Effective Commissioning – The CAB experience

1. Effective Commissioning – The CAB experience Developing effective advice fit for the future • Aaliya Seyal, Director of Customer Journey Citizens Advice Scotland

2. The CAB Experience of Local Authority Commissioning • CAS support to the CAB Network • What the Added Value of the CAB Service is • Future CAB advice development CAB experience

3. We know you have • A difficult funding environment • Specific outcomes targets • Statutory service priority • Existing council procedures Local authority challenges

4. Variable Local Authority practice • 30+ CAB over the last decade competed for advice services. • In no case have we lost an existing CAB • We provide a good advice product, • In many areas no competitive market What is the benefit of a commercial tender, where the only bidder will be the CAB service? Existing Commissioning – CAB experience

5. Orkney and Shetland Citizens Advice Bureaux in Scotland 60 members 200+ service points

6. Expectation of more services for less money • Unrealistic expectations / targets • Potential to attract VAT • Failure to consider alternatives to EU/ commercial tendering • Boilerplate generic contracts • Specific terms in FOI, data control, PVG • Failure to stick to agreed timelines CAB Experience – What’s Bad Commissioning Like?

7. Be client focussed - needs analysis not resource led • Consider the whole advice landscape • Recognise added value of generalist service • Use Community Planning Partnerships • Advice is not simply welfare rights, housing and debt - recognise the value of holistic, community based advice • Take time to prepare, and consult • Communicate with existing advice suppliers • Consider whether best value for services might be delivered externally CAB Experience – What’s Good Practice Like?

8. It’s an opportunity - consider effective advice provision development – its not simply a commercial tender • Understand the local landscape, needs and priorities • Familiarity with the community basis for the CAB service and the recognition of the additional services we bring to the local area • Recognition of the community benefits of volunteering, support for employability we bring • Recognise Local Authority funding can help to bring in other funding – CAB is mainly funded other sources Future CommissioningKey Pointers

9. The CAB Network Citizens Advice Scotland CAS helps bureaux to meet the conditions that are necessary to be part of the CAB Service. • information • training • 2nd tier support • social policy • bureau services • IT • quality • consultancy

10. Every CAB provides a quality, audited service which will be able to fulfil local authority advice • Ongoing Business Support for local CAB improving quality, - SNS support, and continual improvement through ongoing QA assessment Appropriate report development, Use of CASTLE , recording closer to local authority reporting requirements strategic support and relationship management CAS Support for CAB tenders

11. Aid CAB understanding of the bureaucracy • Help to draft the tender response • Impact assessment support • Co-ordinate multiple CAB in a local authority area • Advice on contract terms • ongoing support for contract negotiation CAS Support For the Tender Response

12. Overall Bureau funding

13. Patient Advice And Support Service • Financial Health Check Service • Universal Support: Help to Claim • Armed Services Advice Project • PensionWise • Energy Best Deal CAS Provides £7 Million funding for local CAB advice services

14. User vision Research in 2016 • Vision is of a flexible approach which enables a smooth transition between channels – a really effective client experience fit for now and the future • Face to face and local services will remain important, with easy access where required, with web and telephone services available too Future of CAB advice – Flexible, Accessible, Multichannel

15. A core broadband offer of high quality, speed • IT Security nationally supported to government standards • Quality telephony which enables flexible local, regional and national helplines • State of the art webchat & local websites • Fully supported, accessible and integrated enquiry recording Debt System • MI reporting broken down by local authority, ward or SIMD area CAB Service transformation

16. Appointment booking available nationally • Better client enquiry reporting • Central Data Hub for improved MI info/data analysis • Improved multichannel CAB working practices CAS is also testing

17. Central CAS support for local partnership work • National developing relationship with NHS primary care • Toolkit for local partnership development • Successfully increased local partnerships, outreaches and joint work with local partners to more than 550 organisations – e.g. 35 library outreaches, work with more than 100 primary care trust CAS Support for Partnerships

18. Idox Research 2016- Key findings • Councils don’t have a legal obligation to tender for advice services. • Competitive tendering processes involve significant time and resource costs for both delivery organisations and councils. • Competitive tendering for advice services can damage existing relationships and destabilise the third sector market • Collaboration works - look seriously at alternative collaborative approaches, such as Public Sector Partnerships CAS Research Into Commissioning Alternatives

19. Identify the need for services and engage with service users and communities. • co-production and co-design. • Designed services are piloted, through a cross-sectoral partnership. • Use what works. Public Sector Partnerships – A Better Approach

20. designed and delivered around the individual and their needs. • Local people and service users have a say • It makes statutory and voluntary agencies work together, increasing commitment to the final “product” • community planning and community organisations have a say • The “market” still decides where the investment goes as it involves a tendering process. The Benefits of a PSP approach

21. We are already the chosen partner to deliver many national advice services. • Universal Support help to Claim, • Financial Health Checks, • EU nationals Support, • PensionWise • National Kinship Care Service. • The CAB network meets Scotland’s Advice needs, and is a key partner for Scotland’s local authorities CAB Advice - The Future:

22. First and foremost, client focussed, • Easy to access the right service, in the most convenient way, to solve the person’s issue • Providing high quality and consistent advice • Local, community based • Flexible and multichannel approach – what works for the client with seamless transfer between channels • We work in partnership to provide a full holistic service – to look at the client, not just the problem The CAB network

23. www.cas.org.uk • Produced by Citizens Advice Scotland [DATE] • Scottish charity SCO 16637 and company limited by guarantee 89892