Research and analysis

Public Service Mutuals: State of the Sector 2018

Research commissioned by DCMS into the current state of the Public Service Mutuals sector.

From:
Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, and Tracey Crouch MP
Published
11 April 2018

Applies to England

Documents

Public Service Mutuals: State of the Sector 2018

PDF, 669 KB, 23 pages

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Details

This research paper was commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and conducted by Social Enterprise UK. It provides up to date and comprehensive research and evidence as to the state of the public service mutuals (mutuals) sector. It also offers insight into the challenges faced by mutuals, and recommendations as to how government could further support the sector to sustain and grow over the longer term.

The report finds that public service mutuals are:

  • operating at scale – representing a combined turnover of £1.6 billion
  • diverse - operating across the health sector, education, employment and skills and youth services
  • profitable – 92% made a profit in the most recent financial year
  • growing – by on average 50% since launch, and 7% in the most recent financial year
  • flexible - 90% reported faster or easier decision making than when part of the public sector
  • engaging their workforce – 85% thought the primary benefit of becoming a public service mutual was having a happier and more engaged workforce
  • innovative – 66% have developed new products or services in the past year
  • representative - 56% of public service mutuals are led by women, and 7% by ethnic minorities

If you have any questions about the report, please contact mutuals@culture.gov.uk.

Published 11 April 2018

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