“Be bold, be brave, be pushy”. That was the invitation – or perhaps order – from Secretary of State Eric Pickles in his speech to last week’s Local Government Association conference.For those who missed the speech, the Secretary of State told delegates that local authorities had indeed caught the wave of localism and were delivering services in innovative ways. He reeled off a number of noteworthy council initiatives, ranging from local authority lobbying to secure £200m of Chinese money for a new trade centre near Liverpool to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s move to award Nectar points to residents who pay their council tax electronically. He also cited the tri-borough initiative between Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham which is saving £40m a year by sharing services and cutting costs.His conclusion on the council year? “You've adapted. You're starting to use the new powers and freedoms you now have. And you’ve delivered on the ground.”Encouraging words indeed, and it will be interesting to see if they herald a move to warmer Whitehall mood music when it comes to local government.Given that backdrop, now is the time for councils to show that, not only have they picked up the Pickles gauntlet, but that they have bolder and braver measures in mind. Philippa Roe, the leader of Westminster City Council, used her LGA speech to put three challenges to the Government: the request for long term funding for partnership schemes in the vein of the Troubled Families programme; more access and sharing of data and the need for a “new type of public servant” to shatter the mould of public sector employee.This last item is a radical one and represents an appeal for an end to the traditional system where residents are forced to fit into the established culture of council and public sector departments. Instead, we need versatile public sector employees who can assemble in teams around an issue or a problem – similar to those adverts where robot devices assemble around a chassis and a full blown car emerges. Common sense, you might think – but also a move that may raise the hackles of both unions and professional management.It was noteworthy that Sir Richard Leese, the experienced and hard headed Leader of Manchester also called for a new approach to public service working and for local authorities to use community budgets as a “tool for reducing dependency”. It was evident from the conference that many councils are adapting to the leading role to help negotiate austere times, but it is also true that that some still prefer simply to plead for more cash, an approach that seems doomed to fail. One example of such leadership was shown by the big story that broke during the LGA conference week - the news of the Oldham gas blast that killed a child and led to the evacuation of 175 homes. Eric Pickles praised the response of Oldham Council, which took care of those made homeless and set up a hardship fund for them. It was a reminder of the traditional leadership role of local authorities. While it is right that council communicators highlight trailblazing schemes on efficiency and innovation, it is also good to reassure residents that local authorities are ready to be bold and brave on their behalf when trouble strikes – both in handling the immediate incident and overseeing the sometimes long road to recovery.
