and supporting the delivery of change”.
For further information, please contact neil@fda.org.uk or alison.hargreaves@gonw.gsi.gov.uk
“Ministers unveil regional white paper and approve 24 LEPs”
Mark Conrad www.localgov.co.uk
“Coalition ministers have given the green light to 24 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as part of their plan to boost Britain’s moribund local economies.
The approval of the first wave of LEPs is contained in the government’s regional growth white paper, published on 28 October, which also marks the opening of the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund to support the creation of private sector jobs in areas hit hard by public spending cuts. LEPs will replace England’s nine regional development agencies (RDAs) and are made up of partnerships between councils and private enterprises, with the aim of creating the right conditions for local – and national – economic growth. Ministers said the 24 first wave LEPs reflected ‘sensible’ collections of councils and business leaders that would reflect sub-national economic hubs more effectively than RDAs.
The white paper outlines how the coalition will focus on three themes to deliver growth:
Business secretary Vince Cable said many of the proposals for LEP status submitted to the government this summer ‘showed real imagination and initiative and a genuine desire to drive local economic growth’.
Communities secretary Eric Pickles said LEPs would ‘transform the economic geography of the country’ but, unlike RDAs, would be ‘underpinned by proper local accountability’.
The white paper outlines other government plans to promote regional and local growth through: the New Homes Bonus, involving matched Council Tax funding, paid to localities that build homes; possible moves to allow councils to keep the business rates they collect locally; a new system of Tax Increment Financing for regeneration projects – which would allow councils to borrow against projected increases in business rate income; and a localised planning regime”.
For the full article and list of approved LEPs, visit the LocalGov website above.
Lastly, for all the social media fans out there http://wherearethecuts.org/ is a handy place to report where there’s a ‘cut’ happening near you and read about where they’ve already been announced.
Category: event
