BrainCan - public leaders network

our collective shame: the treatment of children in...

Despite cuts to the youth justice system and reports of abuse by G4S staff,young people in prisons...

police volunteers cannot be seen as a straight...

Theresa May wants to give police volunteers more power,a move that could supplement policing work...

five weird and wacky ways councils are cracking...

From lively games to publicly identifying offenders,local authorities are getting creative in the...

cuts are hitting uk firefighters where it matters...

Fire chiefs being forced to tighten budgets are making tough decisions that could maintain deadly...

one way to solve prison overpopulation crisis: put...

whether Michael Gove is serious approximately cutting prisoner numbers,he needs to make crime...

slash police budgets - it will stop officers doing...

Police officers are concerned their work won’t win picked up by other struggling public services....

fighting fake news: societies using technology to...

From the Czech Republic to Taiwan,public bodies are combining technology and human expertise to...

the forgotten casualties and hidden health...

Most studies focus on the impact on families forced out of their homes,often overlooking the fate of...

how the spending review should look if the...

If George Osborne set out public expenditure with national wellbeing in intellect,what would policy...

whitehall is in a fog of war over the chancellors...

Government’s business guru Sir Ian Cheshire says disjointed civil service departments are...

i take your 999 calls, but i dont know where you...

So much of my job as a fire control operator is based on local knowledge. Now that we have to grasp...

in a zombie apocalypse, will the government have...

Ministry of Defence will refuse to take charge,but councils bear at least considered the standard...

the council pension pots fuelling local futures...

Renewable energy,social housing, infrastructure – there’s no shortage of ethical inspiration for...

police at notting hill carnival: its difficult not...

Getting the right policing style is so essential at the carnival,says Supt Robyn Williams, who is...

george osbornes iou cuts leave public sector...

The chancellor has in effect admitted that more cuts will be needed in 2018 – but he won’t say...

i shudder when i think about the future for kids...

Too many of the young people I work with are shunted around the system and ignored when budget cuts...

you would never know i am crying after i answer...

Emergency medical dispatchers are trained to stay smooth so you can’t tell how much we care when...

does the civil service still have a problem with...

This year’s survey of nearly 280000 civil servants appears to explain morale holding up. But look...

soon there wont be enough senior council roles...

As sparkling young staff on the local government scheme we thought we were the future. With so many...

its the library users without gloves i worry about...

In this cold weather,public libraries are warm and open to all. The belief of them no longer being...

we should assess prisons by what happens once...

If David Cameron wants to execute prisons accountable for their performance,they are going to need...

lord adonis: hs3 could be the rail revolution of...

During the 1800s,Manchester and Sheffield quadrupled while Bradford grew eightfold. tall-speed rail...

devolution will decide the future of the civil...

Bernard Jenkin’s new inquiry into the civil service doesn’t even mention devolution – yet it...

without clarity and local scrutiny we risk the...

Tens,even hundreds, of billions of pounds are being handed over to regions with cramped obvious...

the hidden exploitation of frontline staff by...

Middle managers in both the public and private sector are skimming funds from public services –...

how were helping domestic abuse survivors find...

Taking control of their own finances can be daunting for women escaping domestic violence. An east...

three quarters of civil service pension records...

Government watchdog blames lack of data and gross governance for poor performance by MyCSP and...

its every whitehall department for itself in...

Spending decisions ignore evidence in favour of politics,as the horsetrading over plans to slash...

councils want to help people in financial crisis,...

Cuts have created soaring demand for money advice. Cash-strapped local authorities are looking for...

want a new tram? ask the chinese

As the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa unveils its first commuter rail system,funded and built by...

whitehall still has a diversity problem - heres...

The civil service fast stream attracts predominantly white,well-off graduates, but is working to...

local government and the budget 2016: views from...

New devolution deals,trade rates reform and stripping councils of their hold on education –...

a conversation with a colleague that helped me...

For Time to Talk Day,which aims to get people talking approximately mental health, we’d like you...

i lost the job i loved because i was unable to...

