South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (SW RIEP) News. Bulletin 19 December 2008
The fortnightly efficiency and improvement bulletin is produced by the South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (SW RIEP).
Please distribute to colleagues who you think will be interested in RIEP news
This newsletter is produced every two weeks, if you wish to include efficiency or improvement articles in the next bulletin, or to add your name to the circulation list, please email karen.ball@swcouncils.gov.uk
Articles in the latest edition include: • Summary of Recent Efficiency Announcements
• Local Economy Consultancy Work
• RIEP Programme Manager Appointed
• Case Study on COPROPs Benchmarking Tool
• Gloucestershire County First Council to Financially Benefit from COPROP Benchmarking Tool
• Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) Star Ratings Announced
• Online Portal opens Up Access to Learning for Local Authority Staff
• Equality and Diversity Workstream
• Events
Summary of Recent Efficiency Announcements
Council's efficiency forecasts for March 2009 (the National Indicator 179 data).
This data showed that councils were on track to exceed the trajectory position of £1.5bn gains by the end of 2008-09, with £1.6bn forecast, although this includes over £0.5bn brought forward from SR04, meaning that about £1bn new efficiencies are being made in 2008-09 itself. Click here for more information.
The Government Response to the Consultation on the inclusion of efficiency information with council tax bills
In short, the decision has been taken to require councils to include efficiency information on the face of council tax bills and in the accompanying leaflet as from the 2009-10 billing round. Areas affected by reorganisation will also have to provide efficiency information, but we will be consulting with those areas about the best way of doing this (our suggestion is to use the aggregate efficiency forecasts for the authorities that will be replaced by the new unitary councils, but we will be interested to hear of other practical solutions from the areas concerned). Click here for more information.
The spreadsheet of draft data that the new Regulations flowing from the above will require councils to publish in the 2009-10 billing round
You may find the latter particularly useful as we have calculated the baseline 2007-08 expenditure for each council; this will allow people to see what the forecast efficiencies for each authority are expressed as a % of spend calculated on the same principles as the national 3% per annum target of £4.9bn. Click here for more information.
Local Economy Consultancy Work
The Local Economy Team of the South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (RIEP) are commissioning Shared Intelligence to undertake a review of the skills and capacity needs of local authorities in the South West to deliver Economic Development and Regeneration.
The review will build on existing research, and also on the needs of the South West and provide an in-depth diagnostic of the support required by individual local authorities.
The outcome of this research will direct the future work of the local economy programme and ensure that it targets support at the most important enablers of economic development and regeneration in Councils. Input from local authorities at the highest level will be essential to gain a clear insight into where support is needed.
In the new year a company called Shared Intelligence will contact each unitary, county and district council in the region. We hope that you will be able to support this project as it develops and will be in contact with more details in the near future.
RIEP Programme Manager Appointed
Simon Foster has recently joined SW RIEP, as Programme Manager for the Construction and Asset Management streams, working alongside Tony Gale.
Please contact Simon if you wish to discuss this workstream - tel: 01823 425232/07740 561144 or email: simon.foster@swcouncils.gov.uk.
Case Study on COPROPs Benchmarking Tool.
The Association of Chief Corporate Property Officers in Local Government (COPROP) works with central government in the development of policy affecting community assets and supports its members in delivering property related community objectives. The COPROP SW Construction (Property) Programme provides a vehicle for local authorities in SW England to explore opportunities for efficiency savings and service improvements in property services.
Eleven authorities across the South West currently subscribe to the COPROP SW Cost and Performance Database. The development and much of the initial support to the project has been funded by SW RIEP, which continues to play a leading role in developing the product and encouraging authorities to use it as a tool for achieving efficiencies. The database and network are operated as a subscription-based service operated in partnership with Building Software Ltd – click here to view.
For further details contact: Simon Foster, Programme Manager (Construction and Asset Management), SW RIEP, email: simon.foster@swcouncils.gov.uk, tel: 01823 425232/07740 561144. www.southwestiep.gov.uk.
Gloucestershire County First Council to Financially Benefit from COPROP Benchmarking Tool
Gloucestershire County Council has been a key contributor to the COPROP SW Cost and Performance Management workstream from the outset, so it was particularly gratifying to find that they were one of the first authorities to get a direct financial benefit from using the benchmarking tool on a primary school project at Pauntley.
Gloucestershire were surprised when their framework partners tabled a proposal for this project costed at £2,700 per m2. They used the Cost and Performance Management Database to demonstrate that similar projects were costing on average 15% / 20% less than this.
