Independent foster care providersProvider Engagement Event

29 July 2014

Welcome, introductions and housekeeping

Becky Polito, Newcastle City Council

Lead Officer for NE7 Consortium

Feedback from event on 20 June 2014• Staying Put

– On today’s agenda for further discussion

• Value for money– Core-costs remaining the same– Looking to implement long-term and cost-volume discounts

• Review of monitoring processes– Contract compliance based on existing but will be expanded to

include new ‘key areas’ for regular review and scrutiny, including:• Child sexual exploitation; training, policy and procedures• More information on missing children• Greater clarity around expectations of communicating safeguarding concerns and

incidents• Preparation for independence

– Co-production of outcomes monitoring

Staying Put• Number of current young people in placement turning 18

years between 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016  Local authority Number of young people in

all IFA providers due to turn 18 years in the period

01.04.2015 – 31.03.2016

Information correct as of

1 Durham 7  24.07.2014 

2 Gateshead 3 17.07.2014

3 Newcastle 17 16.07.2014

4 North Tyneside 3 15.07.2014

5 Northumberland 8 24.07.2014 

6 South Tyneside 6 24.07.2014

7 Sunderland 4 22.07.2014

Total 48

Staying Put(Introduction for table-top discussion and group feedback)

• Various government guidance published since 2013

• The Children’s Partnership has produced a ‘good practice guide’ this month

• Legislative requirement within the Children and Families Action 2014

• NE7 local authorities are very keen to get new arrangements from 2015 ‘ fit for purpose’ for young people, carers, providers and us

Staying Put(Introduction for table-top discussion and group feedback)

• ‘key questions’ for the NE7:– How does each provider see these arrangements being set up:

• Local authority – provider agency• Local authority – carer

– What messages are providers giving to carers?– What messages are carers giving to providers about how they

see things working; what is carers understanding and what are their anxieties?

Staying Put

• Early consideration of a sub-regional approach across the NE7 local authorities if arrangements sit outside of the NE7 framework contract

Break

Resume session at 11:20am

Case study exercise

• Task for the session is to– Review anonymised referrals and identify what current price

banding the child / young person would be in– Identify what additional information would be useful within the

referral to help get clarity on the needs of the child / young person

• Purpose of the session– Compare outcome of providers views with those of local

authorities– Inform future need bandings descriptors

WARNINGDon’t move to next slide until after case study exercise

No peeking…

Case study exercise…the results

Case Study Collated local authority

judgement1234567

Level 1

Level 1

Level 2Level 2Level 2

Level 2

Level 3

Transition arrangements

• Timescales– Existing placements will need to move onto new terms and

conditions with six-months of the start of the framework

• Processes– Price bandings will be based on the current assessed needs of

the child or young person at the point of transfer– Would aim to have discussions between local authorities and

providers– Process may vary across local authorities

Summary and close• Volunteers for co-production of outcome monitoring• This session marks the end of consultation with providers• Maybe additional an event to go through procurement

process• Consultation with young people will continue• Two-stage competitive tender process under Procurement

rules• NEPO portal www.nepoportal.org • Looking at the following timescales:

– stage 1 PQQ documentation 19.09.2014 – 18.10.2014

– stage 2 ITT documents 31.10.2014 – 04.12.2014

Questions?

Becky Polito, Newcastle City Council

becky.polito@newcastle.gov.ukPhone: 0191 211 5877