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Councils overlook local VCS say Ofsted

10 August 2011

Councils lack key skills and ambition in commissioning services and are overlooking the potential of the local community and voluntary sector, according to a new Ofsted report.

The watchdog’s survey of practice at 12 English authorities found that, despite significant pressure to find financial savings, councils were not always considering alternative approaches to service delivery. “Poorly informed views” about the potential of competitors to improve services remained unchallenged, it added.

Inspectors also found that key commissioning posts were being deleted and that too often officers assigned to manage a portfolio of youth services were inexperienced in commissioning processes.

In particular, innovative examples of contract design were said to be rare and few councils had considered holding open exploratory talks with potential contractors or co-designing services with providers.

Among the key findings of the study at 12 councils (including Cumbria and Halton), which was undertaken during the first three months of this year, were:

less than half of the study councils had commissioning arrangements that could be described as “sufficiently well established”
structural changes within councils “militated” against long-term planning
decision-making was being inhibited by a lack of clarity about the legal and financial liabilities such as employee pensions
Ofsted called on councils to ensure they gave proper consideration to new providers, such as the voluntary sector, community and charitable organisations – and make sure they involved those providers in the design, decision-making and monitoring of commissioned services.

The other councils taking part in the study were: Bath and North East Somerset Council, Buckinghamshire CC, Cumbria CC, Halton BC, Hertfordshire CC, Leeds City Council, Merton LBC, Northumberland CC, Plymouth City Council, Sunderland City Council, Surrey CC and Tower Hamlets LBC.

The North West Regional Youth Work Unit along with the VSNW Children and Young People's North West Network are hoping to hold a seminar on the report with its Author OFSTED HMI Tony Gallagher on 13 October 2011.

Key link

Ofsted report: An evaluation of approaches to commissioning young people’s services