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Agenda item

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL CARE COMMISSIONING

Minutes:

The Chairperson welcomed Peter Tyson, Group Manager - Commissioning Contracts and Contract Monitoring to the meeting.

 

The purpose of the report was to provide Corporate Parenting Committee with an overview of Children’s Social Care commissioning arrangements, and highlight developments that had been made in response to the directorate restructure, and implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act.

 

In June 2016, a report was presented to Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, providing an update on the context, focus and structure of Children’s Social Care, the achievements, and priorities/areas for development for the year 2016/17.

 

The Commissioning Team now oversaw commissioning activity across both Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care, where historically the team oversaw commissioning within Adult Social Care only.

 

In order to be able to respond effectively to the additional demands and requirements across the directorate as a whole, the team had been reviewed and restructured, and additional resources had been made available in the form of a ‘Strategic Planning and Commissioning Officer’, and a ‘Commissioning and Contracting Officer’.

 

In November 2016, the Social Services and Wellbeing Directorate were able to successfully recruit into the role of ‘Group Manager – Commissioning, Contracts and Contract Management’, who would be responsible for the Commissioning Team in overseeing commissioning activity across the directorate.

 

It was recognised that there were a number of alternative definitions of commissioning. The Commissioning Team within the directorate had adopted Welsh Government’s definition, taken from Welsh Government’s (WG) ‘Commissioning Framework Guidance and Good Practice – Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities’:

 

During the summer of 2016, the Senior Management Team and the Extended Managers Group from Children’s Social Care commenced work to develop and agree the content of a document entitled: Vision into Action: 2016 – 2017: ‘Together - delivering better outcomes for children/young people & their families’. The purpose was to have a single clear vision in place for Children’s Social Care, against which all future plans and strategies could be linked

 

A key strategy which would have a significant influence on any future commissioning activity and commissioning plan within Children’s Social Care was the Early Help and Permanence Strategy and Action Plan, which had been developed alongside colleagues within the Education and Family Support Directorate. A draft version of the Early Help and Permanence Strategy & Action Plan was presented to Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee in October 2016, and the strategy & plan were in the process of being finalised.

 

Under the new Act, local authorities (and health) had to carry out and publish a Population Assessment. This assessment was intended to give organisations, services, individuals and communities an understanding of where there were ‘gaps’ in care and support provided by public services, and what could be put in place to address these care and support needs.

 

The Population Assessment was made up of a number of sub-assessments, covering all age ranges, including children and young people. This was an essential piece of work in informing any future commissioning activity, and also critical in the development of any future commissioning plan for Children’s Social Care. Within BCBC, the sub-assessments had been completed, and the final Population Assessment would be published by April 2017, in accordance with WG’s timescales.

 

Contract monitoring arrangements were in place, with contract reviews being undertaken on an annual basis, in order to ensure; contract compliance, the effective measurement of providers’ performance against defined outcomes within contracts/SLA’s, and ensuring value-for-money in times of increasing austerity.

 

Officers were looking to build on the current relationship BCBC had with Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations (BAVO), by strengthening arrangements with children’s services providers, with BAVO looking to set-up a Children and Young People forum and partnership.

 

There was a strong emphasis on collaboration in the form of regional commissioning across the Western Bay area. A prime example within Children’s Social Care was the work being undertaken looking at advocacy services for children and young people across the Western Bay region. Officers and senior managers from each authority were working closely together to establish a regional service and specification, which would be delivered in accordance with the requirements of the new Act and Welsh Government guidance.

 

Commissioning officers from BCBC were part of a ‘South Wales Commissioner’s Group’ that had been established in response to the new Act, and also common strategic drivers. A Healthy Living Partnership Programme had also been established, which had a focus on increasing levels of physical activity, including those who were from under-represented groups. As part of this partnership programme, looked after children were being supported with free membership to leisure facilities, and a similar initiative was also being developed for young carers, in partnership with ‘Action for Children’

 

The Chairperson asked if there were any gaps or significant changes in the Commissioning Plan. He was advised that there would be a clearer picture in April when the Population Assessment had been completed. No significant changes were anticipated but this would help shape current thinking.

 

A Member commented that a considerable amount of work had been completed by the whole team to take this matter forward. It was a comprehensive report which improved the way things were done.

 

The Chairperson welcomed the work that had been done particularly with Children and Young People and the support to help children be heard.

 

RESOLVED                          

That Corporate Parenting Committee  noted the contents of the report, and provided comment on aspect(s) as appropriate. A further update report to be submitted in summer 2017.

Supporting documents:

 

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