News Update

Week Ending 26th May 2006

Requests for Funding from NWCE

Applications for funding from the NWCE are now invited.  Any applications must be received by the NWCE by 31^st July 2006.

Funding is only available to local authorities working collaboratively with at least one other local authority – applications from one organization alone will not be accepted. 

Bids including the NWIN and NWeGG agenda are encouraged.

To download bidding documentation please click here.

Health and Social Care Contract Monitoring

The Department of Health is funding a small project on the monitoring of contracts used to purchase services for adults. An initial workshop to determine the approach and topics to be covered took place in the North West on the 19^th May 2006. Following this session a questionnaire will be finalized and circulated to Social Care Authorities by the end of June. The four specific elements of the review are 1) Performance Management 2) Quality of Service 3) Service Outcomes 4) Operation of the Contract. The outcome of the research will be to produce a good practice model by the end of September 2006. All Social Care Authorities are encouraged to participate in the research. For further information please contact the Project Manager, Doug Gosling or Beverley Brooks at NWCE.

East Lancashire e-Partnership – Job Vacancy

The East Lancashire e-Partnership are recruiting for a Strategic Procurement Officer.  For details of this vacancy and how to apply please click here.

Best Practice in the purchasing of Domiciliary Care - Can You Help???

Liverpool City Council is looking for any information with regards to good practice in the purchasing of domiciliary care.  If you can offer any advice in this area please contact Gill Kirby at Liverpool City Council.

Procurement KPIs - link to IDeA guidance

This set of local performance indicators has been developed through the Library of Local Performance Indicators (IDeA and Audit Commission) with the Society of Procurement Officers (SOPO) and a wide group of stakeholders in local government procurement.  These stakeholders include local authorities, national organizations and government departments.  These indicators are designed to help English local authorities with the implementation of the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government that was launched in October 2003.

Please click here to view the IDeA in respect of KPIs and methodologies.

This set is one of many available on the library of Local Performance Indicators website at www.local-pi-library.gov.uk

ESD Toolkit Newsletter

Please click here to view the May edition of the new look Take 5 - the esd-toolkit newsletter.

Children to Benefit from Streamlined Care Proceedings

Proposals to ensure the welfare of children is at the heart of the processes involved in taking a child into care were announced by Ministers today.

The current system can result in unnecessary delays and complex proceedings can be difficult to understand for children and some of the families involved. The review encourages early intervention to find resolutions before cases reach court, and when cases do proceed to court identifies ways to improve the quality of local authority applications.  For further information follow this link - http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/detail.asp?ReleaseID=202403&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=True

OCGBuying.Solutions – Corporate Leaflet - Practice

The above leaflet can be viewed by clicking here.

EVENTS

Framework Agreements Workstream – Next Meeting – 17 July 2006

The next meeting of the Framework Agreements workstream will take place on 17^th July 2006 at 1.00pm to 4.00pm at Kirby Civic Suite.  If you would like further information please contact Rebecca McDevitt at NWCE.

OB10’S 3^rd Annual Exchange for Public Sector - Meeting the Government’s

Transformation Agenda.  8 June 2006, Thistle Charring Cross Hotel, London

This event will look at achieving quantifiable savings, streamlining

back office services and collaboration with peers and

solution providers.  For further information

please click here.

Enabling your Local Authority workforce through flexible learning - A Workshop for Budget Holders and Decision Makers – Hosted by BT

Three workshops are being held in London, Birmingham and Manchester during June.  These workshops will explore some of the challenges of keeping individuals and teams focused on strategic priorities as the Local Government tackles a period of rapid change.

The workshops will provide an opportunity to explore enterprise solutions and develop a business case to support a Flexible Learning strategy.  It will draw on practical experience gained in both the public and private sectors. The event will provide a valuable opportunity to network with like-minded professionals from other authorities and to discuss, with specialists, your own organisation’s plans for Flexible Learning.

For further information please click here.

NWIN Local Government Showcase 2006

An element of the NWIN vision is to promote the North West region as a region of excellence in Local Governance.  This has a variety of objectives:

·                                 To raise the bar of aspiration of Councils in the region

·                                 To dramatically improve services

·                                 To promote the value of local government to local communities

·                                 To encourage greater citizen interest in local government

·                                 To seek greater central government recognition and support for local government in the region

·                                 To assist with promoting a positive image of the North West in order to attract resources and investment

To take forward this vision arrangements are being made to organise an event on the 15 June 2006 at the JJB Stadium in Wigan. 

For further information please click here.

Centre for Construction Innovation

Twilight Seminar Sponsored by the LGTF

Reclaimed Materials on Site - Why and How

29 June at 4.30pm - 6.30pm, CCI, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW

For further information on this and other CCI events, please click here.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR