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We publish news from the Improvement Service as well as other news relevant to local government improvement in Scotland. We welcome contributions from Scottish local authorities and partner organisations. If you have a story you would like to share, contact us.
Launch of Partners In Planning website: a key element to delivering outcomes
Partners in Planning have launched a new website to provide people working in the planning system with a single point of access to the skills and knowledge that enable behaviour change.
Change management support
The new Professional Development Award (PDA) in Project Management offered jointly by the Improvement Service and Scotland Excel is off to an encouraging start. Seven councils are taking part in the first cohort with a further four council-specific cohorts to come over the next few months in South Lanarkshire (x2), North Lanarkshire and Fife.
Community finance project improves financial inclusion
A pilot project to establish a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) has increased access to affordable credit and financial services among its target market, and improved confidence in managing money, according to an evaluation by the Improvement Service.
Cycle networks and culverts added to Spatial Hub
Two new datasets - cycle networks and culverts - have been published on Spatial Hub, the source of Scottish local government spatial data.
Money Worries - In Sickness and In Health
The Welfare Advice Service Facilitator team has created a short film to support the establishment of welfare advice and health partnerships.
Change management team learning from Wigan colleagues
The IS' change management team visited Wigan Council in June to find out more about how it has been changing the way it works with customers, communities and partners.
Change manager's networking event
The IS Change Management team held a Change Manager’s Networking Event in Glasgow in June.
Partnership looking to smart technology to tackle attainment
A new project to tackle the attainment gap in Scotland through partnership with Scottish Government and Young Scot has been launched by Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
Next Generation contract for myaccount and digital public services awarded
The Improvement Service has appointed four technology partners to further develop myaccount and its platform for digital public services.
New project management qualification from Improvement Service and Scotland Excel
The Improvement Service and Scotland Excel are joining forces to deliver an established qualification in project management. The course will focus on the practical application of key project management skills in a local government context.
Parentsportal.scot ready to go live
A new online service designed to transform communications between schools and parents/carers is about to be launched. Parentsportal.scot is designed to replace the ‘schoolbag run’, giving parents online access to a range of school-related services.
Myaccount celebrates over 500,000 registered users
Myaccount, the secure sign-in service for online public services in Scotland, has reached a milestone of half a million registered users. A Glasgow resident has become the 500,000th person to register with the service.
Talk Money Scotland Week 2018
The Talk Money Scotland Week (formerly Financial Capability Week) will take place between the 12-18 November 2018. The annual event is celebrating the work thousands of organisations are doing to improve financial capability across the UK.
Transformation on the table at public service discussions
The Improvement Service and Audit Scotland hosted a round table on transformational change in January, with public service and third sector leaders, policy makers and partners attending to speak about their experiences.
Green light for basic income pilot thanks to successful funding bid
A successful joint bid to the Scottish Government for £250,000 will help fund the work to design local pilots of basic income in four councils across Scotland.
Mental health programme seeking workplace equality consultant
See Me, Scotland’s programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination, is looking for a Workplace Equality Consultant.
First Spatial Hub Forum a success
Local government spatial data experts gathered on 1 May 2018 for the first Spatial Hub Forum, hosted by the Spatial Information Service (SIS).
Support for tackling child poverty
The IS is supporting the Scottish Government and Hunter Foundation Innovation Fund to tackle child poverty, with interim chief executive Sarah Gadsden sitting on the panel to advise on applications.
IS ‘highly commended’ for welfare advice research at LARIA awards
The Improvement Service was highly commended at the LARIA Research Impact Awards 2018, coming second in the ‘best use of local area research’ category.
Framework for measuring performance and progress in tackling violence against women published
The Scottish Government, COSLA and the Improvement Service have published the Equally
Safe Quality Standards and Performance Framework. Developed in partnership with the National Violence Against Women Network, the framework provides an invaluable resource to help multi-agency Violence Against Women Partnerships measure their progress and performance in implementing Equally Safe: Scotland’s Strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls at a local level.
Improvement Service Shortlisted for LARIA Research Impact Award
The Improvement Service’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of the embedding of welfare rights advisors in medical practices has been shortlisted for the ‘best use of local area research’ award in the Local Area Research and Intelligence Association (LARIA) Research Impact Awards.
myaccount to continue to support Scottish Government’s ambitions for digital public services
2018 will be a big year for this multiple award-winning service, as we look to build on myaccount’s strong foothold in local government and health. In the first quarter of the year, more online public services “powered by” myaccount will launch – Parents Portal, NHS Scotland’s Health and Social Care Portal (as a proof of concept) and South Lanarkshire Council.
Improvement Service appoints interim chief executive
The Improvement Service has appointed an interim chief executive, initially for eight months, to succeed Colin Mair, who retires at the end of this month. Sarah Gadsden, currently Director of Strategic Development and Collaboration within the Improvement Service, was chosen by the Improvement Service Board.
