A new dawn for public services in Shropshire
Over the next 12 months, Shropshire people will see a major change in the way public services are provided to local communities, following a bold decision by Shropshire Council.
At its Annual Council meeting on Thursday (3 May 2012), councillors voted to put in place new arrangements for buying services from a wide range of local providers, as well as to create a new company to deliver some of these services, and to work closely with all sectors of the county’s business and voluntary community.
These changes are part of the Council’s wider plans to grow Shropshire’s economy, and to give local people greater control over the decisions which affect their lives.
The new business, which would be owned 100% by the Council, will be set up to run a growing number of services on a day-to-day basis. It will work in partnership with local business, community groups and the voluntary sector, to ensure that Shropshire people are truly at the heart of the services they receive.
It will also explore new, innovative ways of working, to keep service quality high and costs low. This will give local people real value-for-money, and improve outcomes to give all Shropshire residents a better quality of life.
Once set up, the new company can trade on the open market, and acquire partners to assist this, so as to create a profit which is returned to the Council for investment in improving public services for Shropshire people. Together with being able to innovate quickly in trying out new ways of doing things, making a ‘public’ profit in this way is something the Council has not been able to do in the past.
The Council’s new approach is essential if the range and quality of local public services are to be protected, at a time of deep cuts in its funding, without massive increases in Council Tax to compensate for these cuts.
The decision by the Council launches the beginning of an extensive programme of development and consultation with all sectors of the community and with partner organisations, to take advantage of those who have the specialist knowledge and experience to complement the existing skills at the Council.
Councillor Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council spoke about the exciting challenge ahead:
“There is a great deal of work for us to do over the next year or so, if we are to make these positive changes without risk of disrupting our vital services. But I wholeheartedly believe this ground-breaking decision will change the face of public service delivery as we know it in Shropshire for a long time. Shropshire residents deserve the best their council can give them, and it is our duty to ensure they receive this in the most cost-effective way.
“Our new company will have the benefit of different finance models, meaning our local communities can raise funds, reinvest them in their priority areas, and create real profit with purpose. By changing the way we both buy and deliver services, we will encourage inward investment into Shropshire and open up opportunities for existing and new local businesses, creating local jobs for local people. Our new company can play a key part in the local marketplace in Shropshire, and will have the benefit of operating without the bureaucracy and restrictions the Council currently needs to comply with.
“This will give the Council staff who transfer to the company more secure employment and career opportunities than we can offer in the future.
“Over the coming months, we will be consulting extensively across our county, as we develop this new approach, so I look forward to meeting local people, voluntary organisations, and businesses to gain their thoughts and support. We want to develop new types of services that not only support and empower local people now, but that will evolve and improve in the future, ensuring Shropshire has a thriving economy, and resilient local communities, and making Shropshire a healthy, attractive and sustainable place to live and work in for generations to come.”
