Uncategorized At the Tipping Point: Welsh Local Government and Austerity This report outlines Welsh councils’ responses to austerity, drawing on interviews with Welsh council leaders, chief executives, finance directors, and external stakeholders. Councils have responded to austerity in three main ways: by making efficiency savings; by reducing the need for council services; and by changing the role played by councils and other stakeholders. There are […] Read more »
Uncategorized Youth homelessness focus at Urdd Eisteddfod Early intervention is key to stopping young people from becoming homeless. Dr Connell will say that ongoing support must be provided at the earliest stage if Wales is serious about tackling the issue. His talk, at the Cardiff University tent at 11:00 on Saturday 1 June, references research by the Centre which responded to a […] Read more »
Uncategorized Powers and Policy Levers - What works in delivering Welsh Government policies? This report presents the findings of research on the ways in which Welsh Ministers use the powers and policy levers available to them. We focus on two case studies: the 2014 statutory framework for homelessness services and the first attempt to introduce minimum unit alcohol pricing in Wales. These two contrasting examples show how policy […] Read more »
Uncategorized Analysis of the Factors Contributing to the High Rates of Care in Wales On 31st March 2018, there were 6,405 children looked after in Wales, almost 1,900 more children than were looked after in 2006. Over that time Wales has consistently had more children looked after per 10,000 of the population than the rest of the UK, and that gap has widened. Within Wales, while most Local Authorities […] Read more »
Uncategorized WCPP selected as a finalist for ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize We are delighted to announce that the Centre has been selected as a finalist for this year’s ESRC’s Celebrating Impact Prize in recognition of the way in which it has enabled Ministers to use evidence to inform policy decisions. The prestigious prize, now in its seventh year, celebrates ESRC-funded teams who have achieved outstanding economic […] Read more »
Uncategorized Improving Cross-Cutting Working Cross-cutting working is not new to Wales, and it possesses many of the prerequisites for effective cross-government working. Research shows that cross-cutting working isn’t a panacea or quick fix because it runs counter to the way in which government activity is usually organised and therefore requires high level political commitment backed by significant managerial capacity. […] Read more »
Uncategorized Supporting Improvements in Health Boards Some local health boards in Wales have struggled over several years to deliver satisfactory health services within their existing resources, with one health board in special measures and others receiving additional funding from Welsh Government. This report synthesises expert academic and practitioner knowledge about what is effective in supporting improvement in health boards, either through […] Read more »
Uncategorized Migration in Wales In December 2018, the UK Government published an Immigration White Paper which detailed migration policy after Brexit, and incorporated a number of recommendations from an earlier report by the Migration Advisory Committee. This report discusses the likely impact of these policies on the Welsh economy. Although the proportional reduction in migration will be higher in […] Read more »
Uncategorized Sustainable Public Procurement This paper has been produced at an important juncture in discussion of public procurement in Wales. Procurement services have been criticised by both the Wales Audit Office and the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, and following a year of consultation, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance announced the cessation of the National Procurement Service in […] Read more »
Uncategorized Responding to Citizens in Debt to Public Services The First Minister asked the WCPP to explore the evidence around the question ‘How might public services and their contracted partners in Wales better respond to vulnerable debtors, especially those subject to prosecution and prison?’ The report focuses on council tax debt and rent arrears to local authorities and social landlords as key forms of […] Read more »
