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WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
| This is a familiar theme over the years |
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The Public Accounts Committee report raises new concerns about Government spending on consultants & temporary staff, as it is disappointed issues identified in 2010 "have not been properly addressed". The Report highlights that departments' overall spending on temporary staff has increased by up to 90% since 2011–12 "and specialist temporary staff often cost twice as much as permanent staff". The Committee is ‘not convinced’ the Cabinet Office has a clear strategy to reduce the skills gap across government, and is concerned deficiencies in departments' workforce planning "means they do not know their future resource needs and will have to resort more often to using consultants and temporary staff". It calls for clarity on skills development and recommends that, by December 2016, all government departments should produce a strategic workforce plan to cover the next 5 years. They should also adopt new measures to better ensure temporary staff pay the correct tax. Filling permanent roles with temporary staff is short-sighted and does nothing to address underlying skills shortages in the civil service, nor to develop its expertise. However, these resources can cost twice as much as permanent staff and the valuable experience in service delivery they gain during the assignment is lost once the assignment ends and they leave. Consultants & temporary staff can be a flexible and cost-effective part of the government workforce, for example to provide specialist skills that a department requires for a short period only. Their use is therefore justified only when it is not feasible for departments to maintain the necessary skills in-house or to borrow those skills from elsewhere within the civil service. |
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PC&PE: Government must bridge skills gap to cut staffing costs HMRC 'Aspire' to unachievable transformation Measuring Resource Skills in a Public Sector Organisation Timing is everything when it comes to successful projects Want to help change society for the better? NHS clampdown on staffing agencies saves £ms NAO: Use of consultants and temporary staff PX: Whitehall Rules! Improving pay & performance in the Civil Service Clampdown on staffing agencies charging NHS extortionate rates New measures to help NHS foundation trusts adopt best financial practice AXELOS: The universal value of project & programme management skills Outsource UK: 2016 Budget Impacts on Engagement of Public Sector Temporary Workers |
Cloud adoption is on the increase in the public sector but continues to be hindered by the high risk associated with moving data to the cloud. Government organisations of all sizes and sectors are seeking solutions to address their cloud computing challenges. Securing the cloud requires a variety of technologies, and no single technology can address every challenge. This latest guide discusses the unique challenges government faces when moving to the cloud, how these challenges can be overcome and how to protect your critical data from the customer to the cloud and back. Click here to access this latest White Paper. |
| As the Bard would put it; ‘To be Traditional or Academy, that is the Question!’ |
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New analysis published recently by the Local Government Association shows that local authority maintained schools continue to perform more highly in Ofsted inspections than academies. Council leaders are now calling on the Government to withdraw plans to force all schools to become academies by 2022, and allow schools to choose for themselves the most appropriate ways to improve education for their pupils. Analysis of the grades achieved by all schools under only the current, more rigorous, Ofsted inspection framework – launched in September 2012 – shows that 81% of council-maintained schools are rated as "good" or "outstanding", compared to 73% of academies and 79% of free schools. |
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LGA: New figures reveal council maintained schools continue to outperform academies LGA responds to academy school reports about plans to convert all schools to academy status The IPPR describes it as ‘A Bold Decision’, which is usually Civil Service ‘speak’ for ‘unwise’ Academies Show 2016: educational excellence everywhere Turbocharged academies programme gives better education for 350,000 children 10 facts you need to know about academies LGA: Councils call for powers to provide all children with secondary school places LGA: Academies should also expand to meet demand for school places LGA: Councils warn a lack of academy sponsors could hinder education standards LGA: School standards, not structures – say councils PX: New research shows Free Schools boost performance of local schools |
| Invitation to ‘tool-up’ for better care |
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People with long-term conditions will be supported to better manage their own health and care needs, thanks to the roll-out of an evidence-based tool over the next 5 years. NHS England has agreed a deal which will grant nearly 2m people access to more person-centred care as part of its developing Self Care programme. Local NHS organisations and their partners are being invited to apply for free access to patient activation licences, which will help them assess & build their patients’ knowledge, skills & confidence, empowering people to make decisions about their own health & care. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a validated tool which captures the extent to which people feel engaged & confident in taking care of their health & wellbeing. By measuring people’s activation levels through PAM, organisations can ‘meet people where they are’ and tailor support & services to the individual’s needs. |
