Public service: state of transformation

98 Pages·2017·1.2 MB·English

Public service:
state of transformation
2018 report from the public service transformation academy
Public Service: State of Transformation
2018 report from the Public Service Transformation Academy
First published 2018 by Public Service Transformation Publishing
27-29 South Lambeth Road London SW8 1SZ
Content
oF reow rd – eT rry Rich , hC air , Public eS rvice rT ansformation cA ademy 4
nI troduction and overvie w – eB naj min aT ylor , hC ief exE cutive , Public eS rvice rT ansformation cA ademy 6
State of transformation survey – transformation drivers and barriers 7
dA vice and dA vocacy uS pportin g Public eS rvice rT ansformation – iN c k oH pik ns 8
State of transformation survey – predictions for the future of public service transformation 13
rT ansformation by the bucek t load – aG rath yS monds 14
State of transformation survey – barriers to transformation 17
Public service: state of transformation conference 201 9 – your contribution 18
aM rek ts – og od servants , but bad masters – Professor aG ry tS ureg ss 19
uS pporter – the Public eS ctor hS o w 22
eS‘ rvice user ’ – it could be you … – aJ n oM rag n 23
State of transformation survey – transformation themes in the ‘fve worlds’ of transformation 26
aC rillion: commissionin g at a crossroads – oD minic lL eew llyn 27
State of transformation survey – s‘ even aw ys to save and improve ’ 30
oC mmercialisation – thats’ the name of the ag me – dA am eL eder , uG rpreet uD lay , eK ven eW st 31
aV lued , connected , og od lives – a ne w relationship betew en the state and people – Peter aH y 34
pS onsor – ReduQ adrant 37
nA nouncin g the launch of http:og/ vtransformationo. r g 37
oY u never nk e w me – aM r k Roeg rs 38
State of transformation survey – bieg st drivers of transformation 41
hT e relationship betew en citiez ns and local og vernment – iA dan aW rd 42
hT e eternal return of n‘ e ’w delivery models – iN all oB leg r 46
oM onshot – Richard eS lyw n 53
pS onsor – rB onw e aJ cobson 58
The vulnerability equation and a joined up public service – Paul Griffths 59
uS pporter – hT in k oL cal rA t Personal 62
rT ansitionin g public sectors beyond the tippin g point – Pia nA dre w 63
Leave your lanyards by the door: refections on changing culture – Carolyn Wilkins 69
oF r hw om the bell tolls – hC ris rW ihg t 73
Defning commissioning in favour of the taxpayer – Lord Victor O Adebowale CBE, MA 79
Purpose aling ed partnerships in public services: TCH rG oup – aD i Poew ll and uJ lian lB aek 82
eW‘ had no choice but to radically reinvent ourselves ’ – intervie:w rE ic Robinson and oD nna aH ll 87
State of transformation survey – hw at should the P ATS do ? 91
hT e Public eS rvice rT ansformation cA ademy – hw at ew offer 91
A perspective on the human and community services sector in uA stralia – SIDN study – by aC roline van iT l 94
Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service transformation academy 3
Foreword
by Terry Rich, hC air , Public eS rvice rT ansformation cA ademy
hT is report and our conference chanig n g the patterns of enterprise ow rld to demonstrate the
it doesn’t have to be this way commissionin g and procurement added value that can be achieved
provide a chance to shocw ase to focus on commissionin g for throuhg commissionin g services
some of the aw ys in hw ich those o‘ utcomes ’ iw th a rg eater reliance that are closer to communities and
hw o commission and provide our on the deliverer of services to are aimed at deliverin g outcomes
public services are respondin g use their epx ertise to deliver that people understand and aw nt .
