performance audit: commissioning social care claire sweeney & cathy macgregor, 15 september 2011
DESCRIPTION
Aims of the audit Overall aim - to examine the effectiveness of strategic commissioning of social care services. We will: assess the extent to which users and carers are involved in the commissioning process to ensure that their needs are met review the way in which councils and their planning partners work together to plan and procure effective social care services review the extent to which councils and their planning partners work with providers to ensure high quality, sustainable services. 315 September 2011Audit Scotland Commissioning Social CareTRANSCRIPT
Performance audit:Commissioning social care
Claire Sweeney & Cathy MacGregor, 15 September 2011
215 September 2011Audit Scotland Commissioning Social Care
The role of Audit Scotland
Aims of the audit
Overall aim - to examine the effectiveness of strategic commissioning of social care services.
We will: • assess the extent to which users and carers are involved in
the commissioning process to ensure that their needs are met
• review the way in which councils and their planning partners work together to plan and procure effective social care services
• review the extent to which councils and their planning partners work with providers to ensure high quality, sustainable services.
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Commissioning
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Methodology
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Sources of evidence:
• Desk research
• Questionnaires / interviews / groups discussions with services users and carers
• Focus groups with providers
• Case studies
• Stakeholder interviews
• Telephone interviews with social work directors / managers
• Scrutiny information
• Document reviews – commissioning strategies, single outcome agreements
Issues for providers
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Being informed, consulted or involved in strategic planning
•What discussions take place between service providers and commissioners about the commissioning strategy?
•Were the views of service providers taken into account?
•How were these views gathered?
Issues for providers
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Procurement processes
•What currently works well about the commissioning process?
•What doesn’t work so well?
•What changes would you make to the current system to make it better?
•Examples of good practice from your organisation, or elsewhere?
Issues for providers
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Partnership working
•Examples of good practice in partners working together (for example joint commissioning)
•Areas where practice could be improved – and, specifically, how this should be done.
Issues for providers
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Service users and carers involvement
•How are service users involved? Does this need to change in any way?•Are there examples of good practice?•What are the effects of commissioning or re-commissioning services on service users? •How much choice do service users have in accessing services in your area? •Do you feel that equalities issues (like race, disability and gender) are taken into consideration during the commissioning process? If not – what needs to be done to rectify this?
Issues for providers
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Quality and sustainability of service delivery
•Any issues from the commissioning process which impact on the quality of the service that you can deliver?
•What could be done to overcome these?
•How do councils / NHS boards support you to provide high quality services?
•Are commissioners offering any ‘capacity building’ for providers to ensure quality of service?
•What are the challenges to your sustainability and how well do you feel these are understood by commissioners?
Next steps
1115 September 2011Audit Scotland Commissioning Social Care
0131 625 1865