Allison's Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:39:00 +0000

Social Entrepreneur, Allison Ogden-Newton,

To Lead Keep Britain Tidy

Posted on 5 June 2015 by Ben Wood

Keep Britain Tidy has announce that Allison Ogden-Newton, an
experienced charity professional, social entrepreneur and founder
of social value think-tank The Transition Institute, is joining the
charity in August as its new chief executive.

Allison will join Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) from World Child Cancer, and
she replaces Phil Barton, who left the organisation in March this year.

KBT’s chair, Dinah Nichols, said: “We are delighted to welcome Allison
as our new Chief Executive. Our organisation has transformed itself from
a grant-funded body into a completely independent campaigning charity,
and Allison’s wealth of experience in leading social enterprises will be
invaluable as we grow the business and strengthen our partnerships and
supporter base.

“The issues that Keep Britain Tidy champions – litter, the quality of our
public spaces and waste – affect the quality of life of every single citizen
and the need for an independent, campaigning voice for a cleaner greener
country has never been greater.

“I am also enormously grateful to our Operations Director. Richard McIlwain
for stepping up as Interim Chief Executive in the intervening period.”

Allison is a successful campaigner speaking out on the issues of equal
opportunities, health and the social economy as CEO of WEB Group Ltd,
Social Enterprise London and World Child Cancer. She founded of
The Transition Institute and chaired it from 2012-2014.

On the role, Allison said: “The job of Keeping Britain Tidy has never
been more important. On the one hand, more people than ever value
the environment while others increasingly abuse the communities they
live in with unsightly and hazardous litter. Keep Britain Tidy is a widely
recognised institution that stands for caring,
environmentally aware communities and I am delighted to have this
opportunity to pursue my passion for creating a better environment for
future generations by joining the team.

“There is no doubt that issues on which Keep Britain Tidy tirelessly
campaigns are resonating with communities, businesses and individuals.
We can see this in the recent focus both of the national media and Parliament;
public opinion is turning against the mindset that thinks that littering is
acceptable.

“I look forward to working with both the new Government and the
businesses that want to tackle the problems we face as we look to develop
new approaches to change behaviour and create the difference we all
want to see – a country of which we can all be proud.”

Year 10's from St James Senior School for Girls cook up cakes and carols for children with cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:32:00 +0000

I just picked up the following extract from the St James Senior School for Girls weekly newsletter where Aishwarya Chidambaram reported the success of their Year 10 Carols with Cake evening organised by the girls in aid of World Child Cancer. I was delighted to be able to attend the event and tell the girls World Child cancer had been selected as the Financial Times Seasonal Appeal. The girls event raised £450 for children with cancer who are suffering in some of the poorest countries in the world.

I can report the cakes were delicious and the singing even more so, truly delicious voices held aloft doing carols and other popular festive fare. A real treat.

10 WR's Carols and Cake On Wednesday 4th December, 10WR created an evening for parents, friends and teachers, filled with music and speech. This year the event had a Christmas theme and raised money for the charity World Child Cancer. As the last bell of the day rang at 4 o’clock we got into action: blinis were made, cinnamon buns were arranged, there was last minute guitar tuning and, of course, hair being styled!

The evening began as peckish parents tucked into our array of
mouthwatering refreshments: from gooey brownies to peppery
palmiers. In fact, it was hard to get everyone away from the
food table to start the carols! We sung a variety of songs, old
classic carols like 'Silent Night' and more modern festive
songs such as 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'. They
were either sung in rounds, as a Capella or accompanied
by our diverse string instruments including 3 guitars, a
ukulele and a double bass. We raised around £450
and were delighted that Mrs. Ogden-Newton,
Chief Executive of World Child Cancer, was also able to
attend. Aishwarya Chidambaram, 10WR

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:21:00 +0000

Financial Times Seasonal Appeal: First world care for developing nations

By Shawn Donnan

The FT launches its campaign in support of World Child Cancer

The white spots appeared on Than Win Htut’s right eye just a few months after his first birthday. At first, his mother, Su Su Myint, was not too concerned. “I just thought it was normal,” she recalls.

Within eight months, however, a milky film had covered the entire eye. The doctor near their village in western Myanmar grew increasingly confused and alarmed about Than Win’s condition. By then it was clear the spots were anything but normal.

Today, Than Win, who turned three a week ago, is a regular visitor to the paediatric oncology unit at Yangon Children’s Hospital where he undergoes chemotherapy to treat the tumour growing on his eye.

For the past year he and his mother have taken the arduous overnight journey to the hospital, which is itself battling a shortage of resources, the legacy of decades of rule by a paranoid junta.

His doctors are doing the best they can with what they have. But his prognosis remains uncertain. Were he living in London or Long Island, you could say with confidence that Than Win was going to survive and thrive.

But Than Win is one of the victims of what ought to be one of the world’s most avoidable medical injustices.

This year, 200,000 children in the world will be diagnosed with cancer. In the rich world, this does not have to be a death sentence. Decades of medical research and advances in treatment mean eight in 10 children battling cancer in the developed world will survive. But the vast majority of children diagnosed with cancer these days live in the developing world. For them, the odds are inverted. In some parts of the poor world as few as one in 10 children diagnosed with cancer survive. At the Yangon Children’s Hospital the survival rate is roughly 30 per cent.

The Financial Times today launches its 2013 Seasonal Appeal in support of World Child Cancer, one of the few charities dedicated to fighting cancer in children in the developing world. In the coming weeks, we will profile the work of this young charity, detailing the challenges doctors and families face in fighting childhood cancer and exploring efforts to develop and deploy low-cost treatments. The biggest killers of children worldwide remain infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and measles, according to the World Health Organisation. But billions have been poured into tackling those diseases over the past decade, with the Gates Foundation alone spending $2bn fighting malaria.

Non-communicable diseases such as cancer have received far less attention from donors, largely because they were left out of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, charities say. But cancer is a growing cause of death in the developing world. As people escape poverty and their lifestyles change, the incidence of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease grows. So too does the exposure of children. Childhood cancers are now the second-biggest killers of children in the US, after accidents.

As cancer treatments have evolved, survival rates have soared in the rich world. A child diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK today has an 80 per cent chance of being alive five years later, up from just 10 per cent in the 1960s.

“Childhood cancer is always described as a paradigm of treatment success,” says Dr Eva Steliarova-Foucher, who tracks data on children for the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

But that “paradigm of treatment success” has not reached the developing world. And that is where the vast majority of cases of – and deaths from – childhood cancers occur.

In 2008, the last time it published its findings, the WHO estimated that more than 93,000 children die of cancer around the world each year. Dr Steliarova-Foucher says 94 per cent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

In those countries, the problems confronting children with cancer and those who love and treat them is heart-wrenching. Thousands of children die excruciating deaths each year with little more than paracetamol to dull the pain. Many thousands are never diagnosed because of low awareness of cancers among both the public and ill-trained medical staff.

When children are diagnosed and can receive treatment, they often enter a medical system with few resources, staffed by overworked and undertrained doctors and nurses. In parts of the developing world it is not unusual to discover that there is only one paediatric oncologist in the country, if there is one at all. In Malawi, children with cancer are treated in crumbling hospitals starved of resources next to shiny new donor-funded clinics for treating children with HIV.

“We are seeing more and more children get cancer in parts of the world where they can get treatment for tuberculosis and malaria and other infectious diseases. But randomly, and wrongly, hospitals stop short of offering proper treatment for cancer,” said Allison Ogden-Newton, World Child Cancer’s chief executive.

World Child Cancer operates on the principle that many of the issues surrounding childhood cancer in the developing world are solvable – and that needless deaths can be prevented.

Childhood cancer “is one of those problems that is by no means endless,” Mrs Ogden-Newton says. “We can live in a world in which every child who has cancer can have the right to fight cancer. That is something that can be done.”

Chocolate Orange Muffins by Family Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Here is a blog by my friend, the fabulous lady behind one of the UK's leading family blogs, Family Affairs. The piece is all about World Child Cancer, our up and coming walk in Richmond Park on September 22nd and the muffin recipe you can down load from our website which Lucy did and highly recommends.

http://www.familyaffairsandothermatters.com/chocolate-orange-muffins/comment-page-1/#comment-54018

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:02:00 +0000

Counting the social value of social enterprise

Sponsored feature Last week's roundtable debated the future growth of spin-outs from the public sector and how participation could be encouraged

It was evident, from the discussion, that staff working in public services, such as education, were not aware of spinning out options Photograph: Alex Mares-Manton

I chaired a lively seminar last week, sponsored jointly by the Transition Institute (which is currently residing at the Royal Society of Arts) and the Guardian. The focus was social enterprise spin-outs from the public sector and how to encourage greater participation.

