Service Domains – The New Communities: A Case Study of Peterlee Sure Start,UK

In this paper, a Sure Start programme is used to explain an emergent ‘Service Domain’ model, built around innovative and creative service integration and complementary multi-professional partnerships for pre-school children and their families in disadvantaged communities. Sure Start, the cornerstone of the government's ambitious policy to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020, and a major departure from traditional single agency service delivery, emulates the Head Start initiative in the USA where funding came directly from federal government and by-passed state legislatures. The Sure Start funding mechanism had a pre-requisite to establish multi-agency partnerships with equal parent representation, as a result of central government's frustration with the failure of mainstream agencies to unite strategically and operationally to deliver integrated services. The Sure Start initiative represented a nationally coordinated attempt by central government to address previously disjointed approaches to children's services integration.     

论社会保险服务及其公平性

本文立足于我国社会保险存在的问题,对社会保险的性质进行反思,认为社会保险本质上是一种服务,是国家向劳动者提供的分担相关风险的公共服务,不仅应当供应充足,满足每一个有权享受的社会劳动者的需求,而且应当以公平性为出发点和归宿点,确保每一个社会劳动者都能公平地享受。而要衡量社会保险法规政策以及各级政府和社会保险经办机构的工作是否符合公平性的要求,必须建立相应的公平标准,从覆盖范围的广泛性、参与机会的均等性、义务履行的一致性和基本权利的保障性四个方面,明确社会保险应当达到的水平。     

Best Value and the Market Orientation of UK Recreation Centres

This paper explores the similarities between the Best Value initiative and the well-established market orientation construct. It shows that many of the benefits that Best Value could bring to local authority recreation centres could have been achieved more easily by implementing the market orientation philosophy. A study of 67 recreation centres suggests that although market orientation will increase under Best Value, the benefits from this might be somewhat illusory and represent poor value for the administrative and operational burdens entailed.