English Councils Research Articles

Investing in the community: English local authorities and the ‘patient investment’ of economic regeneration

ABSTRACT This paper explores increasing emphasis on long-term investment in English devolution policy, as part of attempts to revitalise struggling communities through investment in infrastructure and public space. English councils seek to offset the financial difficulties they faced due to austerity cuts by establishing their own corporations, joint ventures, and investment partnerships, in order to generate needed income by creating economic flows from capital markets to public services. They have, consequently, envisaged a form of ‘patient investment’ in their communities, taking a long-term view of economic regeneration that aims to balance the risk of investment with the reward of local growth. The rollout of the Levelling Up agenda in February 2022 entrenches the narrative of patient investment as a conduit to regional regeneration, although it emphasises investment in infrastructure projects primarily for the purpose of attracting business and industry to deprived areas. Through a narrative policy analysis of Parliamentary debates about Levelling Up in England, I examine the turn towards long-term investment as an ethical shift in conceptions of welfare provision which prioritises private sector expansion for its potential to drive economic improvement. In this understanding, quality of life in communities is tied to growth and profit, rather than social support.

Ready, Willing and Able? Local Perspectives on Implementing Prevention in Social Care in England

Abstract There is a growing emphasis on prevention to reconcile demographic pressures, resource scarcity and expectations of better quality care and support. The Care Act 2014 placed a statutory duty on English local authorities to prevent and delay the development of needs for care and support. However, evidence suggests that the prevention approach has secured less impact than intended. Given that existing approaches have achieved such limited results, new ways of addressing this apparently intractable challenge should be considered. We argue here that theory-based models that support the understanding of, and responses to, implementation barriers and facilitators can provide tools to support the development of more successful implementation. Drawing on in-depth interviews (n = 20) in selected English councils and analyses of their policy documents, we explore the ‘Ready, Willing and Able’ (RWA) model, which posits that those three preconditions must be satisfied before new practices can be implemented sustainably. We argue that RWA can provide a straightforward and parsimonious framework for identifying implementation barriers and facilitators. Using the model to identify potential bottlenecks prior to the implementation can help local actors clarify baseline barriers to progress. RWA could help to inform opportunities to target identified problems, by reinforcing facilitators and moderating barriers.

15‐minute cities and the denial(s) of auto‐freedom

15‐minute cities and the denial(s) of auto‐freedom

Public procurement as a policy tool: the territorial dimension

ABSTRACT We analysed 90,000 contracts involving UK local authorities between 2015 and 2019 to examine patterns and potential drivers of regional sourcing. We found councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are much more likely to select suppliers based within their regions compared with their counterparts in England. We found no discernible trend of English councils increasingly preferring regional suppliers, and no correlation between party-political control and regional sourcing. We suggest contrasting institutional and political contexts determine these territorial differences and present a framework to explain supplier selection in these terms, incorporating a territorial dimension alongside more traditional left–right ideological factors.

Austerity, political control and supplier selection in English local government: implications for autonomy in multi-level systems

ABSTRACT Analysis of 60,000 contracts awarded by English councils between 2015–19 reveals that austerity constraints are a key predictor of councils outsourcing services to for-profit suppliers, regardless of their political control. Conservative Party-controlled councils are also more likely to contract with for-profit suppliers, although we found no link between Labour-controlled councils and not-for-profit suppliers, nor evidence that political or budgetary factors influence whether councils contract with providers based in their own region. We argue that centrally imposed funding cuts, and a belief that for-profit suppliers represent a cheaper option, could be overriding Labour Party councils’ ideological preference for not-for-profit providers.

Our Father who art in Town Hall: Do local councils have power to pray?

Many local councils in Australia commence their meetings with prayer. Case law in the United Kingdom holds that English local councils do not have power to commence their meetings with prayer. This article argues that the reasoning of the UK case law applies with equal force in Australia with the result that the practice of many Australian local councils of incorporating prayers into their formal meetings is unlawful.

