News

Public sector pathfinder mutuals announced

Governance | Niki May Young | 17 Aug 2010

Francis Maude, minister for the Cabinet Office, has announced the first 12 mutuals to act as pathfinders for the new bottom-up regulation strategy of the Big Society plans.

The “fledgling” public sector organisations will take control of their own services under the mentorship of larger organisations to help the government establish what support and structures will be necessary for the mutuals system to work. They include a range of community and health services, some of which have not yet been formed.

“The potential for public sector staff to spin out is enormously exciting,” said Maude (pictured). “The new models will show us how we best support mutuals, tackling problems when they first arise not expensively managing them over many years.

“This is a Big Society approach, decentralising power so people can deal with the issues that concern them. We must not be afraid to do things differently if we are to provide better services for less money,” he added.

The pathfinders have been announced as:

• An awarding body setting up as a mutual by a consortium of FE colleges;
• The London Partnership – creating a ‘reducing multiple disadvantage’ community interest company
• The Department of Health’s London and South East learning disability team forming a regional community interest company;
• Hammersmith and Fulham Children’s Services exploring new models of delivery with staff, possible commercial partners and neighbouring local authorities;
• North East Essex Primary Care Trust spinning out into a community interest company;
• The creation of a social enterprise for delivery of housing support services to vulnerable people in Mansfield, bringing together a range of public sector workers;
• The Lambeth Resource Centre exploring options for co-producing services with employees, service users and third sector organisations to provide rehabilitation support for people with physical and sensory impairment;
• NHS employees forming a social enterprise to provide joined up services for homeless people in Leicester;
• Teaching and administrative staff planning to set up a Trust to run Newton Rigg Agricultural College in Cumbria;
• The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea working with employees to examine the potential for different models of employee led youth support services;
• Integration of Community Health and Adult Social Services in Swindon into a cooperative; and
• Westminster City Council working with employees in Children’s Services and neighbouring local authorities to move towards creating an arms-length mutual organisation.

They will be mentored by a range of established businesses including staff from:

• The John Lewis Partnership
• PWC
• KPMG
• Tribal
• Baxi Partnership
• Care and Share Associates
• Sunderland Home Care Associates
• Central Surrey Health
• Local Partnerships, Godrevy
• Greenwich Leisure
• The Office for Public Management
• Lord Victor Adebowale, chief executive of Turning Point

Tweet