Transcript Document

Learning and Insights
Andrew van Doorn
Projects Director, hact
Transforming Care and
Support: Housing Matters
2 December 2008
Hact’s Vision
People living with dignity in inclusive
neighbourhoods
Hact’s Mission
Pioneering housing solutions for people on the
margins
www.hact.org.uk
Hact achieves this by
Identifying emerging need amongst people on the
margins
Developing, testing & promoting practical solutions
for social inclusion
Achieving change through partnerships and
networks
Acting as a bridge between HAs and the wider Third
Sector
www.hact.org.uk
Background
New Commissioning function
for LAs – steep learning curve
Need to rationalise
Tendering new for many
providers
For small orgs:
• Competitive disadvantage
• Higher impact of loss of contract
Need to encourage and test
models of collaboration
www.hact.org.uk
About the project
Funded by CLG, in partnership with
Sitra and NHF
Three strands:
• Good practice guide for commissioners (CLG)
• Providers guide to procurement (Sitra)
• Collaborate pilot programme (hact)
Aims of hact pilot
• Resource, develop and test multi-agency
tendering partnerships
• Capture what works and develop resources to
share more widely
www.hact.org.uk
What we did
Supported partnerships in Durham,
Liverpool, Redbridge, Rotherham,
Southend and Suffolk
Tested a range of approaches
We provided
• Facilitation and support
• A budget up to £12,000
• Opportunities to share learning
Outputs
• Resource pack, events, evaluation
www.hact.org.uk
About the pilot projects
Two broad types:
Sub-contracting
• One-to-one large/small partnership
• Multi-partner approach
Consortium
• Standard ‘lead agency’ model
• Special Purpose Vehicle
www.hact.org.uk
The partnerships
Suffolk: A successful consortium bid for floating support
contracts and a central access and referral function
Redbridge: A partnership to deliver a borough-wide floating
support service between a large Housing Association and a
small community-based refugee organisation
Durham: Three small homelessness agencies working as a
consortium of sub-contractors on partnership bids with two
prospective lead agencies to tender for a county-wide
floating support service
Rotherham: A group of local providers of young people’s
services setting up a separate company – Independent
Local Services – to bid for a range of contracts including
Supporting People
Southend: A consortium bid for floating support service
Liverpool: A group of small providers working towards
developing a collective arrangement with the same lead
agency for a range of future partnership bid
www.hact.org.uk
The resource pack
Ten worksheets offering guidance on:
Changes in SP commissioning and impacts for small
providers
Partnership bidding for SP contracts – large and small
providers working together, building consortia, making
the relationships work
Providers working with commissioners to influence the
process
The most common structures for collaborative working
and key issues when developing legal agreements with
partners
Guidance on bid-writing
Thoughts on implementation
www.hact.org.uk
Key learning
Quality of the relationships are
key
Attitudes of Commissioners are
key
Sub-contracting relatively
straight forward and low in cost
Consortium building is time
intensive and expensive
External support / consultants
can add value
www.hact.org.uk
Key learning
Need specialist legal advice
Commissioners need to be
aware of unintended barriers to
partnerships – gateway
questions
Commissioners must manage
the procurement team
Allow lots of time: EU
regulations are a minima, not a
maxima
Evaluation needs to give full
weight to local connections
www.hact.org.uk
Future partnerships
Maximising purchasing power
between individuals – Up2Us
HAs supporting social
enterprise and micro markets
and building capacity of smaller
agencies – Opportunity
Agenda
With new migrants and
refugees - Accommodate
Partnerships with people and
communities for voice –
Community Champions
www.hact.org.uk
www.hact.org.uk
www.hact.org.uk