1. Neil Evans Commissioning Manager, Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council Recommissioning Supporting People Services (Housing Support)
Neil Evans
Commissioning Manager, Shropshire Council

2. How did we approach this?
Review:
What have we got already?
What does it cost?
To whom and how many?
How well does it work?
What do people like / what do they think is missing?
Identify gaps
Plan:
Develop, consult, agree Commissioning Framework
Do:
Provider framework
Provider engagement – what we’re planning & when
Provider engagement – principles for recommissioning
Procurement – entire programme in one go
Just starting now

3. Stage 1 - Review Data: Service user view:
Lots of data about outputs from current services
JSNA
Benchmarking
Etc, etc, etc
Service user view:
Service user group
Consultations with current and non-service users
Really value their support worker BUT also would like to engage in ways convenient to them
Rebalance availability of support
Transport!

4. Stage 2 - Plan Develop Commissioning Framework: National policy
Local drivers
Develop local outcomes
Widen reach of services → Private sector
Increase opportunities for people to be more reliant on self and own networks; reduce reliance on ‘services’
Rebalance supply and availability of services → fairness
Retain choice and diversity of providers
Reduce bureaucracy and save £
Consult and agree

5. Recommissioning Principles / Aims
Commission outcomes:
Shift focus from tightly specified outputs
Encourage innovation and different ways of working
Capture ‘how it feels’ from service users
Focus on sustainable independent living:
Reduce dependency on services
Increase self-reliance and community networks
Simplify contracting:
Fewer contracts; reduce reporting burdens
BUT retain choice for the service user
Increase reach into private sector housing
Reduce £

6. Stage 3 - Do Very early stages – Provider Framework (PQQ)
Engagement with current providers:
Provider forum engaged early to set out the vision and need for change
Encourage discussion around rationalising contracts, rebalancing supply, diversity of provider. Introduce consortium approach, partnerships, etc
Development of outcomes monitoring
Engagement with the market:
‘Soft market testing’ → what’s possible? How can we do some of the ‘tricky’ stuff?

7. Stage 3 - Do Agree shape of procurement: Develop and consult specs
Sheltered housing?
Supported accommodation / foyer-style?
Floating support?
Replace with 2 outcome themes (Homesafe and 180 / Turning Lives Around)
Develop and consult specs
Set outcomes & targets:
40% clients to live in private sector housing
Min 20% support time to be spent on non-face to face activity, eg drop-ins, communal / group activities, social interaction

8. Stage 3 - Do Procurement exercise: Evaluation:
Commenced 9 months before contracts commence
Gave 3 months for tender submissions in recognition of work being done to establish consortia / partnerships
Gave 10 weeks for evaluation
Covered all services in one exercise
Bids for one, some or all lots
Evaluation:
Highly complex
Critical to get right
Service user reps involved

9. Stage 3 – Tender Outcomes
2 consortia / partnerships win all the business
Retains viability for many providers within these arrangements
Reduced number of contracts:
Halved number of services to around 30
Reduced number of contracts from over 20 to 7
Fewer performance returns and monitoring visits
Increased capacity of services (over 18 months) by 40%
Greater range of opportunities for people to engage
Reduced external contract values by 20%
Better ‘balance’ to services
Community hubs
Transport solutions

10. Stage 4 - Review First quarter returns completed:
Shows progress towards new models of support
Captures service user experience well
Service user group doing survey
How do things feel now?
Are aims being achieved?
Progress being made
Transition to new model is key

11. Lessons Learnt A project of this scale takes time! At least 18 months
Strong service user engagement is key
Consortium-building and partnerships are far easier to talk about than to do
Providers need to be resilient
Balance resources between building the consortium and writing the tender!
Some providers will not be able or willing to take part so carefully consider their exit plans and where they fit with new models

12. Lessons Learnt (2)
Commissioning purely for outcomes sounds great … don’t underestimate the preparation needed
Consider your communications plan:
Brief members well
Brief partners and stakeholders well
Consider very closely how this is communicated to service users / the public:
Do we go with the ‘big announcement’ or keep it low key?
Consider impact on service users regarding publicity
Unintended consequences?
Partners, members and stakeholders have ownership
Make sure your EINA is robust

13. Housing Support Services …
… have a key role to play within a range of preventative services
AND
… are most effective within strong partnership arrangements
Overarching Outcome:
To enable vulnerable people to achieve sustainable independent living in their own home in the community

14. Any Questions? Contact: Neil Evans, Commissioning Manager
Shropshire Council
Tel:
Brighid Carey, Head of Housing Health & Wellbeing
Tel: