Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has set out details of how local authority areas can bid to trial two new ‘localist’ approaches to integrated services.
A Community Budgets prospectus published today sets out the details on how pilots will be selected by the end of the year. Each area will get dedicated support so proposals could be up and running by April 2013.
Sixteen areas, involving 28 local authorities, are already using community budgets as one of the ways to improve how services are provided to troubled families. Building on the current community budget approach, these new arrangements are being introduced by government to provide a greater national push to the programme and to ensure all local areas can deliver better outcomes.
Two areas will be invited to design and run a public service budget programme controlled at ‘neighbourhood level’. A further two areas will design and run a ‘whole place’ or local level programme to test how all public services can be integrated and managed as a single budget within a council boundary or wider city area.
Each pilot will establish devolved budget and policy making structures to secure what the government sees as better co-ordinated, more efficient services for residents.
The closing date for expressions of interest is 10 November 2011.