Practices: Bedfordshire County Council is nothing if not a remarkable improver: it is one of the fastest improving authorities in local government history. It has transformed itself from poor to good (from 0-3 stars in the Audit Commission rankings) in three years. The drive to improve the services that the local authority offers overall, has brought staff closer together. “There is close working between officers and stronger links between service areas instilling a family, collegiate atmosphere . . . where officers are very open to support others,” it says. The council is also proud of its track record of employing women in managerial roles, as the majority of managers and supervisors are female. Training for managers is seen as a priority and a management development programme has been devised for senior and middle managers,based on positive psychology, neuro-linguistic programming techniques and coaching. The aim is to unlock creativity and energy in managers and so that they have the tools to unlock the creative potential within their teams. The chief executive of the council has been personally involved in the management development programme, and has helped to develop values for the next phase of the council's development. With the leader of the council, the chief executive also holds regular staff briefings around the county, where all levels of staff are encouraged to atttend and put their questions directly to senior management. The council's communications team sits down with managers in a “big discussion” to promote key messages to staff and importantly, to listen to their feedback in return. In July this year — dubbed innovations month — staff identified 1,072 ways to improve service delivery. Training isn't just for senior managers at Bedfordshire, though. The council has an online learning portal, the Bedfordshire Academy, which provides access to training courses and a range of learning activities including seminars, conferences and mentoring. Staff are also able to borrow training books, CDs and DVDs so that they can manage their own learning, either on-site or at home. Pay and benefits: There are about 3,500 permanent staff on the council's payroll. Of these, the great majority are women and 1,289 are full-time, while 1,353 are part-time. The average age of Bedfordshire staff is 45, and most earn between £15,000 and £25,000. Annual leave is dependent upon length of service, but there is a degree of flexibility over working hours as Bedfordshire is keen to promote a healthy work-life balance for all its staff. Home working is an option for some staff members, and there is some provision for job sharing, part-time, and term-time only working. Employees are also offered access to health and support services including health screening, counselling and specialised health checks. For more information on 'The Times Best Councils to Work For 2007' list please visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/specials/best_councils/