Getting organised for the impact of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25 May 2018. In common with other organisations, the Improvement Service is working hard towards ensuring it complies with the new regulation.
Money Advice Performance Management Framework (MAMPF) Annual Report 2016/17 Published
The Money Advice Outcomes (MAO) project team have published the Money Advice Performance Management Framework (MAPMF) annual report for 2016/17, alongside individual reports for each local authority. All 32 Scottish local authorities submitted data returns regarding the money advice services they delivered or funded during the 2016/17 financial year
Councils continue to perform well despite sharp reduction in spend
Scotland’s councils continue to perform well for their communities in terms of service delivery despite a sharp reduction in their finances according to the latest Local Government Benchmarking Framework report.
Turning Volunteer Participation Upside Down event
As part of the Improvement Service's Leading Practice Conference Programme, join Volunteer Scotland, the Improvement Service, Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface and Argyll and Bute council on their journey to realise how volunteers and public services can collectively improve outcomes for their communities.
North Lanarkshire Council wins Verint EMEA Digital Engagement Award
North Lanarkshire Council has won the prestigious excellence in Digital Engagement Award at the Verint EMEA 2017 awards at a ceremony held in central London.
Dundee regeneration conference materials available
The IS and Dundee City Council hosted a regeneration conference in Discovery Point, Dundee on 8 November 2017, as part of the IS Leading Practice conference programme.
Colleagues from Dundee City Council and partner organisations shared their stories about Dundee’s journey to transforming a city, focusing on both economic and community regeneration.
Funding agreed to extend welfare advice within healthcare model
The Scottish Government has provided funding for a Welfare Advice Service Facilitator to help embed welfare rights and money advisors within GP practices and primary care services.
Community Planning Portal improvements
A refresh of the Community Planning in Scotland Portal has been completed to incorporate resources supporting health and social care partnerships.
SLAED Economic Development Activities Update
The SLAED Indicators Report for 2016-17 was published on 24 November. The report provides consistent data and evidence on what councils throughout Scotland are delivering as local economic development organisations. This is the fifth year that the SLAED Indicators Report has been produced and it assists in ongoing monitoring of performance and resource allocation within councils.
Volunteers sought to trial change framework
The IS is now trialling its Change Framework, an online resource which provides tools, templates, reports and good practice to help support change projects.
Money Advice Service conducting first mapping of financial capability provision for children and young people
The Money Advice Service is conducting the first ever mapping of financial capability provision for children and young people, as part of its work to help better coordinate financial education in the UK.
Improvement Service scoops prize at 2017 UK IT Industry Awards
The Improvement Service has won the Big Data/Analytics Project of the Year Award at the 2017 UK IT Industry Awards.
TellMeScotland unveils new website
Tellmescotland, Scotland’s national public information notices portal, has been relaunched with a new look and improved functionality.
Partnership aims to boost digital services for young people
A partnership to increase the development of digital services available using the Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC) has been agreed between Young Scot and the Improvement Service.
Aberdeen seeks directors to lead transformation
Aberdeen City Council is seeking four new directors to oversee transformation of the council's operating model.
The Improvement Service (IS) is the national improvement organisation for local government in Scotland.
Our purpose is to help councils and their partners to improve the health, quality of life and opportunities of all people in Scotland through community leadership, strong local governance and the delivery of high quality, efficient local services.
Through a series of principles, the IS works to promote improvement in local government and among its partners to support them improve outcomes and reduce the outcome gaps within populations and within areas.
The IS delivers a range of products and services that support CPPs to build their capacity to deliver the public service reform agenda.
The IS has a non-partisan role to support all elected members in Scotland.
- Economic Outcomes Programme
- Improving Outcomes in Money Advice
- Linking Community and Spatial Planning
- National Co-ordinator - Child Poverty Action Reports
- Organisational Development
- Outcomes, Evidence and Performance Board
- Planning for Place
- Roads Collaboration Programme
- Spatial Information Service
- Tackling Violence Against Women
- Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships
- Workforce Planning
As well as news from the Improvement Service other news relevant to local government improvement in Scotland. is also published. The Improvement Service welcomes contributions from Scottish local authorities and partner organisations. If you have a story you would like to share, contact us.
The Improvement Services produces a series of newsletters on a range of subjects, including myaccount, elected members, tellmescotland as well as the main IS newsletter. Subscribe on this page.
See past issues of the IS newsletter
Find out about all the events and activities organised by the Improvement Service or of interest to Scottish local authorities here. If you would like to add an event to this calendar, please contact info@improvementservice.org.uk
You can quickly browse events from the calendar opposite, or go to the events page for full details of all events.
