How the Third Sector and Public Sector can do Business Susan Street, Adult Care Services, HCC Frances Coupe, Children, Schools & Families, HCC

Examples of Services provided by Third Sector Organisations Nursery and out of school care Care and support for the elderly Counselling and Mediation Sports and Arts activities Transport Children's Centres Consultancy

How services are commissioned ‘Needs-led’ to improve outcomes for communities Investing in services, not just about funding Achieving Best Value Clear & transparent commissioning process Responding to the national agenda

Hertfordshire County Council HCTPHCTP BE HEALTHY STAY SAFE ENJOY & ACHIEVE MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ECONOMIC WELL BEING Children and Young Peoples Plan Local Area Agreement ANALYSIS, POLICY, PLANNING PROCESS PLANNING & MARKET ANALYSIS POLICY & PRIORITIES STAKEHOLDER VIEWS SERVICE USER VIEWS RESOURCE MAPPING NEEDS ANALYSIS EXISTING OUTCOMES CONTRACTING PROCESS & MANAGEMENT WHAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE & WHAT OUTCOMES WE WANT TO ACHIEVE SPECIFICATION PROCUREMENT PROCESS MONITORING EVALUATION & REVIEW CONCLUSION

Key drivers for how we commission services Need for improved outcomes Local priorities – shift to district commissioning Views of existing service users Existing provision – Evaluation Best Value – achievement of Gershon efficiencies Accountability Quality National Agenda – i.e. Every Child Matters, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say Hertfordshire Compact & supporting Codes of Practice

Challenges Advertising opportunities – tendering, expression of interest, e-tendering Creating an equal playing field for all sectors Achieve a “mixed market” provider base – statutory, private and third sector Working within national and EU contract regulations Ensuring quality control Short term funding cycles versus long term outcomes

HCC Standard Service Contracts We usually use three types of contract: 1. Small Contract often referred to as a Letter of Agreement or minimum agreement (up to £5,000) 2. Medium Contract (up to £20,000) 3. Large Contract (anything above £20,000)

Some Standard Contract Conditions Public Liability Insurance £5 million (any one incident) Employers Liability Insurance £10 million (any one incident) Acknowledge receipt of HCC funding where possible in leaflets, annual reports etc. Only use funding for the purpose it was intended Data Protection Act 1988 Either party can give six months notice

Standard Conditions of a Minimum Agreement / Contract (WHERE the total value of contract does not exceed £5,000 over a three year period) Staff and volunteers are checked as necessary via the Criminal Records Bureau Evidence as to how the funding is being spent Evidence of feedback from users of services Complaints procedure in place

Contracting Requirements Clauses proportional to the value of the contract and would include: Equal Opportunities Access to services and monitoring Health and Safety Audit Confidentiality Payment

Service Specification Agreed with provider – partnership Description of the services An indication of the volume of services Where and when the services will be delivered The objectives / intended outcomes of the service being provided, and how these relate to the responsibilities and policies of the appropriate HCC Department

Quality Assurance How do you achieve and monitor quality Complaints procedure Feedback from users and their carers How users and carers are involved in the planning of the service Training programme for staff and volunteers Any Exit Strategy requirements

Monitoring & Evaluation It’s a two way process How do we know the service is making a difference? Qualitative and Quantative evidence Proportional monitoring to value of contract – i.e. six monthly, annually Monitoring visits Aligning with other funding streams where possible

Monitoring for Outcomes Listening to service users How feedback is used to develop service Developing evidence for preventative services is a key challenge Use of case studies Balance of data and local information Equality of access and outcomes Demonstrating impact – working with partner agencies i.e. police, health

Issues for the Third Sector Constitutional restrictions Insurance thresholds Accurate costing of services Ability to demonstrate impact – marketing services Locked into short term funding cycles

Any questions?