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The Disability Rights Commission have appointed the Centre for Public Services to undertake two concurrent research projects as part of their work to draw up guidance to public authorities on the implementation of their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The first project considers the implementation and best practice in performance management in relation to disability and the second project considers the involvement and participation of disabled people in the policy process.

The Centre has been commissioned by the Crime and Society Foundation, a project of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, School of Law, King’s College London to undertake a literature review on the marketisation of public services and the implications of the National Offender Management System (NOMS).

The NOMS proposals involve the marketisation of the prison and probation services in England and Wales over a five year period. The introduction of ‘contestability’, a purchaser/provider split and outsourcing will have far reaching impacts. The objectives of the project are to:

Critically scrutinise the NOMS structure, with a particular focus on marketisation, the purchaser-provider split and the principles of ‘contestability.
Offer a critical account of the involvement of the non-state sector in the provision of ‘correctional services’. with a particular focus on the private sector.
Seek to place the NOMS proposals in the broader context of the government’s public service reform agenda.
The research will include a critical history of marketisation of public services in Great Britain, with a particular focus on the criminal justice system.

The Centre has been commissioned by the Crime and Society Foundation, a project of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, School of Law, King’s College London to undertake a literature review on the marketisation of public services and the implications of the National Offender Management System (NOMS).

The research will focus on the different existing mechanisms in place, particularly the different requirements placed on the Scottish Executive, National Assembly for Wales, the Greater London Authority and the provisions of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act.

The research will seek to learn from the experience and views of individuals within these organisations, other policy making bodies, academia and other stakeholder organisations to consider and evaluate options for promoting Age Equality. Specifically these will focus on the following issues:

The merits of statutory/non-statutory regulation.
The merits of general and specific duties in relation to equality, diversity and society the efficiency and equity of public services, the responsiveness of services to citizens and the operation of local/regional labour markets.
The merits of different support/enforcement mechanisms.
The advantages and disadvantages of including age equality duties within wider duties regarding equality between all people, and potential safeguards to ensure appropriate prominence for age.
The purpose of the research will be to contribute to the evolving debate around the operation of a Commission for Equality and Human Rights in the more immediate context of the 2005 general election.

CPS have been commissioned by the North West Regional Assembly and other regional partners to consider the options for strategic reorganisation of service delivery in the region to acheive greater synergy between regional, sub-regional, local and neighbourhoood levels and between policy areas. The first phase of the project considers the need to reorganise service delivery. The project will initially focus on the complicated structures and service delivery issues in East Lancashire but its conclusions will be used accross the North West especiallly in the event of an Elected Regional Assembly for the region.

CPS assisted GMPTE and UNISON to develop an in-house alternative to outsourcing and privatisation, saving jobs in the process. (6/01/2004). With help from CPS the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) UNISON branch has persuaded the Executive not to outsource IT services. A Best Value review in 2001 found that the IT department of the GMPTE, needed substantial improvement. An ‘executive partnership’ and outsourcing were on the agenda and the local UNISON branch protested, campaigning widely on the need for an alternative option. They commissioned a report from the Centre for Public Services on the alternatives to outsourcing.

Subsequently GMPTE has taken the decision to substantially increase the IT budget and give temporary staff permanent employment. It also commits management to provide a ‘strategic and long term vision’ for the service. Branch Chairman Tony Wilson said: “This has not only been a resounding success, it’s also reassured our members who fatalistically said the Best Value process would inevitably lead to more privatisation.”

A CPS report on the alternatives to a strategic partnership with the private sector helped Northamptonshire UNISON retain in-house services. (16/12/04) Northampton County Council and Milton Keynes Council were planning the largest joint strategic partnership in Britain covering a wide range of council services. The project was a government pathfinder project. Amey and HBS were shortlisted. The project was eventually defeated in Northamptonshire but went ahead in Milton Keynes.

Northamptonshire County Council was proposing to transfer over 2000 jobs to the private sector as part of a strategic business partnership with Hyder, in a deal worth an initial £766m. Both branches commissioned CPS to develop an in-house service improvement strategy and the report was widely distributed in the two authorities. CPS also produced briefing papers analysing the bids, held meetings with UNISON members and presented alternative options to the respective councils and Labour Groups. HBS and the council eventually agreed to terminate their relationship due to an ‘unbridgeable financial gap’, effectively recognising the validity of many of the issues highlighted by CPS.

CPS assisted in the drawing up of a Best Value alternative to care home closures, cuts and privatisation, saving seven care homes in Stoke-on-Trent. CPS assisted in the development of an alternative to narrow sighted and wholescale residential care home closures. Stoke Council was considering a proposal for the closure of eight care homes in the city but now plans a programme of investment and modernisation, saving all but one home. The decision will retain and improve the Council’s capacity to deliver social care services and save much needed jobs in the City.

CPS had worked with Stoke UNISON and councillors to promote an alternative Best Value solution to privatisation and budget cuts. CPS first prepared a critique of the proposal for privatisation, budget cuts and care home closures. CPS also worked with the UNISON branch, staff and councillors to develop and alternative Best Value report arguing for the retention of the homes and a programme of investment, modernisation and service improvement to meet the challenge of an ageing population and increased demand for social care in the future. Mick Burrows, from Stoke UNISON, said the work of CPS had: “Helped to achieve a result that is second to none“.

Mortgaging our Children’s Future is essential reading for LEAs, school governors, trade unionists, campaigners, education professionals and anyone concerned about the future of secondary education in Britain. Much has been written about the wrongs of privatisation of education, but so far there has been no overall analysis of the various policies and initiatives underway in our secondary schools. Mortgaging our Children’s Future is essential reading for LEAs, school governors, trade unionists, campaigners, education professionals and anyone concerned about the future of secondary education in Britain. The report will help those involved in the planning and delivery of secondary education to be much more acutely aware of the key issues in the sector and assist them in assessing policy options.

A study commissioned by the East of England Public Health Group, the Department of Health and the Health Development Agency, together with regional partners such as the EEDA, EERA, COVER, NSCWDC, Environment Agency and SHAs. This study quantifies the regional health and social care economy (public, voluntary and private sectors); identifies how the NHS can contribute to the East of England Regional Economic Strategy; and identifies strengths, opportunities and barriers to maximise the health and social care economy’s contribution to reducing health inequalities, creating employment and improving community well-being. A Stakeholder event will be held in early September followed by the sub-regional events in November.