Improvement Service

Report from the Local Government Association in England which examines the ways in which local government is leading the reform of public services. It sets out a vision for 'REAL' (responsive, efficient, accountable and local) public services and discusses how local government can: rebalance the power between the centre and the localities; rethink service delivery; empower citizens and neighbourhoods; and improve transparency and access to information. Gives examples of innovative councils which are improving services, saving money and working with partners and communities.

This report compiles the findings of a number of Association of Public Service Excellence briefing papers. It reviews case studies of effective practice in public procurement; shared services and joint working; lean and systems thinking; energy and green issues; lessons from Total Place; performance management and process benchmarking; joint chief executives and shared management posts; income generation; staff absence; productivity; in-house service improvement plans; and APSE's competitiveness continuum. It considers how to achieve efficiencies in different service areas and sets out guidance for the following services: catering; building; street cleansing; parks and green spaces; refuse collection services; leisure services; street lighting; and highways maintenance and winter maintenance.

This paper from the New Local Government Network explores how local government can successfully manage the public sector cuts and create sustainable localism. It suggests that councils will need to address three different challenges: in the short term they will need to drive out costs through greater efficiency, sharing services, greater productivity and limiting or stopping some services; in the medium term they will need to become financially self-sufficient; and in the long term they will need to negotiate a new relationship with society, developing stronger communities and helping those communities to shape their own destinies. It identifies five ways in which councils can move away from their current model of service delivery and become more ambitious and calls for three reforms from central government: greater financial reform; new management powers for local government; and greater Whitehall reform.

This European Commission report considers what is meant by the term 'social innovation' and outlines the challenges for Europe. It highlights ten projects from across Europe showing diversity in terms of geography, sector and social challenge. These include a community-led commissioning initiative to build social capital in health and social care in the UK; educational support for children from lower income families in Germany; the promotion of remote healthcare to older people in Italy; improving opportunities for disabled people in Turkey; providing financial assistance to people finding it difficult to create a non-profit organisation from scratch in the Netherlands; and health promotion amongst the elderly in France.

This paper from the Social Market Foundation argues that a market based approach to public service delivery is the basis for public service effectiveness and efficiency over the coming decade. The fitful progress towards greater market-based provision has been piecemeal and lacked a coherent framework to help policymakers to think through the benefits and the pitfalls of greater marketisation. This paper sets out such a framework to help government think through the reasons for deploying the baffling array of commissioning approaches in the delivery of public services.

This paper analyses the economic and social challenges facing Scotland’s public services, and how the radical reform of services through innovation could help to meet some of these challenges. It argues that innovation – developing new approaches that are better at preventing and solving problems for and with citizens – is critical to making sustainable savings in public services and to ensuring a stronger, safer, healthier and more productive Scotland. It highlights examples of innovation that demonstrate how to save money and improve outcomes by managing and reducing demand for services, through meeting people’s needs more effectively and building their own capability to prevent and respond to problems.

This report outlines ten innovative local projects led by frontline staff and service teams in local government - generally non-statutory projects, operated by small teams on low budgets that have saved councils money and improved an existing service or delivered a new service. Examples include Broadland, which provides a model for local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour; Rochford, which has provided a forum for local small businesses to compete with major companies on price, customer service and convenience; and Derbyshire Cultural and Community Services, which has shown how public spaces can be used to increase the numbers viewing exhibits.

This paper from Local Government Improvement and Development provides examples of good practice in providing and improving services to older people. It looks at the work of a number of councils who have been recognised for the positive engagement of older people to support and promote greater independence and well being in later life, or for innovation in older people's services. For each council, it provides an overview of the context in which the council operates, what has been achieved by the council, examples of service improvement and innovation, the challenges that were experienced, and the main lessons learnt.

Summary of a series of policy briefings arising out of a research project to explore innovative ways that government can encourage citizen involvement. It examines a series of experiments and the benefits identified: door-to-door canvassing to encourage recycling; providing information on the number of signatures on an online petition to increase the response rate; the production of an audio-visual 'issue book' to stimulate discussion in area boards; online discussion forums; giving feedback on the recycling rates of individual streets; testing different ways of lobbying councillors; asking contact centre callers if they would like to get involved in civic activity; using public recognition of donors to encourage book donations; and the use of discussion versus information to encourage organ donation.

A directory of resources for local authorities. The directory lists published resources that can help in working with practitioners right across the early years sector. Information is provided on what each resource is, the intended audience, how it might help improve quality and raise standards and where it can be obtained.

Presentation given by Colin Mair, Chief Executive, Improvement Service at the LARIA in Scotland/Scottish Policy Innovation Seminar ‘After the recession: So what do we do now?’. The presentation offers relevant examples from the UK and beyond discusses the huge research agenda in the current climate.

This Report by the Putting the Frontline First Task Force challenges local authorities to take a strategic approach to managing their budgets and to take urgent and radical action to transform services. In doing so, the report sets out strategic questions for local authorities to evaluate themselves against, and a framework of actions, tools and resources to help councils protect frontline services. Please note: although the report focuses on the English policy context, the issues and approaches it contains are just as relevant in Scotland.

Second publication from the Local Government Association containing real-life examples of how councils are helping their communities through the recession. The 25 case studies which make up the report include Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council which, along with the Citizen's Advice Bureau, has set up offices in the county court to help people facing repossession; Sunderland City Council, where the business development, benefits and welfare rights staff joined a rapid response team led by the Regional Development Agency to tackle major job losses at Nissan; Essex County Council, which created a municipal bank to provide liquidity to small businesses; and Westminster City Council, which is adapting an Australian scheme to help small and medium-sized businesses take on apprentices.

This report from the Local Government Association highlights how councils are assisting their communities - families, businesses and other groups - through the recession. The report is made up of 19 case studies from UK and European councils across four 'themes': housing and mortgage support; household income; supporting business; and a comprehensive package.

This booklet showcases the actions London’s councils are taking to help their areas through the recession, providing a quick reference resource for councillors and officers looking for further inspiration and ideas. It includes the top ten actions that most councils are already putting in place and highlights some specific initiatives being developed across London, including: help for those without work; help with housing and living costs; keeping high streets alive; advice and support for businesses. It also showcases initiatives which aim to sustain major regeneration and house building schemes.