Over the last year we have made significant steps in developing the Children's Trust approach to integrated commissioning. We have developed and agreed a local definition for commissioning:
"Commissioning is about investment in transformed services and outcomes in response to local need"
The Children's Trust sees integrated commissioning as making a significant contribution to the transformation process through which the lives of children, young people, and their parents are improved. The Children's Trust in North East Lincolnshire is, in part, a commissioning partnership, commissioning from self determining providers.
Commissioning is much more than contracting and procurement. The commissioning cycle encompasses:
- Strategic Needs Analysis;
- Planning and Service Design;
- Deciding how best to deliver and by whom;
- Reviewing fitness for purpose of services and monitoring impact on outcomes;
and operates at a number of levels.
Principles
Commissioning is a key means by which the Children's Trust Partners in North East Lincolnshire come together to make a reality of the duty to co-operate and drive cultural change. It is a top priority for the Children's Trust and its development sits alongside Neighbourhood Working and Organisational Development/Workforce Reform as one of the three main areas for initial focus in taking forward the Children's Trust and delivering improved outcomes.
We have developed six key principles for the delivery of integrated commissioning:
- Commissioning arrangements should improve outcomes in an integrated way for children, young people and their parents;
- Safeguarding children and young people and promoting their welfare should be at the heart of the process;
- Implementation should take place with a real commitment to improving quality standards and improved value for money;
- Commissioning decisions should take account of the need to ensure sustainability and build capacity where appropriate;
- Commissioning arrangements should empower children, young people and their parents by reflecting their views and including their active engagement in the process;
- Commissioning is about strong and effective partnership between commissioners and the range of providers with a shared focus on improved outcomes. The Children's trust is in agreement with the commitments and the shared principals within the North East Lincolnshire Compact in relation to:
- Communication
- Joint working
- Action; and
- Trust
The Framework
We have developed a Commissioning Framework which is based on the above principles and describes a series of developments and activities now being put in place to transform services around needs and deliver outcomes in the most efficient and effective way.
As we further develop the Framework over the next twelve months we plan to develop an increasingly integrated approach with our partners in the Care Trust Plus (CTP) so that children's health is commissioned in a joined up way with the commissioning of the range of services to improve outcomes for children, young people and their parents, carers and families.