I was a top civil servant but by the time I found the courage to open up approximately my mental...

it will hurt like hell if newcastles citizens...

Advice services are crucial in the north east – the region worst hit by austerity – yet a major...

mayor of bethlehem: we light our christmas tree as...

Vera Baboun,the first female leader of the Palestinian city believed to be the birthplace of Jesus,...

cities must scale up their ambitions for...

The first devolution deals are a good start,but they have been too tentative. It’s time for cities...

prisoner education is not a panacea. gove should...

Plans to earn governors accountable for educating prisoners won’t succeed while we’re still...

police work is changing, so officers must get the...

With fewer staff and new kinds of work,policing will possess to become more specialised - and...

i run a domestic abuse charity, where some staff...

My staff and I hear gruelling accounts of human cruelty and provide a secure space,but fixed funding...

civil service contracts: bigger is not always...

The Crown Commercial Service was set up in 2013 to deliver economies of scale,but now smaller...

how to tell if the police and crime commissioner...

Only 8% of people even know who their PCC is. These five questions will help us judge their success...

my public sector colleagues know how phones work ...

As a social worker I’ve worked in all sorts of teams and one thing never changes: fellow...

end the costly, energy sapping political games...

Central government has made big strides in making its £13bn procurement spend more effective....

fixing the uks mental health crisis will need both...

People in need deserve better than a few patchy pilot schemes. It’s time to fill the gaps in our...

i had to escape the town hall to see the people...

Those of us working on policy in local government are in danger of losing touch with frontline staff...

if the police dont get to you straight away, its...

As a police controller I contain to assess which 999 callers are in the most danger and sometimes I...

poverty premium: why it costs so much more to be...

The poorest UK households are locked out of the cheapest deals on energy and phone tariffs – but...

i started making fire when i fell out of love with...

Ten years into my career putting out fires,I started creating them by hand to clock off from the...

will the uk civil service ever reflect the diverse...

As Whitehall takes part in National Inclusion Week for the first time,we examine what it’s doing...

in cornwall, we refuse to give up our fire service...

The council is in a much better position to control fire and rescue than the cash-strapped and less...

border staff are needed more than ever, but are...

Border staff are crucial to national security amid terrorism attacks and a migration crisis – yet...

the right sort of female chap - the story of women...

The civil service promotes diversity on a number of fronts,but in the past, only a certain kind of...

its time for councils to stop out of control...

Local authorities are under pressure to contract out services,but a fresh campaign wants a public...

iain duncan smith: the latest mp to pretend...

It’s nefarious enough that the secretary of state used his position to hammer Enfield council on...

lambeth councils campaign to hammer home the...

The London borough’s chief executive has tough choices to make and wants to win residents on...

privatised probation staff: stressed, deskilled...

final year 8600 probation staff were outsourced. Now,with job insecurity and high workloads, many...

what do councils achieve each day? share your...

On 18 November local government staff will take to Twitter to celebrate their work. divulge us via...

ten things we have learned about local government...

Devolution might finally be giving hopeful councils a site in the limelight,but it is marred by...

debt is dealt with better in scotland we need...

Vulnerable people in debt throughout the UK need the support,protection and room to breathe that’s...

the new wave of english mayors: power to the...

Across England,discussions about devolution and regional mayors are taking position behind closed...

can britains bureaucracy handle a brexit?

If Britain votes to leave the EU,cash-strapped Whitehall will face the unprecedented task of...

for many library visitors, i am the only person...

As austerity creeps further into people’s lives,more are turning to libraries like mine for abet...

i wish i could do more to protect your loved ones...

Sometimes it takes me weeks to find a hospital bed for seriously mentally ill people – it’s...

universal credit could prove an uphill struggle...

Receiving monthly benefits could encourage people to maintain better control of their finances,but...

civil service cuts: supervising hs2 cannot be left...

Osborne’s plan for public services contains the enormous assumption that far fewer civil servants...

expect more teenage pregnancies and stis as public...

Slicing money out of local prevention services is ‘economically nonsensical’,completely...

junior doctors row shows how fear stalks public...

