Wellderly, webinar, disbenefits and under-capacitated are among new forms of jargon being used by the public sector, a survey from the LGA has revealed
James Morris discusses whether social innovation around issues such as housing, health and deprivation can be solved just by big central and local government?
Recent thinking on co-operatives is about continued public service improvements, and a failure of the state not just a rejection of casino capitalism. But there are still many challenges to overcome.
The Audit Commission has called on councils to radically improve their provision of information to boost local democracy and clamp down on fraud, corruption and waste.
The lack of mobile phone reception and broadband coverage in rural areas has become the No 1 issue in dissuading young people from staying on in the countryside, the chair of the Commission for Rural Communities has said.
Councils could be allowed to sell energy generated by renewable sources under proposals designed to boost local government’s green credentials. Ministers want to encourage local authorities to play ?a full part in the development of renewable heat and electricity?.
When George Osborne revealed Tory plans to freeze council tax in 2008, he lit the touchpaper on a debate which shows little sign of abating nearly two years later.
At least 25,000 council jobs in England will be under threat in the next three to five years, a BBC survey suggests. The forecast is based on answers from 49 councils with a combined workforce of 256,000, suggesting cuts of 10%.
Although mutuals and co-operatives have
been providing services for hundreds of years, they are suddenly being touted as the saviour of the public sector.
Eight authorities – or groups of councils – have been named to take part in the next stage of personalised budgets for disabled people. The trailblazer areas will be testing the Right To Control initiative which aims to give disabled adults more choice and control over the state funding they receive.