Last year, the Institute launched its State of the Sector survey, which offered UK spin-outs the opportunity to share their views on the challenges faced in their sector, their experiences and lessons learned, and what processes they had undertaken. Spin-outs, as defined by the Institute, being "organisations that have transitioned out of a public sector body to become independent public service providers. Spin-outs tend to prioritise the maximisation of social value within their services and usually take the structure of a co-operative, mutual or social enterprise". The purpose of the roundtable was to debate the spin-out sector, the new Public Services (Social Value) Act and the challenges faced by today's social enterprises.

There was a wide-ranging debate involving people running social enterprises, from central and local government, academia and think-tanks. Unusually, for these kinds of events, a common approach emerged which seemed to have quite broad buy-in. The research was based on the survey and written by Dr Richard Hazenberg, from theUniversity of Northampton, for a report entitled: Public service spin-outs: the state of the sector. As Dr Hazenberg was away, the results were presented by Prof Simon Denny and Prof Nick Petford, who is the university's vice-chancellor.

The research revealed that the spin-out sector is growing, particularly with spin-outs that trade directly with consumers and who have received investment as opposed to grant funding. Also revealed was the fact that smaller spin-outs in particular (as defined by turnover and staffing levels), face significant challenges in gaining access to finance. Another key finding was the low awareness of the option of spinning out public services among staff in certain sectors (ie children and youth, employment and education), where there have been limited policy initiatives to promote the spinning-out process into public service mutuals and social enterprises.

Arising from this enthusiastic and knowledgeable roundtable discussion were three main policy recommendations: the government should promote growth of the spin-out sector; there should be an increase in investment for spin-outs; and there needs to be greater promotion of spin-outs and the potential benefits of spinning-out across the public sector.

Prof Petford argued: "When the four cornerstones of spin-outs led by professional and entrepreneurial managers, enlightened commissioning and procurement, access to finance, and the ability to work with all stakeholders in the spin out process are in place, it is clear that spin-outs succeed in delivering great services in ways that people want."

Spin-out entrepreneur Brendan O'Keefe, head of young people's services at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, agreed, believing that mutualisation of public services "represents a real opportunity for re-energising staff and reconnecting with service users. There is latent creative talent in the public sector and mutualisation creates the conditions for this to flourish."

O'Keefe adds: "Freed from stultifying bureaucracy, innovation and entrepreneurial flair comes to the fore. I have seen clear evidence of this happening already – and we've only just started." O'Keefe is currently leading a project to take 160 staff outside of the council to form an independent employee mutual and social enterprise, which will be known as Epic CIC.

Yet in the light of evidence from the Transition Institute and the University of Northampton revealing – to the dismay of some social enterprise idealists – that only about 10% of social enterprises surveyed have users involved in their governance, there was a recognition that arguments based on the inherent characteristics or goodness of social enterprises are neither valid nor helpful. There is a more general argument about the value of pluralism in the market, but this is hard to turn into criteria that apply in specific cases.

Further debate focused on the new Public Services (Social Value) Act. Apparently, local authorities are finding it hard to know how to interpret and implement the act and its core requirement that they give consideration to: "how what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the relevant area, and how, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with a view to securing that improvement".

From this we identified an initial list of positive externalities, elements which could legitimately be considered alongside the cost and core service offer of a bidder and which, it might be argued, social enterprises have a greater capacity to deliver than either traditional public or private sector providers. These included the ability to innovate and to share innovation, engagement and empowerment of clients and citizens, engagement and empowerment of employees and commitment to reinvest surpluses in service improvement.

I am sure people will have ideas about this list but perhaps the most interesting suggestion was that – unlike commercial information – this part of the bid could be required to be in the public domain and made easily available.

For this device to increase the chances of social enterprise, spin-outs winning contracts involves three elements:

1. The social value criteria need to be spelled out in ways which can be validated by useful facts and figures, not warm words

2. There needs to be some "armchair auditing" of the claims being made so, for example, staff can blow the whistle on bad employers claiming to be champions of staff engagement

3. And, more fundamentally, social enterprises would need to show they are the best vehicle for the achievement of these externalities

Perhaps as the chair of the seminar I am biased, but this seems like a cheap and simple idea which activists could gradually make more powerful as it was taken up.

Matthew Taylor is chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts

At the table

Matthew Taylor (Chair), chief executive, Royal Society of Arts

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive, the Transition Institute

Andrew Burnell, chief executive, City Health Care Partnership CIC

Professor Nick Petford, vice-chancellor, Northampton University

Ben Lucas, board director, director, 2020 Public Services Trust

Mark Sesnan, managing director, Greenwich Leisure Limited

Professor Simon Denny, director of enterprise, development and social impact, University of Northampton

Sabina Khan, former director of policy & research, Social Enterprise London/ Advisor to The Transition Institute

Brendan O'Keefe, head of young people's services, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Chris White MP, conservative member of parliament for Warwick and Leamington and social value ambassador

Tim Decamp, senior policy advisor, Cabinet Office

Lord Adebowale, chief executive, Turning Point

John Tizard, director, Collaborate

Steve Wyler, chief executive, Locality

Steve Reed MP, Labour member of parliament for Croydon North and former leader of Lambeth Council

Filippo Addarii, executive director, Euclid Network

Richard Cressey, policy officer, Westminster City Council

Matthew Cain, campaign analyst and blogger

Funded by Transition Institute

Ride London 100 calls supporters of World Child Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:47:00 +0000

As the new ceo of World Child Cancer I have learnt an awful lot about challenge events this week. I had no idea how valuable the fundraising fit folk do is, and what a difference it makes to small charities like World Child Cancer, where a few hundred pounds will save a child's life.

The work World Child Cancer does is unique in that we get cancer diagnosis and therapy to children in parts of the world that are so poor, without us there is next to no chance of survival. Each of the 9 countries in which we work now have sustainable projects supported by bringing together cancer specialists from the developed world with local health care professional to establish oncology units with the latest treatments.

To do this we need money, and challenge events are a big part of how we got the funds to support cancer care for over 1, 700 kids last year.

So I am surprised to learn that even though you can't get places now in the Ride London 100, set for August 4th where cyclists can follow the historic ride Bradley Wiggins took at the 2012 London Olympics, and even though there can be no better cause than World Child Cancer, we still have 5 places left. Go figure.

So cycle don't walk and get in contact with us on 0203 176 4491 or joe.fitzpatrick@worldchildcancer.org and sign up now. To have your place in this historic event you will need to give us a registration fee of £25 which tells us your serious and we ask that you undertake to fundraise £595 which is only fair as the places in the event cost us and the kids need that money! Please help us and be a part of something really special.

UPDATE: We now have 2 places left so be quick! allison.ogdennewton@worldchildcancer.org

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Twitter's top trumps: are you the Lady Gaga of social enterprise?

I have lifted this piece written by the Guardian's Joe Jervis that has created a league table of active twitterers in the social enterprise world. As the top ranking women (coming a lowly 72) he might be concluding that I am the Lady Gaga of social enterprise. Somehow this seams improbable, unless the emphasis was on the gaga bit, but its a fun piece and I agree about the importance of social media in terms of message, for those of us who love to communicate - you can't beat it! Over to Joe.......

Ever wondered how influential you are in the world of social enterprise? Find out whether you've made our list of the top 50 most connected tweeters

Of all the pieces of advice I received at university, as I prepared to enter the competitive world of journalism, one rather hyperbolic statement has stayed with me: "If you're not on Twitter, you don't exist".

Two and a half years on I've sent more than 2,000 tweets and amassed the huge total of 390 followers in the process, including influential social enterprise figures such as SEUK's Peter Holbrook and David Floyd ofSocial Spider CIC.

Yet despite my best efforts, I've failed to make a newly released list of the top 50 most connected tweeters in the world of social enterprise. Research commissioned by the Guardian Social Enterprise Networkfrom social media consultancy Tweetminster shows us which Twitter players packed the most punches during a three-month period ending earlier this year.

Tweetminster sought to identify the 1000 most active social enterprise Twitter accounts by searching for the tweeters who tweeted most about relevant terms such as #socent and social investment. These 1000 accounts were then analysed, with the "most connected" accounts being the ones with the most followers out of this group of 1000.

Using that methodology, here are the top 50 most connected organisations and individuals on Twitter in social enterprise – the Lady Gagas and Justin Biebers of the socent world.

1. Skoll World Forum @SkollWorldForum (452 followers from within Tweetminsters top 1000 most active social enterprise tweeters)
The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship takes place each year in Oxford, hosting nearly 1,000 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors. The Skoll World Forum website is now a year-round platform where executive audiences can learn about the latest news and innovative approaches in a variety of focus areas from deforestation to healthcare.

2. Ashoka @Ashoka (448)
Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries. Founded in 1980, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world.

3. Skoll Foundation @SkollFoundation (423)
The Skoll Foundation is the body behind the most connected Twitter player, the Skoll World Forum event itself.

4. School of Social Entrepreneurs @SchSocEnt (416)
The School for Social Entrepreneurs provides learning and support to social entrepreneurs in UK and around the world. SSE has branches around the world including offices in London, Sydney and Ontario.