Efficiency and legitimacy in collaborative public management: Mapping inter‐local agreements in England using social network analysis

AbstractEnglish councils have long aspired to be ‘self‐sufficient’, providing services within single jurisdictions with limited inter‐local collaboration. However, by 2017 almost all local councils (97 per cent) participated in one or more frontline or back‐office ‘shared service’ involving 338 distinct partnerships. We analyse this new‐found enthusiasm for inter‐council collaboration by performing exploratory social network analysis on organizational and financial data for all 353 English councils. We examine factors predicting collaboration and the characteristics of the service networks that result, focusing on resource, organizational and political considerations. Propensity to collaborate was found to be unpredictable, but partner choice was rational, driven by geographical proximity and similarity in organizational and resource characteristics. We argue that, according to the institutional theory of organizations, both efficiency and legitimacy influenced these reform choices, and the risks of fashionable collaboration were mitigated by careful partner selection. We highlight implications for future quantitative research into symbolic (non‐instrumental) forms of collaboration.

Financial Responsibilisation and the Role of Accounting in Social Work: Challenges and Possibilities

Accounting provides a distinctive conceptual lens to analyse how neo-liberal reforms in the public sector operate. Despite this, appreciation of the significance of accounting as a key neo-liberal instrument of organisational change is only embryonic in social work research. Against this background, this article presents the findings of an empirical study, conducted across children’s services departments at three English councils, which illuminates how neo-liberal policies inculcate financial responsibilities in social work by examining the microprocesses surrounding the application and usage of accounting techniques. The instillation of neo-liberal values that underpin the use of accounting in social work privileges economic efficiency over those emphasising collectivism and organisational resilience. The extent to which accounting has been embraced appears mixed, however, with managers supportive of neo-liberal values and techniques, but frontline practitioners are more circumspect. Another unintended but emancipatory potential reflects the opportunities for social work professionals to reassert their epistemological claims by reshaping accounting with social work values. However, such outcomes remain a distant possibility, whilst managerialism retains its stranglehold on social work. This study raises awareness for the need not only to be cognizant of but also to critically evaluate accounting’s role across all areas of social work.

Social care funding near breaking point

Nursing and Residential CareVol. 21, No. 4 EditorialSocial care funding near breaking pointMartin GreenMartin GreenChief Executive Care EnglandSearch for more papers by this authorMartin GreenPublished Online:18 Mar 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2019.21.4.196AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References BBC News. More cuts to care on way—council chiefs. 2018. https://tinyurl.com/y8hkxktl (accessed 26 February 2019) Google ScholarBulman M. English councils brace for biggest government cuts since 2010 despite ‘unprecedented’ budget pressures. The Independent. 1 October 2018. https://tinyurl.com/y7uolkdo (accessed 26 February 2019) Google ScholarButler P. Adult social care services on brink of collapse, survey shows. The Guardian. 12 June 2018. https://tinyurl.com/ya734tak (accessed 26 February 2019) Google ScholarCare England. Heartless councils accused of abandoning the elderly by not paying enough to look after them. 2019. https://tinyurl.com/y4f3j2pt (accessed 26 February 2019) Google ScholarCrawford R, Stoye G, Zaranko B. Cuts to spending on social care and the use of NHS Accident and Emergency services in England. Institute for Fiscal Studies. 14 June 2018. https://tinyurl.com/y6l7hvb4 (accessed 26 February 2019) Google ScholarDyer C, Gibbs G. How law student won landmark ruling. The Guardian. 17 July 1999. https://tinyurl.com/y58rgvkm (accessed 28 February 2019) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 April 2019Volume 21Issue 4ISSN (print): 1465-9301ISSN (online): 2052-2932 Metrics History Published online 18 March 2019 Published in print 2 April 2019 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Should councils collaborate? Evaluating shared administration and tax services in English local government

ABSTRACTDecentralized public organizations have many advantages, but can be inefficient due to suboptimal organizational size and duplication of activities. Selective inter-organizational collaboration may produce economies of scale without undoing the benefits of decentralization, assuming that co-ordination and re-organization costs are low. The authors tested this popular reform logic using data from all English councils, focusing on shared administration and tax collection. There were no significant benefits from either kind of collaboration.

