Leadership and Listening: The Reception of User Voice in Today's Public Services

Abstract

Over the last decade leadership has become a watchword in public service provision, especially in its association with the seemingly ubiquitous 'delivery' agenda. As leadership styles change in response to developments in the contemporary public service environment, it has become imperative for service providers to find ways to listen to service users. However, listening is itself widely recognized as an underdeveloped public sector competency. This article addresses the relationship between leadership and listening. Using findings from recent research, it identifies a 'listening gap' in public services, before pointing to ways in which this gap might be better understood and subsequently narrowed. In doing so, it seeks to present new ideas about the essential balance between 'leadership' and 'listening', and how this can be struck in today's public service environment. First, the nature of the user voice is examined. By talking to service users who have communicated their views in different ways in each of three different services (housing, social care and leisure), the article seeks to understand the nature of users' 'projects' in the expression of their views. These projects are compared with those of public service leaders. Second, the congruence (or incongruence) of these projects is considered through a comparison of the world views of both users and leaders. Finally, aspects of the context are considered in the discussion of the way public service organizations might go about defining the relationship between leadership and listening.

User co-production of public service delivery: Effects on trust

“…Hence, the 'voice option' was underdeveloped, possibly thwarting the chance to develop feelings of personal control (Simmons, 2011) and affective relations (Taylor-Gooby, 2008).…”

Persistent Punishment: User Views of Short Prison Sentences

“…Within criminal justice, prisoner rights groups and affiliated voluntary sector organisations have expanded their efforts from working on behalf of prisoners to advocating and providing mechanisms for bringing prisoner views directly into penal debates (for example, UNLOCK; Aldridge Foundation 2008). Outside criminal justice, a user voice movement has been under way for much longer, originating in the idea that a minimum set of rights should be articulated for users of public services and chief among these ‘rights’ is choice (for example, Simmons ; Policy Commission on Public Services ; Public Affairs Select Committee (PASC) ). Responsive services are built around a user's needs, and one of the best ways of learning about needs is directly from the user.…”

Participatory research meets validated outcome measures: Tensions in the co‐production of social care evaluation

“…In recent decades, two approaches to social policy research have become prominent in England: an emphasis on validated outcome tools to assure quality across health and social care (Department of Health, , ) and public involvement through co‐production (Department of Health, , ; Simmons, ). These trends are visible internationally, as supranational initiatives focus on harmonising approaches and expanding the evidence base about outcome measures and involvement/co‐production (Brett et al, ; Cochrane Consumer Network, ; ICHOM, ; Science Business, ).…”