Introduction
Public services are under sustained pressure. The rising cost of delivery is becoming harder to manage, productivity has declined, and public satisfaction is low. Current approaches will not be enough to meet future need. While progress is being made, change needs to happen faster.
Total Place is part of a wider set of related ideas and programmes that shift the focus of local public services away from organisations and individual services, and towards people and places. At its core, it is about working differently across organisational boundaries – focusing on what matters most to people, strengthening our understanding of how resources are used across a place, and aligning effort to achieve better outcomes.
It is not a single programme or model, but a way of thinking and working that supports local areas to respond to complex challenges in a more joined-up, effective and sustainable way.