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Channel 4 love their formatted factual programmes. Secret Millionaire, Fairy Jobmother and Undercover Boss, to name but a few.
Whatever one thinks about these kinds of programmes there is a lot our sector can learn from them.
Case in point – last week I watched an episode of Undercover Boss in which Kevan Collins, chief executive of Tower Hamlets Council, one of the poorest boroughs in the country, went undercover to get an insight into the way frontline services were being delivered.
With tough decisions needing to be made – he has to make £50 million worth of cuts in the next 3 years – he wanted to see for himself how things were being run and whether efficiency savings could be made without telling the people he met who he really was.
So during the week he worked alongside various employees, including meals-on-wheels deliverers, pest-controllers and housing officers.
The staff the production team found to follow were impressive ambassadors who were completely dedicated to their jobs. OK, I know the cameras were on, but this isn’t Big Brother and I didn’t get the impression they were acting.
We discovered that the lady delivering meals on wheels no longer had time to stop for a chat to the people she was meeting. These individuals were clearly socially isolated and vulnerable and for many this was the only conversation they’d have all day.
Kevan met Tim from pest control, a service often contracted out, who was someone who worked hard to add value to the service he was delivering.
The housing officer on a temporary contract showed Kevan just how to manage difficult situations on the front line of housing.
What I found most interesting and laudable was at the end of the programme when Kevan did the big reveal to tell them who and what he was.
He invited the meals-on-wheels deliverer to be part of a steering committee to explore ideas about the provision of adult services; he offered to mentor the young housing officer; he invited Tim from pest control to head up an apprenticeship scheme.
