This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing digital transformation of public employment services (PES) – the most radical remaking of the welfare state in a generation. As PES shift from analogue to fully digitised services, this volume bridges the gap between technology, policy and frontline service provision. It provides a well-rounded analysis of the practical opportunities and challenges posed by digital welfare, reconnecting and reconciling technical possibilities and political ambitions with what is socially necessary as welfare systems undergo radical change.

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Through a series of studies, the overarching aim of this book is to investigate if and how the digitalization/digital transformation process affects various welfare services provided by the public sector, and the ensuing implications thereof. Ultimately, this book seeks to understand if it is conceivable for digital advancement to result in the creation of private/non-governmental alternatives to welfare services, possibly in a manner that transcends national boundaries. This study also investigates the possible ramifications of technological development for the public sector and the Western welfare society at large. This book takes its point of departure from the 2016 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report that targets specific public service areas in which government needs to adopt new strategies not to fall behind. Specifically, this report emphasizes the focus on digitalization of health care/social care, education, and protection services, including the use of assistive technologies referred to as "digital welfare." Hence, this book explores the factors potentially leading to whether state actors could be overrun by other non-governmental actors, disrupting the current status quo of welfare services. The book seeks to provide an innovative, enriching, and controversial take on society at large and how various aspects of the public sector can be, and are, affected by the ongoing digitalization process in a way that is not covered by extant literature on the market. This book takes its point of departure in Sweden given the fact that Sweden is one of the most digitalized countries in Europe, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), making it a pertinent research case. However, as digitalization transcends national borders, large parts of the subject matter take on an international angle. This includes cases from several other countries around Europe as well as the United States.

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While recent studies have highlighted the phenomenon and risks of increased inequalities between the top and the bottom of society, little research has so far been carried out on trends relating to the median income range that generally represents the middle class. This volume examines the following questions: what are the main transformations in the world of work over the last 20 years in terms of the labour market, social dialogue and conditions of work, wages and incomes that may have affected the middle class? How has the middle class been altered by the financial and economic crisis? What are the long-term trends for the middle class in Europe? This volume also investigates the potential risks and effects of the reshuffling, or even weakening, of the middle class. On the social side, it explores the ramifications of further retrenchment of the European Social Model, which to a great extent has traditionally been funded by the middle class. On the economic side, the book investigates whether this process – especially from the perspective of consumption and human capital – is endangering the long-term sustainability of the current economic model. While presenting evidence of a definite erosion of the middle class, this book assesses the specific situation in each individual EU member state on the basis of detailed statistics and case studies of professional categories that traditionally represent the middle class. This book issues a timely warning about the latest trends and prospects for the middle class in Europe. On this basis, it presents policy considerations and options that will be useful to policy-makers for ensuring the future of the middle class in Europe. Scholars and researchers of European studies and social policy, especially from a sustainability perspective, will find this volume to be an invaluable reference.

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Human society is full of would-be ‘change agents’, a restless mix of campaigners, lobbyists, and officials, both individuals and organizations, set on transforming the world. They want to improve public services, reform laws and regulations, guarantee human rights, get a fairer deal for those on the sharp end, achieve greater recognition for any number of issues, or simply be treated with respect. Striking then, that not many universities have a Department of Change Studies, to which social activists can turn for advice and inspiration. Instead, scholarly discussions of change are fragmented with few conversations crossing disciplinary boundaries, rarely making it onto the radars of those actively seeking change. This book aims to bridge the gap between academia and practice, bringing together the best research from a range of academic disciplines and the evolving practical understanding of activists to explore the topic of social and political change. Drawing on many first-hand examples from the global experience of Oxfam, one of the world’s largest social justice NGOs, as well as insights gleaned from studying and working on international development, it tests ideas and offers the latest thinking on what works to achieve progressive change.

Online resources at the books website.

