Agenda item
Update on the Work of the Co-Production Pilot to Date
Minutes:
The Sub Committee considered the update on the work of the Co-Production Pilot to date, presented by Emily Fieran-Reed (Service Manager, Cohesion, Engagement and Commissioning).
The report highlighted: -
· the change to the timetable of the co-commissioning such that delivery of the commissioned work on cohesion will now commence from 1st September 2017 rather than 1st April 2017;
· an update on the progress of the project to date;
· details of the support that will be provided to Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations to enable them to participate in co-production and to tender for commissioned contracts; and
· The budget available for Community Engagement, Cohesion and Resilience activity is £105,000 per annum, which, over the period of the co-production pilot (until the end of August 2016) amounts to £148,750 in total.
Councillor Harrison enquired about the project slippage period and whether it would be fair to the organisation and the services.
Emily Fieran-Reed informed the Sub Committee that although there was a project slippage, it is specific to the commissioned work on cohesion, the other aspects of the project will continue as scheduled.
Councillor John Pierce enquired about the results and how the project success will be judged.
Emily Fieran-Reed informed the Sub Committee that expectations would be developed as part of the co-production work, but it was anticipated that the outcomes would be based upon a wider approach enabling the community to come together and pro-actively do joint working between different parts of the community cohesively and sustainably according to the project aims.
The Sub Committee welcomed this report outlining the co-production support to the voluntary sector to date for commissioned projects relating to Community Engagement, Cohesion and Resilience.
The Sub Committee were pleased to hear that the training had been widely advertised and was oversubscribed. They were keen to hear that further training opportunities would be forthcoming; learning from the current pilot and findings from the independent evaluation of grants currently being undertaken will be taken into consideration to enhance the offer.
The Sub Committee welcomed the generic training element around co-production, which can be drawn on by voluntary sector organisations who want to apply for other forms of funding.
The Sub Committee wanted assurance that the co-production process would be fair and end-user focussed.
The Sub Committee heard that a wide range of stakeholders had been invited to participate and this would help to mitigate against using the process to shape commissioned services for their own benefit. Participants are being be asked to undertake their own research which they will bring back to the co-production sessions and used, in conjunction with intelligence from the service, to ensure decisions made were evidence-based. In addition, Legal Services will be consulted.
The Sub Committee agreed to:
1. Note the new timetable for the Co-Production Pilot Project;
2. Note the progress on the project to date;
3. Note the support which will be provided to voluntary and community sector organisations to participate in the co-production process and bid for future funding; and
4. Requested that another progress update report be submitted to the Sub Committee further into the co-production programme (April).
Supporting documents: