Analysing public service outsourcing: The value of a regulatory perspective

This article draws on findings from two longitudinal case studies of voluntary organisations engaged in delivering social care services via purchaser–provider relations with local authorities. The study focuses on changes to contractual relations, employment conditions in provider organisations and service quality. The article argues the influence of the market on these changes can only be adequately comprehended by rooting the analysis in an understanding of the way in which surrounding regulatory frameworks shape its structure and operation. In doing so, it reveals how in an era of shifting market conditions characterised by greater competition and dramatic local authority cuts, a ‘soft’ regulatory framework offers little support to partnership relations between voluntary organisations and local authorities. Instead, the regulatory environment undermines financial security among voluntary organisations, degrades employment conditions in them and raises concerns regarding their service quality.

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Screen, Ration and Churn: Demand Management and the Crisis in Children’s Social Care

The British Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1093/bjsw/bcz035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 868-889 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rick Hood ◽

Allie Goldacre ◽

Sarah Gorin ◽

Paul Bywaters

Keyword(s):

Social Care ◽

Demand Management ◽

Area Deprivation ◽

Data Sets ◽

Current Crisis ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Data Set ◽

Care Services ◽

Trends Over Time ◽

Single Data

Abstract This article presents findings from a quantitative study of the national data-sets for statutory children’s social care services in England. The aim of the study was to examine how demand management varied in local authorities with differing levels of area deprivation. About 152 local authorities census returns and other statistical indicators covering the period 2014–2017 were combined into a single data-set. Statistical analysis was undertaken to explore trends over time and correlations between indicators that might indicate patterns in the way demand was managed. Findings showed that high levels of deprivation have continued to be strongly linked to high levels of activity and that local authorities have continued to increase their use of protective interventions relative to referrals. Evidence was found for three interconnected mechanisms, through which local authorities tended to manage demand for services: screening, rationing and workforce churn. The article describes these mechanisms and comments on their significance for the current crisis of demand in the sector.

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Cohort Profile: Children in Need Census (CIN) records of children referred for social care support in England (Pre-Print)

10.31219/osf.io/z5rqc ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Emmott ◽

Matthew Jay ◽

Jenny Woodman

Keyword(s):

Child Protection ◽

Social Care ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Incidence Data ◽

Care Services ◽

Administrative Dataset ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

The Uk ◽

Care Support

Purpose: CIN is a case-based administrative dataset on children referred to social care services in England. CIN includes information on the ‘needs’ of children, and whether they received social care support. Local and national government bodies in England currently use CIN for evaluation purposes. Data is accessible to researchers under certain conditions, allowing researchers to investigate health implications of adverse childhood experiences. However, CIN suffers from lack of metadata, meaning it can be challenging for researchers to process and interpret data, particularly if researchers are unfamiliar with the English children’s social care system. To address this issue, we provide the background to CIN and describe the available data from 2008 to 2016.Participants: CIN is derived from case records held by English Local Authorities on all children referred to children’s social care for a ‘needs assessment,’ regardless of whether they are eventually assessed as ‘in need of social care support.’ Local Authorities submit these case records to the UK Department for Education for collation. CIN holds information on an estimated 2.76 million children from October 2008 to March 2016. Since 2013/14, just under 900,000 children have been recorded in the CIN annually, equivalent to around 8% of children in England (annual prevalence). Approximately 650,000 children enter or renter the dataset each year, equivalent to 5% of children in England (annual incidence). Data summary: Of the estimated 2.76 million children in the data, 50% are male and 47% female. 45% are referred to children’s social care services due to abuse or neglect. 10.7% of children in CIN went onto a child protection plan, meaning they were judged to be (at risk of) suffering significant harm.Future Plans: CIN data collection is annual and ongoing. Data from the most recent census period typically becomes available for researchers in the following Spring.

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Cohort profile: Children in Need Census (CIN) records of children referred for social care support in England

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023771 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. e023771 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emily H Emmott ◽

Matthew A Jay ◽

Jenny Woodman

Keyword(s):

Child Protection ◽

Social Care ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Care Services ◽

Administrative Dataset ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

The Uk ◽

Future Plans ◽

Care Support

PurposeThe Children in Need Census (CIN) is a case-based administrative dataset on children referred to social care services in England. CIN includes information on the ‘needs’ of children, and whether they received social care support. Local and national government bodies in England currently use CIN for evaluation purposes. Data are accessible to researchers under certain conditions, allowing researchers to investigate the health implications of adverse childhood experiences. However, CIN suffers from lack of metadata, meaning it can be challenging for researchers to process and interpret data, particularly if researchers are unfamiliar with the English children’s social care system. To address this issue, we provide the background to CIN and describe the available data from 2008 to 2016.ParticipantsCIN is derived from case records held by English local authorities on all children referred to children’s social care for a ‘needs assessment’, regardless of whether they are eventually assessed as ‘in need of social care support’. Local authorities submit these case records to the UK Department for Education for collation. CIN holds information on an estimated 2.76 million children from October 2008 to March 2016. Since 2013/2014, just under 900 000 children have been recorded in the CIN annually, equivalent to around 8% of children in England (annual prevalence). Approximately, 650 000 children enter or renter the dataset each year, equivalent to 5% of children in England (annual incidence).Data summaryOf the estimated 2.76 million children in the data, 50% are male and 47% female. 45% are referred to children’s social care services due to abuse or neglect. 10.7% of children in CIN went onto a child protection plan, meaning they were judged to be (at risk of) suffering significant harm.Future plansCIN data collection is annual and ongoing. Data from the most recent census period typically become available for researchers in the following Spring.