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This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book tells the story of Barbara Robb and her pressure group, Aid for the Elderly in Government Institutions (AEGIS). In 1965, Barbara visited 73-year-old Amy Gibbs in a dilapidated and overcrowded National Health Service psychiatric hospital back-ward. She was so appalled by the low standards that she set out to make improvements. Barbara’s book Sans Everything: A case to answer was publicly discredited by a complacent and self-righteous Ministry of Health. However, inspired by her work, staff in other hospitals ‘whistle-blew’ about events they witnessed, which corroborated her allegations. Barbara influenced government policy, to improve psychiatric care and health service complaints procedures, and to establish a hospitals' inspectorate and ombudsman. The book will appeal to campaigners, health and social care staff and others working with older people, and those with an interest in policy development in England, the 1960s, women’s history and the history of psychiatry and nursing. ; Explores the influence of AEGIS as a pressure group in improving care for older people in psychiatric hospitals, unlike other histories that attribute these improvements to the government Offers a much-needed account of the experiences of older women, and other vulnerable people, on psychiatric wards Highlights the ongoing relevance of AEGIS’s campaign today and how this history can inform current debate on chronic care for older people

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elderly; older people, NHS; public services; history; psychiatry; social welfare

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This book tells the story of Barbara Robb and her pressure group, Aid for the Elderly in Government Institutions (AEGIS). In 1965, Barbara visited 73-year-old Amy Gibbs in a dilapidated and overcrowded National Health Service psychiatric hospital back-ward. She was so appalled by the low standards that she set out to make improvements. Barbara’s book Sans Everything: A case to answer was publicly discredited by a complacent and self-righteous Ministry of Health. However, inspired by her work, staff in other hospitals ‘whistle-blew’ about events they witnessed, which corroborated her allegations. Barbara influenced government policy, to improve psychiatric care and health service complaints procedures, and to establish a hospitals' inspectorate and ombudsman. The book will appeal to campaigners, health and social care staff and others working with older people, and those with an interest in policy development in England, the 1960s, women’s history and the history of psychiatry and nursing.

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This book tells the story of Barbara Robb and her pressure group, Aid for the Elderly in Government Institutions (AEGIS). In 1965, Barbara visited 73-year-old Amy Gibbs in a dilapidated and overcrowded National Health Service psychiatric hospital back-ward. She was so appalled by the low standards that she set out to make improvements. Barbara’s book Sans Everything: A case to answer was publicly discredited by a complacent and self-righteous Ministry of Health. However, inspired by her work, staff in other hospitals ‘whistle-blew’ about events they witnessed, which corroborated her allegations. Barbara influenced government policy, to improve psychiatric care and health service complaints procedures, and to establish a hospitals' inspectorate and ombudsman. The book will appeal to campaigners, health and social care staff and others working with older people, and those with an interest in policy development in England, the 1960s, women’s history and the history of psychiatry and nursing.

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One of the principal goals of antipoverty efforts should be to improve the absolute living standards of the least well-off. This book aims to enhance our understanding of how to do that, drawing on the experiences of twenty affluent countries since the 1970s. The book addresses a set of questions at the heart of political economy and public policy: How much does economic growth help the poor? When and why does growth fail to trickle down? How can social policy help? Can a country have a sizeable low-wage sector yet few poor households? Are universal programs better than targeted ones? What role can public services play in antipoverty efforts? What is the best tax mix? Is more social spending better for the poor? If we commit to improvement in the absolute living standards of the least well-off, must we sacrifice other desirable outcomes?

