Managing contracts better

What we did

Telford & Wrekin Council has reduced the amount of process involved in managing contracts. This entailed mapping the current contracting (individual contracting) process, identifying improvements, creating the new process and implementing it. This was done as part of the development of a centralized brokerage service. Under the new arrangements, the centralized brokerage service now creates the contract and manages all stages of the authorization and setting up process.

Why we did it

The changes were introduced to reduce the process, make it quicker and more consistent, and to ensure contracts are in consistently in place, as these drive the payments for providers and income system from people using the services. The changes were designed to avoid contracts needing to go via various teams and team leaders to sign, on the basis that the authorization for the need and care has already been done via the social work teams and their authorization process, For the contracts to go back via this same authorization process was unnecessary duplication.

Outcome

As a result of making the changes it now takes less time and fewer people to set up contracts and link them with the payment and income systems. Contracts are in a consistent form and social work team leaders' time has been freed up.

Contact details

Samantha Wells, Personal Budget Support Team Leader, Telford & Wrekin Council, Samantha.wells@telford.gov.uk, Tel: 01952 381282