Further to minute 9 (Cabinet – 2 June 2011), the Director of Finance provided an overview of the development of an outcome based Commissioning Framework, which could be used as the basis for fundamental service reviews and re-commissioning activity over the medium term in order to achieve the objectives set out in the Corporate Plan. He commented that the aim of an outcome based approach to commissioning was to shift the focus of what the Council did, from activities to results, and from how a programme operated to the good it accomplished. He reported that, whilst the model under development had to be capable of being applied to every function within the Council it was proposed to focus it in two areas initially –

(a)  services provided across the Council by the voluntary, community and faith sectors, and

(b)  services provided in the Department of Adult Social Services to people with a learning disability.

Lessons learnt from the pilots would be applied to other service reviews as they were undertaken and he commented that considerable work in relation to the learning disability project had already been completed as part of the DASS Improvement Plan and budget stabilisation programme. The work had been done in conjunction with NHS Wirral and had informed the development of the Commissioning Framework. Consultation was ongoing with all Council Departments and proposals would be developed for wider sector participation in the further development of the framework. The proposals would reflect the need to work in partnership with the voluntary, community and faith sector to develop a clear understanding and consensus about the framework and, in doing so, would also recognise the work that had already been done with the sector and partners to explore local commissioning approaches.

Resolved –

(1)  That the principles contained within the report of the Director of Finance that underpin the development of an outcome based Commissioning Framework, be noted.

(2)  That a further report be presented on options for applying such a framework to major service reviews emerging from the consultation exercise.