Improving services

Improving services
Local government provides a vast amount of vital services to the public. It is important that these services are provided to a high standard and efficiently, therefore councils must continually strive to improve what they do.

Children and young people
The Children’s Act 2004 outlines the Government’s aim for every child. It is based on five outcomes: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving through learning, making a positive contribution to society and achieving economic well-being. Local councils are working with partners to provide support for children, young people and their families, so they can achieve these five outcomes.

Also part of the young people’s agenda and published in 2005, are the 14-19 Education White Paper, which aims to transform secondary education and offer young people more choice to learn in ways that motivate them, and the Youth Green Paper, which aims to provide better support for teenagers.

To find out more about legislation covering children and young people check the following websites:
Department for Education and Skills www.dfes.gov.uk
Every Child Matters website www.everychildmatters.gov.uk

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve services for children and young people check the IDeA website.

Environment
Local councils work to improve people’s every day lives and play a huge part in maintaining the local environment. Recent legislation, covering planning, cleaner neighbourhoods and sustainable communities, has meant that local councils must work in partnership to achieve environments where people want to live and work.

A sustainable community must offer decent homes at affordable prices, good public transport, schools, hospitals, shops and a clean, safe environment.

To find out more about legislation covering planning, the environment and sustainable communities check the Communities and Local Government website.

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve environment-related services, check the IDeA website.

Health and social care
Local council’s play a major role in the provision of social care and reducing health inequalities. The Government’s recent health and social care white paper sets a new direction for the provision of these services in communities, including ensuring that they are more personalised to fit with people’s lives and that services are more integrated across health and social care.

To find out more about legislation covering health and social care and to read recent white papers check the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk.

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve health and social care services, check the IDeA website.

Housing
The Housing Act 2004 includes some of the biggest changes in local council housing services for many years. It is designed to protect the most vulnerable in society, while creating a fairer housing market for everyone. The Housing Act includes the introduction of a new Housing Health and Safety Rating System, a new mandatory licence for Houses in Multiple Occupation, the selective licensing of private landlords and wide ranging powers for local councils to make management orders.

To find out more about the Housing Act and related legislation check the Communities and Local Government website.

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve housing check the IDeA website.

Leisure and culture
Local councils play a crucial role in the provision of cultural and leisure facilities in local communities. Local government works closely with the Department for Culture Media and Sport in order to ensure that people get maximum benefit from the money spent on local cultural services. Leisure and culture contributes to many local government priorities such as health and well being, community cohesion and education, and it plays an important part in improving people’s quality of life.

To find out more about the Government’s leisure and culture agenda check the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website www.culture.gov.uk.

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve leisure and cultural services provision check the IDeA website.

Community safety
Local councils are involved in building stronger, safer communities and helping to reduce violent crime and anti-social behaviour. They work in close partnership with the police to ensure that crime is dealt with quickly and effectively and that the public receive appropriate reassurances and messages concerning their safety.

To find out more about the Government’s National Community Safety Plan check the Crime Reduction website.

To find out more about what local councils are doing to improve community safety check the IDeA website.