1. Volunteering in the new
UK policy context
Eddy McDowall
Health and wellbeing workstream lead
6th
September 2012

2. A traditional view of
UK volunteering?

3. An introduction to:
∗UK Local Government and health services
∗‘Big Society’
∗Localism Act 2011
∗Open Pubic Services – White Paper 2011
∗Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
∗Health and Social Care Act 2012
∗What this means for the voluntary sector and its relationship with heath
and social care
45 minutes

4. Non-
metropolitan
counties
eg: Kent, Oxfordshire
England & Wales local government
Unitary
council
eg: Reading
Southampton
Bristol
Isle of Wight
District + City
Councils: Kent has
12
Town + Parish
Councils: Kent has
313
Social care
Schools
Local roads
Planning
Leisure
Rubbish
Housing
Parking
Street lights
Allotments
Parks
Community centres
Fire Service
Parish councils
All
London
boroughs

5. ∗ National Health Service (NHS) – national infrastructure
∗ NHS Commissioning Board – sub-national structure
Healthcare in England
∗ NHS Clinical Commissioning
Groups – groups of Doctors
(GP) practices
(commissioners)
∗ NHS Foundation Trusts –
locality and specialist
providers

6. “It is a vital part of our mission to dismantle Big
Government and build the Big Society in its place”
Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, February 2011
∗Big Society is an umbrella political culture that looks to
bring decisions about public services to the most local
level.
Big Society

7. Localism Act 2011
∗ A shift from central Government to local government
∗ Increase in general power of competence for local
government
∗ New rights for communities to challenge local
government about running of local services (England only)
∗ Opportunities for employees to take over running of local
services (England only)
∗ Opportunities for local organisations to bid for assets of
community value (England and Wales)

8. Community right to challenge
•Opens door for voluntary and community
organisations to trigger procurement process
•Possibility for 2+ local government employees to
express an interest in running the service
including social care provision
•Comes into force in October 2012

9. Community assets
• Parish/ civic councils can nominate land or
building to be included on list of local
community assets
• Property to be included where current primary
use important to social wellbeing (including
social, leisure and culture)
• If building is to be disposed of, community has
right to buy property at market rate

10. “Brick by brick, edifice by edifice, we are slowly
dismantling the big-state”
Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, March 2012
‘Replacing top-down monopolies with open networks in
which diverse and innovative providers compete to
provide the best and most efficient services for the public’
Cabinet Office 2012
Open Public Services
White Paper 2011

11. Public Services
(Social Value) Act 2012
“An Act to require public authorities to have
regard to economic, social and
environmental well-being in connection with
public services contracts; and for connected
purposes”
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/3/pdfs/ukpga_20120003_en.pdf

12. Summary definition of Social Value
Refers to wider non-financial impacts of
programmes, organisations & interventions,
including:
∗ wellbeing of individuals & communities
∗ social capital & environment
Looks at collective benefit to community when
public body awards contract

13. £1 = £1 x 2?
Social value asks:
If £1 is spent on the delivery of
services, can that same £1 be
used to produce a wider benefit
to the community?

14. Act’s intentions
Mental health services to be delivered by organisation
actively employing people with history of mental health
problems to help deliver service
Social value of commissioning services through person
with mental health problems:
∗ having a job - may be otherwise unemployed
∗ becoming more socially included
∗ having a say in how mental health services are run
∗ a local job for a local person

15. Case study: Southwark, London
Southwark Council tendered for a new catering supplier in 2010.
Wanted provider to provide good quality food, value for money
and social value for money
Unity Kitchen provides paid apprenticeships and employment
opportunities for local people with learning disabilities
Profits reinvested to provide additional opportunities for people
with disabilities across London
Unity Kitchen immediately created 14 new jobs for local people
with disabilities, who used day services funded by Council,
therefore saving social care services money

16. ∗ Biggest changes to NHS since 1948
∗ Introduction of democratic accountability to local
health services
∗ Strengthening of public voice in commissioning of local
health and social care services
Health and Social Care Act

17. Health and wellbeing boards
Local statutory boards including:
•Directors of Adult Services, Children Services and
Public Health
•Local Councillors
•General Practitioners
•Public voice
With commissioning oversight of social care and
health resources locally

18. What does this mean for the UK
voluntary and community sector?
∗ Increased opportunities for new contracts in health and
social care
∗ A move away from tea and sympathy to a business
focus
∗ A need for a co-ordinated approach across Voluntary
and Community Sector

19. Other factors?
For
•Inspiration from Olympics
‘games makers’
•G4S – poor management of
Games security contract
•‘Personalisation’
•Step to employment
Against
•Public service funding cuts
•Postcode lottery
•General Election in 2015

20. Eddy McDowall
Health and wellbeing workstream lead
eddy.mcdowall@hscpartnership.org.uk
078 107 570 91
www.hscpartnership.org.uk