by James Tapsfield Press Association Political Correspondent

The first wave of public service mutuals were unveiled today as the coalition pushes ahead with David Cameron'sBig Society vision.

Twelve projects were selected as "trailblazers" to show how public sector workers can take more control over delivering services.

The schemes will receive mentoring help from organisations such as the John Lewis Partnership, PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG.

They include one called the 157 Group, where 28 further education colleges are setting up a qualifications awarding body.

NHS employees in Leicester are forming a social enterprise to provide "joined-up" services for homeless people.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: "Today's announcement is the first step in creating a genuinely ground-up movement where staff, who are the real experts, can come together to take over and deliver better services.

"I know that across the country there are literally thousands of front line employees who can see how things can be done better, but at the moment, with the existing constraints, they just can't get it done. Now this is going to change.

"The new models will show us how we best support mutuals, tackling problems when they first arise, not expensively managing them over many years.

"This is a BigSociety approach, decentralising power so people can deal with the issues that concern them.
"We must not be afraid to do things differently if we are to provide better services for less money."

The organisations that have agreed to provide mentoring for the projects are: the John Lewis Partnership, PWC, KPMG, Tribal, Baxi Partnership, Care and Share Associates, Sunderland Home Care Associates, Central Surrey Health, Local Partnerships, Godrevy, Greenwich Leisure and The Office for Public Management.

Figures such as Lord Victor Adebowale, the founder of social care provider Turning Point, also offered guidance.

The first 12 schemes are:

:: An awarding body setting up as a mutual by a consortium of FE colleges;

:: The London Partnership - creating a 'Reducing Multiple Disadvantage' Community Interest Company from a group of Department of Health, local authority, Primary Care Trust and NHS staff;

:: The Department of Health's London and SE Learning Disability Team forming a regional Community Interest Company;

:: Hammersmith and Fulham Children's Services exploring new models of delivery with staff, possible commercial partners and neighbouring local authorities;

:: North East Essex PCT spinning out into a Community Interest Company;

:: The creation of a social enterprise for delivery of housing support services to vulnerable people in Mansfield, bringing together a range of public sector workers;

:: The Lambeth Resource Centre exploring options for co-producing services with employees, service users and third sector organisations to provide rehabilitation support for people with physical and sensory impairment;

:: NHS employees forming a social enterprise to provide joined up services for homeless people in Leicester;

:: Teaching and administrative staff planning to set up a Trust to run Newton Rigg Agricultural College in Cumbria;

:: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea working with employees to examine the potential for different models of employee led youth support services;

:: Integration of Community Health and Adult Social Services in Swindon into a cooperative; and

:: Westminster City Council working with employees in Children's Services and neighbouring local authorities to move towards creating an arms-length mutual organisation.