Public Services Inspection in the UK provides a detailed account of the changing role of inspection in public services management. It analyses the key debates about the role that inspection plays in increasing public accountability and encouraging service improvement.

Contributors describe current inspection methods across the key public sectors of education, social care, the criminal justice system, local government services and healthcare, and examine the underlying issues and tensions associated with public services inspection. They compare approaches adopted in different parts of the UK and present evidence that can be drawn on to develop more effective practice, as well as offering recommendations for future policy and research.

Public Services Inspection in the UK is essential reading for public service managers, social workers, policy makers, researchers, academics, students and professionals working in public services who have an involvement in the inspection process.

Contributions by: Kieran Walshe, Clive Grace, Jane Martin, David Lock, John Raine, James Downe, Steve Bundred, Chris Johns, John Clarke