Responsibility and Public Services

by Richard Davis

In this important book, Richard Davis looks at the issue of ‘responsibility’ in public services – on both the government’s part and that of the users. While government wrestles with how to cut the cost of services, Davis shows that government can provide responsible, sustainable and effective services significantly more cheaply by focusing on what is of ‘value’ to individuals and communities.
What is of ‘value’ can only be determined by fully understanding the context in which problems arise and then providing tailored support to get people’s lives back on track and as quickly as possible.
The emphasis needs to change, Davis shows, from supplying services (chosen in advance by government regardless of actual need) to helping people to look after themselves and take responsibility for their own lives. It’s a simple logic.
The current system defines problems according to predetermined services and categories. But there are many people who never fit into the categories the system has allocated and constantly fall between the cracks and remain in trouble - so the wider system continues to have to give them emergency help because the principle services are ineffective. This racks up further costs.
Responsibility and Public Services shows that it is cheaper to offer people tailored services that meet their needs than to continue providing 'off-the-shelf' services that don't meet their needs. The thinking is that if a little time is taken to understand people in context and to find out what matters to them, the solutions are far easier and cheaper. And, because you build in resilience and help people take their own measures, it stays cheaper.
Written in Two Parts, Davis explains the pitfalls in current thinking and the principles behind his ‘responsible’ approach; we are introduced to the ‘new way of thinking’ and the methodology that will lead to provision of exactly the right service and at the first point of contact. We are given examples of what happens in practice, and shown the difference it makes to people’s lives. Public sector workers with leadership skills are given all the information they need to implement this style of service provision in their own departments.
Building on the Vanguard methodology, Davis shows that it is vital that we strengthen and create resilience in our local communities and argues that we should all have misgivings about letting government design and live our lives for us.
The book is a rich compendium of examples of what changes when this new and responsible approach is taken – examples are drawn from the care sector, prisons, the police force, hospital services, education and many more.

Genres: Politics

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has come at the right time for me in many respects. I bought it around 2016 and it's been resting on the 'get round to reading it pile' since then really. The short version is that the book is generally an overview of the Vanguard method (essentially a system thinking / interventionist theory that draws on the learning of Deming and Tachi Onoo and the Toyota Production System and applies it to service sectors). If one is familiar with the Vanguard method then there is nothing new in this book to be fair.

So why the high rating? In short, like many Vanguard and John Seddon were gateway drugs into the world of understanding organisations differently and the world of systems thinking. I wouldn't be where I am today without a friend loaning me a John Seddon book and it setting off a career path I didn't know existed. It was exciting, it was refreshing and it set off light bulbs.

Moving on a few years and I kind of grew out of Vanguard (finding Seddon grating sometimes), my interest in systems thinking and complexity became broader and I kind of left this approach behind (noting some commentators even denying Vanguard it's place in systems thinking, somewhat unfairly). I also noticed though over recent years how many people involved in the complexity / community development / systems thinking field consulted for Vanguard at some point or other. It seems it has been a school for a lot of people whose thinking has moved on and developed.

So, as I have been reading this book which is about eight years old, and as my interest and career has developed into focusing on strengths-based and community work I am reminded, that there are few new ideas. The approaches, perspectives and models in this book, at heart are nothing new and I see organisations (slowly? eventually?) trying to use similar approaches and in some ways I feel a bit validated - 'this was stuff I was reading and learning about years ago'. Now I am not saying that Davis is an innovator as such (the theories of strengths-based and asset based practice are not new), but it's been really heartening for myself to refresh this in my mind and also link back what I am trying to achieve now, with a bit of surety.

The synopsis of the book is quite simple - new public management in the public sector has failed, the delivery of standard services, determined by commissioners has failed. In it's place, listening to what happens and delivery against purpose, with services bespoke by default is a better approach. The book has plenty of examples, largely drawn from health and social care and policing to illustrate the benefit of studying, and listening to what matters and giving people what they want. The case is made that this is indeed cheaper, and more fulfilling and importantly strengthens communities.

The book, once highlighting how public services is badly designed and evidencing how it can be better, moves into the area of telling people how to start (and some good advice - start anywhere!). There is some good practical advice about measures - and the importance of knowing the difference between leading and lagging measures.

The conclusion of the book jarred a little, mostly because of tone and perspective I guess - but at heart I think I was agreeing with him. We need strong communities, we need social networks to support, and for public services to deliver what is needed. The book is advocating a smaller state, but not from a place of 'pay less tax' but more from a place of government does a really bad job of looking out for people and it can be replaced by something better.

The book is well written and engaging. It is a call to arms in many respects - it certainly motivated me to try and move something on today (alas fruitless!). A bit of a kick up the backside for me, but also some confidence and validation that the things I try to do are the right things, and also struck with the notion that the 'new ideas', are really not.