An Informal Introduction to UK Public Sector Organisations & Industries
Anton Hilton • 28 April 2020
From police officers to teachers, to your local librarian, the public sector employs over 5 million people in the UK.
These positions tend to attract people who are interested in making a difference to society at a local level while handling wider issues. Employees in the public sector are funded by the population they’re serving.
So what exactly is the public sector? Further, what jobs do they do and what issues do they face?
Keep reading to learn more and get an informal introduction to UK public sector organisations and industries!
What is the Public Sector?
The public sector essentially provides all public services in the UK. They’re responsible for emergency services and healthcare, education, housing, refuse collection, and social care. These organisations focus on serving the population who funds them by delivering free or subsidised services to the public.
The public sector is a very large market, as it spends £700 Billion
and represents 40% of GDP. Due to the National Health Service, the public sector is one of the largest employers in the world.
Understanding the terminology is an important aspect of the public sector. Public sector is the equivalent of public services. However, it can be confusing to differentiate between organisations that are run and paid for by the state and those that aren’t, but still deliver free services to the public.
For example, Academy Schools are responsible for providing the service of education, and they are funded mostly through the state, but they are run locally. These organisations are led by private entities and are typically out of political control.
How is the Public Sector Funded?
The easiest definition of the Public Sector is a grouping of organisations funded through taxation and government departmental funding, along with other revenue that’s directed by the organisation. This might include rent, commercial service charges, et al.
The flow of money comes from departments in the government. These departments receive income in the form of budgets allocated from taxation. The departments then run their own services, using agencies to provide those services. They also provide funding to local organisations like colleges, local authorities, schools, and more.
The public sector (or public service) can be divided up into six groups, as the central government, local government, higher education, schools, NHS, and private run public services.
The central government is made up of departments and their agencies, whereas local government is made of councils, police, fire, and other local services. Further and higher education includes colleges and universities, and schools are state, nurseries, primary and secondary schools.
Additionally, NHS is the National Health Services, composed of hospital trusts, ambulance trusts, GP surgeries, clinical commissioning groups and other state funded health services. Lastly, private run public services and charity public services
include care homes, housing associations, and social care.
What are the Public Sector Organisations and Industries?
The largest difference between the public and private sectors is that organisations in the public sector must abide by certain rules that dictate their actions, but the private sector must abide by rules that dictate what they cannot do.
The public sector organisations and industries are made up of more than 300 different occupations. The types of roles are also diverse and can be anything from administration roles to teachers and nurses.
There are a number of professions you can find in the public sector. While working in healthcare, there are jobs as a paramedic or health service manager, which is employed by the NHS. While working in the law enforcement and security sector, there are opportunities in the Armed Forces, police service and fire service.
Jobs in social care include roles like social workers, probation officers and carers. Under the education branch, there are also jobs as primary, secondary and higher education teachers.
There are also many opportunities in administration, which are categorised as general, specialist and professional. A specialist can include roles like legal, educational, and medical specialist. There are a lot of roles available since every sector needs an administration staff.
Many of these roles require a degree, so nearly half of the public sector is made of workers in high-skill roles.
Understanding Public Sector and Government Employers
Within each of the groups that make up the public sector, there are departments and agencies who hire individuals for the roles described above. Two of the main employers with job opportunities in the public services are the civil services and local government.
Employers in Civil Service Departments and Public Bodies
Most departments in civil service have their own agencies that deal with specialised subjects. To better understand civil service departments and public bodies, it’s important to know who some of the major employers are.
One civil service employer is the Government Legal Service, which is the UK's largest in-house legal organisation. The office is led by the Treasury Solicitor and employs administrators and lawyers who give the government legal advice and represent them in court.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is another civil service department that is supported by 11 other organisations. This office was designed to assist with the UK’s relationship with other countries internationally.
The Government Operational Research Service, or GORS, serves more than 25 government departments with analytical services. It uses scientific and mathematical methods to help with political strategy and policies.
One of the more exciting employers within the civil service department is MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service. This service is responsible for the collection and analysis of intelligence in overseas operations, which support the UK’s security.
Employers in Local Government Roles in the Public Sector
An important aspect of the public sector is the local government. Understanding more about the employers and roles within the local government can paint a clearer picture of the public sector as a whole.
In local government, roles can be found in areas including housing, media and communications, environmental health, social services, town planning, and more.
