Local authorities are having to find increasingly innovative ways to provide high quality and much-needed services with decreased budgets. It’s not easy, and involves huge changes to the way services need to be delivered to residents.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is no exception, having saved more than £97m over the last four years and tasked with saving an additional £26.9m in the next financial year. The need to change the way services are delivered is imperative.

We are now embarking on an ambitious redesign of services, called Co-operative Working. Our aim is to help vulnerable people to live their lives well by offering a more co-ordinated approach across council and partner services to help solve problems. Residents will get the support they need at the right time – only having to tell their story once.