{"id":44857,"date":"2014-07-10T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-10T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=5dbdd745a002c0c9d916743be74a29b2"},"modified":"2014-07-10T12:30:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-10T12:30:00","slug":"speech-partnerships-for-delivery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=44857","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Partnerships for delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

It is a pleasure to be here in Bournemouth on the closing day of the Local Government Association conference.<\/p>\n

When it comes to tackling Britain\u2019s most challenging and entrenched social problems, I have long believed that answers are not to be found in Whitehall.<\/p>\n

Despite good intentions, it is my belief that we achieve far less from sitting in ivory towers drawing scientific conclusions on social policy\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026and far more from listening to people on the ground, freeing up grassroots organisations to apply their insights, and working together with experts to deliver innovative solutions. <\/p>\n

Across central and local government, we are currently in the midst of enormous cultural change\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 offering a real opportunity to seize the initiative, and push ahead with radical approaches.<\/p>\n

Already, new ways of delivering services are coming to the fore \u2013 nowhere more so than in my area of responsibility: work, welfare and pensions.<\/p>\n

Need for welfare reform<\/h2>\n

In 2010, this government was faced with a pressing, even dire need for reform.<\/p>\n

The Coalition inherited an economy at breaking point \u2013 \u00a3112 billion wiped off our GDP \u2013 burdened with the largest deficit in peacetime history.<\/p>\n

Welfare bills out of control, having increased by 60%, rising even before the recession.<\/p>\n

Yet worklessness and dependency were on the rise as well \u2013 in too many cases\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 a complex array of 30 different payments that meant too often, work simply did not pay.<\/p>\n

Difficulties people face<\/h2>\n

For too many in our society\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026. for the 5 million on out of work benefits at its peak, a million for a decade or more\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 for the 1 in 5 households where no one worked\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 for the 2 million children living in workless households\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 the welfare safety net had become a trap.<\/p>\n

Programme of change<\/h2>\n

Since 2010, across 44 programmes of change underway at the Department for Work and Pensions, our ambition has been a cultural transformation in Britain\u2019s welfare state\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 restoring fairness and sustainability\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026 but even more than that, renewing the incentive to get a job and helping people to overcome the barriers they face.<\/p>\n

In short, every change has been designed to get Britain back to work.<\/p>\n

Scale of the task<\/h2>\n

I make no secret of the fact that change on this scale is not easy.<\/p>\n

Far from it, for it involves both unpicking a benefits system of historic complexity, and a complete behavioural shift for those lost to its clutches for far too long.<\/p>\n

Yet I believe this change is necessary if we are serious about securing a future in which everyone can share.<\/p>\n

A stable economy matched by a strong society in which all can play their part.<\/p>\n

Results already<\/h2>\n

Already, we are seeing the results of our efforts, with record successes in the labour market \u2013 better even than we might have hoped.<\/p>\n

We now have record employment \u2013 up 1.7 million since the last election.<\/p>\n

And we have more people working in the private sector than ever before, up over 2 million.<\/p>\n

Less known \u2013 we also have falling numbers of people absent from the labour market\u2026 falling long-term unemployment\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026 and, perhaps most importantly of all, the lowest rate of workless households on record, down 450,000 since 2010.<\/p>\n

Ultimate aim<\/h2>\n

As the economy improves, this is where the real effect of our reforms is felt: British people reengaging with the workforce and regaining the opportunity to access the jobs being created\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026 ensuring everyone who is able can play a part and realise their potential.<\/p>\n

Universal Credit<\/h2>\n

That is the context for welfare reform.<\/p>\n

But I didn\u2019t come here today to give a long lecture on the labour market, or to run through all of the programmes we are implementing.<\/p>\n

Rather, there are just a few key points that I want to make \u2013 to my mind, the key messages for local government.<\/p>\n

The first is about Universal Credit itself a significant change for local government\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 and an area where we are committed to working closely with local authorities\u2026 alongside local jobcentres, Housing Associations, community groups and many others\u2026<\/p>\n

Commitment to partnership<\/h2>\n

I know, that the only way to ensure Universal Credit succeeds will be through genuine, integrated partnerships \u2013 working well at the local level, with local authorities as our clear delivery partners. <\/p>\n

We\u2019re absolutely committed to that delivery partnership operating model. <\/p>\n

Seek to innovate<\/h2>\n

And as we deliver the programme, we will seek to innovate more. We want to enable DWP<\/abbr> and LAs<\/abbr> to:<\/p>\n