Gloucestershire challenged their partners to identify opportunities for making savings – and were able to agree reductions to preliminaries, external works and services (using air sourced heating rather than oil) which brought the price down to £2,100 per m2 – a saving of £130,000 on the project.
Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) Star Ratings Announced
Performance ratings for Adult Social Services in England for 2008 have now been announced.
North Somerset, Poole and Somerset have all received three star ratings. Fifteen of the sixteen South West Adult Social Care Departments have an “Excellent” or “Promising” rating. To find your Council’s star rating or to read more click here.
Online Portal opens up Access to Learning for Local Authority Staff
County and district councils, police authorities and fire and rescue services in South West have been given ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to over 320 learning programmes, on subjects such as management skills, finance, diversity and customer service, via a new online learning portal.
South West Employers has introduced a members portal to its supplement of training and HR advice available to Members and Learners from South West Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services.
The online portal, which was developed by Video Arts, has enabled South West Employers to combine e-learning and face-to-face training into shorter and more effective blended learning programmes.
For more information on training from South West Employers click here.
Equality and Diversity Workstream
Set up to advance and promote equality and diversity in the South West Fire and Rescue Services, the South West Equality Network is a Chief Fire Officers Association workstream. The workstream is chaired by Ted Simpson (Cornwall), who leads the group to ensure every Fire Rescue Service (FRS) in the South West meets its national obligations.
Councillor Ken Yeo (Cornwall) is the elected member champion for the workstream on the Regional Management Board.
In a boost to Equality and Diversity within the FRSs, the Government has made available an additional £2 million under its National Equality and Diversity Strategy, for FRSs who commit themselves to achieving the stretch targets for employment. All FRSs in the South West have agreed to bid for this additional cash and put in place measures to achieve the targets over the next five years.
Building on the success of last year’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality in the UK Fire Service – an absolute taboo? Avon FRS hosted a seminar open to any employee of the UK FRS identifying themself as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender. The event was held on 14 October in London.
The disabled community often gets overlooked when organisations take forward their equality and diversity strategies. Cornwall has recently appointed an advocate to raise awareness among staff and promote Community Safety.
Disability champion Kevin Parrott, who lives with cerebral palsy, offered to educate staff and promote disability issues through Cornwall FRS’s Community Safety Strategy.
For further Information contact Ted Simpson by email: tsimpson@fire.cornwall.gov.uk, National Equality and Diversity Strategy.
Events Climate Change Conference
21 January – 22 Jan 2009
Lowry Hotel, Salford Quays, Manchester
In the eye of the storm: councils at the heart of tackling climate change.
In the year since our last conference, councils have demonstrated their commitment to tackling climate change by adopting targets under the new performance framework. Councils really are in the eye of the storm: as you've stepped up to adopt climate change targets, the economic climate has altered. How does this build our case for taking action? How do we strengthen our resolve and continue to lead others?
This Local Government Association and Energy Saving Trust conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges in reducing emissions and planning to adapt. Councils are uniquely placed to deliver change but cannot do it alone, so the conference will also look at mobilising communities and businesses to take action. Our conference programme includes interactive debates as well as practical workshops which will equip you with ideas, tools and contacts to take back to your authority and help you meet your local area agreements.
Click here for details and to book.
Community Asset Transfers Workshop
Free Conference
30 January 2009 (09.30-16.00)
Taunton Rugby Club, Taunton
SW RIEP has identified Community Asset Transfers and the Quirk Agenda as one of the key issues affecting Asset Management and Community Services – with important links into LAAs, economic development and other aspects.
The COPROP SW Asset Management Group (part of the RIEP’s Construction and Asset Management Programme) is organising a one day Community Asset Transfer Workshop at Taunton Rugby Club on 30 January. Barry Quirk, author of the Quirk Report, has agreed to join us. We are also inviting speakers to illustrate Asset Management, Community Services, Third Sector and Central Government perspectives on the topic. Lunch will be provided.
Click here to book.
National Efficiency and Improvement Conference
12 March 2009 (08.45-17.00)
Inmarsat Conference Centre, London EC1
The conference will provide you and your staff with the opportunity to learn more about:
• The Long-term vision for efficiency and Improvement
• Achieving efficiencies and Value for Money while improving services
• Using Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) to drive efficiency and deliver service improvement
• Impact of CAA on the efficiency agenda
Councillor David Parsons, Chair of the LGA Improvement Board, will be chairing the event on the day.
Click here to book.
South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (SW RIEP)
tel: 01305757230
email:
karen.ball@swcouncils.gov.uk