Consuming Public Services

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Preface......Page 6
Contributors......Page 7
1 Introduction......Page 10
Defining the problem......Page 11
Rethinking public service......Page 15
Consumers first?......Page 17
Towards a synthesis......Page 19
Criteria for user control......Page 21
Down to cases......Page 22
References......Page 24
The nature of planning......Page 26
The development of public participation in planning......Page 29
The experience of the 1970s......Page 31
The critique of planning and public participation in the development of plans......Page 35
The way forward......Page 38
References......Page 41
Transport and the right of access......Page 44
Transport, personal choice, and collective action......Page 45
Transport policy up to 1979......Page 47
Developments under the Thatcher governments......Page 48
Influencing transport planning......Page 51
Public transport decisions......Page 53
The role of Transport Consumer Councils......Page 57
Conclusions......Page 60
References......Page 62
The nature of housing......Page 64
The private rented sector......Page 67
Public rented housing......Page 71
Individual control......Page 73
Collective control......Page 76
Owner occupation......Page 82
The policy framework......Page 84
Conclusions......Page 86
References......Page 89
The nature of policing and the police......Page 92
Constabulary independence......Page 94
The tripartite arrangement since 1964......Page 96
The politicization of policing policy......Page 98
Conclusions......Page 102
The number of police forces and their functions......Page 103
Constitutional issues......Page 104
Sensitizing the police to users’ needs and interests......Page 106
Organizational issues......Page 107
Safeguarding the rights of suspects......Page 108
The future......Page 110
References......Page 111
Introduction......Page 114
Our approach......Page 117
The legislative context......Page 119
Characteristics of social services legislation......Page 120
The rights of users......Page 121
Services for children at risk......Page 123
Services for people with a mental handicap......Page 128
Mental health services......Page 132
Services for frail elderly people......Page 136
Controlling and organizing the services......Page 142
Access to which services?......Page 143
Access—to whom?......Page 144
Accessible and responsive services......Page 145
Choice......Page 148
Information......Page 150
Redress......Page 151
Representation and participation......Page 152
Cost-effectiveness......Page 155
Accountability......Page 156
In conclusion......Page 158
References......Page 159
7 Health......Page 164
The relationship between service providers and users......Page 166
Competition and ‘internal markets’......Page 169
Complaints, audit and redress......Page 170
Complaints procedures......Page 171
Protection of patients and monitoring standards......Page 173
Disciplinary procedures......Page 175
Compensation and redress......Page 176
Management......Page 177
Representation......Page 180
Users and national policy......Page 181
Conclusions......Page 183
Personal information......Page 184
Complaints, audit, and redress......Page 185
Extending local democracy......Page 186
Empowering the community......Page 188
References......Page 189
The 1944 settlement: justice as fairness......Page 192
Dividing power and responsibility......Page 194
Nurturing young citizens......Page 195
From the mid-1970s: accountability to economy and society......Page 196
The 1980s: consumer rights and accountability......Page 197
From pamphlets to legislation: the 1988 Education Act......Page 199
Towards education for citizenship......Page 202
Can consumers realize public choice?......Page 203
The conditions for citizenship......Page 205
The enabling authority (LEA)......Page 206
Active citizens......Page 207
References......Page 209
Towards new forms of public services......Page 212
Sustaining a new public-sector initiative......Page 220
Envoi......Page 224
References......Page 225
Index......Page 228