Conclusion 1
Concluded (the committee's words)In the coming decades, public services will see a significant increase in demand which will not be met with a corresponding increase in the supply of staff.
Select committee: Public Services Committee
Designing a public services workforce fit for the future
Closed
Opened 11 Jan 2022
Closed 16 Dec 2022
8 recommendations
25 conclusions
Public Services Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
This major inquiry, 'Designing a public services workforce fit for the future', will explore how the workforce in public services should be transformed to meet new user needs in the 21st century. It will look at the challenges faced by staff in the public sector because of user demand that is increasing and changing rapidly. Drawing on the Committee's established principles for public service reform, the inquiry will ask which innovative models have the potential to tackle those challenges, with a focus on reforming the training, planning and management of the workforce in public services.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 11 January 2022.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 1st Report - Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce on 19 July 2022.
The government's response
Published 7 November 2022. The deadline was 13 October 2022.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "agrees with all the Committee's recommendations", while its detailed responses record differing positions on some, including pensions, recruitment targets and the apprenticeship target.
- On pensions, the government "notes the Committee's recommendation" for a comprehensive review and says the objectives "will be adequately met under the current system" of public service pension schemes.
- On the Public Sector Apprenticeship Target, it does "not currently have plans to reinstate the target" but asks the public sector to continue to report annually on apprenticeship starts, and will publish that data.
- On recruitment timeframes, it would "exercise caution in setting a 'target' for all recruitment" and instead recommends requiring public bodies to set out plans for improving time to recruit and how this will be measured.
- On social care, it commits to investing "at least £500 million" in the adult social care workforce, with a universal Knowledge and Skills Framework and "hundreds of thousands of training places and qualifications" over the next 3 years.
Recommendations and conclusions
- Conclusion 1Conclusion
- Conclusion 2Conclusion
- Conclusion 3Conclusion
Reports
- 1st Report - Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce19 July 2022 · 33 items
Evidence
- 9 oral evidence sessionsLatest 18 May 2022
- 34 witnesses
Recent activity
- Government response to Public Services Committee, 1st report of Session 2022-23: Fit for the future: rethinking the public services workforce7 November 2022, Report published
- 1st Report - Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce19 July 2022, Report published
- Committee event22 June 2022, Formal meeting (private meeting) · Room 2, Palace of Westminster
Recommendations and conclusions 33 shown
Conclusion 2
Concluded (the committee's words)Changes in the needs of the UK population will mean long-term growth in demand for public services which will outstrip the growth of the potential workforce. This presents a long-term challenge which requires long-term, strategic solutions. To ensure a truly sustainable workforce, these solutions will need to go beyond attempts to recruit and retain more staff: flexibility, creativity, and imagination will be key.
Conclusion 3
Concluded (the committee's words)The Government does not yet have sufficient, reliable data on the public services workforce, nor projections for future demand. Developing this capability will be essential in developing effective workforce strategies for the future.
Conclusion 4
Concluded (the committee's words)The Cabinet Office should work with all Government Departments, and particularly the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to promote best practice on developing and sharing workforce data at a local and national level.
Conclusion 5
Concluded (the committee's words)The potential of many staff to deliver services is largely untapped. There is a need for far more imagination and flexibility in how public services staff are deployed, the tasks they can undertake, and the decisions they are empowered to make.
Recommendation 6
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should set the clear expectation that engagement with service users and people with lived experience must be embedded in the design and delivery of services, strategies, and workforce planning, and should strongly encourage regional and local bodies to do the same. The Government should outline best practise to ensure that such engagement is meaningful and rewarding for those service users consulted.
Recommendation 7
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should prioritise developing training programmes in partnership with service users and organisations which support service users, to ensure they are preparing the workforce to meet user needs. Service users and people with lived experience should also be involved in the delivery of training.
Conclusion 8
Concluded (the committee's words)Where new technologies are used in the delivery of public services, substantial attention will need to be paid to safeguards against bias.
Conclusion 9
Concluded (the committee's words)Technology has great potential to ensure the sustainability of the public services. Government departments should conduct horizon scanning exercises to examine how technology can improve forecasting and planning, improve efficiency, and reduce demand for the public services within their portfolio. This must not be limited to short-term cost saving measures but should consider service-user experience and improving public services in the long-term. Horizon scanning should consider digital literacy, inclusion and bias, and basic infrastructure issues, and should bring forward feasible, realistic opportunities for technological innovation.
Conclusion 10
Concluded (the committee's words)Greater investment in preventative services would reduce demand for public services, supporting the workforce to address the high level of demand services currently face and resolving issues before they become complex and entrenched. This must be recognised and embedded as a key part of future workforce planning.
Conclusion 11
Concluded (the committee's words)At all levels of service design and service and workforce planning, providers should prioritise preventative services.
