NEW! The what, why and how of RecycleBank

27 Oct 2010

Following requests for information from councils, WIN has put together a new FOCUS Document to find out the answers to the questions you have been asking.

Taxpayers Believe Councillors Should Decide on Cuts

27 Oct 2010

Taxpayers want councillors to make decisions about reductions in local public spending, a new survey published ahead of next week's Comprehensive Spending Review has revealed.

An opinion poll by ComRes for the Local Government Association, conducted on the weekend after the end of the party conference season, found that 63 per cent of respondents thought decisions about cuts should be taken by councillors, compared to 17 per cent who backed MPs and seven per cent who said civil servants.

The survey also shows that 78 per cent of respondents believe that spending on some services should be protected, even if this has an impact on spending in other areas. The most popular council services to protect from cuts were care for the elderly by social services (84 per cent), action to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour (77 per cent) and child protection and support for families by social services (76 per cent).

The poll found strong support for stripping out layers of bureaucracy in other parts of the public sector before cuts are made to council budgets:

• Only one in five people (19 per cent) feel they have a full understanding of how the cuts will affect them.
• A majority of people (51 per cent) do not trust civil servants to make all possible efficiency savings before imposing cuts on local services. Only one in three people trust civil servants to make all possible efficiency savings.
• 59 per cent thought that quangos should be reduced before any cuts are made to local public services.
• 55 per cent thought the amount councils have to report to central government should be reduced before any cuts are made to local public services.
• 59 per cent thought the number of civil servants should be reduced before any cuts are made to local public services.
• Two thirds of people (68 per cent) thought there are too many organisations to deal with to access local services.

Opinion was divided on whether spending cuts would make people more likely to volunteer to help with the delivery of local services. Thirty-eight per cent of people said cuts would make them more likely to volunteer, while 42 per cent disagreed. One in five people (19 per cent) strongly disagree that local spending cuts would make them more likely to volunteer.

With just days to go until the Comprehensive Spending Review, the LGA is calling on the Government to squeeze out every last possible saving in the public sector and fundamentally reform the way the system works before cutting council budgets.

Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:

"Councils deliver hundreds of frontline services, from protecting vulnerable children to helping elderly people live independently in their own homes. They have made huge efficiency savings in recent years, and the scope to make further savings without cutting services is limited.

"We know the public sector is facing deep cuts in the Government's spending review. We have laid out practical plans to deliver big savings by cutting out unnecessary waste and red tape in the system and devolving control over public services to local people who know best what their areas need.

"This opinion poll is a vote of confidence in town halls. People trust their local councillors to make tough decisions about spending in their area more than they trust national politicians. As the democratically elected voice of local people, councils should be at the centre of deciding on spending in their area.

"Simplifying the way public services work and cutting out duplication will make it far easier for people to get the help they need to find work, get training or get help with dozens of issues from health to housing.

"More importantly still, we need to take decisions out of the hands of unelected quangos and Whitehall civil servants and give them to local people. Where providers like GPs and colleges buy services on behalf of people, local councillors can champion the interests of local people.

"The public will not forgive politicians who do not strip out unnecessary layers of bureaucracy in other parts of the public sector before cuts are made to council budgets. We need the Government to loosen the control of Whitehall and send a message that local people must come first and have a say over decisions that affect them."

 
(LGA press release - 14 October 2010)

Get Clued Up on the Latest Equalities Legislation

26 Oct 2010

The Equality Act 2010 has been in the headlines. EM IEP helps you to separate fact from fiction by giving you information and some examples of how it might work.

A Few Facts
• The Equality Act and resulting guidance will be only 1/3 the size of the existing guidance
• It's estimated that the Act will produce benefits of up to £674m over 10 years which will outweigh the costs of £240- 282m for its implementation
• Its simplification will save time for business and reduce time and costs in courts/tribunals
• Socio-economically disadvantaged groups tend to suffer poorer outcomes in education, health and employment and other areas.
• The Equality Act ensures that public authorities have due regard to socio-economic inequalities when taking strategic decisions in their planning, commissioning and resourcing of services
• For public authorities who are already undertaking good practice policy-making and service commissioning, the duty will have minimal additional impact
• There is no separate monitoring, enforcement or reporting on this duty.
• Source: www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/Equality%20Act%20Impact.pdf

A Few Examples of how the law might work:

•  A local authority advice centre refuses to provide advice that it would normally provide to a member of the public to Denise, a person with a learning disability, as staff assume that she will not be able to understand the advice because of her disability. - This is direct discrimination.
  