Protests over hospital contracts expose the insecurity of public sector jobs – and there are many...

what will happen to oil and gas workers as the...

Building a wind farm or solar energy project is nothing professionals in fossil fuels can’t...

i work with women facing domestic and sexual...

nowadays we work tirelessly just to defend the ground that we won in the years since the first...

the army dismissed me for being gay - now i am an...

I lived a double life for years but now I try to be a role model. Pride is a reminder of how far...

whitehall officials refuse to use the word profit...

Civil servants fixated on minutiae are holding back billion-pound savings in government...

the way insurers lock out people with court...

Mainstream domestic and car insurers fill a blanket ban on people with unspent convictions – these...

manchesters grand ambition to turn a £7bn deficit...

Trafford council’s chief executive Theresa Grant has a daunting to-do list to serve make...

local government chiefs receive new year honours...

More than 30 serving and former local government officers and politicians receive medals in the...

if you dial 999, firefighters respond. now we need...

Cuts are mounting,more firefighters are dying, my friends are leaving. The challenges seem...

nominations open for 2016 public leaders network...

In tougher times than ever for public services,we’re looking for nine leaders to befriend us plan...

this is not a plea for sympathy, but i want you to...

I absorb seen more distress than is kindly for anyone in a lifetime,and cuts are making the job even...

central government and the spending review: doing...

George Osborne announced cuts for some Whitehall departments of approximately 50% over a decade....

how to join the civil service fast stream

More than 20000 graduates applied for approximately 900 roles in 2014. Here’s how to make certain...

what is local government and how can you get...

As voters get alert for the council elections on 5 May,here’s what you need to know approximately...

does economic growth in the north depend on...

On Tuesday 28 June the Guardian will be hosting an in-depth debate about infrastructure investment...

in momentous times for councils, we need more data...

Despite devolution and tough budgets,there’s been small information on the crucial 5 May...

whitehall is losing far too many talented people...

The civil service relies on experts with inside knowledge,but too many staff with the right skills...

bin the paper, kill off tick boxes - how to fix...

Performance management is unpopular these days,especially the toothless and demotivating Whitehall...

who would be a librarian now? you know what, ill...

My friends laugh at me but training to be a professional librarian is a sort of calling – like...

sir jeremy heywoods evasive notion of...

UK’s top civil servant kept to a narrow focus when asked approximately the rules on helping Brexit...

the uks constitutional future is being decided...

Decisions about devolution of power to councils are being taken in the inner sanctums of Westminster...

why young people hate the jobcentre - or rather,...

The YMCA has spoken to young unemployed people all across the UK and found that Jobcentre Plus is...

what to do if you don t get on the civil service...

It’s one of the toughest graduate schemes out there,but don’t despair, there are other routes...

how local councils can help prevent female genital...

FGM is child abuse,and it affects hundreds of thousands of women and girls all over the UK. Every...

library cuts hurt us all, but are hurting homeless...

I ran book groups in housing shelters that gave participants a voice. Now these vital services are...

the hard social mobility truth: for every climber,...

To address its social mobility problem,the civil service must accept some hard truths approximately...

osbornes business rate changes undermine his...

This unexpected manoeuvre could remove a sizeable chunk of tax receipts from local government...

i am outraged at westminster meddling in council...

Councils won’t save up with being told not to boycott unethical companies. It wouldn’t be the...

londoners do not have to take low pay and insecure...

Working conditions have deteriorated since 2008 in the capital,where pay inequality is greater than...

how to make redundancies in local government -...

When you have to let people recede,give as much notice as possible and don’t sound like you’re...

ive had bruising encounters with trade unionists,...

For all my frustrations as former head of the civil service,I dread that the trade union bill shows...

my local government colleagues are no more lazy...

whether the public sector sounds a little whiny at the moment it’s because things are tough. Not...

dont ask harassed public servants to join this...

David Cameron is asking for additional vigilance from public sector staff,while cutting their...

good governance: the pandoras box of the...

