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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