NCCTC Conference July 2017 Can we create a market within Children’s social care and if so can it be managed? Kathy Evans – Children England CEO @Kathy_CEO_CE Kathy.evans@childrenengland.org.uk

Can we create a market within Children’s social care and if so can it be managed? Not a new or hypothetical question! We have plenty of evidence from 30 years of trying Need to understand what different kinds of market there are, and what a social care market is (in order to understand whether it can work, or be made to work) Let’s talk about: market failure public goods price distortion & cost inflation cartels debt

Can we create a market within Children’s social care and if so can it be managed? Can we create a market? a) No – not a sustainable or efficient ‘open’ market....but b) Yes – we have already. And it’s the problem, not the solution Can it be managed? Not without national long-term system design, planning oversight, public investment and market regulation Can we look to markets today for solutions to children’s sector challenges? Absolutely not

References and further reading Can we create a market within Children’s social care and if so can it be managed? References and further reading Correcting a History of Market Failure: the 21st century challenge in residential child care https://www.childrenengland.org.uk/correcting-a-history-of-market-failure Financial Stability, Cost Charge and Value for Money in the children’s residential care market https://ipc.brookes.ac.uk/publications/DfE_Childrens_residential_care_market_report-June2015.pdf Public Service Markets aren’t working for the public good....or as markets Chapter in ‘Kittens are Evil: Little Heresies in Public Policy’ Triarchy Press http://www.triarchypress.net/kittens-are-evil.html Children in Charge: Imagining systemic reform & redesign in care commissioning for children https://www.childrenengland.org.uk/blog/children-in-charge-original-proposal