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A survey of local authorities and Home Improvement Agencies: Identifying the hidden costs of providing a home adaptations service

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/0308022618771534 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 81 (11) ◽

pp. 633-640 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lesley Curtis ◽

Jennifer Beecham

Keyword(s):

Social Care ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Occupational Therapists ◽

Publicly Funded ◽

Disabled People ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Care Services ◽

Home Improvement ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

Mean Cost

Introduction The Royal College of Occupational Therapists has launched a campaign to demonstrate that occupational therapists improve lives and save money for health and social care services. Occupational therapists play a major part in supporting older and disabled people to remain in their own homes through the provision of home adaptations. Among other benefits, studies have shown that home adaptations can reduce falls in the home and could therefore help reduce hospital admissions. However, to evidence savings, information on the full costs of supplying and fitting home adaptations are needed. Method Local authorities and Home Improvement Agencies were surveyed in 2014–2015 to obtain the information required to estimate these costs. Time inputs for staff involved in their provision have been collected and staff costs and total costs calculated for 18 commonly fitted adaptations. The process of obtaining publicly funded home adaptations is also discussed. Findings For major adaptations, the total mean cost was £16,647, ranging from £2474 to £36,681. Staffing costs absorbed up to 24% of the total mean cost. The total mean cost for minor adaptations was £451, with average staffing costs forming 76%. Conclusion Staff costs are an important consideration when estimating the costs of providing home adaptations.

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Conclusion: scaling down?

Micro-Enterprise and Personalisation ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781447319221.003.0011 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Catherine Needham ◽

Kerry Allen ◽

Kelly Hall

Keyword(s):

Complex Adaptive Systems ◽

Adaptive Systems ◽

Social Care ◽

Welfare System ◽

Enterprise Development ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Care Services ◽

Complex Adaptive ◽

The Impact ◽

Micro Enterprises

The concluding chapter considers the implications of the findings for the future of English social care services and for the broader health and welfare system. It suggests that local care economies are complex adaptive systems in which niche organisations like micro-enterprises can thrive but in which local authorities have weak coordinating tools to support micro-enterprise development. The employment of designated micro-enterprise coordinators within local authorities can enhance support for micro-enterprises, but even in localities with coordinators the micro-enterprises remain fragile. The chapter also considers whether the benefits of ‘smallness’ can be achieved through other means than micro-enterprises, discussing what can be learned from examples of large organisations which have found ways to nest smaller units within them. These discussions suggest opportunities for further research, particularly longitudinal and comparative research which stretch the impact of our findings beyond the timescale and geographical reach of our current study.

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A New Era for Social Policy: A New Enlightenment or a New Leviathan?

Journal of Social Policy ◽

10.1017/s0047279400018936 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 389-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Howard Glennerster ◽

Anne Power ◽

Tony Travers

Keyword(s):

Social Policy ◽

Local Government ◽

Social Security ◽

Social Care ◽

Common Elements ◽

Local Authorities ◽

New Era ◽

Care Services ◽

The Social ◽

Housing Estates

ABSTRACTA succession of Acts of Parliament passed between 1988 and 1990 mark the most decisive break in British social policy since the period between 1944 and 1948. This paper examines the extent to which common principles underlie this legislation. One of the most important common elements has been the reduction in the powers of local government and in the presumption that local authorities should be the main providers of social welfare outside the social security system. Schools, housing estates and social care services are to be given greater powers to run themselves or to become separate organisations. Local authorities are to use their resources to fund and contract with external agencies. The possible outcomes of this change in governance are discussed.

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PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN DAN MOTVASI KERJA TERHADAP KUALITAS PELAYANAN PUBLIK (STUDI KASUS PADA KANTOR KEMENTERIAN AGAMA SUNGAI PENUH )

10.31219/osf.io/f9pmb ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pahrizal

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Service Quality ◽

Public Service ◽

Random Sampling ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

Primary Data ◽

Analysis Techniques ◽

Intervening Variables

The research is proposed to test the influence of Leadership and Motivation Work on Public Service Quality. The population in this study was the Kantor Kementerian Agama Sungai Penuh who had received the last 1 year service at the Kantor Kementerian Agama Sungai Penuh, amounting to 260 people. Furthermore, by using the Slovin formula, a sample size of 158 people was chosen with a sampling technique based on Simple Random Sampling. This study uses primary data and secondary data. Data analysis techniques used are path analysis and hypothesis testing using t test with data analysis using SPSS version 20. The results of the study based on showing that partially the Leadership and motivation work have a positive and significant effect on Public Service Quality. The results also show that motivation work variables act as intervening variables between Leadership and Public Service Quality.

