Public services ring the changes?

"I don't believe it" moments could be a thing of the past

Big shake-up in public services

Many of us have experienced the joys of phoning a local council or health body and being told "sorry mate, nothing to do with us, try another department".

But if the assembly government's "unprecedented changes" to public services unveiled on Tuesday are a success, we might just get a bit less of that sort of thing.

At the moment though, talk to somebody working for social services or the health service and, often, the conversation soon turns to the latest turf wars.

One body will have passed on some important work to another organisation's in-tray, not because that is best for the person but to force the other body to foot the bill.

The hope is that with the creation of Local Service Boards (LSBs) the vibrations of thousands of heads being knocked together will be felt throughout the land.

If the assembly government decides that providing better support for older people should be a priority across Wales then all the organisations involved - health, social services, Age Concern and so on - will be expected to thrash out sensible ways of making it happen.

"The most obvious criticism of the strategy is that it appears to be another example of the proud local government tradition - where there is a problem create another committee"

Assembly government officials will sit on the board and so be involved in decisions.

The theory is that they should also be able to get the message back to their ministers if there are big problems on the ground with making a policy work.

There will be some sharing of budgets amongst organisations on the LSBs, intended to avoid the regular scraps over whose budget is being raided to pay for a service.

Getting back to point I started with, staff and bodies will have more training in how to deal with the public, "sorry lady, nothing to do with me" should become a thing of the past.

The most obvious criticism of the strategy is that it appears to be another example of the proud local government tradition - where there is a problem create another committee.

'Too little, too late'

The assembly government says this isn't what it is doing - it is simply building on partnerships between organisations which already exist and giving them more focus, a bit of a kick up the backside to you and me.

Plaid Cymru's take on the plans is that they lack ambition and will only increase bureaucracy, by creating the new Local Service Boards.

The Liberal Democrats are concerned the assembly government is taking too much central control of local services.

And the Conservatives? They say this is "too little too late" and that they would let local councils decide more for themselves.

Of course the nature of politics is that governments always trumpet their policies as the best since sliced bread, regardless of any private reservations they might or might not have, and oppositions pour cold water on the policies - policies that really are good news all round tend to leave them further from power.

The true test will be when we ring the council in 2010.

Will we be told to clear off and bother somebody else or will we get straight through to the right person on the end of the phone who just can't do enough for us?

I'll make a note in my diary in 2010, make the call then and report back in four years.

How is that for service?

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