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Payment by Results

The 7th Commandment of Payment by Results: Thou shalt promote innovation

Payment by results is supposed to be all about innovation. The central idea of PbR is that commissioners set their outcomes and only pay up if the provider achieves them. This leaves providers free to deliver the service in any way they see fit.
The freedom from constant monitoring and reporting on targets, milestones, KPIs etc. enables providers to approach entrenched social problems with new ideas and fresh approaches and also frees up considerable resources currently dedicated to the collection, polishing and submitting of data. But…

4th July 2013

Why I Tweet

Police historian Brian Williams @BriW74: “Why I tweet”

I have learned and gained information faster than I can imagine being able to do anywhere else, I have challenged peoples’ perceptions on policing issues and had my own challenged. This is important. Twitter loses it power if it acts merely an echo chamber for your own views. I have got far more out of tweeting than I ever thought I would. I have made and continue to make excellent contacts, particularly in the police tweeter world, many of whom I would not have managed to reach if not for twitter. I have made friendships with people that simply would not have happened without Twitter. One of these friends described me as “An historian masquerading as a police officer” I like that description!

3rd July 2013

Payment by Results

The 6th Commandment of Payment by Results: Profit shall not be thy God

One of the most controversial aspects of payment by results in the UK has been the way the funding model has been used to outsource public services and open the market up to private providers, typically the sort of global companies who deliver the Work Programme. Many people are opposed in principle to the idea of public services generating profit for multinationals. On the other side of the argument are those that see the introduction of business sense and commercial acumen as a key way of reducing cost and driving innovation. But is financial profit the only measure of success?

2nd July 2013

On Probation

What will happen to the prison population under Transforming Rehabilitation?

One of the key changes under the Offender Rehabilitation Bill currently working its way through Parliament is that short term prisoners will receive mandatory supervision on release. Although this development is broadly welcomed, one of the consequences will be that some of these prisoners will not comply with supervision and therefore will be breached and returned to prison. The recently updated impact assessment of the Offender Rehabilitation Bill estimated that 13,000 short term prisoners will be returned to prison because they will breach the new mandatory period of supervision on release. I can see two other factors which will drive up the custody rate…

1st July 2013

How to use Social Media to promote your event

How to use Social Media to promote your event. This Infographic shows all the key elements of ABC: Announce, Broadcast, Consolidate approach in one easy to follow form.

28th June 2013

On Probation

The 5th Commandment of Payment by Results: Thou shall not pay for deadweight

Payment by results is about driving improvement, so no self-respecting PBR scheme will pay for results that will happen anyway, known in the jargon is “deadweight”. The proportion of deadweight in a PbR funded initiative varies markedly across different spheres of operation. Despite all the adverse publicity about reoffending rates which has accompanied the debate about the Rehabilitation Revolution, 65.8% of those supervised in the community and 53.1% of those released from prison do NOT re-offend in the first year. However, when we look at the Work Programme…

27th June 2013

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"Russell goes about his craft in a way that is both supportive, taking account of competing pressures on those he seeks to engage, and challenging through honest feedback and thought provoking conclusions."

"Russell has worked as a consultant for RAPt/Forward for over seven years on a wide range of projects. He has detailed knowledge of the world of drugs and crime and can be relied on to produce quick and accurate briefings which draw on the latest research as well as developments in the pipeline. We have used Russell to provide specialist input on a wide range of subjects and have always been pleased with the quality of his output.."

"Russell is a canny analyst of all things in criminal justice reform. His helpful takes on policy development and his good use of digital media makes him one of the most useful people to know in the sector. His clear-eyed scrutiny of payment by results and the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms is particularly impressive."

"Russell is incredibly knowledgeable and he is also an extremely good listener. His criminal justice experience means that as well as setting up an evaluation system for Fine Cell Work, he has helped to shepherd us through the planning needed for a big, new piece of work. All of our team have found him an absolute pleasure to work with."

“Russell Webster is a pleasure to work with. His wealth of experience and knowledge with an ability to write really accessible information for a range of audiences are a great combination. He has a deep understanding of a wide range of issues in criminal justice which he puts to use in a variety of ways. We find working with Russell very beneficial for our charity’s audiences’ needs”

"Russell's ability to get on with the job, appreciate how busy everyone is and produce an honest evaluation was really welcome and helpful. We wouldn't hesitate to ask him to undertake more work for us."

"I have commissioned Russell to carry a number of research and evaluation projects of our work with long term unemployed people, in particular substance mis-users. Russell has demonstrated an inate ability to connect with our service users, staff and partners to produce highly objective and thought provoking pieces of work. Russell is an expert in his field, a passionate champion of social justice and I have always welcomed his input as a critical friend of our charity"

"Russell Webster consistently provides up to date, accurate and often hidden information alongside useful, critical and sometimes very funny analysis. His website is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the ever changing context of justice policy and practice. Working with Russell is a pleasure and his contriubution to the sector is invaluable. His update is one of the few regular emails I look forward to."

"Russell knows his way around the criminal justice system as well as anyone. He combines practical knowledge with a sharp intellect. But what is equally impressive is that his compassion shines through his work. From the day we met, Russell's advice has been invaluable; without it we would not be able to support some of our most important clients. I would (and do) recommend him without qualification"

"If Russell covers something you know it's likely to be important, and have implications for policy and practice. His analysis of the crime and drug policy world always gets to the nub of the issues and provides a way of cutting through to the heart of what's important."

"The best source of information on Payment by Results is russellwebster.com"

"Russell is a mine of information, he's my go to for anything criminal justice related and I often refer people to him and his work, which is always accurate and accessible - no mean feat given the ever-changing landscape. Not only is Russell an expert in his field, he's an approachable and helpful person too; making him a pleasure to work alongside."

"Russell’s explanations and summaries are always helpful and often more helpful to me than the original report. He provides me the basis of the subject with up-to-date, accurate, evidence-based information and critical analysis but always with compassion and understanding. It is a rare combination in these times."

"No nonsense interpretation about PbR, huge respect for Russell’s unwavering determination to make a difference."

"Russell was the Evaluator on the project I led. I found him to be extremely useful as much more than someone 'marking my homework' which was the role I expected him to take. His experience helped guide me forward, avoid mistakes I might have made, and steady my nerves when I got rattled. An excellent person to have on the team"

"Russell worked with Sussex Police and Emerging Futures as an independent evaluator on a project aligned to the MOJ’s Female Offender Strategy from May 2018 to June 2019. Russell worked diligently with the team to collate data, feedback at all levels from commissioners, staff and Service Users building on case studies and contributing well to performance meetings. As a result, Russell provided an excellent final evaluation report."

“Russell Webster is always worth a read – the key issues objectively explained. In an area where everyone has an opinion, it’s good to know someone who also has facts.”

Keep up-to-date with drugs and crime

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