5. UnLtd @UnLtd (415)
UnLtd is the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK and offers the largest such network in the world. UnLtd invests directly in individuals and offering varied packages of resources; from awards of funding, to ongoing advice, networking and practical support.

6. Acumen @Acumen (388)Acumen (formally Acumen Fund) is a non-profit that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders and ideas that are changing the way the world tackles poverty.

7. Nesta UK @nesta_uk (385)
Nesta describes itself as an independent charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. It does this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills.

8. Ashoka Changemakers @changemakers (383)
Ashoka Changemakers' tools and resources service aims "to empower everyone to contribute to a better world".

9. GOOD @GOOD (381)
Good describes itself as a global community "of people who give a damn", working towards individual and collective progress.

10. Unreasonable @BeUnreasonable (380)
Unreasonable helps ventures and entrepreneurs scale their impact. Each year, Unreasonable invites 10-30 entrepreneurs to live together and receive customised training and support from 50 world-class business mentors. Unreasonable'a goal is to bring all the resources to accelerate these 50 social ventures so they can scale to meet the needs of at least one million people each.

11. Echoing Green @echoinggreen (353)
Echoing Green is a global non-profit that provides seed funding and technical assistance to emerging social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change.

12. Guardian Social Enterprise Network @GuardianSocEnt (352)

13. Social Enterprise UK @SocialEnt_UK (341)
Social Enterprise UK is the national body for social enterprise. SEUK represents its members in order to support and help to grow the social enterprise movement.

14. Social Enterprise @PioneersPost (335)
Pioneers Post is an online newspaper that connects social innovators across the globe.

15. Social Earth @SocialEarth (323)
SocialEarth is a source for news and information about social entrepreneurship. The company has more than 170 contributors in 25 countries.

16. Young Foundation @the_young_fdn (320)
The Young Foundation is a London-based thinktank which takes practical action on the issues it researches, specialising in social innovation and social enterprise.

17. ClearlySo @ClearlySo (317)
ClearlySo connects social business and enterprises with potential investors and corporations looking to engage with the social economy.

18. Skoll Centre @SkollCentre (316)
The Skoll Centre, based at Said Business School in Oxford, aims to advance the field of social entrepreneurship "through education, research and collaboration".

19. Social Enterprise London @SocEntLdn (313)
Social Enterprise London works to unite, inspire and lead London's social enterprise movement.

20. Kiva @Kiva (301)
Kiva is a non-profit organisation with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

21. Nathaniel Whittemore @socialentrprnr (300)
22. The Big Society @thebigsociety (297)
23. Beyond Profit @beyondprofit (291)
24. Social Investment @TheSocialInvest (285)
25. SOCAP Markets @SOCAPmarkets (278)
26. Third Sector @ThirdSector (275)
27. Case Foundation @CaseFoundation (270)
28. Next Billion @NextBillion (268)
29. Rodney Schwartz @RodneySchwartz (267)
30. Social Enterprise Blog @socialbusiness (265)
31. Social Enterprise Mark @SE_Mark (260)
32. Jonathan Jenkins @j0nathanjenkins (257)
33. Kevin Doyle Jones @Kevindoylejones (256)
34. Social Innovation @SSIReview (254)
35. Martin Montero @Montero (251)
36. Nick Temple @nicktemple1 (249)
37. PopTech @poptech (249)
38. Joey Shepp @SocialVenture (239)
39. Cliff Prior @CliffPrior (235)
40. Skoll World Forum @SkollWF (230)
41. Society Guardian @SocietyGuardian (229)
42. Liam Black @LiamABlack (227)
43. Dan Lehner @danlehner (226)
44. New Economics Foundation @nef (226)
45. Social Innovation Camp @sicamp (225)
46. StartingBloc @StartingBloc (225)
47. NCVO @NCVO (223)
48. Ben Metz @benmetz (215)
49. Peter Holbrook @peteholbrook (210)
50. Social Citizen @socialcitizen (209)

Those who missed out on the top 50 but feature in the top 100 includedThe Grameen Foundation, Ogunte, Big Society Capital and Oxford Jam. The individual woman with the highest score – at number 72 – is Allison Ogden-Newton, formerly of Social Enterprise London and now heading up the Transition Institute.

Are you surprised by those at the top of the list? Is there anyone missing from the list who you thought would be on there? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more Guardian #socent on Twitter follow @GuardianSocEnt – or@joejervis89

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:45:00 +0000

Would we have had social enterprise without Margaret Thatcher?

Thatcherism taught us that a mixed market in the public sector is the future, and that a 'state or market' debate is outdated

Margaret Thatcher – a key figure in the history of the social enterprise movement? Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd./Graham Whitby-Boot/Allstar

There probably aren't many Margaret Thatcher fans among social entrepreneurs, with most attributing the growth of market economics in social arenas to the measures introduced by Tony Blair. But would we have had the Right to Request without de-nationalisation or the Right to Buy?

As Ed Miliband said during parliament's tribute sitting, Thatcher was right to recognise that our economy needed to change. In 1982, she said:"How absurd it will seem in a few years' time that the state ran Pickfords removals and the Gleneagles Hotel."

Thatcher introduced the idea that government should stop being the default employer and that the public sector needed mixed models of delivery – thinking that has been shared by successive governments ever since.

Looking at public sector reform through the point of view of theTransition Institute, set up to promote increased social value in public service created through non-public sector providers, we can see two major spikes in change; the first when Thatcher allowed the private sector to enter the domain of public services such as in municipal maintenance and waste collection; and the second when Blair introduced the concept of social enterprise into education, health and the then Department of Trade and Industry.

At my organisation, the Transition Institution, we know that the market economy drives down costs but can also fail if equal priority is not given to the needs of service users and the wider community, termed social value. Our work shows what can be achieved when the priority of cost effective services are shared with the needs of those that rely on services. We promote the work of co-operative schools, staff-led community interest youth services, and mutual delivery of community care.

The Transition Institution calls for plurality, a drive for an increase in social and economic value, demonstrating the coexistence of free market forces and social responsibility. The introduction of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the support of the cabinet office, led by Francis Maude, for the promotion of mutuals within the public sector have encouraged those seeking change in this field, but progress is slow.

Thatcher was perhaps the great advocate of the free market, even though employment in the public sector was 3% higher when she left office than it is now. She undoubtedly questioned the monopoly of the state and did not limit her introduction of market forces to the nationalisation of British Airways, British Gas and British Telecom, but went on to assert that the state can not commission, deliver and appraise every service without the emergence of a conflict of interest that does not serve the wider public, an idea continued under Blair.

In 2011, David Cameron said: "The Blair government took some good steps, like foundation hospitals and academy schools, but they were too tentative … The public already benefits from services delivered by private and third sector providers, from running walk-in clinics to providing school caretakers, and the government is right to recognise that there is scope to do more."

Yet even with that commitment and other stated aims to grow mutualism, social value and community engagement, we have yet to see a third spike. Many prospective and new public sector spin-outs continue to be confronted by sceptical parent authorities and voracious private sector competitors with the advantage that they can get in quick. As in Thatcher's era, it is money that counts: then inflation hit 21% and drove the government to think the unthinkable. Today, it's the deficit and, with banks limiting borrowing, those with access to capital are moving faster. I do not have the results of the 2013 national Transition Institute surveyyet, but I am willing to guess that access to capital is a big issue for today's independent public service providers.

Margaret Thatcher introduced an idea that continues to grow, that of a mixed market in the public sector. Her scepticism about the public sector led to a deep-seated faith, shared by some in government today, that only unfettered competition can give us quality and affordability. In contrast, some on the left maintain that only the state can care for its citizens.

This is 2013 not 1983 and if the banking crisis and subsequent recession have taught us anything, it is that it may be hard to describe and tricky to measure but what the public sector needs is a mixed approach – only a combination of competition tempered by social value can create affordable and sustainable world-class public services.

Allison Ogden-Newton is chair of the Transition Institute.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:44:00 +0000

Expert round up: how to make the most of city deals

Share in the advice of our expert panel on how cities can best use new powers over transport, education and infrastructure

Sarah Marsh
Guardian Professional, Saturday 23 March 2013 10.28 GMT
Jump to comments (0)

Salford, Greater Manchester – one of the first eight core cities to sign a city deal in 2012. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Neil McInroy is chief executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Whitehall needs to be straight: What powers is it willing to devolve? Central government need to cut the process, horsetrading and lay down their red lines. Then cities can have a proper debate on whether they agree with the possibilities or want to play along.

Favouratism must be addressed: City deals need to be underpinned and hooked back into a new national economic narrative. The treasury needs to do things which favour a variety of localities. We've had decades of treasury policy which has favoured the city. Whitehall needs to be more committed to re-addressing this.

