Case Studies - Partners for Change
Community Transport in South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire Council has embarked on a process of joint-working and co-production of services with the community transport sector in the area. This has resulted in the establishment of South Ayrshire Community Transport (SACT) as a joint-venture between five community transport providers in South Ayrshire and has led to piloting and subsequently winning a transport contract from the Council.
Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company
North Ayrshire Council awarded Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company a contract for the recycling of household bulky waste. The contract for ‘Recovery re-use and recycling of household bulky waste’ provided an opportunity to test out splitting contracts into separate lots, with the aim of enabling the third sector to more successfully tender for public sector contracts.
Procurement of management, distribution and maintenance of a bike hire scheme
The Glasgow Bike Station has successfully been awarded the management and maintenance sub-contract for Glasgow’s bike hire scheme. The Mass Automated Cycle Hire (MACH) scheme offers 400 bikes for hire at 31 locations across the city. Nextbike, a German company won the overall contract of almost £600K but this depended on it delivering the service through a local partner - Glasgow Bike Station, a company limited by guarantee, charity, and social enterprise, which advocates mental and physical health through cycling as a means of transport. Delivery of this contract has been sustained by its work with corporate players in Glasgow through the Better Way to Work programme funded by The Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund.
Partners for Change: Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Services in Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) is committed to working with third sector partners in order to improve effective delivery of personalised services which address mental health, drug and alcohol needs within local communities.
After participating in the Partners for Change process involving PKC and third sector providers there is now agreement on a Steering Group tasked with establishing a Recovery College, which will improve co-operation and implement a number of resource sharing opportunities.
Community Transport in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) is increasingly recognising the importance of community transport in helping to meet local transport needs in a financially efficient way. NLC wants to improve joint working with North Lanarkshire’s emerging community transport sector. After participating in the Partners for Change process involving NLC, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and the third sector community transport providers there is now a Partnership Plan in place that improves co-operation, implements a number of resource sharing opportunities and identified a range of community transport solutions.
West Lothian Council
Public service delivery in West Lothian are facing major challenges and has to adapt to sustain services and deliver better local outcomes. West Lothian has taken part in the Partners for Change process to increase collaborative working and help the Public and Third Sector to make the changes that are necessary. The Council and its partners are now engaging in a wide-ranging effort to increase Third Sector involvement in service planning and delivery and to improve commissioning and procurement processes.
Fife Council
Fife Council is a progressive Local Authority with a strategic approach to engaging with local organisations as part of its wider Supporting Enterprising communities programme within its overarching Council Plan. Fife Council engaged with the Partners for Change process with the aim of further developing its relationship with the Third Sector. As a result a plan is now being implemented to engage the Third Sector more fully in planning and commissioning of services with the aim that this will increase innovation and service quality whilst delivering more efficient services across Fife.
North Ayrshire
The operating environments of Local Authorities and the Third Sector are becoming more and more blurred; a move towards preventative service provision; an integration of service planning and provision; and a move towards localism and personalisation in service. With this shared agenda, North Ayrshire Council took part in the Partners for Change process in order to strengthen its relationship with the Third Sector and to take collaboration to the next level. The resulting action plan to increase the role of the Third Sector in service planning and delivery is now being implemented.
Fife Early Years Service
In the first half of 2013, Fife Council, in conjunction with members of its Early Years Strategy Group from NHS Fife and the Third Sector, participated in the Partners for Change process to review delivery of Early Years services in Fife and explore the opportunities to involve the Third Sector earlier and more deeply in the planning and delivery of Early Years services.
Inverclyde
This case study is of the first Local Authority area in Scotland to participate in the Partners for Change process, Inverclyde is now implementing wide-ranging action to involve the third sector more fully in service planning, to ensure a level playing field during procurement processes, and to grow the role of the sector in public service delivery.