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Public services

The Office of the Third Sector aims to reduce the barriers to the third sector's involvement in designing, delivering and improving public services. 

In this section:

• Public services background
  An introduction to the role of the third sector in delivering public services. 
• Public service delivery action plan 
  The Government's action plan for third sector involvement in public services.
• National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning
  A four-year programme to invest in the skills of public sector commissioners and improve the third sector's bidding capacity.
• Social clauses in public procurement
  Work on tackling barriers to the use of social clauses in public contracts and spreading best practice.
• Public service innovation 
  Details of the OTS's programme of activities to support, cultivate and harness the third sector’s contribution to public service innovation.
• Mutualism
Health and social care, housing and Sure Start children’s centres are the focus of a Government report expanding mutualism in vital public services