Evaluation Report:Community and Voluntary Sector (VCS) Commissioning Information Event

Thursday 9 June 2011

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1. Introduction

Newcastle City Council’s Adult and Culture Services held a VCS Commissioning Information Event at Gosforth Civic Hall on 9 June 2011. The event aimed to provide the VCS with an opportunity to hear about the current challenges and opportunities facing adult social care. In addition, it was a valuable opportunity to record and listen to the views, thoughts and recommendations of our VCS partners.

This event attracted over 60 participants from Newcastle City Council’s Voluntary and Community Sector.

2. Event Aims:

  • Communicate the key messages of VCS and Local Authority partnership working.
  • Develop and raise awareness and understanding about the changes to adult social care.
  • Provide the opportunity forVCS organisations to discuss the changes and ask questions.

3. Event Format:

The event began with three presentations by key note speakers followed by a question and answer session. Four workshops then took place around four discussion topics to which delegates were able to attendany two on the day. Throughout the event, delegates were also invitedto ‘post’ their suggestions in relation to four key questions.

Presentations:

  • Ewen Weir, Executive Director, Adult and Culture Services - The Vision for Newcastle.
  • Balwinder Kaur, Interim Director of Commissioning, Adult and Culture Services - Commissioning
  • Bryan Beverley, Service Development Lead Specialist, Community Engagement and Empowerment - The Newcastle Fund

Workshops: Four workshops were held around the following discussion topics:

1. Outcomes and Kite Marking

2. Personalisation – Helping providers to become fit for the future

3. Personalisation – How will it work using a Support Needs Questionnaire?

4. Safeguarding in Newcastle

Each delegate had the opportunity to attend any two of the above workshops on the day.

Independent Feedback:During the event, posters were displayed on the walls asking the following questions:

  • How can we work better together?
  • How would you like to meet with us?
  • What are the important things you need you know?
  • How can we help you going forward?

Delegate feedback in response to these questions is shown in Appendix 2.

4: Evaluation

The event was thoroughly utilised as an opportunity to consult, listen and collect the thoughts and recommendations of the voluntary sector. This was done in the following way;

  • Evaluation and feedback forms which collated information regarding satisfaction of venue, event, presentations and overall quality. This also provided delegates with an opportunity to make recommendations and give other views. (See ‘Appendix 1: Feedback and evaluation forms’ for a summary of completed forms)
  • Delegates were invited to respond to a series of ‘how to better work in partnership’ questions displayed on the walls. These questions referred to working together more efficiently through events, informationand other recommendations(See ‘Appendix 2: Independent feedback’ for the key messages received from delegates).
  • The event included a Q&A session whereby all the keynote speakers and commissioners were available to openly discuss and answer any questions posed.

5. General Overview

Overall, it was felt that the event achieved its primary aim to introduce a fresh dialogue with the VCS. The majority of delegates felt that the financial implications of the current political climate should be viewed as an opportunity towards developing a better working relationship. The event’s success and feedback both suggested that information sharing and events such as this one needed to be more regular. Most of the delegates were very aware of how Local Authority cut backs would be affecting their organisations and were concerned this would affect delivery of service on the ground.

There were several opportunities to share information, ask questions and give recommendations throughout the event. The VCS was clear that Newcastle needed to work closely with the sector to understand local needs and service provision.

In addition the evaluation highlighted the following points:

  • The sharing of information and process involved in commissioning and service provision was seen as a vital part of building relationships between sectors. A greater awareness of resources and limitations of future funding was warmly welcomed by delegates who felt to remain relevant this information needed to be updated on an annual basis.
  • Collaborative working was viewed by all the delegates as a vital part of working towards long term sustainability. Partnerships either through consortiums, securing contracts or funding were seen as a way of making frontline activities/services or back office functions more efficient and effective for people who required adult social services.
  • Working together to achieve our joint missions was endorsed thoroughly however the recommendations and comments also pointed out that this is best done when the VCS and Local Authority works across own areas of expertise. This could be done in a variety of ways from networks such as Health Watch to joint delivery on projects.
  • Although working together will bring great benefits it was thought this is a process that requires effort. Its success will be due to additional informal and formal agreements amongst organisations and individuals.
  • There was some general consensus that to collaborate on joint projects, the most important question is whether joint working will make you more effective for your beneficiaries
  • The Q&A section highlighted some of the possible interests and ways of engaging more effectively within Newcastle’s Prevention Agenda, the formation of the new Health and Wellbeing Boards, and the Newcastle Fund.

The overall consensus and lead opinion rested on how and where Newcastle City Council and the VCS can collaborate better as less funding becomes available.

