Paying for Prevention – could new government spending rules unlock an upstream revolution in public services?

As the political parties gear up for the next election, public service reform is back on the agenda. This includes a renewed focus on prevention – for example Labour has recently called for problems to be tackled “with a long-term, preventative approach”.

While few would disagree with the shift to prevention, no one has found a way to square this circle within the government’s current funding mechanisms. Treasury orthodoxy prioritises known costs over the more risky long-term spending that prevention will require. At Demos, we have argued for a different funding stream which isn’t competing with demand-led costs.

As calls for a shift to prevention grow ever stronger, join us to the question: could reformed government spending rules and frameworks unlock an upstream revolution in public services?

Speakers:

• Nancy Hey, Executive Director of the What Works Centre for Wellbeing
• Caroline Slocock, Director of Civil Exchange, former Senior Policy Adviser on Expenditure at the Treasury and author of Why Don’t We Invest in Early Action?
• Kieron Boyle, Chief Executive of the Impact Investing Institute, former Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation
• Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and REAL Centre at The Health Foundation

Doors will open from 17:30, with the panel beginning at 18:00. 

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