•  Jonathan is the partner of Kate, who is a resident of a local authority care home. Jonathan decides to undergo gender reassignment and staff at Kate's care home discover this. As a result Kate is now treated less favourably by staff compared with other residents. - This is discrimination because of association with a transsexual.
  
• Sam is a local authority tenant who calls the local authority to query an electrical repair. Sam has a high voice and Bob, the engineer dealing with the query, thinks that Sam is a woman. Bob is very dismissive of Sam's query and refuses to explain the issue properly because he believes that a woman would not be able to understand it.
  - This is sex discrimination against Sam because he has been wrongly perceived to be a woman.
  
• A local authority housing department has a policy of reminding tenancy applicants of forthcoming appointments by telephone. This puts deaf people who cannot use the telephone at a disadvantage, as they do not receive a reminder of their appointment. - Unless the department can justify its policy of making contact only by telephone as being a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, this is likely to amount to indirect discrimination. Remember - a lack of financial resources alone is unlikely to be a sufficient  justification.
  
• Janice, a black woman is queuing at the Passport Office when she overhears two members of staff making racially abusive comments. - As this conduct was unwanted by Janice and it made her feel humiliated and degraded, she can bring a claim of harassment.
  
• Fabio makes a formal complaint against his Primary Care Trust because he feels that the Trust has discriminated against him because he is gay. The complaint is resolved through the organisation's grievance procedures. However, as a result of making the complaint Fabio is subsequently removed from his GP's list. This is victimisation.
  - The victim is no longer required to show that they have been treated less favourably, they only need to show that they have been treated badly.
  
• Vikram, who has an assistance dog, is not allowed to enter his local mobile library because staff say there is not enough room for his dog. This may be discrimination arising from disability unless it can be justified (e.g. the dog poses a genuine health and safety risk as opposed to merely being inconvenient for staff).
  - This form of discrimination can occur only if the service provider knows or can reasonably be expected to know that the disabled person is disabled.
  
• A police force becomes aware of a series of homophobic incidents taking place locally, most of which seem to be going unreported. Following consultation with the local lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) community which reveals little confidence that any complaints raised will be investigated fully, the police force appoints a specific liaison officer to act as the first point of contact between the service and local LGB residents.
  - There is no requirement to take positive action. There is no restriction on treating disabled people more favourably than non-disabled people. The new provisions enable public sector organisations to take proportionate steps to help people overcome their disadvantages or to meet their needs.
  
• Julie is breastfeeding her baby in a court waiting room. The usher tells her to stop feeding the baby or go to the ladies' toilets to feed it in privacy. This is unlawful discrimination.
  - The Act has specifically clarified that it is unlawful to discriminate against a woman because she is breastfeeding.

‘When an organisation reflects the society it serves, it's better for the employer, employees and the customer'.

For more information go to:  http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/equality-and-diversity/  or www.equalities.gov.uk

Leicestershire and Lincolnshire to get 'Community Budgets' to help the Vunerable

26 Oct 2010

Sixteen areas have been given direct control over local spending in their area free of centrally imposed conditions as part of the Spending Review.

From April next year this first phase of 16 areas covering 28 councils and their partners will be put in charge of 'Community Budgets' that pool various strands of Whitehall funding into a single 'local bank account' for tackling social problems around families with complex needs.

Ministers are determined to give communities more power to target spending on key local priorities, despite the reductions in spending. Communities will be able to hold their councils to account in making sure tighter funding gets spent better.

Around £8 billion a year is spent on around 120,000 families that have multiple problems, with funding only getting to local areas via hundreds of separate schemes and agencies. Despite this investment, these families' problems continue. Services need to join up and intervene earlier so that families are given the chance to turn their lives around. This integrated, early intervention approach will also drive down costs.