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"Health and social services on the markets - objectives, expectations and contradictions Public services are facing a massive turbulence in Finland. The forthcoming public service reform brings public health and social services under a single umbrella management. Simultaneously the reform transforms the ways services are organised and produced. Citizens, private sector organisations and markets are viewed from a new and wider role.The ongoing changes place a major demand for a new knowledge on the future role of the public sector actors and their relations with the markets. In addition there is a growing need for research focusing on the ways that public services are organized and produced through citizen co-creation.ALIS-project targeted on widening the understanding about the possibilities and challenges of the health and social service’ markets. The aim was also to describe the motives, needs and logics behind the different market actors, especially municipalities. The project was carried out between the years 2013 and 2016 and funded by TEKES. Three Finnish cities, Jyväskylä, Tampere and Turku, took part on the project and shared their case examples for research purposes. This book brings together the main findings of the ALIS-project. The book consists of four parts that constitute of independent scientific articles. The first part concentrates on the changing role and actions of the municipalities in the health and social service markets. The second part discusses the themes of participation and customer-focus attached to the service development. The third part focuses on the outcomes-based commissioning which is a rather novel means of procurement. Finally, the last part challenges the reader to view the markets from a wider and more philosophic perspective. All in all, this book is an attempt to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the public health and social services and the markets – markets in which different objectives, expectations and contradictions moderate the discussion and actions. Health and social services on the markets - objectives, expectations and contradictions Public services are facing a massive turbulence in Finland. The forthcoming public service reform brings public health and social services under a single umbrella management. Simultaneously the reform transforms the ways services are organised and produced. Citizens, private sector organisations and markets are viewed from a new and wider role.The ongoing changes place a major demand for a new knowledge on the future role of the public sector actors and their relations with the markets. In addition there is a growing need for research focusing on the ways that public services are organized and produced through citizen co-creation.ALIS-project targeted on widening the understanding about the possibilities and challenges of the health and social service’ markets. The aim was also to describe the motives, needs and logics behind the different market actors, especially municipalities. The project was carried out between the years 2013 and 2016 and funded by TEKES. Three Finnish cities, Jyväskylä, Tampere and Turku, took part on the project and shared their case examples for research purposes. This book brings together the main findings of the ALIS-project. The book consists of four parts that constitute of independent scientific articles. The first part concentrates on the changing role and actions of the municipalities in the health and social service markets. The second part discusses the themes of participation and customer-focus attached to the service development. The third part focuses on the outcomes-based commissioning which is a rather novel means of procurement. Finally, the last part challenges the reader to view the markets from a wider and more philosophic perspective. All in all, this book is an attempt to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the public health and social services and the markets – markets in which different objectives, expectations and contradictions moderate the discussion and actions. Health and social services on the markets - objectives, expectations and contradictions Public services are facing a massive turbulence in Finland. The forthcoming public service reform brings public health and social services under a single umbrella management. Simultaneously the reform transforms the ways services are organised and produced. Citizens, private sector organisations and markets are viewed from a new and wider role.The ongoing changes place a major demand for a new knowledge on the future role of the public sector actors and their relations with the markets. In addition there is a growing need for research focusing on the ways that public services are organized and produced through citizen co-creation.ALIS-project targeted on widening the understanding about the possibilities and challenges of the health and social service’ markets. The aim was also to describe the motives, needs and logics behind the different market actors, especially municipalities. The project was carried out between the years 2013 and 2016 and funded by TEKES. Three Finnish cities, Jyväskylä, Tampere and Turku, took part on the project and shared their case examples for research purposes. This book brings together the main findings of the ALIS-project. The book consists of four parts that constitute of independent scientific articles. The first part concentrates on the changing role and actions of the municipalities in the health and social service markets. The second part discusses the themes of participation and customer-focus attached to the service development. The third part focuses on the outcomes-based commissioning which is a rather novel means of procurement. Finally, the last part challenges the reader to view the markets from a wider and more philosophic perspective. All in all, this book is an attempt to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the public health and social services and the markets – markets in which different objectives, expectations and contradictions moderate the discussion and actions. Health and social services on the markets - objectives, expectations and contradictions Public services are facing a massive turbulence in Finland. The forthcoming public service reform brings public health and social services under a single umbrella management. Simultaneously the reform transforms the ways services are organised and produced. Citizens, private sector organisations and markets are viewed from a new and wider role.The ongoing changes place a major demand for a new knowledge on the future role of the public sector actors and their relations with the markets. In addition there is a growing need for research focusing on the ways that public services are organized and produced through citizen co-creation.ALIS-project targeted on widening the understanding about the possibilities and challenges of the health and social service’ markets. The aim was also to describe the motives, needs and logics behind the different market actors, especially municipalities. The project was carried out between the years 2013 and 2016 and funded by TEKES. Three Finnish cities, Jyväskylä, Tampere and Turku, took part on the project and shared their case examples for research purposes. This book brings together the main findings of the ALIS-project. The book consists of four parts that constitute of independent scientific articles. The first part concentrates on the changing role and actions of the municipalities in the health and social service markets. The second part discusses the themes of participation and customer-focus attached to the service development. The third part focuses on the outcomes-based commissioning which is a rather novel means of procurement. Finally, the last part challenges the reader to view the markets from a wider and more philosophic perspective. All in all, this book is an attempt to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the public health and social services and the markets – markets in which different objectives, expectations and contradictions moderate the discussion and actions. "

