FOR MANY PEOPLE IN the world of social care, best value can appear to be yet another management burden, wrapped with the grey wrapping paper of bureaucracy and all tied up with…
Abstract
FOR MANY PEOPLE IN the world of social care, best value can appear to be yet another management burden, wrapped with the grey wrapping paper of bureaucracy and all tied up with just a hint of threat of intervention from the Government. This article reworks that impression. It does not deny that best value will be one of the biggest real challenges to face the world of care for some time or that it will lead to considerable change. Used well, it will guarantee change, but care will be needed to ensure that it is not a bureaucratic nightmare that detracts from service improvement.
Argues that user involvement can provide the best basis for reforming the internal and external relationships of local government, supporting both the reinvigoration of public…
Abstract
Argues that user involvement can provide the best basis for reforming the internal and external relationships of local government, supporting both the reinvigoration of public accountability and providing the only secure foundation for improvements in operational effectiveness. Considers and criticizes other models for improving public management. Focuses particularly on the core processes of local government ‐ the democratic, management and service delivery processes ‐ and the primary interactions with politicians and service users, through which managers must function. Examines survey evidence on the extent of quality initiatives in local authorities and goes on to speculate about the organizational arrangements needed to support a user‐involvement approach. Concludes that the fundamental problem of public management centres on the alienation of the public and that public managers have a critical responsibility in reconstructing the public through reforms of service delivery.
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Madeleine Parkes, Katja Milner and Peter Gilbert
People go into employment for a range of reasons. One of those is usually to find a sense of meaning, as humans are meaning‐seeking animals.In the public sector there is even more…
Abstract
People go into employment for a range of reasons. One of those is usually to find a sense of meaning, as humans are meaning‐seeking animals.In the public sector there is even more likelihood of some kind of ‘calling’. This may not be a religious call, or even an overtly spiritual one, but there will usually be some sense in which the role and the individual reach out to one another.In a time of recession and strain on public finances and services, leaders need to work in a way that appeals to the spirit, the vocation in each person and the team.
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A critical commentary on policy and practice over time in English health and social care. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Abstract
Purpose
A critical commentary on policy and practice over time in English health and social care. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Personal reflections based on prior experience as a senior leader in the English health and care system, combined with insights and relevant evidence from other senior leaders and health and care “think-tanks”.
Findings
Shifting the balance of care from a hospital to a community setting can potentially be cost-effective as well as improving quality for service users. However, it will require a change in the approach to planning and implementation, by focussing on service users and communities, rather than on statutory organisations. It will also require a greater level of integration between primary care, community health services, social care and the voluntary sector, and greater levels of “co-production” with service users and the public.
Research limitations/implications
Front-line health and care leaders are generally unaware of the evidence base in this field. Emergent findings in this field need to be rapidly evaluated and then communicated to front-line leaders and practitioners.
Originality/value
Incorporates direct experience of senior leaders in the field together with the existing and emerging evidence base.
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The article reflects on the law and current policy and practice and their implications for joint working. Decisions are still determined by separate legislation and guidance, even…
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The article reflects on the law and current policy and practice and their implications for joint working. Decisions are still determined by separate legislation and guidance, even where joint working is the necessary and approved approach. A universal approach to assessment is advocated.
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The Government's welfare and housing agenda focuses on ‘joined‐up’ thinking, choice, balanced communities and social inclusion. Because there is also much concern about the impact…
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The Government's welfare and housing agenda focuses on ‘joined‐up’ thinking, choice, balanced communities and social inclusion. Because there is also much concern about the impact of an ageing population, local planners and service providers are encouraged to think creatively and work together. An example from research in the Netherlands shows how local authorities and the non‐profit sector can work together in an integrated approach to older people.