1. Care Act – Strategic Partner Engagement
Discussion
Initially at Care and Support group
Followed by discussion at SP working day

2. 4 Themes Emerging
Communication of the Act itself- including awareness amongst people and communities
Governance and Collaboration – including effective engagement with VCSE
Implementation- including training , commissioning and market development
Impact – including good practice and where Care Act is working well

3. Communication
Issues
Care Act implementation patchy across Local Authorities
VCSE and individuals lack awareness of the act and knowledge of their rights under the act (e.g. carers’ rights.)

4. Suggested actions to improve matters
Work to raise awareness of the Act may not have been as effectively as we would like. Consider re issuing that work
Organisations to review recent work publication to ensure references to the Care Act are included and specific
Develop a SP and LGA joint national and local awareness campaign (which could include 1&2 above)

5. Improvement Actions Continued
Consider producing with LGA a piece on the effect of the Care Act on people from protected characteristics
Consider developing a briefing for all our networks to be included in PHB regional roadshows delivered by Voluntary Voices

6. Governance and Collaboration
Issues
Whilst no specific issues were identified it was recognised by the group that some formal links need to be established, with ways of communicating with the sector properly detailed.

7. Suggested actions to improve matters
Hub or lead VCSE organisation at HWB should have a key funded role to connect to the whole of the VCSE
LGA could gain better understanding of what assets there are to help secure the principles of the Act i.e. engage and involve local people and communities in co designing and shaping services.
Share any Strategic Partners mapping exercise across Local authority areas to their members.

8. Implementation, Training and Support
Issues
Additional funding given to LA’s to implement the Dilnot reforms in Phase 2 is it being used to support implementation?
What measure of success have been established to measure Care Act implementation, particularly in relation to minority groups?

9. Issues continued
More training required to improve sector knowledge of how to assess peoples care and support needs.
How do we ensure front line workers know and understand the Care Act particularly in relation to issues such as care and support plans and advocacy?

10. Suggested actions to improve matters
SP’s could undertake research exercise to establish measures and to establish task and finish group to draft additional metrics for successful implementation – to include impact on people with protected characteristics
LGA and SP to work together with training providers such as Skills for Care to ensure training and support packages address issues.
Gap analysis of investment and develop impact measurement. Link to Voluntary Voices RTV values paper- a new measure of value

11. Implementation linked to commissioning practice
Issues
Market Shaping Duty - LAs must facilitate a diverse, vibrant and sustainable ‘market’ for care services. (All the other comments re contracts, level playing field, grant making versus contracting, efficiency of payment mechanisms etc. are all market shaping issues.) If L/A implemented this section of the act fully these issues would be tackled.
What impact has Care Act had on partnerships with VCSE organisations particularly in relation to commissioning? Do VCSE organisations appear in Market Positioning Statements?

12. Suggested actions to improve matters
Look at which L/A’S have produced Market Positioning Statements, does the VCS appear in the statements, share good practice/ good MPS that can be shared. Oxford Brookes University site list of MPS.
 Implement VCSE review!
LGA/ADDAS to showcase what good practice looks like especially focused on outcomes and use specific organisations to spotlight services. Establish criteria or measure of what good looks like
Make use of good practice case studies

13. Actions Continued
Engage LA in Single point of contact SPOC discussion paper – agree set of workable principles
Look at opportunities of above and SPOC model and blended funding model for micro commissioning ( good practice Rotherham social prescribing model )
LGA identify evidence from its members as to the challenges of implementing the Care Act and highlight to Government
Desktop research across networks to establish the difference made by implementation across different target groups