Community Budgets, which the Government intends to roll out nationally by 2013-14, will put councils and their partners in the driving seat by pooling funds for tackling these families' needs into one budget so communities can develop local solutions to local problems.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles said:

"Until now councils have never had the freedom to do things their own way. Whitehall funding has been funneled through hundreds of disparate funding programmes wrapped up in tight financial conditions that effectively strangled local choice. As a result the incentive to be innovative, efficient and responsive to voters instead of Whitehall was dramatically dulled.

"By uprooting the silos, unlocking and relinquishing the spending controls administered by Whitehall we can give towns and places the freedom to direct spending to best meets the needs of the citizens within their boundaries.

"We have already freed up billions of pounds of council funding but we're determined to do more to put councils in the spending driving seat. As part of the spending review, we've torn down those artificial barriers so that the funding for families with complex needs reaches areas as a single pot of money - a Community Budget - that will help better protect frontline services and help the most vulnerable."

Already the Government will be freeing up a further £7 billion of council funding from red tape and bureaucracy from 2011-12, but Ministers believe even more can be achieved with Community Budgets. By having one budget wrapping money and services around the needs of the vulnerable, councils and partners will be able to directly support those that need help with education, health, anti-social behaviour and housing - instead of maintaining the service organisations.

Ministers believe Community Budgets will also help drive down overhead costs by removing the bureaucratic financial restrictions that have created barriers, generated waste and duplication in public spending stifling local innovation. They will be able to redesign and integrate frontline services across organisations and share management functions to reduce running costs for the best local outcomes.

The Government believes all 16 areas have demonstrated that they have strong local relationships involving communities, voluntary sector and public sector players which put them in a strong position to operate the first Community Budgets from 2011-12. They are:

- Birmingham
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Bradford
- Essex
- Greater Manchester (a group of 10 councils)
- Hull
- Kent
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- London Borough of Barnet
- London Borough of Croydon
- London Borough of Islington
- London Borough of Lewisham
- The London Boroughs of Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth
Swindon

Nottingham Declaration 10th Anniversary Celebration Event

26 Oct 2010

This event is being held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change, the ground breaking initiative that has engaged over 300 English councils and got their high level commitment to action.
The event will showcase some of the achievements of the 46 councils in the East Midlands, all of whom have signed the Declaration - the first English region to gain full commitment from local government.

This is hosted by Nottingham City Council in association with Climate East Midlands and the Nottingham Declaration Partnership.

Book your place at: http://bookwhen.com/ccweeks2010

For more information, please contact Gemma Hallam on: 0115 915 2172 or email sustainable.development@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Comprehensive Spending Review: LG Group activity

25 Oct 2010

The Local Government Group has been working hard to influence the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).

The Group's activities have included:

- a comprehensive offer to government encompassing reform of the public sector and productivity
- a detailed programme to save up to £100 billion over five years by introducing place-based budgeting
- a formal response to the CSR and letters to Ministers a ‘white paper' on local budgets and the ‘big society' to support our - - submission a programme of media releases and public affairs briefings to promote local government's lobbying priorities
- a series of events at the 2010 party conferences
- lobbying for maximum freedom and minimum ring-fencing, to allow councils to address the inevitable cuts in the best way for their local area
- launching a consultation on sector self-regulation and improvement
- developing a programme on Place Based Productivity (PBP).

To download documents relating the the above and find out more go to: www.local.gov.uk/spendingreview  

Spending Review 2010 for the East Midlands

20 Oct 2010

Last year, Britain's deficit was the largest in peacetime history. The state is borrowing one pound in every four that it spends, and every day it costs almost £120 million just to pay the interest on the nation's debts. The consequences of not acting now are serious: all regions across England would be faced with higher interest rates, business failures, rising unemployment and even potentially the end of the recovery.

It is imperative that this debt is set on a sustainable downward path.

This Spending Review promotes long-term economic growth, as well as wider reforms to enable a private sector led recovery, it improves fairness by supporting the most vulnerable, and gives people the freedom to better themselves and their families in the future.

