First published in BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association)

Total Place is an initiative led by central government (CLG) which over a twelve month period looked at whether bundling services together in a 'whole area' could lead to better services at lower cost.

The Total Place approach, 'putting citizens at the heart of service design' was assessed through 13 pilot areas (covering 63 local authorities, 34 Primary Care Trusts, 12 fire authorities and 13 police authorities) in different areas but with a common objective;

  • examine the totality of public spending, with a view to cutting duplication, saving money and improving service delivery;
  • redesign services around citizens.

The Total Place pilot had a limited timeframe from June 2009 to the delivery of the report in February 2010.  Each of the thirteen pilots mapped the totality of public spending in their area and took a different theme so Manchester looked at the delivery of services to young children under five, Dorset/Poole looked at services for older people, Luton and Bedfordshire considered offender management and access to benefits, Birmingham considered health, housing and crime.

The previous Government's response to the Pilot finding was published in March 2010 ('Total Place – a whole approach to public services').  The evidence base from the pilots provides a strong platform for the new coalition government to take radical steps for the future.  The pilots have shown that significant financial savings can be made by eliminating duplication, rationalising services and assets between agencies and redesigning services around citizens and users rather than institutions.

Common themes that emerge include the potential for Local Authorities to focus on being the commissioner of services; for public agencies to work together in partnerships and to utilise the totality of public spending in that area, whether for health, education, transport and at the same time to avoid duplication of overheads; for a more simplified system that reduces operational costs and is far more beneficial for the customer (for example the simplification of the present benefits system).  Total Place is confident that improvements are possible and large amounts of savings can be made but at the same time delivery of services to the community can improve.

The savings that could emerge if Total Place was fully utilised are immense.  Total Place offers local governance the chance to make a difference in its localities, to have more control and influence and to shape national policy.  However to achieve this central government has to make some key changes.  For example, on average £7,000 is spent per head on public services by councils but only £350 is discretionary spending by councils.  The rest are statutory requirements or budgets over which local government have no control.  To eliminate duplication, to ensure public agencies work together then the new coalition government need to devolve some of this central control to the local areas.

HCA has also recently launched Total Capital, a series of case studies looking at capital investment in five areas of England.  It is a similar principle to Total Place that the value of capital investment can be maximised in a given place through better alignment of different types of public funding'.  The 11 Total Capital and Asset pathfinders will offer localities the chance to take control of local property and asset use for the benefit of the local people.

Total Place has shown that there are significant savings to be made and at the same time service delivery can be improved.  To achieve this central government are going to have to make some key changes to allow local government greater control and influence over the local delivery of services and its associated budgets.

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