Policy Hub
A report published by Demos on 22 September 2009 observes that front line staff in Britain's public services have little or no autonomy from central control and are also burdened with targets and cumbersome management structures.
According to the report, this evident lack of trust from middle management and central government has left staff demoralised and services suffering. The result is a vicious circle of low morale, falling status and rising difficulty in attracting the talented graduates needed to make public services first class.
The report argues that government must relinquish some powers to local control if improvements in public services are to be made in an era of austerity. This will help create a public service in which empowered citizens can seek and receive the services they need from empowered staff.