Commissioning Strategy May 2018 Birmingham Children’s Trust exists to make a positive difference for children, young people and families in the city. “We give our best, so young people can achieve their best “

Welcome Our vision is to build a Trust that provides excellent social work and family support for and with the city’s most vulnerable children, young people and families. We will do this using a relationship-based systemic model of practice which is founded on identifying and utilising the strengths of children and their families to achieve change. The Trust’s priorities and objectives are set out within the Trust Business Plan and the BCT Commissioning Strategy forms one of the enabling activities. Our first Commissioning Strategy sets out the key commissioning principles that we will be using as we start the Trust’s journey. Andy Couldrick, Chief Executive, Birmingham Children’s Trust May 2018

Trust Vision We will do this: With compassion, and with care Through positive relationships, building on strengths using a systemic model of practice In collaboration, with young people, families and partners By listening, involving and including In ways that are efficient and deliver value for money Our success will mean: Healthy, happy, resilient children living in families Families able to make positive changes Children are able to attend, learn and achieve at school Young people ready for, and contributing to, adult life Children and young people safe from harm

Commissioning Vision To develop an understanding of our needs both current and future that allows us to undertake strengths based commissioning which improves outcomes for children and young people and supports the systemic model of practice. Our range of commissioned services enables practitioners to meet the needs of our children and improve outcomes. We see these as investments in children’s futures and as with any good investment we need to see the difference that our investment makes for children and young people’s life outcomes. Ideally we want to make our investments with partners who are based within Birmingham sustaining local jobs and local businesses. We aim to work with creative and flexible organisations to ensure a range of services that meet the constantly evolving needs of children and young people. We will engage with the market to ensure that we build trust-based relationships. We will seek to test innovation partnerships to support the creation of new solutions to our challenges.

Outcomes for Children BCT is committed to improving outcomes for the children and families with whom we work. In 2018 we will be introducing an outcomes tool which will enable us to demonstrate how our investments make a difference to the lifelong outcomes for children and supports strengths based commissioning. BCT outcomes for children, young people and families Healthy, happy and resilient children living in families Families are able to make positive changes to their behaviour Children are able to attend, learn and achieve at school Young people ready for adult life Children and young people are safe from harm

Drivers for change - Improvement Boards Placements, Choice and Sufficiency Developing the Trust’s approach to placement commissioning, planning and decision-making to improve placement choice, family involvement and value for money. Building on work already done, the Board will produce concrete plans for further improvement and innovative solutions to the challenges we face. Workforce Development Developing clear proposals and plans for a comprehensive approach to building and sustaining a lean, efficient and effective workforce for the Trust. Building on work already done the Board will focus on recruitment and retention, learning and development and leadership and management as the three key pillars of our workforce development approach, supported by a new set of policies and processes which properly reflect the Trust’s moral purpose and maximise its impact, and the impact of every individual employee, on making a difference for vulnerable children and young people. Young People at Risk Developing the Trust’s approach, with our partners, to supporting and managing the risks faced by, and needs of, young people in our communities in relation to child (criminal and sexual) exploitation, gangs, ‘county lines’, gun and knife crime. Quality and Performance Developing a system and driving a culture that places quality at the heart of the social work and family support service and related support services, and enables managers to use quality approaches to create improvement effectively as a routine element of the management function. Developing a quality system that sustains learning and delivers improved outcomes for children and families, and that connects senior managers and leaders to the task of driving, supporting and assuring quality, and addresses quality as a multi-agency as well as a Trust function.

Our Commissioning team….. Led by Jeanette Young, Interim Director of Commissioning and Innovation and Narinder Saggu, Head of Commissioning. Team of commissioners with a variety of backgrounds. Responsible collectively for delivering the Trust commissioning vision to ensure that we meet the range of needs for Children in Care, Children in Child Protection and Children in Need or the edge of care and improving outcomes. The Trust’s commissioning vision is different and therefore in 2018 / 19 we are committing to giving commissioners additional skills to enable strengths based commissioning and a trust based relationship with the marketplace. Work has been undertaken to understand the range of our contracts, change points and to develop a process to support strengths based commissioning.

