Nodus provides the Local Associations Information Service (LAIS) which focuses on on issues of strategic importance to local councils.  It is deliberately called LAIS (pronounced ‘laze’) as it provides Local Associations with an easy way to become informed on key issues and to provide local councils with information without having to research and design material themselves.

Nodus knows the frustration felt by local councils when they receive hefty, technical, wordy documents about national initiatives and consultations. The relevance of the document is not always clear and it can be very time-consuming to read and digest the contents, particularly when there is a tight deadline. The consequence is that opportunities to influence policy or understand the impact on local councils are lost.

Nodus also understands that Local Associations would like to increase the value of their subscription by supporting councils with user-friendly strategic information which can be provided as a stand-alone product and which can be incorporated within their own website, magazine or training material. However, this is a considerable and resource intensive process when borne by each individual Association and can be more efficiently provided via a subscription service.

The LAIS researches key strategic issues (legislation, white papers and reports etc). Relevant documents are examined and salient points are extracted into a manageable summary document, highlighting the relevance to and main impacts on local councils. Among the more recent LAIS topics have been:

• The requirement for certain councils to provide additional information to the council tax billing authority

• The planning consultations launched by Government in order to create a new framework for dealing with planning applications with sweeping changes from development control to development management with the emphasis on supporting development and reducing what is considered to be undue consultation

• The consultation on extending the banking and financial role of the Post Office to help sustain those that remain and to support the economy

• The implementation of the new vetting and barring scheme which has been beset by controversy owing to claims that the breadth of its application to individuals went too far

• The announcement that performance rights licences have been reviewed and that many previously exempt third sector organisations will have to obtain a licence for playing copyrighted music

• The announcement that cheques are to be abolished and its impact on local councils which need two signatories on cheques in order to lawfully make payments

The product is provided electronically to your nominated email address for dissemination to councils within your boundary as you see fit. One condition of use of the Nodus LAIS service is that it is only provided to your own member councils. This is most usually and simply effected by making the LAIS available on a password protected member website and by processing them through a member email group.