DRAFT STRATEGY AND WORK PROGRAMME 2011-12
Introduction
CCPS is now entering its fourteenth year of operation. Its members are facing what is
probably the greatest set of challenges in many providers’ experience: shrinking
resources for public services; increasing demand for care and support; rapidly shifting
relationships between and within key agencies and sectors, and between the citizen and
the state; and growing momentum behind service redesign and personalisation.
The CCPS Board held a facilitated meeting in late January to explore and identify future
priorities for the organisation, adopting an approach of ‘appreciative enquiry.’ Separately,
all CCPS members were asked to provide structured feedback on the membership
services they receive, and to identify issues and priorities for the future from their own
perspective.
This paper summarises the key points arising from these initiatives; proposes a set of
priorities for 2011 onwards; and outlines the strategy to be adopted in relation to them
in 2011-12.
Strengths
The Board and members were asked to focus on what they feel CCPS does well, and
what features of the organisation they feel it will be important to maintain and nurture
into the future. Responses can be summarised as follows:

CCPS focuses on the common good, and on how best to meet social need, in an
environment of competition – it is more than just an ‘interest group’

It is trusted both as a source of information and communication, and as a
facilitator of networking and inter-provider exchange, again between provider who
often have to compete

It has a mature approach, and is articulate and measured when it challenges
policy or practice; and it significantly helps to influence and develop both

It is nimble and responsive to issues as they arise

It is respected both by its members and by those it seeks to influence: its profile
and standing within the field is strong, and it has the ability to ‘punch above its
weight’

It is manifestly led by, and accountable to, its members: membership satisfaction
remains high, and numbers are still growing even in this difficult economic climate

It has the ability to hold together a diverse group of members, by distilling the
issues that they all have in common and offering a ‘united response’

It has a strong and respected staff team.
Matters to consider in future planning
The Board was asked to think about the things that will be important for CCPS to do, or
to consider, as it moves forward. In summary, the Board felt that it would be important
for CCPS to:

Avoid taking hasty decisions or positions – especially with elections approaching

Ensure stakeholders understand that CCPS members have come together with a
primary focus on the needs of the vulnerable groups who depend on their
services, rather than to protect their own organisations as an end in itself
1

Continue to promote and support a strong, high quality third sector presence, and
profile, in care and support

Maintain an awareness of the tensions that can exist between members – for
example on personalisation – and an awareness that any position taken by CCPS
on such matters may have ramifications for its ability to retain membership

Strike an appropriate balance between remaining constructive in its dealings with
government, local government, regulators and others, and, when warranted,
challenging them more robustly

Remain flexible and responsive, retaining the ability to react to developments

Be realistic about the willingness and ability of members to ‘hold a line’
operationally, in relation to campaigning stances

Recognise that providers themselves are frequently the only group with an
incentive to address the concerns they raise.
Strategic considerations for future work programme
In relation to the work that CCPS undertakes from 2011 onwards, the Board and
members felt that it would be important for CCPS to:

Be guided by the revised mission and core aims agreed in 2010

Explore alliances with other organisations, in particular with user and carer groups
(bearing in mind the pitfalls of ‘tokenism’ and a potential vulnerability to
accusations of exploitation/manipulation) – CCPS should be able to draw a ‘dotted
line’ between the interests of providers and the interests of the people they
support

Consider how to support smaller providers

Strike an appropriate balance between national and local influencing

Secure and sustain its own financial position, and its continued high standing
among members

Continue to be a strong voice for providers in its representational and advocacy
role

Help its members to navigate the increasingly volatile environment in which they
operate

Seek to influence future policy, and the re-shaping of public services, as well as
fighting providers’ corner on operational matters (such as procurement)

Engage more with health, in the light of likely developments by all political parties
post-election

Develop a stronger capacity to facilitate legal advice for members, and for the
people who use their services

Re-focus certain long-standing activities, in order to be more effective: for
example, to ensure that our representational role in relation to external agency
working groups relates more clearly to our own agenda and strategic priorities

Maintain a strong focus on the importance of quality and outcomes in care and
support

Identify key areas where the organisation can have most impact, and condense
these into a short, clear set of objectives/targets.
More generally, members felt that CCPS should apply three tests to all its activities:

is [this activity] relevant to our agenda;

is it worth doing, in terms of likely impact;

