Category Archives: local government

Public service outsourcing must promote whistleblowing

Last week the Bath Chronicle reported that Virgin Care asked staff not to report their safety concerns to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or other regulators. If this is the case, it is wrong and unacceptable. Registered managers in health and social care have a legal obligation to report issues to the CQC if they… Read More...

Let’s take stock

For many in local government and the wider public sector, there is unlikely to be much time to take a break and clear one’s mind of work related issues. The pressures of austerity, Brexit uncertainty, social housing standards, social care, health inequalities, air pollution and so much more don’t conveniently take a long vacation over… Read More...

Public Services Should Value And Respect Citizens – They Are Not Supermarkets With Consumers

Over the last few decades, all governments have seen their stewardship of public services as requiring them to introduce/adopt more and more practices and the language of commercial businesses. This approach does not fit easily with public service and a public service ethos. One specific problem is that when combined with political expediency, an impatience… Read More...

Grenfell Tower – procurement lessons must be learnt

The Grenfell Tower fire was an appalling atrocity. The human consequences are horrendous and will sadly continue for many years. Lessons must be learned. Quite rightly, the Government has established an enquiry, which must have as wide a brief as the local community wants, and all local stakeholders must have confidence in this enquiry. Just… Read More...

Public sector procurers must respect the voluntary and community sector, or it will not be there for them when they need it

This week, New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) will warn that charities believe their relationship with the state is increasingly dysfunctional, with many of those charities most dependent on public service contracts now seriously struggling. In a report to be published on Wednesday, NPC will report the alarming news that “nearly two-thirds of charities say they have… Read More...

Charities Should Define Their Relationship With The State Before They’re Boxed In

The role of the state at least in terms of the organising, funding and delivery of public services will undoubtedly be a core issue in the current General Election. The level of public spending and the future of public service provision is one of the principal dividing lines between the Conservative and Labour Parties, and… Read More...

Perception deceptions

When I saw a book with the title Kittens are Evil – Little Heresies in Public Policy, I knew that I had to read it to understand why a book on public policy should have such a provocative title. I happen to like cats and kittens, but I also enjoy challenging orthodoxy and so the… Read More...

Reach out to volunteers

Local authority leaders should foster and develop strong relations with the local voluntary and community sector and view its member organisations and their staff, volunteers and supporters, as natural allies, writes John Tizard. As former vice-chair of the National Association of Voluntary Community Action, I hear too many reports about local authorities failing to connect… Read More...

For The Sake Of Places And Communities Local Government And VCS Must Be Together

The last few years have not been easy for either local government or the voluntary and commumity sector (VCS). And it is not going to get any better for quite some time. Government continues committed to austerity and cutting local government funding. Brexit will leave social and economic scares. Social cohesion is threatened in a… Read More...

Opportunity to showcase progressive public procurement

I am delighted to be a judge for the National Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards 2017/18 (National GO Awards). Having judged these national awards on several previous occasions, I am expecting to evaluate some exciting entries. If past years are anything to go by, I expect that I will be disappointed when… Read More...