Between the Devil and the deep blue sea
“…council tenants are constantly stigmatised and demonised for being ‘subsidised’. The evidence tells us that, increasingly, it is they who are doing the subsidising.” Steve Hilditch looks at how some councils are using their housing revenue account to offset the cuts being made to local authorities.
2016 accountability measures: the next battle for CEIAG in schools
“…the inclusion (or not) of destination data in these new accountability measures …will have a greater impact on school leaders consideration of CEIAG in their planning.” Russell George examines the Government’s proposed changes to school accountability measures - and the implications for those involved in careers education and guidance.
SS Review
“Everyone has their vulnerabilities though. Mine (ok, one of mine) is Social Services. I wish I was exaggerating, but finding an email from them can turn me from utterly calm and in control into a shrieking mess. It’s irrational, but then we’ve not got a super history…” Lucy in bed describes her experience of Social Services care reviews.
Frontline Friday 27th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 23rd September 2013 – from local authority cuts, supporting families to the bedroom tax and Labour Party conference.
Service before self
“Above all I want the work that I do to matter and make a difference to people’s lives; only then will the internal critic of self-doubt and guilt quieten down for a while.” A guest blogger at We Love Local Government describes the very human impact of the cuts.
Frontline Friday 20th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 16th September 2013 – from the question of what are the Lib Dems for, to education and welfare reform, and the outsourcing of probation services.
Councils using zero hours, casual staff and the work programme
“This post lists the results of an FOI I recently sent to councils to get a rough idea of how many people councils employed on zero hours contracts or zero hours-type working arrangements and how many councils were using the work programme.” Kate Belgrave investigates the increasing use of zero-hours and casual work contracts in local authorities.
Frontline Friday 30th August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 26th August 2013 - from housing policy and community engagement in health, to the political intentions behind the Government’s Lobbying Bill.
Should a consultant be a local government leader of tomorrow?
“So, if the local government leader of tomorrow is from the private sector that does concern me… particularly if it is indicative of an irreversible erosion of civic values at the expense of private profit.” Toby Blume is depressed that a private sector consultant has won the Local Government Leader of the Future Award.
Is Eric the blot on the landscape?
“So Eric, how about statements promising to tackle the state of some of disrepair and terrible conditions in the worst of our private rented sector, or doing more to end the tragedy of homelessness?” Sheila Spencer challenges Eric Pickles to move on from the great bin crisis and address the real problems in housing today.
Every local council got every bedroom tax decision legally and badly wrong
“Everyone of the 660,000 bedroom tax decisions was legally flawed. Everyone of the 660.000 bedroom tax victims should appeal the decision. EVERY council got the bedroom tax decisions wrong.” Joe Halewood argues that bedroom tax decisions made by local authorities are flawed because they have not taken into consideration room size.
How to be strategic in local government
1. Just say things Just saying things is also known as ‘being strategic’. To contribute to a high level strategy meeting, you need a mouth and something to say. The easiest thing to do is talk about the arrangement of words in documents. For example: “I think this comes under people and not places” “The […]
Guerilla gardening
I live on the fourth floor in the East End. 70 stairs, no lift. No garden, no balcony. Directly above my early 20th Century flat is a huge flat roof covered in dozens of tall red chimneys. There are lots of rules about the roof and its neighbouring sibling: no parties, barbecues or access of […]
Only one argument!
Sometimes in this job you have a week that is like no other you have experienced before and for me this is an important subtle reminder that you can never make any assumptions in social work. It is also a gentle reminder that life is precious and should be treated with respect, and maybe I […]
£3.8bn for health and social care? No thanks!
When I heard the announcement that the Government was creating a £3.8bn pot to fund social care my heart sank. Not because the funding isn’t needed. It clearly and quite desperately is. But this isn’t new money. It’s money that is currently in the “ring fenced, protected” NHS budget and used to provide services free […]
Spending Review and local authorities: We need change and a resurgence of ethics…
Spending Review and local authorities: We need change and a resurgence of ethics, not coercive micromanagement by stealth and an even greater distance between people and Government With £11.5 Billion in further cuts set to be outlined in the Coalition’s Spending Review later today, I will probably not be alone in asking myself if this […]
Ugh!! More from Ofsted
How depressing it is to read yet another glib document from Ofsted! I don’t know how many people will be fooled with this one, but it cuts no ice with me. I shall certainly be responding to the consultation and leaving them in no doubt what I think. The headlines speak of plans for “tougher” child protection inspections. But […]
Recent comments from Manchester City Council…A response
Judging by the phone calls, emails and tweets that my colleagues and I have received, the report in Third Sector of comments by Geoff Little (Deputy CEO of Manchester City Council) addressing the Charity Finance Group conference earlier this week has sent a shockwave around the voluntary and community sector not just in Manchester but the rest […]
Bedroom Tax arrears – huge and why social landlords need a major rethink
The bedroom tax is in its 11th week and social housing is already in chaos. It doesn’t augur well for social housing in its entirety and that is not hyperbole or exaggeration. The scale of the non-payment and part-payments of the tenant rent shortfall the bedroom tax creates is giving shockwaves in the boardroom of every […]
Bedroom Tax – council legal fictions to cover up their incompetence
“While councils believe it is up to the landlord to define a bedroom then such perversities will abound and these legal fictions continue.” Joe Halewood challenges the ‘legal fiction’ that some councils are hiding behind when it comes to the bedroom tax.