West London Children’s Efficiency Programme
LAC & Care Leavers Overview
Why we need to work together
• Coalition Government Deficit Reduction Programme
• Impact of Comprehensive Spending Review (October
2010 and June 2013) – Local Government worst hit
AGAIN!
• Consequences – Councils continue to face high
reductions in budgets
• Statutory duty to ensure sufficiency of local
placements for children in care – Likely to be
strengthen in coming months following the outcome
of a DfE consultation that is currently running
• Can’t achieve it without working together – West
London Alliance
What is the West London Alliance
• An informal partnership comprising at its core Barnet, Brent,
Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow
• Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster and Kensington &
Chelsea are partners in some programmes
• Clear governance: Leaders and Chief Executives set strategy
and policy
• Lead Chief Executive and Financial Director for each main
efficiency and improvement programme
• Funding by contributions by boroughs and from grants
awarded
• Monthly Directors of Children’s Services Board provides
direction and accountability.
• LAC Commissioning Managers Board is responsible for delivery
against priorities
Children’s Services
• Areas of focus:
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) - £50m pa
• Looked After Children & Care Leavers (LAC):
• £70m pa external spend on placements
• £25 pa million internal spend on placements
• £95 million on placements for looked after children and care
leavers
• March 2012 - WL Councils looked after 2338 children in care - 3.8% of
the total children in care population for England and Wales.
• Data sharing across West London showed boroughs are being charged
different prices for the same care by the same providers
• By working together we can obtain that care more efficiently without
impacting on quality
• Understanding how we buy and how we work with the market can
unlock innovation and create opportunities to achieve more than
working alone
Vision
‘To increase the quality and value for money
boroughs achieve from the Children’s private
and voluntary sector by working together’
DCS Programme Board
Assistant Director’s
Group
LAC Commissioning
Managers Group
Semi
Independent
Provision
Parent &
Child
Assessment
Residential
Development
LAC/Care Leavers
Commissioning
Strategy
IFA
Project
Group
Looked After Children in West London
Total Numbers of LAC excluding Short
Break Placements
WLA
2011/12
WLA
2010/11
2009/10
2200
2250
2300
2350
2400
2450
2500
WLA
2009/10
Total Numbers of LAC excluding Short Break
2010/11
Placements
2011/12
2521
2388
2338
2550
WLA LAC Forecast for next 5 years
Categories:
Fostering
Residential
Market Engagement:
P&C Assessment
Forums
Care Leavers
Business Plan
Benefit’s
Realisation
Co-Production
Commercial Negotiation/Development
Contract/Performance Management
Children’s
Efficiency
Programme
Commissioning Strategy:
Short/Medium/Long Term
LAC & Care
Leavers
Market Intelligence:
Placement Data
(CarePlace??)
Current/Future Needs (demand)
Provider
Capacity/Capability
Links to Internal Services
Provider Bus Dev Plans
Local/National Policy
Block
Contract
Contract/
Performance
Management
(Block/Spot)
Local Spot
Development
Procurement
Vehicle (Spot
Purchasing)
Residential
Development
Commercial
Negotiation
with Spot
Providers
Internal
Cost/Supply
Residential
Joint Funded
Placements
(SEN/Health)
Select List
(Spot
Purchasing)
Local Spot
Development
Ceiling
Rates/Cap
Housing
Benefit
Semi Block
Contract
(SP
Framework
)
Housing
Supply
Performance/
Contract
Management
(Select
List/Block/Spot)
Semi
Independence
Commercial
Negotiations
with Spot
Providers
Internal
Cost/Supply
of Semi
Standard
T&C’s and
Spec
Supported
Lodgings
Staying Put
(Link to
Fostering)
Call-Off
Blocks of
Service
Performance/
Alternative
Models of
Delivery
(SE/Mutual)
(Framework)
Contract
Management
(Framework)
Local IFA
Capacity
Development
Internal
Cost/Supply
of Fostering
Fostering
IFA
Framework
Sub-Regional
Recruitment
Opportunities
Commercial
Negotiation
with Spots
Staying Put
(Link to Semi)