Category Archives: Research News

Who runs the North East now?

Professor Fred Robinson is working with Professor Keith Shaw of Northumbria University on a new study looking at structures and processes of governance in North East England. They will be finding out who runs public services in the region and assessing how accountable they are. They will be looking at different models of governance — some elected, others appointed. And they will be asking what works best and how we can make governance better.

It’s certainly a timely project. There is considerable disenchantment with the people who run things. Many people distrust elites, politicians and the ‘establishment’. There are widespread feelings of powerlessness and alienation – as the EU Referendum demonstrated. But there is no simple answer to the problems facing us. Electing people to run things like Councils or the Police seems attractive, but turnouts are so low that there’s really only limited democratic legitimacy. Appointing people to run services – the boards of NHS Trusts, or the Governing Bodies of universities, for example – may bring in expertise, but can be seen to be about recruiting the ‘usual suspects’. And referendums — making decisions by asking the people — don’t seem to work all that well either.

Fred and Keith want the research to inform, but also to be the basis for challenge and reform. They’ve looked at these issues before, back in 2000, when much of the concern was about unelected quangos. They helped influence the debate then – institutions in the region started thinking more about the gender balance (or lack of it) on their boards and the need to have representation from BME communities. Since 2000, some things have changed for the better – but there’s certainly room for a lot more improvement. Many institutions are still dominated by the ‘male, pale and stale’.

The project has secured funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Institute for Local Governance and Newcastle-based Law firm Muckle LLP. It started in September 2016 and will run for a year. It’s a practical project, which aims to encourage better practice and make governance more accountable, transparent and representative.

The final report can be found Who Runs the North East Now — Main Report Oct 2017 FINAL (2).

Commonwealth Sports Ministers Endorse Durham University Report on Sustainable Development Goals in Rio de Janeiro

sport ministers

The 8th Commonwealth Sports Minister Meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 4th August 2016. Delegations from 32 member countries attended the meeting. The meeting was opened by Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, and chaired by the Hon Sussan Ley, Minister for Health, Aged Care and Sport, Government of Australia (picture left).

The meeting took place in the context of the recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting focused on the contribution that sport can make to the new global development agenda, with an emphasis on promoting healthy lives and well-being for all. The meeting also considered the negative impact of sport integrity issues on sustainable development, and options for effective Governmental responses.

The Ministers ‘welcomed and endorsed’ the policy guidance which was recently written by St Chad’s Fellow, Dr Iain Lindsey of the School of Applied Social Sciences, Sarah Metcalf of the School of Applied Social Sciences and St Chad’s Professor Tony Chapman.

Ministers expressed strong concern about the seriousness of threats to the integrity of sport which were addressed in the Durham University report. They forcefully reiterated that governments and non-governmental sporting organisations have a shared responsibility for protecting the integrity of sport. They also committed to working collectively to address these issues.

Read more on the story here

 

The future of civil society in the North

Picture1The Programme Advisory Group assembled at St Chad’s College, Durham University on 28th July 2016 for its second meeting this year. The group includes representatives from IPPR\North, Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, TSRC, VONNE, Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation, Social Enterprise Coalition and Durham and Sheffield Universities.

Professor Tony Chapman, of St Chad’s College, who is a member of the advisory group, spoke about the forthcoming Third Sector Trends study which will contribute research intelligence to the discussions which will be taking place over the next three years in this major programme of IPPR work, funded by Garfield Weston.  The Third Sector Trends Study is funded in the North East of England by Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, In Yorkshire and the Humber by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and in the North West by IPPR\North and Garfield Weston.

Third Sector Trends across the North of England 2016

In September 2016, the Third Sector Trends study will be formally launched across the North of England. We need to hear from all types of voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises, whether large or small, thriving, struggling or going on as normal. The study will take place in each northern region in three separate surveys:

community foundation logoIn North East England (funded by the Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland). Link to the survey questionnaire:  https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/third-sector-trends-in-north-east-england-2016

JRF-logo

In Yorkshire and the Humber (funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation); Link to the survey questionnaire: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/third-sector-trends-in-yorkshire-and-the-humber-2016

Garfield Weston.jpeg                                                         Ipprnorth.jpeg

 

In North West England* (funded by IPPR\North and Garfield Weston); Link to the survey questionnaire: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/third-sector-trends-in-north-west-england-2016

*In Greater Manchester, the study started in July 2016 to complement a separate study by a consortium of local third sector development agencies.

We will be able to tell you what is happening, in big picture terms, in the sector in your area, region and across Northern England?

These are just a few of the issues the Third Sector Trends study can explore

    • We can make well evidenced estimates on the changing shape, size and structure of the sector as a whole (comparing with previous TST data and from a major national government study in 2010 on each local authority area).
    • We can also produce data reports for any local authority area, sub region or county so you can see what is happening in the area your Community Foundation serves.
    • We can explore the different experiences, practices and expectations of organisations by size, purpose, geographical location, legal form, and so on – this will help funders identify the kinds of organisations which may be able to benefit most from grants.
    • We can make good estimates of the level of employment and volunteering in the sector and determine where employment or volunteering is growing or contracting.
    • We can show which areas of beneficiary need are doing well or experiencing difficulties.
    • We can calculate the economic value of the sector using robust estimates and also monetise the value of volunteering.

We need third sector, public sector and private sector organisations to encourage voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises to respond to this major study. It is vital that as many organisations and groups as possible find out about the study so that they have a chance to respond – so we need you to tell them about it in newsletters and to send links to the survey through by email to your address lists.

Each study will result in a separate regional report together with one report, published by IPPR\North for the whole Northern Region.

If you would like to know more about the study, please contact Professor Tony Chapman, St Chad’s College, Durham University: tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk

 

Brexit? St Chad’s debates the causes and implications of the referendum

A panel debate will take place on the afternoon of 16th June at St Chad’s College Durham, organised by the Colleges post-graduates.  Middle Common Room President, Frederik Seidelin will chair the debate led by four panel speakers:

  • Professor Kevin Dowd (Durham Business School)
  • Baroness Joyce Quin (former Labour Minister for Europe and MEP)
  • Professor Thom Brooks (Durham Law School)
  • Professor Tony Chapman (Policy & Practice, St Chads)

Following the presentations, Robin Linten (St Chads) and Tom Harwood (Chair of ‘Students for Britain’) will join the panel and take questions from the audience.

Formal partnership, complementary working, or just ‘good neighbours’?

If co-production is the way forward in an age of austerity – how can public sector, businesses and third sector organisations be asked to marshal their resources to their best effect?

iflgA seminar organised by the Institute for Local Governance, Teesside University Darlington, Vicarage Road, Darlington, Friday 15 July 2016, 9.30 – 1.00

Co-production means different things to different people – but in essence it encompasses notions of shared responsibility and shared benefit for the outcomes of action. This seminar is about the way that organisations from different sectors can engage in co-production including: local authorities, government, the private sector, the voluntary and community sector and universities.

The seminar builds upon all the other seminars which have taken place in this series on topics including: approaches to asset transfer, the implications of demographic ageing, young people’s life transitions, the impact of inward business investment; deprivation and welfare in rural areas, supporting carers, volunteering and civic action, and preventative interventions. All of these seminars have included discussion of partnership working towards shared objectives – but do they work as well as they should?

Partnership is a ‘warm’ word, evoking notions of shared values, common goals and equal voices. But the realities of partnerships can be different – and especially so when values are only partly shared, goals are contested and there are inherent imbalances of power amongst partners. So this seminar provides an opportunity to debate the value of partnership, when it works well, and to get a better understanding of what can make partnerships go wrong.

While formal partnership is one way forward and can work well, we will also discuss the scope for less formal complementary relationships amongst organisations. But it will also be necessary to recognise that some organisations will continue to work on their own (but not necessarily around the edges of all the others) so ways need to be considered to help them to be ‘good neighbours’.

To make the event work well, we particularly encourage people to attend who have already been to previous seminars so that we can collectively debate issues on some common ground – and then, following the seminar, a brief ‘think piece’ will be published to round off the seminar season and provide a basis for future debates about policy and practice.

The seminar will chaired by Professor John Mawson, Director, Institute for Local Governance and speakers at the seminar will include:

  • Professor Tony Chapman, St Chad’s College, Durham University: on the underlying meanings of partnership, complementarity and autonomous working.
  • Seth Pearson, Director, One Darlington Partnership: on the configurations of partnership working in Local Strategic Partnerships in changing policy regimes.
  • Rowena Sommerville, Director, Tees Valley Arts: on the building of shared objectives for a City of Culture bid in a complex multi-sector and multi-local authority context.
  • Dr Dave Vanderhoven, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Sheffield University: on the role of universities in supporting the development of partnership and co-production initiatives in complex urban areas.

The seminar is free to attend, but places are limited and they tend to book up quickly, so please register your attendance via: Janet Atkinson, Institute for Local Governance, Durham University janet.atkinson@durham.ac.uk

The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the North East region’s Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Further information about the content of the event can be obtained by contacting:- tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk or john.mawson@durham.ac.uk.

Powerpoint slides from the seminar can be found here:  ILG Seminar 15th July 2016 Darlington.

 

Who cares for the carers?

Tackling the challenges facing carers in Northern England in an environment of deepening austerity.