Adam Bryan is senior policy manager at Essex county council

Build a relationship between private and public sectors: It is about involving the private sector at the fulcrum of a reformed skills system, where they make the decisions to ensure that provision is driven by employer need. It's about them co-leading the decision making around the major infrastructure investments which will catalyse growth.

Lorna Gibbons is economic development officer at the Borough of Poole

Does competitive bidding help? It depends what the funding is intended to achieve – who and where can deliver the greatest impact. The second wave of city deals was a competition but in the end the government decided to accept all offers for delivery of growth.

Allison Ogden-Newton is chair of the Transition Institute

Geographical boundaries are a concern: Looking at areas of European growth, success stories cannot be captured with the use of city boundaries or terms like urban or rural. It's the magic of what will work that has captured local imagination and the vision of successful leaders.

Tom Stannard is director of policy and communications atBlackburn with Darwen borough council

We need strong partnerships: There's a stronger recognition now that local growth is best driven by meaningful local partnerships that know their areas. I think, irrespective of boundaries, the debate is there to be won on the proper local settlement that should come from this in the medium term.

Darryl Eyers is deputy director and head of economic planning atStaffordshire county council

Do we risk less innovation in the next round of city deals? It will utlimately come down to the appetite of the area for innovation and how compelling a case you can make to government. The cabinet office is very supportive and the first wave has shown that if you have a good enough idea then ministers will want to support it – whether it fits neatly into a core package or not. However, I think the real proof will be seen in November.

Genuine commitment is needed: Leaders of local areas (beyond the city) at a political and business level must be able to work collaboratively, identify genuine priorities, and be ready to challenge the status quo. They must be clear on what is required of government to make the deal work. Genuine commitment from government is also needed to back local areas to make the right decisions.

Lord Shipley is adviser to the minister for cities, Greg Clark

Cities must demonstrate that devolution is sustainable: The truth is that England is hugely dependent on London. The question remains, how do we drive growth outside London? If accountabilities are 'multiple, complex and overlapping' we need to work out how to make them work, as opposed to being barriers.

Phillip Woolley is a partner at Grant Thornton

Let's reward good investment: The initial round of city deals were in my view, perhaps with the exception of Manchester, missing the underpinning of a robust and flexible resourcing model that rewarded good investment decisions and growth performance.

David Marlow is director of Third Life Economics

It's a matter of faith: The faith in local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and the faith in national agencies seem to be real issues that need further work in putting government's response to Heseltine into practice

Giles Rocca is head of policy and strategy at Westminster city council

Powers need to be fully devolved: I think that there is a risk that governance can be used as a tool for central government to decide how quickly and how far it will go around devolving powers. There are caveats in Heseltine's report about this. In a sense it turns into another bar to jump through.

Tom Bolton is senior analyst at the Centre for Cities thinktank

What happens next is important: Post budget, decisions on whether the single pot will include skills and employment funding are important. We won't know this until the spending review in June. It's a big test for Heseltine implementation.

Businesses can help to get local economic policy right: LEPs need to show that they can represent the wider business constituency in their areas, small or medium enterprises as well as the big employers, for a true picture of business needs and priorities.

You can read the discussion in full here

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Can the young weather this long winter?

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Ian Mulheirn tells us the facts demand we replace "welfare scrounger" rhetoric with action for the young

Have you noticed how the weather is behaving like the economy? Just as we think we are through the worst of it another hard frost is upon us. Down at the allotment we can fleece against the cold, an act that may or may not protect first early potatoes, but for those hit hardest by the recession, weathering the economy is a good deal harder.

Doing nothing is not an option. Only devastation follows neglect and the growing number of young unemployed people is a ticking time bomb for us all. The disproportionate rise of unemployment for the young is the clearest indicator that recession will continue and cost. The young really are our future (lyric alert) "teach them well and let them lead the way", let them languish and watch future prosperity fade away.

I have been scanning the horizon for hope, but I can't find any data beyond a dismal 3% that indicates the Work Programme is actually getting the long term unemployed into work. @LiamByrne's recent blog for LabourList "Our young people need a real chance to work in a real job paying a real wage" highlights the plight of the young unemployed and communicates his sense of urgency. As the MP with a constituency where youth unemployment is higher than anywhere in the UK, with 30 jobless chasing each opportunity, he knows this is a crisis. His call to action is for Labour local authorities to make getting jobs for the young a priority, but it should be a matter of urgency for us all. I remember the 80's when jobs became a hopeless Holy Grail for so many and the so-called "rump" of todays permanently unemployed was created. We know that the first four years after a young person leaves school, college or university is critical and if they fail to launch in that time their future is bleak and their confidence gone.

But the demonised, feckless, undeserving poor so commonly condemned by our increasingly intolerant population is in fact a myth highlighted by a really hard hitting piece by Ian Mulheirn, in this months NewStatesman, "The Myth of the welfare scrounger". Here Ian quotes the Department of Work and Pensions own research that shows only a small minority of adults - 11 per cent of claimants in 2010-11 - have a history of spending more than half of recent years on the dole. This is in sharp contrast with the British Social Attitudes survey which shows that in 2011 54 per cent of people thought that if benefits were lower people would "learn to stand on their own two feet", more than double the 26 per cent who felt that way 20 years earlier. As Ian tells us " it’s clear that the excoriating rhetoric isn’t based in reality".

When Social Enterprise London delivered a Future Jobs Fund programme in 2011, 74 per cent of the under unemployed 24's we placed in social enterprises came off benefits for good. The team and I agreed that although we met our target of helping 500 young people at the time we could have placed four times that amount.

I don't know if social enterprise, community businesses or civil society organisations can still offer the young opportunity on that scale, given those that are still in business have had to weather two years of hard recession since the days of optimism when the Future Jobs Fund held real hope of our young. But I can say categorically, that if we don't make it the business of all of us to help our future business leaders, innovators and tax payers we will all have plenty of time to regret it.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:55:00 +0000

What is a co-operative council?

by Ed Mayo

Having contributed to the recent publication "Towards a Cooperative Council" alongside other cooperative advocates such as Ed Mayo, the Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, and co-founder of The Transition Institute, I read his recent blog which I really enjoyed and think offers important criteria for assessing what we need to see when we consider cooperative councils. I have therefore, lifted the argument which I hope you agree lends some substance to the growing idea of cooperation in local government.......

The idea that local authorities might become ‘co-operative councils’ has emerged over recent years. From Oldham to Edinburgh, Newcastle to Rochdale, it is great to see the interest in and commitment to co-operative working.

There is an overlap between public ethos and co-operative values, not least around open and democratic models of organisation.

But the challenge is that it is not an entirely easy fit. Co-operatives are an established form, underpinned of course by an international definition and agreement. We are enterprises. Co-operatives can be many things, but not, without very significant stretch, can they be a local authority.

What matters then perhaps is not form but action. If a council is genuinely pro- co-operative, then the results ought over time to be clear. So it is welcome that a community of co-operative councils has started, slowly, to coalesce, kickstarted by the Co-operative Party, and last month, published a collection of policy contributions on the potential of the idea. The sections on education and housing, in particular, are strong because they talk to practical action, already happening.

It has taken time, not unreasonably, for this agenda to take shape. In 2010, under the aegis of the Local Government Association Labour Group, around one hundred councils expressed interest in the idea of becoming a co‑operative council. A document, titled Co-operative Communities – Creating a shared stake in our society for everyone was published that same year. There is more focus now in terms of numbers, with twenty one councils signed up – still with the same political affiliation – but also more visible ambition.

Co-operatives UK is the recognised voice of the movement, so we have a natural concern to protect the integrity of co-operative action. So what would we say made for a co-operative council? I think it has to have more bite, to ensure genuine action rather than just rhetorical political positioning, with the following steps as a draft, outline set of criteria:

the authority endorses the internationally recognised co-operative and ethical values as a basis for work that it takes forward as a co-operative council
there is a Cabinet Member for co-operatives
plans for local economic development, such as for jobs, investment and housing, include an explicit component focused on the development of co-operative enterprise, including credit unions
there is an explicit recognition in commissioning of the added value that can come from co-operative and mutual enterprises
commissioning staff have received training in co-operative models
they are open to the potential of services that are being spun out services where appropriate being run on high quality co-operative models
services that are spun out of direct provision encourage a co-operative or mutual form and protect assets through common ownership or a wider asset lock where they have been developed with taxpayer money
it operates as a Fairtrade Town, recognising the value of this as a form of support for producer co-operatives overseas
they encourage schools, where the national context allows this, to convert to co-operative schools, following the options now available for this
they encourage agencies that act as partners locally, such as further education colleges and social housing, to consider co-operative and mutual models of governance
they have given consideration / had a debate on sourcing utility services, including banking, energy and telephony from co-operative providers
the authority operates as an employer with an appropriate partnership and form of consultation with trades unions.

