Tag: Public Services

We are on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how power works in England. But will that power reach councils and communities? Why now? The Cabinet Office’s Rewiring […]

3rd November, 2026

Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Public Services • Rewiring the State

The Scottish Government’s announcement on public service reform is a chance to rethink not just how our public services work, but where power sits. Under the initial proposals, NHS territorial […]

27th October, 2026

Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government • Public Services

Strategic Authorities have an opportunity to reshape how public services work – argues Claire Dhami, Head of Systems Change and Inclusion at West Midlands Combined Authority – but that will […]

12th October, 2026

Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Public Services • Strategic authorities

Commissioning is the primary gateway between policymakers setting priorities and the organisations delivering them, translating policy ambition and public resources into practice on the ground. Yet too often commissioning is […]

6th October, 2026

Commissioning • Public service reform • Public Services • Test Learn and Grow • TLG

In this guest blog, Dr Tom McNeil, CEO of The JABBS Foundation for Women & Girls, argues that devolution could drive change for women and families, provided there is a […]

29th September, 2026

Collaboration • Devolution • Public Services

This article was first published in The MJ on 24 September 2026. Anna Randle talks to Ann McGauran about her long commitment to local government reform working with communities and […]

28th September, 2026

Community Power • Local government reform • Public Services

Rewiring the State lays out a bold and comprehensive set of plans for devolution and public service reform that will fundamentally change where power lies in our country – a […]

7th September, 2026

Community Power • Public Services • Rewiring the State • Strategy and leadership

The Government’s recent cabinet statement lays out a bold and comprehensive set of plans for devolution and public service reform that will fundamentally change where power lies in our country. […]

26th August, 2026

Central government • Community Power • Public Services

In this guest blog, Ian Adams, Chair of Public Voice CIC, argues that public services need to move beyond consultation towards co-production, treating residents as partners in designing services, shaping […]

3rd August, 2026

Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Public service reform • Public Services

Across local government, there is growing interest in working at the neighbourhood scale as a way of delivering more relational, preventative and community-powered public services. Over the coming months, we […]

29th July, 2026

Community engagement • Community Power • Neighbourhood Working • Neighbourhoods in Practice • Public Services

Across local government, there is growing interest in neighbourhood working as a way of delivering more relational, preventative and community-powered public services. Over the coming months, we will be sharing how councils in our network, […]

22nd June, 2026

Community Power • Local government • Neighbourhood Working • Neighbourhoods in Practice • Public Services

Over the last decade, community power has become increasingly important to discussions about the future of public services, local government and democratic renewal. Ahead of his keynote speech at Stronger […]

16th June, 2026

Community Power • Public Services

This article was first published in the LGC on 9 June 2026 and previews themes from Sir David Robinson’s keynote address at Stronger Things 2026. As local government grapples with rising […]

11th June, 2026

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government • Public Services

Cate McLaurin is a Senior Director at Public Digital, and on June 16th she’ll be joining us on the Stronger Things Big Ideas Stage for our ‘Building to learn’ session. Ahead of that conversation, drawing on her […]

2nd June, 2026

Community Power • Public Services • Strategy and leadership • Stronger Things

This article was first published in The MJ on 26 May 2026. It’s time to seize the opportunity of Total Place 2.0 to help bring about the public services we […]

28th May, 2026

Place-Based Public Service Reform • Public Services • Total Place

Hearing about outcomes partnerships with Bridges Outcomes Partnerships and AllChild

11th November, 2025

Outcomes focused • Partnerships • Prevention • Public Services

Exploring South Staffordshire's digital journey with residents at its heart

22nd October, 2025

digital transformation • Partnerships • Place • Public Services

Exploring a project targeting specific priority areas within a place as a way of tackling inequality and disadvantage

17th October, 2025

Neighbourhood • Partnerships • Place • Public Services

In partnership with Bridges Outcome Partnerships, this session will explore how outcomes-based approaches can transform the delivery of preventative public services. We’ll take a look at person-centred, outcomes-focused programmes that […]

12th August, 2025

Outcomes focused • Partnerships • Prevention • Public Services

Exploring how local authorities can integrate climate risk into their strategic planning and work through the significant impacts on future service delivery.

23rd June, 2025

Climate change • Partnerships • Public Services • Transformation

Grace Duffy, Director of Policy, Influencing and Engagement at Bridges Outcomes Partnership, tells us about their work with local authorities and partnerships they have developed to build better outcomes for residents.

13th May, 2025

Community Power • Local government • Partnerships • Public Services

Graham Beamish and Marie Pye explain how Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils have saved 1000 years’ worth of care days for children and young people.

17th February, 2025

Childrens' Services • Local government • Partnerships • Prevention • Public Services

Cllr Beverley Egan is a councillor for Thundersley in south-east Essex. In 2023, she was appointed to chair of Essex Council’s Caring Communities Commission, an ambitious two-year look at the […]

5th February, 2025

Community Power • Health and social care • Public Services

As the Government’s agenda for local government, devolution and public services takes shape, a ‘new local’ is emerging, built on the principles of power, prevention and place.

27th January, 2025

Community Power • Local government • Place-based budgets • Politics • Prevention • Public Services

The government needs an overarching strategy for public service reform that dispenses with traditional Whitehall ‘business as usual’ assumptions, writes Jessica Studdert.

