Dealing with a New Orthodoxy Modernisation and the Independence and Autonomy of Notforprofit and Vol

1
Dealing with a New Orthodoxy? Modernisation and
the Independence and Autonomy of Not-for-profit
and Voluntary Organisations in the Delivery of
Welfare Services

• Mike Hemmings
• University of Wales, Lampeter
• m.hemmings_at_lamp.ac.uk

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Introduction

• Labour Process and public sector reform
• The State and Public welfare a distinctive
  model?
• Not-for-profit and Voluntary Organisations an
  alternative to the public sector?
• The extension of modernisation to Not-for-profit
  and Voluntary Organisations
• The Research
• The Findings old to new, The Radical
  Housing Trust, The Reformed Housing Trust
• Independence and autonomy?
• Conclusions modernisation has brought growth
  but a reduction in autonomy and independence
  linked to a new management orthodoxy and state
  regulation impact on innovation,
  distinctiveness, labour process, and service
  users

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The state and public welfare service delivery a
distinctive model

• Labour process link between political economy
  and management practices comparisons
• Voluntary failure moralism, nepotism and
  corruption
• Public services distinctive delivery and
  employment conditions
• Welfare State an uneasy compromise?
• Neo-liberalism, Public Choice and NPM
• Criticism loss of integrity and trust, focus on
  management not messy realities, unstable and
  fragmented services, reductions in employment
  protection

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NFP and VOs an alternative to state welfare?

• Post 1945 a subsidiary but distinctive role
  innovation, campaigning and special expertise
  based on closeness to service users
• 1980s growth based on a special position in
  ideological battles over privatisation
• 1990s active support for NFP and VOs with
  expansion of modernisation
• Criticism Bogus voluntarism, public service
  isomorphism, the growth of a shadow state,
  managerialism and a loss of independence

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The Research

• Size, diversity and complexity
• Broad coverage and artificial limits
• Selection of areas/organisations/categories
• Vertical slice
• Documents
• Interviews 54 in total/22 organisations/11 NFP
  and VOs/7 vertical slice studies/28 managers
• Survey questionnaire 7 organisations/499
  forms/131 responses from workers below senior
  management level
• Research conducted in 2004-5

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The Research Findings Introduction

• Diversity and complexity but general trend from
  old to new
• Old- insecure funding - client focus - relative
  independence light regulation internal
  democracy and a casual approach, chaotic,
  despotic and demanding - link to public sector
  bargaining
• New - increased targeted resources -
  commissioner compliance - contracting,
  competition, regulation, monitoring, audit and
  targets - tighter job regulation
• Mixed effects on workers - instability,
  insecurity, funding withdrawal and closure

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The Radical Housing Trust

• a lot has changed in terms of the organisation
  to fit with government and funders needs
  having to implement things that are not about
  clients (Director of Complex Needs)
• services ceased to be our own as much autonomy
  as we like but we would lose our funding if we
  did not comply (CEO)
• it lost it principles its direction,
  questioning, its heart (Former Manager)
• Its easier to manage less willing to take crap
  ... We deal with people who are not delivering
  (Director of Complex Needs)

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The Reformed Housing Trust

• juggling too much ltto creategt a human space
  for homeless people (Former Hostel Worker)
• Supporting People sat on one side of the table
  we were like a child being told off by the
  headmistress (Chair of Management Committee)
• We became accountable substantially to
  supporting people (Chief Officer)
• interested in outcomes human outcomes rather
  than treating people in effect as a number
  (Chief Officer)
• Supporting People wanted management by memo
  based on performance (Chief Officer)
• They put so much on us its been awful for us
  (Hostel Worker)

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Independence and Autonomy

• Paper limited to one funder and service
  Supporting People and Homelessness
• Shifting control and autonomy local to remote
  accountability government, commissioners and
  group managers
• Compliance and management autonomy, restrictions
  on campaigning and advocacy due to funding
  dependency and self-regulation, focus on holding
  it together
• Insecurity, work intensification and a loss of
  autonomy for employees
• Reductions in ability to respond to provide
  services to meet need

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Conclusions

• Opportunities for growth and development
• Erosion of relative independence and autonomy
• Voluntary organisations are less accessible and
  distinctive managed markets and managerialism
• Ideological change changing service demand and
  the distinctive labour process Work
  intensification and extensification
• Loss of autonomy in ability to respond to the
  needs of service users
• Limited resistance to continuing impacts of
  market reform weakness of voluntary sector
  labour compared to public sector
• Compliance results in further funding reduction
  and loss of autonomy that limits the progressive
  potential and innovation of the sector
• Harsh choices between reductions in services or
  employment conditions