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Total solutions, total commitment, total creativity, and total collaboration. That's what total place means in Bradford as nationally service innovation moves from just public / private partnership towards public / public partnership. Bradford has embraced the opportunity that total place brings to capitalise on existing strong partnerships and local leadership which is already on route to re-shape the way public sector services are planned and distributed. Tony Reeves: Total Place will make a positive difference to both the quality and cost of public sector services Bradford, which David Hockney illustrated as ‘one landscape many views,' is a city of contrast and a district of diversity: urban and rural, wealth and deprivation, impressive built heritage and quality modern development and some of the highest and lowest educational attainment and health outcomes in the country. Our population of more than half a million is diverse, young and growing rapidly. In Bradford we are conscious that we are not only shaping the future of public services in our district, but hopefully will help to sustain, safeguard and transform public service nationally. Bradford has a public sector spend of approximately £3.5 billion. Big is certainly beautiful in Bradford. Our achievement of total place objectives and outcomes will make a positive difference to both the quality and cost of public sector services on a grand scale. So what have we achieved so far as a total place pilot, following on from the CLG / HM Treasury's letter that we received at the end of May? We have recruited a total place programme director and an executive member champion has been identified. Bradford District Partnership, our local strategic partnership, has been briefed about and is, of course, involved fully in delivering the pilot. We have commissioned a ‘money mapping' exercise to increase our understanding of the relationship between centrally and locally directed public sector resources across our district. Within the Bradford District Partnership, work has already been progressed on cultural mapping. This has led to a clearer understanding across partners about the opportunities for and barriers to transforming public sector services. We are developing an understanding of, and commitment to, a shared future. Partners have recognized that within their different cultures and governance structures there are good and bad practices to identify and address. This really is peer learning in action! Organisational development and transformational change agendas have often been pursued individually by public sector organizations across the country in recent years. Now co-ordination is being strengthened by collaboration. There is a growing consensus about the importance of achieving a common vision to develop a shared culture, recognising that togetherness delivers much more. Each pilot area has been asked to use total place to consider a theme which is of particular local importance, often transformational priorities already identified and agreed, with the involvement of local people, as part of an area's sustainable community plan and LAA. In Bradford these themes are currently being debated and discussed across partners. Strong support is emerging for focusing total place on one or more of the following themes: prolific offenders, social care and health and looked- after children. Nationally, services in these areas are multi agency and sometimes confusing rather than complementary. They also account for a large proportion of public sector spend, with outcomes often of only variable quality. At the centre of all these themes, and at the heart of the debate, is the individual citizen and service user. Transformational public services are about supporting and enabling people to make transformational change in their own lives. Ultimately, service performance outcomes can only ever be measured in individual units, by improvement in the life chances and quality of life for local people. Therefore, total place provides a framework for us to rethink the relationship between citizens and the state. In terms of its community leadership role, good local government can and will be a really effective fulcrum for these new relationships with informed and empowered citizens. Success will be secured by the commitment and leadership of the Bradford District Partnership and its readiness to embrace these new ways of working. Tony Reeves is chief executive, Bradford City Council

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ECONOMIC GROWTH

Proceeding with the pilot scheme

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