Total Place – strategic commissioning’s future

Few things get me excited about local political (small “p”) possibilities. Total Place is one of them.  It points the way out of the morass of unjoinedupness in which local public services and their users are mired up to our necks.  HM Treasury surveyed the TP pilots in March and concluded... 
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“Free” schools: free choice for parents?

I used to teach in Kilquhanity,  a real “Free School” set up in 1941 by the visionary Scottish educationalist John Aitkenhead.   His view of Freedom was simple:  ”You are free to jump into the water, but you are not free to stay dry”.  We all need to need to take his advice... 
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Aspiring Prime Ministers should address hard health choices not services

As an example of engagement and participation, last night’s  “leaders debate” failed.  If MAC tried to organise a public participation meeting with these rules – “please sit there like dummies and say nothing unless you are asked” – we would be lynched. Our only hope of escape... 
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Let the shroud waving begin!

As the starting pistol fired and the pundits yelled “And they’re off!”,  I heard myself mutter  “… and let the shroud waving begin!”  Elections cause perfectly reasonable and intelligent people – well maybe not the MPs – to behave irrationally about NHS changes. People who can at other... 
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The individual budget bandwagon is rolling; who’s got the map?

Labour A quick browse through both Labour and Conservative manifestos – and what will the LibDems effort bring? – reveals a bandwagon rolling about personalisation and individual budgets.  Here are some excerpts: Labour –   Everyone with a long-term condition, such as those with diabetes,... 
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At the Heart of the Owner Experience by Caroline Oliver

We at MAC love Caroline Oliver and not just because she is so complimentary about our new website and our strap line ‘At the Heart of the User Experience’. Caroline has been the energetic pioneer of a system of governance which we believe can bring new and valuable insights into the way organisations... 
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