A Mutual Future - Will mutuals transform public service delivery? | 12.07.2011

The Government has placed a real emphasis on encouraging front-line public service staff and community groups to take over the running of public service and the management of local assets. There have been some initial successes as trailblazing staff groups in health, social care and local services have gone through the process of "spinning out" into mutuals and the first community groups are taking over local assets. A large amount of attention has also been placed on encouraging a variety of mutual models in the private sector.

However, due to a variety of factors, take-up has not been as large as had been predicted. This event will go beneath the surface of the debate about mutuals and begin to consider the issue in greater detail. It will consider what needs to happen to ensure that this agenda delivers lasting change to the way public services are delivered and community assets are managed.

Gathering together some of the foremost experts and on the ground practitioners of mutuals and social enterprises, this event will ask:

- What are the barriers to the large scale take-up of a mutual, co-operative or social enterprise model? How can these barriers be effectively removed?
- Is there real public appetite for a shift towards public services delivered by independent mutuals? Are some aspects of public service delivery too large for mutuals?
- Where will sustainable funding for mutuals come from?
- What should the role for Government in regulating mutuals and the new market? What will the failure regime be for mutuals?
- What needs to be done to ensure that a fully formed market for mutuals is sustainable, rather than just being a flash in the pan?

Speakers:
CHAIR - David Skelton, Deputy Director, Policy Exchange
Julian Le Grand, Chair, Mutuals Task Force
Jesse Norman MP, Author, The Big Society and Chair, Employee Ownership APPG
Ali Parsa, Chief Executive, Circle

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• policy exchange
• mutuals
• mutual
• public services
• public service delivery
• mutual models
• co-operative
• social enterprise
• david skelton
• julian le grand
• mutuals task force
• jesse norman
• employee ownership
• ali parsa
• circle