Shared services have been cited as a potential route to cost savings and performance improvements for councils, and as such are being explored by almost every council in the UK. On this page, you'll find brief information on the major collaborations in Scotland:
- Ayrshire
- Clyde Valley
- Edinburgh, Lothians, Borders & Fife
- Forth Valley
- Orkney
- North-east Scotland
- North of Scotland Local Authorities (NoSLA)
A pan-Ayrshire group involving the leaders and chief executives of North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire councils, and representatives from NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service is looking at options for future joint service delivery. A joint regulatory service providing trading standards, building standards and environmental health services on behalf of the three councils should be in place by April 2011 Work is also progressing on a joint valuation board and emergency planning.
A high profile review of shared services across the Clyde Valley by Sir John Arbuthnott set out a “road map” for the eight Clyde Valley authorities (East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde) to move to a model of integrated service delivery in certain key areas over the next five years. Its recommendations included:
- Closer working between local authorities and health boards to create an integrated health and community care service in each local authority area
- An integrated approach to waste management
- A single social transport solution
- A joint and streamlined approach to fleet management and maintenance
- A shared roads maintenance programme
- Property sharing and management in local hubs
- A joint approach to “back office” services
- Joint workforce planning
- A common charging framework
In October 2010, the eight Clyde Valley councils announced that they were planning to share services in waste management, transport, health and social care, and support services. They hope to find savings of between 10% and 20%. The proposals include:
- Waste management – sharing use of a new waste treatment facility; joint recycling arrangements; looking at government funding for a Clyde Valley-wide solution for general, non-recyclable waste.
- Social transport – fleet sharing and the creation of a "single shared transport service"
- Health and social care – developing telehealth initiatives; improving commissioning across children's and adults' services; pooling training.
- Support services – bringing together HR, payroll, finance, ICT and "customer engagement functions"
More information
Clyde Valley Review 09
Arbuthnott review calls for closer working between councils and NHS
Eight Scottish councils work in plans to share services
Edinburgh, Lothians, Borders and Fife
The six councils in the Edinburgh, Lothians Borders and Fife Forum (Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Fife and Scottish Borders) already work together on a wide range of projects. The Forum has now identified five specific areas that offer greater potential for shared services and long term savings. These are payroll, procurement, road maintenance, mobile/flexible working and integrated audit functions.
A November 2009 report (see below) outlines the planned activities and lead council for each of the five areas. In brief, they include:
- Mobile/flexible working – (Lead council: West Lothian) plans include shared buildings, collaboration on new performance management processes and management training, shared approach to benefits tracking/management, and shared development/purchase of support services for remote workers.
- Payroll – (Lead council: Fife) A high level review concluded that any collaboration should include payroll and any related parts of human resources necessary to deliver an integrated service. Further analysis and options appraisal is taking place.
- Procurement – (Lead council: City of Edinburgh) Edinburgh, Fife and Scottish Borders Councils committed to a procurement shared service based on the strategic procurement service model already developed by them (operational in Edinburgh and Borders). No further formal joint working arrangements planned.
- Road maintenance – (Lead council: Scottish Borders) Plans include sharing best practice, sharing equipment, and providing staff to cover shortages in other areas. Halcrow has been asked to review current service activities.
- Audit – (Lead council: Midlothian) A high level appraisal of savings and benefits of increased collaboration concluded that savings may be limited but the benefits are considerable. Plans include sharing best practice, exploring different service models, developing common audit practises. A formal shared service is a possibility in the future.
East Lothian and Midlothian Councils are in talks that could lead to the merger of their education and social work departments. A Memorandum of Understanding has been approved by both councils setting out the arrangements by which they will work towards sharing services in education, adult and community care, and criminal justice.
More information
Edinburgh, Lothians, Borders and Fife Forum (ELBF Forum) – Collaboration and Shared Services between Councils (Nov 2009 report)
South east councils to explore closer joint working
Fife councillors back shared services plan
West Lothian Council plans savings by sharing services
Councils report key progress on shared services
Councils in talks over plans to merge education services
Forth Valley GIS is a shared service established by Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils. It provides GIS services to the public sector and its partners to support the improvement of public services. Examples of projects include OASIS, the anti-social behaviour information sharing system, Child Protection Messaging, and Roadnet. It is also national custodian of the OneScotland Gazetteer.
The three Forth Valley councils also share services in trading standards, accident investigation, transport co-ordination and winter maintenance arrangements. Other areas are under consideration including property, children's services, older people's services, fleet management and initial contact..
More information
Orkney Islands Council, NHS Orkney and Highlands & Islands Enterprise have been working on shared services for some time. They are currently moving ahead with plans to join up procurement, human resources, catering, property management and maintenance, information services and non-emergency patient transport across the three organisations.
In April 2010, Orkney Health and Care was launched. This partnership between the council and the NHS provides community care and social services. It is managed by a single director who is accountable to both NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council
More information
Orkney Shared Services – An ambitious approach to partnership
Orkney Health and Care
The North East Scotland Chief Executives’ Forum, which includes the chief executives of Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, Grampian Police and NHS Grampian, is exploring areas where the organisations can work together. Part of this involves the creation of a shared services strategy and the group is looking at opportunities for radical transformation and change and shared service options which offer the best potential return within this.
More information
North East Scotland Chief Executives Forum
North of Scotland Local Authorities (NoSLA)
NoSLA (comprising Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray, Highland, Orkney and Western Isles councils) is currently seeking pathfinder funding to set up a single shared organisation to deliver revenue and benefits processing for participating councils.
The Scottish Government outlines many of the major shared services projects in Scotland on its website. In addition, many councils are exploring shared services as a result of the shared services diagnostic project established in 2008. Details of these further projects and collaborations can be found on the ‘Improving Together’ page.