It might be the trickiest of the 17 UN global goals to pull off,and certainly the hardest to...

aspiring leaders: win a full scholarship for a new...

The Guardian’s professional networks are delighted to announce our competition for a fully-funded...

palestine, israel, scotland … firefighting that...

On the West Bank,firefighters are held up at checkpoints and fight fires without helmets. But as...

how to use twitter to tell the best stories about...

From investigating a rowdy cockerel to putting on a Zumba course,councils have a lot to shout about....

real treasure in the treasury? tell us what youd...

We’re asking students what they would do as head of the civil service. Our starters for ten...

the real reason the tories want to scrap fire and...

The government has embarked on a scorched soil strategy in its attempt to impose cuts: if you...

people love renewable energy, so why dont...

From Robin Hood Energy to solar mosques,community energy schemes are hotting up – but so is the...

being racially profiled as a teen spurred me on to...

I’m a ‘sell-out’ to some - but others say they wish more officers behaved like me during a...

theres more to a 24 hour city than pubs and clubs

Like London and Buenos Aires,cities can straggle their nightlife away from drink-dependent culture -...

anyone with a problem they can t solve heads for...

In a world where services and spaces are privatised,with Citizens Advice and police stations facing...

cross party critics slam parkrun charge as local...

Councillors from three main parties say they wont follow Stoke Gifford parish council’s decision...

osbornes budget cuts will cripple services for...

Specialist black and minority ethnic domestic violence services are already under strain. Without...

its sir nick macpherson s last budget, but hes not...

The Treasury permanent secretary seems unconcerned by his department’s odd constitution,or the...

i thought i was going to prison, i owed the...

Victims of public sector debt collectors explain the impact of bailiffs,inflexible demands and...

christmas high tide has suffolk council chief...

After devastating coastal flooding in 2013,Stephen Baker is hoping that this Christmas Day, severe...

the police cant prop up other struggling services...

Theresa May has warned police chiefs of challenges ahead,as whether there weren’t enough already...

these streets are made for walking: how oklahoma...

Most cities don’t prioritise pedestrians,despite the health benefits. But one US city has shown...

changes to business rates: the devil will be in...

At Cipfa we welcome George Osborne’s decision to let councils preserve £26bn raised from trade...

the government wants to demolish your town. what...

A unusual play invites audiences to argue whether a council should close down a mine or relocate...

i am striking for the first time because...

Researchers who plan for natural disasters and climate change are stuck with the public sector pay...

i do much more than police work. but if i don t do...

I had a busy shift this week,with all the extra work police have taken on in recent decades. With so...

how to have tricky conversations with politicians:...

Public officials can easily get caught in the crosshairs of rival politicians. Here’s how to avoid...

austerity has hit disabled people hardest - now...

With Norfolk county council accused of breaching the Care Act,alarm bells will be ringing at...

why not let public servants set their own...

Self-management might appear unworkable in the public sector,but I’m not convinced there’s a...

what if the computer says no because you are a...

Half a million people believe they occupy been denied insurance because of a disability. Businesses...

new law could confuse police misconduct with...

The new police corruption offence is open to interpretation and could be used more widely than...

i am the one to restart your heart in the back of...

My service lacks proper funding. There are not enough ambulances,and I am paid less than £20000 a...

three crucial questions about plans to take over...

Governments unique proposals to intervene in failing council services should draw on lessons learned...

the growing gender pay gap in the public sector is...

Public employers enjoy the tools to lead the way on equal pay,but job cuts and pay freezes enjoy...

a global shift to 100% renewables is not just...

Communities in Germany,Canada and Uganda are already reaping the benefits of moving absent from...

the civil service is ill equipped to deal with a...

Founder Camila Batmanghelidjh was able to lobby different departments for money because Whitehall is...

tories are the real villains in this housing...

David Cameron has attacked local authorities for the lack of novel homes,but blame lies with...

how to create healtheir cities - livechat

Join us on Thursday 29 October from 12.30 to 2pm GMT to discuss what cities and their partners can...

jeremy corbyns labour is pro business but is that...

