Institute for Government August 2016
- This briefing paper identifies five barriers that repeatedly hinder integration at a local level, as well as several insights into how to tackle them and focuses on how to overcome the final barrier: a limited sharing of ‘what works’ (and doesn’t).
- The paper highlights that learning around integrating public services tends to occur informally through partnerships and people’s own networks, rather than through formal programmes and organisations.
- Recommendations for local leaders across public services (including in local authorities, CCGs, and providers). Local leaders of public services should:
- create open, outward-looking organisational cultures where staff at all levels are encouraged to share concerns and learn on the go with their peers
- encourage staff to take part in cross-sector secondments, mentoring schemes or events that encourage cross-fertilisation between local organisations – for example, between local authorities, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), general practitioners (GPs), employment services, care homes, the police and other local services in an area.
- incentivise cross-sector learning by setting an expectation that working across different local organisations and maintaining a diverse professional network is essential to career progression.
- Annex 1: List of organisations and programmes that support people in local areas to share experiences and learn from one another
- An accompanying set of eight case studies provides more detail about the methods and impact of different approaches designed to support learning around local public service reform more generally.
Institute for Government August 2016
- This accompanying paper provides clarity on what would help people involved in integrating public services locally to share experiences and improve outcomes on the ground.
