Planning and Commissioning Pathway
Access to reliable and timely information is necessary to enable effective commissioning of appropriate services and supports for young people with ASD and/or BESD
Commissioning can be described as having the key elements:
- Gathering information on local needs
- Planning to meet those needs
- Purchasing/commissioning appropriate resources to meet those needs
Commissioning of appropriate opportunities, supports and resources is of key importance in ensuring successful
transitions. The Planning and Commissioning Pathway is needed alongside an individual person-centred transition pathway to ensure timely gathering and sharing of information.
People with responsibility for commissioning adult health and social care services across the West Midlands region were invited to respond to a questionnaire about planning for this group of young people.The questionnaire requested information about usage of databases and number of young people expected to need support from adult services over the next 6 years. The responses to these questionnaires highlighted the difficulties in obtaining accurate information about this group of young people to use for planning purposes.
Because the information currently held on the range of databases is not sufficiently detailed to inform planning and commissioning for this particular group of young people, a number of authorities have set up separate processes to overcome this.
These include:
- Development of stand-alone databases.
- Informal exchange of information between professionals.
- Regular multi-agency meetings to flag up young people who are likely to need support in adult life.
- Transition worker posts which include the responsibility of gathering information about young people from the age of 14 years.
The research carried out for this project has highlighted the lack of ‘joined up’ information and the need for a structured planning process both for individual young people and for organisations.
One commissioner highlighted the need for ‘adult’ commissioning in social care and health, rather than the current arrangement of ‘specialist’ commissioners e.g. learning disability or mental health, in order to ensure more holistic provision of supports and service. Based upon more reliable information, it would be possible to identify trends and likely future needs for further education, training and employment, as well as social care and health supports.
This could stimulate the development of a ‘market place’ where appropriate supports and opportunities can be accessed on both an individual and group level.
We suggest that a Planning and Commissioning Pathway (fig 8), in conjunction with a Person Centred Transition Pathway would fill this void.