to the many challeneg s faced responsive services that better hT e concept of c‘ oproduction ’ iw th
in todays’ climate of austerity , meet community need . hT is report communities and consumers is
to deliver real public service includes case studies that sho w epx lored in our case studies , and
transformation. ho w this approach is bein g used is beig nnin g to demonstrate that
in an increasin g number of places. citiez ns and communities can and
lA l the indications are that the should be euq al partners in public
climate is unliek ly to become less hT ere is also risin g concern that service commissionin.g
challenig n g in the near future . the history of outsourcin g of public
hW ilst there are some indications services has led to the creation of a hT e chaneg s reuq ired to facilitate
that the scale of reductions in small number of lareg multif- aceted this more innovative and diverse
public sector fnances may begin corporations hw o dominate the marek t approach iw ll need
to slo ,w it is all too apparent provider sector of public services . challeneg iw thin mainstream
that commissioners of public A concentration on price and commissionin g orag nisations .
services – local councils , central unit costs of inputs and outputs oL cal og vernment , for eax mple ,
og vernment aeg ncies , SHN has had the effect of suq eeiz n g iw ll need to be able to loosen the
lC inical oC mmissionin g rG oups smaller orag nisations out of the riig d reins on procurement hw ich
– iw ll continue to face increasin g marek t , and hence reducin g the have , in many areas , led to a
demands and limited resources. benefts of diversity and innovation narroiw n g of hw at is commissioned
that can be achieved throuhg iw th a conseuq ential limitation to
eW nk o w that the public are commissionin.g the value achieved.
increasinlg y uniw llin g to accept
poor uq ality or a service hw ich Recent marek t failures aC( rillion But it doesn’t have
is not of a standard or available comes to mind but is not uniuq e ) to be this way.
at a time and in a aw y that suits have caused somethin g of a oj lt in
Our case studies show that
them . eW nk o w that there is an the complacency of thinik n g that
if ew embrace a ne w and
increasin g vie w that traditional siez euq als certainty a( nd loew st
epx anded toolbo x of options
procurement outcomes – detailed price .) hT is offers a chance for a
for commissionin ,g ew are
specifyin g of activity i( nputs ) and rethin k and the potential space for
better placed to come up iw th
measurement of outputs – all the ree- mereg nce of a plurality in
solutions . hT e advent of social
determined by the loew st cost – the marek t – for a reneew d viog ur
investment , a broader miex d
are increasinlg y bein g uq estioned . in the community and voluntary
market of mutual, not for profts,
hT ere are stron g moves toaw rds sector and in the rg oiw n g social
4 Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service trasformation academy
social enterprises alonsg ide the Our case studies also demonstrate
Terry Rich
traditional charities sector and that real transformational chaneg
commercial orag nisations add has to span orag nisational and
Chair of the PSTA since
compleix ty but brinsg opportunities professional boundaries . oF r
2017, Terry runs his own
for chaneg and should be seen eax mple , social ow rek rs and
consultancy in improvement
as empoew rin g choice . iD ig tal technoloig sts must have some
and change in health and
technoloig es and IA iw ll also add to shared understandin g of hw at
social care, having had a
the mi x and offer ne w and ecx itin g og od care loosk liek , teachers
successful career of more
aw ys of deliverin g outcomes. and procurement professionals
must understand enouhg of than 40 years in social
hT e climate of austerity also
each others’ ow rlds to ensure care. He was a director for
sharpens the imperative of
revisitin g hw at are the core that schools are euq ipped cost- over twelve years in three
elements of public services that effectively . yS stem leadership is councils, chair of London
ek y to deliverin g this obej ctive.
have to be maintained – and region of the Association
conseuq ently hw at can be let of Directors of Adult Social
rT ansformin g public services
og of . sI there still the same Services, is chair of the
has never been more important
imperative for the same u‘ niversal
Avenues Group, a national
than it is today – both because
offer ’ in all areas that seemed
charity providing supported
ew simply cant’ afford to og on
critical a eg neration aog ? aH ve
living and residential care
in the current aw y and because
ew og t enouhg evidence to
the time is rihg t , the tools are for people with learning
support a real shift toaw rds early
there , the marek t is rich iw th disabilities, behavioural
intervention and early help – not
innovators and citiez ns are needs and acquired brain
uj st in health and social care
but across a broader raneg of hunrg y for services that meet injury, and has also worked
public service interventions ? rA e the challeneg s of todays’ hihg ly extensively within the NHS.
