Time for a 'new order' in public service

The word armageddon has been used to describe the battle local authorities face as they balance competing forces and prepare to deliver expected spending reductions of 20%. Concerns surround the creation of a public sector recession that could instantly wipe out the vast improvements in public service delivery made over the last decade. In response, some commentators have called for dramatic cuts to the arts and leisure services, the filling of fewer potholes or belt tightening for social services budgets. While an understandable response to the challenges faced, to pursue this strategy would be to fall into the trap of short-termism. That's not to say that the current 'menu-type' approach to reallocating spend can't go some way to addressing the issue. It can, but it can only go so far. The underlying resource challenges are not only caused by our current economic status but are exacerbated by other factors such as an ageing population and the staggering cost of long-term care. To stand still, even with no cuts, local government must unlock significant efficiencies. In my view, change on this scale demands, and in fact creates the environment for, revolutionary thinking. More flexible A so-called 'new order' of priorities. This means councils will have to establish what is valued and valuable for their citizens. They will have to review the thinking that lies behind the way they deliver services and they'll need to become even more flexible in the way that they flex their offer to the communities that need them the most. We see this as an opportunity to bring new partners, capabilities and thinking to the table. New strategic partnerships between the public, private and third sector can broaden an authority's reach and create targeted efficiencies – using local expertise and community partners to deliver service provision where it counts most. Hertfordshire county council is embarking on this more collaborative approach. Through its First Contact programme it provides a service that responds to practical needs through a new network of volunteers and third sector partners to deliver services that help older people better access statutory and voluntary services. As well as improved social cohesion, financial efficiencies flow from a reduction in emergency intervention as service providers give timely prevention. First Contact offers, therefore, a new model for achieving efficiency savings while enhancing community and social value. There are further examples of councils delivering services with a renewed understanding of their value. Through its Senior Passport initiative, Westminster city council assists older people in accessing information on services and community activities by providing a single access point. The challenge faced by local authorities is unprecedented but so too is the opportunity to catalyse new thinking. If local authorities can realise that they are not the only front-line providers, the "crisis" in public funding could be the genesis of a New Order in which councils boldly recast the social compact of public services and their users. Andrew Warren is managing director of public services at Vertex www.vertexgroup.com