Transcript Slide 1

Shropshire Council
Recommissioning Supporting People
Services (Housing Support)
Neil Evans
Commissioning Manager, Shropshire Council
How did we approach this?
• Review:
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What have we got already?
What does it cost?
To whom and how many?
How well does it work?
What do people like / what do they think is missing?
Identify gaps
• Plan:
– Develop, consult, agree Commissioning Framework
• Do:
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Provider framework
Provider engagement – what we’re planning & when
Provider engagement – principles for recommissioning
Procurement – entire programme in one go
• Review:
– Just starting now
Stage 1 - Review
• Data:
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Lots of data about outputs from current services
JSNA
Benchmarking
Etc, etc, etc
• Service user view:
– Service user group
– Consultations with current and non-service users
– Really value their support worker BUT also would like to engage
in ways convenient to them
– Rebalance availability of support
– Transport!
Stage 2 - Plan
• Develop Commissioning Framework:
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National policy
Local drivers
Develop local outcomes
Widen reach of services → Private sector
Increase opportunities for people to be more reliant on self and
own networks; reduce reliance on ‘services’
Rebalance supply and availability of services → fairness
Retain choice and diversity of providers
Reduce bureaucracy and save £
Consult and agree
Recommissioning Principles / Aims
• Commission outcomes:
– Shift focus from tightly specified outputs
– Encourage innovation and different ways of working
– Capture ‘how it feels’ from service users
• Focus on sustainable independent living:
– Reduce dependency on services
– Increase self-reliance and community networks
• Simplify contracting:
– Fewer contracts; reduce reporting burdens
– BUT retain choice for the service user
• Increase reach into private sector housing
• Reduce £
Stage 3 - Do
• Very early stages – Provider Framework (PQQ)
• Engagement with current providers:
– Provider forum engaged early to set out the vision and need for
change
– Encourage discussion around rationalising contracts,
rebalancing supply, diversity of provider. Introduce consortium
approach, partnerships, etc
– Development of outcomes monitoring
• Engagement with the market:
– ‘Soft market testing’ → what’s possible? How can we do some of
the ‘tricky’ stuff?
Stage 3 - Do
• Agree shape of procurement:
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Sheltered housing?
Supported accommodation / foyer-style?
Floating support?
Replace with 2 outcome themes (Homesafe and 180 / Turning
Lives Around)
• Develop and consult specs
• Set outcomes & targets:
– 40% clients to live in private sector housing
– Min 20% support time to be spent on non-face to face activity, eg
drop-ins, communal / group activities, social interaction
Stage 3 - Do
• Procurement exercise:
– Commenced 9 months before contracts commence
– Gave 3 months for tender submissions in recognition of work
being done to establish consortia / partnerships
– Gave 10 weeks for evaluation
– Covered all services in one exercise
– Bids for one, some or all lots
• Evaluation:
– Highly complex
– Critical to get right
– Service user reps involved
Stage 3 – Tender Outcomes
• 2 consortia / partnerships win all the business
– Retains viability for many providers within these arrangements
• Reduced number of contracts:
– Halved number of services to around 30
– Reduced number of contracts from over 20 to 7
– Fewer performance returns and monitoring visits
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Increased capacity of services (over 18 months) by 40%
Greater range of opportunities for people to engage
Reduced external contract values by 20%
Better ‘balance’ to services
Community hubs
Transport solutions
Stage 4 - Review
• First quarter returns completed:
– Shows progress towards new models of support
– Captures service user experience well
• Service user group doing survey
– How do things feel now?
• Are aims being achieved?
– Progress being made
– Transition to new model is key
Lessons Learnt
• A project of this scale takes time! At least 18 months
• Strong service user engagement is key
• Consortium-building and partnerships are far easier to
talk about than to do
– Providers need to be resilient
– Balance resources between building the consortium and writing
the tender!
• Some providers will not be able or willing to take part so
carefully consider their exit plans and where they fit with
new models
Lessons Learnt (2)
• Commissioning purely for outcomes sounds great …
don’t underestimate the preparation needed
• Consider your communications plan:
– Brief members well
– Brief partners and stakeholders well
– Consider very closely how this is communicated to service users
/ the public:
• Do we go with the ‘big announcement’ or keep it low key?
• Consider impact on service users regarding publicity
• Unintended consequences?
– Partners, members and stakeholders have ownership
– Make sure your EINA is robust
Housing Support Services …
… have a key role to play within a range of preventative
services
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… are most effective within strong partnership
arrangements
Overarching Outcome:
• To enable vulnerable people to achieve sustainable
independent living in their own home in the community
Any Questions?
Contact:
Neil Evans, Commissioning Manager
Shropshire Council
Tel: 01743 255927
E-mail: [email protected]
Brighid Carey, Head of Housing Health & Wellbeing
Shropshire Council
Tel: 01743 253785
E-mail: [email protected]