13th December, 2024

Central government • Community Power • Local government • Public Services • Strategy and leadership

As the NHS grapples with significant challenges, a new approach to public consultation is giving citizens and healthcare staff the power to shape its future. In the largest-ever conversation about […]

4th December, 2024

Central government • Healthcare • Public Services • The NHS

Many councils have committed to net zero, but embedding climate resilience into whole-organisation transformation remains a major challenge. This session will explore how local authorities can integrate climate risk into […]

11th November, 2024

Climate change • Public Services • Transformation

The new Government has an opportunity to shift the institutions at SW1 to actively seek insight beyond its small postcode, says Jessica Studdert.

11th November, 2024

Central government • Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government • Policy • Public Services

In North Birkenhead a unique programme is joining up services and putting community priorities at the heart of decision making, creating impact that could be a model for national policy change.

7th November, 2024

Community Power • Local government • Public Services • Social Care • Total Place

Using outcomes-focused relational working to reduce demand on statutory services can be difficult, but it has the potential to help local authorities effectively deliver preventative interventions.

5th November, 2024

Childrens' Services • Health and social care • Prevention • Public Services

Jessica Studdert identifies three shifts local government needs from the first fiscal event of the new Parliament.

23rd October, 2024

Budgeting • Central government • Local government • Politics • Public Services

Devolution should move beyond technocratic functionality and embed meaningful participation and dialogue in decision-making, says Jessica Studdert.

14th October, 2024

Devolution • Local government • Public Services • Strategy and leadership

Creating a strategy that is shaped by frontline services as well as those accessing them is vital for local authorities.

17th September, 2024

Community engagement • Equality • Public Services

With the Autumn Budget in sight, Former Secretary of State John Denham and New Local’s Jessica Studdert make the case for Total Place 2.0.

9th September, 2024

Devolution and reorganisation • Local government finance • Place-based budgets • Political reform • Public Services • Total Place

Enfield Council’s Grace Murray shares ten pointers for community-powered leadership.

5th September, 2024

Community Power • Leadership • Public Services • Strategy and leadership

By listening to and valuing the insights of communities, the public sector can build better services, improve outcomes and use limited resources more wisely. But what are the essential ingredients for effective collaboration? And how can you overcome barriers...

14th August, 2024

Collaboration • Community engagement • Community Power • Local government • Public Services • Wellbeing

After a bold start, the Government has an opportunity to pursue a test and learn approach to place-based service reform, says Jessica Studdert.

12th August, 2024

Local government • Politics • Public Services

We at New Local condemn the racist and Islamophobic violence that black, Asian and migrant communities have been subjected to over recent days.

8th August, 2024

Public Services

Councils are facing reduced funding, rising demand and increasing costs. New Local and IPPO's research project explores how local authorities are responding and what we can learn.

31st July, 2024

Local government • Local government finance • Public Services

New Local Chair Katie Kelly talks to Shaheen Warren from our practice team ahead of our brand-new Radical Leaders event in September. Expect topics from leadership icons to Damascene moments and finding courage through collaboration.

29th July, 2024

Community Power • Leadership • Local government • Public Services • Strategy and leadership

Making the case for preventative services can be difficult, so it is vital that interventions can evidence their efficacy. Bridges Outcomes Partnerships have been working as part of the changing […]

23rd July, 2024

Childrens' Services • Prevention • Public Services

Colleagues throughout local government are still stuck between the rock of shrinking resources and the hard place of rising demand in many (if not all) service areas. The effect of […]

23rd July, 2024

Prevention • Public Services

Tackling inequalities within communities is a vital issue for all local authorities. But often equalities strategies do not deliver for residents in a way that they expect or need. How […]

22nd July, 2024

Community engagement • Equality • Public Services

New MPs have arrived for their first day on the job, the Cabinet is in post, and the wheels of government are turning once more. Catriona Maclay puts forward nine lessons that can be learnt from local government.

11th July, 2024

Central government • Community Power • Local government • Politics • Public Services • Strategy and leadership

Lydia Hutchings and Beth Kilheeney explain how the Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnership works with young people to prevent homelessness and how the project is being evaluated.

11th July, 2024

Community Power • Homelessness • Measurement and Evaluation • Public Services • Young people

Reflections on Stronger Things 2024 by Brendan Martin, Public World.

7th June, 2024

Community Power • Local government • Public Services • Stronger Things

Five reasons why we think Stronger Things might just be the most valuable eight hours of your year.

20th May, 2024

Community Power • Local government • Public Services • Stronger Things

In his last week as chief executive of New Local, Adam Lent ditches sensible moderation and describes the change we really need: radical integration, radical devolution and radical community power.

2nd May, 2024

Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government • Politics • Public Services

Labour lacks a strategy for a public sector under unprecedented pressure. The solution can be found on the frontline, says Adam Lent.

8th April, 2024

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government • Politics • Public Services

Adam Lent tackles some of the most common questions about community power in the public sector, from its benefits, to real-life examples, to its why its time has come in today's 'permacrisis'.

8th April, 2024

Community Power • Health and social care • Local government • Politics • Public Services