Driving up quality in care and support: The work of the National Market Development Forum (NMDF) TLAP Conference, 25 th September 2013

Background The NMDF was established in 2010 It brings together more than 50 leaders from across the sector to explore challenges for commissioners and providers in developing diverse markets of personalised care and support It has published a range of briefing papers and practical tools to move things forward, including: 1.A model for market facilitation (genesis of Dev Care Markets for Quality and Choice) 2.A protocol to improve market relations 3.A framework for quality – what, how and who?

Our work on quality The Department of Health published a document called Bringing clarity to quality alongside the 2012 Care and Support White Paper This set out Governments view on what quality means in the delivery of adult social care TLAP were asked to revise and build on this through wide engagement with the sector We worked with people using services, carers and family members, commissioners, providers, improvement agencies and the regulator to develop a series of 3 briefings This was published with a Ministerial forward in 2013

What is quality? This paper gives a high level overview, describing what quality is and what needs to be in place to assure and improve quality in adult social care.

How should we assure quality? Robust systems for assuring the quality of adult care and support should: -Be based on the features generally agreed as constituting high quality -Ensure that the views of people using care and support are heard in all quality assessments -Include an assessment of the workforce -Start with the individual but also consider all the people who use the service -Ensure the quality of care and support is transparent to all -Include an assessment of the impact of commissioning on quality -Represent value for money and be proportionate to the service

Who is responsible? This briefing describes who has responsibility for quality and quality assurance at national and local level and how they help to improve quality

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