There is no roadmap for this and these are suggestions only. But there does need to be a dialogue with the co-operative movement on this, to encourage action and to ensure that the co-operative identity as set out by the International Co-operative Alliance – of which Co-operatives UK is the domestic guardian – maintains its historic, hard-won integrity.

Come in, be co-operative – and act co-operative.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:58:00 +0000

What will the Social Value Act mean for social enterprise?

Expert advice from our recent live debate on how social enterprises can make use of the act

• Listen again to Sean McGinty's public services podcast

There arew conflicting views on how much help the social value act will give to social enteprises looking to win public sector contracts. Photograph: MBI / Alamy/Alamy

Allison Ogden Newton – chair, Transition Institute

Survey to monitor commissioning difficulty: There should be a formal process to monitor the impact of the legislation and support the development of a social value commissioning framework. I am interested in any social enterprises who are delivering public sector contracts to fill in our survey which will help us determine how difficult commissioning is becoming.

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the social enterprise network, click here.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Katie in Richmond Park today

Living next to Richmond Park is a joy every day of the year for all the family but when it snows the pleasure the park gives is wonderful. The excitement started when the kids schools closed on Friday and they all got home early.

I had to cancel my trip to Cambridge University where I was going to speak to the MBA students, which hopefully we can reschedule, and took Sam, Katie and their friends off to catch the first of the tobogganing.

A snowy allotment

Sam had surgery the day before to remove the offending fang and less than 24 hours later he was hurling himself down the slopes deliberately engineering face plants by way of entertainment. Thankfully the stitches held!

On Saturday my sister and I did a brisk walk covering a few miles around the park, admiring the deer and marvelling at the peace and quiet.

Today Katie, Hubbie and I walked all the way around the park, around 6 miles stopping off at the allotment on the way home to shake the snow off my netting which is doing a vital job keeping the pigeons off my brassicas. I love this weather, it brings out the best in all of us.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:53:00 +0000

Social enterprise podcast #11: Public services

Join Sean McGinty and me for the Guardians latest podcast for social entrepreneurs. This month Sean looks at the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and what it means for social enterprises

Dust off those headphones and have a listen to what sector experts have to say about the social value act. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

00:00

41:58

repeat

Social enterprise podcast #11: Public services

Join Sean McGinty for the latest Guardian social enterprise podcast. This edition's theme is public services and the new Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 which will come into effect on 31 January.

This month:
• Chris White MP explains how he managed to push his bill through into law – and what needs to be done to help ensure the act achieves its potential.
• David Floyd – managing director at Social Spider CIC, Chris Bally – assistant director of business development at Suffolk County Council, and Allison Ogden-Newton – chair at the Transition Institute, discuss what impact the social value act is likely to have.
• Toby Blume – Co-operative Council implementation lead at Lambeth Council, explains how he is helping Lambeth to become a co-operative council.
• Ceri Jones – head of policy and research at SEUK, gives her advice to smaller social enterprises on how they can make the most of the opportunities provided by the social value act.

Running Order
00.01: Intro
02.30: Chris White MP
13.00: David Floyd, Chris Bally and Allison Ogden-Newton
31.34: Toby Blume
36.20: Ceri Jones

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the social enterprise network, click here.

Ed Miliband and Steve Reed launch "Towards Cooperative Councils" with a contribution from Allison Ogden-Newton

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:29:00 +0000

Allison Ogden-Newton
Allison is the chair of the Transition Institute

The architecture of public services in the UK is in transition. Across the National Health Service, local authorities, neighbourhood schools and libraries, our public service institutions are being remodelled.

The Transition Institute’s mission is to support a growing network of people involved in this remodelling and support them to do so in a way that transforms public services for the better

It is commonly understood that there are two main drivers of these changes in our public services. The long-term challenge is the changing nature of our society, which are also changing the demands placed upon the state. Local and central government will ultimately be judged on how they respond to issues such as an ageing society and climate change, or persistent challenges like poverty, reoffending or families in crisis.

The long-term tests of our public services such as those described above are also being amplified by the second pressure: the wider economic climate we face in the short and medium term, and the subsequent downward pressures on budgets.

Although these twin drivers can seem far removed from the day-to-day delivery of a residential care service, the running of a local library or after-school clubs, their impact is reverberating throughout the public sector, across every service and local area in the UK.

There is, however, another emerging test facing public services that has also come out of these headline challenges, namely the rise of social value as a concept. If you are a practitioner leading, managing or delivering public services, the chances are you may not have heard of the term social value. There is a distinct possibility, however, that it will come to impact profoundly on your day-to-day work. Parliament has recently enacted legislation to enshrine social value in our public services for generations to come. The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2013 requires:
“public authorities to have regard to economic, social and environmental well-being in connection with public services contracts”

Furthermore, the European Union is also supporting the premise of social value in public services. A European Parliament resolution declared that the “lowest price” criterion should no longer be the determining factor in awarding public contracts. Instead, the resolution suggests contracts should be awarded to the “most advantageous tender in terms of economic, social and environmental benefits, taking into account the entire life-cycle costs of the good, service or work.”

These changes will have a profound impact on the commissioning and procurement of public services in the decades ahead. It will
shift the focus from the bottom-line price or cost of a service towards the overall value of the outcomes delivered, which will include the value of the process of achieving the desired outcomes. In other words, the awarding of public service contracts will no longer simply focus on whether you deliver the required results, but will also take into account how you get there As a result, the approach, social impact and ethos of an organisation will become crucial aspects of public service commissioning and procurement.

Within the public sector there has, of course, always been an almost tangible public service ethos. It is the reason that the vast majority of public sector workers get out of bed in the morning – the knowledge that they are not only doing a good job but that they are also making their country, their communities and their neighbourhoods happier, more prosperous and more sociable places.

Our contention is that, properly managed, social enterprise spin-outs from the public sector can accentuate the social value that is created. Within organisations that have or are in the process of spinning out of the public sector, there is an inescapable sense that you are with a group of people who feel liberated and enthused in what they are doing. It is the public service ethos and then some.

This is undeniably in part due to a sense of empowerment and control that can come along with new governance and ownership structures.

We have started to outline the essential characteristics upon which a social value ethos is based within these emerging models of public service spin-outs.

LEADERSHIP: It is essential that a leader steps forward to drive the organisation forward through transition, providing a sense of direction and clear focus for the staff and supporters. This is the single most significant contributor to success.
VISION An end point to the transition needs to be persuasively articulated. How will it feel different to the status quo and why is change crucial?
COMMUNICATION and EMPOWERMENT Clear, compelling communication will ensure staff and supporters buy-in to the transition and take control of ensuring an effective change process. As part of this, everyone needs to understand that they will be fairly compensated for the effort they put in.
MOBILISE COMMITMENT Enthusing staff, users and gaining political support will ensure that the journey to independence is as smooth as possible and pushed on by linchpin stakeholders.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN A robust implementation plan will provide staff and supporters with stability, comfort and clarity about the journey ahead and their role in making it happen.
MONITORING Regular checks on progress alongside an open and honest analysis of progress will ensure that the transition is kept on track and allow an assessment of emerging social impact and value.
INSTITUTIONALISE CHANGE SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES Embedding purpose and social value into the organisation requires reinforcement through appropriate policies and procedures.

To reach the end goal of creating a spin-out with a social value ethos woven into its fabric, practitioners have used the elements described above to get there, taking staff, users and supporters with them as they create the organisations which will deliver exceptional services for local communities across the UK. There are many different ways of doing this. Key players in the Transition Institute are those that share the view that social value can be optimised in public service through such means as employee ownership, social entrepreneurialism and mutualism.

What those involved in the process repeatedly say is that they are frustrated by the lack of specialist support, and although there are specialist providers available they come at a price. Yet at the time that the advice is needed the most - at the start-up stage - there is no budget from the new organisation to pay for it. There must be a role for government here. Tony Blair’s enthusiasm for independent service delivery stemmed from his belief that it could improve standards of management and he was prepared to fund programmes like the Social Enterprise Investment Fund in order to do something about it. For David Cameron it is all about community engagement and making a more meaningful connection between service providers and consumers. I wonder what we could achieve if that second vision was underpinned by the kind of investment that systemic change received from the last government.

My piece lifted from Towards Co-operative Councils: Empowering people to change their lives Edited by Steve Reed MP and Kitty Usher published this weeko-operative councils: empowering people to change their lives

Edited by Steve Reed MP and Kitty Ussher

Spotting wildlife royalty down at the allotment!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:28:00 +0000

Playing dead, our star the Gold Crested Newt

There was great excitement down at the allotment today as I found a Gold Crested Newt, one of Britain's rarest newts hiding in my old netting, take a look. I found this little beauty when clearing out the pond, a filthy job and tough to do in the cold but important to tackle now before the frogs spawn.

