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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the rationale and functioning of the partnership-based brokerage model as a vehicle of service integration with special reference to its support for information intermediation, learning and service market creation.

The theoretical framework is built on the tension between New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM thinking, which frames the analysis of the brokerage model for elderly care services in the city of Tampere, Finland. The empirical data are derived from interviews, evaluation reports and existing case descriptions.

In the Kotitori model, the broker enhances the capacity building of the city government and the cost-effectiveness of its service provision, provides added value through improved information processes and handles matters relating to subcontracting and the facilitation of the service provider network. The model as a whole reflects the hybridisation of public administration. Even if Kotitori contains many NPM-inspired elements, they are complemented by features derived from New Public Governance and the neo-Weberian local state. The most neglected aspect of post-NPM thinking in the design of Kotitori is citizen centredness.

This paper broadens the perspective on the role of brokers in public service provision and highlights the multi-dimensionality of the brokerage function. It also shows how such partnership-based brokerage model reflects various aspects of both NPM and post-NPM paradigm.

The provision of information and advice for older people arranging their own care is a policy objective. The purpose of this paper is to explore the range and scope of web-based information about care coordination activities for older people in the non-statutory sector in England.

Non-statutory organisations were identified through a structured internet search. Services were screened to identify those providing at least one care coordination activity. A postal survey of services was conducted in 2014 and results compared with the initial findings of the web search.

Almost 300 services were identified, most of which were provided by three organisations: Age UK; Alzheimer’s Society; and the British Red Cross. Brokerage was the most frequently reported care coordination activity; the majority of services focussed on help to stay at home; and carers and older people (including those with dementia) were the target groups most often identified. Comparison of the two information sources revealed a significant agreement between two care coordination’s activities: compiling support plans and monitoring and review.

Findings are based on a purposive sample of organisations and therefore care must be exercised in generalising from them.

This study is one of the first to systematically explore the nature and extent of information about care coordination activities provided by the non-statutory sector in England. It was conducted when policy advocated both an increased role for the non-statutory sector and an increase in self-directed support.

This paper is the sequel to the authors' earlier paper in this journal and aims to present the “future research” outlined in that paper.

The approaches being employed by Welsh local authorities in commissioning home care from the independent sector are surveyed to see how a mixed economy of care is being implemented. The observed differences are analysed to see what can be learnt for the benefit of public sector managers concerned with the development of commissioning practices. Semi‐structured interviews have been performed with home care managers and commissioning officers in 13 (60 per cent) of the local, unitary authorities in Wales. Managers at independent home care providers have been interviewed also. The study has been ongoing since September 2004. For comparison, Barnet in England has been included because, unlike any Welsh authority, it has implemented 100 per cent outsourcing of home care. Croydon has been included as it has a good practice brokerage that has helped it to expand its provision from the independent sector.

Great diversity is seen in the approaches adopted by the Welsh local authorities when commissioning home care from the independent sector. They differ in the proportion of home care that is commissioned from the independent sector, what is commissioned, the number of independent providers and the contractual arrangements. These features are used to develop a taxonomy of home care strategies that reveals high levels of diversity. It is seen that in Wales there has been less political drive and compulsion to outsource home care than in England, but the natural desire to reduce costs in the face of a growing need for home care is now driving outsourcing in Wales.

This paper provides guidance to public sector managers in local authorities seeking best practice in the commissioning of home care from the independent sector.

The existing literature contains little research into good practice in the commissioning of home care by local authorities from the independent sector. This paper is a timely contribution to addressing this shortfall.

Care management is a central part of the current health and social care system, but the development of Self‐Directed Support raises significant questions about the future of this function. Moreover, if the current design of the care management function is to change, then this will raise significant challenges and opportunities for those professionals who currently act as care managers. These changes may even allow social workers to return to a way of working that fits better with their professional ethos.

This paper seeks to focus on legal issues concerning direct payments for social care for adults. Its aim is to consider whether the aspirations for choice, control and innovation, central to successive governments' purpose in introducing direct payments and which have caused it to gain public support, risk being undermined by budget cuts within social service departments and whether the legal framework provides sufficient guarantees to those in need.

The paper summarises the legal basis for direct payments; considers issues of brokerage, choice, resource allocation and commissioning; and looks at relevant legal challenges made up to May 2011.

The paper finds that severe budgetary restraint is likely to undermine the original vision for personalisation and direct payments; and that the legal framework of social service delivery creates risks for councils and service users.

In order to achieve their legal entitlement, users of self‐directed support should always seek top‐up discretionary funds in addition to their initial resource allocation schemes budgetary indication, unless satisfied that the initial indication meets their needs. User groups should be careful to ensure that in funding care services, councils conduct a proper balancing exercise and do not over focus on their own budgetary agenda which may be unlawful.

The paper should provide a useful reference point for users of self‐directed support and their advisers.

This article seeks to review the impact on social care services of the 1989 White Paper “Caring for People”. It pays particular attention to the introduction of commissioning and care management, and seeks to draw lessons from this for the implementation of current day national policy.

