Local authorities can overcome cuts in funding for vulnerable people by persuading providers of support services to accept smaller surpluses, housing professionals have been told.
The speeches, rallies and debates are over. Months of speculation have come to an end. There were shouts of jubilation and tears of despondency, but the people have spoken: there is to be no elected...
Policing in England will have a 'slimmed-down landscape' from next year with just three core bodies: the Police Standards Unit, an improvement agency and the Home Office.
The announcement of the provisional revenue support grant settlement has been postponed, leading to suggestions that councils could be in line for a funding increase.
Councils have been warned not to rush into court action over housing benefit arrears, after research suggested it could be more effective to refer problem tenants for independent debt advice.
The forthcoming green paper on adult social care will tackle older people's reluctance to take responsibility for their own provision, senior ministers said this week.
Local authorities and registered social landlords must find housing efficiency savings of £835m per year by 2008 under the government's strict Gershon targets.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has angered councils and trade unions by ruling out a review of how local authorities raise money to meet the decent homes target.
Welsh local authorities have been given a one-off minimum funding guarantee of 3.5% for 2005/06. But, despite the disruption of the council tax revaluation and funding formula changes, they have been...
Ministers have called for better co-operation between Local Strategic Partnerships and community groups after government auditors identified tensions that were impeding progress.
Home Secretary David Blunkett continued his law and order crackdown this week, setting out plans to tackle antisocial behaviour across 50 areas blighted by louts and thugs.
The Local Government Association is preparing to slash funding to its central bodies by 4.1% next year in advance of what is expected to be a tight finance settlement in November.
Problems with care services for elderly people will continue until policy conflicts over funding levels and models of service provision have been resolved, a leading health care think tank has...
MPs are to conduct a major inquiry into every aspect of the civil service amid fears that Sir Peter Gershon's reforms could decimate Whitehall expertise and leave departments at the mercy of...
Government plans to slash £21.5bn from annual public sector costs by 2008 could be undermined by the private sector's inability to deliver outsourced services, a senior CBI official has warned.
Over 95% of public servants are not saving enough for a comfortable retirement, often because they are confused about how schemes work, a leading pensions expert has warned.
The explicit efficiency targets for local government, set out in Sir Peter Gershon's review, are to be relaxed in favour of a more 'flexible' approach to meeting the overall £6.45bn figure, Public...
