Shaping the policy agenda: For better public services, a stronger society and a more dynamic economy American Friends
Economics & Social Policy
Economics & Social Policy
"taking responsibility"
By encouraging responsibility by individuals, government and business we believe that growth can be secured, public services improved and better outcomes delivered for families across the UK.
Reforming Social Work, warns that without structural reform to social workers’ training programmes, councils could be in danger of missing serious incidents of abuse and neglect. This is likely to be exacerbated by low numbers of social workers with specific training and experience in handling cases involving children, with the supply of social workers not due to equal demand until 2022.
Lord Sainsbury set out a new approach for policymakers across the political spectrum as he introduced his new book Progressive Capitalism: How to Achieve Economic Growth, Liberty and Social Justice.
Would reform of employment support boost employment?
Policy Exchange asks whether it is time for fundamental reform of Jobcentre Plus and what models for reform might help more people get into and stay in work.
Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP gave a speech at Policy Exchange setting out the government's plans for reforming the Royal Mail. Fallon revealed his preference for raising private capital for the company was through an IPO, with 10% of shares going to staff members and gave assurances over services for the blind, armed forces and rural areas. Watch video
A leader column in The Financial Times supports the proposal made in Policy Exchange's aviation report Bigger & Quieter by Tim Leunig, to build four new runways to the West of the current Heathrow site to help increase the UK’s aviation capacity.
The Daily Mail covers the decision by the Transport Select Committee to consider Policy Exchange's recommendation from report Bigger and Quieter to build four new runways to the west of the current Heathrow site.
Reforming Social Work, warns that without structural reform to social workers’ training programmes, councils could be in danger of missing serious incidents of abuse and neglect. This is likely to be exacerbated by low numbers of social workers with specific training and experience in handling cases involving children, with the supply of social workers not due to equal demand until 2022.
Policy Exchange's response to the DWP’s labour market interventions consultation, Slow Progress says that there must be greater conditions for in-work claimants to ensure that they are doing all they can to increase their hours and earnings. The introduction of Universal Credit this year provides the government with an opportunity to ensure that workers reliant on state benefits are explicitly asked to do more to find more work where possible.
Matthew Oakley, Head of Economics & Social Policy at Policy Exchange, argues that welfare reforms to date should mark the start of what should be a decade of welfare reform, with future reforms focusing on individual responsibilities and on improving state support.
Matthew Oakley, Policy Exchange's Head of Economics & Social Policy, responds in a letter to The Financial Times to a recent article in the paper on the impact of April's changes to welfare which showed Northern cities being most affected by the cuts. Matthew pointed out that areas with the highest unemployment will naturally see higher benefit cuts, and stressed that what worse-off areas really need is private sector jobs and growth.
This event will ask fundamental questions about the way the welfare state operates, including how far the government should be willing to reinforce living standards, whether giving people cash is the best way to distribute welfare, how wide the welfare state goes and whether contribution is taken into account.
We are pleased to welcome Lord Freud and Mark Hoban MP to discuss the way ahead following DWP’s “Call for Ideas”, which looked at how people in work and in receipt of Universal Credit can be supported to increase their earnings, gain skills and take steps to achieving financial independence.
