As part of the government's agenda for public service reform, local authorities have been asked to review their provision of support for young people and many are in the process of determining the structures and approaches that will shape delivery for the future.
Ofsted's report An Evaluation of Approaches to Commissioning Young People's Services identified some of the difficulties faced by local authorities and youth organisations. It found that commissioning has developed at a varied pace within the areas visited.
Inspectors visited 12 local authority areas and met representatives from national organisations involved in commissioning services for young people.
An important issue identified was the confusion that exists between commissioning and procuring. Commissioning is the process for deciding how to use the total resource available for children, young people, parents and carers in order to improve outcomes in the most efficient, effective, equitable and sustainable way. Provision can be commissioned from within local authorities as well as from external providers, and can be a mix of the two. Procurement is the process of acquiring services.
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