How to… develop shared premises and ‘one stop shops’?
Why is this important?
This month, we are focusing on how organisations can join up and share their working space.
Sharing space with other organisations can have many benefits. It can:
§ make it easier for customers to find and access the services they need
§ help to create better links between organisations
§ increase staff understanding of the different services that are available
§ be more efficient and create financial benefits – for example through sharing overheads.
Because of these benefits, the Scottish and UK governments promote joint working through shared premises. Lots of organisations have now begun to look at how to share their working space.
How can we do it?
Based on the experience of others who have developed shared premises, it is important to:
• Have clear aims and a shared vision – organisations need a clear reason to work together. Find out how the Strathbrock Centre was based on a strong understanding of what all partners wanted to achieve.
• Think about how to integrate services – joined up premises are not just about physical location. You need to really think about how all the services will work in practice, and how they can best link together. Find out more about the Sunderland Bunny Hill Centre’s approach to this.
• Involve staff and the wider community from the beginning – this can make sure that people feel involved and take ownership. In Kilmarnock, the North West Area Centre did this by setting up a Commissioning Working Group.
• Think carefully about project management arrangements – this is important for both developing a new building and managing it on an ongoing basis. Find out more about the lessons learned by the Customer Service Centre in Kenton.
What have others done?
One stop shops Lots of organisations have worked together to bring a range of public (and voluntary or community) services under one roof. Normally this is easiest to do in a purpose built new building. Find out how this was done in The Hub, Glasgow, West Lothian Connect and UnderCOVER. |
Public service campus Another approach is to create a campus or village, with services closely located – but not all in the one building. This can be useful if partners have very specific design or security issues. Or if partners are ready to get involved at different stages – so that development can be phased. Find out how this approach was used in Bury St Edmunds Public Service Village. |
Find out more…
• Get examples of how one stop shops can work in rural areas
• Access 16 case studies on Front Office Shared Services (FOSS) from IDeA
• Learn from the main learning points coming out of the FOSS project
• You can also join up your ‘back office’ services like finance and IT Find out more…
