Local Authorities Vs Brokerage

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Local Authorities Vs Brokerage

• Friend of Foe?

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Me

• Head of Community Procurement
• MCIPS professional buyer 12 years experience
• Leading on brokerage model, market model and
  future of commissioning
• Support Planner!

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Definition

• The InControl definition of a support broker is
• An individual who
• (a) Has the role of helping people plan and
  organise any support they need
• and
• (b) Does not have the job of rationing resources
• and
• (c) Does not have the job of providing services.

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Friend?

• People may have low expectations about what is
  possible 
• People may not have good support from friends and
  family
• People may not have sufficient knowledge about
  available options
• People may not have the skill to do their own
  problem-solving
• Hence it has been proposed that some people may
  get great benefit from having someone available
  to them who can overcome these problems the
  support broker.

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Foe?

• Anti council prejudice affecting the multi-agency
  approach to brokerage
• Lack of take up by parents, carers or services
  users making brokerage just a professional
  service
• Seen as expensive and eating into services users
  individual budget

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(No Transcript)
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Design Principles for the Support Broker Model

• There will be a choice of support brokers
  available to services users
• Generalist Support Brokers then specialist
  brokers such as housing brokers or employment
  support brokers
• Providers or Individuals can be support brokers
• Brokers can come from the Council, Voluntary
  sector, or commercial sector
• Some support brokers can also carry out support
  planning allowing greater continuity with the
  service user and making the system more
  efficient
• Self brokerage will be developed and encouraged
  by investing in publicity, guides, DIY web based
  service comparison sites and forums for service
  users to recommend to each other good services

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The recommended model for Hammersmith and Fulham

• Create generic Support Brokers and a supply chain
  of specialist brokers
• Choice of Support Broker - Council, Voluntary
  Sector, Independent Broker, family or carer or
  service user or DIY.
• A Brokerage Partnership will be formed to quality
  assure and coordinate the activities and IT
  Support needed to develop and sustain the model.
• Will provide for face-to-face human brokerage and
  also utilise the internet by providing
  marketplace and online directory, plus training
  to allow services users to be their own broker.
• The model will allow for immediate demand for
  brokerage and then for extra capacity over the
  coming months
• Support Brokerage will be paid for from an
  allocation of the Individual Budget, or from Self
  Funders. It will be free for those on the initial
  SDS pilot
• Training will be provided from a course developed
  via the Brokerage sub-group.

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Graphic illustration of the types of Brokerage
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Implications for LAs

• Conflict of interest
• Who
• Capacity
• Support Planning vs Brokerage
• Training
• Quality of brokerage
• Safeguarding
• How are brokers paid for

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Questions for Workshop Audience

• Core Competencies of a broker?
• How to regulate growing profession
• The role of the council?
• How do you regulate growth?
• How do you cost this role?
• Should we trying to control a personalised market?