Whole place reform key for government’s national missions, thinktank urges
Local government should switch to a 'whole place' model of local public service to support the new government's national missions, a report from thinktank Localis has argued.
The report, produced in partnership with consultancy firm IMPOWER, recommended the new government should restore stability to council finances with an immediate cash injection to steady the ship for frontline service delivery before charting a course to long-term financial sustainability.
The study further recommended that council workforce capacity be addressed as one of the first steps to long-term radical improvements.
The report said that the so-called 'whole place' approach to improving local service outcomes should focus on:
- empowering local leadership with long-term, stable funding to make meaningful changes.
- embedding preventative approaches by investing in upstream prevention to tackle issues at their source in a way that reduces demand on frontline services and leads to better outcomes.
- developing collaborative cultures across public, private and third sectors to create user-centred service provision.
- practising community co-design with meaningful engagement to meet the needs of local residents.
The report made six recommendations to local government which included a call for councils to produce transformational whole-place service delivery plans, form partnerships and pool resources with local partners, and develop internal models for valuing prevention and review spending accordingly.
The remaining three recommendations encouraged councils to set out "what good growth looks like" over the immediate, medium and long term as part of local growth plans, establish innovative vehicles for regeneration, and embed a culture of community engagement and empowerment.
The report also made recommendations made to central government, including a request for an immediate cash injection into local authorities for front-line service delivery, an examination of local government revenue sources, and a commitment to the value of upstream prevention.
It called for the government to work with the Local Government Association to develop local government employment and training programmes and that the success of local growth plans should be evaluated on public service outcomes as well as indicators.
Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: "As we stand on the brink of a major shift in how we deliver public services, this report offers a roadmap for change where it counts, that is both ambitious and grounded in the practical realities faced by local government.
"A transformative whole-place approach can deliver high-quality, efficient local services we all wish to see. Realising the prize will require both radical reform from central government and continued innovative action from local leaders if we are to get the improvements that can build a new and secure era for people and place."
Adam Carey
