Services

Commissioning & Market Development

• Independent review and critique of sufficiency strategies.
• Commissioning plans and market position statements.
• Advice on collaborative commissioning.
• Framework development and regional partnership models.
• Independent assessment of current commissioning arrangements and recommendations for improvement.

Contracting and Relationships

• Support to review and improve fostering and residential contracts and service specifications.
• Facilitation of constructive relationships between commissioners and providers.
• Independent mediation and problem-solving where provider and local authority relationships have become challenging.
• Advice on developing fair contracts and contract management issues.
• Development of protocols and partnership agreements to improve placement stability and reduce disputes.

Referrals and matching

• Independent review of placement decision-making processes and placement finding arrangements.
• Support to redesign operational procedures and pathways affecting children in care (for example Step Across)
• Development of policies, protocols and practice guidance.
• Facilitation of multi-agency workshops and stakeholder engagement events.
• Independent challenge and critical friend support for senior leaders and commissioning teams.

National Organisations and Partnerships

• Research, analysis and report writing.
• Stakeholder engagement and consultation.
• Facilitation and chairing of national and regional forums.
• Development of guidance, briefings and best practice resources.
• Independent project management and programme support.
• Policy development

Quality and Service Development

• Service reviews and independent challenge.
• Development of quality assurance frameworks and improvement plans.
• Support with transition arrangements between residential and fostering services.
• Independent investigations, Regulation 44 visits and staff welfare reviews.

Tendering and Commissioning Support

• Support with responding to tenders and framework opportunities.
• Review of service specifications and contract requirements.
• Advice on presenting outcomes and value propositions to commissioners.
• Support to strengthen relationships with local authority partners.

Training & Development

I deliver bespoke training and facilitate workshops for commissioning teams, senior leaders and providers . These have included:

• Understanding the history and impact of commissioning and learning from the past.
• Referrals and Decision Making
• Working in partnership to agree fair fees.
• Successful Step Across
• What does 'working in partnership' really mean?
• Introductory training for those new to commissioning services for children in care.

Training can be tailored to local needs and delivered jointly to commissioners and providers to promote shared understanding and more effective partnership working.