I thought you might be interested in Civil Exchange's latest report, Whose Society? The Final Big Society Audit, which looks at what happened to the Big Society and draws out lessons for the next Government. The report finds that the project to hand power back to the people has largely failed against its own measures, leaving the country more divided, with less influence over decisions and receiving less accountable services.
The real question, however, is what happens next? Whatever name it goes under, the next government will continue to look for ways to give power back to people, to make services more responsive and to encourage local action. To do this successfully requires much better collaboration with local and voluntary groups, giving people a genuine stake in local decision making, reviewing the way we contract companies to deliver public services and making sure major businesses give back. Whose Society? makes key recommendations for the next government including a shift in government and public sector culture to make it work far more collaboratively with civil society, a civil society led Commission on using existing resources to create a fairer society, and a major review of public sector contracting, ensuring services work in the interests of those they mean to serve, particularly those whose needs are greatest.
The report has already started to provoke comment and debate about the future, including in the Guardian, Times, the Daily Mail and the Huffington Post. If you would like to read more, here's a link: http://www.civilexchange.org.uk/whose-society-the-final-big-society-audit
Best wishes,
Caroline
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