What should the public sector look for when outsourcing social work?

Skylakes’ Directors of Social Services, Sarah O’Toole (Children’s) and Cait Vulliamy (Adults), explain the importance of contracting a reputable external provider of social services in order to reap the many benefits of outsourcing.

The General Election result brings with it the inevitability of further change at a time when local authorities and public services are already reeling from "transformation" in all its forms. Roles and expectations have changed out of all recognition in the past several years and the sector will be expected to continue to implement increased levels of outsourcing. Once regarded as an option for unskilled services, there is now a culture of delivery in frontline social services, a situation once unthinkable.

Staff working in the public sector, particularly in social work, may have the perception that outsourced services are by definition of lesser safety and value than those delivered directly. Well-reported service failures, such as the unhappy outcomes for Hinchingbrooke Hospital and ATOS, and difficulties attributed to G4S, SERCO and A4E do little to challenge this view. 

Any local authority wanting to get the best outcome for its population needs to be fully confident that provider organisations have placed quality above cost and volume, so that any savings achieved (and externally commissioned organisations look attractive in this regard) are backed up with the certain knowledge that outcomes, quality, timescale and management are of the highest possible standard. 

Resource and capability

Probably the first question you will ask before contracting a provider is: "Are they capable of meeting our needs?" Ultimately, the quality and standard of their work is a reflection of the practitioners they use. Do they have access to highly experienced social workers? What about those who are needed in specialist areas of service? What if the demand of our service requires more practitioners immediately halfway through the contract?

As the social work delivery arm of Sanctuary Personnel, Skylakes benefits from the largest social work resource in the UK. However, whilst having the resource to draw from is important, attracting social workers to want to work for our organisation is paramount. Fortunately, our unique way of working, offering practitioners a variety of work with flexibility and admin support, has allowed for the very quick placement of the best social workers and managers – for small- to large-scale projects. It is important that whichever provider you work with has the capacity to scale their service to the changing demands of your local community.

Complete managed solutions

It’s vital that an outsourced project model offers reprieve and works to the local authorities’ scope and requirements successfully. This is achieved by offering a complete managed solution. 

Fully managed services can run smoothly alongside local authorities’ existing teams, encouraging a true partnership approach. This can be for a time-limited period or as a longer-term solution.

An example of this was when a local authority in the West Midlands was having trouble with its referral and assessment service. They turned to our fully managed service to support them in achieving a successful restructure, without impacting current service levels. We were able to inform and assist their proposed planning to develop, promote and deliver a robust long-term RAS model. As with all projects, we worked in parallel with the local authority, which they agreed was an absolute must when considering an outsourced model.

Can the provider meet your short-term or long-term goals – or both?

This is really one of the main benefits of outsourcing social work – you can decide exactly where and when it is needed to achieve very specific goals.

Many local authorities have approached us to help them meet their current demand, allowing them to develop longer-term solutions and structures. For example, this could mean running an entire service (such as referral and assessment), ceasing the flow of new referrals in-house or managing a backlog, pilot a new operational model or implement a transformation programme.

Using an outsourced model to support transformation programmes offers reassurance that the demand of work will continue to be met throughout any transition period. The chosen provider can continue to undertake timely assessments and progress children’s cases, guaranteeing timely intervention and appropriate service provision to families whilst minimising risk.

Proven track record and referrals

Proven track records are greatly important in evidencing success – in delivery and the results achieved. For example, this could be on the provider’s ability to deliver timely progression of cases to closure, step down or escalation, to a very high quality – resulting in reduced numbers of children subject to long-term plan or orders.

It’s also important to look at results the provider has achieved in a similar geographic with a similar level of need. Often the services we deliver are based on referrals from neighbouring authorities so, importantly, our clients are confident we can deliver to their need.

This was the case when, on a neighbouring borough’s recommendation, an outer London borough local authority approached Skylakes to deliver a very similar project in a similar location. This local authority had identified an area of need in their children’s services, both within their duty and longer-term services. Whilst they were reassured we had successfully delivered a similar project, it was still important for us to conduct a review specifically to this local authority. This review identified that the service would benefit from the more targeted approach of a temporary outsourced service. We fully managed their referral and assessment service, allowing their internal resources to address the identified areas of need in-house. This assisted in a rapid improvement.

Guaranteed quality, timescales and budget

All outsourced providers should guarantee to carry out the requirements detailed in the project plan and agreed specifications in a structured and timely fashion. With every project, we undertake an agreed volume of work to a set timescale and at an agreed price upon delivery.

Case management should reflect best practice, and the provider should agree to work to the councils KPIs and any targets set to monitor project performance indicators as well as meeting all statutory requirements. At Skylakes, we develop our own internal KPIs attached to each individual project to be 100% satisfied that we are exceeding the local authority’s expectation.

A reason to outsource

Outsourcing in children’s social care requires the use of a robust and unique infrastructure. Providers need to have a proven track record that their design and delivery achieves a far greater throughput of high-quality social work than existing traditional models used by local authorities. Upon completion of projects, some local authorities have even adopted parts of our working practices, inviting us in to assist with training their internal teams. 

Crucially, choosing the right provider will mean your organisation will benefit from immediate service improvement with lasting results.

Skylakes Social Work has developed a unique model for outsourced social services in both children's and adult services, working in partnership with local authorities right across England and Wales to deliver all statutory social work. To find out how we can work with you and your organisation, please call us on 0333 6000 050 or visit www.skylakes.co.uk for more information.