Comments for The BSSEC blog http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog news, views & comment on the social enterprise sector Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:32:44 +0100 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on ‘Pulse’ says NHS bosses will reinvent themselves as social enterprise directors by Susan Barter http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=819&cpage=1#comment-6074 Susan Barter Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:32:44 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=819#comment-6074 Somebody needs to tell them quickly that their pay, pension and perks MIGHT be changing!!! Somebody needs to tell them quickly that their pay, pension and perks MIGHT be changing!!!

]]> Comment on Social Enterprise London will offer guidance to public sector workers considering social enterprise externalisations by Alun Severn http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=810&cpage=1#comment-6018 Alun Severn Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:05:53 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=810#comment-6018 Thanks for the other pointers, Kevin. Thanks for the other pointers, Kevin.

]]> Comment on Social Enterprise London will offer guidance to public sector workers considering social enterprise externalisations by Kevin Maton http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=810&cpage=1#comment-6017 Kevin Maton Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:28:53 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=810#comment-6017 TPPlaw also have produced a guide - Developing a Mutual for Public Service delivery. I'd expect ACEVO to be muscling in on this area soon as well. But looking forward to SELs publication TPPlaw also have produced a guide – Developing a Mutual for Public Service delivery. I’d expect ACEVO to be muscling in on this area soon as well.
But looking forward to SELs publication

]]> Comment on Have our sector representative bodies painted themselves into a corner? by Alun Severn http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795&cpage=1#comment-5993 Alun Severn Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:56:42 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795#comment-5993 MIchael -- Thanks for your comments. Your analogy with bus company MBOs following deregulation will turn out to be an absolutely accurate one for the NHS, I suspect. MIchael — Thanks for your comments. Your analogy with bus company MBOs following deregulation will turn out to be an absolutely accurate one for the NHS, I suspect.

]]> Comment on Have our sector representative bodies painted themselves into a corner? by Michael Lilley http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795&cpage=1#comment-5979 Michael Lilley Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:53:27 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795#comment-5979 Thank you Alun for raising this debate. The danger at the moment is the words social enterprise can be hijacked by the private sector to get public sector contracts though cuts of public sector provision and effectively management buy-outs in public sector that come with a package of contracts. I have been around long enough to remember the Bus Companies when management buy-outs were supported as a social enterprise alternative (in fact I remember being the coop dev worker helping them) and 2 years down the line Stage Coach bought them out making the managers (not the workers) millionnaires. Are we going to see NHS manager millionnaires as the private sector see this as a cash cow? And so what about the grass-roots enterprises that have struggled from nothing and no secret contract deals but just hard slog. Do we get squeezed in the middle and our hard work is just grabbed. We do need a voice and a bit more street fighting type voice! Thank you Alun for raising this debate. The danger at the moment is the words social enterprise can be hijacked by the private sector to get public sector contracts though cuts of public sector provision and effectively management buy-outs in public sector that come with a package of contracts. I have been around long enough to remember the Bus Companies when management buy-outs were supported as a social enterprise alternative (in fact I remember being the coop dev worker helping them) and 2 years down the line Stage Coach bought them out making the managers (not the workers) millionnaires. Are we going to see NHS manager millionnaires as the private sector see this as a cash cow?
And so what about the grass-roots enterprises that have struggled from nothing and no secret contract deals but just hard slog. Do we get squeezed in the middle and our hard work is just grabbed. We do need a voice and a bit more street fighting type voice!

]]> Comment on Details start to emerge regarding abolition of RDAs and establishment of ‘Local Enterprise Partnerships’ by Alun Severn http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=716&cpage=1#comment-5978 Alun Severn Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:17:29 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=716#comment-5978 Sheva-Viv, I'm sorry, I don't know and haven't personally seen a paper as such but there is more detail in this post, if you haven't already seen it: http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=777 Sheva-Viv, I’m sorry, I don’t know and haven’t personally seen a paper as such but there is more detail in this post, if you haven’t already seen it: http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=777

]]> Comment on Have our sector representative bodies painted themselves into a corner? by Nick Temple http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795&cpage=1#comment-5976 Nick Temple Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:13:45 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795#comment-5976 Interesting thoughts Alun, though I'd agree with John that you'll see more involvement from the sector across the broad range of spin-out / social enterprise development than might currently appear. It's also interesting to consider the role that that 'voice' function by Co-ops UK, SEC and others has played in advocating / persuading government of the possibilities and opportunities therein. Or, to put it more simply, if they hadn't spent time making the case, there might not have been much to deliver / develop.... As the sole policy-oriented person at a delivery / development organisation, the correct balance between the two is always on my agenda.... Interesting thoughts Alun, though I’d agree with John that you’ll see more involvement from the sector across the broad range of spin-out / social enterprise development than might currently appear.

It’s also interesting to consider the role that that ‘voice’ function by Co-ops UK, SEC and others has played in advocating / persuading government of the possibilities and opportunities therein. Or, to put it more simply, if they hadn’t spent time making the case, there might not have been much to deliver / develop….

As the sole policy-oriented person at a delivery / development organisation, the correct balance between the two is always on my agenda….

]]> Comment on Details start to emerge regarding abolition of RDAs and establishment of ‘Local Enterprise Partnerships’ by Sheva-Viv http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=716&cpage=1#comment-5975 Sheva-Viv Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:34:26 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=716#comment-5975 Where I can I get hold of a copy of the Paper outlining the structure and remit of the LEP's? Thanks Sheva-viv Where I can I get hold of a copy of the Paper outlining the structure and remit of the LEP’s?

Thanks

Sheva-viv

]]> Comment on Have our sector representative bodies painted themselves into a corner? by Alun Severn http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795&cpage=1#comment-5974 Alun Severn Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:03:04 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795#comment-5974 JOhn, Thanks for your comment. You may be right -- and to be fair I think my remarks were aimed more at SEC... JOhn, Thanks for your comment. You may be right — and to be fair I think my remarks were aimed more at SEC…

]]> Comment on Have our sector representative bodies painted themselves into a corner? by John Goodman http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795&cpage=1#comment-5972 John Goodman Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:11:07 +0000 http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=795#comment-5972 ALun, you're right to highlight the government's failure to listen to its members' own speeches when it cancels the pubs support programme, and to draw attention to how many kind offers from private sector organisations to be mentors the government has accepted, but the situation isn't as bleak as you paint it. I can only speak for Co-operatives UK of course, but 3 of the 12 mentors are our members and 7 are employee owned. The co-operative movement's development capacity doesn't just belong in Co-operatives UK's office: there are 30 or so independent co-operative development bodies and a number of other members who provide that service. Having said that. there will certainly need to be greater development capacity in future if the government means what it says and really does enable public services to be delivered by co-operatives and mutuals on a large scale. We're working on that. ALun, you’re right to highlight the government’s failure to listen to its members’ own speeches when it cancels the pubs support programme, and to draw attention to how many kind offers from private sector organisations to be mentors the government has accepted, but the situation isn’t as bleak as you paint it. I can only speak for Co-operatives UK of course, but 3 of the 12 mentors are our members and 7 are employee owned. The co-operative movement’s development capacity doesn’t just belong in Co-operatives UK’s office: there are 30 or so independent co-operative development bodies and a number of other members who provide that service. Having said that. there will certainly need to be greater development capacity in future if the government means what it says and really does enable public services to be delivered by co-operatives and mutuals on a large scale. We’re working on that.

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