Shared services are ‘no longer just the realm of the most innovative councils’, according the the Local Government Association (LGA).
The LGA has updated its shared services map and found the vast majority of councils are involved in shared service arrangements across the country.
The map can help local authorities learn about what other councils are doing before embarking on new shared services projects and it can also help them find partners to work with.
One of the key developments highlighted by the association was shared service arrangements are now so embedded that councils no longer separately counted savings, and instead focused on improving performance and services.
The research also discovered more councils are involved in legal shared services than any other area.
The chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, Cllr David Simmonds, said: ‘This latest shared services map confirms that councils are working together to successfully save money.
‘Shared services are no longer just the realm of the most innovative councils, but rather, standard practice for councils to improve services, increase resilience and save money in times of significant change, cementing councils’ reputation as the most efficient part of the public sector.’
