Best Value audits in Scotland do not rely on narrow performance indicators nor are they obsessed with processes, contrary to claims in a recent PF article. They are well-rounded aids to help...
Health and education took a back seat in the Queen's Speech, but the absence of a Bill merging the health and social care inspectorates drew confused responses.
Social service leaders are giving their cautious co-operation to a scheme to send vulnerable children to boarding school, but are warning that the project runs counter to the rest of the child...
Joint reviews of social services in Wales place huge demands on local authorities but are leading to improvements in services, according to an independent evaluation.
Government policy to promote school independence and improve the wellbeing of deprived children has created a 'real tension', the Audit Commission has warned.
Wales was always bound to go its own distinctive way on the issue of public service reform. Now, as the Welsh Assembly Government prepares to respond to his review, Sir Jeremy Beecham explains why
The white paper is done and dusted. Now it's time for Sir Michael Lyons to put some financial meat on the bare bones of local government reform. He should focus on capping, council tax and the...
'We will step back and allow more freedom and flexibility at the local level. In exchange, we expect to see more accountability to local citizens, stronger local leadership, better and more efficient...
For years, the NHS has been living off the fat of the land. But now, lean times are almost upon it, and managers need to look for far greater efficiency savings, says Noel Plumridge
Despite a doubling of spending on the NHS, the public perception is one of a cash-strapped organisation in crisis. Richard Brooks explains how what should be a good news story for the government has...
A surge in new medical treatments combined with an ageing population mean the demands on the NHS are set to rise just as it faces a financial squeeze. A co-payments system, with built-in protection...
In many ways, the NHS has never had it so good. But that's not what the public thinks. Public Finance and Deloitte convened a round table of health service policy makers and practitioners to explore...
Reforms designed to split the NHS into competing provider and purchaser organisations do not adequately address the needs of the 17 million people with long-term conditions, participants in last week...
The administration of London boroughs' pension funds is inefficient and millions of pounds could be saved each year if they streamlined their processes, the Audit Commission said this week.
Implementation of last January's health white paper has been set back because of NHS deficits, the acting permanent secretary of the Department of Health has admitted.
Social services departments face an unrealistic funding settlement in next year's Comprehensive Spending Review because the Treasury is basing its calculations on inaccurate and inappropriate data,...
There are still too many examples of poor data-sharing between government and its agencies, argues the social exclusion minister. Vulnerable people should have to give their details to only one arm...
Up to £1bn sitting in schools' bank accounts could be made available for broader non-educational children's services, Education Secretary Alan Johnson has said.
