In Surrey, a new partnership is bringing together county, district, police and health services to focus on sharing services and strategy. One of the district chief executives involved, Stephen Weigel, describes the process.
Many councils are considering how to make savings, while still maintaining frontline services within their areas of responsibility.
Over 12 months ago, an initiative known as Surrey First was created, focusing on shared services, collaboration, co-delivery and innovation, to achieve significant savings, while protecting frontline services.
Unlike similar initiatives I have been involved in, Surrey First is more innovative, with greater potential. It involves a larger number of partners which gives the project more flexibility and scope, but also makes it a far greater challenge to achieve.
Surrey First involves Surrey CC, all 11 district and borough councils across the county, Surrey police and, potentially, NHS Surrey – a total of 14.
There have been numerous meetings between chief executives and councillors to develop initial views on the shape, scope and governance arrangements, plus outcomes. And this has resulted in three main strands of work:
