Publisher's Synopsis
During 1995-98 local government reorganisation redrew the boundaries of more than 100 local authorities, leading to the abolition of strategic councils in England, Scotland and Wales. The consequences have been profound for the work of social services departments, now the largest directly-managed responsibility of local authorities. This wide-ranging study draws on data collected from many different perspectives, to report the experiences of those working within local authorities and alongside them, both during the process of reform and in the immediate aftermath. The reform process was generally perceived to be disruptive, costly and bringing few obvious benefits in many areas. The former Conservative government's claim that reorganisation would bring local government closer to the people may have been achieved in some areas, but at considerable cost - for example, a loss of political and officer experience, two or three years of planning blight, a loss of economies of scale, and damage to interagency working. Unfinished business? looks at issues such as the management of social services, the public/private welfare mix, interagency relationships, interauthority working, and the general question of local governance. It is therefore essential reading for those working within and managing local government at a time of profound continuing change; for partner agencies such as health authorities and the voluntary sector; and for those studying and teaching a wide range of policy studies.