do we have the resources to do it.
2
PRIORITIES, STRATEGY AND APPROACH
“Lobbying charities have perhaps the hardest task in quantifying their impacts and outcomes – firstly because it is
difficult to quantify the impact of a piece of legislation being passed or a new enquiry being launched. More
importantly, there is an inherent causality and additionality problem – how can an organisation demonstrate that its
lobbying activities influenced government decisions? How can it prove the outcome would not have occurred without
its particular contribution?”
(Measuring social value: the gap between policy and practice, Claudia Wood, DEMOS 2010)
Given the difficulties of this territory, it is proposed that CCPS adopt a version of ‘logic modelling’, whereby inputs and
outputs are clearly related, and linked through a logical sequence, to the priorities and needs identified by the
organisation, its core aims, and the outcome and impact that it wants to achieve. In this model, organisational success
or failure is identified and assessed through three separate routes: (1) did we deliver the outputs? (2) was the
outcome achieved? (3) did the impact happen? We can answer the first of these fairly directly, and the second by
seeking feedback from the various targets of our activity; the third is more difficult to assess, and as above, we may
not be able to attribute either success or failure directly (or uniquely) to our own activity. Recognising the limitations
that this places on us, it is likely to represent the best available model, given our mission and aims.
Priority/need
Inputs
Outputs
Outcome
Impact
1. Major cuts being
inflicted on providers,
regardless of the quality
or value of the services
they provide, and the
outcomes they achieve
Core areas of
activity:
Challenge,
Support
Monitoring of cuts and
their impact through
research/surveys
Funding
authorities and
other decision
makers have a
better
understanding of
the impact of
cuts to high
quality third
sector care and
support
High quality services
with good outcomes
and positive impact
are protected from
inappropriate cuts
Functions
required:
Information &
communications
Research
Representation
and advocacy
Development
Legal
Communication of
findings to funding
authorities and other
decision makers
Meetings with specific
funding authorities
facilitated
Assistance to providers
in areas such as
managing service
closure, staff
reductions, etc,
through information,
seminars, expert input
Access to specialist
legal advice facilitated
2. Public policy and
public services are being
radically re-shaped
through major national
initiatives including:
Core areas of
activity:
Champion,
Challenge,
Prepare and
Support
Facilitate provider input
to major debates
through position
statements, papers,
serving on relevant
working groups, as
required
Evidence to
commissions,
committees etc

Christie Commission

Re-shaping care

National care
service/integration
of health and social
care
Functions
required:

Personalisation
Research

Focus on outcomes
Development

Third sector
mergers/collaboratio
n
Policy
The impact of these
initiatives and
developments on third
sector providers will be
significant
Information &
Communications
Representation
and advocacy
Cuts are wellmanaged by
providers
The impact of cuts on
people supported by
third sector providers
are mitigated by good
planning and/or legal
action where
appropriate
Cuts are
challenged by
providers where
appropriate
Initiatives
relating to the reshaping of public
policy and public
services are
informed by
provider
expertise and
experience
Public policy and
public services are
improved as a result
of third sector input
Implement provider
support programme on
personalisation and
SDS
Providers are
better equipped
to engage with
personalisation
and SDS
People have a greater
choice and control
over their care and
support
Assistance to providers
in developing their
approach to outcomes:
information, events and
expert input
Providers develop
their outcomes
approach
People supported by
third sector providers
achieve better
outcomes
Assistance to providers
in relation to
collaboration/merger,
through information,
research, seminars,
expert input
Providers
understand and
are able to
negotiate
territory
People supported by
third sector providers
benefit from well
designed and properly
thought-through plans
Member working
groups as required to
develop positions
3
3. Commissioning,
procurement and
contracting processes are
often poorly planned and
executed from a third
sector perspective: care
and support is not as
good as it might be as a
result
Core areas of
activity:
Champion,
Challenge
Functions
required:
Information &
Communications
Policy
Development
Research
Representation
and advocacy
4. Complex and changing
operating environment
for care and support:
providers need support
to be able to understand,
negotiate and influence it
Core areas of
activity:
Champion,
Challenge,
Prepare, Support,
Particular issues in 201112 include:
Functions
required:

post-election
developments

the commencement
of SCSWIS and new
approaches to
regulation

Initiatives to
integrate health and
social care (see also
No. 3 below)
5. A strong provider
voice is required to
address all the issues
above: CCPS must
secure its own position
as a member-led,
accountable and effective
coalition of providers
Information &
Communications
Policy
Research
Representation
and advocacy
Core areas of
activity:
Prepare
Functions
required:
Strategy
Management
Membership
services
Relationship
building
Participation in relevant
initiatives (eg.
Procurement
Development Group,
PPAG, etc)
Research/surveys as
necessary
Key messages
delivered to relevant
agencies
Commissioning,
procurement and
contracting policy
and practice are
informed and
improved by
provider
expertise and
experience
People receive better
care and support from
the third sector
through improved
commissioning,
procurement and
contracting policy and
practice
Providers are
well-informed
about key
developments in
their operating
environment
Social need is met
more effectively by
the third sector, as
providers are better
able to understand
their environment,
position themselves
within it, and
influence
developments
Targeted
representation in
relation to specific
incidents of poor
practice in particular
local authority areas
Information: quarterly
info digest; briefings as
required; e-bulletins;
website updates
Events: quarterly
membership meetings;
other events as
required
Representation:
provider presence on
relevant working
groups; targeted
lobbying on specific
issues
Exchange: facilitate
sharing & exchange
between providers, eg.
through email groups
Seeking alliances with
others, especially user
groups
Monitoring membership
satisfaction
Facilitating full
participation from
specific provider
groups, eg. through
committee on children
& young people
Exploring ways of
involving smaller
providers
4
Providers share
information,
experience and
expertise with
each other
Developments
are informed by
provider
expertise and
experience
CCPS is able to
provide excellent
support and
services to all its
members
Social need is met
more effectively
through a wellsupported and
informed third sector