Improvement Service Newsletter, August 2016

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Improvement Service Newsletter, August 2016

Community planning support portal launched

A new web portal signposting the support available for Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) has been launched.

Developed by the Improvement Service, the Community Planning in Scotland portal brings together information about the support available from national improvement agencies (Improvement Service, Education Scotland, NHS Health Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland) and national programmes such as Workforce Scotland.

Violence Against Women Partnership Guidance published

New guidance for Scotland's local multi-agency Violence Against Women Partnerships has been published by the Scottish Government and COSLA.

Developed in partnership with the Improvement Service and the National Violence Against Women Network, the Guidance highlights the key role that Violence Against Women Partnerships are expected to play in implementing Equally Safe: Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls at a local strategic level.

Transformation essential to offset budget cuts to money advice services

Local authorities will need to implement wide-ranging transformation in order to maintain advice services in the face of budget cuts, according to a review by the Money Advice Outcomes Project.

Aberdeenshire Council launches Alerts Service using myaccount

In a move to further encourage take-up of online services, Aberdeenshire Council has launched a new Alerts Service using myaccount - the first time the sign-in service has been used in this way.

Over 20,000 existing and any new subscribers to the Council's Alerts Service are able to use their myaccount to sign up to receive real-time notifications on their mobile or tablet about bin collection dates, school closures, job vacancies, nearest recycling centres, local councillors and more.

East Ayrshire and West Lothian Councils extend use of tellmescotland

East Ayrshire and West Lothian councils are widening their use of tellmescotland, publishing new types of public notices to the portal.

Scottish Public Services Network Update

Interested in community councils?

Community councils are the most local tier of democracy, set up to represent their local communities and act on behalf of their area. The Scottish Community Councillors Development Network is a friendly group aimed at enabling community councillors to share questions, ideas and good practice about running a community council. The group is open to anyone with an interest in community councils and may be helpful if you’re working with engaging local communities across Scotland.

Read more about Scottish community councils at www.communitycouncils.scot

Our top 3 most active groups this month are:

Scottish Empty Homes Officer Network

Scottish Performance Management Forum

SCOTS/CSSW - Roads Asset Management Project

Is there a topic or area of interest you would like to see on Knowledge Hub? Please contact mike.mclean@improvementservice.org.uk with your idea.

Latest publications and resources

Case study: West Lothian Money Week

Money Week has been delivered annually since 2011 to raise financial awareness and reach those people who might be affected by poverty. This case study covers its aims and organisation.

Read the case study

Change management webinars

Two new webinars from the Change Managers' Network: 'The Vanguard Method and public services', hosted by John Seddon of Vanguard, and 'How can we create a "performance culture" through a data-based approach?' by Dr Pietro Micheli from the University of Warwick.

Find out more...

Case study: addressing poverty and stigma in Dundee - a partnership approach to training

When a public consultation exercise revealed that people living in poverty in Dundee felt they were stigmatised by service providers, the Equally Well and Welfare Rights teams at Dundee City Council collaborated on a training package to help services examine and improve their approach to dealing with people.

Read the case study

Webinar: Harmonising Indicators Project

An introduction to the Harmonising Indicators Project led by Ginny Jackson (Parkhead CAB) and Diane Kennedy (Evaluation Support Scotland). Initiated by Parkhead CAB, and funded by Citizens Advice Scotland's Development Committee, the project aims to identify a more rational set of indicators that Citizens Advice Bureaux can offer to funders, and is assessing the scope for harmonising reporting requirements across different funders. A recorecording of this webinar is now available on Knowledge Hub.

Listen to the webinar (registration/login required)

Upcoming Events

Kai-Sigma - North Ayrshire Council (webinar)

1 September 2016

Gavin MacGregor, Head of People and Transformation at North Ayrshire Council will talk about how the Council put employee involvement, innovation and empowerment at the heart of a new internal lean improvement project was developed to accelerate service improvements. Described by an external expert as “the best he has ever seen, public or private sector”, this project won the Scottish Business Excellence Award as well as the Personnel Today Excellence in Public Sector HR Award in 2015.

Find out more...

PSIF Learning Event

15 September 2016, Glasgow

The Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) is a performance improvement model which encourages organisations to conduct a comprehensive review of their own activities and results.

This event, hosted by the Improvement Service, will see a range of presentations, workshops and information sharing from organisations that will help organisations get best value out of the Public Service Improvement Framework.

Find out more...

Sustainable Health Scotland

22 September 2016, Glasgow

Sustainable Health Scotland 2016 will address the role of sustainable development within Scotland’s health services focusing on the shift to a preventative system.

Find out more...

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