Council moves to ensure People2People builds and grows from its success
Shropshire Council’s Cabinet yesterday (Wednesday 18 May 2016) approved the recommendations to ensure People2People continues to develop its successful social work practice.
The Community Interest Company (CIC) provides all of Shropshire’s community social work and occupational therapy services for older people and those with disabilities, and was one of seven Department of Health pilots designed to test the contracting out of statutory adult social work from councils to independent organisations.
The recommendations detailed in the Future Social Work Delivery Vehicle report will enable the social enterprise to grow and develop under the support of the council and to further develop its resources and procurement offer. This would include joining up with other social care-related services like Enable which provide advice and support for vulnerable people to gain skills and employment, and training and development to help support professional development.
Following agreement and support from the current shareholders, Shropshire Council will become the sole shareholder of the organisation. The changes to the shareholder arrangements will provide a supported environment and the right framework for People2People to flourish. This will enable People2People to be in a strong position in any future competitive procurement process that the council may decide to undertake.
Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adults, said:
“People2People are recognised locally and nationally as innovative and an exemplar of good practice in adult social care amongst local authorities and other relevant adult social care bodies across the UK.
“The challenges facing adult social care are huge, but the work People2People have done is astounding. They have been at the frontline of contributing to the £17m savings achieved, of the £25m of savings in adult social care needed.
“Their model of delivering frontline social work practice has proved extremely successful, not only in developing a robust social work practice model, but also as an intrinsic part of the transformation of adult services.
“We now want to build on its success by supporting its development, and by establishing a robust and longer term arrangement for the delivery of social work provision building upon People2People’s experience.”
Since its creation, the service has had a number of positive achievements, including reducing bureaucracy, strengthening natural and community networks around people, and maximising people’s independence and resilience.
Staff are more in control of how they work, and deliver drop-in sessions in local communities to provide information and advice.
Lee Chapman added:
“People2People practitioners are enjoying greater professional freedom, stronger partnerships with people receiving support, and increased morale, and this will continue.
“The new arrangements do not affect the way people access People2People, and those people using the service should not see any difference at all in the level and quality of service. This is basically an arrangement to formalise what is already being done.”
Eddie Clarke, Chair of People2People, said:
“The Board of People2People are extremely pleased that the Cabinet of Shropshire Council has shown great confidence in us by approving the continued development of social work and related services within People2People. We are proud of our partnership with the council, which has proven very successful in supporting people and communities to experience excellent care and support. We look forward to building on this success.”
To view the approved Cabinet report click here.
For more information about People2People visit http://www.people2peoplecic.org.uk/
Further information
People2People are a not-for-profit independent social work practice working with Shropshire Council to provide adult social care support to older people and those with disabilities. After the success of the prototype in Shrewsbury, the new model has been expanded out across the rest of Shropshire, where there are different needs and demographics to Shrewsbury.
People2People has been established as a pilot since 2012. The delivery of a significant proportion of Shropshire Council’s adult socialcCare social work practice has been part of the Department of Health’s Social Work Practice Pilot. This included the development of ‘People2People’ (a Community Interest Company) as its delivery vehicle for frontline social work practice (adults), with council staff seconded to People2People to deliver those services.
People2People has indicated a continued willingness to further develop social work services on behalf of Shropshire Council, and as a Community Interest Company would re-invest any profit into local communities and into the delivery of social care and well-being outcomes within Shropshire. This will enable Shropshire Council to deliver its responsibilities under the Care Act.
During this time the majority of staff have been seconded to the organisation from the council. People2People has also employed staff directly on its own different terms and conditions.
People2People current shareholders are supportive of this approach. The Company has revised its Articles of Association to allow the council’s ownership and have confirmed to our satisfaction that they will transfer their shares to the council to enable the council to become the sole shareholder. This has been confirmed to the council and will be confirmed by resolution at the People2People Board meeting on 20 May 2016.
The new arrangements do not prevent staff involvement in the development of People2People and it will allow further work to be undertaken through building on the innovative and steady progress made so far, and provide People2People with ongoing financial support and assurance as the company prepares for any future competitive procurement process that the council may decide to undertake at some point in the future. Having developed, during the pilot, a bespoke company specifically designed for the delivery of social work which has been proven and tested in Shropshire, by becoming the sole shareholder the council has the ability to further develop the service and company through the direct award of a service contract and with the comfort and control of appropriate shareholder involvement.
