An underlying principle of the Supporting People (SP) Programme is to ensure and develop quality through a process of reviews. Service delivery is assessed against the quality assessment framework - devised by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) - Value for Money, continuous improvement and strategic relevance.
The review process examines the quality, value and strategic relevance of service provision and ensures contracts have a sound basis.
Service reviews are (under the terms of the interim contract) and will continue to be (under the terms of the steady state contract) a contract provision. All interim contract reviews must have been completed by June 2006. Thereafter under the terms of steady state contracts service reviews will take place on an annual basis.
The review process includes detailed consultation with service users regarding the service they receive and their personal levels of satisfaction with the provider.
Service Providers are required, through the process of review, to demonstrate the following:
Failure to meet the above may result the contract termination.
The core underlying principle of the Supporting People programme is to achieve outcomes for service users. As part of the review and as contract monitoring arrangements the Supporting People team will assess if providers are able to demonstrate outcomes have been achieved with service users, using the 17 objectives identified in the Quality Assessment Framework. The key outcomes which will be assessed are:
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Outcome
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Objective
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Process
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Service users are protected from harm and from harming others.
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Assessments of needs and risks are carried out for all service users. Processes place users’ views at the centre, are managed by skilled staff and involve carers and/or other professionals.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to needs and risk assessment are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users are supported to set and achieve their goals.
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Service users have up-to-date support plans in place. Processes place users’ views at the centre, are managed by skilled staff and involve carers and/or other professionals.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to support planning are delivered at least a level c.
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The of service users have security, health and safety needs met.
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The security, health and safety of all individual service users and staff are protected. The environment in which the service operates meets all health and safety statutory and regulatory requirements.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to security health and safety are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users are protected from abuse.
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The right of service users to be protected from abuse is safeguarded through a series of robust policies and procedures which are subject to regular review and scrutiny.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to Protection from Abuse are delivered at least a level c.
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The different cultural, spiritual and physical access needs of individual service users are met.
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There is a commitment to the values of diversity and inclusion and to practice of equal opportunity (including accessibility in its widest sense) and the needs of black and minority ethnic service users are appropriately met. There should be a clear written statement/policy of equal opportunity and diversity, transparent procedures to govern diversity issues, data gathering to monitor diversity matters and comparisons against appropriate data. Any incidents of discrimination should be dealt with in a robust and effective manner. Referral and nomination procedures should be transparent.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to diversity and inclusion are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users concerns are heard and addressed.
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Users, carers and other stakeholders are made aware of complaints procedures and how to use them. Service users are actively encouraged to raise any concerns that they may have. All complaints and concerns raised are handled through the organisation’s complaints procedure. Outcomes of complaints are communicated to service users in a format appropriate to their needs. Changes are made to service delivery as an appropriate outcome.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to service user involvement are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users are involved in all planned changes to the service they receive..
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Service users are well informed so that they can communicate their needs and views and make informed choices. Changes are communicated in a manner that is appropriate to each individual service user.Service users are actively encouraged to make their views known. Service users' views are taken into account.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to choice are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users are actively consulted about the service they receive.
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Service users are consulted about the services provided and are offered opportunities to be involved in their running. Consultation and involvement is based on the needs and wishes of each individual service userService users are actively encouraged to participate in the running of their service.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to consulting and involving are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users increase their independence.
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There is a commitment to empowering service users and supporting their independence. Service users are empowered to make decisions for themselves.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to empowerment and independence are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users are part of their local community.
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Service users are empowered in their engagement in the wider community and the development of social networks. Service users are supported to make social networks in line with their needs.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to participation in the wider community are delivered at least a level c.
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Services users privacy and confidentiality is maintained and respected.
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Individual rights to privacy and confidentiality are set out in policies and procedures that all staff understand.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to privacy and confidentiality are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users understand their rights and responsibilities.
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The rights and responsibilities of service users are made clear to them, and they are supported to achieve them.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to rights and responsibilities are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users understand the extent and limitations of the service that they receive.
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There is a coherent description of the support service/s to be provided, based on defined values, rights and philosophy of support. Service descriptions are clearly communicated to service users in a manner appropriate to their needs.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to service description are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users make choices.
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The service is flexible, sensitive and responsive with the aim of maximising service users’ dignity, independence, choice and control over their own lives. Service users are made aware of the choices available to them and are encouraged to make choices.Service users' choice decisions are dealt with in a sensitive way. The choices of service users are responded to appropriately.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to choice sensitivity and responsiveness are delivered at least a level c.
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The individual living environment for service users is maintained in accordance with their needs and wishes.
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The living environment is suitable for its stated purpose, accessible, safe and well maintained,is appropriate to the needs of residents, and meets the requirements for independence, privacy and dignity.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating the living environment are delivered at at least a level c.
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Service users suggestions for improvement are heard.
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The service is organised within a culture of continuous improvement. Service users are aware of the level of service they should receive and any action being taken to improve it.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to continuous improvement are delivered at least a level c.
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Service users receive a consistent and professional service appropriate to their needs.
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Service quality and improvement are achieved through sound support, management and development of all the people working to deliver support.
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The Quality Assessment Framework standards relating to staff recruitment, management and development are delivered at least a level c.
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The service provider is required to produce and supply to the SP Team a short report on a three-monthly basis providing summary details on:
All of the above data is used during the process of review.
Following a cost and pricing pilot of SP services in 2004 the Medway SP team devised a formula to accurately assess cost. This data is then used to inform the overall value for money assessment for each service, comparing price and quality. When the results are considered and combined with our assessments of quality and strategic relevance, we believe we have a relatively robust system to assess value for money. The formula relies on staffing salary details and support provision at services to obtain a unit cost, staffing cost and overhead figure for the service. The table below demonstrates the information which is required in order to assess value for money.
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Contract Data
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Units
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The number of contracted units. This is the number of household units for accommodation-based services, or the number of placements for floating support.
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Support hours per week
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The standard hours per week multiplied by the number of staff as per the contract, multiplied by availability factor of 80.84 per cent. This percentage is calculated as follows: Divide by five to give hours per day (this assumes a standard five-day week) Multiply by 211 to give hours per year - days in the year minus weekends (104), holidays (25), statutory/concessionary (13), training (five) and sickness (seven). Divide by 52 for hours per week.
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Hours er client per week
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Support hours per week divided by units.
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Actual data
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Units
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As entered on the quarterly Performance Indicator (PI) return.
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Support hours per week
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Total weekly support hours provided as per the quarterly PI return.
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Unit cost per week
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Contract value divided by contract units divided by 52.
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Unit cost per support hour
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Unit cost per week divided by hours per client per week.
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Average hourly staff rate
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Apportioned staff salary for hours worked at service divided by the support hours per week. This includes National Insurance (NI) and pension costs.
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On call, sleep in and alarms cost
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Total cost of on-call, sleep-in and alarms for service.
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Hours per client per week
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Actual support hours per week divided by units.
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Contract value
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Yearly contract value. For subsidy contracts, the contract value is estimated based on actual payments made and projected payments.
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Overhead percentage
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The percentage of the contract value remaining after all salary costs are deducted. (Contract value - staff salary costs - on call, sleep in and alarms cost - travel costs) / contract value
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