Funding moves blue light integration a step closer

Suffolk and Cheshire constabularies are to benefit from funding under the Government’s £6.9 million ‘Transformation Challenge Award’.

Eighteen local authorities bid successfully for shares of the award, which is designed to encourage the collaboration of public services. They will receive funding for delivering efficiency savings while remaining at the cutting-edge of service transformation

Four of the 18 awards were for amalgamation of back office functions of emergency services – ‘blue light integration’ – such as finance, procurement and HR.

Suffolk Constabulary, together with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Authority, has been awarded £60,000 for blue light integration.

Tim Passmore, police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Suffolk, welcomed news of the funding: “There is clearly an appetite for collaboration and cooperation across the blue light services partly because money is tight so we need to look at how we continue to deliver public services.

“I am working with the constabulary and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Authority to get together some ideas and discuss what we could do. I think it is an exciting opportunity and one we need to grasp with both hands

“We have four fire facilities that are shared with the police, so we have already started on this journey. The way we will get everybody on board is being completely open and transparent. Good public engagement and lots of consultation is paramount.”

Beneficiaries of the other awards include Cheshire Constabulary which, together with other public service providers in the county, has been awarded £420,000 for crime reduction.

John Dwyer, PCC for Cheshire, said: “I think that it’s brilliant that Cheshire have been given the Transformation Challenge Award. This award is allowing local authorities, the police, fire service and probation to collaborate and help reduce crime and re-offending across Cheshire. The money received from this award demonstrates that community safety is high on the agenda for all agencies in Cheshire and this is being supported by local government. ”

The Department for Communities and Local Government has promised local authorities that more funds will be awarded in the future. A £100 million ‘Transformation Fund’ is planned for 2015, which is intended to assist more councils in setting up shared functions, including with other public and private sector providers.

Brandon Lewis, the local government minister, said “The tide of change that began with chief executives and sharing management teams is now going further to include shared service delivery across council boundaries.

These reforms will be key to protecting services while reducing costs to the taxpayer.”