Labour is talking approximately working with private providers,but not all public leaders are...

blame eric pickles for councillors guzzling high...

No one’s watching over what councils effect or spend,because scrutiny bodies were abolished on...

public service recognised in new year honours list

A knighthood for top HMRC civil servant Edward Troup and a KCB for Home Office permanent secretary...

privatised, nationalised, electrified? a guide to...

While tracks are owned by state-controlled Network Rail,most services are if by private companies....

this government vilifies people who put their...

Working in intelligence is not as glamorous as it seems,but I am still a terrorist target – and...

what hypocrisy, these savage cuts to early...

This government trumpets the importance of improving young people’s life chances,but is kicking...

i may be taken for granted, but theres nothing...

I’ve been a volunteer cop for more than 20 years,often without thanks from the public or regular...

rural communities could actually gain from a...

The Conservative government has come up against a lot of criticism for its record on access to...

the loss of libraries is another surefire way to...

I still have my first library card from when I was a girl from a destitute family in west Belfast....

sir philip dilley s resignation shows how hard it...

It’s getting more difficult to find and retain sterling people for prominent public posts,as the...

with sir nicholas macpherson gone, its the...

David Cameron could insist on importing a corporate type from external Whitehall to replace the...

why it matters that the chancellor wont fund...

Investment in digital directly improves services such as social care,but you wouldnt know it given...

views from local government on george osbornes...

There’s a permanent pothole fund and 2% council tax precept for social care,but the chancellor’s...

more cuts will cement poverty in uk s most...

The LGA’s #OurDay campaign is a reminder of our councils’ resilience – but the spending review...

labour wants to renationalise railways, but what...

Public transport and social housing are staple Corbyn policies,but public leaders are more concerned...

councils facing £10bn extra costs need a fair...

Government policies such as lower social housing rents will hit local authorities tough. They’ll...

for public services and public sector staff this...

The chancellor shows no understanding approximately what makes housing,local government or other...

why my council pension fund is divesting £1.2bn...

Local authorities invest £16bn in fossil fuel companies. In Southwark,we will no longer carry out...

juries, not judges, lead the way against racial...

The Lammy Review found that juries were consistent in their decision-making,irrespective of the...

financial exclusion in the welsh valleys, 13 miles...

In the Dulais Valley we support benefit claimants who are getting into debt because of confusing...

i never thought id last two years as head of comms...

My former colleagues wished me luck and told me I would seriously need it. But I had grown up near...

museums are all about inspiration - i fear...

In Lancashire’s post-industrial towns,museums are portion of a thriving cultural scene. Without...

volunteering kept me going but now austerity has...

I fought to retain my local museum open for the staff,volunteers, community, and children – but my...

youll notice bus cuts when your neighbours lose...

Some 63% of councils in England and Wales cut bus funding this year,while 44% withdrew services....

credit unions: turning goodwill into action....

Join us on Wednesday 2 March 2016 for a discussion on the best way to supply more inclusive access...

the public servants honoured in the 2016 new year...

More women will receive damehoods and CBEs this year,with services to the Ebola crisis and...

the greenest city mayors take home the fight...

An organic farmer turned politician,a woman with solar panels on her shed and a man who cycles in...

why its so difficult to measure whether councils...

Data is difficult to access and local authorities are expected to hold themselves to account. Even...

women and childcare first: how osbornes axe has...

As predicted five years ago,tough-won gains on gender equality evaporate all too quickly in a...

i was horrified - the council staff campaigning...

Local government pension funds beget invested £14bn in fossil fuel companies like Shell and BP. We...

birth of the space age exhibition: how we got the...

For us at the British embassy in Moscow,the Science Museum’s Cosmonauts exhibition became a...

how to ace the civil service fast stream...

The chief assessor and a former applicant give tips on how to acquire through Whitehall’s graduate...

commuting is now a fact of life. we just need to...

Better transport links would mean easier commutes and less overcrowding in cities,as workers opt for...

the big danger today is people dont realise they...

