Individual Budgets, new opportunities for the VCS?

Over a decade ago the government introduced a system called Direct Payments which provided the option of means tested cash payments to service users for the purchase of services to meet their care needs. A new system named Individual Budgets, currently being piloted across 12 sites (The findings will be published towards the end of 2008), will be a development of the benefits currently on offer through the Direct Payments scheme. Individual Budgets will give users the option of taking their budget as a direct payment, let the council commission services on their behalf, or as a combination of the two.

The new system of Individual Budgets is influenced by health care reform. Key messages from government policy that inform the developments:
• Independent living
• Staying healthy
• Choice
• Sustaining families and children not inappropriately undertaking caring responsibilities
• Improving quality of life
• Dignity, respect and free from discrimination

To achieve this Individual Budgets will place the user at the centre of decisions over their care package, supporting them to choose from a greater range of services, from a greater range of providers (including friends and relatives) that is most appropriate to their needs. It represents a more holistic approach to health that also includes preventative rather than crisis led solutions. For example, a user who needs support with their shopping may opt for a package that includes meeting with a befriender, going to the shops with them and having a coffee and a chat afterwards.

As Individual Budgets are currently still in development and the model differs in each locality it is impossible to outline here exactly how the system will work. The assessment will include a multiple choice self-assessment questionnaire, generating a score that will determine level of financial support and the type of support required to meet the identified priorities. There will be a menu of services for the user to choose from, though they can identify services outside of this. A plan will then be agreed between the service user and social worker. Some pilots have commissioned a third party organisation as a broker service to manage the relationship between service user and provider, including taking the employer responsibility on behalf of the service user.

VCS organisations can and do provide services under the existing Direct Payments scheme. Clearly the development of choice and of ‘whole person’ care plans, the inclusion of preventative services and the addition of existing funding streams to the Individual Budgets scheme presents the VCS with new opportunities. As the VCS looks to diversify and develop the range of income it generate Individual Budgets could be a real opportunity to sell its services. As the scheme is not yet developed locally we cannot specify how VCS organisations might engage with Individual Budgets. The information currently available indicates that little or no additional requirements would be placed on VCS organisations (those currently delivering funded services). The organisation would have to position its services to meet the needs of Individual Payment service users. A unit cost would need to be calculated, a practice not commonly used or required of the VCS at the moment. The organisation would need to consider if there was a conflict if they were in a position where the provision of ‘paid for’ services were the same as services already provided through a grant or contract.

HealthNet will keep you updated on developments as they happen and provide direct support to VCS organisations once Individual Payments are sufficiently developed locally.

Any questions, comments or information requests contact Rachel or Razwanah @ HealthNet (Bradford CVS) t: 01274 722772 or e: health@bradfordcvs.org.uk

New Supply 2 Health Site Launched

The new NHS supply portal has been launched. You can now register at Supply to Health to receive email notifications of advertisements that are placed on NHS Supply2Health. You will also be able to find details on this site of contracts that have been awarded.
The Website is intended to assist NHS commissioning bodies to advertise Part B clinical services. Click on the link to visit the site www.supply2health.nhs.uk/default.aspx
AWP opportunities will be advertised on NHS Supply2Health from January 2009.

Healthy Ambitions Directory

Social Enterprise Support Centre (SESC) are putting together a directory of social enterprise service providers who provide services/products in line with the Healthy Ambitions Pathways. This information will then be shared with NHS Yorkshire and the Humber to assist with commissioning. The eight care pathways are:
Staying Healthy
Reducing alcohol abuse, tackling rising obesity and helping people quit smoking.

Maternity and Newborn Care
Encourage breastfeeding, reducing mothers smoking during pregnancy. Improve information for pregnant women and increase levels of consultancy and prioritise midwifery time. Improve the experience for women throughout pregnancy and delivery and improve the health and wellbeing of babies.

