The UK Government’s local government reform and devolution agendas will radically change the landscape of governance throughout England.
The restructure will reduce the number of councils and transfer more decision-making powers to local authorities.
Setting you up to succeed
The reform focuses on creating larger, more efficient unitary authorities to improve service delivery, reduce administrative costs and ensure financial resilience.
At the same time, the government is committed to maintaining local identity, engaging communities in decision-making and fostering collaboration between local authorities and public sector partners, such as health services, police and education providers.
Devolution seeks to empower local authorities with greater control over transport, housing, economic development and public services, enabling them to tailor policies to regional needs. It is clear that digital leadership is essential for the long-term sustainability of local authorities.
Socitm appreciates that from a DDaT perspective, this requires local authorities to manage both business as usual programmes; maintaining frontline services, in addition to designing and developing future models of service delivery; at pace.
Our response: your strategic DDaT support partner
Socitm is uniquely placed to provide expert, independent support for councils navigating the complexities of devolution and local government reform.
By providing practical, hands-on support, we can enable councils to maintain their frontline services and existing service levels while designing and developing new models of service delivery.
This support is crucial during the transition period, ensuring that councils can continue to excel in their core functions.
The integration of DDaT services is a ‘must-have‘ to support the transition and mobilisation to new arrangements.
Socitm’s DDaT services provide the necessary tools and frameworks to ensure a seamless and sustainable transition.
It is essential to remember that change needs to be sustainable and long-lasting. It must be done correctly from the outset.
1. DDaT transformation and transition planning
- We can help local authorities transition from legacy IT systems to modern, cloud-based, AI-driven solutions to support both reform and devolved service delivery.
- Our experts can offer strategic guidance on digital transformation, ensuring a seamless, cost-effective transition whilst maintaining service continuity.
- We can provide best practice frameworks, templates, and toolkits to support decision-making and reduce inefficiencies, as local authorities reorganise and take on new devolved responsibilities.
2. Collaboration, consultation and stakeholder management
- Socitm can act as the facilitator; bringing together multiple local authorities within a region to harness collaboration and share expertise in managing both reorganisation and devolved functions.
- We can engage with key public sector stakeholders, elected members, government bodies and suppliers to reach reform and devolution objectives.
- By sharing information and resources, local authorities can accelerate transformation, reduce risks, avoid redundancy and achieve effective integration and autonomy.
3. Digital leadership and workforce development
- Local authorities will face challenges in resourcing transformation programmes while maintaining IT and digital services.
- We provide expert guidance to ensure they have the skills needed to manage this transition effectively.
Our support includes developing expertise in modern digital solutions and maintaining service continuity during change.
Additionally, we offer training programmes to equip teams with the necessary skills to create and adopt new solutions. - CEOs and senior leaders must adopt digitally enabled ways of working for successful transitions. We offer strategic leadership guidance to help embrace digital-first approaches, streamline decision-making and foster innovation.
- Our membership services include peer learning, access to expert advisors, coaching and workshops to support councils through change, ensuring leadership and operational teams are prepared for the future.
4. Innovation and efficiency through AI, data and the Cloud
- Socitm can help bridge the gap between local government legacy systems and innovative digital solutions to ensure seamless operations post-reform and in devolved administrations.
- Our knowledge and expertise in AI, data-driven decision-making and cloud technologies can ensure councils are prepared for the future, with robust digital capabilities to manage newly devolved powers.
- We can develop cost-saving strategies through IT rationalisation, reducing duplication, and enhancing service delivery for restructured councils and devolved authorities.
Why Socitm? We help you to Simplify, Standardise and Share.
We have an unparalleled understanding of local government, in all aspects of DDaT.
Our insights are supplier-neutral, but we can also support contractual and supplier negotiations.
We provide you with:
- Close collaboration
Within a network of trusted industry bodies [including CCN, DCN, the LGA, Solace, and others as well as government departments such as the MHCLG] Socitm has 40 years’ experience representing IT professionals within local public services. - Support for local government reform and devolution
From initial proposals through to programme design and on-boarding of the change capabilities required across workstreams.
Draw on our unmatched pool of knowledge, talent and experience within the society and membership to support your plans. - Empowering leadership training
Equipping you with the knowledge and skills to drive your own digital and service transformation, while fostering a culture of innovation and digital thinking. - Practical and actionable insights
Providing hands-on support to develop sustainable solutions tailored to your local needs. - Service redesign and innovation
Helping local authorities rethink service delivery through digital, data, and collaborative working. - Workforce enablement
Building in-house expertise so local government teams can confidently lead transformation efforts. - Data-driven decision-making
Supporting local authorities in using data analytics to make informed, proactive service improvements. - Encouraging collaboration
Facilitating partnerships that allow local authorities to pool resources and create lasting efficiencies. - Citizen-centric transformation
Ensuring service redesign meets the needs of residents, making public services more accessible and effective. - Future-proofing local government
Providing local authorities with the skills and frameworks to adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities.
Socitm Institute: an extra (but expert and independent) pair (or more) of hands
In February, 3 highly experienced leaders joined the team: Andrew Rogers, Paul Cotton and Steve Cotton.
With extensive knowledge, they bring expertise and a real understanding of the pressures facing the sector together with access to a wider network of resources.
“Steve, Andrew, and Paul bring not just expertise, but fresh thinking and a deep understanding of the challenges. The Socitm Institute’s new services are designed to deliver practical, high-impact support that enables local public services to innovate and build long-term sustainability.”
Nadira Hussain, CEO, Socitm
Interested, but need more details?
Please contact us with your questions and we’ll send you all the information you need.
You might also like and find this useful – Discussion: Local government reform and devolution
About Socitm
The Society for Innovation, Technology, and Modernisation is a membership charity for people working in UK local public services.
We support members with our philosophy to simplify, standardise, share and sustain best practice wherever we find it. Bringing what works into members’ teams, places and communities.
Socitm is the only UK member of LOLA, the Organisation of Local Authority ICT Societies. LOLA includes organisations from Australia, Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, UK and USA.