News Summary of Collaboration and Shared Services from 29th April 2015

What can we, as collaborative transformation professionals, expect from whoever makes up the next government of the UK?

Last week we looked at the policy statements on collaborative transformation in the English and Scottish major parties. Today we will look at the manifestos of the major parties in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Plaid Cymru (p18) state that they will integrate Health and Social Care. (p51) “We will develop person-centred, flexible services that are better able to respond to today’s challenges. We will develop co-operative and co-production methods to deliver better local services”.

Welsh Labour (p35) state that “… through the Invest to Save programme we are improving public service collaboration and innovation, by earmarking short-term investment that will deliver long-term benefits to the public finances. (p65) Under Labour, Welsh Ministers would have the power to draw up an All Wales Policing Plan, setting the priorities for Welsh policing, including governance structures, in consultation with the Home Secretary. This will ensure alignment between all of the emergency services in Wales, while maintaining vital, cross-border collaboration and co-ordination”.

Welsh LibDems (p48) promise to “Work with Local Authorities to bring services together at a local level to provide a better service to citizens, and support users in pooling their personal budgets into mutual support arrangements. (p56) Ensure that regional arrangements between schools and further education institutions result in collaboration and lead to a richer curriculum. (p67)  We must encourage effective collaboration and break down boundaries between health care and social care services. It is patients who suffer when lack of coordination means transfers are delayed and patients are simply passed around different wards and organisations. Develop the Community Budgets model in Wales for use in rural areas to combine services, encouraging the breaking down of boundaries between different services. This will help keep rural services like GP surgeries, pharmacies, post offices and libraries open by enabling them to co-operate, share costs and co-locate in shared facilities”.

The Democratic Unionist Party (p7) states that it will “Reform the delivery of public services to ensure that they meet the needs and expectations of the public; Continue to construct a public sector reform architecture that enables the Northern Ireland Executive to adopt innovative solutions to public service challenges”.

Sinn Fein (p3) refers to its support for the reform of Local Government, including the reduction in the number of councils from 26 to 11. But there are no other references to collaborative transformation working in relation to the public sector.

If we bring together last week’s comments from England and Scotland with the policy statements above, there is no one talking about turning the clock back. No mentions of undoing the transformations/shared service working. A general conclusion can be made that the transformation of the public sector as we currently know it, is still at an early stage. This first news item illustrates the point…

Local Government

Town halls chiefs unite on devolution

Council chiefs from across the UK have joined forces to call for the next government to make devolution an ‘urgent’ priority. Read more >>>

‘We’re moving in together’: Work to begin on shared use forum building

Dacorum Borough Council is joining forces with public and voluntary sector partners to replace several inefficient and outdated buildings with a single modern, purpose built and energy-efficient base. Read more >>>

Next generation commissioning councils

Back in February, Northamptonshire CC approved plans for radical reforms that could mean the vast majority of its frontline services eventually being commissioned from external organisations, and its directly employed workforce potentially cut to as few as 100 to 150 employees. Read more >>>

Shared legal services will help cut costs

Mendip District Council has launched its new tri-district shared legal services partnership. The creation of Shape Partnership Services – Law and Governance is the result of Mendip District Council teaming up with Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council to provide one shared legal service across the three authorities. Read more >>>

Devolution will bring maximum value for every taxpayer pound

With pressure on government expenditure unlikely to abate any time soon, devolution can help drive maximum value for every taxpayer pound, the head of Localis, the leading local government think tank, has stated. Read more >>>

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Health

Successful NHS trusts should buddy up with those in difficulty

What can be learned from high-performing health organisations? This is the topic we will be discussing at an event at the King’s Fund on Tuesday. Read more >>>

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News Summary of Collaboration and Shared Services from 22th April 2015

Last week I scanned through the Conservative and Labour manifestos for you, looking for their commitments on public sector collaborative working policies after the election. They are essentially the same as now, with a stronger emphasis on collaborative transformation across the public sector from Labour.

