Public Service Reform Core Members Event Note
Core members event report: Public Service Reform
On 06 August, Culture Counts convened a Core Members meeting on Public Service Reform. The discussion was intended to inform Culture Counts’ response to the Public Service Reform Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny inquiry.
Culture Counts’ full submission in response to the inquiry is available here
Information on our complete work on Public Service Reform is available here
This page captures key themes from the discussion, which featured an opening address from Maree Todd MSP and Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs and and contributions from panelists: Stephen Boyd (IPPR Scotland), Amina Shah (National Library for Scotland), and Billy Garrett (Glasgow Life), and the subsequent discussion.
The key questions for this event are:
What signs of public service reform, named as such or not, has your organisation already felt or heard about?
PSR seeks to make a distinction between frontline and back-office staffing. Would it be possible to apply such a distinction to your organisation?
Where is your work already contributing to prevention or a more joined-up public sector, and what changes would enable greater impact?
In terms of this consultation response, are there any specific asks you'd look to make, or that we should be making?
Existing signs of public service reform
Conversations around Public Service reform began in 2011 with the Christie Commission, which was commissioned by the Scottish Government to examine how public services could be made sustainable amid rising demand and tightening budgets. The government is now revisiting them due to fiscal imperative, with a cost-savings target for the incoming government.
The initial findings of our Culture Spending Tracker show a real terms decrease in culture spend – meaning that any increases in the culture budget have not kept up with the rate of inflation. Many organisations across the sector have felt this change, as budgets are cut and competition grows for shrinking pots of funding. Public Libraries are a key example of this, with 97 public libraries permanently closing across the country between 2008 and 2024 according to research by the Scottish Book Trust. This reduction in service comes with a large reduction in staff and resources.
Thinking about efficient public service and its interaction with culture is not new. The primary shift we are seeing now is the increasing need to discuss the practical changes that are needed to make a positive difference.
Distinction between frontline and back-office staffing
One concern about where this conversation around Public Service Reform may go is that cultural jobs are often not considered frontline jobs and are therefore more susceptible to cuts. Culture, arts, and creative industries are complex and interdependent. There is often not a clear distinction between frontline and back-office in cultural organisations. For example, a historian working in archives may be considered back-office in terms of their day-to-day responsibilities, but their roles are a key function in service delivery. Likewise, individuals selling event or concert tickets and staffing booths share a mix of front-line and administrative duties.
Another key point made by guest speaker Amina Shah of the National Library of Scotland is that there is an issue around semantics and words. She questioned not just the difference between front office and back office as they relate to culture, arts and heritage industries, but what is meant by preventative, and by public sector itself. There are issues that come with trying to simplify topics that are actually quite complex.
One key ask here is that the Scottish Government more clearly define the difference between frontline and back-office employees before further consultation on this matter. Participants shared a hope that those working on this consultation understand the nuances and complexities of frontline vs. back-office staffing as it relates to the cultural sector.
Prevention work and a joined-up public sector
In the Ministerial address which opened the session, Maree Todd MSP emphasised the need to recognise the relationship between culture and health, with cultural engagement supporting healthier lifestyles, reducing loneliness, and improving outcomes across all age groups. She underlined the important role that cultural organisations plan in discussions about Scotland’s future, and in building a healthier and more resilient country.
This concept of culture as “preventative spend” was a key theme throughout the discussion, particularly in terms of health, social care, and climate, as well as contributing to social cohesion. Research by the Arts Council of Wales found that, for every £1 invested in the arts, there was a financial return on investment of £11.08 in health, well-being and productivity benefits. Amina Shah describes culture as the “original preventative spend project” and outlined the need for a way to describe this to politicians. There is a strong case to be made for the benefits culture brings to social cohesion, particularly in times of increasing political fragmentation and social division.
Participants described the cultural sector in Scotland as a “tapestry” involving everyone from individual artists and small community groups to people who have significant influence. Each member of this tapestry is important, and cutting jobs has the potential for a real, material effect on the sector in terms of output, taxes, and brain-drain. Many attendees emphasised the crucial role of culture in daily life and urged decision makers to think about culture as a tool to support individuals and communities across Scotland.
Joined-up thinking is more than considering the culture sector in all its parts; it also requires working cross-sectorally. This is especially important given the numerous benefits that culture holds for health, social care, the economy, and community cohesion.
Another theme that came up throughout the discussion was technology and AI. Stephen Boyd, Director of IPPR Scotland, emphasised that technologies should only be used to assist public service delivery when it complements existing processes. He went on to underline that AI is not something that can be introduced into public service delivery with the expectation that it will immediately start saving costs.
Specific asks for the consultation response
A key ask for the consultation is to ensure that the strategy aligns with other papers, including the fiscal sustainability delivery plan. In order for initiatives to be sustainable, they must align with existing priorities. Another key to sustainability is to consider local-level implementation and how to collaborate with local authorities.
Participants spoke about wanting to see demographic data on employees and service users for various public services. A key question here is whether staff reductions may impact representation and the ability to fulfil diversity commitments. For example, library employees and service users are predominantly women. Proposed cuts may be incompatible with the pursuit of social justice if they disproportionately affect specific demographics or protected groups.
A risk that often comes up in conversations around funding, cost savings and efficiency is the focus on immediate and short-term change at the expense of long-term thinking and sustainability. Any decisions made around Public Service Reform should consider both immediate need for efficiency and reform, and the long-term drive towards sustainability and preventing further issues.
In their pre-election manifestos, the SNP, Greens and Conservatives all committed to looking at cultural legislation. There are significant opportunities for public service reform that could come from a Culture and Arts Bill, including defining roles for public sector duties as they relate to culture, and protecting funding streams that fund cultural, arts, and heritage organisations. Cultural legislation is also a key driver of sustainable change and long-term support that will allow the sector to thrive for generations to come.
Something that would be helpful across all proposed changes is to examine international best practice to see how other countries are approaching public service spend, and what is going particularly well.
Links shared:
https://www.ippr.org/articles/more-for-less-scottish-public-services
https://www.gov.scot/publications/path-ahead-chief-medical-officer-scotland-annual-report-20252026/
https://achws.org/2026/03/13/arts-have-a-588-million-health-and-productivity-benefit-in-wales/
https://yourviews.parliament.scot/334/public-service-reform-pre-budget-scrutiny-2027-28/