February 2011

The Harrow Safeguarding training continues to receive high satisfaction ratings and we are currently looking at ways in which e-learning can add to the learning approach.  Indications are that a further two years will be awarded as per the original contract.

We have also been shortlisted for the delivery of adult safeguarding training, consultancy and service development in a large county council over a three period which will consolidate our expertise in this specialist arena.

We have now completed the feasibility phase of a shared support services for some key arts organisations in the north east and consideration is being given to ‘making it happen’ which will be challenging for them and for LCS!  The cuts are starting to hit all public sector and public funding organisations and the arts sector is not immune.

Following presentations to the Leaders and Chief Executives of a cluster of northern metropolitan authorities, the project to develop the business case for the merger of the regulatory services has now been approved and we are starting to develop the project plan to make it happen – which will be completed by the summer.

We have also recently been commissioned to provide support for a large outer London borough to develop their delivery programme for adult social care with the funding from the NHS support money – which will be more than £8m expenditure over 2 years.  With the demise of the PCTs and the rise of the GP consortia’ this is becoming complicated territory organisationally that requires a considerable focus of attention to ensure continuity of services to people who need them.

2010 was a hard year for everyone in the public sector – us included – but 2011 has started well for our small, niche practice that prides itself on ‘sticking to the knitting’ (to quote Peters and Waterman) and only working on those projects where we think we can seriously make a difference.