public service reform community development – at the centre of the action 22 november 2011 alan...
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Public Service Reform
Community Development – At the Centre of the Action
22 November 2011
Alan JohnstonDeputy Director,
Public Bodies and Public Service Reform
Context
• Well-recognised fiscal, demand and other pressures
• Christie Commission (June 2011) recommended key objectives for reform:– services built around people and communities– services working together effectively– prioritise prevention, reduce inequalities,
promote equality– improve performance and reduce costs
Christie and community development
• Christie identified a key objective of public service reform as being to ensure that:
“public services are built around people and communities, their needs, aspirations, capacities and skills, and work to build up their autonomy and resilience.”
• “People’s needs are better met when they are involved in an equal and reciprocal relationship with professionals and others, working together to get things done.” NESTA/nef
• Christie recommended that in developing the proposed Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill, the Government should also “explore the potential of the Bill to promote significantly improved community participation in the design and delivery of services.”
The Government’s response
• SG Programme for Government; Government Economic Strategy; Draft Budget published September 2011
• Renewing Scotland’s Public Services – set out SG’s approach to and priorities for public service reform, in response to Christie
• Clear choice not to pursue across-the-board structural reform – instead intensified focus on optimising operation of delivery systems
“Our vision encompasses a Scotland where people collaborate, with Scots empowered to take responsibility for improving their own lives. This requires the creation of a renewed sense of community and personal responsibility, maximising the opportunities presented by our greatest asset – our people.”
Renewing Scotland: the Government’s Programme for Scotland
“an unrelenting focus on improving outcomes for people and communities across Scotland”
John Swinney, Renewing Scotland’s Public Services
Four pillars:
• a decisive shift towards prevention
• greater integration of public services at a local level driven by better partnership, collaboration and effective local delivery
• greater investment in the people who deliver services through enhanced workforce development and effective leadership
• a sharp focus on improving performance, through greater transparency, innovation and use of digital technology
Prevention
• Commitment to building prevention into the design and delivery of public services
• Action:– continuing Change Fund for older people’s services– introducing new Early Years and Early Intervention
Change Fund– introducing new Reducing Reoffending Change Fund
Integrated local services
• Commitment to supporting effective place-based partnership and integrated service provision
• Action:– supporting continuous improvement of CPP approach– improving scrutiny of CPP activity– integrating health and social care– developing Community Empowerment and Renewal
Bill– introducing legal duty to work together to place the
child at the centre of service delivery planning
Workforce and leadership
• Commitment to enhancing the capability of the workforce and supporting leadership collaboration
• Action:– driving workforce development within and across
sectors;– through Scottish Leaders Forum, building
collaborative leadership capacity and improving flexible development opportunities
Improving performance
• Commitment to ensuring public money is spent wisely to achieve better outcomes and value for money
• Action:– embedding an open and rigorous performance culture
through new improvement framework– extending Scotland Performs– reforming police and fire services– developing digital public services
PSR co-ordination
• Challenge is to ensure that action on public service reform is:
• coherent
• comprehensive
• effective
Challenges
• How to make sure that service design and delivery properly involves individuals, families and communities?
• Focus on place – but how best can integration of services go more ‘local’?
• Workforce development – how to build skills in community development?
• How best to achieve transparency and accountability?
Alan JohnstonDeputy Director,
Public Bodies and Public Service Reform
0131 244 7833