NEWS
Lottery fund boost for children's services in Renfrewshire
The Renfrewshire Children's Services Partnership (RCSP) is awarded over £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to help transform children's services in the area.
Bringing consistency to customer satisfaction measurement in Scotland
Trials begin of a common Customer Satisfaction Question Bank.
Scottish pilot to better understand councils' costs moves forward
The piloting of esd-toolkit's Cost Architecture Model is gathering pace in three Scottish councils.
SOA outcome indicators project on course to deliver
Improved Menu of Local Outcome Indicators will be available in October.
Elected members caseload management portal update
A steering group to direct the development of a browser-based caseload management system is being put together.
Implementing flexible and mobile working - hotseat summary available
Renfrewshire Council recently shared its experiences of implementing flexible working online. A summary is now available.
PSIF update
More councils sign up to PSIF and the social work pilots gather pace.
Customer Service Professional Qualifications make HR award shortlist
The CSP Qualifications have been named as a finalist in the HR Network (Scotland) National Awards 2009.
EVENTS
Customer First... Where to now? - 5 October 2009, Edinburgh
All of Scotland’s local authorities ‘signed-up’ to Customer First because we all recognised the importance of building services around the customers needs; exploiting new technologies to offer customers more choice and convenience; developing common solutions to common problems; and beginning to share some of our service infrastructure in a way that offers savings as well as delivering more joined up services to our customers. This conference offers the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and set the priorities for the future.
How shared services can transform Scotland's public sector - 24 November 2009, Edinburgh
In Scotland today the "one public sector" vision is possible. Shared services hold the key to the future of councils and the wider public sector, and provide huge opportunities for the voluntary sector and private companies, while we all seek to save money and still provide a high standard of services. By attending this conference you will learn about shared services from leading experts, have the opportunity to question and debate with them and network with a broad range of delegates.
LATEST PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES ON THE IS SITE
Getting more for less: efficiency in the public sector (Demos)
Report presenting the case for greater efficiency in the public sector through more effective services. It discusses three possible reforms which could save public money: increased personalisation of health and social services, more preventive services, and multi-agency collaboration.
Leadership change and public services: reinvigorating performance or reinforcing decline? (Economic and Social Research Council)
Report on research which examined whether performance influences the turnover of political and managerial leaders and whether new political and managerial leaders make a difference to subsequent organisational performance.
Good practice in strategic asset management (Audit Commission)
A supporting document to 'Room for Improvement: Strategic Asset Management in Local Government', the Audit Commission’s national report on property asset management. It provides more detail on some of the case studies from the report and other examples of good practice in asset management.
Members Guide: Top tips for making savings through better procurement in professional services (IDeA/LGA)
Tips for councillors on how their authority can make savings through better procurement in professional services, the fourth biggest external spend area in local government. The guide includes a brief introduction to the issue and a checklist of questions that members could be asking their authorities.
ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENT SERVICE
The Improvement Service supports 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 high quality, efficient local public services.
WANT TO APPEAR IN THIS NEWSLETTER?
We are always looking for examples of good practice and innovation from Scottish councils and their partners. If you would like to see your work highlighted by the Improvement Service, get in touch at listen@improvementservice.org.uk