The article is a review of progress and draws upon experience and written evidence over the period from a number of sources.

The paper concludes that the implementation of the policy varied substantially from the original policy intent and that commissioning and care management as currently practiced are neither designed as intended nor delivering the outcomes envisaged by “Caring for People”. It draws on parallels with the current policy agenda and poses questions about whether a similar lack of fidelity to original policy objectives will lead to policies such as Putting People First not delivering on their stated goals.

This paper is of relevance to policy developers and service managers in considering how to design and implement delivery of national policy.

The paper highlights how concepts such as commissioning and care management as currently practiced have lost their focus and purpose and should encourage reflective practice and renewed rigour around policy implementation of current social care priorities.

This paper aims to help public sector managers that are formulating strategies for outsourcing home care from the independent sector.

A review was performed of relevant literature on the outsourcing of home care and its political drivers in the UK. This indicates that the future of home care services, taking into consideration outsourcing and how Best Value will be achieved, has not been researched widely. Therefore, an exploratory approach to research was adopted here using in‐depth analysis of a small number of particularly informative local authorities and private providers selected by purposive/judgemental (extreme and critical case) sampling. Personal contact was deemed necessary in order to perform an intensive investigation to pursue in‐depth information.

The British Government's Best Value regime is driving local authorities towards increasing levels of outsourcing in the provision of home care. A local authority may choose to outsource all of its home care or maintain some in‐house provision based on capacity or capabilities that are complementary to those provided by the independent sector. The 100 per cent outsourcing strategy places enabling demands on the local authority, whereas the alternative strategy requires decisions to be made on what should be outsourced. Across the authorities surveyed, six strategies for creating a mixed economy of care have been identified, with the mix being based on complementary capacity and/or capabilities. With Best Value driving authorities to consider lower‐cost options, the outcome may be a reduction in the amount of complementary capacity provided in‐house, in favour of strategies involving complementary capabilities that deliver the Best Value possible. Re‐enablement is emerging as a common, complementary or core capability that is remaining in‐house. Outsourcing also requires decisions to be made on the number of independent providers to be used and the type of contracts to be employed. This paper considers the decisions that have been made in the local authorities surveyed and critiques the alternative home care outsourcing strategies so derived.

To date, the research has focused on Wales in general plus a few local authorities in England. The next stage will be to survey England in more detail along with other countries that are implementing substantial outsourcing of home care, such as Canada.

This paper provides timely guidance to public sector and health care managers seeking Best Value in home care through outsourcing.

Little has been found in the literature on strategies for outsourcing home care, yet such strategies are needed urgently in the UK to achieve Best Value. The World Health Organization stresses that strategies should be drawn up for providing support to patients and carers at community level in order to avoid costly institutional care.

This paper seeks to address the question, “How can private home care providers compete and drive their businesses forward to deliver best value to the community?” Public sector managers in local authorities need this question answered so that they can provide their part of the solution, facilitating best value.

A review was performed of relevant literature on the commissioning (outsourcing) of home care and of best value. This indicates that the future of home care services, taking into consideration commissioning and how best value will be achieved, has not been researched widely. Therefore, an exploratory approach to research was adopted here using in‐depth analysis of a small number of particularly informative local authorities and private providers selected by purposive/judgemental (extreme and critical case) sampling. Personal contact was deemed necessary in order to perform an intensive investigation to pursue in‐depth information.

To improve value one can cut costs and/or increase quality. It is argued here that there is little immediate opportunity for private home care providers to cut costs and with fixed pricing substantial improvements in quality cannot be funded by increased prices or cost cutting elsewhere. To address this impasse, two solutions have been identified; increased economies of scale through consolidation in the marketplace and radical improvements in efficiency through the exploitation of information and communication technology (ICT). Both of these strategies have major ramifications for the “enabling local authority” taking actions to see best value delivered to its community.

This paper presents the findings of exploratory research. A more detailed study covering many more local authorities, private care providers and an international prospective will be conducted over the next two years.

This paper provides timely guidance to public sector managers in local authorities and private home care providers seeking best value in home care through commissioning.

Little has been found in the literature on strategies by which private home care providers can deliver best value, yet such strategies are needed urgently to achieve best value. This paper is a timely contribution to addressing this need.

This paper describes how front‐line workers in Wales experience care management. A minority of workers felt that the aims of community care were being achieved whilst few of the core tasks of care management were felt by a majority of respondents to be working well. Lack of time and resources were viewed as major constraints upon good care management practice and infrastructure supports were found to be inadequate. The findings raise key questions over the structure and practice of care (case) management and point to a number of areas in which policy and practice might be improved.

This article outlines the idea of an individual budget, which is now being promoted and tested by central government. It defines the idea, and describes the practical and policy consequences that may flow from its implementation. It also sets out some of the policy choices that will necessarily emerge from these developments. This article follows on from the earlier article in JIC (February 2005), which was the first article ever published on the subject.