IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/indrel/v49y2018i3p211-226.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The non‐professionally affiliated (NPA) worker as co‐producer of public services: how is the role experienced in UK mental health services?

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Procter
  • Deborah Harrison
  • Pauline Pearson
  • Claire Dickinson

Abstract

Recent workforce reforms have led to the widespread expansion of non‐professionally affiliated (NPA) support and assistant roles within UK public services. Research into these roles has been confined to a limited range of settings, with a focus on the consequence of change for professional workers. This article explores the emergence of ‘co‐production’, whereby NPA workers contribute alongside the professional in a distinct, complementary way. Findings are drawn from semi‐structured interviews with frontline workers and managers within the context of mental health workforce reform. The results build a picture of NPA working life characterised in part by autonomy and responsibility. At the same time, NPA workers rely on colleagues for support and are subject to being used indirectly by professionals. Contextual influences are considered. The conceptual implications of the analysis are brought out, both for the NPA role itself and for the broader issues involved in front line service work.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Procter & Deborah Harrison & Pauline Pearson & Claire Dickinson, 2018. "The non‐professionally affiliated (NPA) worker as co‐producer of public services: how is the role experienced in UK mental health services?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 211-226, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:49:y:2018:i:3:p:211-226
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12211
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/irj.12211
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/irj.12211?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:49:y:2018:i:3:p:211-226. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0019-8692 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.