Suchergebnisse

A shortage of provision and a rise in vulnerable children has made social care placements harder to find and more expensive for councils and led to policymakers developing plans for regional commissioning

Recommendations in the Care Review aim to improve co-ordination and management in the care market while driving down costs for councils, but some believe the proposals do not go far enough

Commissioners play a pivotal role in ensuring vulnerable children receive the care they need. However, demand and funding pressures are driving the development of new systems and changes in practice

How children's services are commissioned has been the subject of intense scrutiny by policymakers in recent years. Sector experts analyse the forces driving changes in commissioning policies and practice

Plans for regional commissioning of care services, while backed, should go further and faster, say experts

All commissioning decisions should be judged by the impact they have on children's outcomes, says Richard Selwyn

Some children need therapeutic support that does not fit into existing contracts with providers, making it more expensive to commission. By jointly commissioning with health, councils can deliver effective services and control costs, explains Toni Badnall

The NHS, yet again, is in transition with an emphasis on groups of general practitioners (GPs) (clinical commissioning groups) making decisions on which specialist services should be chosen for patients requiring referral from primary care. It is an area of new terminology with a new language and further change for all working in the NHS and the all-important interface between primary and secondary care, and its impact on teamwork. There are many drivers including choice, efficiency, franchising of services, coordination and leadership in an enormous organisation, but not least reducing costs and keeping to a budget. There are many logistical issues and ethical anxieties, and only time will inform patients, practitioners, stakeholders and politicians as to its success.

Andrew Rome, director of Revolution Consulting, which conducted a financial analysis of the largest children's social care providers, assesses the implications for commissioners of council care services

How local authority children's services commissioners ensure sufficient high-quality placements for vulnerable children while navigating a complex series of social, political and financial pressures

Delivering effective change programmes means being able to identify and solve problems you encounter, says Richard Selwyn

With austerity being the new norm, commissioners must tap into their community to make ends meet, says Richard Selwyn