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Localism is one of the government's new big ideas. The principle underpinning the concept for local authorities is devolution or decentralisation to give more power to local communities.

But is localism simply about transferring power and resources from cabinet to local councillors? Or is it about giving the wider community a greater say? Or, specifically, giving people who use our public services a greater voice in how services are developed and delivered locally?

Clearly, localism affects all agencies that deliver public services. These include health services, education, housing, social services, waste management, highways maintenance and the police. But does localism work for some services and not others?

Localism is about giving people who live in a locality more say. Service user involvement and consultation is about giving people who use a service more say. Both are about giving people more say in service delivery.

This distinction doesn't matter if most local people use a public service, such as refuse collection. But perhaps it is different when only a few use a public service, such as home care.

So, with greater emphasis now on localism and service user consultation, who should have greater say in how day services for frail older people are delivered, for example? People in the local community and local member representatives? Or older people who actually use the service and their relatives?

Devolution should be about giving local people more say, and thus a greater voice and more power. Localism, however, should enable people who use public services to be the focus for delivering and developing local services, not just local politicians or the wider community.

Localism is the right way forward, but one model for embracing it does not fit all. For this reason consultation and service user involvement on health and social care services remain paramount.

Blair McPherson is director of organisation development at Lancashire Council adult social services.