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The main objective of this paper is to verify how the management measures applied to the social services have contributed to "value for money" improvement in the UK. This term can be understood as a combination of variables such as quality, a rational use of resources and convenience in the provision of services. Nottinghamshire County Council is one of the local public entities that has implemented policies focused on generating "value for money" in the field of the social services. It is worth highlighting the design of prevention plans, the implementation of the personal budgets system, outsourcing arrangements, cooperation between the Social Services and the National Health Service and citizen participation in public decisions. To this end, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of the results from a set of interviews with municipal management officers of that county, carried out in 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the shortcomings affecting social services in Spain and highlights how the control function contributes to transparency and efficiency, with the consequent improvement of citizens’ confidence. The results from a survey are presented, reflecting the opinions of the statutory auditors in Spain as to these matters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]