Care Sector Guide

This is the fifth edition of this directory, something made necessary for the same reason that it was first launched: the rate of change in the abolition, creation and merger of agencies under Labour.

As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown announced a cull of quangos that included the abolition of the Commission for Care Standards Inspection only four years after its creation. There is no sign, even in these early days, that under his premiership, there will be less of a sense of impatience with reform, which characterised the Blair years but what the implications of that are for a range of intra- and extra-departmental bodies remains to be seen.

Social care is the least understood and recognised of public services but, in many ways, it has been the reformers’ test bed and there has seemed to be no end to the testing. This is particularly shown in the creation of new agencies, task forces and initiatives. May be the next edition of this directory will show whether the Brown government decides to slow the pace of that way of working at least.

However, the decision to pilot social care practices is but one indication that the government has shown that Labour’s modernising agenda remains arguably the most concentrated, comprehensive and thorough-going reform of social care services and structures ever. And this is not to ignore the Children Act 1948 and the Seebohm reforms of 1970. In child care alone the pace of change is ever-quickening.

Labour’s first six years saw the creation of a plethora of new agencies, either quangos or statutorily enforced partnerships, in almost every aspects of social care – from crime to the care of older people. And it does not stop there. This fifth edition, like its predecessors, remains necessary not only to update details of some existing bodies but also to add some new ones and to erase others.

One of the most significant additions in this edition is the new entry for the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, which came into existence in October 2007. It replaced the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality (which over 40 years or so had undergone one or two transformation) and also the Disability Rights Commission, one of the first creations of New Labour.

Often underpinning new agencies has been a tranch of national service frameworks and national standards, new sources of earmarked money (typically called funds), specially designated geographical areas (usually called zones) and departmental and inter-departmental bodies (often known as units).

This guide lists the new agencies, projects, funds and initiatives in England. Where possible it has been possible to identify them, equivalent agencies, funds, initiatives and projects in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are noted. Where bodies cover the whole of the UK that is stated.

The guide does not include most of those internal agencies, or directorates, of government departments. Also, by definition it does not list agencies which pre-date the New Labour modernising agenda but which have become part of it. 

Because so many organisations have been created to encourage or enforce co-operation between agencies, it would be ironic if relevant NHS and other non-social care agencies were not included in this list. Reference is also made to some education, housing and regeneration initiatives because of their close connection with the broader agenda of social welfare and the fact that they often work in partnership with some of the new bodies.

We have continued to include the Improvement and Development Agency and the Leadership Centre for Local Government because while not government creations, they remain so much a response to the government’s agenda for local government.

A few bodies which pre-date the election of Labour but have been renamed and revamped are also included.

Terry Philpot
September 2007