The Modernisation of the Public Services and Employment Relations
Ian Kessler, King’s College, London
Lamming (2003): LB Brent Social Services
• Recruitment Difficulties• Uncompetitive Salaries• Agency Staff• Poor Inductions• Supervision and Monitoring• Workload
New Labour: Modernising Government, Cabinet Office, 1999
Government matters. We all want it to deliver policies, programmes and services that will make us more healthy, more secure and better equipped to tackle the challenges we face. Government should improve the quality of our lives. Modernisation of government is vital if the government is to achieve this ambition.
David Cameron, Speech of Modern Public Service, Jan. 2011
I want one of the great achievements of thisGovernment to be the complete modernisationof our public services
Questions
• What is meant by ‘modern (public services)’?
• How might the modern connect to employment relations?
• How has this connection played itself out in practice?
Structure
• A Traditional Approach
• A ‘New’ Framework
• The Framework in Action
A Traditional Approach
The Public SectorRole of governmentin delivering good & services
Directly funded& provided:•Public sector
Directly funded•Private sector•Independent sector
Neither directlyfunded nor provided
IdeologicalRational
BIG STATE SMALL STATE
Law makingEnforcementDefenceEmergency
Welfare benefitsEducationEnvironment
HealthSocial Care
RailUtilitiesHousing
Others ?
UK Public Sector Employment (‘000)
Construction Forces Police (incl. civilians
Public admin.
Of which: civil service
Education National Health Service
Other health and social work
Other (incl. Corps.)
Total public sector
1999 111 218 231 1,175 502 1,394 1,207 393 730 5,456
2001 110 218 229 1,196 513 1,418 1,231 400 732 5,531
2003 80 222 249 1,257 557 1,528 1,402 344 792 5,871
2005 75 213 273 1,290 563 1,595 1,515 367 779 6,106
2007 62 200 282 1,285 543 1,630 1,492 360 743 6,052
2009 53 196 293 1,220 525 1,664 1,554 356 974 6,312
2011 46 194 281 1,176 513 1,651 1,591 349 891 6,177
2012 42 187 262 1,091 464 1,600 1,561 323 833 5,899
The Public Sector Employer: Distinctive?
• Public money• Essential services• Political imperatives• Distorted/opaque markets forces• Distinctive workforce
Profiles of Public and Private Sector Workers (Audit Commission, 2001)
Workers in the public sector• Have more qualifications- 44% have at least one degree or NVQ 5.• Are more likely to be female and work part
time- 63% are female /30% part time• Are more likely to be on fixed term/temp.
contracts- More than 10% of such contracts• Are older- 16% are aged 29 are below- 27% 50+• Are more likely to be in a union- 59% are union members• More the ethnically diverse- 15.6% of ethnic minority workers are in
health/social work
Workers in the private sector• Have few qualifications- 24% have at least one degree or NVQ5• Are less likely to be female and work part
time- 42% are female/23% work part time• Are less likely to be on fixed/term contracts- Under 6% on such contracts• Are younger- 31% are aged 29 or below- 21% 50+• Are less likely to belong to a union- 19% trade union members• Less ethnically diverse- 11.2 of whites in health and social work
The Public Sector Employer: Distinctive?
Public money
Essential services
Political imperatives
Distorted/opaquelabour market
Distinctive workforce
Sovereign
Model
A ‘New’ Framework
Definition of modern:
Relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past (OED)
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ER & Public Management
Public Management:
Values/Assumptions
User Recipient Sovereign Citizen/Consumer
Professional Knight Knave Pawn
Provider State Private Mixed
State Hands on Hands off Handy
Structures Hierarchy Markets Networks
Management Public Administration
New Public Management Governance
ER: No Agenda Short Agenda Long Agenda (?)
Industrial Relations
Work Relations
Employment Relations
I945-79 1979-97 1997- 2010
Modern
Blair (2010)
Bureaucracies are run by people. People have interests. And whereas the market compels change, there is no similar compulsion in the public sector...I had worked out the crucial failure of the first term: the mistaken view that raising standards and performance could be separated from structural reform...I was now clear that public service reform need major structural change.
Framework in Action• New Labour Government• Work Relations• A (Laudable?) Experiment that Failed• How they tried• How they failed
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Work Relations as a Key ER Domain
Job regulation relates to the social organisation
associated with production processes, including the
allocation of tasks and responsibilities, as well as the
rules governing the determination of the terms and
conditions of employment and their implementation.
(Martin, 2003)
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New Labour Modernization & Work Relations
New LabourModernization
Effectiveness• Choice• Voice• Inclusive• Joined up
Efficiency• Prudent• Consensual• Accountable• Targeted
Network Governance• Local Govt (incl. Social Care/Education)
• Healthcare• Civil Service
Work Relations• Professions• Roles• Ways of Working• Actors• Infrastructure
Diversity(High-Low)
Control(Tight-Loose)
Values
Structure/Management
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Professions: From Knave to Pawn?TEACHER SOCIAL WORKER NURSE
Pawn• Choice• Voice• Control
Tough• Jurisdictions• Capability not Status• Diluted Authority
Dilemma
Knave Knight
Love• Reward• Return to Core: Re-Modelling• Deepen Professionalization Outcomes
• Crisis of Identity• Removed• Neutered
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Work Roles
NEW ROLES
Effectiveness Efficiency
Recast• Teaching Assistant• HCA• CSO• Gateway Workers
Novel• Support, Time & Recovery• Emergency Care Practitioner• Parent Support Advisor• Community Development Worker
Outcomes?
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New Ways of Working• Community Engagement
– Outreach– Crisis Resolution– Family-Nurse Practitioner
• Integration– Every Child Matters– Team Work– Multi disciplinary– Cross Agency
• Efficiency– Lean Production– Outsourcing
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New Actors: Service Users
Users as:• Employer• Worker• Partner
User Driven Services
Co-Design
CHOICE VOICE CONTROL
Co-Production Co-Supervision
? ?
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Supportive Infrastructure
Capabilities• Formal• Flexible• Generic• Transferable
New Roles New Ways ofWorking New ActorsNew Professions
INFRASTRUCTURE
Planning• Demand/Supply• Sector skills agreement• Training• Accreditation
Regulation• Safety• Registration
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ER & Public Management
Public Management:
Values/Assumptions Coalition?
User Recipient Sovereign Citizen/ConsumerCitizen/
Consumer
Professional Knight Knave Pawn Knight (?)
Provider State Private Mixed Open: Any Qualified
State Hands on Hands off Handy Hands-Off
Structures Hierarchy Markets Networks (Top Down)
Networks (Bottom Down)
Management Public Administration
New Public Management Governance (1) Governance (2)
ER: No Agenda Short Agenda Long Agenda (?) Confused Agenda
Industrial Relations
Work Relations
Employment Relations
Summary• What is meant by ‘modern (public services)?
- Of the time- Different times
• How might the modern connect to employment relations?
- Interface between ER/PM- Closer links between disciplines
• How has this connection played itself out in practice?
- New Labour and Work Relations: A Failed Experiment?