The Government is committed to rebalancing the economy. In particular, it is determined to remove barriers and provide focused support to ensure that all places can realise their growth potential by:

• Supporting appropriate infrastructure;
• Stimulating private sector growth in all regions; and
• Providing local areas with incentives and powers through devolution.

Supporting infrastructure
This Spending Review supports investment in infrastructure that underpins economic growth. Thriving cities and urban areas will be critical to the success of the private sector, and will increase the UK's resilience to economic shocks.

For the East Midlands, this Spending Review confirms that the following capital programmes will be supported:

• M1 - replacing a viaduct carrying the M6 over the M1

• M1 - hard shoulder running and variable speed limits between junctions 28 and 31;

• A46 - improvements between Newark and Widmerpool; and

• The Spending Review announces a £5,000 incentive for the purchase of electric vehicles coupled with the roll out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Electric vehicle manufacturers based in the East Midlands may benefit from the introduction of these measures.

Stimulating private sector growth
The Government has set in place a number of important initiatives to support growth across the English regions, including those with a recent track record of below average economic performance. The Local Growth White Paper to be published shortly will outline in more detail key initiatives to support growth locally and in the regions, including:

• £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund over 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14. This will provide support for projects that offer significant potential for sustainable economic growth and can create new private sector employment, particularly in those areas currently dependent on the public sector, helping them to make the transition to private sector led growth and prosperity;

• Tax Increment Financing, which will enable local authorities, including potentially those in the East Midlands, to borrow against locally raised business rates; and

• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPS) which will provide the strategic leadership in areas and set out local economic priorities. LEPs will play a pivotal role in delivering the Government's aim for an economy "rebalanced" towards the private sector.

Providing local areas with incentives and powers through devolution
The Government is clear of the need to encourage and incentivise growth in all regions, and ensure that local communities benefit from these actions. This Spending Review outlines how the Government will devolve power to Local Government, giving greater control over its spending, reducing excessive bureaucracy and regulations:

• In total, local authorities will have greater control over more than £7 billion of funding from 2011-12 which is moving into Local Government formula grant, being unringfenced or is new funding for the SR10 period, so enabling them to better meet local communities' needs; and

• Reducing barriers to effective joint working by establishing the first Community Budgets in 16 local areas, including Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, from April 2011. Pooled departmental budgets will help councils and their partners to work together to support families with complex needs. All places may be able to operate these approaches from 2013-14.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander:
‘The consequences of not acting now would be disastrous. We would be faced with higher interest rates, business failures, more job losses and even potentially the end of the recovery. So, we have to be brave and tackle it now. Delaying decisions would mean even more money wasted on debt interest, and so even bigger cuts in the end.

Instead the choices we make will invest in the future - to give everyone the opportunity for a fair start in life regardless, of their background. By being tough on waste and welfare, we are able to find money for the services that really matter - giving children a good start in life, supporting the NHS, and caring for older people.'

(HM Treatury press release)

Download the Spending Review 2010 report here.

Further information and all published documents relating to Budget 2010 may be found at:

HM Treasury: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

HM Revenue & Customs: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

EM IEP Newsletter - Sept/Oct 2010

20 Oct 2010

Procurement & Efficiency Bulletin - Sept/Oct 2010

20 Oct 2010

LG Group Transparency Programme - Consultation

19 Oct 2010

The government has pledged greater transparency across the public sector through publishing data to strengthen accountability to citizens. Government has committed to publishing certain information on salaries, spending and contracts by January 2011.

This agenda is set to grow and embrace other areas of information. It is an opportunity for local public service providers and the people and businesses that they serve, to better use public data and information as an asset to add value to public services or to help people and communities who need information and data to do things for themselves. It also offers opportunities to foster wider use of digitally based information and services: what some describe as a 21st century element in literacy.

Many authorities already publish considerable data. The challenge now is to be systematic about this, and to adopt some basic digital approaches in making data public to maximise everyone's ability to benefit.

The Local Government Group in collaboration with the Local Public Data Panel is publishing a set of guides to offer practical help to meet both immediate targets of publishing data, and to adopt approaches that will add most value for local people and public services over the longer term.