Long Term Conditions
Annual personal care plans, with more support for people to manage their own conditions. Better coordination of care and also better use of new technology to help self-care. There is to be a prevention of problems. There will be a reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions and will help to keep people healthier for longer.

Children’s Services
Improve children’s health and well being. Halt the rise in obese children and young people. Provide access to GP’s who are trained in the needs of children. Reduce asthma suffers admitted to hospital. Improve support for diabetics to control their condition. Improve services in the community and provide parents with better information and support and help with parenting skills

Planned Care
Improve access to diagnostic services. Better communications between GP’s and hospital doctors. Reduce time patients spend in hospital. Have appropriate cover for intensive care and specialist care in non-hospital setting and home monitoring.

Acute Care
Providing a wider range of services including pharmacies, urgent care centres. Develop self-care manuals; provide a single telephone number of local urgent care and out of hours care. Provide guidance for ambulance services to take people immediately to best location. To improve patient satisfaction and provide a better service. Make best use of staff and facilities. Save lives and reduce disability, strokes and heart attacks.

Mental Health
Modernise dementia services, link mental health teams to GP practises, invest in community mental health services. Provide quicker access to the right services and reduce waiting. Improve services for people of all ages, reduce inequalities and provide better outcomes.

End of Life Care
Provide clinical teams caring for patients, their families and carers. Establish single care co-ordinators. Skill professionals to deal with patients.

If you provide services that fit into any of the theses categories please download the application form http://www.sesc.info/healthsocialcare.php and return it to rachel.oddie@sesc.info

Health - Opportunities for Social Enterprise

Description
A chance to explore the opportunities currently available delivering services in the area of health and social care. At the end of this half day session, delegates should have a clearer understanding of what they need to do to win business through the structured and informative workshop.

Aimed At
Any social enterprise currently delivering or planning to deliver health and social care based services.
Main Points
• Policy background • Procurement & commissioning • NHS, non NHS and local authority opportunities • Barriers to success • Some real life examples • Sources of information and support

Event Type: Startup Workshop
When: 8/12/2008 9:30 to 12:30
Register: 9:30
Venue: The Lighthouse Group
Cost: £0.00 (VAT Included)

Places are currently available, please click the link below to book on the event.
https://yandh.regionalknowledgesystem.com/EDMSPortalWebsite/ClientApps/Silverbear.Web.EDMS/public/default.aspx?tabid=36&id=2290&p=&orgId=1&guid=a17418a9-76dc-4777-bf33-c70cce1716b0

Practice Based Commissioning (PbC) CityCare Alliance Update

Back in June when Practice Based Commissioning (PbC) was just starting to take shape in the district HealthNet brought you a conference aimed at the VCS. The conference aimed to inform the sector about PbC and explore its involvement as both an influencer and provider. HealthNet will keep members informed of the work of the PbC alliances and any relevant opportunities. This is an update on the CityCare Alliance.

Firstly, to recap on PbC in the district as a whole…

Practice Based Commissioning in the Bradford District
PbC engages practices in decisions about the design and investment in health
services, harnessing clinical and system knowledge that exists in primary care.

Alliances
In the Bradford District, four PbC alliances (partnerships of GP practices) have been established:
• Airedale and Wharfedale PBC Alliance
10 practices + 2 independents. Population 93,000 + 11,000
• Yorkshire Primary Care Alliance
15 practices. Population 118,000
• Citycare Alliance
35 practices. Population 146,000
• South and West Commissioning Alliance
23 practices. Population 167,000

each has an alliance manager.

Budgets
The alliances are delegated indicative budgets, Bradford & Airedale tPCT retains overall responsibility and accountability for commissioning. PbC is intended to respond to the identified needs of local people, not to provide extra services that suit providers. The priorities of each alliance differ according to local need. Alliances identify health needs through a range of mechanisms including working with thematic PCT-wide leads for commissioning (e.g. Children’s Health, Substance Misuse and Mental Health).

FURs
As a result of commissioning, Freed up Resources (FURs) are reinvested to target areas of greatest need. VCS partners may be able to provide services and influence priorities through the appropriate mechanisms.

