Working Together for Change

Added: 19/07/2010
Updated: 14/03/2012

Developing local services that offer more choice and individualised support is one of the key factors that will enable personalisation in social care.

The Department of Health worked with local authorities and Helen Sanderson Associates to write the guidance 'Working Together for Change - Using Person Centred Information for Commissioning'. This outlines a structured simple, six stage process that uses person centred information taken anonymously from individual reviews, support plans or person centred plans which is then clustered into key themes and developed into solution focused action plans. These then inform strategic commissioning, leading to the development of new models and ways of working.

It provides an effective approach to ensuring co-production with people using services, commissioners and providers of services in social care transformation and a way of understanding and measuring the impact of personalisation. It is also a great way for commissioners and providers to work together with people who use their services to hear about what is working and not working to quality assure existing services.

In the East Midlands, Northamptonshire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council have been part of the national programme to roll out the model. On 2 July 2010 a day was held at which their teams kindly shared their inspirational experiences and the outcomes of their projects.

Following the day, there was such a high level of interest in the approach that regional DH funding was used to develop an East Midlands Person Centred Commissioning and Market Development programme with eight local authorities. It aims to build local commissioner and provider capacity in using the 'Working Together for Change' process, as well as in use of a provider 'readiness for personalisation self-assessment' (opens new window) tool.

Person Centred Commissioning and Market Development Shared Learning Events

Two East Midland's events were held to share learning at the end of the programme.

East Midland's Working Together for Change Shared Learning Event - 27th May 2011 (doc - 23.42Mb)
A report from the day to support participants from Local Authorities in the East Midlands to review their progress around Working Together for Change and to make decisions about future progress.

East Midland's Progress for Providers Shared Learning Event - 10th May 2011 (doc - 114Kb) As part of the East Midlands Person Centred Commissioning and Market Development Programme, Ruth Gorman from Helen Sanderson Associates facilitated a day to support participants from the Local Authorities in the East Midlands to share learning from their use of the Progress for Providers (P4P) tool, review progress, identify solutions to common challenges and make decisions about future progress

Examples from the East Midlands

Lincolnshire County Council Working Together for Change example and follow up report

Leicestershire County Council Working Together for Change example and follow up report

Leicestershire County Council Progress for Providers summary

Northamptonshire County Council Working Together for Change example and follow up report

Northamptonshire County Council Progress 4 Providers summary

Leicester City Council Working Together for Change example and follow up report

Leicester City Progress 4 Providers summary

Derbyshire County Council Working Together for Change example

Nottinghamshire County Council Working Together for Change example and follow up report

Derby City Council Working Together for Change example

Derbyshire County Council Progress for Providers summary

Nottingham City Council Progress for Providers summary

Working Together for Change/Progress for Providers Day - 6th December 2011 at the National Watersports Centre, Nottinghamshire

Following the success of the above events a further day was held for the Working Together for Change and Progress for Provider leads to provide an opportunity for them to hear more about Working Together for Change and how it is being used nationally and in the East Midlands.

An opportunity was also provided for the delegates to start building a business case and plan what they will do locally.

See below for further information on the day.

Other useful information shared: