Manchester City Council have just gone live on their new commissioning structure and Macc is in discussion with them about putting on an event for the Voluntary and Community Sector to explain how it will work. The new structure is very different from the old one one which was organised around commissioners having responsibility for themes such as Youth and Play, Mental Wellbeing, Immigration Advice etc.
Some of the key elements of the new structure are:
- Adult and Children's Commissioning are merged
- Commissioning will be primarily area based: North, Central and South - co-terminous with NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups.
- The Lead Commissioners for each area will also have thematic responsibilities.
- Alongside area-based commissioning is a Commissioning Hub
Some of the key roles of the Commissioning Hub are to:
- Support and challenge commissioning across the council to embed Public Service Reform
- Ensure consistent and efficient business practices
- Explore innovative ways of working in tackling difficult problems.
- Ensure strong understanding of need, demand, the evidence base and of different models of service delivery
- Research and use different funding models such as social investment and payment by results.
- Carry out evaluation of commissioned services.
All the key posts have now been filled in the new structure:
- Head of Strategic Commissioning - Hazel Summers
- Head of Commissioning Hub - Andy Bowie
- Lead Commissioner North - Jock Rodger
- Lead Commissioner Central - Zoe Robertson
- Lead Commissioner South - Lee Anderson
- Head of Quality, Performance and Compliance - Lesley Hilton-Duncan.
- Strategic Lead (Business Change) - Mark Leaver
- Commissioning Support Manager (programmes) - James Williams
- Commissioning Development Manager - Nathan Atkinson
- VCS Development Manager - Liz Goodger
A chart of the new structure is attached and for those that want to read the detail there are 3 particularly relevant reports that have gone to Manchester City Council Committees:
- Senior Management Arrangements (Personnel Committee): This report gives a very useful summary of: the commissioning arrangements: the overall management structure: and the strategic direction.
- The Development of the Commissioning Hub (Finance Scrutiny Committee)
- Budget Proposals for Integrated Commissioning and Integrated Delivery of Targeted and Specialist Services (Executive): Explains how an integrated commissioning hub will deliver on the key targets of Manchester City Council.
