Local Authority Personnel Research Articles

“Sport for All” in a financial crisis: survival and adaptation in competing organisational models of local authority sport services

Based on research undertaken by the author for the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE), this paper assesses local authority sport services in England in the context of an economic recession since 2008, the election of a coalition government in 2010 and subsequent reductions in local government finance. The study took the form of a review of secondary sources, a nationwide online survey of heads of local council sport services (n = 95) and a series of follow-up interviews with senior local authority personnel and sector representatives (n = 55). The paper focuses on one theme to emerge from the study, namely, the relative decline of Sport for All, that is, of strategies designed to increase sport and physical activity among the general population. The study found that competing organisational models of sport services across England largely determine the retention or curtailment of Sport for All programmes. In the “ensuring council” model, sport services retain the core capacity to shape and deliver services in an increasingly fragmented mixed local economy of provision. However, models that favour extending private or voluntary and community sector management pose significant challenges for councils seeking to retain Sport for All as a policy objective and as a set of specific practices.

Understanding sustainable development concept in Malaysia

PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to explore the understanding of sustainable development and sustainability reporting concepts among Malaysian local authorities' personnel.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved interviews with 23 respondents from 16 selected councils in Malaysia. Interview results were analysed by using the interpretive textual analysis.FindingsThe meaning of the sustainable development concept is quite broad from the local authority's perspective in Malaysia. Local authorities' personnel view sustainable development as: societalist, ecologist and individualist. Only staff directly involved in the sustainable development activity implementation understood the meaning of the sustainable development concept. The respondents indicated the importance of educating people on the awareness of sustainable development in their understanding on this concept. Consistent with the western values, 13 councils (81 per cent) agreed with the definition by GRI.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is restricted to Malaysian local authorities and is descriptive in nature. The findings are limited to case studies in several states, thus generalizing the results is not possible at this stage.Practical implicationsThere is a deeper appreciation of where local authority personnel gain their understanding of sustainable development issues, and how they participate in the discourse around sustainable development.Originality/valueVery little research has been undertaken into how local authority personnel gain their knowledge, either about sustainable development and sustainability reporting or about their views on the subject. The research attempts to fill this gap and the way for similar work to be undertaken overseas. Accordingly, this paper calls for further discussion on local authorities' role in achieving sustainable development and on the public sector interpretation of sustainable development in general.

A Review of Beach Bye-Law Usage in Supporting Coastal Management in Ireland

Coastal areas are commonly the focus of a range of human activities and uses. Beaches are one example of multi-use coastal environments, accommodating activities linked to leisure and recreation, amenity, conservation and business, often simultaneously. Ireland is no different in this regard, as its beach resources provide a range of goods and services of societal value. Ireland has 16 coastal counties and their associated local authorities have a beach management remit, a role that can present a number of challenges. The use of beach bye-laws is one option to support management of beach environments by local authorities. Local authority personnel tasked with beach management from each coastal local authority were surveyed to assess the actual and potential role of beach bye-laws in contributing to more effective management of beach environments and to broader coastal management. Usage of beach bye-laws varied across local authority areas and evidence suggested that the efficacy, use, and implementation of beach bye-laws differed from county to county. Beach bye-laws offer potential but interaction with other initiatives as part of a wider program for coastal management may yield improved results.

Working together? Parent and local authority views on the process of obtaining appropriate educational provision for children with autism spectrum disorders

Background: There is general agreement across all interested parties that a process of working together is the best way to determine which school or educational setting is right for an individual child with autism spectrum disorder. In the UK, families and local authorities both desire a constructive working relationship and see this as the best means by which to reach an agreement to determine where a child should be educated. It has been shown in published works1 that a constructive working relationship is not always achieved. Purpose: This small-scale study aims to explore the views of both parents and local authorities, focussing on how both parties perceive and experience the process of determining educational provision for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) within an English context. Sample, design and method: Parental opinion was gathered through the use of a questionnaire with closed and open responses. The questionnaire was distributed to two national charities, two local charities and 16 specialist schools, which offered the questionnaire to parents of children with ASD, resulting in an opportunity sample of 738 returned surveys. The views of local authority personnel from five local authorities were gathered through the use of semi-structured interviews. Data analyses included quantitative analysis of the closed response questionnaire items, and theme-based qualitative analysis of the open responses and interviews with local authority personnel. Results: In the majority of cases, parents in the survey obtained their first choice placement for their child. Despite this positive outcome, survey data indicated that parents found the process bureaucratic, stressful and time consuming. Parents tended to perceive alternative placement suggestions as financially motivated rather than in the best interests of the child. Interviews with local authority personnel showed an awareness of these concerns and the complex considerations involved in determining what is best for an individual child. Conclusions: This small-scale study highlights the need for more effective communication between parents of children with ASDs and local authority personnel at all stages of the process.