I identified it as an adolescent Gold or Great Crested Newt through my own WBR, distinctive by the orange spotty tum, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

It was a tough but rewarding day of clearing up, I lit my bonfire, and dug over the Scruffy Memorial Garden, so named after Joe's hamster Scruffy, who is buried there. Actually Bubbles and Nibbles the rabbits, Squeak the guinea pig and Stella Joe's other hamster are also in the little garden which is a section of the allotment at the back given over to flowers, shrubs and herbs.

Four hours of digging later and doused by the lovely smoky smell I headed home chuffed to have such a rare and wonderful visitor to my own little bit of heaven.

When teeth can kill

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Image from the fantastic blog Weirdness And Cake

I am sharing this tale so that you might know what I have learnt in the last couple of days, which is: teeth they can be killers.

Yesterday my 14-year-old son Sam woke me saying the tooth that had been niggling him over Christmas had got worse and he had experienced fever during the night. He had a normal temperature at the time but as his mouth still hurt, off we went to the dentist who found a small but deep hole and duly filled it. The dentist noticed some swelling around the tooth so he also gave Sam antibiotics. After the visit to the dentist Sam said he felt fine and went to school despite my advice, which was to take the day off and let the antibiotics start to take effect.

I then went to work and after coming out of a really positive meeting about the Transition Institute with a super chap from the Cabinet Office, my eldest son, Joe, rang to say Sam had come home, somehow, and he seemed unable to stand. As I was too far away I rang a good friend and neighbour (thanks Julie) who took him straight to the doctor. Thirty minutes later Julie rang to tell me the doctor had called an ambulance as she suspected Sam had meningitis.

I arrived at the surgery just in time to travel with Sam in the ambulance where I could do nothing but watch him shake violently and slip in and out of consciousness. You know it's serious when you arrive to a busy A&E and a team is waiting for you in the car park. The fantastic staff at Kingston Hospital took his temperature and found it was an improbable 40.7ºC so they began treatment for meningitis even though they couldn't find a rash. Over the next 18 hours both in A&E and later in the children's ward, Sam has been tested for everything. It turns out he did not have meningitis, thank God, but yes, you guessed it, the only possible cause they could find was his tooth.

It seems that somehow the tooth had caused a massive infection and leaving it niggling away over Christmas was an even bigger mistake than failing to ask someone to feed the fish when we were away.

So now you know: if you have a toothache go straight to the dentist, no messing about, do not pass go, do not collect £200.

PS Sam is much better, for which I am more grateful than I can say.

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:36:00 +0000

Is the Public Services (Social Value) Act a no go for small contracts?

Allison Ogden-Newton fears that social enterprises with local knowledge will lose out to larger deliverers that can achieve scale

Will the Social Value Act favour larger organisations? Photograph: Corbis Super RF/Alamy

The government's target of enabling over one million former public sector staff to achieve mutual status by 2015 echoes the aspirations of many in the public sector who want to carry on doing the job they love and are interested in more independence – but only if the deal is right. For them, the choice between
moving, via the TUPE process, to work for a large listed company with a reputation for stacking it high and selling it cheap, or clubbing together with trusted colleagues to 'go it alone', is an easy one.

At the Transition Institute we believe these public servants could be heroic innovators and should be able to secure the necessary contracts to finance their services. However, following a recent statement from the Cabinet Office, we fear smaller, less protected entities face an obstacle that could halt them in their tracks.

In a recent statement, the Cabinet Office told us that European Union rules will preclude some public sector contracts from compliance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act, passed by the government earlier this year. They identified two thresholds: £113,057 for service contracts awarded by central government and the NHS, and £173,934 for all other contract bids, below which, they said, tests for social value could not be applied in commissioning: "The act (public services 2012), when it comes into force, will apply to public services contracts whose value exceeds the relevant financial thresholds in the EU Directives and Public Contracts Regulations."

If this is the case, we ask: how will mutualisation for smaller spin-outs work? Will we see commissioning frameworks reward large deliverers which can achieve economies of scale, while smaller entities with local knowledge and strong track records lose out?

We are seeking further clarification from the Cabinet Office as it is not obvious, even to the commissioning experts at the Institute, how the act can be applied to the heavily-regulated procurement processes over the threshold, and not to the more lightly regulated procurement space below. Nor can we identify what has changed within the EU to move the goal posts since the act was drafted and passed.

One thing we do know is that the need to build a much clearer picture about what is happening in the vanguard of this public service transformation is vital.

The Transition Institute is the UK's first and only advocate body for public sector providers that make social value their business, and we intend to build an accurate set of social value commissioning guidelines, based on information from the sector that accurately describes the size, aspirations and climate in which spin-outs are operating. We've just launched the UK's first survey to ask all independent service providers and spin-outs what affects them when it comes to commissioning. This survey will map who the new providers are, their size and scope, and the commissioning processes that operate in their working environment. This information will be vital in educating the government about how this issue in particular affects social value organisations.

Allison Ogden-Newton is chair of the Transition Institute. To contribute to the survey, click here. For more details of a social enterprise network live debate on the social value act on Friday 11 January 2013, click here

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the social enterprise network, click here

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Comments (4)
Posted by
Allison Ogden-Newton
21 December 2012 17.42 GMT

guardian.co.uk

Comment wall

Jeff Mowatt
24 December 2012, 10.17

From experience, yes. There will be obstructions.

Among our own experiences is being excluded from bidding for work with an existing Research Councils customer, because EU procurement rules demanded a minimum turnover of Â£500,000.

We've found that when bidding for work in the NHS supply chain, despite being an existing NHS supplier, they wouldn't respond when asked for a reason for exclusion in the PQQ process.

We've seen a CIC set up locally by doctors and Tory politicians, extract Â£200k from public funds without trading, to benefit only a consultant. Another CIC came from nowhere to attempt taking over the primary care services for Gloucestershire. Neither of these have wanted to engage with existing social enterprise.

Finally there is conclusive proof that social enterprise participating with goverment is weighed in favour of corporates. I have a copy of letter from the British Council to my MP stating clearly that their criteria for partnership includes a substantial financial contribution. More it seems than the considerable sum invested in our groundwork for Eastern Europe since 1999.

We conclude that although there's a clear case for social enterprise developent, some of the more radical social objectives, like extracting children from neglectful institutions, are not palatable to big business or some of our more avaricious politicians..

By buying into such a project, a corporation may enhance its CSR image while avoiding such human rights issues, essentially a modern day interpretation of purchasing indulgences.

Such was the experience of social enterprise in Ukraine, begging the question - where were the goverment supported advocacies in any of this?.
- Report abuse
Rich Tomlins
28 December 2012, 21.20

Evening Allison, have you had direct communication from the Cabinet Office about the threshold point, it sounds that way from the article.

It hasn't been my interpretation but it was a point being made by Local Government Lawyer back in May, although I hadn't seen anything to that effect since.
- Report abuse
Mark Upton
31 December 2012, 9.35

This is not a new issue at all the MP who sponsored the Bill tied it quite explicitly to the EU Procurement rules, including their thresholds, in defining which procurement would be caught. Indeed the legislation does not change the procurement process at all, save requiring public bodies to consider the role of social value in the commissioning phases. Though that is welcomed.

I am not so sure that this will impact on the spin out of mutuals. I cannot see a spin out being viable off the back of a contract below these threshold levels. And if the Act did apply to 'below threshold' contracts it would risk imposing disproportionate burdens on small and medium enterprises including VCS bodies.
In any case this Act is about commissioners seeking additional value from their contracts, so it is right their focus on potential big wins there.
This article just reveals two things (1) unrealistic expectations of this legislation (2) lack of understanding of what it means in practice.
- Report abuse
David Floyd
31 December 2012, 13.21

Hi Allison,

I don't consider myself a procurement expert but my instinct, I think similar to Mark Upton's, is that the changes the Act will hopefully bring about are more relevant above the EU threshold than below it.

I think these points:
"If this is the case, we ask: how will mutualisation for smaller spin-outs work? Will we see commissioning frameworks reward large deliverers which can achieve economies of scale, while smaller entities with local knowledge and strong track records lose out?"

are taking you off on a bit of a wild goose chase.

The answer to the first question is that smaller spin outs - looking for contracts under Â£113,057 will get contracts if the commissioners in their area want to give them a contract, based on the business case they've made (and hopefully based on a recognition of the wider social value they can deliver).

If commissioners don't decide to give them a contract on this basis, the Social Value Act won't make any difference.

My hunch is that imposing a requirement to demonstrate consideration of wider social value - and therefore fairness to all organisations who might potentially provide that value - explicity through the tendering process at a lower level would actually make it less likely that small spin outs and other small social enterprises would win contracts rather than more.

It would potentially make it harder for commissioners to take a punt on an innovative new organisation.

The point is that below the EU threshold, commissioners who want to commission for wider social value can already do so. The Act provides them with justification for doing so when awarding contracts above Â£113,057,

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:07:00 +0000

Looking back, looking forward: how 2012 has changed social enterprise

Allison Ogden-Newton examines the fundamental shift the sector has experienced and how it can prepare better for harder times in 2013

Allison Ogden-Newton is chair of the Transition Institute.

