Archive

Delivering improved outcomes through successful partnership working is at the very core of the government's legislative agenda for local authorities. Partnerships offer great opportunity but frequently carry great risk and uncertainty. As a senior decision maker, your authority will be engaged in a myriad of partnerships. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff? How do you anticipate obsta... [read more]

Mutual insurance, or pooling, is currently the main alternative being considered to traditional insurance by the public sector as greater emphasis is placed on spending efficiency. But how do the plus points stack up against the potential pitfalls? In a bid to engage more deeply with local authorities on this important issue and bring clarity to motivations behind any proposed moves to mutuality,... [read more]

Anti-social behaviour and low level crimes like graffiti, vandalism and arson are not simply distressing problems for the people they negatively affect in the community, they are also hugely expensive ones for the housing associations and local authorities that have to deal with the aftermath. According to latest figures from the Home Office, such behaviour now costs well over £3bn a year. ... [read more]

The need for robust and flexible business continuity planning has never been greater with the UK facing an ever-changing stream of risks and threats. And as category one responders in a civil emergency under the Civil Contingencies Act, local authorities now have a statutory duty to plan for the worst. Do you know the difference between emergency planning and BCP? Do you know exactly what the CC... [read more]

With nearly two thirds (63%) of local authorities reporting insurance fraud to be a significant issue, what is the best way to tackle this insidious problem? How can authorities convince the general public of the direct impact fraud has on the quality of local services provision - a link they currently fail to understand? Can they afford to take a hard line in fighting fraud? What will increase de... [read more]