This is a rapidly evolving and innovative agenda, so the guides are not static, mandatory requirements but rather they are ‘live' documents that are open for you to comment on and offer the benefits of your experience.

The local Government Group want your views on the draft guides for local authorities on publishing transparency data. You can browse each document and leave comments on each section, or send them your feedback privately.

The website containing all the documents is available at: http://lgtransparency.readandcomment.com/

Professional Services Press - Oct 2010

19 Oct 2010

This is the first edition of the Professional Services Press, the quarterly newsletter on temporary staff and consultancy procurement.

This edition brings you an update on the agency worker directive, information on collaborative contracts, our behavioural change initiatives and much more!

Quango reforms herald new age of accountability in Government

19 Oct 2010

As part of the Government's commitment to radically increase the transparency and accountability of all public services, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, has summarised plans to substantially reform a large number of public bodies and also announced further proposals.

The Government intends to introduce a Public Bodies Bill that will enable many of these plans to be implemented.

The reform process, which covered all of HM Government's Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), as well as other bodies, such as some non-ministerial departments and some public corporations, will help to reinvigorate the public's trust in democracy and also ensure that the Government operates in a more efficient and business-like way.

The Government proposes to reform 481 bodies. Of these 192 will cease to be public bodies and their functions will either be brought back into Government, devolved to local government, moved out of Government or abolished altogether. Examples include:

- Devolving responsibility for the work of Development Corporations to local government

- Bringing organisations under more direct Ministerial control, such as the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, Renewable Fuels Agency and, as previously announced, the Appointments Commission

- Enabling organisations, such as the Design Council and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), to become charities.

In addition, as part of the planned reforms, if it is clear that a public body has accomplished its mission and no longer needs to exist, it will be abolished.

Speaking about the changes, Francis Maude said that this process represented the restoration of political accountability for decisions which affect people's lives and the way taxpayers' money is spent:

"We know that for a long time there has been a huge hunger for change. People have been fed up with the old way of doing business, where the Ministers they voted for could often avoid taking responsibility for difficult and tough decisions by creating or hiding behind one of these quangos.

"Today's announcement means that many important and essential functions will be brought back into departments meaning the line of accountability will run right up to the very top where it always should have been."

As part of the reforms the Government is also announcing proposals to merge 118 bodies down to 57, and to substantially reform a further 171. Examples include:

- Strengthening the competition regime by forming a single competition and market authority

- Substantially reforming organisations such as the Environment Agency and the Homes and Communities Agency working with them to streamline their work.

 To read more go to: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/101014-quangos.aspx

Councils' Red Tape Cut as 4,700 Whitehall Targets Slashed

19 Oct 2010

Sweeping measures that will radically reduce bureaucratic reporting for councils were announced by Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles ahead of the Government's Spending Review.

Ending the requirement to report back to central government will mean local authorities will be free to focus on protecting frontline services. Underlining his commitment to localism, Mr Pickles said that the years of Government micromanaging were over.

The abolition of centrally driven targets, known as Local Area Agreements, will instantly remove reporting on 4,700 Whitehall targets from councils' daily workloads. Instead, local areas will be in control of their own delivery targets, answering to residents.

In addition, National Indicators used to monitor council performance will be replaced with an agreed single list of Whitehall data requirements for local government. New transparency arrangements will make sure councils remain accountable to local people.

Mr Pickles reiterated that transparency, productivity and innovation must be the watchwords for council business from here on in.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles said:

"Time and time again, I hear complaints from councils about how much of a burden the National Indicator set is. Not because measurement and targets are always a bad thing.

"But national targets tend to mean that councils are constantly working on things which matter to Whitehall, regardless of what local residents think. I'd much rather councils were tackling local issues. The money being spent on form fillers and bean counters could be far better spent helping elderly people to stay in their homes.

"So I'm scrapping the existing local area agreements. I'm handing over control of more than 4,700 targets to councils and their voters. To keep them or dump them as they see fit.

"And instead of the National Indicator Set, and instead of every single department's endless demands that you measure this, that or the other, there's just going to be one list of every bit of data that Government needs."