pressured ow rld.
there thinsg that public services
used to or currently deliver that
can be passed bac k to citiez ns
and communities ? lC early part of Our state of transformation survey received
this transformed commissionin g
a good response from across public services.
environment demands a full and
Detailed fndings are interspersed throughout
open debate iw th citiez ns and a
rg eater enag eg ment iw th hw at is the report.
bein g commissioned and critically
– hw at is not.
Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service transformation academy 5
Introduction and overview
by Benjamin Taylor , hC ief exE cutive , Public eS rvice rT ansformation cA ademy
nI this process , ew set out to adventure playrg ound , or treatin g It might or might not use the favour
usefully survey hw at transformation ‘hard to reach’, ‘excluded’, ‘diffcult’ of the month technoloyg or leag l
– that muchd- evalued ow rd – c‘ lients ’ and s‘ ervice users ’ as form . hW at is clear is that nothin g
could mean in public services . human beinsg . nA d it sometimes really chaneg s unless the rules
m’I overoj yed at the passion that starts iw th uj st eg ttin g on iw th of the ag me chaneg . hT is report
these pieces refect, the vim and learnin g lessons , iw th maik n g real mihg t not chaneg fundamentals
viog ur in the face of the current the concepts that others only toy – but , at the very least , you
challeneg s facin g public services . iw th , iw th doin g the hard stuff , ew ll . mihg t pic k up somethin g about
iW th some common themes and hT is means that those – particularly a different lanug aeg , a robustly
common og als , from the failure in leadership roles – hw o cant’ pramg atic and yet idealist aw y of
of aC rillion as a symptom of a maek the oj urney to the ne w ow rld , thinik n .g nA d that mihg t be the
deeper system malaise , to the are helped – respectfully and most fundamental chaneg of all.
need to enag eg iw th people as iw th ding ity – to move on . hT ose
real , euq al , human beinsg , you who have a narrow defnition of
could be forig ven for thinik n g t‘ ransformation ’ – that its’ a‘ ll about ’ Benjamin Taylor
all the authors are dranw from a diig tal , codesing , prorg amme
narro w ideoloig cal set . eW ll , thats’ delivery , property , smart ow rik n ,g Benjamin is the PSTA chief
true in a sense . hT ey are all people aig le or any of a million other executive. He has been
hw o are passionate about public thinsg , iw ll be disappointed . aE ch in local public service
services , hw o have spent a lon g of these is in there , but in their reform for nearly 20 years,
time learnin g some pretty painful place . rT ansformation recong ises from front line work in an
lessons , and hw o realise that the value of all ik nds of specialist advice centre through work
hw ile there are no simple ansew rs epx ertise and methods – but
at the heart of a council’s
to comple x problems , there is a nk osw that , in practice , each of
leadership, and worked
mi x of insihg t , compassion , and these is insuffcient on its own.
rg it hw ich iw ll see you throuhg . for both a partnership frm
oS‘ ft heart , stron g spine ,’ as some hT ese thin k pieces and case and a managed services
uB ddhists say . uB t , at the same studies will often be read, frst, provider before setting
time , there are oT ries here and as really inspirin g – ecx itin ,g up RedQuadrant, now
socialists , social ow rek rs and city motivatin ,g close to the true a top ten public service
lawyers, police offcers and social motivatin g factors for public transformation consultancy.
