A rush and a push… and the Big Society’s ours?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by OPM

I enjoyed taking part in a spirited discussion at the RSA last week, as part of a roundtable launch of the 2020 Public Services Hub’s latest report – a really excellent one – which proposes a ‘social productivity framework’ to bring down the barriers between business, the public sector and citizens, thus enabling better collaborative policymaking.

The timing – coincidental with the second anniversary of another launch: that of the Prime Minister’s Big Society – made it impossible not to draw comparisons between that seemingly ill-fated agenda and the successful reforms showcased in the 2020 report. It was a shame that Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude couldn’t be there as planned (something about a strike) because there was real practical wisdom to hand.

I was particularly taken – as were others around the table, judging by their remarks – with one of the report’s defining dictums: ‘Government has to jump first’ and its cousin: ‘Government can’t do it all, but it can set clear goals and establish values’. The report contains an illuminating case study which highlights what a difference these principles can make in practice: that of the Zero Carbon Hub. Continue reading →

The Big Society: too easily criticised, or simply too politicised?

Posted on May 11, 2012 by OPM

By Linda Jackson, associate fellow at OPM.

The second anniversary of David Cameron’s Big Society has given commentators, supporters and critics alike the opportunity to reflect on the extent to which the policy has been put into practice.

The concept has often felt more of a riddle than a policy, so it’s probably unsurprising that critics have been quick to lead with some fairly damning analysis. The conclusion of one report is not just that Big Society has failed in what it set out to do, but also that it has made things worse; that the policy works for ‘leafy suburbs’ but further disenfranchises areas with fewer resources leading a widened social gap between rich and poor.

Reading this didn’t come as a particular surprise – I’d co-written a paper in 2010 about the need to tailor support to different communities to prevent further inequality – but I think it’s a little more complicated that some suggest.

In many ways the criticism feels easy and intuitive, especially considering the broader impact of debilitating cuts to voluntary sector funding which have fuelled critics to argue that the Big Society is merely a smokescreen for cuts.

But the agenda’s central themes – of social action and volunteering for example – are hugely important to civic society. Intuitively again, few could argue against policy which aims to support more individuals taking greater control over their lives and the services they access. And yet, this policy more than any other, seems particularly vulnerable to attack – and particularly so in the current financial context.

So is the problem with Big Society that it’s become too politicised? And/or that it hasn’t been given enough time? Continue reading →

Avoiding school exclusions: a therapeutic approach

Posted on May 4, 2012 by OPM

By Lucy Smith, senior researcher at OPM.

An inquiry published recently by the Children’s Commissioner revealed the shocking fact that some schools are excluding children unlawfully, including in some cases refusing to hear appeals from parents.

Headteachers across the country could learn a thing or two from three school-based projects OPM is evaluating, for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which are taking an innovative, therapeutic approach to avoiding school exclusions.

Schools are bound to find some students’ behaviour difficult to cope with, and the inquiry found that most staff and governors work hard to avoid exclusions. But rather than face the process or penalties of exclusion, many schools force students into ‘unofficial’ exclusions which are not recorded as such: like being sent home to ‘cool off’ or coerced into ‘choosing’ to move schools.

It needn’t come to that. Each of the three projects OPM is evaluating is taking a therapeutic approach to pupils who are at risk of being excluded due to their behaviour (behaviour is the main reason for school exclusions). And the impact of this approach already looks to be impressive. Continue reading →

Creative learning in action: the ‘Sacred Spaces’ project

Posted on March 27, 2012 by OPM

By Sanah Sheikh, OPM associate fellow.

I recently had the opportunity to work on a fascinating project, evaluating a programme of creative and cultural learning about faith and belief in supplementary school settings. The programme was run by an organisation called Curriculum Enhancement for the Common Era (CE4CE) and funded by Creativity Culture and Education (CCE), and was delivered in four supplementary schools: Spinney Hill Gujarati School and Crown Hills Madrasah in Leicester, and Peckham Park Road Baptist Church and Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue in London.

Each setting was assigned an artist – a photographer, story teller, architect or glass artist – who delivered a combination of on-site workshops focusing on the theme of ‘sacred spaces’ and visits to other faith settings or museums.

The findings from OPM’s evaluation strongly suggest that this different approach to education – emphasising creative media – had a big impact, including on helping young people to think more and more deeply about their own faith. Continue reading →

Decoding the new integration strategy

Posted on February 28, 2012 by OPM

By Ewan King, OPM director.

Now that the government’s new strategy for achieving community integration is finally here, what can local authorities and partners do to put its broad principles into practice?

About two months ago I was talking to a civil servant involved in drafting the long-awaited Integration Strategy – the government’s position paper on how we will build a more integrated and cohesive society. I asked her about what the paper would cover, and she immediately told me not to expect a grand launch or a detailed ‘road map’ setting out exactly what local authorities and their partners need to do to create a more integrated society. It will be more of a ‘vision statement’ than a traditional white or green paper, she said, and wouldn’t be loaded with detailed policies, funded initiatives, or appendices setting out implementation timescales.

And so it transpires. The new strategy Creating the Conditions for Integration is only 23 pages long, and fairly light on detail – not a surprise for anyone who has read any recent polices from the strategy’s parent department, DCLG. Why write thousands of words, when only a few will do seems to be the guiding principle.

