RADICAL plans to improve the way public services are delivered across west Cheshire will be submitted to Government, following unanimous backing by the council’s executive.
West Cheshire was selected in December 2011 to become one of only four areas across the UK to pilot Whole Place Community Budgets – aiming to identify how public services could be delivered in a more integrated way that better met the needs of local people, and was more efficient and effective.
Locally, the programme is known as Altogether Better, recognising that by working all together we will deliver better services.
A dedicated Altogether Better co-ordination team was set-up, consisting of representatives from the local voluntary sector, public sector, private sector, and council together with nine senior Whitehall civil servants, tasked with developing new ways of delivering services which would improve the quality of life for local people.
The new ways of working will help address issues such as unemployment, improving skills, domestic abuse, healthcare for older people and making sure that families in greatest need are given the support they require.
The executive also agreed to start an eight-week consultation with members, partners, employees and communities on the proposals, to discuss and shape the details in preparation for the first phase of implementation next April.
Council leader Mike Jones said: “These plans are about making a real difference to the services we provide to our residents. We are moving away from addressing the symptoms to instead tackling the root causes, by focusing our efforts on prevention and early intervention.”
