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Two London boroughs – Westminster City and Hammersmith and Fulham – have just announced they are merging their education departments. Cllr Nickie Aiken describes how the deal came about No-one should be in any doubt that we are entering the most challenging period for public services in a long time. And, in this new climate of austerity, we will not be able to do everything which we have done previously, and so, instead, we will have to prioritise and protect the most important things. This year alone, Westminster has saved £10m, but efficiency savings will not be enough. We are going to have to fundamentally change the way we work to see what services we can share with other local authorities to deliver value for money for local taxpayers. That is why, earlier this month, we took radical and bold action and agreed to merge our education department with Hammersmith and Fulham LBC to make a 20% saving over the next three years The first stage – due for completion in 2011 – will involve merging education services, including school admissions, governor support, behaviour support, SEN transport, and educational psychology. We have also set out our intention to combine the majority of our children's services with Hammersmith and Fulham by 2013, which could include child protection, looked-after children, youth offending, emergency duty teams and early intervention services. Detailed plans are being worked up and will be considered in October, before any proposals are implemented. The education partnership is set to save around £1m over three years, driving down costs such as ICT, human resources, administration and business support, and pushing up standards by improving our ability to intervene in failing schools and enhance the education of thousands of children in London. Helpfully, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham are a good fit. Both have a strong record in boosting educational achievement, and both have a similar socio-economic demographic. There is also no dominant partner, and the scheme has the full support of officers and politicians alike. The merger has also been generally well received by education experts, many of whom have praised the move as a ‘logical' and ‘commonsense step' as the public sector belt continues to tighten. Of course, some councils have been sharing services with their neighbours for a number of years. Such joint endeavours usually include cross-authority call centres and highway maintenance services. But we believe this merger – the joining of two frontline departments – is the first of its kind in the country, and will ultimately become the blueprint for future partnerships. The merger is also likely to be followed by other councils – if only because the current system, with 33 children's service departments across London alone, all providing many of the same services, is not a sustainable model in the long term. Indeed, over the next five years, we are likely see the establishment of a number of similar department ‘clusters' in the capital. Inevitably, there will be some job losses and post reductions as both councils seek to restructure, but we have no choice if we are to live within our means. People should be assured though, this is not a simple, knee-jerk reaction to the Budget, or the latest [communities secretary] Eric Pickles' speech, since we have been planning this merger for more than 12 months. It formed one of the key recommendations of Westminster's Education Commission, established to improve the education and achievements of the city's pupils, and also when we saw the writing on the wall last year about the impending public sector funding cuts. However, while funding is evidently a key factor behind the merger, this is far more than just a cost-cutting exercise. It will lead to greater flexibility and choice for parents, as well as those who commission on behalf of vulnerable families. Both councils will also seek to retain local knowledge and accountability, build best practice, and retain political control over their respective boroughs while pursuing their own local agendas. The only change children and young people will be aware of is improved support and provision. We take pride in the fact that our merger with Hammersmith and Fulham is a brave and decisive move. We see it as a golden opportunity to redefine the role of a local education authority. By bringing the expertise of two boroughs together, we are confident we can help shape the future of learning and education services in the capital. This is, however, only the start of a longer journey to fundamentally change the way we provide services in today's tough economic climate. Further partnerships are entirely possible and over coming months we will, no doubt, consider which other services we can share with neighbouring councils to save costs and deliver savings to our residents and businesses. Cllr Nickie Aiken is cabinet member for children and young people at Westminster City Council

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How we are merging our education departments

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