One local government employer is the Brighton and Hove City Council, which has the combined education authority of a district and a non-metropolitan city council. This council provides local government services to the community it serves, which includes libraries, council tax billing, social services and waste collection.
Another employer in the local government section of public service is the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, also known as MHCLG. The main job of this organisation is to develop places to work and live, giving local people more decision-making abilities for their community.
Other Notable Public Sector Organisations and Industries
There are many other notable employers in public service, which are outside of local government and civil service jobs.
One of the largest employers is the Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defense is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces, and it’s the department of the British government responsible for carrying out defence policies.
Another well-known employer is the BBC or British Broadcasting Corporation. The BBC is funded by a government-approved license fee and is the world’s largest broadcasting corporation. The BBC offers careers in business, journalism, technology and production.
Also, as mentioned earlier, the NHS is one of the largest employers, and careers within the NHS go beyond doctor or clinician. The NHS employs people in a variety of roles including public health, physician support, surveying and management.
What Are the Expectations for People Working in the Public Sector?
There are a wide variety of departments and roles within the public sector for employees. But what can someone expect while working in the public sector?
One of the biggest draws to these careers is that jobs are available throughout the UK. This allows employees to work in many different national or local positions. They can also expect good working conditions, guaranteed by the government.
A starting salary for one of these roles can range between £15,000 and £25,000. There are a lot of opportunities for professional development within each of these careers as well.
However, many of the roles, especially those requiring high degrees, can be stressful. These employees often work on strict deadlines with a lot of responsibility.
Having a career in some of these roles can also mean meeting strict national entry requirements. Also, the ability to travel as a part of the job, both locally and nationally is important. Some careers will also require working abroad.
What are the Main Issues Facing the Public Sector?
A report by Deloitte and Reform, a British think tank, collected views from public sector leaders, those that work on the frontlines of public services, and the public themselves. According to this report, there is a strong demand for more public spending on actions to address social inequality and public services.
This State of the State report also discovered that investing in skills will address economic issues. Some of the main issues facing employees in the public sector are out of date technology and working conditions that don’t match the needs of a modern work environment.
Dealing with population growth is another major issue since the UK’s population has risen to over 66 million people. The demand for high-quality care has increased since people are living longer due to modern medical advancements. The public sector plays a huge role in delivering sustainable care.
Another concern is that of personal data and security. While the public generally considers the public sector to be trustworthy in the UK, the secure handling of public data can still pose an issue with data breaches.
Additionally, finding employees with the level of skills demanded by some positions in the public sector can be an issue. Health and social care are two primary areas where professional skills are in high demand.
With these issues, it’s more important than ever that the public sector have insurance to cover any risks posed.
What is Public Sector Insurance?
As noted above, public sector organisations face considerable challenges. Government agencies, social housing providers, emergency services all need to control costs while delivering services to communities. Effective risk management is an important aspect of protecting the public sector.
Public sector insurance
provides specialised risk management services to UK public sector organisations, along with other insurance products.
Within the public sector there are many challenges posed, and the landscape changes frequently. So it’s important that the public sector insurance market stay up to date on insights and trends.
One of the worst situations in a public sector organisation is being faced with an expensive risk that hasn’t been covered by insurance. This can happen if the insurance package doesn’t include proper risk management consultation with a solution that covers any scenario.
While facing ongoing pressures and budget constraints, it’s important that public sector organisations and industries have strategies to lower the cost of risk. These organisations also need support of frontline service improvements.
Why is Public Sector Insurance Important?
With the many risks and challenges facing every organisation in the public sector, it’s essential that they be covered. Public sector insurance helps to mitigate risks and provide insurance in times of crisis or disaster.
Having a high level of coverage is important for public sector industries, and the right insurance package should cover the specific needs of the organisation. This will ensure that any risk is covered and any crisis will have minimal impact on the organisation.
Insurance packages are essential for the public sector to continue servicing the public.
Understanding UK Public Sector Organisations & Industries is Important
The public sector employs millions of people in the UK and encompasses hundreds of jobs, so it’s essential to understand public sector organisations and industries.
The public sector is funded by the UK government through taxes, meaning it is funded by the population it is servicing. These organisations and industries range from health services to security services, to local teachers.
With the challenges that the public sector faces, it’s also highly important that they are covered by public sector insurance.
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