entrepreneurs hw o are runnin g service . nA d then you mihg t thin k He believes passionately
very serious businesses , not uj st – on the other hand , hw y the hell in the power of systems
adoptin g a fancy title . hT ey share isnt’ all public service done liek
thinking and system
a passion , and iw th that passion this ? hW ether it is enag ig n g the
leadership to improve the
comes some stron g lanug aeg and discretionary effort of partners or
stron g opinions . I should maek the frontline staff , or serious donw - experience of organisations
usual disclaimer that all opinions toe- arth directive leadership that and public services for
epx ressed in this report are eg ts stuff done o( r both ,) it is about employees, customers,
opinions… cuttin g the crap , doin g the hard and citizens.
ow r ,k and bein g really focused
hW at is clear , here , is that public on outcomes . oS , from comple x @antlerboy
service transformation sometimes partnerships to truly enag eg d www.linkedin.com/in/antlerboy
starts iw th doornk- ocik n ,g sittin g codesing , innovation mihg t not
donw iw th the parents at the loo k liek somethin g blindinlg y ne .w
6 Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service trasformation academy
The state of transformation survey
Most powerful drivers for transformation
30
l Austerity: 30%
l Cultural issues: 28%
25
(leadership, vision, staff engagement,
joint working, systems thinking)
20
l Community and localism 8%
l Public expectations 6%
15
l Market issues and failures 3%
l Technology 3%
10
5
The challenge of austerity, while the largest single driver
for transformation, is overmatched by our own realisation
of the need for change
Cultural issues both drive and block change
Most signifcant barriers to transformation
100
l Cultural issues: 81%
(disengagement, change fatigue, ineffectual
leadership: distrust / lack of communication,
80
silo mentality, traditional or fxed mindsets,
politics, short-termism, lack of focus on
60 citizen needs)
l Finances, lack of the right people: 12%
40 l Procurement challenges 4%
l National approaches over-ride local
20 willingness: 3%
0
Leadership, staff approaches, and mindset
are truly signifcant barriers
Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service transformation academy 7
Advice and advocacy supporting
public service transformation
by Nick Hopkins
hT e advice and advocacy sectors dA vice and advocacy services peoples’ circumstances ; reduced
are bein g suq eeez d from both chaneg the circumstances and debt leavin g them less anix ous ,
sides . uA sterity means public lives of clients in aw ys that they improved housin g conditions
services that are strulg in g to ow uld not manaeg alone . rF om leavin g them less depressed ,
deliver on their responsibilities , the person iw th mental health appropriate respite care ig vin g
further frayin g of the safety net , problems successfully claimin g them the brea k they need . tI can
and an increase in poverty and PPI because the presence of an also stem from the simple act of
homelessness . hT at means more advocate at their assessment talik n g about the situation they
demand from people seeik n g helped them tal k in detail about the ew re facin ,g even hw en they are
redress from , or help to naviag te challeneg s in their daily life , to the not able to resolve their problems .
or enag eg iw th , our ew lfare state . vulnerablyh- oused sinlg e parent hT ere can also be some relief
tA the same time , advice and helped to escape a daneg rous in acceptin ,g or understandin g
advocacy services are no more fat and abusive landlord, to a better , the basis of neag tive
protected from cuts than any other distressed mother fnally able to decisions.
part of the system. access suitable care for her autistic
dA vice and advocacy services
arent’ the enemy of og od
professional decisions . hT eir
The most basic argument for practical impacts arent’ achieved
by the ew lfare state or other
investment in advice and advocacy systems bein g c‘ heated .’ dA vice
ow rek rs dont’ incant maig c upon
services lies in their human impact: beneft applications or in appeals,
and advocates supportin g
helping people deal with systems that
people to prepare for meetinsg or
are imperfect or unresponsive, and assessments arent’ coachin g them
to lie.
arguably, on occasion, intentionally so.
