Two interesting UK perspectives. One from the man who ran the pertinent department at the Cabinet Office in London behind SIBs et al and the second which shows a welcome shift amongst some of Britain’s Labour party members in favour of SIBs – a very welcome shift indeed, long may it continue so Britain can have a bipartisan approach to better services via PFS.
How Britain Turned Charity Into Big Business
Huffington Post
‘Pay for success’, ‘social impact bonds’, ‘social investment’ – these terms have started popping up in governments all around the globe, determining who provides healthcare, education and social services – and who pays for them.
But what do they mean both for the people who rely on those services and for government itself?
Apolitical spoke to Kieron Boyle, the outgoing Head of Social Investment at the Cabinet Office in the UK, the country that has led the world in this field and created the first ever social impact bond – where government contracts out a service to a charity, and a private investor puts up the capital.
Shutting Northamptonshire’s Children’s Centres Will Leave Mums Isolated Says Opposition
Paul Lynch – Northampton Chronicle
Proposals to close eight children’s centres in Northamptonshire are “the worst thing a council could do to its youngsters”, according to an outspoken opposition member.
Last week it was announced Northamptonshire County Council plans to close 17 children’s centre buildings by moving some to libraries and shutting eight altogether.
But the Labour group’s spokeswoman for learning schools and education at the county council, Councillor Danielle Stone, (Lab Abington and Phippsville) has hit out at the plans.
She said: “I am beyond furious – getting rid of children’s centres is the worst possible thing a council can do to our children.”
Councillor Stone believes the Conservative administration should follow Essex County Council in commissioning a Social Impact Bond (SIB) to raise enough money to keep all of its children’s centres, which offer things like stay and play sessions for toddlers, open.
The county council needs to save £65 million in 2016/17, including a £3 million reduction in funding for children’s centres.