As noted in the Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) jargon buster site , commissioning is “the process of planning services for a group of people who live in a particular area. It does not always mean paying for services, but making sure that the services people need are available in that area”.
Commissioners (either a person or organisation) ensure that these services are in place to meet the needs of the people who live in the area the organisation covers. Your local council is the commissioner for adult social care. NHS care is commissioned separately by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGS). In many areas health and social care commissioners work together to make sure that the right services are in place for the local population.
The Care Act (2014) sets out four key areas that adult social care commissioners are responsible for. These include:
- the duty to promote diversity and quality in service provision
- market shaping and commissioning of adult care and support services
- managing provider failure
- managing other service interruptions
Within the LondonADASS programme, the commissioning priority aims to support London boroughs to deliver their Care Act (2014) duties, promoting better adult social care commissioning to ensure markets are responsive and sustainable, and ultimately improve outcomes for service users.
Approach
- Facilitating sector led development
- Evidence-led and pragmatic
- Supporting sub-regional and local commissioning
- Systems approach – building joint working across professions, including with social care providers. Everyone knows they are part of the system and all parts of the system have a voice.