hT e immediate practical impact of
the advice and advocacy sectors
on public sector transformation is
uB t even in these times , continued child because her advocate rw ote to maek eix stin g systems ow r k as
investment in advice and advocacy to her social ow rek r on her behalf. they should: by helpin g people
u
p
tishnu aaibuqt lnecice ar csonel ebscsest oi tsory t .trphTrealenan tg ysh efeioncnr tmseoudrasp tf ipuhoorantrvh , treieon rl g .es ahTimerep m aocofttsestn op ofr onaf dothvueinc dawey pa pnoesdoi taipvdlev ofecealc y miw thsa rtek eh sethpireo r niew hg sltfisab.rielit isetsa tien daeclcivoerrd oan ce
about life . hT e constant refrain in
hT e most basic arug ment for discussion iw th advocacya/ dvice dA vice and advocacy
investment in advice and advocacy clients is that their ew llbein g orag nisations can help transform
services lies in their human impact: has improved , sometimes public services as ew ll as the
helpin g people deal iw th systems dramatically so , as a result of lives of individual clients . hT ey
that are imperfect or unresponsive , the support they have received . can support public services shift
and arug ably , on occasion , hT at can be the direct result toaw rds prevention , enablin g
intentionally so. of the chaneg s achieved in more effcient use of public
8 Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service trasformation academy
funds throuhg smarter , earlier in turn helpin g social care budeg t
intervention ; provide a steppin g holders looik n g to constrain
stone to partnership ow rik n g for the costly rg otw h of use of Advice and
orag nisations looik n g to brea k residential care.
advocacy services
donw silos ; and perhaps most
critically , provide a feedbac k loop oS me areas of the public
change the
on eix stin g and ne w services. sector have pushed ahead iw th
interg atin g advice and advocacy circumstances
oB th sectors typically focus on into their delivery of services . oF r
issues that are core in the aetioloyg eax mple , social landlords have and lives of clients
of social problems that ris k responded to ew lfare reform and
in ways that they
becomin g intractable and costly . its threat to income manaeg ment
uM ch of the advice sector taclk es and tenancy sustainability by would not manage
poverty , debt and homelessness intensifyin g their enag eg ment
head on ; the advocacy sectors’ in benefts, debt and budgeting alone.
core ow r k is to help people loo k advice.
at hw atever issues they face in
the round , unlocik n g their ability oH ew ver , even hw ere orag nisations and referrin g people in need
to deal iw th their problems , taik n g have acted , too often advice and of support , but prorg ess can
seriously their sense of priorities , advocacy services are funded feel lg acial.
and ensurin g that they are not etx ernally or from nonc- ore
disempoew red iw thin the human budeg ts , or investment is based nE ag eg ment iw th the advice or
interactions on hw ich the delivery solely on the social rather than advocacy sector , focused on
of public services depends. business case . hT at lac k of hard- taclk in g a discrete set of issues ,
headed understandin g of hw at can help turn theoretical discussion
hT ere are manifold eax mples advice and advocacy services about partnership into somethin g
of the sectors supportin g early deliver can stop ne w or epx anded more solid . uS ch enag eg ment can
intervention and deliverin g system investment and leave eix stin g directly beneft clients and offer
savinsg . Preventin g a tenants’ fundin g more vulnerable to bein g effciency savings, but can also
eviction throuhg providin g advice cut . tI may stem from a lac k provide an illustration to frontline
on nU iversal rC edit can save of robust empirical evidence staff and service manaeg rs of the
thousands of pounds if it stops for the pathaw ys throuhg hw ich importance of their role as trusted
that tenant enterin g a spiral that the sectors deliver system intermediaries , capable of actin g
leaves them homeless . eS rvices savinsg hT. is need not be as frst responding gateways
linik n g veterans to advocates the case . hT e theories of chaneg to the services that people need.
iw th military epx erience can underpinnin g advice and advocacy hT e advice and advocacy sectors
help them deal iw th immediate are convincin g enouhg to support have alaw ys recong ised their role
practical benefts, housing and sustained or ne w investment . in providin g feedbac k on public
employment problems . oD in g so hT e critical netx strateig c step policy and its implementation .
