Local Government Chronicle
25 November 2010
View all stories from this issue.
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A shared vision for Islington’s schools
The biggest local authority experiment in education delivery is 10 years old. In 2000, for the first time, a private sector company took over the provision of an entire schools service. -
Auditors’ leeway on public interest reports in jeopardy
The abolition of the Audit Commission could jeopardise auditors’ ability to issue public interest reports where there are concerns about a council’s conduct. -
Case study: Hounslow LBC
Hounslow LBC is one authority cited by Ofsted as a beacon of good practice, particularly the extent to which thresholds for safeguarding activity are understood by staff across councils and partner bodies. -
Children's Services - 25 November 2010
Children’s services briefing - the top local government news in one place. -
Deprived authorities to be hit the hardest
The cuts to local government set out in the spending review are set to fall heaviest on England’s poorest councils, new analysis has shown. -
'Dual threat' to poorer areas
Underlying the spending review’s headline figures could be an even bleaker picture than many envisaged and one that, unchecked, could seriously undermine the government’s pledge to “limit as far as possible the impact of reductions on the most vulnerable in society and on those regions dependent on the public sector”. -
'Engage to save' event launched
Coventry City Council has hosted the first in a series of events to promote the greater use by local authorities of social media and open data to boost engagement and drive efficiencies. -
FoI Act extension ‘to cover shared service ventures'
Joint ventures between councils could be brought under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, LGC has learned. -
Get that web power working for you
The times they are a-changin’. Social media and the web are no longer seen as something trivial or able to be ignored. We have met with an almost perfect storm of government financial crisis, social change and a revolution in web technology. -
Health director slam empty posts
Public health directors have renewed claims that primary care trusts (PCTs) are “asset-stripping” their jobs after a survey showed that 13% of key posts were unfilled. -
It all happens at community level
We are confronted by a crippling public deficit, our weak economy means a smaller public purse and the cracks in our broken society appear bigger than ever. Is it bad luck or can it be explained? What is local government’s role in all this? -
Local by Social - case studies
People in the Wood End area of Coventry taking part in workshops at the Local by Social event came up with three different ways of using social media to boost community engagement -
Making a deal over carbon reduction
It would be easy to characterise carbon reduction as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a priority in these challenging economic times. That would be a mistake -
News Review: 25 November 2010
LGC’s comprehensive round-up of local government news.(Click on headlines for more) -
Pickles makes failed bid for more cash
Eric Pickles has been rebuffed in a last-ditch plea to the Treasury for funding to mitigate the impact of unprecedented cuts facing councils in some of the poorest parts of the country next year. -
Planned audit fee cut under threat
A planned reduction in audit fees of up to 20% is unlikely to go ahead next year due to Audit Commission’s abolition. -
Planning - 25 November 2010
Planning briefing - the top local government news in one place. -
Pressure is ‘no barrier’ to children’s services’ success
The findings from the first children’s services departments to be subjected to a deep-dive full safeguarding inspection have revealed an equal three-way split between councils rated “good”, “adequate” and “inadequate”. -
Ransford: £80,000 pay deal agreed in March
Local Government Association chief executive John Ransford has told LGC his new salary - to be cut by almost two-thirds next year - follows a deal agreed eight months ago. -
Six in running for Council of the Year
Six finalists have been chosen to compete for Council of the Year, the leading category in the LGC 2011 Awards. -
Social care could face £1.8bn cut
Questions over ministers’ claims to be increasing social care funding have been raised by research suggesting care budgets face a real-terms cut of £1.8bn - even before demographic pressures are taken into account. -
Social media is a tool for tough times
In Coventry we’re passionate about finding new ways to have honest conversations with our residents, and the power of social media to shape these conversations - in ways we could never have predicted even a couple of years ago - is something we’re now beginning to harness. -
Staff development in straitened times
After months of speculation, the UK’s age of austerity is under way and the effect is being felt in all parts of the sector. -
Ten councils judged ‘performing poorly’
Children’s services at 10 councils have been given a damning “performs poorly” rating by Ofsted in its latest annual report. -
The wizardry of planning partnerships
The news that Warner Brothers were starting work on the expansion of the film studios that have been home to the entire Harry Potter series made national headlines. Warner have been part of our community at Leavesden Studios, an old aircraft hangar, since planning permission was granted in 1994. -
Views of the week: 25 November 2010
LGC rounds up the best comment, analysis and opinion from the past week. -
What is Local by Social?
What is Local by Social? -
Why housing policy really matters
This week was social housing’s turn for a radical policy announcement. Housing lies at the heart of many economic and social realities about Britain