Read the CLG statement at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsstories/newsroom/1740503  and Eric Pickles' article http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2010/10/the-bonfire-of-local-government-targets.html 

East Midlands Region Safeguarding Adults Development Day

18 Oct 2010

An East Midlands Region Safeguarding Adults Development Day was held on the 27th September 2010 at The Derby Conference Centre. 94 delegates and speakers from around the Region attended the event which was hosted by the East Midlands Joint Improvement Safeguarding and Dignity Board, Local Government Improvement and Development agency and The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership

The aim of the day was to share examples of local and regional good practice, to highlight the work of the EM JIP Safeguarding and Dignity Board and to give an opportunity for national, regional and local updates

The East Midlands Adult Safeguarding Boards were invited to nominate delegates, who included, people who use services carers, strategic and operational safeguarding adult leads in local authorities and partner agencies, Safeguarding Board Chairs and lead members.

Cath Roff the Chair of the East Midlands Joint Improvement Partnership Safeguarding and Dignity Board and the Strategic Director Adults Health and Housing Derby City Council chaired the day.

Councillor David Sprason -East Midlands Regional Elected Member Champion for Adult Social Care and Sue Disley Assistant Director Adults and Communities - Leicestershire County Council led the mornings keynote speakers. The presentation 'Think Family' and ‘Think Community' - A year on from the Pilkington Inquest' heralded a lively question and answer session

Tim Milner form the Local Government and Improvement Agency formerly IDeA gave an instructive presentation and demonstration on the Community of Practice website which will play a pivotal role in sharing Adult Safeguarding information in the East Midlands (www.idea.gov.uk)

Cathie Williams Local Government Improvement and Development Safeguarding Lead spoke on' Interfaces and thresholds: making the whole safeguarding system work' and also gave an update on the work being undertaken by Local Government and Improvement

Delegates were able to select two workshops from the following:
1. Deprivation of Liberty and Safeguarding - Robert Nisbet (DoH)
2. ‘How do you solve a problem like medicines management?' - Darren Allsobrook (Derby City Council)
3. Vulnerability - the emerging role of the police and implications for Safeguarding - Inspector Geoff Hughes (Leicestershire Constabulary)
4. Dignity in Care Homes - Annette Forbes (Leicestershire County Council)
5. Empowerment and the Involvement of People in the Safeguarding Process - What can we do now? - Jane Foster
6. Commissioning, safeguarding and poor practice - Julie Sanderson (Nottingham City Council)

Speakers notes and information from the workshops are available through the Community of Practice website on the East Midlands Region Adult Safeguarding Community of Practice at: www.idea.gov.uk  

Lincoln City Apprenticeship Scheme: Finalist at National Training Awards 2010

18 Oct 2010

Congratulations to Lincoln City Council whose apprenticeship scheme made it into the finals at this year's National Training Awards 2010. The scheme was one of 24 finalists from the region hat were shortlisted in recognition of their outstanding contribution and commitment to training, learning and development in the workplace.

The region's winners were revealed at an awards ceremony which took place in Leicester at Athena on Thursday 14 October.

Run on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) by UK Skills, the National Training Awards inspires and encourages UK industry to invest in training and development as a route to achieving outstanding organisational and individual success. Winning an Award is a recognition of best practice and provides a benchmark for standards of excellence in training in the UK. City & Guilds is the premier sponsor of the 2010 National Training Awards.

Simon Bartley, Chief Executive of UK Skills which manages the National Training Awards said: "I would like to offer congratulations to all entrants who have made the shortlist as a regional finalist for the National Training Awards 2010. Being selected as a regional finalist of the Awards is a fantastic achievement and one that all of those shortlisted should be really proud of.
"Now more than ever it is essential for organisations to continue to invest in the development of their staff. The UK's future, after all, can only be strengthened and sustained by people who have the skills needed to meet the demands of today's globalised economy."

To watch a short film featuring the Cityy of Lincoln's Apprenticeship Scheme, go to:
http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/emiep-tv/1/27/


To find out more go to: http://www.nationaltrainingawards.com/index.cfm 

Winners Announced - EMCBE Constructing Excellence Awards

15 Oct 2010

The winners of the prestigious East Midlands Regional Awards were announced at a special celebration at the Leicester Tigers Ground last night.

