Developing an online portal to support two-way information sharing between providers and the council

The story so far

To improve the relationship between the council and the external adult social care providers Havering Council recognised a need to develop a two-way communications model between all providers and themselves. The model would support a more equal relationship, focusing on the best possible outcomes for vulnerable residents.

Information collected from the new communication model highlighted common issues and hurdles faced by the providers. It identified that to overcome market issues the council needed to take a more proactive approach and offer a solution to all providers.

It was quickly established that the council needed to develop a new training offer for all providers.

Developments

The council undertook a workshop in 2015 with all providers, who informed it about the challenges they experienced with information sharing and communication breakdowns when key staff left or changed roles. It was clear from discussions that they needed a single point of access for all provider information.

Based on this feedback, the council was able to develop Care Network, an online portal which supports two-way information sharing. Within the portal there are specialist confidential forums that can be booked onto. Each forum has a shared agenda where issues are recorded, circulated and fed back on to members.

Specialist forums include:

• residential and nursing care
• home care
• learning disability services
• voluntary and community sector

Feedback from residential/nursing care homes and home care agencies in the borough identified that many services faced challenges in sourcing high quality training at an affordable price. This led to the provider workforce having an inconsistent and uncoordinated level of training and providers were facing increased staff training costs, which often involved long distance travelling.

Havering was able to use this market overview as an advantage and identified a niche opportunity to develop providers’ training offer. Further investigation and provider survey’s identified the top 10 courses either most in demand and/or those which focused on quality.

For a one year pilot, the council was able to deliver quality-assured mandatory training courses; making such courses available for care homes and homecare agencies to purchase.

The council now brokers courses from a range of training providers using an online procurement system, with the providers funding the training themselves. This brokerage system allows the council to negotiate better fees for training based on collective demand and by implementing a ‘community buy-in’ model of purchase, prices per head are determined by the number of providers that have expressed their interest. Members can explore the courses on offer and register an expression of interest through the online Care Network. Although courses are targeted at residential/nursing care homes and home care providers, bookings are open to all Care Network members.

As of 1 September 2017 (end of Quarter 1 of the pilot), 30 per cent of places available to be booked/expressed interest on have been filled and 30 per cent of ‘target audience’ providers are purchasing training via the programme.

An example of courses on offer in Havering:

• Medication Awareness and Administration Competence
• Managing Challenging Behaviour in Adults with Learning Disabilities and Complex Needs
• Managing Challenging Behaviour in Adults with Dementia
• Moving and Handling of People Practical Skills
• Moving and Handing of Objects Practical Skills

Benefits

• Improved relationships with providers
• Better overview of how providers are developing their staff in terms of learning prospects
• Improved confidence that providers are accessing high quality learning through the training pilot programme
• Reduces the need for the local authority to check training records with providers as part of visits as these are now available via Care Network
• Economies of scale through brokerage and ‘community buy-in’ model of purchase
• Ability to identify if there is a shortfall in a specific skill set

Challenges

Advertising courses on an ‘expression of interest’ model basis before committing to the course protects the council from being subject to charge. This does increase the risk of no courses being run due to a shortage in sign up, and providers losing trust in the programme, or sourcing learning elsewhere.

To overcome this challenge, the council implemented an agreement with neighbouring local authorities and partner organisations to offer places to the wider market, provided only a small additional number are required to run the course, to ensure courses do proceed. A membership fee model was investigated, however was found to be limiting and inflexible for use in Havering, and was without any incentive for providers to buy into it.

A strong communications strategy was built to encourage bookings. Evaluations are held collaboratively with providers to ensure that courses with sufficient demand are run. Providers attend pilot working groups and regularly discuss the programme during forums. This assists the council in managing the programme on a quarterly basis, minimising this risk and ensuring productivity.

Impact of these new approaches

• Providers have said that there is a noted improvement in the relationship with the council since the communications model was implemented; they found previous provider forums were often one-sided and this led to them becoming defensive or wishing to maintain the status quo; the forum now operates on a two-way, partnership basis, enabling open and honest conversations to take place about continuous service improvement and development.
• Providers now make a direct and positive contribution to the co-ordination and commissioning of residential and home care services.
• The council’s confidence in the quality of care provision to residents is expected to increase due to the quality-assured training being accessed and its understanding of market operations.
• Consultation with the local home care market led to a 10 per cent uplift on hourly rates for those on the council's framework agreement.

Future developments

• Developing and supporting the stability of the provider workforce, including qualifications and a joined-up career pathway
• A fresh look at the Personal Assistant (PA) market is being taken and the development of stronger connections between the market and the council will include the possibility of adapting this more coordinated training offer to benefit PAs
• Increasing the learning prospects available to providers – free, and at a charge
• More shaping of the VCS market to deliver outcomes against three priorities: tackling social isolation, carers support and developing community resilience through peer support

Top tips

• Begin by building on what you already have in place; introduce incremental shifts to improve it. Review impact. Learn. Repeat.
• Plan for the whole local system and build on that rather than take a piecemeal approach.
• It’s important to ensure that the mind-set in the council enables true partnership working.
• Making small concessions to providers can reduce frustration significantly and can contribute to much improved relationships.
• Ensure that whatever IT system you use is fit for purpose and meets your needs.

Training

• Make sure that providers are interested and committed to this offer and that there will be sufficient demand.
• Ask specific questions about what you can realistically offer as part of the programme – Havering Council collected too much information initially as part of a survey and needed to find a way to narrow down priorities, which relied on increased resources.
• Involve providers in the process from very early on; ensuring that they are on board with the programme and have the opportunity to contribute towards the designs.

Find out more

For further information about the training pilot programme, email Amy Reed, Commissioner and Project Manager at Havering Council, [email protected] or phone 01708 431858.