WIREDGOV

Fire & rescue services across the country could save £18m from a total spend of £127m a year by improving the way they source & purchase firefighting clothing & equipment says research published by the CLG.  The findings highlight examples of fire services buying identical kit at vastly different prices.

Key differences include:

• prices for the same kit can vary by as much as 200%
• when the same supplier was used prices varied by a quarter
• even when the same contract was used there is still a significant price range of 66%

The findings follow last year’s report by former chief firefighter Sir Ken Knight, which highlighted the scope for the services to find £200m in savings whilst safeguarding emergency operations and protecting public safety.  It revealed huge variations exist between how the 46 different fire authorities operate, with the cost per head of providing a service almost double in some areas to that of others.

• Smarter buying could save fire service £ms
• Fire services improvement fund - public get a win-win: better local services and at lower cost
• In an age when everyone seeks the best price for everything over the internet, surely NHS procurement should provide value for money?
• Annual procurement survey results
• Government sale to help Constructionline exploit growing markets
• Dramatic fall in cost of running household goods
• Joint purchasing of vaccines & medicines becomes a reality in the EU
• New competition authority to make markets work well for consumers, business & the economy
• New Crown Representatives to help government get value for money
• Government draws the line on bloated & wasteful IT contracts
• The FCA launches review into price comparison websites
• Public Accounts Committee publishes 4 reports
• E-invoicing in public procurement: another step towards end-to-end e-procurement
• UK procurement most expensive in EU
• Monitor to undertake first investigation under NHS purchasing rules
• Police commissioners should work with independent sector to lower costs & improve services
• EHRC publishes guidance on public sector procurement
• NICE launches new Framework Agreement for purchasing information resources
• EduBuy: enabling schools & academies to achieve up to £1bn procurement savings
• Cabinet Office work to ‘shop’ poor procurement work and boost SMEs sees over 300 complaints investigated
• Government procurement still a painful process for business
• Low risk, value for money solutions on photocopiers & printers
• Survey finds increased opportunity for UK automotive supply chain
• Delivering savings for Europe: moving to full e-procurement for all public purchases by 2016
• Online reference service will help libraries improve purchasing power
• The Government Procurement Card
• CloudStore - the online appstore for the G-Cloud framework is open for business
• School suppliers provide assurances to OFT to ensure competition
• NAO:  Must try harder ^{(4th item)}

The Education Committee seeks a debate in the House of Commons on the Government’s response to its report about care options for looked-after children over 16 years old.  Publishing the Government Response as a special report, Education Committee Chair Graham Stuart MP said:

“The Committee’s inquiry looked at the accommodation and support offered to some of the most vulnerable children in our society. The Government’s response has gone some way to meet the concerns we identified but does not go far enough in some key areas. ………

We also believe that the failure to inspect and regulate all accommodation provided to children in care is unacceptable and wrong. …….. We know that the Government is listening but we want them to move faster and more decisively on these crucial issues.”

• Committee seeks debate on accommodation for young people in care
• What more can be done to protect 16-17 year olds from homelessness?
• New fund to help vulnerable young people ~ Brighter future for care leavers
• New cross-government support strategy for care leavers
• Children to stay with foster families until 21
• Lottery support to help young care leavers achieve their dreams
• New scheme offers continuity for care leavers

Chris Ham, Chief Executive of the King's Fund has responded to the publication of NHS England’s Five Year Forward View

• TKF:  No escaping the financial challenge facing the NHS: our response to NHS England’s Five Year Forward View
• TKF:  Consultants need to spend more time outside hospital, report finds
• TKF:  NHS funding increase needed as financial crisis looms
• NHS Confederation - Bold leadership vital to tackle major gap in mental health investment
• Public remain wedded to NHS funding model says new research by The King’s Fund and Ipsos MORI
• Align Consultant and GP pay to keep patients out of hospital
• TKF: New survey highlights impending crisis in social care
• First estimates of funding in new health structure
• Health Committee publishes review of public expenditure in health & social care
• Extra money to help people leaving hospital
• If 80% is avoidable, wouldn’t it pay to avoid most of it? ^{(2nd item)}
• Time to move on from primarily treating people in hospital

With winter soon upon us, find out how cold weather could affect you, and those around you.  Public Health England with the LGA and NHS England has published this year's cold weather plan.  The guide details the practical things we can all do to minimise the risk to our health this winter.

• LGA - Cold weather plan for England 2014
• Ofgem:  Power cuts: a guide for consumers
• Warmer homes: government doubles number of pensioners receiving energy bill discount
• Public Urged To Use Good Deed App As Winter Approaches
• Save energy & cash this winter
• Minister backs buy heating oil early campaign
• 'Take an hour' to get ready for winter
• CAB - Prospect of fuel bill hike will terrify households
• Livestock welfare in severe weather
• Have your water pipes got their winter woollies on?
• Age UK warns of dangers of cold weather
• Hidden danger warning as temperatures fall
• AGE UK:  Winter Wrapped Up
• Met Office:  Get ready for winter
• Cold Weather Payments
• The Met Office will once again be hosting the 'Get Ready for Winter' web pages
• Big Energy Saving Network map - Find out if there’s a volunteer group near you offering advice

Designed to inform debate in the run up to the next election, Socitm has launched a FREE policy briefing on how local digital public services can best be delivered.  Digital: Vision to Value is explicitly addressed to politicians & senior policy & decision-makers, and sets out what will be required to deliver locally designed, digital public services.

