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Adult Social Care Commissioning

Role of the Commissioning team

The role of the Commissioning team is to ensure we have the right services available to meet the care and support needs of the population. They work on the procurement of new contracts, developing the specification, pricing model and contract that the providers will work to. 

They undertake analysis of the social care market and produce the Market Position Statement across our Prevention and Adult Social Care support, in order to develop and shape the market, including specialist accommodation.

Commissioning process

The Commissioning process can be outlined as:

  • Understand – recognise the outcomes we want to achieve, identify local needs, resource and priorities and agree what the desired end product should be. This must involve gathering the views of those who will use or be affected by the service
  • Plan – consideration of different ways that the outcomes can be met, considered what would be effective, efficient, equitable and sustainable. This will ensure that resources can be used in the most optimal way
  • Do – making investment decisions based upon the outcome of the planning stage and secure delivery of the desired service or services
  • Review – monitoring service delivery against expected outcomes and report how well it is doing against the plan i.e., is the Do phase meeting the outcomes identified in the Plan phase

Commissioning principles and commitments

Principles of good Commissioning can be outlined as:

  1. base all decisions on evidence of favourable outcomes for people, as well as value for money
  2. adhere to changing policy and government guidance
  3. use open and transparent processes that build confident partnerships
  4. use commissioning to not only retain services and commissioning new ones, but also to decommission services that are inefficient, ineffective, inequitable or unsustainable
  5. make our processes for commissioning lean and always aim for continuous improvement
  6. always be aware of technology advancements when commissioning new services or measuring existing arrangements
  7. commission as a Northamptonshire System, where we can, in order to provide solutions to system-wide gaps in service
  8. take into account social value when commissioning services

Our Commissioning commitments are to:

  1. ensure services and pathways are co-produced with the people that use them, now or in the future, carers, our provider market and stakeholders 
  2. develop services that are strength-based, support self-care, progression and are outcomes-focussed
  3. maximise the use of technologies to support improved service provision including digital care records and assistive technology
  4. explore joint commissioning approaches to support integration
  5. work with ICS partners, Skills for Care, educational institutes and providers to support the Adult Social Care Workforce in West Northants
  6. work with Northamptonshire Care Association (NORARCH) and Registered Managers Network to support and effectively engage with the market
  7. work with developers to help create a vibrant and varied market of specialist housing in West Northants
  8. ensure provider engagement is regular, meaningful and is mutually beneficial
  9. continue to work with health colleagues to support the discharge of people currently in in-patient settings
  10. work with providers and the Quality Improvement Team to drive improvements in service safety and quality

Meet the Strategic Commissioning Team

Members of our Strategic Commissioning Team can be viewed below:

  • Andrea Bushell - Service Manager Strategic Commissioning
  • Michael Hurt - Better Care Fund Service Manager
  • Danielle Frankish - Commissioning Manager, Residential and Nursing Care Homes
  • Hayley McKagan - Commissioning, Quality & Outcomes Manager- Community Prevention
  • Laura Power - Commissioning Manager, Mental Health and Autism
  • Lisa Waggott - Commissioning Manager, Home Care, Extra Care and Prisons
  • Sue Freeman - Commissioning Manager, Learning Disability and Physical Disability
  • Karen Proctor - Market Development Officer

Contact us

You can contact our Strategic Commissioning Team by emailing [email protected].

Last updated 05 November 2024