So what about some other political parties’ views?  I found the following, scanning through their manifestos. However if I have missed a key collaborative transformation or collaborative working policy, please email so I can include it in next week’s news update:

The Liberal Democrats have a substantial section (10.2 p133) covering devolution in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. With regard to localism in England they set out a policy that (p136) “We will continue the combined authority and city deal style offers and introduce ‘Devolution on Demand’, enabling even greater devolution of powers from Westminster to Councils or groups of Councils working together ...”..

UKIP will review the Barnet Formula (p8) and combine health and social care under the NHS (p19). Otherwise, I could not find any references to collaborative working in other sections of the public sector.

SNP sets out its plans for Scotland (p29) “We will also continue with an ambitious programme of health and social care integration, ensuring that health and social care provision across Scotland is joined-up and provides a seamless service…”. Like UKIP, I could not find any references to collaborative working in other sections of the public sector.

I will have a look next week at the Green Party, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It was a quiet week for collaborative working news items worthy of a mention, but there were an above average number of collaborative working jobs and here are both…

Local Government

Council agrees integrated care deal

Staffordshire County Council has approved plans to extend its partnership with a NHS Trust for three years to deliver integrated health and social care. Read more >>>

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Housing

DCH announces merger with West Devon Homes

The merger reinforces DCH as a key employer in the region with over 900 staff and 22,500 homes in management. Read more >>>

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News Summary of Collaboration and Shared Services from 15th April 2015

We will be unpacking manifestos over the coming week to look for the collaborative transformation and shared service references. In a quick glance at the Conservative and Labour manifestos though, these references come up…

Conservatives: (p13) We will devolve far-reaching powers over economic development, transport and social care to large cities which choose to have elected mayors. We will legislate to deliver the historic deal for Greater Manchester, which will devolve powers and budgets and lead to the creation of a directly elected Mayor for Greater Manchester….And we will deliver more bespoke Growth Deals with local councils, where locally supported, .... (and on p53): We will encourage voluntary integration of services and administration between and within councils for example with the Troubled Families and Better Care Fund - to promote savings and improve local services.

Labour: (p34) “We can save money and create more responsive services by building co-operation between public services and organisations. Pooling funds across local areas reduces inefficiency and avoids duplication. Services must be joined up in ways that make sense to the people who use them. “

So, it feels like more of the same from them. I will let you know about the others next week. In this context though, it may be timely to remind you that…

The Postgraduate Certificate in Collaborative Transformation - Oct 2015 is open for registrations. The six month Canterbury Christ Church University programme (leading to Shared Service Architect™ recognition) has six taught London based days. CCCU also offers “pop-up campuses” to deliver the taught sessions where you are in the UK, if you can gather 10 or more students together.  Email me if you would like to know more, on Dominic.Wallace@sharedservicearchitects.co.uk.

Here is other news on collaborative working from the last two weeks…

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Housing

New collaboration between Apex and Newington to boost social housing in North Belfast

The strategic collaboration, which takes effect from the start of April, will see Newington Housing Association (Newington) formalise links with Derry/Londonderry-based Apex and gain additional support and expertise in the areas of finance, personnel and procurement. Read more >>>

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FE/HE

JISC’s battle for Britain’s shared IT services: the beginning of the end?

The “bet is off” on UK higher education’s main technology body JISC definitely continuing beyond the next government spending review, according to its chief executive. Read more >>>

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Police

Agreement signed for Strategic Alliance between Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police

The Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables for Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police have today reached a symbolic milestone around how they will deliver policing services across the three counties in the future. Read more >>>

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Health

GP support in care homes reduces unplanned hospital attendances by 25%

Over the past 18 months, GPs across Gloucestershire have been delivering an ‘enhanced service’ for older people living in care homes, resulting in a significant fall in hospital visits. Read more >>>

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