Voluntary Sector North West ‘Caring for our future’ Terry Dafter Director Adult Social Care Stockport Council

Social Care White Paper Clear duty to include preventative services and early intervention in commissioning Duty to promote community development and social action as part of this NHS and Councils to work together for carers Encouraging use of Social Impact Bonds National Information Website to be established

Localism Bill Makes it easier for communities to take over local amenities and keep them part of local life Right to Challenge Right to Buy (Assets of Community Value) Ensures social enterprises and community groups with a good idea for improving local services get the opportunity Different forms of service delivery i.e. mutual, social enterprise, co- development Challenges our approach to procurement

Barriers to Collaborative Commissioning Misguided regulation anxiety Reduces meaningful collaboration with providers and users Risk averse commissioning reduces opportunities for real innovation Lack of useful dialogue between providers and commissioners about risk Short-term and static specifications and contracting Limited opportunities for services to change in order to meet shifting needs of cohorts and limited maintained dialogue between commissioners and providers Collaboration is weak Lads to a lack of effective working between commissioners and providers and between providers and providers Orthodoxy to create economies of scale produces static markets Commissioning not shaping supply chains or creating dominant prime providers “We already do co-production” Misguided translation of the core principles of co-production often leads to a lack of meaningful engagement

At the Same Time Greater demands on services Uncertainty about future funding for many groups Potential domino effect from public sector savings Potential to undo much of good work and progress made in areas of high deprivation Is our commissioning model fit for purpose any more?

Need to start thinking differently Supporting the development of voluntary and community sector’ hubs’ Recognise the value of the sector in building community capacity Need to think about how we collaborate at all levels Need to break down cultural barriers between the sectors and deliver services through a 4 th sector approach But will need a change of mindset for all of us

Collaboration Competitive funding environment works against the sharing of information and ideas Tendering expertise held by the larger voluntary organisations: how do we support smaller social enterprises How about creating legal partnerships between the Council and the Sector in order to deliver services Sharing resources and skills from within the Council Need to support Joint funding bids with the sector – European Funding, Lottery etcetera where Local Authorities have no money Co-locate services: pooling of back office resources

Co-Production Recognising people as assets (building on people’s capabilities) Promoting reciprocity (means working collaboratively) Valuing work differently (breaking down barriers between profs and users) Building Social Networks (including peer support)

Challenges for Councils Move our legal and contracting dinosaurs into this century Move towards co-design in commissioning services See the sector as a whole system Don’t see the sector as a cheap alternative to statutory provision But recognise the value of peer and user led organisations

Challenges for the Sector Translate preventative services into £ and pence savings to the statutory sector Consider a move to Payment By Results Who makes the first move? How is the Local Sector Infrastructure – Map your Assets Manage the personalities We swim together or drown separately