Recently in Budget Category

The  Treasury and Home Office are taking a "back seat" in the government's consideration of community- based budgets, according to an investigation carried out by the Local Government Chronicle.

The LGC revealed that the Home Office does not hold any information relating to the community budget proposals. The Home Office said the pilots fell under the remit of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

The Treasury, meanwhile, has also stepped back, with the DCLG and Department for Education taking the lead.

The programme is scheduled to go live in April, but David Parsons, chair of the Local Government Association improvement board, told the LGC he was concerned the government was not involved enough for the programme to be a success.

This lack of involvement, according to experts interviewed by the LGC, is putting the concept of community-based budgets at risk because it may never push them beyond the current pilot stage.

photo credit: ell brown

Ok, so despite what the picture implies, this blog does not defy gravity (sorry). It will, however, present you with some interesting stuff we've noticed today...

A report released by the children's commissioner for Wales says children as young as three are being trafficked to Wales from China, Bangladesh and Nigeria. The study found that these children were victims of sexual exploitation, street crime, domestic servitude, cannabis production and forced labour. The Welsh Assembly Government has met the children's commissioner's office to discuss the report.

Meanwhile, Notts county council is launching a recruitment drive for more foster carers in the area in an attempt to keep looked after children closer to home and cut costs. This comes after some puzzling proposals from Notts regarding £32m savings in its children's services department. Community Care's currently chasing the council for more details, but much has remained vague at best.

In other news, 17 leading children's charities have signed up to a letter by the Alliance for Child-Centred Care urging lead members for looked after children not to forget their duty as corporate parents and to champion the needs of children in care so they're not hit too hard by the anticipated cuts. The letter has been sent to all lead members with responsibility for looked after children, directors of children's services, as well as Michael Gove and Tim Loughton. Give 'em a kick for us guys!

Finally, a survey popped up in my inbox that says 62% of young people fear they will be a victim of crime. The survey, conducted by Young NCB among their peers aged 14 and over in England, shows that over two thirds are concerned about being a victim of crime, (with this figure increasing to 75% in young females) and around 50% of young people are worried about actually witnessing a crime. Over 80% of the young people surveyed said they didn't go out alone after dark.

One young person commented: "I'm really apprehensive about large groups of young people on the streets due to that bad image they're given by the media, yet I myself try to go out with large groups in order to feel safe."

Photo credit: Benimoto

Today David Cameron and Nick Clegg (I'm sorry - has anyone come up with a cutsie nickname for these two? Like "TomKat" for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes? "Bennifer" for Ben Affleck and J-Lo? Anyone with me..?)

But where was I? Ah yes, today the prime minster and his deputy wrote a letter to members of the public sector asking for workers' opinions about the best ways to save money.