Cardiff Youth ServiceBetter Outcomes for Young People 

‘Surviving and thriving in challenging times’ 

Aim

To promote a common understanding of the need for change and the process for 

developing a commissioning approach for Cardiff Youth Service 

Overview

• Drivers for change:– Cardiff context– National context for youth services 

• Youth Service response to change• Process and timescale for service transformation

• Questions and comments 

Youth Service Transformation ‐ The Task

To develop a commissioning approach to securing and delivering youth work in Cardiff that .....• Is based on the needs of young people• Achieves agreed outcomes – supporting young people to reach their full potential

• Identifies and appraises options for delivering services that are high performing and cost efficient 

• Responds to the need to make significant savings across the council

By December 2014

Cardiff Context 

Challenging times for Cardiff City Council

• Financial challenges – a predicted shortfall of £92 million between 2015 and 2018

• Increased demand for services – due to population rises and changes in demography

• Need to improve performance – “too many services in the lower quartile of performance nationally” 

Meeting the Challenges in Cardiff• Review the shape and scope of the organisation

and the way in in which services are currently delivered

• Identify delivery models that reflect the budgetary realities and support service continuity and improvement

• Identify opportunities for further efficiency savings through better internal and external integration of service delivery

• Strengthen performance management and workforce development arrangements

Current actions include 

• A vision for the Council in 2020• Adoption of key principles to guide the journey towards the vision

• Being a “Co‐operative” Council• Re‐shaping services – based on need and agreed outcomes – identifying alternative service delivery models within the ethos of a Co‐operative Council

• Programme of service reviews and organisational development

• Developing a strategic commissioning approach

Commissioning – a few myths....

Commissioning is about:• Outsourcing public services • Saving money and reducing costs • Transferring the risks from local authorities to service providers 

• Reducing pay and altering terms and conditions

• Losing control of services 

What is Strategic Commissioning?  • Strategic commissioning is involves 

– Assessing and identifying need– Setting outcomes based on needs and aspirations– Engaging with stakeholders particularly citizens and staff– Setting commissioning priorities to secure outcomes– Identifying and appraising options for service delivery– Planning and implementing service delivery models– Monitoring and reviewing performance to ensure outcomes are met

• Commissioning DOES NOT mean the same as outsourcing. 

Considering the evidence base in order to

understand the needs of the local community, and setting the commissioning

priorities based on the availability of resources,

and current service levels to deliver the desired

outcomes

Designing appropriate service delivery models

based on a range of options that invite input from delivery agents and challenge current delivery

models

Implementing selected service delivery models

(e.g. through contracts, grants or service redesign),

and structuring them to enable effective

performance management against targets

Reviewing contracts and delivery through

performance management activitiesto ensure that services are

achieving required outcomes effectively

At all stages, the commissioning cycle is underpinned by a governance structure that

supports it, ensuring momentum, setting expectations

and continually, assessing impact

The Commissioning cycle How does it work?

Adapted from Leicestershire Together – Strategic Commissioning Handbook 2009

Priorities for

Cardiff

What do we mean by alternative service delivery models?

In‐House Services

Cardiff Themes

• High performing cost efficient publically funded services making and impact and delivering more for less 

• Working co‐operatively with citizens, communities, staff and partners

• Strategic commissioning based on need• Improving outcomes and delivering savings 

Over to You 

Questions and comments 

National Context for Youth Work

The National Youth Work Strategy for Wales 

National Youth Work Strategy –

Recognises the role of youth work in improving outcomes for young people... “Through informal and non‐formal educational approaches, effective youth work practice builds the capacity and resilience of young people and can change young people’s lives for the better.”

Huw Lewis AM – Minister for Education and Skills 

National Youth Work Strategy for Wales and associated action plan:

– Independent evaluation of the impact of youth work by April 2017

– Development of a national outcomes framework– Piloting and implementation of Quality Mark for youth services in Wales

– Strengthening the capacity of the Voluntary sector – Local authorities to develop a joint youth work offer with VCS

National Youth Work StrategyFour Outcomes

1. Young people in Wales have access to diverse and challenging informal and non‐formal learning opportunities – open access used to connect young people with more targeted or specialised support where necessary

National Youth Work StrategyFour Outcomes

2. Stronger strategic relationship between youth work and formal education nationally – targeted interventions being embedded in partnership work to support positive outcomes in mainstream education and training. – Better integration with other support services to deliver the youth engagement and progression framework

– Youth workers as lead workers working with individuals to broker support 

National Youth Work StrategyFour Outcomes

3.  Better and more consistent youth work offer across voluntary and statutory organisations. The action plan includes work on capacity building, partnership working and collaboration between voluntary and statutory service providers.

National Youth Work StrategyFour Outcomes

4. Securing a robust evidence base for the impact of youth work to better position youth work in delivering strategic priorities and inform future investment decisions. – National evaluation of the impact of youth work youth work

– Evaluation of the impact of youth work in schools 

What does this mean for Cardiff Youth Service?

• Agreeing a vision for the service • Undertaking the steps in the commissioning cycle  ‐analyse, plan, do, review

• Formulating a pledge to young people • Developing a service specification – outcomes, performance indicators, quality

• Appraising options for delivering high performing cost effective youth work

• Developing a service transformation plan• Consulting with stakeholders• Making recommendations to Cabinet

Guiding Principles 

• Improving outcomes for young people • Identifying, planning and ensuring the youth service’s contribution to Cardiff’s priorities

• Service improvement ‐ getting more and better for less

• Allocating resources according to need• Stakeholder involvement • Using the steps in the commissioning cycle • Exploring new ways of delivering services 

How?• Service Transformation Project Teammade up of young 

people, youth service staff, council officers, representatives from voluntary and statutory partner organisations –Chaired by Councillor Sarah Merry

• Reference Group with wider stakeholder membership ‐made up of young people, youth service staff, council officers, representatives from voluntary and statutory partner organisations – to act as a critical friend to the Project Team

• Support from colleagues in the Commissioning Team, Policy, Partnership and Citizen Focus team, HR, Finance etc.

• Input from young people, staff and partners through consultative processes. 

Timescale ‐ Four Stages Stage 1 Communicating the need for change to young people, staff stakeholders and partners

June 2014

Stage 2Develop a service specification, appraise options for service delivery and develop proposals for service transformation 

June to September 2014

Stage 3Consultation ‐ including events with young people, staff and a wide range of partners and stakeholders

October 2014

Stage 4  Finalising proposals for Cabinet report in December 2014

November 

Over to You 

Questions and comments