An ambitious new 'health check' of public money to ensure every pound spent is delivering value for money and putting customers first is starting today, announced Communities Secretary John Denham.
Thirteen pilots are getting the Total Place initiative underway, which could radically change the way services are delivered across England by examining all the spending going into an area, cutting bureaucracy and making money work harder.
The Government revealed today the themes the pilots had chosen for scrutinising spending in the areas, including housing, regeneration, tackling alcohol and drug abuse, children's health and well being, mental health services, and tackling crime.
Every effort, penny and outcome against residents' needs will be scrutinised by local partners in the pilot area to see where duplication can be cut or gaps filled, with the results being reported back to Government.
Total Place supports proposals to strengthen local democracy announced by Mr Denham last week, which aim to put more power back into the hands of citizens - through their elected representatives having an enhanced scrutiny role over £100 billion of public spending in their areas.
Mr Denham today called on council leaders to be ambitious and seize the opportunity to change public services through Total Place.
Communities Secretary, John Denham said:
"Now more than ever taxpayers need to see that each pound of their money is working as hard as they did to earn it in the first place and is meeting their needs. Total Place is about looking at all the money coming in, where it is being spent, and what needs to change in order to make sure those services really live up to the ideal.
"But this isn't just about savings. It's about making services better, making sure customers - as well as local budgets - count. This is all part of a much bigger drive I recently announced to give councillors much stronger powers to act on behalf of citizens - and especially to make sure that money is being spent where communities want. It's potentially a chance to rewrite the future of public services."
In a joint open letter to council leaders in the pilot areas, Mr Denham urged them to 'push an open door' to Whitehall when they report back and say what they could do differently or what blocks to lift to allow that to happen. The letter has been written jointly by Mr Denham, the LGA Group and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liam Byrne.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liam Byrne said:
"When public servants pull together, they can deliver big change faster. The 13 local areas working with the Total Place programme have the chance to be 21st century civic pioneers. They have the freedom to think radically about reforms that can deliver better public services at less cost, by acting together better.
"We all know tough choices lie ahead for public spending. That's a spur to start working smarter now. That way, every pound of public money goes further."
The Leadership Centre for Local Government is leading the project and supporting the pilots on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA) Group.
Deputy Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr David Parsons, said:
"In these tough economic times, every penny of taxpayer's hard-earned money has to work as hard as possible. Councils are the most efficient part of the public sector and have already made big savings, and we recognise that more can be achieved by improving the way public services work together.
"Councils can use their extensive experience to make sure high quality services for residents are maintained and improved, for as low a cost as possible.
"Understanding the wants and needs of people who live and work in an area is critical to this work which is why councils, working alongside their partner public bodies, are best placed to lead this vital project."
The 13 pilots will scrutinise spend, impact and any overlaps or gaps in the following themes:
1. Birmingham: will look areas including health, housing and crime. In particular, they will consider the city's services for people with learning difficulties, mental health, outcomes for children leaving care, guns & gangs, and how it tackles drug and alcohol misuse for victims as well as their families, as well as housing;
2. Bradford: supporting people back into independence such as young people leaving care, young offenders leaving prison, and older people leaving hospital, with the aim of integrating services around the individual;
3. Central Bedfordshire and Luton: looking at guidance and support needs either for those affected by critical life events such as becoming disabled or unemployed, victims of crime, and family breakdown, or early and proactive support for 'high contact' families on multiple issues such as family breakdown or at risk of crime;
4. Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire: have chosen to look at improving the outcome and experience of children and carers in relation to education. Their focus on education services particularly for schools, families, carers, children and young people will also look at whether resources are being used effectively and whether to redefine or strengthen relationships with central government departments.
5. Croydon: will focus on how the area looks after Children's health and wellbeing with a particular focus on child development including their safety, health and potential so they can contribute positively to society with a particular focus on the first five years;
6. Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth: to help improve services for older people through better collaboration, drawing on the experiences of their customers;
7. Durham: will analyse how resources are used towards housing to help regeneration, including scope to cut duplication and improve services.
8. Kent: will see how customers across the region can get better access to the areas' full range of services either at the click of a mouse or over the phone, and whether or not the area can generate more savings by sharing buildings, or pooling their resources in the most deprived areas;
9. Leicester and Leicestershire: tackling alcohol and drug abuse, bringing together partnership such as the district councils, policy authorities, fire authorities, and Primary Care Trusts;
10. Lewisham: looking at its combined efforts to minimise reoffending, improve work and skills opportunities for young people, and how to improve collaboration between the Primary Care Trust and the Local Authority;
11. Manchester City Region and Warrington: a focus on young children up to five years old and how the total place looks after health, safety and wellbeing;
12. South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland: to deliver safer, stronger and healthier neighbourhoods focusing on services for children and young people, to target resources where there is greatest need, eliminate duplication and generate efficiency savings;
13. Worcestershire: will focus efforts on a range of themes where there is greatest need in the area, such as tackling obesity, reoffending and road safety; as well early intervention for 'high contact' families receiving multiple support such as for times of family breakdown or unemployment. The total place will also see if there is potential to make savings through better management of capital assets and sharing backoffice services.
