Advancing the transformation of local services in Staffordshire

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the work between statutory sector partners in Staffordshire to establish a transformational rather than transactional health and well being board and its approach to resource allocation.Design methodology approach - The paper describes the principles and process of achieving a shared ambition for Staffordshire, and the practical and strategic considerations of taking a broader and more ambitious approach than current guidance recommends.Findings - Supporting individual organisations to achieve their statutory requirements within the context of the shared vision, and using customer insight intelligently to influence the decision-making process, are critical to success. The challenge of moving resources in times of financial hardship and organisational flux should not be underestimated.Practical implications - The process of moving resources into prevention and early intervention cannot be done in a "one size fits all" way and has to be considered as part of a differentiated approach. In addition, organisations must be willing to cede influence and resources to support the vision, thus challenging culture and traditional organisational boundaries and structures.Social implications - The process described in the paper is designed to improve health and well being for citizens in Staffordshire, tackling inequality in an integrated, targeted and proportionate way.Originality value - This is an emerging example of "whole system" integration.