The briefing sets out the key ICT issues that digital local public service organisations need to get to grips with and explains that local public service organisations looking to embrace digital need to adopt 3 core principles:

• Innovate to empower citizens & communities
• Redesign services to simplify, standardise & automate
• Collaborate to share & re-use resources & assets

• Socitm launches policy briefing to inform local digital debate in run up to election

The Care Act regulations & guidance for local authorities have been strengthened as a result of consultation.  Changes made include clarifying the guidance on adult safeguarding and revising the eligibility criteria to focus on outcomes & better address social isolation.

There will be more materials to help those implementing the Care Act on the Local Government Association’s website.. The Care Act factsheets have also been updated.

• Final Care Act guidance published

Expert & respected guidance providers Citizens Advice will provide free & impartial face to face pension guidance from April 2015, the Chancellor has announced.  People who wish to access their defined contribution pension flexibly will be able to go to a local CAB across the UK for expert face to face guidance, or receive telephone guidance from the Pensions Advisory Service.  An online service will also be designed by the government as part of the scheme.

• Pensions guidance providers unveiled

The countdown to the 2014 Millies began with public nominations opening for the ‘Support to the Armed Forces’ category recently.  The award ‘recognises an organisation, individual, or a group that has given exceptional support to the forces community’.  It is one of 4 awards celebrating the work carried out by service personnel and the wider service community both in the UK and around the world over the last year.

This year’s ‘Millies’ will mark the ending of operations in Afghanistan with 4 specially created awards reflecting the extraordinary challenges & achievements of the men & women who have served there since the Millies began.  Members of the public have until 31 October to make nominations for the ‘Support to the Armed Forces’ category via the Sun’s website.

• Nominations open for Sun Military Awards

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles recently published a common sense community guide to bonfires & fireworks to ‘mark the longevity of Parliamentary democracy and the British Monarchy’.  The new guide takes on health & safety zealots and municipal killjoys, by encouraging community bonfires and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes – with common sense tips to ensure a safe, enjoyable evening.

• Common sense community guide to bonfires & fireworks

The NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), which leads UK law enforcement efforts to cut serious & organised hi-tech crime, is recruiting new officers for a range of roles, including software development, network engineering, digital forensics and online investigation.  While certain positions are for accredited investigators, many are open to anyone with the required skills & attitude, regardless of professional background.  Applications close at midday on Monday 10 November 2014.

• NCA seeks new cyber crime fighters to join elite team

The National Archives are launching Telling Tommies' tales, a competition open to primary school-aged children across the UK to discover & interpret some of the records in our First World War collection.  Using a box of letters from staff of the Great Western Railway office in Paddington, London (catalogue reference: RAIL 253/516), children are invited to create something inspired by their interpretations of soldiers' personal accounts of the war.  This can be anything from a drawing, poem or cartoon to a TV report, an audio diary or even a short film.  Children can enter as a group or individual.  Entries close on 31 January 2015.

• TNA:  Children to tell Tommies tales in our First World War competition

Drone technology, both civil & military, under proper legal regulation, can continue to deliver ‘significant benefits’ for the UK’s national security policy & economy in the coming decades. That is the conclusion of a new University of Birmingham Policy Commission report (The Security Impact of Drones: Challenges and Opportunities for the UK).  But the Government, and especially the Ministry of Defence, should do more to reach out to the public over what the Commission sees as the globally inevitable use of drones in armed conflict and in domestic surveillance.

• 'Make the case for drones as a key part of an integrated UK security policy', urge leading practitioners & academics

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned operators that surveillance cameras must only be used as a necessary & proportionate response to a real & pressing problem.  The warning came on the day the ICO published its updated CCTV code of practice, which includes a look at the data protection requirements placed on operators of new & emerging surveillance technologies, including drones & body worn video cameras.

• ICO warns CCTV operators that use of surveillance cameras must be necessary and proportionate

 More contributions to the UK constitutional debate

More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims;

• FM reinforces bonds with Northern Ireland
• Crucial step towards fiscal devolution for Wales

The Department for Work and Pensions management style in Jobcentres is "disastrous" says our Anonymous civil servant this week, who claims management style is too heavy-handed, too harsh and is risking the organisation's specialists.

Find out more here.

This heartless DWP management style is a disaster
Pay, pensions and jobs under threat are bad enough, but enforced ‘fun’ is the last straw

The new civil service boss needs a plan to stem the loss of specialist staff
Chief executive John Manzoni needs to act quickly to ensure government keeps specialist skills

Flash fiction collection offers unique insight into future of local government
From assisted death to mobile libraries, Dawn Reeves has curated stories from those who love local government