"Julkisten palvelujen järjestämisen ja tuottamisen tavat ovat olleet melkoisessa turbulenssissa viime aikoina. Tulevaisuuden maakunta- ja sote-uudistus jatkaa muutoksen aikaa ja voimistaa aikaisemmin alkanutta kehitystä ottamalla asiakkaat, yksityiset toimijat ja markkinat mukaan palvelujen kehittämiseen ja tuottamiseen.Markkinoiden luominen ja huoltaminen (ALIS) -hankkeen tavoitteena oli laajentaa ymmärrystä sosiaali- ja terveysmarkkinoiden toiminnasta sekä markkinoilla toimivien motiiveista, tarpeista ja toimintalogiikoista. Nyt jos koskaan on tarvetta tiedolle, joka käsittelee julkishallinnon roolia, toimintaa ja suhdetta markkinoihin yleisesti sekä palvelujen järjestämisen ja hankinnan tapoja, eli suhdetta yrityksiin ja asiakkaisiin erityisesti.Sote-palvelut markkinoilla -teos kokoaa yhteen ALIS-hankkeen keskeiset havainnot jajohtopäätökset. Kirja jakaantuu neljään osakokonaisuuteen, jotka koostuvat itsenäisistä tieteellisistä artikkeleista. Ensimmäinen osa käsittelee kuntia sote-markkinoiden toimijoina ja hahmottelee uuden elinvoimakunnan toimintamallia. Toinen osa avaa osallisuuden ja asiakaslähtöisyyden teemoja osana palvelujen kehittämistä. Kolmannessa osassa tarkastellaan hankintoja ja erityisesti tulosperusteista hankintaa, joka on verraten uusi palvelujen hankintatapa. Neljäs osa haastaa lukijaa markkinoiden laajempaan tarkasteluun astetta filosofisemmin ja liberalistisemmin. Kokonaisuudessaan teos tarjoaa monipuolisen näkymän sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluihin sekä -markkinoihin.ALIS-hanke toteutettiin vuosina 2013–2016 ja se rahoitettiin Tekesin Innovaatiot sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluissa -ohjelmasta. Hankkeen kohdekaupunkeina olivat Jyväskylä, Tampere ja Turku."

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The European Social Model has been an integral part of the construction of the European Community and has been effective in stimulating its economic growth. This social dimension represents the soul of the European Union, and has been envied and adopted by other regions and countries in the world. Under the pressure of the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent introduction of austerity measures across Europe, many countries have reformed basic elements of the model including social protection, pensions, public services, workers’ rights, quality of jobs, working conditions and social dialogue, often undermining social cohesion. These trends have raised questions: is Europe currently losing its legacy? If so, what are the social and economic implications, both in the short and longer term? The European Social Model in Crisis assesses social policy developments in each EU individual member state on the basis of detailed empirical evidence and concrete case studies. The volume is a timely warning about the weakening of the European Social Model and its possibly devastating future effects. The alternative options proposed here make the book essential reading for policy-makers, while scholars and researchers of European studies and social policy will find it an invaluable reference.

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