It's a brave new world. Social enterprise is an enduring principle but if you believe, as I do, that there has been a fundamental shift in the nature of most financial support to the social sector, then you know what an impact 2012 has had.

People still need help, understanding and guidance, more so than ever, and social entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly inventive in their solutions to perennial problems but being able to get the numbers right, above all other measures of success, will define their future.

This year we have seen many social enterprise support agencies close as investment in services like state sponsored business support ended, starting first with the regions. Social Enterprise London, the organisation I led for nine years and which represented the finest group of social enterprise business specialists I have ever met, closed its offices along with others offering social enterprise infrastructure. We merged the membership team with Social Enterprise UK to create the largest social enterprise membership in the UK. I have been delighted to hear from some of the old members that formed part of SEL's community of over 3,200 social enterprises that they welcome the move and enjoy being part of a national movement. But what all of them wanted, at some critical point and benefited from, was a level of business support that is no longer available anywhere. Like lamplighters and telegraph operators, business support advisers are a thing of the past, only time will tell if this will affect growth.

I now work for the Transition Institute, based at the Royal Society of Arts. The institute supports and informs independent public service providers. We have had an inspiring first few months at the RSA working in partnership with the 2020 Public Service Hub and University of Northampton to build a clearer picture of the environment in which this new generation of innovative, community-based service providers are operating. Our survey, which is available for all social enterprises, CICs, mutuals, co-ops and charities operating within the public sector to participate, will reveal the most accurate picture to date. Our sights are set on a social value commissioning framework, which will be key when the Public Services (Social Value) Act comes into effect in January 2013 and commissioning bodies will need to consider social value in the contracts they offer.

But I do worry about the effects of the ongoing cuts, like many I don't believe we have seen the worst and think 1 April 2013 will witness another wave of frontline organisations close. It isn't just that grants are becoming a thing of the past, or that many of the organisations that used to support the social sector like regional development agencies, local authority community teams and regional government offices have closed, or even that national support programmes such as Futurebuilders and Change-up are also gone, but that the contracts that are now available are beyond the resources or expertise of many organisations in their complexity and demand for access to capital. What is needed is a new approach, and fast.

The UK is recognised as a world leader in social innovation, our models of social enterprise, social investment and support for the social economy are unique and strong and the envy of many in the rest of the world. That means that there are some real experts, knowledge and know-how at the heart of the brave new world. My hope for 2013 is that there is a wider recognition of the gold that we have and that those that can effect change draw on what has gone before, look at where success has been found, believe in what made the difference, and choose the wondrous complexity of social enterprise over the simplicity of service monoliths and self-help rhetoric.

Allison Ogden-Newton is chair of the Transition Institute and visiting fellow of Northampton University

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noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:51:00 +0000

Expert round up: is government holding back local economic growth?

Whitehall aims to promote local growth, but is it restricting progress? Our council experts share their thoughts

"Whitehall civil servants will have breadth but not necessarily depth" Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Neil McInroy is chief executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies

The government must grasp a new narrative: Instead it is locked into aged thinking and is actually ignoring the seeds of new forms of growth, resilient economies and place success, which is happening around them. This includes the rise of social alternative financial models, appreciation of a social return on investment, new forms of exchange, production and consumption cooperatives, social businesses, self sufficiency and altruistic practices.

Does economic growth have to mean building over the countryside? I see it as a symptom of desperation and am dismayed by it. To just relax planning and build could assist in some instances, but come on! Surely, we must have a more sophisticated narrative of how england's economy is to develop and how it relates to social trends, demographic and environemntal challenges?

Local economic success: Michael Heseltine's work largely fails to appreciate that local economic success is predicated on inputs of commercial, social and public sectors within the guiding hand of a national economic plan which stewards us away from finacial services, towards manufacturing and local entrepreneurship.

Taking baby steps: In an international sense the city deal process is actually a baby step in terms of true economic decentralistaion and rise of vibrant city states. For it to accelerate it would need a much deeper and alternative economic narrative for England. This is not being advanced.

Tom Bridges is chief economic development officer at Leeds city council

Fundamental questions: It is easy to get overly focused on governance and funding mechanisms and debates about economic growth, and lose sight of some of the more fundamental questions, such as where are the new jobs going to come from? How do we harness the huge waves of innovation that we will see in future years?

Adam Fineberg is an independent advisor on local public services

The way forward? Perhaps a more local "growth coalition" tied in with local authority areas – unitary or second tier – with pooling of all the local monies for growth is the way forward. If there is no local pooling mechanism to drive growth and integration of services then we have to do our very best in terms of integrating mainstream services, across the spectrum of needs, so that the resident is at the heart of everything we do.

David Hunter is a consultant with solicitors Bates Wells and Braithwaite

It is not possible to pursue every opportunity: It is still preferable for councils to identify where they believe they either can – or most need to – make a difference. Often, they can actually do a lot more than they might think if they are bold and innovative.

Do we all mean the same thing by "economic growth"? Are we merely talking about increasing GDP, or each area's contribution to this? All this measures is 'busy-ness': a woefully inadequate measure of a thriving society. So it may not just be about creating jobs, but the nature of those jobs, and who may be suitable candidates for them.

Be radical: One of the most effective interventions local authorities can make at this time is resist the pressure to do less of the same and take the opportunity to be radical; to look at whether preventative services can be commissioned and, if that means other public entities benefit from the savings created, then using the social outcome fund to help subsidise them.

Gwen Swinburn is a local economic development adviser based in York

We should be looking at economic development, not just growth:Even the most right wing person should be able to appreciate the economic value of ensuring economic growth benefits less advantaged members of the community.

Simon Neilson is assistant director, strategy and policy at Essex county council

The long grass: Heseltine's single pot idea for many is welcomed, however like the aviation debate, the government's long grass stance of placing it into the post-2015 pile means that we will all be distracted by process for a couple of years, while the need for growth is pressing now. I just hope the bidding process learns the lessons from the Regional Growth Fund experience.

Allison Ogden Newton is chair of the Transition Institute

The signs are less than encouraging: Very little seems to be thought about or understood beyond limited tax breaks for large manufacturing and a sustained welcoming environment to maintain the continued presence of the big banks and financial institutions.

Side effects of complex commissioning: One of my overriding worries is the culture of complex commissioning we are creating will mean that only those good at writing bids will get contracts. The complexity of even the most straightforward commissioning process, fraught with the anxiety of getting anything wrong together with the emphasis on best price, is seeing local providers being wiped out and employee-led start ups think again.

Iain Reeve is assistant director, economy, transport and planning at Surrey county council

The debate should not be just about the cities: At Surrey we can't help a little smile when we hear that cities are the powerhouses of the UK economy. Non-city areas such as Surrey and the Thames Valley actually contribute more to the UK economy and the exchequer than any city other than London.

Ideas need to come from central and local government: Whitehall civil servants will have breadth but not necessarily depth, agile thinkers who will do better in the general knowledge bit of Mastermind than the specialist subject round. By contrast, local government staff are more likely to be professionally qualified and have much more specialist knowledge.

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No gooseberry fool

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:19:00 +0000

It was a good day on the allotment yesterday as my neighbour Ben had a visit from his niece Amy, an R.H.S. Wisley gardener and all-round good egg, who, after some encouragement from me (sorry Ben), was up for a masterclass in pruning. The timing was perfect as I was there for the annual go at my gooseberry bushes, which suffer from being planted too close together, which is a common allotment problem that can only be remedied by replanting or tight pruning. I had always known that you should cut out the centre of the plant to bring in light, reduce branches you were keeping to half their length and get rid of whippy growth, but what to leave behind was a much more murky area for me, so an expert was a godsend. While in the past I had been taking shoots off at the bottom of the plant where fruit grows and would in the event of growth, drag on the ground, I had not understood a few important facts, so Amy set me straight. Firstly, you should not remove all the growth from the middle of the plant; in fact strong, new branches that have shot up in front of the old wood must be kept, as they are what is needed to replace the old fruiting branches in time. Secondly, for each plant one branch of the really old wood, and only one ideally, should be removed each year. This process will ensure that the bush continues to fruit.

Gooseberries are notoriously tricky plants to prune because at the end of the growing season they present as an unholy, prickly shambles and it's hard, even for a seasoned grower like me, to know where to start. Making the mistake of removing all the new growth from the centre of the plant was where I was going wrong, which accounted for my wonderfully green, packed bushes that actually delivered a disappointingly low yield this year. But after the day's expert pruning, demonstrated by the "after" bush above, I have high hopes for 2013 and once the plants have been mulched with manure next weekend, my goosegogs should be ready to go for a bumper year. This is all thanks to Amy, who said she thought that while we all love the contemplative peace of gardening alone, it was great fun to garden in a gang as tending the land was really a communal activity. I couldn't agree more, it's that very thing that brings the strong sense of community into the magical world of the allotment, and I love it.

