Supplementary memorandum from a Headway
Client
Is the third sector more likely to provide better
public services than the state or the private sector?
Absolutely, for they provide the narrower specialist
care/treatment to suit specific areas of need but this should
only be when working closely with the state and private sector
to identify need and possibly share under-used possibly better
facilities/premises and thus avoid expensive duplication/wasted
funding.
Is there evidence that where services are provided
by the third sector, that they are popular with those that use
them?
Absolutely, for those using them can relate
100% to the others using these specialised facilities and can
therefore offer support/advice/understanding/shared information
and experiences thus greatly alleviating some of the isolation
and problems hitherto experienced unecessarily by "clients"
prior to properly targeted moral/and physical support.
Is there evidence of demand for more services
to be provided by the third sector? If so, who from?
Absolutely, there are a great many areas of
social need currently under-funded or not funded at all such as
youth centres in every town/village properly funded hospices and
off-shoot areas of health care currently overused under-funded
certainly completely undervalued by both the state and private
sector.
Do public services provided by the third sector
more accurately reflect the changing needs of those that use them?
Absolutely, for these often smaller more personalised
units are betterplaced to monitor the needs of those using the
facilities and are therefore better placed to adjust the care
and facilities to meet any changes that may occur.
Is there evidence that contracting to the third
sector leads to greater scope for innovation in public service
delivery?
Absolutely, for the work done and results monitored
by those working in these smaller specialiased units can be "picked
up" and used in the larger state and private sectors to the
benefit of all knowledge being a great power for good if the big
state departments are aware of the work being done in the third
sector they can better direct patients towards the appropriate
specialised care and support often needed and free their own specialists
to diagnose and treat more patients more quickly.
March 2007
| 
