Blackpool Supporting People Partnership Inspection Position Statement May 2005

blackpool supporting people partnership inspection position statement may 2005 recommendation progress to date p

Blackpool Supporting People Partnership
Inspection Position Statement May 2005
Recommendation
Progress to Date
Plans for Further Development
The council must agree an action plan for the delivery of the
five year strategy by June 2004 and appropriate mechanisms
should be put in place to ensure that progress on this plan can
be monitored by the core strategy group and commissioning body.
The Commissioning Body agreed an action plan for the production
of the five-year strategy on 24th May 2004.
The Strategy was subsequently produced and approved by the
Commissioning Body on 4th April 2005 and submitted to the ODPM.
The Health & Social Services Committee considered the Strategy
in January 2005 and the Executive Committee endorsed the
Strategy on 11th May 2005.
The Commissioning Body, using the Annual Plan contained within
the Strategy, will monitor delivery of the Strategy. The
Strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Further consideration must be given to the development of a
comprehensive needs analysis for the Blackpool area by September
2004 with the aim of producing summary findings in time to
influence the production of the five-year strategy by March
2005.
A comprehensive needs analysis was successfully undertaken
during the preparation of the Strategy.
This included stakeholder and service user consultation that was
used to influence the recommendations for future service
delivery contained within the strategy.
Improving data recording across agencies is identified in the
Strategy Action Plan to enable us to obtain a clear,
continuously evolving picture of the need for services and
reduce the prevalence of duplication of need.
The proposed research into the needs of the BME communities must
be progressed by September 2004 with the aim of producing
summary findings in time to influence the production of the
five-year strategy by March 2005.
The SP Team has been working with the Blackpool Council
Equalities Unit, voluntary and community groups, service
providers and service users to identify the needs of the BME
communities within Blackpool.
The SP Team remains linked to the work being undertaken by the
Directorate/Council and its partners to meet the wider needs of
BME communities. The Department is putting a Diversity Policy
into place. A number of working groups are being established
involving members of DMT and ISMG to move this work forward.
Performance management arrangements must be established by
September 2004, with the full commitment of all partner
organisations that will evaluate the impact of the Supporting
People programme in Blackpool. These arrangements should ensure
that the core strategy group and commissioning body are fully
conversant with the development of the programme and that
elected members are aware of the decisions being taken by the
council as the administering local authority.
Reports have been produced on a bi-monthly basis for the Core
Strategy Group and the Commissioning Body. These reports have
looked at the financial position and providers performance.
Six-monthly reports are made to the Health and Social Services
Service Development Committee.
The introduction of a new IT system means that we are currently
reviewing the frequency and content of reports to both main
groups. A forward plan has been approved that includes the
submission of quarterly reports on provider performance to both
the Core Strategy Group and the Commissioning Body.
The methodology for the review process must be agreed at the
core strategy group and commissioning body by June 2004.
Although the timescale is now limited every effort should be
made to ensure that this methodology is ratified by providers
prior to implementation. Initial reviews need to start in summer
2004 and subject to successful recruitment of additional
officers the programme must be concluded within the timeframe
set out by the ODPM.
Following consultation with SP providers and stakeholders a
review process was approved by the Core Strategy Group on 2nd
April 2004 and endorsed by the Commissioning Body.
A review timetable is in place and on schedule to complete all
reviews by March 2006. So far 80% of reviews have been completed
Two new review officers joined the SP Team during June 2004,
which completed the team of three officers.
An Eligibility Criteria and Value For Money Strategy are due to
be agreed by the Core Strategy Group and the Commissioning Body
during May & June 2005.
The documents will then be discussed with providers and
stakeholders at the Inclusive Forum on 17th June 2005.
Additional funding secured from ODPM will enable us to
renegotiate all our contracts before March 2006.
The commissioning body must agree the level of representation
from officers attending the agency alliance in relation to
Supporting People issues by June 2004. Attention needs to be
paid to the timetabling of Supporting People matters on the
agency alliance agenda to ensure that sufficient time is
allocated for a full discussion.
Val Bower, the Accountable Officer for SP, now attends
Commissioning Body meetings as well as the Core Strategy Group.
The Strategic Director Community, a member of the Commissioning
Body, now chairs the Core Strategy Group meetings.
The Action Plan for 2005 includes a further review of the
membership of the two main groups, their terms of reference and
the split of responsibility between the two groups and the SP
Team.
A user consultation strategy for Supporting People must be
developed. This work should build upon the successes evident for
some user groups and the appointment of officers responsible for
user consultation by the housing and social services
directorate. If possible any initial findings from this work
must be key to the direction of the five-year strategy to be
produced by March 2005.
A Service User Involvement Strategy (Appendix 2 of the Five-Year
Strategy) has been produced which links to the wider Corporate
agenda.
A significant level of user consultation was undertaken during
the preparation of the Strategy and also forms an integral part
of the service review process. Details of the consultation
undertaken during the development of the Five-Year Strategy are
outlined in Appendix 3 of the Strategy.
Service Users have also been attending the Inclusive Forum
meetings.
User consultation will continue to be undertaken during the
review process and as part of the on-going development of new
services.
Service Users will continue to be invited to attend the
Inclusive Forum.
The council needs to consider all the weaknesses identified in
this report and take action to resolve them.
Most of the weaknesses identified within the report are covered
by the actions identified within the specific recommendations.
Others were incorporated in the Business Plan for 2004/05.
Produce a written risk and contingency document
The service review process provides the opportunity to consider
the risks attached to individual services. The Supporting People
Team works in conjunction with Emergency Planning Officers
within Blackpool Council to make emergency planning decisions.
Supporting People is also linked to the Housing and Social
Services Business Continuity Plan and contributed towards the
Housing Needs Divisional Risk Register.
The Strategy Action Plan includes the production of a Risk &
Contingency Strategy over the coming months, which will pick up
the issues identified during the full review process. A revised
Emergency Plan for Blackpool is being developed that will
contain an enhanced focus on the effects upon vulnerable people
and highlight the location of hostel accommodation.
Examine how SP can contribute to reducing transience
The SP Lead Officer is a member of the working group that
examined a Corporate Transience Policy.
The Accountable Officer is a member of the newly formed Social
Inclusion SMG group that will be reporting to SLT on transience
issues.
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