Contents
Latest news…
04/06/2025 – Community Services Co-production Re-Launch
On the 4th June, the Community services Co-production group held an event to relaunch the recommissioning of services for people in receipt of adult social care. Community services include personal care, enabling, day opportunities and PA’s/ Microproviders.
The Co-production group is a group of practitioners, care providers, VCSE organisations and professional lived experience representatives who have been working together for 18 months to look at how they can inform the recommissioning of community services.
The group had conducted some wider engagement work with people with lived experience to get the views of those who are seldom heard. The themes gathered, which captured what is important to those people, shaped the event.
The event attendees came from a range of different partners: care providers, VCSE organisations and the VCSE Assembly, professional Lived Experience, Carer’s representatives and Devon County Council, Integrated Care board and Devon Partnership Trust practitioners.
We ran workshops which gave attendees the opportunity to explore some of those themes further. Groups came together to discuss and feedback on strengths-based/ goal-focussed working, the role of the VCSE sector, carers and replacement care, and people’s experience of mental health and wellbeing support.
The Community services co-production group will shortly be reviewing the feedback and looking at next steps. More information can be found below:
• Theme 1: Strengths-based approaches (goal setting, transport, and employment) – Liz Wood, Assistant Director (Disabilities), Integrated Adult Social Care Operations, supported by colleagues from Reaching For Independence, Transport services and Learn Devon. Workshop 1 strengths and goals
• Theme 2: The role of the VCSE sector in Community Services – Stephanie Lewis, Torbay, Plymouth and Devon VCSE Assembly.
• Theme 3: Carers and replacement care – Candy Worf, Carers lead, Integrated Adult Social Care Commissioning. Replacement Care Workshops Summary Responses 04.06.25
• Theme 4: People’s experience of mental health services and wellbeing support– Sara Traynor, Expert by Experience Lead, Devon Mental Health, Learning Disabilities & Neurodiversity (MHLDN) Collaborative and Tom Cox, Devon Mental Health Alliance. Workshop 4.2 MHWB
Below are useful links to various resources used during this piece of work:
- Co Production Event 4.6.25 Presentation
- Priorities – co pro comm services event June 2025
- Community services re commissioning Notes VCSE workshop
- Community Services Co-produced relaunch event 4th June agenda
- Cool Cats Presentation
26/10/23
The Community Services Brokerage Improvement changes are going live next week on Monday 30th October. The changes will:
- Ensure that we treat all our providers fairly and equitably
- Promote Anti-Racist practice
- Save time for Providers, AST co-ordinators and for Care Managers
- Provide clear and transparent decision making regarding offers of care.
The key changes relate to how offers of care are accepted. Under the new way of working, offers will be accepted by the Arranging Support Team (AST) using the Brokerage Support Tool (BST), which will consider whether the key requirements have been met, including…
- Best Value; has the agreed contract cost been met
- Optimum start date; can the offer start within the required timescale
- Best spaced schedule of visits, are the visits proposed with an adequate amount of time between visits
- Have any specific requirements been addressed.
Timescales for responding to referrals has also changed and offers must be sent to AST within four hours of referral receipt.
For further information please go to the Frequently Asked Questions that have been prepared for this change.
16/08/2023
The Community Services Review programme is recruiting stakeholder representatives to help us redesign services that support people to live independently at home.
The scope of the Community services programme includes Personal or Domiciliary care, Day care and Enabling services, Personal Assistants, and Micro-providers (8 or less people working together to provide care).
We recognise people’s experiences, expertise and ideas can make a difference in helping us to challenge thinking, develop new ideas and improve services. Our aim is to improve how Community services work with individuals to promote their independence.
Details of the role
Representatives are sought from the Devon adult social care provider workforce, adult social care and health practitioner workforce, Voluntary and Community sector organisations, as well as service user and/or carer representatives – probably 2 from each.
Representatives will support the programme via a Co-design advisory group which will inform the design of the work streams.
Applicants should live / receive/ provide, arrange, or deliver relevant services within the Devon boundary.
It is anticipated that representatives will meet routinely at a frequency which supports the pace of the work programme. However, Terms of Reference (timings, duration, and method of meetings) will be agreed by the group.
Awareness training on Co-production will be provided as part of the introduction process. Provisional dates for the awareness training are the 14th September and 3rd October. This will be via Microsoft teams (virtual).
It is anticipated that the work programme will span several years in total, but representatives may wish to join us for key stages of the work as set out in the project plan.
Key information can be found here: Community Services: Supporting Independence, Empowering Lives – Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)
Further background information on the programme will be provided as part of the induction process.
How to Apply
Please email socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk by 5pm on the 31st August 2023
Information required will include:
- Name
- Phone
- Where you work in Devon
- Tell us why you would like to be involved
Selection will take place the week beginning 4th September and may require a short virtual meeting with facilitators.
25/04/2023: Thank you!
In February, Devon County Council asked to hear your views on ‘Community Services’, by which we mean Personal Care, Enabling and Day Services. The survey was the first part of a wider community services review; looking at the current offer and how, with the meaningful involvement of stakeholders, we shape the services moving forward.
Now that the survey has closed we wanted to thank you for the responses we received! We had a great number of Provider responses and the survey feedback was overwhelmingly thoughtful and creative. We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with you and once we have completed reviewing all responses we’ll be in contact with an update on the next stage of the coproduction approach.
February 2023: Launch of the Community Services Review Survey
Devon County Council would like those delivering, receiving, and supporting people in receipt of Community Services, to take part in the Community Based Review Survey.
This Survey gives you the opportunity to feedback on what works well, what could be changed and what you would like to see improved in the future. It is the first phase of working together on the Community Services Review and our longer term commissioning approach and further opportunities for feedback and involvement will follow.
June 2023
Devon County Council sent out a survey to individuals/organisations that deliver, receive, and supporting people in receipt of Community Services, to take part in the Community Based Review.
This Survey gave an opportunity to feedback on what works well, what could be changed and what you would like to see improved in the future. It is the first phase of working together on the Community Services Review and our longer-term commissioning approach and there will be further opportunities for feedback.
The presentation below is the initial feedback from these surveys and the key themes that have been identified. This presentation has been shared at sector meetings with the market. Thank you to all for participating in this first phase and we will inform you of next steps.
CS Stage 1 All external Stakeholders feedback.pdf
Newsletter Archive
Useful links
Providers and Personal Assistants/micro providers who deliver community-based services, please select this link to participate with the survey Community Based Review First Phase – Survey For Providers (office.com)
Power Point describing the first stage of our engagement: Community Services Review – First Stage stakeholder engagement 2023 (1).pdf
Easy read version of the form is available: Community Based Review Survey easy read.docx
The Survey will close on Monday 27th March.
If you require the easy read version please send the form once completed to socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Background
Devon County Council, alongside our partners in The Integrated Care System which is a partnership of health and social care organisations working together with local communities across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to improve people’s health, wellbeing and care. We are collaboratively undertaking a review of services that are delivered in the community, these are Community Services.
Devon County Council are using the term “Community Services” which means; personal care, Enabling, Day services, and PA/micro providers.
The purpose of this Community Services Review is to help us shape and inform our longer-term commissioning strategy and how we work together with providers and other stakeholders to support the delivery of Community Based Services.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this work or would like to get involved then please contact the Social Care Business Relations mailbox using ‘Community Services Query’ as the subject line.