Service Review

Providers state Service Reviews must have outcomes

At a local level there remains uncertainty for many providers of housing support as to future funding levels and whether or not they will be asked to enter into a full contract by their local authority. Progress with service reviews appears to be slow in some areas despite local authority returns to the government stating that 80% of service reviews had been completed by March 2007.

This can be a difficult and disappointing situation for providers and makes the task of delivering services all the more difficult in some areas. There are a few issues that service providers could consider if they find themselves in this situation:

1. The government expects councils to conduct reviews in a fair, objective and transparent way whilst maintaining good communicationwith providers and showing sensitivity to service users. Where there are concerns about the service review process then it is worth letting the local authority know and at the very least ask for confirmation as to the stage the review has reached and the timescale for a decision.

2. Where a final decision has been made but you do not feel happy with it then you might want to consider making an appeal on the grounds of the process used. The government requires councils to have an appeals process.

3. If a council is considering withdrawing funding from a service it is obliged by the government to report this to councillors even where the final decision is delegated to an officer. It is important to find out which committee is dealing with SP issues and at which meeting the future of your service is being considered.

If you are having difficulty with this the Unit's website might help or contact one of the team at the Unit.
4. Some providers are finding it useful to contact councillors to alert them to the difficulties they face. This can be particularly useful where a service is generally respected and the need for it is not in question.

In some areas providers are concerned that local authorities have decided to tender existing services but have not communicated this yet. This may be the case but local authorities should not feel compelled to go down the tendering route. The guidance issued by the government earlier this year stated 'Whilst the procurement regulations have been introduced since the original SP guidance was produced, it is still possible, depending upon the outcome of the service review to enter into full contracts.' This is reassurance for councils that they can legitimately move from service reviews to full contracts.

It may be worth having a look at your council's standing orders to find out how they intend to treat existing services. In Highland Council's standing orders, for instance, there is an acknowledgement that housing support services fall within Part B services and therefore do not have to go through tendering processes before entering into a contract this can be found here.

It is the case that as some local authorities come to the end of their service reviews they are concluding that they would like to reduce the number of providers of some sorts of services. If this is the case providers should be advised as part of the outcome of the service review.

Despite the uncertainties that local authorities face about future funding levels for housing support it is really important that clear lines of communication with service providers are maintained and wherever possible providers are involved in discussions about the future role of housing support services in the area.

Service Review Guidance

Service Review

The Scottish Executive regarded the first 3 years of the Supporting People propgramme as a 'transition' stage during which local authorities were required to review all services using SP funding and to decide whether or not to continue to do so under a full contract. The timescale for completing service reviews has been extended from March 2006 to March 2007 because of the problems local authorities were having in completing reviews on time.

Expectations about service review

Whilst carrying out service reviews is a requirement made of local authorities the actual process or format a review might take has not been prescribed. The Scottish Executive did, however, issue guidance on the process in 2003 and then revised it in 2005 after consultation with a range of stakeholders.

In the Scottish Executive's 2005 guidance on service review there are various requirements:

• 'All services receiving Supporting People funding must be subject to a review no later than 31 March 2007. These reviews:
• should be programmed following consultation with providers and users;
• should follow a methodology for conducting reviews that is consistent with this guidance and appropriate to local circumstances;
• should provide a structured and transparent process of managing change where this is necessary to achieve service improvement;
• should balance the need for continuity and stability with the need for quality and Best Value, and where appropriate, broaden the range of services that are available to users;
• are an opportunity for local authorities to work in partnership with the provider to examine ways in which the service delivery might be changed to better reflect the local strategic objectives and / or to improve service to users; and should take account of any legislative/policy changes.'

Assistance

To assist providers undergo the process of service review the Unit has produced four guides which are available here.

Rough Guides

• Rough Guide 1 - Preparation and Process [PDF]
• Rough Guide 2 - Costing and Pricing of Services [PDF]
• Rough Guide 3 - Access to Sensitive Information [PDF]
• Rough Guide 4 - Calculating and recovering costs [PDF]

Guide to calculating service costs

Last year CCPS put together a briefing paper for providers to help them calculate the costs of providing a service. The briefing paper provides a useful checklist of items to be included in any such calculation be it a housing support service or one integrated with care. You can view the paper here [PDF]

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