Commissioning

Macc, VYM and Manchester City Council worked co-operatively to produce an Evaluation of Youth and Play Fund Commissioning (2013-2015). The evaluation is based on survey data, focus groups and interviews with officers and councillors of Manchester City Council and with voluntary sector youth and play providers. It is divided into a number of sections each with findings, recommendations and questions to be considered, including sections on the application process, the decision making process panels and moderation and contract negotiation.

Nigel Rose, Strategic Lead (Commissioning) has published the first part of a two-part blog which examines the thorny problem of including evidence of past performance in decision-making about funding. If an organisation failes to deliver, like G4S, should it be allowed to bid for further contracts and if an organisation succeeds, should this increase their chances next time?

The Better Care Fund by the government was announced in June 2013. It is a funding mechamism, covering the period 2014/15 and 2015/16 intended to incentivise integration of health and social services and more specifically to reduce hospital admissions. North, Central and South Cliinical Commissioning Groups, together with Manchester City Council will decide shortly how their slice of national funding will be spent, as projects need to be put in place rapidly.

On 31 January 2014, new regulations on TUPE (Tranfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) came into effect updating the 2006 regulations. Acas has produced a leaflet to help employers better understand what the changes mean and how they may affect their business. TUPE is legislation that governs the transfer of employees from one organisation to another when a public contract changes hands.

Nigel Rose, Strategic Lead (Commissioning) for Macc comments on the proceedings of Manchester City Council’s Valuing Young People Board.

Manchester City Council is facing unprecedented levels of cuts. Provision for young people is facing reductions in common with every other area of provision. Officers of the Council are in the process of developing proposals for the cuts which will then come to the Valuing Young People Board for discussion and then out for consultation.

Manchester City Council have published a list of their funding for Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations totalling over £46 million.

The Financial Scrutiny Committee of Manchester City Council met on Thursday 9th Jan. The two main items under consideration were reports on "Commissioning of Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations" and an "Update of Progress in Developing the Commissioning Hub".

Collecting evidence about whether community engagement works is difficult, far more difficult than measuring the effectiveness of a new medicine. A new report looks at 361 studies and concludes overall that community engagement works.

The review considered the following questions: