One of the great pleasures of attending the LGA’s annual conference as Chair is being able to dip in and out of sessions at our Innovation Zone.
It’s always inspiring to hear about the creative and innovative ways our member councils are maximising opportunities for growth, prosperity and efficiency, and how they are improving services or evolving new ones to meet the needs of their local residents.
Councils, despite the enormous financial and other challenges and changes they face, continue to show and lead the way on everything from early intervention, prevention, innovation and partnerships to best value and efficiency.
With government also focused on public service reform and prevention, the LGA has been calling on it to partner with local government and learn from existing, proven good practice to avoid reinventing the wheel.
One of the things that helps us make the case for this is our database of council case studies (see www.local.gov.uk/case-studies) – and I would urge you to consider contributing to it.
The government’s approach to public sector reform is guided by three principles: integrating services and organising them around people’s lives; a focus on prevention; and devolving power to local areas that understand the needs of their communities best.
The LGA is already working closely with, for example, the Cabinet Office, on the Test, Learn and Grow programme to improve policy outcomes across the public sector; and on a secondment scheme for people in central and local government.
We are clear that integrated, place-based approaches could have a transformative impact on public service delivery. But success depends on building on what we know works, and ensuring we have the stable institutions, shared goals, empowered leadership, sustained resources, mature data systems, and effective convening power needed to deliver. So, please keep sending us your good practice, from across all tiers, regions, parties and political perspectives.