Policy Briefings
VOX brings you briefings of the latest Central and Local Government policy and reports to do with community and the voluntary and community sectors below:
Duty to Involve (October 2009)
On April 1 2009 the new Duty to Involve came into force for all 'best value' authorities across England including all local councils. The Duty requires local councils and these partner authorities to 'embed a culture of engagement and empowerment' by placing them under a duty to inform, consult and involve local citizens.
Fair Rules for Strong Communities (December 2008)
On the eve of the Queen's speech, the 'Fair Rules for Strong Communities' paper set out a number of reforms to strengthen communities and contribute to dealing with the global economic downturn. Policy initiatives have been outlined for:
Welfare reform
Crime and policing
Children and young people
Business rules
Immigration
Empowerment
Parish Councils "the smallest unit of electoral democracy" (November 2008)
In November 2008 Communities Secretary Hazel Blears outlined plans to encourage new town and parish councils to be set up so that more decision making powers are placed in the hands of local people.
The National Health Service Reform Bill & Draft Constitution (September 2008)
The main purpose of the planned National Health Service Reform Bill is to take forward proposals from Lord Darzi's NHS Next Stage Review of the NHS in England that would require legislation to enable proposals to become reality.
Policing and Crime Reduction Bill (September 2008)
The Policing Green Paper explains how the government will work with police to prevent crime, improve public confidence and give people more information about crime and policing where they live and work.
Real power, real people
Click here for more info on the Empowerment White Paper
"We want...a refreshing blast of common sense to be applied to decision making".
The Empowerment White Paper, published in July 2008, sets out proposals the Government hope will deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens.
Unlocking the Talent of our Communities (April 2008)
At the beginning of March, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced radical plans to unlock talent in local communities, give people a real say on improving local services and promoting active citizenship, by unveiling plans for a new White Paper focused on empowering citizens.
The Path to Citizenship (Feb 2008)
This looks at reforms to be introduced across Government with a view to strengthening shared values and citizenship. The purpose of this Green Paper is to set out how reform of a newcomer's path to citizenship or permanent residence can contribute to this agenda.
The Future of the Third Sector (July 2007)
From May 2006 until now the Government has been examining the role of these organisations in society and how they work together to make changes and reach out to people across all parts of society. This included the largest consultation the Government ever carried out with third-sector organisations, and included over 90 consultation events all over England.
Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government
The Strategy points to a number of improvements the government have overseen since 1997 to support and engage with the sector. These include:
- Establishing the Compact and Commissioner for the Compact
- Investing in the sector's capacity for example the neighbourhood renewal funding
- Extending financial support and introducing the new organisational structures
- Establishment of the Office of the Third Sector (OTS)
LAA and the Third Sector (June 2007)
A briefing on The National Audit Office Review of Local Area Agreements and the Third Sector.
Comprehensive Area Assessment and the changing face of public service improvement (April 2007)
The Local Government White Paper and the subsequent Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill set out a new performance framework for local services. The White Paper signaled a new stage in reforming local services with a new performance framework including Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) at its heart. CAA will focus on place rather than the individual bodies responsible for local services.
Lyons Inquiry Briefing (March 07)
In July 2004 Sir Michael Lyons was asked bycentral Government to look at changes to the local government system - in particular to make recommendations on council tax reform, to assess the case for giving local authorities more powers to charge for services and other options enabling authorities to raise supplementary revenue. His remit was extended to cover local government's role and function.and the overall aim of the Inquiry was to introduce reformsthat improve the well-being of all our communities.
Motivations and Barriers to Citizen Governance (Jan 2007)
The report contains the outcomes of a study which used focus group interviews to build upon the findings of the 2005 Citizenship Survey on involvement in citizenship governance roles. The study provides an insight into people's awareness and knowledge of citizen governance, the barriers and motivations to involvement and the types of people who get involved in these roles.
White Paper Briefing(Oct 06)
The aim of this White Paper is to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It is about creating strong, prosperous communities and delivering better public services through a rebalancing of the relationship between central government, local government and local people.