2016 – time for a new economy?
Last year Assemble, an architecture collective, and Granby 4 Streets Community Land Trust, a client that we had worked with on the transfer of properties from Liverpool City Council, won […]
Birmingham Conversation: Faith and The Arts
Those involved explored questions including: Can art be a positive influence on interfaith dialogue? How can art create new spaces for conversations between people of different faiths? How can an […]
Register of people with significant control (‘PSC Registers’): guidance for local authorities and their companies
What do we need to do now? The legislation imposes obligations on the company that is required to maintain a PSC Register, rather than on any person or entity that […]
Contracting authorities should ignore incorrect PPN guidance that all contracts valued over £25,000 should be advertised in Contracts Finder
Crown Commercial Service (“CCS”) Public Procurement Action Note (“PPN”) 07/16 says that: “Contracting authorities must ensure that any procurement opportunities and contract awards above certain low value thresholds are published […]
Trading – can you avoid the tensions?
This “independence” tension can be caused by different personalities, misunderstandings or a lack of constant or consistent communication, particularly about the authority’s expectations. Strangely, this tension also manifests itself with […]
Top construction and procurement tips for 2017
1. Review your standard documentation Standard Forms of Contract You will hopefully be aware of the changes that were published for some forms in 2016, so you should review your […]
CQC consultation – providers in the spotlight
Building on the previous focus on quality and governance, the CQC has made a clear statement that the question of whether a care provider is “well-led” now extends beyond the […]
Working Time Regulations: are you really compliant with your rest periods and rest break obligations?
The Regulations apply to “workers” which includes employees, temporary workers and freelancers, but not the self-employed genuinely pursuing a business activity on their own account. The Regulations provide workers with […]
Road safety campaigner, Nazan Fennell, named Guardian Archangel by RoSPA
This award, presented at a gala dinner on 15th July, recognises the enormous efforts Nazan has made to improve road safety since her teenage daughter, Hope, died after being knocked over […]
Commissioning with Care
The light-touch regime in brief The new regime applies where commissioners have a requirement for over £625,050 of health or social services. This will probably catch most frameworks and contracts for […]
Will 2016 be a year of sweet and sour or a more balanced diet for councils?
The Secretary of State hailed the December 2015 announcement of a historic settlement for town halls, gushing about a new era of long-term financial certainty for councils and more resources […]
The Nuts and Bolts of Good Governance
So what are those nuts and bolts? We highlight some key issues for charity trustees below. Understanding your Governing Document, Duties and Responsibilities It is still the case that many […]