The awards were set up to recognise the high standards of work being carried out by the construction industry across the region, and the aim is to highlight the significant difference that these projects - both large and small - make to communities and to celebrate the achievements of the people behind them.

The 2010 East Midlands Regional Awards winners are:


Skills and Training

Winner
Standing out from the Crowd - Skills and Training Willmott Dixon

Highly Commended
EMPA Skills Academy - Scape System Build (EM IEP sponsored project)

Infrastructure

Winner
New Raynesway Derby - BWB Consulting

Environmental / Sustainability Award

Winner
Unity Gardens - Robert Woodhead

Innovation Business Award

Winner
Extensia / Bringing New Dimensions to Concrete - Lafarge

Heritage Award

Winner
The Priory Church of St Mary - Midlands Stonemasonry Ltd

 
Achiever's Award

tbc 

 
Client of the Year

Winner
Nottingham City Homes - Decent Homes Regeneration Project

Highly Commended
SCAPE System Build (EM IEP sponsored project)

 
Project of the Year

Winner
Newton Arkwright Regeneration - Turner & Townsend

Highly Commended
HMP Nottingham - Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd



For full details go to the EMCBE website at: http://www.emcbe.com/Events/winners-2010.htm

LATs Newsletter Oct 2010

14 Oct 2010

Introduction
UK meets 2010 Targets
Consultation on meeting EU Landfill Diversion Targets
Landfill Diversion Targets Stakeholder Steering Group
LATS Register
Data Reporting
Trade Prices
Trading update
LATS visits
Reconciliation of BMW Landfilled
National Statistics and Report on the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme 2009/10

To read more please click here

Keeping MRF Contamination in check WIN case study

14 Oct 2010

NEW!! Keeping MRF Contamination in check - Find out how Project Integra audit the contamination at the Materials Recovery Facility in Alton

EMCBE Constructing Excellence Awards 2010 - finalists announced

13 Oct 2010

The winners of the prestigious East Midlands Regional Awards will be announced at a special celebration at the Leicester Tiger's Ground on Thursday, 14th October.

Now in their third successful year, the EMCBE awards will see all shortlisted project teams rub shoulders with prominent guests from within the region. From numerous applications by projects across the region, 32 remain contesting the eight categories. Each category will have one winner who will receive a hand crafted award and a certificate to share with their project partners as they wish.

The awards were set up to recognise the high standards of work being carried out by the construction industry across the region, and the aim is to highlight the significant difference that these projects - both large and small - make to communities and to celebrate the achievements of the people behind them.

The following organisations have been shortlisted:

2010 East Midlands Regional Awards Finalists Announced

Skills and Training
Highways Inspector Accreditation and National Highway Inspector Competency Standards
Leicestershire County Council

Skills & Training
Lincoln Cathedral

Priors Hall Park Apprenticeship Scheme
Bela Partnership / Tresham Institute
NNDC

Standing out from the Crowd
Skills and Training Willmott Dixon

EMPA Skills Academy (EM IEP sponsored project)
Scape System Build

Infrastructure

Kettering Market Place
Kettering Borough Council / NNDC Northamptonshire County Council

Priors Hall Park
Bela Partnership / NNDC

A14 Corridor Traffic Management Scheme
Birse Civil

New Raynesway Derb
BWB Consulting

Environmental / Sustainability Award

Derbyshire ECO Centre
Derbyshire County Council

Larkfleet Group

Stanwick Lakes
Rockingham Forest Trust

Standing out from the Crowd
Willmott Dixon

Unity Gardens
Robert Woodhead

RIBA East Midlands
Low Carbon for Architecture

CEH Wallingford
Turner & Townsend

Innovation Business Award

Leicestershire County Council
Medium Schemes Framework 1

Midlands Highway Alliance (EM IEP sponsored project)
Harmonised Specification Project
Leicestershire County Council

A14 Corridor Traffic Management Scheme (CLIP)
Birse Civil

Extensia
Bringing New Dimensions to Concrete
Lafarge

Heritage Award

The Priory Church of St Mary
Midlands Stonemasonry Ltd

Wells Court
Sandtoft Roof Tiles

Kettering Market Place
Kettering Borough Council / NNDC
Northamptonshire County Council

