We asked:
Is there scope for using charters to tackle
cross-sectoral problems? Which areas should be the
priority?
Reactions:
There were very few substantive responses to this question.
Of those who responded, the majority supported the idea of
using charters to tackle cross-sectoral problems. Others
pointed out the complexity of cross-sectoral working, and
that some organisations might only accept responsibility for
delivering standards that were within their power to
deliver.
Suggestions for priority
areas included: services for older and younger people;
grouping of services in a geographical area; life episodes
such as birth, bereavement, and abuse; lifelong learning;
and closer working between health and social care
agencies.
'... many users
do not receive a service from a single organisation. They
receive part of a service from several organisations.
Citizen's Charters which are specific to one organisation
do not help. In effect, for such services as community
care, we need Citizen's Charters which cover the policy
sector and assess the set of organisations delivering the
service rather than any one. ' (Professor
Rhodes - Director ESRC Whitehall
Programme)
Our response:
We believe that charters, and the new Service First
programme, can improve the way in which public
services work together. We are
taking this forward in a number of ways.
We are encouraging the
development of new cross-cutting charters, which bring
together information on related services, for instance on
arrangements for long-term care.
We are also encouraging
different service providers to work together so as better to
meet the needs of particular groups. One example is the
Better Government for Older People programme. In March we
announced 28 pilot projects across the UK designed to
address the needs of older people in new and innovative
ways. These pilots have been put together by local people to
meet local needs. They involve different tiers of government
(local, and national), different types of organisations
(public, private, voluntary and community) and different
departments and services (for example, health, social
services, housing, social security, transport, education).
The emphasis will be on working together to provide
linked-up, seamless services.
