Local public bodies should share staff and buildings in order to save frontline services, a report by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has said.

Today, CLG published Putting the Frontline First: Meeting the Local Government Challenge, which outlines ten ways for local authorities to guarantee frontline services remain intact. Communities secretary John Denham (pictured) is working with councils to identify cuts.

It says councils should adopt a “Total Place” approach to cutting out wasted and duplicated work through sharing offices and management teams, and procuring services together.

A survey of 49 councils published today revealed that 96 per cent of local authorities are already planning to share services with other public sector bodies, such as health trusts, schools, voluntary organisations or other councils.

Denham said government was working to ensure councils have explored all options before resorting to budget cuts that will affect frontline services and jobs.

“Today my taskforce, ably led by Steve Bullock and Richard Leese, has set out ten decisive steps councils can take to protect local services,” he said.

“They include sharing back office roles like HR and IT; using the same chief executive at two councils; and reducing the number of buildings used by bringing services together under the same roof.”

The report says one property review done jointly by seven authorities has identified a £640m potential saving from capital receipts and revenue savings.

“Local people will rightly be intolerant if they are told that front line services will be cut because their council has not done everything suggested on this checklist”

The ten steps recommended by CLG are:

1. Focusing council services on the customer.

2. Taking a Total Place approach to frontline services.

3. Making services more efficient – cutting out waste and unnecessary duplication.

4. Checking performance against others and learn who is doing it better.

5. Buying goods and services in groups and use that buying power to create local benefits and involve the third sector.

6. Reducing the number of council buildings by locating more services together.

7. Motivating staff to help to perform to the best of their ability.

8. Making managers leaders of innovation to improve services.

9. Streamlining management by splitting senior posts with other councils or PCTs.

10. Sharing professional expertise and ensuring council staff can be used in a flexible way.

To view the full report, click here: Putting the Frontline First – Meeting the Local Government Challenge

• Pickles: councils will have to share planners
• Liverpool and Knowsley to share regeneration chief
• Councils need to find £11bn over four years
• Putting the Frontline First – Meeting the Local Government Challenge
• Councils prepare to make 25,000 job cuts