People are less likely to seek serve whether they fall behind on household bills,but this has become...

scotland could be a testbed for the best of...

The shambolic structure of devolution in the UK is more a source of political sniping than a...

i see dead people. its normal and more people...

Flashbacks and intrusive memories are share of dealing with trauma. More of us in the emergency...

building bigger, better credit unions: register...

Join us on Wednesday 2 March 2016 for a discussion on the best way to provide more inclusive access...

local authorities are the real trailblazers in the...

With cities and regions behind more than 70% of climate change reduction measures,it is crucial...

equality in whitehall damaged by lack of access to...

Getting to the top requires workplace politics,but interviews with black and minority ethnic civil...

women and childcare first: where osbornes axe has...

As predicted five years ago,tough-won gains on gender equality evaporate all too quickly in a...

these tories are more savage than thatcher for...

Meet Jon Trickett,the shadow communities secretary who thinks the way to solve inequality is to give...

junior doctors offer: public sector pay restraint...

As Jeremy Hunt tries to stave off the threat of industrial action by offering an 11% pay...

public sector employers should pay all their staff...

Legislation to bring in the real living wage might cost too many jobs,but government should at least...

how to stop cyber attacks on your organisation

Chief executives and public leaders still ignore the threat of cybercrime to national security. What...

as a female firefighter, i tackle fires and...

When I joined the fire service,the lack of facilities for women was a shock. That’s changed, but...

is change afoot in whitehall, with so many bosses...

The health,HMRC and Treasury permanent secretaries are all leaving at once. This may be normal in...

why the uk is failing on infrastructure, the...

original National Audit Office report says uncertainty in delivery of major public sector projects...

when cuts are inevitable, how do police decide...

Officers will own to gain tough decisions,but work by the Met and West Midlands Police provides a...

devolution revolution? not until theres real...

George Osborne needs to do more than hand over power to local government whether he wants services...

why osborne may override his austerity agenda to...

Labour’s focus on uncollected tax is an idea the chancellor might well pinch at next week’s Tory...

bbc plans to help local journalism will not be...

I welcome the BBC offer to share staff and content with local news outlets,but just how local can...

police cuts put penny pinching before protecting...

With 11% of all officers already gone,the government needs to gape carefully at the evidence before...

transport for the north: cutting through the...

People may well fill doubts about George Osbornes ‘northern power sham’,but the north of England...

how tweeting about floods became a civic duty in...

Monsoon floods hit the Indonesian capital in 2015,sparking 100000 Twitter conversations. Here’s...

i thought i was blazing a trail for minorities in...

Three decades after I entered the civil service,the fight against racial discrimination is far from...

cyber intelligence can uncover terrorism, but...

In the wake of Paris attacks we need community officers to give people confidence to reach forward...

open government summit: pr stunt or a chance for...

It’s easy to be cynical,particularly when the UK is rethinking the Freedom of Information Act, but...

our socialist post office defies a government...

When the library and post office in Blakelaw,Newcastle, were threatened with closure, and the...

foreign office cleaners: what do we know about low...

As protesting workers face possible disciplinary action,we look at the lowest wages across central...

devolution cant make the uk more unequal than it...

Giving more power to cities is less risky than sticking with a status quo that prolongs the postcode...

why councils could be knocking on deaths door in...

George Osborne’s shakeup of trade rates will unleash a race among councils to attract...

energy co ops: why the uk has nothing on germany...

The community energy sector needs to look to more innovative models to survive the loss of...

public services at christmas: the people who keep...

While much of the country takes a break,there are people working hard behind the scenes to sustain...

the professionals paying the price of public...

‘Even people with steady jobs are struggling to originate ends meet’. Employees speak out...

how to help residents trapped by financial...

Join us on Tuesday 26 April 11:30 – 13:00 BST,to discuss how professionals in councils, charities...

the uk cannot run sweden s welfare state with...

Unless average earners are prepared to pay higher taxes,the future for public services looks...

civil service and the 2016 budget: more with less,...

There’s £3.5bn more to find in cuts,but not until 2019. George Osborne left open the question as...

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