Does austerity drive public service innovation? Evidence from shared senior management teams in local government

Shared senior management teams are a recent and radical response to financial austerity. They aim to improve the efficiency of public services without the disruption, controversy and transaction costs associated with full-blown organizational mergers. This paper assesses the adoption of this management innovation by English district councils, identifies enablers and barriers to its effective implementation, offers a preliminary assessment of its impacts, and draws out practical lessons for policy-makers.

Equity in social care for people with intellectual disabilities? A cross-sectional study examining the distribution of social care funding across local authorities in England.

Many people with intellectual disabilities rely on social care provision, though little research has looked at how access to such provision is distributed nationally. Evidence from children's services suggests that there are large discrepancies between local authorities (LAs) in terms of the resources expended on interventions with children and families, which can be explained by variations linked to geographical location, namely the level of socioeconomic deprivation between LAs, constituting 'child welfare inequalities'. This study explored relationships between resources allocated to community services for people with intellectual disabilities in England and geographical factors, including deprivation, rurality and political leadership in the LAs where these individuals reside. Data were sourced from publicly available reports of spending of 151 English councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) for 2013-2014 and from CASSR index of multiple deprivation (IMD) scores and rurality for the same period. We found that more deprived LAs supported more people with intellectual disabilities, per 100,000 of population. We did not find effects for rurality or political party. However, it was not the case that more deprived LAs allocated more funds for expenditure on this group. These findings point to inequities in the distribution of social care resources for people with intellectual disabilities in England, as although more deprived LAs support more people with intellectual disabilities, they do not spend proportionally larger sums of money on this group. We discuss possible explanations for these findings and highlight the need for more research, particularly investigations about allocation of resources within LAs and more detailed explorations of how structural factors such as socioeconomic status of service users effects service access at the local level.

Do direct payments improve outcomes for older people who receive social care? Differences in outcome between people aged 75+ who have a managed personal budget or a direct payment

ABSTRACTDirect payments – cash for people eligible for adult social care and spent by them on care and support – are claimed to enable care to better reflect user preferences and goals which improve outcomes. This paper compares outcomes of older direct payment users and those receiving care via a managed personal budget (where the budget is spent on the recipients behalf by a third party). The study adopted a retrospective, comparative design using a postal questionnaire in three English councils with adult social care responsibilities in 2012–13. Included in the study were 1,341 budget users aged 75+, living in ordinary community settings. The overall response rate was 27.1 per cent (339 respondents). Three validated scales measured outcomes: EQ-5D-3L (health status), the Sheldon–Cohen Perceived Stress Scale and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (social care-related quality of life). The study found that direct payment users appreciated the control conferred by budget ownership, but in practice, for many it did not ‘translate’ into improved living arrangements. It also found no statistically significant difference in outcomes between direct payment and managed personal budget users. The paper argues that despite policy and other guidance and research evidence about effective implementation of direct payments for older people, the absence of evidence for better outcomes may at least in part be attributable to values underpinning policies relating to personalisation and personal budgets.

Efficiency in the provision of social care for older people. A three-stage Data Envelopment Analysis using self-reported quality of life

Using a three-stage data envelopment analysis approach, this paper explores efficiency in the provision of social care for older people in 148 English Councils in 2009/10. Departing from D'Amico and Fernández (2012) [31] our measure of efficiency is inscribed within the production of welfare framework and based on self-reported quality of life of recipients of the services. Our results indicate a high level of efficiency, but once we control for the effects of a number of environmental variables, we found that more stringent eligibility criteria and higher assessment costs are negatively associated with the efficiency in the provision of social services.

Councils make their case for more self-rule

Following the Scottish independence referendum, local government groups call for English councils to gain more control of children's budgets

Measuring Inefficiency in Long‐term Care Commissioning: Evidence from English Local Authorities

AbstractUsing a stochastic frontier approach, this paper explores efficiency in the commissioning of publicly funded social services among 148 English Councils through a six‐year panel database (2002‐2007), covering institutional and community care. Our estimates provide key policy evidence in a context in which optimization is critical both for social and financial purposes. Results suggest a slight decrease in the average inefficiency score, moving from 1.080 in the first year to 1.076 in the last year. Cost‐output elasticity of institutional care is greater than those of community care services. Greater savings are obtained when the market is open to independent providers.