The policy is shaped around five main themes – common ground, responsibility, social mobility, participation and empowerment, and tackling intolerance and extremism; a simple diagram is presented in the document that denotes how all of these collectively contribute to integration. The idea is that each local area should work out what’s best in terms of putting these high level principles into practice, but where does one begin? Continue reading →

How can local councils unlock capacity?

Posted on February 23, 2012 by OPM

By Mohini Khanna, OPM researcher.

How can councils make getting involved in local community life energising and inspiring rather than dull and worthy? What would happen if turnout at local elections increased to 80 per cent? How can elected members be supported to become true community champions?

Earlier this week, OPM launched brand new research about how local authorities across England are unlocking the local capacity of their residents and communities, at a Public Interest Seminar attended by senior managers, policy-makers and practitioners from local and central government and the voluntary and community sector. You can download the full report from the research for free, here.

Participants heard from a panel of leading speakers chaired by editorial director of The MJ Mike Burton, and including Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and chief executive of NCVO Sir Stuart Etherington. Here are some of the main points raised during the course of a wide-ranging discussion. Continue reading →

Simple but powerful: making community leadership work in practice

Posted on February 16, 2012 by OPM

By Phil Copestake, OPM principal.

This is the latest in a series of posts in anticipation of new research from OPM about what local government can do to unlock local capacity. To find out more about the free evening seminar on Tuesday 21 February where the research will be launched, click here.

When looking to unlock the capacity of local communities, local councils find nothing is more fundamentally important than the language they use. This was one of the points that struck me most powerfully at a really excellent, wide-ranging debate last week at the RSA, to launch the 2020 Public Services Hub’s evaluation of Sunderland City Council’s community leadership programme.

In amidst thoughtful opinions offered by amassed luminaries including the RSA’s own Matthew Taylor and head of volunteering charity CSV Lucy de Groot, the leader and chief exec of Sunderland both made telling points based on their practical experience. Continue reading →

Putting public assets back in community hands

Posted on February 3, 2012 by OPM

By Robin Clarke, OPM fellow.

Reading the news this week about the Circle Partnership’s takeover of Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridgeshire it’s understandable that people might conclude that where a service is struggling the only viable alternative to public sector management is a solution involving significant private sector input. But in some cases community ownership can be the best answer.

Take the Battersea Arts Centre, for instance. A little while ago I was sitting there helping to facilitate an event about the future of health services in South West London. The venue had a ‘shabby chic’ feel to it and a cat (Pluto – on the staff list as Head of Security, Sleeping and Prowling) who strutted about checking everyone out. But I wondered if I was the only person at the event who was aware of the great transformation that had taken place there?

The Battersea Arts Centre is a shining example of how local people can take over the management of a public asset and not only save a service from possible closure, but also improve it. The building has been threatened with closure many times in its long history, but finally it seems to have found a sustainable future. Since taking over the asset the Centre has broadened its range of projects and seen an increasing number of visitors. Continue reading →

Releasing the talents of isolated older people

Posted on January 31, 2012 by OPM

By Clive Miller, OPM principal.

How can isolated older people be enabled to reconnect with and become active parts of their local communities again? Loss of a partner or increase in your own or your partner’s disability is often linked with a collapse of personal social networks. You can’t or don’t feel able to get out and about as before. Friends are diffident about contacting you. For older people in residential care this can be even more of an issue.

The usual answer to tackling isolation is to reach out to older people in their own homes through befriending services or enable them to come to social events. These are fine but they neglect the abilities of older people and the wish of many to be able to still help others and be a valued and active part of their communities.

There is a different approach: instead of starting with needs, focus on the assets that older people and the communities in which they live already possess. How can older people be enabled to make better use of them? This is the central question posed by the DWP / LGA Ageing Well programme. Continue reading →

What can ‘the beautiful game’ teach us about how to unlock local capacity?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by OPM

By Sarah McDonnell, OPM senior researcher, with an introduction from Phil Copestake, OPM principal.

At OPM we know that whatever councillors and officers in local government feel about ‘open public services’ and ‘the big society’, few disagree that with much less money available, local authorities must find a way of unlocking the energy and capacity of local people. Each council is tackling this in a different way.

On Tuesday 21st February we’ll be launching a report based on brand new research with councils across England. The report will give an in-depth, wide-ranging picture of the practical ways in which local authorities are going about the difficult but vital task of unlocking local capacity.

We’ve got a fantastic panel of speakers at the launch event, including the Mayor of Newham Robin Wales, Stuart Etherington from NCVO, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council Keith Mitchell, and Matthew Gott, a senior director from complex families pioneers Swindon. The seminar will be in the early evening, in Central London, and is free, but places are strictly limited. If you’re interested in coming then please email seminars@opm.co.uk.

In the run-up to the 21st February there will be lots of posts on this blog offering different perspectives on how best to unlock local capacity, from the point of view of councils, residents and communities themselves, and local voluntary groups. To kick things off (the first of many puns: you have been warned) we have OPM’s Sarah McDonnell asking: what can local councillors and officers learn from the leadership strategies of managers from the world of… Premier League football! Continue reading →

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