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” Not so, says SIB

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Phil Knibb overseas a church convertion to a skills training
centre for Alt Valley Community Trust

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” Shakespeare tells us, but the Social Investment Business (SIB) say otherwise. At this week’s 10-year celebration of lending to social enterprises and other civil society organisations, SIB was toasting its brave and brilliant borrowers, many gathered in the room to testify to the largess of lending.

Proceedings were opened by my ebullient friend Sir Stephen Bubb, who lamented the absence of Pol Roger, but nonetheless asked us to raise our glasses of austerity wine to SIB and all it had achieved.

Stephen talked about the history of lending in the Third Sector and its growing importance and how risk-taking had not only saved some great community-based organisations, but importantly helped them to grow and compete. He introduced Phil Knibb, Director of Alt Valley Community Trust in Liverpool, where his inspiring community organisation had, through borrowing a staggering 13 times from SIB, grown to provide an astonishing range of services that included skills training and commercial farming.

Phil gave us a growingly improbable list of community services that Alt Valley had been able to provide by borrowing, buying and building. It was a real success story and we heard about so many others all worth checking out here, in Above and beyond, a SIB publication about those investees that have successfully taken over the delivery of public services and thrived through social investment lending.

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of SIB, followed Stephen, not an easy thing to do as he pointed out, and made reference to the recent UK Trade Mission to the US on social lending. This was picked up later by the Rt Hon Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, who shared his enthusiasm and pride for the UK’s world-beating lead on social lending and its potential role to do much more. He congratulated SIB on behalf of the government and even “gave credit where credit was due” to “the other lot” for providing the funding that set it up.

I don’t think there is much doubt that investment through lending is quickly becoming the most inspired finance available to community services. For those of us promoting independent public service provision delivered by community-based organisations, at the Transition Institute, the presence in the market place of players like SIB is one of the most important conditions for success, and one I celebrate. I was delighted to bump into Heather Sim, CEO of The National Migraine Centre at the event, which was a recipient of a SIB loan that has been vital to its objective to increase medical services and achieve financial sustainability. These things are a must if we are to help those with acute suffering such as migrainers.

Congratulations to SIB and all who sail in her.

Cold hands ... warm heart

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Photo by Graeme Crowley for Wes Finch

So today, Katie my 12 year old, asked me, "Why do people who are neat always have cold hands?"

I have to confess I was stumped and while I was wondering how to respond, she went on, "Haven't you noticed the people at your office who put their things on their desks really neatly, you know with the large items at the bottom of piles and the smaller things on top, all in straight rows?" I replied, "Well yes, but I haven't grabbed their hands, so I don't know if they are hot or cold."

Katie's expression changed from contemplation to consternation, "Do you mean grown-ups never hold hands at work!?"

Thanks to @janeparenting for her suggestion that the cold hands of the neat may be due to all the washing-up they do.

So when is social not social?

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:26:00 +0000

'Hot housing" at the Westminster Hub

This week I spoke at a fascinating debate with the complex title of “The Social Hydra; the practical emergence of the social economy and the challenges it builds for public good and private profit” at the Westminster Hub.

The debate was introduced by the prolific Indy Johar the man responsible for the success of the Westminster Hub, a vibrant resource for social entrepreneurs right in the heart of the Capital. Indy is one of those people recognised as a thinker who trained as an architect but now works across the policy spectrum wrestling with the big questions. In this instance Indy opened the debate with a challenge, which was he wanted us to think about the real nature of social. What did we think social meant, where was it being stretched and twisted and he wanted us, the contributors, to make ourselves vulnerable by sharing with the audience our worries about where we felt we were struggling with the concept.

Gulp I thought, sometimes I have been accused of being a little too academic in the way I approach some subjects but this was a full blown theoretical discussion complete with an audience who quickly indicated an appetite for gritty debate.

In fact the twitter sphere was alight with some great comments that I tried to follow on my phone which probably made me look like a gambling addict monitoring my progress on an online bingo site as I kept glancing at the screen, pressing a few keys then having to put it down to keep up with the high flying debate.

Many thanks to tweeps @devinfoster @timahrensbach @SteveBomford and @00alice all of whom were prolific during the debate producing a constant feed picking up some of the definitional debate, and questions we all posed about the real nature and value of Corporate Social Responsibility which to my knowledge is going through some radical changes.

The other speakers were my old colleague Jim Brown, the Venerable Bede of the co-operative and social enterprise movements, Simon Willis md of the on-line platform for consumers, Purpose Europe Edit, Jas Bains ceo at the Birmingham housing association, Accord, Dominic Campbell of FutureGov and last but by no means least the very game Jonty Ollif Cooper who is Director of Policy and Strategy at A4e.

Given the large number of speakers I relaxed too soon thinking I could enjoy listening to the debate and chip in when I was good and ready. Imagine my consternation when Indy framed the debate by saying the topic came out of a discussion he had with me which got him thinking and inspired him to set up the panel to tease out those things he and I had talked about together in a coffee shop on the Strand a few months earlier.

Frantically I tried to remember what exactly it was we had talked about, which if memory served was my rationale for setting up the Transition Institute, in that without study, understanding and emphasis the social value of public services will be lost as new providers enter the market and such a place of study needed to be independent of preconceived ideas of the inherent virtue of any given governance model. Social was not found in only in ownership but impact, essentially.

Still when Jonty said he had never heard a discussion about social value that he didn’t think was wooly I wasn’t surprised. Why would an organisation that described itself as a social business by virtue of providing services to the unemployed be interested in social value analysis? By the same token the pilloried G4S could call itself a social business because it works with offenders or Thames Water could do the same because water is an essential service and human right? So cutting straight to the heart of the matter, what make a social business social?

To be honest, as much as I enjoyed the debate I am not sure how far we got with that one. There was some discussion around governance models with Dominic looking forward to the rise of social enterprise within increasingly outsourced public services and Jim declaring that social enterprise is a concluding Blairite project that has run its course. I felt sad when he said that and I worried that I had egged him on to do so by saying that the definitional debate in social enterprise has been so much hot air. I thought about all those places in the world I had worked in like South Korea where social enterprise is better known and forms more a part of the vocabulary of the public sector than it does in the UK. I wonder if they put Korean social enterprise down to Tony Blair or indeed thought their movement had reached its high water mark?

My highlight was when Jim said that what we needed to do was introduce more love into the workplace. What we needed was to build the concept of love and focus on creating jobs where people would not only feel valued but could express their feelings of self-worth and mutual understanding. It got Jim a well deserved round of applause and was a courageous thing to say. I have always believed and said that everyone wants to do a good job, we just need to help people make that connection and Jim’s starting point of asking about love seemed as good a place to start as any.

Listening to Jonty I quickly realised how frank his analysis of A4e was and how committed he was not only to the organisation but also to helping them think through how they could bring substance to the assertion that they are a social business. I am not in the least bit threatened by that claim, it shows intent and if that is backed up by action that has to be a good thing.

In the meantime the Transition Institute is working with public sector innovators to distill the alchemy of social value, give it substance for commissioners and create public awareness through examples of best practice. Long live the debate on social but we must get the public involved as only service consumers know what social means to them.

Is social enterprise really sustainable?

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Ogden-Newton) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:47:00 +0000

Well I don't know what they are feeding them in Northampton, but it has been a long time since I have come across such an enthusiastic group ready to tackle the challenges of social enterprise.

Talking to a packed house

Yesterday marked my first official presentation as the newly appointed Visiting Social Enterprise Fellow at Northampton University and not only was the room packed, but after they had wedged over 120 people in, they started turning people away, which was amazing.

The theme of my talk was the sustainability or otherwise of social enterprise and the presentation is available from the university.

I focused on the common characteristics of success and learning the lessons of failure, which seemed to really capture most people's attention. I illustrated my points with examples of social enterprises I know and love and as for the grizzly question of definitions, I had a slide that explained the official definition augmented by my 'profit for the many and not just the few' phrase, but inevitably fell back on my trusty duck, you know, the old 'if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably a duck', and if you are having problems convincing people that you are a duck, you're probably not one.

At the reception that followed I got talking to the fantastic head of the university's Bag in Bag enterprise, Priyanka Rajdev, featured in the video above and I also encountered the ebullient Shena Cooper from the Secret Seed Society who realised she had met a kindred spirit when she told me she had founded the society on the basis that children needed to know how food was grown and cooked.

Thanks to those two women and the many others that joined me on Twitter yesterday and who I hope to see at further events with the social enterprise team at Northampton, which has recently been recognised by the government as the most entrepreneurial place in the country. Thank you also to the team there and especially the Vice Chancellor, Nick Petford, who took a very discreet chair at the back of the room to listen to my talk and stayed for the reception afterwards, introducing me to colleagues and entrepreneurs now working with the university on their exciting social enterprise programme.