Shared Services - Education and Social Services

What?

In December 2010, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils agreed to deliver Education and Social Services together in partnership.  Planning is well underway and focuses on improving and rationalising structures, systems and processes across the two Councils.  Creative thinking, positive solutions and fresh ideas are the name of the game.  There's national interest in this model for new ways of working.

Why?

Heads of Service posts for Education and Social Services happened to become vacant at the same time in the two Councils.  This prompted the Councils to think about options for working together.  Ultimately the aim is to provide better, more efficient services for citizens.  We'll do this by sharing best practice and making the most fo the skills, expertise and experience across both Councils.

Who?

New Heads of Joint Services were appointed in March 2011.  Belina Greer from Stirling Council is Head of Joint Education Services and Deirdre Cilliers from Clackmannanshire Council is Head of Joint Social Services. 

A Programme Board is developing plans.  It is chaired alternatively by one of the two Chief Executives (Bob Jack, Stirling Council and Angela Leitch, Clackmannanshire Council) and attended by senior managers.  The Board is joined by JTUC representatives and reports the following week to a Steering Group of Councillors on plans and progress.

How?

Service improvement:

This is what's driving change.  We're tracking lessons learned as we go and looking back to previous Best value reviews and other rich data to inform planning.

Structures:

We're reviewing and streamlining management structures.  The aim is to strengthen leadership capacity without costing more.  New structures will be designed in line with broad organisational structures.

Frameworks:

There are Frameworks guiding vision, principles, governance and plans in 3 areas: Education Services; Social Services; and Support Services - the services both teams rely on day to day: Admin, Finance, IT, Legal, HR, Communications.

Familiarisation:

Managers and staff have been involved in developing plans.  The two Heads of Service are getting to know their Service, staff, customers, issues and baseline information to help determine where changes can most effectively be made.  Support Service staff have also joined in workshops to contribute ideas.

When?

Planning meetings began in February 2010.  Heads of Service were appointed in March 2011.  Familiarisation is ongoing.  New management structures will be in place by August 2011.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When will new structures be known?

The Heads of Service are their service managers are now in place.

Will a school in Stirling have to have new signs?

No.  Schools still "belong" to their Council area, just as care homes do.  The headed notepaper will change to show that they are being managed differently.  We do this so it's clear to parents, clients and others who they can contact if they have an issue.

How does this fit with talk about merging Council services with the NHS?

We don't know yet.  Just as we don't know how future elections or changes in political priorities might affect us.  We will continue to provide the best services we can and be prepared to be flexible in how we deliver these to local people.