Keep it local campaign launched

Campaigners argue against ‘counterproductive’ way of standardising services and outsourcing contracts, encouraging councils to ‘keep it local’.

Launching its Keep it Local campaign, Locality, the national network of community organisations, is calling for locally-commissioned and delivered public services which provide substantially better outcomes and value than standardised, one-size-fits-all services.

Based on the five key principles of how to keep it local, the How to Keep it Local: Five step guide for councillors and commissioners ‘busts myths around commissioning locally and showcases the benefits of working with community anchor organisations’, helping councillors and commissioners save money and deliver complex services.

Tony Armstrong, Locality chief executive, commented: “This guide launches at a time when better commissioning and procurement is needed more than ever.

“Years of mounting pressures mean local authorities are now trying to problem solve by wasting money on inefficient contracts. Local providers are being discriminated against which fails to create the services we need and ultimately weakens communities.

“The bottom line is that commissioning should aim to make public service delivery ‘local by default’, to build the communities of care that are central to long-term well-being. This will save money, provide active support for local providers, ensure more tailored services for local people, and result in communities achieving economic resilience.”