Commissioning for Quality

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Commissioning for Quality

• Alexis Jay
• Chief Social Work Inspector
• Homecare Europe Meeting
• Paris
• January 28, 2009

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(No Transcript)
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Social Work Inspection Agency ( SWIA)

• Is an independent inspectorate reporting to
  Government Ministers
• Inspects how municipalities organise and deliver
  social services
• Chief Inspector is also Chief Advisor to
  Government

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Commissioning is the strategic activity of
assessing needs, resources and current services
and formulating a strategy to meet these needs,
regardless of who provides the service

• Procurement and contracting is the task of
• ensuring that there is provision available at the
  
• right price and quality to meet needs and deliver
  
• effective outcomes

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Why purchase/ contract social services?

• National and European trend towards developing
  resources by using a mix of providers
• Competition and privatisation used as a means to
  increase efficiency and to reduce public
  expenditure
• European rules on Competition
• European directives on free movement of workers

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External Purchasing of Social Services

• From traditional contracting of voluntary non-
  profit providers to a market of private and
  voluntary service providers
• Examples Austria, Germany, The Netherlands
• From public provision to a mixed economy of
  welfare by purchaser- provider split,
  compulsory competitive tendering, out-sourcing
  etc.
• Examples United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Eastern
  Europe

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Services for Adults in Scotland

• Most care homes provided by private sector, some
  by voluntary sector and some by municipalities
• Most home care provided by municipalities, with
  some provided by private sector
• Most learning disability services provided by the
  voluntary care sector
• Strong trend towards more contracted services
  from both the private and voluntary sector, and
  less provided by municipalities

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Developing Quality in Scotland

• The Care Commission
• - regulates all care homes, day
  services and care at home in
• accordance with National Minimum
  Standards
• The Scottish Social Services Council
• - regulates the social care
  workforce
• The Social Work Inspection Agency
• - inspects all municipalities, social
  services
• Municipalities monitor contracts with private and
  voluntary care providers

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Commissioning, Contracting and Regulation in
Europe

• Self- regulation of services
• Quality assurance and service inspection
• Authorisation and accreditation
• Quality management systems and certification by
  third parties
• Sector-specific instruments to assess, measure
  and compare service quality

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Emerging Issues in Europe

• Difficult political decisions for some countries-
  state vs private provision
• Regulation of quality
• Not enough private/ voluntary care providers in
  some countries
• Some providers reluctant to bid
• Some providers end contract
• Some providers inexperienced in bidding for
  contracts
• Municipalities own services often higher cost
• Bankruptcies / failing businesses
• Quality and price ratio in agreed contract
• Lack of experience by municipalities in writing
  contracts