Conclusion 12
Concluded (the committee's words)The voluntary sector can add immense value to public service delivery through their local and specialist expertise. Current approaches risk alienating and excluding third sector providers from public service delivery, and are a significant waste of talent and capacity.
Conclusion 13
Concluded (the committee's words)There is a need for a fundamental shift in how the public sector works with voluntary partners. Voluntary sector bodies should be more fully included in, and flexibility introduced into commissioning to ensure that the work of voluntary partners is not artificially limited by inflexible processes.
Conclusion 14
Concluded (the committee's words)Many of those who deliver crucial public services feel overworked. This has a direct impact on staff turnover and creates a vicious circle which ultimately affects service users.
Conclusion 15
Concluded (the committee's words)Discrimination, in the form of increased barriers to promotion and a lack of support for staff, remains at unacceptable levels in the public service workforce. This will continue to act as a barrier for the recruitment and retention of talented people.
Conclusion 16
Concluded (the committee's words)The public service workforce cannot be sustainable until the experiences of staff are broadly positive. Due to chronic overstretch and cultural issues which include persistent discrimination and a lack of recognition, this is not currently the case.
Conclusion 17
Concluded (the committee's words)Without action to address pay, it will continue to constitute a significant barrier to the sustainability of the public service workforce.
Conclusion 18
Concluded (the committee's words)There should be a comprehensive review of how pensions operate across the public services workforce. The goal should not be uniformity but flexibility to enable those coming to—or moving between—public service roles to do so without a financial penalty.
Recommendation 19
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should encourage public service employers to offer a broad range of flexible working options by default, with this provision being unavailable only if it would have a negative impact on service users.
Conclusion 20
Concluded (the committee's words)The lack of a cohesive national brand to public service work is a missed opportunity for the Government to convey careers which have a positive social impact in a way that will attract candidates.
Conclusion 21
Concluded (the committee's words)Teach First has demonstrated the potential of imaginative branding to attract people into public service work. Prior to recruitment campaigns, public sector employers should conduct in-depth research to establish what messages will resonate most with potential candidates. Guidance on developing compelling messaging should be agreed centrally and distributed widely.
Recommendation 22
Recommended (the committee's words)There is huge potential for apprenticeships to widen the talent pool by increasing diversity in the public services workforce. The Government should therefore be providing further support and encouragement to public sector bodies to incentivise their use. By removing the apprenticeship target, and ceasing to search for and combat challenges, it is doing the opposite.
Conclusion 23
Concluded (the committee's words)The Public Sector Apprenticeship Target and associated reporting requirements should be reinstated. Further consideration should be given to additional funding for apprentice salaries.
Conclusion 24
Concluded (the committee's words)Local authorities should invest significant resources in developing local talent pools to support people with lived experience of using local services to enter public sector careers. These would create diverse pipelines of talented staff to deliver public services they have themselves experienced.
Recommendation 25
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should impose a duty on all public sector employers to set ambitious targets for recruitment timeframes.
Conclusion 26
Concluded (the committee's words)There is an increasing desire for broad careers in and beyond public services. In order to improve the status of public services, boost staff recruitment and secure better retention, it is essential that the public sector adapts to support these preferences.
Conclusion 27
Concluded (the committee's words)Cultural and financial barriers prevent public services staff from accessing sufficient training and development throughout their careers. The public sector’s approach to training fails on two fronts: it will not retain people and it will not give them the skills they need for the future.
Conclusion 28
Concluded (the committee's words)Prior learning and relevant skills are not adequately recognised within the workforce. This is a result of inflexibility in regulatory models and in training routes; and presents a barrier to development.
Recommendation 29
Recommended (the committee's words)To boost retention and support staff to progress into more senior roles, the Government should work with regulators to develop straightforward and practicable ways to recognise, assess, and record prior learning and experience using a competency approach. Competencies should be set nationally and quality assured across different employers. They should be truly portable.
Recommendation 30
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should prioritise, encourage, and resource the development of more imaginative training, including joint training between services.
Conclusion 31
Concluded (the committee's words)We encourage the Department for Health and Social Care to build upon the ambitious approach taken with medical degree apprenticeships and to develop further training and development opportunities to better support progression in the social care workforce.
Conclusion 32
Concluded (the committee's words)When developing the Leadership College for Government proposed in the Levelling Up White Paper, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should gather, promote, and cascade best practice on how public services have developed leadership pipelines, such as in education , law enforcement and local authorities.
Recommendation 33
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should ensure online training is accompanied by training to use digital tools so that public servants have the digital skills needed to access online training. Such training will need to evolve as new technology becomes available and will need to be accessible to people throughout their careers.
Reports
1st Report - Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce
- HC No.
