The biweekly efficiency and improvement bulletin is produced by the South West Centre of Excellence (SWCoE) on behalf of the LIFT SW Partnership (GOSW, IDeA, SWLGA, SWCoE).
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If you wish to include efficiency or improvement articles in the next bulletin, or add your name to the circulation list please email swce@dorsetcc.gov.uk.
LIFT SW (RIEP) - Regional Improvement and Efficiency Event - 4th December, Wellington, near Taunton
The objective of this event is to help officers, elected members and regional stakeholders to understand central government and Audit Commission perspectives of CSR07 and the broader change issues, particularly in the SW. It is also an opportunity to shape the LIFT SW improvement and efficiency strategy for local authority support.
The scale of the CSR07 challenge is now clear and councils are preparing plans for themselves and with public sector partners. The expectation is that authorities will drive efficiency and improvement and also deliver better outcomes for local people. Also that support is led by the sector for the sector: "sector-led support".
With national funding to support improvement and efficiency pitched at about £180m, strong Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) are at the heart of making this a success. The vehicle for support in the South West will be the LIFT SW Partnership (RIEP): the partnership of authorities and support agencies in the South West.
LIFT SW is constructing a comprehensive support programme, building on the work that has already been started by the SW Regional Centre of Excellence and the Improvement Programme. This seminar will show-case some of the support already available and outline how to access support and funding in 2008/09 and beyond.
The event also will provide an opportunity for elected members and senior officers to discover more about the range of resources and support available to local authorities to unlock value for money, meet the 3% efficiency target and improve services by building strong partnerships.
Speakers and participants from the Local Government Association (LGA) and Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) will also feature at the event.
Download additional information and book your place online from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/Events/regionalimprovementandefficiencyevent.htm
For further information contact:
Claire Morecroft - 01305 755490, c.morecroft@dorsetcc.gov.uk
The South West Economy: Harnessing Technology Regional Conference - 4th December 2007, Taunton
This conference will give you the chance to hear first hand feedback from the recent SWRDA-hosted workshop which brought together national and regional figures in ICT to consider the region’s successes, challenges and opportunities in economic development. Dr Stephen Sheppard (Adroit Economics) will also present his research into the potential economic impact of ICT in this region. A number of other leading figures from within the region will present examples of progressive work already under way in the South West and beyond.
Download additional information and book your place online from the following link:
http://www.connectingsw.net/event/24/44/does_everyone_plan_with_ict_.html
Waste Services Event - 7th December, Exeter
Building on the successful Peer Review programme that ran earlier this year, the LIFT SW Regional Waste Services Programme plans to set-up and facilitate a South West Waste Officer Network. This forum will enable authorities from across the region to exchange ideas, share best practice, identify possible synergies and hear speakers discuss developments from both National and Regional perspectives. To kick this off a launch event is being run on 7th December, 11am at Manley House in Exeter.)
The launch event will include presentations from Sarah Fairbrother (DEFRA) on Joint Waste Boards and Steve Read and Steve Palfrey (Somerset County Council) on the Somerset experience.
There will also be workshop sessions at which officers will be able to consider and discuss practical partnership initiatives of particular interest to their authority and to consider what the prospects are for partnership in their sub-region.
Download additional information and book your place online from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/Events/wasteevent07122007.htm
For further information contact:
James Herring - 01305 757230, j.r.herring@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Business Transformation Skills Development Programme
The second half of 2007 saw the successful launch of the LIFT SW Business Transformation Skills Development Programme. The programme has added a range of new training offerings to SW’s existing MBA, APM and NVQ programmes including:
Lean Fundamentals overview for senior executives, change and transformation leaders
Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) overview
Rough-cut Activity Based Costing
SPRINT Business Process Improvement (BPI)
Between October and December 2007 we will have delivered 23 public courses and 285 training places, with 50% subsidy on supplier costs and 100% subsidy on venue costs, across 3 locations – Taunton / Bath / Plymouth.
