Policy area: Public sector

Reports

A new civil service code

This report from UK think tank Re:State summarises the current Code and then provides a full, new draft Code to replace the existing one. Criticisms of the Civil Service are a seemingly permanent feature of our politics, with government after government promising to drive ahead with reforms to tackle a Whitehall machine that is too...

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Admissions not impossible

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust urges schools to review their admissions systems to address inequalities in access. This report sets out a clear case for why fairer school admissions must be central to any serious effort to improve inclusion. Drawing on new analysis, national data and our direct work with over...

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Environmental sustainability in the NHS

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund examines a new approach to national leadership and accountability. This report argues that environmental sustainability is no longer a peripheral issue for the NHS but a central requirement for its future viability. Climate change is described as the greatest health risk of the 21st century, while...

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Educational psychologists in England

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Educational psychologists in England' provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on eight years of administrative data and case studies from six local...

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Selective inclusion

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust examines the interplay of SEND and disadvantage in school admissions. There is widespread acceptance that the SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability) system is in crisis but fierce debate surrounding ways forward. Greater demand is being placed on a system that is complex, notoriously difficult to...

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Evaluating the impact of nature-based therapy on veterans

This report from UK think tank PBE evaluates the impact of nature-based therapy on veterans. Veterans have some of the lowest levels of wellbeing, with around 160,000 self-reporting deep dissatisfaction with their lives. They may struggle with chronic health conditions, common mental health disorders and the anxiety which can come with unemployment and the feeling that their lives lack purpose....

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Not my priority; how the public sees social care (and what can be done about it)

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund explores why public opinion and attitudes towards social care are a key barrier to change. Without adult social care support, a full life would be impossible for many people. It helps people carry out basic tasks such as washing, dressing and eating but also, for some...

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Assessing potential manifesto commitments on higher education funding in Wales

This report from UK think tank HEPI publishes modelling on proposed higher education funding reforms in the run up to the Senedd elections. The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and London Economics have published modelling on proposed reforms for higher education funding in Wales in the run up to the Senedd elections on 7 May...

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How the centre of government can design better growth policy

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government Labour sets out how the government can be better equipped to take tough choices on growth. The government needs to sharpen up its strategy for raising the rate of growth, led by a stronger more economically capable No.10. This report, in partnership with Imperial College...

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Fixing the SEND system

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the current policy landscape to assess which reforms are likely to work in practice. England’s SEND system is widely recognised to be in crisis. Government is considering reform but must choose between politically risky structural change and limited tweaks that leave core problems unresolved....

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Capital at risk: rebooting London’s governance for a new era

This report from UK think tank Re:State explores rebooting London's governance for a new era. London’s governance settlement is now more than 25 years old, designed for the capital as it was a quarter-century ago. While devolution has accelerated across England, London's governance has fossilised. City Hall is underpowered compared to its international peers and...

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The hidden benefits bill

This report from UK think tank Onward calls for a fundamental rationalisation of passported benefits as the UC rollout nears completion. The Hidden Benefits Bill argues that the true cost of the UK’s working-age welfare system is significantly higher than headline Universal Credit (UC) spending figures suggest, because of a large and growing set of...

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From engagement to action

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at improving retirement saving outcomes with a pensions dashboard health check. Widespread disengagement with pensions is contributing to the UK’s retirement savings crisis. With the transition to defined contribution pensions increasing the individual responsibility to save enough for retirement, this report sets out how a ‘pensions dashboard health check’ could improve citizens’ ability to effectively prepare...

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Exploring multi-academy trust approaches to artificial intelligence

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute examines how MATs are navigating the adoption and development of new technologies. Artificial intelligence is already embedded across many of the tools used by educators and pupils, supporting lesson planning, resource creation, and the tailoring of learning materials to individual needs. It is also increasingly...

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Trial and error?: The impact of restricting jury trials on court demand

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government examines the impact of restricting jury trials on court demand. The government’s reforms – particularly judge-only trials – will unlock only relatively modest reductions in demand given the scale of institutional upheaval. It should focus instead on reversing productivity declines. The Ministry of Justice estimates...

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Related Articles

What is important when thinking about digital government services?

Digital government services must be made truly accessible to reduce inequalities By Josh Abel (Fabian Society) The pandemic has brought the digital divide to the forefront of public policy debate. During lockdown, far too many children were unable to learn from home because they could not access the internet and millions of households faced social isolation because they were...

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