then creates the psycholoig cal for the sectors is to properly Organisations like Citizens Advice
space to help them enag eg iw th evaluate proej cts in hw ich they and hS elter have alaw ys taek n
therapy ; potentially stoppin g invest , to rg o w the body of a tiw n approach ; deliverin g
future epx ensive hospitalisation , research that can underpin services direct to clients , then
enag eg ment in criminal activity or and fnesse those theories. usin g the data eg nerated in social
homelessness . dA vice , information policy ow r k to push for chaneg .
and advocacy services for clients hT ere is nothin g ne w about the hT e advice sector as a hw ole
and carers enag ig n g iw th social ideas of breaik n g donw silos has used client data and staff
ow rek rs can help people eg t betew en orag nisations , multi epx erience to ek ep up an
the rihg t support to stay at home aeg ncy ow rik n ,g or developin g the informed critiuq e of ew lfare reform
in accordance iw th their iw shes ; role of frontline staff in identifyin g throuhg out the past decade.
Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service transformation academy 9
uM ch of this ow r k is in the Problems also arise from
bacrgk ound , not involvin g misunderstandinsg about hw at
At all levels campaing in g or public debate . the data provided by advocacy
eS nior staff from the advice and and advice orag nisations actually
of the public
advocacy sectors may play offcial proves . dA vice and advocacy
roles in the development and orag nisations mainly deal iw th
sector, advice
trial of oG vernment policy . oM re people for hw om thinsg are
and advocacy locally , advice and advocacy og in ,g or have og ne , rw on .g hT e
orag nisations are often plueg d data they eg nerate is effective in
organisations into local authority or local SHN identifyin g hw ere and hw y public
ow rik n g rg oups , reportin g on policies and systems are fawed,
may fnd
gaps and faws in local systems, and can thro w lihg t on chaneg s in
identifyin g hw at og es rw on g and the prevalence of such problems .
themselves kept
for hw om. hT at data is not as effective
at arm’s length in informin g an understandin g
eD spite that , its’ debatable hw ether of the actual prevalence
or regarded as the poew rful data held by the of such problems amon g
advice and advocacy sectors a ig ven population affected
irritants, their
alaw ys has the impact that it by policies.
could . tA all levels of the public
expertise and
sector , advice and advocacy hT ese processes can be seen
perspectives organisations may fnd themselves toeg ther in the debate around
ek pt at arms’ lentg h or reag rded ew lfare reform . tI s’ possible
seemingly not as irritants , their epx ertise and to arug e in og od faith about
perspectives seeminlg y not the ideoloyg underpinnin g the
wanted, or, on
wanted, or, on occasion, fnding introduction of face to face
their data or their rihg t to mount assessments for disabled
occasion, fnding
critiuq es of policy bein g publicly people claimin g mE ployment
their data or their challeneg d. uS pport lA loaw nce or Personal
nI dependence Payment . tI s’ not
right to mount hT ese tensions can be ideoloig cal . possible to arug e in og od faith that
Organisations focused on issues iw th those assessments
critiques of policy
supportin g the most disadvantaeg d have not hurt many applicants .
iw ll often challeneg og vernment oH ew ver , resolution of those
being publicly
policy at a more fundamental level technical issues may have been
challenged. than issues of system function . hindered by the oG vernments’
hT ose ideoloig cal challeneg s arg essive defensiveness in
can and do colour the debate response to criticism , and by
that follosw , iw th possible rhetoric on the other side that
conseuq ences for productive , can seem to sueg st that the
data informed , epx loration unacceptable epx eriences of
of more t‘ echnical ’ policy and some applicants are universal .
implementation issues . oM re hW ats’ ow rse , the nature of
simply , bein g challeneg d , even the debate may put people off
on technical rg ounds , is not a applying for the benefts they are
comfortable epx erience for public due , or colour interaction iw th the
orag nisations , particularly hw en system and create stress for those
those challeneg s maek it to the hw o are applyin ,g compoundin g
public sphere and ris k political system failure.
or personal conseuq ences.
10 Public service: state of transformation 2018 Report from the public service trasformation academy