ACE-VALUE

COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK

Dr Melanie Jones

Dr Miranda Wolpert

CAMHS Evidence Based Practice Unit

Anna Freud Centre and UCL

• Supported by the Department for Education• Led by YoungMinds, the leading expert in the field of children and young

people’s mental health. • Consortium members: Youth Access & Place2Be, specialists in VCS

delivery of children and young people’s mental health services in the community and schools. The Mental Health Foundation and EBPU (Evidence Based Practice Unit) provide unrivalled expertise in research about effective mental health services, quality standards and accreditation. FPM brings a strong track record of capacity building across youth VCS organisations. YoungMinds has also assembled a specialist team of CAMHS commissioning experts including Lisa Williams,The Rees Consultancy and Cernis.

• The partnership is advised by The Afiya Trust which brings expertise, networks and knowledge of BME communities.

• Develop and disseminate quality standards and accreditation for voluntary sector delivery of mental health services for children and young people

• Support the increase in the range of early intervention mental health services offered by voluntary sector providers in order to expand choice and provision of timely and efficient mental health services for children and young people

• Support commissioners and procurement of mental health services for children and young people to ensure: high quality, an increase in patient choice, value for money and evidence based effective services

• EBPU charged as part of the consortium with leading the development of a framework which will allow commissioners to make judgements about voluntary sector and other providers

• Drawing on contributions from consortium members with a wide variety of experience in this regard it was agreed to develop an online framework (or “drawing cabinet”) of templates, best practice examples and links to guidance and training that providers can access to demonstrate that they are commissioning-ready

• ACE–Value is this online framework and provides a tool for demonstrating good practice, effectiveness, value and innovation that can be used by any service provider voluntary or statutory

What is ACE-Value ?

To simplify and standardise the commissioning process for both providers and commissioners by:

• assisting providers in demonstrating that they are commissioning ready

• allowing commissioners to consider the values of potential providers using consistently-organised information set within a context of indicators of best practice and innovation, and with guidance in how to consider this evidence meaningfully

Why is ACE-Value needed ?

• It is a framework to guide and facilitate decision-making

• It is a template for self-reported demonstrations of good service provision and innovation

• It is suitable for any service provider (statutory services, non-statutory voluntary sector organisations and private companies)

• It is suitable for all direct and/or indirect targeted mental health work with CYP and families

What is within the remit of ACE-Value ?

• It does not prescribe or grade providers

• It does not bias towards any type of organisation

• It does not include non-targeted work such as sign-posting, advice/information-giving, teaching/mentoring or lobbying

• It does not audit providers

What is outside of remit of ACE–Value ?

How will ACE-Value be sustained

• EBPU is co-sponsoring the development of ACE-Value and have agreed to underwrite its continued existence beyond the life of the project

• ACE-Value will be overseen by an oversight committee consisting of members of the BOND consortium and potentially invited others as regarded as relevant

• It has been agreed that ACE-Value will be accessible to all commissioners and providers

Twelve compulsory components must all be evidenced to demonstrate the provider is “commissionable”.

These are spread across:

• Accountability• Compliance• Empowerment

... with an opportunity to shine through evidence of added Values

The ACE–Value Framework

1. Must be collecting and considering outcomes (how this is done is open, but rationale must be clearly explained/evidenced)

2. Must be collecting and considering service user experience (how this is done is open, but rationale must be clearly explained/evidenced)

3. Must have an “easy” referral process (e.g. take self referrals, open access)

4. Must be reviewing those who access services against local or targeted populations (as relevant)

5. Must be reviewing waiting times

ACCOUNTABILITY: 5 components

Must be able to evidence:

1.Child protection and safeguarding- For example: named person lead, CRB for all staff, at least once a year training, clear protocols

for reporting, clear links to confidentiality policy, clear policy with review date

2.Confidentiality- For example: statement of this that YP of their relevant client group can understand (include

consideration of LD etc in best practice info), protocol re use in practice, clear protocol and review date, clear protocol re information sharing data protection and consent

3.Supervision standards - For example: Any direct therapeutic intervention is supervised by an appropriate qualified

supervisor (example list attached), regular system for supervision that meets min standards as per relevant body

4.Line management standards- For example: clear line management and governance structures, clear induction, clear training

policies, clear recruitment selection, clear performance management processes

5.Financial stability- For example: demonstrated funds available to sustain for at least 6 months, size of provider

appropriate to size of funds being sought (within a specified ratio)

COMPLIANCE: 5 components

1. Must be able to demonstrate participation and collaboration strategies, for example:

- Any collaborative shared decision making in individual cases (e.g. choice of worker)

- Any service-wide service user involvement (e.g. YP as trustees)

2. Must be able to demonstrate reviewing of feedback information to inform service delivery

- User satisfaction, complaints, compliments and suggestions)

EMPOWERMENT: 2 components

• Evidence of how the service is good value for money

• Evidence of how the service provides social value (e.g. through case studies)

• Any feedback from formally audited standard reviews processes or graded accreditations

• Any references from current or past stakeholders or commissioners

• Future – possibility to demonstrate value in relation to PbR clusters

VALUE: an opportunity to shine