The courses have been well received. Almost all places have been filled with demand outstripping supply on a number of courses and a high level of customer satisfaction.
In recognition of the strong demand for more, we are currently planning the programme for the first half of 2008 and have already posted some new dates for January 2008 for the rough-cut Activity Based Costing and Managing Successful Programmes courses.
Download additional information including dates and venues from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/skillsdevelopment/
There will be more dates and courses added over the next few weeks including a number of Fundamentals of lean Systems Thinking one day courses.
The 2008 programme will build on the success of our current offering and provide more flexibility on how we deliver the training, the targeting of each course to specific audiences and more options between overview and in-depth courses for practitioners.
For further information contact:
Anita Tadayon - anitatadayon@yahoo.com
APM Professional Certificate Course - February 2008
Following the great success of the APM Introductory course in Project Management LIFT SW are now able to offer places on the APMP course. This professional level course takes place over a one week period (following with a half day exam 3 weeks after the course) providing the opportunity to attain a certified qualification that is internationally recognised, with the benefit of a 60 per cent subsidy from the LIFT SW Partnership.
Download additional information and book your place online from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/skillsdevelopment/APMP.htm
For further information contact:
Claire Morecroft - 01305 755490, c.morecroft@dorsetcc.gov.uk
LIFT SW Customer Focused Transformation Network (CFT Network)
Following the successful launch of the Network at our Conference on 1st October, the CFT Network Steering Group has been formed and meets monthly by teleconference. The Steering Group includes representatives from across the region:
Unitaries: Caroline Taylor (Torbay), Bob Clark (Torbay), Ian Parr (Bristol)
Counties: Rodney Semple (Glos.), Linda Le Milliere (Somerset)
Districts: Paul Critchley (Carrick), Pat Pratley (Cheltenham), Helen Frances (Salisbury), Denise Lyon (East Devon)
2-tier partnership: John Rogers (Wiltshire Partnership)
esd-Toolkit: Aly Murdoch (Mendip / IDeA),
SWCoE: Julian Morley.
To find out more about the Network, the role of the Steering Group, and current Network membership visit our website on:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/workstreams/businesstransformation/
swbusinesstransformationnetwork.htm
Save the date: The next Network conference is planned for Monday 25th February. Watch the website and our newsletter for future details.
For further information contact:
Anita Tadayon - anitatadayon@yahoo.com
LIFT SW Waste Services Newsletter
The LIFT SW Regional Waste Service Programme has now published the first edition of its bi monthly Waste Services Newsletter.
Download the newsletter from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/26F3A612-8230-4AF4-A89A-98A1EB738FF7/0/WasteServicesNovember2007Newsletter.pdf
For further information contact:
Hamid Kennedy - 01305 755494, h.kennedy@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Forecasting Length of Stay and Cost (FLoSC)
FLoSC is now available for all councils to use. FLoSC analyses the history of older people in residential and nursing homes and forecasts the length of stay and future cost of care.
FLoSC is a particularly useful tool for financial planners to forecast committed costs for residential and nursing care 1-3 years ahead. It provides an analytical base-line for budgeting and capacity planning at a critical stage in the planning cycle.
The software and further information is available to download at:
http://www.healthcareinformatics.org.uk/FLoSC
For further information contact:
Ray Beatty - ray.beatty@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Take three simple steps to reduce your social care temporary staffing spend
The NHS PASA multi-regional framework agreement has been set up to supply registered agency nurses of all specifications, and in particular healthcare assistants, support workers and carers. By using the framework social care temporary staffing spend can be greatly reduced. Click here to find out the three simple steps to reducing spend.
Download additional information from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/news/latestnews/reducesocialcaretempstaffspend.htm
Ethical Governance Toolkit
Ethical governance refers to the processes, procedures, cultures and values that ensure high standards of behaviour. The IDeA and Standards Board for England have updated the toolkit that aims to help councils identify and discuss ethical governance issues.
Download the toolkit from the following link:
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1115850