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Nearly 2m patients to receive person-centred support to manage their own care The Patient Activation Measure: as easy as learning to Salsa Our role in patient activation – Dr Alf Collins NHS England: More time to have your say NHS England: Recognising excellence in continence care When it’s your own care it gets very personal NAO: The commissioning of specialised services in the NHS Some personal care problems can be resolved quickly & cheaply using common sense |
| New measures will hopefully ‘knock them out cold’ |
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Cold callers will no longer be able to hide or disguise their phone numbers as Government continues to crack down on nuisance calls. From 16 May 2016, direct marketing companies registered in the UK will need to display their phone numbers when making unsolicited phone calls - even if their call centres are based abroad. This latest move by Government follows news that a substantial number of fines totalling £895,000 have been issued by the ICO. In 2015, this Government made it easier to fine nuisance callers by removing the need for consumers to prove that unwanted marketing calls were causing substantial distress & damage. Companies can risk fines of up to £2m from Ofcom and a further £500,000 from the ICO if they continue to bombard consumers with unwanted calls. |
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DCMS: Cold callers to be forced to display phone numbers under new Government plans Crackdown, collaboration & court action: how we’re working to stop nuisance calls Firm fined for cold calling people registered with the TPS Nuisance call companies warned to expect more fines in 2016 ICO issues fines totalling £170,000 to cold call blocking companies Clampdown on rogue claims management companies Cold calling company fined for marketing products designed to block its own cold calls ICO continues crackdown on nuisance calls as energy company fined £45,000 |
| SME Supplier Locator update... |
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UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. The past 5 years have seen government make a priority of getting money through its supply chain into the hands of SMEs, by both setting targets and introducing new procurement mechanisms. Against this backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers. |
| Doing more with the same or less |
| A microsite showcasing examples where councils in England have saved money & improved services for residents by managing demand has been launched by the LGA. Councils are facing the twin challenge of funding reductions and increasing demand on their services. This resource equips councils with the knowledge & tools they need to manage demand effectively. It demonstrates how councils are changing their relationship with residents to better understand & manage demand. |
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LGA - Demand management microsite for councils launched Demand Management - Good Practice Wales A New Model for Public Services - University of Birmingham Socitm briefing: ICT and the demand management response to funding cuts Socitm briefing: reduce demand, don't just manage it efficiently Public Finance: How to manage rising demand for local public services ... Guardian: By 2020, public services will be about managing demand not supply Managing Demand: Building Future Public Services - RSA |
| The Yanks have come |
| The 2016 Transatlantic Practice Exchange started recently, with the arrival of Rachel Yoder to learn about youth homelessness in England from Depaul UK. |
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Homeless Link: Transatlantic Practice Exchange 2016: let the learning begin... Different countries, similar problems, transferable solutions How better’ is often the unasked question when ‘tonight’s homeless’ is the immediate problem |
| Can you help stop the endless repeats? |
| Performance Live (working title) is a partnership between Arts Council England and BBC Arts in association with Battersea Arts Centre. They want to hear ideas for live performance – including theatre, dance, comedy, spoken word, live art & everything in between for BBC television. Sound like something you could apply for? The deadline for submissions is 10am Thursday 19 May 2016. |
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ACE: Callout for creative live performance ideas for BBC television |
| We have to have it, so better it is done in ‘best’ way |
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The Institute for Government (IfG), Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) are launching a project to look at how they can improve the process around budgets and tax policy-making. The IfG will contribute its understanding of policy-making and Whitehall processes, the CIOT its extensive practitioner expertise and the IFS its deep knowledge and analysis of fiscal policy. The aim is to work together to produce a clear set of recommendations to the Treasury, Opposition and stakeholders on how to improve the UK tax-policy making process. The project will report around the time of the 2016 Autumn Statement. They are keen to draw on as wide a range of views as possible. If you would like to contribute thought/ideas, please email tax@instituteforgovernment.org.uk by 30 May. |
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IFG: New project on tax policy-making IPPR Scotland: Fresh figures reveal how much tax parties' plans will raise Most taxpayers unaware of important changes to the tax system Tax Advisory Group discusses emerging tax policy ideas Welsh Tax Powers - Purpose, Principles & Priorities published Taxation of the Digital Economy: High-level Expert Group presents final report UK plans major boost to tax collection in developing countries |
| Start-Ups ‘all in a twitter’ about free tickets |
| techUK is holding a Twitter competition for start-ups to win 1 of 10 tickets to our flagship public sector event, #techUKPS2030. The winners will gain free access to the event, which offers the opportunity to meet potential partners & customers and learn about the potential for tech to drive innovation in public services. To apply, retweet this techUK Tweet before midnight on Wednesday 4 May: https://twitter.com/techUK/status/725971305577766912 |
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