Strengths based Commissioning Model Objectives Delivery tools Principle Strengths based Commissioning Improving outcomes Commissioning services with outcomes focused contracts. Creating tools that demonstrate improved outcomes Supports systemic practice model Work with the market to ensure that they understand the practice model. Identifying service providers whose operational model aligns to BCT’s. Offers best value for money By undertaking the 360 Options Tool and completing marketplace procurement

2018 BCT Current contracts BCT Commissioners Residential Children’s Homes – Block contracts, Regional flexible contracting Think Family – Intensive Family Support and MST Range of contracts to support Youth Offending Services CSE contracts Supported accommodation – Regional framework Fostering – IFA Regional Framework Adoption – framework for adoption support fund and birth parent support Short Breaks for Disabled Children Young Carers Step down Project

Business case and delivery Process to support strengths based commissioning Contract ending, Service gap identified Or innovation opportunity identified Trigger Commissioners work with Operations and service users to understand the needs. If current contract in place providers are engaged to support Needs Analysis Understanding needs 360 tool Finance to support the financial modelling operations to understand how options improve outcomes and practice model Work with the potential market to ensure viability Options for delivery Life time value of the contract drives the type of business case, the procurement route and the approval process. BCT Commissioning Board Procurement and delivery enabled. Business case and delivery

Key question for all options 360 tool to ensure options appraisals Key question for all options How does each option improve outcomes, support the systemic practice model and ensure best value for money? Could we provide this service in-house? Do we have access to a BCC contract / framework that could provide this service? Is the service model so unique that we should commission it? Does a regional contract exist that could deliver the needs?

2018 Focus on ensuring sufficiency Placements for Children in Care represents one of the largest amounts of spend for the Trust. Below is an analysis of our range of placements on May 7th 2018. During 2018 we will be working with the market and BCT operations to ensure a vibrant range of options to deliver sufficiency.

Focus on ensuring sufficiency - Residential Whilst only 7% of placements are residential, BCT wants to ensure that we make placements with providers who understand our values and with whom we can develop strengths based relationships that enable life changing outcomes for children and young people. The new regional contract will enable a reduction in spot purchasing of residential placements during 2018 / 19.

Focus on ensuring sufficiency - Fostering The vast majority of our placements are Fostering either with our own service or the IFA contract. During the next 18 months, it is our intention to increase the % of placements within our own service and to ideally reduce further the % of young people using residential placements. BCT is committed to all children and young people having a positive family- based living experience prior to leaving our care.

Ofsted – national picture Local authorities that focus on creating the conditions for social work to thrive are in the best position to improve the quality of their practice and focus on outcomes for children. Management oversight and challenge at all levels help to keep this on track An environment where social work can flourish means: reasonable caseloads. technology that makes important tasks easier rather than more burdensome. commissioners who have enough understanding of the business of social work to make good decisions. supportive but challenging line management that proactively manages the whole system.

Ofsted – national picture influencing BCT BCT Commissioners who have good understanding of the business of social work BCT practitioners are partners in Commissioning decisions BCT Commissioning Board bringing together Commissioners & Practitioners to make informed good decisions

Enablers for strengths based Commissioning 1. We will understand needs We will create a yearly market statement / update on sufficiency strategy including need trends. We will share our understanding of the needs of the families and children with whom we work. 2. Strong market knowledge We will work with all aspects of the marketplace to understand the number, size and capabilities. We will create an understanding of our spend between in-house providers, private providers and third sector providers. We will work with the professional bodies representing Children Homes, Fostering, Supported Accommodation and the Voluntary Sector. 3. We will be developing opportunity We will issue advance market engagement notices to test potential new ideas. We will ensure that we engage with flexible contracting arrangements that encourage new providers to enter the Birmingham marketplace. We will listen to new ideas from the marketplace on how we can improve commissioning and procurement. 4. Specification writing We will ensure clear specifications created using co-production tools and meaningful consultation with stakeholders. We will create Service Specs that are focused on outcomes and support the systemic practice model. If appropriate, we will consider opportunities for sub-contracting and consortia bids. 5. Contract and payment terms We will have contract terms and conditions proportionate to the scale and complexity of the contract. We will improve contract dispute resolution and price uplift processes. We will have payment terms that are clear and easy to understand and payments made with agreed timeframes. 6. A strong procurement strategy We will have a proactive procurement process that encourages the involvement of all stakeholders. We will create flexible contracting arrangements that work for all. We will revise our processes to allow smaller VCS organisations to be able to bid.

Summary of our 6 goals for the next 12 months….. Deliver the Birmingham Children’s Trust Commissioning vision. Establish the BCT Commissioning Board. Invest in training the team in strengths based commissioning and the 360 tool for options appraisals. Ensuring sufficiency via the work of the Improvement Board for Placements, Choice and Sufficiency and with the marketplace. Deliver the new model for the Regional Residential Contract by December 2018. And prepare for 2019 work packages which will include new models and contracts for After Adoption Assessments, CSE contracts, Youth Offending contracts, Short breaks and Social Work Master Vendor Contracts.

Interim Director of Commissioning and Innovation Jeanette Young Interim Director of Commissioning and Innovation jeanette.young@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk Narinder Saggu Head of Commissioning narinder.saggu@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk