Regional commissioning of childrens services

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Regional commissioning of childrens services

• Case study on SEWIC project
• Joanne Betteridge of SSIA and Rachel Collier of
  Newport City Council

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Outline of session

• Context and drivers
• What we did
• Issues we faced
• What we learned
• Where we go next
• Questions?

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context

• Best use of resources
• Drive up quality, drive down cost
• SEWIC/improvement agenda/SSIA
• Making the Connections
• Focus on childrens commissioning/CCSR

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What did SEWIC want to achieve?

• Better outcomes for children and young people
• Better use of resources
• Re-shaping service delivery
• Origins - fostering agency

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How we set about it stage 1

• Feasibility study can we set up public sector
  fostering agency? (consultants)
• What do we spend on independent fostering
  providers and who are they? (CCSR)
• Evaluate existing models (e.g. Devon model)

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Findings from Stage 1April 2007

• IFP placements increasing across SE Wales but
  pattern varies from 11-51 of all foster
  placements, average 37
• 66 of placements cost 6-800 pw, but 40 (6) are
  over 1k pw.
• Projected total spend 2006-7 14.2m (based on 6
  LAs)
• Needs hardest to meet in-house are adolescents,
  sibling groups, children with challenging
  behaviour.
• Potential to improve cost and quality through
• Smarter commissioning/sharing best practice
• Regional commissioning resource
• Public sector agency
• Agency more problematic.
• First two alone would add value improve choice
  and maintain quality.

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Stage 2 Summer 2007

• Authorities signed up
• Steering group all 10 LAs plus CCSR, director
  led.
• Consultancy support
• Work programme
• focus on Devon model
• Verification process
• Brokerage system (tendering for placements)
• Outcome focused assessment process

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Stage 3 April 2008

• Cardiff go live on behalf of SEWIC
• Evaluation after three months
• SEWIC to follow within six months
• Provider meetings
• Verification process to be established by April
  2009
• Brokerage arrangements to be agreed

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Some issues faced

• Partnerships between 10 very different
  authorities and situations
• Common approach to negotiating with providers
• Links with in-house provision
• Resolutions project
• What is impact on rest of Wales?

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Some lessons learned

• Data from CCSR was an advantage
• Commitment and drive of steering group
• Be clear what you want get senior buy in
• Need to communicate with people not on the group
  (were not working in isolation)
• Get a view from the other side
• Still more to do e.g. using our data to manage
  relationship with providers

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Next steps

• Evaluate and expand
• Regional commissioning
• Building capacity
• Consider in-house provision?
• Develop relationship with providers

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Thank you!

• Joanne.betteridge_at_wlga.gov.uk
• Rachel.Collier_at_newport.gov.uk
• Steering group
• Lead - Stewart Greenwell (Torfaen)
• Nigel Brown (Blaenau-Gwent) Ruth Peggrem
  (Monmouthshire) Geoff Waites (Cardiff) Rachel
  Collier (Newport) Vic Thomas (Vale) Mark Muller
  (Bridgend) Roslyn Reed (Merthyr) Keith
  Rutherford (Torfaen) Alison Smale (RCT) Jane
  Moore (Caerphilly)