How do they do it? Understanding back office efficiency savings made by English councils

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to illustrate the back office efficiency savings made by English councils during the 2004 Spending Review (SR04) period in order to consider the relationship between service delivery, audit and inspection and, efficiency programmes in local government. It considers three research questions: the use of secondary data, the relationship between efficiency savings and contextual factors, and the influence of audit and inspection in delivering efficient public services.Design/methodology/approachThrough statistical analysis the paper discusses the secondary analysis of publicly available sets of administrative data about local councils in England. These datasets are the annual efficiency statements (AES) taken from records made by each council. The paper discusses through the analysis of the AES the degree of efficiency savings and service improvements in English councils and whether efficiency savings are influenced by internal or external contextual factors.FindingsThe paper illustrates that secondary data is a useful source of data, but finds that although councils have achieved the efficiency savings set there is no relationship with the contextual factors. The paper considers the influence of audit and inspection, suggesting that the focus has been on meeting the target rather than local needs.Originality/valueThis paper aims to contribute to the debate regarding the use of performance indicators, audit and inspection and efficiency achievement within local government. The paper starts to explore the implication in the UK where, after a decade of use, the influence of these is reducing dramatically.

Communications About Resilience Enhancing Activities By English Local Authorities

The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) in the United Kingdom introduced new responsibilities for public authorities regarding Business Continuity Management (BCM) and other emergency planning activities. Using content analysis techniques, this study examined thirty-four English county councils' websites to examine the extent to which this online medium communicated these new responsibilities to stakeholders. Using key-word-in-context (KWIC) and content clustering, this exploratory study found that local authorities' websites were far from generic in their web-based communications about their new Civil Contingencies Act responsibilities and BCM activities, and it reveals a number of differing website traits, motivations and orientations.

Has social care performance in England improved? An analysis of performance ratings across social services organisations

Performance measurement in the English public sector has been implemented in a top-down manner. This regime, comprising centralised targets, public reporting of data and the use of rewards and penalties, has been driven by central government and is intended to hold agencies to account for their performance and regulate their behaviour. This article examines whether the operation of this regime has resulted in improved performance for social care organisations. In England, social care organisations have broadly improved their performance over time in composite (‘star’) ratings and with generally higher ratings across individual indicators, with noteworthy improvement across key threshold indicators (measures which councils must perform well on to obtain a good summary rating). This improvement contrasts with a fairly static picture in Northern Ireland. These improvements may reflect a host of factors other than the incentives created by centralised targets and measures. Data show, for example, that external characteristics of English councils influence their being reported as ‘poor performers’. The rate of improvement may reflect the incentives inherent in the English performance system. Incentives promoting the achievement of specific targets may have influenced the behaviour of local managers responsible for performance in this sector. However, further information from local organisations is required to more fully explicate the relevant factors that may influence reported performance. The evidence reported does, however, point to the beneficial effects (at least for the regulator) of centrally set measures. It is uncertain whether more recent moves away from this target regime in England, towards the development of local indicators and ‘individual incentive’ regulation will likewise offer the appropriate inducements for performance improvement.

The State of Local Democracy in Britain

The logo for the Whitehall department responsible for English councils is a large capital ‘C’ spelling out the word ‘Communities’, sitting above a lower case (a magnifying glass may be required for middle aged eyes) ‘local government’. So it is ‘Communities & local government’ (CLG) and the signature of the current incumbent as Secretary of State is that of Hazel Blears, whose enthusiasm for ‘communities’ can be traced through a steady convoy of Government White Papers and legislation. The 2007 Local Government & Public Involvement in Health Act', for example, is soon to be followed by a ‘Regeneration and Democracy’ Bill currently making its way through Parliament. It is the final part of a relentless sequence of central government tinkering with local government, which is unequalled in the rest of Europe. Ostensibly, all of this frenetic activity is about the need to tackle an ailing local democracy and a disengaged local electorate. This scenario only fully works if one ignores the highly centralised system within which local government has to operate. So there are now duties placed on local councils to ‘involve’ local residents in helping to determine priorities; spend budgets and, where possible, ‘empower’ through transferring assets.