Localism, decentralisation, market making and ICT
Chris Grayling is in parliament today explaining his complex set of probation reforms to MPs. Never one to shirk a challenge, Grayling plans to: Outsource the bulk of probation services, predominantly to private sector organisations Extend services to those who have served prison sentences of under 12 months, who previously were not monitored post-release...
While the term ‘Big Society’ has faded from political debate, its well-heeled namesake, Big Society Capital, lives on as the last scion of the brand. As a result, there is a great deal riding on its success. It was hoped that Big Society Capital could serve as a catalyst for the nascent social investment...
But wait! Is this the same ‘payment by results’ that was mentioned 34 times in the Cabinet Office’s Open Public Services 2012 paper published less than a year ago? The same PbR that was floated as a way of addressing some of the most pressing policy challenges from troubled families to homelessness? Yes and...
The privatisation of the Royal Mail is progressing steadily. In 2011, the Postal Services Act paved the way for the spin-out. In spring 2012, government took on the Royal Mail’s pension assets and liabilities – previously seen as an obstacle to a commercial sale. And in December, it was suggested that employees might own...
Yesterday, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt put an end to months of speculation when he revealed the Government’s response to the 2011 Dilnot Commission report Fairer Care Funding. Hunt has proposed a £75,000 cap on the total costs of care that any individual will incur and an increase in the total assets an individual can...
The Work Programme, introduced by the Coalition in the summer of 2011, was meant to be the route to efficient and effective employment services. Under the scheme, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) pays providers of employment services to help the long-term unemployed back to work. Private and voluntary sector companies are paid...
At the time of writing, the election process for police and crime commissioners looks like it has been even less successful than many feared. The turnout, estimated at around 15%, appears to be the lowest ever in a national election. Worse, the fortunes of PCC candidates seem largely to be mirroring the fortunes of...
Whatever happens tomorrow, one thing is certain. England and Wales will end up with 41 PCCs and a new system for setting policing priorities and holding chief constables to account. For some, including many in government, this itself is a success. An important pillar of the Coalition’s programme for government will have been implemented...
In May 1992, HMP Wolds, the UK’s first privately run prison was opened. Today, 14 out of 141 prisons in England and Wales are private or ‘contracted out’. Last year, then Justice Secretary Ken Clarke announced plans to contract out the management of a further eight prisons, and, in April 2012, his department oversaw...
Ensuring our nearest and dearest have access to professional and dignified care in the final years of their life is clearly extremely important. It can also be a distressing time for families and those in need of care so clear, reliable information on the quality of different care homes is crucial. Unfortunately, it appears...