Overview
I feel very inspired by some of the things I have heard and will be proposing some radical changes to how things are done in my authority
Officer, Shropshire County Council, FOSS Delegate
Since the FOSS programme was developed in 2006, the research and evidence has indicated that the outcomes that are most truly important for citizens – those relating to quality of life, stronger economic performance, better health, less crime – are best achieved in partnership.
Over the years, there has been continued research to explore and highlight the examples of excellence and best practice – where councils have joined up with a range of organisations in the community to transform the design and delivery of services to better meet the needs of the citizen.
These examples have included:
- Local authorities and partners sharing offices to rationalise assets and achieve efficiencies
- Single non-emergency number projects in co-operation with local police authorities
- Single points of contact and one-stop shops to improve citizen access to services
- Social inclusion projects for older people joining up councils with voluntary organisations
- Multi agency Gateway projects connecting local health and voluntary partners, youth projects and business services to deliver public services in a retail environment
- Access to services through a range of digital channels
The FOSS programme is more relevant than ever with key drivers including:
- the new performance framework putting emphasis on local solutions
- Comprehensive Area Assessment focused on outcomes and the citizen’s experience of local public services
- continuing increases in the customer’s expectations
- the current financial climate and CSR 07 putting pressure on public bodies to make further efficiency savings and work more effectively
- uncertainty in employment demanding greater focus on the workforce and culture change
- changes as a result of local government re-organisation offering new councils the chance to totally redesign services for their communities
In practical terms, the conference will address issues such as:
- partnership working in a local area context – using LAA priorities and targets to bring partners together around shared customers
- developing the business case for joint working
- looking at the different channels for delivering services
- rationalising accommodation to get efficiencies
- developing effective governance mechanisms for joint working
- how to align workforces and how to develop joined up processes
- the importance of the third sector to ensure all sections of the community are engaged