Commissioning and partnerships
What is commissioning?
Commissioning is the process of identifying needs and securing services for the Council, from assessing priorities to managing and monitoring the way services are provided to residents.
The Adult Social Care Commissioning function is at the heart of developing person-centred care because we understand that getting it right will have a significant impact on the quality of people’s lives and experiences. We take a partnership approach to our commissioning activities and use the principle of co-production to collaborate and innovate sustainable solutions.
Commissioning activities remain critical to supporting local prevention and early intervention services to develop and flourish so people have the support they need to manage and protect their own health and wellbeing.
Commissioning is driven by four key priorities:
1) Commissioning opportunities
Wherever possible we will seek to commission opportunities rather than conventional services, so that people can feel socially included, remain close to their communities and enjoy quality of life.
2) Developing and managing the market
We have already shifted away from a traditional procurement approach and moved towards developing and managing the local social care market. We will seek to create the right market conditions whereby local enterprise and user-led organisations can develop and flourish. We will also continue to engage the local community in a two-way dialogue to improve the quality of local service provision.
3) Mutual responsibility
We will design and deliver support services within a framework of shared responsibilities. Solutions will be co-produced and co-owned by both the local community and the Council. We will work in partnership to ensure that support services are accessible, timely and proportionate and deliver value for money.
4) Building personal resilience
We recognise that everyone is an individual and as such we will encourage them to build on what they can do, instead of focussing on what they cannot do. Where appropriate, we will encourage them to use their existing assets and networks to develop their own solutions, and help them to make best use of the resources available to them.
Doing business with us
Tenders and contracts
We are the largest employer in Brent and provide a wide range of services to residents from street lighting, to emptying bins and providing care for people in residential homes.
Annually, we spend in excess of £200 million on buying goods, works and services. Smaller value contracts are generally managed by individual departments and larger value contracts (above the EU thresholds) are generally managed by the Corporate Procurement Unit.
All buying is done through fair and transparent procurement processes to ensure the most economically advantageous outcomes. It is not down to 'who you know' as to whether you will be successful, nor is it a least cost only decision.It is about value for money.
All suppliers are treated equally and assessed on the merits of their tender submissions. Working with us may provide relevant experience to then enable you to go on to work with other public sector organisations, providing a foothold into new markets.
When working with us, the basis of the relationship clearly defines (usually in the form of a contract) what our expectations are of suppliers, in short, to ensure high standards of service at the best possible value.
We have terms and conditions of contract that are reasonable and achievable. You can also download our suppliers guide to procurement (.pdf, 603.6kB) at Brent.