CityCare Alliance

The CityCare Alliance encompasses 35 practices covering a population 146,000.

PbC although by no means concerned only with public health, is the area of interest to the VCS. The CityCare Alliance Health and Wellbeing agenda has prioritised obesity, cardiovascular disease, alcohol, smoking as key issues. Alcohol services will plug the gap in existing services focusing on brief intervention and detox. Breastfeeding support and buddying services will contribute towards infant mortality targets. The obesity care pathway has been developed. Services will include cook and eat, exercise and walking groups. The Alliance recently funded a scheme that will see patients of 14 GP practices within the CityCare area offered vouchers for 12 free sessions at a local Weight Watchers or Slimming World. To be entitled to the vouchers patients must be on a low income and have a body mass index over 30 or high blood pressure For a full article see; http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/news_behind/3743851.A_weighty_matter_exercising_minds/

In the design of local health and wellbeing services front line clinicians, mainly GPs at this stage, identify local priorities and present a business case to the PCT for the services needed to meet those priorities. The tPCT can then decide to commission them. To support this process information will be gathered on what resident’s want, where they want it and at what times. Mapping of existing services and identifying gaps also contributes to the planning process. There is a move towards placing services such as screening, health advice and access to Community Development Workers and Health Trainers within community settings e.g. community clinics and pharmacists.

Bradford and Airedale tPCT new structure

Bradford and Airedale tPCT has now divided its structure into two parts; the provider (approximately 2000 staff) and commissioner (approximately 500 staff). For the sector this signifies a further move towards the VCS competing directly with statutory sector partners along with other VCS organisations.

New NHS Community Contract

The Department of Health (DH) is currently developing a new standard contract for community and mental health services including those delivered by the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS).

The requirement to develop a standard contract forms part of the Health Reform in England, featuring first in the Commissioning Framework (July 2006) and then again in the Commissioning Framework for Health and Well-being (March 2007) and will be in place for April 2009. The contract will replace all existing contract/s between the VCS and the PCT.

Benefits of the Standard Contract

The Department of Health cites the following benefits to the standard NHS contract:

• A focus on keeping it as simple as possible, using plain English and accompanying guidance to ensure that both commissioner and provider fully understand the contract
• Flexibility; can be amended to account for service and organizational contexts
• A standardized contract will reduce the monitoring and administrative burden on third sector organisations holding more than one contract across different funding streams and different PCTs
• Built in measures to support organisations not meeting their contractual agreements as opposed to an automatic funding cuts
• Opening up commissioning opportunities where the standard contract wasn’t appropriate for VCS organisations e.g. GP commissioning
• Create a ‘level playing field’ across sectors
• Three year contract length default

The overarching aims of the contract being to improve patient experience through quality, joined-up services that represent value for money (VFM).

Local Impact on VCS Organisations
The standard contract will be of interest for any organisation wishing to contract with the NHS in the future and those currently holding contracts that run beyond April 2009. Locally this will affect those organisations with existing contracts through funding streams (namely Bradford and Airedale tPCT commissioning and Healthier Communities Fund), and individual contracts e.g. Practice Based Commissioning. For the districts 86 VCS organisations currently in contract with Bradford and Airedale tPCT this will mean a new contract less than a year after their initial contract has been signed. This is a requirement placed by the DH nationally and therefore out of the hands of the PCTs locally. In reality this should only mean a format adjustment of the contract rather than any major content changes. Our understanding is that the standard contract will also apply to Healthier Communities Fund but we are currently seeking confirmation on this. We will keep you updated! For Healthier Communities Fund schemes this would also signify a move from Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to a legally binding contract.
Organisations should wait to be contacted by their commissioning contact officer.

VCS Planning for NHS Contracts
Though the disruption to existing providers should be minimal the new standard contract serves to further reinforce some of the changes we expect to see as key to future commissioning arrangements.

Take into account these changes through your organisations planning for future funding bids.

