Austerity and governance: coordinating policing and mental health policy in the UK

Notions of network and polycentric governance highlight the possibility of innovation and adaptability in service delivery. At the same time, it has been argued that austerity and financial restrictions create intense pressures for public sector reform as public sector organizations look to new ways to deliver services. Hence the argument from governments in advanced democracies was that austerity would drive innovation. This article argues, through an analysis of the issue of policing and mental health in the UK, that network governance and polycentrism can be a significant constraint on reform when policy is delivered through multiple overlapping agencies, but with a lack of overarching authority. In the case of policing and mental health, introducing new governance arrangements is complex, much more so in a context of austerity. Resistance within organizations can oppose to novel forms of governance, and the new demands created by expenditure cuts further stress service delivery.