Ensuring that redesigned local services fit effectively with the authority as a whole

Abstract

The need to coordinate planning for a new locality based approach with both locally based resources and local area wide resources.

Situation

This unitary local authority has developed a strategic plan for locality based teams in each of three areas within the city. These locality teams will be responsible for universal and targeted youth support services within these area boundaries. The teams were initially based on the idea of the youth service and Connexions coming together as an integrated youth service. The pathfinder process was used to engage a wider service/stakeholder group in the design of the service, based on the locality in order to ensure more effective targeting of resources.

Challenge

Existing staff within the locality area will be incorporated into the new locality team using a matrix management approach. One member of the existing team was the designated lead/coordinator for the new team. At the same time many of the other services that had been engaged in the Discover and Deepen stages of the change process had city-wide responsibilities. Operational staff of these agencies had to be engaged in the design process, but be very clear about the role and responsibilities of the proposed locality team. 

Response

In putting the original workstreams together and deciding on the format of the change teams, it was apparent that one of the change teams needed to focus on the design and working model of the team itself. In the first instance, it was decided to ensure there was wide agency involvement in that group (widened at a later stage when missing components were identified) and that senior managers from a range of services were involved as well to provide impetus and credibility. During the initial meeting of this change team they identified the need to focus on four strands of work: the use of CAF, thresholds, the scope of the team and school-based support.

Doing this allowed them to make use best use of their resources in a manageable way and ensure that agency representation was focused in areas of specific interest.

Comments

Linking local and authority-wide service requirements was critical in ensuring that a local solution could be developed with the framework of wider service responsibilities.

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