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PERBANDINGAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN ANTARA PERPUSTAKAAN PROVINSI KEPRI DENGAN KOTA TANJUNG PINANG

Jurnal Benefita ◽

10.22216/jbe.v2i3.2318 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 288

Author(s):

Dimas Satriadi

Keyword(s):

Service Quality ◽

Public Service ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Quality Service ◽

Data Collecting ◽

Service Institution ◽

Better Than

The quality of public service is an important and it must have bye the each public service institution. Includes the library as a public service institution giving service for the all visitors. This research aims to know the comparisation of Kepri Province Libraries quality service and Tanjungpinang City Libraries quality service. The method used in this research is quantitative methods with questionnaire to 40 responden as samples. This questionnaire as an data collecting instruments. These results indicate the quality of two libraries is good. But, if they compared the service quality of Province Kepri Libraries is better than Tanjungpinang City Libraries. This look from average scored results is 152,61 points for Kepri Province Libraries, and 150,66 points for Tanjungpinang City Libraries, in the good categoriesKualitas pelayanan publik merupakan hal yang penting dan harus dimiliki oleh masing-masing lembaga pelayanan publik. Termasuk perpustakaan sebagai lembaga pelayanan publik yang memberikan pelayanan kepada semua pengunjung. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbandingan kualitas layanan Perpustakaan Provinsi Kepri dan kualitas pelayanan Perpustakaan Kota Tanjungpinang. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kuantitatif dengan 40 responden sebagai sampel. Kuesioner ini sebagai alat pengumpul data. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan kualitas kedua perpustakaan suda bagus. Tapi jika dibandingkan kualitas pelayanan Perpustakaan Provinsi Kepri lebih baik dari pada Perpustakaan Kota Tanjungpinang. Hasil dari hasil rata-rata ini adalah 152,61 poin untuk Perpustakaan Kepri Province, dan 150,66 poin untuk Perpustakaan Kota Tanjungpinang, dalam kategori baik.

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Kualitas Pelayanan Surat Izin Mengemudi (SIM) Pada Kantor Satuan Lalu Lintas Polres Karimun

Soumatera Law Review ◽

10.22216/soumlaw.v2i2.4231 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 246

Author(s):

Ade Sarmini

Keyword(s):

Service Quality ◽

Human Resources ◽

Public Service ◽

Research Method ◽

Consumer Trust ◽

Population Mobility ◽

Descriptive Research ◽

Road Users ◽

Inhibiting Factor

Along with increasing population mobility and increasing road users the need to have a SIM is increasing every day. Where the administration of traffic and services, such as SIM, STNKB and BPKB are oriented to the principle of quick and easy without ignoring the identification and extension of the letter. This research uses descriptive research method. Descriptive research is intended to explore and clarify phenomena or social realities. From the results of the study showed that the implementation of public service quality in making SIMs at the Karimun Regional Police Traffic Unit Office was seen from the aspect of physical facilities (tangible), reliability (responsiveness), responsiveness, assurance and empathy were running pretty good. Especially relating to the ability and reliability to provide trusted services, the ability to help and provide services quickly and appropriately, as well as being responsive to consumer desires, abilities and friendliness and employee courtesy in assuring consumer trust and firm but attentive attitudes of employees towards consumers . Although it is indeed an inhibiting factor for SIM services such as human resources, the level of awareness and facilities and infrastructure are still found in the service of making SIMs at the Karimun Regional Traffic Unit Office

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‘She Made You Feel like There’s Hope’: Gaining a Better Understanding of How Children Negotiate Their Relationships with Social Workers from Their Own Accounts

The British Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1093/bjsw/bcaa148 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Gorin ◽

Mary Baginsky ◽

Jo Moriarty ◽

Jill Manthorpe

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Social Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Signs Of Safety ◽

Relational Resilience ◽

Children’S Accounts ◽

Care Innovation

Abstract Recent years have seen a re-emergence of international interest in relationship-based social work. This article uses children’s accounts of their relationships with social workers to build on previous research to promote children’s safety and well-being. Interviews were undertaken with 111 children aged six- to eighteen-years old across ten different local authorities in England, as part of the evaluation of Munro, Turnell and Murphy’s Signs of Safety pilots within the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme. The interviews reveal four key findings: that children look for care and reciprocity in their relationships with social workers and this can be achieved through listening and small acts of kindness; that they are adept at recognising aspects of social workers’ verbal and non-verbal communications which indicate to the child whether they are listening and interested in them; that there are times in which children are particularly vulnerable especially if parents are resistant to engagement or children’s trust is broken; and that children actively use their agency to control their communication and engagement. The article concludes by highlighting children’s relational resilience and the importance of ensuring opportunities for children to develop new relationships with social workers when previous relationships have broken down.

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