@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk How can Subnational Governments Deliver Policy in the Age of Austerity? Reshaping Homelessness Policy in Wales Andrew Connell, Steve Martin, and Emily St Denny Public Policy Institute for Wales, Cardiff University andrew.connell@ppiw.org.uk
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Context: Devolution in Wales UK Government devolves some policy responsibilities to National Assembly for Wales • (NAfW) 1999 NAfW powers initially limited to secondary legislation only, no separate executive • Separate executive 2001(2006), primary legislative powers 2011 • Now NAfW/ Welsh Government (WG) have substantially same powers in devolved matters • in Wales as UK Parliament/ Government in England Housing (including homelessness) is one of the devolved responsibilities •
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Homelessness policy in Wales Homelessness services in Wales (Scotland, England) delivered by local councils within (sub) • national legislative framework From 1977 (1996) councils must secure long-term housing for homeless persons who meet • statutory criteria (priority need, non-intentional, local connection)- but few duties to people who don’t meet criteria. Statutory safety net generally supported but criticised for exclusivity, inflexibility, resource- • intensive process NAfW’s Housing (Wales)Act 2014 seeks to address criticisms: long-term duty remains but • councils now have preventative and relief duties to all applicants regardless of other criteria Wales has extended the state’s responsibilities at a time of austerity - but how? •
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk The NATO model (Hood & Margetts 2007) Nodality- ‘ the property of being in the middle of an information or social network ’ • Authority- ‘the possession of legal or official power’ to demand, forbid, guarantee or • adjudicate – includes but not limited to lawmaking power Treasure- money or other ‘fungible chattels’ - the government’s stock of anything that can • be freely exchanged Organisation- ability of government to do things using human and material resources • under its own control Range of tools differs between levels of government: Welsh Government possessed all four • but in varying degrees
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Welsh Government resources Treasure: Limited. WG funded homelessness services (existing funding stream) but relied • overall on UK government block grant – which rose/fell with English spending Organisation: Limited. WG had small homelessness policy team, but relied on councils to • deliver services Authority: 1999-2011 -NAfW could only legislate within framework of UK Acts. WG develops • policy style based on strategies, co-ordination, guidance. 2011 onwards much less limited- full legislative powers. So Treasure, Authority, (Organsiation), all limited by the devolution settlement. But this is not • true of Nodality : the key resource here. •
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Nodality, Wales, and homelessness policy Homelessness Strategy Working Group (HSWG)- since c 2000- kept networks open: …may • have been a talking shop…but…formed the basis for something … (consultant interview) Homelessness Network- council homelessness service leads- …. people who are going to • be delivering the service’ (consultant interview) Permanent secondee from councils/third sector into WG homelessness policy team a sort • of reality- check … they can inform that process with the experience of realities of life…on the frontlines (Welsh Government interview 1) Very inclusive consultation/ research to inform new legislation • Guidance/ implementation training developed & delivered collaboratively •
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Nodality, Wales, and homelessness policy Overall picture: Welsh Government at centre of comprehensive & (generally) trust-based • set of relationships which it had consciously fostered Aided by the small size of Wales and its homelessness sector: …it is easier in Wales than • in England because it’s smaller and people do tend to know each other, but…you’ve still got to work damn hard to make connections (Welsh Government interview 2) Nodality a necessary resource which WG used very skilfully. Not in itself sufficient to deliver • fundamental homelessness reform but provided context for use of Authority Extension of legislative Authority 2011 enabled WG to go beyond the limits of what • Nodality alone could achieve.
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk A distinctively Welsh approach? Homelessness ‘always on the radar’ of WG - heavily embedded in legislation, well- • organised policy community (with closer access to WG since devolution), ‘emblematic’ issue for progressive & distinctive policymaking Wales retains high view of state as steward of social wellbeing- preference for universal, • free, unconditional services (protected after 2010); collaboration & trust rather than competition These preferences reflected throughout development of new homelessness policy- explicit • emphasis on stability, opportunity, equality, social justice BUT unlike Scottish homelessness reforms (2003- ‘1977 plus’ ) Welsh reforms coincided with • austerity):… if we could have had the powers, we could have introduced it in say 2003/2004 or even 2005. It would have been much easier to have found the money and more money as well … (Welsh Government interview 1)
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Retrenchment the context for reforms- but not their purpose It was incredible, when everything else is retrenching and we’re acutely aware of that, • we’re widening the safety net and the discussions with Welsh Government were driven by social justice…. England’s looking at it now and ... it’s resource discourse. So, ‘This could save money. This would be a more effective way to spend money.’ It wasn’t about that. It was about, ‘Actually we’ve got a group of people that are facing an injustice under this system. We’ve known it for a long time. We’ve got the powers now to do something about it’ (Academic interview 1) The Westminster budget cuts have required us to look differently at the way we do things • and the Welsh Government has traditionally had a view that it will try and protect the more vulnerable. So it has been I think necessity meets some lucky happenstance and the necessity is we need to do things differently. The lucky happenstance is we had a Government that was committed to protecting the vulnerable. (Third Sector interview 2)
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Conclusions- subnational and small country policy The subnational context -WG constrained by willingness of UK state to devolve powers Limited devolution of powers in 1999 prompted policy style based on exhortation/ co- • ordination- Nodality In this case that style laid the foundations for successful development and implementation • of legislation-based reforms later on. Unlike Authority, Treasure, and (indirectly) Organisation, Nodality was a resource which the • Welsh Government could generate and develop by itself The small country context - again, Nodality is key Small Welsh homelessness policy community meant leading actors were constantly in touch • with each other- and in varying permutations, so no one actor could control the flow of debates. Always opportunities to go directly to other actors and to access a range of views and experiences. High degree of vertical coherence – WG consciously fostered constant interplay between • policymakers and practitioners so that policymaking and practice informed each other
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Conclusions Caveats: three special circumstances- expectation of further devolution, longevity of key • players in post, suitability of homelessness as subnational policy subject (choice of appropriate subject important as well as choice of appropriate instruments ?) Nevertheless NATO model enables us to see importance of interplay of resources/ tools over time • Case study shows value of Nodality as a relatively autonomously-generated category of • policy tool, in subnational and small country policymaking and delivery Combination of Nodality and Authority provides powerful resources for a subnational • government which has only limited formal powers and fiscal autonomy
@PPIfW www.ppiw.org.uk Thank you for listening 10 Museum Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BG www.ppiw.org.uk Public Policy Institute info@ppiw.org.uk for Wales +44 (0) 29 2087 5345
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