According to the ‘Sunday Times’ (27.11.11) paying public sector pensions costs British taxpayers almost £15bn a year. In other words, each and every one of us is subsidising public sector pensioners to the tune of £250 a year. That’s a fiver a week, from every man, woman and child.
Demographics mean that this cost will rise, especially if the Trade Unions have their way. So what’s the answer? Could it be the migration of public services into a whole new generation of social enterprises and mutuals? It’s a convenient solution to a funding crisis made worse by the long term inconvenient actuarial truth.
Of course the cynic would say it was all propaganda. Craig Dearden Phillips and Mark Griffiths however paint a very differ picture. ‘How to Step Out’ is a warts and all account of how 25 public sector teams accepted the entrepreneurship baton. It describes how they stepped out of the warm public sector into what others might describe as the real world.
Contributors range from the controversial Ali Parsa, CEO of Circle who recently took over Hinchingbroke Hospital to the ebullient Lance Gardener of Care Plus Group. Lance I have to say is one of my favourite social entrepreneurs; he succeeded by being so difficult that his local authority transferred staff, funding and responsibility to his organisation. He knew stuff worked better if outside local Government and proved it!
The book is well written and clearly signposted. It takes you through logical journey from ‘so what if’ to ‘hey we’re there!’ (Chapter headings are clearly more logical than that, but you get my drift. This book make it seem possible, perhaps because it is!)
Of course to many public sector managers the journey from bureaucracy to autonomy and true accountability is a terrifying prospect. Just as battery hens will fear the freedom presented by an open cage door, so these folk can be reluctant to fly towards the newly noticed light.
As a County Councillor Dearden Phillip speaks the language. As a proven social entrepreneur he also walks the talk. And his book spells this out, in language made all the more powerful by the ghost writing skills of co-author Mark Griffiths. If you’re a public sector manager being asked to walk the plank, this book will tell you how to hold your breath as you plunge into the unknown. You’ll also learn not to be afraid because the sea is warm. And you’ll learn how to dodge the sharks and find funding as you become accustomed to your new more commercial environment.
The book is littered with quotations. Not those erudite ones people use to impress, but spontaneous heartfelt comments uttered by those reflecting on their struggle to live the dream. I particularly liked the metaphors; ‘It was like being made to run a marathon in a Gorilla suit on a really hot day,’ was one of my favourites.
The book also firmly grasps some of the nettles that can sting the unwary. ‘Social return on investment’ is just one of many potential shibboleths that is fully explained. And let’s be frank, you do need to understand the jargon or others will pick up on your naivety and take you for a ride.
So let’s cut to the chase. Is this book going to be your passport to a great future or a daunting travelogue that describes a journey you’re too scared to undertake? Actually I can’t tell you the answer to that question as it all depends on you. If you think you’re professional, passionate and willing to accept all that goes with really running your own show, then it most certainly is. If however you think that Government should simply tax us all to keep you comfortable, then no, it’s not for you, well not until the penny finally drops anyway!
Robert Ashton is author of ‘How to be a Social Entrepreneur’, Capstone 2010 and works with organisations seeking to become more entrepreneurial. www.robertashton.co.uk
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