A qualitative evaluation of a regional obesity prevention programme

Finding a useful evidence-base for existing obesity prevention programmes is problematic due to complex designs and validity issues in this ‘real-life’ environment. It is necessary to consider alternative approaches for decision making in these population-based situations. The use of ‘stakeholder’ opinion should be valued to coordinate suitable implementation and progress. In this study a large multi-component health promotion programme, facilitated by a Primary Care Trust, is qualitatively evaluated. The programme aims to reduce the prevalence of obesity in a geographical area in which approximately 160 000 people live. Interventions within the programme (42) are based on promoting healthy eating practices and increasing physical activity across all community settings, encompassing people of all ages. This evaluation specifically investigated the delivery and receipt of the programme, as perceived by the stakeholders: senior health officials (SHOs – management level NHS and local authority personnel); health professionals (HPs – public health nutritionists, health promotion specialists, local authority officers); and community participants (CPs – local people identified as key informants) who had administered and experienced the programme since conception; October 2006. After a purposive sampling process, semi-structured focus groups (2) and semi-structured interviews (20) with three stakeholder groups were employed. Interviews were conducted with SHOs (n 5) and CPs (n 15). Focus groups were conducted with HPs (n 11). All data were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and supported by additional field notes. NVivo (QSR v7) was used to manage the data analysis process. Data was analysed through a process of thematic content analysis. Findings highlighted key themes which impact upon the delivery and receipt of preventative services. Both SHOs and HPs felt that the programme had taken substantial time to ‘capacity build’ and there is a requirement for further integration of services with a clear strategic direction for the current practice to be maintained and developed. The CPs reported improvements in physical, psychological, emotional and social well-being. The Table below outlines participant suggestions from the three stakeholder groups.

Operationalization and contextualization of sustainability at the local level

AbstractDue to its fuzziness, the model of sustainable development has to be particularized and contextualized before it can be used as a yardstick. A local indicator system for two German cities has been developed to meet these requirements using a new conceptualization of sustainability. Initially, local problem areas were identified in a bottom‐up approach by local authority personnel. These problem areas were contrasted with a set of sustainability rules, which had been systematically derived from a basic sustainability norm that gives minimum requirements for sustainable development. Indicators were specified at the interface between local problem areas and sustainability rules. The indicators are expected to provide information on whether the city is over time becoming closer to or farther removed from the respective sustainability goals in its problem areas. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

A Study of the Views of Full-time Further Education Lecturers Regarding their College Corporations and Agencies of the Further Education Sector

Full-time lecturers in further education colleges in England form an occupational group which has been subject to many varied and demanding changes, particularly since the incorporation of colleges in 1993. Prior to 1993 lecturers were employees of local education authorities and, as such, were part of an often remote local authority personnel administration framework. Since 1993 full-time lecturers have become employees of college corporations. Most corporations have introduced human resource management practices which have changed the distant employment relationship lecturers had with LEAs. At the same time, the consequence of financial constraints and increasing competition in the further education sector has emphasised the already existing core-periphery organisational model in colleges which has now led to fewer full-time lecturers (core) and more part-time lecturers (periphery). The question of the professional status of lecturers has also been raised by, for example, College Employers Forum rhetoric in the early post-incorporation phase to encourage contractual change; the development of Qualified Teacher Status for primary and secondary teachers only; the debate about further education membership of a General Teaching Council for England, and the expansion of a new vocational curricula which seemed to dilute the educational experience of students. This article considers the views that a sample of full-time lecturers have about their employment experience and is an initial report of a research study which looks at the employment relationship between full-time lecturers and their college corporations. Views and perceptions of 687 full-time lecturers' responses to a postal questionnaire are presented and reviewed. This initial report suggests that, unlike the picture nationally for the UK workforce (as presented in a recent Institute of Personnel and Development report - Guest & Conway, 1998), full-time lecturers in further education colleges may be experiencing a violated psychological contract with the consequences for their employment relationship of loss of trust and a significant, depressing effect on commitment, job satisfaction and work performance.

From CCT to best value: Some evidence and observations

The Labour government has introduced the policy of Best Value (BV) and, in so doing, has abolished the centrepiece of previous Conservative policy towards local government, that is, Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT). CCT was designed to effect not only improvements in service delivery but also a cultural change amongst local authority personnel. The ability of local government to respond to BV may be gauged by considering its response to, and the impact of, CCT. This paper focuses on the views of a key group of local authority personnel, finance professionals, and considers the extent to which CCT, as applied to blue‐collar and non‐finance white‐collar services, had a beneficial impact on service delivery and facilitated a change in attitude amongst local government officers.

Training for Urban Management: The Case Study Dynamic

This article describes a case study research and training method currently being developed with the co‐operation of OECD in Great Britain and overseas. It is intended, ideally, for “in‐house” use in local authorities, above all with personnel actively involved in the urban planning and development processes. It can, however, be adapted for use in a variety of planning and management environments and contexts. We are essentially concerned, then, with providing the educational technology for helping local authority personnel to achieve a deeper understanding of their developmental role, and so contribute to an improvement in their urban management ability.

Attitudes to work: Local authority personnel responses

Attitudes to work: Local authority personnel responses

INTEGRATION OF HOSPITAL AND LOCAL-AUTHORITY SERVICES IN THE DISCHARGE OF PATIENTS FROM A GERIATRIC UNIT

Comprehensive liaison between hospital and local-authority personnel in the discharge of patients from a geriatric unit, with provision for feed-back of information in every case, is essential if the needs of elderly discharged patients are to be met in full. Analysis of 200 consecutive discharges confirms this requirement.