Our commissioning approach for adults, children and families in Gateshead

In formulating our approach to commissioning, the council is mindful of the fundamentals of commissioning, which are described in part in the commissioning cycle.

To some degree these define the scope of our strategic approach, and the Council has also adopted some other parameters to provide focus and clarity:

All-age

The Council commissions care, support and community services for children and adults of all ages. This is reflected in the structure of the Commissioning function, which has adopted a "life-course" model, with commissioning teams for children, working age adults and ageing well.

Social care and education

The strategic approach to commissioning is focused on social care services for adults and for children and families, along with education services. Whilst the Council's other commissioning functions in other directorates are not in scope, it is anticipated that they may follow or adopt many of the same approaches and practices set out in this document.

Review and analysis

Often the beginning of the commissioning process. Existing services will be reviewed carefully, along with analysis of all data and intelligence which illuminates population needs, current and future demand upon provision. Where appropriate, health equity assessments should be undertaken to systematically assess health inequalities, how to reduce them and evaluate impact. Review should incorporate multiple perspectives on needs and services, including that of the lived experience of vulnerable people and caregivers.

Service design and redesign

At the heart of commissioning, this work takes the knowledge about needs and demand, both now and in the future, what has worked and what hasn't and creates proposals and models which will meet needs, increase health equity, achieve outcomes and do so affordably and practicably. An important dimension of design is modelling how services will operate in practice and in particular, what workforce is needed and how it should be configured. This modelling will determine the likely cost of services, if any, and how they should be arranged or procured.

Market shaping and development

Fundamental to strategic commissioning and introduced to the legislative framework by the Care Act. The Council must ensure that local and accessible markets are available and flourishing. Commissioners must be able to source services needed at the quality and cost required, as local as possible to the communities of Gateshead.

Contract management

This is a key tactical and strategic activity undertaken by commissioners and commissioning managers and involving;

• supporting providers and assuring the resilience and viability of services
• oversight of the deployment of council resources and value for money
• holding providers to account for delivery of services, as contracted
• helping to manage risk, during emergencies and for high-risk user groups

Contract Management is complementary to Quality Assurance work and aided and facilitated by contract support/compliance activity, including contract management meetings, collection and reporting of provider performance data and managing payments.

Brokerage, placements and home-finding

These are all terms used to describe the finding, securing, booking and liaising with the right formal care service to meet the needs of people agreed through social work assessment. The way these services are resourced, organised and operated vary greatly from place to place, across both children's and adult social care. In Gateshead, Commissioning manages placements predominantly in three areas: home care, children's residential provision and short breaks for disabled children. The staffing undertaking this brokerage activity is dispersed across Commissioning Teams. Brokerage and home-finding for other services including care home and foster placements are managed currently by social care operational teams. This is an area of activity that will be subject to further review in the forthcoming year.

Business continuity

Ensuring that commissioned services continue to operate safely and consistently whatever happens is a vital commissioning role and incorporates:

• review and assurance of provider's continuity and contingency planning
• intervening in potential/actual provider failure
• emergency planning and crisis response

The scale and scope of this work escalated significantly during the Covid19 pandemic and considerable commissioning staff resource was directed to supporting the continuity of services. There is a current focus on learning from the experience and achievements of that period and adopting and adapting preparation and response methods to be maintained, with an eye to the next emergency which may occur.

Out of scope

The following activities and areas of need or service are not addressed or included in the strategic approach:

• accommodation based services for young people 16-25, domestic abuse or complex homelessness needs
• Public Health services
• housing development
• domestic abuse and community safety services
• direct management of procurement services

Inter-dependencies and local strategic context

Our Commissioning Approach is designed to complement the following strategic positions developed by Gateshead Council and/or its local partner organisations:

Integrated Adults and Social Care Services Strategy

This directorate strategy sets out plans for adult social care and identifies Commissioning as a key priority.

Whole system strategies for Autism, Learning Disability and Mental Health

These require development with partners from 2024, commencing with the development of an All-Age Autism Strategy.

Red Quadrant review of commissioning

Commissioned by the Council and concluded in October 2023, in the light of changes to joint commissioning arrangements and staffing. It highlighted a number of opportunities for improvement which have been incorporated into service plans for the forthcoming year.

Gateshead Plan

The whole system partnership plan for health and care services in Gateshead Place, in the context of the now established Integrated Care System (ICS).

Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Focusing on good jobs, homes, health and friends.

Thrive

Gateshead Council's corporate vision, focusing on: putting people and families at the heart, tackling inequalities, supporting communities, investment in employment, innovation and growth, working together an fighting for the future of Gateshead.

Corporate Commissioning and Procurement Strategy

Sets out the strategic framework to help us deliver excellence in terms of value for money and better outcomes in all our procurement and commissioning activity.

Gateshead MTFS

Strategic forward view projecting council resources and how they will be applied to duties and priorities, including the Thrive agenda.

Market Position Statement

Market needs and commissioning priorities, online and co-ordinated regionally. This will be subject to review and update during the course of 2024.

Supported Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy

Comprehensive data analysis and forecasting on housing and accommodation needs, encompassing a wide range of groups of vulnerable people in Gateshead.

Complex Housing Programme

This multi-agency project is led by IASCS and focused on delivering joined up accommodation solutions for adult social care customers with complex needs.

Mobilisation of Mosaic Case Management System

The mobilisation of the system for adult social care will commence in January 2024 and the system for children's services will be reset and consolidated during 2024.

The Local Area Multi Agency SEND Strategy and Improvement Plan

The whole system partnership delivery plan developed to deliver the SEND strategy and to respond to the recommendations in the 2023 joint CQC/Ofsted SEND inspection.

The Placement Sufficiency Strategy for Children and Young People

This strategy lays out the current and future needs of children in care in Gateshead and how the local area will deliver sufficient number and choice of local homes for children and young people.

Children's Social Care Improvement Priorities

Based on the current Self Assessment and recent regulatory activity, children's social care services have identified strategic priorities with an associated improvement plan reported annually into Families OSC.