This week is national carers week.  Recently we’ve been holding discussions about the challenges facing carers with regional stakeholders to try to help tackle the problem that carers often come second place, economically, politically and emotionallcarers.jpegy to those in need of care.   We’ve been focusing, through seminars and discussions on the situation of a range of individual carers who give support to those in need, including neighbours and friends; young carers; older people providing care to spouses; people providing informal dementia care, amongst others. It must be recognised that such carers often achieve what they do with help from the many charities and community organisations which deliver support to carers.

Often such groups and organisations are funded by non-governmental sources, such as community foundations or big national foundations which have stepped in to give financial support where government does not. Other private sector or Third Sector organisations deliver professional care services on behalf of local authorities or health organisations – but we’re asking how well do these arrangements work for paid carers where the marginal costs of caring are continuously being eroded?

Arising from our work in this area, Professor Tony Chapman published a leader article in the Northern Echo on the topic this week which can be accessed here.

Lumiere festival evaluation supports Council plans for future events

The Policy Research Group’s evaluation of the 2015 Lumiere has been influential in garnering support from Durham County Council for the staging of a fifth Lumiere event in 2016. lumiere.jpegThe report, by Gordon Allinson, Paul Braidford and Maxime Houston,  which was received by the County Council earlier this year shows that the event generated almost a £10m boost to the regional economy. Furthermore, as the Leader of Durham County Council, Councillor Simon Henig, stated – “More than 90 per cent of those surveyed rated Lumiere 2015 as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ and it said it ‘made them happy with 80 per cent of visitors saying they planned to come back.”  It is hoped that the Cabinet will approve investment of £100,000 in a future Lumiere on the basis of the benefits identified in the report.  See the full story online in the Northern Echo, 8th June, 2016: click here.

The impact of Japanese inward investment on North East England

Dzulfian Syafrian is an economist whose research covers public policy, financial institutions and economic development. Since January 2016, Dzulfian has been DSC_0419%5b1%5d (5)undertaking his PhD at St. Chad’s College and Durham University Business School.

Dzulfian’s PhD project is focusing on the impact of Japanese inward investment in manufacturing Industry on the economy and society of North East England. This research concentrates on the relationship between Japanese companies and indigenous British companies.

The project aims to:

  • understand how the Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) and the process of “Japanisation” of Western companies works in Britain;
  • define what the effects of Japanese FDI are on the economy and society of the North East; and,
  • determine what challenges companies face and how they overcome these.

This project is the under supervision of Professor Tony Chapman (St. Chad’s College – Durham University) and Professor John Mawson (Director of the Institute for Local Governance, Durham University Business School).

Sharing the responsibility for public health and wellbeing

Developing effective relationships between health authorities, local authorities and third sector organisations to improve public health and social wellbeing in a period of austerity

Professors Tony Chapman and Fred Robinson, together with Professor John Mawson, Director of the Institute for Local governance have won an ESRC Impact Acceleration Esrc_logoAward to assist health organisations, local authorities and third sector organisations to develop complementary policy and practice strategies to improve public health and social wellbeing in North East England. Based on shared learning drawing on a parallel project, Keeping it Simple, health authorities will be encouraged to reflect upon and embed new ‘ways of thinking’ about their working relationships with external organisations working in the field of health, mental health and social care.

In order to better understand interactions between organisations, the work will explore activity using the following dimensions of policy and service delivery where impact can be achieved by 2019:

  • Working in complementary ways (Health authorities, LAs and TSOs, to a large extent, shape the way they choose to work autonomously or collectively. But the acquisition and allocation of resources is a complex process which interferes with value systems, restricts notions of autonomy and can upset relationships. This impact of this work is to help organisations recognise when it is best to use formal partnerships, complementary relationships and when to work autonomously),
  • Commissioning and procurement (Health sector organisations can achieve better impact by working with local government and TSOs in designing processes which are more responsive to innovative delivery solutions. The impact of this will be to improve the quality and outcomes arising from outsourcing decisions and thereby produce stronger social impact and best value for service delivery).
  • Assessing the impact of autonomous and shared interventions (The impact of the programme will be effected by encouraging organisations to think about how to measure and make clearly evidenced judgements about the efficacy of appropriate objectives for autonomous, partnership or complementary interventions).
  • New thinking about co-production (Co production can involve the pooling and sharing of ideas, effort and resources – which is hard for autonomous organisations with different levels of power and capability to achieve. The impact to be achieved in this case study centres on demonstrating where, how and with what effect health sector organisations have already developed effective joint-working models with LAs and TSOs and determine if these good practices are replicable in areas which have previously not been considered or where partnerships have failed)

The project will involve work with four health organisations (South Tees Foundation Trust, County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS (mental health) Foundation, NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG), seven local authorities (Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Northumberland County Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Sunderland City Council), and the regional third sector infrastructure organisation, Voluntary Organisations Network North East.