Features of the contract:

• Evidence base
• Expected outcomes
• Service delivery model
• Referral routes
• Quality and performance indicators
• Care pathways

Services will be based on proven delivery models and community need. The contracted service will be identified as fitting into the relevant care pathway considering referral routes from and to other services within the pathway. Organisations could identify where their organisations services fit, or may want to position themselves into the relevant care pathway e.g. mental health, smoking cessation. An article outlining how to map your organisations activities to care pathways will follow.

As is now the case with many, but not all existing contracts, performance will be measured by achieving agreed health outcomes rather than outputs.

If you have any questions or comments relating to this article contact either Rachel or Razwanah @ Bradford CVS t: 01274 722772 e: health@bradfordcvs.org.uk . Keep checking the blog for updates!

Boys and Men’s Mental Health Forum

The BRAVE+ Project, “ManAlive”

Boys and Men’s Mental Health Forum

First monthly meeting:
Tuesday 14th October 2008 10.30am -12.30
The Gateway Community Centre
Thackeray Road, Ravenscliffe
Bradford BD10 0JR

Are you concerned about the mental / emotional health and well being of Men and Boys?
Do you worry about problems such as:
Male suicide, risky behaviour, gun/knife crime, drugs & alcohol, violence & aggression?

Please join us for support, raising awareness to the emotional/ psychological distress of Boys and Men, developing male focussed /strengths based interventions, sharing ‘best practice’ and networking

Keynote Presentation by Sue Dominey
Churchill Fellowship Research in Australia & New Zealand
“Violence Prevention Work with Boys & Young Men”

The Brave+ Project specialises in:
VIOLENCE PREVENTION /ANGER MANAGEMENT FOR MEN
1:1 and group counselling plus Specialist men’s health services
(Contact: 07906 203 062) Email: thebraveproject@hotmail.com

Make Bradford healthier competition

Make Bradford healthier competition

Bradford and Airedale tPCT are looking for your ideas... they want to encourage local people to send in new ideas that will help improve health and wellbeing locally.

The competition is open to individuals, community and voluntary groups, social enterprises and businesses in Bradford district.

"Ten shortlisted ideas will get the chance to discuss their idea with the competition judges on 17th November. Each presenter will get a cash prize of £50; further funding of up to £1,000 each may also be awarded to help some of the winners take the first steps to get their ideas moving."

For further details visit www.bradford.ac.uk/thinkbusiness or telephone Georgina Bache on 01274 235543.

The competition can be entered online at http://www.brad.ac.uk/thinkbusiness/nhscomp/ or pick up a leaflet at your local community centre and return the short form to Community Development B&A tPCT Freepost RLZH-XTUZ-YAZK Douglas Mill Bradford BD5 7JR (no stamp needed)

The deadline for entries is 31 October 2008

Consultations: Direct Payments

Direct payments are crucial to achieving the Government's aim to increase independence, choice and control for service users and their carers through allowing them the opportunity to arrange their own personalised care. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 extends the availability of direct payments to those people who lack the capacity to consent to their receipt. In addition, the government is also reviewing the current exclusions to receiving direct payments for those people who are subject to various provisions of mental health legislation in light of the modernisation of mental health law brought about by the Mental Health Act 2007. The Government is now consulting on regulations relating to these two changes.

Closing date: 11 November 2008

To respond to this consultation please go to;
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_087108

Events: Alcohol as a Health Issue Scrutiny

Posted on behalf of Cllr Michael Kelly,Chair, Alcohol as a Health Issue Working Group

Bradford Council Health Improvement Committee
Launch of the Alcohol as a Health Issue Scrutiny
Friday 3 October 2008 at 11.30am
Bradford City Hall, Council Chamber

I am writing to invite you to the launch of the report on “Alcohol as a Health Issue” which has been produced by the Health Improvement Committee’s Working Group.

