Community Budgets & public service transformation

Since October 2012, in four areas of England, ‘Community Budgets’ pilots have been underway which could radically transform the funding and structures of public services.
  With local/national cross party support and based on the New Labour concept of ‘total place’, the LGIU reports that ‘whole place community budgets have been lauded by the coalition government as a flagship policy to put major principles of localism, ‘customer first’ service integration, public services reform, and deficit reduction into practice.’ The LGIU has published an important briefing ‘Much ado about…whole place community budgets' reviewing progress made (or lack of it) on the four pilots:  http://www.lgiu.org.uk/briefing/much-ado-aboutwhole-place-community-budgets/ (subscribers only). For more on Community Budgets pilots read here:
http://unisonactive.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/4-community-budget-pilots-confirmed.html

Redwood on Total Place - It's all Greek to me!‏

Sitting in a picturesque Greek taverna I attempted to order some food from a bloke standing behind the bar wearing chefs checks and hat. He politely declined pointing me to a waiter in the near empty family run taverna who promptly took my order turned approximately two inches and repeated my order to the chef. Demarcation? Of course. Chefs are far more important than waiters even if literally brothers, each sticks to their own job.