Exploring new ways of working in Church Stretton

New ways of working are being trialled in Church Stretton to explore how services can be better shaped for the community. 

Shropshire Council and its partners have been talking to as many people in Church Stretton as possible about what really matters.  They have been busy gathering statistical data, financial information, speaking to frontline staff and capturing people’s real-life stories to find out what goes on in Church Stretton, how much time, effort and money is being spent and what is important to the people who live there.  A local governance board has been set up to ensure that those who know their community best, the community leaders, are at the heart of this work. 

Leaders from across the community, including councillors and representatives from the police, fire service, health, housing, voluntary and other local organisations, came together at a three day event at the end of April  2013 (23 to 25) to look at all the findings. 

They heard what it is like for customers using services in the area.  The leaders are now looking to see where improvements could be made which ensure that partners work effectively together, services don’t cost more than they should, focus further support where it is most important, are delivered by the best people to do the job and support local needs, jobs and economic growth. 

Together they agreed to prototype different ways of delivering services, focusing on living independently for longer at home; providing quality public spaces that people value and are proud of, as well as supporting people back into work and, in turn, an economically vibrant community. 

George Candler, Shropshire Council’s director of commissioning, said:

“The ‘local commissioning’ approach to delivering services is currently being piloted in Church Stretton.  This involves the council and partners working together with our communities, to understand what their aspirations are, what they really value and to act together with them to make changes shaped around their needs. 

“We want to ensure that communities are getting the most from the funding, expertise and resources in their area.  For example, if there is duplication of services, could we remove the duplication and make better use of the money in that community to help more people, or provide more focused support for those that could really benefit from it? 

“We are looking at where changes could be made for the better, and these will be based on what people tell us is important, supported by a strong evidence base from the data and information that we have. 

“By doing this we can face the challenges of the current economic climate, help communities to be more resilient and tailor services to each community.” 

George added that the response in Church Stretton had been great:

“Those in the town know what people really need; we are extremely grateful to everyone for their openness and enthusiasm, and look forward to the continuing work to improve services together.” 

More details on local commissioning work in Church Stretton will be shared as it is further refined and prototyped to the end of June 2013.  Further updates will also be available after leaders come together again at the beginning of July 2013 to look at what has worked well and what differences have been made. 

Following the pilot in Church Stretton, it is intended to extend this way of working to the rest of Shropshire.  It is planned to do this in stages to make sure that services are effective and appropriate for each area. 

For further information on local commissioning go to shropshire.gov.uk/commissioning.

Further information on the work taking place 

Living independently for longer at home 

A group of partners from a range of organisations is looking at the barriers to ageing well. The group is bringing their resources and expertise together to encourage people in Church Stretton to talk and think about how they age well, and to identify, make plans with and support older people in the community who face the greatest risks to their health and independence. 

Quality public spaces that people value and are proud of  

Partners are bringing their resources and expertise together to better integrate and co-ordinate the work of different organisations and groups to keep Church Stretton well-maintained and safe, ranging from street cleaning to grass cutting and gritting. 

Supporting people into work and in turn, creating an economically vibrant community 

Working closely with and bringing together representatives from existing services, this group is co-ordinating a network of mentors and volunteers in Church Stretton, to provide additional, focused support to help the unemployed back into work.  As part of this support, local employers will be providing work experience placements, mock interviews, opportunities for apprentices and other work opportunities.