This issue currently has a very high profile; due both to increased government focus on reducing the physical and social harm caused by alcohol and the widespread media coverage of “binge-drinking” and its impact on health and communities.

Bradford Council’s Health Improvement Committee decided that it was important to see what was happening in Bradford and established a working group to look into the effects of alcohol on the health of people in the district.

We heard from a wide range of witnesses, from the council, the health services, the voluntary sector, the supply side and from individuals whose own lives have been affected by alcohol misuse. From their evidence we were able to build up a picture of alcohol use and abuse in Bradford and to produce the report we are now launching, which contains a series of recommendations for addressing the problems caused to the health of people in the district.

I do hope that you are able to join us for the launch and assist us in promoting the safer use of alcohol in the Bradford district. Tim Gilling, Health Scrutiny Programme Manager from the Centre for Public Scrutiny will be attending the launch and will say a few words about the report and the important role of health scrutiny.

The launch will be followed by lunch and the opportunity to network with contributors to the scrutiny.

Please reply to rosemary.bell@bradford.gov.uk or 01274 431391 before Wednesday 01 October, so that we can confirm numbers for catering. If you have any colleagues who you feel may be interested in attending, please do forward this to them.

Events: New NHS Constitution

From the Department of Health Third Sector Partnership Team

The Department of Health still has space at the forthcoming Learning
Event on the form and content of the NHS Constitution. All NHS bodies and
private and third sector providers supplying NHS services will be
required by law to take account of the NHS Constitution in their decisions and
actions.

The draft Constitution sets out the rights pledges and responsibilities that apply to patients, staff and the public. For further information please see: www.dh.gov.uk/consultations

Don't miss this opportunity to influence this important document by attending the NSPF NHS Constitution Learning Event next Monday 29 September.

To book, please send your name, organisation email address and contact
telephone number to vcsmail@dh.gsi.gov.uk . A formal programme will be
issued by return.

Topics under discussion by delegates will include:

Principles that guide the NHS
Patients and the public - your rights and NHS pledges to you
Patients and the public - your responsibilities
Staff - your rights and MHS pledges to you
Staff - your responsibilities

Event details:
Monday 29 September at Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD.
Registration commences at 1.00pm for a 1.30pm start and the event will
finish no later than 4.30pm.

To book, please send your name, organisation email address and contact
telephone number to vcsmail@dh.gsi.gov.uk . A formal programme will be
issued by return. You can also request to be added to the distribution list via this

A technical glitch

Good morning from Rachel at HealthNet. Over the past week we have been experiencing problems with internet access here at Bradford CVS hence no recent blog activity. Expect all new notifications up here by the end of the day. Rachel.

Bradford LINk, Connect and make a difference

A series of events to celebrate the launch of Bradford Local Involvement Network (LINk) that aims to give people a stronger voice in the design and delivery of health and social care provision.

It is a district-wide initiative and there will be launches at a number of different venues.

Come along and help to make a difference!

Monday 6^th October 2008, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park, BD9

3pm – 5pm followed by light supper

Building the Dream - a Model of Good Practice - Age Concern

Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities – How you can get involved

Monday 13^th October 2008, Riddings Hall, Riddings Road, Ilkley

5.30pm – 6.30pm Food from 5pm

Commuters Question Time on health and social care in the Bradford District

Tuesday 14^th October 2008, Temple Row Centre, 23 Temple Row, Keighley

1pm – 3pm Lunch from 12.30
Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities

Thursday 16^th October 2008, Evans Room, Victoria Hall, Saltaire

5.30pm – 7.30pm Food from 5pm

Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities

For a booking form contact link@keighleyvs.org

Approved List of Suppliers for Supporting People Programme

Approved List of Suppliers for Supporting People Programme

Bradford Supporting People is currently advertising for interested providers to apply to be considered being placed on our Approved List of Providers. The List will be used by us to select providers to tender for new services. The process is open which means there are no deadlines for you to complete the questionnaire but as we are going out to tender for new services in early September we welcome a quick response.

