Our commissioning approach for adults, children and families in Gateshead

Our commissioning approach itself establishes key expectations and principles for the Council's commissioning role, along with broad outcomes which would demonstrate impact.

Achieving and demonstrating success will depend upon the availability of timely, comprehensive and reliable dashboards and performance reports capturing both commissioned services and key commissioning activity. There is currently a development plan to have a suite of commissioning dashboards operating by Spring 2024. The delivery and value of that data depends in part on the mobilisation and consolidation of the Mosaic system for adults and children's social care respectively.

It is planned to conduct an annual review of the impact of the commissioning approach to GMTs and Corporate Management Team.

Specifications for all commissioned sectors and block contracted services are expected to have a comprehensive suite of objectives, outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs) which are reported on as part of contract management. These can be synthesised to provide an overview of the performance of each sector or service.

It is essential for key aspects of commissioning work to have participation of people with lived experience, including procurement evaluation, service reviews, design and redesign and quality assurance. There is a commitment to embedding this approach throughout commissioning practice and identifying any resources implications. In recognition of a health in all policies approach, commissioned services will take account of the health implications of decisions, identifying, planning and acting upon health inequalities to promote health equity in service provision.

Gateshead Council will maintain a transparent approach to its commissioning role and practice, welcoming any future reviews, through peer processes, statutory assurance or commissioning its own expert scrutiny, as it did during 2023.