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Local service reform: is it all about the money?

• Posted on October 20, 2016 by Ashley McDougall

  Local authorities are under pressure. Demographics, cuts in central government funding, statutory services and public expectations combine to pose huge challenges to the financial sustainability of services. Has the limit to efficiencies been hit? We spoke to local authorities to find out if there’s still scope for improved value for money and to discover what works and what will prevent local public service reform. more… Local service reform: is it all about the money?

  Tagged: Customer service, Financial sustainability, Good practice principles, Information management, Local government, Performance management, Public sector reform, Social care

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Good services: child’s play?

• Posted on September 15, 2016 by Ashley McDougall

  Do you know how many children there are living in care in England? How much local authorities spend a year on foster or residential place for a child? What proportion of children in care passed five GCSEs including maths and English? Without answers to such questions, it’s hard for local authorities and the Department for Education (DfE) to improve services. And with young people who have had a background in care more likely to face problems such as unemployment, homelessness; contact with the criminal justice system; or mental health issues; there’s a strong need for improvements. That’s why in 2014 we began a series of reports on children’s services and have recently published a highly illustrated, ‘easy read’ report for the children themselves. more… Good services: child’s play?

  Tagged: Access to services, Children, Customer service, Local government, Performance management, Young people

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