Bradford Metropolitan District Council, on behalf of the Supporting People
Partnership, invites suitably experienced organisations to apply to join
an Approved List of Suppliers that is being formed to provide a pool of
pre qualified suppliers who meet the requirements of Bradford Council’s
accreditation scheme, from which the council will go to tender with. It is
intended that this list will operate on an open ended basis.
Bradford Council currently has a sector that provides a range of services of
housing related support to a wide range of vulnerable client groups including
for example, the homeless, elderly, refugees, young people, people with
mental health problems and people with substance abuse problems.

Application documents and further details of the areas and services
covered are to be downloaded from http://scms.alito.co.uk Please ensure
you have registered for Bradford MDC to enable access to documentation.
If you require any assistance downloading the documents, contact SCMS
help desk on 0113 247 4001.

After downloading the application, any queries arising should be directed
to: Bradford Supporting People Team on 01274 435000 or email
supportingpeople@bradford.gov.uk

It is anticipated that the first tenders will be issued during autumn 2008.

New service developments coming soon:

Floating support for people with complex needs - 12 month pilot.

Floating support for people with substance misuse problems - 12 month pilot.

Later in the Autumn floating support for people with mental health and learning disabilties.

For more info go to:

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/health_well-being_and_care/adult_care/supporting_people/strategy_commissioning_and_procurement/Procurement/

Workshop: Providing Health Services for the NHS workshop

Providing Health Services for the NHS workshop 12th August, The Priestley Room, West Yorkshire Playhouse - Second event to be run in September due to demand.

This event is aimed at social enterprises and third sector organisations intending to supply services to the NHS with Tracy Cannell from the Department of Health.

This is an opportunity to find out about:-

• The new standard community contract, what type of contract can you expect?
• What are commissioners looking for?
• Top tips for tendering
• Being an NHS Provider
• New Health Contracting Portal

This is event is free, however place are limited. For further details and to book please contact Debbie on 0845257 8027 or email debbie.yates@sesc.info

Events: Use ‘em or lose ‘em, Making the most of our community centres

Use ‘em or lose ‘em

Making the most of our community centres

Wednesday 8th October

9.30am – 4.00pm

The Thornbury Centre

Key speakers:

Steve Hartley, Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services (BMDC)

Jan Smithies, Community Development Strategic Manager (B & A tPCT)

Community Centres are at the heart of life in the Bradford District. They provide a fantastic range of activities and facilities at a local level, which promote and support health and wellbeing and social network and capacity building. However they need support to keep going, and learn from each other about how to improve, develop and extend the services they provide, attract more users and attract more money from funders and investors.

The “Use ‘em or Lose ‘em” conference invites community centre managers, staff, and management committee members to work together to share good practice, discuss issues and find solutions. Current and potential funders and investors are also invited along to listen to and take part in the debate. The outcome will be a “Sustainable Community Centres Strategy” that will support centres to achieve their potential and a sustainable future.

This will be an informative, interesting and interactive conference so book your place now.

For a booking form contact Alison@keighleyvs.org

Further travel details and booking confirmation will be sent out by email, week beginning 22^nd September.

Domestic Programme Fund, deadline 5 September

Domestic Programme Fund, deadline 5 September

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) (part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) is pleased to announce a call for bids for funding from its new domestic programme fund. "The domestic programme fund will provide funding to partner agencies for projects in the UK that will help tackle forced marriage. The programme fund totals £65,000 for the 08-09 Financial Year, to be deployed in September 2008."

The deadline for applications Friday 5 September.

Guidance on how to bid and criteria for the fund are available at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/nationals/forced-marriage-unit/domestic-prog-fund Bids can include national and regional/ local projects.

Completed bidding forms should be emailed to Wayne Ives (Head of FMU) at wayne.ives@fco.gov.uk by Friday September 5th 2008. For further information, please call 0207 008 8706 or visit their website http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/nationals/forced-marriage-unit/domestic-prog-fund

Thank you to bfunded for supplying this information