Contracting ‘person-centred’ working by results: street-level managers and frontline experiences in an outcomes-based contract

Abstract

Outcomes-based contracting (OBC) has been heralded as a mechanism for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of social programmes yet has persistently failed to deliver meaningful support for people experiencing social disadvantage. This mixed-method study evaluates the contractual shift of a British support service for adults with multiple, complex needs from bilateral fee-for-service arrangements to an outcome contract in the form of a ‘social impact bond’. Our findings add much-needed empirical evidence on the implications of OBC for personalization and co-production of public service delivery. In contrast to prior payment-by-results experiments we find evidence of enhanced person-centredness and asset-based practice.