Atkins Building
Willmott Dixon

Hardwick Hall E Lodge
Robert Woodhead

Achiever's Award

CONFIDENTIAL
TO BE ANOUNCED ON THE NIGHT

Client of the Year

Nottingham City Homes
Decent Homes Regeneration Project

SCAPE System Build (EM IEP sponsored project)

Nottingham City Homes

Project of the Year

Midlands Highway Alliance
Harmonised Specification Project
Leicestershire County Council

Newton Arkwright Regeneration
Turner & Townsend

HMP Nottingham
Willmott Dixon

Lincolnshire Schools Dining Halls (EM IEP sponsored project)
Robert Woodhead

CEH Wallingford
Turner & Townsend

The presenter and guest speaker is Simon Weston OBE, the inspirational survivor of the infamous bombing of the 'Sir Galahad' in the Falklands Conflict. Simon is now a highly respected motivational speaker on 'survival' and positive thinking.

MHA Launches First Highways Training Academy

12 Oct 2010

Hundreds of public and private sector highways and construction staff from across the midlands are set to benefit from a new training initiative from Friday.

The Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA) is launching the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) on 15 October. The Academy will be the first highways based Skills Academy in the UK.

The National Skills Academy programme is a government initiative led by the Skills Funding Agency. Skills Academies aims to drive up the standard of industry training, improve productivity and tackle skills shortages across the UK. According to the Construction Skills Network report released earlier this year, the East Midlands' construction industry is predicted to be among the best
performing in the UK with projected growth well above the national average*.

However one in six construction workers have no formal qualifications and two thirds of employers report problems finding sufficiently skilled and experienced staff.

The MHA Skills Academy initiative will be vital in helping to meet the region's construction and highways needs. Over the next 4 years, it will act as a vehicle for delivering training throughout the supply chain. The training is aimed at all levels - from apprenticeships and site-based operatives to managers and professionals within the businesses, large and small.

Local people will be given opportunities to be trained into jobs in the industry, to ensure this project benefits the local area. Opportunities for work experience will also be offered to students from local schools and to undergraduates on the Construction Skills ‘Inspire Scholarship' programme.

Matthew Lugg, Chair of the MHA said "We are delighted to be the first highways based skills academy in the country. "We firmly believe the Academy will expose staff in our authorities and contractor partners to a wealth of new learning and development opportunities. This will not only benefit employees just beginning their career in this industry but also
existing highway staff.

"It is important that local authorities seek to work collaboratively to continually develop their employees to maintain a highly skilled work force which is at the forefront of the highways industry "We fully appreciate in the current climate that starting a new academy is likely to be a big challenge, but we recognise that we need to be prepared and address the growing skills shortage in the construction industry, so that when recovery comes we are ready for it".

Amanda Sergeant, East Midlands Regional Strategy Advisor at Construction Skills said: "By its very nature, construction tends to be a hugely fragmented industry and the only place that everyone comes together is on a live construction site.

"Focussed, on-site, employer-led training through NSAfCs like this are therefore a highly effective way of delivering training to local people and ensuring that the right skills can be deployed in the right place in the future."

Watch our short film about the MHA and find out more by clicking here.

For more information visit www.cskills.org.uk or www.leics.gov.uk/mha

Alternatively, contact MHA Manager, Peter Barclay on 0116 305 5681 peter.barclay@leics.gov.uk 


MHA Background
The MHA formed in 2007 and is a collaboration of 13 Midlands-based Local Authorities plus the Highways Agency, who joined together to make efficiency savings in the procurement of contractors and highway commodoties. The partnership comprises the following authorities:

• Derby City Council
• Derbyshire County Council
• Leicester City Council
• Leicestershire County Council
• Lincolnshire County Council
• Milton Keynes Council
• Northamptonshire County Council
• Nottingham City Council
• Nottinghamshire County Council
• Peterborough City Council
• Rutland County Council
• South Derbyshire District Council
• Staffordshire County Council
• The Highways Agency