STEP Forward - Frequently Asked Questions

When our budget was approved in 2025, our Integrated Joint Board (IJB) members asked us to develop a more strategic approach to managing our budget. Given the significant population changes in Glasgow, it is timely that we review all services to ensure they are fit for the future and meet current and emerging needs of our citizens. This programme will provide a unique opportunity to redesign services using the same approach. It is hoped that this will also identify efficiencies to address the projected budget gap of 5% over the next few years. This may involve incorporating digital innovations, changing delivery models or reconfiguring teams.

Following feedback and consultation with staff, the Service Prioritisation Programme was renamed STEP Forward.

STEP Forward stands for Strategic, Transparent, Effective and Planned, and better reflects both the intent of the programme and how we want to work alongside staff as it progresses. While the name is changing, the purpose remains the same: to ensure we use our resources responsibly, protect vital services, and continue to support the people in Glasgow who rely on us.

STEP Forward is a commitment to:
•    being open and transparent about the challenges we face
•    taking an evidence based and planned approach to decision making
•    engaging meaningfully with staff and partners
•    focusing on quality, equity and sustainability in service design

This is an established method developed by HM Treasury to ensure best value for public money. The approach considers strategic fit, affordability and deliverability to identify a preferred option for each service area.  

Review outcomes are:

• enhance - additional investment, where there is evidence of good outcomes
• maintain - continued investment at the same level, which may include a different approach to service delivery
• reduce - reduced investment and implementation plan to achieve this
• cease - discontinue service, though it is expected that this will only be in a minority of cases

An Executive Steering Group has been established, chaired by our Chief Officer, with representation from Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and the third and independent sector. All recommendations will be subject to approval by this group, with the option of escalation to IJB at the discretion of the Chief Officer. The outcome of all the reviews will be published, when finalised. 

We are running workshops to understand current services and their strategic fit with the IJB’s priorities. You are being asked to assist the service review lead to fully understand your service, both directly through participation in workshops, and by providing background information and data. Workshop groups will explore possible options for delivering services that meet projected demand, and these options will be assessed against a set of criteria (Critical Success Factors). This will generate a short list that will be subject to further analysis (Benefit-Cost Ratios, risks and impact etc.) to identify the preferred option, with the optimal net public value. 

The workshops are a key mechanism for generating options for future service delivery, that are fit for the future and meet projected population demand. The options developed in the workshops will go forward for a viability check from the Finance Team (and Commissioning, if appropriate) and will then be assessed against the Critical Success Factors for the project. This is a critical stage for sharing your views about how services could be designed for the future

The approved option may involve changes to some roles, e.g. line management reporting, processes or practice, and these changes will be supported in line with our existing workforce change procedures. As we are working through the potential changes, we will also be identifying opportunities and challenges at the earliest point to ensure that if you are affected, you fully understand the impacts and mitigations, including any opportunities and alternative options. Appropriate retraining programmes will be developed to support affected staff to transition or change roles, as required.

We expect that this outcome will only apply to a small proportion of the reviews. In these circumstances, organisational change procedures will be followed in the usual way. We will ensure that staff fully understand the implications, including any opportunities and alternative options.   

Trade union representatives are being invited to the workshops and are also being consulted via existing governance structures, including the Staff Partnership Forum and Programme Boards.

Service users will be invited to appropriate workshops to help to develop options for future service delivery. Alternative ways to get involved in the process will be offered, based on their needs and preferences, e.g. via an interview, workshop, survey or through representation from carers, representatives, third sector and independent organisations.  

We have a Communications and Engagement Plan which outlines our aims, and all our engagement events. We are conducting a rolling programme of staff engagement events, with the first having taken place in November 2025 and a second in March 2026. Following feedback, we are running  online and in person events to ensure you have the opportunity to attend.

We are encouraging staff to share questions and ideas by using our online form.

Some staff have signed up to join the Staff Reference Group, chaired by our Chief Officer, and aims to explore feedback about the programme to help us to develop our approach, and to test some of the materials we are producing to guide the process.

If you are interested in joining, please complete our Expression of Interest form.

