An essay on the ‘big society’
John Seddon reflects on how a systems thinking method has improved public services but is now under threat from cuts, commissioning and ‘big society’ as the government fails to move beyond central control and large-scale initiatives.
Riots and reality
Following the riots in the UK this week, many people in the voluntary and community sector are asking where we go from here. If you feel the need of thoughtful questions, messages of solidarity and some analysis of how we are thinking and talking about the riots, see the discussion ‘Wasn’t it inevitable’ on the National Community Activists Network. For a view from the street and the voice of young people, there are some great posts on the In Defence of Youth Work blog.
Read our latest newsletter
Read our latest newsletter for commentary on the open public services white paper and the latest ‘big society’ nonsense, plus links and ideas for people who are fed up with language games and are getting on with what they want to do with people they care about.
Government White Paper shimmies around the disaster that awaits us
Andy Benson spots fake sincerity and voluntary sector window dressing in the Open Public Services White Paper
Disabling local infrastructure
Colleagues at Adur Voluntary Action set out what’s wrong with the Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme and ask key questions to help us find an alternative.
