Julian Blake to contribute to Local Government Association guidance for commissioning public services

Stone King partner, Julian Blake, who has decades of experience in advising on the commissioning and procurement of public services, is collaborating with others to prepare new guidance for the Local Government Association on commissioning public services and better collaboration with the VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) sector.

Many, if not all, VCSE public service providers will have experienced frustration with the procurement process, which can too often be rigid, inflexible, and sometimes misses the point.

There is often a misunderstanding of the procurement rules and a lack of awareness of the opportunities available for commissioning public services differently, in a way which focuses on intrinsic social value (rather than as a nice to have or an extra) and keeps outcomes for service users centre stage. This can lead to an overly protective approach and a disproportionate fear of challenge.

In the new guidance, which will be published later in the year, Julian will set out the background to the current position, explain the flexibilities which exist under the new Procurement Act 2023, and detail the other available options to provide commissioners with renewed confidence to change their processes and their approach.