Frontline public sector workers to play key role in delivery of Government missions

Local communities and frontline workers, including teachers and NHS staff, are set to have a greater impact on shaping national policy, as part of the government's plan to transform public services and deliver the Plan for Change.

Three of the Government’s thematic campuses will become testbeds of the Government’s missions.

Thematic campuses are key locations drawing together staff from different departments with different skills and expertise.

Teams will be asked to get into communities to work with those using local services and workers on the frontline to develop new ideas to deliver on the missions.

Darlington will drive the growth mission, Sheffield will focus on opportunity and Leeds on the health mission. Civil servants based in these locations will work with local counterparts and frontline workers at speed to solve some of the key issues facing their local areas.

The solutions that are found can then be scaled up across other parts of the UK to accelerate delivery of the missions nationally.

Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould said: "In every community in the country there are people trying to improve their local area with ideas for how things should change and government often misses the innovation happening on the ground in communities. 

"We want a civil service that is connected to the British people, backing their ideas and working alongside communities to deliver the missions. 

"The new approach we are announcing today will deliver new opportunities that people can feel where they live and start to re-wire the state from the ground up."

The Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, said: "We are delighted that Leeds will host one of three new thematic campuses, with Leeds focusing on the Government’s health mission. This aligns with our local health and wellbeing strategy, which aims to improve the health of the poorest fastest. 

"Leeds is a growing, diverse and ambitious city with well established neighbourhood networks run by the voluntary and community sector and large anchor organisations working in partnership with the local authority, and a wealth of front line expertise which will really benefit this new initiative.  

"As a city, we have a hard won reputation for innovation, especially within the health and social care sector, so we are perfectly suited to focus on the health mission which has been entrusted to the city.

"We look forward to playing a significant role in helping to shape national policy and to bringing central government closer our community."