5. Future outcomes from the event and next steps

Following on the success of this event, Newcastle City Council’s Adult and Culture Services Directorate are planning to move towards the following outcomes:

  • Organise Safeguarding training for trustees of VCS organisations.
  • Provide training and support for VCS organisations in relation to Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA).
  • Jointly plan with the VCS the development of a range of tools (e.g. literature, workshop events, etc) to support the VCS to become market ready for personalisation.
  • Work with the VCS to improve awareness and differentiation between contracting and grant aid funding arrangements
  • Establish twice yearly consultation events with VCS to promote partnership working.
  • Give consideration and carry out further consultation around offering procurement training, support and advice.

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Appendix

Appendix 1

Feedback Evaluation Forms

1. Overall Experience

21% of delegates were ‘very satisfied’ and 68% were ‘satisfied’ with the overall experience of the event, with 7% being ‘neither satisfied or unsatisfied’ and 4% being ‘unsatisfied’.

2. Presentations

29% of delegates were ‘very satisfied’ and 57% were ‘satisfied’ with the presenters at the event, while 10% of delegates reported being ‘neither satisfied nor unsatisfied’.

3. Workshops

21% of delegates were ‘very satisfied’ and 57% were ‘satisfied’ with the workshops at the event, with 10% being ‘neither satisfied or unsatisfied’ and 4% being ‘unsatisfied’.

4. Materials and Handouts

29% of delegates were ‘very satisfied’ and 50% were ‘satisfied’ with the materials and handouts at the event, with 14% being ‘neither satisfied or unsatisfied’ and 4% being ‘unsatisfied’.

5.Venue

32% of delegates were ‘very satisfied’ and 57% were ‘satisfied’ with the venue on the day, while 10% of delegates reported being ‘neither satisfied or unsatisfied’.

6. Event Satisfaction

When asked what they found most useful and enjoyable about the event, delegates responded as above.

When asked what they found least useful and enjoyable about the event, delegates responded as above. Other responses included:

  • “Only being able to attend two workshops – all four workshops looked interesting.”
  • “Workshop was very brief and very large – 16 participants, two officers so conversations were started but no time to follow it through.”

Appendix 2

Independent Feedback

During the event, posters were displayed on the walls asking the following questions:

  • How can we work better together?
  • How would you like to meet with us?
  • What are the important things you need you know?
  • How can we help you going forward?

Delegates gave the following answers to these questions:

  • How can we work better together?
  • Let’s all read from the same page – more collaborative working within the voluntary sector.
  • Services need to be provided for adults with Learning Disabilities who don’t meet IQ of more than 70 but then need a lot of support for SP services.
  • Sheltered accommodation needs more one to one input to evaluate their needs. Some residents need social input but are reluctant to ask for it.
  • Resident groups in sheltered housing are not utilised effectively as people within the community with needs are not utilising the facility.
  • By having a clearly designed commissioning programme.
  • By having a good understanding of local need.
  • By working together to work on how best to collate outcome evidence across the sector.
  • By having a good understanding of community asset base.
  • Commissioning officers and voluntary and community sector staff need to meet in more informal settings to build positive relationships. We need to address the balance. Come and meet us / our service users. Get to know what we do. Currently contact is only SQF orientated.
  • Come and see what we do…meet and build a positive relationship.
  • Community Centres offer venues for lunch clubs and groups to meet and need to link into this bigger picture with help.
  • How would you like to meet with us?
  • In person and regularly, possibly at trustees meetings. Keep us up to date and help us to help you.
  • Online updates on relevant issues / requirements / needs assessments / future plans.
  • Commissioning Twitter feed and follow voluntary and community organisations on Twitter.
  • Need to address balance – current contact all SQF orientated.
  • Need more information for Community Centre and buildings, perhaps focus group for Newcastle Community Buildings Network.
  • What are the important things you need to know?
  • Lack of clarity re how much money in Commissioning versus how much is in the Newcastle Fund.
  • Will the Council consider making priorities for future investment of Newcastle fund, e.g. mental health, homelessness?
  • What is criteria when passing on to Commissioning rather than Newcastle Fund?
  • Timescales – information well in advance of funding rounds / commissioning cycles.
  • Knowing who does what within Adult Social Care very helpful (roles and names on NCC website?
  • Will Newcastle-based community and voluntary sector organisations have to compete against regional / national providers or will process be ‘weighted’ to support existing Newcastle community and voluntary partners?
  • How can we help you going forward?
  • What is meant by ‘develop the market’? This was identified as a priority by TASC and by REIP but has anything been done in three years?
  • Prevention is key. Many people have needs that are sub-FACs criteria on Specialist NHS thresholds and won’t get personal budgets.
  • Newcastle Fund is not be all and end all of grants – some adult care grants still sit outside of it – not whole picture, still not transparent.
  • More training on outcomes. Better guidelines, more details in terms of what you need from us – simple process of application to commissioning.
  • Provide an Excel monitoring tool that smaller organisations can adapt to capture own outcomes.
  • Treat us as equals and keep us informed and listen to our input.
  • By having a good understanding of what it is projects do.
  • An opportunity to explore and share pricing policy and models with other providers.

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