Before the Modernisation Programme went to the Executive on 29 June, Managers' Briefings were held in the three Social Services Localities:

• South & West Devon
• Exeter & East Devon
  and
  
• North & Mid Devon

At these Briefings workshops were held where managers were asked to identify key issues to be addressed in order to successfully implement the Modernisation Programme. The feedback from each workshop was very consistent and the issues raised have been grouped into the following themes:

1. Resources
2. Communication and engagement
3. Integration
4. Business processes and technical support
5. Management and planning
6. Leadership
7. Service user engagement

1. Resources

• Finding sufficient resources to invest in making changes and long term savings at the same time as budget reductions
• Could be more expensive, for example:
• out of county residential placements
• resources - intelligent property management will be essential capacity - keeping show on the road during change
• resources redistribution and re-investment
• Enough computers / training / quality management information / ownership of information / performance and outcome / ownership of joint indicators

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2. Communication and engagement

• Staff must 'own' changes
• Create harmony between the NHS Job Evaluation and DCC Job Evaluation Identify programme plans, the cycles of plans, and how these are communicated to the workforce
• Learning and Development essential for retraining opportunities
• Honest review of progress - learn from mistakes 'golden thread'
• Look after staff (HR managers) engaged and interested
• Communicate: staff - cross-Divisional management briefings, involving partners too
• Communicate: service users - Programme outcomes explained at twice yearly forums
• Communications strategy - corporate and local communications integrated approach to local examples
• Communications - language / jargon - service user involvement and understanding
• Locality forums twice yearly forums must involve partners

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3. Integration

• More efficiency should free up more resources
• Seamless services are a must
• Partner organisations have differing service conditions
• Tension of drive for consistency vs local diversity
• Joined up information technology (IT) systems are essential - when? - top level commitment needed
• Likewise joined up service planning and joint agency consultation

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4. Business processes and technical support

• Must simplify our processes
• Widen access to IT equipment
• Develop / improve our dynamic demographic information
• Further develop and spread IT skills
• Review our processes to develop consistency of procedure
• Simplify and streamline decision making - devolve levels of responsibility from central group
• Complete implementation of Electronic Social Care Record, CareFirst and Single Assessment Process

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5. Management and planning

• Tight programme/project management required for Modernisation Programme
• More effective use of programme management in Finance / Human Resources and IT areas
• Strategic and local mass of plans must be review/streamline/rationalise planning framework
• Focus on common priorities
• Maintain our commitment to community planning (need sufficient capacity)
• Local Planning Implementation Groups to be linked with strategic planning

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6. Leadership

• Provide strategic vision to be communicated
• Record the delivery of change at all levels
• Use integration as means of spreading best-practice
• The Modernisation Programme isn't all modern - lots of it is 'business as usual'
• Monitoring progress must get information right back to the top
• Strategic co-ordination and leadership must provide support to front line managers and local staff

And, last but not least …

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7. Service user engagement

• The Programme can only succeed if service users understand the changes
• Consultation and engagement are essential at all levels, from strategic to local
• Users need to be involved in the management of multiple agendas
• Users must see the big picture and understand the long-term aims of the Programme
• Local changes must be seen in countywide context with examples from one area used to inform changes in others.