- Not recorded
- Published
- 19 Jul 2022
- Items
- 33
- Government response
- Government response published 7 November 2022 (deadline 13 October 2022). Read the government's response ↗
Oral evidence sessions
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2022 |
Oral evidence session
James Darley · Transform Society,
Mr Stephen Isherwood · Institute of Student Employers,
Richard Lee OBE · Women's Business Council
|
View ↗ |
| 27 Apr 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Edward Argar · Department of Health,
Gavin Larner · Department of Health,
Mr Robin Walker · Department for Education,
Tom Surrey · Department of Health and Social Care
|
View ↗ |
| 6 Apr 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Edward Argar MP · Department of Health and Social Care
|
View ↗ |
| 31 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
James Zuccollo · Education Policy Institute,
Robin Wilkinson · Metropolitan Police
|
View ↗ |
| 30 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Benjamin Welby · Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,
Chief Superintendent Paul Fotheringham · Police Superintendents' Association,
Daniel Gerson · Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,
Dr Bryan McIntosh · Brunel Business School, Brunel University London,
Hannah Cameron · Te Kawa Mataaho Public Services Commission, New Zealand,
Jade Hamnett · Social Care Future
|
View ↗ |
| 23 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Andrew O'Brien · Social Enterprise UK,
Duncan Shrubsole · Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales,
Joanne Roney OBE · Solace,
Jon Rowney · London Borough of Camden
|
View ↗ |
| 16 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Ana Canhoto · Brunel Business School, Brunel University London,
Dr Aveek Bhattacharya · Social Market Foundation,
Kate Caulkin · The National Audit Office,
Professor Catherine Mangan, New Local,
Sian Elliott · Trades Union Congress
|
View ↗ |
| 9 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Matthew Lewis · Hays Recruitment Consultancies,
Sarah McClinton · Association of Directors of Adult Social Services,
Steven Littlewood · First Division Association (FDA)
|
View ↗ |
| 2 Mar 2022 |
Oral evidence session
Alan Robson · Department of Health and Social Care,
Caroline Pusey · Department for Education,
Mark Adam · Ministry of Justice,
Mike Haslam · Department of Health and Social Care,
Rob Smith · Health Education England,
Siobhan Jones · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Robson · Deputy Director, NHS Workforce | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Andrew O'Brien · Director of Public Affairs | Social Enterprise UK | 1 |
| Benjamin Welby · Policy Analyst, Digital Government and Data Unit, Directorate for Public Governance | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | 1 |
| Caroline Pusey · Director for teaching workforce | Department for Education | 1 |
| Chief Superintendent Paul Fotheringham · President | Police Superintendents' Association | 1 |
| Daniel Gerson · Head of Unit, Public Employment and Management, Directorate for Public Governance | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | 1 |
| Dr Ana Canhoto · Reader in Marketing | Brunel Business School, Brunel University London | 1 |
| Dr Aveek Bhattacharya · Chief Economist | Social Market Foundation | 1 |
| Dr Bryan McIntosh · Senior Lecturer | Brunel Business School, Brunel University London | 1 |
| Duncan Shrubsole · Director of Policy, Communications and Research | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | 1 |
| Edward Argar · Minister of State for Health | Department of Health | 1 |
| Edward Argar MP · Minister of State | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Gavin Larner · Director, NHS Workforce | Department of Health | 1 |
| Hannah Cameron · Deputy Commissioner | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Services Commission, New Zealand | 1 |
| Jade Hamnett · Adviser | Social Care Future | 1 |
| James Darley · Founder and Chief Executive Officer | Transform Society | 1 |
| James Zuccollo · Director for School Workforce Research | Education Policy Institute | 1 |
| Joanne Roney OBE | Solace | 1 |
| Jon Rowney · Executive Director, Corporate Services | London Borough of Camden | 1 |
| Kate Caulkin · Director, People and Operational Management Insights | The National Audit Office | 1 |
| Mark Adam · Chief People Officer | Ministry of Justice | 1 |
| Matthew Lewis · UK and Ireland Director for Hays Public Services | Hays Recruitment Consultancies | 1 |
| Mike Haslam · Deputy Director, Workforce Strategy | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
| Mr Robin Walker · Minister of State for School Standards | Department for Education | 1 |
| Mr Stephen Isherwood · Chief Executive Officer | Institute of Student Employers | 1 |
| Professor Catherine Mangan, New Local | Not recorded | 1 |
| Richard Lee OBE · Member | Women's Business Council | 1 |
| Rob Smith · Workforce Planning and Intelligence Director | Health Education England | 1 |
| Robin Wilkinson · Chief of Corporate Services | Metropolitan Police | 1 |
| Sarah McClinton · President | Association of Directors of Adult Social Services | 1 |
| Sian Elliott · Senior Policy Officer | Trades Union Congress | 1 |
| Siobhan Jones · Director Supporting Families Programme | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) | 1 |
| Steven Littlewood · Assistant General Secretary | First Division Association (FDA) | 1 |
| Tom Surrey · Director of Adult Social Care Policy | Department of Health and Social Care | 1 |
Meetings & visits
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Date | Type | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jun 2022 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Not recorded · Room 2, Palace of Westminster |