Supporting delivery
The Socially Excluded Adults PSA will be delivered in partnership, with responsibility for achieving outcomes spread across government departments and delivery agencies at national, regional and local level.
Within central Government, accountability for delivery is shared across seven departments:
- Cabinet Office
- Communities and Local Government
- Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Department of Health
- Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Ministry of Justice
The Role of Local Authorities and Local Area Agreements
Local authorities and their partners play a vital role in tackling social exclusion, and will be central to the delivery of the Socially Excluded Adults PSA. Each of the performance indicators for the PSA are included in the national indicator set for local government, and are amongst the indicators from which areas will choose in developing targets for their Local Area Agreement (LAA). More information on the indicators can be found at the indicators and data page.
In negotiating LAAs with Government Offices, Local Strategic Partnerships are strongly encouraged to consider the needs of vulnerable groups, along with the wider benefits of a strategic focus on tackling exclusion. As well as improving the life chances and quality of life for vulnerable individuals and their families, prioritising the PSA outcomes can also:
- Lead to significant savings in the downstream costs associated with long-term and persistent exclusion
- Contribute to the achievement of wider priority outcomes, such as reducing reoffending and tackling worklessness
- Support improved community cohesion by addressing the negative external effects of a small number of highly excluded individuals
- Provide an impetus for improved joint working with service providers such as probation and mental health trusts, and with the third sector
The Social Exclusion Task Force have produced a short guidance note for Government Offices and local partners, which outlines the rationale for the PSA and provides more detail on including these priorities within LAAs. The guidance note is available to download below:
The Role of the Social Exclusion Task Force
Development of the cross-Government PSA has been led by the Social Exclusion Task Force (SETF) in the Cabinet Office, working in collaboration with the departments and stakeholders who will lead delivery. As part of the Government's new performance framework, the PSA is an important element of the Task Force's work in taking forward some key system reforms designed to improve service delivery for the most excluded.
The SETF will support the delivery of the PSA through:
- Guidance for Government Offices and local areas
- Providing baseline data to help local areas to identify key priorities around social exclusion
- Holding a series of regional workshops on the PSA
- Providing ongoing advice and support for local areas
- Working with other government departments, service providers and service users to identify policy changes that might help improve outcomes for the four client groups
