The way Whitehall allocates resources to departments delivering local public services will be studied in depth by 13 new pilot schemes, designed to identify more effective and efficient ways of providing services.
The CLG revealed its plans to test the Total Place initiative on 30 July through 13 area-led programmes that will challenge the effectiveness of funding flows across and between the health, local government, housing, anti-crime and mental health sectors.
The pilots will merge budgets from various departments, and other public bodies operating across a locality, with the aim of eradicating duplication, easing the bureaucratic burden, and delivering better services for residents.
Communities secretary, John Denham, has promised to assess ‘every effort, penny and outcome against residents’ needs’. He has put Total Place at the heart of his plan for councils to oversee £100bn of public spending, and claims ‘it is potentially a chance to rewrite the future of public services’.
One of the biggest pilot schemes, in Birmingham, will look at health, housing and crime spending, focusing on improved social housing, mental health, children’s care, and anti-gang and gun crime policies.
A pilot scheme in Bradford will take a close look at spending on support for people leaving care, prison and hospital. A pilot project in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire will look at improving education services. Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth will focus on older peoples’ services, while Durham’s focus will be on regeneration.
Pilot schemes will also be set up in Lewisham, Manchester and Warrington, Worcestershire, South Tyneside, Bedfordshire, Croydon, Leicestershire, and Kent.
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