ResPublica welcomed the passing of Chris White MP's Public Services
(Social Value) Bill which is set to be a
central legislative procedure within the Coalition's wider proposals for public
service reform and further engenders huge opportunities for the stimulation of
value-led services and 'social growth'.
Opening up the market to community-based groups, socially driven
enterprises, mutuals and co-operatives – articulated within and beyond the Open
Public Services White Paper – begins to set forth this ambitious agenda. But to
shape truly transformative services and deliver a more localised social
economy, an additional consideration emerges as pivotal. Whilst cost efficiency
is to a certain extent necessary for the improvement of public services, it is
their social value that must be recognised and appreciated within the
commissioning process. Delivering additional social benefits reaches beyond
narrow targets, boosting communities’ and service users’ resilience and
generating associational models of support.
ResPublica intend to organise a private half-day conference for groups and key
decision-makers who work within the areas of public service commissioning,
provision, and the wider social enterprise, charitable and voluntary
sectors. The key question for discussion will be, “How can we
integrate and encourage ‘social value’ within public service commissioning and
delivery?"
The conference will be held in the summer 2012, following
the enactment of the Public Services (Social Value) Bill, and will
be kindly co-hosted by Chris White MP, its primary sponsor.
This conference and surrounding research will
emerge our 'Models and Partnerships for Social Prosperity' workstream, one of
the three core workstreams of the ResPublica Trust, the not-for-profit
organisation established in July 2011 which undertakes all of ResPublica's
domestic policy work. The conference is still open to external engagement from
third party organisations and ResPublica would like to establish a consortium
of partners from the public, private and third sectors, who will feed in to our
further research and debate in this area and benefit from co-branding on
publications and events.
If you would like further information, or to discuss partnering on this
exciting venture, please contact Caroline Julian, caroline.julian@respublica.org.uk