Contracting and the voluntary sector: A critique of the impact of markets on Mind organizations

A discussion of the effect of the introduction of quasi-market structures in welfare provision on local Mind groups, voluntary sector mental health services providers in England, focuses on the shortcomings of market ideology for resolving problems emerging in such organizations, drawing on 1995 interviews with group representatives from London & a small town. It is found that the market model is an oversimplification of actual group practices in areas such as service provision, user outreach, arrangement of funding, & service of management committees. While groups benefited from stable funding sources, smaller groups were pressured to diversify or expand. Mind groups' performance on criteria such as quality monitoring, responsiveness, transaction costs, & rationing are assessed. 23 References. J. Sadler