Every review is different and is conducted on its own merits. This is reflected in the emerging evidence from the initial tranche of reviews, which reflect the diversity of services provided by our HSCP and the range of specific circumstances each service operates in.

There are a range of potential outcomes from individual service reviews. Those include:

• status quo/no change
• budget unchanged but amendments to service model within that unchanged budget
• additional investment (but high evidential bar that this makes economic sense; for example due to prevention benefits)
• reduction in service
• cessation of service (again a high bar evidential bar required that any existing service should cease completely and this is likely to be a very rare outcome).

The STEP Forward programme is committed to reviewing every element of GCHSCP investment. Therefore hosted services will be subject to review where GCHSCP makes any budget contribution. Hosted services assume a range of forms and the precise design of the service review will reflect the particular arrangements of the service under review; for example how partner HSCPs are involved as stakeholders in the review process. However, in all cases the standard STEP Forward review principles and broad methodology will apply.

The STEP Forward programme is committed to reviewing every element of GCHSCP investment. Therefore hosted services will be subject to review where GCHSCP makes any budget contribution. Hosted services assume a range of forms and the precise design of the service review will reflect the particular arrangements of the service under review; for example how partner HSCPs are involved as stakeholders in the review process. However, in all cases the standard STEP Forward review principles and broad methodology will apply.

The STEP Forward review methodology is designed to take account of the strategic and operational contexts for the services under review. As those evolve the methodology allows for changing organisational conditions to be designed into the service review process.

The expectation is that the STEP Forward process will continue to apply beyond the initial 3 year cycle of the programme as a discipline for ensuring our HSCP resources continue to be deployed in the right place, at the right time and to maximum effect.

The review methodology seeks to mitigate against any predetermined outcomes from service reviews. All services will be reviewed consistently against the main review criteria – strategic fit, best value, affordability and achievability. Outsourcing may or may not appraise strongly against these criteria for a given review, so no assumptions can be made in advance of the review methodology being applied.

Yes, there will be a highly structured and accountable implementation process governed under the HSCP’s Integration Transformation Board (ITB). The implementation lead – typically the lead Head of Service for the operational area – will be required to submit a detailed implementation plan, with associated delivery milestones and timescales. Performance against these delivery milestones will be reviewed at monthly ITB meetings.

All aspects of HSCP funding will be subject to review. However, at present, no specific timescale has been set for a review of HSCP property.

The HSCP will engage with staff and their trade unions in a formal, structured consultation process that will seek feedback on the proposed review recommendation before a final decision is made at the STEP Forward Executive Steering Group.

Though careful scoping with operational leaders at the initiation stage, clustering of reviews, and through structured weighting of review options that require consideration of interdependencies with other service areas.

The STEP Forward programme plan includes a formal risk management plan that applies at both programme and individual service review levels. This is reported into the Executive Steering Group, with the oversight of IJB, and the programme will be subject to ongoing independent audit, which includes a focus on risk management.

Yes. All reviews will be reported to IJBs either for noting or for approval. All staff will receive links to these reports when they are published online.

Formal consultation is the part of the STEP Forward process that takes place after a preferred review option has been identified but before any decision has been taken. It presents a formal, structured opportunity for staff, supported by their trades unions, to ask questions, make comment or submit alternative proposals.

Typically the consultation will take place over a four week period, commencing with staff and trades unions meeting with the Depute Chief Officer, Strategy, Innovation and Best Value where the preferred option is presented and the consultation process is explained. Following the meeting a weblink to a consultation portal is circulated to enable questions, comments and alternative proposals to be submitted. A pack containing relevant HR information is also circulated at this point. At the conclusion of the consultation process a summary of the consultation responses and management response will be issued. The consultation findings will also be represented in the final review report that goes forward for decision.

Yes, short list options are subject to equality screening and a full EQIA is prepared in relation to the preferred review option, where required.

Review implementation will typically be led by the operational Head of Service. A structured programme of support is being put in place for implementation leads based on the prosci change methodology, with the support of OD. HR will support implementation, including the application of organisational change policies and processes as appropriate.

An expectation will be communicated via Senior Management Team that STEP Forward becomes a standing item on team meeting agendas. The STEP Forward team will ensure appropriate comms materials are made available to support that activity.