Society daily 09.02.10

Todays top Society stories Labour outlines its plans for the NHS Inheritance levy to fund social care being considered by ministers Benefit informers could be given share of cash saved Asylum failings damage lives, says immigration watchdog Police 'ignore' rights of sex trafficking victims Erwin James: why are so many former soldiers in prison? All Society stories Other news • Some 70% of voters believe British society is "broken," and 68% believe that "people who play by the rules get a raw deal," according to a Populus poll carried out for the Times. • Hundreds of libraries could close to save money because the government is reviewing a 50-year-old law obliging councils to provide library services, according to the Daily Telegraph. • A new study says the NHS could save £1bn a year and improve care quality by treating people in their homes rather than hospital , reports the Financial Times. Leading by example "Showing leadership." In the context of public services pay this ought surely to mean bosses taking a pay freeze, or even a pay cut, especially where staff are being asked to make sacrifices. So bravo Phil Norrey, chief executive of Devon County council, who has agreed to shave 5% off his salary , from £157,000 to £149,000. He is quoted as saying: "This is a small sacrifice in the context of what many people are having to suffer but I believe it is important to demonstrate restraint." The nobility of his gesture is slightly undermined by the fact that this reduces his salary to just below the £150,000 level set by the government, above which public servants have to "justify their pay levels". So it saves him an uncomfortable visit to the Treasury. But good for Norrey. A quick search on the net suggests it may be a rare gesture – although there are several examples where staff are being reportedly asked to take a pay cut (and that's before you factor in below inflation pay rises or pay freezes): Derbyshire County council ; Coventry city council ; Bournemouth borough council (where one in five staff face a 20% cut in wages); and Torbay council Any more examples of "showing leadership" on pay out there? Let us know on the blog below or email us at [email protected] . Preview: Wednesday's Society Guardian supplement Denis Campbell joins a tobacco smuggling raid in Liverpool. Mary O'Hara on "gangland experience" bus tours in Los Angeles. Alison Benjamin on people power and postcode lotteries. David Willetts on baby boomers. Top NHS foundation trust chief executive Sir Robert Naylor says the NHS cannot let an economic crisis go to waste. Martin Brookes on evaluating charities. Plus full coverage of the Guardian Public Services summit. Society events Family Futures conference 2010: what's next for services supporting children, young people and families? London, Wednesday 24 February. Speakers include: Dawn Primarolo, Claire Tickell, Tim Loughton, Sue Berelowitz. Managing New Realities 2010: integrated places – health, housing and social care for the community. London, Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 March. Speakers include: Lord Warner, Sir Bob Kerslake, David Halpern, Polly Toynbee. Society Links Sign up to Society daily email briefing Society on Twitter SocietyGuardian.co.uk Public – The Guardian's website for senior public sector executives Get ahead: the Guardian's public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs Email the SocietyGuardian editor: [email protected]