Monday 14th July 2008, 11:21What've I been up to?As anyone who looks at my Blogs will know, I'm not one for too regular postings. So, what's my reason this time? Usual - been out and about working on a range of interesting things.
Over the last few months I've spent some time working on inputs to the UK Green Paper on Welfare Reform. I've spoken at a couple of events with Stephen Timms and Terry Rooney, mainly sharing two themes:
- expereince from international work
- the need to join up front line services
I've had a few meetings with ministers, looking at creative solutions to tackle poverty, inequality and stimulate enterprise. Been looking at growth opportunities overseas in Australia, South Africa and India. Spent some time with people in the city and financiers, helping them get a better handle on the public service industry.
Between now and the last post, I was also asked to head up the CBI's panel on Education and Children's Services. That has been interesting and takes me into new areas - although A4e covers services for excluded and marginalised young people, this work also covers capital and other large scale services in the sector which have not been as central to the work I've done in the past.
Done my rounds of work with the Regional Development Agency and the Primary Care Trust. The sub-national review and devolution/delegation, as well as the Darzi review and its implications, have been central there. As ever, like a broken record, my focus is on services to citizens and effective join up on both issues. It has been encouraging to see more interest - and evidence - of health/welfare join up recently and there's more to be done there.
Then there's been some exciting new work around legal advice services, financial support and the enterprise markets. With the occasional daliance with the press as well. And speaking about personalised public services. Anyway, it all adds up to trying to ensure the users of public services are treated like consumers, services are better joined up and global best practice gets a chance to be shine in this area. Will Blog more regularly, maybe.....
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