All eyes are on the Autumn Budget, but with minimal likelihood of long-term funding agreements, local authorities and their partners must start planning a whole-system, Treasury-proof plan now. To withstand the ups and downs of national policy and spending decisions requires moving beyond those activities typically seen as quick fixes, to one embedded in collaboration and long-term vision.
Shifting the dial starts with governance, designing forums that bring everyone, from health partners and schools to district councils and residents, around a table to agree shared ambitions for local communities and agreeing action plans that can start to enable a shift to prevention that goes beyond service siloes. This is not about meetings for the sake of more meetings - but about shared commitments to progress and reflection on learning.
