What Support Is Available?

The route to becoming a mutual is a rewarding one, but it can occasionally feel daunting. Fortunately, there is a lot of support for people throughout the journey, in a variety of forms.

There is a great deal of advice and technical guidance already available. The document library provides links to many of these, and throughout the How to set up a mutual section there are more references to them.

Mutuals Information Service

We know that information alone isn't always enough though. The Mutuals Support Programme provides professional support to new and developing mutuals so they can overcome barriers to growth. The Mutuals Support Programme isn’t just for new businesses, it will also provide ongoing support and advice to those organisations who are further advanced in their planning including those who have already left the public sector but who now wish to become a mutual.

The Mutuals Information Service refers eligible organisations for this support. You can access support directly online or for established mutuals and those who have already left the public sector but continue to deliver public services and want to become a mutual we recommend you call the helpline on this number 0845 5390 543.

Click Here to Apply to the Mutuals Information Service

Mutuals Support Programme

The Mutuals Support Programme is designed to help promising mutuals develop by providing the professional expertise and advice they do not have access to and can’t fund themselves. It will focus on the ‘pre-spin out’ phase, where access to finance can be particularly restricted, but will also consider supporting existing spin out public service mutuals.

By providing this support, the Programme will gather and spread learning to prevent others having to ‘re-invent the wheel’ and build a strong evidence base of what works in this innovative area of service delivery.

The process is as follows:

1) The Mutuals Support Programme will take referrals for promising organisations from the Mutuals Information Service .

2) Referrals which meet the criteria (pdf) will go the Mutuals Support Programme Approvals Board (pdf) in the Cabinet Office.

3) If approved, Cabinet Office will contract with suppliers for the support needed

4) Information and learning from the support will be shared on this website

Central Government Support

The same commitment to engage employees and improve efficiency and quality in public services is driving change in central government as well as in the wider public sector. The Cabinet Office is leading on enabling Civil Servants to gain ownership of their organisations. We are supporting the adoption of new models for delivering services across central government departments, including mutuals and mutual joint ventures. If you are a civil servant and want to drive efficiency and reform in your organisation, the Cabinet Office can provide practical advice and expertise. You can get in touch with the team by emailing them. For more information on the governments work on business models you can visit the website here.

Mutuals Taskforce

The key role of the Taskforce is to engage with, challenge and promote the work of Government to support the creation and development of Public Service Mutuals. To do this, the Taskforce’s membership includes people with experience and expertise in the mutual field, such as mutual practitioners Donna Fallows of Evolve YP, Stephen Kelly from Cabinet Office, Patrick Lewis of the John Lewis Partnership and Jo Pritchard of Central Surrey Health; members of organisations representing the key forms that spin outs from the public sector take, including Patrick Burns from the Employee Ownership Association, Peter Holbrook from Social Enterprise UK, Ed Mayo from Cooperatives UK and Rachel Wolf of the New Schools Network; and academics Professor Peter Marsh from the University of Sheffield (Vice Chair) and Julian Le Grand from the London School of Economics (Chair).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

While the support programme is specific to England, the challenges for spinning out of public services are common to the four countries across the United Kingdom. Each will consider the most appropriate arrangements in those areas where they have devolved responsibility, to address the issues in ways that meet their own circumstances and need. If you are in doubt about whether a service in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland could become a public service mutual, you should check with the relevant Government.