Reform's research and commentary is regularly featured in the media. You can find press coverage of Reform's work here.
We are always happy to comment on policy issues relevant to our work. If you would like a quote, an interview, or a background briefing, please email press@reform.uk.
On 14 May 2019, Reform published 'Preventing youth homelessness: an assessment of local approaches'. The report was covered in a range of publications including: The Independent, The Big Issue, Huffington Post, The MJ, Local Gov and Inside Housing.
Dr Luke Heselwood, Senior Researcher at Reform, appeared on BBC Radio London to discuss findings of Reform's latest report on preventing youth homelessness.
He spoke about variation across England in terms of how homelessness is tackled, which creates a postcode lottery. This is because the issue has often been left to be dealt with at a local, rather than national, level. The warning signs for those at risk of homelessness can be predictable, and include factors like domestic issues, truancy and mental health problems, which are dealt with by a range of different services. Therefore, it is important for better joint working between councils and these other services to combat the issue of homelessness.
Listen to Luke's interview here (found from 2:53: 40).
Dr Joshua Pritchard, Researcher at Reform, wrote an article for Care Talk, addressing the importance of ensuring sufficient support for personal budget holders.
"There is an urgent need to understand how to make personal budgets work for everyone - not just recipients of personal budgets, but the staff and providers tasked with supporting them."
Read the full piece here.
Dr. Joshua Pritchard, Researcher at Reform, wrote an op-ed for Local Government Chronicle, addressing outsourcing and Reform's recent report, 'Please procure responsibly'.
Read it here (£).
Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research at Reform, wrote an article for AIMed Magazine, addressing AI in the NHS.
"Private sector organisations can often fall into the trap of thinking about the tech first instead of trying to solve a problem that individuals face on the ground. This can have an impact on people's general uptake of the technology and their buy-in."
Read the full piece here.
New NHS data shows that the number of community health medical staff and community health nurses decreased by 70% and 15%, respectively, compared to January last year. Reform Research Manager, Claudia Martinez, said:
“The Health Secretary was right to raise better staff retention in his speech today. However, the Service will need to reverse the concerning decline in its’ staff working in the community if it wants to deliver the Long Term Plan. The forthcoming Workforce Implementation Plan should not solely focus on investment, but on improving the recruitment and retention of key community staff.”
After interviewing Eleonora Harwich, Reform Director of Research, Neetu Roy wrote an article for LinkedIn Pulse.
"Eleonora has produced one of the most comprehensive reports regarding AI in healthcare, brilliantly titled, Thinking on its own: AI in the NHS."
Read the full piece here.
On 12 April 2019, Reform hosted John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service, to speak on the TW3.0 programme for smarter working across the organisation.
This event received coverage from Public Finance.
New NHS data shows a 14% increase in patients waiting over three months after being referred to IAPT, the Service’s programme for treating adult anxiety disorders, compared to last year. Reform Research Manager, Claudia Martinez, said:
“This increase isn’t good and takes the shine off NHS efforts to improve access to this service. Better uptake of new technologies would help bridge the gap between being referred to IAPT and a first assessment, as well as helping patients self-manage their condition.”
Claudia Martinez, Reform Research Manager, said:
“Mental health services for children will improve when schools, social services and the NHS work together and utilise new technologies which direct patients to the right treatments, at the right time.”
Rose Lasko-Skinner, Researcher at Reform, wrote an op-ed for City AM on public sector procurement and Reform's recent report, 'Please procure responsibly'.
"Government needs to do much better when it comes to “make or buy” decisions – that is, deciding whether a service is more suited to being provided directly by government, or an external provider."
Read the full piece here.
Dr Luke Heselwood said: “The HRA is a step in the right direction but Government policies, such as the Local Housing Allowance freeze, are at cross purposes with MHCLG’s efforts. Eliminating homelessness will require all departments to play a role.”
Reform think tank statement on Birmingham Prison permanently returning to public ownership
Dr Joshua Pritchard said: “With the Ministry of Justice continuing to work with the private sector to deliver prison services, it is crucial that in the future a greater emphasis is placed on quality by improving the commercial skills of civil servants and focusing more on social value, as with HMP Berwyn”
This statement was covered in City AM.
On 28 March 2019, Reform published 'Please procure responsibly: The state of public service commissioning'. The report was covered in a range of publications including: City AM, The MJ, Civil Service World, Public Finance, Facilities Management Journal, Local Gov, A Local Gov feature piece, 24housing, Public Technology, UKAuthority, FE News, Facilities Management Journal (for the second time), Government Business, Diginomica, Supply Management and Simpact.
The report was featured in the House of Commons Fourth Annual Report of the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts and Local government: alternative models of service delivery briefing paper.
A review of the report was published in the Social Science Research Network.
The report was also featured in a Public.io report, was mentioned by DeNove, was referenced by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, GOlab, Bevan Britain, Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner, Government Opportunities, Room151 and Public Spend Forum.
Claudia Martinez, Research Manager at Reform, wrote an article in the April/May 2019 edition of National Health Executive. In it she writes about how to maximise the value of the NHS estate.
"Unlocking the potential of the NHS estate will still be contingent on trusts, GP practices, and the acute sector identifying opportunities for delivering better quality, utilisation, and efficiency."
Read the full article here.